Devil May Cry: Volume 1 (OFFICIAL NOVEL)

Phase 2: Part 3

"Mommy? Mommy... Hey, Mommy!"

The young child shook the body of his fallen mother, but she had already breathed her last. The boy didn't understand.

"Mommy?"

A warm pool of blood spread out from her motionless body. The boy cried hysterically. Tears and snot flowed down his face and his silver hair fluttered as he shuddered.

"Mom!"

Tony opened his eyes.

He was in a strange bed. His clothes were neatly stacked

beside the pillow. His massive sword leaned against the foot of the bed. He had no idea where he was. A woman's voice spoke softly. "The rumors were true, then. What a surprise."

Tony rolled his head to the right and saw a familiar figure lying beside him. She was smoking a long cigarette. The scent of menthol soothed him.

"Claire told me about it," the woman continued. "But I couldn't be sure until I'd seen it for myself."

The woman was the receptionist at a pool hall that Tony often visited. He recognized her soft face but couldn't remember her name. Why are we in bed together? Tony had never been interested in her. While attractive in her own way, she just wasn't his type.

The woman exhaled a stream of smoke. "I thought I'd picked up something good. I'm disappointed you turned out to be a momma's boy."

"What are you talking about? Where am I?" Tony felt jarred by his nightmare. He was numb and disoriented, but refused to let any emotions show on his face.

"This is my room," the woman said. "You must know it. Second floor of the shop."

"Why would I know that?"

Tony waved away the smoke, annoyed now. He stood up and paced the room. The mercenary was stark naked, aside from a large half-globe amulet hanging around his neck. He crossed to the window and pulled back a dirty curtain. It was still dark outside.

"What time is it?" he demanded.

"Don't take that tone with me, momma's boy." The woman blew another stream of smoke, taking in Tony's firm back side. "You should thank me for picking you up!"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Well, it's the truth, isn't it? You get to spend the night with a beautiful woman, but all you can manage is 'Mommy' this and 'Mommy' that. You're an idiot."

"It's none of your business." Tony snapped. He turned his back on her again, but the woman had clearly gotten to him. Tony didn't find women distasteful. In fact, there were dozens of girls he had his eyes on in this town alone. But he never dated for any significant length of time.

Tony absent-mindedly fiddled with his amulet. His mother had given it to him just before her untimely death. It was his only memento of her.

"What a waste," The woman moaned. "I find you passed out on the side of the road and drag you back here, and you won't even let me have some fun."

"Picked me up? What do you mean?"

The question sparked something in Tony, and he suddenly realized he was missing entire chunks of memory of the previous night. He recalled fighting Denvers shortly after winning the drinking match with Gilver, but his memory went dark after that. Bobby's vodka must have been stronger than he'd thought.

"I'm lucky to have escaped unscathed." he muttered.

But the woman overheard him. "It's not like you did much! I dragged you all the way here from a gutter. It was hard work!"