Hazily the surroundings began to come into focus. It took a few blinks and squinting but eventually the blur cleared although it still seemed dull and somewhat faded.
Eyes closed tightly watching the flashing lights dance behind the lids as the searing pain took over. It was more severe than any headache ever experienced and traveled down arms to fingers and legs to toes.
"Wake up!" A command came from a gravely voice followed by a hard slap to the face. Eyes reopened as things cleared a little bit more. "You're no use to me dead."
"Then maybe you shouldn't hit me so hard! Us humans are very fragile you know." Kyrie quipped back as another hit made her head reel back painfully. She wouldn't let the thing that held her captive know that.
"Hm, you sound like him. Where is the descendent of Sparda?" The devil asked forcefully. Kyrie set her eyes straight ahead at the wall. She could hear water trickling down into the space where she was making her presume she was underground somewhere in a holding cell.
Another hard hit landed on her face. Her head snapped back harder than before causing her vision to blur again slightly. She gritted her teeth biting her tongue to keep from sobbing out. It was bad enough she had been taken prisoner but she would not break down.
Regardless if she did or not she would die before she told the devil anything about either Dante or Nero.
"You are strong willed, I will give you that." The devil remarked. Kyrie felt a hand grab under her jaw forcing her face straight. She opened her eyes to glare at who ever her captor was to be met with blue eyes. "Ah yes, there it is. The moment of recognition."
Kyrie swallowed hard shaking her head slightly in the others grasp. "You are not him." She replied.
"On that you are correct. I am not him." The devil replied. "Now tell me where he is." Kyrie screwed her eyes shut tight again.
She pictured herself at home in bed. Dante lay next to her sleepily with his arm draped around her. She could feel his warmth and could hear his steady breath close to her ear.
A burning hot sensation hit her in the middle of her forehead. Kyrie let out a scream in surprise and anguish. It felt as if something were being pressed into her skull and invading her mind.
"Now open your eyes." The voice commanded and Kyrie, much to her horror, complied. "Good. You are now my pet, you will do as you are told. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand." Her mouth and voice worked on their own despite the wall she tried to erect in her mind.
"You will lead me to Dante." The devil commanded.
"Yes, I will lead you to Dante." Kyrie stated obediently.
Despite his outward appearance of lounging back in his chair Dante was in turmoil. He hadn't seen or heard anything from Kyrie in nearly a week.
She had gone to say her good-byes to Nero when he left and that was it. There was no sign or trace of her, it was as if she had just vanished.
After a few hours had gone by he had called Nero to ask if maybe they had gone somewhere only to be met with a moment of dead silence.
"Dante, I didn't go anywhere with Kyrie. Last I saw her was in front of the office." Nero had said. A few hours later Nero was back at Devil May Cry and along with Trish and Lady they began their search.
They all took turns staying at the shop in case Kyrie called or a ransom arrived but there was nothing. Dante hated sitting around and with each second that passed he anticipated her walking through the doors.
As the days went on however his unease became a deep melancholy, it was if she had turned to smoke. Lady had attempted a locater spell to no avail.
Nero and Dante scoured the city with Trish accosting any demon they could get their hands on but none of them had any information.
Nero trudged in the double doors tiredly sighing irritated.
"Mind if I raid your fridge old man?" He asked.
"Help yourself kid." He replied with out missing a beat even though talking took a large amount of effort. Dante knew it was pointless to ask if any progress had been made, just judging from Nero's attitude he knew better.
Nero reached into the fridge with his devil bringer stopping to stare at it. Around Dante it usually glowed in between the leathery armored plates but as he had spent more time with the elder hunter it had died down exceptionally.
He pulled his arm out staring at the pulsating blue that emanated from his limb. It throbbed terribly with each pulse and became stronger with each passing moment.
"What's with your glow stick?" Dante asked standing up and pointing.
"Not sure." Nero replied staring at it intently. No sooner did the words leave his mouth that the front door opened and in walked Kyrie.
Both males went on high alert as she stood silently. Her eyes seemed glazed over and dull as she swayed on her feet. Her weapons were secured to her person as they always were. Her clothes were stained with blood, sweat and who knew what else.
Her face was a mass of bruises and cuts in different stages of healing as was what was visible of her arms and legs.
"Kyrie." Nero called out taking a step towards her only to have Dante hold out his arm to stop the younger male. "Dante what gives? She needs help!"
"She's not herself." He said simply. Nero cocked a brow at him and let out a shout as Dante swiftly drew Ebony from its holster pointing it at her.
"Dante! That's your girlfriend! It's Kyrie!" Nero yelled out.
"Might not be anymore." He stated gritting his teeth hating himself for putting her in whatever hellish predicament she was clearly in.
"I've come all this way." Kyrie said softly with an echo to her voice as if someone else were talking. "How about give me a kiss Dante? Or better yet, how about a kiss from this?"
Kyrie pulled out Red Rose and fired more rapidly than was humanly possible but not for a devil. Dante and Nero quickly moved away each going to separate sides of the room.
With a glance and a nod from the other they knew they had to take her down. If they could just knock her out then maybe they could figure out what was going on.
Dante couldn't shake her words, they sounded familiar to him in a way but couldn't place them. Nero advanced towards her with Blue Rose held out as if to strike her in the head.
With force that wasn't her own Kyrie grabbed Nero by the throat as pressed him hard into the wooden floor. She cocked her head to the side as if trying to figure him out.
Her eyes fell to his devil bringer suddenly causing her to bring a hand to it. Dante advanced towards her only to be struck back with a force of energy that he knew to well.
He shook his head standing up quickly to see a slimmer version of himself standing behind Kyrie. His blood ran cold as he clenched his teeth before releasing his jaw.
"Well once again here you are! Barging in on my turf." Dante stated. "It's been so long, I've missed our little visits Vergil."
"You have only yourself to blame on that one little brother." Vergil quipped. "I do believe you are the one who banished me to hell."
"Doesn't matter." Dante said. "Your fights with me, not the kids."
"Oh? Is that so?" Vergil asked condecendingly. He crouched down next to Kyrie and phased his hand into Nero's devil bringer. The younger hunter yelled out in pain as he felt Vergil extract something from his arm.
With a quick pull Vergil held Yamato in his hand. "So, you are my heir. How disappointing." He mumbled. "Dispose of him."
Kyrie tightened her grip on his throat applying more pressure. Dante let out a yell charging at his twin. In a flash Yamato parried with Rebellion. The loud metallic ping of the blades hitting each other echoed in the office. Sparks flew as they drew their swords down along one anothers weapon before breaking off and jumping some distance away
"I take it you're the one who's been harassing Nero the last couple of years." Dante said flatly.
"Yamato is mine by right. The boy has no right to it as long as I am living." Vergil stated.
"Then I guess I'll just have to send you back to hell." Dante replied. Vergil smirked maliciously and beckoned him to advance.
Nero grabbed Kyrie's wrist fighting off unconsciousness. He wasn't sure if he was choked to death slowly he would recover and he wasn't about to find out. He reached up behind her with the ghostly apparition of his arm grabbing Kyrie by the back of her neck and slammed her into the wall opposite him.
He felt sick as she became limp as a rag doll. He held her in place walking forward until he was close enough to grab her and let her down gently to the floor.
Nero was enraged that Kyrie had been hurt and used. He was angry at himself for allowing it to happen to her, it was his fault. If he had been more careful and made certain that the threat had been taken care of it wouldn't have happened.
All of the pain he had caused them to keep her safe and she still had been hurt. He watched remotely as the twins stabbed at each other and slashed spilling more blood than Nero could ever recall seeing in one place.
"Give me my amulet!" Vergil shouted. Dante side jumped out of his way attempting to tuck his amulet into his shirt to protect it.
"You lost your right to that a long time ago." Dante said. "Haven't you ever heard of finders keepers?"
"Childish as always Dante." Vergil replied. In a flash he was beside his mirror image Yamato clashing with Rebellion. "Tell me what relation that girl is to you."
"What's it to you?" He quipped back gritting his teeth. He knew that Vergil was trying to distract him and get information out of him to throw him off his game. It was the same thing he did when he taunted and mocked his enemies.
Vergil flicked his eyes over to where Nero stood protectively by Kyrie's side before resuming to glare at Dante.
"It's obvious you keep the mongrel around for some familial attachment but the female is...oh Dante don't tell me..." Vergil mocked.
"Shut your fucking mouth Vergil." Dante threatened feeling his anger reach its breaking point as he triggered. In turn Vergil did as well.
"Oh shit." Nero muttered under his breath
"Get her out of here Nero." Dante growled out as he advanced on his twin.
"Dante you lecherous fool." Vergil chided. "That girl belongs to me now. You will never have her again."
Nero felt a sharp pain in his back. Quickly he swung around to stand on his feet seeing Kyrie in a kneeling position as if she were poised to strike.
Reaching back Nero pulled a small dagger from his shoulder blade grunting as he did.
"The hell you get that from?" He demanded angrily. Kyrie stood taking a few steps towards him.
"Nero, I'm sorry." She whispered sweetly. Her eyes were still glazed and distant as she reached out a hand to him. Nero produced Blue Rose feeling his resolve drain rapidly.
"Kyrie get back. I don't want to hurt you." He ground out feeling tears spring to his eyes.
"I don't want to hurt you either Nero." She replied. "I want it to be like it was...we can go home to Fortuna, we can start over."
"That isn't what you want." Nero heard himself say as she closed the gap and pressed a hand to his cheek. He swallowed hard as his stomach dropped out from his body. "I'm not who you want."
Kyrie pressed herself against him bringing her face closer to his as if she were going to kiss him. As she drew closer Nero saw a dull glow in the middle of her forehead.
At first he thought it was his imagination until it glowed brighter. He knew he didn't have much time as he smashed the butt of Blue Rose against her head rendering her unconscious.
She fell to the floor in a heap. Nero knelt down next to her still holding the dagger she had stabbed him with. He drew the blade across the small spot on her forehead digging under the incision he had made.
Dante felt his will shaken as he caught a glimpse of Kyrie making a move on Nero. He knew Vergil was controlling her somehow and needed to get the information out of him.
Nero produced a small clear gem on the end of the dagger that was stained with her blood. He crushed it in his devil bringer watching it dissipate in a puff of smoke.
Vergil turned quickly feeling his hold over Kyrie break. Nero stood up shooting out his devil bringer pinning Vergil to the wall and squeezing him.
"Still disappointed?" Nero asked him. "Time to send you to hell." With out hesitation Nero crushed the eldest son of Sparda underneath his demonic appendage. Just like the gem Vergil vanished into smoke.
"Kyrie." Dante said as he held her close to him. He bit into his finger hard enough to draw blood running it along the cut on her head. "That'll help a little."
Her eyes flickered open only to squint at the light that made her head pound into her ears and temples.
"She alright?" Nero asked walking over to the couple.
"Yeah she's fine kid." Dante said standing up cradling Kyrie to him. "Thanks for the help."
"Anytime." He replied smirking at the elder hunter. "Sorry I didn't handle that problem with Yamato properly."
"Nero my brother is dangerous. This is something that we're going to have to band together on because Vergil will be back for his sword." Dante explained. "It may take a while but he will come after us again."
"Then we'll just have to make sure we're ready for my old man, old man." Nero replied.
"Yeah about that, good to know huh?" He stated with a grin.
"I'm overjoyed." Nero said flatly.
"Less talking more walking." Kyrie whispered out bringing a hand to her head.
"Sure thing sweetie." Dante said. "You should crash again kid."
"I was planning on it." He replied as Dante brought Kyrie upstairs. He took her into the bathroom setting her down on the floor to lean against the wall.
Kyrie heard the water turn on and splash into the bathtub. She let out a contented moan anticipating the small relief the warm water would bring.