Author's Notes: OK, here's the final version, proofread and organised without being in a rush :D. Zone is still prominent, but not outright dominant like he was before, so, hope you all enjoy it. Oh and also, since I forgot to answer this before, to Saddened Soul, Arson is half devil and half angel, but Dante was the son of Sparda, and while I don't fully know Arson's history, a secret held by bustahead, at least for purposes of this story I'm playing all three as less powerful than either of the sons of Sparda, although Arson is probably the strongest out of him, Reiko and Zone. To make a single character more powerful than the main hero would sort of smack of the uberness I myself made fun of, I reckon XD.
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Walking with a suggestive sway even when, to the best of her knowledge, no one was around to watch, Nevan glided down the hall to the front of the Bullseye bar. Pausing she turned her head and smiled overly-sweetly to Lady, who sat on the bar cleaning her guns. The human grunted disdainfully and focused more intently on her work. She was not on the best terms with Nevan, what with her being a demon. After all last time Lady had seen Dante she'd shot him in the face, twice. But considering the current crisis she had grudgingly decided against tangling with the powerful succubus, especially with so many innocents around.

The vampiric creature chuckled to herself amusedly at Lady's reaction, and giving a teasing wink, turned and went through the doors into the Love Planet. Lady pointedly ignored her departure and remained focused on empting the barrel of her shotgun of clogging dirt. As a result she did not notice the figure that slipped through the door after Nevan just before it closed, moving silently and darting through just in time.

With a lackadaisical stretch, Nevan stepped down the short stairs and walked into the middle of the deserted strip joint. She inspected the pole with coy interest for a moment, just letting her mind wander. Of course, being millenniums old, there was no trick to her trade a gritty place like this could teach her. But it at least had vaguely the same atmosphere as her lair, stage and all, so she found it easier to relax back here.

Still unbeknownst to the succubus, a sly figure watched her from behind one of the half-ruined table and sofa arrangements strewn around the room. Zone absent-mindedly licked his lips; half because the same recent incident that had mildly signed his fur had somewhat dehydrated him, and half from excitement.

Dragging his mind away from naughty thoughts regarding Nevan and the pole, though it came reluctantly, Zone took a moment to focus. He would not deny that he was having fun. Oh no, he was enjoying himself, especially with the twin highlights of hitting on Lady and his close encounter with Keahi's D-cup breasts.

All the same though, while good times along the way were great, they were here with a purpose, and one he was fully behind. They had to find out how to defeat Mary Sue, and judging by end of the conversation between Nevan and Reiko he'd caught, he figured she knew something. Evidently whatever Nevan wanted in exchange for the information, Reiko had failed to provide. Zone knew he'd struggle to offer anything the vampire couldn't, besides cuteness and furriness, but that was not going to deter him from at least trying.

Glancing round again to double-check Nevan was still there, which she was, he placed his front paws on the back of the wrecked seating. The hamster was easily able to gain a purchase on the torn up material and rapidly climbed the furniture. This should be interesting, he thought to himself with an anticipating smirk.

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"Excuse me, you haven't seen a hamster around have you, about six inches head to tail, tan and white fur?" Reiko asked. His face fell slightly as the random background character gave a shake of the head. Knowing that they'd be utterly useless, since they didn't even have a brief description, let alone a name, he turned around to find someone more significant to ask. Doing so brought him nose to nose with Keahi, or at least as close as noses can get while standing straight in front of someone with so much bust, "Uh, hey Keahi".

Keahi smiled briefly at the greeting, but then her expression saddened, "You don't remember me, do you?".

Reiko stared at her in perplexity, and then suddenly a light bulb of familiarity went off in his head. "Oh, Keahi…" he said awkwardly, amazed he hadn't recognised her, "Sorry, I've just been, caught up lately".

Seemingly satisfied with this, Keahi cheered and cuddled the vampire tightly. "Yay! You remember me!".

It was at this point that Arson returned from asking people in the other room if they'd seen Zone. He arrived just in time to catch Keahi's last words. "Oh, you two know each other, how?" He asked curiously.

Reiko coughed and tried to find the words to explain it to Arson, "Um, we're, old friends" he tried lamely.

Keahi giggled, "Nevan's right, you are a stiff in all the wrong ways. You were another kind of stiff for me".

Reiko's cheeks flushed as Arson pondered this. "You mean, he would play dead?" the naïve hybrid asked.

Keahi giggled at his innocence, and nodded, grinning. "Oh yeah, Reiko would lie down for me whenever I asked" she laughed, hugging Reiko tighter as he clawed at his face, though the innuendo was lost on Arson.

----

Nevan was still staring at the stage, letting her mind drift through memories it conjured, of which she had an unbelievable quantity. With a gentle sigh etched with longing, for she hadn't had any "fun" for quite a while, she drew out of her reminiscing, and turned around. As she did she saw a hamster, grinning at her.

Zone had climbed up the back of the seating and with a nimble jump, made it onto the table, which was still upright. Looking over himself he'd had a moment to or two to clean his fur up before Nevan had seen him. Then she'd turned, and he'd smiled, mind working quickly behind the open expression. He really had no idea how this was going to play out, but the rodent figured if he was going to have any chance of success, he'd need all his wits and cunning about him. After all, she definitely held the advantage in life experience.

The succubus slightly raised her eyebrows in curiosity, but she was thousands of years old and had seen things most people wouldn't believe and in most cases, done things even less people would believe with them. So while a hamster suddenly being there on the table and smiling at her was slightly surprisingly, she was easily a match for it. "I didn't know I had an audience" Nevan said with amusement, posing slightly.

"I must confess, I snuck in without paying for a ticket" Zone replied, also sounding enthused. After all, he was about to negotiate with a two thousand year plus old vampiric succubus demon… How cool was that?

Again Nevan's eyebrows raised, finding a talking hamster even more curious than a conventional one, and she slowly walked from the stage to the table where the intriguing rodent sat. "Well, aren't you a cute little thing" she said half-rhetorically once she stood before him, leaning down slightly to be closer to his level.

Zone smirked right back as he replied. " I wouldn't dare disagree with an opinion as professional as yours, so, guilty as charged" he said with a little shrug of a motion that slyly exhibited his furry, cuddly cuteness.

Nevan let out an easy laugh that seemed to saturate the room, just rolling out of her throat and pervading the air with her amusement. "Mm you've got spark" she said, quite entertained by the rodent's playful, cheeky wit. She leaned down a little more to give him a little pet between the ears, as well as improving his view of her cleavage, both tantalising rewards for amusing her.

It took a small effort of will for Zone not to just slip into a sit right there. Being rubbed between the ears was always nice, but Nevan knew exactly what she was doing, and it felt so much better than usual. "Hehe, like what you see?" he asked coyly as she ran a finger down his back, making him want to shiver happily.

"And feel" she replied as her finger reached the base of his spine, grazing over his stubby tail cheekily. The succubus didn't usually getting to enjoy touching soft things, and Zone's fur was silky to the touch. "I could ask the same" Nevan said with a laugh as she caught the rodent's eyes lingering on her ample chest.

Zone looked back up at her, and it was instinct to blush, but he fought it down. He wouldn't fair well in any kind of bargaining as a flushed little furball. He might have a really good time, he thought as she rubbed one of his little ears between two fingers in a way that he couldn't help but sigh from, but he wouldn't get what he came for. Nevan chuckled at his reaction, enjoying inflicting teasing little pleasures on the rodent.

"Hehe, definitely Nevan" he said boldly, relieved yet disappointed as she let up on his ear. He was sorely tempted to dawdle and fish for more attention, but resisted the urge "But, that's not actually why I'm here".

Nevan tilted her head slightly, further interested to find the hamster knew her name. The motion caused her hair, which barely covered her chest, to shift with lewd promise. "Oh, what did you come for then? And it seems you have the advantage of me" she said, referring to his knowing her name but her not knowing his.

"Now there's an enticing thought" Zone replied with a smirk, earning another amused laugh and a ruffle on his head. By now his little body was humming with all sorts of warm, nice feelings that had been rubbed into it. "Name's Zone" he said, managing to keep on track, but unable to resist a playful courteous bow.

Nevan chuckled again at his quirky display of manners, slipping a nimble finger under his chin and rubbing his fuzzy throat as he straightened up again. "Nice name, it suits you, cute yet interesting" she said as the rodent's eyes rolled back slightly, a tiny moan slipping out of his throat from the rubbing on under his chin. The succubus laughed, quite fond of the mischievous, witty rodent she had almost literally wrapped around her finger, finding him refreshingly amusing. "So what can I do for you, Zone?" she asked coyly, grinning wider as she watched the hamster struggle to reply between the pleased noises she was drawing out of him.

"Uh, well I'm with Reiko, we need to find out h-how to defeat Mary Sue" he said, closing his eyes and taking a couple of breaths before continuing, mentally steadying himself. "I know Reiko let you down, but I'm way more resourceful than him, I bet I could give you something you want, to make a fair exchange like" he said, managing a confident grin despite the urge to just lie down and let her pet him senseless.

Nevan's grin lit up at that, and her eyes practically shone with wicked intent. "Well, I would have doubted you could give me what I wanted from Reiko, but if you really want to try…" she let the words hang as her finger began to rub a dangerous path down the rodent's furry underside, slowly running over his little chest.

Zone's heart quickened, his little eyes widening as he quickly conned onto what she was talking about. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised, he thought to himself in hindsight. After all, she was a succubus, and a demonic one at that. Most of the time when Zone hit on females, it was a mix of playful banter and a kind of way of, not being thought of too differently, just because of what he was. He knew he had little chance of a woman doing anything with him, and in truth he didn't exactly want them to, though it was tempting. But by flirting he kind of proved he didn't somehow not count, and it was fun if the other person got into it.

However, as the invasive finger brushed through the fur on his stomach, Zone knew he was playing a very different game now. Nevan had probably been intimate with things he didn't know existed; pleasuring a hamster would seem refreshingly tame to the ancient succubus. She was really close now to his personal space, and the rodent shivered and gulped. He was tempted, God he was so tempted. She was doing it willingly, and there wasn't anything wrong with pleasure was there? And surely he deserved it and she'd be so good at it and… It was just so easy to think of reasons to say yes and so hard to think of ones to say no.

Zone moved his paws shakily down and grabbed her finger, the succubus pausing it where it lay pressed against his lower stomach, even though he hadn't a fraction of the strength to physically stop her. "Not, that" he managed to say, mustering all the will he could to deny the lure in his excitement-clouded mind.

Nevan hesitated, and then with a sigh and a disappointed pout, pulled her finger away from the hamster, leaving him panting and blinking. "Fine, but I still want something" she said, folding her arms expectantly.

Zone gave a distracted nod, still gathering his shaken up thoughts, since although he'd resisted her, she'd still really wound him up pretty high. In fact if someone had asked him why he had denied her, he wouldn't have been able to fully articulate it himself, to be truthful. Having already fought one mental battle just to not give into her, he was at a disadvantage with the sly woman, but he reminded himself he never expected this to be easy. "Well, there must be something else I can do for you" Zone said, stalling for time to think.

Nevan pondered this for a moment, but her reply wasn't encouraging. "I'm a simple girl with simple needs" she said with a smirk. She was still fond of the rodent, but all the same, he wasn't getting anything for free.

This was expected yet still disappointing to Zone, who imagined what little else she might want she could easily acquire herself. Clutching his paws together, not wanting to let this opportunity slip through them, he focused furiously, thoughts flashing through his mind like lightning bolts, hoping to illuminate some idea that might work. He tried to imagine he was her, to picture what she'd want… And a thought came to him.

"Alright" he said, his furry face suddenly set in a confident grin, which perked Nevan's interest. He wasn't sure if she'd buy this, but it would certainly help if he sold it with style, "I know something I can give you".

"Oh?" Nevan asked simply, successfully intrigued to see what the little furball thought he could do for her.

"Uhuh" Zone said, crossing the digits on one paw hopefully. "If I can't please you in this form, how about I do so in your other one?" he pitched the all-or-nothing question, watching her with keenly hopeful eyes.

Nevan gave him a slightly puzzled look, taking a moment to realise what he meant. "You want to play me?" she said, and then giggled, "Sorry cutie, but you're too small to even hold my devil arm form".

Zone cursed under his breath, realising she had a point. "Aw come now, don't tell me you can teleport and control electricity, but can't change the size of your guitar form" he challenged, risking a desperate gambit.

Nevan gave him a long look, surprised by his challenge of her abilities, but eventually smiled; it had been a long time since she'd been played too, after all. "You are a bold little thing. Alright, show me what you've got sugar" she said, reaching her hand out to his front. She placed her palm on his chest, completely covering it, and an electric current travelled down her arm and in a flash she vanished, becoming a hamster-sized demonic guitar in front of Zone. He admired the bluish instrument, and then grabbed it with his paws.

Holding the neck with one paw and placing the other over the strings, he didn't have a strap to hold it up, but Nevan used her power to support herself, letting him focus on playing her. "Whenever you're ready honey" her voice rang out from the miniature devil arm, sounding kind of like an echo of her normal tone.

Zone blinked, gripping her and just adjusting himself to the reality of the situation; surprised he'd managed to convince her to change for him. The rodent wasn't in fact a musician or anything of the sort, and he had no idea how high her standards were or if he had a chance of pulling this off. Still, it was better odds than nothing, he figured, and so taking a couple of steady breaths, he relaxed and slowly felt out Nevan's form.

"Alright" he said quietly, clearing his head and focusing on the task at paw, which he ran over her strings, just feeling her out, Nevan finding the delicate caress he acquainted himself to her with slightly promising. He devoutly memorised the instrument in his grip, then whispered "I'll play on you, my favourite song".

Nevan gave a slight thrum of anticipation, Zone smirking to himself, and then closing his eyes. His paw slid down the strings and he concentrated on only two things, the song in his head and the guitar in his paws, turning himself into a conduit between the two. Running his paw back up her, he began to play.

The first note he elicited from her was a long, writhing thing, sounding like a lightning bolt that had been shackled and was thrashing against its restraints. His paw coursed over her strings to draw the sound out, and as it died he shifted stance and with no further warning, tore into her with a barrage of powerful chords.

Within the guitar, Nevan's soul surged excitedly as the notes reverberated through her with a powerful rising triad motif. She had expected him to play fairly tamely, and dared to hope he might have some spark to his song of choice. But as he repeated the tune at a higher pitch, and then struck a single explosive chord from her and without pause, ploughed into a vamped up version of the melody, she hadn't even imagined he would pour himself into it like this. She was already having a great time when he reached the first verse.

"I've exposed your lies, baby
The underneath's no big surprise
Now it's time
For changing
And cleansing everything
To forget your love"

Zone had neither the voice nor the skill of a professional singer, but the raw energy and enthusiasm that rung in every word he sung had a tune all of its own. Going silent for a moment, he ravaged a rising crescendo out of Nevan, who rode the powerful riffs elatedly, and launched into the chorus with abandon.

"My plug in baby
Crucifies my enemies
When I'm tired of giving… Whoa!
My plug in baby
In unbroken virgin realities
Is tired of living… Whoo!"

Electrical energy was starting to crawl across Nevan's form by the time he reached the end of the chorus, drawing out the words and filling them with such drive as no written language could hope to contain. She was after all a weapon in this form, and her wielder summoned her attacks by playing her, which Zone was doing right now with unbridled passion, sparks flashing between him and the guitar, not harming him at all.

"Don't confuse
Baby you're gonna lose
Your own game
Change me
Replace the envying
To forget your love"

The currents were running over them both now, and Zone could feel her energy coursing through him, which only drove him on to play even harder. Eyes closed and bent over the instrument in his grip, he sung to it, serenading with paw and tongue as he continued to drive the notes through them both. Blue-white tendrils of lightning danced about them both, occasionally lancing out to earth somewhere in the room.

"My plug in baby
Crucifies my enemies
When I'm tired of giving… Whoa!
My plug in baby
In unbroken virgin realities
Is tired of living… Whoo!"

Nevan was ecstatic. In the throes of the song, she couldn't remember the last time she was played like this, if there even was a last time. Zone poured himself into the song the same way lightning earths itself into the ground, and the energy he was generating in her was only growing larger and more intense as he continued.

"And I've seen your loving...
But mine is gone...
And I've been in trouble..."

The succubus could feel the rodent's body heaving, breathless from the exertion of giving himself to this one performance. His lungs were burning and he was fighting to ascend through the notes, to hit the words and fill them with all the energy they needed. Then lapsing into verbal silence, aching from the tension of being in relentless motion for so long as he played Nevan to the fullest, he forced the final riffs to come.

They could both feel it building, the hamster having literally played up a storm, as arcs of lighting flew around him while he worked his way to the final crescendo, the two at the heart of a maelstrom. Zone could feel his body tingling, eyes closed in determination to finish what he started. He ascended the last riff, and, swaying on his feet, shakily rose one arm, and with all the strength he had left, stuck the very final note…

And it hit them both, the climax of the song, Nevan reverberating in musical pleasure as she reached her crescendo. The energy around them overloaded and in an explosion of electricity, they were both consumed by a solid pillar of lightning, coursing right through the rodent, he and the guitar a single circuit, one entity.

Zone's eyes snapped open and he breathed out, rendered speechless. He knew of no words to describe the sensation, and looked down at himself in mute amazement. His body was coursing with electricity, and rather than the tan and white fur he was used to, his saw blue-black patterns, shifting even as he stared at himself, looking like a rolling midnight storm. Also unbeknownst to him, his eyes were shining pure white.

He saw this, and he felt, oh he felt, every fibre of his being simply sing with energy, a sensation that was truly indescribable. Zone wondered faintly if this was Devil Trigger, or at least what Devil Trigger felt like.

Eventually the charge ran its course and left them, the rodent's fur swimming back to its original pattern before fading to its normal colours, and his eyes returning to their usual black shade. Zone dizzily fell onto his back, Nevan lying on his chest, and gasped for air, the experience having drained him physically and mentally. It had been incredible, and he'd loved it, and didn't even miss it, too hyped at having felt it at all.

"… Ooh, not bad, rodent" he heard Nevan's echo-like voice, and an accomplished feeling warmed him as she sounded just as thrilled and exhausted as him. Not bad at all, he thought to himself with a weary laugh.

"Thanks, did I win?" he asked with a tired grin, recovering his breath as he slowly sat up, Nevan in his lap.

"Oh, definitely" the succubus replied, her form glowing and an arc of energy lancing out into the air in front of them, forming itself into her regular body as the guitar vanished. Turning around, she affectionately scooped up the panting rodent and smiling, said "For a performance like that, I'll tell you everything I can".

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"Say, you haven't seen a hamster around, about so high, tan and white fur, have you?" Asked Arson, holding his hands about half a foot apart. Lady, who was cleaning Kalina Anne, growled at the mention of the rodent she'd earlier tried to immolate, and pointedly shifted the weapon so the barrel aimed at him.

With a worried gulp, Arson waved his hands apologetically and rapidly backed away, bumping into Reiko as he did. "Has anyone seen him?" the vampire asked, once Arson had picked himself back up off the floor.

The hybrid shook his head, "No one" he replied. Reiko was about to reply, when they heard a door open.

Turning around, he saw the entrance to the Love Planet open, and Nevan stepped into the doorway. In her hands was Zone, and as Reiko and Arson stared on dumbfounded, she planted a kiss on his fuzzy head and bent over to set him down on the floor. "Later cutie" she said with a little wave, before she closed the door.

Zone returned the smile and wave. Once the door closed, turned back around and spotting his friends, waved to them. "Hey guys!" he greeted enthusiastically, jogging over to the two, who just stared at him.

"What were you doing?" Reiko finally found his tongue to ask, mustering up an expectant gaze as well.

Zone met it with an unphased, bright grin, "Just getting the information we needed" he replied innocently.

"Did you?" it was Arson's turn to ask, and seeing Reiko he decided to mimic his haughty, expecting face.

"Sure did, high five guys?" Zone replied with a grin, offering both his tiny paws up in familiar gesture. Out of sheer curious bemusement, Arson and Reiko bent down and, using a finger each, high-fived the rodent.

The moment they touched his paws, both gave a yelp and a sharp spasm in place, as if paralysed. Zone snickered wickedly as the two swayed on the spot blinking, the huge surplus charge that had stuck to his fur having earthed itself through them. Wearing a very satisfied expression, he dusted his paws together, and casually strolled between them towards the front door. He called back after a moment "Come on guys, no time to waste right?". Behind him, smoke started coming out of Reiko's ears, and Arson's hair caught fire.