Chapter 3: feathers and ultraviolet

Loving my reviewers so far, and the people who faved or put this in alerts!!! Thanks for the encouragement. Really keeps me going on . Oh god, I feel like such a Nero abuser though and I freaking love him like I love Dante and Vergil. PS: I'm reluctant to put any Vergil in this fiction but I am considering it. Italics represent dreams or thoughts, bolded italics represent thoughts in dreams but I doubt I'd use this right now. Its boss battle time.

Nero rolled around in the bed, his arm glowing more than usual, reacting to something.

Dante watched him turn in the bed, Dante watched him toss.

Dante chuckled to himself, the idea of watching another man sleep seemed a little odd to him.

"Say pal, I'm going for a stroll…" he whispered quietly to Nero as he left him alone in the room.

Nero gazed forward, a feeling of dread welled up in him, this was Fortuna where he was raised by Kyrie and Credo's family.

A nostalgic feeling…before his life went crazy, before Dante. When his foster family was still as it was before Sanctus tore them apart. Credo…

Nero remembered, the way Credo would look at him, the disapproving stares, his firm tone of voice the way he always remained stiff lipped.

But why remember this now?

There they were Kyrie and Credo together; and Nero he would always be by their side.

Nero approached them, Kyrie…

She was the one most heavily impacted by Credo's death; Nero was unable to save him.

"Why?" she sobbed uncontrollably, in front of the white glossy tombstone, He remembered.

The words "Credo, brother, friend and protector" and the dates written as the epitaph Nero had kept it simple.

Nero's words were of little comfort to her, even as her partner he was of little help.

He reached to touch the dream Kyrie, he pinned most of the blame on himself.

"Who's she?" questioned a voice from behind

Nero turned there was nobody there, he began to turn back.

There was a tug on his jacket, he tuned and looked down, there was a child dressed in blue and black, green eyes and shoulder length black hair.

"Hi." The child smiled, Nero was not really one that enjoyed the presence of children.

"Hi…" Nero had no idea why this child was here.

"My name's Alex, what's yours?" the child extended its left hand for a handshake

"Dean." Nero didn't offer his hand.

"Dean! That's a cool name!"

Nero took off in the opposite direction, he just wasn't in the mood.

"Why so serious?" The child was in front of him now "Don't you want to be my friend?"

The atmosphere changed, they were now in a children's park, and if Nero knew his horror stories, something bad was going to happen.

The child smirked "come on! Seriously, you're so oollllld for your age."

Nero went quiet, he was not the old one, Dante was damn it.

"Cool arm by the way."

He had forgotten to roll his sleeve down to hide it.

Dante walked around town, Slade had given him the keys to get in through the back door. He sure was a trusting guy Dante noted.

There wasn't much to do at this time, only a few people at this time of night, there wasn't a single homeless person in sight.

He wandered over to the park, it was empty and not even the teenagers who usually drank among these types of places were to be found.

Dante sat down on the child's swing set, the chains creaked under his weight, and his ass was too large for the seat so it was uncomfortable.

"That beast from before was quite revolting." Ifrit complained, the devil arm did have a mind of it's own after all.

"Oh shut up, I had to deal with it too." Dante argued back

"Well. You're not the one whose face was planted into it!"

"What face? If you hadn't realized…you're practically a pair of shiny gloves." Dante smiled when Ifrit gave an indignant cry.

"Don't forget whose powers you are using! I'll burn you!"

"Just like how you tried to on Mallet Island?"

Ifrit remained silent; Dante knew he had won that argument. This was the reason Dante preferred rebellion, it didn't talk.

Alastor was too clingy sometimes and Ifrit was always in a "mood", but he would take them over Agni and Rudra any day of the week.

"So, you have any idea what the whole…sky falling thing is about?" Dante looked at Ifrit hoping that he might know a little something

"Not really, I've been on Mallet Island for a while and then I was put in storage when I left, my life story really." Ifrit sarcastically replied.

"So nothing…"

"There is one thing…"

"Hmmm?"

"It's nothing…" Ifrit went quiet.

"Dude, if you don't tell me I'm going to leave you forever next time I get to devil may cry."

"Good, I won't have to see your ugly face of hear your annoying voice!" Ifrit screeched, Dante attempted to hush it, incase anyone was around.

Nobody he realized was around, that was good he didn't want anyone looking at him funny.

He was about to continue his conversation with Ifrit when he was interrupted by an monotone noise, the same from when he was in the tavern, Dante braced himself for what was to come. He was bombarded with the force of the wave, but remained unflinching and resistant to its influence, he tolerated it the emotions tore into him, but they weren't his and that's what mattered the most. He waited for the sky to morph to its serpentine state and for monsters to appear once again.

As he anticipated he was greeted by the pungent aroma of rotted flesh, and new creatures that arose with the waves. They moved like Dancers, blades protruding from their forearms, and ankles. Feminine in appearance, thin legs supported well rounded hourglass bodies that sported no heads instead there was only a large gaping hole, from which old rotting flesh hung surrounded by jagged teeth. Lacerations dotted the beasts, which were a representation of lust gone wrong.

"Ewwwwww…" Dante waved his hand in front of his nose as if to blow the smell away "…You could've at least showered for our date babes."

He readied Pandora's Box and charged into battle.

"So, you're here to help me right?"

Nero eyed the kid, who seemed a little smart for his age "Maybe, what's your problem?"

"I'm asleep and I can't wake up."

"Did you cark it or something?"

"No." the child stared at him seriously.

"Then where are you at the moment? Your real body I mean"

"I dunno…I'm just…kinda lost."

"You sure you're not a lost soul?"

"I don't remember dying, so I'm sure I haven't!" the child smiled he seemed sincere enough "do you mind…finding me?"

Nero couldn't say no to a request like that, vague as it is "I'll try." He answered dryly.

"Thanks!"

"Well, what's the last thing you remember?" Nero crouched down so he was eye level with the child.

"…Monsters, grey and bleeding."

Nero's heart sank, maybe the child was just in denial and blocked out the memories of its final moments.

"And…" Nero thought maybe this could be the memory "A room, it's got eyes and the walls are moving like it's alive."

Nero recalled something similar, when he was rescuing Kyrie from Sanctus, that was like the inside of the savior he recalled the small emulation of the demonic realm within the gargantuan statue.

The background changed again, red, black and then the serpentine pattern appeared once more, and Nero dropped to his knees, in pain.

"What's…wrong…D-Dean…?" The child faded from view and Nero could feel a burning feeling on his skin, just below where his ribcage would be.

The sensation ended, Nero was on his knees, and his legs were weak and shaking.

"Look how the weakling cowers!" a heavily metallic tone of voice came from the distance.

His attention moved to the source of the voice, a figure fully clad in black armor, razor sharp metallic wings, holding a large sword. Nero pulled himself to his feet, reaching for red queen…which was gone.

"Shit!" Nero quickly sidestepped on oncoming blade strike, using the Devil bringer to propel himself over the blackened knight. Blue rose was gone too; there was no shooting this thing either.

Nero landed on his feet, avoiding another blow, which tore the ground apart.

Nero resorted to the defensive, using the devil bringer to dodge and block, there was nothing more he could do.

"Nero, please!" Nero barely avoided the next blow, it tore into his coat. He let himself be momentarily distracted.

"Nero, please use me!"

The Devil Bringer's light began to glow even more than usual, Nero realized, he would probably still have Alastor and Yamato.

"If you want to help. So be it." Alastor materialized into his hand, Nero grinned, here was his opportunity and he'd be damned if he didn't take it.

He charged forward, Alastor's blade bouncing off the black knight's sword as he struck, he stumbled back. The enemy had a tough defense.

Nero noticed that when he did that though the knight also stumbled a bit. Maybe if he was able to lift Alastor for a second strike, he would be able to break the defense.

He repeated the action, the knight did the same and it was just as he had anticipated, he rushed forward striking the knight in the abdomen, his armor cracked and he the blackened knight howled in pain as he was bombarded with electricity.

"Bulls eye!" Nero grabbed the knight by his head with the devil bringer, delivering a swift and damaging combo of wrestling moves, sword strikes and punches.

The knight was flung back, landing on his side it picked itself up.

It stood, eyeing Nero down it still continued to challenge him before taking to the air.

Black feathers floated in the air before shifting into small glowing blades and lunging towards Nero.

Nero ducking and weaving as best he could was struck in the right leg, the belly and the shoulder, despite his efforts to evade. The knight clicked his fingers, and the blades exploded. Nero howled; clutching his injured belly as the knight hovered above him obviously jubilated by this.

Nero used the devil bringer to propel himself to the knight, activating his devil trigger, relief swept over him as the healing powers began to take effect, this time Alastor's demonic from towered over him instead of Yamato's.

Nero felt a rush of speed, different from Yamato's style. He was reinvigorated he felt as though he could win a horse race on foot. He propelled himself at the knight head first lightning showering everywhere.

With every swing of Alastor the knight was pushed a little bit back, Alastor released lightning projectiles with every hack further damaging the enemy. Nero was very pleased with this sword.

Finally with one last blow the knight finally fell to the ground, his helmet falling off his face. Nero allowed a gasp of surprise to escape his lips.

"C-credo..? It can't be you, can it?"

His opponents countenance was that of Credo, perhaps this town channeled the regrets of people, or perhaps it was a specter, what it was didn't concern Nero, however a rush of guilt and anger flared up in him. He doubted this thing was the real Credo and it had no right to use that face!

The knight rose once again to it's feet, a large blade separated itself from the metallic cluster of his wings. He used it as a projectile striking down the still devil triggered Nero, by the time Nero arose once more the knight was gone. He pulled the blade out from his shoulder with the devil bringer which absorbed it; Nero exited the Devil trigger state.

Nero smiled; channeling the power of the newly absorbed blade he was able to fire small projectiles much like the knight now. Feathers materialized before changing to small blue glowing blades.

Nero tested them striking a nearby rock, satisfied with the amount he had lodged into it he clicked his fingers, they sent out blue waves of energy into the rock before exploding, destroying it completely.

Nero's pleasure was knocked out of him by the return of a second wave, he had only just started to enjoy himself too, he doubled over in pain yet again.

Dante felled the last of the beasts, it landed on the ground squirming as its body dissipated like the ones before it. Dante placed rebellion on his back again.

"Shame our date had to end early babes!"

Ifrit grunted un-amused by Dante's wise cracks. Dante ignored his disgruntled devil arm slowly trudged his way back to the tavern just as the second wave came.

Nero awoke from his dream, the ordeal was over and he came out with a new weapon.

He headed to the bathroom, needing to relieve himself those couple of glasses of water he had before bed were beginning to cause some discomfort.

Moments after Nero having relived himself, began to wash his hand at the sink, cleanliness was important after all. Facing the mirror he scanned himself up and down, there were no traces of the battle that occurred while he slumbered at least that he could see. Nero lifted up his shirt, checking the skin to look for any laceration or… Nero's eyes widened, there it was the mark that the boy mentioned from earlier, and one that everybody remained in the town had.

The accursed ouroboros, that stupid snake! Nero now had the mark too, and from what he learned previously it meant that he could no longer flee the town. He was now a permanent resident of the town.

Dante walked into the small bedroom "Nero? Kid? Ya home?"

Nero ran into the room, using the door frame as support "Dante...There's a snake on me!" his voice was lower than usual

"Where? I'll kill it for ya!"

"NO! Not a live snake stupid!" Nero pulled up his shirt, revealing the mark that he had gotten in his sleep.

"Whoa! You went and got a tattoo while I was gone?" Dante shook his head jokingly "Kids these days." He clicked his tongue in fake disapproval. Nero pulled his shirt back down.

"I woke up with it." Nero glared at Dante who seemed to find the situation pretty funny.

"Y'know, the other kid who has on of those…his looks like a birthmark instead of a tattoo."

"Yeah I saw it on the client." Nero was dismayed; if he couldn't leave the village what was he supposed to do? He couldn't reach Kyrie and she definitely couldn't come here.

"Looks like we really have to try now, there's no bailing out." Dante was confident, which was reassuring to Nero who was on edge at the moment.

Dante patted Nero on the shoulder to restore confidence in him "We'll figure this out in the morning…"

Someone said this story resembles silent hill in some ways, which is good since it's the feeling for the town I am aiming for. I'm not sure what exactly to do since the story is still a little hazy in my head. There was quite a bit of Credo in this chapter that was because the fourth game didn't cover much of Kyrie's reaction at the end or any of Nero's remorse about not being able to save him.

So I thought I'd fill that part in. I don't know if the story will have any yaoi still debating with myself on that but my friend said not to so I probably won't.

If anyone wants to talk about the direction of the story you can PM me or reach me at my Email ask for it through PM I'm sure I enabled the function. I just realized that the feather weapon thing was probably inspired by the Lucifer. I decided to call it "Ultraviolet" the song from DMC1 that I was listening to at the time I was writing. I needed Nero to have a projectile that he could take with him for taking so much space with talking i'm such a blabbermouth...