A cool breeze ran through the palm trees in Akanji Harbour and the heat floated down the sun's warm rays, the pale blue sea drifting in and out of the bay. There wasn't much to see on Akanji Island, it was once home to an ancient civilisation that has long since died out, now the locals think it is a haunted place that brings bad luck to those who enter. But still a lone fishing boat hung off the edge of the rotten wooden pier, and a boy sat near dipping his feet into the warm ocean below. He watched as brightly coloured fish came towards the surface and danced through the waves, making him laugh as they dived in and out of the water. His head jerked up when a rustling sound could be heard from the island. The green bushes just off shore jerked away from each other as a figure emerged from between the two. The boy knew this figure and smiled while turning back towards the fish that had entertained so well, his father had returned safely.
His father worked along side Shinra and was always going on dangerous journeys to places they were not allowed to travel to in case of ambush. It was a dangerous job but he made his family proud and always took care of himself, this was the first time he'd allowed his son to come with him.
Heavy footsteps thumped up the pier towards the fishing boat and deep voice broke the silence in the wind."Get your feet out of the water, Keto, you know there are sharks around here." He waited patiently by the boat for his son to find his shoes.
"What did you find dad?" Keto got to his feet and ran down the pier to meet his father. He motioned with his eyes for Keto to get the boat first. Keto clambered in and then looked up at his father, his eyes glistening with excitement.
"That's classified business, though incredibly important and the sooner we get off this island the better."Keto saw his father's lips form a slight smile, he was going to tell him on the way back.
A sharp sound whistled through the air towards them both, and his smile wavered as he looked down at his stomach. There was a jagged metal object sticking out of him, bloody stains covering it.
"Dad!" Keto jumped out of the boat and caught his father before he fell head long onto the planks. They stared at each other for seconds before Keto finally pushed past the lump in his throat. "Father."
His eyes rolled back into his head and his body toppled out if his son's arms. His right arm unfolded from the corpse and a piece of parchment fell from his fingertips, rolling off the planks and into the sea.
--
Seven years later... "Order! Order I say!" A hammer was thrown fiercely in the court as a miserable Keto stood in front of the judge, hands tied behind his back. "What is the charge?"
"Dealing with pirates, your honour."The snivelling wretch of a lawyer murmured, beaming at the judge.
The six foot beefy judge scratched the bristles on his cheek before continuing. "The death penalty." He stated, letting his hammer fall once again.
Keto's heart sank as two officers dragged him out of the courtroom, this was it. No, I've come this far! His eyes narrowed as the the doors shut behind him. "Sorry gentlemen." He said, pulling away from the soldiers. He threw up a jeaned leg and caught one between the eyes, he was instantly knocked out. The other raised his sword and held it to Keto's neck. Keto smiled and flicked his hands around. He cut the rope binding his hands and pushed the sword out of the soldiers hands. With a whack on the head from the hilt of the sword, the second soldier was out cold. Keto dropped the sword by the limp bodies and walked out of the state building.
The fresh night air cooled his mind and cleared his thoughts. Where to go next? His shoes scuffed against the walkways of Edge and he closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the city. A cat meowed somewhere nearby and drunk laughter filled his ears. This was a strange and distant land to the village he had once lived in as a boy, but that was in the past and could not be changed.
Something shoved into Keto's shoulder and he immediately attacked, throwing the person into the wall beside him, hands around their neck. Opening his eyes, he blinked. "Oh, Sorry." He muttered, staring into the girls eyes.
She stared for a few seconds before speaking. "...That's okay." She flicked her wrist and grabbed Keto by the arm, now throwing him against wall and locking his arm behind his back. She let him struggle for a moment before letting go and walking away.
Keto watched the girl walk through the street lights and around the corner. Edge sure was a strange place for a foreigner. He clicked his wrist and ran after young women.
"Hey!" He shouted. She didn't respond. "Hey!" This time Keto grabbed the girl's arm and swung her round to face him. He was met with a fist. Keto stumbled backwards and pushed his nose back in place. "Who are you?!"
"Watch it." She said, walking away again.
"Wait! Who are you?" The girl kept walking and Keto knew better than to go after her again. Blood dripped onto his white shirt and wind picked up. He sighed slowly before walking back the way he came.
The streets were empty at the time and Keto could hear soldiers shouting far away, probably to find him. He walked briskly round another corner and pushed open a door to a small bar.
The bar maid looked up from wiping the counter and smiled at him. "Welcome, what can I get you?"
Keto checked his jeans pocket and counted the few coins he had left. "I'll have a beer." He replied, taking a seat on one of the stools.
She nodded politely and turned around to get a glass. The door behind Keto jingled and footsteps followed into the room. "Jeez Teef, what's the world coming to? I just got assaulted by some guy in the street! I kicked ass, of course, but why was he even trying to kill me? All I did was bump into h..." The girl stopped and stared wide eyed at Keto. "You! Y-You stalker!"
Keto turned his stool back around and put his chin in his hands. "I apologise." He muttered.
The bar maid glanced between the two before cautiously putting the drink in front of Keto's elbow. "So you two know each other?"
The young girl huffed before striding round the counter and slamming the door behind her.
Keto sipped his drink and watched as the bar maid worked around him. He finally broke the silence. "Excuse me, but I'm new around here, I don't suppose you could help me?"
"What do you need?"
Keto looked down at his drink. "There's a man who lives in Edge, I need to find him. His name's Vincent Valentine." The bar maid hesitated slightly in what she was doing. "Have you heard of him?"
A chilling voice called out from behind him. "Depends who wants to know." Keto threw himself around to come face to face with the famous assassin he had been looking for for weeks, no, months.
"It's you..." The man looked up at Keto. "It's finally you."
"Who are you?" His black hair flowed out of red cloth wrapped around his head and a long, scarlet, bedraggled cloak touched to the floor behind him. Plates of gold glistened all over his body and three guns smiled inside he many belts.
Keto opened his mouth but shut it quickly as a group of soldier ran past the windows. He looked back at the bar maid. "Sorry about this." He apologised, before jumping with ease over the counter and crouching behind it.
The bar maid stared at him with shock. "What are you-"
Seconds later the door jingled and running men burst into the bar. "Excuse me, have either of you two seen a man in a white shirt and jeans?" One of the officers asked, eyeing Vincent suspiciously.
Tifa looked into the pleading eyes of the man behind the counter. "I'm sorry, I haven't had any customers this evening as you described." The officer nodded at her answer.
"What about you?" He added cautiously.
Vincent hesitated and Keto held his breath behind the counter. "Nothing." He stated.
The officers looked him up and down one last time before disappearing into the night once again.
"So, the guards are after you... Why is that?" Vincent asked, walking to the other side of the room.
Keto jumped out of his hiding place and looked nervously at the windows. "I escaped from the courtroom."
"Why were you there?" A girl ran into the room from behind the counter but immediately back away with a sharp look from the group.
"I was getting the death penalty." The bar maid gasped and laid a worried hand on Keto's shoulder.
"Why was that?"
Keto was getting slightly unnerved by the questions but knew he had to answer them if Vincent were to trust him. "Piracy."
Vincent chuckled darkly. "They would never give you the death penalty for something as small as that. You must have done something they don't want anyone to know about, am I right?"
Keto closed his eyes. "I don't know. Will you please just help me?"
Vincent shuffled in his place. "Fine."
Keto nodded and sat back down in his seat.
"What do you need?"
I need you to kill someone. They killed my father and have hunted me down for years for reasons not known to myself."
Vincent's eyes pierced into him. "Who?"
"...Rufus Shinra."