Bleed for Me:

Chapter 1

Amy never liked riding the bus home. Moreso now she had wished she'd taken up Erik's offer to drive her home, even if he was a pervert. She could handle him easily with the stun gun concealed in her purse, no problem. But she felt herself tense as someone a few seats behind her coughed softly.

It's him AGAIN... she thought bitterly. The hooded man she had caught glimpses of almost everywhere she went over the past week and a half.

The first few times she thought it was pure coincidence, but the more frequent times she came across this unknown figure the more uneasy she became. Was he stalking her? She had heard about a lunatic recently on the news who had been terrorizing people all over the city. Could this be him, and she was his next victim?

She smirked inwardly. She had obviously spent too many a night watching one of her favorite real life murder case TV shows. Seen too many terrible things to the point she trusted no one. But if he wasn't a stalker, if he wasn't a mad man, then who the hell was he?

"Next stop, South Parker street & Rendell" the driver said gruffly over the crowd. She noticed the tired sound in his voice and remembered it was after 1 AM. She groaned at the prospect of getting up in less than 4 hours to be back at work.

Nothing had gone the way it was supposed to. She idly drummed her fingers on her lap as she thought of everything leading up to her move into the city. She had such high hopes, but she learned quickly how big city hopes could be trampled upon. She once wanted to be a great pianist. Yet all her hard work and sacrifice had gotten her was a waitress's job that kept her busy till 5pm, and another less than respectable job from 6pm until 1am...

Amy arranged her skirt over her knee out of habitual thought. All she really wanted now was a shower and a warm bed.

The bus pulled to a stop, and if she hadn't heard the man cough again she might have missed her stop in her thoughful haze. She stood up, throwing her bag over her shoulder, and headed off the bus.

"You take care Miss Amy" the bus driver chimed as she went to step off.

"You too, goodnight" she said waving, giving him a smile. She felt a pang of guilt as she began to walk. She had been riding this bus for 3 months and while the bus driver had remembered her name from her pass she had never bothered to ask for his. Yet, despite his long nights, and many different faces passing through his door, he always remembered to say goodnight to her by name. Amy wished she could be more like him.

She was very caught up in these thought as she travelled down the dark street. So much so that it took her a long while to realize she wasn't alone. Her heart gave a giant thud and her blood ran cold all over. He NEVER follows me past the bus! Her heart was in her throat, and despite her earlier thoughts she was too frozen to reach for her stun gun. She heard the footsteps behind her, but she couldn't turn around, too afraid to see that figure there. Her ears strained for every sound. Was his footsteps closer? Should she run? Scream? She was suddenly feeling very warm, almost claustrophobic at this lack of control.

Then she jumped as she felt a hand take hold of her shoulder.

"GO AWAY!" she screamed turning around and putting her hands up to guard her face. Silence and an empty street was all that awaited her when she opened her eyes after a moment that seemed like forever. She felt her heart stumble to halt its rapid beating, and slowly she put her hands down at her sides. One going into her purse to clutch her stun gun with sweaty palms.

Did I scare him away?... she wondered, once again straining to hear sounds that were no longer there.

"Definitely have been watching too much TV" she sighed into the cool night air as her body temperature lowered, as did her guard. Amy turned and continued her walk towards her apartment. She only took a half step before jumping back, having almost walked into the hooded figure that had been waiting behind her the entire time.

Amy screamed as he loomed over her, but her hand was still clasped over the stun gun. He lifted his hands to pull down the hood and out of fright she didn't stun him with the gun, but backhanded him with the clumsy object. He quickly fell backwards, obviously not expecting this.

"OW!!!! Dammit lady!" he growled as he sat up, the hood no longer there. Amy didn't know what to do, or what to say. She just stared down at the man...no, boy... sitting down on the ground before her. He couldn't be that much older than she was. "I was just trying to say hello... you didn't have to clock me one" he continued as eyes, blue as a hot flame, glared up at her. His hair... it was..

"White..." she whispered.

"No, not white. Dante, my name is Dante" he groaned as he stood up, fingering his chin where she had hit him. "For such a small thing you sure do pack a punch". His face broke into a grin at the look on her face.

At his fullest height he cast over her a dark shadow that seemed to swallow her. She couldn't move, or speak, only stare at the face of the man who had been following her. His name is Dante her mind repeated over and over. Maybe she had been working too hard, or maybe this was punishment.

"You Ok?" Dante asked her as she wobbled a bit. She nodded, feeling her throat go dry.

"Why have you been following me?" she asked, taking a step away as he reached out to steady her.

"Oh, well, you know" he smiled boyishly "Pretty lady out at night by herself. Figured you could use a knight in leather armor". He dropped the the coat the hood had been attached to and to her horror he was wearing almost head to toe red leather.

"A-are you here for the cosplay convention?" she asked eyeing him, an eyebrow raised slightly.

"HEY! I resent that..." Dante's face broke into a mock scowl.

Amy couldn't help but laugh a bit, and even felt herself relax.

"Now what? You want to make fun of my choice of shoes as well?"

"No... You just reminded me of someone..." she trailed off. "Well, goodnight Mr. Dante" she said, brushing past him and continuing around the corner, past her apartment. She didn't want him to know where she lived.

"Wait a second!" She felt a hand grab hold of her wrist and she swung around again to find Dante ducked low, as if she were going to hit him again. He unclenched his eyes and stood at his full height again. "Ok, I have been following you but I have good cause". Dante let go of her hand and the two stood in silence for a moment.

"Well?" she asked a bit annoyed. She would never get any sleep at this rate and looking at him was making her feel uneasy. She suddenly felt antsy, like she needed to get away. But he stood there calm. As if he had all the time in the world.

"I think you could be in danger. That's why I've been following you" he said breaking her thoughts.

"In danger? Are you kidding? The past week and a half I've thought I was in danger from YOU"

"What? So I take it the disguise wasn't working?"

"How many people do you know wear hooded robes on a public bus, or out in public for that matter?" she said incredulously to him.

"I'm not crazy if that's what you're thinking" he growled at her, and she couldn't help but shrink back at the tone in his voice. Dante ran a hand through his white hair and quietly swore. "Just, trust me on this. There are things in this world you know nothing about. I'm trying to help you".

Amy stared at him, not really wanting to believe him. A strange man comes up to her at 1:30 in the morning, dressed in red leather, and wants her to believe her life is in danger? HA! Next thing you know dragons will fall from the sky and talk to her.

"Listen, it's late and I'm going home. You do whatever you need to, but I'm not going to..."

"DAMNIT!" Dante growled pushing her to the ground. Amy covered her head as if Dante were going to attack her, but she didn't feel anything but air and the sting in her palm as she tried to catch herself.

CHING CHING CHING

The noise was so loud, and as she turned she wished she had never gotten out of bed this morning. It was Dante, and another man... but he didn't LOOK like a man. He stood upright, but he had wings, and skin of the deepest blue. Fangs protruded from his mouth as he let out a war cry, every muscle in his arm working to hold up a katana blade that looked like flashes of silver dancing as he and Dante fought.

Then the creature turned and looked at her for the briefest of moments. His eyes were blood red. No pupils, no iris, just pure blood and fuming with hatred for her and the man protecting her.

"What took you so long?" Dante taunted the creature as they fought. "Don't tell me you were afraid to face me?"

The creature lunged forward with inhuman speed towards him.

"Dante look out!" Amy yelled, but her scream wasn't needed. Dante had moved with the same grace and speed out of the way. She watched in horror as the two fought in an almost choreographed motion. The creature seething to tear the man apart, and Dante looking as if he was having a blast.

Amy couldn't stand it. Leaving behind everything she took off running away, anywhere. She came to the apartment door when she realized she'd left her purse, stun gun, and KEYS back by the two around the corner. Her heart dropped into her stomach and she was struck numb by her own horror.

What are they?! Her insides were screaming, to run, run as fast as she could away. As she did so she remembered the doorway on the roof. She had used it many times to hide out from the world when she needed to get away. If she could just get up the fire escape to the roof, she could run into the safety of her building and leave this all behind.

Amy took no chances, she ran as fast as she could towards the fire escape. The ladder was up! She swore to herself and looked around for a means to grab it. Lucky for her the Evans family had just thrown away an old dresser. She grabbed a hold of it and heaved it away from the garbage to place it under the ladder with tense effort.

As she went to climb onto the ladder she heard someone approaching. Her heart hurt so bad and her legs stressed as she reached on tip toes to pull the ladder down. Her fingers grasped onto it just as Dante came running around the corner.

"Amy, WAIT!" he yelled, running to grab her leg before she could begin climbing. But Amy kicked like a wild animal, hitting anything and everything she could in her fear to get away. She quickly climbed up the ladder and as she met solid stairs she ran up, up , up until she reached the cold surface of the concrete rooftop.

She lay down gasping for breath, feeling the cold night air on her bare foot. Dante must have grabbed her shoe. She didn't care. The doorway to home was so close now. She stood up and half heartedly began to run, her lungs burning as each gasp of breathe set fire to her body. But then, to her horror, the creature dropped down in front of her, its eyes blazing.

"Give it to me girl" it growled at her, reaching a clawed hand out. There was blood on those claws, was it Dante's? She felt her insides squirm as he drew nearer. Every step forward he took was another step she took backwards. "Don't make me tell you twice" he hissed, a demonic smile spreading over his mouth. His sharp fangs shown in full this time.

Amy was so tired and terrified, but she didn't know what he wanted. How could she? The rooftop was spinning. Between her lack of sleep, the work out she had just given her body, and the creature that towered before her, she couldn't feel her limbs anymore. She took another step backwards and fell over the side welcoming sleep.

Yet, it did not come. Instead a hand clasped around her wrist, and she opened her eyes to see a familiar face. Silvery white hair laying over electrifyingly blue eyes looking at her over the edge of the rooftop. For a long time she didn't believe what she was seeing... This wasn't Dante, but...

"Vergil?" she whispered up to the man in recognition. As if she had shocked him the man dropped her arm quickly and Amy faded into the darkness of exhaustion.