Nightwalker (DMC5 V)

Three

The Qliphoth spore crumbled, having lost its root. White and sickly, just like the Goliath, it shattered and fell in rings. Meg sighed, crossing her arms. It wasn't enough, they'd need to do much more damage.

"So... uh... think Dante's still in there?" Nero asked his two new partners, watching as the hell stalk disappeared in a cloud of white dust to reveal the main tree.

"If Urizen defeated him," V stepped forward, looking up at the top of the massive spiraling vegetation. His hand came up to catch a pice of the flaked spore, crumbling it between his fingers. "Then I expect he's not much more than Qliphoth pollen by now."

"What?" Nero nearly spat.

"Qliphoth." V repeated.

"It's a tree that grows in the underworld." Meg clarified, drawing both boys attention. She squatted, fumbling with a piece of shiny church stone. "It thrives on human blood and, well, those who blood it sucks..."

"Let's just say they don't turn out too well." V lifted the end of his cane, pointing to the formation of four or five pore filled and dried out humans who's petrified bodies blew away like dust in the wind.

"Well, in any case.... we need to find out." Nero was able to brush off the corpses, hyping himself for the journey. He took a few steps forward. "If Dante's alive, we'll save him. If not, we don't."

"Wait," V caught Nero's shoulder with the handle of his cane, successfully drawing the boys attention. "First, we need to exterminate some Qliphoth roots."

"No point in going after the mother load first if she's just gunna give us trouble the whole way. " Meg stood, handful of pebbles to toss down one at a time. "The roots are only gunna block our paths if we leave them be."

"What the hell are you guys?" Nero questioned with a cautious tone, unsettled by V's aloof smile and the way Meg and him seemed to be on the exact same page. He already didn't know to trust V, but now there were two of them. V's two familiars returned to him and a pebble soared through the air, knocking Griffon on the beak and momentarily breaking the tense atmosphere.

The squealing of tires broke them from the moment, a brown and beige van crashing through the tunnel. It swerved, scaring off Griffon and Shadow, and forced V and Nero to step back. It came to a halt, dust in the air as a woman with cowgirl styled wardrobe and heavy tattoos leaned out the window.

"I know, I know, I'm late. Shut it!" Came her heavily southern accent and the accusing point of her finger. "The roads were all clogged..."

"Hey, you must be V, huh? You gunna get that?" She pointed towards one of the pieces of Goliath Meg had kicked around, this one having landed at V's sandaled feet. "Ding, ding, ding, right by your feet!"

He gave his cane a familiar twirl, kicking the piece off the ground and towards the enthusiastic girl. She caught it, grin on her lips, and brought it to her face for a deep sniff. Meg shuttered, earning a deep rumble like chuckle from V. She made a face, mocking him for laughing at her disgust. He shrugged her off, walking a ways away.

"Whoo whee!" She cheered. "I'm gunna make something amazing out of this!"

"Did you just sniff that?" Nero questioned, face contorted to express how grossed out he was. "Do you have any idea where that's been?"

"Up your butt." Came her vulgar and playful response, to which Nero had to force back a smile.

"Tch, focus on the mission?" His demand came out as more of a question, making her smile. V followed Nero around to the other side of the van, and Meg slowly made it up to the window.

"Well, I don't think I've seen you around," She hummed, leaning out the window to extend her hand. Meg swallowed her distaste and shook her hand, rationalizing she only had to shake everyone's hand once. "Names Nico, how bout you?"

"You can call me Meg." The leather clad woman was the first to drop her hand, once again dragging it secretly down the butt of her jeans to rid herself of the feeling. "I ran into V on my way up to the Qliphoth. I know Dante and we decided to team up till this is all over."

"How does everyone know that stinkin' old man?" Nico grumbled, once again looking over what Meg assumed was the Goliath's toe or finger.

"He's hard to forget." Meg sighed, and began to pat down her pockets. Reaching inside her jacket, Nico watched in suspicion as Meg withdrew a long, needle like shard in a vial. "Do you think you could do something for me?"

Meg handed Nico the shard, which was a troublesome mix of neon green and Cyan blue. It seemed to pulse slightly, alive with energy. Meg reached behind her and drew her her jagged-edged buster sword, rotating it to lie flat on her palms. Engraved side up, Nico analyzed the expert craftsmanship.

"I need that," Meg gestured with her head towards the shard, then raised the sword in her hands to gesture to it. "Inside this."

"And what, per say, am I lookin' at here?" Nico turned over the vial, setting down the Goliath part to focus solely on the shard. "I can feel the energy comin' off it."

"It's a piece left over from a clash between two very strong demons." Meg explained, resting her sword point down against the van. She reached behind her, pulling the hook end of the chain from her back. Nico examined this next, eyeing the botch job Meg did to encase slivers of a similar shard into the iron. "It broke off when they last battled, and I did what I could to get half of it in here. But I can't afford to waste any of the rest. I need a professional to set it into my blade."

"Alright, alright," Nico caved, handing Meg back the shard. "Get in the van already."

"You'll help me?" Meg asked with hopefulness in her voice.

"Well, yeah," Nico drawled in a 'duh' tone. "You had me when you said 'professional.'" Meg grinned. "But I ain't just doin' the sword, Im fixing that shit hook you messed up too."

"I owe you, Nico." Meg let out an elated sigh as she tucked away the shard, gathering her weapons back up.

"You just find me some more powerful stuff like that there shard, and you can call us square for the rest of your life."