The Mess Cleaner 2 (Patreon)

The Mess Cleaner 2 - Or ‘He breaks, I pay, he slays, I clean’ (Devil May Cry, SI)

A normal day within a rather weird week.

That’s how I defined the current state of things as Tony has started to switch out from his usual stuff with Grue, and he had been working with this guy Gilver for a while now. And I noticed the fact that the bastard was Vergil- or someone that was copying him a bit.

I doubt Vergil would have made an appearance this early on, but his name was literally an anagram for Tony’s bastard of a brother, and he used a Yamato-like katana.

What made me question this being the real Vergil was his ‘willingness’ to work with Tony for so long, his lack of prideful chatting, and the fact he was targeting Tony when, early on, Vergil would have focused on gaining power first.

No, this guy stank of ‘copy-cat’ than the real deal, and the fact he came to visit the gun shop was already unnerving enough. The tense exchange between Nell and him as he visited the shop to ‘buy’ the shotgun on display, one of the masterpieces my boss was proud of having made, left a rather bitter taste that confirmed this guy was bad news.

His ‘everything’ screamed of evil.

Yet, when Tony ended up visiting on this very normal day, the topic didn’t come up for a simple reason. He looked rather tense, and particularly furious about something as he approached me. At least I could confirm that he wasn’t mad at me- rather, he was mad at the news that Grue had been killed in a big solo mission.

Surprise flared from within, but my questions about specifics were met with genuine ignorance as everyone at Bobby’s Cellar was as surprised as everyone. It just felt odd that no one knew anything considering that it was a cove for mercenaries of all sorts!

Tony admitted, guiltily, that this was news just two days ago and that the reason he couldn’t bring it to tell it earlier was because of one thing.  I did see Grue as a bit of an uncle. And I was fucking furious with Tony for fucking keeping me in the dark.

Still, the reason Tony visited was not just to give me the news: he wanted me to tag along to check on Grue’s oldest daughter, Jessica.

The girl had been admitted to a sanatorium after she started to dream about… demons. This started right as she got the news of her father’s passing. Now, I would still cuss at Tony for fucking keeping me in the dark, but I saw the point he was raising- kinda.

There was a chance that it may be related and checking was better than letting it die on its own. Especially in a world where these sorts of signs were big red flags.

Before leaving, however, Nell had me keep Kepler, the Handgun Revolver I had been working on, and some bullets for the trip if there were demons there. So, with a gun holstered and ready to be used, we went to the sanatorium and-

Demons were invading from the sanatorium and the entire district had been turned into a warzone. This was not a fun sight, and yet it was a good target practice opportunity for the new gun. It worked wonderfully despite the fact Tony was slaying the most of the demons.

Things were somewhat lighthearted through the ‘joy ride’, but it all came to an end when we found the source of the issue. It was a big demon… that was using Jessica’s despair as fuel for the portal. Tony took care of the demon, but I was left with Jessica. The girl was incoherent, but she mentioned ‘dad’ and ‘I am sorry’.

I knew what I had to do, why I had to do it and… and it was not how this normal day should have gone. A bullet was enough, the girl was put to peace and the portal collapsed.

The day was saved, yay. But I wasn’t happy at all. Using one of the sanatorium’s still-working phones I managed to get in contact with a mercenary I met at Bobby’s Cellar that had been a drinking buddy to Grue.

He was respectable and reliable enough to give him the task to find Grue’s surviving daughters and put them to safety for the time being as someone was clearly targeting the dead man’s family.

That matter was also settled and I felt utterly drained. I didn’t do much, but by the time we got back at the Gun Shop, I pretty much found it difficult to fully focus. I could automatically do the job I was given, but I was stuck with the same unfocused look Tony had. He rested at the gun shop. I did too as Nell could tell we were far from good in going back to our flat to sleep.

It was… a strangely cathartic experience. Tony and I didn’t sleep, we just sat on the bed he had ‘offered to me’ and we started to talk and talk. And what I learned was how much of a miscommunication issue was had between us.

“Look, I am sorry I am bad with money. But I am not exactly that kind of guy which is… so frustrating when you just can sit back and not get in harm’s way.”

“...Dude, you are literally the guy that likes to rush into action, show off your cool moves, and then brag about ‘getting bitches’,” I retorted Tony’s sharp comment. “Like, really, you call this doing nothing. And yet the guns you end up using always return with singing praise from you. Pray tell, what would you do with just your sword?”

“Make it through-”

“At the expense of flexibility,” I interrupted angrily. “I don’t get you at times. First you call me a ‘tough nut’, now I am a softie, and now you think I am somewhat ‘superior’ to you because I am good with money. Tony, you are my brother, but fuck’s sake pick a side and stick to it. Am I your bro or a fucking nuisance?!”

The lengthy pause he gave me was one that irked me, but I didn’t speak any further unless he did. And he did, but it wasn’t anything I had expected.

“...John, do you think I am a pest?”

That was sudden, but I was not delaying the response.

“No.”

“I mean, I am bad with money-”

“Fuck’s sake with this money talk, Tony,” I half-snapped. “When I tell you to be more mindful is because I want you to not end up in a position where you can’t ‘fight with your mighty sword’. You tell me to not get too close to dangerous threats when in combat, how come you can’t take it that when I tell you to be mindful of your finances is because I know it’s a weakness you need to mind a lot more than you do?”

…

I looked at the floor. “Today a girl died. She did nothing to deserve it. She was unprepared, she was fragile, and someone exploited it. People will always find a way to hurt others. May it be directly or not, Tony. I… I genuinely want you to make it through. You are a good fighter, but there are bastards that use money to make things infuriating and deadly for many like you.”

He gave me an awkward look. “I… I am sorry.”

“I know you are,” I remarked quietly. “But it’s needed, you know. You’re my brother, why the fuck should I not lecture you from time to time to tell you when you’re wrong from experience?”

“The same goes for you.”

“It sure does,” I admitted mirthfully. “Well, not flirting.”

“You are just too plain-”

“Shut it, girls find it creepy when you go super-cheesy without that devilish handsomeness of yours, you bastard.”

The playful punch to the shoulder was the spark for some chuckling and… it was there we kind of made up. No hugs, no ‘promises’. Just talking and unraveling what we were unable to tell each other up to this point.

We fell asleep sitting, and we woke up with hurting backs for that.

Tony was soon out of the shop to start digging on Grue’s mysterious death, while I got back to work. It was early in the morning and I had started to clean the floor with a broom. Tony had left less than half-an-hour when something… exploded.

Part of the shop was hit by a bomb. It was internal- someone had planted it while we weren’t looking or something, and the location of the blast was near to Nell’s personal workshop. I got a fire extinguisher ready as I braved through the smoke, putting out some of the flames around, but stopping as I finally got to my boss.

Nell was a tough woman. There is no way I could think otherwise. And the sight I was presented with when I found her was… horrifying. And wonderful in its own macabre way.

She was awake, conscious and still working. Her gaze was firmly focused on the table, finishing the assembling of what I recognized as Ebony & Ivory- Dante’s primary handguns and she was… her back.

I couldn’t see much skin. It was all blood and flesh. I could literally see her spine and bones. I… I was stunned. There was so much going on, but the woman was driven by a sole purpose.

“John, I need two Class-S Magazine releases, and the custom grip panels by the revolvers.”

“B-Boss, but you-”

“Just do it, sonny.”

The harshness was driven by pain. She was fighting through it. I wanted to stop her, but I knew I couldn’t do anything to stop that. She was dying, and she decided to die doing what she could do best- finishing another masterpiece. Her last one.

I snapped out of my shock, going through the efforts of picking the pieces and helping her with the completion of this piece. Tony was soon there too, but he didn’t notice that Nell was wounded as she had shifted her injured back away and gave me a look that begged me to not tell him when he asked if we were alright.

He stared at the handguns in silent awe and soon Ebony & Ivory were his to claim as his favorite long-ranged guns. But as the work finished, so did the adrenaline and strength pushing Nell into that inhuman effort. Her body got stiff and she almost fell on the side.

I caught her, slowly lowering her to the ground as I couldn’t stop Dante from noticing the extent of damage her back went through.

“S-Sorry.”

“It’s alright. Don’t worry,” I replied tensely, unsure of what I could say to her. It- it was different than I had expected. This was my boss. She was- she was meant to be one of the mightiest bitches around and she was dying there. She took me in, she taught me the steps needed to be a gunsmith, the purpose of each piece, the discipline, the appreciation and love but…

Her hand was soon patting my cheek.

But nothing had prepared me for this.

She smiled as she leaned closer and pushed my head to the side.

I felt shaking, tears forming as she whispered softly. I was breaking apart at that moment. It was her last moment. I- I shouldn’t have been able to handle it. But I did, for Nell. I listened and nodded, learning what she needed me to do after she was dead. The words were burned in my mind and then… she sighed.

“You made me proud, sonny. And I want you to continue your work and spread your ideas… just don’t forget who you are, okay?”

“I- I will not forget.”

She was gone shortly after. It took me a solid minute to realize this, my mind not there and yet… yet I was assaulted by clarity. This was proof in my mind on who was behind this. Who was responsible for what had happened.

Tony- No, Dante- I really don’t know why this triggered his memories and returned him his true name, but I didn’t delve too deep about it. I just knew that Dante wanted to get to Bobby’s Cellar to see if it was truly Gilver behind all of this.

But before going, before I forced myself into tagging along despite how unstable I felt at the moment, I walked up to one of the hidden corners of the workshop. As she had told me, a brown gym back sat there, waiting to be used.

I unzipped it briefly to check its content and smiled fondly as I attributed it to her words.

This is my last gift to you, sonny. And let him pay for what he did to Grue.

Nell had played one last prank to Gilver, but I decided to keep quiet about it even to Dante as we went to the Cellar. Unsurprisingly enough, Demons had been summoned as Gilver decided today was the day Dante would die to him.

So, as the two started to fight in a deadly dance, I ended up with the duty of cleaning the other demons. I had Kepler ready, the powerful handgun handled with absolute precision and ruthlessness as I tore fast and viciously through the few groups of demons before they could get too close to me. I moved fast, my steps nimble as adrenaline made my muscles shift faster in what was clearly a dangerous waltz.

It took me five minutes to destroy the minions, leaving just Dante and Gilver facing one another, and the latter trying to get the upper hand on Dante by using the Shotgun that he took from the gun shop.

The gun was called the ‘Super Shotgun’ for a reason. It was using a special variant of the 4 Gauge- extremely rare and outrageously destructive depending on the gun. Somehow Nell had found a way to make the recoil and the kickback reduced by a solid 80%, turning it into one of the most vicious shotguns possible.

But as Gilver took aim and tried to shoot Dante, he was given one last surprise from Nell as the gun exploded in his hand. The thing he stole was just a failed version that Nell had put on display to trick thieves. And now Gilver was given a taste of an experimental gun meant to not hold this sort of shell.

“I think you were looking for this,” I hummed viciously as I finally approached the distracted bastard, the real shotgun which had been kept within the brown bag and was in my possession now aimed at the arm wielding the sword and the pellets easily tearing into the flesh and bone.

Gilver was stunned momentarily, the fake shotgun having mangled his remaining limb and thus giving me the chance to go for the kill. But I didn’t use any guns- no. He made it personal, and I was planning to end it with that.

The first punch slammed him to the ground. He tried to crawl away, but I jumped on him and held him put as I started to smack him left and right. My knuckles were soon hurting and getting bloody between the pain I was causing him and myself.

His face was soon revealed for a moment. Gilver looked like Vergil, but the way he was taking the beating was way too easy. No, it wasn’t Vergil, and I wasn’t planning to stop.

Fist after fist, punch after punch… Dante’s arms were suddenly pulling me back and holding me up. Screaming something at me but I was too numb as a ringing noise had taken over my hearing.

As my gaze regained focus, the red blot turned out to be the pasty result of a rather inhuman beating. I shouldn’t have been able to literally squish the bastard’s skull and head so much, but I did.

And my hands were hurting like hell. But what hurt the most was not the physical aspect of myself.

It was the pure wrath burning into my core as I felt the vengeful mindset driving me into that heinous act retreating and leaving scorched earth behind. I was… spent. But I didn’t collapse or falter.

This battle was over…

But this was just the beginning of this bloody story.

—----d-d-d-d—-----

AN

Devil May Cry novel… almost over! Next chapter will see the closure to that situation between the aftermath and the developments that would lead up to DMC3 and… DMC3 begins!

The Kepler Handgun is a modified AMT AutoGun V with 10 .50 Action Express bullets cartridge and a better composition to handle the kickback. The Super Shotgun is the Super Shotgun from Doom 2016 (because it currently lacks the Meat Hook’.).