The two got back to Devil May Cry to be greeted with the sight of Ophelia sitting on the couch beside Dante and Trish. They had wedged her in tightly so then she was unable to break free. Arson's eyes narrowed.
'Gran'pa? What the hell-?'
'Not now. Go upstairs. Take Val with you.' Val looked at Arson in surprise. How had Dante known her name? Arson nodded and ran upstairs, Val following behind. Trish followed them both upstairs, to keep them calm. Arson was pacing around his room when Trish came in. Val had backed herself into the corner furthest away from the door. Arson spun around and held his arms wide.
'Why the hell is she here? What's happening? She can't take Val home! She's started on her too! You see don't you? Don't you see? No one can escape her! No one can win against her!'
'She's not here to take her home.'
'I don't want to go back either!'
'No one is going away with her. No one. You're safe here. We promised you that when you were seven. We're not about to go back on our word right now.' Arson breathed out a sigh of relief.
---
Dante launched himself at Ophelia as she sprang to her feet. Dante pinned her down firmly on the floor, spreading his body against hers. Ophelia gasped with surprise and shook her head from side to side like an animal in a trap.
'Get off me! Let me go!' she snarled. Dante smiled as though in amusement.
'You have no idea who I am, do you?'
'I don't give a shit! Fuck off! Leave me alone!' Dante shifted his position slightly, so then Ophelia couldn't even try to struggle. Ophelia felt his hips grinding against her own. She closed her eyes and started sobbing. 'Do what you want with me! Just let me live afterwards!' Dante's eyes narrowed in disgust as he guessed what she was thinking.
'Eight years ago, you threatened a kid using my name. Dante. You put that kid through so much shit, he didn't even know what to say when something good was said about him. He was so lost that he'd just cry all night. He barely ever slept, because he was afraid that when he'd wake up he would be stuck with you again.' Ophelia arched her back slightly, in one last desperate bid to escape. It was no use. Dante was too strong.
'He was a curse! He'd cursed my life! He made me what I am; a Fallen Angel!' she sobbed, shaking her head again.
'Do you know about these attacks?' Ophelia said nothing. Dante smiled wickedly and put on more pressure. 'Answer me or I will do something to you!'
'Yes! I know all about it! I'm a part of it!' yelled Ophelia.
'Why?'
'We want our revenge! We want to stop the curse from spreading. We want to get rid of all of them.'
'Them?'
'The demons! The filthy, wretched, cursed, stinking demons!' Dante ignored her comment on his race but continued to probe her for answers.
'How many of you are there?'
'Five…but our strength combined is no match to The One.'
'The One?'
'None dare speaks his name! Our leader, The One!' Ophelia's face turned pale as she looked into those icy blue eyes of Dante.
'Where do you stay?' Ophelia laughed scornfully.
'I'm afraid of you but not that afraid. I would never give up our hiding place! The One would find a punishment worse than any I ever gave it!'
'It?'
'THE CURSE!' Ophelia's voice rose to a shout. Trish came back down the stairs at that point. She looked impassively at Dante and then at Ophelia. Ophelia looked at her and then snarled. Her struggling became more and more frantic as Trish continued to stand there.
'The scent!' she raged. 'You'll be next to die, Demon!' she screamed. Dante slapped her smartly across the face but then quickly moved his hand back to it's previous position on her arm. Trish shrugged and sat down on the couch.
'What about Kryder?' roared Dante. Ophelia's eyes grew wide. She stared up at him glassily.
'Kry-Kryder?' Dante's eyes locked with hers. 'I don't know…don't mention him to me…he wrecked my life…my life was cursed by him and it.' Dante looked at Trish.
'I think we've found out all we can from her,' he said quietly. Trish nodded. 'Pass me my sword.' Ophelia shrieked and struggled wildly, blackened wings unfolding from her sides. She flapped them, knocking Dante off her body with the wind she created. She ran quickly upstairs and into Arson's bedroom. There was another scream. Trish bounded up the stairs, determined to protect the children. Dante followed after her as he heard the sound of shattering glass.
---
An angel stood in front of both Arson and Val, his wings folding over their heads like a shield. Arson was wide eyed with awe, Val was hiding her face in her hands, completely terrified. Ophelia was crouched low, like a jaguar ready to pounce on its prey.
'Orion…' she hissed softly. Orion made no reply. His grey eyes looked upon her calmly.
'No harm shall come to the children…they are your own.'
'They are my own, and I am free to do what I want with them,' replied Ophelia angrily. Orion said nothing but stretched out his wings more, barring Arson and Val from view. Dante and Trish crashed into the room and stared in amazement at the calm figure that stood before them. Ophelia whirled around to look behind her, and cursed when she saw Dante and Trish standing ready, both armed.
'The One will not let me die like this!' she said suddenly, her voice turning warm and soft. 'The One is great and compassionate to those who love him. He will not let me die…' A yellow streak of lightning flashed momentarily outside. Rain started pounding heavily against the concrete. Dante pushed Trish to one side as a yellow beam of energy was sent in their direction. A dirge-like moan echoed in the sky. Arson's eyes grew wide with fear. Ophelia gave vent to a wild cackle and then crashed through the window past Orion.
The five all dashed to the window to watch Ophelia tumble down to the ground like a falling leaf. At the last moment, her black wings spread out and she rose on an air current. She turned, her wings slowly flapping. She gave vent to one last wild laugh before she disappeared on the horizon. Dante shook his head slowly.
'That is one crazy bitch…' Orion nodded.
'Indeed. And she is my sister also...I suppose I had better be on my way.' Dante barred his path.
'No chance. You've got some explaining to do.' Orion nodded.
'Indeed I have. And I shall endeavour to answer your questions as well as I possibly can.' Arson stepped forward, his eyes blazing.
'If you're her sister, then that means you're my uncle, right?' Orion nodded.
'Well…why now? Why couldn't you have come sooner? Why is it that you only chose to come and help now? Don't you know about all the shit I went through when I was a kid? Don't you know anything?' Trish came towards him and tried to hold him close, like how a mother would to an upset son. Arson pulled away from her, his eyes fixed on those of Orion's. He pointed to Val. 'She started going through the same thing as I did…except not for as long…why then? Why did you only come to help then?' Arson stormed out of the room. Dante looked at Val.
'Make sure he doesn't go outside. It might not be safe.' Val nodded and followed her brother out of the room.
'I knew about Arson and Val. I knew that Ophelia gave birth to twins and that she had married. But once her husband had left her, it seemed as though they had all disappeared off the face of the Earth, until only very recently. I learnt from several contacts about Arson's whereabouts, and I learnt from Ophelia herself about the way she had treated her children. I found Arson and I watched over Val, but I did so at a distance, for fear of being noticed. That's why I only stepped in today, when I saw the amount of danger they were in.'
'Do you know anything about these Fallen Angels?' Orion nodded.
'Indeed I do. They are all lusting for revenge and they wish to completely annihilate the demon population, no matter how faint the demon blood is. I also know that they do not show mercy. They pick no targets either, they go for whoever is closest.' Trish carried on the questioning.
'Do you know where they hide?' Orion hesitated and then nodded. Trish smiled. Dante scowled. He turned to Trish and dropped his voice so then only she could hear.
'How do you know we can trust him?'
'How do you know we can't?' Dante narrowed his eyes. Trish shrugged and pulled herself free from him. 'Will you lead us there?' Orion looked thoughtful but then his eyes hardened slightly.
'As far as I know,' he said slowly, 'you two are both devil hunters. Therefore, shouldn't you be on their side?' Dante thought hard about this. What Orion said made sense. But if all demons were bad and deserved to be killed then shouldn't he have taken his own life once he had found out? And what about Sparda? And Trish? Trish had saved his life several times during a job…not that he'd ever admit to it. Sparda, his father, and saved the human world! And Arson was totally innocent, as well as Val. Dante looked at Trish at that point. No. Demons weren't all that bad. Dante shook his head.
'No…not every demon is like that. We have been stereotyped to be seen as people of immense evil. Arson has nothing to do with it, nor Val. If the Fallen Angels kill every single demon out there, a lot of innocent lives would be lost.' Orion nodded in acknowledgement. Dante suddenly had another idea.
'Hey, do you know anything about Kryder?'
'Kryder?' Orion whispered the name and grew silent. Dante and Trish watched him, waiting expectantly for his answer. At last, he nodded. 'Kryder. The mark appears when he is near. The children were born with, but when Kryder left when they were younger, it faded to nothing. But now that it has returned, it shows that their father is close by.'
'He's alive?'
'Yes…he must be if the mark has regained its position. Ever since he left, this is the first we have heard of him. The years might have changed him…but hopefully not.'
'What does he want?'
'I'm not sure of his intentions. But I know that he was a man of kind words and great strength. I think he might be here for the end of the Fallen Angels.' Dante looked thoughtful.
'My son is fighting for the same cause as I then.'
'Indeed. It would seem that way.' Trish had other things to think about.
'What are we going to tell Arson? And Val? Shouldn't they know?'
'We already do.' Arson stood in the doorway, his eyes solemn. Val stood by his side, her face serious. She nodded fervently. 'These attacks. What should we do to stop them?' Dante gazed into Arson's hard brown eyes.
'Leave it to us.'
'My mother is involved in this. I wish for no harm to come to her. Despite…despite everything. Maybe she'll get better one day. Maybe she'll accept us. If you do anything, don't hurt her. Unless it really does have to come down to the worst.' Dante nodded and turned to Orion.
'You have to take us to where they hide. We have to put an end to this.' Orion nodded once, formally, recognizing Dante's power.
'As you wish, Son of Sparda.'