#returninglight

Title: Returning Light

Fandom: Devil May Cry

Writer: FrailGuyV (or Fru)

Central character focus: V

Summary:

The story plays after the happenings of Devil May Cry 5.

Chapter 1

 Fight after fight. Once with the enclosing demons, once with each other, and so on, over and over. Minutes, hours, days... It was all fighting, sometimes a rare bit of a rest, when both stopped for a moment, but then, fight and fight. Fight. Like always. They would never give up by saying they were done, they were both too stubborn, too proud of themselves. A win here, a win there, but no one is satisfied. They continued and went on... Fighting. They didn’t even count the winnings after a time, there was no use in it, it was just flexing on the other anyway. They knew that well, too well, yet still, it went on and on, until...

Chapter 2

Dante opened his eyes and sat up immediately, once it was over. He was expecting another demon, another issue, a half destroyed home, and some dead people. Instead, he could hear only quiet talking that came from his right, so he turned to see what was going on. Kyrie was sitting next to him with a little smile on her face, trying to act as cool as she could. She just gave him his shirt and pants while she was at it, what she’d gone to retrieve before. Dante took it and put them on, but as he did that, he looked towards the others he saw there. He could see Vergil sitting on the ground, dressed, cleaning the bloody cane while looking at something. Someone. He got closer, not even standing up, instead just leaning in and observing the scene more. Nero sat there, eyes wide in silence, just as confused as Dante himself. Vergil looked proud of himself though, which wasn’t surprising to Dante, or even to anyone else who knew Vergil. He put the cane down and looked at his brother with a smile as Dante moved ever closer to see the face of the person laying on the ground even more. Then he stopped quickly in his tracks, staring at Vergil.

“What have you done, Vergil...?” he asked, looking at the person on the ground before them. The person was familiar, too familiar. And he shouldn’t have been there. Dante looked around to everyone else, all equally confused and silent, then back at Vergil.

“Well... It’s a long story, but... I suppose it would be fair to tell you, even if I don’t understand it fully myself just yet. As you see, of course... he is back. He figured out a way while he was out there, and made me more impressed with his... trying.”

“You’re talking about him like he wasn’t just you...” said Dante, angrily.

“Technically speaking, he is. Simply a split facet, you think? But in actuality, he is not. Rather... Not anymore. You see... While he was out, he lost more than the demon part of me lost. Still, he learned and gained things, too; from humans, mostly. One of those things being the... love of life,” he said, in an almost disgusted tone.

Continuing, Vergil gave a soft scoff. “Now, what he lost was some traits I had, and he replaced them with things he seemed to like. Human things. He created something like a new personality, even if we began with similar... Habits. He had started out talking with the term “we”, but he ended up calling himself “I”. So... Coming from this, he was searching for a way to survive, but he knew well he would simply perish if we were not connected again. Heavy-hearted, but not fully giving up, he joined back… As you’ve seen. Thus... I am here. But still, he left his mark, in the book. And I tried his way, which seems to be effective, as you can see.”

Dante looked back at the person on the ground, covered with a blanket. He was a tall man, almost dangerously skinny for his height, with pale skin and white hair like their own. He seemed to be in a deep sleep, but a pleasant one, his breathing even and calm. Dante didn’t know what he should feel, but since Nero and Kyrie were being calm, in this situation, he tried not to think of anything bad. He didn’t want to make a ruckus of their home, after all.

“Where is the demon part...?” he asked, after some thinking in silence.

“In us. Shared. You could say we are each a half human, half demon. Which, if his “research” was right, will change. The longer he is out, the stronger he becomes. The stronger I become, as well, ending up with a full. But there is a catch...”

“Why is there always a catch with you, Vergil...?” Dante sighed loudly.

“Well, not for me. For him, mostly. First: he came out as he went in. The only exception is that he is not dying, but he is weak and will need time. A long, long time. Second: his healing process is not the same as our own. Rather, not yet, anyway, though it may change. So please, don’t stab or shoot him from your anger. For now, he is only human,” Vergil said, chiding, looking at Dante, knowing him well. “Third: I don’t know what kind of powers he has, or will have. Which may be a problem. Fourth: he might not remember everything that happened. I don’t know why that would be the case, but he wrote it down in his book. Probably in the case of the demonic powers he mentioned.”

Vergil looked at the cane, eyes narrowed as he spoke. “Which... was stored in this. He used that so much, it became more than a weapon. Carrying both his power and his will. Just like the Yamato or your swords and the Sparda. Interesting, for me... he surprised me more than I’ve ever thought he would.”

He leaned on the wall with a strange little smile on his face, almost smug. Though, for Vergil, all of his expressions were vaguely haughty and proud.

“Well... He was always a weird guy..,” Nero muttered as he turned to glance down at the man on the floor. “Should we still call him V, or...?”

“He called himself that. If he wants to change it, he probably will,” answered Vergil.

“Where are his.. uhm... Tattoos though? His little demon friends”

“I killed them...” Dante laughed, glancing away.

Vergil looked at him with narrowed eyes.

“What...? They attacked me. It was a nice fight, I enjoyed it, they were good enemies.”

“Nightmares are never destroyed fully. I wish for them to come back if they go...” he quoted from the book again, voice somber. He shook it off, though, grimacing at his brother. “Those were his only friends for a month after the separation. His helpers. His family.”

“He will be devastated to know their fate...” Kyrie said quietly, before she shook her head.

“We can get him a stray cat, a chicken and some dirt or ink or something! And then there you go, friends!” Dante found this too funny, laughing at the idea of the familiars being much more than a deal V made.

Nero shook his head then got up from where he’d been sitting. He picked V up and took him onto the couch, tucking him into the blankets tightly so he wouldn’t get cold. Kyrie stood up too, sighing. “I have naked men in my living-room. Well, at least there’s only one now... To have had three naked strangers, though... That’s a new low. But at least the other two are clothed now..,” she murmured as she walked out to get something to drink.

Nero was watching V as he slept, standing over him with a concerned expression. When Nero had last seen him, he was dying, falling apart, begging him for help. It was strange to see him again. He seemed like a different person. He looked younger now, and even more frail than ever. The boy turned to the twins.

“Why did you do it, Vergil...?”

“It seemed interesting at the time. Nothing more than that. I simply got curious about what he had discovered, and... Well, hmph, at least I did something good. I know you liked him, so,” he stood up, turning away, “I’ll leave him here with you, and I’ll be on my way.”

“No, what? No! First, you made this mess. I mean... He is your part, you take care of it! Er..! Him!” said Nero, flustered and on edge. He was upset.

“Take care of him? Like Vergil had taken care of you? Damn, I’m sorry V, but you are dead already then...”

“Shut up, Dante! ... Listen, Vergil. Father. Don’t leave. We can’t manage… Th-there’s... We need help still, you know?! A-and… and I don’t want you to leave! I’ve been waiting for your return, and you’re both finally back, so... Don’t you guys dare to leave me again! And now, you have V here, who will need your help as well, so... Put your silly fighting and stubbornness aside and try to think a bit about others, not just yourselves!” Nero told the twins, voice stern.

They looked at each other momentarily, then both looked down, back at the ground. Kyrie arrived just in that moment, and to her, the scene looked like the twins were just scolded by their father for doing something wrong. It was really funny, seeing them look so sheepish. She put the cold drinks down then walked beside Nero, a smile on her face.

“He is right. Just try it, okay? For Nero...”

The twins nodded, though the reluctance was obvious. Both took a glass and just walked out, bumping into each other on the way. They ended up outside, just sitting down and talking while they drank the nice, cold drinks Kyrie got for them. Lemonade, it had turned out.

“Well, that went better than I thought it would...” said Kyrie after some moments of silence.

“Yeah.”

Nero turned to V. “We’ll need clothes for him. I’ll search for some, I have some I don’t use and are in good condition."

“I would say the same, but I bet he wouldn’t wear a dress or anything that I do,” replied Kyrie with a playful smile.

Nero imagined V in one of Kyrie’s dresses. Just the thought itself made him laugh, a grin on his just before grumpy face. Kyrie was proud of herself for making that happen. Nero so rarely laughed, it made her so happy to see.                                                                                                                                                                                       ***

Meanwhile, Dante and Vergil were sitting in front of the house, just drinking the lemonade and looking at the night sky. Vergil stood up after some time and just stared at the drink in his hand. Dante looked up.

“You really did it from curiosity and not in the search of our stupid power?” Dante asked, almost quiet, as he looked at the ground.

Vergil glanced at him then back to his hands. “Yeah. Why is it so surprising...?”

Dante chuckled at the answer. “You ripped your son’s arm off, separated yourself into a full on demon and a dyin’ human, murdered half the population of Redgrave. And let’s not talk about the things you’ve done before... That’s why it’s surprising you were ‘just curious’ about it.”

Vergil turned to him, frowning. “I was thinking... We had some time to think, huh?” He sighed and drank the rest of his lemonade. “I know I did terrible things. But seeing Nero’s reaction…,” he smiled a bit, more genuine this time. “He is so different. He is not like us. Well.., he isn’t like me, anyway. Fortunately. That’s why I have decided… I should just get out of his life. Leave, while it won’t hurt him too much. It’s not as if he.. knows me,” Vergil murmured as he looked back at the sky. The stars were not too visible, clouds on the horizon: it seemed a storm was coming.

Dante shook his head. He had time to think too, and he knew Nero was right in a way. He sighed and stood up too, putting his hand on his brother’s shoulder gently, not wanting to get stabbed. Vergil turned to him, just to see Dante having his smug smile on, but now it wasn’t for something bad or silly.

“After ripping off his arm... I didn’t think you could hurt him more,” he laughed, but stopped, a bit somber, “But you can hurt him emotionally, and now, I think that would be worse. For some reason, he wants you... No, us, in his life. Let’s... Help him until he gets bored of us and throws us out himself, huh? You in?”

Vergil smiled and nodded, though it was more like a smirk. “I am in.”

He knew Dante was right, especially after seeing his son’s reactions.

They walked inside not long after, they put their glasses into the sink then ended up in the living-room. Nero and Kyrie was sitting on the other couch, hugging each other, covered by a blanket. Kyrie looked up and smiled again.

“You didn’t run away out there. That’s reassuring.”

Nero looked at them too, moving his gaze. Until then, he had been watching V. He smiled, he was happy, but tried to act just cool.

“Go upstairs and try to sleep a bit, okay? It’s 4 am and you two still look tired.”

The twins looked at each other then back. “We can stay with him. You two can go and... Sleep,” said Dante.

“No, you are the guests here. Please, boys, just rest. We’ll see you in the morning.”

They nodded and after a bit of hesitation, walked upstairs. They laid down and talked for a bit, like normal brothers could do. It was Dante that fell asleep first, leaving Vergil with his thoughts. He was watching him before turning to his other side to get some sleep.

Kyrie and Nero fell asleep quite fast even just in the livingroom like this, hugging each other tightly. On the other couch, there was the boy, V, who was sleeping snugly like a child. From the outside, he might have seemed to be calm, but inside, there was a war. In his body, in his mind, it was fought by unseen forces, but he was winning. His own mind. His own body.  It was a long and tiring fight, not helping his condition, but at the end, it was worth it.                                                                                                                                                                                     ***

Morning came sooner than the pair wanted it to come. Nero and Kyrie woke up not long after eight, but they didn’t try to sleep back. They got ready, had a nice shower, then made some breakfast for the kids and of course, some coffee and tea. When they were ready with that, they just walked back to the living-room and waited for the others to wake up. There was no school for the kids, so they left them to sleep, fortunately they didn’t wake up at the night’s commotion before.

They woke up after 10 am. Dante and Vergil walked down after the kids who seemed to have more energy than the twins themselves. The boys went to the kitchen immediately, looking for Kyrie’s cooking already. Dante followed them, but Vergil went to see how V was doing. Nero was still there in the living room, while Kyrie went to the kitchen after hearing the children’s voices coming from upstairs. It was just the three of them - V, Nero, and Vergil. Nero looked up.

“Good morning,” he said, “You had a good sleep?”

“Yes. I did have a good sleep,” said Vergil as he turned to V.

“He slept peacefully all night, didn’t even move. ... You still want to leave?”

“No. I won’t, though it’s only if you say so.”

Nero was surprised, but he hid it from his face. Or… well, tried. He nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Nero stood up. “Let’s eat some, okay? We made breakfast for everyone.”

He walked out, and Vergil followed. They sat down at the table where the kids and Dante were already eating. No one said a word, just ate. It was awkward, but calm, at least. The breakfast was bacon with eggs, and some toast with whatever they wanted to put on it. While they ate, the kids were staring at Vergil - who noticed it, but said nothing. He knew it was best not to. He was well aware of the things he has done and thought they must know too, and there was nothing to say that would make nice about it.

                                                                                                                                                                                      ***

He opened his eyes, slowly. It took a moment to adjust - the lights were hurting them at the start, but after a second, everything cleared up. He was confused about his whereabouts, and first even about who he was. He looked around - or tried to- slowly, but every movement made his body hurt, every part of him felt like he was dying. He took a deep breath and got his hands out from under the blankets. Something was wrong. They were not his. Not anymore. How he could see them..? He sat up with a loud groan, alarming the others in the kitchen. Nero got up first, running at top speed to the living-room where V was. It was a sight to see, V looking at himself and being confused. He looked up when he heard the movement of another person. He pulled his knees close to his chest, fast, even if that hurt him too. He was scared, confused; he was shaking, pulling away, trying to hide on that couch, especially after the others walked in too. Seeing Vergil gave him may thoughts. He was there too. He did it, but why?

Nero walked closer, slowly, then crouched down next to the couch, trying to be as calming as he could be. He covered the boy with the other blanket which made V turn to him. “Hi there.” said Nero. “You don’t have to be afraid, you are safe here. No one will hurt you, okay?”

V looked at the twins. “No, not even them. I promise. There would be no point, really. Right guys?” he turned to them.

“If you die, you just return to me... Well, for a limited time. If you become strong enough to be your own person, you will become your own. As you wished. But you already knew that,” said Vergil.

V was still confused. “W... Why...?” he asked with a weak tone.

“You worked for it. You fought till the end and got back. I respect that. And I was simply curious, so... Why not? I would not have died from that spell, so to experiment was fine. Now, we’ll see if you deserve that life I gave or not.”

Probably not, V thought. Still, he just nodded and sighed again. He was so tired and weak, all he wanted was some rest.

“You should eat,” said an unfamiliar and small voice from behind everyone. It was Carlos, who arrived with a plate and some food on it. Behind him, there was the other two boys, peeking out curiously. Since he was the eldest of the three, he walked up to V confidently, and put the plate on the couch next to him. “If you would like to, I mean. You just… seem like you would need it.”

Nero and Kyrie smiled, they were really proud of the boys. V thanked them and looked at the plate.

“I’ll get you a tray,” interjected Kyrie, and she walked back to the kitchen. She arrived back shortly, putting the plate on it. “Eat when you’ll feel like eating, okay?”

V was shocked, but in a good way. Surprised. He nodded and sighed again. He laid back and stared at the little group until they heard the door open.

“You won’t believe what I just sa-“ started Nico, but when she walked in and saw what was going on, she stopped. “Did I drink too much last night or that is really the guy who’s...?” she trailed off, and walked closer, eyes wide behind her glasses. “Poetry guy?” she looked at Vergil. “But you’re here! Did you give birth to the guy again?”

“You can say that. Don’t pressure him too much though, you could be too much for him just yet.”

“What do you mean by that?” she wanted to continue, hurt by the idea she’s too much, but Nero stopped her.

“It’s fine Nico, no worries. V is just... he needs some rest and... silence. That’s what Vergil meant.”

“Ah, okay. I see. I see. You better.. Watch yo’self, sword guy!”

Vergil shook his head and walked closer to V. He sat on the other couch and watched him. V just laid there, naked and confused, trying to hide under the covers as much as he could.  He pulled them over his head, with a soft whine. He felt... like a child.

Sometime later he pulled the covers off just to see the only person there is Vergil, still watching him, and Dante, who was looking at his guns like they were the love of his life. Other than pizza, of course, they might really have been. V sat up and sighed, looked around more. Vergil got up and put the plate on his lap.

“Eat. You’ll need it to get strong and regain your power,” he said, curt, then sat down again.

V looked at them - then back - and slowly but surely he started to eat. It was really good, he enjoyed every bite, but… he was starving. He finished off fast, put the plate on the table and looked back at Vergil, who was staring at Dante, who had pointed his twin guns at V “as a joke”. V turned to him too, looking as grumpy as he could. Dante put his guns away with a shrug, the glares of the two men seemed genuine enough to make him do so.

“Fine, fine... geez,” he muttered, and walked out as Nero walked in.

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Of course. Dante is just being a fool as always,” said Vergil. “And V ate. A good start to gain power back.”

Nero nodded, but rolled his eyes. “Sure... Power.”

He turned to V. “I found some clothes for you. They might be huge for you, but… better than nothing for now. Kyrie doesn’t like people naked in her house.” Neither did Nero, but he didn’t want to come off overprotective. He put them on the couch for V. The man almost immediately grabbed a shirt and pulled it on. It was, indeed, huge for him, but he felt more secure having that on than being naked as a new born child. He tried on the jeans too, but he had to realise that’s a no go. He sighed and just sat there, lost. He looked at his hands again, he knew something was missing, something important. The skin of his hands was... “I am sorry about the familiars,” muttered Vergil, making V look up at him. “They fought Dante after we had already reconnected. And... They might not come back because of it.”

V said nothing. He was sad and disappointed, but he said nothing. Nightmares or not, they were important in his short life. He sighed deeply. There was an awkward silence, but it was cut short by Dante who walked in. He looked at the scene.

“What’s this mood?” he laughed. “I thought I should tell you that Nico was gonna take me to my office. Of course, hoping it’s in one piece. Well, she says it is, but…. Who knows. And uhm... Since it has some rooms and we don’t want to bother you with our presence, I thought we could go there. Mr. Poetry,  too.”

V looked up. Until that moment he was really lost in his thoughts. “What? Doesn’t like the idea? Would you like a 5 star hotel, princess?” he asked in a mocking tone, a smug grin on his face.

“Dante...” Vergil was in a protective mood, by his tone, and how he rose to stand.

“Fine, fine... Whatever. So. Wanna come?” “Yes, we are going,” answered Vergil before the other man could respond, as he walked up to V. “He won’t hurt you.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” Nero asked as he watched Vergil helping V stand up. He was so weak, he almost collapsed in Vergil’s arms… the scene was too familiar.

“It’s okay, kid, none of us will disappear. Or die. If yes, well... you’ll know.” Dante laughed.

“Just kidding. All I want is Pizza and rest. And later, we can worry about demons and money.”

Nero nodded and got their weapons, even if he didn’t think it was a good idea to give them back at all. Dante took his own, but the Yamato and the cane were there still. He picked both weapons up in his hands and followed the three to the van. Vergil made V sit down, the boy was already panting from the walk. Nero felt really bad... He was hoping for a speedy recovery. Nero got in, too, after talking with Kyrie, promising he wouldn’t run off killing demons again. Nico got in too and sat behind the wheel. Dante flopped next to V and Vergil, bumping into the boy, who pulled away from him. He shook his head and opened up a newspaper, ignoring them. V just sat there, staring at nothing. Well… not nothing. An empty space - the place where once he and his familiars would sit. Shadow, laying on the floor while Griffon was sitting on Nico’s jukebox. He closed his eyes and tried not to think of it. It didn’t help at all. Nico started the car and they were on the road in seconds. She was smoking, as usual, and talking a lot to Nero. None of the three listened to them, it was just gossip anyway.

                                                                                                                                                                                    ***

When they arrived, a storm had reached the place. There was heavy rain and thunder, so as they got out, they ran inside, well, as fast as they could. Nero helped his father to bring V in, the others just ran. Dante was happy the place was in one piece, and just sat down onto his couch, like someone who’s work for the day was done.

“Ah, I missed this place. Home sweet home.” It was a moment of silence, before he stood up again and walked to the phone. “I’ll order some pizza, and in the meantime, you two can take the princess upstairs. Or whatever you would like to do with it.”

Vergil looked at Dante with anger and disappointment in his eyes. He wanted to say something, but he didn’t, watching silently. V just walked up to the desk, not really caring about the things Dante had just said about him. He was interested in something else... It was a picture that was on Dante’s desk. It was a quick motion as he picked it up with shaking hands, staring down at it; many emotions on his face. Dante’s smirk he had been wearing on his face disappeared, and he snatched the picture from the frail man, looking angry.

“Don’t you dare to touch that again!” he shouted at V.

“I just... It’s mom and...”

Dante smacked his fist on the table loudly, making V flinch. “She is not your mother. She never, ever was!”

“Technically, she was...” warned Vergil, who moved closer.

“I don’t care if he was you before, he’s not anymore. He’s a stranger, so no, there is no relation here!” he looked back at V, his voice almost a growl, “If you touch this again, I’ll rip your arms off myself!”

“Dante...” Nero stepped closer.

“You better shut up now, kid! You understand me, Poetry guy?”

V just stood there, shivering, eyes wide. He felt like almost fainting, but just nodded, silent. He had no other choice, really, did he? Vergil just held onto him, and they walked upstairs. He led him into a room that didn’t have Dante’s filth in it and made V lay down. Vergil listened in on Nero’s and Dante’s conversation, though.

‘“Are you crazy, Dante?!”’ They could hear. “I don’t care what that is upstairs, but it doesn’t belong in the family, got it?! He’s more of a dead weight than you!”

Vergil shook his head and looked at V. “I am sorry…,” said V, softly, but loud enough that only Vergil could hear. “You should just... kill me. One less problem for you all...” he sighed. “He seems to care about you... Why should I stay and ruin it?”

“Dante is a fool. He is not seeing the bigger picture. Never did. He is a good fighter, but not a clever person.”

“Why do you care...?”

“You are me. And you cared about me, too. As well as your own life. Why wouldn’t I?”

“You have a son. You should care about him. He is... more important.”

“Everyone is equally important. … Nero hates me, anyway.”

“No, he doesn’t...”

Vergil raised his eyebrows.

“Why would he be so upset when you wanted to go if he hated you? He likes both of you... even if you are a thorn in his ass…,” V showed a weak smile. “He helped me... even though I lied to him and caused more problems that I wanted. Still... he was there till the end. Nero...” he was panting heavily. He never was one to monologue. “He.. he is a good child.”

V closed his eyes. He just wanted to rest them for a bit, but he fainted, body going limp from exhaustion. Vergil shook his head and tucked him in, staying there, making sure he is okay. He was still listening to the argument downstairs.

                                                                                                                                                                                    ***

Dark and cold was the place around him. Freezing cold stillness. Green eyes popped open suddenly as he was awakened by a light breeze that carried with it the scent of death and dread. He sat up, looking around. There in this place he could see only one thing, only that was illuminating the dark. He crawled towards it, but every movement brought pain, like the ground was glass shards or rose thorns. As he got closer and could see the thing in front of him clearly, he stopped. Now, all he felt was fear. The figure was sitting on a throne, but it stood up as it saw him there. It walked closer, it’s body was huge compared to him, the small and weak man. It stopped near him, leaning closer with a grin on its face. Many eyes. Sharp teeth. Scaly skin. It was Him. He could feel something grabbing him now, wrapping round his body. It was His tentacle like parts, the remnants of the roots, which squeezed him hard, making him cry out in pain. Squeezing his thin body; taking the air away. He wasn’t ready to die. He didn’t want to. As suddenly as it started, the squeeze lightened, and He leaned ever closer: he could feel His breath on his face. “Weak... Human. That’s what you’ve become,” he said with His deep voice. His green eyes looked into his soul. “Puny human. Born to be destroyed.” He smiled. He smiled wildly. The tendrils tightened again. He screamed, and his world was filled with pain.

Vergil was downstairs when he heard V’s scream. All three and even Nico who was smoking outside ran upstairs to see what was going on. It was spine chilling, the scream itself. When they got into the room, they could just see V turning in bed and grabbing at the sheets, still sleeping; his eyes closed tight and sweat on his forehead. He may have stopped screaming, but he was having a hard time breathing... Vergil got closer to observe him, and tried to wake him up. Nero and Dante, however, just stood there, not really knowing what to do. Nico was the second brave person to walk closer. She seemed tough, and was, but in that moment, she showed her lighter side, putting her hand on V’s. Some things are only fit for humans to handle.

“I know nightmares can really suck, man, but you have to wake up,” she said, lightly at first. She stayed true to herself though... “Wake up!” she shouted.

The squeeze was tight and darkness was closing in, but he could hear voices. Familiar ones, that made him stay aware, alert. Voices, that made him not want to give in… And wake up. He sat up immediately as he opened his eyes, panting, gasping for air. His whole body was shaking, he was looking around again and again, making sure He didn’t follow him there. Nero walked closer.

“What happened, V...?” he asked in a worried tone.

V couldn’t even say a word first, he needed some time, but then... He looked up at him.

“U...Urizen...” he said, with a shaking voice. Almost inaudible - but they definitely knew what he said.