Poison

Author's Notes: This is the final installment of Poison. There is now a sequel called Antidote; if you enjoyed this, please feel free to read it to continue the story.

If you enjoyed, please review!

Thanks for the audience.

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Characters belong to Capcom.

~ Epilogue ~

The rising sun was dyeing the eastern horizon a bloody hue. Beautiful day for demon-slaying, thought Lady absent-mindedly, as she strolled down Slum Avenue toward the Devil May Cry headquarters. Kalina Ann clinked rhythmically, comfortingly, against the clips lashed around her waist. Today, perhaps, she had almost enough energy to match the fiery half-demon proprietor of the devil-killing agency. She hummed to herself as she rounded the corner and the neon sign came into view.

Someone was emerging from the office, but it was too early for customers. At first she thought it was Dante, but the posture and clothes seemed too dignified, too filled with cold haughtiness to be her companion…

The man turned and saw her, and before she could even lift a finger to draw her twin pistols, a gloved hand had her by the throat, was lifting her into the air, slamming her into the wall.

Her scarlet and blue eyes stared into a pair of silver-ice ones; “You!” she choked out as Vergil’s iron grip slowly crushed her windpipe.

“So you’re still here,” Vergil mused. A slight pause, then, “Dante’s been poisoned.”

Her eyes flashed and her pulse raced—

“…but not by me.”

He released her suddenly, and she fell to her knees, gasping for air, clutching her bruised throat.

“He needs your help.” Vergil’s back was already turned to her; he was already striding purposefully away. “He and I have a date to keep… and make sure to remind him to bring Father’s sword to the party.”

Lady hadn’t quite caught her breath, but she managed to gasp a hoarse “Wait—!” at his retreating figure. He didn’t stop though, but rounded the corner quickly and was gone.

Her heart pounding in her throat, Lady stood on shaky legs, then rushed toward the office door and yanked it ajar.

As the morning light filtered past her silhouette framed in the doorway, her eyes fell upon a heart-stopping sight: there was blood everywhere, enormous smears of it on the wood planks, on the desk… and lying half-naked and motionless on the floor was Dante.

For a moment, all she could do was gape at his prone form in shock; she had never imagined to see her cocky, swaggering, half-demon colleague in such a state.

She ran to him, knelt down, and gently took his head into her arms. Fevered sweat was beaded on his forehead; his silky white hair was caked with dried blood. She brushed the locks out of his face with her fingertips; he opened his eyes weakly.

“Dante…” she breathed as he slowly raised a bewildered hand to her cheek as though needing to confirm her solid presence. “Your brother… did Vergil…” she began, then stopped, unsure how to proceed.

Dante’s eyes closed again and he coughed one cough; she could hear blood gurgle in his throat.

“Vergil…” he whispered, so softly Lady had to bend her head closer to hear him.

“I’ll kill him… I’ll kill him…”

The hand at her cheek fell heavily, limply back to his side; she studied the finely formed features of his face, and then watched as something glistened beneath the lashes resting against his pale cheek.

His body gave a shudder in her arms as he drifted back out of consciousness; she drew him closer to her chest and sadly pressed her lips softly to his forehead.

“Even the devil may cry, huh?” Lady whispered.

~ Poison FIN ~