Dantes eyes widened as they took in the scene.
Lady was draped lifeless over Vergils arm, her shirt had been slashed in several places, black blood clotting slowly on the white cotton.
His eyes flew to his brother, but no, it couldn't have been him. Vergil was staring at Ladys face carefully as though waiting for some sign of life and Dante saw it then, clear in his brothers eyes, the emotion shone through as though he was 10 years old again.
A gentle groan from Lady brought his eyes back into focus, his mind numb as he knelt beside her. He peeled back her shirt slowly, flinching as the dried blood tugged at her raw skin.
Vergil stiffened beside him as the wounds became apparent.

"Claws?"
Dante murmured as his fingers moved to trace the cuts that crisscrossed her soft stomach, he frowned as she shifted under his touch,

"Its like something was trying to get in"

Vergils eyes narrowed as he laid her head onto his coat and moved swiftly to get the first aid box Dante kept there, just for Ladys sake.

"Or trying to get out.."

Dante spun round at his brothers words,

"What?"

Vergil sighed as he pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and doused it over a wad of cotton,

"Brother you don't truly think.."

He paused as Lady gasped quietly under the weight Vergil pressed to her stomach, her eyes were peaceful then and Vergil fixed his gaze on Dante,

".. that all this has been coincidental?"

Dante icy eyes darkened at the word as he squeezed Ladys hand,

"All ... what, has been coincidental Vergil? Me and Lady are just dying to know"

The devil grimaced at his brothers turn of phrase and spoke quietly as he placed fresh cotton wool pads over the lacerations,

"You think that possessed demon, Ladys dreams, the Lord Rochester" he snarled "aren't all part of a bigger plan, a bigger story. Don't tell me you didn't know what was going on Dante."

His brother growled as he unknowingly squeezed Ladys hand tighter still.

"Obviously not," he struggled not to shout as he spoke through gritted teeth, "so please brother, enlighten us"

Vergil started to wrap a long piece of gauze around Ladys unconscious form,

"I pieced it together after your little visit from Rochester. I heard what he asked for."
He lifted her back gently to pass the fabric under, Dante wrapped it over her stomach and his brother took the gauze silently to start the process again,

"What you were blind to Dante, was the fact that Rochester is more acquainted with Lady than either you or her know"

Dantes eyes narrowed as his brother tied off the bandages and made to pick Lady up. His hand grabbed his brothers wrist like a vice,

"Tell me."

Vergil wrenched his arm away with ease and picked up the limp girl delicately to carry her to the sofa.

"He is her brother"

Dante blinked.

"What?"

"Half-brother technically but he is Arkhams son... through and through" Vergil added under his breath.

Dante shook his head, sinking into his office chair,

"You're gonna have to break this down for me Verge"

Vergil sighed as he knelt down beside Lady, stroking the raven hair out of her eyes,

"When Arkham 'died' the demons recognised him as a Martyr, a hero willing to give his life in a bid to free the demon world. Of course they do not know the circumstances of his demise but truth has never held much stock in hell. He was revered, and given life eternal as a demon spirit. He was weak at first, incredibly so, passing from Demon to demon to gain strength; to reach Mary.
Of course no demon in his right mind would come close enough to Devil May Cry for him to be able to get to her. So, he bided his time and waited, haunting her the only way he could, in her dreams.
He was hiding in the forest to the west of the city when he took a new demon as host, this demon was a different sort altogether and with its power he had strength enough to control the demons thoughts, it did his bidding; the leech had enveloped its host. Together they terrorized the farming community that encroached the forest, hoping to garner enough attention that you... or more pointedly Lady might come."

Dante put his head in his hands as he growled profanities,

".. i handed her to him on a plate"

"The spirit Arkham had never possessed a human before, it isn't as simple as demon possession, humans are more complex in every way. He couldn't penetrate the skin, she had to be wounded, he needed an entrance"

"Her leg..." Dante murmured under his breath

"Hold up" Dante waved his hands before shoving them through his silver hair,

"Rochester said he only wanted the amulet after we had killed Arkham, I mean, what? Does he have some serious parent issues?"

Vergil stared at the floor his eyes tight,
"I haven't yet figured out Rochesters part in the story, but i'll bet you any money you like he's not the hero."

Dantes eyes returned to the black haired girls sleeping form,
"..and Lady?"

"We have to find the amulet before he tears her apart. He wants her blood as surely as he wanted her mothers"

Dante growled in frustration as he tore his hands through his hair and rubbed his eyes, kicking the chair from under his feet Dante spun round to grab Rebellion from the rack behind the desk. Vergil made no move to get up as he heard the clatter behind him,

"Where are you going brother?"

The devil holstered Ebony and Ivory,

"I'm going to get the godamn amulet"

He shoved his hands into black leather gloves as he strode towards the door,

"Dante"

Vergils voice was that of a mother used to her sons ill-advised escapades,

"Not now verge, times not exactly working for us"

"Dante"

He spun round to face his brother in the exact moment he realised it wasn't Vergil who had spoken.

A man was standing in the doorway of Devil May Cry and Dante was on him in two seconds flat. Rebellion drinking in the blood spurting from the mans heart.

A/N and now the story begins...

I've written the next part which i'll post tomorrow.

I'm so extra sorry its taken this long, ive been writing other things at the moment, but thats not excuse slaps on the wrist

So anyway, Thoughts? Questions? Slander?