Chapter 4: The Interrogation
"Suit yourself. Either you follow my ass or get yourself in a deep shit. If that happens, don't drag me in it, you understand? Just…Promise me, ok?"
The Nephilim was standing half naked in his office. Leaning onto a window glass, thanks to his office situated on 25th storey from the ground floor, a magnificent view of Tokyo's scenery was drawn on his eyes. Also, for its strategic positon of the building itself, a statue of a four winged angel standing proudly on an isolated man-made island known as Infinite Stratos Academy came as a bonus in his eyes.
He was admiring the beauty of the statue.
'Ruthless attack on Infinite Stratos Academy, 29 dead, more than 50 people were severely injured in the attack caused by Phantom Task.'
He tossed the newspaper onto his working desk. Reading the headline by glance killed his mood in instant. The bunch of tidily stacked paper slid passed a freakish clown mask next to an opened laptop pc as it was heading toward its fall. Glancing across to a gigantic grandfather clock situated on the very back of the opposite direction from where he stood at, the longest needle finally struck at a roman number of twelve. As the other shorter needle overlapped the longest, a bell tolled from the clock all over the room multiple times.
'Its time.'The Nephilim reminded himself going from the window to a cushioned ebony business chair. Sitting on it, he produced a portable remote control from his pocket.
"Ahh?!" The Nephilim softly exclaimed.
How could he become so sloppy forgetting his mask? Never going to happen again. He made a point. As the mask fixated itself on his face, the laptop turned itself on via his remote control.
"SPIT IT! THE FUCK YOUR MASTER AT, DEMON SCUM?!"
The Nephilim slumped backward in surprise. Excitement strangely yet slowly filling his body from the live video feed. He hugged his own arms, could not help himself but letting the sensation coursing.
Yes! More! I want to see that face of yours more!
"Security's impressive, isn't it?"
"Well that's normal, take a look at the line there."
"Its not sexist issue here, Dante. Only security… formalities."
"Suit yourself. Now tell me, what would you do if a WWMD walking into your crib?"
"Exactly Dante. You will tighten the security for the one who could wield the weapons ignoring fools with or without the piece. Now get your ass up Dante, we are going in."
"I want to follow precisely every single of my goddamn lead, Dante."
"Suit yourself. Either you follow my ass or get yourself in a deep shit. If that happens, don't drag me in it, you understand? Just…Promise me, ok?"
Dante snapped opened his eyes. Sweats flowing down from his forehead. With vision looming inside out, Dante desperately gasping for air. Groaning painfully fighting the feeling of dizziness and vertigo, Dante pushed himself to sit. Ugh? Just as he tried to shifting hands toward his head to suppress the pain, to his surprise that both of his hands were refrained in his back.
Cuffed.
The realization instantly cleared his vision on the surroundings: White walls all over the place. With no windows around him, plus the only access to this room was through a black metallic door that stood silently in front of him, Dante approaching the door limply. Pain struck from the back of his head. 'Shit! What happened?'
It began to slowly come to him. Ah…Yes. He was fighting the humans using their own creation called Infinite Stratos. Unlike demons whom immediately threw themselves to their deliverance by his blade on their own, the humans provided higher challenges for they are God's most perfect creation ever, that they took a very good use of what God had gifted.
Intelligence.Another pain to Dante. He'd prefer to deal with 100 demons at the same time unarmed rather than baby sit a human with his or her problem in his office that he did not give a shit about. To him, humans were worse than demons.
Demons did not hide their true color. And if they did, they were the worst hider in his eyes. That's why.
Dante's memory showing that he's gunning down anything that stood on his path as he's returning back to the main exhibition hall where Morrison used his strange gadgets to throw in curtain of smokes from below for their escape to where he had his very first fight using an I.S acting as his fangs inside the arsenal. The area itself was not good either. It happened so fast that Dante had forgotten how many enemies swarming in the main exhibition hall that Ebony and Evory took out of their miseries ignoring the hysterical screams of panic escaped from the helpless people kept there. He finally came to a toe with the last enemy. Unfortunately, the armored bitch grabbed an unfortunate soul amongst the hostages turning the soul whose vessel was a young lady. The armored bitch flashing out a pen-shaped object with switch at the top of it which he eventually learned that it was a bomb from the armored bitch's mouth.
Dante could not shake the familiar feeling came from the young lady. He wanted to ask, but in that situation? Shoot first. Ask later.That's what in his mind. However, under the threat, would he drop his trusted firearms that had served him very well all these times in exchange for the young lady's life?
Was it a shoot first, ask later?
He did not remember what happened that time nor afterward. What he's feeling now, was a painful sting came behind of his neck. Still, it did not cover how he ended up in this room. Looking to the ceiling, a black roundish object to his knowledge as a CCTV camera was watching him silently, otherwise, what else did he know?
Strangely, Dante never felt the weight of his neck lighter than the usual.
"My pendant…"The words escaped his mouth. "It's gone?!"
He gasped in fear. The thing which he guarded so preciously that it had already became inseparable part of his, the thing that stirred his bloody past when he confronted his twisted brother, moreover, the key to open the demon's world and crashed it onto the human's realm. But above all,
The remnant of his mother.
The metallic door clacked opened. Dante swept the panic thought before he totally lost it and directing attention to where a tall woman with a sharp look eyeing him directly from the entrance door. Her tied raven hair slightly brushed her waist as she turned her back on him.
"Get up and follow me." She ordered.
"Why would I?" Dante tonelessly asked.
"If you don't, then I'd have my guards to get your ass up."
"Fair enough."
Dante used the wall to support his weight. Apparently, he had not totally regained his strength yet thanks to the additional pain from his neck. As he stood, it became harder to breath. It also appeared the current he was now weaker than the usual being whatever caused the state of his.
"Hey…"Dante gasped. "A…little help…here?"
The raven haired woman summoned 2 women in armored exoskeleton got inside. Shit! Not again. Dante softly cursed as 2 I.S approached him. Unlike the previous time when the female goliaths pinned him down inhumanely, they slowly carried him up. Not even slightest threatening pressure he felt. One of them even asked whether he's okay. Dante nodded. The other just only silently lifting his arm carrying him outside the keep.
By the moment Dante had stabilized his heartbeat completely, only to realize himself was sitting on a chair inside the belly of another room. Same setup like the back one…Well, literally. A reflective mirror sprawled across to his side, a rectangular metallic table separated between him and an empty chair practically from where he's facing at. Dane tilted his head upward, slowly looking down but sticking to the edge of the room he looked left and right. Bingo! He finally exchanged look with a single metallic tube sticking out from a rectangular object embedded on both corners of the room.
Security cameras, more of them.
"Security's impressive, isn't it?"
The words found their way back haunting his mind.
"Well, that's normal. Take a look at the line there."
Another one followed. Dante's surroundings fled. Darkness filled the sides of his eyes.
"Its not sexist issue here, Dante. Only security… formalities."
Dante felt an enormous pain from his head. It felt like a drill making its way through his skull from above that he dropped his head.
"Suit yourself. Now tell me, what would you do if a WWMD walking into your crib?"
"Stop it!" Dante stressed.
"Exactly Dante. You will tighten the security for the one who could wield the weapons ignorin' fools with or without the piece. Now get your ass up Dante, we are going in."
A shadowy figure breathing heavily sitting across the room. Dante dared not to look. The echoing in his head became louder.
"I want to follow precisely every single of my goddamn lead, Dante."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Guilt driven The words escaped.
"Suit yourself. Either you follow my ass or get yourself in a deep shit. If that happens, don't drag me in it, you understand? Just…Promise me, ok?"
The voice became louder. For unknown reason, against his will, Dante slowly lifted his eyelids to lit lights of the silvery orbs resided on the center of his eyes. The pain in his head ceased in exchange for a strong force that craned Dante's neck upward fixating a pair of hollow eyes from an old man. Blood running from his eyes.
The shadowy figure of the old man loomed into his face. Mouth was wide agape fitting its jaw onto Dante. A painful shriek of a familiar voice tore his eardrum.
The old man figure awfully looked like Morrison.
"WWWHHHHYYYYYYYY?!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
"Hey! Dante! Dante! Dante!"
Voice. He heard a voice. A woman's.
"Stay with us! Hey! Goddamnint! Give him the shot! Double it!"
Dante felt something sharp, something metallic that stung right onto his neck. Moreover, it transmitted something into his body. Whatever it was, the raging convulsion stopped. Regaining vision, the raven haired woman linked her dark sharp eyes with his.
"Stay. With. Me." She softly whispered.
Dante nodded. Too weak to talk for the time being.
"Good. Now how many fingers do I have?"
"Three." Dante softly replied.
"Well said." She remarked, grabbing a pile of papers from the desk. "Let's get this over quick."
The raven haired woman cleared her throat. Taking a deep breath, she read the papers loud and clear.
"Dante Sparda, I presume?"
"Just Dante."
"Age 25. Height: 1 feet 8 tall, Weight: 98 Kilograms. Both eyes and hair color is silver, not my liking."
"It can't be helped."
"Sex: Male. Obviously." She flipped onto the next page. "Job: Bounty hunter, opened a jack all trade mercenary office called Devil May Cry with only one employer. Always get the job done no matter how ridiculous it is despite no military track records are stated. Family record: Dante Sparda, born from the pair of Sparda and Eva, an infamous mafia's button man and ex-Catholic priestess."
Dante had his jaw dropped and dumbfounded by the report. Father and Mother, mafia's hit man and Catholic priestess? What the hell?
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a sec here…"
POW! A violent force struck Dante right onto his left cheek almost drove him onto the ground if not for the assistance of his legs.
"Do not speak unless you are being asked to." The raven haired woman defiantly glared at Dante. "Understand?"
"What the hell lady?" Dante shouted.
SMACK! The same amount of brute force reapplied on the left cheek rocked him to the direction.
"Wrong answer, jackass. I repeat, do you understand?"
"Damnit. Of course I do! It's just…(As they reached superiority, humans began to forget the existence that could not be explained with logic)."
The words appeared in a blink and were strong enough to refrain himself to rebut. Never occurred to him that he'd be stopped by words came from his mouth. Come to think about it. Dante bet that he'd get another hit once he told her that his parents are demons. Literally, its his father that's the demon. Mother on the other hand, is purely human. Another shit also would hit the fan in the end of his meeting with the cold blooded woman that he'd be slammed into a mental hospital for his answer.
"Just what?!" She sharply asked.
Dante shook his head. "Nothing. I am sorry."
Alright, Dante admitted that she's pretty. Her attitude on the contrary, was really a pain in the ass. Worst than any humans he had encountered so far. Normally he'd usually struck her now despite being a female as . However, Dante sensed something warm emitted from her. Something protective, like a mother.
A big sister.
He corrected himself. The raven haired woman blurted every single piece of information presented by the thick scrap of papers she was holding onto. Dante listened. Mouth sealed like a garage.
"Subject appears to have an identical twin, status: Unknown, presumably dead. Both father and mother deceased on twin's age of eight murdered by a group of mafia that the twin's father had sworn his loyalty onto. Reason: treason of the group. It appeared that the Subject witnessed the execution at the early age in the shadow. Positive signs of PTSD is confirmed. What an irony."
It is indeed an irony in his life, that his parents were murdered. And if the cold blooded raven haired woman replaced 'mafias' with 'demons' then it would reveal the truth. No helping by denying the false neither as it was mostly accurate both in their and his version. Funny seeing how the reality was altered from humans for they were fooled by their own eyes. Can't help it. Its natural unless that they possess a gift to 'see' like Dante. However there's a catch. For those who were able to 'see' got hunted by the damned in return. That's why, there are less of this type of human in this world.
And of course, no child would be shell shocked if their own parent(mother) was murdered right in front of his eyes.
And that's why too,
"Now getting to the main problems are, first thing first, how in the first place did you manage to trigger an I.S? No, no, no. Let's get back a little bit further. Where did you find that I.S? "
"Just found this thing laying in the back of my office." Dante shrugged. "Dunno how long it had stayed there but as I touched the thing, a lot of information coming like crazy into my mind, then I was shot by a blinding flash and once I opened my eyes, that's it. And don't give me that look will you?"
"Moving on, are you aware that you are using a stolen I.S?"
"Really? You can keep it if you want to. It's not like I want that thing in the first hand neither. My pendant on the other hand, I am going for it."
"Unfortunately, its not as simple as it is." She threw the paper to the desk.
"That's it? We done?"
The metallic door clicked. An old man dressed like a black butler stepped into the room. He politely bowed to them. Dante eyed that his right eye was replaced with a strange mechanism. The old butler carried a laptop with him. Walking toward where the table stood at the center of the room setting his item up, The old man closely approached Dante. Dante glared at him defiantly, firmly holding his desire to rip that old man's throat opened despite a normal human was being inside the room with him.
"Greetings, Mr. Dante." The old man greeted politely. "I hope that Ms. Ormura did not hit you too severe, didn't she? Pardon for my rudeness. My name is Phinneas. Scholar, poet, inventor, architect…"
"A demon." Dante stated coldly.
"A butler." Phineas moving closely to his ear, both men whispering to each other. "Watch your mouth, Son Of Sparda. Do not use that term if you want to get out from this cage unharmed more than you are now, nor ended up in a mental hospital, then I shall suggest that you better follow my lead."
"Not the first time someone told me this bullshit, demon scum."
"Whether you like it or not, you are getting out from this place. Just as my master ordered me to do."
"Tell your master to fuck himself."
"Such vulgarity came from yours. But I like it. You reminds me of him" Phinneas pulled. "All right. My lord wants to meet you, Mr. Dante. Unfortunately, he's currently at oversea the moment we are speaking so I'm going to link you with him."
Phinneas keyed the laptop computer on. After a while, a live feed appeared on the screen. A business chair turned its back to the screen, behind was a huge glass panel that portrayed a transparent magnificent view on a city. Dante grasped the surroundings on the other side through the screen carefully. It was broadly on daylight. Then, through the corner of his eyes, Dante quickly searched for a clock inside the room. Couldn't find what he was looking for had resorted him to the digital clock on the laptop itself.
11.45 A.M
"Mr. Dante, I presume?" The voice came from the laptop, behind the business chair.
"You got him." Dante said. "And you are?"
"I go by a lot of name but you can call me…Nephilim."
"One question for you."
"What is it?"
"Where are you now?"
There was a short pause.
"America." The Nephilim answered. With that, the laptop's screen turned blank.
"I am so sorry, . It seems like the laptop's not fully charged. My deepest apologize." Phinneas bowed.
"No need to. One question for you, if you don't mind, Phinneas." Dante smiled.
"What is it?"
"Come close."
Phinneas obeyed. SNAP! To Orimura, the raven haired woman's surprise, Dante appeared to have both of his hands expanded like phoenix wings and caught her and Phinneas off guard. Another splitting moment, Dante had already stood up and PAM! He slammed the old man's head from behind onto the table in one consecutive fluid execution. Orimura quickly reacted once she realized that the electromagnetic cuffs on Dante's hand dropped onto the ground, sizzled as if it was impossibly experiencing a short-circuit. In her life before, no one could stand up against her. Why? She's both trained in that field to kick asses. Whoever engaged her in combat would walk away with 3 bones broken. She'd confident that neutralizing him would be a walk in the park.
And it appeared that she's wrong this time.
Dante's other hand flashing in her eyes like thunderbolt. By the time she realized that she's on the floor far away from Dante and Phinneas. Legs sprawling on the ground, pain coarse throughout her back. Orimura rallying help. Too bad that her voice was stuck on her throat.
"SPIT IT! THE FUCK YOUR MASTER AT, DEMON SCUM?!" Dante roared.
The metallic door was burst with three I.S entered the room. Guns were honed at Dante. Backup had finally arrived and good thing for Orimura.
"YOU BITCHES WANNA SHOOT? THEN DO ME! C'MON! BRING THE FUCK ON AND I'LL TAKE THIS OLD FART WITH ME! C'MON!"
Dante laughed. Those I.S were left speechless and unsure what they were going to do. Orimura held the fire, decided to watch.
"Listen to me demon scum! Don't you dare to bullshit me. Your master's not in any fucking America region now! His ass is still at Japan." Dante continued "Nice try but I'll give you a last chance. WHERE. THE. FUCK. IS. YOUR. MASTER. AT?!"
Suddenly, the laptop was turned on by itself. Dante switched his attention. On the other side of the laptop, a half naked masked man was revealed and shivering in excitement as if he's deriving some kind of twisted pleasure from Dante's act…Or seemingly high on drugs.
"Marvelous!" The masked man complied whom Dante took as Nephilim. "Marvelous Dante! You are truly marvelous! AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" He stopped laughing. Clearing his throat. "I am truly sorry for the lie, but I have to test you just to make sure that you really are the Dante I am looking for. But…could you…please…" The Nephilim slightly tilted his head down, cupped his hand upward in slight frustration. "Please let go of my butler? I need him badly. You see, I am a worse task manager when being faced with numerous of tasks at the same time. Like, You know."
Dante banging Phinneas once again.
The old man(demon) could not help himself but slightly let out a painful scream. The I.S-es prepare to fire. However, still on the ground Orimura held her hand up signaling not to shoot yet. Either she wanted to continue to watch or that's what she could do in the moment for the pain continuously kicking.
"STOP IT!" The Nephilim shouted.
"Now I got your attention, didn't I?!" Dante preparing for another slam
"Yes! Yes! You did!" The Nephilim began panicked. "And for Christ's sake! He's an old man you know?!"
"Spit what I am asking!" Dante ordered. "Start with the goddamn I.S I found!"
The Nephilim cleared his throat. "As you wish. First, the I.S you have is my greatest creation ever to combat the devil's under the name of Phantom Task. This group of demon manifested women's heart is wickedly evil, Dante. Unfortunately, before I could complete the I.S that you are possessing, those imbecile bitches broke into my lab attempting to steal the I.S. Fortunately, I have prepped for this case that my I.S successfully shook the heat off. Due to the nature of A.I inside, it was programmed to a countermeasure scenario in case that an attack occurred on it before ready for a fully deployment, The A.I operator will pilot the I.s for an escaping measure until I could fix a location of her. During that period, it also searching for its master."
"…Now, not all female candidates could pilot it as it will run through an intense check throughout all aspects. By this, I mean that the suitable candidate must have a good physical build. Especially morale. That was you, Dante." The Nephilim pointed "You are the suitable candidate for my creation. Not by my standard, the I.S' itself"
"Heh! That so? Sorry but I am not playing any Barbies." Dante cackled. "And I care because?"
"Just imagine innocent lives got purged before the Kingdom Come. Not by the Righteous Hand of The Almighty One but the damned. That's why."
"Thanks but I'll pass."
"What?" Orimura surprised. Everyone surprised.
"You heard me. I'm not playing in this game."
"I suggest that you should not make your decision now, Dante." The Nephilim suggested. "Take your time to make your mind, open your eyes, and see the world. Then decide whether you should take your part or not in this bloody conflict."
"Fine!" Dante released Phinneas from his grip. "Then how come I could use this thing if I'm not a girl to begin with?"
"That is what I'm still working for. Rest assure that I'll tell you once I found the answer."
"You better bloody would! Or else, I'm coming for your ass!" Dante pointed the laptop "Hell, even I would come to you with or without you answering my question so better prepare yourself from now!"
"I'll be waiting for you. Meanwhile, Phinneas, my flight has just been cancelled due to weather condition. Could you book me another flight to America?"
"Is it as soon as fucking possible situation, m'Lord?"
"Of bloody course. Now get your ass moving, Phinneas. We have to be at the comic con before they sold the action figure out! Oh, by the way, Dante…The I.S, its yours to keep. Its up yours to keep or bin it. Just to let you know, humans are worse than demons since long time ago and became worst nowadays. Be aware that what you are fighting with now are above the…average level of what you used to fight with. You know what I mean. Rest assured, I am going to assist you from behind the stage so, Ariderverci." The Nephilim opened and closed his five fingers multiple times in joyful tone. "Ciao-Ciao!"
The live feed was finished.
Dante casually approaching Orimura ignoring the tip of the lethal firearms that drew onto him. He tightened both of his wrists together, offering them to the Orimura lady.
"Say, you still haven't told me your name yet."
"You heard Phinneas-san already." One of the I.S produced an electromagnetic cuff as she spoke. "It's Orimura."
"Your complete name."
"It's Chifuyu Orimura."
"(You got a beautiful name.)"
Too bad that the words never escaped from his mouth.
"Anyway, I believe you are looking for this."
Chifuyu pulled out a pendant from her pocket. She let the pendant draped around Dante's neck.
The pendant was awfully Dante's.
Dante could not express his gratitude.
"Thank you. Thank you very much."
He wanted to tease her, but given back what he held dearest in his life, Dante decided its best to keep his mouth shut.
When the mechanical modern chain clicked on Dante's wrist, God knows what the hell that is going to happen afterward.
Heya folks! oabc777/Qin.W.X here. Sorry for the very late post but I was spending some times back to my father's homeland. Hey anyway, if you are looking for some good IS and game crossover, then one that I could suggest is Kyrati in ISA written by Kerlongstj Evert Orlejov. It's Far Cry x IS crossover so who knows that anyone is a Far Cry and Infinite Stratos fan and interested in a short paced but nicely written Vid game and anime crossover.
I always leave the review boxes open. Well, the reason why my fic sometimes take a long time to update is that I lack of ideas and reviews. And honestly, I could finish this 3 days before my departure but I was kinda stuck on it. So I don't know how this works out. Hope his one can get you guys entertained.
Finally, I pull a poll on the next 2 chapters in which Dante's next opponent will be in a class rep match. So I hope some adequate feedbacks comparing to my first poll. Also, I didn't include Dante's weapons choices so I'll leave those for you to decide, that include his styles. Just leave it on the Review boxes or if you are shy, PM me. I'd really appreciate them.
Well, until next time.
Zai Jian.