XDH Chapter 4
Dec. 17th, 2018 10:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamerI don't think this version of Dante is entirely accurate but I'm going with what I wrote years ago because it's interesting. And different. And other stuff. I don't know, I spent 5 hours working on an email technical issue it would take Willow five minutes to fix. (It took Senpai, what, maybe half an hour?) ...I don't work with Outlook much.
~Dreamer~
Main Points:
Buffy/Devil May Cry Halloween Crossover, Buffy AU
Chapter Summary: Dante saves someone else.
Word Count: 965
Rating: T
“What are you doing?” Ghost Lady asks, sounding scandalized, and it takes a total of about two seconds for his conscious brain to catch up to his instinctual one.
“Déjà vu doesn’t usually bode well in my line of work,” he responds. He’s forgotten more than he’s remembered about his past with Vergil. Or the rest of his past. Whenever it crops up again and he only half remembers it, people usually end up dead. In this case, though, it’s probably he’s just accessing the girl’s memories. He starts to lower the gun before he hears a sound from the kitchen. It’s small, maybe even a mouse, but he’s not going to take chances.
“Was anyone supposed to be here?” he asks Willow carefully.
She’s frowning. “No, Mrs. Summers was supposed to be at work.”
“Stay here,” he hisses, tries to move as quickly and silently as he can.
Fortunately, he manages to take the demon by surprise. It’s a simple matter to pick it up by the throat and hold it against the fridge, struggling in his grasp, pressing Dawn against the Adam’s apple.
And suddenly Cat-Lady is right next to him. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t kill him!”
“One low-level measly demon’s worth that much to you?” But even as he asks, he remembers a certain errand boy demon he’d spared. Still, that hadn’t turned out as intended, and this one wasn’t half as amusing.
“You’re on that, too?” She sighs. “Look, he’s a good demon, okay?”
He snarls, devil form on the forefront of his mind, just as he can feel it right under the skin of this vampire. At least his theory about the vampires of the town looks pretty likely, which is kind of reassuring. “You’re not acting like you’ve ever seen a demon before, so I’m not sure you’re the best judge.” Then again, if she’s not getting it from the stronger-than-human strength right here…
“No, seriously, Dante, he’s on our side,” Red Ghost appears at the opening to the kitchen.
“Fine, fine, but if he attempts to bite your butt that’s it, heads are rolling.” He drops the vampire in an unceremonious pile on the floor.
“What the hell Alex?” the vampire mutters, fear and uncertainty and a little bit of outrage in his eyes.
“I mean, good phrasing.” He casually leans back against the counter behind him, casually tucking the gun back into the holster at his chest. “Quick catch-up: due to our costumes, we’re not the people you knew. Except for maybe Red there. And, oddly enough, Cat Lady.”
“Hey!” Cat Lady exclaims, annoyed. He ignores her.
“Dante. Legendary demon slayer. So, you’re on a diet, then?” He could go into more detail, but he’s trying not to freak out Lady Useless in the other room, and he’s not sure trying to access his Devil Form is a good idea.
“You’re not kidding, are you?” The look the vampire gives him says he’s noticed, but he’s not saying anything for the same reasons. “I’m trying to make up for my past.”
Uh—okay. That makes…some sense. Even as it’s stupid. “How about helping people because it’s the right thing to do?”
Apparently, that’s enough to cause the vampire’s brain to crash. He sighs.
“Well, while we wait for our resident bloodsucker to get back mentally, let’s see about making this place a fortress and figuring out how to undo all of this.” That stretch feels nice.
“Wait, Giles!” Red exclaims and plunges through the wall. He blinks, still looking at the wall where she’d disappeared.
“Right. Okay, our ghost disappeared. Guess I should’ve expected that.” He snags a cookie from the counter, stuffing his face. Well, it’s confirmed; he does get to taste what his girl does. Nice. And delicious. He grabs three more.
“What are you doing?” Cat Lady’s judging him. Rude.
He tries to say “Look, it’s a price she won’t mind paying for the safety of her daughter,” but his mouth is full, so it doesn’t quite come out right. He shrugs and smiles sheepishly instead, making his way to the door. Which is unlocked. Okay, so a wooden door can’t do much against, say, Phantom, but in a town full of sneaky demons and vampires, leaving it unlocked is pretty much an invitation saying ‘hey, I’m suicidal, come murder me now’. He locks it and starts looking around for something to bar the door…
“Where did Buffy go?” Cat Lady asks, sounding bored but there’s a current of actual concern under it, and he glances around and shakes his head.
“Seriously, what don’t these people get about staying put?” he mutters to himself. This is why he doesn’t do escort missions. Humans are fragile and prone to doing dumb things. They’re awesome, but not so good on a battlefield.
“We have to go after her!” Vampire, broken out of his mental bluescreen of death by a damsel in distress. He smells some pretty tragedy in there, but it’s not really that relevant at the moment. Right now, they’ve got a Lady Useless to save.
And then he rushes off into the night, without waiting. He glances at the Cat Lady.
“I’m not just waiting in here to get killed. I’m coming with,” she states. She’s acting like she doesn’t, in fact, care, but she’s got the courage and care for others. All she needs is a weapon.
“Got a clue how to use a gun?” he asks her.
“How hard could it be?” she asks, bravado foremost, and…well, it’s not the most inspiring thing he’s ever heard, but he doesn’t want to leave her unarmed, either. She gets Dusk. Her grip doesn’t make him feel very confident, either, but they’re wasting time.
~Dreamer~
Main Points:
Buffy/Devil May Cry Halloween Crossover, Buffy AU
Chapter Summary: Dante saves someone else.
Word Count: 965
Rating: T
Dante tenses and draws Dusk upon stepping inside the threshold.
“What are you doing?” Ghost Lady asks, sounding scandalized, and it takes a total of about two seconds for his conscious brain to catch up to his instinctual one.
“Déjà vu doesn’t usually bode well in my line of work,” he responds. He’s forgotten more than he’s remembered about his past with Vergil. Or the rest of his past. Whenever it crops up again and he only half remembers it, people usually end up dead. In this case, though, it’s probably he’s just accessing the girl’s memories. He starts to lower the gun before he hears a sound from the kitchen. It’s small, maybe even a mouse, but he’s not going to take chances.
“Was anyone supposed to be here?” he asks Willow carefully.
She’s frowning. “No, Mrs. Summers was supposed to be at work.”
“Stay here,” he hisses, tries to move as quickly and silently as he can.
Fortunately, he manages to take the demon by surprise. It’s a simple matter to pick it up by the throat and hold it against the fridge, struggling in his grasp, pressing Dawn against the Adam’s apple.
And suddenly Cat-Lady is right next to him. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t kill him!”
“One low-level measly demon’s worth that much to you?” But even as he asks, he remembers a certain errand boy demon he’d spared. Still, that hadn’t turned out as intended, and this one wasn’t half as amusing.
“You’re on that, too?” She sighs. “Look, he’s a good demon, okay?”
He snarls, devil form on the forefront of his mind, just as he can feel it right under the skin of this vampire. At least his theory about the vampires of the town looks pretty likely, which is kind of reassuring. “You’re not acting like you’ve ever seen a demon before, so I’m not sure you’re the best judge.” Then again, if she’s not getting it from the stronger-than-human strength right here…
“No, seriously, Dante, he’s on our side,” Red Ghost appears at the opening to the kitchen.
“Fine, fine, but if he attempts to bite your butt that’s it, heads are rolling.” He drops the vampire in an unceremonious pile on the floor.
“What the hell Alex?” the vampire mutters, fear and uncertainty and a little bit of outrage in his eyes.
“I mean, good phrasing.” He casually leans back against the counter behind him, casually tucking the gun back into the holster at his chest. “Quick catch-up: due to our costumes, we’re not the people you knew. Except for maybe Red there. And, oddly enough, Cat Lady.”
“Hey!” Cat Lady exclaims, annoyed. He ignores her.
“Dante. Legendary demon slayer. So, you’re on a diet, then?” He could go into more detail, but he’s trying not to freak out Lady Useless in the other room, and he’s not sure trying to access his Devil Form is a good idea.
“You’re not kidding, are you?” The look the vampire gives him says he’s noticed, but he’s not saying anything for the same reasons. “I’m trying to make up for my past.”
Uh—okay. That makes…some sense. Even as it’s stupid. “How about helping people because it’s the right thing to do?”
Apparently, that’s enough to cause the vampire’s brain to crash. He sighs.
“Well, while we wait for our resident bloodsucker to get back mentally, let’s see about making this place a fortress and figuring out how to undo all of this.” That stretch feels nice.
“Wait, Giles!” Red exclaims and plunges through the wall. He blinks, still looking at the wall where she’d disappeared.
“Right. Okay, our ghost disappeared. Guess I should’ve expected that.” He snags a cookie from the counter, stuffing his face. Well, it’s confirmed; he does get to taste what his girl does. Nice. And delicious. He grabs three more.
“What are you doing?” Cat Lady’s judging him. Rude.
He tries to say “Look, it’s a price she won’t mind paying for the safety of her daughter,” but his mouth is full, so it doesn’t quite come out right. He shrugs and smiles sheepishly instead, making his way to the door. Which is unlocked. Okay, so a wooden door can’t do much against, say, Phantom, but in a town full of sneaky demons and vampires, leaving it unlocked is pretty much an invitation saying ‘hey, I’m suicidal, come murder me now’. He locks it and starts looking around for something to bar the door…
“Where did Buffy go?” Cat Lady asks, sounding bored but there’s a current of actual concern under it, and he glances around and shakes his head.
“Seriously, what don’t these people get about staying put?” he mutters to himself. This is why he doesn’t do escort missions. Humans are fragile and prone to doing dumb things. They’re awesome, but not so good on a battlefield.
“We have to go after her!” Vampire, broken out of his mental bluescreen of death by a damsel in distress. He smells some pretty tragedy in there, but it’s not really that relevant at the moment. Right now, they’ve got a Lady Useless to save.
And then he rushes off into the night, without waiting. He glances at the Cat Lady.
“I’m not just waiting in here to get killed. I’m coming with,” she states. She’s acting like she doesn’t, in fact, care, but she’s got the courage and care for others. All she needs is a weapon.
“Got a clue how to use a gun?” he asks her.
“How hard could it be?” she asks, bravado foremost, and…well, it’s not the most inspiring thing he’s ever heard, but he doesn’t want to leave her unarmed, either. She gets Dusk. Her grip doesn’t make him feel very confident, either, but they’re wasting time.
