NOTE 06/04: Just a minor re-edit of this story, correcting a few typos and
word errors.
~ SECRET OPERATIONS COUNTER-TERRORISM BASE 0EE-98 ~
The commander sat as his desk, eagerly awaiting the officer who to bring news of last night. This had been their most significant attempt to raid one of the Syndicate's compounds in recent times – an attack on a moderately unguarded weapons research facility they thought was perfectly secret. A raid would ensure them a wealth of information as to what sort of operations the organization was currently conducting, and if it yielded good results, it would be the perfect opportunity to make significant progress in planning their retaliation activities.
"So, you've come to report on the results of the raid on the research compound. Please give me a summary of everything that occurred."
Gracia smiled. "The results were excellent, sir. Almost everything went smoothly. This mission was a complete success."
The commander laughed gleefully. "Ahaha! Excellent! Those bastards had it coming for so long, we've finally hit them somewhere where it hurts, even if it is someplace small… It's so very satisfying."
He nodded. "Indeed, it is."
"Can you give more detail?"
"Well, we took them completely by surprise. Although the compound had been adequately secured, it proved only mildly difficult to break into, and there was no human defense present at all at the time... you have Rogers to thank for that. From there we were able to break in and examine what was there.
"Several documents and specimens of various chemicals and machinery were procured in the raid. We have passed those along to the lab for analysis. We also managed to destroy a good portion of whatever sort of weaponry they may have been working upon when the explosives we set as we left detonated later."
"Superb! This is wonderful news, indeed." The commander grinned gleefully and clapped his hands together. "Your team will get special recognition for this!"
Gracia smiled, happy that his superior was pleased with the work he had done. "There was one major surprise, however. They had been keeping a hostage there."
The commander's eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Oh?"
Gracia nodded. "Yes. A female child." He paused a second. "A very, very young female child."
"Young? Like… how young?"
"Hard to say," he shrugged. "But… it's obvious she hasn't even reached her teens yet. Perhaps not even close."
The commander's eyes widened with surprise. "Are you serious?"
Gracia nodded again.
"Jesus Christ!" the superior said in whispered amazement. "What the hell could they possibly want with someone of that age?"
"I have no idea," Gracia replied, shaking his head. "It's saddening to even begin to think about it. Especially considering what happened with her there."
"Hmmm?" The commander leaned forward, looking at Gracia intently. "Can you tell me more about it?"
"Well, we found her locked away in a separate room of the compound. As we attempted to evacuate her from the premises, she began to react extremely violently and resist. Quite frankly, the power she posed, given her age and size, was shocking. If one of the rookies were up alone against her… he would have had considerable difficulty keeping her under control. Thankfully, Lewis thought quickly and tranquilized her."
"Tranquilized?"
"Yeah, he used one of the darts we had brought in case there was a biological threat."
"Ah, that's good to hear. No trouble, then?"
"None."
"That's a relief. So, what happened to her?"
"We couldn't possibly just leave her, of course. God alone knows what she was doing there. So… we brought her back with us. Maybe we might be able to learn something from her."
"Really? Hmmm." The commander stared off thoughtfully. "I'd like to see this girl sometime, then. Is she hurt?"
"Well, we took special care to avoid doing any sort of harm to her, even when provoked by attack. Upon getting back here, we had the physician look her over. It's too early to know anything without a thorough exam, but she seems perfectly fine... hasn't shown any noticeable physical harm from her stay in her compound or the rescue effort. She's still unconscious, and probably will be for a few more hours, at least, just because Lewis used a pretty strong one on her. She's asleep in one of the treatment rooms."
"Wait… so is she being watched? What if she wakes up?"
"Lewis volunteered to watch the room she's in, so don't worry about it. Once she wakes up we'll see what we need to do with her next. Until then, let's go over a few of the things we dug up at that hellhole…"
…
It was him who had placed her under her current spell of complacency… so he felt it was his obligation to watch over her. But deep down, he knew the real reason why he had so eagerly demanded to observe her… from the moment he had first laid his eyes upon her, he had become entangled within her intrigue. Since they had left, he had only thought about one thing… the only thing upon his mind, the single thing he desired most, was to see her again.
Anticipation began to well up within Lewis as he walked down the corridor. This was what he wanted, yes, but he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Even he couldn't really understand his emotions. She was indeed a hostage of some sort, and they had rescued her, yes, but why would he feel so unusually about her then? There was something else about her that had captured his attention, and yet, he could not pinpoint exactly what it was…
He stopped next to the door, took out a set of keys, and unlocked it. Opening the door quietly, he walked slowly into the room, closing and locking the entrance behind him.
She lay unconscious upon the small, soft cot, eyes closed, breathing gently. A small medical robe and a thin blanket covered her resting body.
Lewis approached her bedside slowly, looking more carefully at the youth, his heart pounding within him as the sight of her once again filled his vision. The girl couldn't have been older than ten years old, tops, he thought... At a glance, it was impossible to guess what her national origin could have been. Her skin was a smooth, natural tan color. The most immediately striking feature of the child, however, was her shining silver hair… her long, flowing locks, her eyebrows, even her eyelashes were a distinct gray-white color. Something like that couldn't possibly be natural, he thought, as he stared at her peacefully sleeping face. Maybe it was the result of some sort of experiment the Syndicate had exposed her to? A chemical or drug, perhaps?
At this thought Lewis shuddered. That the organization would expose a girl of this age to such things… he didn't want to think of what else may have happened to her during her time in captivity. Staring at the girl's serene, resting face, a wave of pity for the child overcame him, and he drew himself closer.
He bent down a little and touched her cheek softly with his fingers. She didn't stir any as their flesh contacted. Lewis held his hand there for a brief moment, feeling the unusually cold touch of her skin against his. He slowly ran his fingers along her cheekbone, then traced the outline of her pale rose lips, down her chin to the nape of her neck. She really did seem so very precious and delicate, in such a state… beautiful, in her own youthful way.
Lewis drew his hand back, staring at the face that had so enchanted him. He thought back to the time when they had found her last night…
The intelligence they had received had been correct. The security that night was weak, making for an ideal infiltration scenario. Breaking into the secret J6 military research compound had been surprisingly easy with the aid of Rogers, the team's security expert. In a short time, the team of five had already confiscated a group of papers and computer equipment containing data that would prove useful to their needs. However, it was up to them to leave no stone unturned before wiping out the place entirely. It was infinitely better to taken important items back with them for analysis, rather than to destroy them.
Gracia smashed the heavy lock on the door, and they ran into the room, searchlights ablaze. It was there that Lewis first saw the mysterious youth, as she lay on a bed within the cold, dark chamber – the image that had remained ingrained within his psyche. The light shimmered and reflected brightly upon her flowing silver mane, enlightening the figure of her sleeping body. As the lights began to shine upon her face, she was immediately roused from her slumber in a most violent way. Her face first showed the signs of sleepiness for but a brief second, then, within the blink of an eye, metamorphosed into an expression of pure panic. She did not know who these armed men were that had come into her chamber and put their lights upon her…the only option was to react to the intrusion in the only way she knew how.
She swiftly tumbled out of the bed and landed on the floor in front of them in a feline fashion. Immediately she assumed a fighting stance. The men were shocked by this speedy reaction, but had little time to take it in, as she began to lunge at them with a series of striking leg blows. Lewis swiftly blocked one of her strikes, amazed by the ferocity of the energy this little thing was directing towards him. The fact that there were several of them, who were much older and larger than she, didn't seem to deter her – it was like it was something instinctive to her, almost like a trained animal.
One of Lewis' comrades had foolishly tried to approach her without preparing to guard against her blows, and was taken by surprise by the strength and ferocity of her attack, receiving a swift elbow blow to his stomach. He staggered back a little, his breath knocked out of his lungs. Gracia attempted to grab and hold her, but her small, lithe body slipped easily through his grasp with some struggling. Though the others tried to reach and restrain her, she continued to attack those who approached. Her strikes were not at all dangerous, but they were fast and certainly strong enough to be troublesome, effective in keeping her rescuers on their toes.
Some commands were exchanged back and forth between team members during this time, but in the tension and chaos of this moment, everybody was too busy trying to determine how to react than listen and remember orders. Yet they all knew one thing intrinsically which was not spoken: under no circumstance could they cause this girl harm…
As Lewis dodged her strikes, a disturbing thought arose in his mind: What if they couldn't save her? A rush of adrenaline impulsively soared through his veins, appalled that he would even think of such a thing. No… they had to get her out of there. There was no way in hell he was going to leave her here.
Thinking quickly, Lewis took a small tranquilizer shot from his jacket. He signaled Rogers to try and hold her back. As Rogers grabbed and held the left arm she attempted to strike him with, Lewis ran to her right side and swiftly poked the point against the side of the girl's upper arm. Her eyes opened wide in shock, and she yelled loudly upon the impact of the sharp, sudden pain, then almost immediately fell unconscious to the floor. Rogers quickly hoisted up her small body and cradled it in his arms.
There was nothing left they needed to get done – the mission was complete.
Rogers, Lewis, and Gracia retreated outside with their raided items in tow as Orwald and Jennety prepared to set the explosives that would destroy the complex within an hour.
A helicopter and several vehicles waited outside to return them to their current base of operation. Rogers boarded the chopper carrying his precious cargo. Lewis watched for a moment as he laid her in the back and strapped a few medical devices on her body. He couldn't stay for long, though –the explosives were now set. They had to get out of there, and fast. Gracia sped by to catch his attention, and then signaled him to get into the vehicle. Reluctantly, he got in, looking back at the helicopter beginning to lift off as they sped away from the scene. As they drove into the wilderness, Lewis's thoughts were possessed by the memory of the child with the silver hair. The look on her face when he had pricked her stood out so clearly in his mind… A dread overcame him with the remembrance of her lifeless body falling to the ground. He prayed to dear God that he hadn't thought too fast and reacted incorrectly... After all, this tranquilizer was designed for animals, not for small children. Would she be OK…?
He had nothing to worry about, it seemed. The dose was only enough to make her unconscious for an extended period of time. When the physician had told him this, a huge weight fell off his mind. If he hurt a child such as this, he would never, ever forgive himself…
He was distracted from his thoughts by sounds of movement within the otherwise silent room. Looking towards the bed where the girl lay, he could see her legs shifting a little. She was starting to awaken.
Lewis watched as her eyes began to open slowly, until he could fully see the hazel-tinted irises that lay underneath. It was obvious the drug's effect hadn't completely worn off yet, as she did not react immediately upon her awakening. Even her breathing did not quicken any. Lewis backed off a little bit, unsure of when her full consciousness might be restored.
After a few moments, her eyes began to move around, taking in her surroundings. Then, she slowly lifted her neck up, gradually coming to the realization that she was in an unfamiliar environment. Her nervousness became apparent as her breaths quickened and her skin began to glisten with sweat. Her youthful eyes widened as she turned her face towards Lewis, staring back at her with an intent glance. He slowly approached her, arm extended, attempting to appear as calm and non-threatening as possible to the precious little creature. "Please don't worry," he whispered. "I… I don't want to hurt you."
As he neared her, the girl leapt off her bed and let out a piercing, terrified shriek. She scrambled along the floor and backed up against the room's cold, solid wall, tears beginning to stream from her eyes. Lewis continued to move ever more slowly and cautiously towards the child. Her understood that she was extremely fearful, as anyone taken out of a place they had known for most of their life would probably be in the given situation. Yet as he approached, her eyes narrowed in a threatening stare, and she yelled something out to him in a language that he did not recognize.
She shifted her position quickly, craning her arms out in front of her, held at about the same level as her head. One leg stood up straight against the ground, and the other was bent slightly at the knee, the tips of her toes almost touching the ground. He had seen her do this before, but now, Lewis recognized her stance as that of Muay Thai, which one of his comrades had training in. Seeing her react in this fashion, questions began to flow through his mind. How on earth could a young girl like this have learned such technique? Were they training her in martial arts? …But for what purpose? She was too young to be able to do any serious damage…
He had little time to think, however, as she immediately tried to attack him with an upwards striking blow.
As her strike flew towards Lewis, he instinctively grabbed the girl's wrist in mid-attack and held onto it tightly. His tiny assailant was taken by complete surprise at this reversal. She let out an audible cry of shock, and immediately began to try and struggle out of his grasp. Yet it was impossible, as Lewis had the obvious advantage over her youthful stature, and his strong, trained grip remained firm. Her eyes widened in fright as she realized the futility of her struggle. She screamed in a panic, terrified tears flowing freely down her cheeks.
Looking at the girl's fear-stricken face and listening to her cries of agony, Lewis realized that somehow, he had to communicate that he had no intent to hurt her. But… she obviously didn't speak his language… and she seemed willing to attack anything she viewed as being threatening. The way she fought and attacked him and his squad upon her sensing of their unfamiliarity, and her willingness to struggle against someone with an obvious advantage over her seemed so unusual, almost as if she had been training specifically to act in that fashion. What could he possibly do?
Then it came to him. Perhaps, it was best to act upon the emotions he had first felt when he was watching her earlier…
Lewis knelt down and pulled her in towards his body, wrapping his free arm around her. With her small, slender figure secured in his hold, he released her wrist, then laid his hand against the back of her head, pressing it gently against his body. He could feel her still struggling and screaming hysterically. Slowly, tenderly, he began to stroke her, running his hand through the silver strands of her hair. Her motions began to ease as his hand brushed against her, sending a strange sensation through her body. Lewis continued to rub softly down her back and neck, urging her to relax, conveying to her through his motions that he harbored no intent to cause her harm. Gradually, her struggling ceased and her breathing slowed, but her body still remained in a state of shock, trembling violently. He tightened his embrace slightly, holding her close against him, wanting to extend every measure of comfort he possibly could.
The girl's face pressed into the fabric of Lewis's uniform, soaking up the tears and sweat that were flowing. The feel of his strong, warm body was deeply comforting... even though she hadn't been held like this before, she instinctively knew that she was safe within his grasp. As her head lay against his chest, she could hear something… a deep, rhythmic throbbing. She closed her eyes and listened intently… Somehow, this seemed familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time, something out of the past, something buried deep inside her consciousness that she couldn't quite remember. Yet, it was strangely soothing. Her trembling began to soften.
A strong, affectionate warmth overcame Lewis as he held her body against his, flowing throughout him as he gently caressed the back of her body. She was gradually learning to understand his show of affection. Questions again began to shoot through his mind. Just how long had they been keeping her? Why had they trained her fighting patterns? And had she really been as secluded as he suspected for most of her young life? Whatever damage has been done to her… must be reversed by all means. As he thought of everything that had just happened, the warm sensation completely and utterly overwhelmed him. He couldn't hold himself back anymore, and tears began to stream freely down his face.
As she stood against him with her eyes closed, taking in the emotions surrounding her, a small, warm ebb began to flow within her as well…
~ NOTES ~
My very first piece of writing based on VF4, and my favorite character. Seeing how rare VF fanfic is, I hope fellow Virtua fans will appreciate this.
I'm taking a lot of the backstory basis for this from the official AM2 PS2 version VF4 website and the Japanese VF4 Red Book, and expanding a little upon what is known. The story given for several characters in the English version of VF4 seems rather lacking compared to the Japanese originals. Vanessa's story in particular was a little bit more detailed in regards to her past with Lewis. Initially after her rescue, it says, she was very cold and reclusive initially. But, through her teen years she began to open her heart through the warm loving care of her adopted father, before his murder at the hands of J6 as she became an adult caused her to again close herself off. I wanted to elaborate on the depth of Lewis's affection for his daughter, and why he would feel close enough to commit himself to her in such a way. I also wanted to theorize about Vane's distinct hair color and her abnormal physical strength. (She weighs the same as Sarah but has much more developed muscle… how?)
Though this story can be read as a stand-alone, I eventually want to do a series of stories set around the time of VF4 detailing Vanessa's involvement with the Bryant family, her role as Sarah's protector, and eventually leading into Jacky x Vanessa coupling material. I think this theorizing on major aspects of Vane's past would be a suitable lead-in to the eventual romance I want to write about.
~ SECRET OPERATIONS COUNTER-TERRORISM BASE 0EE-98 ~
The commander sat as his desk, eagerly awaiting the officer who to bring news of last night. This had been their most significant attempt to raid one of the Syndicate's compounds in recent times – an attack on a moderately unguarded weapons research facility they thought was perfectly secret. A raid would ensure them a wealth of information as to what sort of operations the organization was currently conducting, and if it yielded good results, it would be the perfect opportunity to make significant progress in planning their retaliation activities.
"So, you've come to report on the results of the raid on the research compound. Please give me a summary of everything that occurred."
Gracia smiled. "The results were excellent, sir. Almost everything went smoothly. This mission was a complete success."
The commander laughed gleefully. "Ahaha! Excellent! Those bastards had it coming for so long, we've finally hit them somewhere where it hurts, even if it is someplace small… It's so very satisfying."
He nodded. "Indeed, it is."
"Can you give more detail?"
"Well, we took them completely by surprise. Although the compound had been adequately secured, it proved only mildly difficult to break into, and there was no human defense present at all at the time... you have Rogers to thank for that. From there we were able to break in and examine what was there.
"Several documents and specimens of various chemicals and machinery were procured in the raid. We have passed those along to the lab for analysis. We also managed to destroy a good portion of whatever sort of weaponry they may have been working upon when the explosives we set as we left detonated later."
"Superb! This is wonderful news, indeed." The commander grinned gleefully and clapped his hands together. "Your team will get special recognition for this!"
Gracia smiled, happy that his superior was pleased with the work he had done. "There was one major surprise, however. They had been keeping a hostage there."
The commander's eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Oh?"
Gracia nodded. "Yes. A female child." He paused a second. "A very, very young female child."
"Young? Like… how young?"
"Hard to say," he shrugged. "But… it's obvious she hasn't even reached her teens yet. Perhaps not even close."
The commander's eyes widened with surprise. "Are you serious?"
Gracia nodded again.
"Jesus Christ!" the superior said in whispered amazement. "What the hell could they possibly want with someone of that age?"
"I have no idea," Gracia replied, shaking his head. "It's saddening to even begin to think about it. Especially considering what happened with her there."
"Hmmm?" The commander leaned forward, looking at Gracia intently. "Can you tell me more about it?"
"Well, we found her locked away in a separate room of the compound. As we attempted to evacuate her from the premises, she began to react extremely violently and resist. Quite frankly, the power she posed, given her age and size, was shocking. If one of the rookies were up alone against her… he would have had considerable difficulty keeping her under control. Thankfully, Lewis thought quickly and tranquilized her."
"Tranquilized?"
"Yeah, he used one of the darts we had brought in case there was a biological threat."
"Ah, that's good to hear. No trouble, then?"
"None."
"That's a relief. So, what happened to her?"
"We couldn't possibly just leave her, of course. God alone knows what she was doing there. So… we brought her back with us. Maybe we might be able to learn something from her."
"Really? Hmmm." The commander stared off thoughtfully. "I'd like to see this girl sometime, then. Is she hurt?"
"Well, we took special care to avoid doing any sort of harm to her, even when provoked by attack. Upon getting back here, we had the physician look her over. It's too early to know anything without a thorough exam, but she seems perfectly fine... hasn't shown any noticeable physical harm from her stay in her compound or the rescue effort. She's still unconscious, and probably will be for a few more hours, at least, just because Lewis used a pretty strong one on her. She's asleep in one of the treatment rooms."
"Wait… so is she being watched? What if she wakes up?"
"Lewis volunteered to watch the room she's in, so don't worry about it. Once she wakes up we'll see what we need to do with her next. Until then, let's go over a few of the things we dug up at that hellhole…"
…
It was him who had placed her under her current spell of complacency… so he felt it was his obligation to watch over her. But deep down, he knew the real reason why he had so eagerly demanded to observe her… from the moment he had first laid his eyes upon her, he had become entangled within her intrigue. Since they had left, he had only thought about one thing… the only thing upon his mind, the single thing he desired most, was to see her again.
Anticipation began to well up within Lewis as he walked down the corridor. This was what he wanted, yes, but he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Even he couldn't really understand his emotions. She was indeed a hostage of some sort, and they had rescued her, yes, but why would he feel so unusually about her then? There was something else about her that had captured his attention, and yet, he could not pinpoint exactly what it was…
He stopped next to the door, took out a set of keys, and unlocked it. Opening the door quietly, he walked slowly into the room, closing and locking the entrance behind him.
She lay unconscious upon the small, soft cot, eyes closed, breathing gently. A small medical robe and a thin blanket covered her resting body.
Lewis approached her bedside slowly, looking more carefully at the youth, his heart pounding within him as the sight of her once again filled his vision. The girl couldn't have been older than ten years old, tops, he thought... At a glance, it was impossible to guess what her national origin could have been. Her skin was a smooth, natural tan color. The most immediately striking feature of the child, however, was her shining silver hair… her long, flowing locks, her eyebrows, even her eyelashes were a distinct gray-white color. Something like that couldn't possibly be natural, he thought, as he stared at her peacefully sleeping face. Maybe it was the result of some sort of experiment the Syndicate had exposed her to? A chemical or drug, perhaps?
At this thought Lewis shuddered. That the organization would expose a girl of this age to such things… he didn't want to think of what else may have happened to her during her time in captivity. Staring at the girl's serene, resting face, a wave of pity for the child overcame him, and he drew himself closer.
He bent down a little and touched her cheek softly with his fingers. She didn't stir any as their flesh contacted. Lewis held his hand there for a brief moment, feeling the unusually cold touch of her skin against his. He slowly ran his fingers along her cheekbone, then traced the outline of her pale rose lips, down her chin to the nape of her neck. She really did seem so very precious and delicate, in such a state… beautiful, in her own youthful way.
Lewis drew his hand back, staring at the face that had so enchanted him. He thought back to the time when they had found her last night…
The intelligence they had received had been correct. The security that night was weak, making for an ideal infiltration scenario. Breaking into the secret J6 military research compound had been surprisingly easy with the aid of Rogers, the team's security expert. In a short time, the team of five had already confiscated a group of papers and computer equipment containing data that would prove useful to their needs. However, it was up to them to leave no stone unturned before wiping out the place entirely. It was infinitely better to taken important items back with them for analysis, rather than to destroy them.
Gracia smashed the heavy lock on the door, and they ran into the room, searchlights ablaze. It was there that Lewis first saw the mysterious youth, as she lay on a bed within the cold, dark chamber – the image that had remained ingrained within his psyche. The light shimmered and reflected brightly upon her flowing silver mane, enlightening the figure of her sleeping body. As the lights began to shine upon her face, she was immediately roused from her slumber in a most violent way. Her face first showed the signs of sleepiness for but a brief second, then, within the blink of an eye, metamorphosed into an expression of pure panic. She did not know who these armed men were that had come into her chamber and put their lights upon her…the only option was to react to the intrusion in the only way she knew how.
She swiftly tumbled out of the bed and landed on the floor in front of them in a feline fashion. Immediately she assumed a fighting stance. The men were shocked by this speedy reaction, but had little time to take it in, as she began to lunge at them with a series of striking leg blows. Lewis swiftly blocked one of her strikes, amazed by the ferocity of the energy this little thing was directing towards him. The fact that there were several of them, who were much older and larger than she, didn't seem to deter her – it was like it was something instinctive to her, almost like a trained animal.
One of Lewis' comrades had foolishly tried to approach her without preparing to guard against her blows, and was taken by surprise by the strength and ferocity of her attack, receiving a swift elbow blow to his stomach. He staggered back a little, his breath knocked out of his lungs. Gracia attempted to grab and hold her, but her small, lithe body slipped easily through his grasp with some struggling. Though the others tried to reach and restrain her, she continued to attack those who approached. Her strikes were not at all dangerous, but they were fast and certainly strong enough to be troublesome, effective in keeping her rescuers on their toes.
Some commands were exchanged back and forth between team members during this time, but in the tension and chaos of this moment, everybody was too busy trying to determine how to react than listen and remember orders. Yet they all knew one thing intrinsically which was not spoken: under no circumstance could they cause this girl harm…
As Lewis dodged her strikes, a disturbing thought arose in his mind: What if they couldn't save her? A rush of adrenaline impulsively soared through his veins, appalled that he would even think of such a thing. No… they had to get her out of there. There was no way in hell he was going to leave her here.
Thinking quickly, Lewis took a small tranquilizer shot from his jacket. He signaled Rogers to try and hold her back. As Rogers grabbed and held the left arm she attempted to strike him with, Lewis ran to her right side and swiftly poked the point against the side of the girl's upper arm. Her eyes opened wide in shock, and she yelled loudly upon the impact of the sharp, sudden pain, then almost immediately fell unconscious to the floor. Rogers quickly hoisted up her small body and cradled it in his arms.
There was nothing left they needed to get done – the mission was complete.
Rogers, Lewis, and Gracia retreated outside with their raided items in tow as Orwald and Jennety prepared to set the explosives that would destroy the complex within an hour.
A helicopter and several vehicles waited outside to return them to their current base of operation. Rogers boarded the chopper carrying his precious cargo. Lewis watched for a moment as he laid her in the back and strapped a few medical devices on her body. He couldn't stay for long, though –the explosives were now set. They had to get out of there, and fast. Gracia sped by to catch his attention, and then signaled him to get into the vehicle. Reluctantly, he got in, looking back at the helicopter beginning to lift off as they sped away from the scene. As they drove into the wilderness, Lewis's thoughts were possessed by the memory of the child with the silver hair. The look on her face when he had pricked her stood out so clearly in his mind… A dread overcame him with the remembrance of her lifeless body falling to the ground. He prayed to dear God that he hadn't thought too fast and reacted incorrectly... After all, this tranquilizer was designed for animals, not for small children. Would she be OK…?
He had nothing to worry about, it seemed. The dose was only enough to make her unconscious for an extended period of time. When the physician had told him this, a huge weight fell off his mind. If he hurt a child such as this, he would never, ever forgive himself…
He was distracted from his thoughts by sounds of movement within the otherwise silent room. Looking towards the bed where the girl lay, he could see her legs shifting a little. She was starting to awaken.
Lewis watched as her eyes began to open slowly, until he could fully see the hazel-tinted irises that lay underneath. It was obvious the drug's effect hadn't completely worn off yet, as she did not react immediately upon her awakening. Even her breathing did not quicken any. Lewis backed off a little bit, unsure of when her full consciousness might be restored.
After a few moments, her eyes began to move around, taking in her surroundings. Then, she slowly lifted her neck up, gradually coming to the realization that she was in an unfamiliar environment. Her nervousness became apparent as her breaths quickened and her skin began to glisten with sweat. Her youthful eyes widened as she turned her face towards Lewis, staring back at her with an intent glance. He slowly approached her, arm extended, attempting to appear as calm and non-threatening as possible to the precious little creature. "Please don't worry," he whispered. "I… I don't want to hurt you."
As he neared her, the girl leapt off her bed and let out a piercing, terrified shriek. She scrambled along the floor and backed up against the room's cold, solid wall, tears beginning to stream from her eyes. Lewis continued to move ever more slowly and cautiously towards the child. Her understood that she was extremely fearful, as anyone taken out of a place they had known for most of their life would probably be in the given situation. Yet as he approached, her eyes narrowed in a threatening stare, and she yelled something out to him in a language that he did not recognize.
She shifted her position quickly, craning her arms out in front of her, held at about the same level as her head. One leg stood up straight against the ground, and the other was bent slightly at the knee, the tips of her toes almost touching the ground. He had seen her do this before, but now, Lewis recognized her stance as that of Muay Thai, which one of his comrades had training in. Seeing her react in this fashion, questions began to flow through his mind. How on earth could a young girl like this have learned such technique? Were they training her in martial arts? …But for what purpose? She was too young to be able to do any serious damage…
He had little time to think, however, as she immediately tried to attack him with an upwards striking blow.
As her strike flew towards Lewis, he instinctively grabbed the girl's wrist in mid-attack and held onto it tightly. His tiny assailant was taken by complete surprise at this reversal. She let out an audible cry of shock, and immediately began to try and struggle out of his grasp. Yet it was impossible, as Lewis had the obvious advantage over her youthful stature, and his strong, trained grip remained firm. Her eyes widened in fright as she realized the futility of her struggle. She screamed in a panic, terrified tears flowing freely down her cheeks.
Looking at the girl's fear-stricken face and listening to her cries of agony, Lewis realized that somehow, he had to communicate that he had no intent to hurt her. But… she obviously didn't speak his language… and she seemed willing to attack anything she viewed as being threatening. The way she fought and attacked him and his squad upon her sensing of their unfamiliarity, and her willingness to struggle against someone with an obvious advantage over her seemed so unusual, almost as if she had been training specifically to act in that fashion. What could he possibly do?
Then it came to him. Perhaps, it was best to act upon the emotions he had first felt when he was watching her earlier…
Lewis knelt down and pulled her in towards his body, wrapping his free arm around her. With her small, slender figure secured in his hold, he released her wrist, then laid his hand against the back of her head, pressing it gently against his body. He could feel her still struggling and screaming hysterically. Slowly, tenderly, he began to stroke her, running his hand through the silver strands of her hair. Her motions began to ease as his hand brushed against her, sending a strange sensation through her body. Lewis continued to rub softly down her back and neck, urging her to relax, conveying to her through his motions that he harbored no intent to cause her harm. Gradually, her struggling ceased and her breathing slowed, but her body still remained in a state of shock, trembling violently. He tightened his embrace slightly, holding her close against him, wanting to extend every measure of comfort he possibly could.
The girl's face pressed into the fabric of Lewis's uniform, soaking up the tears and sweat that were flowing. The feel of his strong, warm body was deeply comforting... even though she hadn't been held like this before, she instinctively knew that she was safe within his grasp. As her head lay against his chest, she could hear something… a deep, rhythmic throbbing. She closed her eyes and listened intently… Somehow, this seemed familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time, something out of the past, something buried deep inside her consciousness that she couldn't quite remember. Yet, it was strangely soothing. Her trembling began to soften.
A strong, affectionate warmth overcame Lewis as he held her body against his, flowing throughout him as he gently caressed the back of her body. She was gradually learning to understand his show of affection. Questions again began to shoot through his mind. Just how long had they been keeping her? Why had they trained her fighting patterns? And had she really been as secluded as he suspected for most of her young life? Whatever damage has been done to her… must be reversed by all means. As he thought of everything that had just happened, the warm sensation completely and utterly overwhelmed him. He couldn't hold himself back anymore, and tears began to stream freely down his face.
As she stood against him with her eyes closed, taking in the emotions surrounding her, a small, warm ebb began to flow within her as well…
~ NOTES ~
My very first piece of writing based on VF4, and my favorite character. Seeing how rare VF fanfic is, I hope fellow Virtua fans will appreciate this.
I'm taking a lot of the backstory basis for this from the official AM2 PS2 version VF4 website and the Japanese VF4 Red Book, and expanding a little upon what is known. The story given for several characters in the English version of VF4 seems rather lacking compared to the Japanese originals. Vanessa's story in particular was a little bit more detailed in regards to her past with Lewis. Initially after her rescue, it says, she was very cold and reclusive initially. But, through her teen years she began to open her heart through the warm loving care of her adopted father, before his murder at the hands of J6 as she became an adult caused her to again close herself off. I wanted to elaborate on the depth of Lewis's affection for his daughter, and why he would feel close enough to commit himself to her in such a way. I also wanted to theorize about Vane's distinct hair color and her abnormal physical strength. (She weighs the same as Sarah but has much more developed muscle… how?)
Though this story can be read as a stand-alone, I eventually want to do a series of stories set around the time of VF4 detailing Vanessa's involvement with the Bryant family, her role as Sarah's protector, and eventually leading into Jacky x Vanessa coupling material. I think this theorizing on major aspects of Vane's past would be a suitable lead-in to the eventual romance I want to write about.