Yeah, why not? Somehow, hanging around with someone else from the pit feels like it'll be less... annoying. Around Himeka and Wanda, it feels like he's still playin' a bit part in some second-rate play.]
I got time. What's your place look like? I'll drive by.
[ Another country, then? It's hard to imagine anyone who hasn't heard of NYC. ]
There are definitely roads, and I'll make sure that traffic is manageable too. It won't be accurate to actual NYC, but no one wants to be stuck in gridlock.
You can make anything you want and you make traffic?
[So Steve does have some issues. Guess they can't all be Boy Scouts.]
It's a van. Got a sign on the side that says Devil May Cry. You can't miss it. [Except maybe in traffic. What the hell, man.] Figure I'll find it eventually. I'm on the way.
[At least once he's found a cozy place for his body to go comatose. But at least once he slips in, the van's there, waiting for him, with the phonebooth strapped to the top (maybe he should've mentioned that.) The van roars as it drives, erratic, piloted as it always is by a cloud of cigarette smoked vaguely in the shape of a person, and when the van is rolling through New York's streets, the panther that stalks his every move is half hanging out a window and the neon Devil May Cry sign is flickering on and off on the sides.]
[ If he wants his domain to feel anything like home, yeah, there should be traffic. But he's clearing it for Nero's benefit. ]
Got it. See you soon.
[ As soon as an unknown vehicle enters Steve's domain, he's aware of it. He isn't even sure how, but it's like something pings in his mind and he just knows. More weird magic stuff that he tries not to think too hard about, if he's honest.
True to his word, the streets are clear. Nero will drive past a park that feels pretty out of place among all the skyscrapers, and he'll even spot some food carts on the sidewalk. Eventually his path will lead him right to Steve, who's standing on the street corner, hands in his pockets.
He frowns when he realizes it isn't even Nero driving. Huh, that's... a smoke person? All right. He also spots something else inside, something that looks more animal than human, though it's hard to make out much more than that through the window. Still, the Devil May Cry sign is front and center, so there's no denying this is Nero. ]
Hey. Uhh. [ He makes a sweeping gesture with his hand. ] Park anywhere.
[Fortuna's a hell of a city, but he can admit that New York's got this whole vibe of its own, way different than the stone castles and soaring cathedrals of Nero's childhood. (Well. There's churches, at least. That tracks.) The streets are paved, painted with bright or faded lines, instead of dirt or ancient cracked stone pathways.
Nero's head pokes out the passenger side window as they drive, sniffing the air for something that smells suspiciously like -- fuck. Hot dogs. But eh stand's in the rearview mirror before he realizes... and maybe it'd be rude to make the guy wait.
The van rolls to a stop, but not before the visage that is Nico lays on the horn to see if she can get a rise out of Steve. Nero curses at her, climbing out of the van to let her park.]
Sorry about that. She's a dick. [He doesn't explain further.] Nice little slice of city life you got.
[ The sudden blaring of the horn does make Steve's back straighten, but he doesn't flinch any more than that. In a place like New York City, honking like that is pretty much par for the course, so he's used to hearing it.
The fact that the driver of the van is some kind of shadowy figure is a little more on the strange side. Steve tilts his head as Nero approaches. ]
She? [ He's still going to ask, even if Nero doesn't explain. ] And yeah, thanks. I figured we could head up to my apartment. It'll be a little more comfortable there.
[ Thankfully, there seems to be a hot dog cart on almost every corner, if Nero did want to grab one. ]
[It's more than he's told anyone, not that Steve knowns. It's like explaining the phone booth, or the panther. It's just shit the Horizon pulled out of his brain, that he either can't get rid of or doesn't want to. They're just surface-level shards of him, things maybe the Horizon or the Singularity or whatever thinks means something. Maybe they do. Maybe they don't.
An apartment, huh? Maybe he lives alone out there, too.] Yeah, gimme a sec.
[There's no way he's not grabbing a hot dog: loaded with onions and relish and mustard, which he's already half-eaten by the time he gets back to Steve. He gives him a thumbs up.] All set.
[He follows Steve up whatever stairs and buildings he's got, listening to the sounds of a pretty bustling city block. The hotdog's good. Fresh. As hot as a real one right off the corner.] So's there anything else you wanna know, or you just want in on how I'm gonna kill some Solvunn gods?
[ Nico, the driver. That doesn't explain much of anything about what Steve saw, but he's noticed that Nero's a bit cagey about his life back home as a general rule. All Steve really knows is that he has experience with cults and that he himself is not human. Or not entirely human, at least.
He huffs out a laugh and nods when Nero makes a beeline for one of the hotdog carts. He could grab one for himself, and maybe he'll conjure one up later. Wanda's training has made him a lot better at just creating things on the fly in here.
As might be expected, the fake building housing Steve's fake apartment is a walk-up. It's been a long time since he actually had an apartment in Brooklyn, so this is kind of wish fulfillment for himself. The interior is mainly reminiscent of his old apartment in DC, but he probably doesn't need to explain all that.
As they reach the right floor, Steve digs into his pocket for a ring of keys. Again, none of this is necessary, but there's something comforting about the routine of it all. He glances back at Nero, whose question effectively brings Steve back to reality. ]
Well, I don't know how much I'd be able to help from the Free Cities, but I am interested to hear more about what you're planning.
[ Here they are, the door to his apartment. He steps up to stick the key in the knob. ]
[Nero doesn't question it. Maybe his van's driven by an ethereal cloud of cigarette smoke, but the van is just the van. With all the stink of demons, and the leftover Devil Bringer parts, and a scattering of panther fur and the scent of leather and oil. It's got every bump and dent on the outside the real thing has, and all of Nico's ugly-ass stickers, and the jukebox still fucks up half the time if you don't kick it.
It's the smallest things that matter the most sometimes. The things you don't think too much about.]
You don't need to help. [Nero makes himself once the door's open, looking around and peering out the window. It's comfy enough. Overly clean if you ask him. It looks like some elderly dude lives here. Kind of smells old, too.
He crashes into a chair, propping his boot up on his knee.] I know, digging around, plenty of people poked their noses into the gods' business. The pit was being protected by someone's glamour or whatever. Means people can communicate with them. Even come face to face with them, maybe. Now I'm not planning on feedin' my arm to an altar again, but I know Solvunn's gotta know some way to make the things show up. The sooner I find one, the sooner I know for sure that they're just monsters. Same as back home.
[ The apartment is neat and tidy, but that's not to say that it doesn't look lived in. There's books piled up in a number of shelving spaces throughout the apartment, vintage art framed on the walls, and a circular shield in red, white, and blue leaned up against the wall near the entrance. Oh, and the living room houses a record player.
While Nero takes a chair, Steve heads into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water for each of them without even asking. He listens to everything Nero has to say as he fills up the glasses, nodding along as he reappears in the living room to hand one over. ]
Here. If you want something more interesting than that to drink, you're welcome to raid the fridge.
[ With that, he settles onto a couch not far from the chair Nero claimed, turning over all of what he said in his head. ]
Just monsters, huh? So what exactly did you face back home? ... If you don't mind me asking.
[He waves a hand, but takes the offering. Better than nothing. Fake water or not. Besides, every time he tries to grab a drink from someone, it's beer. At least at Julie's weirdo tent, he didn't need to ask.
Barring the fact he could make his own on the spot. It's just not his thing.]
I guess the secret's sort of out. But I'd prefer if you still keep it to yourself. [Well, the wings might not scream demon to anyone who isn't from his world, maybe, and specifically in his line of business, but it's enough that it's clear he isn't human. As he's already brought up.] I'm a devil hunter. Devils. Demons. Whatever you wanna call 'em, I blasted 'em. Plenty of them were big enough to seem like gods. Hell, I was raised by people who thought one was a god. I don't see any difference here.
[ If Nero hadn't already implied that he wasn't human, the wings and tail definitely would have been a hint. Steve can't jump to any conclusions as far as what he is because he assumes every world is different. Even with the context of his own world, Steve isn't sure he'd be able to pinpoint a specific species just from what he's seen.
Is Nero an alien? Some sort of mystical creature? Strange would be much better equipped to hazard a guess.
Steve gulps down some of his water as Nero continues to explain, frowning at the mention of demons and devils. Maybe he should have gone there first. Given that apparently Lucifer himself is here, Steve realizes that he just needs to take these things at face value as best he can, difficult as that might be. ]
... You were raised in a cult, then? Did they take you in because you weren't human? [ Did they want to worship Nero, or did they think he could commune with this not-god that they worshipped? A lot of it sounds far too similar to what they just went through. ] And I assume you realizing what was really going on led into the whole... devil hunter thing?
[If the reaction means anything, he recognizes the word. Maybe the way most people -- religious mumbojumbo that doesn't exist. Same plane as the boogeyman. The way people should be when they're not growing up on a place full of hell gates. The way the world, ideally, should be. Where demons stay where they fuckin' belong instead of clawing their way into the human world every few years.
He sets his water down and crosses his arms over his chest. It's not that he trusts or distrusts Steve in particular; they sort of got off on the wrong foot, and maybe his whole Boy Scout routine is annoying, but you gotta give it to a guy who gives someone like Nero a blunt weapon with an organ attached to it without much fanfare.
It's not any of that. It's that Nero doesn't talk about it with anyone. The only reason Kyrie gets it is because she was raised right next to him in the middle of it... and at one point, she believed. He takes a sharp breath and looks away; probably says enough that he has to put so much effort into controlling his temper. Doesn't feel like the question is meant to poke him, but poke him it does.]
Maybe. Probably. [He's far more sure of it than his answers might sound.] I know that's what they were hoping for. [He cracks his neck, picks up the water, thinks twice, then puts it back down. Maybe Dante won't like him being upfront about this shit, but seriously. What does it matter now?] No. It was the Order of the Sword. A holy order of knights meant to protect the human world from demons. [It rolls off his tongue like he's recited it a thousand times -- because he has.] I was raised hunting them. Just like anyone strong enough was expected to. And believe me, no one was better at it.
[Not to mention he liked it. If he wasn't a knight, he's not sure he would've been anything.]
[ Nero strikes Steve as the kind of person who wears most of his emotions on his sleeve. It means that Steve knows where he stands with him, which he appreciates, but he can also see now that this is something Nero isn't that interested in talking about at length. He could back off, but he also figures that Nero will tell him what he's comfortable with sharing and leave it at that, which is fine.
As Nero explains, it becomes clear why he'd rather not talk about any of this. Steve's water remains untouched on the table in front of him as he devotes all of his attention to hearing him out. As the implication of Nero's words become clear, Steve's expression darkens. Raised in a cult, Nero would have only known what they told him — their doctrine, their beliefs.
But clearly at some point he broke away from the cult and became a "devil hunter," rather than just one of these holy knights. ]
So then, what changed? You got away from this cult at some point, and from then on you were hunting these monsters on your own, right? Or at least, not as part of this Order.
[ He pauses then and shakes his head, one hand lifting to wave Nero off. ]
Not that you have to tell me any of this. I just thought it might be worthwhile to hear what experience you had with cults, after dealing with Josselyn's.
[Guess that's a reasonable thing to think. That he unbrainwashed himself and escaped. The Order isn't like that -- entirely -- but it sort of is, too. At least with the way Sanctus led it. Not that Nero had ever believed much of it, even when he was a kid.
Once you watch demons slaughter your parents -- adoptive or not -- you kind of catch on to how bad the church is at protecting you. And if any god protects those that love them, then Kyrie's parents would've been the last to die. No one was ever more devout.
It's true he doesn't want to talk about it. Even with Nico, he doesn't. But something about Steve's questions tips him to the idea he's not really trying to interrogate him, but. Maybe it's just curiousity. Maybe Nero's just that cool. He doesn't get from Steve that any of this is an act.]
Well, I killed the vicar, and the whole thing sort of crumbled after that. [He shrugs, looking sharply away, like that's all there is to it. A little murder and it solved itself.
Not that Sanctus was human at that point, anyway.] Once they found out he was trying to turn into a demon and take over the fuckin' world... kind of shakes even the staunchest believer. Anyway, after that, there weren't many people with the pedigree to kill demons, and they just love breakin' into the human world.
[ Nero admits to the murder not with a casual tone, exactly, but as if it explains everything. And, well, it kind of does, given that the person leading this so-called holy order had turned out to be a demon himself. A megalomaniacal one.
Steve wishes he could be surprised.
He raises his eyebrows and shakes his head to himself, finally leaning forward to take a drink of water as if it might wash the bad taste from his mouth. ]
So it was rotten all the way up. And those who truly believed in the order were devoting themselves to a leader who was the exact thing they were trying to stop.
[ Yeah, it makes sense it would have all fallen apart after that, and yet there were still demons to be cut down. Steve nods, understanding a bit better now. ]
So as far as you're concerned, these 'old gods' here are no different from the demons and devils you fight back home, right?
[There's still believes, like Kyrie. People who can't deal without the idea that there's a higher power looking out for them -- as if even Sparda would give a shit about them. No offense, gramps, but seems to Nero he didn't even care about his family long enough to stick around to this day.]
Plenty of the cardinals agreed with him. They had a whole ceremony for it. Turning into demons. They'd been testing it for years on people getting possessed. [And really, there's no further explanation needed for why Nero won't ever trust any religious group. There's always going to be people using it for power, because it's the perfect way to take power.]
I don't see why I should. Every time they pop up, they do the exact shit demons do. And I know plenty of demons trying to become gods. [Nero leans over, his arms on his knees, staring Steve down.] Think about it. Have you heard or seen of a single one of these gods coming out of nowhere to save someone? No. Maybe they'll grant their favors. Maybe they'll give you a hint, or a bit of pittance in power. But they never step in. Even when it's the other gods that are fucking it up for everybody. Why is it they can directly come in to kill people, but they never show up to save anyone? What about all the people who drowned in the pit? The gods sure as hell helped keep us in there. But not a single one helped save people.
It's because they're all the same, just different levels of interference with us. You know that saying, a rotten apple ruins the bunch? That's them. They don't save us because they aren't like us. They never will be.
[ Then it wasn't just the leader, but his underlings too. Steve's frown deepens as Nero explains about the ceremony, how they were turning people into demons — he didn't even realize that was possible, but it's not like he's an expert either way. It's no wonder, then, that Nero had been at the end of his rope with what was done to them in that pit. A ritual to physically and mentally change them sounded way too similar to what had to be unpleasant memories.
Whether it's through war and conquest or cult activity, people will always make bids for power, and it doesn't seem to matter what world they're from either.
As Nero gives his argument for why the gods really aren't gods at all, Steve lets him talk, the frustration and anger and betrayal set into every word he speaks. It's not like he's wrong, either, and Steve nods along, letting out a low sigh as he shakes his head back and forth. For someone who was raised religious, Steve's already had his understanding of what a god is challenged plenty of times before he ever got to Abraxas, and it's only continued here. But Nero's relation to them is a lot more personal, he can tell. ]
Yeah... to be honest, most of the gods I've had any sort of interaction with are capricious, to say the least. [ He pauses then, remembering that Nero and Thor had known each other for a short while. ] Did Thor ever tell you that he's the God of Thunder, where he's from? That one threw me for a loop. To be honest, the gods I've met are just like people, only with more power, or control of some element or concept. I think it's a mistake for anyone to revere them, but the people of Solvunn obviously do.
[The mention of Thor startles him. Right. Sometimes he forgets the guy was from that whole -- this whole team of theirs, or whatever, that he had a bunch of people already who liked him. Who knew him. Nero pauses, fist going into his other hand. Thor cut his arm off, but in a fucked up way, he sort of liked him more for it. Because the guy was nuts.]
Yeah. He never stopped telling me, actually. And trying to prove it.
[Maybe if more gods were stupid dickheads like Thor, the pantheon wouldn't be such a fuckin' mess. 'Cause Thor -- if Nero is supposed to believe him -- would've been the only god he's ever heard of that gave a shit about anything. But what was Thor but another person with too much power?]
That's what I mean. If they're not just overpowered people, they're monsters. And maybe, yeah, it's easier to let them keep thinking it. But then they're gonna keep sacrificin' people thinking they're making a difference, too.
[ Steve can't help but smile at Nero's remark about Thor. That doesn't surprise him at all, given how strange it must have been for Thor to arrive here and have no one even recognize his name, let alone his title.
And, on a more melancholy note, for someone like Thor who'd had so much stripped from him already, to lose even his divinity... Well, it's probably better not to dwell on it. ]
I guess my point is, they can run the gamut. Any god who's demanding sacrifice isn't one that people should be listening to, but maybe some of them can be reasoned with. [ It's hard to know when their interactions with the gods have been so limited so far. Steve shrugs; given that he's in the Cities, he has little in the way of a direct line to any of this. ] What's maybe more worrisome than the gods themselves is what lengths people will go in service to them.
[But that's the thing. What is he supposed to do? You can't force someone to stop worshippin' gods. Even Kyrie believed in Sparda... 'cause he was all she knew. And yeah, it is a little fucked up of him to come to this world and start fights with their gods, but seriously? Sparda never ate anyone whose body got transmogrified into a fucked up sheep.
(Probably.)
Maybe Steve is close to having Nero realize he should put a pause on this idea. Or... maybe he should work on killing gods faster. Hard to say.]
Way easier to kill a god then it is to change people's minds. And the way things are going, the one thing I'm afraid of is the people of Solvunn start worshippin' us instead. They're already halfway there.
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Either way, it sounds like it might be a conversation better had "in person," if you have a minute.
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Yeah, why not? Somehow, hanging around with someone else from the pit feels like it'll be less... annoying. Around Himeka and Wanda, it feels like he's still playin' a bit part in some second-rate play.]
I got time. What's your place look like? I'll drive by.
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[ Does that even exist where Nero's from? Steve doesn't know much about his past or where he's from except that he's dealt with cult stuff before. ]
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Don't tell me. You carved out your own little slice of the city? Hope you got roads. It'll make gettin' there a lot easier.
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There are definitely roads, and I'll make sure that traffic is manageable too. It won't be accurate to actual NYC, but no one wants to be stuck in gridlock.
What's your ride? So I know what to look out for.
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[So Steve does have some issues. Guess they can't all be Boy Scouts.]
It's a van. Got a sign on the side that says Devil May Cry. You can't miss it. [Except maybe in traffic. What the hell, man.] Figure I'll find it eventually. I'm on the way.
[At least once he's found a cozy place for his body to go comatose. But at least once he slips in, the van's there, waiting for him, with the phonebooth strapped to the top (maybe he should've mentioned that.) The van roars as it drives, erratic, piloted as it always is by a cloud of cigarette smoked vaguely in the shape of a person, and when the van is rolling through New York's streets, the panther that stalks his every move is half hanging out a window and the neon Devil May Cry sign is flickering on and off on the sides.]
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Got it. See you soon.
[ As soon as an unknown vehicle enters Steve's domain, he's aware of it. He isn't even sure how, but it's like something pings in his mind and he just knows. More weird magic stuff that he tries not to think too hard about, if he's honest.
True to his word, the streets are clear. Nero will drive past a park that feels pretty out of place among all the skyscrapers, and he'll even spot some food carts on the sidewalk. Eventually his path will lead him right to Steve, who's standing on the street corner, hands in his pockets.
He frowns when he realizes it isn't even Nero driving. Huh, that's... a smoke person? All right. He also spots something else inside, something that looks more animal than human, though it's hard to make out much more than that through the window. Still, the Devil May Cry sign is front and center, so there's no denying this is Nero. ]
Hey. Uhh. [ He makes a sweeping gesture with his hand. ] Park anywhere.
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Nero's head pokes out the passenger side window as they drive, sniffing the air for something that smells suspiciously like -- fuck. Hot dogs. But eh stand's in the rearview mirror before he realizes... and maybe it'd be rude to make the guy wait.
The van rolls to a stop, but not before the visage that is Nico lays on the horn to see if she can get a rise out of Steve. Nero curses at her, climbing out of the van to let her park.]
Sorry about that. She's a dick. [He doesn't explain further.] Nice little slice of city life you got.
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The fact that the driver of the van is some kind of shadowy figure is a little more on the strange side. Steve tilts his head as Nero approaches. ]
She? [ He's still going to ask, even if Nero doesn't explain. ] And yeah, thanks. I figured we could head up to my apartment. It'll be a little more comfortable there.
[ Thankfully, there seems to be a hot dog cart on almost every corner, if Nero did want to grab one. ]
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[It's more than he's told anyone, not that Steve knowns. It's like explaining the phone booth, or the panther. It's just shit the Horizon pulled out of his brain, that he either can't get rid of or doesn't want to. They're just surface-level shards of him, things maybe the Horizon or the Singularity or whatever thinks means something. Maybe they do. Maybe they don't.
An apartment, huh? Maybe he lives alone out there, too.] Yeah, gimme a sec.
[There's no way he's not grabbing a hot dog: loaded with onions and relish and mustard, which he's already half-eaten by the time he gets back to Steve. He gives him a thumbs up.] All set.
[He follows Steve up whatever stairs and buildings he's got, listening to the sounds of a pretty bustling city block. The hotdog's good. Fresh. As hot as a real one right off the corner.] So's there anything else you wanna know, or you just want in on how I'm gonna kill some Solvunn gods?
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He huffs out a laugh and nods when Nero makes a beeline for one of the hotdog carts. He could grab one for himself, and maybe he'll conjure one up later. Wanda's training has made him a lot better at just creating things on the fly in here.
As might be expected, the fake building housing Steve's fake apartment is a walk-up. It's been a long time since he actually had an apartment in Brooklyn, so this is kind of wish fulfillment for himself. The interior is mainly reminiscent of his old apartment in DC, but he probably doesn't need to explain all that.
As they reach the right floor, Steve digs into his pocket for a ring of keys. Again, none of this is necessary, but there's something comforting about the routine of it all. He glances back at Nero, whose question effectively brings Steve back to reality. ]
Well, I don't know how much I'd be able to help from the Free Cities, but I am interested to hear more about what you're planning.
[ Here they are, the door to his apartment. He steps up to stick the key in the knob. ]
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It's the smallest things that matter the most sometimes. The things you don't think too much about.]
You don't need to help. [Nero makes himself once the door's open, looking around and peering out the window. It's comfy enough. Overly clean if you ask him. It looks like some elderly dude lives here. Kind of smells old, too.
He crashes into a chair, propping his boot up on his knee.] I know, digging around, plenty of people poked their noses into the gods' business. The pit was being protected by someone's glamour or whatever. Means people can communicate with them. Even come face to face with them, maybe. Now I'm not planning on feedin' my arm to an altar again, but I know Solvunn's gotta know some way to make the things show up. The sooner I find one, the sooner I know for sure that they're just monsters. Same as back home.
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While Nero takes a chair, Steve heads into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water for each of them without even asking. He listens to everything Nero has to say as he fills up the glasses, nodding along as he reappears in the living room to hand one over. ]
Here. If you want something more interesting than that to drink, you're welcome to raid the fridge.
[ With that, he settles onto a couch not far from the chair Nero claimed, turning over all of what he said in his head. ]
Just monsters, huh? So what exactly did you face back home? ... If you don't mind me asking.
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Barring the fact he could make his own on the spot. It's just not his thing.]
I guess the secret's sort of out. But I'd prefer if you still keep it to yourself. [Well, the wings might not scream demon to anyone who isn't from his world, maybe, and specifically in his line of business, but it's enough that it's clear he isn't human. As he's already brought up.] I'm a devil hunter. Devils. Demons. Whatever you wanna call 'em, I blasted 'em. Plenty of them were big enough to seem like gods. Hell, I was raised by people who thought one was a god. I don't see any difference here.
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Is Nero an alien? Some sort of mystical creature? Strange would be much better equipped to hazard a guess.
Steve gulps down some of his water as Nero continues to explain, frowning at the mention of demons and devils. Maybe he should have gone there first. Given that apparently Lucifer himself is here, Steve realizes that he just needs to take these things at face value as best he can, difficult as that might be. ]
... You were raised in a cult, then? Did they take you in because you weren't human? [ Did they want to worship Nero, or did they think he could commune with this not-god that they worshipped? A lot of it sounds far too similar to what they just went through. ] And I assume you realizing what was really going on led into the whole... devil hunter thing?
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He sets his water down and crosses his arms over his chest. It's not that he trusts or distrusts Steve in particular; they sort of got off on the wrong foot, and maybe his whole Boy Scout routine is annoying, but you gotta give it to a guy who gives someone like Nero a blunt weapon with an organ attached to it without much fanfare.
It's not any of that. It's that Nero doesn't talk about it with anyone. The only reason Kyrie gets it is because she was raised right next to him in the middle of it... and at one point, she believed. He takes a sharp breath and looks away; probably says enough that he has to put so much effort into controlling his temper. Doesn't feel like the question is meant to poke him, but poke him it does.]
Maybe. Probably. [He's far more sure of it than his answers might sound.] I know that's what they were hoping for. [He cracks his neck, picks up the water, thinks twice, then puts it back down. Maybe Dante won't like him being upfront about this shit, but seriously. What does it matter now?] No. It was the Order of the Sword. A holy order of knights meant to protect the human world from demons. [It rolls off his tongue like he's recited it a thousand times -- because he has.] I was raised hunting them. Just like anyone strong enough was expected to. And believe me, no one was better at it.
[Not to mention he liked it. If he wasn't a knight, he's not sure he would've been anything.]
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As Nero explains, it becomes clear why he'd rather not talk about any of this. Steve's water remains untouched on the table in front of him as he devotes all of his attention to hearing him out. As the implication of Nero's words become clear, Steve's expression darkens. Raised in a cult, Nero would have only known what they told him — their doctrine, their beliefs.
But clearly at some point he broke away from the cult and became a "devil hunter," rather than just one of these holy knights. ]
So then, what changed? You got away from this cult at some point, and from then on you were hunting these monsters on your own, right? Or at least, not as part of this Order.
[ He pauses then and shakes his head, one hand lifting to wave Nero off. ]
Not that you have to tell me any of this. I just thought it might be worthwhile to hear what experience you had with cults, after dealing with Josselyn's.
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Once you watch demons slaughter your parents -- adoptive or not -- you kind of catch on to how bad the church is at protecting you. And if any god protects those that love them, then Kyrie's parents would've been the last to die. No one was ever more devout.
It's true he doesn't want to talk about it. Even with Nico, he doesn't. But something about Steve's questions tips him to the idea he's not really trying to interrogate him, but. Maybe it's just curiousity. Maybe Nero's just that cool. He doesn't get from Steve that any of this is an act.]
Well, I killed the vicar, and the whole thing sort of crumbled after that. [He shrugs, looking sharply away, like that's all there is to it. A little murder and it solved itself.
Not that Sanctus was human at that point, anyway.] Once they found out he was trying to turn into a demon and take over the fuckin' world... kind of shakes even the staunchest believer. Anyway, after that, there weren't many people with the pedigree to kill demons, and they just love breakin' into the human world.
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Steve wishes he could be surprised.
He raises his eyebrows and shakes his head to himself, finally leaning forward to take a drink of water as if it might wash the bad taste from his mouth. ]
So it was rotten all the way up. And those who truly believed in the order were devoting themselves to a leader who was the exact thing they were trying to stop.
[ Yeah, it makes sense it would have all fallen apart after that, and yet there were still demons to be cut down. Steve nods, understanding a bit better now. ]
So as far as you're concerned, these 'old gods' here are no different from the demons and devils you fight back home, right?
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[There's still believes, like Kyrie. People who can't deal without the idea that there's a higher power looking out for them -- as if even Sparda would give a shit about them. No offense, gramps, but seems to Nero he didn't even care about his family long enough to stick around to this day.]
Plenty of the cardinals agreed with him. They had a whole ceremony for it. Turning into demons. They'd been testing it for years on people getting possessed. [And really, there's no further explanation needed for why Nero won't ever trust any religious group. There's always going to be people using it for power, because it's the perfect way to take power.]
I don't see why I should. Every time they pop up, they do the exact shit demons do. And I know plenty of demons trying to become gods. [Nero leans over, his arms on his knees, staring Steve down.] Think about it. Have you heard or seen of a single one of these gods coming out of nowhere to save someone? No. Maybe they'll grant their favors. Maybe they'll give you a hint, or a bit of pittance in power. But they never step in. Even when it's the other gods that are fucking it up for everybody. Why is it they can directly come in to kill people, but they never show up to save anyone? What about all the people who drowned in the pit? The gods sure as hell helped keep us in there. But not a single one helped save people.
It's because they're all the same, just different levels of interference with us. You know that saying, a rotten apple ruins the bunch? That's them. They don't save us because they aren't like us. They never will be.
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Whether it's through war and conquest or cult activity, people will always make bids for power, and it doesn't seem to matter what world they're from either.
As Nero gives his argument for why the gods really aren't gods at all, Steve lets him talk, the frustration and anger and betrayal set into every word he speaks. It's not like he's wrong, either, and Steve nods along, letting out a low sigh as he shakes his head back and forth. For someone who was raised religious, Steve's already had his understanding of what a god is challenged plenty of times before he ever got to Abraxas, and it's only continued here. But Nero's relation to them is a lot more personal, he can tell. ]
Yeah... to be honest, most of the gods I've had any sort of interaction with are capricious, to say the least. [ He pauses then, remembering that Nero and Thor had known each other for a short while. ] Did Thor ever tell you that he's the God of Thunder, where he's from? That one threw me for a loop. To be honest, the gods I've met are just like people, only with more power, or control of some element or concept. I think it's a mistake for anyone to revere them, but the people of Solvunn obviously do.
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Yeah. He never stopped telling me, actually. And trying to prove it.
[Maybe if more gods were stupid dickheads like Thor, the pantheon wouldn't be such a fuckin' mess. 'Cause Thor -- if Nero is supposed to believe him -- would've been the only god he's ever heard of that gave a shit about anything. But what was Thor but another person with too much power?]
That's what I mean. If they're not just overpowered people, they're monsters. And maybe, yeah, it's easier to let them keep thinking it. But then they're gonna keep sacrificin' people thinking they're making a difference, too.
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And, on a more melancholy note, for someone like Thor who'd had so much stripped from him already, to lose even his divinity... Well, it's probably better not to dwell on it. ]
I guess my point is, they can run the gamut. Any god who's demanding sacrifice isn't one that people should be listening to, but maybe some of them can be reasoned with. [ It's hard to know when their interactions with the gods have been so limited so far. Steve shrugs; given that he's in the Cities, he has little in the way of a direct line to any of this. ] What's maybe more worrisome than the gods themselves is what lengths people will go in service to them.
[ Also true back home. ]
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[But that's the thing. What is he supposed to do? You can't force someone to stop worshippin' gods. Even Kyrie believed in Sparda... 'cause he was all she knew. And yeah, it is a little fucked up of him to come to this world and start fights with their gods, but seriously? Sparda never ate anyone whose body got transmogrified into a fucked up sheep.
(Probably.)
Maybe Steve is close to having Nero realize he should put a pause on this idea. Or... maybe he should work on killing gods faster. Hard to say.]
Way easier to kill a god then it is to change people's minds. And the way things are going, the one thing I'm afraid of is the people of Solvunn start worshippin' us instead. They're already halfway there.