[Part 24]

The lengths of my shock till this day, cannot be expressed fully when I saw my family members back in the hall.

Lucifer sat on his throne, waiting patiently and with his conniving, victorious smile. There was no need for trickery this time around. No need for words.

One look and my heart shattered to pieces.

We had lost.

Daniel and Vergil refused to meet my eyes. Dante continued cursing as if it would help with the shackles on his wrists, suspending above ground. Trish cried out my name, asking me to run, while Marcy apologized profusely. Sparda was the one who merely kept quiet, watching as I take each step forwards with hesitation.

This was an illusion… it had to be…

Or so I thought.

“You’ve lost, Damon Kries. Winner of Round Two with Demon Princes of Hell goes to me.”

“How do I know whether this is all an illusion?”

“Good question.” Lucifer complimented, and then sent a sharp slice of power through Trish’s chains. She began to fall, but not before I was there to catch her in my arms. I felt her weight, solid and firm in my arms.

They were all real.

“I’m so sorry, Damon! It was as if he was playing with us all along… The moment you left, he just took out everyone. It was so fast! I couldn’t stop him from taking Marcy…” Trish cried as I broke off the chains on her wrist, holding her close. At least I had Trish with me. I had Yamato and the amulets. I could…

“Now you know they’re all real, Damon. I find I have wasted too much time and effort on you. Make your choice. You stay here, or your family dies –one by one, right before your eyes.”

“Why me?” I asked, moving the both of us back so that I could keep sight of my family members dangling above ground while watching Lucifer carefully. Behind my back, my hands were obviously moving…

“Easy. Everyone knows the failure of Leviathan and Mammon weren’t attributed solely on Dante’s head. ‘It was Damon Kries, the other half to Vergil Sparda, that traitor’s son!’ Leviathan kept on protesting to Mundus. Mammon backed it all up. It is safe to say that you are infamous in the court of Hell. Your feat –a mere human defeating two demon princes –spawned a thousand deference from our demons, demons like Trickster. We knew we had to end this rebellion from our servitude. The best way, Mundus wagered, was to take you and destroy you. But I have other plans, and Mundus loved it. I’m not his favorite Prince for nothing. Like I said, I will break you, and make you mine. I will parade you in front of the court of Hell, and you will serve as an example of someone who has defied us.”

“You can never break my brother! Damon will never yield to you!” Marcy yelled, and though I appreciated her faith in me, I wished she would stop attracting attention to herself.

“A childish thought, my dear girl. Every man, every demon, every being as a breaking point. I will break your brother, and you cannot do anything about it. So shut up, be a nice hostage and let your brother choose your life over his.”

“Damon... Don’t do it.” Trish begged, holding on to my arm as if I would leave her anytime soon.

I wished, in that single moment, that someone would do something to rid me from this situation. Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to come to Hell at all. Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to help Eva and Trickster out. They weren’t the main focus for this mission at all. I had thought Trickster’s mission was to wipe out all sons of Sparda.

But no. This time, this mission was about me.

Lucifer wanted to hold me hostage. Badly enough that he would let Trickster go as a sacrifice for me. Lucifer had seen through me, anticipated my moves, and brought everything I could lose on the table.

In this game, Lucifer was on checkmate, and I had only one single pawn left. Myself.

“Don’t do it, Damon, or I’ll never forgive you!” Daniel shouted, trying to threaten me, but I knew my brother better. Daniel never threatened me. Daniel never dared to.

“Don’t be an ass, Damon. I can free us from this. Just give me some time. I’ll pick the lock…” Dante said, apparently trying to work out of his cuffs.

“Much as I want to be free, it is obvious that you will be falling straight into his trap if you agree, boy. One life for all of us seems too cheap a deal for a demon prince like him to make.” Sparda advised, and I was surprised that he actually wanted to put me above his life. Surprise; surprise –this coming from the man who made my life hell the last time I came here.

Only Vergil didn’t say a word. He refused to look at me, and I knew the reason why. I knew exactly why Vergil refused to make eye contact with me, because he thought the same way as I did.

“You cannot do this, Damon. I refuse to let you do this. You can’t give yourself over for us. You cannot leave me. You promised me, remember? You cannot leave me.” Trish insisted, but I took my hand from her grasp.

“Trish, takes Yamato, and give it to Sparda when he’s free of his shackles.” I ordered in my no-nonsense-tone, and it was only by pure instinct that she accepted the sword.

Lucifer’s smile turned into a grin as I walked towards him, my heart growing heavier and heavier, feeling older and older the closer I got to him.

For the greater good, I kept telling myself, but it changed no fact that I was throwing in the towel, without a fight.

No, not without a fight, I reminded myself. There had been no physical fight, but there had been much trickery and scheming fights. Vergil and I had pitted ourselves against Lucifer with our wits, and we had lost. All because I failed to pin down Lucifer’s actual goal –which was me.

For my failure, I could not give up so many people just for my life.

“No!” Trish’s broken cry tore my heart apart and my feet stopped moving by their own will, every particle of me wanting to run back to her.

“You cannot go, Damon! I’m pregnant! With your child! You must stay for us!” Trish called, and something struck my heart.

As if a whirlwind had swept through my mind, I began to fit the pieces of the puzzle that had been so plain in my eyes. Trish’s hints, Trish’s supposed stomach flu, the times Trish and Lady spent together, the fact that she was late, and how she had looked and seemed so frail and weak these days. Lady had warned too, and finally Trickster too. It had been so obvious, and I had been so dumb to ignore all these signs!

With that piece of precious news, I felt my heart lift even just that little bit. I turned around, and smiled gently at this beauty that had brought so much joy to my life. Daniel and Dante whistled unceremoniously at the information, but no one bothered about them as I opened my arms, claiming Trish back in my embrace, holding her even more gently than I had ever done. Truly, this kiss that we shared was the sweetest, the deepest, and the one that I would remember forever in my mind.

It was the expression of our pure love, and nothing at the moment spoiled it. Not even Daniel or Dante’s inappropriateness, not even Lucifer’s desire to have me act as his example of rebellion. In that perfect moment, there was only me and Trish in the world of love that we shared.

No. It was me, Trish and our unborn baby.

But like all perfect things, it had to come to an end. Like all dreams, it had to end.

“Take care of our child for me, Trish. Love him or her like you would love me. I was afraid you would forget me if I stayed here, but now there’s no problem… look at our child, and see the man that you love so much. If it’s a boy, make him out to be a fine, young Damon, alright? If it’s a baby girl, I want her to be as hot as you, as kind and caring as her mother and strict enough to kick Daniel in the butt.” I broke off the kiss regretfully, resting my forehead on hers, just soaking in the moment.

Her eyes watered at my words, but I wiped those tears away gently with a finger.

“B-But I thought you would come with me! Don’t go, Damon. Stay with me for our child.” She protested helplessly, the fear and sorrow alight in her eyes like a beacon. It pained me a million times over to know that I was the one to cause her such pain, but the current circumstance was dire.

“I’m sorry, Trish, but everyone’s life is on the line just for me, even you. If I don’t do this, you and our child will be put in danger from Mundus and Lucifer forever. I won’t allow anyone to die for me. Sparda has just returned to Vergil and Dante; I cannot be expected to let them die right away before they can get to know their father properly. This is the chance you guys get to go home, Trish. I will not take that chance away.”

“But, our child! Who’s going to take care of him? I can’t do this alone, Damon! I need you….” Trish hung off my arm, but I did my best to steel my heart. I had made up my mind, and I couldn’t let Trish sway me. If I did… how many people would die just because of my selfishness? How many people would die for my child? I knew; even without meeting him or her, that he or she wouldn’t want to be the cause of people’s death even before birth. I wouldn’t put my child through that guilt ever.

“I’m so sorry, Trish, but you have to do this alone. I can’t let everyone die like this. I can’t put you and our child in danger. If I knew better, I would never have let you take a single step right here in Hell. I won’t put you in danger just because I’m selfish.” I said, but she knew exactly how much I was unwilling to do this by how tightly I was holding on to her.

Still, some things had to be done…

“I’ll help you, Trish! I promise you, Damon, I’ll take care of Trish like she is my life! For you, I will take care of her for the rest of my life. You can put your worries to rest, brother. I will take care of Trish and your child, even if I have to die for it.” Daniel yelled from his place; the first sensible thing he had ever said to me.

“Me too! I will take care of Trish too! Don’t you worry, brother! I have faith in you! You will return to us someday! I will take care of myself too, and I will work hard and help you lead Kries Tech! You just concentrate on escaping Lucifer and return to us earlier, all right?” Marcy backed up my brother, and I felt the touched tears well up in my eyes.

They were manly tears; tear that I would shed because of the love and support my family showed me. They knew my worries, and they knew I would always be fretting about them no matter what I did. It touched me so much that they knew what I had to do, and they didn’t try to dissuade me.

It touched me that they knew I was dead set on my course of action, and they didn’t try to waste time telling me to save myself in place of them.

“I know you don’t really trust me in many things, Damon, but I promise I’ll help your family out however I can. If Pops here can open portals between my world and yours, I promise I’ll visit your family often and help Trish with your kid. I can teach your kid to protect him or herself, if you want.” Dante spoke up, also a first time for him in the serious-talk session.

Unable to find even more touched words and knowing my voice was drowned out by the tears that were welling from my eyes, I gave Dante a thumb up to show that I appreciated his intentions.

“I don’t know you well, but you’ve helped us more than once, Damon. I’m grateful for that, and I guarantee you I will do my utmost best to help your family out in whatever troubles they face. Don’t you worry about your family getting troubles from any demons; I will be their personal demon-hunter if you want.” Sparda spoke up kindly, and though it was ironic that the words came from a demon himself, I smiled through my tears up at him.

Damn, these people were making me into a sissy. Why did have to choose this moment to shower me with so much love? I almost couldn’t stand this; I was going to burst with the knowledge that they cared so much for me. Even Dante and Sparda, both of which were simply unrelated to me in any way!

Only Vergil stayed silent throughout, and when I met his eyes, and I saw his silent, unspoken promise.

“Just give me a blessing, Damon. I intend to take care of your sister for the rest of my life, and I just need to know I have your blessing to do everything I can to take care of Marcy. I will treat her better than I have treated anyone, and you can trust her in my care.”

Knowing Vergil loved my sister so much, knowing someone as reliable as Vergil intended to take care of Marcy for life; it truly put my heart at rest in that sector. Marcy had found her own bodyguard, and the time where I acted like her protector was over. The post was for Vergil.

“You have my blessing.” I granted with a wavering voice, and Daniel and Dante grinned at me, though my twin brother was beginning to shed the same tears I was shedding.

“Don’t be a sissy. Stop crying, and grow a dick, man. I’m not going to take care of your fuck-buddy there forever, so you better come back to us quick okay?” Daniel said though he was also crying, and it was so typical from Daniel that I couldn’t help but smile back at him too.

“Of course. You just wait for me for the day I come back and kick your ass for screwing up with Kries Tech and my kid. You just wait, Daniel.” I warned lightly.

“Damnit, stop saying such mushy stuff! I’m going to cry!” Dante complained, but it was obvious that his eyes were red and beginning to smart.

“You’d better take good care of Trish, or I’ll kick your lazy ass!” I laughed back at him despite my tears, and it felt almost good to leave them like this. Almost good.

But still mostly painful. Especially for Trish and my child.

I took her in the tightest hug ever, smelling her deep. I thought of how we met, how she found out about my real identity, how we found out that we were so deeply in love, and the many times we ended up in crazy sex. Trish and I had gone through rough rides, but she had been the only woman for me. The only woman that I hadn’t lost because of my lousy timing in relationships. This was the woman who had survived me, survived Damon Kries, a millionaire businessman with anger issues and an active sexual life.

This was a woman who was the mother of the child of Damon Kries. She didn’t deserve to only be Trish. She deserved to be Mrs. Kries. Mrs. Trish Kries.

“It’s late, but this is the only time I can do this,” I let her go, dropping to one knee before her. It was all impromptu, but it was all I could do at the moment.

The tears continued to flow from her eyes, but there was already an answer in her eyes.

“Will you marry me?”

She whispered the one word that made my heart burst open with love, and I scooped her up in my embrace again. This time, I was no longer embracing my girlfriend. I was embracing my wife.

It was the happiest, yet the saddest moment of my life when we separated from each other. Lucifer had kept blessedly silent all this while, but there was no changing that he was still there, watching and waiting. All he wanted was me, nothing else. He cared about no fact that I was making my last wishes here. He clearly expected me to surrender fully to him.

“I have so much more to say to you, but we have no more time. Wait for me, won’t you? I waited for you to come to my world… Now it’s time for you and our child to wait for me. Wait for me, because when the next time our worlds come crashing together, I’m going to be there, walking down the road to meet you, okay?”

Her tears rolled and rolled and rolled, but the smile broke through the clouds. It was the brightest smile that I knew thus far, and I never forgot it. Like I had never forgotten the first ever golden smile that we shared in Fredi’s restaurant over our strawberry sundaes, I never forgot about this one either.

“When our worlds crash together again, I’m going to be at the end of that road with our child in my hand waiting for you. I promise.”

I gave my wife one last kiss on her forehead, breathing the last scent of her and filling the smell of her in my lungs for as much as I could hold.

“That’s more like it, Mrs. Kries. No matter what, I will always love you.”

With that, we ceased contact, and I turned away.

I never looked back. I never turned back. Because if I did, I would never leave my wife ever again.

I walked right up to the waiting Lucifer and knelt in front of him, head bowed.

“Take me now. Free my family –every single one of them –and take me. But know that I will always be waiting and finding a way to escape you. You can take my body, but you cannot take my soul.”

Lucifer chuckled –the only one laughing now, for he was the victorious party in this sorrowful event.

“I don’t need your soul. I’m going to break it anyway.”

He commented breezingly, and clicked his fingers. Almost instantly the chains came off, and my family members landed on their feet simultaneously.

“We love you, Damon!” Marcy shouted, but I didn’t turn around. I didn’t want to face them anymore. It was time for me to face my fate.

“Go. Go, and wait for me. If I don’t come back after my child turns ten…… then move on.”

“We have faith in you. You’re going to come back, so quit being a sissy, bro. I don’t care; I’m going to screw up Kries Tech so horribly that you’re going to have to crawl back even if you’re on your last breath to kick my ass.” Daniel seemed the only person who could keep his normal breezy tone, and I thanked him for keeping himself sane and normal for our last moment shared together.

“You had better not. Tell Erica and Kevin I love them… Make preparations… concerning my death. Take over Kries Tech and say that I’m dead. If I come back, when I come back, I will deal with everything else.”

“Don’t you always, bro? You’re always the idea-man. So I’ll be waiting on the other side for you?”

I smiled despite myself.

“Yeah. Just wait for me and behave yourself.”

“Sure… I’ll be going now, bro. I’ll see you soon.” Daniel said, as if he were just going out for a walk and would see me in a few hours’ time. Internally, I silently thanked him for making their departure so easy for me. Such was Daniel’s character. He didn’t seem reliable to do anything; didn’t seem to have any EQ at all.

But when the situation arose, the very things Daniel could do and say would surprise you. It would bring you such warmth that you would forget everything. It would make you love him even more.

“I’ll see you soon too.” I replied, and there was silence from Daniel.

“Bye, brother!” Marcy sounded like she was already crying, but I couldn’t do anything about it.

“Keep safe, Marcy.”

I didn’t look back at them leaving, because I couldn’t. The pain of their departure must have been written on my face because I saw Lucifer’s grin widen at every farewell my family gave.

“You’re always my brother, Damon. Remember when you first died? We’re always brothers, and brothers won’t leave each other alone, alright?” Dante said as his farewell, and I wondered why he was getting all sentimental now.

“Of course. Just go and pay off your debt to Lady, won’t you?”

“Oh hell no.” That was his farewell, but it was enough to make me laugh.

“I will always be trying to get you out, Damon. You just wait for me.” Vergil promised.

“You just concentrate on taking care of my sister. That’s all I ask.” I instructed, and a grunt of acknowledgement was all I received from that man.

“I love you forever, and I’ll be waiting for you, my love!” Trish exclaimed, and I knew that was all she could make. I heard her crying, her running footsteps, and then it was gone. She was past the portal.

Finally, Sparda.

“I am extremely grateful for all that you have done for my family, Damon Kries. I have been a bastard to you, and I will make it up to you. Thank you for doing all this for us. I know of your worries, and I will do my best to address every single one of them. You just concentrate on getting out.”

I snorted quietly, knowing he could hear me.

“Just get your ass out of here, Pops. You’ve stayed in Hell long enough. And take care of your sons, won’t you?”

The last family I had left in Hell left me after that one sentence.

But he was laughing.

Sparda left me, and gave his farewell by his melodious laughter. In that laughter, there was bitterness, but for me, he would keep happy.

Then the hall was left to Lucifer and me.

That was the day I lost everything that belonged to me. My belongings, my family, my friends, everyone important to me.

That was the moment I ceased to become a brother to Daniel Kries, an unofficial brother to Dante and Vergil Sparda.

That was the second that my suffering started.