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Patty had been acting off for a while now and all of her friends were getting worried. Ever since that tree popped up in the city over. When asked what was wrong she said Dante was dealing with the tree thing.
Now no one really knew much about the man, just that Patty talked about him often. She all but considered him her dad, citing the fact that he took care of her for a while.
Patty's story was a rollercoaster, but being an orphan then finding your mom was overall a good outcome. Dante just so happened to be the reason they reunited at all and after she just didn't stop going to see him.
However, learning much more about the man was like pulling teeth. She just didn't talk about him, sure she'd complain about him not cleaning his shop, but that was about it. What shop? What did he do?
Crickets.
So no one really asked and just accepted that they would never know. Or they had until Patty had come up to the two of them at the end of school.
“Guys there's a civil war going on over Dante's office, and I was wondering if you wanted to join me in checking in on the place?”
Kingsley and Maddox shared a look. Really there was no other option but to agree. Anyone would kill for the chance to learn just a tiny bit more about this mysterious man and his office.
They met her at the park where she requested, and soon they were off. To their surprise they were heading towards the bad part of town. Hesitantly Kingsley asked if this was safe and Patty had just laughed before giving a sharp smile over her shoulder.
Her eyes were sharp and knowing. The girl didn't look as out of place as she normally would. Her frilly dress replaced with something more sleek, and that red jacket she adored.
“Oh we're fine. No one would mess with me and you two by extension.”
The two just shared a look but didn't question their friend. Thankfully it didn't take long and before they knew it they passed a strip club and came to a building no different from the others. The sign on top read ‘Devil May Cry’.
Patty just walked up and opened the door.
Inside the lights were off and their friend experimentally flicked on the light switch. She seemed pleasantly surprised when the lights in fact came on.
“Huh, wonder who's paying the bills?”
Maddox and Kingsley were left to just gape. In the middle of the room closer to the back wall was a large wooden desk. Behind it were skulls pinned onto the wall like decoration with numerous swords. The skulls were in no way human which only caused more concern…they had to be fake. Right?
Other weapons littered the back wall, hung up like what you would see at old mansions. A pool table lay on one side of the room with a kitchenette. The other side was a makeshift living room with a jukebox. Stairs climb the back wall to a small balcony and below them the small hallway leads further back into the building.
It looks more like a frat house/bachelor pad hybrid. A few questionable posters on the wall only helped further that assessment, and the bar in the corner didn't help either.
Patty just started inspecting, starting at the desk she went over the paperwork that was covering it.
“Let's see bill, bill, job request, bill, IOU to Lady, note from Trish. Yeah ok so no one's touched anything yet.”
“What were you expecting?” Maddox asked.
Patty shrugged.
“Honestly? You can never tell with this place. Truthfully I'm still trying to figure out why the civil war is even happening considering he'll be back.”
Kingsley squints at her. “Could you specify what you mean by a civil war?”
Patty gestured around.
“From what I've heard from Nero, the women are fighting over who gets the office. Trish sights that since she is a business partner it should go to her. Lady says it's hers because she named it and has been a part of it the longest.”
Her friends just blink at her.
Patty simply shrugs. “Really the whole thing is stupid and I think they're just trying to take their mind off everything. It's not like he won't come waltzing back in like nothing happened soon.”
Without another word she starts more thoroughly searching the room and picking things up.
“Bring me the trash can by the desk.” Patty called.
Maddox did as asked, and Patty thanked him before continuing on.
“Is there anything we can do?” Kingsley asked hesitantly.
Patty glances around and seems to consider it for a moment.
“If you find anything on the floor sure, but don't go touching anything on the walls or at the desk.”
And like that it became a routine. Patty would drag them along if they were interested every week to clean up the office. The place was never in use when they were there, but clearly was inhabited.
And as time went on they learned more and more. It was home base and where everyone crashed when not cleaning up Redgrave. Though Patty never clarified what they were cleaning up.
The office was in varying states of mess whenever they dropped in. Sometimes there were pizza boxes scattered around days old. Other times there wasn't much to clean up at all. And it seemed with them proving themselves not to get into trouble, Patty gave them more and more tasks. The cleaning became more in depth when Patty found a puddle of dried blood, she'd just sighed before disappearing down the hall and coming back with a mop and bucket. That day they'd swept and mopped the place. Kingsley and Maddox expressed their concern but were waved off.
“I've seen worse in this place, it's not that bad. Lady is tough.”
Neither of them asked how she knew who was hurt.
At one point Kingsley had asked why Patty insisted on cleaning the place. The young woman had just shrugged.
“They deserve a clean place to crash. It's the least I can do since I've been banned from helping with Redgrave.”
Week after week it becomes a routine. Not always the same day since Patty didn't want to interrupt down time. But the place was cleaned without fail like clockwork.
And as a pleasant consequence, or maybe a reward, Patty let's slip stories of Dante. The man who'd sleep at his desk as she worked and cleaned (because yes, she did this all the time even when he was here). Or how she'd have to get on him for not paying his bills when the lights and other amenities went out. Other times it was stories of him teaching her how to dance or helping with her homework.
It painted a whole new picture of this place that they'd grown to know.
Of course extended time in the office came with other things. The books piled under the stairs were an ongoing mystery their spines covered in languages they could never identify. Then there were the whispers and the shadows that didn't move quite right. Patty just waved them off and said not to worry about it, but the glint in her eye spoke of knowing more.
Neither Maddox or Kingsley had ever gone upstairs until four months in. And even then it's clear they were on a very short leash as Patty kept glancing over to ensure they were behaving. It was almost insulting, but clearly this was personal.
They checked over the guest room first and it looked practically untouched. Patty put the sheets in the washing machine before they moved on to the next room. This one was a disaster there was no other word for it. Bottles and pizza boxes spread across it, a bed unmade and wadded up. Clothes were strewn across the floor and drawers opened with clothes piling out.
And while the whole office had a particular smell: campfire smoke, gunpowder, and leather. The campfire sent was strongest in this room.
Patty just crossed her arms and seemed to consider it for a moment. Finally, she sighs and looks back at them.
“Just get the trash. If you find anything else don't touch it and let me check it over first. I have no idea what all he's got in here, but a few weapons are probably to be expected.”
They just nod and get to work.
True to her words there were weapons, a pair of black gauntlets and greaves, and a gun or two, but that was never what caught their eye. No, that was the numerous…flakes? That covered the floor. Black keratin like things that were everywhere. Patty had told them to ignore it and so they did, but it didn't mean they weren't beyond curious and asking about it.
Patty had one on a necklace she was wearing after all, clearly they were something. She however refused to answer, which just confused them more. In the end she collected most of them and again doesn't clarify why or for what.
Patty in the meantime busied herself picking up clothes and tossing them in a laundry basket. And with the size of them they'd piece together that Dante was a pretty big guy.
The room itself didn't have a ton of personality beyond the color palette, the same as the clothes, so there was nothing to gleam there. However there were a few picture frames.
One with the women in the frame on the desk downstairs with two boys either side of her. Both had snow-white hair and uncanny blue eyes, clearly twins with how identical they looked. Another frame of three people one looked nearly identical to the same blond woman in the other two, beside her clearly one of the boys from the previous picture. And also clearly Dante if the red and black outfit said anything. And the third person was another woman in white with short black hair and mismatched eyes.
The final picture was of Dante once more and a younger Patty under his arm who he was carrying like a sack of potatoes. Both their grins were wide, but neither Kingsley or Maddox could miss how Dante's canines were longer than they should be or the sword he had on his back.
It took a few hours but eventually the room was cleaned up. Patty seemed beyond pleased and thanked them extensively.
“I just want him to have something nice to come back to.” She'd ended with.
And if that wasn't the antithesis of her. Patty was just so nice and cared so much. She still spends a lot of time at the orphanage helping out. Never asking for pay or compensation. And she'd already made it clear that she did the same for this office because it was her way of paying back Dante for everything.
By the fifth month they'd been shown the basement and somehow Patty had become even more of a hawk. She'd instructed them clearly not to touch a thing. There were shelves covered in God only knew what. Jars upon jars of things unidentifiable next to books that looked more ancient than manuscripts in museums. More weapons, most eye-catching a pair of cutlasses, and ancient things looking artifacts scattered the shelves, and the occasional whispering they could hear seemed to come back with vengeance.
They'd simply dusted and swept before she'd herded them back to the main area. When once again asked about what the hell that stuff was, Patty shrugged.
“Deep storage for the weird stuff Dante wants away from the world.”
It only left them with more questions if they were being honest. Patty however was a stone wall and refused to explain a thing as per usual, and it became increasingly clear that she had full knowledge of everything.
And the more time spent here, the clearer it became it had a lot to do with what happened in Redgrave. Hell, it even seemed to give more credence to the rumors of demons and devils that seemed to permeate both sister cities. In fact, this whole damn side project they'd dedicated themselves to seemed to be the missing price of the puzzle.
How it fit however? Well, they just couldn't figure that one out.
It was the sixth month when their task came to an end. They'd just finished sweeping and cleaning up the main office when the door opened. They all turned, and there the man was in all his glory.
Long shaggy white hair and so much bigger than they'd imagined. His long red coat, that matched so well with Patty's that it couldn't have been a coincidence, had seen better days. His shirt was torn up, and leather pants and boots didn't look any better. Dried blood and grime covered him and he looked haggard but very much alive.
Patty lit up and suddenly she was wrapped around him as she shook with silent sobs.
“Hey Pattycake.” He spoke softly as he returned the hug easily and crouched down to be more on her level.
It revealed another man behind him nearly identical in black and much more put together though still clearly filthy.
And as the reek of them hit it became apparent how bad it was. But clearly Patty didn't care, her face buried in the man's neck. A low rumble filled the room, and Maddox and Kingsley shared a confused side eye.
“Why do you always have to leave?! You missed my birthday you know! You owe me!”
Dante just chuckles. “You know it comes with the job description.”
She pulled back and frowned at him.
“You stink.”
He just laughed. “Well yeah I've been stuck in hell for…how long has it been?”
Patty deflated. “Six months.”
He just patted her head and stood once again. She backs up and lets him further inside and then unceremoniously Dante is pushed while the other man shoves by him.
A sound that cannot be mistaken as anything but a growl fills the room as Kingsley and Maddox shudder despite themselves and take a few steps back.
Patty scowls herself and spits out. “You!”
Dante grabbed her quickly before she could make another move but it didn't stop her from yelling.
“THIS WAS YOUR FAULT! YOU DID THIS! YOU HURT NERO YOU KILLED ALL THOSE PEOPLE!”
She thrashed against Dante's hold but the man didn't even struggle. It was impressive considering just how strong the young woman was.
The other man paused and Patty continued.
“YOU HURT DANTE! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH HE HURT BECAUSE OF YOU?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I WALKED IN HERE AFRAID OF WHAT I’D FIND?!”
Dante winced back near violently, and a distinctly inhuman whine escaped him.
“WHY DO YOU HAVE ANY RIGHT TO BE HERE?!”
The air heated up and seemed to crack and sizzle as the other man turned his eyes blazing blue as a growl escaped him. Kingsley and Maddox back up quickly once again in fear.
“Insolent little human. You don't speak to me that way.” He snarled voice layering over itself as he drew a Katana he'd been carrying.
And the heat spiked again as Dante pulled the girls behind him, his own eyes blazing red as he snarled right back.
“YOU DON'T SPEAK TO MY NESTLING LIKE THAT!”
Deafening silence followed for a few seconds before the Katana was put away and the air cooled down gradually.
Patty was still scowling openly, but overall she seemed thoroughly unmoved.
“You're going to go shower and I'll get you a change of clothes. Then we're going to switch, eat, and then sleep for a day. We can have a screaming match another damn time without involving my nestling, capiche?”
The other just huffed. “She started it.”
“Patty didn't expect you, and I think she's entitled to it all things considered. Either way it's not her place to decide who I allow in the shop.” The last part was directed back at her.
Patty huffed but didn't argue. Finally with a pointed glance she took a step away relenting, and Dante hummed a pleased note before disappearing from his place in a shower of red sparks. Moments later he was heard rummaging around in his room before he appeared again and directed the other man down the hall and into the bathroom.
Finally Maddox and Kingsley turned to stare at Patty in disbelief and fear. She had the good grace to look sheepish.
“Sorry…about all this.”
“What the hell are the-” Kingsley started but was cut off as Dante came back down the hall and looked at them.
“Devils. We're half and half Mom was human.” Dante answered without missing a beat.
Patty quickly returned to his side as he took in the state of the office. “You kept the place clean.” He observed.
“We all did.” Patty corrected. “I invited them over just to check up on the place and we've been keeping clean since for everyone. I didn't want Lady Trish and Nero to come back to a dirty office when they were cleaning up the aftermath.”
Dante hummed as he went to his desk and looked it over, Patty at his heel. The other two backed away and gave the man a wide berth. He didn't react or acknowledge it, instead he just smiled as he looked up once more.
“Thank you.” It was so very sincere that it caught the three of them by surprise.
Patty just shrugged. “It's the least I could do and they.” She gestured at her friends. “Were very kind in helping me out.”
Dante looked between the two of them, his gaze sharp and just slightly wrong.
“I'm grateful, and I apologize for the scare. Vergil is…well, he's like an undomesticated cat with the hospitality of a porcupine. But he's family and I'm not losing him again.”
That last part is again directed towards Patty who just looks away. Dante doesn't comment as he picks up the phone.
“Now I have to make the mandatory calls to make sure everyone knows I'm topside again. But it's not going to be particularly exciting, and then I'm going to crash. I've not gotten real sleep or eaten actual food in the past 6 months.”
Patty was quick to excuse them if they wanted to go, and did they fucking ever. Demons were real and Patty had been family with one for years. Sure he'd been kind, but he was unsettling and scary.
Kingsley and Maddox shared a silent look and seemed to come to a conclusion. They'd wanted to leave, so they politely excused themselves and Patty gave them a knowing glance.
“I promise to explain and answer any questions just please keep this to yourselves.”
They just nodded before quickly taking their leave.