Woo-hoo! 20 views, 2 followers, and 1 review! It's not even my birthday, guys. *sniff*

As a celebration for the success, I bring you the next chapter! Chapters from this point on are going to be missions split into three parts, but don't worry; we'll try to make them as long as we can, which is usually 4,000-5,000 words, maybe 6,000 if we have the time. There'll be some chapters that aren't missions, and are the important events in between. Also, support would be wonderful. :) This isn't my first time treading through FF7 territory, and I know you're all a pretty cool crowd. Riko-San is a bit inexperienced in this fandom, so show some mercy. Kami knows I haven't, haha.

Well, I'll just shut up and let you guys do your thing. Enjoy!

-Ruko-Sempai

*Disclaimer* I don't own the characters or contents of Final Fantasy VII, seeing as that right belongs to Square Enix. I own only my sick, twisted little mind, and anything that comes out of it. Claire Lovelocke is a joint-custody character of both Riko and myself, and anyone who borrows (read: steals) her without permission will be the target of Isa. All rights reserved.

*Update: December 31, 2013: Grammar mistakes were fixed. -Riko-San*

Chapter 2: The Party, part 1: Damned

We were driving home from school. It was December 21st, my sixth birthday. I was in the backseat, pretending to be asleep as I listened to my parent's conversation. I knew they wouldn't talk about grown-up stuff around me when I was awake. They said I was too young to understand. Usually, they talked about boring stuff, like electricity bills, but today was different. My mommy sounded nervous, and when I peeked at her, I saw her glancing anxiously out the window. Daddy tried to calm her down, but to no avail.

"They may have forgotten, Serah," He said soothingly.

"It's been six years, Jack. That was all the time they gave me," Mommy replied, "Oh, God, what if they take Claire, too?"

"Six years is a long time-"

"Demons never forget."

Demons? What were they talking about? Who were 'they'? I felt my mommy's hand against my cheek. "My baby...I won't let them take her. I promised a life for a life, and one life is all they'll get."

I heard my daddy's voice, sounding confused and frustrated, "What is this guy doing? Jeez, he's gonna kill someone driving like that."

"Jack? What's wrong with him? His eyes look strange."

"Probably drunk."

curiosity overtook me and I opened my eyes, trying to look over the dashboard. My mommy leaned forward, looking closely at the car that was serving in and out of the lane next to us. Gasping, she covered her mouth with her hand, her face drained of color. "It's them," She whispered, wide-eyed and terrified, her body shaking. Daddy gritted his teeth.

"You're sure?"

"White eyes, Jack. It's them!"

I spoke up. "Mommy? Whose 'them'?"

Mommy turned to say something, but never got a chance to answer me because the swerving car suddenly slammed into the passenger side of our car. My body jerked to the side, everything going black.

I woke up hanging upside down, my seatbelt digging into my skin as it restrained me from falling on my head. Pain racked my small body every time I tried to move, making me cry. It was silent, but I could hear sirens in the background. Looking at the driver's seat, I saw my daddy slumped up in the seat. "Daddy?" No answer. My mommy wasn't in her seat, but right below it, laying still on the ceiling of the car. Her seatbelt looked as if it had snapped. Mommy looked strange, her neck twisted at an odd angle and her eyes glassy and dull and lifeless as she stared up at me. "M-mommy?" I choked out, "Mommy, you look funny. Mommy?"

My seatbelt suddenly snapped and I slammed into the ceiling of the car, every bone in my body seeming to crack with the collision. I cried out, wanting to make the pain stop but not knowing how. Strange things, twisted and mangled, seemed to pass right through the walls of the car, coming straight for me. I screamed, trying to crawl away, but my body moved slowly and I didn't get far before something cold grabbed my ankle and yanked me back. I screamed again and kicked blindly, trying to break free. The twisted figures all lunged for me, scratching and tearing at my skin.

Suddenly their weight was lifted, and I managed to crack my eyes open a bit to see my savior. "D-daddy. . .?"

The man didn't answer as he continued to beat back the dark shapes. I tried to look at his face, but every time I did, my gaze would just bounce away to something else. The man turned around to face me, but didn't say anything or ask if I was alright. Simply stared. Something clicked then, between us. I named him Isa.

"Let me go!" I screamed, yanking hard against the straps restraining my arms and legs. At fourteen, I was pretty strong, but not strong enough to break free. The group of people stared down at me, some of the men coming closer to help restrain me. I thrashed back and forth, trying to make the metal table tip over, but no such luck. "Stop it!"

The preacher of the church looked at me, then to the leader of the town, his eyes full of uncertainty. The town leader nodded stoically, glaring hatefully in my direction.

I could feel my skin tingling from being in the church, on holy ground. My stomach did flips. As the preacher came up next to me, a book in one hand and a cross in the other, he regarded me with compassion. "It's for your own good, Claire; to cleanse you from the evil that has possessed you."

He placed the cross on the inside of my right wrist. The wood felt cool against my skin. I struggled harder. "Isa isn't evil! He'd never hurt me!"

The holy man opened his book and began to read. "Our God, who art in Heaven-"

The cross on my arm began to burn, making me scream. "Stop it! Please!"

"-hollow be thy name."

My entire body seemed to shake, convulsing and twisting as pain tore through my chest, as if something wanted to come out, scratching its way to the surface. "Isa, I need you!" I cried, tears streaming down my face, my screams echoing and bouncing off the walls. The preacher suddenly fell back, as if pushed away. The pain instantly stopped and I sighed in relief. The restraints holding me were snapped in two, allowing me to sit up and rub my wrist. There was a black mark from the cross, still stinging a little. Everyone screamed, a few running to help the pastor up, others grabbing weapons. A man rushed at me, a shotgun pointed directly at me.

"Isa!" I felt a tug near the back of my mind, so strong my head jerked back, and felt blood spray from my mouth. The man holding the shotgun suddenly stopped, his eyes turning white. Everything seemed to slow down to a stop, everyone staring at the man, wondering why he hadn't shot my head off. I coughed, more blood staining my dress. After a moment, I shakily stepped forward. Something about those white eyes seemed. . . familiar. "I-Isa?" The man nodded silently and grabbed my wrist, hard.

Turning, he lifted the shotgun and shot one of the men, right in the chest. Blood sprayed everywhere as I screamed, my hand clasped on my mouth. Everyone ran as fast as they could, some tripping over others to escape. Several shots rang out, several people fell. "Isa, stop!" Isa raised the gun again at a women who had fallen, but I pushed his arm away and the shot went off into the air. Standing in front of him, I yelled, "I said stop it!" He instantly stopped, lowering the gun. I rubbed my temples, a head ache forming. The pain in my chest stopped as the man fell to the ground, unconscious. Whatever Isa had just done, it was over. Without warning, I threw up, the sent of blood and death intoxicating. I took a step towards the door, stumbling.

"Y-you monster," Someone said. I turned; it was the town leader. He was kneeling over the man who'd been shot. "He. . . He had a pregnant wife." The man's fists shook. "How. . . How can you do something like this. . .?" His voice rose to a shout, "How can you just walk away from that?!"

Something inside me clicked, like a light switch being turned off. I stumbled over to him, nearly falling, but managing to stay on my feet. "I'm. . . a monster?" I mumbled, staring down at him. Blood dripped from my mouth, splattering against my bare feet. For some reason, that statement seemed so funny to me that I started to laugh quietly. "Th-that seems fair, I guess." My arm shot out, grabbing his throat loosely and pulling him close. I started to shake, "Do you see him?" I whispered to the man, "Do you see any of them now?"

The man looked behind me. His eyes widened, and I could tell he saw Isa hovering over me, saw the twisted and deformed shadows behind that only I could see. He struggled to reply, "I-I-"

"If you come after me again," I hissed, ". . . I'll kill everyone."

Shoving him back, I stood up, almost falling over. I walked out of the church, feeling strangely numb.

Numb.

That was all I could feel, my arms and legs numb and still. I couldn't remember when I fell asleep that night. After hour and hours of crying and screaming, banging my fists against the door until my knuckles bled, my body must have given up. I woke up on the floor near the center of the room, freezing from the cold draft that wafted under the door. I shivered, the memories still fresh in my mind.

I tried to move, but couldn't; my body wouldn't respond to me. It took so much effort just to move my head a few inches, I was out of breath by the time I could look down at the rest of me. Looking at my limbs, I understood why. My hands had a blue tint to them from being too cold, and light red streaks went up and down my arms. I didn't remember doing it, but Isa must have paralyzed me last night to keep me from hurting myself in my rage and despair by accident. I suppose he didn't realize I needed to move to get on the bed. I lowered my head, taking a look at my legs. They were a light blue color.

"I-" I tried to call out to Isa, but my throat felt as if it was torn, making me wince, "I-s-sa." I saw him hovering over me. Since he didn't have a physical appearance, he didn't see how fatal frost bite could be. "Ge-g-"

The door open, and I heard Elena's voice turn from friendly to panicked. "Good morn- Oh my god!" I heard a metal clang, as if she dropped something. She rushed over to me and I saw her place a hand on my shoulder. "Claire, are you alright? Can you speak?" Without waiting for an answer, Elena turned to the door and yelled, "Reno, Rude! She needs help, now!" There were several more footsteps, and I heard Reno's voice.

"What do we do, yo?"

"Take her to the shower room and I'll meet you there. Rude, go tell Tseng and the President. I'll get some blankets; we have to get her warmed up."

I heard Reno snicker, "I'll warm her up-"

"Reno."

"Alright, alright. Jeez." Reno bent down and picked me up while Elena and the man named Rude hurried out of the room. Reno held me tightly as he walked out of the room, unaware that Isa was wandering around him. His body heat gave me some warmth, though it wasn't much. After a few minutes of wandering aimlessly, the read-haired Turk stopped in the middle of the hallway. "No where was it again...?" He muttered, looking around. If I had the strength to roll my eyes, I would have; this guy would be the end of me sooner or later.

Looking back, I realize it was later, not sooner. Much later.

Isa, who had finished his exploration of the hall, noticed Reno's confusion and knocked over the trash can near a door to the left. Reno's attention snapped over to the door, then to me. "I knew that, yo." He carried me into the room and set me down in the nearest tub just as Elena rushed in with a bundle of blankets and clothes.

Turning to Elena, he said, "Need any help?"

Elena frowned, set the bundle down, and started to push him out of the room. "No way, you pervert. Out!" She closed the door and was about to turn around when Isa locked the door. Elena jumped, startled, and stared at the door with wide eyes.

I didn't want her to freak out- my life was on the line, after all- so I struggled to speak. "I-sa j-just. . . wants. . to-to k-keep him o-o-out," I choked out, "You're s-safe."

Elena nodded and crouched next to the tub, turning on the hot water. As the tub filled with warm water, I felt the numbness slowly beginning to fade, leaving needle-like pain in its place. The room began to fill with steam. Once the water reached my chest, Elena turned off the tap and grabbed a sponge, wiping warm water over my shoulder. When I could speak better, I asked, "Why ar-are you h-help-ing me? I-Isa almost killed you." It was an honest question, and, much to my surprise, Elena gave an honest answer.

"From now on, you're a Turk. You're one of us, and we look out for our own," She said, rubbing my arm with a wet sponge, "I know it's a lot to take in, but you'll get used to it in time."

Those words stung me. "You're a Turk." I had always been called a monster, but now I had the official label. "Turks are monsters," I said, not caring if I offended her.

Surprisingly, she shrugged, "A lot of people think so. It used to bother me, but not anymore."

"Why?"

Elena smiled, "People don't really know what we do. I mean sure, we kill people, but so does everyone at some point, right?"

I glared at her, hard, "Turks kill like it's nothing."

"You've never killed a man, have you?" She suddenly asked, making me shut up. I blinked and looked away. Elena nodded, "That's what I thought. When you kill someone, you're wiping their existence off the face of the planet. It's easy, so easy it's horrifying, but it comes with a price. Their blood is on your hands. The first few nights after your first kill are hell, nightmare after nightmare. You're not really the same after that." She was speaking softly now, soaking my other arm. "We hide our emotions because we're trained to; we have no choice. Tell me, if I was really a monster, would I be keeping you from freezing to death?"

I stared at her, trying to find a crack, a loophole in her statement that would prove it was a lie. But I found none. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I looked away and kept quiet. Elena swept the sponge over the scar on my wrist. She stared at it for a split second, but didn't comment. I was grateful for that; she didn't ask and I didn't tell.

After an hour or so, Elena sat back and said, "Alright, can you lift your arm? If so, try to wiggle your fingers."

It took me a moment, but I managed to lift my arm out of the water and move my fingers back and forth. I moved my legs and made sure my toes still worked, turning my head left and right. "I think I'm good," I said.

Elena nodded and helped me out of the tub, handing me a fluffy blue towel. While I dried off, she picked through the bundle near the tub and grabbed a white dress shirt, a black blazer, and black dress pants, completed by a black tie. "I was your size about a year ago, so these should fit you. Also," She picked up a pair of panties and a bra, "I went out and bought you some of these. I'm not sure what size you are, but you have a tiny waist, and I'm sure they'll fit."

I couldn't help but stare at her in shock. "You bought me clothes...?" I asked, dumbfounded.

Elena gave me a bright smile. "Well, I was the only girl in the Turks 'till now, you know. I almost never got to buy any girl clothes, but now that you're here, it's like Christmas shopping," She gasped, making me jump, "Oh! We can be like sisters! I've always wanted a little sister!"

I blinked at her sudden change in mood. I couldn't help but smile a little as she helped me take off my soaking wet school clothes and into the Turk uniform and fussed over my hair with a pink hair dryer. The shirt was a bit tight, seeing as though I was about a bust size bigger than her, but it wasn't too air-constricting as long as the first few buttons were left undone. No cleavage was shone, so I didn't complain. The sleeves, however, were large near the hem, and it took a moment to get the blazer on. Like the shirt, it was a bit small, and I could only zip it up halfway. The pants fit well enough, luckily, like a black pair of boots Elena gave me. She kept doting on me, which made me feel strange. This was a Turk, a monster, and yet here she was, chattering and laughing as if we'd known each other forever. Part of me felt like I should laugh with her and relax, but a bigger part of me said to keep my guard up, that it was all a façade.

Once I was dried and dressed, Elena unlocked the door and turned to me. "Oh, yeah, I need to warn you about Reno."

"What about him?"

"He's...difficult to handle. That dumbass will flirt with anything that moves. He'll hit on you a couple of times a day, so it's best to just ignore him."

"Did he do that to you?"

"Yeah, until I shot him in the foot. He knows better now."

I started laughing when I heard her say that, despite not wanting to. Elena smiled at me again and led me out into the hallway. My legs were still a bit numb, and my steps were unsteady. Elena insisted on helping me, though it made Isa mad that I wasn't totally dependent on him. "I'm not a little kid anymore," I argued with him for a good ten minutes on the subject while Elena watched, amused.

"Does he really answer you?" She asked as we walked down the hall.

I nodded. "He usually whispers to me."

"Only you can see him, huh?"

I shrugged, "Yeah. Younger kids and animals sometimes see him, and psychics can sense him well enough. Normal people don't even know Isa's around," My arm shot out, my hand grasping her throat and slamming her against the wall, "unless I do this." Elena gasped and clawed at my hand, though I wasn't cutting off her air circulation. When she glanced at me and her eyes widened in fear, I pulled away.

We walked in silence after that until she spoke up. "How long have you been, um, tied to Isa?"

"The correct term is contracted," I said, "Isa possessed me when I was six and stayed inside me until I was seven, when I signed his contract. We've been like this ever since."

Thankfully, I didn't have to explain the contract thing to Elena, which made the trip down the hallway a bit better. As we neared an elevator, I saw a woman struggling to pick a few scattered papers up off the floor. Her stomach was round with pregnancy. Elena glanced at her but continued to walk past. I frowned and bent down, picking up the papers while the woman sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you, sweetie," She said when I handed the papers to her.

I shook my head. "No problem. You should be more careful," I said, gesturing to her stomach.

She rubbed it fondly and smiled at me. "I've never seen you before, are you a Turk? You're awfully young." The woman asked, referring to my new uniform.

Shrugging I replied. "I guess I am." She smiled again and patted my shoulder.

"Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep you here, then. Good luck, dear!"

I nodded and smiled back at her before catching up to Elena, who was waiting for me. When I caught up to her, I asked, "Why didn't you help that woman?"

"It wasn't my business."

"It doesn't need to be your business, its common sense," I snapped, "No wonder everyone thinks you guys are heartless bastards."

Elena turned to me, "In case you've forgotten, Claire, you're one of us now. Everyone sees us as people to be feared, and that's how it should be. You should understand being feared more than anyone."

"You're an asshole for that," I said pointedly, "Excuse me for trying to improve your self-image; I'll think twice next time."

We arrived at a dark, wooden door. Elena turned to me. "Try to behave yourself, okay?"

I shook my head, "No promises."

Elena opened the door and stepped inside, waiting for me to enter before closing it again. It was a large room, with a sofa on each side and a desk in the middle, near the back. Several tall windows took up the wall behind the desk, sunlight shining brightly in. Rufus sat at the wooden desk, Tseng standing on one side of him, Reno and Rude on the other. Rufus looked up at us and smiled. "Ah, Miss Lovelocke. You look nice."

Gritting my teeth, I said, "Thanks."

Rufus looked at Elena and nodded. "Good luck," she whispered to me before walking over to stand near Tseng.

When she was gone from my side, I crossed my arms, glaring full force at the president. He didn't seem to notice, and motioned to me to come closer. I walked over, raising a brow when he slid a file over to me. Glancing at him, I picked it up.

"Recognize any of those boys?" Rufus asked while I flipped through the file. There were pictures and bios on several guys I knew who sold drugs in town.

I nodded, "How did you get these?"

"There's one more," Rufus said, placing a paper on the desk. It had a picture of me pinned to the top.

"How did you get that?!" I snapped, as he swiped the paper up before I could get to it.

"I have sources. It's very interesting, Claire," he said, dropping the formalities, "I had no idea you're a drug smuggler."

I glared at him. "I'm not a smuggler and I never was. It was just a one-time thing; I got out of it."

Rufus smirked, "Well, either way, we've got records of your 'one-time thing'. It's important to bust this group, and what better way than to use one of their own?"

Shaking my head, I said, "I won't do anything for you. They won't fall for it. I've known these guys since I was twelve, and believe me, they're not to be messed with." Realization made me almost sigh in relief. I had forgotten that I had a few friends that weren't afraid to get dirty. "They'll come for me once they realize I'm gone."

"What makes you think that?"

"I know they will."

"Since you seem so sure of yourself, I'll make a deal with you," Rufus reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. Handing it to me, he said, "Here. Call your friends and ask them to come get you. If they do, I'll let you leave, and you'll never hear from ShinRa again. If they don't, you stay here as a Turk and help take them down."

I hesitated, holding the phone in my hand. It was common sense not to make any kind of deal with ShinRa; the odds were almost always unfair. But I had known these guys so long we were like family, and family always helped each other out, right? As much as it pained me to think, it was true that even if they wouldn't come just for me, surely they'd come because of all the things Isa and I could do to help them. I couldn't let that chance of freedom slip away.

Flipping open the phone, I dialed the only number I knew other than my dad's. Everyone called him Big Bro because he was always there to help anyone, no matter what trouble they were in.

"Hello?"

"Big Bro? It's Claire."

"Sissy? What's up? I heard you got suspended from the alternative school. What'd you do?"

I frowned. So that's the excuse ShinRa told everyone. "I wasn't suspended and I didn't do anything," I turned away from Rufus, lowering my voice, "ShinRa has me."

"Shit! Babe, they didn't find anything on you, did they?"

"What? No!" I hissed, "Of course not! I told you I'm not doing that crap anymore. Listen, I need you to come get me."

"I'm so sorry, Sissy, but I can't."

The air in my lungs rushed out and I gasped for oxygen. "W-what?"

"The boss won't let me, girl. He says you've been a narc this entire time."

"If I were a narc, don't you think you'd have been busted by now?! They want me because of what I'm capable of."

"Sissy, you've been loyal to us for years, but I don't think it's gonna happen. I'm sorry."

It felt like a punch to the stomach. I couldn't breathe for a moment. "Big bro?" I asked, "I need you to tell the boss something."

"Anything for you, baby girl. What is it?"

Looking straight at Rufus, I said, "Tell him ShinRa has a new Turk. I'll be visiting soon."

Ignoring the profanity coming from the phone, I snapped it shut and tossed it to Rufus. There was a strange empty feeling in my stomach, making me feel hollow and vulnerable. My eyes were dry; I refused to cry in front of my new boss. Isa brushed up against me, letting me know he was there, and the feeling went away. Crossing my arms, I asked, "When do I start?"

"This is not what I had in mind." I grumbled.

"Well," Elena said, looking through the clothes rack, "beggars can't be choosers. I think it's kind of sweet that he invited us."

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, as body guards."

The big plan to take down my old group was postponed. Instead, Rufus was holding a big party to celebrate his freaking birthday, and it was the Turk's mission to keep him and the other people attending safe, since there was a rumor of an Anti-ShinRa group operating in the area. Still, a party was a party, and Elena had dragged me out into the town of Edge to go dress shopping with her before the party that night.

"I still don't see why we can't just go in our uniforms like the guys," I complained, wanting to be anywhere except the small, claustrophobia-inducing thrift shop.

Elena pulled a light pink dress from the rack and examined it. "The point of this mission is to blend into the crowd so that we can take down any threats as quickly as possible."

Tilting my head, I said, "So wait, we're putting Rufus' life in danger so we can save it?"

"In a way, yeah."

Watching as she made a face and put the pink dress back, I stretched my arms. "Please tell me we're at least allowed to have our weapons on us." Tseng had given me a standard-issue handgun to use. After a few practice rounds and my explanation of how I went hunting with my dad all the time, I was an official Turk.

"Tseng said as long as it's hidden, we can have them. How about this?" She shoved a purple dress with one strap in my face. I leaned back, taking a good look at it. It had a cut from the hip down on the right side, and was slim, not poofy, so it'd be easier to move around in. I shrugged.

"Looks okay to me."

Elena smiled brightly at me. "I'll help you do your make-up and hair!"

This made me smile a bit. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here. Elena was convinced we were friends. Maybe we were; I was starting to warm up to her.

A commotion at the front of the store caught our attention. I stood up and looked over to the store front. Two guys were in a heated argument about something, but I couldn't hear the conversation. I turned to Elena and she shrugged. "Doesn't involve us," Was her reply.

I frowned, but turned back to the clothes and kept silent. The argument turned into a shouting match and I looked at the two men just in time for the first fist to be thrown. "Hey!" I said, quickly walking over to the fight.

"Claire!" Elena said, following me.

"Knock it off," I told them. When I was ignored, the teenaged shop-keeper looked at me anxiously. "I said knock it off." The men continued to fight. I grabbed an old sink pipe from a basket of junk and swung, hitting the taller man in the back of the leg. He fell to one knee, profanity flying out of his mouth like no tomorrow. The other guy swung a fist and I blocked with my forearm. Suddenly the man, his fist already in full swing, was smacked over the head by a rather large book. Elena dropped the book, though it looked more like a cement block, and looked at me.

"Are you alright?" She asked. I nodded.

I bent down and grabbed the tall man, shoving him closer to the door. "Take it outside," I said, "or I'll take it out there for you."

The man who had been booked by Elena stumbled to his feet. "I'll fuck you up!" He spat.

"Not even on your birthday, sweetheart," I snapped.

Elena spoke up. "We can always use force to deal with you."

I nodded in agreement and pointed to the large cement block/book. "We've got concrete literature on our side."

Mr. Tall-guy seemed notice we were Turks, considering he stood and glared at us. "Damn Turks," He muttered before turning and walking out. The other man, however, wasn't as bright, and it took a moment for it to register in his mind who we were. When it did, five minutes later, his eyes widened and he ran out as fast as he could.

The shop keeper was so grateful, he lowered the price of the dresses three bucks. As we left the shop with my purple dress and her black one, she added, "Oh, we'll be in fake couples to blend in easier at the party. I'll be with Rude most of the time. Tseng will be near Rufus, and you'll-"

I stopped. "Elena, you'd better be kidding."

"Well-"

"Do I have to be with that guy?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

If I could have jumped into traffic, I would've.