Yet another story I have toiled with the idea of posting and if I don't post it soon I fear my beta may kill me...lol I did not want to put it under 'Unfinished Business' because this won't be a short story in any form.

So I'm leaving the choice up to you guys on whether or not I continue this.

I enjoy challenging myself to write things I'm not use to. Like how 'No More Tequila' was something I wrote to see if I could write a decent fight scene. Or how HNM was a chance to test the DxN pairing.

So what is this I'm attempting to test out? VergilxNero pairing. Please understand that it won't be like HNM in terms of pacing. Rather than yaoi this would be considered shounen-ai I spose being that there is only one small risqué scene that I'm aware of and I have thought quite far into the future of this story. Like potential yaoi sequel far...lmao

So this is an AU story where I'm using the DMC cast. Not sure how long it will be, or where I'll take it, but it is seriously appealing to me. I only hope you guys will like it as much as I do.

Oh, and Vergil is not so much the evil guy as we see him, but more 'content' I guess you could say. His past is much altered and he has lived with Dante all his life. So while he does have the cold arrogance for others, when it comes to those he knows he's more at ease. Like a toned down (if that's possible) version of him from NBT. Let me know what you think of him here, because feedback on his personality is important to me. :)

Also for an update I am nearly finished with the next chapters of BIO and KM. So hopefully you should see those soon.

R/R/Enjoy! - er hopefully...lol

Devotion

Chapter 1

He decided long ago that most humans were evil, repulsive things and nothing more. Then again, could any race or beast ever be truly free of sin? Yet with intelligence to comprehend, to feel, and know right from wrong comes the responsibility to know better.

Forgiveness, love and compassion. That he had learned from his twin over several long years, learning to quell his inner anger at the humans who did them wrong. Through his eyes he had discovered that even creatures of darkness could find contentment and learn to adapt. He had learned to love his twin to the point of risking his own life to protect him. That is what true love is after all. The abandonment of our own selfish comforts in seeking to fulfill another's. Even if that meant death in exchange for ones happiness.

It had been so hard for him to walk human streets and see first hand the cruelty they foisted upon one another, as well as creatures they deemed lesser than themselves. Nothing was more repulsive than their sense of superiority and how it had evolved over the years.

Over fifty years ago human's were blissfully unaware that they did not walk this earth alone, but shared it like a double sided coin with the cast offs of hell. One by one demons sought out a means to survive, the earliest being feral beasts who were not shy of venturing out to find human's to prey upon.

Out of fear the human's retaliated, capturing what demon's they could and studying them, trying to find the best way to use the creatures to defend them from further attacks. Pitting demon against demon.

He had heard the story so long ago, of how unfortunate human women were implanted with a demonic embryo all in hopes of creating a cross breed. One who could have the strength of the demon, but due to their humanity could be controlled from a young age. Many of the mothers dying during child birth, and those who managed to survive the ordeal faced having the child stolen from them before they could so much as hold it.

These demonic children reached maturity a lot sooner than normal children, and once they did they could live for hundreds of years. They were fast, had keen senses of smell, hearing and a power unmatched by any other creature. They were bred to fight, to be controlled and to above all be obedient.

He had always heard of their existence as a child, but had only seen one such creature one day picking apples near his home. As time wore on and the feral demons reduced in number a kind of calm settled in which the creatures once used to kill were instead forced into labor. The one he saw... he would never forget the dead look in her eyes as she worked with an exhausted air. Of the man who came at her, beating her about the head, and how she just took it.

Vergil had run home to his mother, could not sleep or be calmed by her touch which brought him so much comfort previous. After all, she had been one of the few who had been able to smuggle her children away before anyone realized they were not demon, but devil born. A taboo coming together of love between devil and human woman. He got a small glimpse into what his life could have been if she had not gotten them away.

Since that day, he hated any human that was not his mother. He guarded and protected his brother fiercely and when she passed after the two were adults he decided that he would not remain in the shadows any longer.

He openly traveled with his twin as if daring someone to try to capture them, or try to force them into labor. Yet after years of hunting down the feral demon's anywhere they moved the citizens typically did not bother them as long as they were useful. Treating them with cautious reverence.

Their last move had been forced upon them, removing his twin from a dangerous situation. But typically they moved for a completely different reason...

Now Vergil eyed the crowded street with disgust; because he knew what it was they were clambering to see.

Demon half-breeds for sale...

Vergil had thought he'd finally found a quiet town in which this horrible and unjust trade had not yet come to, but even his brother had told him it was only a matter of time. It was always the same wherever they went no matter how they tried it would always find them. So here it was...

Vergil walked slowly towards the crowd and planned to bypass it all together. He had no wish to look upon the faces of the pathetic creatures that would be used and discarded the moment they became of no use. A voice though caught his sensitive ears.

"You don't want that one. He still has some fight left in him, and if you have children..."

"Fight eh? That sounds exactly what it is I'm looking for."

He recognized the voice almost immediately and felt his insides twist into unpleasant knots. Jeremiah Dukane's honeyed voice had always grated on Vergil's nerve, and it had caught him so off guard to hear him here. Dante and he had left that town two years ago to move here because of that man, being offended when neither wanted anything to do with him. He was a pompous, self centered and perverse egoist who believed the world was his for the taking. Vergil still recalled the incident that forced them to move here, where he'd come home and practically killed the man after pulling him off of Dante. His blood curdled at the sound of that voice again.

"Come here boy. You want to come home with me, don't you?"

"Fuck off you filthy human."

Vergil's ears perked at the gruff voice and almost found himself laughing. No one had ever dared take that tone with Dukane and he could almost see his flabbergasted face even with his back to the crowd.

"Why you..." Dukane's voice growled dangerously and the crowd let out a gasp, causing Vergil to turn to see what had happened.

Dukane was holding a fist above him and Vergil saw it was going to come down onto a dirty shag of white hair. Without thinking he pushed himself through the crowd and grabbed Dukane's wrist. The crowd hushed and Vergil could feel Dukane protesting, but found instead his own attention was on the boy kneeling bound by the wrists and ankles before them all.

This was no demon... but a young half devil like himself and his brother. It was rare, but only a few would've known this by the pure white hair and, as the boy looked up at him, the vivid blue eyes. No doubt Dukane had seen it and decided he would risk bodily harm if only to possess such a creature as he could not Vergil and his twin. Even Vergil had to admit beneath the grit was an extremely handsome face. His eyes spoke of defiance though, even as he looked at Vergil as if to emote I didn't ask for your help.

"Vergil! You bastard, let me go!"

He finally broke eye contact with the young devil to glare down at Dukane.

"Up to your same ways I see." Vergil said distastefully as he let go of the man, pushing a little harder purposely so he would trip and fall into a rather large mud puddle for good measure.

He looked highly embarrassed, but his eyes glared fire straight back at Vergil.

"You filthy devil," he growled. "What are you even doing among decent folk? Do they even know that you are a half breed?"

"I could care less if they know my origins or not. Perhaps you would do well to remember your place Dukane. Or should I put you there like I did the last time?" Vergil challenged.

"Listen here, I don't want any trouble," said the man who was selling off the demons. Vergil's eyes glared towards him as well, since he was no different than Dukane in his eyes for the treatment of these creatures. The boy continued to watch him intensely and Vergil felt a pang of pity at the boy's predicament. He had no clothes beside the poor excuse for a cloth at his waist, and his ankles and wrists looked chafed from the chains binding him. It was then he noticed a curious thing. Unlike himself and Dante, this devil's right hand was a physical devil arm. It was large, scaly, and disproportionate to the rest of him. The scales were vivid red, but the center of the forearm and the fingertips shone with an icy blue. It intrigued him further.

"You there." Vergil said as he stepped towards the kid. "May I see that?"

The kid backed away as Vergil moved towards him, at which he stopped and let out a sigh.

"If I had wanted to harm you I wouldn't have prevented him from hitting you, now would I?"

The boy eyed him warily.

"Untie the boy's wrists please." Vergil requested to the shop owner.

"Are you joking me? I wouldn't even if you paid me."

Vergil turned back towards the young devil who just continued to stare back at him.

"Back off Vergil, the boy is mine!" Dukane growled somewhere close by. Vergil turned to see him out of his coat, having discarded it now that it was full of mud and stood close to the shop keeper. "I'll buy him. How much?"

"Ten thousand," he responded with a nervous glance at Vergil who laughed outright at this.

"Ten thousand? Have you no idea of this boy's worth? You sell a devil born child at a demon's price?"

This got the response Vergil had hoped for, because even though Dukane was wealthy, he wasn't that wealthy. This man could get so much more for the boy with this knowledge and obviously Dukane did not want him to know the boy's origins so he could buy him cheap. The shop owner's eyes lit up at hearing this.

"I'll give you seventy five thousand for him." Vergil said smugly, his eyes looking at Dukane to see the anger and disappointment clear as day in his eyes. The shop keeper looked ready to weep at this.

Even when he turned to see the kid he looked shocked at this fact.

"I have errands to run, so deliver him this afternoon." Vergil continued in a business like manner. "I'll have the money ready when you arrive."

"Yes sir!" The shop keep said happily, practically groveling at Vergil's boots in thanks at the prospect of such a sale. Vergil smirked as he turned; purposely bumping shoulder's with Dukane as he passed by. He did not look back as he continued to walk, but had the oddest feeling that the kid's eyes followed him until he turned the corner and left his line of vision.

--

"Have you nothing better to do with your time than sleep all day?" Vergil asked exasperated when he came home to find his younger twin still asleep at three in the afternoon. Dante rolled over and mumbled something into the pillow his face was smashed into. "Mission's do not excuse you. If you wouldn't take so much time playing with the prey you could end it quickly and be home in time to sleep properly."

He went to the window and threw the blinds open. The room was spacious, and well beyond the means of even the likes of Dukane. Yet between the two of them he and his brother had amassed a fortune working jobs that no human's could. There were plenty of wild demons out there killing, raping, and pillaging on blood lust alone. It was the only way he and his brother could find common ground with the human's they lived with. As long as they were useful then they could live freely. To ease the shame of working for humans their fees were exorbitant and expected up front. They owed these human's nothing and if you are good at something you should never do it for free.

Dante tugged the blanket over his head with an annoyed groan.

"You evil bastard. Leave me be, I'm tired."

"You are too self indulgent. You can sleep when you are dead. Till then there is plenty of work to be done around here." Vergil replied as he tugged the blankets off of his brother. He tossed his pants at him and went to the door. "You have twenty minutes. If you are not downstairs by then I will hang you out the window by your toes again."

Another mumble.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Good," he replied with a devious smirk. He shut the door and headed downstairs, his mind returning to earlier that morning. It had been a frivolous whim, buying that boy, yet he felt a sense of pride at seeing the look on Dukane's face. They could spare the money and as soon as the peddler left he would let the boy go. He never intended to keep him in the first place, but perhaps the kid would let him have a look at that arm before he left.

The farm house had gone to the dogs, all thanks to Dante's inability to pick up after himself. Vergil was rarely home, traveling great distances looking for paying jobs while Dante did it as a pass time. Vergil's efforts made it possible for his brother to be choosey on the cases he took which suited Vergil fine. He had always promised his mother that he would see to Dante's comfort, but perhaps he'd spoiled his younger half a little too much.

Dante finally showed himself 19 minutes and 32 seconds after Vergil had left him. He didn't give much in the way of conversation as he drank orange juice directly from the carton, finishing the full thing off, belched crudely and wandered off somewhere. Vergil only sighed as he heard an engine start up outside wondering if it was a mission or the brothel his brother was headed towards this evening. Judging by the heavy cologne that trailed after him when he left the brothel was the best guess.

Then came a knocking on the door and Vergil stood calmly knowing before he grabbed the envelope or even opened the door who it was.

"Got him all cleaned up for you and even attached a collar that suppresses his strength and powers," the shop keeper said happily. "That will cost you a little extra, but since money seems to be of no problem to you..."

Vergil just eyed him. Those collars were even more degrading because they used a dodgy kind of magic to suppress what should never be suppressed. For the safety of those earlier the man could've used one on the kid but they were extremely expensive so only in the case of a sale would they put forth the money.

He was walked to the back of an old panel truck with high wood on the side typically used to transport hay to find the kid sitting in the back. He had been cleaned up and given proper clothing of a deep midnight blue. The kid however looked like a castrated animal with the silver collar at his neck. Vergil could almost feel himself shiver at the aura it was giving off.

"What's his name?" Vergil asked as he slapped the envelope in the man's hand.

"Don't know. He only speaks to insult people. Won't say anything outside of that."

He looked at Vergil expectantly as if he wanted nothing more than to be rid of them both and count his earnings for the day. So Vergil stepped forward and put a hand out to the kid. His partially hollow eyes looked at it, then at him with such fire hidden beneath the calm exterior. The kid jumped down from the truck, ignoring his outstretched hand and stood stock still looking at nothing at all.

Silence came between them as they watched the shop keeper get in his truck and begin to pull away. When the dust had somewhat settled, Vergil turned to the kid and reached a hand out to unlock the collar.

The second it hit the ground with a dull clinking noise the kid's blazing eyes turned towards him, and then the kid himself with arms outstretched to hurt or even kill. Vergil dodged it easily, causing the kid to fall into the dirt.

He tried again and again to get at Vergil but each time the elder blocked it leaving the boy huffing down on the ground.

"Know this boy... You are not obligated to me in any way and I will not keep you here. You are free. Just know that my brother and I hunt your kind and if you should do anything stupid I will have no choice but to kill you." Vergil said calmly as he watched the boy turn to look up at him confused. His eyes were still distrusting, thinking this was some kind of trick no doubt.

"I hate these human's almost as much as you do, however I have found a way to co-exist with them. As a devil born child you too can carve your own pathway. Now please leave the premises."

With that Vergil turned and walked back towards his front door. He noted as he turned to close it the kid still lay on the ground, looking around as if expecting for someone to come and tell him this was one big joke. Yet Vergil did not go out to explain it to him further.

He had figured it out. This was not a child bred for labor, but more than likely a wild child found and stolen into captivity. The shop keeper had been mad to try and tame him, as the kid had too much will to be broken like the others. He dared not touch the kid to even examine that arm, valuing his own life too much to let his curiosity get him killed.

By the time Vergil was fed and ready to turn in for the evening the kid had gone and he almost felt regret at allowing the boy to run free. If he were to harm anyone... It would be regrettable of course, but anyone stupid enough to come near the boy certainly deserved it. If he did though Vergil would have no choice but to seek out and kill him. Yet as he thought about the confused look on his face earlier he couldn't help but wonder what the boy had been through. Considering what he had heard from others over the years he felt it best not to know.

--

"He still out there?" Vergil asked three days later as he sat reading the morning paper while Dante stood holding his breakfast plate and watching out the window over the sink.

"Yeah, and I blame you." Dante replied bitterly as he set his dish down.

Vergil smirked a bit at this, but had to chastise himself. Hadn't he thought that anyone foolish enough to approach the boy would deserve it? Well, the problem was the kid had not left the premises since he arrived but seemed to take up shelter in the barn beside the house. Vergil of course told Dante about purchasing him, to which Dante had whined about all the less wasteful things he could've purchased with that money. Once the younger had seen the kid though it had sparked his natural curiosity, which in turn had proved harmful when Dante came back inside with four long gashes in his arm.

"I did not tell you to go out looking for him." Vergil replied evenly. Apparently his twin didn't just go looking for him, but found and had attempted to examine that arm. Only to discover its true purpose. "You're lucky he let you be and took off."

"I'm beginning to think you find this amusing." Dante growled as he turned to glare at his twin. "I'm lucky I heal. What if he were to attack a little kid or something?"

He had thought about that of course, but somehow he could not see the boy attacking anyone who he did not see as a threat. It was a foolish thought given his unpredictability, but he didn't worry about it.

"He hasn't left probably because he doesn't want to be around humans and we live so far out he only has us to worry about."

"Which also brings up the fact he probably doesn't fear us as much because you let him go! You could've at least let him go feeling he needed to respect us enough to back the hell off or run if he sees us. Now he thinks he can do whatever he wants without consequences." Dante continued.

"Fear makes mankind and creatures alike do stupid things. If he fears us, or sees us as a potential threat what do you think he'd do?" Vergil asked finally setting his paper down to acknowledge his twin was speaking.

"So we're just going to let him live out in the barn?" Dante asked dryly.

"It's a better alternative then attempting to force him out. Better wandering around here, then set loose in some place full of humans or back being some wealthy man's slave. At least out here we can keep a solid eye on him."

"And if he were to harm someone, or come after us? You won't be smiling then will you?"

"If there is even the slightest sense he might turn then we will take him down. I have no qualms in that, but were you not the one to teach me the importance of not judging people on first impressions alone?" Vergil asked coolly with a smirk somewhere in his eye. Dante frowned at this, because upon first impressions he had befriended Dukane who ultimately turned out to be the world's largest dick.

"Yeah, well he's your responsibility if anything happens."

This of course he knew, from the moment he saw the boy sitting dead eyed in the back of that truck. Which was why he felt better knowing the boy remained within range of his watchful eye. He had always been good at reading people, and had even disliked Dukane upon first sight. He relied heavily upon his intuition and it had never failed him. The kid was scared, even if he put on a tough face. It almost made him wonder what he would be like if he didn't fear them so much.

"All right then. Just do your self a favor and don't go stumbling drunk into the barn, yes?" Vergil asked looking pointedly at his brother.

"Don't you worry, I'm not going anywhere near that devil again unless I have weapons on me." Dante replied before moving towards the kitchen door. "I'm not that stupid."

--

Things grew quiet, or at least Dante did not bring up the kid again and things resumed as normal. Which meant Dante stayed out late, slept late, and on occasion was coerced into helping Vergil to do some repairs around the place. Mostly though the chores were left to Vergil since Dante's dislike of the kid drove him out to take on jobs rather than having to remain where the boy was so close to them.

It was three weeks in to this routine that Vergil encountered the kid for the first time since his arrival. It was a hot day, and Dante was out of town working leaving Vergil to do whatever his time allowed. They had agreed that one would always remain at the home while the other was out long before the kid came, just in case one needed the other as back up. It worked just as well since he arrived considering Dante feared the boy would break in and possibly steal from them.

Now Vergil was working in the backyard on a vegetable patch he had planted when they moved since unlike his brother he hated processed foods, preferring to make most things from scratch. It was while kneeling in the dirt he first sensed that someone was watching him and felt the all too familiar aura of a devil. At first he ignored it, but as it came closer he felt he should probably say something.

"Yes?" Vergil asked turning to view the boy standing at the edge of the patch. He looked momentarily stunned, like he might flee, but when Vergil made no sudden movements the angry confidence came back to his face. "Did you need something?"

No answer, but the boy's eyes glanced downward at the tomato clutched in Vergil's hand, then to the basket just beside him filled with varying other veggies. His eyes returned to the boys and he thought it seemed like some of his greens had been missing recently.

"You want some of these?" He asked lifting up the tomato. Again, no response but just an ardent stare at the food before he lifted the clawed hand to reach out in want of it. Vergil though immediately dropped his hand. "Is that a yes?"

Eyes furrowed under the white shag of hair obviously annoyed Vergil wasn't complying. This though was a small test of boundaries on Vergil's part to see if he could get the boy to speak even if it was a single word. Somehow feeling if he could shatter the communication barrier then it might change things even if just a fragment of this hostility. Instead of a yes, he received a nod. It was acknowledgement and that was something if only small so he took it.

He lifted the tomato up and tossed it the distance between them, pretty sure coming near the kid would not be allowed at this point. The boy caught it with his devil arm and apparently was going to grab and run, but didn't know his own strength as it exploded to nothing under the pressure of the clawed hand. He looked momentarily stunned as he stopped mid flight to observe what had happened. Vergil tried not to look as amused as he felt.

"Try your other hand," he offered as he tossed another one, which the kid caught instinctively with his other hand. "You know, if you--," he began but the kid did not wait before taking off again.

On the grounds of testing out a theory he had Vergil made it a daily occurrence to go out into the garden just to see if the boy would make another appearance. He could not tell why, but he was curious about him and the arm that he possessed. Judging by his lack of finesse with the tomato though he had no control over the limb. This made Vergil realize just how dangerous the boy would be when confronted or scared.

A few times he met the boy, but each time he ran off after he got what it was he wanted. Then when Vergil decided he wanted to hear him speak and held off on giving him food until he spoke the boy huffed off without taking anything. Next morning numerous vegetables and fruits were missing and the boy stopped coming around. To Vergil it meant that the kid was once again avoiding him. Problem was Vergil wasn't the only one who seemed to notice it.

"Makes me nervous." Dante mumbled while drinking from a glass one rainy day a month after Vergil had let the boy loose.

"What's that?" Vergil asked in reply as he oiled and cleaned their weaponry.

"Kid. Hasn't been seen lately, and the light's been out in the barn too even when I come home. He usually watches for me, almost as if he thinks I'll come out there again when I get back. Kind of become a ritual. Come home, look at barn window, get glare of death, and head inside." Dante replied as he stared out the window to where the rain lashed heavily.

"Really?" Vergil asked stopping what he was doing to look up at his twin. "Every night without fail?"

"Yep." Dante replied as a loud clap of thunder and lightning broke, sending the lights overhead flickering on and off. It kind of startled them both and for some reason left Vergil ill at ease. The thunder rolled on ominously and he suddenly felt anxious. Silence closed in around them and Vergil swallowed, wanting to say something but unsure what exactly. "You want to go check on him?"

Vergil looked up at his twin who he noticed looked just as anxious as he was surprisingly.

"Do you?"

"I know he's a little shit, but since you talked to me I felt kind of guilty for cornering him like that. Thinking back on it he really looked scared. It bothered me when he wasn't looking out for me tonight." Dante continued before pausing. "Aww, fuck it. I'm gonna go, even if he tries to rip me several new ones over it. This is gonna drive me--"

"I'll come with you." Vergil offered.

"Will ya now?"

"Blind leading the blind or so they say." Vergil said putting his hand out to let his brother go first.

"You're so not funny."

"Of course not."

The two braved the thunder and rainstorm to head out towards the barn where Vergil noted that there was no light on just as Dante had said. Even more ominous was something they would not have heard from inside, but as they drew closer to the barn was becoming coherent. Someone was screaming.

They rushed inside, Vergil thinking that someone was being mutilated within with how gripping those screams were and to their horror found the barn looked as if someone had been murdered there.

The wooden walls of the lower barn were scratched and broken, as if someone were trying to claw their way out. There was blood too embedded in those claw marks and they could hear splintering wood from above. Vergil teleported up, followed by Dante to find the kid huddled in a ball in a corner.

The upstairs resembled the down, except a makeshift bed of straw was in the corner with the remnants of rotting vegetables and fruit strewn around it. The kid was in the center of it with his hands clamped tightly over his ears and screaming as if someone were stabbing him. The fingertips of both human and demonic hand were bloody messes and Vergil understood where the mismatched scratch marks came from.

"What's wrong with him?" Dante yelled over the boys screams.

"I don't know." Vergil replied.

The kid crawled up on his knees and began to beat his head against the wall. Vergil and Dante rushed forward without thought to pull him back, to make him stop. It was horrifying to see for anyone and there was no way they could just leave him in such a state.

"Let go!" The boy screamed in a high pitched voice that cried with absolute fear.

His hand lashed out at them and Vergil felt one of the bloody claws tear into his cheek. He took the sting of it, focusing his attention on what was happening in front of him. Wind and rain lashed against the roof while thunder shook it to its core. The boy screamed again as he tried so hard to fight them off.

He managed to throw Dante off before getting a hold of Vergil's collar and tossing him across the room. Before he could even sit up the boy was at him, straddling him with his devil hand around his throat. Vergil felt his windpipe being crushed under the force, and even that did not startle him half as much as the look in the boy's eyes. He was like a feral animal, uncomprehending, wild and senseless.

Dante appeared behind him and with one swift movement hit the boy in the back of the head with a large crowbar he'd pulled from the wall. The boy fell forward, releasing Vergil as he was knocked out like a light.

Vergil coughed harshly as he pushed the boy off of him to sit up. Dante offered him a hand which he took gratefully to stand up on his own two feet.

"What the hell was that?" Dante growled as he nudged the kid with his boot followed by the crowbar. Vergil said nothing as he eyed the kid. He was bruised, bloody and dirty. How had he gotten that way and why was he acting like this? Even when he first arrived he had not been that insane while attacking Vergil. Thunder struck and both men saw the boy visibly cringe even in his unconscious state. Vergil leaned over and lifted the human hand.

"He has scratched clear to the bone," he said as he observed the raw wounds at the tips of his fingers. It was the same with the demon claws which looked filed down too far from his scratching.

"Kid's not working with a full set of orbs if you get my drift." Dante said uncomfortably as he eyed the hands too. "What should we do? We can't just leave him like this."

"Do I sense a touch of sympathy dear brother?" Vergil asked with a hint of a smirk.

"Tch, as if. Just, you know," he replied offended.

"No, I don't. Please enlighten me."

"Dude fucked up the barn. Trespassing and now vandalism on top of it. He needs to live long enough for me to kick his ass for this mess." Dante said as if that was the obvious reasoning for his sudden need to help the boy.

"What would you propose I do?" Vergil asked as he let go of the kid to acknowledge his twin.

"One sec." Dante replied after a moment of thought and took off out of the barn.

Vergil sighed heavily as he turned his attention back to the floor where the boy lay curled in a heap. He would be lying if he too did not feel a twinge of sympathy for the situation. What must've been going through the kids head to cause so much self harm? And here he thought he was progressing with him. He scowled. Vergil hated failure.

Dante came back a few moments later carrying the collar that Vergil thought he'd thrown away a month ago.

"Don't be mad." Dante began when he saw the sudden sour look on Vergil's face as he eyed the collar.

"I thought I threw that away."

"You did, but I figured it would come in handy and make my jobs a little easier. Call it back up." Dante responded as he moved towards the kid.

"Don't." Vergil said in a low voice as Dante made to put it on the boy.

"C'mon, just long enough to clean him up and let his hands heal. He won't be a threat with this on, right? I promise to take it off after, scouts honor."

Even so he did not like putting that damnable thing back on him, but as the boy twitched and he caught sight of those hands again he knew he could not deny that he didn't want to just leave the kid like this. He had unknowingly become a part of their everyday routine. His sympathies were getting the better of him in his old age... Vergil sighed.

"Clean him up quickly. I do not want him waking to find that thing around his neck again." Vergil finally said as he gave in. Once safely secure around his neck Dante easily picked him up and walked to get him down the ladder without dropping him.

"C'mon kid, time to introduce you to Mr. Bubble."