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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞
Ⅰ 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒎
WHERE THERE ARE DEMONS, WITCHES WEREN'T SO FAR BEHIND. It was stronger than any other energy she had felt before. The little girl with blond hair gripped the red haired woman's hand tighter. "Rory... My feet hurt."
"You'll be okay," Rory nodded, looking down at the young girl. "We're almost there." Rory ventured through the town, asking about a place to stay. A man in his early thirties had directed Rory and the young girl, Kat, to a man down the road.
Rory slowed to a light walk and pushed Kat slightly behind her. She looked up at the old house, the garage was open a large brown van inside. A young woman played around with three kids in a yard as another woman and a man with white hair messed around with the van.
Rory walked closer to the garage and took a breath. "Excuse me," Rory called and the boy with white hair looked up. "I'm looking for Nero."
SIX MONTHS LATER
KYRIE RESTED A HAND ON HER HIP AND SHOOK HER HEAD SOFTLY. "Kat be careful please," Kyrie called as Kat started to climb on the table.
"She continues to stay the most erratic of the kids," Rory laughed, taking a spoon to stir the pot.
"And to think it was Carlo," Kyrie laughed softly, shaking her head. "Now, I'll plate up, can you go get Nico and Nero please?"
"Yeah," Rory nodded and whipped her hands before walking out to the garage. "Hey, dinners ready," Rory called as she leaned on the door frame.
"Few more minutes," Nero nodded looking up from the hood of the car, a muck stain on his cheek.
"Hey, don't lose a finger," Rory suggested with a teasing smile as she slipped back inside. Nico followed a minute later, stealing a bite from the plate Kyrie was serving. Kyrie waited a minute before calling out to Nero. "Nero, the food's getting cold. What's going-?"
"Kyrie! Get back inside, now!" Nero yelled, stopping Kyrie in her steps. A split second after, a massive crashing sound rang out from the garage.
"Demons?" Kat asked, looking up at the older girls. Rory knelt down and rested her hands on Kat's shoulders.
"Stay here," Rory ordered, "All of you." Nero screamed out in pain and Rory shot to her feet. "Stay."
Rory rushed out to the garage, watching a tall man in an overly large coat step up to a portal. Rory stood in shock for a moment at the blood rushing from Nero's arm. Rory threw her arm out, red smoke-like texture covering her fingers and Nero's toolbox and tossed it into the man's back. The man stumbled and the portal closed.
"Fuck me," Rory cursed sliding next to Nero as he tried to crawl toward where the man stood. "Nero," Rory called moving her fingers around and holding the blood against his arm. "You gotta stay awake."
"Nero!" Kyrie called, rushing to Nero's side.
"I leave you alone for two minutes, what the hell happened?!" Nico yelled, standing over them.
"Call an ambulance," Rory instructed as Nero's eyes fluttered shut.
✦
RORY'S LEG BOUNCED SLIGHTLY AS SHE WATCHED OVER NERO. Kyrie stayed in the house looking after the kids and Nico helped her at the house as well as fixing up the van. Rory had a phone in her hands, spinning it between her fingers; it was the only way Rory could get Kyrie to go home and watch the others. At any difference, even the slightest change with Nero, Rory would contact Kyrie immediately.
Rory had her spell book floating in front of her, looking for any type of healing spells or regeneration spells. The red-lit smoke flipped the pages as her eyes finished reading over each word. Nero suddenly gasped and his eyes shot open as he started to cough harshly. Rory jumped up, dropping her spells and helping Nero sit straight. "Holy shit, you okay?" Rory questioned holding his side.
"Rory..." Nero huffed, his hand moving to hers. "Where's Kyrie?"
"I told her to stay home," Rory informed.
"Took you long enough to wake up," A voice sounded from the window. Rory spun holding her hand out, a bright red orb materializing itself in her palm. The man in front of her lent against the window, swirling black tattoos running up his arms and torso to the top his neck. He looked over her hand and tilted his head in confusion. "Your body seems to be just fine. As far as I can see. The front door was closed so I came through the window."
"And you can stay by the window," Rory ordered.
"Trust me, if I wanted to hurt you I would have already," The man spoke, still eyeing Rory's hand. "Please, there's no need for... that," The man pointed the handle of the cane at Rory and Nero tapped her arm, signaling for her to relax. He walked past Rory and sat on the end of the bed, leaving half a meter between them. "Call me V. That's my name."
"Any more than a letter?" Rory questioned, tilting her head at him. V sighed and turned his gaze to Nero.
"I know the demon that took your arm," V spoke and Nero's eyes widened, looking up at Rory in shock. "That demon absorbed the Yamato, that was sleeping in your right arm, gaining his incredible power. Right now Dante is heading toward that demon."
"And why the hell do you know that?" Nero questioned, squinting his eyes slightly.
"... I'm a devil hunter," V admitted. "I've been chasing that demon for... a long time. Which is how I learned about your right arm too." V paused for a moment his eyes moving up to Rory. "I also made a request to Dante. As for me defeating him alone would be simply impossible. I intended to borrow Dante's power and take him down, but he far exceeded my expectations..." V trailed off as if he were calculating a new decision in his mind. "Dante alone... might be unable to win." V took his cane and thrust the handle in Nero's direction which made Nero jolt slightly. "So come with me, Nero."
Nero huffed and swiped the cane from V's grasp holding it beside him. "Unable to win? Dante?" Nero shouted before chuckling softly. "Are you for real right now?" With Nero distracted by his own words, he didn't notice V's tattoos lifting from his body in a goop-like substance. "You make a pretty crappy comedian."
The tattoo finally tore itself from V's skin and formed a bird-like creature that flew through the air. "Boy, you are slow in the head! The point is, he's real bad news so get preparing, you dumbass!"
When the bird finally stopped circling the room to dive down at Nero, Rory flicked her hand engulfing the animal in the red light and slammed him into the wall across the room. "A bird?!" Nero shouted in disbelief.
"No, a demon," Rory corrected.
V sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and stood, leaning on the cane. "We have little time to spare. You should obediently come with me, considering what might happen if you don't. Unless..." V paused turning back to look at Nero. "You don't have the confidence to fight demons without that right arm of yours."
Nero's confused face twisted into one of annoyance ready to snap at him but Rory was quicker and flung the bird back at V, melding them back together. V stumbled and landed back on the bed with a grunt, not expecting such a sudden force so quickly.
"He's in, and so am I," Rory stated looking over at Nero. "If there's a demon threatening to tear down the world, I'm going to stop it." Nero sighed and nodded. "We need new clothes, so your gonna have to be patient, V."
