[Resistance Camp]
"Just need to twist this aaaaaaaaand here we go." 9S said as the console lit-up.
"Thank you. I didn't really know when we could've got it fixed."
9S' pride was boosted by the compliment "Heh I am one of the finest scanners afterall. You can count on me." He couldn't help but showoff.
Anemone rolled her eyes before shifting to 2B. "Now are you going to respect my rules and policies?"
"Affirmative." Anemone squinted at her in suspicion briefly.
"Very well. I need you two to step out I need to make a call."
"Sure you got it. Let's go 2B." 9S obliged with the battler following in silence.
"Gosh I never thought that it would take three days for me to fix it." 2B heard her partner whine.
"Restoring communications with the Bunker is crucial for us to proceed with our operations."
"Yeah I get it. Where are we going by the way?"
2B didn't say anything. He was about to ask again until he realized they were at a shop. The owner sat on the floor crossed-legged.
"Hmm. YoRHa units? Haven't seen any of you guys around lately. What can I get for you?"
While 2B browsed through the shop 9S stretched his limbs giving out a quiet yawn. During those three days he recalled a group of damaged YoRHa units stumbling into camp. Even though he wasn't a healer himself he was able to repair the women. They chatted shortly and they told him about this new machine they've encountered, making 9S shocked about it's existence. They already sent the data to Command and after repairs they were ordered to return back to HQ.
The overall tone between them was kept professional but friendly. But 9S did manage to make this battler that looked a lot like 2B chuckle a bit after hearing some of his jokes. The friendliness they all exuded lasted until the actual 2B came and everything shifted entirely. They've greeted each other in the way his partner usually does and told her about the humanoid machine.
The squadron were getting ready for departure but not before the Android he now knew as 4B pulled him to the side.
"9S your a good person. Be careful okay?"
The scanner was confused by what she said.
"Uhh sure 4B. You got it."
"9S."
"Yeah."
"Some people tend to put on a facade. They can..." She paused. "Just watch your back."
"Alright. Oh about the human you spotted did you get a chance to talk to him?"
"Sadly no I-"
"4B! Let's go!"
The 2B look alike acknowledged them "I'll be seeing you 9S." She walked away.
After the group left the scanner noticed the odd way 2B looked at them. Peaking his interest he asked if she knew any of them. She said she didn't.
'What did 4B mean by that?' 9S scratched his chin. Everyone he met so far didn't seem shady. 21O would never betray him, Anemone is an ally what good would it do for her to betray YoRHa, 2B seems pretty dedicated to her role as a battler and just a few days ago she ummm... "persuaded" yeah persuaded him into repairing his wound. Better to leave this on the backburner for now.
He shifted his attention to another part of camp where he saw a colorful wooden box residing on the wall. A set of empty benches filled the corner. 9S being 9S became immediately fascinated with the contraption and didn't bother notifying his partner before making his way to the abandoned corner.
"Woah. What is this?" His gloved fingers traced over the smooth polished wood. He scanned every single part of the wooden box with his eyes.
"Answer: It appears to be what humans once called a "Jukebox". It plays a selected amount of musical recordings." His Pod answered, he got startled.
'I kinda forgot that you were there Pod.' He led out a sign of relief.
There were shelves filled with a bunch of thin packages. Reaching over he grabbed one out of curiosity and realized that there was a thin disk inside the packaging. Sadly whatever label it had long since worn down making it impossible to read. He sucked his teeth, placing it back and reached for another. This one he could make out an image of some sort. Everything was black while the middle was white. The faint image of someone floated over the white.
"Hmmm. Let's try this one Pod." 9S took out the disc and inserted in what he was pretty sure was the record player. He looked through the glass in awe as he saw tiny mechanical arms grab the disk and place it onto what looked like an empty row of slots. Each slot had a letter and right below the glass was a row of keys.
He pressed the corresponding key and the disk was placed vertically onto a flat surface with some type of needle pressing the edge as it begun to rotate.
"9S!" He jumped back in surprise. Turning around and saw an unpleased 2B with folded arms.
"What are you doing?"
"I uhhh was just wondering what this does."
2B looked at the jukebox with disinterest. "It looks pointless."
"What? C'mon 2B give it a chance. Pod told me it plays something called musical recordings. Let's sit down and listen okay?" He sat down on one of the benches and beckoned for her to do the same.
She stared in silence getting ready to tell him to knock it off. The look of innocent pleading he gave her however stopped her from doing so and persuaded her to follow through despite her resistance. Slowly she walked and sat right next to him. Still she kept her arms folded as she waited for whatever this machine had to offer.
'Just a few minutes of this and we can go back to work.' She thought.
At first all they heard was soft humming and then a soft voice.
"Don't you know I'm no good for you?
...
Tore my shirt to stop you bleedin'
But nothin ever stops you leavin'
...
"Don't you know too much already?
I'll only hurt you if you let me
Call me friend but keep me closer"
'Wow. So this what a song is? Sounds really sad. But why would she hurt her friend? Doesn't seem to make any sense.' 9S speculated on the meaning behind the track. Meanwhile 2B stayed silent, listening intently on the voice.
"Recommendation: Unit 9S should go to the observatory and check on the strange weapons." Pod 153 suggested bring 9S out of his musings.
"Hmm. Uhhh okay. You heard that 2B I'll be back." 9S departed. Unknown to the scanner 2B remained silent, her attention stayed on the jukebox. Her arms have long since unfolded while something oily trickled under her visor.
As 9S made his way he opened the door to Anemone's building. He didn't expect to find himself on the floor with the leader.
"Oh sorry Anemone didn't see you there."The scanner apologized, he got up and offered her a hand.
"No it's my mistake. I shouldn't have rushed out like that." Anemone took his gesture as they dusted themselves off.
9S wanted to say more but she quickly turned the other direction and walked away, at a brisk pace he might add. 'What's got her in such a hurry?'
'This is ridiculous. Even after all of that White refuses to tell me anything.' Anemone grunted. Their conversation wasn't long, after assuring her that Dante would be fine she asked her a question that was burning in the back of her mind for the past few days. The blonde however refused to answer. The Resistance leader held a neutral expression and ended their interaction shortly. She contemplated for a bit before an idea popped up in her thoughts, entering through a familiar building she began walking up the stairs.
'Better ask Devola and Popola on how much longer it takes for Dante to recover.' They said it can take a bit of time but they need to be more specific. Whatever he faced she has to know. It could be a possible danger to everyone in camp. And who better to ask than the man that witnessed it first hand. She made it to the top floor and stopped at a closed door.
She gave it a few knocks. "Devola? Popola? Are you in there?" She asked in a low moderate volume, they did say loud noises could disrupt a human's recovery.
No answer.
Looks like they're not here. Maybe the redheads are back at their complex. She was about to leave before she heard a slight murmur. Sounded feminine, the door wasn't locked so she opened it.
"Mmmmmm."
"Mmmm."
Upon entering her eyes widened. Devola and Popola were tied up to each other's backs and gagged with large bandages. Dante was nowhere to be seen. When their eyes met hers they pleaded her to release them. Anemone immediately pulled out a knife and cut open their restraints.
The twins reached for the bandages and tore it off.
"What happened here? And where's Dante?"
"He left."
Anemone could only curse under her breath.
'Not again.'
[?]
...MACHINES UPPER LEFT...
...NUMBER 16 WATCH THE-AAAAUGHHH...
*Boom*
...NUMBER 1 DOWN ASSUMING CAPTAIN'S POSITION...
...NUM-CAPTAIN WE HAVE MORE ENEMY UNITS HOMING DOWN ON US...
... INITIATING MISSILE BARRAGE...
*Boom*
...HOSTILES DOWN...
...THAT WON'T BE THE LAST OF THEM EVERYONE GET TO LOWER ELEVATION...
...YES MA'AM...
...CAPTAIN I'VE TOOK CARE OF THE BACK-UP UNITS WE SHOULD BE GOOD FOR NOW...
...GOOD TO HEAR HOW MANY OF US ARE LEFT...
...JUST US MA'AM THE LAST TEAM FELL THE MOMENT WE ENTERED THE AREA...
...DAMMIT...
...CAPTAIN HOMING MISSILES INCOMING...
...EVERYBODY EJECT NOW...
*Boom*
...
...
...
...Is everyone all right?...
...Yes Captain we've only suffered minor injuries...
...That's great to hear everyone get your weapons ready there should be a resistance force not far from here...
...Captain I don't have that much ammunition on me...
...Don't worry once we've befriend them I'm sure they'll offer you some...
...Getting visuals of Resistance fighters AND ENEMY UNITS ARE CLOSING IN...
...NO TIME TO WASTE EVERYONE PUSH ON...
...There's been a change in enemy's movements...
...Someone just started fighting over there...
...But that's not possible...We're all here...
...I don't like it...What if it's some kind of machine trap...
...Wait do you see that...
...See what...
...The enemy is heading towards the explosives we set up earlier yes...
...Now that you mention it...yeah...They are...
...All right I want you all to leave the trenches and go activate the explosives...
...CAPTAIN I DON'T THINK WE CAN HOLD THEM OFF FOR ANY LONGER...
...KEEP FIGHTING DAMMIT KEEP FIGHTING OR ELSE YOU'LL DIE...
...WAIT DO U SEE THAT...
...SEE WHAT...
...SPARKS...
...EVERYBODY HIT THE GROUND...
*Boom*
...Augh...
...Captain are you well...
...Yeah I just need t...
...What's that sound...
...Sounds like a cocked gu...
...All right...Start talking...
...Easy...We're on your side...
...On our side huh...never seen your type before what are you...
...We're new models rolled out as part of something called Project YoRHa...
Something licked her face causing her eyes to open up. She was met with a moose staring right at her before it backing away. Her entire body ached.
"Damn animals." She scoffed as she shooed it away. Wiping away saliva off her cheek she groaned as she got up. She felt a clunk within her body causing her to stagger a bit before she finally reached full height. She stretched to get the wires up and running again.
Her long silvery-white hair stuck to her face bringing her much annoyance. Wiping it off back to the side she reacquainted herself with her surroundings. It was clear that she was inside a building on the ground floor. That'll explain how the moose got in, but that doesn't explain how she got here. Bitterness took over her.
"Stupid brain. Fucking work." She smacked herself on the head.
Nothing.
"Dammit why is it so hard to remember what I did yesterday?" She groaned as brought her decayed and wiltered hands to her head.
*Thunk*
Immediately she flipped back, brandishing out her weapon ready to slice open anything that dare sneak up on her. But that didn't happen. Instead lying all around was the corpses of many, many machine lifeforms.
...
"Oh." It finally clicked. The day prior she was looking for a place to lay low. She's seen some YoRHa carriers fly away which was never a good sign. She sprinted across the ghostly city as she neared a building. Unknown to her a group of machines decided to ambush her.
Big mistake. She took out her weapon and charged head-on.
Usually she took in satisfaction in destroying machine lifeforms but she just wanted to be left alone at the time. Making the slaughter not one of sadistic enjoyment but of irritation. Not that they were hard to beat, they were only stubbies afterall but what they lacked in strength they made up in numbers. From what she guessed was around 30-40 machines and it angered her greatly since they were able to force her inside the building.
At the time dying at the hands of the basic enemy fodder disgusted her. She didn't endure everything she's been through just to fall now. But whatever she did after she couldn't remember. It was very hazy. Although she wasn't happy at not remembering all the details she was at least satisfied with what she got.
'That explains why I'm sore.' She rubbed her neck, her weapon vanished into her virtual space.
Walking out of the building she felt the sunlight kiss her skin. A feeling she's grown to appreciate over time. She closed her eyes momentarily enjoying the sensation her skin was experiencing. Sometimes it was nice to just sit back and enjoy nature.
...See Captain it's not all bad Gerbera does this whenever she has the chance...
She quietly hushed the voice in her head. Not now. Just not right now. YoRHa might still be around. Who knows when her black box signal could get compromised again. Better to stay low, somewhere less open. Yeah sounded good. Her eyes scanned for a vantage point until she glanced at a certain part of the city.
"Wasn't there a building over there? With a giant tree?"
...
...
...
"Shit." Ignoring the pain in her systems she raced through the streets. Her heels making swift and low clicks against the decayed pavement. Didn't look like any machines were nearby, maybe this is what YoRHa came here for and not her. The thought gave her much relief.
Then again what the hell did they fight to bring down a building?
She neared the sight and climbed up to a rooftop. She jumped to another to get a better look. Her heels skidded to a stop.
A giant pile of rubble sat in the front with another not far. The giant tree she remembered was in utter shambles. She stayed silent, looking around she didn't seem to find anyone near so she jumped down. Making her way through the field she noticed some of the grass was covered in a dried, black substance. Kneeling down she took a finger and touched it. It stuck to her but became like dust when she wiped her thumb across.
This wasn't Android blood and it wasn't machine blood. She racked her head for any possible clues only to come up short. She gritted her teeth in frustration.
She walked over to the destroyed piece of wood getting a closer look she noticed that it looked partially decayed. Her eyes widened.
'Fuck! You don't mean to tell me that I slept through all of THIS? How long was I out?'
*Step*
*Step*
Her instincts flared up and sheathed her weapon out at the ready.
"Glory to the machines."
"Glory to the machines."
It was revolting at what she just heard. What the hell type of chant was that? Anger built up within her.
'Why are they copying "her" slogan?' Her brows narrowed.
She hated machines but another thing she couldn't stand was YoRHa, a certain someone to be more exact.
"You better stay up there because I know a perfect place to stick that crop of yours ." She whispered with controlled malice.
A transparent shade of red enveloped her momentarily.
She sent her scowl to the right and saw a stubby with two Goliath-bipeds. The usual enemy type will have a body made out of rusty metal with joints that squeak with every movement. These ones however were casted in golden variants that gave off a shine in the sunlight.
Her lips curved upwards as she straightened her back.
"HEY ASSHOLES OVER HERE!"
They turned to her and their eyes glowed crimson.
"Android."
"Kill."
They rushed at her as she laughed.
"Idiots."
[Resistance Camp]
...
...
...
'They didn't break on me did they?' Dante thought. He waved his hand in front of their faces only to get no response. The two redheads that just barged in remained frozen in whatever spell they were casted under.
The devil hunter's eyes shifted downwards to something that was in held in their hands. It appeared to be his missing clothes, neatly folded and even steam pressed much to his surprise. He smirked as he got closer to the frozen twins.
'Well that saved me some time.' He snapped his fingers in another attempt to break out of their musings, no luck. 'Whatever.' he reached out for his signature red coat.
"...your...awake..."
Dante hummed. Only to feel his body entangled in limbs before tumbling to the floor.
"YOUR ALIVE!"
"WE THOUGHT YOU'LL NEVER RECOVER!"
"WE WERE SO WORRIED!"
"YOU BLED SO MUCH THAT WE DIDN'T THINK YOU WILL...YOU WILL..."
Their words soon turned into muffled cries as both twins encased their arms around his body, completely forgetting that he was naked. As the sisters continued to bawl the white-haired man was busy trying to make sense of their actions.
While he didn't mind their touching quite frankly he kinda welcomed it, he couldn't recall a single moment in this world where he interacted with them. Not out in the field, not with his short time with Anemone, certainly not during his fight with his brother. He would say crying over someone you've never knew was strange but it was no different than fans mourning the deaths of their idols. Y'know the people that never even knew you existed.
Under the confusion there was also uncertainty. Dante couldn't think of the last time he's received this type of affection before, at least not after that fateful night. He sure as hell never got it from Vergil, Morrison yeah he's just a business partner, Nell...well she was a hardened woman and he's for certain that she would rather yank her skin off than catch her crying.
He mentally groaned 'Why is everything in this world making me think this hard?'
He quietly led out a sigh as he patted the sisters' heads. He felt their bodies shift a bit as the weeping lessened.
Dante looked down at the two, their faces were buried deep in his chest. For anyone else that was in his position they would feel grateful from recovering from such life-threatening injuries. They'll also be embarrassed since they're naked. But in Dante's case he found it a bit comical, not that their sobbing seemed unnecessary but for someone who gets stabbed from head-to-toe every other week and wake up the next morning fully recovered and without a single scar to be seen, it was quite funny to see.
They slowly unwrapped their limbs, quietly sniffing with tears dripping to the floor.
"I'm so sorry please forgive us for our actions." The one with fiery hair said, her head downcasted. The other girl wiped away the wetness from her face.
Dante brushed it off. Getting up he led offered them a hand. "It's fine."
Their heads slowly rose up and they looked at his bare hand before realizing what he was doing. Their synthetic skin met his as he helped them up.
"My name is Popola and this my sister Devola. We were assigned to take care of you." She introduced themselves. He nodded.
"Call me Dante and I'm guessing those are mine." He pointed behind them. Confused at what he meant they turned and their eyes widened at the now ruined pile of clothes scattered across the floor.
"OH FORGIVE US!"
"YES IT WAS VERY STUPID ON OUR PART TO FORGET THE VERY THING WE CAME HERE FOR!"
"Hey a little dust wo-"
"NO IT'S OUR FAULT AND WE'LL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT!"
Dante watched in silence as the two viciously swiped away remnants of dust and any other impurities off his clothes. He could've swore he heard them murmur a thing or two before they faced him and offered it back to him. He took note of the noticeable blush on their cheeks.
"We were going to change you ourselves but seeing as your awake I guess you can do it on your own then, heh." Devola chuckled, Dante took back his clothes. She headed out the door, motioning her sister to come along.
Popola told him they'll be right outside and if he needs anything let them know.
The door closed.
Dante looked at his clothes and noticed that the rips and bullet holes from before were stitched back together and the stench that lingered was now gone. Now replaced with a subtle scent of...strawberries? His eyes shifted to his red coat and felt immense relief, the amount of tears it endured through his battles made him afraid that he would have to discard it. Now that wasn't the case, sure the stitches were noticeable but it's better than without it.
He smiled.
On the other side of the door the sisters were quietly whispering to each other.
"Do humans normally heal that fast?"
"I don't know. Maybe the moon's zero gravity affected his body's behavior."
"Maybe. We'll have to ask him."
"Yes. But don't be so direct. It's considered rude in human speech."
"Gotcha."
*Knock*
*Knock*
"Are you done yet?"
"Come on in."
They both entered and saw Dante back in his normal attire. Popola noticed that he was wearing the white shirt that she brought.
He sniffed his jacket and grinned. "Well well well never expected to wake up to two babes doing my laundry for free. Didn't think white would go with the outfit. Thanks."
A little blush returned to their cheeks at his compliment.
"Thank you Dante, Sir. It was a pleasure for us to do this." Popola graciously said.
"Please it's just Dante." She nodded.
"How long was I out?" Dante stretched his arms.
Devola responded with "3 days." Though her face appeared conflicted when she said it.
'3 days huh.' The devil hunter looked around the room. "So were you the ones that brought me here?"
"No, it wasn't us. Two YoRHa units were sent your way."
Dante nodded "Ok. Well give them my thanks the next time you see them."
"We will." They watched as the man walked up to a window and peeked outside.
"Does anyone else know that I'm a human? Don't hear anyone else here too. Are we the only ones in this building?"
The twins looked at each other before Popola answered "Aside from the YoRHa units and the others that you've met no one else knows that you're here. And yes we are."
Devola nudged at her sister to start asking questions. But just before they could the red-clad man walked up to them and patted their heads. The twins baffled at this unexpected motion didn't know what to make of it but slowly began to accept his embrace. The negative feeling within themselves replaced with a nice, comforting feeling. Was this what it felt to be accepted and appreciated? If it was, they humbly welcomed it. Even though Anemone didn't have any ill intent towards them it didn't compare to what they were feeling at this very moment. It was a nice change of pace especially given their models.
It didn't last however.
"Well let's keep it that way. Okay? Okay." He whispered into their ears, before departing from the room.
The redheads looked at one another completely puzzled as to where he's heading. Seeing as Devola didn't have a clue Popola ran up to him.
"Wait! Where you going?"
Dante stopped to look at her briefly before continuing his walk. "As much as I love to stick around and get to know each other better I'm afraid duty calls."
The redhead just became even more confused. She got in front of him making him stop.
"W-w-what? What duty?" She asked, desperately wanting to find out his motives.
"Can't say it's a bit personal." He brushed her aside continuing his walk.
Popola ran up to him again. "But Dante you just woke up. You weren't even like this that long ago. You must be starving. Let's put you back to bed so we ca-" She reached for his arm but he didn't let her.
"Sorry but I'll have to pass." He refused once again, frustration began to fuel her. She approached him once again.
"Listen Dante you need a diagnosis. We don't know if you still have some internal injurie-"
"I'm fine." He responded, a slight hint of irritation can be heard. He walked around her this time so he can get closer to the stairs.
Popola balled her fists as she tried to reason with him once again. She scampered back to his front, forcing him to halt his movements.
"Anemone wants to speak to you. YoRHa wants to speak with you. We also have some questions f-" He placed his hand on her shoulder. He put on a cool look.
"Listen don't worry. Once everything is taken care of I'll send something in the mail." He stated.
The straight-haired twin could only narrow her eyes. Can nothing get through that human brain of his? She contemplated and decided that if words couldn't stop him then she'll have to use force. Of course she wouldn't dare use all of her strength, she could never hurt one of her creators. Only a substantial amount will be enough to keep him restrained.
Just before she could enact her plan the devil hunter felt someone wrap their arms and attempted to lift him off the ground.
"C'mon Dante don't be so brash." *Pant*
"We only want *Pant* the best for you."
"So why don't we just *Pant* go back and *Pant* were humans always this heavy?"
It appears Devola had the same idea and since Androids had the superior strength this should've put their problem at ease. However, it seems as though the man weighed much more than anticipated making her attempt at restraining him fall apart entirely. Bit she refused to give in. The devil hunter along with Popola could only watch as the devious twin struggled to get the man off the ground.
*Pant*
*Pant*
*Pant*
"POPOLA HELP!"
Dante looked blankly at the devious twin before pulling out of her grasp with ease. To which she can only look on in amazement.
'Wait? Aren't Androids a lot harder to move than humans?' Her eyes became wide when she was lifted off her feet. He was grabbing her by the wrists and was now dangling in the air.
"I get it. You want to keep me safe and all that but right now I have to be somewhere." His words were calm. Devola looked behind him briefly and back at him.
"W-where do you need to be?" He sighed.
"I already told your sister. So your gonna have to ask-" He blocked the incoming syringe from behind. Popola cursed under her breath that her opportunity to sedate him went under flames.
Devola spoke only for her vision to fade to black. Her sister looked on in confusion at what he just did. Before she could comprehend anything else Dante repeated his action and chopped the back of her neck making her lose consciousness. Her body fell forward but was grabbed by the devil hunter.
He sighed once again as he hoisted them over his shoulders and proceeded back to the room. Honestly he didn't think that would work, they aren't human but since they were created by them that gave him the idea that they share the same weak points. Luckily for him it was true. He settled them down on the bed.
Dante looked at the unconscious Devola. "Hmph. Am I usually this heavy? Yeah right how long have I been out? 3 days? I haven't ate a thing since I got here. Now that I think about it shit I am hungry. Probably should've asked her if she knows anything about pizza. Then again I doubt it."
He glanced around until his eyes landed on the blanket that he threw to the floor.
'From what I remember silk is strong. Very strong.'
Popola's eyes fluttered open, a dull sense of pain cascaded her neck. She groaned as she lifted her hand to rub it only for her arms to be met with a restraint. Her eyes widened immediately, she was sitting upright tied up in a blanket, someone else's back was pushed against hers. The redhead heard a noise and turned to the man that she was supposed to be caring for rummaging through the cabinets.
"DANTE WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Devola woke up from her sister's yelling.
"Popola? What's going on?"
"Dante tied us up."
"He-he did? But why?"
Whilst the Devola was catching up on everything the red-clad man saw what he was looking for and took out some large bandages. He turned back at the now awakened twins.
"Dante why are you doing this? We only want to-MMMMMMMM!" Devola's mouth was closed shut by the bandage and he did the same to the other. Both of them struggled. They stopped once they realized there was no use and faced Dante with looks of betrayal.
"Sorry but you left me with no other choice. Sticking around doing nothing while everything might go to shit just isn't my forte." He responded, he didn't wait for their reactions as he left the room and shut the door.
'They figured out I was human.' He thought as he finally reached the stairs.
His original plan was very simple, get a map and find Vergil. Once he did he would talk to him about finding a way back to their world. Of course since it's his brother he would've needed to smack some sense into Vergil's thick skull before they could get to talking. But he never intended for the victor to be the darkslayer, now what was supposed to be at max a 1 day mini-adventure has just became a lot more complicated.
Not only does he have the Force Edge but now he has the key to unlocking the Sparda...again. The power it exuded was immense, back when Arkham unlocked it Dante could feel it's presence whilst venturing into the demon realm. The demons acted strange too, every once in a while when he was engaged with an Abyss mob one would look off into the distance and a faint trail drool would leak out of it's disgusting mouth. With his devil side awakened he felt a wave of hunger course through him when he first saw it. Of course given his disdain for being half-demon he quickly shunned it but now it's been popping back up recently.
Dante walked down another floor. He can feel his power slowly returning, his senses were sharper than before but it's gonna take a while for it to be back to where it used to be. He felt Vergil's power once again, this time it's someplace different. Not as far as before but still a good distance away. It looks like the Sparda hasn't awakened either. That was strange you think a power hungry prick like him would immediately activate it once he has the chance. Maybe he's still asleep, that asshole can be a heavy sleeper.
He reached the last flight of stairs. His mind shifted back to that strange dream of his. That kid, that book, those strange things, what was that all about? He didn't wanna say demons since he's never seen those type before and lacked the power hungry aura the hellspawns share. But he did notice that same aura was seeping from that book, like they were connected in a way. They shared magic, but not the magic he's used to seeing. This appeared ancient and had more of a royal characteristic to it, if that makes any sense. It also felt familiar, like it had a nostalgic grip but was still foreign enough to be unrecognizable.
'I have a bad feeling about this world.' He reached the main floor.
"So I'm still unknown but Anemone did say that I stand out from the crowd. Looks like I'll have to do a little warm-up." The devil hunter gave a little stretch. Opening the door and quietly shutting it he quickly slipped into the shadows, avoiding the gazes of camp's residents as they went about.
Manuevering up a building he flipped onto the roof making sure he made a soft landing. Looks like no one's up here. He quickly zoomed past the area jumping from building to building leaving only behind a small blast of wind. He landed on top a certain building and quickly entered through an open window.
The Son of Sparda made his way into the building avoiding a few guards until he reached a certain room that contained a certain weapon of his.
'Bingo.' He smiled.
His long-awaited Rebellion sat idly on a table. He gripped it by the handle and sliced it into the air. Making a satisfying shinging sound as it cut through the atmosphere. He sheathed it as he caught sight of Ebony and Ivory on another table.
'Sorry for being late ladies.' He gently grabbed the mags and humbly loaded them back to where they belong. He flipped them around enjoying the feeling of his beloveds back in his grasp once again.
"Showtime." He holstered them as he went to the exit.
"MASTER WHAT ABOUT US?"
"Hm?" He turned and saw Agni and Rudra hung up on some sort of floating projector. On a screen multiple characters appeared.
...
...
...
Dante shrugged as he walked to the exit once more.
"MASTER WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"
The devil hunter looked at them. "Where does it look like I'm going? I'm leaving."
"But, but, we haven't told them anything. We've kept our part of the deal and stayed quiet." Rudra said.
"Yes Master. We will never back down on our word." Agni assured.
Dante flicked his nose as he strolled over.
"Alright. Alright. So what happened after I passed out? I thought Vergil took you."
"Oh he had no interest with us. He did however took the Claws of the LightBeast." The red scimitar responded.
"Yes yes after you lost consciousness these two metal children took us with you."
Dante raised a brow "So how did you end up here?"
"The small boy took a liking to us. Why? We don't know. He seemed amazed at our presence and placed us in this white void."
"White void?"
"Yes! Yes! Like where you place us when we're not needed." Rudra said.
Dante scratched his chin. "Must be those YurHAH units?" He mumbled, unknowingly mispronouncing the faction's name.
"After spending some time in the void we've appeared here. The boy placed us on this contraption and spent some time looking at us and writing something down. Then he disappeared and we've stayed here since. I must say this isn't the most ideal place for demons like us. Everything's out of place, nobody looks to be on par with our strength, and this contraption is giving us tiny jolts of electricity. It was funny at first but now it's pitiful. We would've plotted our escape but we were sure you will get up once aga-"
Rudra stopped once he saw the devil hunter pinching his nose and letting out a groan.
"Master are you sighing again?"
"No brother he appears to disappointed."
"Disappointed?" The blue scimitar scoffed.
"Nonsense he's frowning way too much in order for it be considered as disappointment. Frustrated would be the proper word."
"..."
"Brother where have you learned of this?"
"Well we have been standing around idly for the past few days."
Agni grinned "Good job brother your finally taking things into your own hands."
"Thank you. I figured since we had the time that we should-"
"ENOUGH!" Dante yelled. "Are you two just going to sit there or what?" He threw his hands up.
"We will do as you wish master." The demons declared.
"Good but our deal still stands." The devil hunter said with a bitter tone. He reached for them before disappearing into red smoke.
'Now that I have those buttheads back I should-'
*Gasp*
He faced the doorway. In front of it was what looked like a teenage boy who still hasn't hasn't had his growth spurt. He dressed in all black and the weirdest thing about him was the blindfold he wore. Yet he was looking towards him which was telling the devil hunter that it might be see through.
'Wait a minute?' The devil hunter stared at the boy in silence. They looked eerily related. Same type of hair, similar face structure only separated by age, and if he's guessing right maybe the same eye color. If he wasn't downright shit-faced he would've believed that this was his long lost brother.
Dante shook his head. He had more important things to worry about. Looks like the kid is trying to say something but he was shaking too much to get a full sentence out. Better pull him off to the side so no one else notices.
Before the kid could make an eep Dante pulled him out of the doorway.
The kid struggled out of his grasp until Dante let go.
"H-h-hey what did you do that for?" the boy complained.
"Easy there kiddo. Imma need you to keep your voice down." Dante assured calmly, luckily the boy followed his words.
"I-I'm not a kid. I'm a soldier."
The devil hunter looked at him blankly. "Soldier? You? Hah don't get your hopes up kid wait a little longer until your my size and we'll see then." He chuckled.
The boy stumbled at his response. "H-hey I'm not a human like you. Whatever body I'm assigned to is what I get. I can't change it."
"...So you know I'm human?" Now that Dante thought about it, is this the YoRHa unit he was told about.
The kid looked at him for moment. "Yeah I do. Me and my partner carried you back all the way her-Oh I'm sorry where are my manners." He fixed his posture and held his arm over his chest.
"I'm Scanner Model Type 9 or 9S for short. I'm one of YoRHa's finest scanners. I'm happy to make your acquaintance." He couldn't help but gloat.
Dante crossed his arms. "So you bought me here. You have my thanks and all but what does this YuRHah want with me?"
9S almost faltered at his mispronunciation but quickly responded.
"We only wish to annihilate all machine lifeforms so the humans can come back home from the moon. I don't know all the details but I had orders to rescue you from harm's way. That's what everyone in the Bunker is focusing on right now. When I've first heard about you I had to admit I was pretty nervous but now talking to you in person it feels so grea-" The half-demon shushed him.
"Hey ever heard the phrase (A few words can make a lot of sense.)?"
9S stared at him with a neutral look. "Uhh I'm afraid not sir."
"Neither do I. I just made it up but what I'm saying is to get to the point." Dante explained, slowly losing interest with the kid.
"O-o-o-oh uhh sorry sir. If you say so. Do humans normally recover this fast? Where are those Androids that were assigned to take care of you?"
Dante rubbed his chin "Let's just say that I'm a little different from the rest. As for the girls I let them have the day off."
"Different from the rest? What do you mean by that?" 9S asked curiously.
"It means that I'm not your average joe. Also drop the Sir part. It's just Dante."
"Huh? Oh as you wish si-Dante." 9S faltered. Right now if he didn't feel so nervous he would've noted that the human and his partner had the same preference for formalities.
"If I may ask why are you here? Shouldn't you be on the moon?" The devil hunter was getting tired of these questions.
"Who said that? How do you know I'm not on some type of job?" He accused the boy.
9S paused "Oh it's just-well I-I didn't mean to offend you. It's...well we are searching for another human I was just wond-"
"Wait another?" The red-clad man stopped him.
"Uuuuhh yeah. But don't worry we are doing our absolute best to find him." He said assuringly. Dante's reaction however wasn't what he expected to see.
"You don't happen to have any pictures of him do you?"
"I do but it's on my Pod. It's with my partner right now. I can go fetch it real quic-"
"Actually how about you tell me what he looks like?" Dante suggested. He didn't want anyone else to be here right now. 9S became bewildered at the suggestion but followed through.
"Well he has the same type of hair as you but spiked back. His eyes looks a lot like yours. He wears blue and is just as tall as you." He said with an innocent-looking smile.
Dante took all of this in. For several solid seconds he stayed silent. 9S watched him with a mix of fear and curiosity. It seems as though the human might have some sort of relation with the one in the desert. They do look the same afterall but maybe that applies to all humans. This is the first one he's ever met, he wonders if he'll be able to answer some personal questions of his.
The devil hunter put on a frown, making 9S uncomfortable. "Alright Nine...S? Let me chat with your boss." His black box pulsed.
"I'm sorry?"
"You heard me."
The boy began to fidget "Well-I-you see-But-this was-how about-"
"Kid. Let me talk to your boss."
"SURE THING!" 9S scampered past him to leave the room only to bump into someone yet again.
"Ow." 9S grunted as he looked to the person he ran into.
"9S."
"2-2B." He hurriedly got back up.
"2B I'm glad your here. Hurry call Com-"
"The human has gone missing."
The scanner became confused "...what?"
"Anemone found the units Devola and Popola tied up. After freeing them they've revealed that he fled. He could still be in camp so let's go 9S." She gripped his wrist and pulled him away. The boy anxiously tried to pry her hand off.
"But-but-" This didn't make any sense. He was just talking to Dante and apparently he's missing. He didn't lie to him did he? But why would he? 9S became troubled.
"No buts. He could still be around." His boots dragged across the floor.
"But 2B."
"What could be more important than finding the human?" The woman said aloud. Stopping her walk and staring at her partner with a rare hot gaze.
"He's right here." 9S had an arm out. 2B followed to where he pointed. It landed on the man she was suppose to be looking for.
"Sup." Dante nodded his head upwards.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The battler freed her partner from her grasp, much to his relief.
2B fixed her posture and walked up to the man. The scanner followed suit.
"Greetings Sir. It is with great satisfaction that you are unharmed and appear to have recovered. I am Battler Model Type 2 or 2B for short. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." She introduced herself similarly to how 9S did. The scanner had on a conflicted face but raised his hand to his chest as well.
The devil hunter sighed. "This is getting annoying. It's just Dante." That's what the third time he had to say it. 2B and 9S. Weird names, more weirder than Devola and Popola. Then again he's in a different world so this could be the norm.
"As you wish Dante." Her concealed eyes drifted over to his chest. "I don't recall you having anything over your chest Dante. May I ask where you acquired your white shirt?"
Okay. Weird question.
"Got it from those girls." He looked down, it still had that faint smell of strawberries.
"Do you...like it sir?"
"Yeah do you have problem with it?"
9S watched in surprise as he saw nervousness on the woman's face. "It's...Nothing. It suits you well."
Dante wanted to say something but 2B continued.
"We should meet up with Anemone. She wants to speak with you."
Dante led out a sigh of defeat. No way escaping this now. He gestured to lead the way.
[City Ruins]
"Glorrrrryyyyy tooooooo theeee machiii-" *Slash*
It's body finally stopped moving. She freed her weapon from it's golden shell rather harshly. The bodies of it's brethren could be seen in the back, unmoving with smoke rising out of their cores. She gazed at her former enemies with a dead stare.
"Fucking machines." She sheathed her blade onto her back. Unlike the usual rusted tin cans she's used to facing these happen to put up more of a fight than she thought. They were harder to cut down and forced her to actually look for weak points. That pissed her off since her usual strategy was...well not necessarily a strategy, more like rushing in head first and swinging without a care. It worked for her thus far in this short life of hers and she hated it when she couldn't just put her anger down onto them freely.
"Glory to the machines?" She sneered. What would a machine know about glory? They're just mindless little drones that only exists to attack Androids.
Just like how she was back then. She clenched her teeth. The disdain she held for that bitch will always be with her. She can never be forgiven. Even if she did her give the benefit of the doubt she would've just put her on the chopping block. All the more reason to leave.
"Stupid emotions. Making me think of that whore." She slapped herself to get rid of the thoughts.
Her instincts flared up and she immediately armed herself for a surprise attack from behind. Only to see nothing but the corpses of her enemies. She cursed at her reflexes getting the best of her. Living life on the run has made her paranoid to the extent that a surprise gust of wind is enough to set her off. But in that moment, at the very second of being unaware, she could've sworn that she was being watched.
The stress lessened and her body relaxed. Her mind reminisced back to her fight with the golden machines. Amongst the shit that they were spewing when she evaded every blow they mentioned something that caught her interest. Something about how a forest king will join their cause through means of submission. She brushed her long hair white hair aside as she glanced back at the dried blood.
Whatever it is it seems as though YoRHa will be looking into it. The forest matches the description she was looking for. With that now decided she put on a grin.
Let's see what this so-called forest king is about.
She sprinted out of the area leaving behind the dead machines as the only reminder that she was ever there. Soon enough she was out of sight, with no one to ever know that she was here to begin with.
Or so she thought.
Appearing out of the blue were two faint figures. They ignored the machine corpses, all of their attention directed to the dried-up blood marking the grass. They've bended over and used their small, petite hands to scoop up a sample of their own. They examined the blood before facing one another.
They shared a maniacal laugh.