2

Nero

Dante and Nero sat on either side of me of the large black leather sofa. I sat very straight, my cheeks a bright red, biting my lip. Dante lounged rather with his…ahem…legs apart while Nero sat forward, rubbing the bridge of his nose after I had tried to explain to the two of them where I came from…and how I got here.

"So, you're saying, in your world," Trish, who was sitting on the corner of the desk, began, "We are all a video game?" she waved her hand around, indicating to Dante, Nero, herself, everything in general really.

I nodded stiffly.

"And that you were playing this game when your Playstaion was struck by green lightening…and then it started to glow…" Nero added, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

I nodded stiffly again.

"And you, being a stupid kid," Dante said, looking at me with an amused smirk, "Went and touched said glowing Playstaion and awoke to find yourself here."

I nodded again.

Trish, Dante, and Nero all exchanged glances. Nero then leaned back and pushed aside my red-gold hair to feel my forehead, "I think she might have hit her head harder than we thought…" he said.

"I think so too," agreed Dante, "I mean, who the hell can have a big enough imagination to dream up me?" Dante said, straightening and looking very egotistical.

I glared and smacked Nero's hand away, "I'm not making this up!" I said to Dante in a sharp tone, "And I'm not hallucinating!" I said just as sharply to Nero, "It's true! My name is Sydney Webbers, I'm from freakin' Florida!" I snapped.

Dante leaned forward, looking past me to Nero, "Um…do they have mental hospitals in Fortuna City?"

"I'm not crazy!" I shot to my feet and pointed at Dante, "You have a twin brother named Vergil who, after you defeated him, remained in hell while you returned with your half of the amulet that your mother gave you! Once outside, you returned the gun you borrowed from Lady and you said, 'I hope there isn't a late return fee', and then you cried about loosing your brother which is why you named this shop Devil May Cry!"

Dante's eyes widened in shock, mouth opening and then closing, unable to make words.

I turned on Nero next, "You were raised by a cult of Sparda worshipers called the Order of the Sword! When Dante showed up and killed your main man, you thought he was a bad guy but it turned out your holy man wasn't dead and that he was really behind it all, and he nearly killed both you and the girl you like, Kyrie, who you felt you let down by letting her get captured in the first place!" Nero looked just as shocked as Dante did, "And then, when you defeated the false Sparda, you told Kyrie that it was possible that you weren't human anymore, but she told you that you were more human than anyone she ever knew!"

"Aww…" Dante looked at Nero, having gotten over his shock at me knowing so much about him, "That's sweet."

"Shut up, you bastard," Nero gritted his teeth, then looked at me, "Alright, so you know about us. All you've proven is that you either A-a very thorough back ground checker, or B- you are one sick stalker…"

I threw my hands up and let out a loud "Ugh", "I'm neither!" I shouted at them, "I swear to you, I don't come from here! I'm from a whole different place! Please, believe me!"

"I believe her," Trish said, walking up beside me with a hand on her hip.

"What makes you believe such a far fetched story, Trish?" Dante huffed.

"Because it's not so far fetched," Trish answered, "It is quite possible that there are parallel dimensions, and that Sydney is from one of them and was somehow transported here."

Nero and Dante exchanged looks, both still not seeming to buy it.

"Think about it," Trish said, "We have weapons here that can slow time," she grinned, "Even people who know how to open paths to the demon world. We fight monsters everyday and live a life that many people here refuse to believe," she put an arm over my shoulder, "What makes you think that there can't be another dimension like the one Sydney describes, hmm?"

Nero threw his hands in the air and slouched back, "I give up…I don't believe her, but Trish is making sense…"

"She has a way of doing that sometimes…" Dante said as he stroked his bristled chin. He looked me over a few times before he shrugged, "I guess we've got no choice then," he sat up, slapping his hands against his knees before rising to his feet. He walked to me (I must've only come up to his pecs!) and patted my shoulder, "Welcome to the club, kid!"

"What!?!" Nero sprang up, "You're going to keep her!?"

"Sure, why not?" he said, walking back towards his desk, "She's cute, I can live with having her around for a while. Going to be hell to feed another mouth though…I wonder if we have enough Pizza…" he scratched his head as if thinking about it.

"Dante! You can't just let her stay like this!" Nero said, "She's sick in the head! We need to get her some help! Someone's bound to be looking for her! I mean, look at her!" Nero held his hand out to me, "The girl doesn't look like she's been living on the streets all her life! You're not doing anyone a charity here, Dante! You could be charged with kidnapping!"

"If she's right," Dante sat down, "Then no one in this world will know her. So no one will be looking for her," he pulled a soda can out from a cooler under his desk, "I'm not worried."

"And just where do you plan to keep her!?" Nero snapped, "You're already sleeping on your couch while Trish has the bed! Where is she going to sleep!?"

"Would you please stop talking about me as if I'm a stray dog!" I yelled over the both of them. Trish, who had obviously been through this before, was walking away towards the stairs that lead to the loft where I guessed the bed room was (seeing as you don't really see much of Dante's office in the game…)

Nero looked at me, seeming a bit apologetic as he backed down, "Uh…sorry about that…" he said, scratching the back of his head and looking a bit uneasy.

"Don't worry about her room, Nero," Trish called from the upper floor platform, "Dante can just move all of his crap out of the spare room like he said he was going to last year and then she can sleep there."

Dante blinked, looking up from his soda, "What is Dante going to do?"

--

"Until Dante fixes up the spare room," Trish said, "You're going to have to sleep here." She was fixing up the love seat down in Dante's office with a pillow and some sheets. I was standing off to the side, trying not to fall to my knees and cry.

Why would I want to do that, you might ask? Possibly because…I was wearing Dante's clothes. Since I had nothing to sleep in, Trish offered up something of his. Of course, Dante threw a fit when he saw me come down stairs in a pair of his boxers and a long sleeve red shirt, but Trish didn't say anything about it.

Nero had left to go see Kyrie, and I was trying to piece together what was happening to my life.

First-I had found out that while I was here, my Playstaion which transported me here was no where in sight. Second-According to what I gather, I had come at a point when the game events were over already. Third-It would seem that I had no way of knowing if it was possible for me to get home, so I was stuck here.

The third one didn't bother me as much as the fact that where I would have to stay was with a Devil Hunter and his "assistant". I sat on the love seat with the blankets over my knees, pulling them to my chest to rest my chin on. I kept thinking…what are my parents going to think about this? What happens when my mom wakes up and finds that I'm gone? What about Dad? I was supposed to go and see him over the weekend. He had promised to take me and my friends out to Seaworld too…

"Hey, kid," Dante was standing behind the love seat, looking at me.

I looked up and gave him a slight glare, "My name is Sydney."

Dante nodded, leaning on the back of the sofa, "Right, right, Sydney…listen," he looked at me, looking like he was about to pull some smartass comment, but stopped, "You okay?"

I blinked. I hadn't noticed that I had started to cry, thinking about my parents. I wiped it away quickly, "Oh, shit! I-I'm fine!" I lied to him.

Dante seemed to know that and studied me for a moment. Then he sighed and pushed away, leaving me alone as he headed towards his desk, "Go to bed, kid. Tomorrow…we'll try to find where the hell you came from."

I watched him, surprised. I expected some kinda squabble because he had seen me crying and I had told him I was fine. For me, this was a bit out of character for Dante.

"Didn't you hear me?" Dante said as he leaned back in his chair, picking up a new magazine and opening it, "Or has that head injury affected your hearing to?" he glared at me, "Go to sleep."

I huffed. Yep, that was Dante. I wiggled down under the sheets, pulled them up to my chin and turned my back to him. 'Tomorrow we'll try to find where the hell you came from…' he had said.

I closed my eyes as another silent tear dripped out. I hoped so.

--

"Ouch!" I heard someone exclaim, "See! This is why I refuse to cook!"

"It's a microwave," Trish said, "You don't cook anything, you just reheat."

"I burnt my damn finger!" it was Dante. I smelled something in the air that reminded me of when my dad tried to cook. I rolled over and opened my eyes against the light to see Dante, back to me, trying to pull something out of a microwave with his bare hands.

"Why don't you use a napkin to pick it up?" Trish suggested, sitting on the desk corner as she ate what looked like a slice of cold pizza.

"We don't have anymore fucking napkins!" Dante retorted.

I sat up slowly and stretched my arms out, hearing a small pop in my shoulders, and then one when I arched my back. Trish looked over as I ruffled my already messy hair, "You're finally up, huh?" she said as she licked her fingers.

I looked at her with an expression that my dad always called my "too early to care" face. I looked past her to see the digital clock on Dante's desk read 11 am. "What's going on?" I asked her.

"Dante's trying to make breakfast," Trish looked back as Dante cursed again, still trying to pick up the tray of food, "And he's just not smart enough to figure out how to work the microwave…"

"Shut up, Trish!" Dante growled, "I can work the microwave, I just can't figure out how to get the damn thing out!"

I grumbled, kicking off the sheet standing up. I drug my feet, feeling very cold after moving away from the warmth of the sheet and sofa, with my hands tucked under my arms as I moved with a very annoyed expression to Dante. I used one hand to shove him aside, took the end of the shirt I was wearing and used it like a hot-pad to pick up the tray and drop it on his desk. "There," I glared at him, "You'd think someone like you would have at least a little common sense…" I mumbled as I made my way towards one of the doors.

"Where are you going?" Trish asked.

I looked at her, "Bathroom…"

She pointed at the other door, "That one."

I looked at it, seeing Dante smirking at me, and gritted my teeth in a mock-snarl as I pushed past him to go into the other room. I shut and locked the door before I groped around on the wall for a light switch. When it came on, I had to bite back a startled scream.

I could tell that Dante was a bachelor. The bathroom told me everything I needed to know about that…

I could also tell that Trish must live here full time too. The hamper that was shoved off in a corner was empty, but there were dirty clothes all around it. The bathtub had a maroon curtain that looked like it had seen better days. The toilet paper roll was empty, and the medicine cabinet above the sink was ajar.

It also had a strong odder to it, which I didn't know if it was from the clothes or the toilet, but I wasn't about to find out. I turned and nearly yanked the knob off the door to get out, covering my mouth. I jumped out, shut the door, and plastered my back to it, taking in deep breathes.

Dante and Trish looked at me, both wearing confused expressions. I looked from one to the other, then swallowed, "Um…do you have another bathroom?"

--

Of course, they didn't, but thankfully Nero had arrived shortly after my discovery. I had nearly jumped on him and begged him to take me some where that I could actually go pee because I feared their bathroom.

After I explained that, he had taken me out to a near by convenience store where I had made a dash for their restroom while Nero waited for me.

Once I had done my business, the shop owner said that normally he wouldn't let someone use the restroom with out buying something. "But, I can make an exception for you, little lady," he grinned at me.

I blushed. I had actually not even changed when I left, so I was still in a pair of black boxer-shorts and a to-big shirt, my hair back in a pony tail to hide the mess.

Nero stepped up, glaring at the shop keeper as he took my forearm, "Come on, let's get out of here," he said as he pulled me away.

"W-Wait!" I said, pulling away as I ran up to one of the displays and yanked something off the rack. I had only enough money to buy one, and the shop keeper seemed to be in a hurry now that he had received a warning glare from Nero, and he told me to forget the tax.

I left with a plastic bag as Nero lead me back to his motor-cycle. "What did you buy?" he asked me.

I smiled and reached into the bag, "I didn't want to have to keep running down the street to use the toilet so…" I held up a small box, an air-freshener inside, "I got this."

Nero laughed as he helped me get a helmet on and started his bike. "Do you think you'll mind if we take a little side trip?" he asked me.

I blinked, "No. Where are you going?"

"I have to go and get something," he answered, and then drove off.

--

What he had had to get was a bouquet of flowers. They were beautifully cut and an assortment of blues and pinks. We stopped at a building that I assumed was a hotel. "Are you staying here?" I asked.

"Only for a little while longer," Nero answered, "I came here to help Dante with something." He helped me get off without hurting my legs and then led me inside.

We went up two floors and then down to room number 729. He opened it with a key and I heard someone humming beautifully.

"Nero!" a young voice said as I watched a beautiful young girl bound up and kiss his cheek, "You're back already? Was Dante gone?"

"No," he answered, "I got these for you," he held out the flowers.

Kyrie, as I recognized her, took them with a sparkle in her eye and kissed him quickly. Then she noticed me, "Oh, who is this?" she asked.

"This is…" Nero started, but stopped. I realized with a hint of annoyance that he had forgotten my name.

"Sydney Webbers," I said with a smile, shaking her hand, "I'm new in town. Nice to meet you Kyrie."

Kyrie blinked, "You know my name?"

I nodded, "Yes. I'm staying with Dante for the time being, and Nero talks about you all the time," I smiled at her, "You're even prettier in person though."

Nero looked at me, surprised. Actually, he had never brought her up, but I knew about her anyway. I winked at him and he glared. I guessed he still didn't believe that I wasn't from his world.

"Where are you visiting from?" she asked with a smile, still holding Nero's flowers.

That was a question I wasn't prepared for, "Uh…just outta town…" I shrugged. I didn't want to tell her that I was from a different world. It would get to confusing if I tried to explain it to her.

"…where from?" Kyrie asked again. She was pretty persistent for a sheltered child…

I glanced at Nero, who cleared his throat, "Uh…she's actually from Fortuna. She came here after…everything."

"Oh!" Kyrie looked apologetic, "I'm so sorry for you loss. Did your family suffer as well?"

I blinked, "My…?"

"Kyrie," Nero stepped in, "Why don't you put those flowers in some water?"

"Oh, yes," Kyrie seemed to think that Nero was stopping her from talking about it because it might hurt my feelings.

"I'm going to take Sydney home," Nero said, "Then I might stay at Dante's for a while."

"Alright then," Kyrie smiled, "Be safe, Nero. It was nice to meet you, Sydney." She waved as Nero pushed me out the door.

Once we were in the hallway, he was quickly leading me back towards the stairs. I was scowling, "Fortuna City!? There is no way I can pass off as someone from there, Nero! Why did you say that?!"

"I didn't see you offering up any ideas!" he said, trying to get me to hurry. It was past noon now, I realized as I glanced at his watch, "Besides, she went for it. It's better than trying to explain what a nut case you are."

"Nut case!?" I spun around and stopped him, hands on his chest. Unlike Dante, I came up to his shoulders, "I'm not a nut case! I am from a different world, I swear! In my world, demons don't pop out of no where and try to eat people! Sure, you hear about the stupid kid who pretends to be possessed and exorcism now and then, but we don't have devil hunters and we don't have guys with glowing arms!" I indicated to devil bringer.

He looked at his arm, then to me, "Do people from your world make a habit of falling from the sky onto napping men?"

I blushed, "No! I don't even know how the hell that happened! And you can just shut up about that! I know for a fact it would take a bit more than someone falling on you to hurt you!"

"It wasn't you that hurt me!" Nero snapped, "It was that stupid piece of junk that fell after you that hurt my leg! It was heavy!"

I opened my mouth to say something, then stopped, eyes wide, "Something fell after I did?" I asked.

"Yes," Nero crossed his arms, "And it left a nice bruise too."

"What was it?" I asked.

"How the hell should I know?" he answered.

"What did it look like?"

"What does it matter?" he asked.

"Just answer me!" I snapped, reaching up and grabbing the collar of his hoodie, pulling him close, "Where is it now!?"

He blinked, "I left it there."

I tightened my grip, pulling him so close that our noses were almost touching, glaring at him harshly, "Show me…"

--

I ran to the hill where Nero said I had fallen on him. It was next to some ruins of old buildings and where Nero had been laying was in a patch of over grown green grass. He tried to follow me, but I was a bit faster when it came to hills so I got there first and started to look around.

"Where is it?" I asked, not seeing anything.

Nero looked around, "I left it here…"

"It's got to be here!" I started to move around, "It couldn't just have gotten up and…" I paused, looking over my shoulder at him, "Does anyone still…live here, Nero?"

Nero blinked, "Some old bums and maybe a few die-hard Order followers," he seemed to get what I was thinking and nodded, "It is possible someone found it."

I fell to my knees, "Dammit!" I groaned, "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!!" I punched the grass, "That could've been a clue as to how to get home! Arg! Why didn't you bring too!?"

"My hands were kinda full," Nero snapped, "I had to carry you back! And you're not what I would call light."

I didn't even think or notice that I had moved as I jumped up and slapped him across the face, making his head snap to one side. Seconds after I realized what I did, I gasped and covered my mouth. I had never really hit anyone in my life, and starting with a guy who had a demon arm and guns was a bad idea…

Nero straightened, rubbed his cheek and scowled at me. There was a big red hand print on his cheek, and my hand was stinging. I hit him pretty hard, and I didn't know if it was because of what I did, what he said, or what was happening, but I was holding back tears again.

"N-Nero…" I put both my hands over my chest, "I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean—"

"Forget it," Nero shrugged and put his hands in his pockets, turning away, "Whatever, just drop it." He started to walk away.

"Nero! Wait!" I rushed after him, grabbing his arm (I didn't even notice that it was his demon arm until he froze) "I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking!" Nero didn't even look at me, he only pulled his arm away and started walking again. I felt angry again. I was trying to apologize! After all, it should've been him that apologized! I'm not fat!
"Nero!" I wrapped both my arms around Devil Bringer and pulled him back. I might have put a bit too much pull into it though, because I pulled him over and we both fell.

I tumbled back onto my butt, and he landed with his head in my lap. I blushed, my heart coming to a dead stop for a moment as I watched him look up at me, blushing too. We both shot away from each other. I kept my back to him, my arms crossed around my abdomen, trying to take steady breaths so my heart would slow down. I heard Nero clear his throat and rise to his feet.

"Um…" he scratched the back of his head, holding out his other hand for me, "Let's…not talk about this, alright?"

I looked over my shoulder, then nodded quickly, taking his hand and letting him help me up. We walked back towards his bike together, silent, not looking at each other, until we reached the side walk.

"So…what do you think that thing was anyway?" he asked me, as if trying to get me to talk again.

I blinked, then shook my head, "I…honestly have no idea."

--

A/N: Kay, while I really don't have a pairing picked out for this story yet, I am working very hard on it! (Kinda...sorta...^-^;) I hope to have a pairing picked before chapter...4??? :D

Well, hope you liked it! I'll work on getting the third chapter up (maybe tonight as well if I get it finished...)

~Alma Theresa