Rebecca

"Kid's got spunk."

"More than you?"

"Hell nah, don't lose faith in me, Dorio."

"Not in the mood Maine, you gotta up your dosage soon if that's your first reaction."

"Aw fuck off already, I'll do it when I do it alright?"

His girl grunted, Dorio wasn't the happiest camper when it came to Maine… Being Maine, sometimes he went a little too far and drew too much attention. She was the first to come to David's defense when they caught his scrawny ass after he grabbed the Sandevistan, truth be told Maine wouldn't be half the man he was without her. She was his ride or die, almost as strong too. A real muscly woman.

"C'mon dumbass, don't act like I'm your enemy."

Rebecca listened to their conversation idly, a rare wistful smile gracing her lips. Next to her; a stoic southern male with a mustache and gentlemanly disposition rested with his eyes closed, David on her other side.

He frowned, she could sense it. "Why are you smiling like that Becca, c'mon you're creeping me out."

"Dante." She said simply.

The Latino belched, "Crushing on that ganic? What the fuck B-"

"Nah nah, he's too dangerous for that." She waved him off before snickering and poking his chest, grinning smugly. "Besides, what's it to you huh? Jealous~?"

David frowned, "What? You know I ain't."

For some reason, that hurt. 'Maybe dimple' is rubbing off on me more than I thought.' It'd been a few weeks and he already settled into their gang like clockwork, the lovable and naive kid who had a heart of gold despite his brash personality.

'A different pace from the usual, crazy shit that happens here everyday.'

Of course, it was admirable. A comfortable quality, one that made you feel like no matter what… You could be safe with a person like that, in a city like this it wasn't a common thing.

She stopped poking his chest, shrugging and crossing her arms. "Guy has the sickest pair of firearms I've ever seen, vintage type. Not to mention he outsped a fucking militech sandy."

David grumbled, "Just rubbing it in now huh?"

"And he stood up against Maine after getting his chest blown into pieces, what type of person can do that? It's too fucking…"

"Weird?"

"Nova! It's nova!"

He groaned at her greater than usual excitement, conceding. "I guess he's pretty preem, just needs to drop the arrogant asshole act."

"If I could outpace a sandy, I'd be an arrogant asshole too."

"Beating a dead horse Becca, who's the asshole now?"

"Oh you shush, don't you have a Lucy to woo?"

He blushed bright red, scratching the side of his head. "Maine told you about that?"

Rebecca giggled, "Nope, you couldn't be more obvious if you tried my boy."

David had been groaning an awful lot tonight, this thought was accentuated by another groan. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and snapped to his feet, "I need to go change and take a shower anyways, I'ma bounce." He waved at her and left without another word.

Rebecca waved back without looking at him, if she wasn't preoccupied she might have watched his cute ass go, he was definitely a brighter person than the rest of them. Almost untouched, seeing someone like him in a place like this almost made her want to lay down her life for him.

He was a kid with a heart of gold, he didn't deserve to go out like the rest of em. A human, a real… Human.

Whatever that meant.

Still, Dante was stuck in her mind. The guy could almost be David's age if not a little older, he wasn't like anything she's ever seen. A total anomaly, it's not every day you see a ganic get back up after getting a hole in his chest blown open. It was a bigger shock that he survived than the fact that he got shot to begin with, after all, Maine didn't take kindly to people messing with his chrome.

Yet Dante one-upped him, as strange as it sounds. The white-haired newcomer straight up squared up against him and walked away scratch free, he'd done what would've gotten any other guy killed.

It made her pigmented skin burn at the thought.

The stench of alcohol filled her senses and a long pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders, "Where the hell did that gonk go huh? I'll take his head off for what he did to my state of the art-"

Rebecca Interupted him by shoving her elbow into his ribcage, laughing. "Your dumbass finally got shown up, don't bother trying anything bro you'll only get your ass kicked-"

"Again." She added.

He seemed genuinely offended at that and flipped her off, "Suck my dick gonk, I'll kill that prissy little choomba next time he comes round here." Cracking his cybernetic knuckles, Pilar stood up and pretended to blast invisible enemies with a shotgun.

"Mark my words Becca ehehe, Mark em! I'm gonna kill, I am the one who kills!"

She rolled her eyes and her spine shivered in disgust, he was her brother but he… He was too much sometimes, no, all the time. At least she could pretend to be normal, Pilar just… Wasn't all there. Most times they spoke it was like talking to a complete stranger, like just now.

He talked so much, he never stopped talking. Silence was poison to him, and so was common sense.

'Who the fuck asks his sister to suck his dick? Even jokingly?'

Sometimes, she really wondered how nice it would feel to blow that smug and annoying grin off his face and never have to deal with his bullshit again. But she never could, they were all each other had for so long. He was still family. All she had left, the one who took care of her when they were younger.

Her older bro.

But, there was always a line.

Pilar suddenly went quiet, Rebecca knew something was wrong instantly. Pilar never went quiet, always yapping and darting over the place like he was on crack, "Hey bro! What the fucks up with you now?" She yelled at him with her hands cupping the air in front of her, Pilar didn't react.

Now she really knew something was wrong.

She eyed Turbo who was busy cleaning his glasses, he didn't even notice. Nobody noticed besides her, everything died out around the siblings as she got up from her seat and jogged over to him. He was hunching over.

Rebecca put a hand on his shoulder, a rare worry filling her eyes. "Hey bro, what's up? You mad still?" She asked quietly, prodding him, he was lax enough that he could barely keep himself standing.

He was staring up at something now, drool running from his mouth and onto his chin. His lips quivered and he swallowed, making a single word out silently so that no one could hear him. Rebecca watched him sound it out, the world slowing as her eyes widened.

She slapped him, her eyes becoming itchy. "Snap out of it motherfucker!" She screamed and drew the attention of the rest of the crew, Falco snapped awake and rushed over to them first.

"What's goin on?" He asked in a southern drawl, inching around Pilar and trying to discern what was happening to him.

Rebecca was wordless for a moment, still prodding her brother who was whispering the same word over and over again. "Don't know, he's acting weird as hell." She murmured, lacking her usual enthusiasm.

Falco swallowed, "Becca..." He trailed off. Always the reasonable one of them, the one who had the most 'objective' stake to him. He wanted to say something, something he knew would piss her off.

"We promised each other, whenever it happens…"

Lips pursed, she blinked a few times before growling. "What!?! Spit it out!" She said while glaring up at Falco, the rest of the crew gave her semi concerned glances.

"Ey, chill out mousey."

"Don't patronize her Maine."

They joked at a time like this, just another episode. 'Eying the two freaks as usual huh?'

Turning her gaze back to Pilar, she growled and shut her eyes tightly. She was so tired of this shit, she wasn't unstable like him! She screamed before squatting down and jumping into the air, her legs coiled and she slammed her soles against the side of his head.

Pilar went flying into a table, knocked out.

Rebecca landed and kneeled down, growling and rumbling like a savage. She tsked and walked away, "It's not my fucking job to babysit you!" Grabbing another bottle, she growled at anyone who came close as she walked away from the commotion behind her.

"We promised that… No matter who's first."

Maine Dorio and Falco could deal with it now, that psycho wasn't worth her time. She wasn't like him.

Not at all.

And she didn't want him to be that way either, because it meant she'd have to do something she never wanted to.

Dante

He wasn't in a good mood, sitting alone on top of a high-rise with a bullet hole in his jacket and a resounding lack of pizza in his hand. Yeah, he was pissed. He expected at least some payment for his delivery but apparently, a bullet through the chest was enough.

Tsk, 'Maybe it wasn't the best idea to leave that guy in the middle of nowhere.' Not like it mattered now, he'd have to come back later and pester the man for at least a bite to eat.

He could survive much longer than the average guy when it came to food, but it was the principle! It'd been a few weeks since he got a bite of pizza, it wasn't very common in the wasteland that surrounded Night City. Just nomads and Militech bases.

Still.

Yawning, Dante turned his head towards the moon in the sky. Hazy as it was with all the smoke and smog in the air, the night was getting old and it wouldn't be long before the sun rose on a new day. Whatever it meant in this place, a day goes, a day gone. Either way, he needed to move.

Hopefully by now Maine would be chill, if not… He had ways of getting his due, he just wanted enough to cover his jacket and for a few boxes of pizza. Was that so much to ask?

Standing to his full height, Dante rubbed his revealed stomach and groaned. He leaped onto the edge of the high-rise and felt the wind rushing against his face, turning towards the looming Arasaka tower.

He hummed, "I'll be seeing you soon, then we'll have a real party!" First things first however.

Leaning back, Dante slowly edged off the building before gravity took full effect and he fell from his perch. The wind washing over his body as his reflection followed him in the glass of the building, he cackled and cheered as he fell before kicking out and launching himself further into the night sky.

From here he could see every dazzling light, every car, and especially the flying kind.

Dante lurched as his fingers curled around the side of a flying car, using the vehicle to launch himself into the air again as he leapt between the suspended vehicles, cheering all the while. The scent of gasoline and burning trash filled his nostrils as he leapt between the proverbial jungle of pipes and street signs that littered throughout the area.

He'd been running all his life until he was given a reason to keep going, to reach this place and to face that smug bastard again. A nomad like him, he wouldn't fit in this city as well but damnit.

He was going to make a ruckus.

Skin burning suddenly, he felt the presence of another demon nearby. He smirked, a dangerous glint in each eye. "About time this party got started."

Rebecca

The stench of burning trash was starting to get on her nerves, she was used to it smelling like shit inside the 'Edge' but this was just something else. Almost like Pilar's room when she walked by, when she rarely walked by.

Speaking of Pilar, he was back to normal thankfully. Said he he just had 'A bit fucking much to drink.' Despite Dorio pestering him to get a higher dose of suppressants he just waved her off, calling her a bitch in the process and nearly getting clobbered for the second time that day. He never knew when to keep his mouth shut when it could get him into trouble, that's why she did most of the talking.

Not like she was much better, if she was being real. They both liked to run their mouths, they were related after all. 'Not that you could tell by our habits! Fuck, he needs to shower more.' He loved being the clown but it made him weaker, held himself to a lesser standard.

She loved to remind him of that, it was great to see him get so mad when she told him why he couldn't get any girls that weren't already living in filth to begin with. First things first, fix that stink! Wasn't that complicated right? Although some boys just had it easier. Still.

They were all heading back from the Turbo's, she and David met up back with the crew after the little incident with Dante and Pilar being weird. She looked to see David catching glances with Lucy, the girl was obviously playing hard to get and standoffish. She pitied David, the boy was dressed in the same jacket Gloria used to wear.

Yellow, bright, vibrant. Warm. Totally opposite to the cold Lucy, they always did say that opposites attract. But then why…

She shook her head and smiled cheerfully, walking with a certain bounce to each step. The hue of the street lights were a bronze orange, it felt almost alien how the world was at this time of night with no people walking around in the streets like usual.

Pilar was ahead of the group doing his thing, acting like a clown to entertain everyone else with his dance moves and shitty singing. He was used to being the center of attention like that, he was a lot funnier than she and even quicker with that silver tongue he had.

'He doesn't know how to hold back, bastard talks all that shit only to get his new arms busted by Dante.'

Her eyes snapped to attention, Pilar was still harassing that weirdo pissing onto the ground. He waved his hand out in front of the wackjob and tried to make him come to reality, actually… Why was he so pissed? Was it because of Dante or?

He was just being an idiot like usual.

'... whatever.'

"Buh bye bro." She hmphed and continued with the rest of the group, only bothering to look back when she realized David was stuck behind watching out for Pilar.

'Awe, how cu-'

The world slowed to a stop as Rebecca fully grasped what was happening, her eyes trembled while she watched. The echoing grunt of Maine, the smell of piss, Pilar's laugher. She saw the slightest twitch on the weirdos hand, cyberware.

Static buzzing around the freak's eyes, his muted expression and emotionless look could only mean one thing.

Her lips pursed and she refused to close her eyes to blink as time seemed to be stuck in a swath of mud. Trudging forward slowly, so slow. 'He's… Not yours… To kill.' She thought, her right eye twitching.

The world turned white, only she and the two men existed now. She felt space bend around her as if she was accelerating while stuck in place, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"If one of us goes down, you tap me first alright. I'll do the same, heh."

All she could do was watch as the Cyber Psycho lifted his arm launcher to Pilar's chin as he made phallic motions, ignorant to the danger. The world rumbled beneath her as she saw the void encapsulate Pilar in one fell swoop, sucking his soul away from this world and-

A gunshot rang out, and then several more.

Bang! Bang! Bang bang!

Several bullet holes riddled the cyber-psycho in an instant, each one sending him flying into the air before tearing his body in half completely, spreading his guts all over the walls of buildings nearby. The power of those rounds…

Thud

Her gaze snapped to the sound, a cowl of red and a shadowed blue gaze. Hunched over, Dante had both Ebony and Ivory in his hands and was slowly making his way towards the scattered remains of the Cyber Psycho he just blew to pieces. Her brother was shaking, unmoving as his arms fell lax after being so close to death.

Maine was the first to come to his senses, "Shit!" He sprinted towards Pilar and leapt onto the crate, slapping him on the shoulder. "You good? Get your ass down." He kicked her unresponsive brother down at her feet, he was still shaking.

Rebecca growled, "Fucking hell, you still doin this?" Completely out of it, she saw his mouth move but nothing else.

Lucy and Kiwi crouched down next to them, eying his quivering lips. "He's seeing something, this isn't good." Lucy stated, "What could he be seeing?" She asked Rebecca in that cold tone of her, passive.

She growled before shaking her head, "I don't fucking know! He's never done this before!" She screamed, "This is all preem, so fucking perfect!" She screamed, slamming a fist against his chest and screaming.

"AUUUUGH!"

Was this what she had to deal with now? She didn't want to acknowledge what this meant, what it meant for him. And what it meant for her, they always knew this day would come. And of course he was more of a chromehead than her.

"Ma?" He spoke, a single word.

But it told her enough, "Fuck you asshole!" She kicked his arm and glared towards what remained of the cyber-psycho, tearing a gun out of Lucy's hand and running past Dante in one fell swoop. Her anger palpable

The wisecrack raised a brow, a slight annoyance over his features. "Hey, you tryna get yourself killed?" He asked the wind.

Because Rebecca was too busy unloading into his corpse, "Fuck you you piece of shit, you made my brother lose his mind again! Bastard!" Blood exploded from his already mangled body, his intestines leaking out as sparks danced in the blood pooling up all around him.

Click

Click

Click

Click

Her lips quivered as she continually pulled the trigger, her iron sight shaking as she pictured a dozen more bullet wounds appearing on that disgusting body. "He's MINE to kill, you got that!" She screamed, throwing the gun at whatever was left of his caved in skull. Brain matter was leaking out.

Huffing, she squeezed her fists shut and closed her eyes. Afraid to look behind, she… She didn't want to see that same look in Pilar's eyes. Anything but that.

Because then it would mean she'd have to put a bullet between his eyes, just like she'd promised to do all those years ago.

A finger poked her shoulder, she whirled around and came face to face with Dante's abdominals, glaring up at him. "What?" He was looking down at her like he knew something she didn't, like he knew what she was going through.

"You know, killing your big brother would break you, right?" He chuffed, shaking his head and speaking before she could respond. "Forget that, you might want to take a step back girlie." He stared past her, his hands clenching around his firearms a little tighter.

Angrily yapping at him, Rebecca's harsh voice betrayed her looks. "What the fuck for? He's dead!" She cried, her multi-colored eyes narrowed.

And then she felt it.

A pressure against her being, she felt sick almost as she watched the viscera all around them funnel into a cyclone of crimson red and cybernetic gore. Before she could turn around, a hand wrapped around her jacket and with a single motion tossed her into the air towards David who caught her with the use of his Sandevistan.

His eyes were shaking, his hands were even shakier around her body. "Shit Becca, what the fuck is that!" He held her protectively, Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder and shuddered herself.

In her eyes reflected a beast of inhuman proportions, a giant gorilla type creature with two beady black eyes staring at them all and a body rippling with dark purple muscles and blood vessels jetting out of its skin like wires. It had two tusks that seemed sharp enough to pierce a tank, steam rose from its bumpy tumor like skin. With a mouth for a chest, it dwarfed Dante.

But Dante merely smiled, his cloak flourishing in the heat being released from the creature's maw.

"That is a… Demon." Came Lucy's simple observation, her eyes narrowing and goosebumps appearing over her skin. David eyed her with a hint of confusion and worry.

"A… Demon?"

Why did it seem familiar to her?

Dante

"Goliath, the Colossal Ape Demon"

Big and ugly, just like most demons, although this one was a bit bigger and a whole lot uglier than most. In that case, "Not gonna say anything? Where's the monologue? Don't hold back on me, I'm a good listener!" He said before firing a volley of bullets down range, the demon raised its inhuman arm and blocked every shot with ease.

Dante let go of his volley, frowning. "Crap." It was tougher than most demons too, looks like it was time to go to work!

The demon growled, moving with speed that contradicted its size and rushing forward on all fours towards the Devil Hunter. Its boiling blood burned the air around it, evaporating before it touched the ground.

The Gorilla demon slammed a heavy fist into the floor and roared as Dante sidestepped it with ease, leaning against it and yawning before hitching a ride on an uppercut aimed at him and using it to launch himself into the air.

Taking out Ebony and Ivory again and spinning them on his fingers before twirling through the air and firing a stream of bullets down range like a cyclonic bullet hell.

Using his arm to block the volley, Goliath roared and reached up to grab the descending Dante only for him to roll over his arm and land a drop kick against his forehead, smashing his disfigured face into the ground and breaking off a tusk before flipping away and leveraging more bullets.

Landing next to Maine who was surveying the situation, Dante dangled his legs over the shipping container and propped his head up with his arm. "He's a tough one, why I'd say no other demon has survived this many shots from these two girls." He said, elbowing Maine who was staring at him like he had a second head.

The former soldier shook his head and focused, "What the hell is that… That thing! I ain't ever seen anything like it." Maine shouted clearly despite his confusion, concise. He's definitely been in his share of combat scenarios.

Dante stood to his full height as Goliath recovered, tsking. "A demon, a mean one at that. They like to possess you chromed out freaks who go psycho, weak in the mind y'know." He yawned before gesturing for him and his crew to skedaddle, taking his eyes off the demon for one second.

It was obvious none of them had ever seen a demon before, they usually only came out when they had to. Like when a son of Sparda was hunting them, it was fight or die. He slid down onto the floor and turned towards Maine's crew.

He smiled cockily, crimson flames dancing around his arms and concentrating within his pistols. "Let the professional handle this, capisce?" Were his last words before a fist impacted against his back and crushed him into the ground causing a small crater formed around his body, the beast wrapped his hand around him and opened his chest cavity.

Dante deadpanned, "Shit."

Goliath roared and shoved him into his second, much larger mouth. The fires of his gut burned his skin and charred his coat even further before a pressure built up beneath him, he could smell his own flesh burning but he did not cry.

Holding back the urge to scream in pain, Dante growled and tried shooting its innards only for the pressure to finally reach its peak. The demon fell onto its back and all was silent.

And then, its chest opened again.

Dante heard the air crack around him as he broke the sound barrier, his inflamed body soaring high above the clouds before exploding and parting them entirely. The night sky cleared and embers of the explosion faded into the air as the heat dispersed, the shockwave crashed down on Maine's crew. "Hey, he's not done yet!" Cried David who watched as dozens of cybernetic skin pods opened to reveal missiles inside its body, missiles exploding into the air all targeting one single entity.

Another explosion rocked the sky like a second sun, and in Rebecca's eyes she saw the light fade from the sky as well. Leaving behind… Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Maine

He needed to get them out of there, that explosion was way way above anything they could dish out. "Firepower like that will shred us to pieces, shit." He slid off the container and landed with a heavy thud next to David and the rest, he eyed Dorio and they both nodded.

Grabbing Pilar, he slapped David in the shoulder and jolted him to his senses. "Let's go, gonk's out of our league."

"But-"

Rebecca brushed the man off before he could finish his sentence, "You want to just leave Dante to fight this… This demon alone? He saved my bro's life!" Damnit, she always fought back when he ordered.

"Damnit Becca, now ain't the time to get sentimental ya feel? We gotta get Pilar out of here and that thing is above our pay grade." As much as he hated to admit he was outmatched, that thing had the firepower of a tank if not more.

No amount of chrome could match that, not unless you're Adam Smasher.

He took Pilar over his shoulders and slapped David on the back to draw him away, watching as the demon stood back up and roared into the night. He was praying that it didn't look their way, 'Fuck fuck fuck, just keep runnin, don't stop Maine! Gotta get them out of here.' Especially before Max-tech arrived, it would get really messy real fast if that happened. Shit.

Of course Pilar decided to grow a pair then and there.

"Get your fucking hands off me bastard, I'm not your plaything! Fuck you!" An arm snaked around his neck and held him tightly, it took Maine a second or two to realize that Pilar was losing it.

Grabbing the smaller Edgerunner by the bicep, he tore him away. Pilar slid across the ground and let his long arms hang to the ground as he stared blankly. "Fuck you, I'm not your little toy! Fuck you!" He repeated over and over, drooling.

Maine grit his teeth, eying the demon who was noticing the commotion. "Fuck, fuck!" He then pushed David out of the way and by Dorio

"Shit Maine, what are we gonna do?" He cried as he tumbled away, "I can help, I can… I can do something!" The kid wanted to help as usual, but that Sandy of his wouldn't be helpful here unless he planned on beating the shit out of Pilar himself the best he could do is…

He shook his head, sweat running down his tan skin. "Just run kid, you all just run! Dorio!" She didn't need to say anything, she grabbed Lucy and David underneath her arms, following the already escaping Kiwi much to Maine's relief. That only left him and… Becca.

He didn't bother looking back at the raging half-pint, "Rebecca, get out of here." He grinded out, not letting his eyes off Pilar for a second. He was shaking like a madman, eyes buzzing just like… Fuck!

If there was one thing he knew for certain, seeing this… What was about to happen wouldn't be pretty and he did not want Becca to see it, but she wasn't going to budge anytime soon.

Elbowing him in the hip, she wasn't even considering- "Fuck off Maine, he's my bro! Don't I get a say in this?" Her voice cracked, raspy as hell. Damnit. She was losing it too.

Of all the times for her to give a shit about Pilar, now was not it. He wasn't even looking at him, staring towards some invisible entity that wasn't there. His teeth clattered. Maine looked between him and the demon slowly lumbering over to them, hungry in its gaze. He knew that look, he knew that nothing could ever sate it.

Hell, he knew he wouldn't be able to sate his own hunger when his time came. It was too late for a guy like him, but he still had a lot of work to get done. A lot of names to keep afloat, a lot of people who depended on him.

Turning on a dime, he shot his fist out towards the incoming demon and willed his projectile launcher to arm itself, "Let's see what this new baby can do!" It didn't jam, his old one was getting finicky so this was just what he needed!

A crazed expression in his eyes as his shades fell onto his nasal ridge, Maine roared. "Eat this bitch!" The explosive rocketed out of its pod without a hitch and exploded against the hide of the demon. Smoke covering it from sight, Maine quickly reloaded and fired another and another and another until he was depleted of shots.

Swallowing, he lowered his arm slowly and eyed the smoke cloud for anything, any movement. His breath caught in his throat, "Fuck… Just like I thought!"

Maine's shades fell down, bouncing off the ground repeatedly. His eyes trembled as the demon stepped through the smoke screen unharmed, its flesh bubbling but otherwise unharmed. It growled at his attempt even still, annoyed but unharmed its skin just regenerated the damage like nothing.

'Just like Dante… What the hell is going on today?' There was no time, no time to think or even consider what to do next. Pilar was losing his shit and Rebecca was trying to get him to snap out of it, she was only gonna make it worse damnit!

'When they see the world, they see It different from the rest of us…'

Pilar

Pilar looked up, he saw her standing there cursing him out all the while. He was dancing again, dancing for their amusement in less than a comfortable outfit, as much skin as possible. Keep dancing little Pilar, you're the cutest, you're the craziest. Now she was mad at him for it? Cruel world.

And he was getting real tired of it, "Aw shut your trap already gonk, you fucked up my life enough as is!" He said while gradually lurching over, he was so sluggish even though his mind was moving at full speed.

But when he wanted his body to move, it never disobeyed him. So he forced himself to tumble forward and knock the bitch to the ground, 'Squirm for me now, dance and wriggle on the floor like a worm for me now!' He laughed to himself as drool dripped from his chin onto her furious looking face.

Her words were echoing on deaf ears, they were both underwater he guessed. He wrapped his hands around her throat and pushed her back into the ground. He could feel the pain mutely as she slammed her fists and knees into his body but it wasn't that bad. She's done worse before.

The woman was replaced with Rebecca, Pilar let go of her neck and laughed. "Hey Becca, what happened huh? You get your shit kicked in or something?" She was gasping for air and everything, he would definitely kick the ass of whoever did this to her.

She was still muted though, he couldn't hear her at all. What the hell, he flicked her forehead and giggled. "Speak up lil sister, I can't fucking hear you over ma's guests!" He laughed, the world was bleeding away around him in a flash of shadowy smiles and a blood soaked pipe.

He wanted to kill all of these fuckers, he'd endure that much for Rebecca just like he always had.

He lost consciousness again after his Ma hit him with that bloody pipe in her hands.

"Hey big brother, why are you always hurt?"

"Because I'm a circus animal, y'know? I make people laugh, and people laugh if they hurt me, so. You'll get it when you're older."

"I don't like it."

She was always the one watching out for him, keeping him out of trouble even though he was her senior by almost ten years. He always wondered if she would forgive him for everything he's ever done and said, but when he thought about it.

Nah.

It was too late for him.

Rebecca

Her throat hurt, she was certain that with her skin it'd be burning red hot. She coughed as the pressure released and Pilar began to ramble about nothing, only for Maine punch him in his jaw and send him sprawling once more. "Damnit, he's lost it completely." She didn't even notice him, she didn't struggle as Maine wrapped his arms around her small body and pulled her away.

She pursed her lips, eyes shutting tightly. "I have to kill him…" She whispered, lacking any resolve or enthusiasm. She felt like crying for the first time since she was a girl.

Maine growled, leaping into the street and running. "Don't be stupid now Becca, Pilar would tier your head off if you tried. He's a cyber-psycho now, he ain't the Pilar you knew." That didn't matter, none of that mattered. All that mattered was that she was the one who released him.

It was her duty as a younger sister to relieve his burden.

Snarling her face flashed to life once more, teeth bared. "Fuck you think I am, a damsal? I'll do what I gotta and nobody's gonna stop me!" She managed to squirm out of his grip, kicking him in the face for good measure and launching herself away after looting his shotty.

"Becca! Damn, crazy bitch!" He heard him call after her, so what if she was crazy! She never went back on her word, she was loyal and always had been! If that meant ending her bros life cause he went cyber-psycho, so be it! Her arms burned, she was barely able to lift this shotty but she pushed on anyway.

Legs burning, she bolted down the street back towards where Pilar was only for a large crash to impact the street ahead of her and splinter it. The demon was hunting them, it had its eyes on her now. Those two beady eyes, so vapid and uncaring just like everything else in the city. Demons exist, some part of her never doubted that.

It was Night City after all, of course demons exist.

The demon roared and began towards her, each step cracking the concrete beneath its feet. She roared and charged the demon herself, matching its gait and preparing to unload buckshot into its face or die trying.

'This is all… Your fault!'

Bang!

'All your fault!'

Bang!

'All your fucking fault!'

Bang!

The last round did nothing, the demon just continued charging. Rebecca screamed and threw away the shotgun, shutting her eyes and standing against the stampeding demon.

She was prepared.

"TRICKSTER!"

In a flash of red, Dante appeared in front of her faster than the eye could track. His palm against the ground and his cloak flourishing from his quick movement, he was protecting her. He clenched his fingers around the two-hander on his back and crouched down, a bright red rune appearing behind him.

She blinked a few times, her lips trembling while he towered over her and blocked the demon from sight. Why was he still… How was he still here? No one survived stuff like that, no one survived long in Night City.

But he? At that moment she knew he was truly different.

And then he shot forth like a cannon.

Dante

Tackling the beast head on, Goliath was blown back and nearly off his feet. Now was time to really go to work! Tearing the Rebellion from his back and slicing through the air before switching grips and continuing his barrage, he used his left to release thousands of stabs every second from the blade. Each one cutting away more and more flesh and matter from the demon, its regeneration factor barely keeping up.

"C'mon, you can do better than that!"

Dante gripped the Rebellion in reverse, smirking and tearing it up through the air. "A one!" He cried, suspending the Goliath in the sky with a single blow before switching grips.

Another line of viscera spurted from its body as the Rebellion tore through in a second blow, "A two!" It went even higher into the air, its body mangled and falling straight for the finale. A red cackling lightning coiled around the Rebellion as he held it with both hands, his foot sliding forward as he used his hips to push the inflamed sword through the air.

"And a finish!"

Like an elite baseball player striking a home run, the sword exploded into motion and impacted against the falling Goliath with a sonic boom. Dante swung his sword like a baseball bat and the world slowed as if digesting the blow, the demon soared and slammed against a nearby building just as the sun began to rise in the west.

Dante huffed, a line of sweat running down his forehead as he stood with the Rebellion outstretched still. "Hehe, out of the ballpark."

The demon slumped against the building, its body groaning and failing to get back up. Seemed like that regeneration factor was finally taking its toll, that's how you killed a demon, energy is finite after all. Dante smirked and placed the Rebellion on his shoulder, "You put up a good fight ugly, but this is goodbye!" He sheathed the Rebellion and reached for Ebony and Ivory-

Only to realize both were gone.

"BASTARD!!!!"

Dante resisted the urge to yell after her, Rebecca jacked his girls and was sprinting towards the demon with them both in hand.

Sliding to a stop and holding the pistols akimbo style, she squeezed the triggers. "DIE!!!" Her white hair flourished in the wind as the bullets left their respective barrels.

And then she flew back through the air like a missile and slammed against Dante, the recoil was too much for her. She pulled the triggers again anyway.

Click

Click

Click

They were… Empty?

Dante hummed, impressed. 'This one has spunk!' A woman who could shoot his pistols without having her hand blown off, now that was something. But they had more pressing matters at hand, he sensed her killing intent was even higher than his own.

And that meant she could help, she just needed the ammo!

Snaking his arms past her covering her hands with his larger ones, Dante leaned down and pressed his body against her back while channeling the demonic energy inside of him into his pistols.

Rebecca flinched, "The fuck are you doing!" She yelled at him while failing to shake him off, he was almost glomping her.

Dante growled in her ear causing her to go silent, "Just shoot!" He demanded, funneling all his remaining strength into two bullets.

"They're empty, dumbass!"

He shut his eyes, the demon was beginning to recover. "Just shoot!" Dante and Rebecca were holding the pistols as one, his power fueled her intense killing intent and against her better judgment-

She squeezed the triggers again, screaming as Dante continued to urge her on.

BANG!

Two bullets colored a light pink spiral around one another and coiled into raw energy before running straight through Goliath's head. The world turned white, a perfectly circular hole ran through its head before exploding its entire upper body entirely. A fountain of viscera raining into the air as the demon finally relented, its body could no longer keep up.

It was finished.

Rebecca

She fell to her knees as Dante removed his hold on her, tearing Ebony and Ivory out of her grip and holstering them. She breathed heavily and felt her arms burn from the faint energy still coursing through her veins.

Rebecca swallowed, what a shit show. Her hair and skin were both likely soaked crimson by now with the blood raining like a fountain out of the demon, it singed against her skin but she didn't care.

Standing up shakily, Rebecca watched Dante monitor the demon they'd killed. It was truly lifeless now, not even bothering to regenerate. What a shit show, the demon's flesh began to burn away and fade into nothingness leaving behind only a single shining pink light.

Dante reached out to the orb of light. It floated from the demon's body like a curious flickering firefly, dancing around Dante just out of his reach, he growled and tried to snatch it again to no avail.

Instead, it began towards… Her?

Dante stopped scowling, his eyes widening in shock as the spark glided through the air in a straight line towards her. She eyed it and took a step back, but some weird compulsion made her reach out to it, gradually, reserved.

Like a blanket, the light washed over her body and filled her with warmth before solidifying around her arms and legs. She blinked twice and watched with bated breaths as it shone brighter and brighter around her arm.

The Light shattered like glass, falling away into the wind and revealing a pair of spiked demonic gauntlets thrumming with a dim pink fire inside the veins covering it. It was like wearing a living organism around her hands, she felt sick as much as she felt euphoric from the rush of power.

But there was no time, Pilar was still losing his shit and-

He was walking aimlessly, almost drunk. "Becca? Where are you Becca? I can't see you but I know you're here, c'mon don't leave me out here!" Pilar yelled out, tripping out onto the street and falling to his knees at her feet.

Rebecca clenched her newly formed gauntlets, her face shadowed by the early morning sun slowly beginning to peak up over the carnage. She prayed that it would never rise on a day like this, memories passing by as she watched her brother lose himself trying to find her. Crawling, begging and calling her name.

At the end of the day, he was still the same big brother from when she was a kid. Just repressed, he was so young and so scared back then so he had to hold it back… All of it.

"I want you to take me out if I ever go psycho you feel? I'll do the same for ya Becca, just don't let the pigs get me first hehehehehe!"

And it broke him, after he was broken too many times he stopped trying to piece himself back together, he became a chrome junkie, he couldn't stop. All to fill the void inside of him that would never go away, the childhood that was taken.

He took all the pain, never sharing with her for a second back then when they were kids… But she ended up going the same path anyway.

And now she had to kill him.

She leaned down and snapped on his face, he was drooling onto the street. "I'm here, bro." She said somberly, "I'm right here, stupid bastard." Without malice or anger, just a cold respite.

He looked around for the source of her voice, he couldn't see her squatting right next to him. "I can't fucking see ya, stop fucking with me Becca!" He slurred, sneering and crawling forward into the street.

Dante crouched down next to him, eying her with a detached look. "So, you gonna kill your own brother?" He snorted wryly, shaking his head.

"It won't turn out the way you like if you do-"

She glared up at him, the clips in her hair had long fallen away letting her hair straighten out fully. "He is my Bro… My family. We made a promise that if one of us ever went psycho…"

"You'd off whoever falls first? You two were content with giving each other that burden? Heh, you humans are weird aren't ya."

"Like you aren't human?"

"Sometimes I'm not so sure myself, but we do have one thing in common." Dante glanced towards Arasaka tower.

"We both have dysfunctional families."

Rebecca smiled quietly at that, her lips trembling in rage. "Of course this asshole has to go psycho first, he always leaves the tough shit to me." Saying it that way made her feel better for what she was about to do.

Dante hummed thoughtfully, shrugging and standing to his full height. "I won't stop ya, none of my business anyways." He said while turning on his heel and beginning away, walking towards Maine who was leaned up against a wall.

She nodded, she wanted to say so much to him. But this wasn't a place for words, she wasn't a person who could spill her heart out so easily. None of them were, so she did the second best thing.

Staying quiet, Rebecca pulled Pilar into her lap and used her oversized gauntlets to cover his mouth and nose. He didn't struggle. His chest heaved up and down more sporadically for a moment before slowing, and slowing. The lack of oxygen turned him unconscious.

She cradled his lifeless body, not a single hint of expression in her eyes as she watched the light in his visor slowly flicker out.

"Ma?"

She's here for him now, when mom never was.

Pilar finally... Stopped talking.

Dante

"You got this handled from here?" He asked Maine, their backs facing each other.

The borg grunted, "Pigs will be here soon, but we have some time."

"Watch girlie over there, she's got a Devil Arm now. Now I've never seen a human with a Devil Arm but I'm sure she's mighty powerful now, more than she ever could be with that chrome you lot love so much."

"Yeah sure, we'll see about that. What do you want?"

He was being reasonable, good, he did save all their asses after all. He deserved a little recompense yeah? Dante laughed and flashed him a half grin, "I want a full combo pizza, skip the olives. Oh, and I need someone who can fix my coat since you lovingly blew a hole through my chest."

Maine blinked twice before growling, crossing his arms. "Yeah yeah, that ain't shit. You saved Becca's ass so I'll let that business with my delivery boy slide, how's that?"

"Sounds good to me, now if you excuse me. I have a family reunion to attend." He waved at the hulking Edgerunner and took his leave, shoving his hands into his pockets.

You might be wondering, why didn't he stay and make sure Rebecca didn't kill anyone with that new fancy Devil Arm? Well, you wouldn't call Dante, Tony Redgrave, whatever his name really was…

He's a Subhuman who couldn't see other people, it wasn't his problem. He was perfectly fine with letting people figure out their own issues without him having to say a word. Only if they made it his problem, as it tended to go. Usually it would just end up with more blood being shed if he intervened. More tears, more hate. Because he was only good at one thing.

He lived to kill demons, that was all.

Maksel:

1. It was my intention to make it tense, after all when David got caught after stealing Maine's chrome he got held at gunpoint and they threatened to kill him. Dante not only "stole" his package but he also left his delivery boy in the middle of nowhere AND THEN he had David at gun point as well. night city is not unfamiliar with death, Dante is a total outsider who came in and was inflationary from the start.

2. Yes I loved that line when I wrote it, its going to be important for David later on. After all, no one really bothered in rebuking him, but Dante does with his mere existence.

3. What exactly are you looking for if I may ask, because while I won't jump into changing what I have planned I also don't want to ignore feedback. Thank you for the praise!

4. I mean remember when Rebecca greeted David at the door with a gun? and kept it there for like five seconds even after realizing who it was? That's the level of trigger happy we are at haha, and Dante like I said is a total outsider, a ganic, and also someone who threatened Pilar and David AND his delivery boy with his chrome.

5. Oh trust me while I'm not going to make a fix it, this story isn't going down the same path as canon at all... That would just be too boring. Sorry to hear about the negativity but good news, my works tend to lean more towards positive optimism, sounds impossible in the cyberpunk world but with Dante here? Who knows.

6. My last works I've actually mostly finished I've just been waiting to write the climax for them and got stuck so I decided to work on other projects in the meanwhile, my earlier ones on the other hand are definitely not close to being finished and probably won't be which is unfortunate but I lost motivation for writing my hero academia a long time ago.

Anyways, thanks a lot for the review choom! I'm going to try and hope you enjoy what I have planned, I've already uploaded the next 2 chapters on AO3 if you want to check them out early. user name: Burning Burning Burning. God bless.