“Harley! Where are you? Where’s the church?”

 

Standing in a new spot, on the black beach, the volcanic sand so soft and smooth under his bare feet, the washing of the ocean waves, it’s so cleansing and cooling. The misty spraying of saltwater all over, making him feel fresh yet melancholy. The wind picks up and his transparent wings brighten, his ghostly feathers shimmering. 

 

“Mother?”

 

The flock of robins come flying, a few of them landing on his outstretched arms. With a thud, he hits the sand, on his back, the air knocked out of him, his tired eyes staring blankly. The flutter of the robins has him hypnotized. 

 

A distinctive slicing sound carves itself into the atmosphere. The sound of the Yamato. Footsteps, then those same slicing sounds, only in reverse. Then, someone kneeling beside him.

 

“Why are you crying, Nephilim?”

 

“Father?”

 

"What do you see in your stupor?”

 

“My friend died.”

 

“Accept it as nothing more than a bad dream. You’re not well enough to be consumed by grief.”

 

“Are you going to finish me… Vergil?”

 

From Vergil, he receives a long pause accompanied by a deep stare. Worried for the worst, Dante turns his head away, tears pouring as he struggles to catch his breath.

 

“I’m not one to flinch at an opportunity for violence, nor does gore trouble me, but I was troubled to see these things inflicted onto you. Please trust me.”

 

He gently turns the Nephilim’s head to face him.

 

“I failed my friend.”

 

“I’m sure you didn’t, angel.”

 

“I’m only half angel.”

 

Vergil cocks his brow then chuckles.

 

“Is that’s why you’re here, in this beautiful place? I can see your ghostly wings. I’d say you’re more than half angel, Dante. So self-deprecating. You two truly are one and the same.”

 

Footsteps running, a voice that’s obviously been crying…

 

“Little Dante, you’d better still be alive!”

 

“Calm down, Brother, I think he’s in a stupor from these tormented robins.”

 

The Nephilim can feel his new father’s heated hands firmly cupping his cheeks and stroking his hair, stimulating a lightning-like energy within… 

 

“Oh buddy, come on, don’t keel over on me.”

 

“I won’t, I don’t think.” 

 

Foggily, he can see him looking down at him with eyes glowing white, behind a curtain of stormy hair.

 

“Is that your Devil Trigger coming back to life in your veins?”

 

“Brother, this place, it’s Paradiso. We cannot stay here.”

 

“How long have we been here?”

 

“Your daughter returned from her mission with the Titans while you were gone. You’ve been gone long enough that she’s started to weep for you.”

 

“Oh no, Bunny is sad?”

 

“Worried. The Titans and I made a strenuous effort to get me here. A lot of trial and error to get the Yamato to open a gateway to this place.”

 

“Oh damn, I didn’t know, Vergil.”

 

“I explained to her, that we need our counterparts. If they stop existing, it may strip away part of who we are, it may steal part of our souls.”

 

“You hearing this, Little Dante?” 

 

“The way your eyes were blackening, you look much better now. Nephilim, is this Saturn? It’s wonderful, I’ve always wanted to see it in person, so thank you for that. We need to return to the Human World now.”

 

They watch him cover his face with his forearm.

 

“Killer-Red meant everything to me.” 

 

“You mean Red Hood? Is that who you’re mourning? Dante, Nightwing’s brought your Red Hood to the shop. Multiple times. Your Killer-Red is very much alive. Now please stop crying, it saddens me.”

 

“Me too. I’m not gonna let demons yank you away. Never again. We’ll take you back to Jump City with us.”

 

“No. No, take me to Gotham. I was in Hell with Harley Quinn. Was it a dream?”

 

“You were in Hell with Harley Quinn? Are those the words that came out of your mouth, son?”

 

“Yeah, Dad, that’s, that’s what I said. Harley’s in trouble, she’s my friend.”

 

“One demented problem at a time,” says Vergil, who proceeds to carve a new gateway into the abyss. Not so Little Dante, about to pass out, can feel his haggard body being lifted to sit up. 

 

“Vergil?”

 

Vergil steadies him upright, “I’ve opened a gateway to Gotham. Fortunately for you, Dante and I have been there before, but, since we’re so far away from everything, I don’t know where in Gotham this gateway leads.”

 

“So we could end up in a landfill,” says his brother. 

 

“I hope not. That’d be a real shame. Say goodbye to Paradise, Little Dante. Maybe one day, you can come back here.”

 

“Maybe one day, we can all come back here,” says Little Dante.

 

“You’re a sweet kid,” Dante says, patting him on the back. 

 

Another portal opens behind them, carves itself into the atmosphere, but Vergil isn’t the one doing it, or is he?

 

“Dante, take the Nephilim and go!” Vergil commands.

 

“Yup, let’s go!” Dante picks Little Dante up and darts inside the first portal, the flock following closely behind. Vergil places himself between both vortexes and draws his sword. 

 

Through the second portal, enters a blue phantom, a katana-wielding doppelgänger speaking with the other Nephilim’s voice.

 

“What great power has finally brought me to Paradiso? Dante, I’ve finally found you!”

 

“I’m not Dante.” 

 

“Oh. Oh, I see. Well, I’m searching for my brother, Mister Cries in a Shitty Plastic Chair. I can see, judging by the stupid look on your has-been face that you know where he is. Tell me now.

 

The fighters begin circling.

 

“Turn back while you still can, Nephilim. Pursuit of power isn’t worth the blow you’re about to take. Listen to me, I know better than you do.”

 

“Oh give me a break. I’ve killed greater demons than you. Isn’t it nap time for you anyway? All the energy drinks in the world won’t make you a better fighter.”

 

“What the hell are you talking about?”

 

“I know all about you, the fanboy-demons in my regime are very opinionated. You’re the object of their affection. You’re the one they think of when they pretend to worship me.”

 

“How pathetic. In all sincerity, I’m sure I’d find them as insufferable as you do.”

 

“Don’t humor me, we are nothing alike.”

 

“Your mind has been polluted by hatred. I can help you.”

 

“I don’t need your help! Tell me where Dante is or die!”

 

“No. I’m gonna give you one last chance to turn back. That’s what I would do, if I were you.”

 

“Not happening.”

 

“Last chance. This is gonna hurt me far more than it hurts you, but, it will teach you a valuable lesson not to harm your twin.”

 

“I have nothing to learn from an overrated, overhyped, attention-seeking, genocidal monster like you!”

 

“Foolishness!” 

 

He raises his sword and takes a swing, his blade cutting through his opponent about as successfully as cutting through fog.

 

“Wow, you completely missed me,” chuckles the Nephilim. “Turns out you can’t touch me.” 

 

His laughter intensifies over the fear that’s removed the color from his elder’s face.

 

“No,” Vergil says, his voice almost a whisper.

 

“Yeah, you’re fucked, old man. Ya see, this isn’t a duel, this is a death match.”

 

Vergil tries again with another swift swing, he even tries throwing his signature cyan blades, a magical move that almost always works. But nothing lands!

 

“Oh. Shit.” 

 

He takes off running, falling prey to the most unbecoming chase!

 

“Oh shit, is right! Run run run, I’m right behind you!”

 

“This is worse than the time I fought Deathstroke. Grah, I’ll outrun you!”

 

“No you won’t!” 

 

“I’ll throw you into a portal!”

 

“You can’t throw a body-less phantom into anything!”

 

Vergil conceals himself amongst a series of volcanic formations, the waves crashing closely.

 

“If I open another portal, he’ll surely follow me. I need to strategize precisely.” He calls out, “Listen to me, this isn’t a game! Stop this nonsense right now, it doesn’t have to be this way!”

 

“Yes it does.” He swings, nearly chopping off his older counterpart’s head! But the more experienced warrior ducks, bolts, and hides somewhere else. To his dismay, when he glances down at the Yamato in his hands, his gloves begin to burn, his fingers are glowing white.

 

“My hands, the Angel Realm wants to burn this violence out of existence. Yet, I have to subdue him so I can leave.” He tries to reason with him again. “Vergil! Vergil, I need you to understand, I can’t use my Judgement Cut or my Sin Devil Trigger!”

 

“Awe, why not, grandpa? Is it because you’re too decrepit?”

 

“How old do you think I am?”

 

“Like, at least fifty thousand.”

 

“No, and my age has nothing to do with my power!”

 

“Pfft, you’re afraid of me.”

 

“No, I’m afraid of killing you! If I inflict my full power and destroy you, I’ll destroy us both!”

 

“Your softness will be your undoing. I don’t care about sparing your life, no matter how much you care about me. I’m a KING. I don’t need YOU.”

 

“I would have said the same thing when I was your age.”

 

“By the hands of the Demon King-”

 

“You’re making a mistake!”

 

“You shall die!”