[Limbus Company] Trickery (Faust, Dante)

If there was one thing that Faust knew, it was how to get under Dante’s skin.

She was the first member recruited to Limbus Company, and therefore she had had the longest time to get to know the man. He was a curious fellow who liked to know how things and people worked, to the point of accommodating their quirks so they could work to their maximum efficiency. It was better than the original manager that was lined up for the company, so she wouldn’t complain even if his methods were much different than her own. Regardless, it was an aspect of the Distortion that he could use against him.

When Dante turned the corner and into the alleyway, he expected to find Faust there, as he had been chasing her for what felt like miles. Instead, he found an automated turret that opened fire on him as soon as he stepped into its periphery. Almost looking irritated, Dante reached above his head and threw a fireball like he was pitching a baseball, melting all of the bullets and cauterizing the barrel so that nothing could escape it. After giving a cursory look around for Faust, he meandered his way to the turret and began to fiddle with it, looking at the mechanism that fed ammo into the main chassis.

He was predictable at the end of the day.

When Faust fired three gunshots into his side, he was completely unprepared for it. The man throws himself back with a hiss as blood squirts from the bullet holes, and Faust steps forward with her sword high above her head. She brings it down on the flailing man, and only misses him because he bats it aside with his boot as he hits the ground. Faust grits her teeth and tries to stab down at him, only to be halted when he fully allows the blade to go through his hand and springs up at her with a fist to the jaw.

“Nice trick, Faust.” He compliments her as he tears his hand off of the blade, costing him three fingers in the process. “That stings.”

“You expected this. Yield.” She raises the revolver in her hand and fires three more shots into his stomach, causing him to drop to one knee. Two of the bullets clatter out of the wound and onto the ground, and after a few moments, he extends a hand to her.

Ah, so he’s finally submitted. She allows a haughty smile to come to her face as she reaches down to grasp his gloved hand, only to be shocked when he springs up and catches her in the stomach with his shoulder, spiking her down to the ground. With no wasted motions, he rips the pistol from her hand and smacks her across the jaw with it, using his knee to keep the other arm pinned. She feels hot rage come to her now aching face, and she immediately looks away from the man with a flush coming to her face.

“I never said I surrendered, Faust. You have a one track mind, don’t you?” He’s teasing her. She wished she could grab his sword and run him through with it, but alas, she has been thoroughly bested. “I will consider this a win so I don’t continue bleeding out all over you.”

“...whatever.” Her pale eyes are firmly locked on the building next to her, and to the woman’s surprise, Dante begins laughing.

“I didn’t think you were capable of saying that.” He mimes wiping a tear from his eye. “You’ve changed from when I first met you.”

“And you haven’t changed a bit. Get off of me.”

“As you wish, ma’am.”