He took one step. And then another. The man in front of him drew his gun as Vincent quickly pulled his death penalty out of it's holster. Vincent's red eyes scanned the man as his opponent seemed to do the same.
Their movements were almost identical. Their mannerisms were one in the same. There couldn't have been two better matched opponents...
Vincent's red cape rustled in the wind as it also caught the young man's suit jacket, causing it to flare behind him. Both men stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity before one of them spoke.
"Vincent."His voice harsh, but somewhat full of amusement. His dark eyes meeting Vincent's, chilling his very soul.
"Tseng." Vincent nodded in acknowledgment to the younger man.
Vincent took one step to the left, and Tseng followed in suit. The two began pacing in a circle as two cats would before a prowl as they continued to speak.
"I heard you were dead." Tseng lowered his gun slightly.
"And I heard you were leading the Turks as of late." Vincent replied harshly causing Tseng's eyes to narrow down upon him once more.
Tseng shook his black hair out of his face as he continued to stare at Vincent. He brought his gun back up so his line of fire was directly in line with Vincent's temple. "You heard correctly." Tseng replied, returning Vincent's harsh tone. "And since you were the former leader of the Turks, you realize what I must do."
Vincent nodded sharply, but then looked directly into Tseng's eyes. The pain...the
torment... "If one had only heard his voice," Vincent thought,"Tseng's monotone voice would have provided sufficient proof for the sincerity of his actions, but his eyes..." The startling realization hit him. Tseng's pain filled eyes were all but a mirror of his own.
"No." Vincent replied after a long moment of silence. Vincent dropped his head disgustedly, causing his long black hair to fall over his face. "I do not understand why this must take place."
"If you only knew..." Tseng's voice had softened dramatically, his eyes were almost pleading for another alternative.
"I know a lot of things..." Vincent replied. "But I do not see reason for this bloodshed."Vincent's head suddenly jerked back up and met Tseng's stoic face. "And neither do you." Vincent said sharply in almost a whisper.
Vincent's words hung heavily in the air as they pierced Tseng's heart in it's most vulnerable place:The truth. It broke the barrier of the lies that had protected his aching heart that he had made himself believe. And now, it would seem, the walls of his life were coming tumbling down.
The gun in Tseng's hands began to waver. Tseng fought the tears that were welling up in his eyes as he regained his grip on the gun. The strain was evident on his face as he tried to conceal his emotions.
Tseng's heart was pounding, his temples throbbing...Would he betray his brother for a company based on lies and deceit?
"I....I....can't do it..." Tseng hung his head disgustedly, his black hair falling down in front of his face as he dropped his gun to his side.
"I knew you couldn't..." A woman's soft voice echoed from a nearby alley.
"Who?!" Tseng spun around as he raised his gun again looking for the source of the sound.
She slowly stepped out of the shadows. Her pink dressed flowed around her as she gripped her iron staff loosely. "I just knew you couldn't..."
Tseng asked in almost a whisper as he dropped his pistol once more."Aeris?"
Vincent stepped back momentarily, confused by the two's knowledge of each other. "You...know each other?"
"For a very long time, Vincent, and under circumstances I wish could have been different." Tseng sighed, his glance shifting from Vincent to Aeris.
Aeris nodded. "Tseng was nice enough not to force me into Dr. Hojo's lab."Aeris smiled embarassedly."He's known me since I was little."
For the first time, Vincent saw Tseng smile slightly, and a small spark in his once saddened eyes.Aeris returned his gesture with her bright smile as she approached the two men.
"What do you plan to do now?" Vincent asked Tseng as he holstered his death penalty in it's leather casing.
"I honestly don't know, Vincent." Tseng's face turned solemn again as he turned to face Vincent.
Aeris stepped up beside Tseng. "You can't go back to the Shin-Ra." Aeris said sternly, as if ordering him to leave the company. "Too much blood has been lost already." Aeris paused. "Tseng, the Shin-Ra is isn't you. You're too much of a human being to be a part of that heartless thing. You have a heart, Tseng...don't try to hide it." She whispered compasionately.
"I..."Tseng began.
"Don't lie to yourself,Tseng." Vincent sighed as he began to walk away. "You're only fooling yourself."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And with that thought, Vincent Valentine left the Shin-Ra mansion, hoping to have left another part of his painful past behind him. But was the nightmare truely over? Or had it just begun?
Their movements were almost identical. Their mannerisms were one in the same. There couldn't have been two better matched opponents...
Vincent's red cape rustled in the wind as it also caught the young man's suit jacket, causing it to flare behind him. Both men stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity before one of them spoke.
"Vincent."His voice harsh, but somewhat full of amusement. His dark eyes meeting Vincent's, chilling his very soul.
"Tseng." Vincent nodded in acknowledgment to the younger man.
Vincent took one step to the left, and Tseng followed in suit. The two began pacing in a circle as two cats would before a prowl as they continued to speak.
"I heard you were dead." Tseng lowered his gun slightly.
"And I heard you were leading the Turks as of late." Vincent replied harshly causing Tseng's eyes to narrow down upon him once more.
Tseng shook his black hair out of his face as he continued to stare at Vincent. He brought his gun back up so his line of fire was directly in line with Vincent's temple. "You heard correctly." Tseng replied, returning Vincent's harsh tone. "And since you were the former leader of the Turks, you realize what I must do."
Vincent nodded sharply, but then looked directly into Tseng's eyes. The pain...the
torment... "If one had only heard his voice," Vincent thought,"Tseng's monotone voice would have provided sufficient proof for the sincerity of his actions, but his eyes..." The startling realization hit him. Tseng's pain filled eyes were all but a mirror of his own.
"No." Vincent replied after a long moment of silence. Vincent dropped his head disgustedly, causing his long black hair to fall over his face. "I do not understand why this must take place."
"If you only knew..." Tseng's voice had softened dramatically, his eyes were almost pleading for another alternative.
"I know a lot of things..." Vincent replied. "But I do not see reason for this bloodshed."Vincent's head suddenly jerked back up and met Tseng's stoic face. "And neither do you." Vincent said sharply in almost a whisper.
Vincent's words hung heavily in the air as they pierced Tseng's heart in it's most vulnerable place:The truth. It broke the barrier of the lies that had protected his aching heart that he had made himself believe. And now, it would seem, the walls of his life were coming tumbling down.
The gun in Tseng's hands began to waver. Tseng fought the tears that were welling up in his eyes as he regained his grip on the gun. The strain was evident on his face as he tried to conceal his emotions.
Tseng's heart was pounding, his temples throbbing...Would he betray his brother for a company based on lies and deceit?
"I....I....can't do it..." Tseng hung his head disgustedly, his black hair falling down in front of his face as he dropped his gun to his side.
"I knew you couldn't..." A woman's soft voice echoed from a nearby alley.
"Who?!" Tseng spun around as he raised his gun again looking for the source of the sound.
She slowly stepped out of the shadows. Her pink dressed flowed around her as she gripped her iron staff loosely. "I just knew you couldn't..."
Tseng asked in almost a whisper as he dropped his pistol once more."Aeris?"
Vincent stepped back momentarily, confused by the two's knowledge of each other. "You...know each other?"
"For a very long time, Vincent, and under circumstances I wish could have been different." Tseng sighed, his glance shifting from Vincent to Aeris.
Aeris nodded. "Tseng was nice enough not to force me into Dr. Hojo's lab."Aeris smiled embarassedly."He's known me since I was little."
For the first time, Vincent saw Tseng smile slightly, and a small spark in his once saddened eyes.Aeris returned his gesture with her bright smile as she approached the two men.
"What do you plan to do now?" Vincent asked Tseng as he holstered his death penalty in it's leather casing.
"I honestly don't know, Vincent." Tseng's face turned solemn again as he turned to face Vincent.
Aeris stepped up beside Tseng. "You can't go back to the Shin-Ra." Aeris said sternly, as if ordering him to leave the company. "Too much blood has been lost already." Aeris paused. "Tseng, the Shin-Ra is isn't you. You're too much of a human being to be a part of that heartless thing. You have a heart, Tseng...don't try to hide it." She whispered compasionately.
"I..."Tseng began.
"Don't lie to yourself,Tseng." Vincent sighed as he began to walk away. "You're only fooling yourself."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And with that thought, Vincent Valentine left the Shin-Ra mansion, hoping to have left another part of his painful past behind him. But was the nightmare truely over? Or had it just begun?