Baltimore, Sunday Night

[spin_kick_snap]

It had been another bad day. The worst part was, there had been nothing that had made it a bad day. It wasn't like there was rhyme or reason for it, but for some reason as the sun went down and the lights came on over the water, Kathy been struck anew by grief, her breath thick in her throat, her eyes burning with tears. Maybe the lights had reminded her of LA. Or maybe they'd reminded her of happier, easier times, when everything was good. More than good. Perfect. She'd known what she was doing and why--everything had made sense. She'd had a plan and every step she'd taken had moved her closer to her goals.

Now she had no plan, no goals other than 'make it through the day.' Some days, she felt good, like she was making progress, uncovering bits and pieces of herself that she'd thought she'd lost, trying to fit them into the person she was now like shards of a broken mirror. Other days, like today, she felt like she was drowning and every breath was a struggle around the thick weight of grief and regret and pain that sat on her chest like a creature out of myth. Most days were somewhere in-between, an odd muted gray as she fumbled her way, uncertain whether she was moving forward or backwards or even off to the side.

Like she did so many nights, she made her way to Baltimore. This time, she found herself on a rooftop somewhere, staring down at the city. She didn't think she'd even stood on this particular building as Banzai before, but still the vantage point and the angles were so familiar that the ache she felt sharpened to the point of true pain. But the tears stayed where they were, locked away, and instead she just sat, staring at the city, at the life, she'd once called hers and waited for it to pass.

It would pass, right?



[For one and up early for SP]

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

"You can't fly everywhere," Dante reminded her, but the statement was probably lost as his feet landed neatly on the edge of the fencing along the next roof, just far enough in that he didn't even wobble.

He took a step, feet coming down nice and steady on the roof itself.

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"And he nails the dismount!" Kathy announced. "Even the Korean judge in impressed, giving him a 9.2 with points docked for not following the proper landing pose."

[rebelseekspizza]

"And what's the proper landing pose, huh?" Dante said, grinning.

To his almost-disappointment, they were just two more buildings away from the bar.

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Kathy's too. She was having a lot of fun on this flying tour of Baltimore.

"Arms up, back arched, head back, legs together," she told him. "The ultimate in 'Ta-Da!' poses. You don't know how many times we had to practice that pose in gymnastics, cause you will lose points if it's anything but flawless."

[rebelseekspizza]

See, things were easier when they didn't fixate on Fixing the Thing.

"Not gonna happen with you on my back," Dante said, snickering. "So you wanna do another one or see the new weapons?"

He didn't make the dirty joke that would've fit there easy.

[spin_kick_snap]

Yeah, yeah. She was realizing that.

"Can your new ones get us to the other roof?" she asked, missing the dirty joke potential entirely in favor of their current adrenaline rush. "Otherwise, I say get us over there with your grappling hook and then show me what else you got."

Okay, that one she noticed. But also decided not to push her luck.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante laughed. "Nah," he said. "Okay, hold on--"

He took another running leap, snagging a traffic light down below with the hook. Hurtled across the chasm again, and stretched the flight until they landed on the far end of the next roof.

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"That is so awesome," Kathy said, sliding off his back now that they'd landed on the last roof. Her legs were trembling from the adrenaline and she stumbled a bit before catching her balance. "Man, why don't I have a magic grappling hook?"

Zombies got the lamest powers.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Get you a normal one for your birthday?" Dante offered easily.

It felt like a genuine thing to say. Which normally wouldn't matter, and yet.

[spin_kick_snap]

And yet.

"Now I have to step up my gift-giving, birthday twin. Oh gosh!" Kathy's mouth formed a perfect 'o'. "I just realized--Vergil's your actual twin. He has our--your--birthday, too!"

She didn't know what that seemed so important, it just was.

"Think we'll be able to get him to come out and celebrate with us?"

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante blinked.

Then he let out a laugh.

"Maybe if I pick him up and drag him, sure."

[spin_kick_snap]

"So, Plan 'Kidnap Vergil and Introduce Him to Real Fun' is a go?" Kathy suggested, expression full of mischief. "Whatever we decide to do, Isabela has to be involved. Obviously."

[rebelseekspizza]

"I still want to see what happens when he gets drunk," Dante announced. "One of these days."

He hadn't forgotten about their earlier plan, though, so he was reaching back to draw Rebellion as they spoke.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Bet he won't get your accent," Kathy snickered. "All right, let's see what this baby can do."

[rebelseekspizza]

"This baby, huh?" Dante asked.

As he spoke, with a bare thought, the blade changed into something heavier and more intricate. Arbiter's edge pressed against the ground, red and belligerent.

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"Well, you get grumpy when I'm not properly respectful of your weapons," Kathy said, trying not to grin and failing. "...That's an axe."

Very perceptive of you, Kathy.

"Your sword's a goddamn Transformer!"

...And this is why Dante sighed at you on behalf of his weapons, Kathy.

[rebelseekspizza]

"My sword's not a robot," Dante pointed out, rolling his eyes.

He gave Arbiter a twirl; halfway through the arc, it extended into a scythe.

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Kathy bounced back, startled. "Maybe not but goddamn, Dante, what would you call that? Besides coooool."

Weapons nerd.

[rebelseekspizza]

"It is pretty cool," Dante allowed, parking Osiris against the ground.

Fuck, the scythe was big.

[spin_kick_snap]

There was a compensation joke to be made there, but Kathy was being good and not making it. Well, less because she was being good and more because a) she was still boggling over how wickedly lethal it looks and b) she knew full well how little Dante had to compensate for anything.

"The girls aren't getting jealous that Rebellion got an upgrade, are they?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"Nah, the girls know I'll always love them best," Dante said, allowing the scythe to evaporate so he could pat them. "Oh, there's also this."

Lava rock curled around his lower arms, covering his hands.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Jesus!" Kathy leaned over his hands to examine them closely. She brought up a hand to touch, though she looked up at Dante for the okay before she made contact. "Can I...? Is that really...?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"Just give me a second," Dante said, holding his arms up.

The red fumes that'd started coming off of them faded. "There."

[spin_kick_snap]

"What's it made of?" Kathy asked, delicately tracing her fingers over the ripples in the...rock? It definitely felt like rock "How does it feel to have over your hands?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"It feels like it's my hands, just stronger," Dante said.

Heavier, too.

"I can punch a hole in a concrete wall in one go with this."