Darkening Abyss Ch 9
Hello everyone and Merry Christmas! This is my present for you all for being such wonderful readers and reviewers. Ya'll rock ~_^ No seriously y'all really really really do! I'm so pleased with all of you enjoying this fic! Here! Take some Christmas cookies and enjoy this chapter! Hope your day will be awesome!
Enjoy!
"Hojo is after you, Cloud Strife."
Right then and there, the world seemed to stop as all eyes in the room zoomed in on Cloud. Rufus's voice echoed loudly in Cloud's head seeing as to how he was once again the subject of Professor Hojo's madness. Yet it all made sense now… Him being attacked, controlled, used to harm his friends… to harm Vincent... Damn it all, damn everything. The blonde didn't move or make any sort of motion signaling that he had heard Rufus's statement. What was he supposed to do? Rush off into Odin knows where and find Hojo and kill him? He couldn't just up and leave. No, this wasn't like back then when he left everyone for his own selfish causes due to the remnants. No, now he had people here who would definitely track him down and bring him back kicking and screaming rather than leaving him alone.
If Hojo wanted Cloud, what was he going to do to him once he got his hands on his former test subject? Probably strap him down to a table yet again. Hell no. Cloud would not let Hojo get him; he would never succumb to Hojo's desires to use Cloud's body to take control of the world and reap havoc across the lands. Cloud had people he needed to protect. During the very brief seconds that passed by while Cloud was thinking about why Hojo wanted him, he did make a sound nor spoke of his thoughts.
Zack provided his voice for Cloud, slamming his fists onto Rufus's desk in anger. "Damn it! Damn him!"
"Zack calm down…" Cloud's voice was barely above a whisper, after all, what was anger now going to do besides raise tempers and create unease amongst the others?
"No! That fucker is still alive and he's toying with us again! Rufus why is he doing this?!" Angry violet eyes connected with Rufus's own twin pools of ocean blue. Even in death it seemed that Zack could never be fully free of the Professors' hold on him. Just look at where he was now due to the scientists experiments.
"My guess? Take over the world. He tried with Sephiroth and failed. Now he's onto his next best subject." Rufus closed his eyes as if in thought before arising out of his chair. He clasped his hands behind his back, standing near the back window overlooking the city. It irked him that Hojo was indeed toying with them yet again. The blonde president loathed the man greatly.
"Yeah, as Rufus said, that bastard found a way of using the lifestream and Jenova, combining them into one lethal force; life and death all in one." Reno crossed his arms as his green eyes scanned the information on the screen again. All of this gave him major goosebumps. He dreaded the idea of the Professor toying with the lifestream as well as using the alien calamity to warp the minds of those he controlled... If he got his hands on Cloud it would only spell out disaster for the rest of the world. Though a vast majority heard whispers of the blonde hero, they never knew hos closely linked he was to Jenova. The boy over came her cries for power and brought down Sephiroth, effectively stopping Meteor from destroying the planet.
"That is correct. Now we need to await the return of Tseng and Vincent from Nibelheim." Rufus turned back to go through the information again just as a woman with blonde hair knocked and entered the room.
"Sir, Tseng just reported back in. Line 3." The woman gave a curt nod, eyes not even bothering to look towards all the others in the room.
"Thank you, Elena." Rufus reached for the black phone located on his desk.
She nodded and left the room as the Shinra President put the phone on speaker for all to hear. "Tseng, what is your status?"
"Sir, we had a few… issues but the mission has been successful." The strain in Tseng's voice did not go unnoticed by all the room occupants. Tseng never sounded so... out of it before. It unnerved the rest of the people in the room. Just what had they encountered on their mission?
"Tseng, what is your status?" Rufus again questioned his head Turk, this time with a more authoritative tone. Tseng had tried to weasel out of it the first time but the pain in his voice, though trying to hid it, did not make Rufus halt his questioning. The black haired Wutai Turk was his best Turk and a most trusted allay. There was something that occurred in Nibelheim.
"Wounded, Sir." No matter how much he wanted to not inform President Rufus on his wounded body, having said male order him to tell him Tseng's status made the black haired gunner relay the message. It was rather embarrassing to do so. Tseng rarely was hurt on missions. Then again, the one with the remnants was quite unforgettable...
"How bad Tseng?" Reno cut in, wondering if his elder would be alright. This only made Tseng's embarrassment rise more, knowing that there were others in the room that would be able to overhear their conversation. Oh well... It only served him right for the loads of times when Reno or Rude radioed in whilst taking a mad beating from a target. Karma sucks.
"One of Hojo's creatures punctured my stomach with its horns, just like it did Cloud's. Not as severely though. I'll be fine."
"Roger that Tseng." Reno grinned as his pride for the Turks swelled; you can't keep a Turk down.
"Where's Vincent?" Cloud couldn't help it. He had to know if Vincent was alright. If Tseng was hurt then what about him?
"I'm fine Cloud." Vincent's monotonous voice sounded through the receiver.
Cloud's pounding heart instantly began to slow with the dark haired gunner's reassurance. "Good. How long will it take for you to get back here?"
Vincent gave a small disgruntled noise before responding. "Not as long as it took for us to arrive."
"I'll be waiting." Of course Cloud would be waiting; he wanted to apologize to Vincent for neglecting him. And... there might just be something else that Cloud desired to say. Over the past few days and the events held on each, Cloud had truly began to realize that he missed being around the darker male when he was gone and wanted Vincent back. Cloud hadn't thought that he liked Vincent as much but obviously his thoughts didn't mirror his emotions. It was a little strange at first but Cloud quickly over came it, rather enjoying crushing on the older male.
"Would you… mind making me some coffee?" Vincent couldn't help but ask. The craving that welled up within him for the caffeinated drink was rather annoying and nothing else seemed to remedy the need. It looked like the only medicine for Vincent's addiction would have to come from the blonde himself.
The others promptly erupted with laughter as Vincent Valentine asked for coffee. It was terribly odd to here the once doom and gloom vampire utter the word 'coffee' in a sentence. Will wonders ever cease? Cloud tried to hold back his mirth but it didn't work.
"I don't see the humor in this. My body is feeling… twitchy… I dislike it."
"Y-yeah. Haha. Yeah." Cloud smiled. Maybe, just maybe, being Hojo's target wasn't all that bad anymore. As long as he had his friends he'd be fine... right?
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As soon as the helicopter landed at Shinra, medics raced to Tseng's side, prompting him to lie down on the stretcher as they fluttered around him, checking vitals. The Turk kept reassuring them that he was alright but… doctors are doctors. Before they successfully wheeled off the Turk leader to his designated hospital room yet again, Tseng called out to Vincent reminding him to inform the other members ASAP. This small talk caught a few curious glances but were quickly blocked by the Wutai man's glare, reminding them that they belonged in the medical field. No matter what people thought of the 'good doctors' they were nosy bastards regardless of their ranking. Hell, being a doctor had its advantages in nabbing some useful information no?
Like I wasn't going to anyways. Vincent nodded and grabbed the collected information from the helicopter before any of the other Shinra employees became a little too snoopy. What the ex-Turk held in his hands was the files of a top suspect in this search to find Hojo and end his tirades. Whoever this Mikami was is now in a world full of trouble for being linked to the Professor. If Mikamii was working for Shinra as a doctor then... Vincent's heart began pounding a little faster, remembering Tseng informing him along the helicopter ride that Dr. Mikamii was caring for both Cloud and Zack. Both boys who were once in SOILDER as well as Professor Hojo's test subjects. This man was too close to Cloud and the dark haired gunner absolutely did not like that. Speaking of said blonde, the doors to the large corporation top floors opened, revealing a smiling Cloud.
Cloud. Seeing the others' smiling face made Vincent's heart clench a bit; he couldn't tell Cloud that he was being treated by one of Professor Hojo's lab assistants. The poor blonde would freak out. Fully hiding his thoughts behind a steel curtain, Vincent turned towards the other nearing him. It was good to see Cloud up and about rather than moping around.
"Vincent! Hey!" The young blonde was practically leaping with joy as he made his way over towards Vincent who was walking from the helicopter. Cloud noted that Vincent's red cape had a few cuts here and there as well as some lingering dirt on the back. Just how bad was the scuffle they spoke of on the phone?
The black haired gunslinger couldn't help but allow a small smile to grace his face at the sight of his companion's happiness. Cloud really did have an odd effect on him. "Cloud."
Said man gave Vincent a once over, making sure he was really alright. "Seems that you got out of that little skirmish with nothing."
Vincent was about to reply when Zack's humor laced voice cut in from the doorway. "That's probably because he used Tseng as a body shield."
"I did no such thing." Crimson eyes narrowed slightly at the joke.
"Aw it's ok Vinny! No need to be shy about it." Zack waved off the potential lethal glare as if it were nothing. And just what was with this nickname?
"It's Vincent." The golden clawed man rolled his eyes. Why was Zack being so friendly to him anyways? Vincent wasn't used to people automatically assuming he was a friend... But strangely enough, it really didn't bother him that much. Before Vincent would not have even cared if Zack said anything because he knew that no one would want to be near him... but ever since Cloud dragged him out of his coffin things began changing. Who would have thought that the mountain boy had such power over the stoic vampire? Must be the blonde's determination and will power. And that's what Vincent liked about Cloud: he always wanted to succeed, to do his best and to protect everyone.
"Vincent, this is Zack, Zack, Vincent." Cloud smiled. Everyone he cares for are all standing right in front of him. Safe.
"Yeah I remember Vampire Boy from when I was down running around in the underground caverns." The tall black haired first snickered at Vincent's frown. Boy this guy was going to be so much fun to joke around with! Zack simply couldn't wait to start up the friendly banter.
"Yes, I do recall someone repeatedly opening up my coffin and mumbling about finding keys. Quite a nuisance." Vincent smiled slightly as he watched Zack purse his lips, trying to think of a snappy comeback.
Zack held up his hands in mock surrender before he made his final jab at the ex-Turk. "Well it's good to know that Cloud's in capable hands."
Before Vincent could reply, Zack had diapered into the inner section of the building. "Now lets go sift through all those papers ya brought back buddy!"
As the door slammed, only Vincent and Cloud were left standing on the rooftop. The sun was finally setting, its vibrant hues of reds, oranges and yellows fading away onto the horizon as the cool blues and purples began interlacing themselves within the sky. The shroud of darkness soon settled lovingly over the city, gently encompassing the area in its cool embrace. Vincent glanced at Cloud, noting his blue eyes giving off a slight glow due to the mako running through his system. Quite a contrast to his own twin pools of heated crimson.
"We… found some very helpful information regarding the current issue at hand." Vincent motioned to the files he held in his un-clawed hand. Just what was this feeling welling up inside him? How was he supposed to act on it?
"That's good… Um, about Zack, he's just a really happy guy and loves joking around with people. Don't let what he says get under your skin." Cloud laughed, remembering Vincent tensing up when Zack made that comment about the boy being in capable hands. Why had Vincent stiffened slightly? It hurt Cloud a little but maybe... just maybe... that tensing was about something else.
"I don't mind. It's good to have your best friend back, isn't it?" Damn his jealousy. Vincent mentally kicked himself for saying that in a venomous tone. For the extremely brief moment Vincent had met and talked, or nattered, with Zack, Cloud's best friend seemed to be a good guy. Cloud deserved to be with someone like that. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling of happiness when Cloud smiled at his return.
Cloud caught the slight tinge of jealousy in Vincent's voice. It was rather amusing, seeing Vincent jealous like that. They had come such a long way from mere partners in battle to two roommates, living together and running a small business. Both had grown closer to one another; Cloud finding himself drawn towards the darker male and vice versa. This made the blonde warrior happy that he had someone he could really rely on and trust. "Yeah, it's great having him back. Of all the people, he didn't deserve to die."
"Are you… going to go back with him?" There. He said it. Vincent just had to know. This stupid feeling deep inside him was nearly suffocating him.
"I love him with all my heart." Cloud turned around and stared at the city splayed out before them.
Vincent knew this was going to happen… so why did he feel such remorse? Of course Cloud would go back with Zack. Vincent was a fool to think that he would stay with him forever. He wasn't worth anyone's affection. Vincent gazed downwards and fiddled with the papers he still held in his hands, seemingly defeated by the shorter males words.
"But not like that anymore. He is my brother and that is all I will ever now see him as. I've… found someone else who means a lot to me."
That being said, Cloud turned to Vincent and smiled, a faint blush creeping its way across pale cheeks. Vincent looked up into blue eyes and gulped realizing just how close they were to one another. Months spent with each other in Vincent's apartment… errands run, meals eaten, battles fought… Cloud's near death experience… All those times he's thought of Cloud… just like this… this very moment… This was the first time, in a long time, that Vincent Valentine let his emotions run on auto pilot and it felt damn good.
He finally connected his lips with Cloud's.
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"You owe me one hundred gil Reno." Zack smirked as the red head grumbled, reaching into his pocket and grabbing his wallet. Fishing out the money, Reno handed it towards the other and shoved the black wallet back into its rightful place. The dark haired first grinned and began counting his earned cash, making sure the sneaky Turk hadn't ripped him off.
"I was seriously rooting for blondie to take the initiative." Reno readjusted the video camera to its original position before they had spied on the two roof occupants. Zack had bumped into Reno in the hallway and told him about Vincent and Cloud's little 'them time', making the red head give his famous grin and pull Zack towards one of the security camera locations. That was when they made a bet on who would be the first to break the ice: Vincent or Chocobo Head.
"I can't believe we just did that." The black haired male leaned back in the office chair, watching Reno as he fiddled with another camera. Zack felt a little odd about spying on them but it was kinda cute how the two were fidgeting so much. And hey, now he was one hundred gil richer!
"Oh I can. And I don't feel the least bit guilty about it. Got something on Cloud now. Serves him right for when he interrupted Rufus and me earlier…" Reno's eye twitched remembering the interruption. He was so close and it was feeling so good.
"You and Rufus an item now eh?" Zack clasped his hands behind his head, violet eyes peering over towards the screen Reno was fiddling with.
"Hell yeah." The camera Reno was toying with showed Rufus at his desk, typing away furiously at the computer.
"It's going well right?"
Rufus looked up at the camera and flicked it off.
"Ohhh yeahhh…"
Zack simply roared with laughter.
Boy was it good to be alive.
TBC
Yes finally some Vincent and Cloud action ^^
Thanks so much you guys! *bows*
Remember to review ^_^
~ChaosGarden
