DMC5 AU (For @whollyconsumed)

[superstylishsquid]

[It's not often that Alastor lingers outside of Movieland after paying a visit to his friends on this side of the silver screen, but this time...this time something's wrong. A deeply unnerving type of wrong that's far too familiar. The demon bugs, Empousae, only enter this world to feed a Qlipoth sprout. Checking the news confirms his fears, and gives him a location at that.

Joe, Silvia, and Jet are doing their best to protect people from the wandering demons, but Alastor knows enough to head for the source. He doesn't bring them with him, not for this. Anything else, maybe...but he knows what he's going to see when he gets there, and it's not a sight he wants to inflict on them. Not one he's sure they could handle, spared the horrors of truly gruesome deaths as they have been.

What he sees is what he'd expected. It's a scene from a nightmare. Last time, he'd held back and tried to stay out of things. That had resulted in Mundus, to say nothing of countless innocent lives lost that he might have saved. This time will be different. This time, he'll tear this infernal plant up by the roots if he has a chance, even if it risks all of Hell knowing he's escaped his prison.

The first step to that is loosening those roots. Flying above the carnage of the city, it's easy to spot their weak spots. He's surprised to also see something human shaped moving down there, but the root is the first priority. Calling a replica sword to his hand, he takes a plunging dive down, blade point first, to tear open the straining membrane of the root. It's messy, the boil-like protrusion bursting open in a shower of blood, but it's efficient...and he rather thinks the image it results in, of him kneeling with his sword buried in Qlipoth flesh and surrounded in blood splatters is a striking one. Even if he is going to have to wipe the bloodstains off his armor and clothes.]

Comments

[superstylishsquid]

Please, anyone could give him that.

[Somehow, there's a sense that he's rolling his eyes...maybe the fact that he's also crossing his arms.]

No, I gave him information. I was around when Mundus pulled this same stunt, a couple thousand years ago. Not to mention the whole 'sharing some of my magical energy to wake Dante from his beauty nap' thing.

[brokenfuse]

I guess I shoulda known better. You'd probably break him, you're so big and he's such a damn stick.

Nero, shut up and listen to what we're saying. There's a new plan.

Yeah, I get that. Where am I in this plan?

[superstylishsquid]

Keeping that stick in one piece. He wants to be there to deal the finishing blow, for personal reasons. I'm expecting to need to focus on Urizen, and I don't think any of us want him deciding to hold the only human there hostage, or just attacking him outright.

[brokenfuse]

Yeah, sure, I can do that. [ Nero looks determined. ] Are we heading off, then?

If he's done with his meal.

[superstylishsquid]

I've had enough for now...it's just an appetizer, after all.

[He hasn't had fresh blood in so long...disgust at how it was cultivated is the only thing keeping his mouth watering at the thought of that fruit. Even so, he can't help looking forward to it at least a little.]

I'm sure we'll have to fight our way down, so we don't exactly have time for me to take a full lunch break.

[brokenfuse]

Good thinking.

Then let's go! [ Nero pushes V a little, and he stumbles hard. ]



....sorry.

[superstylishsquid]

[He moves toward V just in case, but it looks like he's fine this time.]

That vitality potion did good for you, huh?

[brokenfuse]

I suppose so.

Vitality potion?

Don't worry about it.

[superstylishsquid]

Just something I gave him when I noticed how sickly he is. I'm sure we all agree that the only one him collapsing halfway down would benefit is Urizen.

[wholelyconsumed]

Especially if he's determined to lay the finishing blow.

Not just determined. I have to.

[superstylishsquid]

So, is our entrance at ground level, or are we gonna have to look for the stairs when we get inside?

[wholelyconsumed]

A few stairs, but not that many.

[ V starts moving towards where he knows the entrance to the actual tree is located. He's tempted to use his familiars to help walk again, but he's not as fatigued, so he abstains. ]

[superstylishsquid]

Then we look for a way down. Shouldn't be too hard, as long as Dante does his job.

[wholelyconsumed]

You can count on Dante!

I suppose so.

[superstylishsquid]

Normally I'd doubt you, but in a situation like this...yeah, I trust him to do the best he can. And if there's one thing I know he's good at, it's being distractingly obnoxious.

[wholelyconsumed]

[ Nero snorts at that. ]

I can't tell if you're insulting him or not!