"It's really lucky that you're so warm, otherwise I'd be freezing my ass off," Spider whispered as he scooted even closer to Dante.
Dante tried to move away from him, but the seats pressed against his back — there was no escape, and Spider, as usual, took every opportunity to get on his nerves.
"Stop crowding me like that," Dante hissed quietly.
"Hmm, I'd love to, but sadly, I can't move any more than you can," Spider grinned.
His voice was barely more than a whisper, and yet to Dante it sounded as though he were shouting the words. Dante's neck tensed when Spider traced a finger across his chest.
"Don't move so much, darling — someone might hear you," Spider murmured.
"You're enjoying this way too much, you asshole," Dante growled irritably.
Spider's finger froze. He ran his hand along the contours of Dante's chest muscles, muttering softly, "What the hell do you even eat to get muscles like these?!" he asked in disbelief.
"What kind of stupid question is that? I eat normal food!" Dante hissed. "Now shut up before someone catches us!"
"Come on, tell me your secret," Spider whispered.
"Stop groping me!" Dante hissed, exasperated.
"Did you hear that?" a voice suddenly called from outside.
Someone else yawned loudly. "Nope. You're imagining things again. Last time you thought you saw someone too, and there was nobody there."
"I swear I didn't imagine it! There was someone behind the trees, and when I looked closer, the guy was gone!"
Dante and Spider clamped their hands over each other's mouths and lay completely still.
Of course someone had to be patrolling right when Spider couldn't keep his damn mouth shut! If that idiot made another sound, Dante was going to knock him out.
Unfortunately, there was no way to escape. They'd snuck together onto the Vale family estate — by a route Dante would never have chosen himself. It was frightening how easy it was to get onto the grounds if you stuck to certain spots.
Spider had known exactly when each patrol passed by, keeping himself perfectly aligned with the shadows of the trees. Damn it — if he'd wanted to kill someone from the estate, it would've been child's play for him.
If the target had been Vale, Dante wouldn't have cared much. But if it had been Helios…
He'd probably never been so grateful that Spider was on their side — even if he was annoying as hell.
They'd crept to the garage unseen and were now hiding in the trunk of the car Thomas had told him about. They only had to wait two more hours until Vale would head back to his new secret lab.
"Well? Wanna see if the nasty ghost is hiding by the cars?" the first guard teased his partner.
"Asshole. If you're not scared, you can go ahead then," the other hissed. That only made the first one laugh.
"You're still new — it's normal to be spooked. Nobody's ever attacked this residence… well, except that one time eight years ago, if I remember right. Come on, our shift's almost over. One quick look and then we can finally sleep."
"You should maybe be a bit more alert. What if someone is here and just kills you while you're cracking your stupid jokes?" the other snapped quietly.
The voices got closer; the two kept arguing softly while Dante and Spider nearly held their breath so they wouldn't be noticed.
"Doesn't this car sit a little low?" the second asked, puzzled.
"Thomas said he had to transport something. Seth and Josh helped him load the trunk."
"Ah, okay. I was wondering how the old man managed to load the trunk when everything's hanging down like this."
The first yawned again. "You calmer now? Let's finish the round and hand over the shift."
"You're way too careless. One day everything'll burn down because you don't give a damn about your job!"
"That's why I have you — you're the vigilant one."
"I'll never be scheduled with you again!" the second snarled.
Their voices faded. Dante and Spider exhaled softly — almost too loud for the moment.
"That was damn close," Dante hissed.
Spider smirked softly. "At least time goes by faster this way. Though I'll have a serious word with my guys if they get spotted that easily."
Dante rolled his eyes in the dark.
"Has anyone ever told you you're an idiot?"
"Hmm, maybe. But you need me, so you'll look past it," Spider grinned. Even though Dante couldn't see the grin in the dark trunk, he could hear it.
It was going to be damn hard not to just strangle that idiot over the next two hours.
___
Not being able to move made time crawl by in agonizing slowness. The arm Dante was lying on had long since gone numb. His hip throbbed dully with pain, and he felt like a sardine crammed into a tin can, unable to move even a finger. He longed to stretch, to ease his cramped muscles—but there was no room. Not while Spider was lying right beside him, taking up every remaining inch of space in the trunk.
Since Thomas had left the car windows open, it had been freezing inside, and they'd had no choice but to share a little body heat.
At some point, Spider had finally shut up. They had waited in silence until they finally heard footsteps.
"…I swear to God I'll fire him if he still has nothing to show for it!"
Dante's fingers tensed instantly when he heard Vale's voice.
"I'm sure Dr. Brooks is doing his best to meet your expectations, Mr. Vale," Thomas replied calmly — with the soft politeness of a man who knew how to soothe anger through submission.
A car door opened; the metallic click echoed through the quiet.
"Damn it, why does this car reek of men?!" Vale cursed. Still, he seemed to climb into the car. "This estate truly lacks a flower."
"It's probably just because you've only just showered, sir," said Thomas. "Your nose might still be a bit sensitive. If you wish, I can turn on the diffuser."
Vale sighed. "Never mind. It won't help anyway if Seth and Josh are riding along. Do you two even shower after your morning training?" he barked at his bodyguards.
"Of course, sir," Seth replied. "Forgive us if our personal hygiene is lacking."
"Asshole," Spider hissed so quietly that only Dante could hear.
"Shut up," Dante hissed back, just as low.
The engine roared to life, and the car began to move. The vibration of the tires on the cobblestones ran through their bodies, as if the car itself meant to betray them.
As far as he knew, the doctor had known Helios since childhood.
But the way Vale spoke about the man gave Dante a bad feeling in his gut. And with every word that came out of Vale's mouth, his hatred grew. That man had more than one face, and it infuriated Dante how arrogantly he carried himself through life.
He really believed that money could solve every problem — that all he had to do was snap his fingers to get whatever he wanted.
It was a test of patience unlike anything Dante had ever experienced.
After everything that had happened the past week, there was nothing he wanted more than to hurt that man for real.
Maybe he should reconsider taking revenge.
Unfortunately Vale didn't say a single word about Helios. So there were only two possible scenarios waiting for him.
Either Helios was fine, annoyed, and buried in his work.
Or Vale had locked him up.
Maybe, to Dante's worst fears, Vale had actually done something terrible to his son…
The very thought made him shiver. It wouldn't be long now. Soon he could finally hold his beloved in his arms again, tell him everything would be okay, and they could disappear. Thomas had promised to wait for them until they were done with everything.
He would get them out the same way he'd brought them in.
"Do you think he's made any progress?" Vale finally asked.
"Dr. Brooks will have carried out his task to the best of his ability, sir," Thomas answered. "After all, he worked through the entire night."
"It would be so much easier if he'd just swallow his pride," Vale sighed.
"He is strong — you raised him that way," Thomas replied.
Dante froze. Were they talking about Helios?
"Strong?" Vale laughed bitterly. "He's as stubborn as a mule. That's not how I raised him! How long is he going to play this game? I've tried everything, and I'm running out of ideas."
Thomas was silent for a moment. "I don't know, Mr. Vale."
Vale exhaled audibly. "Damn. I'm running out of time."
"Can't you just refuse the deal?"
"No, I can't. They want either the compound or Helios. I'm not prepared to hand my son over to those hyenas. He's too important for that," Vale growled. "Seth, what's the security status at the facility?"
"So far, nobody suspicious has been hanging around the facility."
"So the spies were the only ones?" Vale asked.
"Yes, sir."
"At least that," Vale said in a businesslike tone. "If anything unusual happens, I want to be informed immediately! I don't think that damned Edward will sit still for long. That guy's a bloodhound."
"Yes, sir!" Seth and Josh replied.
"Josh, you'll check in with the others and get an update on their progress. Seth, you're coming with me. Thomas, will you accompany me? I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."
"I'd like to see him as well, but I still have quite a bit to do, as you know," Thomas replied evasively. "I'll bring you the company documents later."
"What would I do without you, Thomas," Vale said, his voice noticeably softer. "It would be nice if you could look in on him later, before we head home. Perhaps it will have some effect on him."
"Of course, sir."
The car finally came to a stop. The doors opened, and the vehicle rocked slightly as Vale, his guards, and Thomas got out. The doors slammed shut again. Dante listened carefully to their footsteps, making sure not to make a single sound.
Vale's voice grew more distant. A moment later, the trunk opened, and Thomas stood over them.
"You can come out," he said quietly. "Are you all right? Here, let me give you a hand."
Spider took it first and climbed out, stretching immediately with a relieved sigh.
"Thanks, old man. I probably wouldn't have gotten out of there on my own. Our mutual friend here is just too broad-shouldered," Spider teased.
Thomas helped Dante out of the trunk as well.
"My pleasure," Thomas replied politely. "Mr…?"
"Spider's fine," Spider said with a grin.
Dante stretched, moving his stiff limbs. He was not looking forward to the return trip — the idea of squeezing back into that trunk with Spider again didn't exactly thrill him. However, at least this time, Helios would be with them.
He glanced around the underground garage. Finally, he was here. After more than seventy-two endless hours, he'd reached the place where Helios was being kept. Relief washed over him — though unease quickly followed.
Getting Helios out unnoticed was going to be difficult.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Spider. Thank you for taking part in this rescue mission," Thomas said, giving a small bow.
Spider rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Hey, talk to me like that and I'll get all flustered. Just talk to me the way you talk to the big guy here."
Thomas gave him a brief nod, then turned to Dante with quiet concern.
"Please, be careful."
"We'll be right back. Stay ready," Dante said confidently before giving Spider a grim nod.
"Let's move." Spider cracked his knuckles. "Finally, some action again," he grinned.
They positioned themselves by the door leading into the complex.
"We're sticking to the plan?" Spider asked.
"The more normal we act, the better," Dante replied.
"Good. I mean, I did go through the trouble of putting on this disguise," Spider grinned. "Never thought I'd end up wearing a Vale guard uniform."
"You really should talk less," Dante muttered.
Carefully, he opened the door just a crack and peeked out. The corridor beyond was brightly lit—sterile neon tubes casting harsh light onto the metallic walls. Hardly any place to hide.
Their plan would only work until someone recognized Dante's face. With some luck, there wouldn't be many guards stationed here who knew him.
Spider had kept his mouth shut ever since they'd stepped into the hallway. His eyes scanned the surroundings, his movements fluid and natural in the guard uniform.
Dante had a bad feeling about all of this. He hoped that gut feeling just meant they'd get caught—and not something worse. He was scared for Helios.
Thomas hadn't gone into detail, since he hadn't seen Helios himself. All he could share was what Vale had told him directly. But that alone had been enough to fuel Dante's imagination—and his worry.
They followed the routes Thomas had drilled into him. They passed two or three guards who barely gave them a glance. Whenever someone came close, they struck up casual small talk—about what was on the lunch menu in the cafeteria, or how badly they needed some time off.
That got them pretty far. Farther than Dante had dared hope.
If he was right, they were close now. The place where Helios was being held couldn't be far. They just had to cross a few more main corridors, then slip into the research wing. That's where things would get complicated.
Silently, they exchanged hand signals—until they turned a corner and ran straight into a guard who immediately recognized Dante.
Dante's heart skipped a beat.
"What the—" The guard froze, then his eyes went wide. "Shit! You?!"
He reached for his weapon.
Dante reacted on instinct—yanking Spider aside and stepping in front of him just as the first shot tore through the air. The impact threw him backward, a searing pain ripping through his abdomen. He could heal—Spider couldn't.
Spider stayed behind him, waiting for an opening—then lunged at the guard the moment he saw one.
Since Spider now knew about his immortality, he didn't hold back from using Dante as his personal meat shield. Dante didn't mind. He needed Spider. As long as they took out anyone who stood in their way, that was fine by him.
The guard collapsed as Spider's blade sliced his throat — a gurgle, then silence.
"We should hurry; the gunfire didn't only alert one guard," Spider said as he retrieved his knife. He shot Dante a quick look. "You okay?"
Dante stood, breathing heavily, clutching his stomach. Blood seeped between his fingers; his shirt was already dark with it.
He wiped sweat from his brow. "I'm fine. Let's go. It's healing."
Spider studied him. "You feel pain even though you're immortal?"
They pressed on.
"Yeah."
"Fuck, that sounds annoying."
"It's a bit uncomfortable," Dante replied.
Spider looked around. "There are almost no places to hide here," he cursed. "At least the corridors in Soley were darker."
"We'll just fight our way through. Stay behind me so I can take the hits."
"Got it."
They charged into the next group of guards — three of them. Dante shot one, Spider threw his knife again and sunk it into another's throat. Then he grabbed another blade, kicked into the last man, severed his Achilles tendons while Dante put a bullet through his head.
Without pausing they rushed on. They were far too loud, but it couldn't really be helped. At least the gunshot wound in his belly had closed and he could move better.
At the next turn Spider was grabbed and put in a chokehold. His attacker throttled him, but Spider — that insane assassin — stayed perfectly calm. He drew his knife and stabbed precisely into the attacker's thigh; in a blink he'd driven the blade into the man's arm and finally into his head. Cold-blooded, he was already leaping at the next opponent.
Dante had known Spider's fighting style since Soley and had to admit he moved with the grace of a panther. He didn't need to watch Spider; he could look after himself. He stowed his pistol to conserve ammo and charged his next foe. He broke the man's nose and beat him until he heard the crack that confirmed the man would never get up again.
He knew these men. He had worked and trained alongside them for a long time. A cold emptiness spread through his chest — one he couldn't shake off. He hadn't wanted to hurt them, much less kill them.
But unfortunately, they wanted to kill him.
He had no other choice but to kill them too.
Especially if he wanted to save Helios.
Two bullets hit him in the back. He grabbed the weapon from the man he'd just killed and fired in the direction the shots had come from.
"Spider," he gasped, as the last enemy around them fell. His breathing was shallow; his lungs burned, and something warm was running down his side. He pressed his hand to the wound, feeling blood seeping between his fingers. Every breath was a struggle.
Damn it. This was going to make moving forward difficult.
"What's wrong?" Spider asked, eyes scanning the corridor warily.
"I just… need a moment," Dante panted.
"Shit, don't tell me you're dying on me."
Dante spat blood. His face was slick with sweat, his eyelids trembling.
"Fuck," Spider cursed.
He threw Dante's arm over his shoulder and dragged him into the nearest room. They were so close! Why did he have to get a damn wound like this now? Spider quickly shut the door behind them.
"With any luck, there won't be a blood trail to give us away," he murmured. His own breathing was rough, his voice a little strained.
Dante coughed up another mouthful of blood.
It was always disgusting when his lungs filled with it.
"Wouldn't… be bad," he rasped.
"If you die, how long do you stay dead for?" Spider asked, pressing his ear against the door to listen for movement outside.
"Five to seven minutes, depending on the injury," Dante replied calmly, as if answering a purely theoretical question. He coughed again, blood beading at his chin. Slowly, bit by bit, the coughing eased — the healing had begun, though slower than usual.
Fortunately, the door hadn't been locked, or they'd have had a serious problem.
"Good to know."
"You hurt anywhere?"
"Just a graze, nothing more," Spider replied. He motioned for Dante to stay quiet.
They heard footsteps in the corridor. Spider clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"They're checking the rooms — get ready," he hissed.
Dante stood up, wiped his mouth, and straightened to his full height.
"It's not much farther until we reach him," Dante said.
Spider nodded, his hand on the doorknob. He positioned himself so he could open the door and grab the first person who came through. Dante cocked his pistol and aimed it so he wouldn't hit Spider.
___
"You okay?" Dante asked, glancing at Spider.
"Perfectly fine," Spider assured him. He'd taken a bullet to the upper arm during their last fight. "Damn, they really want you dead — the way they were shooting, they didn't care who they hit."
"I think they want to kill anyone who doesn't belong here," Dante replied bitterly.
He tied a makeshift bandage around the gunshot wound in his side, pulling the fabric tight until the bleeding slowed. Spider let out a low groan as Dante knotted the ends — a short, rough sound escaping his lips. How many of his fellow guards had he killed by now? How many had died at Spider's hand?
He couldn't say. Even now, he hated killing them. After all, they were just doing their jobs. They had no choice, no personal grudge against him. He knew that. They were following orders, nothing more.
Still, none of that changed the fact that he would keep killing anyone who stood between him and Helios. He was determined to reach him — and no one would stop him.
"Can you keep fighting?" Dante asked.
Spider nodded. "With the way you've lovingly wrapped me up, it should hold," he grinned. He looked a little tired, and the pain from the wound seemed to be wearing on him.
Dante exhaled slowly.
Spider was a professional killer — a small bullet wound wouldn't knock him out.
"Helios can probably whip up something for the pain," Dante said, getting to his feet. He moved to the door, peeking out into the hallway to make sure it was clear. "All clear. Come on."
Spider was right behind him.
"Would be the first time I get a special treatment from him," Spider chuckled quietly as they crept down the corridor. "Can't wait."
"Idiot," Dante muttered just as softly.
Two guards stood posted by a door ahead. They didn't notice the pair peeking around the corner. Spider drew his knives and threw them with perfect precision — both guards collapsed moments later, almost without a sound.
"After you," Spider grinned.
"Show-off."
They stopped at a door marked "Treatment Room 1."
"Is this it?" Spider asked quietly.
He glanced down the hall again. Dante let his gaze sweep the corridor as well. They were alone. For now.
He nodded, checked his pistol and the sheath of his combat knife. Spider checked his blades and nodded to Dante when he was ready.
Helios was behind this door. He could barely wait to kick that damn door in and finally pull his beloved into his arms. He hoped so badly that he was all right. He hoped for that irritated look Helios threw him now and then when something displeased him.
Please, let it be only that…
His heart raced; he needed to make sure he was really okay. On the other hand, that awful gut feeling probably would never go away. Dante cocked his pistol, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
"Helios!" he called, loud enough to draw every eye in the room.
But instead of an annoyed Helios, Vale turned — standing by a metal table. Beside him were Seth and Dr. Books, who wore a blood-stained coat.
And on the table lay Helios.
Leather straps cut into his wrists, his hair plastered to his head. His clothes had been stripped down to his underwear; blood stained his torso and ran down his sides. Dante knew he had no wounds that could kill him, and yet in that moment he saw red. Helios's body was marked, his gaze empty, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He didn't move his head; he wasn't fighting — he was trapped in some kind of silent exhaustion.
Dante balled his fist in fury. His eyes found Jonathan Vale's, who looked back at him with irritated calm.
"Vale, you goddamn bastard!" Dante shouted. He wasted no time and charged straight at him.
"Seth, handle him," Vale ordered without haste. His voice was eerily calm, as if he were merely turning a page in a book. "Brooks, take him off the table."
Loud footsteps sounded again in the corridor.
Dante's thoughts were consumed only by getting Helios out of his father's greasy hands. No matter what they'd done to him, they would pay for it.