Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry.

X is for Xanadu – this fic is part of the alphabetasoup lj fic challenge I'm doing, Devil May Cry General Series.

But it's being written for PockyMunchingGod, who did fanart of Vergil from Angel Wings, part III of the Angel Trilogy. This is the first fanart of my fics I have received, and I thought it deserved a giftfic in thanks. She requested V/L with lots of dialogue and personality clashing.

The bullet-deflection thing happens in the cutscene. The gameplay doesn't seem to tally with Lady's story abilities, so I'll go with the storyline.

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Uncovered

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There was a throne in the pile. It was covered by gold, but Vergil was certainly strong enough to take it down and sit on it. But no, he remained standing, watching her. It was very creepy. Not to mention insulting, and a lot of other things. He didn't want to be here guarding her, she didn't want to be on the same planet as him.

But this ancient palace (she'd heard of it, even if she hadn't read the poem), had booby traps, spells, and living ceramic soldiers. Dante had sent Vergil in first, saying he had the most experience at tomb raiding. He'd look slightly less annoyed when he came out, he'd probably missed slaughtering things.

After they'd finished killing the demons that had escaped from Temen ni Gru they'd been paid, and rather well, but Vergil had been fined for the buildings that had been destroyed, and Dante had insisted on paying for him and taking the amount out of Vergil's future share of the demon-killing fees.

Arkham's estate had been fined too, and serious government agents had carted off his library and equipment.

They'd ended up in need of some quick cash in order to set up a new headquarters (and pay Lady back for her bike), and Vergil had suggested this place. He'd found a map and instructions for entrance in Sparda's library.

So here they were, graverobbing. She was guilty of patricide, this should mean nothing and it didn't. Except that future archeologists would probably curse her name… let alone Vergil and Dante. Dante had gone off to where the magical artifacts were kept, but not before threatening Vergil with a gruesome fate if anything happened to her.

How insulting. "You don't have to babysit me," she told him, breaking the silence.

"Yes, I do." He sounded just as annoyed as she was, though his annoyance manifested as contempt. For her, for Dante, for this entire world. Dante should have just let him fall.

"I'll be fine," she said through clenched teeth.

"If Arkham hadn't ordered you be kept alive you would have died in Temen ni Gru in about five minutes."

"I stayed alive after he went to hell," she countered.

"I suspect he wanted to kill you himself, and left orders you be kept alive. There are some humans who can fight demons, but they call amateurs like you decoys. No blue orbs, no shielding, and there are demons that can protect themselves against bullets."

Dante had loaded her down with books describing types of demons, and she'd become glummer the more she'd read. So many, even the ones described as weak, would have been able to take her down easily. If you couldn't survive a bullet to the head, all it took was one hit.

The second time she'd fought Dante, he'd dodged and blocked her bullets like it was nothing. The third time, she'd had him in her sights and fired but he'd deflected the bullets. Without even touching them, they'd gone zooming off to either side. Telekinesis? When he'd fought her, he hadn't sliced at her, just left bruises and tired her out.

"Well, I know what I'm doing now. So you should make yourself useful and go look for things to sell too." She stuffed another small figurine in a pocket.

"Dante ordered me to not go anywhere near the magical items and I don't care about money." Human money.

"You need to eat, just like the rest of us."

"No, I don't."

"What?"

"I am a demon. I can survive on what they eat. Fear, death, pain, lust… I don't need human food. In any case, Dante's the glutton."

As though she needed reminding that neither of them were human. "Well, you're taking up a bedroom."

"Not by my choice."

"Yeah, Dante said he'd kick your ass if you left."

She could feel Vergil's rage. And jealousy. "I was the one who tracked down the seals, I…"

"No, that was my father. You were just his pawn. If it hadn't been for Dante, demons would have engulfed the world. No thanks to you. Dante's the one who deserves your father's sword."

"Be silent."

"Oh, so mature. It's hard to believe you're the older of you two."

"I am far more mature than him."

"No, you just try to act like it. You're a brat inside. Dante's the does the hard things, even though he wants to be as much of a brat as you are." This wasn't a sudden insight, she'd known this since she'd given him Kalina Ann.

A growl, and Yamato was pressed to her throat.

She snorted. "Trying to solve everything with violence? Yeah, real mature."

The sword had withdrawn enough she didn't cut herself when she spoke, and now it went back in the sheath. "Dante rejected Sparda's blood and the power that could have saved this world. If it hadn't been for me, we wouldn't have the sword of Sparda now, and he wouldn't have the power to defeat me, let alone Mundus."

"I'm not saying he's really mature. Just that you're worse."

"You're younger than I am."

"Just in years."

"Yes, that's what younger means."

"You're only strong because of what you inherited. I worked to get strong. If it weren't for your father, I bet I could take you. Guns beat swords unless there's magical cheating."

His eyes narrowed.

"Sure, glare at me, but you can't deny it. If you were a human you'd be nothing."

"You're right. Humans are nothing. With a few rare exceptions. Very rare."

"Demons are nothing. With a few very rare exceptions. Like Dante."

"I'm not one of the cannon fodder that don't even have their own bodies."

"You're not your father either. You're the guy who almost got thousands of people killed. If it weren't for Dante, I'd find a way to kill you."

"If it weren't for Dante, I'd kill you now."

"Yeah, because you're just a demon. And I swore to kill all demons."

"What about Dante?"

"He's not just a demon."

"He's my brother."

"And your mother must be rolling in her grave because of what you've done."

Lady had been stalking forward until they were nose-to-nose, Vergil too afraid of losing face to back up, away from her intrusion into his personal space. His skin was perfect, she couldn't see any hairs or pores. He'd probably never had a pimple in his life. Then again, neither had she. His eyes were perfect too, and his hair was all the same color instead of having a range of different shades. He probably didn't need gel to get it to stick up like that.

A human would have had to spend hours in front of the mirror to look this good.

"Don't you dare bring her into this. Your mother married Arkham."

She slapped him.

He jerked back, shocked for once. Amazed she had dared, his hand rose to his face. The skin wasn't even red, still perfect. She glared.

He bared his teeth. She didn't back down.

Finally, he laughed. "You truly are suicidal."

"No, I'm not. You're the one who tried to jump into hell. Where everyone hates your father and despises you for being half-human." She blinked. "You are suicidal." Her face displayed her concern.

He turned away. "Don't you dare pity me."

"I don't." She turned back to the pile as well. "Make yourself useful and dig through this. Who knows, maybe someday you'll beat Dante and then it'll be your shop."

"If he has too much money he'll buy a drum kit and then I'll never get any peace."

"If you make enough money, you can soundproof your room. Get to work."

Amazingly, he complied.