Chapter Text
Nero’s day had started in pretty shitty fashion. It was monday, so his hopes hadn’t been very high in the first place, but still…
The morning autumn sky was gray and the weather was downright terrible. Harsh wind gusts and the promise of rain hung heavily in the air.
But the icing on the cake was yet to come, because a bad storm had been announced on Fortuna. All the civilians had been asked to take precautions and stay home.
Obviously this was not possible for Nero, at least not right now, because a demon was on the loose in the streets. Just my luck.
The intel had come in earlier this morning, a lady calling him from the sea-side district of the town. She had witnessed what appeared to be a floating dark cloak wearing a white mask and gigantic scissors. Nero would have to go check this out.
The young hunter was already feeling tired and the day hadn’t even truly begun yet. What a mess. He sighed and rubbed his eyes while making himself some coffee. Maybe it would help him find the courage to get through this day.
At least Kyrie and the kids would stay safe at home. Maybe if he worked quickly he could get back before that storm hit Fortuna. That left him with a 6 hour timeframe to find that demon, kill it, and get back. It wasn’t that bad. Right ?
“Nero, do you really need to go ? What if you get caught up in the weather ?” Kyrie asked him for the third time this morning. She was really not keen on letting him go outside today. Sure, a demon was no joke and couldn’t be let free to roam the streets but still… this could get dangerous.
“It’ll be just fine Kyrie, I’m going to kill this demon in no time. I’ll be back before you even notice I’m gone.” Nero answered, kissing his lover softly before he put his coat on.
“Don’t be silly, I always miss you when you're not home. I love you. Promise me you’ll be careful ? ” She told him as he went through the door leading into the garage and hopped inside the van. The garage reeked of cold tobacco and motor oil.
Nico wasn’t coming today, the gunsmith was out of commission, having caught a bad cold and staying in bed. Nero was actually grateful to go on this hunt alone. And this for two reasons.
First, a tired Nico was a major pain in the ass and he didn’t want to get stuck on a job with her if she was grumpy. He was already stressed out by the weather warning, he sure as hell didn’t need the foulmouthed girl’s bad temper.
Secondly, Nero needed some time alone right now. He wasn’t feeling that great and this would give him some space to sort his thoughts out.
Things had gotten tense with his father. Well, it had always been complicated but Nero may have overstepped a few days ago…. The quarter devil sighed softly. Who was he kidding, he had lost his shit again and been a first class jerk.
Shame and regrets had been spoiling his mood ever since. He couldn’t sleep and his stomach felt constantly upset. He knew he wouldn’t get better until he properly apologized for his behavior. But Nero feared that this time, an apology might not even be enough.
The young man always had trouble sorting his emotions out when Vergil was concerned. He desperately wanted to bond with the father he always searched for. He longed for it, intensely, but at the same time he was scared of a potential rejection.
It was silly, really. Nero felt unsure and unworthy of his prestigious lineage. The quarter devil didn’t even try to wrap his head around his grandfather’s identity. He was already out of his mind with the rest of his new-found family. His father and uncle were impossibly strong, they would be the stuff of legends one day. Why would they bother with someone as insignificant as Nero ? He was nothing. A nobody.
Even if he intellectually knew he was a strong and reliable adult, with his own life and his own loving family, he couldn’t help this anxiety inside him. It was rooted too deep in his heart. What if he wasn't good enough ? What If he let his father into his life, into his heart, and Vergil abandoned him again ? How would he recover from that ?
Maybe it was unfair of Nero to think that way because Vergil had not known of his child’s existence. But for Nero it was still a major scar on his soul to have been left on a doorstep in a simple blanket. Unwanted. Discarded.
And so, with all these complicated and conflicting emotions piling up, Nero had fucked-up on their last mission. Badly.
The hunt had been a tricky one and Nero in his eagerness to prove himself had gotten into trouble. Dante had warned him not to rush blindly into the fight and yet, Nero had ignored him.
He had wanted to show his family that he too could hold his ground. That he was not deadweight. That he was good enough to stay with them. That’s when things had turned to shit and Nero had been in dire need of a rescue.
The Goat Clan demons that they had been facing had been far more numerous than planned. Something that Nero could have seen if he had taken a minute to analyze the situation. But he had jumped into the fray at the first opportunity. This had brought him in a dangerous four vs one position where he couldn’t properly defend himself.
He would have ended up with a serious injury, or worse, if his uncle hadn’t taken a hit in his stead. The ugly goat’s claws had ripped through his flesh, just beneath his ribs, blood gushing out on the ground. The goats had then swiftly turned to dust as Dante swung his devil arm, the long blade relieving the demons of their heads.
Nero had felt scared and guilty that his uncle had gotten hurt because of him. He had never meant to cause him harm, he had just wanted to impress him. And then, the young hunter could only stand frozen next to the kneeling red twin, unsure what to say or what to do.
Vergil had quickly joined them, having witnessed the scene while he was fighting his own wave of demons. The blue half-devil had taken a moment to kneel beside his twin to check on his wound and make sure he was alright. Then he had turned to Nero, livid.
“Nero, you will need to either refrain from such foolish behavior or stay back.” Vergil had hissed coldly, his eyes piercing into his son’s skull.
“What? No ! I’m strong enough to see this fight through.” The young hunter had bit back angrily, maybe he hadn’t been careful enough but he could still destroy these goats. They were no match for him.
“Sure, that’s why Dante had to rescue you.” The blue half-devil had answered, sarcasm lacing his words. This had made Nero’s blood boil.
“Yeah, well fuck this. I don’t need your opinion.” Nero’s temper had flared badly, his pride hurt by the truth behind his father’s words.
“Nero…” Dante had tried to intervene before his nephew’s poor anger management got them all into trouble, but he didn’t get the time to voice his warning before the situation escalated.
“You could have gotten yourself killed.” Vergil had snarled, his fury had been an almost palpable thing, a static buzz in the air.
“Fuck, don’t act like you care about me ! You never gave a shit !” the kid had spat and for a moment it gave him a twisted sense of satisfaction to see his father flinch at his words.
He had hit a nerve. So the stoic and emotionless demon was able to feel something, and his pain had given Nero the sweet, fleeting, pleasure of revenge.
“So you think.” The blue twin had retorted flatly after a short pause.
“I don’t fucking need you.” Nero’s temper had gotten the better of him again at his father’s emotionless tone. “I don’t get why you even bothered coming back.” He lashed out, drunk on his need for payback after all his years of suffering and loneliness.
Vergil had fallen utterly silent, frozen. Nero had just looked at him, waiting for him to say something. To snap back. To get angry. To hit him. Anything.
But the blue half-devil had just turned away silently, facing the goat-demons that were charging at them again, his hand gripping the Yamato’s handle tightly.
Nero had felt a small breeze on his skin, the only indication that anything happened at all, before reality fractured. Blue slashes had split the air on the street and the demons had fallen, slayed. A shiver had run through Nero’s spine, he sometimes forgot how absurdly powerful the man was.
“Let’s head back, Dante.” Vergil had then said, without turning back to face Nero. He slashed two lines, a portal opening in the middle of the street, before stepping through the void without another word. Without looking back. Like Nero hadn’t even been there to begin with.
Dante had stood back up, his gaze on Nero scathing before he had stepped inside the void too. The twins had both left without a word and Nero had found himself alone on the empty street.
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Nero had felt like shit since then. His heart was heavy with anxiety and sick with guilt now that he had calmed down. He felt disgusted at himself for the pleasure he took in hurting his father. He regretted his words bitterly but he was too ashamed to just pick up the phone and apologize.
The quarter devil had only realized in the hours that had followed the incident that his last words had been far more awfull than he had intended. That he basically told his father he’d rather had him stay dead.
Hell, he never meant to imply that. Never. This was so wrong. Even at the worst of his anger he never, ever, wished his father hadn’t come back. That just wasn’t true.
They had made so much progress since the Qliphoth, and now Nero had destroyed their relationship. If only he could go back in time and make himself shut-up before he ruined everything. But sadly, this was not possible and Nero would need to take responsibility for his words sooner or later. This was going to hurt. A lot.
Now, the quarter devil was driving through Fortuna’s streets, the weather was already pretty stormy which didn’t help Nero’s depressed mood.
People were running some last errants, buying canned food and securing things up before the storm hit. It was said to be an exceptionally big storm, a once in a decade thing.
The wind was already tugging at the trees, carrying the salty fragrance of the sea. Nero would need to speed things up because the storm seemed far closer than what had been announced. He hoped the kids wouldn’t get too scared of the weather.
He parked the van in front of the address the lady gave him on the phone. This was a really pretty neighborhood. The tall modern apartment buildings were facing the sea directly; those were brand new and probably very expensive. Some of them were still under construction. The area was still being rebuilt after the Savior incident had badly damaged this part of the city.
Nero stepped out of the van. The wind pulled at his jacket harshly, ruffling his hair and making his eyes water. He squinted and looked up at the sea. Dark clouds were rolling in from the horizon, lightning already visible in the distance.
He had two hours, maybe three, before the storm hit. He’d better hurry and get to work. Let’s get this done.
Kyrie was growing really worried. The storm was here now, almost four hours ahead of the forecast’s previsions.
Strong gusts of wind pushed and pulled at the house’s roof, its old wood creaking and bending under the pressure. The whole house seemed to be fighting to stay in one piece. It was pretty terrifying.
The girl’s eyes couldn’t help but sweep over the ceiling at every sinister sound that came from above. Soon, heavy rain joined the howling wind, drumming against the tiles loudly.
Rain poured and poured, masking the landscape under a curtain of water. Kyrie had never seen anything like it. The girl looked anxiously through the windows but she couldn’t see a thing, it made her feel almost claustrophobic.
Nero was still out there, somewhere. She hoped he was alright.
Lightning struck down somewhere in the city and the flash of light illuminated the living room before the thunder made the house shake. The bright beam hurt her eyes and she needed to blink a few times to get rid of the white dots dancing in her vision.
The opera singer heard a small distressed cry from the room upstairs and she hurriedly went to check on the kids. The three of them were in Julio’s room. They tried to play a game, waiting bravely for the storm to pass but the girl could see the fear on her kids’ faces.
They were terrified. So was she, but she couldn’t afford to let it show. They needed her to keep a cool head until the whole mess was over.
She went to sit down and play on the floor with them. The children always loved it when Nero, Nico or herself spent time with them, but their absolute favorite playmate was Dante.
The kids were attracted to the red hunter like moths to a flame. As soon as they knew that he and Vergil were invited to come by, they grew over excited.
Even Nero’s reserved father was surprisingly popular with the children. Especially with Kyle. The memories of their very first chaotic family dinner managed to put a smile on Kyrie’s lips.
Her smile faded as her thoughts brought her back to Nero’s depressed state of late. Her poor lover’s heart was breaking apart and it showed. He hadn’t been sleeping well for more than a week now and he picked at his food without really eating much.
Nero had told her what had happened during the mission. What he had said. She couldn’t deny that he had, indeed, messed up and most certainly had hurt his father. Kyrie truly hoped that Nero would sort things out with Vergil soon, it made her sad to see him hurt so much.
The girl challenged the three kids for another round of games when a particularly strong gust of wind struck the house. A portion of the roof tore and the children screamed in fright as the heavy sound of tiles sliding down the slope could be heard.
Kyrie gasped, pulling the kids close to her chest. This was bad. Trying her best to reassure them, she stood up and instructed them to get down to the living room.
Water was already starting to leak through the ceiling, the rain flooding the attic. The girl was still staring anxiously at the growing wet stain on the white paint above her head when Nico’s panicked voice called for her from the hallway.
“Kyrie ! Water’s coming into the garage !” Nico shouted, her voice gritty and hoarse.
“What ? Oh no !” Kyrie exclaimed as she quickly left Julio’s room and went down the stairs, to join the sick gunsmith.
They both crossed the hallway in a hurry and opened the door leading to the garage. Water was flowing under the door and flooding the inside.
“Fuck, it’s rising quickly !” Nico exclaimed, nervously. All her tools were stored down here and they didn’t like water. The water level was rising so fast it was already lapping at the first step that led up to the house.
Kyrie paled, turned and went to the living room. She looked through the windows again, and managed to get a glimpse of the street. It was completely drowned in dark muddy waters. Fortuna’s sewage system was completely overrun already, and it was still pouring at an alarming rate.
What could she do ? As she pondered her very limited options, she heard the children gasp loudly behind her.
Water was coming in through the front door now, flowing freely through the small gap between the bottom of the door and the wooden floor. She quickly grabbed a rag from the kitchen and tried to stench the flow but she soon realized it was pointless.
More and more water kept coming in and in a few minutes the opera singer found herself ankle deep in the cold liquid.They couldn’t stay here, if the water continued to rise it could become dangerous. Should she send the kids back upstairs ? But what if the roof tore even more ?
What would Nero do if he was here ? God, she prayed he was alright. She fought valiantly against the panic rising inside her, but what should they do ? Where could they go ? They couldn’t possibly go outside, the weather was far too bad. She had no relatives left where they could find shelter, neither did Nico nor Nero… W-Wait !
The revelation hit her hard and she all but ran to the phone. She hastily dialed the Devil May Cry’s number, her hands shaking badly from all the stress and fear. She missed a few times before she finally managed to get the numbers right. Please, please, please somebody answer. Please.
Dante and Vergil were certainly really mad at Nero but they were still family. Maybe they could help her even if she was only some unfamiliar in-law.
Her call rang again and again and despair started to chip away at her hope. Did their relationship with Nero sour so much that they wouldn’t even answer the phone ?
How was she going to keep the children safe against the storm on her own ? Tears started to pool in her eyes, she hadn’t felt this lost and lonely since her parents and brother died.
The singer was about to give up when sound finally came through the receiver.
“Devil May Cry.” came the familiar voice of Dante. Kyrie almost sobbed in relief.
“Dante, it’s me Kyrie ! I need your help, please !” she answered, sniffing, stress making her voice shake.
“Kyrie ? What’s wrong ? Are you okay ?” Dante’s voice sounded worried.
“We’re okay, but… but… there is a storm here, it’s really bad.” She gulped, and took a shaky breath to pull herself together. “ Water’s coming inside the house from everywhere and I don’t know what to do ! Nero’s on a hunt and he hasn’t come back. Please, please I need help!” The words kept tumbling out of her mouth, she was so scared, her thoughts were all over the place.
“Wow, slow down, slow down. Deep breath, okay ? We’re coming over right now, don’t move.” the red half-devil said before hanging-up.
Water was lapping at her calves now. The opera singer turned to the kids, they looked terrified, perched on the sofa over the ugly waters. Even Nico looked scared and nervous with her bloodshot eyes and her red nose tip.
Blue lines brutally appeared in the hallway in front of Kyrie. A part of her home vanished behind a purplish void from which appeared two familiar silhouettes.
The girl felt so grateful, her heart swelled up inside her chest. She felt her cheeks grow wet and quickly wiped them away.
Dante and Vergil materialized inside the house. Water flowing and rippling around them. They looked pretty unswayed by the flood or by the howling wind outside the house.
Dante took one look at the desperate girls in front of him, the fearful expression on the kids, and then to the water rising in the living room and put two and two together. Okay, this situation calls for extreme measures.
“Well, seems to me like you need some place to stay until his storm settles down. How about you all come over ?” Dante asked Kyrie as he took a few steps inside the living room, his boots splashing loudly in the water.
Kyrie looked at Nico, unsure if she could accept his invitation. Nero was still not back, if he found the house empty he would be worried. Maybe she should send Nico and the kids with Dante and wait for him here ?
“Are you sure this is okay ?” She asked timidly.
Her question was mainly directed at Dante because they would go to his place, but it was in fact for Vergil too. Maybe it was a bit hypocritical to ask this when she was the one who called for help but she didn’t want to put more strain on their relationship with Nero.
Said blue half-devil was watching her with an unsettling strong gaze, his brow furrowed.
“Of course it’s okay ! Let’s go right now. Hey kids ! How about a sleepover at your uncle Dante’s place ?” The hunter said as he was already messing with the children, stealing a few giggles on the way.
“Where is Nero ?” Vergil asked Kyrie when the girl looked back at him.
“He went on a mission this morning. The storm shouldn’t have hit so soon, he hasn’t made it back home yet.” She explained, fighting to keep her voice even.
The blue half-devil said nothing but his frown deepened. He looked at his twin, who was already lifting Julio and Kyle up in his arms to bring them to the portal. Their eyes met and Dante just nodded.
The red half-devil didn’t need his twin to voice his intentions, he already knew what he had in mind.
Nico, carrying little Carlo, took a shaky breath as she entered the portal first and disappeared. She was soon followed by Dante and the two other kids.
Kyrie stared at her empty, waterlogged home. Sadness filled her as she watched the destruction. A few tears escaped her again, mostly caused by the massive stress that she went through.
She made no move to get closer to the portal, still hesitating if she should stay and wait for Nero. A voice snapped her out of her thoughts, she had almost forgotten that she wasn’t alone in the room.
“Go. I will find Nero. Then we will join you.” Vergil told Kyrie. His tone was clipped but lacking its usual severeness.
Yet the opera singer still hesitated. She wanted Nero to come home but she didn’t like the idea of his father taking risks by going out into the storm.
Vergil eventually approached Kyrie when she stayed rooted on the spot. She looked up at him, grateful, upset and worried. She sniffed inelegantly and wiped her tears on her sleeve. She needed to be strong. They would be okay. They had to.
“The storm is really awful, you’ll have to be very careful.” She demanded as she finally took a few steps toward the portal. It made the blue twin smirk.
“I will keep your words in mind.” he answered and the dry comment managed to make Kyrie chuckle wetly.
“Nero told me he was going to investigate the streets on the seaside, where the newest residential area had been recently built. “ she told her father-in-law.
He nodded, this would allow him to narrow his search perimeter down.
“Get some rest. You may use my room if the need arises. Dante’s is not suited for guests.” he said sternly, his disapproval obvious.
“Thank you. “ Kyrie whispered, her voice thick before she stepped inside the portal and appeared in the Devil May Cry.