A/N: Starting this shtick but I need to take care of dishes and lunches for next week before I really get going so I'll be right back…
Disclaimer: *makes random noises*
I Wish
Dante grunted as he continued to clamber up the side of bridge to the Order of the Sword Headquarters. He was worried about his partner, he could see a look his lover's eyes just before he was pushed over the edge that spoke millions. His partner didn't want him to be a part of the killing of someone close to him. Or at least someone who had been close with him. He could understand that, but hadn't Nero kicked his ass for doing something similar once? That's why that look had been so familiar, it was the same look that had been on his own face right before he'd gone toe to toe with Vergil for the very last time, finally putting his brother out of his misery. He looked up to the top, where he could hear the sounds of battle and grunted, he was getting too old for this shit… He tapped into his demonic heritage, triggering and dropping off the side he'd been attempting to climb and giving his wings a few powerful flaps and taking to the sky, rising to the top of the platform in mere moments instead of the likely twenty minutes that it would've taken him to climb the damn thing… Just in time to see Nero plunge his hand through the chest of the girl who he'd once loved. The half devil winced and dropped to the concrete as quietly as he could, allowing his demonic form to drop the second he did. Nero's lasted a few more moments before he also let it drop, dropping to his knees and the girl's now human body falling to the ground, completely lifeless.
Nero's shoulder's heaved once, twice before he lifted his head to the heavens and letting out a cry that broke his partner's heart. He couldn't wait any longer, he rushed forward, wrapping his arms around the partial devil who struggled for a second before seeming to realize who was holding him and then relaxing into the grip.
"Shh… shh…" Dante whispered, rocking both of them back and forth on their knees. They were both silent for a few very long minutes before Nero's sobbing relaxed back into small hiccups.
"I'm going to kill him." the growl was low in the partial devil's throat and he looked up with eyes that were lit from behind with demonic energy. "I am going to kill that damn priest and then I'm going to follow him to hell and kill him again. She didn't deserve that." he snarled, pointing at Kyrie's lifeless body. Dante hushed him and kissed his forehead.
"I know… I know…" he smooshed their foreheads together, his hand on the other hunter's cheek to keep him from turning away. "We'll do it together okay. I'll be here for you, always." Nero's eyes seemed to focus once more, some of the red light fading away.
"Dante… Gods Dante, why?" Dante gave a sad smile.
"I don't know, I've been asking myself that question for a very long time. Sometimes humanity is no better than the demons we try to protect them from." he said. He kissed his partner gently again and then helped him to his feet. Nero couldn't help but look back over at Kyrie's body once again.
"She deserves to be put to rest." the half devil put a hand on Nero's shoulder
"I know, but we don't have the time for that right now." Nero's chest heaved once more with a denied sob and then he took a deep breath.
"Right." He looked up, avoiding making eye contact with the body or his lover "Let's go." he strode forward, into the building and away from the last thing tying him to this island.
-Time Slip-
"Are you sure you're okay?" Dante asked as they made their way into the building and through a small horde of demons.
"I'm fine." Nero snapped, wrenching one of the demons from the air and scorching its' throat until it quit shrieking. He stomped forward to the artifact that hung, suspended by some sort of magic ahead of them. He scooped it out of the field that it was being suspended in and inspected it, or at least he meant to when it was absorbed into his arm, much like some of the other artifacts that they had come across on their journey here.
"You don't sound like it." Dante's comment was quiet, and Nero knew that the half devil wasn't looking for a response, that he just wanted the other hunter to know that he was worried. Nero couldn't help his anger, he'd known Kyrie since he was a child and had been much closer with her than probably anyone else on the island. It hurt to have her gone. Sure, he had cut ties with her the moment that he'd fled the island several years ago and wouldn't look back for the world, he had still hoped that she'd learned to move on and had a happy life. It made his heart feel heavy thinking that she'd spent this entire time wanting to enact justice on himself and Dante…
"Why couldn't she just let it go…" he whispered. Dante looked at him.
"I don't know. I can't know why some people get caught on certain things, power, vengeance, who knows. Sometimes a person just breaks and there's nothing that can be done." Nero looked down at his boots
"I just… I wish…" he looked up to see Dante leaping toward him, looking worried and whirled just in time to see the lance of a suit of armor charging right at him.
A/N: One more for this one and then I'll be moving on to my cross over, I'll be pretty well caught up for the last few weeks so… yup.
Till next time,
-Winged Element
