Devil May...Moan?

A little Author’s Note before I continue. I will strive very hard to keep Dante in character, though he does seem a little young and a little too cocky, but I was really trying to bring out the contrast between Riddick and Dante’s personalities. It only gets harder from here to keep them in character because I’m going to be putting them in situations where they will be acting out of character and thus making it that much more difficult to keep them in line. You will be seeing every one of the ratings in my summary, that much I can promise but it will take some time.

And as for the CBT, Dhuaine, you will get to see it, but it’s grouped in with the B-Mod. I’ll try not to get too kinky on you guys but I can’t promise anything. I just can’t resist sometimes^^ If there are some ratings that you’d rather not see let me know and I’ll try to tone it down, but for the time being I’m going on as planned. Please enjoy this latest installment^^

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“Okay, so what’s the game plan gentlemen?”

I was really starting to hate the sound of her voice. It grated on my nerves and was starting to give me a headache that being shot in the head twice hadn’t given me. Did she ever shut up?

“I was thinking we could just bust in there, kill everything that moves and be done with it.” I mutter tiredly, magazine covering my face. I had hoped it might muffle the sound of her voice, but of course…no such luck.

“Right. We bust in there, get our asses kicked and probably killed and then what genius?” she growled bitingly and I had to lift the edge of the magazine to give her a raised eyebrow. “Am I even getting paid for this? I mean, if you guys haven’t noticed I kinda run a business here that specializes in hunting down demons.”

By the look she gives me I can already tell what the answer is going to be. “You’ll do this out of the good of your heart or the people on this planet stand no chance against him.” she hissed snidely and kicked the edge of my desk. It rattled threateningly under my booted feet and I give her the peeved glare she deserves. “Right, so no money means I get to do a half ass job. That’s the way it goes. So my vote is still for busting down the door and killing everything that moves.” I murmur and drop the magazine back over my eyes.

I hear the rustling of movement and suddenly the magazine is gone and I am left staring up into dark, angry eyes. “You do a half ass job, demon, and we’re all dead. Either do it right or find another planet to call home.” she growled and tossed the magazine back at me. I caught it and spun it around a bit before tossing it behind me to land neatly on a pile of them. Oh yeah, I still had it. I hear a feminine snort of disgust and turn to see Kira glaring daggers at me, looking far less than impressed. “What?” I ask defensively and she rolls her eyes.

“Are you naturally a showoff or is it for my benefit? If it’s the latter let me save you the effort, I’m not impressed.” she said dryly and turned those cold calculating eyes towards Riddick. “So what’s your take on this? Any ideas?”

Those strange iridescent eyes were covered once more with dark goggles so I couldn’t tell if he was looking at me or her or something else. Hell, maybe his eyes were closed for all I knew. The deep timbre of his voice was shocking in the hushed quiet of the room. The rain outside seemed to block any outside noises, creating the illusion of relative privacy.

“If you cut the head off the snake, the body dies.” He replied cryptically but Kira seemed to understand perfectly.

“Okay, so we go directly for Apostolos, no dicking around and going for the lower demons first. If we can take him out we can stop this killing streak he and his companions are on.” she murmured, her eyes going distant as she chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. It gave the illusion of innocence but I knew better. This woman could kill without flinching and she’d do so with a smile on her face. Now that was my kind of woman.

“Any idea where to find this guy?” I ask, because they both seemed to know what the hell they were doing and what was going on. I had yet to be filled in completely. Apparently meeting big ugly himself seemed enough for them. Well screw that, I wanted answers.

“He’s taken up residence in the fourth quarter, not really all that far away from the park we met him in. He tends to keep a close eye on Maple street that runs along the south end of the quarter so I’m thinking that’s where the entrance to his hideout is. If there’s a back entrance he probably thinks no one knows about it.” She replied casually in an offhand sort of way.

I give her a blank stare and fight to keep the emotions from playing across my face. It sorta pissed me off that they were letting me walk into this blind when they clearly knew what was going on. What other information would I get later after I might have needed it?

“Okay, I give. Explain this shit to me. All I know is there are some nasty demons in town and they are killing people. Apparently I’ve met the head honcho already but that’s about it. So he’s one scary mother fucker but that’s all I know. Is there something else you should be telling me?” All joking aside, I was ready to get down to business now. Things were getting a little too serious for me to ignore the obvious danger. I wasn’t scared, really, I could survive just about anything, but if I wasn’t careful I’d meet someone eventually that would make even the legendary Sparda look like a weenie and the idea didn’t appeal to me as much anymore.

I meet the condescending look Kira levels at me with a flick of my middle finger. “I want answers, now, or I walk. I’ve done enough freelance shit for Lady and Trish to keep me firmly in debt for the rest of my unnaturally long life so either talk or I’m leaving the fate of the world in your oh so capable hands.”

Not surprisingly, I am left in silence as the two exchange what I guess is a questioning look before Kira finally turns back to me.

“He has this…power,” he started slowly and let her gaze flicker to the man lounging on my couch. “It can be a little disturbing when it’s used right and in our experience, based on the victims he’s left behind, he generally drives them insane. They take their own lives and that’s the end of it.”

I give her the blank stare she deserves and she meets it easily. “And what is this power?” I shouldn’t have needed to ask but she seemed determined to make me pull the information out of her hand over hand. She shifts uncomfortably and glances back at Riddick. I was getting a little tired of this game but I kept my mouth shut. If I wanted answers I was going to have to be patient. Right. Dante, Son of Sparda…patient? When hell freezes over. Then again the guardian to the gate of hell was a three headed dog who wielded the power of ice…so maybe.

“We’re not exactly sure what it is.”

Ah. So that was the problem was it? It wasn’t that they knew it was some horrible power, they just knew that it left behind a string of victims that couldn’t tell them what had been done to them. Great, just fucking fantastic.

“Right, so we fight this guy blind and hope for the best?”

Another hesitant glance at Riddick and I was done with being patient. “Stop looking at him, I asked you a question, just answer it. Do we plan on facing this guy completely ignorant of his power?”

Another moment of silence before she finally nodded. “Yes, we will fight him with the hope that you will be demon enough to fend him off if need be.” she murmured.

“Right so we go with my original plan. We bust in, kill everything that moves and save the world. When do we start?”

“How about now?” The chilling voice slid over my spine like cold fingers and I had to suppress a shudder. I hear Kira gasp but before I can move the world starts to shrink and the walls of my office fall away, even the sound of the rain pounding on the roof slipped into darkness and I was left floating in comfortable darkness.

“What good is the ability to see in the dark, Riddick, when there is nothing to see?” I knew he wasn’t talking to me, but the voice was so close to my ear that I tried to jump and move away. But my limbs refused to move…I couldn’t even feel the rest of my body.

“And what good are your precious weapons if there is no target to shoot at, Dante Son of Sparda?” I didn’t want to think of the implications in that one statement so I focused on getting my body to move instead.

“Kira, Riddick?” I called. Silence.

There was a sudden sharp pain in my leg and then a voice, distant but annoyed in my ear. “Dante! Wake your ass up you sorry excuse for a demon hunter.”

Trish? What was she doing back at the office so early? “Trish?” I gasp the name out but there is no answering voice. “You lazy son-of-a-bitch, get up off your ass, there’s work to be done, you still owe me.” It was Lady this time and I didn’t understand why they couldn’t hear me. “Lady?”

Another sharp pain in my leg and my stomach turns violently as if I were going to be sick. Out of the darkness a firm hand grips my shoulder and warm breath tickles my ear. “You are wrong, Apostolos, I can still see Dante, he is here in this darkness with me.”

I didn’t understand the words, not really, but I held onto the feel of that hand on my shoulder and the warm breath tickling my ear. The deep timbre of a voice was familiar and suddenly I knew who it was. It was Riddick.

“Riddick!” I hate how relieved I sound, but there is no explaining this irrational fear that grips me. His hand tightens on my shoulder as if in warning and I stop trying to get his attention. Something was happening that I just didn’t understand, and if the conversation we had been having a few minutes ago was any indication…neither did Riddick.

“You fear true darkness, a place where there is nothing to see, nothing to feel or hear. You fear true death, Riddick. You like to pretend that it does not matter to you…but you are a creature used to surviving…you would be lost, a wandering soul if you were to die now.”

I felt Riddick tense beside me and knew that Apostolos had hit a nerve.

“But you Dante…you I cannot seem to fear so easily. I take away your sight, your sense of self, I plant you in inky darkness without your weapons and leave you helpless…and yet you are only fearful because I will it. You feel fear but not for any reason at all. Even if I were to threaten you with death you would not flinch.”

There was a pregnant pause in which no one said a word, I couldn’t even hear the sound of breathing or my own heartbeat.

“I will find your weakness, Dante. Mark my words.” it was the last thing he said before the darkness was lifted and suddenly I could feel my body again. I was laying on my back, staring up at the fan turning lazily on the ceiling with a hard body pressed to my side.

Kira’s face loomed into view but instead of annoyed, she looked scared. “What happened?” I ask quietly and she glances at the still form next to me.

“You both just collapsed…I uh…I think you broke your leg. You fell backward and it was tangled in the chair. I heard the bone snap and then you didn’t move again. After you fell Riddick got up and walked over to you but the moment he reached you he collapsed again.”

Sitting up proved to be a little more difficult than I had anticipated. One there was a rather bulky male draped over my side and two, my leg was a twisted mess. How the hell had that happened? Okay, so I knew how it happened but still…it seemed like such a horrible injury for something so small.

With a little effort I managed to untangle my leg which was already mending itself before I lay back down, drained beyond anything I’d ever felt before.

“Did you hear a word that was spoken?” I ask, my voice thick with tension that the pain was causing.

She shook her head, sending chocolate brown curls tumbling over one shoulder. “After the initial voice everything went silent. It sounded like Apostolos, but I wasn’t sure. Did he speak to you?”

I give her a dry look before glancing at Riddick who was still laying next to me, quiet except for his breathing. “They did most of the talking. But I’m pretty sure I know what his power is now.” I look up to meet her expectant gaze.

“He feels out your fears and uses them against you. He said Riddick’s was-” A strong hand is slapped over my mouth and suddenly I am looking up into the iridescent eyes of one angry Riddick.

“You say anything to her about what he said and I will gut you in your sleep, take your heart and head and then burn every piece before scattering them over separate bodies of water. Is that clear?” I nod mutely and he rolls away, ignoring Kira’s rapid fire questions as he moves across the room to retrieve his goggles.

When she gets no answers from Riddick she turns to pin me with murderous eyes. “What did he say your weakness was?” she snaps and I fight the urge to wilt beneath her anger. I was such as sucker for pretty ladies. “He said he doesn’t know what I fear.” I reply easily and ignore the look of disbelief she sends my way.

“Let it be, Kira.” It was Riddick but Kira still looked reluctant. “Fine.” she mutters after a moment and stomps off to lean against the wall, crossing her arms under her breasts. “So what’s the plan?” She doesn’t sound too happy but she stops pushing.

“We go with Dante’s plan.”

I know my jaw hit the floor with that one and I glance over at him in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me. The fucker is going to get us killed Riddick. You’ve seen how reckless he is. He won’t care that some of us can’t regenerate!” she snapped angrily.

“And he has no fear to exploit, no weaknesses to attack, and no lack of courage. The longer we wait, the more chances we give Apostolos to figure out a weakness in him. We either go now while we are at our strongest or we give him the upper hand. Which is it Kira?”

She pauses before letting her gaze fall to the ground. “I don’t want to die, Riddick.” she murmurs softly and I watch in amazement as the bigger man’s shoulders droop. “I won’t let you die.” he said quietly, but I can hear the soft uncertainty in his voice. “How about you two stay here and I’ll go do the dirty work? That way no one has to die, no one is in danger and I can sleep tonight knowing that I didn’t needlessly put two strangers in danger.”

Riddick turns those strangely iridescent eyes on me and I thought I saw a flicker of understanding before it dies and I am left with the impression of nothing but a cold killer. “I’m going with you, Kira will stay here.” She opens her mouth to protest but Riddick cuts her off with a sharp look. “We go in, kill everything that moves and get out. But we need to make a side trip first.” he murmurs and pulls the goggles down over his eyes. “There’s a power line that we can take out a block north of his hide-out that will put them into total darkness.”

“Right, so show time?” I ask and he nods solemnly.

If I didn’t know we were walking into a trap, I might have been a little more excited. Maybe. But at the moment I just felt tired. My leg was already mended but my body was drained and that didn’t exactly bode well for the coming battle. But what did I have to fear? It would take a lot to kill me and I would have backup this time. But something told me that this time…well even the great Sparda met his match when trying to conquer the underworld.

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Right, so really sorry about the slow update, I blame my uber busy work schedule. I’m definitely working 6 days a week now so please be patient^^ Anyway, thank you for reading! And please review!