A/N: Another chapter updated, and rather soon too. (soon for me that is) I really wanted to write this chapter and the next chapter too. (so don't worry the next chap should be up really soon.) ^_^ As for this chapter, yes it's kinda short but it's actually supposed to be that way. I had fun writing this chapter though it was hard too. I just hope I keep everyone IC (probably my biggest pet peeve in fanfiction).
And because I haven't done it directly before I will thank my reviewers. So thank you to: Favrite of Chaos, I'll Be Your Lie, Nekoline, Neriel Vielefield, and Reborn Demon Dog Girl. Thank you to all of you for you positive and encouraging reviews. And Neriel Vielefield, as I said I do love cliff-hangers but don't worry too much this story's got me good so expect more soon...but don't expect the Cliffy's to go away. (cause they're really fun to write!) ^_^
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the setting used.
One last comment to note is that the inspiration for the second half of this chapter was the Evanescence song 'Everybodys Fool'
Cloud and Tifa just looked on in shock. Tifa reached down and tested for a pulse on the gunman's smooth pale neck. There was none. Looking up the fear was readily noticeable in her chocolate colored orbs. Turning and putting a hand on Cloud's shoulder she stood up.
"You two watch over him, I'm going to find someone who can help." With that she turned and hurried away towards the Chocobo Racing track ticket office. After staring at the motionless ex-Turk for a while Cloud turned to Cid and asked,
"Where the hell were you guys and what the hell were you doing Cid? How did Vincent get poisoned? And, for the love of Gaia's mercy, why didn't you have any materia or other supplies to deal with it?" Cid gave him a scowl and replied in a harsh tone,
"Don't Fckin' start with me Spike. It's a long story and even I don't know fully what was goin' on. Vincent was chasing something and yelled at me ta follow…so I did. Then everythin' went ta hell…royally. Vince got hurt and I've been tryin' to find him help ever since. End of story." Cloud shook his head commenting,
"That's not the full story is it?" Cid glared and went to reply but just then the rest of AVALANCHE showed up following Tifa. Yuffie reached into a small pack she wore around her waist and pulled out a Revive Materia. Kneeling down on one knee over Vincent's motionless body she placed her left palm on his chest and cast the Life1 Spell while griping the Materia in her right hand. A soft glow emitted from the hand into his body and after a few tense seconds Vincent stirred.
Blinking his shining crimson eyes open he looked up at the company surrounding him while noting the relief their faces; though none more so than Cid's. The pilot gave his shoulder a squeeze and asked,
"Ya okay now Vincent?" Lifting his gauntlet the gunman gently grabbed Cid's arm and pushed it away while sitting up. His gaze was still looking around him as he replied in his cold monotonous manner,
"I'm fine Cid…Thank you." There was a huff of annoyance from off to his left and so he turned to investigate. Yuffie was still down on one knee, the Materia still clutched in her grip but now her hands were on her hips in an irritated gesture and she was scowling. She huffed again and commented,
"Why are you thanking him Vinnie? I'm the one that saved your life." She held out the Materia for him to inspect adding, "See here's the Revive Materia I used to do it." Cloud glanced at the Materia and suddenly said,
"Hey, that's my Revive Materia! Yuffie you promised not to steal anymore! Hand it over…now." The spiky blonde leader held out his hand to her but instead of handing the item over Yuffie held it away from him. She replied,
"To clarify what you said Spike, you said not to steal from the stores, hotels, shop keepers and so on…you never said anything about not to steal from you. Besides," she added while tucking the Materia back into her pouch, "I need to practice my skills on someone to keep them sharp." Cloud gave her a hard glare, sapphire eyes burning and said in a threatening tone,
"Yuffie, Do Not Steal. Not from the shops and not from us. End of discussion, got it?" Yuffie just huffed again, folded her arms stubbornly and turned her back to him. Vincent just shook his head at the entire situation, but as he stood up he gave a quiet thank you to the ninja. The rest of the group then stood up as well.
Hearing a strange sound Vincent then turned toward the railing of the balcony. The sound was getting closer and as a result it was getting louder. Nanaki's ears perked up and he asked,
"Do you guys hear that?" Vincent nodded and walked to the balcony's edge. Peering over the railing he commented,
"It's a helicopter… and it's headed this way." The others stepped slightly closer and Cid asked,
"The hell's a helicopter doing here?"
Before anyone could give him an answer the vehicle rose into view only about 15 feet from the balcony. The side door was open and Tseng was leaning against the frame clapping his black leather clad hands slowly.
"Bravo…I must say that that ragtag bunch of mercenaries cares a bit about you Vincent Andre Valentine." He stopped clapping and folded his arms continuing, "But I have to wonder…would they still be so quick to aid you if they knew?"
Vincent eyes narrowed and his look turned to a glare but with a hint of guarded confusion. He asked in a cold tone,
"If they knew what, Tseng?" The Turk smirked coolly back at the gunman and but tilted his gaze to the left slightly. Not taking his eyes fully off of Tseng Vincent did the same. A small blur bounced up onto the railing and threw something small, green and shiny to Tseng who lifted one of his hands casually to catch it. Tseng gave a chuckle at Vincent's mixed expression of anger and confusion. Holding up the glossy orb for all of AVALANCHE to see he commented,
"Ah, the Keystone, hmm…looks more like a Materia then I imagined it to." He shrugged and said, "Oh well, it does not matter just as long as it's in our possession and not yours." He looked at Cloud and commented,
"Shinra thanks you for being so generous as to win the Keystone for us." Cloud balled his fist and seethed,
"I didn't win it for you, bastard." Tseng's smirk didn't falter in the slightest. He gave a nod in agreement and went back to looking over his prize.
"Very true Cloud and perhaps you would have kept it if your Resident Assassin hadn't been shall we say 'preoccupied' at the time he discovered the Keystone was being stolen by Cait Sith?"
As the Turk finished speaking he gave a sarcastic grin to Vincent who, if looks could kill would have overkilled Tseng right there. Cloud stepped up next to the ex-Turk and asked,
"Just what were you doing Vincent and why didn't you go after Cait?"
"What indeed. And don't worry Cloud Vincent did pursue Cait Sith but it wasn't to recover the Keystone was it Vincent?"
Vincent didn't reply, in fact he didn't say anything at all, he just stared murderously at the Turk. Tseng just shook his head still smirking and said,
"Not one to take up the baton are we, Valentine? Or are you afraid of what your 'friends' would do if they knew your rather unholy secret?" Cid stepped up to Vincent's other side and gently put a hand on his shoulder.
"Vincent?" he asked the gunman. Vincent again remained stiff and silent. Tseng shrugged and stated,
"You don't talk to refute anything or make an attempt to defend yourself. How odd. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that your 'friends' don't know just what your accused of? It would seem that by remaining silent you're admitting that you did something wrong. Honesty, that's a trait that you made your companions believe that you very much possessed. Hmm, I have to wonder just how they'd feel if they knew the gravity of the lie you've be so careful to make them believe? Just how much would they trust you if they knew the truth? Would they trust you?"
Vincent remained as a statue during the entire course of Tseng's berating commentary. Cid however, didn't have the same level of self control. Giving the Turk Leader a fierce glare he demanded,
"Spit it out already, jus' what are ya accusing Vincent of, bastard? Vincent did go after the Keystone and damn near got killed tryin' to stop it from reaching your slimy hands." Tseng again nodded and replied,
"I said he went after it, I also said that he didn't go after Cait for the Keystone…at least not as his primary concern. I know what his chief concern was, but why say it when I can show it to you instead…because, whereas I can lie, one thing you show know by now is: the cameras don't lie."
Vincent's blood ran like ice water through his veins. He didn't know there were cameras. He wanted to smack himself upside the head for not realizing there would be cameras in a place as big and populated as the Golden Saucer. However, he just remained motionless not wanting to show any doubt or nervousness he felt creeping inside. Cid wasn't convinced, after all Tseng still hadn't told them what Vincent had been doing and he didn't trust the Shinra scum to begin with. He gave Vincent's shoulder a reassuring squeeze and glared at Tseng again.
"Well bastard, if ya've got this amazin' undisputable proof that Vincent did something absolutely horrible then I want to see it right now. If ya can't present that then yer wastin' yer breath 'cause there ain't no way any of us are gonna believe any of the shit coming outta yer mouth." Tseng just laughed in response and said,
"As you wish Highwind." He lifted hand and gestured to Cait Sith who was still standing on the railing its tail wrapped around the bar for balance.
The Turk commented as the feline turned toward them, "You already know this but Cait Sith is a robot, though one that works for both Shinra and more importantly it works for the Golden Saucer as more than just a toy. Its real use is that of it is as a security guard. To do its job well Cait Sith records everything it sees for the records. So Cait would you be so kind as to reply just what Vincent had been doing?"
The robot nodded and jumped down from the railing onto the balcony floor. It took every ounce of Vincent's self control to not just go over and kick the robot over the railing and watch it fall into oblivion below. But that would have been suspicious so he decided to take his chances leaping into fire through the cameras lens instead.
Cait motioned for the group to make room and everyone stepped back forming a wide circle around the tiny feline android. Vincent turned to look as well but made no other movements or show of emotion.
Cait did something none of the group had ever seen before—he opened his eyes, which revealed two camera-like lenses. Turning his head toward the ground half way between the circle's edge and itself it commented in its Scottish accent,
"Here we go, let's get this peep show started." Cait Sith's camera eyes lit up and projected at 3-D holographic image of the hallway outside the Theater. Down at the other end of the hallway a figure swathed in blood red crouched over something against the wall. There was the sound of a Scottish accent exclaiming Holy Cannoli! Which had to have been Cait Sith itself. But it was the figures reaction that was the most surprising. The figure looked up revealing a man with Vincent's exact delicate features…and blood running down his chin. He had the expression on his face like a cross between a caged animal and a child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The thing he was leaning over was revealed to be an adult male of medium build…with four deep fang wounds in his throat with fresh crimson blood oozing out. The figure cloaked in red pulled a small short barreled handgun from where he had it pressed against the man's chest to his neck and shot a scatter shot into the mans neck. The figure then jumped up—gun sit drawn and now pointing at the camera—started running towards it. The projection then shut off and Cait folded its arms and closed its eyes stating,
"After that, the rest is history." The group was looking at each other, to Vincent and then back to each other. The sound of the helicopter pulling away drew their attention momentarily. Tseng simply laughed as he grabbed the doors frame for support and shouted,
"Tell me Valentine, one really be trusted to tell the truth when their whole life is nothing but a disgraceful lie created to hide an even more appalling monster?" Vincent had his head down and eyes closed; he didn't reply. As the helicopter receded into the distant night sky the groups' attention was once again placed on the ex-Turk. When Vincent finally raised his head Cloud looked him straight in the eye and asked in a serious tone,
"If you're even capable of telling the truth answer me this: did what we saw in that recording actually really happen?" Vincent wasn't quick to answer. He was feeling broken; the discovery of his secret so wide in the open left him unable to find words to express…anything really. Growing impatient after only a few seconds Cloud seized his upper arm in a firm grip and said in a fierce tone that border lined anger,
"Answer the question Vincent." The lost gunman retained his silence. Instead Cid spoke up,
"Why are we so easily believin' this garbage? Think about it: Cait Sith's a robot that has been admitting working for Shinra. That stupid shit could fabricate anything besides Vincent wouldn't do it, would ya Vince?" He turned to the gunman, who after a few seconds shook his head and said in a very quiet voice,
"Don't try to protect me Cid; I'm not worth your time or effort." Raising his head Vincent looked at Cloud. The blonde could see the regret and sadness burning in his eyes but the rest of his face remained emotionless as usual. Taking a deep breath Vincent stated loud and clear,
"It would have been easier if you had just left me dead." Cloud just stared, after a moment he hauled off and punched Vincent as hard as he could in the face causing gunman to stumble back, collapsing against the railing slowly sliding until he hit the floor. Blood starting flowing from his nose and split lip but Vincent made no move to stand up or even wipe it away. His vision, which had been blurred by the initial impact, began to clear giving him a view of his 'friends.'
Cloud was breathing heavy and seething eyes on fire with both hands clenched into fists so tightly there was blood dripping from where the fingernails had dug into the skin. Barret had his gun arm raised toward him and was bracing it with his other hand; he had a looking of absolute hatred etched deeply into his rough features. Tifa had her hands clenched into fists at her sides her, figure halfway shifted into a battle stance. Her expression held guarded anger and her eyes—mistrust was easily readable. Yuffie stood to her right with her armored left arm protectively out in front of her and her right hand glinted with the faint glow of a mastered Fire Materia. She looked more scared then angry. Next to her was Aerith standing with her arms out in front of her hands not quite balled into fists and she had an angry yet unsure expression. Nanaki was next; he seemed to be the most 'relaxed' of the group. He had all four paws planted firmly on the ground and his hair was only raised slightly his face expressed no emotion.
Vincent's eyes finally shifted to the last person in the group—Cid. The pilot was holding his wounded shoulder and was looking at Vincent. His expression meant the most as well as hurt the most to see. The captain had a hurt expression that seemed to almost scream the sorrow of betrayal. Vincent closed his eyes unable to look at the hate of his comrades any longer. Withholding the tears that threatened to break what was left of his strong emotionless façade was all he could manage to do at the time.
A/N: A cliff hanger... less of an 'oh shit' one but one nonetheless. It's here in this chapter that things really start getting interesting.
Vincent: why do you have to torment me?
Shadow of the Doubt: Because eating the veggies makes the dessert all the sweeter in the end
Vincent and Cid: (raised eyebrows) ...
Vincent: I'm revoking your analogy privileges for now, for your sanity and ours
Shadow of the Doubt: Give me a break guys it's 4:30 in the morning and I've been writing all night. Geez, everyone's a critic.
Any way read and review and perhaps I post the next chapter sooner...when things really start "heating up" (wink, wink)