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Jaden had heard about the rumors surrounding Capulet. The whispers of demons that seemed to constantly be inhabiting the city. Many wrote it off as a tourist trap, too good to be true, and over exaggerated. But he just wasn't so sure.
He'd seen videos before they were wiped off the internet, he was convinced that the government knew, but was trying to spin it as exactly what it was seen as now.
He'd arrived last night and was currently scoping out the city. He decided to stay near enough to the parts of the city where the rumors are most prevalent. That being the business district.
Now Jaden was walking around and seeing if he found anything he deemed suspicious. So far he'd come up empty and eventually called it and went to find breakfast. He'd been too excited to eat, but he was starving, and the smell of the local diners was enticing.
He took a seat at the bar top, and the woman behind the counter immediately turned to him and squinted.
“You're not from around here.”
Jaden blinked, taken aback. “I'm not…”
She nodded. “Don't worry about it.”
With that she turned back and started scribbling something on her notepad before giving it to the kitchen, he just blinked dumbly.
“So what brought you to this shithole?”
“Honestly? The demon rumors. Everyone thinks it's bullshit, and I'm not convinced. I think the government knows and is covering it up by playing into the fantastical angle.”
The woman chuckled before pouring him a cup of coffee.
“Well you're right about that, but I don't think it's the demons they're trying to hide…well most of the demons.”
Jaden leaned forward intrigued. “Yeah? Then what are they trying to hide?”
“Dante.”
He blinked in confusion. “Who?”
The woman smiled. “Dante, he's…well he's Dante.”
This didn't help and the woman seemed to realize. She paused for a moment and seemed to try and find a way to explain.
“He kills the demons, and he's also absolutely one of them.”
“...A demon killing demons?”
“He's half demon. At least if the ‘dirty half-breed’ insults are correct.”
Jaden is very confused. Half demon? A hybrid? Did this theoretically make him weaker or stronger? What human had a child with a demon? How? Why? Instead of asking any of those questions he instead asked something that seemed a bit easier to answer.
“How do you know he's half demon?’
The woman laughed outright.
“Oh honey, you spend more than ten minutes around him and you'll know.”
“Explain.” He implored, and she did just that.
“Well, Robin has one of my favorite go-to stories.
oO0OO
Robin had been called in to look at a crime scene. There had been a death and apparently it wasn't looking so good. So of course he'd made his way over and sure enough it wasn't a pretty sight. It didn't take a genius to piece together what happened, not with the state of the body.
It had been a demon attack and a nasty one at that, but that alone wasn't the most intriguing part. No that honor went to the blood on the walls that was clearly writing out some threat or warning.
Of course he couldn't read it, not with it being in abyssal. Just as he finished looking over the body he felt the change in the air. He instinctively reached for his gun like everyone else did, but as soon as the smell of smoke wafted in everyone relaxed.
Looking up Robin spotted him, Dante was someone the police knew well. They worked around him often with him being a private investigator. He also helped with many of their cases by dealing with the issues himself. While the scene may be closed off no one would ever bar Dante.
The man in question glanced over the scene with those inhumanly blue eyes of his before settling on the writing. The air seemed to heat up and Robin knew whatever was written wasn't good. The low growl that sounded from him only confirmed it.
He shook himself out as he stood and tried to get the feeling of that noise out of his bones.
“Dante, I suppose you can confirm this is what we think it is?”
The man in question nodded but didn't take his eyes off the text. Robin took a steadying breath and tentatively asked his next question.
“Would you like to translate that for us?”
“Not much worth translating. Just praising Mundus and promising to bring him back.”
Robin shuddered at the slight reverberation in his voice and the flash of red in his eyes. Everyone knew the old stories and had a pretty good idea of who exactly Dante was, but that didn't mean they knew everything.
Dante scoffed out a small breath of smoke before turning on his heel, guitar case swaying.
“Don't worry about it, I think I need to remind someone who defeated and locked that bastard away some years back. Besides, even if they did bring him back.”
He chuckled and the sound made every hair on Robin's body stand up. He also thought Dante's teeth were sharper now than they had been a second ago.
“Well, he wouldn't be much of an issue.” Dante finished, and with that he was out the door.
As soon as he was gone it felt like Robin could take a full breath again, and the sudden chill had him shuddering. He looked around and saw everyone else in a similar state
It was a few days later when he'd gotten a call about screaming in a warehouse. He and a few other cops started that way and were prepared to investigate. As they arrived they too could hear the commotion, but just as they were preparing to go inside the doors busted open and out walked Dante.
He was covered in blood nearly head to toe, even his white hair was now pink. He had his sword in one hand and his two pistols holstered at his back. His shadow followed him and it was hard to miss how it didn't match his silhouette. No it was instead something monstrous with too many spikes and something that might have been wings with how they moved.
His head snapped over to them and Robin along with the others froze. He started walking over and everything about it was wrong. His steps were too fluid and silent despite how much noise he should be making. His eyes glinted in the moonlight seeming to even glow.
“Officers! That little case you had was just solved. I was going to call you in the morning, but since you're here.” He shrugged.
Dante was somewhere between bouncing around in excitement and stalking like an apex predator. Robin's not quite sure how he managed to combine the two things but well….it was Dante.
“Our perp?” Robin asked.
He'd never quite figured out how he'd become the de facto man to deal with Dante. Alas he took to his role with grace, mainly because Dante seemed to like him. And a relaxed Dante was a good Dante, and a Dante that produced the least amount of weirdness.
The man's answering grin showed off far too sharp fangs and sent a chill down his spine.
“You'll have no more problems with him.” Dante assured as he brought his sword up and sheathed it behind his back.
Robin watched as the man absent-mindedly licked some of the blood off a few fingers.
“Good to hear.” Robin offered.
With that Dante walked off and the rest of them were left to investigate. Inside the warehouse there wasn't much of note besides the gouges on everything and enough bullet casings to make it an ice rink. There never was much left over from demons, however it was proof enough for what had happened.
oO0Oo
Jaden blinked as he took another bite of the food that had been dropped in front of him. It was the best breakfast he'd ever had.
“Ok so who exactly is he? I get the half-demon thing, but Mundus isn't that pretty much the most powerful demon there is? Also, you're talking like there is some kind of connection.”
The waitress just chuckled.
“Dante I'm pretty confident in saying, is the most powerful demon there is. At least no one can think of a time he's ever struggled against any other demons. Also again if the demons are to be believed, he's the son of Sparda.”
Jaden tried and failed to find words but came up blank. Sparda? The demon that rebelled against his own. It made sense but it felt far too much like a fairy tale.
The woman just smiled. “Yeah but not everyone is so thrilled with him. They blamed him for the demons in the first place. Say that his existence invites challenge, but after Devil May Cry opened up, disappearances and murders have dropped drastically.”
“Devil May Cry?”
“His private detective agency that sometimes doubles as a handyman business. Or at least that's what it's advertised as, but everyone knows it's a front for just hunting demons.”
“So what, that's just what he does?”
The woman shrugged. “Pretty much. People will pay good money for his services.” A pause, then she scoffs. “Not that he has any money.”
“What?”
“Dante is notoriously broke. His shop doesn't have power or water half the time. He is in debt to one of his business partners and bankrolls all of their shopping sprees. And beyond that he pays for rebuilding and property damage caused by anything he deals with. Plus he does an absorbent amount of pro bono work.”
Jaden does his best to digest this as he continues to eat. The woman continues on in clear amusement.
“He has a tab pretty much everywhere he frequents but everyone puts up with it. The fool only eats pizza and strawberry sundaes anyway. Also, he pays pretty much everything he owes back eventually”
“Where is his shop? Could I go by?”
The woman shrugs. “I mean you could but I could tell you what's there.”
He leans forward interested. “Please do I'd love to hear it.”
“Well I know bits and pieces from lots of people about this story, but a lot of it I know is true.”
oO0Oo
Harvey was new to Capulet and had been scoping out the more unsavory areas. He doubts they'd call the cops if he broke in and stole some stuff. One shop in particular caught his eye, Devil May Cry.
For one, it was just a bizarre name, but the place didn't seem to ever be locked up (or closed for that matter). At least not if the constant flow of pizza deliveries that just walked in at all times said anything.
He'd managed to put together who the owner was, that weird-looking dude with the white hair and red coat. Along with the normal visitors, the two women and the elder gentleman. All who seemed to have a downright bizarre schedule.
But eventually, after enough casing of the place, he'd found a time when everyone was gone and would be for long enough to ransack it.
He opened the door and looked around, thanks to the lights outside giving just enough light to see. He froze as the door closed behind him. The walls were covered in skulls and heads of what had to be prop monsters. They were pinned in place by an assortment of swords.
But the skulls and heads looked far too real, and the weapons too sharp and dangerous. Other weapons lined the walls with the posters of scantily clad women. Behind the wooden desk that was front and center there were even more weapons of an even larger variety.
A pool table was on one side of the shop, and behind it a living room set up with a couch, chair, and TV. Near the wall on that side was a jukebox and a guitar that was mounted to the wall. While the other side of the room had a kitchenette.
A set of stairs went up on the back wall to an upstairs, presumably to personal quarters. Next to the stairs was a small hall that probably led to a bathroom.
The place was a disaster, pizza boxes littered across the place, the pool table looked to have been abandoned mid-game, and papers were piled onto the desk to the point of falling on the ground.
He walked further into the room and that's when he heard it. A low murmur like a crowd of whispering people, it made his hair stand on end as he looked around for the source. The further in he got the louder it got, and eventually some of it started to be decipherable.
“Oh master won't be happy about an intruder.”
“Who's this fool?”
“Master won't like an uninvited stranger in his den.”
“Leave boy.”
Harvey shuddered as he searched desperately for the source of the voices, but they sounded like they were coming from all over the place. The air seemed to grow more heavy and oppressive, and the feeling of being watched made his skin itch.
“Who's there?” He asked and hated how his voice shook.
The whispers got louder, and it felt like they were shouting into his ears despite the low volume.
“Leave his den.”
“He doesn't want you here.”
“You are not welcome.”
He scrambled back, his hands going over his ears and eyes blowing wide as he saw the shadows seem to change and grow. He yelped as he saw blood drip from the heads and skulls pinned to the wall.
He was scrambling out the door seconds later.
oO0Oo
“Wait what?! What's wrong with the shop?” Jaden spluttered.
The waitress shrugged. “I'm sure there's a good explanation, but I don't think anyone really knows it. I do know he's been seen arguing with the weapons on his wall however. So my bet is on that being the cause.”
He finished up his meal and thought it over.
“So what, his weapons are sentient?”
The waitress nodded. “Let me give you another story and you can decide for yourself.”
oO0Oo
Molly had been a delivery driver for a long time and as consequence had become one of the de facto people to deliver to Devil May Cry. They never liked to put new hires on the task and for good reason.
Even if the new hires were aware of Dante and his peculiarities, it still wouldn't be enough preparation for delivering to him directly. But if she was being honest, it was always something she enjoyed.
She was pretty confident she was one of Dante's favorite people because she meant pizza. And there was little in the world he loved more than pizza. Even if she didn't get a tip it was still the best parts of her day.
She'd parked and grabbed the stack of pizzas from the back. As she opened the door to the shop, Dante from behind his desk lit up. He took his boots off the desk and stood up to meet her.
“Molly, you're amazing! I had a job this morning and didn't even get breakfast.” He whined.
Molly chuckled and looked up to meet his eyes. He was so tall and that freaked lots of people out, but she never really cared.
“Which of the girls were so mean to deny you breakfast?” She asked as she handed over the pizzas.
He groaned. “It was Morrison actually. The old bastard wants me to waste away and die.”
He put the boxes down on his desk and opened the one on top before grabbing a slice. He took a bite, and the delighted purr that followed had Molly chuckling.
There was a murmur low in her ear that she couldn't decipher but was familiar anyway. Dante spun on his heel from where he had been walking back over and pointed at one of his weapons on the wall.
“Shut up, I don't want to hear it.” His voice was half muffled by the pizza but still understandable.
Another indistinguishable murmur that had Dante rolling his eyes before looking back at Molly.
“They're so rude they never listen to me.”
She just shakes her head amused. “Yeah?”
“It's all master this and master that, but as soon as I get on them for talking excuses is all they have.” A pause then he perks up again. “OH!” Then he's gone.
In a blink the man is behind his desk again. Then a second later he reappears in front of her, and she's blinking back up at him once more. He'd never walked anywhere, seemingly having teleported.
He handed over a wad of cash that was well above an acceptable amount, but she'd not been tipped in a month by him, so it was to be expected.
“That's so Lady doesn't shoot me again for not tipping you.” He explained as he finished the slice he had in his hand.
Molly rolled her eyes. “You know I don't care about that.”
He shrugged before disappearing again and grabbing another slice of pizza before taking a seat behind his desk once more.
“Well she's right you do us good and keep us fed. The least I can do is compensate you, but the power has been out for a week as you know. And the job this morning paid well enough for both.”
“Well thank you Dante I'm sure I'll see you again tonight.”
“That you will babe that you will.” He agreed as she walked out the door.
oO0Oo
Jaden took a sip of his refilled coffee. “So only he can understand the weapons? But that doesn't make sense if someone else could also understand them.”
The waitress shrugged. “Like I said, I'm sure there is a simple answer but we just don't know it.”
“You've mentioned his business partners who are they?”
“Oh, Trish and Lady. Lady's been around as long as Devil May Cry has existed, and Trish showed up some years later. The three of them are thick as thieves even if the girls aren't always around.”
“Are they part demon too?” Jaden queried.
The woman shook her head. “Lady is human and would be insulted if you thought otherwise, though it would be understandable considering she's…well.” She waves a dismissive hand.
“She hates those things more than Dante, and that's saying something. Trish however is a full demon. I don't know the specifics, but when you hear her asking, ‘what do the humans call the nestlings?’ well you know she's not one of us.”
Jaden tilted his head confused. “If Lady hates demons why be friends with them, let alone work with them?”
The woman shrugged. “No one knows the entire story, but Dante and Lady have known each other for about more time than they haven't. While Trish and her have been friends pretty much since they've met from what I've heard.”
There are absolutely a few interesting stories there, but Jaden knows he's not getting any of those here. Instead he simply asks for another from what she has on tap.
“Got one more before I go and I guess interview others?”
The woman smiles. “Don't see why not I'll give you a nice one to end off on.”
oO0Oo
Reverend Giles had been having an issue. Multiple people in his congregation had been having demon issues. It was unusual and many of them had started staying overnight in the sanctuary because they didn't feel their homes were safe.
He feared that the demon was stalking people from his church and following them home in hopes of killing them. But when it realized it couldn't get its target it simply switched targets again.
He had no proof for this theory, but his gut was telling him it was true.
He'd been contemplating on his next steps when, like fate, he spotted the one and only Dante leaving Fredi’s. Giles half-sprinted to catch up with the man's long strides.
“Excuse me.”
Dante paused and turned. Giles did his best not to shrink under the man's unnerving gaze.
“I really do hate to bother you, but well it seems God put you in my way.”
The man snorted at that and that was fair enough, but that didn't mean it wasn't true.
“I've been having a demon issue at my church. I think it's stalking my congregation. I have no proof but well…” He rubbed at his neck and let out an exhausted sigh.
He went on to explain the situation and his theory. Dante listened intently and once Giles was done the other man stepped forward with a shrug.
“I'd be happy to take a look.”
Giles lets out a relieved sigh. “Thank you so much.”
He leads Dante back to his church and watches as he walks around the grounds. The Reverend isn't too sure exactly what he's looking for, but the whole process is interesting to watch.
Dante seems to be barely looking at the grounds themselves instead something else entirely. And he's not sure if he's imagining it, but the unnerving aura around the man seems to swell. Eventually he seems pleased enough with what he's found and starts speaking.
“Well you're right, something is definitely casing this place out. But it's weird the demon seems to be pretty weak, holy ground should scare it off.”
“Do you want to look around inside?”
Dante frowned at that but seemed to consider it. “I could….”
Giles figured out why he didn't seem too stoked about the idea as soon as they stepped inside. Dante winced immediately and started rubbing at the bridge of his nose, and the oppressive aura around him seemed to dissipate almost violently.
The Reverend supposed he probably should have guessed this might happen, and he can't help but worry about the man. Dante however, after only a short moment continued his investigation, though he had clearly sped up the process.
It wasn't ten minutes before he was walking (jogging really) back out of the chapel with Giles following close behind. He once more had to nearly sprint and even then it took him a few seconds to catch up, but once outside it was like running into a wall.
It had only been a few minutes, and yet being hit with the aura that surrounded the man once more was overwhelming and it nearly tore the air from his lungs. Dante just rubbed at his head and temples for a long moment before speaking again.
“I could sense the people who were tagged. You're right about that it's targeting specific people. Why I couldn't tell you, hell there might not even be a reason. But if you could have those who were tagged come here I can find the demon.”
His voice was rougher than it had been before, and Giles tactfully doesn't mention it. Instead, he simply agrees and pulls out his phone.
“We could have them come to a cafe if you want?” He offers.
Dante perks up at that. “Yeah?”
“Of course, I was going to go there anyway before I ran into you.”
The grin he gets an answer has him straightening on instinct as those fangs flash. And as soon as they are off the property Dante lets out a relieved sigh, Giles also thinks he sees a flash of red in those intense eyes. Perhaps Giles should be scared of this man, but he simply can't bring himself to be. Sure he's unnerving but not hostile, and Giles knows evil he's felt it before. Dante isn't anything of the sort.
He may be a demon, but he was firmly on the side of God, even if the man himself didn't see it that way. No one could help the circumstances of their birth, but they did decide their path in life. And Dante's was undeniably a righteous one.
Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long once they arrived and only five minutes later did the few people who were staying in the chapel walk in. He greeted them happily and explained the plan. Dante didn't say much just stepped forward and inhaled deeply, his mouth open.
It was like watching a cat.
Once he seemed to get what he wanted, he simply said he'd be back by the church later to confirm the demon was dead. With no more fanfare he was out the door, Giles supposed he'd have to figure out payment.
It wasn't three hours later when Dante popped back up.
“Your little demon problem is no more. Everyone is good to go back home.”
“Thank you so much. What do I owe you?”
Dante frowned at him before waving a dismissive hand. “Don't worry about it, it's on the house.”
The Reverend frowned. “You sure it's no problem I can-”
He was cut off. “Seriously, don't worry about it. We’ll call it even for the coffee you bought me at the cafe.”
With that he was out the door, and Giles could only blink after him. He couldn't help the smile as he looked back at the wooden cross behind the altar.
Truly, God did work in mysterious ways.
oO0Oo
Jaden smiled and shook his head. “Each story you give paints a different picture.”
The waitress shrugged. “Dante is a complicated individual, multifaceted if you will. You'll run into about an equal amount of people who like him, who don't give a damn, and who despise him.”
“And let me guess, I'm going to have to come to a conclusion by myself?”
“There isn't any other way to do it. Either way, love him, hate him, he's ours.”
Jaden finished off his coffee as he nodded along. “Fair enough, thank you for your time and for the stories.”
“Course sugar. Come by anytime and I hope you find what you're looking for.”
“Me too.”
And with that he paid before making his way back outside. He had a lot to do today, and it wasn't going to do itself.