Chapter Text
Lady is lounging in Dante's chair, feet up on the desk, half eaten pizza beside her knee. She will never tell him, but it's incredibly comfortable to just sprawl in his decrepit old chair, listening to his even older jukebox and pigging out on pizza. Still, he does it so often it's downright hedonistic. But well, pot, kettle, and all that. Also he can really use the comfort. So she is going to leave him his few pleasures with only a little bit of hassling and shamelessly steal them if he isn't around to complain about it.
Reaching for another piece of pizza she leans back to balance on two legs, the chair creaking threateningly under her. It sounds like it's going to give out soon. But it has sounded the exact same since she has first seen it. It's as resilient as it's owner. Cockroaches, the both or then.
Talking about said owner, he better be off on some hunt with good pay and not holed up in some bar racking up even more bills. The shop is trashed to hell and back, a cold air breezing in through the ambitiously big hole in the wall right next to the door. Which is miraculously still intact and working. Repairing the damage is going to cost an arm and a leg, that's for sure. Lady will have to chew him out when he gets back, she hates it when the shop gets wrecked. No doubt he invited in some no good asshole to use the loo again, like the carelessly kind idiot that he not so secretly is.
She sighs and takes another bite, idly contemplating taking one of his pricier liquors to drink as punishment. Would serve him right. Closing her eyes in exasperation, she tilts her head back with a sigh. He is such an ass. She wouldn't have him any other way, of course, but still. If he could dig out a little bit of self respect out of his depression, that would be great.
The door opens before she can actually get up to follow through on her plan and whispery silent footsteps enter the shop. The only person she has ever known to walk right that is Dante. Also, he is the only one who would take the door instead of the large hole right beside it. Probably thinks it's funny, too.
Huh, is he already finished with his hunt? That's faster than she was expecting. She rolls her head to the side to look and blinks wildly, pizza half hanging out of her mouth, completely forgotten.
Well, that's new.
The last time she saw Dante, he actually looked his age and not like a baby faced teenager. At least she is pretty sure about that. She narrows her eyes at him.
He better not have found a fountain of youth without her, she deserves magical rejuvenating powers too. Demon hunting is not kind on the body and she is starting to feel it in her back, even though she isn't even thirty yet. The repercussions of being slammed into walls and floors so many times. It's tragic, is what it is. Especially next to Dante, who is a cheaty cheater who cheats and does not understand the pain of being a fragile human with a fragile human body. He is already way too overpowered what with his ridiculous healing powers and now he finds himself age reversal magic on top?
What gives.
He is grinning brightly and she can't really put her finger on it, but something is definitely different about it. Also, no matter how weird he currently looks, that is for sure his 'I just got a bright idea and you are so going to hate it' grin. She narrows her eyes even more. If he actually found the fountain of youth and only he can use it because of his freaky demon powers, she is so going to steal his whole alcohol collection.
Suspicion begins to bubble up in her gut when his eyes barely even dip to the pizza on the desk before returning to her, waiting expectantly. And even worse, he ignores it outright, to continue grinning brightly at her, not making any move to get some for himself.
Okay.
Is it body snatching, impersonation or Dante being high off his balls?
She thumbs the gun strapped to her thigh, but does not draw just yet. His mannerisms are still inherently Dante, after all. So either he is having a great old happy time or someone stalked her friend real good, to be able to mimic him this well. While Dante is far too observant not to have clocked something like that instantly, she would not put it past him to just not care and let himself be stalked anyway. Too lazy and curious to do the sensible thing and put an end to it. He really is such a high maintenance friend. Sadly, it's balanced by how damnably loveable he is. It's tragic but she is stuck with him. Which means she now has to deal with this.
"Lady! I missed you," he finally says, clearly deciding to stop trying to wait her out.
Huh.
Proactivity? From Dante?
What in the fresh hell?
And then he steps around the desk, tugs her out of his chair and hugs her tight.
Okaaaaay.
So that is happening.
She isn't complaining, he is a very good hugger, but what? Is happening?
"What? Dante, what are you blabbering on about, we saw each other last Tuesday."
"Nope. Haven't."
Somehow he hugs her even tighter and Lady will never admit, but it does feel very nice. They normally only ever hug when they are both too drunk to properly remember it in the morning. This is an admittedly nice change of pace. Not that Lady is ever going to tell anyone that ever.
It also doesn't change the fact that he is making no sense whatsoever. Lady is now quite sure he is tripping balls and wasn't body snatched. No one would do this while trying to impersonate him. Way too out of character and suspicious.
Which. Good for him.
They haven't actually found anything save for bath cleaner to get him properly shit faces for longer than it takes to put down the bottle, after all. It's nice to have an alternative that is not literally eating his insides while he is at it. Weird if the side effect is sudden loss of years and clinginess, but they can deal. Baby faced Dante is hilarious and slightly shorter, so Lady doesn't feel quite as dwarfed next to him for once.
"Are you high? Is that what is happening right now?"
He laughs and she feels it in her whole body, before he lets her go. She blinks again. Has she ever heard him laugh like that before?
"Nope. Completely sober. But not actually from this time, so there is that."
"What the hell, Dante? Are we messing with time travel again? We swore we would never mess with time travel again. You idiot."
"Huh." He blinks rapidly himself and it makes her feel slightly better. "I forgot about that one, actually."
"I'm not walking through the dimensional sewers again, Dante. Not even for you. No way. You can do that on your own."
"Oh no, that was so awful. Didn't we agree to never talk about that again? Why are you bringing it up, I actually managed to forget it. Lady, you are the worst."
"You dragged me into the mess, you don't get to forget it happened if I still have to remember it."
"No I didn't, the client dragged us into the mess. How was I supposed to know he wanted to chuck us into a time vortex to sacrifice to his two bit god."
"Ugh. And he didn't even pay us in the end."
"Moving right on!" he declares and waves his hand like he is trying to get rid of a bad smell. "Hunting time."
"What?"
"Hunting time. I need you to come with me to Mallet Island. Your Dante could use some help."
"So it is time travel idiocy," Lady sighs and goes right back to contemplating getting some alcohol. They needed boatloads of it last time too, so it's well deserved.
"Yep. Future me, back again."
"Why would you do this to me, Dante?"
"Come on, Lady. You don't want to miss the next big episode of the soap opera, do you? I promise it's a juicy one."
Lady has seen her friend in a lot of moods. Teasing, apathetic, grieving, even happy a few rare times. But she realises suddenly, looking at this version of him, that she has never really seen him so animated. His grin is blinding and far more real, for all that it is smaller than the ones she is too familiar with. She is really glad that he found some peace, in this nebulous future of his.
Still. His alcohol is hers now. Compensation for the lunacy she is about to descend into.
"Also, you seriously need to meet Nero. Such a cute kid. Can swear like a sailor from hell. Absolute riot."
"And who the hell is that now?"
"Vergil's kid. Raised in a cult that worships Sparda."
Ah.
Okay then.
Lady sees it now. Dante is right, of course. She cannot possibly sit this hunt out, like she meant to. And she will need boatloads of popcorn, for sure.
"Also, I need you to distract Trish for me. Don't worry, just be your charming self and you two will get along like a house on fire."
"Are you using me as bait, you ass?"
"It's cute! You two are very good together. Just, you know, please never tell me anything about it, that's just gross."
"You little shit. Just for that I'm telling you in excruciating detail."
"Hey, leave my kidneys alone. Also, it won't be my ears suffering that, but this time's Dante, so there."
"I can tell you right now, you know. I got laid just yesterday. It was fantastic. Don't you want to hear all about what they did with their-"
"Anyway, let's go get popcorn now, yeah?"
"Food? You are going out of your way too get food that's not pizza?"
"Verge is an ass and now I'm always hungry. It's the worst Lady, the absolute worst. I swear he only does it because he wants more food and doesn't want to eat alone."
----
The second son of Sparda is fighting through the lower levels of the castle, on the path carefully tailored and prepared just for him. All is going well and according to plan. Soon her master will have his way.
It leaves Trish strangely dissatisfied.
There is something to Dante, to his easy acceptance of her presence, that brings forth the spark of rebellion she has so carefully smothered until now. Surviving in Mundus court takes a strict mind and even stricter loyalty. There is no room for the thoughts that sometimes plague her mind when she is not careful. As such, it is a dangerous thing, that in the presence of the half demon suppressing them seems harder. And less desirable.
Still, aside her apprehension, the plan has been going exceptionally well. Nelo Angelo has fought his brother with no sign of hesitation and the younger twin has not recognized him either. Not much longer and her master will complete his revenge on Sparda by subsuming the second twin as well as the first. They will make a strong pair of weapons in Mundus' arsenal. The blood of the traitor finally brought to heel at the king's feet.
It should fill her with elation. She will be rewarded handsomely for her role in this, after all.
Instead, there is a bitter taste in her mouth and a disquiet in her mind she cannot shake. Not anymore, now that she has been sent out to meet Dante.
Before she has the chance to control her growing misgivings, an overwhelming power arrives on the island, though, crawling over her senses. Something has landed on the island that is not part of the plan.
What she finds upon investigating is confusing to say the least.
Vergil, completely free of Mundus' influence, is fighting Phantom in the eastern courtyard. Or no, she has to correct herself as she sees him toss the large spider demon into the air like it is nothing, he is utterly dominating Phantom. Playing with it like a cat toying with amusing prey. Already, the demon is missing three of its nine legs, though it's still rallying well.
Careful not to attract the dangerous foe, even hidden as she is between the pillars of an overlooking balcony, she looks to the other anomaly. The second son of Sparda lays in a lazy, artful sprawl on the railing of another small balcony. A human sits beside him, but Trish dismisses her from her attention with only a cursory glance. The woman is fully human and not important right now.
No. What is important is the fact that neither offspring of the Dark Knight should be here in this courtyard. She knows the exact location of both Nelo Angelo and the Dante she brought to the castle, and it is decidedly not in this courtyard.
Yet here they both are.
Another leg of Phantom goes flying, landing below the younger twin. Said half demon cheers loudly, clearly not caring for anything but the spectacle his brother makes.
He looks like he is greatly enjoying himself. As does his brother, when he turns his head to look up at his twin for a split second, while Phantom staggers to get its bearings. The next attack of blue energy is especially elaborate. If the sons of Sparda were proper demons, Trish would call it showing off his strength for a partner. His brother claps enthusiastically, his own red power twisting around him in answer, spelling out his appreciation for the display for all demon's to see.
Then, as if to spite her surprise at seeing them acting so demonic, Dante reaches into a bowl beside him and fishes out a handful of popcorn. He eats it contentedly in between shouting encouragements, watching his brother decimate Phantom like it is some sort of human spectator sport and demonic dance both.
Trish blinks, thrown even more off guard. She admittedly does not know too much about humans, but she is quite sure this is not the right time for them to be eating. Or sitting around spectating a fight, impressive as it may be. Still, the human woman reaches into the bowl herself, when Dante offers it to her.
Then the half demon turns to look directly at Trish, even as well hidden as she is. He holds out the bowl to her, shaking it like he is trying to lure her in.
Trish twitches back before she can stop it, startled at being caught out so easily. There is something disturbingly intense about his eyes, as he watches her. Even more so than his counterpart, whose quiet anger at Mundus is already startling to witness.
Well, her presence has clearly been caught. No use hiding anymore.
She saunters over, trying to formulate a plan on how to get this Dante under her control just like the other one. Together with this Vergil, of course. Mundus will certainly like to have two sets of twins, especially with how powerful these clearly are. She ignores the sour taste in her mouth and lifts a suggestive eyebrow as she steps up beside him.
He lifts his own right back at her, waiting expectantly, bowl still held out.
"Eating? At a time like this?" she asks, arch and goading.
She shakes her head when he shakes his bowl instead of answering, feeling strangely warm at being included. His anger at her master has been the most glaring weakness to exploit before, surely it must be the same for this one too. "I would have thought tracking down the King more important to you."
She wonders absently how this second set of the Sparda twins came to be here, but puts it out of her mind. The infernal hell scape is ever shifting. Sometimes, rare as it may be, time and space collide and beings wander over rifts. It is noteworthy, of course, especially so for the blood of the Dark Knight, but not so out of the ordinary as to be unduly surprising.
"What?" Dante asks good naturedly, even in the face of her prodding at what must be a sore spot. "You can't enjoy a show like this without popcorn. That's just not done."
She blinks, not knowing how to take his utter lack of a reaction and nonsensical words. On the surface he seems just like the other Dante, a contradicting mixture of careless and intense. But no matter how much she has prepared to handle that Dante, this one eludes her. There is something settled about him that is missing in the other one and it makes him far more dangerous to face.
"Look," he gestures lazily in the direction of the fight. When she dares a quick look -leery of leaving him out of her sight in case of a sudden attack-, the older twin is still decimating Phantom, who seems to be on his last leg. Literally.
"If you wanna blame someone, blame Verge. He is the one obsessed with food and eating. I'm just the poor sod suffering the consequences."
He stuffs another handful of popcorn into his mouth, crunching loudly. Trish suddenly regrets declining it. She has never had much human food and he and his companion seems to be enjoying it. She wants a taste for herself.
"What about Mundus?" she throws out instead, hoping the name at least will incense him like before.
"Yep." A finger points at her while he nods gamely. "Exactly."
She purses her lips.
He smiles, wide and utterly guileless.
Trish genuinely does not know whether to be annoyed or amused by him. The plan is rapidly spinning out of control, especially so as another leg of Phantom goes spinning past them, taking out one of the towers to their side. And here she is, mouth trying to lift up while a helpless laugh bubbles up in her gut.
No matter how amusing he proves himself to be thought, there is still something she needs done. Even if maybe her plan, separate from Mundus' own, maybe shifting and chaning into something new she hasn't ever thought possible before. She crosses her arms, trying to project disapproval, emulating the body language of a mother scolding her child. Surely with her looks, this one at least must sting. "Mundus is still out there. There are better things to be doing than lazying about here."
He snorts at her, eats another handful of corn. His eyes have a mischievous tint in them when he grins at her, like he knows far more than she would like. It makes her narrow her own in turn, lifting her chin up in challenge. No one has ever eluded her manipulations before and this one will neither. Even if he is proving to be frustratingly troublesome.
Before she can open her mouth, a shudder goes down her spine and every instinct in her screams-
"Dante."
She barely suppresses a flinch, leery to show such weakness. Whirling around she hastily steps away from the disturbingly powerful devil suddenly so close to her vulnerable back.
The older twin ignores her, sharp eyes on his twin. Dante merrily crunches away, blinking languidly back.
Vergil stares. Dante stares back.
Trish's eyes flit back and forth between them. She feels like she is caught between two great predators whose bloodlust is only barely contained while they measure up against each other, only calm for now but ready to spring into sudden, violent action all the same. She thinks somewhat nonsensically that they seem to get along rather well.
It was her impression they hadn't, before Mundus captured the elder one. Wherever these two are from, they seem to present a much more united front than the twins of this time and space. A dangerous thing. The blood of Sparda is already strong on his own, to face them united may even challenge her master.
Her heart feels something like hope at the impossible thought.
"Why are you eating sweet popcorn, Dante?" Vergil asks, face utterly blank.
"Because you don't watch a show without popcorn, Verge. Duh," Dante grins back. "Also, they didn't have the salty ones."
Vergil is silent for a long moment, before the intense aura abruptly loosens enough for Trish to be able to breath easy again.
His voice is dripping with derision when he answers, "and you couldn't have gotten anything beside... popped corn, of course."
Dante offers the bowl to his brother. "Nope. 's good. Try it, you will like this even more than me, sugar freak that you not so secretly are."
After a brief pause the older twin grabs the dish for himself. He eats mechanically, with no outward sign of enjoyment, but Trish supposes the wide grin on his brother's face gives him away all the same.
Is this what affection looks like? Love? The thing humans obsess so much over? Emotions have only ever been for humans and while she has been created in the image of one, she is not and never will be one. At least, that is what Mundus has thaught her and what she has forced herself to believe to protect herself.
Watching them she wants her own taste, though. And this time she does not bother to stamp down the unruly thoughts. Perhaps things can be different.
"Which does remind me," Dante says, wrapping an arm around the short woman at his side and turning back to Trish. She blinks at suddenly being in the spotlight.
"Lady, this is Trish."
Trish is surprised to see two toned eyes flick towards her. A chimera? Something else?
"Trish, Lady. Get along well and all that."
The bi-coloured eyes muster Trish intently for a second and then the woman snorts, getting up from her own sprawl on the balustrade. "Her? That's the one I'm supposed to distract? Doesn't look like much. I expected better from what you told me."
Trish draws herself up in scorn. She has never failed enticing any human before, this one would not escape her clutches either. But Trish will not be distracted by a random human being dangled in front of her nose like a carrot.
"Aww, come on. Look at her, she is," Dante says, waving his hand around vaguely, "and all that."
"Wow. Glowing recommendation, Dante. I can sure see the appeal now, thanks," the woman, Lady, groans loudly.
Trish can't help but feel mildly insulted.
"You're welcome. Knew you would see it my way."
Before Trish can react, Vergil tosses the newly empty bowl behind his back to land neatly on the balustrade and turns away to the castle proper. "Come, brother. We will go hunt together."
"Yay!" Dante cheers, nodding enthusiastically while he gives Lady a nudge that has her stumbling forward. "Gives the ladies some bonding time, too. Good idea."
"Don't you dare leave me alone, Dante-!" Lady grabs at Dante, but misses when he dashes forward.
Trish herself quickly steps to where he reappears, trying to keep him contained. "Mundus is-!"
But it is too late.
Before she can come even close the brothers have already jumped up onto the roof of one of the towers, landing lightly on the tiles. They move far faster than any demon Trish has seen before and perfectly in sync with each other. It makes anticipation and hope and apprehension well in her gut. Perhaps the possibility of Mundus being unseated from his throne has a higher chance to happen than she ever thought possible. And that may not be as tragic as she should have thought, either.
"Have fun!" the younger twin shouts down to them, waving carelessly. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Bye bye."
He is tugged away by his brother before he is even properly finished and the two disappear in a mixture of potent magic that Trish feels in her bones, it is so intense.
And then she and the strange woman are left behind, alone and eyeing each other with suspicion. Suspicion that morphs rapidly into an instictual understanding and commiseration.
"Want some Wiskey?" Lady finally asks, producing a bottle of something that looks quite expensive to Trish's admittedly limited knowledge. "Stolen from Dante."
Well. Trish isn't going to say no to that. She isn't in a hurry to warn her master of what may come for him, after all.