Unbound Love

Chapter 3

Nero awoke first. He unclasped Kyrie's hand from around his waist, and headed downstairs. Well, even though he thought he was the first one up, Lady was in the kitchen. Nero gave a 'good morning' wave and looked around for some coffee. He soon found some and started the coffee pot.

"You drink coffee?" Lady asked.

"Believe it or not, yes." Nero said.

"Hmm. I would've thought you'd be more the type to use an energy drink to wake up." Lady said, while putting some eggs on the stove.

"Nope, that crap only gives you a short buzz, then you crash. Not the best stuff to have in your system while fighting demons" Nero said.

"I suppose not." Lady said. She remembered a time where she used an energy shot on a mission, she was in the middle of a fight with a demon, then she crashed. A demon almost cut her head off.

Nero poured some coffee in two cups. He took one for himself, then offered Lady a cup. She took it. "I hope you like your coffee black." He said.

"That's fine." She said.

"Can I have some?" Kyrie cut in.

"Sure." He handed her a cup.

"Look at you guys drinkin' coffee. Where's your sense of youth? Only old people drink coffee." Dante said, from the doorway.

"Yet another genious line from Dante the Devil Hunter." Lady teased.

"I try." Dante said, smirking.

"Dante, can I ask you something?" Nero said.

"Sure kid. What's up?" Dante asked.

"Well, I lost my gear back in Fortuna, but it was here yesterday. Mind explaining why?" Nero asked.

"I had Trish go pick them up from the evidence center in Fortuna." He told him.

"You did it without permission, didn't you?" Nero asked.

"Of course, I didn't wanna have to go through all paperwork." Dante said.

"Well, if they find out it was you, then your gonna have a lawsuit on your hands." Lady said, while sipping at her coffee.

"Good point, That can't happen. I already have enough debt on my hands." Dante said, flinching a little when he mentioned his debt.

"I bet their too religious to believe in lawsuits." Nero said, chuckling.

"No, remember when you wouldn't wear The Order's armor? They tried to sue you because you wouldn't follow regulations." Kyrie said.

Dante and Lady laughed.

"Well, exuse me if it's stuffy, heavy, and uncomfortable. It's like a death trap while fighting demons." Nero said.

"Speaking of demons, I heard that the old fart is summoning large amounts of 'em." Dante said.

"Hmm. If he's summoning them up, I wonder what else he doin' with'em." Nero said.

"Does this mean a road trip?" Dante asked, hopeful.

"Not so fast, you guys have got to find out why that religious nut is alive." Lady said.

"Aww man, my Latin is rusty..." Dante complained.

"Look, the faster you find out why he's alive, the faster you get your 'road trip'." Lady said

"Good point. Kid, let's get started." Said Dante, leaving the kitchen, and going upstairs.

"Boy, he sure brightened up didn't he?" Nero said, following him.

When Nero met Dante at the top of the staircase, there was a string hanging from the ceiling. Dante pulled the string to reveal a set of stairs to the attic. Dante went up the stairs, Nero followed. What was in the attic shocked Nero.

"Damn, Dante! You got a whole library in here!" Nero said, gawking.

"Pick up your jaw, kid. I wanna get out of here as soon as possible. I think I'm gettin' cabin fever." Said Dante, getting a book off the shelf.

"So your tellin' me each one of these books is like a demonic dictionary?" Nero asked.

"Pretty much." Dante said.

"This is gonna take awhile." Nero said, in an annoyed tone.

Meanwhile downstairs...

"Kyrie can I ask you something?" Lady asked, from her seat on Dante's desk.

"Sure, what is it?"

"How did you meet Nero?" Lady asked her.

"Me and my brother grew up with him. We were his only friends at the orphanage. They treated him as an outcast because of his arm." She said, pity flashing on her face when she mentioned Nero's arm.

"Orphanage? What happened to your parents?" Lady asked.

"Nero's supposably left him. And my brother and I's parents were killed by a demon raid when we were young. After that raid His Holiness founded The Order Of The Sword." Kyrie said.

"Why did Nero and your brother join The Order?" Lady shifted on the desk as she spoke.

"Nero joined so he could prevent what happened to my brother and I from ever happening again. Credo joined to avenge our parents." Kyrie said.

"What's the story with Nero's sword and gun?" Lady asked.

"He made them himself after saying The Order's weapons don't suit his 'style'. It's the same reason he doesn't wear the armor." Kyrie answered, giggling.

Nero and Dante came downstairs.

"Man, you two look like you've been sealed away a thousand years." Lady said, noting Nero's and Dante's hair was a darker shade of white.

"Yeah, and I think my allergies are starting to act up." Nero said, sarcastically.

"I'm taking a shower. Kid, be ready when I get back." Dante said.

"Fine." Nero said, while dusting himself off. He sat next to Kyrie.

"Nero, don't sit next to me. Your covered in dust." She said, giggling.

"I'm sitting here, dusty or not." Nero said, stubbornly.

Kyrie giggled.

"You guys are like Romeo and Juliet." Lady said.

"Shakespeare sucks." Nero said.

"I prefer Dante Allighieri." Lady chimed in.

"Did someone call my name?" Dante asked coming downstairs.

"Yeah, as if you'd have a cool last name like Allighieri." Nero said.

"I think my legal last name; Redgrave, is cooler." Dante said, smirking.

"Well, that shower was pretty quick." Lady said.

"Oops, too much Monster." Dante said, scratching his head, nervously.

"Whatever. Can we get goin'?" Nero asked, getting annoyed.

"Let's go." Dante said, walking out the door, already geared up.

They got into Dante's Lambo, then drove off.

Half the drive went undisturbed, then Dante got pulled over.

The cop shined her flashlight at us.

"Great, now we have to deal with the pigs." Nero said.

"But, this pig is smokin' hot." Dante whispered.

"Sir, can you explain to me why you were goin' thirty miles over the limit." The cop said, with her hands on her hips.

"Sorry babe, I got a place to be." Dante said.

"I doubt it's that important that you need to be speeding." The cop responded.

"Oh, you have no idea how important it is." Nero interjected.

"Furthermore, is this car even street legal?" She asked.

"Look, I got places to be. I ain't got time for this crap." Dante said, tapping the steering wheel.

"Uh, aren't you forgettin' something?" Nero interjected once more.

The cop gave him a confused look.

"Your supposed to ask him for his license and registration." Nero told her.

She blushed. "Sorry, haven't been on the force very long." She asked for his license and registration.

Dante handed it to her, and she walked back to her car.

She came back. "Everything checks out. Since, I made a mistake, and I'm new I'll give you a warning." She said.

"Thanks. Now, when this all is said and done, how about I pick you up around seven?" Dante asked, flirting.

"Get goin' before I change my mind." She said, handing Nero a slip of paper, and winking at him.

This didn't go unnoticed by Dante.

"What's it say, kid?" Dante asked, while driving off.

"It's her name, number, and address. She doesn't live far from your shop." Nero said, chuckling.

Dante was shocked. "How in the hell can a kid get more girls than an experienced man?"

"Maybe she doesn't like dating old men." Nero said, smirking.

Dante gave him the bird. He didn't say anything for the rest of the time.

The ferry ride was quiet, soon they were in city limits.

Nero recieved a lot of stares from the townspeople, presumably because he wasn't wearing the sling.

"Are these people always so up tight?" Dante asked.

"Well, the man who killed his Holiness, and the guy that his Holiness wants dead are walking side by side, so what you expect." Nero said.

"They're just jealous because I whooped their asses." Dante said, walking.

"Probably." Nero said.

Dante saw a guard walking toward them, and nudged Nero. "We got trouble, kid."

The guard walked up to them, and immediatly drew his sword. "You two are not welcome here." He said, in a low growl.

"Yeah, yeah, and his Holiness wants me dead. What's your point?" Nero said, crossing his arms.

"You should be wearing the sling we gave you, demon." The guard spat at Nero.

"Nah, it just doesn't fit my style." Nero said.

"Speaking of demons, did you know your own leader is summoning them up left and right?" Dante asked.

"Nonsense." Said the guard.

"A non-believer, huh? Well, that figures." Dante said.

"You have ten seconds to start walking or things'll get ugly." The guard said.

"In front of all these people, really?" Nero said.

"Casualties do not matter if even just one demon scum is denied of existence." The guard said, in a low tone.

The guard was about to strike when Dante Stingered forward and got him through the heart. "Heartless." Dante said.

Pandemonium spread throughout the town.

"Let's go, kid." Dante said.

Nero was about to agree, when a bullet pierced his arm. "Ouch." Nero mumbled. He then found the shooter; a little girl. He walked up to the little girl.

"Stay away from me!" She said, backing away in fear.

"I'm not gonna hurt you." He put his Bringer behind his back to make his point.

The girl calmed down.

"Can I have this?" Nero asked, in the kindest tone he could muster.

The girl surrendered the gun.

"Thanks, now get goin' before you get hurt." Nero said.

"Okay." She said, then ran off.

"Aww, that was cute, kid." Dante teased him.

"Go blow yourself." Nero said.

"Woah, woah, kid. Calm down." Dante said.

"Whatever lets go." Nero said, walking off.

The trek through headquarters was uneventful. When they got to the ( room) things got more lively.

Dante saw Order armor in tubes, and people were having their souls sucked out. "So this is the dark side of the Order, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty twisted if you ask me." Nero said.

"So you've discovered my house of horrors, D-D-Dante" Said a voice recognized as Agnus's.

"I'd prefer my name without the stuttering, please." Dante said.

"Didn't Dante kill you?" Nero asked.

"Indeed. My research was greatly compromised because of that fact!" Agnus said in a low tone.

"Hey I told you, if your gonna continue your research in the next world, do your homework first." Dante said, crossing his arms.

"That notebook contained all of my 'homework'." Agnus said.

"Eh, too much for one human to know." Dante said, shrugging.

"Enough beating around the bush. How are you even breathing?" Nero asked, pointing his sword at Agnus.

"A wonderful p-p-process called Demon Soul Dislocation." Agnus said.

"You have five seconds to explain before things get ugly." Dante threatened.

"Let's not get antsy." Said Agnus, holding his hands up in surrender."

Nero revved the Red Queen in impatience.

"Demon Soul Dislocation involoves putting a strong demon soul into a corpse. The memories and experiences you had prior to dying remain. The only thing that you lose is your humanity. And that, that small price for such p-p-power was irresistable." Agnus said.

"Is this the same technique you used to bring his Holiness back?" Nero asked.

"Indeed, but we used only the strongest souls for his Holiness." Agnus said.

"Hmph." Nero said.

"Your times up, and this time I'll make sure you stay dead." Dante said.

Agnus went into his Angel form, and fire several fireballs at the demon hunters.

"I'm not too keen to magic tricks." Dante said, cutting the fireballs in half.

Nero Devil-Triggered, and cut part of Agnus's wing off.

"How is Yamato in your possession?" Agnus asked.

"Well, I gave it to him after the Savior incident." Dante said.

"Why?" Agnus asked barely dodging a slash that could cut him half.

"He kicks some serious ass with it." Dante said.

Agnus stopped what he was doing and laughed. "That's a p-p-pathetic reason-"

Nero capitalized on Agnus's opening and cut him in half. "Jackass."

"Rule numero uno, never get distracted in a fight." Dante said.

"Alright, I'm pretty sure we're done here. Let's go." Nero said.

"Agreed." Said Dante, walking off.

When they got back to the shop, things were as they should be.

"Nero, are you alright?" Kyrie said, running up to him and giving him a hug.

"I'm fine, just a little tired." He said, returning the hug.

Lady gave Dante a glance to see if he was hurt. Dante caught this, and smirked. Lady smiled.

"Alright, seeing as it's eight-thirty, I'm gettin' some shut-eye." Dante said, putting his feet up at his desk, closing his eyes.

"I agree." Lady said, and lied down on the couch.

"Alright, see you guys in the mornin'" As Nero and Kyrie also retired to their bed.

And thus, a hard day has come to an end.

Sorry, I had writer's block, and life was sitting on top of me.

There's some backstory for Nero, Kyrie, and Credo for ya.

I don't think this was one of my better chapters, but tell me what you think.

-A