You Know Me Through The Years

Nero

The first thing Dante thought when he saw the kid running to the cathedral in Fortuna, was about how he was going to be a problem. At first the Devil Hunter thought that the kid was just some punk who dyed his hair white to be different, but that didn't seem to be the case once he got a good look at him. Dante rubbed his chin thinking about it really hard. Okay, sure, the kid had some family resemblance, but that didn't mean that he was family. Right?

It wasn't until he had fought with the kid that he learned, he possibly had more family out there than he could've imagined. So, Dante made the decision to at least keep tabs on the kid, who he later found out was named Nero. Roe had suggested he mentor the kid because she really did like him. She also pointed out that he was very much like Vergil and that the only thing keeping him from being like Vergil was the brown eyed girl, Kyrie. 

"I need this." The way Nero pleaded to Dante to let him have Yamato struck a chord in the older man that brought him back to days he thought he had forgotten. That was when he looked at Roe who had been sitting on the window seal nearby. She nodded confirming his decision.

"Then keep it." He didn't need anymore confirmation than that to know that he was speaking with his nephew. "It's gotta stay in the family." The comment seemed to go over Nero's head, but he was certain in that moment that the kid was indeed family. "Now that you've got your head screwed on straight, get going." Dante stood there as the kid walked past him and there was that sense of satisfaction that he had somehow impacted his life. "Hey, what's your name?" He knew the name. 

"Nero." Dante didn't turn around. "You're Dante right? Not a bad name." A compliment that seemed to make an impact on both of them. 

"Neither is your's." The Devil Hunter smiled as he put Rebellion on his shoulder and looked to Roe who had a happy smile on her face. 

The next time Dante had run into his new found nephew, it was when the kid was being swallowed up by a giant demonic statue. He was sure he would have to kick Nero's ass anyway for allowing the old geezer standing on top of the statue to take Yamato. This was going to make his job harder, but he was up for the challenge. 

"I'll help Trish get everyone to safety." Roe had said before walking away, but he grabbed her. 

"You were right." She only put a hand over his and smiled wisely before he let her go. 

The journey to get Yamato back to Nero was somewhat difficult. He felt like he had gone around in circles for a good bit and then the fact that he had a few more devil arms to sell later on, was a big plus. It was like backtracking because he had been to the forest before. Nero crossed his mind a few times during his adventure killing demons. He almost felt the same way he did when discovering his own son, and then finding out that Roe was pregnant with Mara. Only, it was sightly different. It was hard to describe. 

The question on Dante's mind was should he tell Nero that they were related? It was a hard one to answer and perhaps Roe could help him find clarity on the subject like always. However, his thoughts turned to what would happen after he and Roe left Fortuna. He was pretty sure that the kid would be okay on his own and if the kid really needed him, he could easily be found. 

When he finally saw Nero emerge from the giant ugly statue that resembled his father, Dante felt a bit of relief. Roe had been standing there with him along with Trish and Lady and they all watched as Nero had plummeted down to the earth with Kyrie in his arms. 

"Huh, the kid lives." Dante said as Roe put her arm through his. "The show isn't over yet." He looked at the seemingly dead statue come back to life one last time. "He can handle this." 

"Are you sure?" Roe asked him from where she stood with a concerned look etched on her face. 

"Yeah." The Devil Hunter had confidence in Nero's abilities at this point. "He's got this." He watched as Nero took  down the 'Savior' with ease thanks to that arm of his. Dante wondered where he could get an arm like that.

A few minutes later Dante found himself standing in front of the kid with a grin on his face as Nero went to give Yamato back to him. In truth, the sword rightfully belonged to Nero, so it was only natural that he keep it. Vergil wasn't around to take it and then Dante had no use for the sword. He couldn't get the damn thing to perform for him like Vergil could.

"You keep it." Nero looked at him with slight surprise when Roe had come to stand next to Dante. "What am I going to do with another sword anyway?" 

"Nero, you really should hold on to it. He is likely to pawn it off and it will end up in the wrong hands again." Roe said as Dante scowled at the truth of that statement. 

"Dude, she has you." Nero laughed as Roe walked up to him and put a hand on his cheek. 

"If you need anything, you call us." She said before giving him a hung to which he awkwardly looked at Dante about. The older man shrugged and mouthed the words 'she's very motherly' to the kid. 

"Okay. I will." Nero went with it and watched as she went back to Dante who turned around and started walking off. "Hey Dante! Will I ever see you again?" The only answer he got was a wave and a smile from Roe. 

"At least someone gets the girl." Lady said as they watched Nero and Kyrie. 

"What are you talking about? I've got my girl right here." Dante went to defend himself as he found that to be a blow to his ego. He wrapped his arm around Roe. 

"Settle down there Cowboy, she was referring to the fact that he got his girl." She put a hand on his chest as Lady began to walk away with Trish. "No need to let your ego deflate. You can have me anytime, anywhere." She winked at him before walking away and suddenly he felt a little hot. 

"Yeah Baby!"