DEVIL MAY CRY

CHAPTER EIGHT: LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED, DON'T MIND IF I BRING A GUEST!

"So that's how it is?" asked the Professor after hearing that Dante had been dispatched. He paced back and forth with his cane in his office. It the room with him were Sakura and Shaun standing side by side with the door too their backs. Prof. Graves had a fire started in the room near his desk where he had numerous legal documents set out for him to look over and sign.

"Yes sir," said Shaun. "We witnessed Dante kill one of our men with our own eyes. But, we were able to terminate him before he could cause any more damage to the organization."

Prof. Graves stopped pacing and stood facing the two altered humans and put both hands on his cane. "It is a shame. I really believed that we could trust him. The last Son of Sparda, whom I believed dedicated his career to fighting demons."

"It comes to show you that you can't trust demons or devils, what ever the difference between them may be." said Shaun. "We have Sakura to thank for stopping this menace."

Sakura looked at Shaun when she heard him give her credit for shooting Dante. And yet she feels that she did not want to be reminded about it. Even though she hated all demons with all of her heart, she regrets pulling the trigger. "Sir, what is our next plan of action?"

Graves sighed. "Perhaps I should take time to think on that…"

"Actually sir, I think I know what we must do next." said Shaun. He walked away from Sakura's side and approached the Professor. "I think we need to expand our organization's business."

Sakura seemed confused. "What?"

Prof. Graves looked up in surprise and confusion. "What do you mean, Shaun?"

"I'm saying we need to find more supporters for your research." He said. "You're discovery of a way to enhance humans to the point where they no longer need to fear demons is exactly what the world has been looking for."

"Shaun," said Sakura. "Are you saying that we should…"

"You want me to sell my research to the world?" asked Graves.

"The human death rate is at an all time high because demons exist in the human world." said Shaun. "The ability to protect themselves and not having to run would create a new horizon for mankind. And if you tell them that your product allowed us to kill the Son of Sparda, the publicity would have every country coming to you and asking you to do business with them." Shaun said with encouragement. "You would become the most powerful man in the world."

Sakura stared at Shaun with shock. She had no idea that he would want Professor Graves to sell the enhancements to the world. Graves opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated on his words for a moment. "How can you say this Shaun? This is a private organization—not a military research facility trying to create killing machines."

"The humans are fighting a war, Professor; a war for survival against a terrible enemy, this may be the key to mankind's survival." said Shaun, eagerly trying to convince his.

Graves hesitated with his words again, but shook his head as he came to a decision. "No." he said. "It isn't right Shaun; my research could also be used as a terrible weapon against mankind itself. I do not want to become a merchant of death."

Shaun sighed in disappointment and looked down at the floor while still maintaining his composure. "You disappoint me, Professor." He looked back up at the aging man. "It appears I have to take matters into my own hands." Shaun raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, Shaun's men came bursting through the large twin doors of the Professor's office. Two of them quickly ran over to Sakura and grabbed both of her arms before pressing her down onto her knees by her shoulder blades. A third man approached her and confiscated her gun. The other men that stormed into the room quickly surrounded Professor Graves. Graves looked around is utter shock. "What is the meaning of this, Shaun?!"

"It appears you are a man with no ambition—that's why you won't expand your genius and grant yourself the fame and fortune that is rightfully yours." he said as he walked over to the Professor with his hands clapped together behind his waist. "I, however; am an ambitious individual that will drive this organization to prosperous success." He leaned over to Professor Graves. "Do not get me wrong, Professor; I am doing this for the greater good of this organization that you have created."

Another man walked in and approached Shaun. "Sir, Sakura's team has been confined and is currently in the detention facility."

"Jolly good; let's move to the next stage of the plan, shall we?"

Elsewhere…

Dante's body lay within the darkness, accompanied by the corps of his challenger and the bones of the demon charmer. Not being able to resist a free meal, the demons remaining within the catacombs move in and prepare to feast. The demons cautiously approach the bodies with red glowing eyes as they sniffed the air for any sign of life before they leaped onto the body of Shaun's soldier and began to tear the flesh from his bones.

Out from the pack emerged a demon much larger than the others which approached Dante. This demon stood over him and examined Dante by sniffing his face. As the other demons approached Dante as well, the larger one would face them and sent out a screech that told them to back off. When they were all at a distance, it bent its head down and opened its jaw to begin feasting on this delectable meal. But, as soon as it was about to take its first bite, a storm of bullets shot out of the demon's back that reached the ceiling. The gunfire lit up the area around as the other demons hurried off in a fright. The demon, now pouring with blood from his wounds and his mouth fell from the lack of strength to support itself with its legs and landed over the body of Dante. The demon carcass was quickly pushed off before Dante sat up and looked around. "I think that's enough playing dead for a while." Dante stood up and stretched his arms. "The smell in here was making me nauseous anyways."

Dante located his sword in the pitch black scenery and placed it back on his back and sighed with relief. "Now that that's out of the way..." Dante raised his hands and clenched them into fists as his body began to glow with a red aura. "Time to take it to the next level!!" Dante threw his head back and energy bursted from his body as he transformed using his devil trigger into his true, demonic form. "Ah, now that's more like it!" he said with an echoing voice. Dante squatted down and spread his wings before he took a giant leap upwards and flew through one of the many holes burrowed into the ceiling. He followed that path a high speeds for barely ten seconds before he exited the tunnel and found himself flying through the air of the outside. He flapped his wings to keep himself hovering in the same position as he raised his arms into the sky and took a deep breath.

He stopped flapping his wings and let himself drop from the sky. He landed on his feet and his left hand as transformed back into his human appearance once he made contact with the ground. Dante stood up again and started walking while small traces of demonic energy trailed behind him from his transformation. He stopped and put his hands on his hips as he surveyed the area. There were not people, no cars, nothing; just trees and other vegetation. However, the ground before his still contained tracks from the vehicle he and the others used to get there. Dante shook his head. "Figures; looks like they left for the party without me. Bunch of inconsiderate jerks." Suddenly, as he was looking around, something caught his eye. A motorcycle was parked under the trees near the entrance of the cave. Dante raised an eyebrow as he strolled over to it. The motorcycle was not attached to any threads that could set off a bomb, nor was there a bomb attached to it. What's more is that the keys were all ready in the ignition. Finally, there was an electronic device sitting on the seat with a note attached to it. Dante picked up the device and pulled the note off.

You were right about Shaun. This should gain you access back into the facility.

Marcus.

Dante crumbled up the paper in his hand. "Thanks a bunch, Marcus." Dante pulled his left leg over and sat down on the bike before kicking up the kick stand. Dante looked back at the device and switched it on. It immediately flickered on and displayed a map showing Dante's current location and the most accurate path to take for him to get back to the facility. "Looks like this thing is going to be my ticket in." Dante quickly pocketed it and put his hands on the handles. "This is going to be one hell of a party!" Dante started up the motorcycle. As he accelerated it, he pulled the motorcycle up onto its rear wheel and did a wheelie before he sped off down the path of the tire tracks.

F.D.H. Main Facility…

Marcus brought Professor Graves and Sakura down to basement floor that led straight to Graves' lab where the enhancement research was being studied and produced. They all stopped at the end off the hall at the doors and Marcus turned to the professor. "Now Professor, if you will please." Professor Graves looked to Marcus with a frown and looked to the security system.

"No Professor, don't!!" called out Sakura. "Shaun, think about what you're doing!?" she said. "If you make the Professor's research public to the people, then there will be terrible consequences! What if the wrong people get their hands on it, what do you think will happen then!?"

"I will be overseeing all shipments of the research, there is no need to fear." he answered. "Now if you will be so kind as to keep silent." Graves looked away from Sakura and back to the security system. He put his eye up to the scanner and the beep went off. Then he put his thumb over the scan pad and another beep went off. The locks on the doors disengaged and the metal doors opened to the group. "Thank you, Professor."

Elsewhere…

Dante sped down the highway at unnecessary speeds as he made his way back to the facility. Dante was eager to kick Shaun's ass all up and down the facility. Dante pulled out the device again and looked at the map that showed him to be half away to his destination. Suddenly, someone started driving along side Dante. Dante looked to his left to see a very familiar woman. Dante stopped his bike and put the kickstand down. The other rider quickly made a U-turn and came back over to Dante. Dante smiled and shook his head as this very familiar woman dismounted her bike and started walking in his direction. "Well I'll be damned…"

"Hey Dante, it's been a while." she said. She stopped in front of him and put her hands on her hips.

"Not that long, Lady." he said.

Lady smiled knowing he remembered the name he gave her. "So Dante, why are you in such a hurry?"

"I'm going to a really big party." He said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the device which he held out to Lady. "And I think its ticket for two, want to come?"

Lady raised and eyebrow as she crossed her arms. "Sounds interesting, am I going to benefit from it?"

"I'm sure there's some good money in a suit case with your name on it." Dante said with a convincing smile.

"You got me interested, lead the way." she said.

"Good to hear." Lady ran back over to her bike and jumped back on after putting her helmet over her head. Dante revved up his bike and sped up down the road. Lady quickly followed closely behind him as they head to the secret facility together.

TO BE CONTINUED…