themainframe | Mission 11: A Close Secret

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Mission 11: A Close Secret

[Private to people who know Nero is Dante's nephew]

*Why is Dante wet? Do you even want to know? Well either way, it's not what he wants to talk about.*

Sure you guys've already noticed that the kid who just popped up on the D-Ts is my nephew. I'm gonna have to ask you a favor about that: don't tell 'im. He doesn't know anything 'bout his father, and this ain't the time for him to learn.

[Private to Vergil]

*Yeah, Dante's still wet, and also looking uncharacteristically serious.*

Bro, we've gotta have us a chat.

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We need to stop having these sorts of chats.

Hey, at least this one ain't at sword point. Baby steps, right?

*Okay, maybe not entirely serious.*

You saw the kid with the demon arm, right?

I prefer the ones at sword point.

[ hear that exasperated sigh. ]

Yes, I noticed. Moreover your reaction was more notable.

Really feelin' the love, bro. And him poppin' up wasn't high on the list of things I was ready for, so sue me.

I hope I ain't gotta tell you who he is.

I am aware on both accounts, Dante.

Get to the point.

He doesn't know yet, and I'm not gonna spill the beans to 'im, but you oughta at least try to look out for him. Kid hasn't known about bein' part demon for long and was raised by demon hunters, so I'm bettin' he'll need a bit of help coming fully to terms with it.

Not to mention he's gonna start askin' questions eventually, since someone else went and spilled to him that he and I both have the blood of Sparda. He finds out the truth, it'll be less trouble for all of us if he doesn't think of his old man as an irredeemable douchebag.

And why not? It would be fairly correct, according to your own philosophy.

I have no intention of engaging the boy at all.

Alright, yeah, you're a douchebag. But I know you've got your good points. The fact that you didn't slice right through Lady's bazooka and her along with it proves that, among a couple other things I could mention.

But I guess responsibility ain't one of those points. I know the time shit makes it awkward and I know you ain't the touchy feely type, but he's your goddamn kid, Verge. He grew up not knowing a thing about who or what he is 'cause you ran off to Hell instead of even trying to raise him. Think about how much shit it is growing up as a part demon when you know every human around you's gonna think you're a monster if they find out what you are and then imagine what it must be like growin' up thinking of demons as monsters and then finding out you're practically one of 'em.

You owe it to the kid to at least help with that. I ain't gonna push you to tell 'im who he is, hell, I'm thinkin' now's about the worst time to dump that shit on him. But even if he doesn't know, do your goddamn job as his father and look out for him.

[ not going to deny some of that... but there are reasons. reasons that Dante has no inkling of... and Vergil is not the type that goes around sharing those sorts of details.

instead his voice takes on an almost venomous tone. ]

It is none of your business.

He's my nephew, that makes what happens to him my business. Now, I'm hopin' you had a good reason for leaving him back home and that it wasn't just you ditching 'cause you didn't want to take care of a kid. But right now, he's gonna need someone who's got experience dealing with being part demon and he's gonna need people around to remind him that he's not alone. And yeah, I'm just as much a halfbreed as you and I'm willin' to pick up the slack where you just plain don't know what to do, but I'm not gonna just sit back and watch you avoid him like he's some kinda curse.

Need I remind you that you were also absent from my life for a great deal of time? You would be wise to refrain from your judgment.

[ you were not there. no one was. he had to do what he thought best for all parties involved. ]

I do not intend to share what transpired in those years, but it is in the past. The boy was raised by other hands. It is not shirking responsibility as I have no claim whatsoever.

In case you hadn't noticed, those other hands ain't here. I can tell you what happened to 'em, but for now I'll just say you really know how to pick 'em.

And aside from that, I'm bettin' his powers were dormant when you left 'im. They ain't now, and you're right, I dunno what it was like for you, but learning on my own was shit, but not nearly as much shit as always feeling like I didn't belong anywhere.

The kid was hiding that arm of his when I met 'im. I figure you'd at least want him to be proud of his demonic heritage instead of trying to run away from what it means.

[ a roll of his eyes. Fortuna had been a fine place. fine enough anyway... ]

The power comes only at a time of dire need, or did you not notice that? If he was able to grasp it, then he was already prepared to embrace what it meant - if not in mind then in spirit.

Though if he is ashamed, you would be the better one to deal with it instead of I. There is nothing I can teach him, even if I were willing to do so.

*Fortuna was ruled by a creepy cult that thought their father was a god.*

Needing it ain't the same as being ready for it. And yeah, he did need it, but when's life ever that simple? The kid's a better person than I was at that age, but he's still a bratty punk.

And bullshit about you not havin' anything to teach him. For one thing, take away his sword and he fights like a dumb thug. He's got shit for temper control, thinks with his fists and he's got a hell of a lot to learn about what it means to be a descendant of Sparda. The kid suckerpunched me to let me know he was an opponent, and that ain't how a member of this family should act.

Even if you ain't got your own head on straight enough to give him lessons on philosophical shit, there's plenty I know he could learn from you.

Only to forget as soon as he returns.

[ rather pointless in the long run, really. ]

Once again I would believe you would be the better teacher. You have the experience that I do not when it pertains to these matters. Unless you would have the boy follow the path that I have taken, I suggest leaving it.

It isn't a matter of if my head is on straight or not. My decision was made already and there is nothing that can be done about it. A father I might be, but a dad and mentor I am not.

[ seriously... how often do you want him to get stabbed? Vergil's not going to pull punches you know. ]

*Do you have to talk like that's inevitable? He likes to hope that there's a chance to escape it.*

It'll matter here.

And the kid's got a good sense of morality, I trust 'im not to go puttin' innocents in danger. Like I said, he's better'n I was. But I do see some of your, hell, some of both of our worrying traits in him. He could use the warning of the kind of asshat he could become if he doesn't watch himself.

And unless you think we can keep him from figuring out where he came from forever, even once he gets the memo that we're twins, ignoring him now's gonna do more harm than good. Nobody likes thinking their father doesn't give a shit about them.

*He should know. He convinced himself when he was younger that if Sparda really cared, he would still be there.*

I know you ain't the type to show affection and tenderness, but I'm pretty sure that ain't how you should handle him. Kid needs to be shown a bit of tough love if he's gonna listen and learn anything. Beat the shit out of 'im once myself because he was being a dumbass and hey, it worked wonders. As a matter of fact, I was kinda takin' some cues from you when I decided to try beating the immaturity out of 'im.

*Also at several other points that were much more superfluous.*

To be fair, chances are he would think he is one of yours before anything else.

[ no one can deny that. not like people would think Vergil capable of being intimate with anyone. ]

A passionate speech will do little to change my mind, Dante. This you should know better than anyone else.

[ gonna take him a lot more to be convinced he should have anything to do with Nero. sorry. ]

You askin' me to lie so you can keep pretendin' there's no connection between you two? Sorry bro, he asks, I'm gonna tell him he ain't mine.

I didn't say to lie. I only say that it is the logical conclusion - that he may come to believe so on his own terms.

...If he doesn't ask anything specific, I won't tell 'im. But if he takes guesses, I won't lie.

I would expect nothing less.

I still say you oughta at least do somethin'. Teach 'im the right way to use a katana if nothin' else. The kid's a punk, but I don't think he's dumb. He's gonna start wonderin' eventually, and it ain't like it's a secret that we're supposed to be the same age. He figures it out, he oughta have at least some reason to think his old man gives a shit about him.

And if you really don't, I'm gonna have to make your face match your crappy fashion sense.

*That is, black and blue.*

I'd care to see his face about as much as I desire to see yours.

[ which basically means at an arms length. on his own terms. but that's as close as he is willing to be. ~~forget the implication that it means he does give a damn.~~ ]

*Nope, he's not going to forget that implication.*

Then you better do somethin' to make sure he isn't pissed enough at ya to wanna introduce that demon fist of his to your face when he catches on. Kid's got some serious anger issues.

I think such a confrontation, if he catches on, would be inevitable.

[ he knows he is not endearing and he's not going to try to be. ]

Though he had best pray to be far swifter than you if wishes to succeed in landing a hit.

Nobody bothered teachin' him to play fair, wouldn't put it past 'im to try knockin' your teeth out as the first clue that he's pissed.

Understood I guess.

Thanks. Kid's gonna have enough to take in just gettin' here without havin' to wrap his head around the fact that his long lost father's here and not much older'n he is.

It's not like it would be my place to tell anyone someone elses's business.

Never know who he might go talkin' to if he starts gettin' curious.

Oh, and don't mind him bein' kind of an ass. Must've gotten it from Verge.

He's probably the spitting image of your attitude instead.

Alright, we've got a bit in common...'cept I grew outta most of what he's still dealin' with. Guess some things just run in the family. But he's not nearly as much fun as me.

*Just...not going to bring up the fact that he was a bigger jerk than Nero could ever hope to be at that age.*

[ snorts ]

Fun? You're fun?

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Mission 11: A Close Secret

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