Chapter 1

Childish endeavours.

It was near the end of June and so on the sunny afternoon at Darwin High School in Marca City where the final exams were finishedand excited students were filling from the school ready to begin their summer Holidays.

Among this crowd of students was a pair of close friends Evalena Sparda and Jenifer Anderson.

Eva was far from a standard look, with snowy white hair with a single black streak that she let fall in front of her right eye. The girl also had multi-coloured eyes, her left was a bright sapphire but the one she covered on the right was a dark shade of ruby. And she found herself wearing at that moment just a simple pair of shorts and a black T-shirt with a purple rose and green skulls on it.

Jennifer on the other hand was closer to ordinary... actually a lot closer to ordinary. She had bright emerald eyes with golden blonde hair which she had tied into a pony tail along with a bright blue T-shirt with a faded smile imprinted on the back and a few wave decorations on the front, along with a dark blue pair of shorts and a unique accessory, a pair of silver metallic wrist covers.

"You know Eva," Jen said, "Tell me again why you didn't come to prom?"

Eva looked at Jen not breaking her stride at all as she responded, "I had errands to run that night."

Jen rolled her eyes, "Right... since when do errands get teenagers grounded?" Jen asked.

"Since I ended up using my mother's credit card to buy a few really awesome T-shirts without her noticing."

It was a good thing Jen wasn't a mind reader because if she was she'd probably have gotten a flash of something a bit more gruesome, as the night of the Prom this year Eva had managed to get her hands on the phone at home and found herself placing a few bullets in the heads of a rather dangerous Reaper. In Evas mind it had so been worth a month's grounding.

"Besides I can get all the attention I want rather easily without showing up to a dance in some dress." Eva said grinning.

"Trying and... succeeding... to replicate a Leap of Faith off the roof is not the best type of attention" Jen said snorting in exasperation.

"It was fun as all hell though." Eva said grinning remembering the event back at the beginning of the school year where she had decided to be a little dare devil. Scaling the outside of the building and once reaching the top with a good 50 people watching leapt off mimicking the assassins from Assassins Creed and landing in a bush... without a scratch.

Jen shook her head smiling now, "And as soon as you tell me how to survive that let me know without sheer dumb luck you let me know."

"Oh it's easy, you just need to be a badass!" Eva said cockily as she opened the front doors and joined the flood of students outside.

"Alright miss Badass," Jen said looking around and noticing that the orange school busses were almost ready to disembark.

"You know what say you and I celebrate the beginning of summer, Your parents won't miss you if you don't make the bus will they?" Jen asked stopping on the grass in front of the school.

"No they're on a trip and aren't going to be back for another few days." Eva asked not bothering to say anything about how she technically still had a guardian at her home mainly because the white haired girl knew Trish wouldn't even notice she was missing for two hours at least.

"Well then come on we're getting some ice cream!" Jen said smiling grabbing Eva by the arm and leading her towards the parking lot.

Both Evalena and Jennifer were 17 with Jen celebrating her birthday in October and Eva closer in fact the following Monday however despite this Jen was the only one between the two of them only one drove a vehicle to school... Eva used to but her GMC Canyon was currently parked behind her home with repair costs out the wazoo.

As Eva followed her friend they reached the parking lot only for Eva to nearly fall over in sheer shock... for parked where Jen was leading them was a sleek and cool Ford Mustang with a shiny orange paint job and black stripes on it.

"My car broke down and well we ended up being able to get a trade in!" Jen said smiling.

Evas mouth was agape. Sure she knew her best friend was rich, her father and mother being Co-CEOs to a company called Blades Edge Industries that work with some interesting electronics and even human enhancement programs. Even so it still always seemed to shock Eva every time her friend showed up with something moderately over the top.

Perhaps it was the personality leading to ignorance to the fact, perhaps it was simply that Eva just had a terrible memory to that fact. Whatever the reason it was still a rather funny sight to see.

The two friends had gotten into the car and Jen put her keys in the ignition only for a very satisfying and powerful rev of a 300 horsepower beauty starting.

"You sure this isn't meant for street racing?" Eva asked rhetorically placing her black knapsack in the back seat.

Jen who had done the same smiled at her friend, "Nope, I'd need a nitrous booster and a reinforced chassis and some nicer all-purpose tires." Jen explained with just a bit too much sadness at the fact.

"Oh come on, you could get that easy!" Eva said grinning wildly.

"Yeah but when it comes to the car everything I get goes through my parents!" Jen explained.

"Fair enough!" Eva responded just as they took a turn and began driving at 50 Miles per Hour through an intersection towards a resteraunt both knew they could get some ice cream at.

Not a minute later the car was parked outside the dinner and both girls got out smiling

The friends walked into the cafe taking into account the hardwood flooring and simple decor with the booths on the one side and a set of bar stools along the other side of the bar, which both girls could clearly see alcohol behind the counter.

"The usuals?" A gray haired man wearing a light blue T-shirt and jeans on behind the bar asked smiling.

"Yes please." Jen said smiling sliding a few coins across the bar.

The man nodded and walked to the freezer that was above the fridge and pulling two freshly made sundaes, one blueberry and one chocolate.

"Expecting us or something?" Eva asked smiling as she politely took the glass dish from the server.

"Well it is the last day of school," The man responded "And exams have kept you away for a good two weeks so what would you expect?"

"Oh right... two weeks." Eva began sheepishly as if knowing something the others didn't.

"Eva..." Jen began picking up on her friends' hesitant tone.

Before she could continue a bell rang out indicating the door opening shortly followed by a friendly call. "Hey Eve!"

Eva turned around to see none other than her older cousin Nero walking inside sporting his red and blue jacket and messy white hair.

"Hey Nero!" Eva said smiling as she turned to her cousin.

"So... last I heard you were grounded..." Nero said slowly crossing his arms.

"Yeah, I was off grounding the last day of school!" Eva returned with a smile returning to her face.

"Funny... and here I could have sworn you're mother said the first Monday of summer break!" Another voice said as the bell sounded again.

Eva couldn't help but groan as she realized her father had just walked in.

Dante with his standard red coat on and black guitar case on his back gazed down at his daughter with his bright blue eyes with something caught between disbelief and amusement.

At least it isn't mom Eva thought as she looked at her father. "Uh... I misheard her." She said sheepishly.

While this whole event occurred Jen just looked over amused, it was just like her friend to bounce out on a grounding, it was actually so common she wondered just why her parents seemed to bother saying she was grounded at all.

"Well I guess there's no point in hauling you back now," Dante said smiling sitting down next to his daugher just as the bartender brought out a strawberry sundae and placed it in front of him.

"Thanks dad." Eva said smiling taking another bite of her blueberry sundae.

"No problem kiddo." Dante responded with a nod. "Now how did you're exams go?" He asked in what was probably a more non challant tone then it should have been.

"Oh I did alright." Eva said shrugging.

"By your standards?" Jen asked quizzically.

"What do you mean my standards?" Eva retorted whipping her head around to face her friend.

"Well I mean you did say, Alright, when you got straight C's at the end of last year." Jen responded.

"She's got a point." Nero interjected.

"Not helping!" Eva said.

"Wasn't trying to," Nero responded.

Eva rolled her eyes "No fair, you're tag teaming me!" she responded.

"Well it could be a lot..." Nero began but Eva turned to him pointing a finger in his direction

"Don't even say it!" the white haired girl said knowing full well Nero was about to comment about the trouble she'd be in when talking to her mother about this topic.

"Have I said that your family is really crazy Eva?" Jen asked having already finished her chocolate sundae.

"Yeah... every time you see more then me!" Eva said to chuckles from both Nero and Dante.

"Well anyway, before Lady has our heads want to get home?" Dante asked.

"Lady?" Jen commented almost dumbly.

"I'll explain later!" both daughter and father said in complete sync before getting up, "When I get my phone back I'll text you" Eva called to her friend before walking away.

Evalena was unsure of what was to happen as she look up at her father who even at her 6 ft height still managed to be half a head or so taller than her.

"So you got a summer and then one more year... got any plans for a part time job?" Dante asked.

Eva couldn't help but snort in a chuckle, "come on dad you know as well as I do there's only one job I want!"

Dante could do nothing but sigh at this, of course he knew his daughter was referring to the job both he and her mother took on... devil hunting!

"You really are determined aren't you?" Dante asked.

"I thought you figured that out when I got grounded for getting Morrison to send me on that mission to deal with that Reaper?" Eva responded unable to stop a childish grin from creeping onto her face.

"And you didn't do a half bad job, hell I wouldn't have noticed you did the job if I hadn't noticed Ivory and Ebony missing and come after you!" Dante said with a rather odd note of... was it suggestion, no it couldn't have been.

"Yeah." Eva said trying to wrap her head around how her father had just spoken.

Eva was about to find something else to talk about but just then they turned the corner so they were facing the entrance to Devil May Cry and found Evas mother Lady leaning against the front door expectantly.

"So, Evalena, how'd your final test go?" Lady asked crossing her arms and flashing her multi-coloured eyes at her daughter somehow managing to look intimidating despite being a bit shorter in height.

"Alright," Eva her voice faltering if only slightly.

Lady raised an eyebrow clearly seeing right through her daughters facade as she pulled a note from within her button up shirt she had undone a reasonable amount down her chest.

Without another word Lady handed the note to Dante and the outstretched her arm as Eva tried to get past her.

Dante opened the letter and read it with an unreadable expression. "okay, so... this means what?" The man finally asked.

"What it means Dante!" Lady said snatching the paper her husband had been reading with a notable amount of anger in her voice, "Is that if Evalena dosen't get her act together she isn't graduating!"

Eva rolled her eyes at that whole thing, sure she had been scraping Cs but everyone knew she just wasn't academic, most of what was mandatory involved shutting up and sitting quietly.

If anyone hadn't guessed already, that was not something that Eva could do easily.

"And what do you propose I do?" Eva interjected getting almost as angry as her mother at this point.

Lady pursed her lips angrily, "Paying attention would be a good start, asking for help and not half assing it would be another!"

"Maybe if school wasn't so dam boring I wouldn't have to scrape by!" Eva retorted just as angrily.

"Alright, alright!" Dante said placing a hand on both his wifes and daughters shoulders as he stepped between them. "Perhaps we should have this discussion when you two are a bit more calm, hm?"

Lady and Eva were glaring daggers at each other at this point but nodded to each other if only a little scathingly.

While this whole situation was going on a farther ways off Jen was getting out of her car in an underground parking lot below a large 40 stories tall building.

Getting out and locking it she smiled as her parents standing in formal suits walked over to her.

Her mother Vanessa had her dyed brown hair tied into a bun and wearing a blue jacket and skirt along with a pair of black high heels

Her father Archer had blonde hair with blue eyes and wearing a black suit and tie along with dress shoes.

"Hey mom, hey dad!" Jen said proudly handing over her final report card to them.

Jens mom took the report card from her and without even a drop of surprise looked down on straight As with the understandable B in Gym.

"Phenomenal sweetheart," Venessa said smiling placing a kiss on her daughters forehead.

"Way to go kiddo!" Archer also said giving Jen a nod and smile.

"Thanks!" Jen said proudly as she followed her parents into the elevator.

"So you have any 'start of summer' outings planned with Eva?" Vanessa asked.

"We were going to talk about it sometime this weekend... once she gets her phone back." Jen said still smiling.

"Alright," Archer said having no intent of asking why Eva had gotten grounded, he'd heard enough about her from his daughter to know she was just one to press boundries but never break serious ones.

The elevator reached a halfway point when it stopped, "I need to go check on the bio arm project, Erik said he'd have something ready," Vanessa said apologetically as she stepped out, "I'll be sure to be up there before too late," She added more so to Jen then to her husband as the doors shut.

A moment of silence followed until Jens father spoke up with a note of grimness in his voice. "So... are the bracelets still working?"

Jen held out her right arm revealing the sleek silver metal wrapped around her wrist. "As far as I can tell." Jen said far more seriously then she normally would.

The elevator finally reached the 45th floor and the two stepped out a bit too solemn for celebrating the end of exams.

Jen walked off to her room and closed the door, looking around at the light red paint on the walls and the numerous posters of all sorts along the walls, along with the computer desk on the far side of the room and comfy queen sized bed on the other just adjacent from the glass wall that lead to her balcony.

Jen flopped herself down on her bed and looked at the two gauntlets she had to wear.

In truth she had sparked on something of a trend with them in her 9th grade year but when that trend died off it just made her all the more self-conscious of having to wear them... Because with Brooke Augestine hunting down conduits it was either the bracelets... or a pair of concrete handcuffs.

A/N - Welcome lads and lasses to my new story, to those of you who don't know me I'm Ashbringer36 and let me be clear in saying that I update whenever I can usually once a month at worst.

Anyway if you would like to see me focus more on this story I would recomend you place a vote on the poll on my profile, a poll there to get a feel for which story is most read.

Regardless that's all I have to say this time around so hope you all enjoyed the introduction to the two main characters to this Infamous/Devil May Cry crossover,

Until Next Time Ashbringer36 Out