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MONSTER	By : Radius Category: +A through F > Devil May Cry Views: 10988 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Devil May Cry game series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
A/N: Hah! Bet you guys didn’t expect back-to-back chapters, huh? Consider this my way of saying sorry for not being about to update for a long time. And since the signal I’m getting is still going strong, I might as well. There’s not telling when I’ll update again. :-(

This chapter should be interesting for some of you guys. Believe it or not, this chapter was over 25 pages (single spaced and at 10 point font, mind you, lol). I decided to split this part into three separate chapters (the first being the ‘previous chapter). A single long chapter can be a real put off, especially if you’re reading straight from a monitor. :-P So yeah, hopefully you guys won’t mind. And for all you sex fiends out there, the next chapter will be nothing BUT a huge sex scene. It’s, uh, pretty grand. Over twelve pages to be exact. O_o Yes, welcome to the wacky world of Radius, lol. Hopefully you guys are enjoying the ride.

<< | A Different Side | >>

“Hi! Huh…? What…? I can’t hear you… Come again…? Ha ha! Just kidding! This is just a stupid voice machine. If you’d like to contact moi, Seth, please leave a message at the sound of the beep.”

Dante hung up and growled.

That message was getting on his nerves. He heard it ten times already, leaving his own two cents each time. It went from ‘Hey, how’s it going? Call me back, okay? Funny message you got there…’ to ‘Where the fuck are you, asshole? Pick up the phone and get rid of that Goddamn message.’

Okay, so, maybe he felt a bit… edgy. But that was beside the point. He had exciting news to share and it was times like this that Dante wished his lover had a cell phone. He would’ve been more than happy to include Seth in his cell phone plan. Not that they were in a relationship or anything. It was just… they could contact each other easily, hassle free. Unfortunately, his eighties freak wasn’t into the digital age of human civilization. In fact, Seth wanted nothing to do with it.

As far as Seth was concerned, anything that went beyond one click of a button or took a second to ponder over was asking too much of him. CD players were the exception. Everything else was something else. WiFi-wireless internet access. Apple IPod. PC and Macintosh. Photoshop. Blueberry. Blueray versus High-Definition. Windows Vista. Ten gigabytes worth of memory. YouTube. Google. Yahoo. ‘ROTFLMAO’. These were terms from a language Seth had no desire of ever learning. Ever. His only means of communication was through pay phones, the answering machine, and actual written letters.

One of Seth’s favorite eighties movies was John Carpenter’s Escape from New York and since they’d been together, they viewed this film a lot. Seth always pointed out the last scene, which featured actor Kurt Russell as Snake. At the end of the movie, Snake shut off all of humankind’s technological advances with the click of a button and had a smoke afterward. While the movie got a definite thumbs-up from both men, it usually provoked a heated argument. After a few minutes of quarreling during the movie credits, discussing the pros and cons of hi-tech achievements, Seth stopped the debate and left his stubborn, knuckle-headed partner behind by retiring to the roof. This ultimately provoked Dante to go after him and drag his ass back inside. As pissed off as the devil hunter was by Seth’s inability to accept the modern world, whenever Seth got passionate over anything, he talked and looked incredibly sexy.

And where was Mr. Incredibly Sexy who feared the inevitable technological apocalypse right now? Tapping his fingers on his office’s desk, Dante heard only the annoying sound of a machine’s beep.

“Look, this really is important,” he said on the phone, “I got great news and I don’t want to spoil the surprise by telling it to this stupid machine. It’s time-sensitive information so please, Seth, by the grace of all that existed in the eighties, from those stupid leg warmers to the Gremlins, get your ass back home pronto and call me back.” On a last minute note, he added, “And change that fucking message. I can’t express that enough. I swear, you made me sound like an idiot when I thought it was you.”

Exhaling loudly, Dante flipped the ear piece high up in the air. It twirled three times before landing on its intended platform perfectly. It was an old-fashioned type of phone, the type where the numbers had to be dialed with a turn of a wheel. The phone was just one of the objects that reflected Dante’s taste for the vintage

Dante remained seated behind his desk, a very large and bulky table he got on ‘sale’ when nobody was looking. Having just taken a shower, his hair was still wet and he wore only jeans. Barefooted, his legs rested on the table’s top, the ankles crossed. The oak, varnished table was an oasis of beer bottles, pizza boxes, and empty glasses filled with the sticky remnants of strawberry sundaes. The corner of the table was clear of these mishaps, however. There, a picture of a beautiful woman smiled at him.

It was an old, colored photograph. The woman, herself, had long blond hair, red lips, and bright blue eyes. Once upon a time she went by the name Eva, and she bore two sons. Not a day went by that Dante didn’t think of his mother. Even when he was drunk enough to pass out, he still thought of her. She was the one thing that remained stable in his life and inspired him to become what he was today. Of course, she wasn’t the only person on his mind any time his eyes drifted to that part of the desk.

Near her picture was a cut-off glove he used to wear in his younger, wilder days. It was torn in the middle, as if something sharp sliced across it. It was smeared with dried blood too, blood that was many, many years old. It was last thing his brother exchanged with him. As cold and brutal as Vergil was, he was still kin and in their last moments together, he was more of a brother than an enemy. Dante knew nothing could ever come between them, no matter what people thought of their bizarre relationship.

His office and home was a collage of precious and private memories. Dante protected those memories with utmost care and prejudice. Clients who came in were given the silent treatment whenever they inquired about the photo of the pretty lady, likewise the glove. Seth had never been to his office and Dante made sure he never would. All of their activities together were limited strictly to his apartment. It was just the way things had to be. But while Dante promised himself to never bring Seth here he did leave him the address. It was to be used in case of an emergency, of course, and nothing else.

Looking at his office, though, Dante chuckled at the thought of Seth stepping into his office. He’d probably think a pig lived here. His place was such a mess, after all, and it lacked a sense of artistic direction. Still, Dante could imagine his partner appreciating his home anyway, from the giant pendant symbol drawn on the floor with chalk, to the red antique couch. His office was a place full of strange and exotic ideas.

Devil May Cry. Sure, it was a goofy name, but it had a nice ring. Sure, Dante didn’t keep his establishment nice, tidy, and free of dust bunnies. But his two-storied, flat roof office building was a collection of priceless objects and moments. The outside was constructed with red brick while the interior contained wooden floors and walls. At one point, it was a one-story structure made of masonry with a high ceiling and a flare for Classical-style architecture. It used to have a doorway with a round arch above a lintel and two column posts and Gothic-wired windows. Unfortunate circumstances, which involved Vergil and his rowdy demon posse, forced him to renovate. Now, Devil May Cry was a building of the modern world. It had extra rooms on the second floor for guests and storage, and a basement where he trained. Since his home was a place of business, he hung a large, bright pink neon sign with the words, Devil May Cry, at the front of his office.

Despite being a man of many talents, Dante lacked skills in the interior decorator department. Furniture and items were basically placed at random. At a corner, the pool table sat quietly by itself while a group of guitars and a drum set battled each other for space. To the immediate right of Dante’s desk, the book shelf stood like a confused creature, filled with books, magazines, guns, knives, and more empty pizza boxes. As for the lazy red leather couch squatting in front of a blinded window, the massive monster was weighed down by magazines, food, and dirty clothes. There was a glass case too, with numerous swords that appeared drunk, all of them tilted and swaying in various directions. In addition to the placement of disgruntled furniture, the content on walls was just as disturbing. While the movie and poster girls were certainly tasteful, it was the shocking series of trophy heads that received the most frowns.

To the average citizen, it was a madman’s obsession with horror and everything Halloween. That was the only explanation they could conclude when they saw demonic faces pinned to the walls by swords. They were all grotesque, with teeth snarling and red-shot eyes opened wide. The textures on their skins varied from scaly to an uninterrupted smoothness. Sizes of the heads were also different. One demon was as small as a fist in contrast to another that was as massive as an elephant’s head. Indeed, anyone entering Dante’s office saw a man who needed to have his screws set on properly, especially when they saw, what looked like, stained blood streaking down the walls. It took a fellow devil hunter to realize all the heads were the real deal.

Dante only took home worthy sport. It was impossible to take back every kill because there were too many. He didn’t discriminate the big from the small. The tiniest demon was capable of destroying half the planet. It was his mission to get rid of all the monsters that plagued the world. Of course, Dante tried to be merciful. He gave any demon three chances to clean up their act. After the third strike, all bets were off.

                The devil hunter glanced at all of his trophies. He was running out of room. Apparently, there were too many demons that didn’t take him seriously on the ‘three-strikes-and-you’re-out’ rule. At the pace he was going, he’d have to rent a storage room and stuff them in there. Or he could be creative like Martha Steward and make furniture out of them. Whichever came first.

A grandfather clock tick-tocked from across the room. Still tapping his fingers to its beat, Dante stayed seated behind his desk. He didn’t know where Seth was but needed to get a hold of him quickly, especially when he had wonderful news to share.

Club High Ten had a major event coming soon. ‘Showdown Night’ featured talented performers throughout the city, all competing against each other for a million-dollar check. Even more, scouts from the music industry attended the event. Unfortunately, slots for Showdown Night were limited and performers first had to be recommended by a respectable third party before even auditioning for a spot. Thankfully, Dante knew High Ten’s manager. A respectable third party member himself, Dante used his good reputation as a guitarist and drummer to recommend Seth. Now, it was up to his eighties-crazed lover to come in and audition for a slot in the lineup. In this town, if a musician made it at High Ten, then that musician made it anywhere. Sure, the nightclub had a tough crowd and they didn’t care much for the eighties. Dante knew Seth would breeze through it, though, and if he didn’t, it wouldn’t get him down. Seth lived a care-free life where public recognition and fame meant little to him. He just wanted to play. Dante loved that about him. About the only thing Seth needed to work on was loosening up a bit. He needed to throw a fart and not say excuse me.

                Dante laughed at that last thought. Then he looked at the clock. It struck at twelve and he stood. Grabbing a couple slices of hours-cold pizza from a box, Dante went outside.

Across the street, a small animal sniffed the sidewalk. He was certainly a skinny, dirty, and hairy little thing, with thick black fur all over his body. A taller dog nearby approached and viciously barked at him, soon biting his ear. The black mutt stood real still until the other dog got bored and ran off.

What a pushover, Dante thought amusedly to himself.

Dante remembered the first time he saw his illegitimate dog. He didn’t know whether it was a mop or rug. So tiny, Dante could only assume he had a bit of Chihuahua and Pekinese in him. The tremendous amount of hair and big ears certainly explained it. He was really cute to look at, though, and throughout the years they developed an association. While Dante told himself to never name him, he did nurture the stray dog as best he could.

The illegitimate dog picked up Dante’s scent and raised his head. He barked and quickly jogged across the street toward him, tailing wagging fast. When the hairy animal finally reached Dante, he playfully circled him. Dante kneeled down and gave him his lunch, as unhealthy as it was. While the dog gobbled it in chunks, Dante petted the dog’s head, eventually scratching behind the ears. He knew the dog had two things that sustained him, neither of which was healthy for him. Still, the dog wasn’t complaining and there was no reason to stop what they had going between them.

The phone rang inside.

Dante immediately stood and headed back into his office. The dog barked once after him and continued eating his lunch.

Dante grabbed the receiver. “Seth?”

                “Eh?” a man’s voice said on the other line.

                “Oh, Enzo,” Dante realized and sat on his chair.

                “Well, hello to you too, sleepy beauty.”

                “Whatever. What the hell do you want?”

                “Damn, Dante, we haven’t spoken in ages and you already sound like you want me to hang up.”

                Dante opened a box of pizza and took a slice. “Just tell me want you want. I’m expecting an important call.”

                “Oh, so you’re back to work?”

                “No. I already said I’m taking time off.”

                “But last night…”

                “Last night, I was bored.”

Dante’s eyes roamed toward the photographs on his desk. He developed them this morning. Each one displayed parts of the department store from yesterday. The news called it a wild animal attack that took the lives of five security officers. They didn’t mention the demons.

                “Damn. And here I got some juicy news for you,” informed Enzo enthusiastically.

                “I don’t want to hear about it. Give it to somebody else. Let me enjoy the rest of my pathetic life.”

                “You really need to stay focused and stop playing with your boy toy.” Enzo laughed from the other line, snorting.

                Dante was silent for a long time. Enzo’s guffawing slowly subsided.

                “Uh, I’m sorry,” Enzo quickly said, very serious now, “I didn’t mean that.”

                His informant was an asshole but he was also smart enough to know the meaning behind each of Dante’s gestures. The devil hunter lived his life keeping private details to himself, masking his anger and depression with crazy one-liners and smirks to keep his enemies in a loop, preventing them from learning any of his weaknesses. Dante was a force to reckon with when he did that. But when Dante was silent it was a completely different matter. Silence was his way of acknowledging things what truly mattered to him. Heaven help the person who received his dreadful silence.

                “I mean it, Dante,” resumed Enzo nervously. “I’m drunk and stupid right now.”

                Dante reminded himself that his informant was loyal and unclenched his fist. It was bleeding profusely because his fingernails had cut deeply into the flesh.

                “Get on with it, Enzo,” Dante told him evenly.

                “Uh, right.” Enzo paused to breath again. “So, um, about the thing I told you about last time… The bodies coming up, mangled and all…”

                “I already told you, I’m taking a break.” With a sideway glance, Dante watched his hand’s wounds seal themselves.

                “I know, Dante. But, come on… a buncha kids were found dead by a bridge last night, along with a bunch of homeless bums. Hours before them, an elderly couple and a working girl were found the same way. You heard about this, right?”

                “I hardly tune to the tube anymore. Half the stuff on it is complete bullshit. The other half is melodramatic crap intended to satisfy the hopeless and deprived.”

                Enzo sighed on the other line. “How about the internet?”

                “Only for porn and Ebay.”

“Seriously, Dante, these bodies are getting on the news and people are starting to…”

“Give this job to somebody else, damn it. And tell whoever paid you to bring me into it, I’m not doing the job.”

“Dante, no one but you can break this case. The cops can’t find their own dicks, let alone the bastard responsible for these brutal murders.”

Dante sat further against his leather seat and raised his head to stare up at the ceiling. “Christ, for nearly twenty years, Enzo, I’ve been working nonstop, doing maintenance jobs like this. There’s always some end-of-the-world crap, some nut job, some shitty situation that I have to fix. I don’t ask for much. Fame, glory, and recognition, that’s never mattered to me. But the one time I ask for a break, I’m called right back in. God, I’ve nearly forgotten how it is to live.”

“Yeah. I get you.” There was a long pause. “So, um, I guess I’ll give you few days to think on it?”

On the other line, Enzo made a nervous sound. No matter what Dante said beyond this point, his informant respected his decision either way. That didn’t mean he’d stop pestering him, of course. This was the third time Enzo called about this particular job and that meant it had serious money behind it. Enzo was giving Dante a few days to consider it but the devil hunter knew his informant’s ass was already being boiled. Enzo’s employees weren’t happy with being told to wait.

A part of Dante wanted to tell his informant to screw himself; that he made his coffin and now he needed to lie in it. Nonetheless, the supernatural investigator was worried about the springs of murders occurring in his town himself. And as much as Dante wanted to have a life of his own, it took only the picture of his mother nearby to remind him why he took this shitty job in the first place.

                Out of habit, Dante touched his pendant. He rubbed a thumb over the massive ruby. At last, Dante told Enzo, “I’ll sleep on it.”

                He could almost see the huge grin on Enzo’s face.

                “All right. Sleep on it and enjoy the rest. Besides, you really deserve it. When you work it, you really work it. You’re the best in town and if you…”

                “Enzo, stop kissing my ass. I said I’d sleep on it.”

                “Right, right. Sorry.” Enzo chuckled. “By the way, the Annual Animal Masquerade party is coming up real soon. You and your boyfriend should go.”

                “He’s not my boyfriend. We’re not in a relationship.”

                “Er… okay…” Enzo didn’t sound convinced.

                “Anyway, I don’t see myself dancing and dressing up like a jackass.”

                “Ah, Dante. You’re no fun.”

                “I’m fun. I just don’t play kid games anymore.” Dante took a swig from a beer bottle next to him. “I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you whenever I feel like picking up.”

                “Which is once in a blue moon, when the planets align themselves just right, and…”

                Dante hung up before Enzo could go on. Sometimes, he wished he had a better informant, one that stuck to the crucial details and hung up afterward. Then again, Enzo had character.

Alone in his office, with the grandfather still ticking, Dante contemplated on what to do next. He’d already taken notes and studied each of the developed photos. From large-sized claw marks to demon corpses that were sucked dry, he knew he was dealing with worthy sport. The hunter in him couldn’t wait to add the creature to his wall collection. He’d make room for it, that’s for sure. Unfortunately, he needed more information. To the investigator’s dismay, the creature’s scent was nonexistent. Either it was masked by the spore-spewing demons that were present in the department store, or the creature concealed its signature from him.

Interesting…

With that option temporarily scratched off his ‘to-do’ list, Dante considered a game of pool. However, that sounded ridiculous too since he played five rounds earlier. He also wasn’t in the mood to watch a movie. Bored, Dante drained the last of his beer and decided to hit the local bar when his belly craved for more. He paused, though, thinking how wonderful it would be to share glasses with Seth.

Where the hell was that boy anyway?

                Dante dialed Seth’s number. It couldn’t kill him to try again. Staring mindlessly at the ceiling fan twirling above him, Dante heard a few ring tones and anticipated the inevitable answering machine to activate. However, just when he thought he’d receive the automatic cheesy message Seth left for his callers, someone finally answered.

                “What do you want?”

                “Seth?” Dante realized and quickly sat up. “Jesus, Seth, did you just step in or what? I’ve been calling forever.”

                On the other line, Seth’s voice was flat. “Sorry. Call ‘forever’ later.”

                The phone line went dead.

Frowning, Dante didn’t know what to make of it. With his phone’s earpiece still pressed against his ear and the dead line running, it was obvious Seth hung up. But… why? Dante was ecstatic about Seth being back. He needed to hear him again, as absurd as that sounded. And yet, his partner sounded a bit… off. As wonderful as it was to hear his husky voice again, his tone sounded strange to Dante’s ears.

Dante slowly put the receiver back down, unable to understand what just happened. He waited a couple of minutes, thinking it was just Seth joking around. That boy could be a real evil prankster when he wanted to be. Any moment Seth was going to call his cell phone and laugh real loud in his ear when he answered. Any moment now…

Dante waited. He scratched his chin. He looked up at the fan. He heard his illegitimate dog bark outside. The grandfather clock ticked. After twenty minutes, the call never came.

Taking a deep breath, Dante dialed Seth’s number, his finger yanking a bit hard on the wheel. He got the answering machine. The thought of Seth giving him the cold shoulder was too ridiculous to accept. Seth wasn’t like that. He wasn’t like that at all. He was a sensitive man who loved the eighties and obsessed over romance and the digital apocalypse. No way was he ignoring his calls. Regardless, Dante kept getting the answering machine. By the seventh attempt he made, there was an operator’s voice informing him that the line he was trying to reach was no longer unavailable. Dante slammed the receiver down.

This was not funny. This was not funny at all.

Fed up, Dante stood and bragged a shirt from the couch, immediately putting it on. After lacing up a pair of boots, he locked up and caught a bus heading eastbound.

Dante’s mind continued racing with endless questions and possibilities, even as the bus dropped him a block away from Seth’s apartment complex. That asshole. That jerk. What the fuck? Did Seth sleep on the wrong side of the bed or something? First, he disappeared without saying where he was going. Then he was back at home, not bothering to call him to say he was in. And now this shit? What the hell?

Dante was about to cross a street to reach the apartment complex until his eyes briefly caught sight of a familiar man. He had to stop to second-guess himself.

Seth was walking along a sidewalk directly across his, heading for a bus stop. Two Dobermans flanked him, each moving at his same exact pace. Whenever a passerby got too close to him, they growled. While the presence of the dogs garnered a curious reaction, it was Seth, himself, that made the investigator freeze in place.

Seth always had a habit of wearing grungy clothes, which consisted mainly of jeans and a shirt and the occasional suit jacket. He was spunky even when he tried to look gentleman-like. Everyone in the streets called him Rainbow after the bar incident, partly because of his colorful clothes. While it bothered Dante, they were right. Any time they went out clubbing or barhopping, he wore the most flashiest and retro thing ever conceivable. Seth was an artist and every inch of him was a display of his vibrant flavors.

Today, however, Seth was in an all black ensemble, wearing a suede jacket as long as his thighs, dressy pants, and a Gothic-style blouse with small ruffles running down the button line. His hands were covered by black gloves and his steel-black shoes gleamed under the street lights. The pitch blackness of his shaggy hair was free of highlights. Consumed by dark colors, his red lips were more inviting and his milky cream skin was more apparent. Seth’s transformation from grunge to gentleman was stunning. Even the casual passerby noticed him and froze in place.

It took the noise of an incoming bus to snap Dante out of his trance.

“Seth,” Dante shouted afterward, when he finally found his voice again.

The other man stopped in his tracks and looked at his direction, as did the Dobermans. Dante crossed the street and soon stood a few feet away from a man that made him ach all over.

Since that day Seth wore a dress, Dante forced his lover to dress up prior to a fuck session. He fitted his lean body with women’s clothes or strapped leather and belts. Many times, Dante jacked off to the sight of Seth in provocative clothes. However, no S&M outfit or dress could invoke the same sensuous sensation he received right now. Fully clothed, Seth was the most beautiful, alluring creature Dante ever saw. The devil hunter inhaled his odor once and almost quivered at what his nose collected.

Seth emitted sexual hunger and juices, far more powerful than his own. He was a man who held the essence of desire itself. Such beauty and power this beast of a man possessed, he stirred the most primitive of senses within Dante. Who was this man, this man who spoke of romance and idealistic ideas but now demonstrated heat and hunger? Where was this man when he, himself, thirsted for unadulterated lust, minus the emotions and questions attached? Dante felt like he saw Seth again. It was like when he saw him for the first time in Bull’s Eye bar, instantly attracted. Yes, he saw Seth again. Right here. Right now. His attraction was set anew.

Dante tried to control himself, despite the blood circulating southward. Even as Seth’s eyes were tediously opened and a hint of a smile tipped on his lips, Dante made an effort to appear unfazed.

“Seth,” Dante struggled, “Why’d you hang up on me?”

He had to remember the peculiar behavior Seth displayed half an hour ago. It was the only thing keeping him mentally functional. Dante focused on it, trained on that moment he hung up. He studied Seth again, part infatuated but also upset. Seth was at his apartment all this time, dressed to kill, and now going somewhere. Or to someone…?

“Why’d you hang up on me?” insisted Dante again, his voice stronger than before. “I left a lot of messages and you didn’t bother calling back?”

“Dante…” There was amusement on Seth’s face.

                The bus finally came to its designated stop. Dante frowned when Seth stepped inside without answering his questions. It was as if he wasn’t even there.

“Wait a minute.” Dante grabbed his arm, trying hard not to crush it.

Nearby, the Dobermans growled. Their teeth glistened with hot saliva. Seth calmly gazed at them for a second and they quieted themselves.

“Where are you going?” Dante continued, trying not to sound baffled by what just happened. “What, you’re just going to leave me high and dry?”

Aside from feeling rejected, it was the lack of a good reaction that got on Dante’s nerves. Seth didn’t so much as flinch as appear apologetic.

“I’m going somewhere, anywhere,” replied Seth indifferently. He paused and smiled when he glanced at Dante again. “Wanna come?”

Seth’s tone matched the seductive clothes he wore so brilliantly. Dante always thought he looked good and handsome but today, he went beyond those dimensions.

Seth patiently waited, smiling wider. Even if he sounded odd, his wicked smile sent a delicious shiver down Dante’s body, from the base of his neck to the tail end of his spine. It traveled further south where it blossomed hard and wet. The experience was nothing like the devil hunter ever encountered before. It was an immediate reaction and it took a moment to recognize the sensation.

No foreplay. No dirty words. Seth simply smiled and he came, just like that.

This man… The scent of hunger was strong. Its sweet perfume was overwhelming and Dante finally realized what Seth was talking about back at the adult store, about not being able to control himself whenever they were together. It wasn’t meant to be a compliment after all, but a matter of fact. And much like Seth had succumbed to him then, Dante’s body surrendered to Seth now.

There were questions, of course, many questions. The obvious one no longer being about Seth giving him the cold shoulder, but rather, what transpired yesterday to bring about the Seth he saw today. Seth’s eyes gleamed with intensity, though, and the questions in Dante’s head never matured enough to form into spoken words.

He climbed into the bus and, together, they went to the far back. Meanwhile, the two Dobermans remained behind, closely watching the bus pull out of the curb.

Sitting by the window seat, Dante remained silent while Seth studied the city. They rode through an entire ride, from the mean streets of downtown to the curved structure of a highway that overlooked the city. Seth wasn’t joking when he told Dante he hadn’t a destination. Seth just wanted to see what was out there, trying to choose a spot that struck his fancy. They moved onto another bus when he wasn’t happy with what he saw so far.

Hours passed and the sun slowly went down. Seth resumed his search. All the while, Dante, intoxicated and deeply aroused, kept kissing him and putting a hand between his legs. Dante felt Seth’s erection throb hard and wanted to go down on him, despite whoever was in the bus with them. But Seth kept pulling his hand away, muttering a ‘later’.

The night version of the city started to awaken from its heavy slumber. Street lights and city office windows lit up. Meanwhile, the sky turned into a collage of bright colors. Between sucking on Seth’s earlobe and attempting to claim the object he wanted in his mouth, Dante noticed the sky’s color scheme. He wanted to laugh out loud. The sky was enflamed with the vibrant hues of the eighties retro era. By now, Seth should’ve been thinking the same thing, but Dante noticed his eyes were glued to the city.

“There,” Seth finally said and pointed out the window.

“The amusement park?” Dante’s laugh was muffled by the neck he kept kissing. “If it’s a ride you want, I can take you to the wildest one there is. You’ve got a free pass to it too.”

He grabbed Seth’s erection very hard.

“Later,” Seth only responded. He looked back at the lights of the amusement park beaming in the distance. His eyes danced, sparkling with many reflections. “That’s my destination.”

“Ours,” corrected Dante. He stroked Seth again and again, trying to get a reaction from him. In a low voice, he said, “I want to be inside you.”

Seth chuckled and removed his hand. “No, Dante. I’ll be the one taking tonight. Until that time comes, though, keep your hands off me.”

It was a side of Seth that drove Dante mad with rage and sexual hunger. His opened and very sensitive, eighties-loving boy was now an indifferent but irresistibly-sexy older man. Dante recognized and accepted his own lust was tremendous enough to battle the feelings of rejection and anger building inside. With whatever dignity he had left, however, he extracted himself from Seth and sat in silence until the bus was close enough to the amusement park.

Dante was somewhat shocked to see two Dobermans waiting by the sidewalk when they exited the bus. At first, he mistook them for different ones. An inhale of their scent’s signature, however, and he discovered they were the same Dobermans they left behind.

Seth headed toward the amusement before Dante could open his mouth. Deciding to let it go, the investigator followed and, together, they walked the rest of the way in complete silence.

The sounds that emerged from the theme park were of music, people, and rides. Sounds of classic rock, techno, and carnival-like themes clashed together. Fast-moving rides gushed violently against the wind while slow-moving ones simply heaved. There were many smells polluting the wide-opened space as well, the most dominant being food. There was the roasted cheese of popcorn, the cooked meat of hamburgers, the syrupy bread of funnel cakes, and many more. Above the noises and smells of the theme park, however, were those that came from the people. Energetic children that smelled of various sweets shrieked and ran. Their adult counterparts, appearing exhausted, walked slowly behind them.

Dante discovered a family of three by a concession stand and paused with an easy smile. There were two boys eating cotton candy, almost similar in age. Their mother was photographing them. Seeing them, Dante recalled memories of his own childhood. He wished his brother had been as nice as the one he saw right now, especially when he accidentally dropped his own cotton candy.

Seth walked ahead, curiously looking at all the people. The intimate event Dante witnessed was overlooked by him. He seemed in search of something else. For a moment, Dante wanted to walk alongside him like he always did. But after the bus ride, he hated himself. Dante knew if he stood within Seth’s range the lust would take over again. Surely, he had to have more pride than that.

Gazing up at a high rollercoaster ride nearby, Dante let Seth stray away, knowing they’d see each other again later. Perhaps, then, Seth would be open enough to talk about what happened yesterday, at least to explain his strange behavior today. Until then, Dante resorted to make the most of his stay here.

On his way to a ticket booth, Dante’s cell phone rang.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Zzzt…. ante… Zzzt… zzt… stay… zzzzzzt…”

“What?” Dante pressed the phone close to his ear. “Who is this? I can’t hear you.”

His phone got wave after wave of white noise. He moved to a new spot to remedy the electrical interference and, for a moment, picked up a voice. It sounded too garbled to make out as male or female. For the most part, his phone mostly received a gurgle of whimpering sounds. He managed to hear ‘stay away from him…’ and ‘… bastard…’ but couldn’t hear the rest since a rollercoaster filled with screaming people sped past him nearby.

The caller hung up.

Dante checked the ID of the caller in his cell phone: Caller Unknown. Dante sighed and put the phone away. For awhile, he wondered who it could’ve been but eventually accepted it as a lost cause. Enzo had a terrible habit of giving away his number to clients. It could’ve been anyone. And while the words ‘stay away from him’ and ‘bastard’ were rather alarming, Dante didn’t see the point in diving into the matter anymore since he couldn’t do anything about it. For the rest of the evening, he retired himself to an evening of fun and rides.

Within hours of his arrival, every vendor in the amusement park feared and despised the silver haired man. As hard as they tried to rig their games against him, the bounty hunter was just too good. From popping balloons with smooth-pointed darts, to guns that were too clumsy to aim right, Dante won every game he played. His thirtieth prize earned him a pink stuffed dog, which he placed inside a large purple bag he also won. Overwhelmed by goodies, Dante chose to quit his conquest and go on a few rides.

It really was a beautiful night. The moon was halfway asleep and there were a couple of clouds here and there. The stars were out too, sparkling brightly. Dante enjoyed the night’s cool breeze as the roller coaster he rode on swooshed downward, his wild hair flying after him. Today’s weather was certainly nice, which was good since the overall summer forecast didn’t look so promising. Global warming or not, they were going to have a real hot and long summer, with temperatures expected to hit the triple digit numbers. It was best to enjoy and take advantage of evenings like this.

Dante frowned when the rollercoaster passed by the amusement park’s Haunted Mansion. He caught a whiff of a horrible odor somewhere in that area and had to cover his nose. Whatever it was, somebody needed to clean it up. It smelled like something died there. Thankfully, the rollercoaster doubled back during a loop and the scent faded away.

After a few more rides, Dante started to get bored. He wasn’t hungry and already rode everything the amusement park had to offer. The bag of prizes he had to log around was getting on his nerves too. While it certainly made all the vendors uneasy, their reactions were no longer funny. Dante eventually came across a few arcade games. To his dismay, he played all of them before at some point in his life. About the only thing he hadn’t tried was the Fortune Telling machine at the very end of the row. Dante rolled his eyes at it and started to walk away. He hesitated, though, and turned back.

Granted, he wasn’t a superstitious fellow. Nor did he believe his fate could be told by a robot with cheesy background music and fake gypsy costume. Still, he had four tickets to spare, which was too little to buy him another ride. Dante slipped a ticket through the machine’s slot, praying no one he knew might see him using the machine. Heaven help him if Lady saw him right now. She’s never let him hear the end of it.

After the machine sucked up his first ticket, the mechanical fortune teller came to life and opened her eyes. They glowed yellow. Placed between the gypsy’s hands was a black orb almost the size of a basketball. Words glowed from it.

Ask a question, it read.

“Okay…” muttered Dante, unconvinced. He chuckled at himself, feeling really stupid now. Still, he asked his question anyway. “Am I gonna get laid tonight?”

The fortune teller closed her eyes and raised her arms as if concentrating on his question. After awhile, she settled back down and a card slipped out from the slot next to Dante’s right hand. The machine went back to sleep. The recipient took his card and flipped it to see the answer.

Congratulations.

Dante grinned, feeling lucky and horny at the same time. A part of him wanted to walk away and make that prediction come true. Yet, Dante found himself inserting another ticket, this time thinking of a more serious question.

“How’s my life going to turn out this year?” he asked.

The machine took a longer time before coming up with an answer. When Dante finally received his card, he frowned.

“Close your eyes and see with your heart,” he read out loud, “The answer is there.”

Dante looked blankly between his card and the fortune teller. Okay… So that didn’t answer his question. Dante inserted another ticket for a more accurate reading.

“Is this year going to be a positive one for me?” he asked.

He took his third card.

“Trust the one you have no reason to trust.”

Dante crossed his arms for a moment. As far as he was concerned, that answer made little to no sense. Hell, it was nowhere near in the ballpark. Rolling his eyes, Dante put in his last ticket. Waiting for the machine to light up again, he gave the robotic fortune teller a hard look.

“Am I going to be financially well off this year?” he rephrased his question, asking it very clear and loud. “Really, I’d like to know if I’m going to win the lottery or get that bike I’ve always wanted.”

He took the card that came out afterward.

“One path will save you. The other path will destroy you.” The investigator laughed. Then he kicked the machine hard enough to break it. “Stupid broad, the hell do you know.”

Dante quickly walked away before anyone noticed the mess he made. He tore up all the cards, flinging the pieces up in the air. Afterward, he glanced at his watch, realizing it was getting late. Half the people in the park were already gone. Dante wanted to do the same. This place was getting boring.

Searching for Seth now, Dante explored one area after another. Hopefully, Seth’s business here was also done, whatever business that was. The hybrid still couldn’t understand why he wanted to come to the amusement park in the first place. Throughout the entire time, Dante didn’t see him on the rides, eat, or walk around. Not that it should matter anymore. They were going to be together soon. Dante couldn’t wait to be alone with him, with Seth’s legs opened wide for entry. He practically lived for it.

Oddly enough, the devil hybrid couldn’t track his companion. There was no raspberry shampoo smell in the air. No nicotine from the cigarettes. No caffeine from a Big Red beverage. It was as if Seth completely disappeared again. Did he leave the amusement park without telling him? Dante couldn’t put it passed him. Since their meeting, Seth had been acting strangely. Anything was possible.

Annoyed a bit, Dante executed a more rigorous search, stopping only to give a crying ten-year-old girl his bag of prizes. While she struggled to carry the hefty bag, he continued straight. He stopped when he saw his counterpart at last.

Seth emerged from the other side of the park. Walking behind a crowd of colorfully dressed teenagers, the handsome brunette looked out of place, as if he were an exotic animal trapped in an alien land. Dante wanted to yell out Seth’s name until he noticed a young man by his side.

Just barely pushing into his twenties, he was a Goth, with chains, ragged clothing, bright blue hair, and metal piercing all over his youthful face. His black coated lips curled into a twisted grin when Seth led him to a funhouse nearby.

Dante hesitated before reacting. At first, he thought the young man was a friend of Seth’s. However, when the young man kissed Seth on the neck, Dante’s eyes narrowed.

What the hell was wrong with Seth today? First the cold shoulder, and now this? Dante didn’t think it was necessary to discuss the boundaries of their relationship. After all, it was Seth… gullible, sensitive, romantic Seth who constantly bitched on and on about true love and all of its fundamentals. It didn’t seem necessary for Dante to tell him about loyalty or them being an exclusive pair. After the incident at the nightclub, he made that decision. There’d been close calls, sure, but he stuck by it and now, Dante thought his world finally turned right-side up. He hadn’t even told Seth he stopped seeing other people. He felt he didn’t need to.

But now…

This boiling feeling in his stomach was a first for the investigator. Even when he finally figured out what it signified, Dante denied his anger and turned away, preparing to head home without his partner-in-arms. If Seth wanted this, then fine. Everything would be fair game again. There’d be no more talk about being faithful and all that other horseshit.

They weren’t in a relationship.

Dante only took two steps before looking back at the two men again. As much as he wanted to walk away, he couldn’t. He was royally pissed. A large part of him wanted to break Seth’s arm in half and severely crush his companion’s balls. He paused from his initial plan of action, however.

Something else bothered Dante and he hadn’t noticed it until now. It was a minor detail, after all, but it was curious nonetheless. Sniffing the air once, Dante detected blood on Seth. It wasn’t his blood, though. It was someone else’s. Was it the young man’s? Dante didn’t know. While the need to break someone’s arm still rang loud and clear in his head, the tang of blood provoked a concerned reaction from the investigator.

Dante watched the two men enter the funhouse. Whatever was going, he wasn’t going to sit idly by and let it happen. As the ticket receiver argued with a customer, Dante slipped passed him and entered the funhouse.
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