Chapter 6

Lady leaned against the wall, feeling her arm throb painfully to the beat of her erratic pulse. She sighed, wondering how the two men had enough energy to spout macho witticisms and show off like that.

Nero's appearance had changed the tide of the entire battle. If they were fending off the demons before, now they were sending them to hell faster than the ugly things could climb out. There was a certain rivalry between the two men that spurred them on to crazier and more death-defying feats in an effort to best the other.

"What a night." Dante spoke lazily, holding a demon in mid-air with his relentless shots. "These things never give up do they?"

Nero backhanded a puppet and followed up with a shot from Blue Rose. "Tired? If you'd like to slow down the pace all you have to do is ask."

"'Tired'? Kid- this is what I live for!" Dante yelled cheerily at Nero with the tone usually reserved for patronizing younger siblings, before swinging his blade up with dreadful finality and sending the last cluster of demons back to hell.

Kyrie scanned the now empty road with relief, slowly lowering her aching arms. "They're gone."

"Yeah, fun's over." Nero marched up and put a firm hand on her shoulder. "You and I are going to go home- NOW."

Kyrie moved to hand the gun handle-first to Lady, before pausing and eying her worriedly. "Lady, are you sure you're all right?"

"Nothing a hot bath and a good night's rest won't fix." Lady took the offered gun with a smile. "We still have to work on your shots, but not bad for an beginner."

Dante winked. "See you kids later."

"Or not." Nero eyed Dante mistrustfully, steering Kyrie away. "Come on, let's bounce. Credo must be getting worried by now."

Kyrie looked over her shoulder and waved. From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a movement in the alleyway. But before she could ascertain anything, Nero had already pulled her around the corner and out of its sight.

"Alright, now explain: What were you doing there and who were those people?"

Kyrie struggled to keep up with his long strides and explain the events that had let to the fight. Nero was an impatient listener, interrupting her at several points and making noises of displeasure at the mention of the white-haired demon hunter.

"…and that's when you came." Kyrie finished, glad for the red light that allowed her a moments rest. "That was excellent timing by the way. I wasn't sure for how much longer I could keep up with them. How did you know I was there in the first place?"

Nero hailed a taxi upon noticing her start to lag behind. "I'm not sure. Today was wild with calls from all over town, with complaints of demons. I was just finished an assignment when I felt like I should've been somewhere else…" He stared absently at his hands. "So I went- and came just in time to see that bleach-headed guy try a move on you."

"You're fair-haired yourself." Kyrie reminded him as she slid into the cab.

"Hey- I'm the original." He sniffed. "I bet his isn't even a natural white."

Kyrie smiled and leant her head against his shoulder, stifling a yawn. Nero shifted slightly to support her warm weight before turning his attention to the passing road.

Kyrie couldn't stop her eyes from fluttering close. So tired…

Her sleep-clouded mind returned to the memory of the movement at the alleyway. There was something vaguely important about that, the still conscious part of her mind insisted, some small factor that demanded her complete attention.

Kyrie struggled to remember, refusing rest until her scattered thoughts focused on a single, unexceptional detail.

Blue.

The figure in the alleyway was wearing blue.

With a breathy sigh, Kyrie allowed herself over to a dreamless sleep.

AN:

Again, I apologize for the really short (...and late..) update- but I promise a looong chapter as soon as exams finish!

Um... think of this as the appetizer before the main course! XD

And you may also have noticed that I've changed the summary for this story- and let me explain that although I love Nero, I like the whacky pairings on the side even more…

It's like how people like French fries but I prefer onion rings (Dipped in root beer float…yummy…) so the less canon the pairing the better!

Sorry if I've disappointed any NeroxKyrie shippers out there- but rest assured that they'll have their fair share of cotton-candy fluff here. I've always found Vergil the most intriguing character in the whole DMC series, so when I found out that Nero and he were bound together in some way- my mind started spinning this plot before I could stop it. I'll do my best to keep everyone in character and make this pairing work- and I hope for all your continued support.