Important notice! READ IT! Okay, so the last few chapters have been r e a l l y spaced out, so I just wanted to say a couple things. First, that I usually work slowly. Can't much change that, I'm afraid, but I won't compromise the quality of my work (such as it is) in order to spew something out fast. Second, the inexorable approach of GSCEs (whoever invented those should have been hung, drawn and quartered whenever they first suggested the idea) means I'll be spending less time updating in order to study more. Sorry, but not much I can do about that either. cries Third (and most importantly) I WILL NOT be giving up on this fic. I have things planned! So I will finish it, one way or another (is there any alternate way, really?)- it's just a matter of me finding the time and inspration. Y'all know about writer's block, yes? No, sorry to say I'm no more immune than anyone else. sigh
Thanks for reading if you did! If not, well, just read the damn fic already. XDD
Disclaimer: I own a token of the type ( --elitist reference). Not DMC.
So, without (much) more ado, here it is, the next chapter! There's a couple of cameos here- brownie points to the first to figure 'em all out. They're not too hard, if you've played the right games. XD
Even with a silencer, the shot was still inordinately loud to Aline's ears. Fired at point-blank range, there was no way it could miss. And so, it didn't. An instant before firing, Aline lowered the gun slightly, and so instead of entering Nelo's head, the bullet embedded itself in his chest, somewhere between the third and fourth ribs, Aline guessed. This newly acquired momentum slammed him into the (fortunately rather high) balcony railing, and he slid to the ground, leaving a smear of crimson on the low wall. Aline calmly holstered her gun then leant against the cool stone wall of the house.
"Congratulations, you passed." she said wryly after a minute. For a moment there was no answer, then-
"Beg pardon?" Nelo said without opening his eyes.
"I said you passed. You can get up now, I won't shoot you again. At least not on purpose."
Any normal person might have screamed in terror as Nelo slowly stood up. Apart from a splash of blood on his chest, no sign of the damage the bullet would have caused to a normal human could be seen- no entry wound, nada.
"You knew... I wouldn't die." It wasn't a question. Aline gave a wry chuckle.
"Of course I knew. After I saw you survive that demon's poison, how could I think something like a bullet would stop you? Even a blessed one."
"Then... why?"
"For several reasons." Aline paused to collect her thoughts.
"Firstly, I wanted to see if you would attack me if I confronted you. But you didn't." she paused, but Nelo said nothing.
"And, that blessed bullet I fired- the popular belief is that it hurts demons- but that's not really it. It only works on... entities with evil intent, to put it one way. And third... I know from experience- lots of experience- that the first thing demons usually do when you attack them is attack right back. But you didn't. The only reason you wouldn't is if you really, really didn't want to." she finished. Saying it, it sounds like a lame excuse- 'I wasn't trying to kill you, honest...'
"So... a test of fire, as it were."
Aline nodded but said nothing. For a moment both of them were silent. Then Aline turned around, opening the sliding glass door.
"Come on." she beckoned.
"Where?"
"I'm gonna find out who took care of the Mallet job. Maybe they'll know something. Sound good?"
Nelo nodded and followed her inside.
—
Two minutes and a short flight of metal stairs later, Aline and Nelo were sat in front of a computer, with an ever so slightly irritated Sher standing off to one side.
"I still don't see why you had to kick me off. What do you have to do that's so urgent?"
"For the last time, I'm going to access the database to see if I can find the name of the person who took care of Mallet. And hopefully an address. Here we are... What?" Aline did a double take.
"What is it?" Sher drew closer intrigued. His reaction mimicked Aline's when he read the words on the screen.
Access Denied.
"Strange. That's never happened before." Sher frowned "Are you sure you typed in the right access code?"
"Am I sure?" Aline lifted an eyebrow. "I've only typed it in about a million times, Sher. There's no way I'd get it wrong."
"Hmm." Sher frowned again. "Strange... what's with all the secrecy...?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't be here, Sher." Aline said sweetly. Sher shot her an annoyed glance.
"Way I see it, we can't find out anything here- sorry." He clapped one hand on Nelo's shoulder. "But-" he continued, "If we go to headquarters here in Barcelona..."
"Good point!" Aline grinned. "It's a given they'll know something." She turned to Nelo. "How's a trip to the city sound?"
"Whatever helps." he replied, his usual talkative self. "Thank you." he added.
"Lend me your keys?" Aline turned to Sher.
"Not a chance," he laughed. "I'm taking us there myself- now I'm interested."
—
In many other cities around the globe, the Agency headquarters were unobtrusive, nondescript buildings that could have passed for a bank, an office building- indeed, almost any type of building whatsoever- and were usually on little-used side streets. Not so in Barcelona. For some reason, the Agency HQ was located in a somewhat more salubrious place: Passeg de Gràcia. And as everyone who had seen it knew, if Passeg de Gràcia was crowded even in winter, in summer it was absolutely packed. Throngs of tourists loaded down with backpacks, cameras and bags no doubt containing souvenirs rushed up and down the street, in a hurry to get to their next destination. The locals moved at a slightly more serene pace, many of them not bothering to stay out of the way of the countless groups huddling to take a photo in front of this or that notable building.
The HQ itself stood not a block away from the Casa Milà, one of Barcelona's great tourist attractions. Thousands of people passed mere meters away from where agency employees were busy monitoring the activity levels of things that, to most of the world, did not exist. But for all its out-in-the-open location, it was one of the least known agency premises. Hidden in plain sight. It was an imposing building with a facade of black granite, and tinted windows that caught the sun's glare. A set of large, sliding glass doors- also tinted, and shut with a security code- gave entry to the select few who had access rights, and it was through these doors that Aline, Nelo and Sher found themselves stepping through. The lobby inside was deceptively tranquil; an enormous room with marble floors and pillars, with the roof reaching a height of almost two stories. A set of imposing stairs led to a second floor balcony with a glass banister that ran along the far end of the hall. However, Aline knew for a fact that the 'glass' banisters were actually made of bulletproof plexiglass, the spaces between affording comfortable sniping spots, and that motion-sensitive machine guns would come out of the walls and ceilings, movie style, at the push of a (panic) button.
Slightly dwarfed by the sheer size of the rest of the hall, a security desk stood slightly to one side of the entrance. Behind it sat a young blonde woman with an innocently bored expression. But her eyes gave away the fact that, in between bouts of scanning the rest of the room, she was studying the three intently. The group stopped at the security desk, two of them already showing laminated IDs.
"Maria." Aline greeted the Hunter-turned-security guard.
"Aline." Maria returned the greeting. "You're done with Mallet, then? And who's he?" her voice carried a note of interest to it, now. Aline barely stopped herself from grimacing. She had forgot that Maria had a thing for guys with pale hair.
"Yes, I'm done with Mallet, and this is my friend, Nelo. My access rights cover him." Hidden behind the words my friend was another subtle message: hands off. Maria blinked.
"All right." she sighed, meaning it in more ways than one. Her eyes brightened again when she turned to Sher.
"Hey Sher!" she addressed the tanned Hunter. "Why don't you join me for a drink later, tonight?" she shot him and artfully innocent glance.
"Sorry, no can do." Sher replied smoothly. "I'm still busy with some of the artefacts from Mallet."
Aline swallowed a laugh. Sher and Maria had been engaged in a strange game of sorts for as long as she had known them, with Maria employing every trick she knew to try to get him to go out with her, and Sher smoothly extracting himself with excuses Maria couldn't possibly refute. But that was really just a game- everyone knew that Maria's interests really lay elsewhere...
"Fiine!" Maria sighed, a small pout decorating her lower lip. She began to type into her computer, talking all the while. "Go on in, then. And, Aline, if you see Adrian upstairs, tell him I'm bored with this job." She snatched a sheet as it finished printing, handing it over to Nelo along with a smile. The words Access Cleared could be read along the top. "And that either he admits defeat and gives me a field job, or he owes me a romantic candle-lit dinner."
Aline really did laugh that time. Although neither of them would admit it even if faced with a hoard of hungry demons, it was obvious that Maria had long had her eyes on the pale, formal, absolutely gorgeous director of Barcelona's branch of the Agency. And, though it was always hard to tell with Adrian, there was a running bet among certain Hunters that he liked her, too.
"Will do," Aline laughed again.
"L's upstairs too, right?" Sher inquired.
"L's always upstairs. I doubt he even leaves his computer to sleep." Maria rolled her eyes.
"Great. Gotta talk to him," Sher murmured, already making his way to the marble staircase at the end of the hall.
"See you later." Maria sighed again. "And remember to tell Adrian!"
Aline waved a response, then followed Sher, motioning for Nelo to come with her.
—
"Adrian?" Aline knocked on the dark wooden door, decorated solely with a plain brass plaque that read: District Director. "Are you in?"
After a few moments the door opened inwards, revealing a tall, pale man in a dark suit, with fair features and locks of pristine hair of a color comparable to Nelo's. Oddly, he didn't seem to be that old- certainly no more than thirty. As a matter of fact, his age was one of the other popular betting subjects among certain Hunters. His cool, tranquil gaze lingered a moment on Aline, but when he saw Nelo, he blinked in surprise.
"Dante?" Seeing Nelo's blank stare, he quickly corrected himself. "Ah... I beg your pardon- I confused you with... an acquaintance of mine. At first glance you are somewhat similar." He seemed lost in thought for the briefest of instances, then he continued. "Please, come in; I'm not busy."
The District Director's office lacked, to some extent, the personal touch some others gave to their offices- Aline recalled Cid's office walls, filled with posters of everything from MIT(1) to Iron Maiden. The room was certainly salubrious; dark paneling lined the walls, and it was floored in the same (undoubtedly expensive) wood. A matching desk stood slightly near the back of the room- facing away from tinted windows covered by blinds- with a comfortable looking chair sheathed in black leather behind it, and an equally comfortable looking pair of chairs in front. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases (also dark wood) stuffed with leather-bound books lined one of the walls.
"Please, take a seat."
Aline did so, but Nelo remained standing, face a mask of calm. Adrian lowered himself into his own chair, slender fingers steepled and an intent look on his face.
"There was something you wished to speak to me of...?"
—
Dante. Dante... That name stirred something in Nelo, something strange, unidentifiable. He knew the name, but at the same time he did not, and could never remember knowing it. It was... almost like an itch, in that unreachable place between the shoulder blades. He could not make it go away, so it stayed there, taunting him. He was certain the frustration would have driven any other person insane.
Dante. The name was important, somehow. He knew it, just as surely as anyone could see the sky and know it was the sky. He didn't know how he knew, though. It was like two parts of him, one telling him that he did not know the name and never had, and all the while the other insisting that he did know the name. He did know a Dante.
The Director of the agency branch... Adrian, was his name-? had confused him for Dante. So this Dante had to be similar to him, at the very least.
"And we're supposed to be..."
Nelo blinked. Where had that thought come from? Or no, it wasn't a thought- it was more like a memory. But a memory of words with no image to accompany them? Words with no image. A name with no face. It was maddening...
He turned his attention to Aline and Adrian.
—
"It is indeed strange..." the Director nodded. "I'm afraid I can't help you with Nelo- I just checked the database, and we have no records of any Nelo whatsoever. There are many freelance Hunters that prefer to work outside the knowledge of the Agency. You know that yourself."
"Of course." Aline tilted her head. "But why was the file on Mallet locked? That's not normal. And what about this Dante person? Why do I get a feeling he's somehow important?"
Nelo frowned. So he wasn't the only one who thought the name significant...
"Dante..." the Director paused. "What I'm about to tell you must absolutely not leave this room. Normally I wouldn't have told you, but I think it's important enough that you should know. Only a few people within the Agency itself have this information, and those can be counted on the fingers of your two hands." he paused again. "I'll make Sher the sole exception to this. I know you two trust each other absolutely."
"Carry on," Aline nodded. However, the Director typed several words into the computer, then turned the screen to face Aline, who quickly ran her eyes over the information on the page. Which wasn't much.
Age unknown, date of birth also unknown... etc, etc. Profession, Hunter- of course. Pretty much the only thing they know about him is his name. The thought was somewhat disturbing.
"Dante is the name of the person who took care of the Mallet incident for us- or, actually, instead of us. We received a short message from him a short while before he took up the job." He clicked once, and a window of text came up. The message read:
I'm taking care of Mallet Island. Don't send anyone in; this is going to be one crazy party.
"Succinct," Aline noted. Adrian nodded.
"We don't keep in close contact; he prefers to work alone- but we do keep tabs on him."
"Why?"
The Director sighed. "It's difficult to explain, really, but the short answer would be because he is unbelievably powerful. You've heard of the people of demonic descent that live on Vie du Marlie?" Aline nodded once. "Their power doesn't begin to approach what this man is capable of. Before you ask, yes, he is that powerful. That's exactly why we keep a close watch on him."
"Hmm. I see." Aline frowned. Nelo chose that moment to speak.
"Then, if he really has the power you claim he does, that would mean he has demonic blood, or at least has formed a pact with a demon- right?"
Adrian looked at him with something akin to curiosity before answering.
"Yes, that's correct- the former, at least. I stress again that you must absolutely not speak to anyone else about this." Aline and Nelo both nodded. "If you want any more information, I'm afraid you'll have to visit him yourself. This is his address." He took a small square of paper and scribbled a few lines down, then passed it over to Aline.
"Great..." Aline studied the paper. "Is there any way I can convince the Agency to get us plane tickets?"
"I'll do better-" a smile almost seemed to adorn the Director's pale face. "I'll arrange for a private jet to be at your disposal at Barcelona airport."
Aline looked shocked.
"It's that important?" her voice was incredulous.
"I'm afraid so. I can't give full details for the simple reason that I don't know them all, but I promise you'll understand once you meet Dante."
"I guess that'll have to do." Aline sighed. Once the Director decided to shut his mouth on a subject, you couldn't pry it open again with a crowbar. She rose from her chair. "I hope you don't mind making another trip, Nelo." she grinned suddenly.
"Of course not," he answered at once. "Where are we going?"
"I'll tell you once Sher gets here. Thank you for your help," she addressed the Director.
"Not at all. You'll know the reason behind it-"
"When we meet Dante. Got it."
—
Once they were outside, the Director softly closed the door. He brought one hand to his face in a gesture strangely like weariness.
"Dante..." he sighed. "What in God's name have you been hiding from us?" He laughed softly, but it held no mirth. "You told us he was dead... but it turns out you were wrong- intentionally, or not?" He rested one hand on the polished surface of his desk.
"I just hope I was right to send him to you..."
—
As a matter of fact, Sher was sitting just outside the office, a broad grin pasted across his face.
"Something good happen?" Aline smiled.
"Cid just showed me the latest in weaponry. Jesus, but my stuff doesn't even compare with his..." Sher's smile became a little broader, if that was possible.
"Just like a little boy at Christmas," Aline sighed.
"Anyway, did Mr. Omniscient Director tell you anything useful?" Sher's expression was serious again.
"Somehow, a lot and nothing at the same time."
"You must be learning from him. That's the strangest answer I've heard from you yet."
Aline grinned. "I suppose so. Either way, he showed me the file on Mallet. The guy who took the job's name is Dante."
"I see."
"But there's next to no information available on the actual person. Seems he likes to remain obscure for some reason."
"That could be a problem," Sher frowned.
"Not really. Adrian gave me an address."
"Why didn't you say so?" Sher exclaimed, snatching the scrap of paper Aline waved at him.
"I just did," she laughed. Sher ignored the statement, opting instead to examine the paper.
"Hang on." Sher frowned. "This address is in..."
"Uh-huh." Aline grinned at them. "I've always loved New York anyway."
So there it was! You liked it? Please say you liked it! Or give me constructive criticism, that's always helpful. Now clicky the little review button...
(1)MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology