It'll be a short chapter since this is the third chapter in an hour to go up and I still have another short one to put in tonight.
With the night came nightmares and I was highly embarrassed to be having them. I was a Turk, for Gaia's sake! If six years of forced prostitution gave me nightmares, what would ten or twenty years of Turk missions do? I shuddered at the thought and went to shower before meeting with Commander Falcon for the mission. We would leave at first light and travel to the AVALANCHE base thirty miles outside of Niblehiem. It was situated in the mountains, and we would have to hike there.
I packed up my weapon bag, and donned my uniform. The hiking gear and everything else would be provided and strictly standard for rookie mountain climbers. If I was honest, despite my heritage, I had never even seen a mountain. Shameful for a Wutain bred man, but I had been raised in Midgar's slums in Sector 7. We just couldn't afford to take that trip when my father was alive, and my mother refused to consider it regardless. I knew the Wutain language and culture, though, so I could easily fit into society there.
Besides my eyes and how I was raised, of course.
So I left to the commander's office again, and caught him as he was leaving. He looked at me tiredly. "Vincent, it's good to see you're ready early. I was just on my way to pick up the supplies from storage." I followed him as he shuffled to the storage room not far down the hallway. It was always entertaining how muddled the commander was in the early hours of the morning, but we all knew that as soon as the prospect of danger arose, he was awake and alert.
He asked me for my size, and then proceeded to search the room for the proper gear and such. It took almost thirty minutes of searching, but we finally had all of our gear together and packed away. I was fully ready to leave then, but Falcon had other ideas.
"Do you want to visit your mother before we head out of Midgar?" I thought for a long while as we walked swiftly to the garage, heading for the commander's motorcycle that we would be riding. I got on behind him after we had loaded the packs.
"If you do not mind, I believe that would be good. She will not be very welcoming, but if I die without saying goodbye, it would haunt me." He nodded, and told me to let him know where to turn. We wound through morning traffic and down the road to the lower plate. I pointed to the right when we got to a small dirt road to an apartment complex.
We slowed down in the parking lot, and I took a calming breath. I had a strong feeling that I shouldn't be here, but I couldn't turn back without losing face. I headed up the stairs slowly, thinking over what I would say to the woman who raised me, who I hadn't spoken to in three years. I stopped in front of the door and turned to the commander who had followed.
"I'm not sure how she will react. If you would like to wait outside, please feel free." Falcon just shook his head and gestured to the door.
I knocked loudly, knowing that she wouldn't hear otherwise. Soon enough, we picked up grumbling and shuffling inside before the sound of bolts and locks being turned. The door opened and there she stood, in all her trashy, poor, slightly plump around the middle glory. She sadly was still wearing the old rag of a dress I had once made for her between customers. I had sent my last paycheck to her, but I could be sure that she wouldn't mention it. So I was lucky to have brought a large roll of bills to use as a peace offering.
Her eyes narrowed before she stepped aside. As soon as I set foot inside, she spoke. "What are you doing back here, boy? I thought you'd be gone 'til you die and they send for me for the funeral." I shook my head and glanced at Commander Falcon.
"I'm going on my first mission tomorrow, and if I stay alive, I'll be a Turk."
She opened her mouth in surprise. "Your first mission?" she hissed. "What have you been doin' for three goddamn years?"
I took a breath and looked at my hands. "I was in basic training. The first mission is the exam for graduation, so to speak. After this, I can," I said as I pulled out the money, "support you better." She snatched it away and counted it.
She glared. "You're shitting me," she shouted. "You made more than this in a week back here!" She was getting louder by the word and Falcon was starting to look uncomfortable. "We could be rolling in cash if you had stayed at the Black Mamba! I had to start working there when you left!"She tore at the front of her dress, by the oddly bulging stomach. "It's your fault I have this thing growing in me!"
Poor Vinny's gonna be a big brother! Random thing to put in, but it'll come into play later.
And we have a guest appearance next chapter! Who will it be...?