Boss from another world

"Yes I'm fine Lance what are you doing here?" Dante asked face first on the soft red carpet.

"Came to see how you were doing not great it seems" Lance replied as he watched Dante slowly pick him self up and sway like a bit of long grass in the breeze.

"Good enough for me" Dante mumbled back as he plodded forwards.

"So what are your plans for today?" Lance questioned sighing at Dante's stubbornness as he caught up to the struggling Dante.

Dante stopped to catch his breath "getting in contact with John then telling him to meet me at Hells paradise with Lewis as well."

"Very well" Lance said as he picked Dante up and started walking back down the stairs with a struggling Dante in his arms.

"Put me down I'm not a princess!" Dante protested as tried to get out of Lance's grasp.

"If I put you down I'll be a hundred by the time you get to the car if you could even make there to begin with so stay still and shut up" Lance retorted as he walked out the front door a now quiet but fuming Dante.

"Great now we look like a newly wedded couple" Dante lamented as he was placed into the car.

"I'll fetch the divorce papers whilst I talk to John yeah?" Lance rolled his eyes as he went back into the house.

"What is it with people these days" Dante sighed as he tilted his head back against the seat. Listening to the sound of birds calling in the distance he began thinking about all the things that had happened to him in this new life. "Many people want me dead." He thought as he stared out of the window at the bleak grey covered sky. "I also can barely trust my new 'family'" Dante didn't feel any real attachment to this life family it felt superficial an illusion to deceive him and conceal the daggers pointed at his back. Thinking back on it the main problem was his past life emotional baggage and issues brought from the dead only to be deepened by current events.

Dante closed his eyes as past ghosts reared their ugly heads. In his past life after college he went to find employment after months of looking and interviews he finally got one a respectable and humble job as a supermarket employee. After being a veteran of a school life made up of fist fights and insults his once frozen heart began to thaw as he made friends and live a life but all that changed from being raised into heaven he was dropped back into the pits of hell.

Later on the real criminal was found and he got released but the black mark was still against his name people distance themselves from him. He got fired and no one else wanted him. all because of a misunderstanding islolated he lived alone to then die alone.

"Betrayal, betrayal always tastes the same no matter who or where you are." Dante grimly chuckled as he returned to the present.

John watched as a black car pulled up by the pavement as a man and an unsteady child walked towards him. "Been on the drink?" He joked as he gestured to Dante who looked like he was about to fall over.

"No just tired" Lance replied as he walked into the building with neon lights above it with John following and Dante trailing in afterwards as the door closed behind Dante a Lewis walked into the reception area. "Good morning gentlemen what can I do for you" He asked politely as he turned his gaze to Dante.

"I gathered you all here to discuss business." Dante stated as he looked at each of the men gathered under his mask which Lance had handed to him in the car.

"What kind of business?" John asked with curiosity.

"The kind where I'm not here." Dante said looking at John he continued "I need you to start running things in my place things have gotten a little out of hand on my side and I may need to go underground for a while. you will run things till I get back Lance will give you the information on the product run and Lewis here will turn the ill gotten gains into legal profits."

"Why will you need to go underground?" John cut in.

"I may need to disappear for a while because there have been multiple attempts on my life and the last thing I need is for you and those with you involved."

"Fucking hell he it rains it pours with you doesn't it." John sighed.

"You alright with this Lewis?" Dante said.

"I'm happy" Lewis replied.

"Ok good" Dante turned and started to leave as he left he said to John "remember don't draw attention to yourselves until I get back." Lance and Dante left as John and Lewis looked awkwardly at one another.

"Need a drink" Lewis offered.

"Think I bloody might" John agreed as they headed towards the bar.

"Why might you need to disappear?" Lance asked as they got into the car.

"That is because no one can keep me safe here." Dante answered as he took his mask off and put it on his lap.

"But your da-"

Dante interrupted what Lance was going to say "no he cannot it's him or someone else who is leaking my whereabouts to other people I can't-"

"Dante look at me"

"Hmm" Dante said as he turned to look at Lance before a slap resounded through out the car with Dante clutching his left cheek in pain "the fuck was that for?" He said in shock.

Lance leaned forwards until his face was centimeters away from Dante's "Ferdinand Martello would never sell out one of his own" he said with a growl as his eyes kept in contact with Dante's.

Dante turned back staring off into the distance "how can I be sure of this when you all move around in the shadows all cloak and dagger like?"

Lance sighed as he started up the car "Let's talk later"

Silence descended as they pulled out onto the road. Dante stared out of the window thinking about everything and nothing until he heard a pop and green smoke blurred his vision.

Dante spluttered as inhaled the green haze his body couldn't move his eyelids drooped as he saw shadow like ghosts outside the window. "This isn't a coincidence" Dante muttered as the world darkened.