Chapter 2: Shadows in the Night
"You're a Persocom?!" Tifa exclaimed, watching the young man with awe.
He tilted his head curiously but did not speak.
Tifa rubbed at her temples gently, confused, shocked and a little angry at herself for not noticing earlier. His eyes widened suddenly.
So was she a thief now? She had a Persocom, a piece of machinery, a piece of property that was not hers, in her room, without permission…oh god, she was beginning to feel sick.
With a sudden energy she didn't know she had, she grabbed her phone and ran back into the bathroom to call Aeris.
The young man watched her as she ran in, his eyes curious and always learning.
"Tifa, calm down and speak like a normal person! Sheesh! You sound like you a midget on helium caught in fast forward!" Aeris muttered softly.
Tifa took a deep breath and tried again, "I said, the guy who saved me-"
"-You mean you're knight in shining armor?"
"…Yeah…whatever. The guy who saved me isn't real," Tifa said softly, panic still thick in her throat.
"Oh Tifa, that's horrible! You're seeing things? Are you taking something? Do you have some disorder I don't know about or something?" Aeris began to babble.
"Aeris, no! Listen to me for a moment, alright?"
"Oops, yeah. Go ahead," Aeris squeaked.
"He's a Persocom, Aer'."
"…"
"Aeris, you still there?" Tifa asked softly.
"I thought something was wrong and you're telling me that you're upset because a Persocom is in your room?" Aeris asked coldly.
"It's not mine, Aeris. That's what worries me!" Tifa screeched.
"God, Tifa! Kill me eardrums why don't you! Sheesh! It's not that big of a deal! Take him around and ask people if they've seen him or something. Or wait for a missing ad in the paper that fits him. You didn't steal him, you found him. There's a big difference, my friend."
"…I guess you're right," Tifa said softly, then blinked, "Wait, did you just call it a 'he'?
"Well, it is a male Persocom, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"-Then it's a 'he', Tifa. Why wouldn't I call him a 'he'?"
Tifa paused, "Because it isn't human and therefore lacks gender."
"You called him a 'he'," Aeris pointed out happily.
"Back when I thought he was real!"
They're bickering continued for quite a while but finally the two girls got back to subject.
"So what do I do, Aer'? I mean, even if it doesn't have an owner…it doesn't talk or understand anything! That's hardly what I call helpful," Tifa said pointedly.
"Well, maybe he's got a password or something. Tell you what, we swing by your place tomorrow after school and take him to a friend of mine, 'kay? He's…what did he call it…technological inclined? Yeah, that's it. He'll help, no worries."
Tifa nodded and responded with an affirmative, a swift goodbye and was about to hang up when Aeris' urgent voice caught her.
"Yeah, I'm still here, Aer'."
"You're going to be okay, right? I mean…after what happened. If you need anything, call me and I'll come over, okay?"
Tifa smiled. That was just like Aeris, all heart. She was worried, Tifa knew this and letting her thoughts wander back to what happened, she started in shock.
Truth be told…she was fine…but shouldn't she be breaking down or something? Why was she okay?
Probably because there is a cute guy wearing you're pjs with no underwear in your very living room at this moment.
Her cheeks heated. Where did that come from? He's only a machine!
Oh god, she's calling him a he now? This didn't bode well.
The Persocom blinked curiously, watching Tifa go through to the bathroom before turning to look out the window once more.
"Do you know why you like to watch the cloud's so much?"
The Persocom slowly turned to look behind him. There, behind him, was a young male, maybe a little older than he, with long black wild spiky hair, his eyes an astonishing and glowing shade of icy blue and light purple. He seemed somewhat intangible, like he was there and yet he wasn't and despite his lack of substance, his skin was still a healthy tan color.
They're clothing was at odds now. The Persocom was wearing soft light colors, gray sweat pants and a white t-shirt that said DREAMER on it in light blue. But this Other…he wore baggy blackish gray pants and a sleeveless turtleneck, a loose belt hanging to his hips and his large boots floating a few feet off the ground.
"Well, kiddo? Do you remember me?" the Other inquired curiously, a warm smile on his face.
The Persocom shook his head, somehow understanding this Other, unlike the woman in the bathroom.
A flicker of pain flashed across the Other's face before he glided over to Persocom, hand on his shoulder, and turned to look at the clouds that the young man had been staring at moments before.
"Partly Cloudy with a chance of rain, that's you, alright," the Other said with a smile, squeezing the Persocom's shoulder lightly.
"Cloud?" the Persocom asked questioningly.
The Other turned to give him an encouraging and warm smile, "Yeah, that's you're name, kid. Remember?"
The soft click of the bathroom door opening shook Cloud from his thoughts and with them, the Other disappeared as well.
He may not know who the Other was but the right side of his chest lit up with warmth at his appearance and tingled at his sudden disappearance, caught between an indescribable twinge of pain and a soft pleasant feeling of closeness.
Cloud looked up to the haggard looking woman with bright blue eyes, watching her every move curiously.She turned to him.
"Well, a friend of mine says she'll help us…find help, I guess. So sit tight, you can hang out here until someone claims you or…well, I don't know. I don't want to worry about it yet and why am I talking to you in the first place?!" Tifa asked, scorning herself as she watched his confused face and threw her arms out, "Not like you know what I'm talking about anyways…Sheesh."
She threw herself onto the couch and moaned, letting her muscles relax slowly.
"Cloud."
Tifa blinked, eyes opening slowly from their once closed position to slowly trail over to the Persocom sitting on her floor. His voice was deep and smooth and made her heart flutter. Her face heated, "What did you say?"
"Cloud," the Persocom repeated softly, trying to recall the words the Other had used and change them so that she too could understand, "Name. Cloud."
Tifa just stared at him, gaping with wide eyes and in return he tilted his head curiously to her.
"Have you found them yet?" a soft whiney voice caught his attention for the umpteenth time. He looked down to the bundle in his lap.
It was a young woman curdled gently so that she lay upon his outstretched legs and her head rested on his chest. The position was not uncomfortable; he was leaning against to the wall of a rather high skyscraper and was enjoying the view thoroughly, despite the soft drizzling rain.
Her hair was as dark as his was, cut short but still reaching her shoulders in soft feathery layers. Her eyes, barely open, were a steel gray color. Usually they were wide and awake but now they were nearly closed, she needed to shut down at least for a little bit.
Her sunglasses were lying in her slightly curled fingers. Her outfit, resembling his somewhat, was dark and helped her blend in with the night. Her short shorts showed off the creamy color of her skin and the knee-high boots were laced up tight to her slim calves. Her shirt, a little too short of his conservative comfort, showed off quiet a bit of stomach that was enjoyable to observe and yet he didn't want to see.
She was cute and warm in his lap but apart of him wished that she wasn't because this closeness just reminded him of days he shouldn't remember.
Damn you, Hojo…
He took a deep breath and let it go slowly. Letting his head fall back gently, he rested it against the wall behind him and closed his crimson eyes. He was wearing black leather in strips and buckles and layers, all to cover what he truly was. His cloak and mantle, made of soft red and tattered fabric, covered his lower face and kept them both warm through the bit of the cold.
Wait…no, she cannot feel cold, can she. She can judge the temperature and her programming can make her react accordingly. Not like me. Thanks to Hojo, I am not like a Human or a Persocom…I am a monster…
Thrown from his thoughts as a cold gust of wind blew at his messy black raven locks that ran halfway down his back, Vincent turned his face to the wind and inhaled its pleasant scent.
Still the same as I remember…
Looking down at the Protector of the National Data Bank, he noticed that finally his partner had shut down for much needed rest. Moving her gently so as not to suddenly wake her from Sleep Mode, he stood and began to walk towards the edge of the building.
Looking down into the abyss of the city, he tossed Yuffie one last wayward glance over his shoulder, already imagining the earful he'll get when she catches him and turns back to the city.
Calling upon the Chaos Gene Programming, initializing…Initialization Complete. Wings now active.
His cloak swirled on a wind that no other could feel and slowly moved upwards on its own accord, forming to large tattered red and black wings. Stretching them wide in the night sky and taking in the delicious feeling of stretching muscle that no other Persocom could feel but he, Vincent leapt into the air and tucked his wings close.
He closed his eyes as he dove into the lights of the wet city, letting the wind bite at his cheeks pleasantly and letting go of himself for the first time in ages. Right here, right now, he was the ShinRa National Data Bank.
He was Vincent Valentine and nothing else.
Moving in a sharp twist, his wings shot out suddenly, ending his free fall and propelling him back up into the night sky. Slowly he headed towards a building, cross-referencing Lucrecia Crescent with Midgar Addresses all the while. His Crimson eyes turned dull for a moment as he searched the Data Banks within him and finding his match his eyes returned to their normal fiery glow.
With a thrust of strong muscle enhanced by the Chaos Program, he sped off to give a certain someone a visit.
Tifa sat on her bed, one hand covering her weary eyes, contemplating in the darkness of her room, flickering softly with the lights of her TV, whether or not she felt like getting up to close the open window of her room. She sighed and remained in bed, resolving to get up in a minute instead of in an instant.
Her mind was running too fast from her body to ever attain sleep and the fact made her not just a little mad. Changing position for the seventh time that night, she settled her thoughts on the Persocom in her living room, sleeping on her couch.
Cloud.
He said his name was Cloud. About time he finally said something. Maybe whatever was keeping him from talking was wearing off now?
She watched the city lights through her open window and shot up in bed at the sudden flicker of shadow that passed by.
It had looked like…a man. But no man could possible run across the rooftops of the apartment complex across from them that quickly and silently.
Not to mention the thing looked as though it had wings. Shivering slightly for a reason that had nothing to do with the wet frigid air, Tifa watching the window worriedly a bit longer before getting up, closing it with a snap and locking it behind her as she went back to bed.
Just my imagination.
Reaching out to grab her controller to turn off the TV she paused, listening at the latest report on the late night news show.
"On recent news, the search for the Turk that went missing years back has finally been called off and all investigation has ceased. There will be a funeral tomorrow night at the cemetery near the church in Sector 7. ShinRa sends their condolences to anyone who might've known the Turk and hopes that he finds peace in the Life Stream. Anyone who wishes to attend the funeral is welcome to and there will be a small ceremony in his honor for his service to the ShinRa Electric Power Company. Vincent Valentine will be sorely missed."
Click. The lights from the TV slowly fade away as she puts the controller back down, done with the task of turning off the TV.
When she finally reached dreamland, her sleep was restless, filled with bright blue eyes and a shadow that seemed oddly familiar.
Ms. Crescent turned off the TV slowly, watching the TV turn off, still standing, eyes sad and watering.
She had been making her way to the bedroom when heard the mumbles of the TV from the living room. Sighing, he had turned back around to turn it off when the news report caught her attention.
So he never did escape…Oh Vincent, I'm so sorry. If you knew the whole story you would understand though!
Closing her eyes, letting the warm salty tears stream freely, she began to turn to head back to her bedroom when they soft swish of her curtains swaying with the wind from the open window caught her attention.
Turning to look out the window of her flat to the building beyond, she waited in the darkness for a flash of lightening to illuminate her surroundings.
And flash it did. Lightening forked out in a brilliant white light behind the building in front of her, bringing the figure standing out on the rooftop into view. A flash of red cloth and bright fiery eyes…
Gasping, she ran to the window, watching the figure closely.
Vincent?!
Stopping by the window's sill, she leaned out, ignoring the splashes of the Heaven's rain as she tried to see the figure better.
Another flash of light flickered out and lasted a bit longer than the last, showing her the familiar features of a man who should have been dead. Her breath caught in her throat.
Vincent!
The figure simply watched her, making no move to come closer nor leave. He only moved when another, a young woman, who looked utterly livid, caught his attention.
"Do you know how worried I've been searching for you?! What if you have gotten your National Data Bank ass handed to you by an enemy or something?! Geeze, Vince' I thought you had more sense than that!"
So it was Vincent!
She was about to call out to him when he turned back to look at her. Their eyes connected for a moment and she could almost hear what he was saying behind those eyes. So much conflict and pain…
He turned on heel, his cloak spreading out into large tattered wings once more before jetting off into the night. The young woman cursed, stomped her foot, before leaping from rooftop to rooftop in pursuit.
She watched him go, leaning out the window slightly to see him until he fell completely from her sight.
Vincent…
The young woman's voice caught her attention, echoing in her head gently,"Do you know how worried I've been searching for you?! What if you have gotten your National Data Bank ass handed to you by an enemy or something?! Geeze, Vince' I thought you had more sense than that!"
National Data Bank…those wings…oh Hojo! You didn't! Please, tell me you didn't!
She mourned, falling to her knees by the windowsill as she watched her fallen love fly away, once again missing from her life.
"Alright, Tifa! This is Reeve! He's a friend of mine I met in a chat room, ain't that right, Reeve?" Aeris asked in a singsong voice, "He works with ShinRa and he's a tech wiz! I bet he could help you. You wouldn't mind, would you, Reeve?"
"No problem, I'm off today and free days usually leave me quite bored. Come on in, I'll get you all something for dinner as well. We eat while you tell me about your problem," Reeve said, smiling.
Reeve Tuesti, the head of ShinRa's Urban Development Department and created of some of the best homemade 'coms in existence. One of his models, a small cat, have been excellent in many of ShinRa's missions and come quiet in handy during recon, information collection and stealth missions. If one breaks, there are hundreds of others to replace it. The original model is called Caith Sith and he still resides with him to this day.
Reeve was a handsome man, in his early thirties to his early fourties, with chocolate brown hair and a goatee that Tifa knew only he could pull off. He smiled fabulously and led them all into his rather large mansion like home.
'Kay, that's it for now. I really need to finish up the chapter to my other story, I've got half of chapter 16 done but this story had 5 or 6 reviews so I figured I'd update before that.
Vincent and Zack have finally been introduced into the FanFic! Along with Yuffie and Reeve, yay!
I hope you all enjoy this and thanks for all the support guys!
Remember to keep reviewing!
-Spazzy
