AN: Thanks so much for the reviews. I'm sorry if the story seems sort of slow right now though, I'm genuinely trying to build a story line and sometimes I drag things out. I'm trying to have Nero and Dante meeting again make sense(well at least in my head). Disclaimer: I do not own DMC, but I'm pretty sure I would sell myself to do so.
The night air was cold, biting away at Nero's skin. The last few minutes were lost to him. Nero was standing outside in the main square of Fortuna. Hastily dressed in his usual clothing, his familiar black pants with his worn leather boots strapped up to his knees. A bag of things strapped to his back, along with the case holding Yamato. The Red Queen was free of any casing, strapped to his back, holstered against his jacket. A breeze blew through the square, sending a small shiver up Nero's spine. He sighed as he zipped up his jacket, realizing he hadn't put a shirt on underneath it; his bare chest exposed.
The lights that had been illuminating the city earlier were now turned off. The wires still strung through almost every crack and crevice. The rest of the lights in the city were turned off, something that was normal in the city of Fortuna. Every night at eleven the lights in the city were shut off street by street, signaling to the citizens that it was no longer safe to be outside.
The only light now was what the night sky had to offer. A full moon hung above Nero, which made moving his way through this dark city easier on him.
It also meant that members of the Holy Knights would be patrolling the streets. To make sure that all citizens were inside their houses at this time, safe from the shadows of the night along with all of its dark promises. Nero wasn't sure if it was more to protect the citizens of Fortuna or to keep more of a control on them.
The fountain in the middle of the square was the only source of noise at this time of night. The water trickling from its very top layers, becoming louder as it went down before finally hitting the bottom in more of a splashing noise. The fountains capacity made is what made it louder, never giving off the relaxing noise of a steady stream.
This night gave off more of a threat to Nero than any other previous night. He knew the shadows of these streets better than anyone. Nero knew what would happen if he were to be caught though. He wouldn't be punished, not like the few times before when he was much younger and more careless as to how he moved through the night. This new risk was much greater.
There was the chance that if he was caught that he wouldn't be able to leave. That this city's need for him was really that great. The desperation and hope mixed together in the citizens' eyes would be just enough for him to change his mind. Not only that but if he were to be caught, there was sure to be protective watches around his living quarters to make sure that he didn't run off. If he were to do this, now was the only time.
Yards away he could hear the unison footsteps of multiple knights marching along the cobblestone streets heading into the square. Nero wiped his clammy hands onto the smooth fabric of his pants in attempts to get some of the moisture off. Looking over in the direction of the footsteps, he could see their shadows cast on the side of one of the buildings leading straight into the square. A soft glow cast amongst the group from the lights they carried.
Nero quickly ducked into an alley in between two shops. The alley was completely clear of clutter and trash save for the one dumpster at the end of the alley against the wall that adjoined the two shops. Fortuna citizens held high standards for how their city looked, keeping everything clean to show respect for one another and their city. This made traveling through that night that much easier with nothing to make noise on or accidentally trip over.
At the end of the alley, nailed into the brick wall was an iron ladder leading up to the rooftops. Nero didn't even need to feel around for it, the moon cast a blue light over the end of the alley. He climbed up the ladder with ease that his hands were now dry, pulling his body onto the rooftop. Nero ducked down behind a small ridge that the roof offered, peering over the side of it just as the Holy Knights passed the alley that he was just in barely even taking a glance down it.
Nero mapped out the route that they would be taking, knowing the all different patrol routes and what units of the Knights took which streets. Since he was the one that had designed the new patrolling pattern he could easily maneuver his way through the streets with crafted patience on relying mainly on the shadows. Next the Knights would be passing by the row of shops, first the boutique of finely tailored clothes, then the store that sold beautifully crafted jewelry. A tightening in his chest formed as he remembered the necklace that he had bought for Kyrie. A small delicate gold chain holding a golden angel with a red crystal in between the two sets of wings.
Images of that day started plaguing Nero's mind. Running into the chapel after fighting off countless scarecrows, sliding into his empty seat just in time to hear Kyrie finish her ballad. Setting the necklace down next to him in its long green box, his way of letting her know that the gift was for her. How stupidly she ran for the necklace as the whole chapel broke out in chaos as a billow of red fabric came crashing through the class. Giving her the necklace back after saving her. The look of happiness that she still wears on her face every time she looks at the angel.
A time when they were both happier.
The aching in his chest grew stronger, the images flashing through his mind uncontrollable. A cold sweat broke out through his skin, droplets running down his body under his clothes and down his face. He slid down even lower, laying on his back now staring up at the star sprinkled sky. His breathing caught in his chest, hitching every now and then. Nero lay there waiting for his body to calm down, the beating against his ribcage to stop before he moved on. The images had stopped, but Nero needed a minute before he tried to continue on.
With a map of the city etched into his mind it would only take three more rooftops for him to hit the end of the street. Nero got back onto his feet, bounding easily across the buildings. Nero looked over the ledge of the last building, it wasn't that far of a drop. Not bothering with the ladder that was just a few feet away he jumped off of the building. His coat moved up over his body as the air pushing against him moved it along his skin revealing his toned stomach. His feet silently hit the ground as his body went into a crouching position. Nero looked down the street both ways just to make sure that the patrols hadn't suddenly changed their positions.
Without another moment he took off, moving quickly through the last few buildings to reach a storage facility that housed countless items for the Order. Storage units lined the long wall of the building and wrapped around to the backside of it. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Nero counted the units along the wall, reaching his with ease. Thankful that it wasn't one of the units on the back of the building that he could already tell was offering no light.
Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the single key not attached to anything to unlock the door. With the door now free of the lock Nero tossed the key onto the ground along with the lock, both of them skidding across the harsh asphalt. Nero slid the large door up, metal clinking together as it slid up the tracks revealing a dark compartment. He walked into the storage unit, his hands finding a set of handles. He pushed on the heavy object, wheeling it out into the street.
The blue hues of the night along with the white of the moon reflected off the black gleaming surface of his street bike. Nero grinned, the first one in months, as his fingers ran across the glossy material.
The bike was a gift to himself with his new pay increase the Order had given him. Nero had quietly been the Captain of the Order for months, the Order wanting it to stay quiet until the city was mostly restored. The city itself didn't sell items like this, it had to be ordered from somewhere else and shipped into the city. It took a few weeks for it to get there but Nero was ecstatic when it finally did arrive.
It had been a month since he was actually able to ride it though. Kyrie wasn't too happy that he was riding something that was so dangerous. The bike itself didn't pose too much of a threat against someone's life, it was how reckless Nero on the bike is what worried her. Nero did what he thought would make her happy, he told her that he wouldn't ride the bike anymore. She acted as if he didn't need to do such a thing but he knew that she was genuinely happy about the offer. The use of the bike became strictly limited to night rides on the nights that he wasn't required to patrol, even then he sometimes used it as an excuse saying that it gave him an advantage. Word eventually got around that Nero was riding the bike around town at night. The sound of the engine was the first giveaway. The rest of the Order stayed quiet about it but it was one of the citizens that told Kyrie about the young man who rode through the town at odd hours sometimes hollering sounds of joy. Kyrie refused to speak to Nero for days, forcing him to follow her around begging and pleading for her forgiveness over something so trivial. She eventually gave in, which resulted in a lecture of how reckless he was and how he should think more about what she would think.
Nero straddled himself to the bike, adjusting all of his items so they rested easily on his back and off the side of the bike at the same time. His hand revved the throttle bringing the engine roaring to life, all the while his demon arm gripped the other rubber handle of the bike. His Devil Bringer was still wrapped tightly in white cloth, all the way up to the very edges of his nails making sure every inch of it was covered. The itch was still there beneath the cloth for him to be able to breathe, for now though it would have to stay that way.
The noise from his engine would be enough for some of the members of the nightly patrol over this way to see what it was while the others would realize it was just Nero out for a long awaited night ride. His feet felt for the kickstand, pushing it up then both of them quickly resting on the pegs of the bike. The bike shot off down the street, the gauge showing his speed quickly climbing.
Nero began zigzagging through the streets, going to the one place that he knew would take him out of the city. He could see the looming gate of the city only a few yards away. Large wrought iron enforced wooden doors stood higher than most of the buildings in the city. The gates tonight were still wide open, the Knights of the city becoming more careless as the days drew on from the non existent demon activity in the city. A pair of knights turned onto the main avenue. There was no time for him to swerve, it risked him losing balance to go skidding across the street. The two knight dove out of the way falling into an outdoor set of table and chairs belonging to the café.
Once again a grin played on Nero's features at the comedic timing of it. He knew that the knights weren't injured over it. The road leading in and out of Fortuna was desolate, the land surrounding the road offering no promise of human life save for the gate that enclosed the city. Nero quickly picked up the speed on his motorcycle, wanting to get further away from the city. The road was smooth, the asphalt with barely any wear on it. The little damage that was on it was from corrosions of weather and less likely from travel.
The cold ripped through every inch of him, his clothes offering no relief or any promise of warmth. Nero just twisted the throttle a little more while kicking the bike into a higher gear with his right foot. All he wanted to feel was the cold, a distraction from the ever wandering thoughts going through his mind.
The road led straight into the vast mountain range that surrounds the city, becoming more narrow the further up the side of the mountain it went. Nero leaned with his bike moving along the sharp twists and turns of the mountain before finally breaking into the wider path once he was in the actual mountains. Hours passed on, the early break of morning coming over the horizon. Hues of pink, orange and yellow cutting across the dark blue sky. The road was becoming narrow again as it made its descent down the mountain. Nero slowed his bike down taking the sharp, tight twists with ease. The winding eventually stopped, the road now offering a promise of nothing but a straight away. The ocean was just ahead of him, his breath caught in his chest as golden hues played across the dark blue of the water.
Nero slowed the speed on his bike. The stronger breeze from the ocean meeting him, swirls of salt, sand and untainted air rushing his senses. The road ran along the side of the beach, the noise of waves crashing against rocks and sand reached Nero's ears. A welcoming sound from the hours of hearing the wind push past him. In the distance a dock stood in the crashing waves. A small shack sat at the beginning of the dock, nestled into the ground a few feet above the water. Nero rode over to the small building where a sign in faded hand painted green letters hung reading FERRY.
Once Nero pulled up to the building he shut off his bike. He moved the kickstand down while getting off of the bike. He walked over to the building slowly trying to get a better look. A small sign hung above a window on the side of building, TICKETS. The sign had the same lettering and wear the that first one did.
"Excuse me." Nero said as he saw a small older man behind a window covered in grime, sitting in a chair with a newspaper sprawled out in front of him. The man hadn't noticed his approach so he seemed startled at the sound of the young man's voice fumbling with his paper, crunching it between his fingers. The older man looked around fervently, his eyes wide with surprise at the sound of someone's voice. His eyes adjusted to normal size as they rested upon Nero standing in front of him with a confused look on his face.
"Can I help you?" The older man asked, a strange accent lingered in his voice, his vowels having more pronunciation than other letters. Nero looked out at the dock then back to the man behind the window.
"Where does the ferry go?" It seemed like such a ridiculous question, he felt like he should know but he had no knowledge of this place until now. No one ever spoke of it, he was sure that a lot of the people of Fortuna didn't know about this either.
"Mainland." Almost as if the answer was that simple. Mainland? Yeah that really tells me where I'm going. Nero knew that Fortuna was on an island, anything past that though Nero had no idea about.
"When is the next ferry coming?" Nero ran his hand through his wind blown hair in a sign of frustration. The man smiled up at Nero this time, pointing out at the water.
"You're just in time, the ferry only comes twice a week." Nero looked out at the ocean, a large ferry making its way into the docking area. The night sky was fully gone now, replaced by a light blue one with a yellow glow giving the ocean the harshness of staring into the sun when you looked directly at it. He paid for a ticket then walked his motorcycle across the wooden dock to where the ferry was pulling in. He must live in there too, it's a little odd but I guess the city must pay him. Nero tried not to think about the strangeness off it but instead looked at the ferry that could easily house cargo and passengers.
A small crew was aboard the vessel, getting ready to bring wooden crates off of the ferry. A young man around Nero's age who looked like he hadn't slept in days with dark purple rings under his eyes laid a ramp down connecting the ferry to the dock. The man looked at the Red Queen sticking out over Nero's shoulder, the man just shrugged as he took Nero's ticket ripping it in half then giving part of it back to Nero.
Nero squeezed his bike onto the narrow ramp then onto the slick surface of the ferry. The back of the ferry was designed to hold an assortment of vehicles. Once he found a good place for the bike to rest he strapped it down with a black harness that was bolted down on the ferry.
The ferry sat idle for a few minutes while the crew finished unloading the cargo at the old man's business/house. The man came out of a door on the side of the shack, signing for the delivery. The whole thing just made Nero wonder about it more, like who picked up these deliveries? Why had he never even wondered about any of this before?
The propellers and engine of the ferry started back up as two crew members pulled the ramp back onto the vessel. The water lapped against the metal sides of the boat as it peddled through the water. Nero leaned against the railing, mists of sea water spraying his face. The island where the city of Fortuna lay started to shrink as the ferry continues onward. The island becoming smaller in the distance until eventually turning into nothing more than a shadow then finally disappearing all together.
With no idea where he was going, with no one holding him to any expectations. Without the effort of pretending to be some one he couldn't, without trying his hardest to make another person happy, there was a sense of relief that washed over him.
For the first time in years Nero felt free.