Devil in My Mind

The Sparda Twins

"Dante!" a male voice calls from the other side of a massive sphere. At a valley's edge, he's met with an all too familiar face.

"Jackpot!" he laughs. "Well well well, if it isn't the big cheese himself. It's been a hot minute, eh? One day we're duking it out, the next day I'm back at Devil May Cry. Tell me, did you have something to do with all this... Vergil?"

"Impressive, this dome you're in," Vergil notes, dinging the handle of his sword against the glassy barrier.

"Hey hey, don't scratch my shield," Dante insists protectively.

"I've missed you. We were fighting. Messing around, like we did when we were young. We were resolved, satisfied with continuous battle. I was winning by the way."

"Yeah, I remember that," Dante assures. "I was the one winning, but this all rings a bell."

"Yeah? You remember the metal-plated mercenary that attacked us then? The one that forced us to stop?"

"Slade?" Dante hears himself say with disbelief.

"Deathstroke is what he demanded he be called. How can you not remember? Are you, you really are... I'll explain. There were hundreds of him, but only one had flesh. And that one, not sure how he did it, but he summoned your sword right out of your hands, cut you, then you were gone."

"Gone in what way?"

"Cut you dead... killed you."

"And you what, stood there and watched?"

"Quiet Dante, I saw you die. I saw you die right when I was starting to actually like you..." he lowers his head, "...to love you. He came, he took you from me, then left me unable to do anything about it. But you must have done well for yourself during your lifetime. Guess I underestimated you."

"I don't understand. There were hundreds of one person?"

"It was a whirlwind but yes, and we didn't know which one was real until it was too late. I always thought I'd be the one to end you, but Nero changed that. And yet, still you're gone. Though, now that I know this is where you went, guess it's not the worst thing. How... how is mother?"

"Vergil, what do you think this thing is, heaven or something?"

"There was an angel. Though, I'm not certain if she was truly angelic or deeply selfish, but she released an avian gale of great power that made it impossible for me to come near you again until now."

"Arg, in plain english! Stop speaking in riddles, or poetry, or whatever the hell you're doing."

"Fine. There was an angelic devil."

"Really? That makes even less sense."

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, brother! There was a girl, she was here when I returned. I went to Limbo for a little while. I left. I left then when I returned, she was here. I never expected seeing your life end would cause me such grief, but it happened out of the blue. You still haven't told me how mother is doing."

"Oh give me a break, how many times have you tried to kill me yourself, huh?"

"Do not exacerbate me, my dear brother. Whether you believe me or not, the pain is excruciating."

"I'm sorry. I can see that. Shit, I didn't think Slade was that powerful. I knew he messed me up but how many times?"

"Why do you say, Slade?"

"The Titans know him as Slade."

"The Titans?"

"The raven you saw, the girl."