AN: Thank you to everyone who has been reading! Also thank you for the reviews/alerts! I woke up early today just so I could write a chapter before work. I'm on workday 8 out of 9 right now. They're trying to kill me, this is my theory. Then I will finally have a day off! I have to do a turnaround tonight though -.- get off at 11:30 then be back at 7 am. Oh! It was so funny the other night when I was closing the store though because I went and hid in the office and tried reading fanfics(I love being a manager lol) but the employees kept bothering me and I was like can't these bitches see I'm trying to read me some DxN ffs?
The air swirling around Dante gave him the promise of the long winter nights to come. The air held a mixture of lingering summer heat with oncoming cold as a light breeze brushed past Dante, the air slipping through the thin fabric of Dante's shirt without the usual comfort of his red leather coat clinging to his skin. The holster that attached Rebellion to him was also left back at the office, his only weapons on him were Ebony and Ivory in hopes to attract as little attention as possible while he was scouring the city on a job.
Dante had grabbed the piece of paper off of the desk that Lady had dropped off earlier. The paper gave him information of a demon that had been reported multiple times lurking in the park that laid in the middle of the city. All of the police reports filled out though looked like nothing more than everyone seeing the same homeless person wandering around in the park at night, talking to children in attempts to lure them away from their parents. The reports to someone without a knowledge of demons would have never seen the pattern. The location that it always seemed to be in, the time of day that it was. The way the people described how it moved. To the officers that took down the statements always thought that it was always just a person's hysteria that distorted the image in their mind of what actually happened or what the man reported in the park looked like.
Dante spent the rest of the afternoon in the park, watching as families and couples spent their autumn days in a haze unaware of the dangers that were hidden all over the city. The people of this city never really seeing the fractures in its beauty. The park rested in between the sky scraping buildings of the city, offering a small piece of untouched ground. As untouched from man made buildings as it could get. The usually well kempt grass of the park was covered in a layer of bright red, orange and yellow leaves. The leaves on the ground still holding their color from the freshness of their fall, every part of the grass was covered except for the few small gaps in between leaves were the green of the grass poked through. The trees themselves were still full of the leaves as well, all of the green faded from them. From a distance with the breeze blowing through the trees it was easy to imagine that it gave the illusion of the trees being on fire.
Through out the day the sun had disappeared behind a onslaught of grey tinted clouds. It was easy to track the movement of the sun behind them though. The sun now held its position to the west, hiding now behind the buildings. The light from the sun tried to fight its way through the thick clouds that were holding rain. Streaks of orange ran through the clouds as they pushed against the dark grey that the rays couldn't reach. Dante watched the display for dominance in the sky, letting the time go past as families and couples started to clear the park in hopes to escape the threat of rain the loomed over them.
The sun eventually set leaving the night sky completely clouded. The lights in the park gave off a soft orange glow, making the autumn leaves look more of a crimson color in the night. The park was completely empty now, giving Dante a better advantage of listening for the demon. He began his circle around the park, taking his time to look around for the demon's nesting area. Halfway around the park he noticed a small hill that dipped down into an area that was covered in plants.
Dante walked down the small hill, carefully examining the thick plants as he got closer. The smell in the area was different than the crisp air above, down there it smelt more like sulfur was tingeing the air covering up the smell of the fresh fallen leaves. The odor was strong, indicating that the demon was nearby or had been very recently. Dante moved the bushes aside, their branches stiff as he moved them. Under the thick covering that they offered rested a small hole dug into the earth. The hole was no more then four feet deep, most likely just an area where the demon slept while he was out here in the park. He left the bushes fall back into place as he looked around the hill once more for a sign of the demon.
With the hill offering no more evidence of the demon Dante began his descent back up the hill. A loud noise shot through the silent night air. The buildings surrounding the park giving it an echo. Dante immediately placed the sound of the noise the second after it cut through his ears.
Gun shot.
Nero spent his day riding around the city, he never even go to see the full extent of it though since he had chosen to ride around most of the time was spent sitting in traffic that literally never seemed to move. The latter part of his afternoon after he had stopped off at a small eatery was spent in blur of sitting on his bike with his feet pressed to the ground as cars continued to honk at each other. The lack of movement was causing his mind to wander, something that he was desperately trying to avoid. The heat from the sun faded eventually as thick grey clouds rolled into the city giving Nero at least an escape from the beating rays of the sun. A small relief from the irritation building inside of him.
Past the buildings that people were now swarming out of to get off of were, there was a park up to the left that offered an escape to the never ending bumper to bumper traffic. All Nero needed was just a few feet then he would be able to get out of there. Minutes passed that he didn't move, a small ache starting in his upper back from sitting on his bike in one spot all afternoon. Nero began looking around almost frantically, hoping that he would see some change in the scenery or some small opportunity to escape. The sidewalks weren't as full now that post people had left from work, it gave him just enough room.
Nero revved the throttle, the engine roaring to life after being idle for so long. The bike sped forward, giving him enough speed to go over the curb of the sidewalk. The people left of the sidewalk joined in screams as they jumped out of the way of the man on the bike who was wearing a crooked grin across his features at getting out of that mess. Nero made it up to the intersection where he was able to see that cars from all directions had gridlocked the intersection so even if a light was green no one would be moving. Nero zigzagged his way through a small gap in the cars that were attempting to turn right as he got onto another sidewalk.
The sidewalk ran along a small black iron fence that surrounded the park. Around the back side of the park he could see a small parking lot where a few cars were. Nero parked his bike, a small worry passing him as the clouds in the sky had turned to an even darker grey, a promise that rain would soon come down on his bike. Nero silently cursed himself for not packing a cover in the seat of the bike.
The high noon sun had well passed set and the remnants of it lingered on the edge of the horizon. The rest of the sky had well passed turned to night, the rest of the sky working it way to claim the orange that still hung in the sky. Nero was finally able to get a full view of the park as he walked passed to large wrought iron gates that were opened at the entrance. The ground was littered in leaves, all of them freshly fallen from the wind that had blown through the park earlier that day. Every step he took was onto a disarray of red, orange and yellow. He kept his eyes to the ground, taking in every inch of the ground; his mind immediately comparing this park to Fortuna.
There was fall in Fortuna, the weather was never like this though. Even in fall the weather was warm. The few trees that lined the main streets of the city would shed their summer skin giving it the same hues as the park. When the leaves began to fall though they barely had time to collect on the ground. City workers or shop keepers would clean them up as to not obstruct the beauty of the city. The trees that lined the streets also didn't compare in size to these trees that seemed to grow tall and wide. When Nero thought about it he guessed he had never really seen the season before.
Nero began to walk around the park, the night sky out now even as it was hidden behind the clouds giving the sky a mucky look. The light from the lamp posts cast against the trees giving the leaves a much darker color in the night. The leaves now looked more brown and red as they contrasted against the fake light. The first few feet of walking were sore on his legs after they had been in the same position all day, he kept walking getting the muscles more adjusted.
The fresh fallen leaves gave the air an earthy smell. The slow decay of the leaves giving away the aroma. The scent in the air slowly began to change, the earthy smell fading away as a sulfur one began to claim it. Nero crunched up his nose in disgust, a shock from the pleasantness of autumn. Nero tried to figure out where the smell had been coming from, he had stopped walking as he tried to place the smell. Nero took in a deep breath, the sulfur stinging his nose now.
Why does it smell so familiar?
A sharp pain ripped through Nero's shoulder. The demon flesh ripping and tearing under pressure. There was a weight on his back and Nero winced in pain as the tearing in his shoulder became more severe. Nero threw the attacker over himself quickly, even with the burn that was now in his arm.
Before Nero crouched a demon with another look of a human to it. The human skin was plagued with grey and green hues to it. Tufts of the discolored flesh peeling of its face along with the rest of his body, revealing bright red muscle tissue as it was covered in fresh blood. The hair on the demon was ripped out in chunks leaving bloodied patches along his scalp. The clothes were dirty, covered in old blood and dirt. Stains of dark red and black streaked across the wrinkled clothes. The smell of rotting flesh traced with the sulfur through the air.
Nero reached into his holster quickly for Blue Rose firing off a shot quickly into the demon's arm. The demon screamed out in pain, a wail emitting from its mouth. Nero noticed that its jaw was unhinged, hanging loosely as it screamed.
How the fuck did it get such a good bite on me then? Nero quickly pressed his hand up against his shoulder. The demon flesh pouring blood down his arm. The gauze that covered is arm was completely drenched on his upper arm, spreading its way down.
The demon lurched for Nero, its body on all fours before it went soaring through the air. Nero pulled the trigger on Blue Rose again sending a bullet right through the demon's stomach. A spray of blood shot up in the air as the bullet went through the flesh. The crimson liquid scattering across the lamp post behind them.
The pain in Nero's arm was burning now, as if someone had set fire to his blood while it coursed through his body. Nero winced again as the pain pumped its way through his Devil Bringer. The body laid on the ground, crumbled in a heap as the body convulsed with blood pouring out of it collecting itself on the leaves scattered across the ground.
Another fire shot off but it wasn't Nero who had pulled the trigger. Nero looked around to see a few feet away from the demon's body a man dressed in all black, his white hair giving off a orange glow against the street lights.
"Glad to see you decided to step in this time." Nero said as he pressed his human hand against the wound in his shoulder. Blood still seeping its way out even with the pressure his hand supplied. His voice caught on this last word but Nero attributed that to the fact that his whole arm felt like the flesh was burning.
"Well it looked like you weren't figuring out that you have to shoot this type in the head for it go down." Dante replied as he tucked Ebony pack into the holster.
Nero let out a small half laugh, his mind more focused on the pain the seemed to be spreading its way away from his arm that was now going numb and into the rest of his body.
"Did it bite you?" Dante's voice bled with a hint of concern as he took a step towards Nero.
"Yeah it came up behind me while I was walking. I guess being out of action for a year I have gotten out of the habit of being able to sense when there's a fucking demon right behind me." The pain continued to spread fast, almost as if it was literally running through his blood stream. The scorching pain reaching his heart where the beat picked up pace, pounding hard against his.
"We need to get…" The sound of Dante's voice was cut off from Nero. His lips still moving but the only thing Nero could hear was the pounding of his own heart in his head. His blood working its way furiously through his body. Nero ground his teeth together as his human had feel limply at his side, his legs giving way beneath him as his knees crashed onto the hard concrete of the path.
The clouds above opened as a light rain began to trickle down washing the blood down Nero's arm and onto the ground. The rain felt hot against his skin, the small light drops turning into harsh fast ones as the sky began to pour. Time seemed to be moving slower, the beating in his heart still working faster than anything else around him. Nero's vision narrowed as he watched Dante quickly move down next to Nero at almost the same time his body was trying to connect with the sidewalk. The edges of his vision became black as he tried to fight to keep his eyes focused.
The beating in his chest seemed to slow as time seemed to be able to move even slower. His body was completely numb to touch now, the only thing he could feel was the searing that didn't seem to have an end. The beating in his heart moved to a slow rhythm, each beat moving further apart from one another as each one seemed to grow louder in Nero's own ears. A final loud thud resounded in Nero's head as his vision fully went black.