Chapter Nine: Confrontation

Cloud glanced up from his computer monitor just as Vincent silently slipped through the doorway of his office. He blinked, having forgotten they'd rescheduled their meeting for that morning, but supposed it didn't really matter. If he was honest with himself, he hadn't really had all that much to do as of late. The effort to recruit more members for their cause almost ran itself as word got out, with new refugees and rebels showing up at the lift almost daily. All he had to do was help organize them into departments and make sure their defenses remained strong. Shin-ra Incorporated remained distracted trying to recover from the loss of so many top employees along with their military base, however, and hadn't so much as made a peep. He knew they wouldn't remain silent forever, but for the moment all was well within Junon Harbor.

Cloud turned away from his screen, hoping Vincent hadn't noticed that he was only using it to instant message Tifa as she opened the Bulldog Tavern for the day. He didn't think so, as the other man had immediately turned to stare at the large world map pinned to the wall the moment he entered. He'd grown used to Vincent's oddities by now and didn't bother to say anything. He still gave Cloud the creeps, but so far he'd been invaluable handling internal security with his past experience as a Turk. He might have been strange and quiet, but he was clearly brilliant and worked hard for the team.

"Good morning, Vincent," Cloud said, as if he'd been waiting for him all along. "How are things?"

"Fine," came the reply, so quietly it was nearly a whisper. Cloud had no idea how someone with such an unusually deep voice could speak so softly. Sephiroth actually sounded a good deal like him, but without the ghostly quality and occasional Wutaiin accent slipping into his pronunciation. Much as he had always envied taller men, Cloud wished his voice was more commanding as well. Tifa assured him he was perfect and more than manly enough, but he had a difficult time believing that when he compared himself to most of his male teammates.

"Do you want to have a seat?"

"No."

"Okay…" Cloud shrugged to himself, grabbing a notebook and a pen from the side of his desk in case he wanted to take notes. He crossed his legs and balanced the pad atop his knee, absently playing with the pen as he spoke. "So, how's everything going with your Turks?"

Cloud was still a bit irritated that Vincent and Aeris had allowed the four former Shin-ra employees refuge in the base without consulting him. He knew both of them had a working PHS, after all, so the fact that he was out of town at the time was not an acceptable excuse. Aeris had apologized and said she simply didn't think about it in the heat of the moment, and he was inclined to believe her. Vincent, however… He had no idea what his reasoning was, and that almost bothered him more than the slight itself.

There was a pause, and Cloud thought he saw Vincent's shoulders lift in a slight shrug. "They seem to be settling in well… and have not created any problems. Aeris gave them enough gil to cover their basic needs, and has arranged for them to be given food and other necessities each week. Elena would only agree to see the female doctor from town, but she and the baby are both in good health. Tseng had actually sustained a fracture to the orbit of his eye in addition to the concussion, but it was already healing when discovered."

Cloud nodded, glad to hear that Hojo had not managed to harm another innocent child, or Elena for that matter. It was bad enough that the sick fuck had experimented on him and so many others in SOLDIER, but the fact that he was willing to hurt women and children managed to make him even more vile. That he'd been killed by Tseng definitely helped the Turks' cause in his eyes. And he did remember how their leader had released them from the brig when they were being held for execution. Because of those actions, he had allowed them to stay despite his initial anger. There was also a good chance they would provide a huge tactical advantage, something Cloud knew they would need once Shin-ra got back on their feet and decided they wanted their base back.

"That's good to hear. And Reno and Rude have stayed out of trouble?"

Vincent nodded. "Reno complains a lot, but yes. I have found that I can use him to keep Yuffie busy, and then both of them leave me alone."

Cloud grinned crookedly, a bit taken aback. Was that meant to be a joke? It was so hard to tell where he was concerned. "Is that why you decided to assign her to watch after them?"

"Partially. She kept asking me to give her something to do other than standing around 'bored' on guard duty, so I obliged her. She seems to be taking the responsibility quite seriously, though she has made it clear that she dislikes Reno and would prefer not to work with him. I keep pretending to forget… I do not wish to inflict him upon Aeris."

"He'd end up making one too many crude remarks to her and getting killed by Sephiroth."

Vincent grunted in agreement, still keeping his back turned with his red cloak wrapped tightly around his lean body. It was actually rather warm in the small office, and Cloud wondered how he could possibly be cold.

"By the way, has Tseng been in touch with this mysterious 'inside contact' of his yet? And are you sure he really has one?" Cloud remained skeptical about the information, unsure if he was up to something sinister, had lied to gain entry into the base, or was actually being genuine. It was certainly possible that Tseng had someone he could still trust within the company, but Cloud had no idea who it might be.

"Not as of yet… I am meeting with him some time this week to discuss it. I will need to give him access to either a computer or PHS, and he will need to be watched closely."

"Just be careful. Any information he can get for us would be great, but not if it comes at too great a risk. We can't dismiss that the whole thing might have been a ruse until there is proof otherwise."

"Agreed."

An uncomfortable silence quickly fell over the small office. Cloud couldn't think of anything else they needed to talk about, but Vincent made no move to leave. No move at all, in fact. He continued to stand and stare at the map, even his long cloak completely still. Cloud watched his back, unsure of what to say, setting his notebook back on the desktop and trying to look as if he was organizing his things. He really wanted the older man to take his leave, embarrassed to admit he was still intimidated and a bit afraid of him. But he continued to linger long after the end of their conversation, as if he was waiting for something.

"Is there… anything else I can do for you?" Cloud finally asked, unable to take the awkwardness any longer. He was surprised when Vincent actually nodded and finally turned to face him.

"Yes, actually…"

Cloud was so busy staring at him that he almost didn't hear the words. Vincent looked terrible, as if he'd been out on a wild all-nighter and had yet to return home to sleep it off. Ever since Lucrecia had returned to his life, the most reclusive member of the team had been making more of an effort with his appearance. But now his hair was as wild as Cloud had ever seen, and upon closer inspection there seemed to be a twig tangled up in it. Even the whites of his eyes were reddish in color, and there were various spots of dirt on the dark clothing visible beneath his cloak. Vincent didn't often work during the day, but perhaps he'd been investigating something outdoors before their meeting? Cloud knew he despised sunlight, wondering if that was the reason his eyes were discolored and he looked so exhausted.

"Are you feeling okay…?" he asked hesitantly, shifting uneasily in his chair. Vincent always had that effect on him to a degree, but there was something different about him, a tension just beneath the surface, that set him on edge.

"Yes, just tired," he answered a bit too quickly, taking a few steps closer to Cloud's desk. "I wish to discuss a more… personal matter with you."

"Oh…?" That was the last thing he expected to hear, and Cloud suddenly felt as if most of the oxygen had been sucked from the room. He didn't like the intense way Vincent was looking at him, feeling like an insect beneath his gaze as he towered over him.

"It is a favor of sorts," he went on in his impossibly quiet voice, oblivious to or uncaring about any discomfort he was causing. "Regarding Sephiroth."

Cloud frowned, a bad taste instantly in his mouth. "What about him?" he asked as flatly as he could, wishing he was almost anywhere else on the Planet but seated behind his desk about to have this conversation.

"Don't you think it is time you stopped holding a grudge and gave him more responsibility on the base? It has been a year since he changed his ways…"

Cloud groaned, briefly lifting a hand to his forehead. This was not a discussion he ever wanted to have, especially not one-on-one with his rival's father. "Vincent, you already know how I feel about that…"

"He has done nothing hostile or violent in almost all of that time," Vincent continued anyway, his voice growing a bit louder and more forceful, "Despite the fact that he has been on the receiving end of attacks and abuse many time." He pointedly raised an eyebrow, staring right into Cloud's eyes and sending a chill down his spine.

"I know, I know… but it's just too risky," Cloud argued, shaking his head. "I'm just not comfortable with the idea. He's been given an impressive title, and he gets to run drills and help train new recruits. I stay out of his way and he stays out of mine. What more do you expect me to do?"

"Perhaps get over your fear of him and treat him fairly."

"I am not afraid of the bastard!"

Cloud almost didn't realize what was happening until it was too late to react. With impossible quickness, Vincent had lunged across the desk and grabbed a hold of his shirt collar with his golden claw, effortlessly lifting him up out of his chair. Cloud found himself dragged across the surface of his workspace and held several inches off the ground on the other side, nearly eye to eye with a very angry man. Or was he…?

Vincent's red eyes had changed in those few seconds, now several shades darker and glowing with predatory desire. Cloud could both hear and feel that he was growling, frozen in terror and staring into his face with wide eyes. His features had begun to change and his mouth was twisted into a snarl, fangs already peeking out from beneath his upper lip. His skin had taken on a feint purplish tone, and when Cloud noticed how his ears had become pointed, he knew he was in serious trouble. Chaos was beginning to emerge, and he was pissed.

"DO NOT CALL MY SON THAT WORD EVER AGAIN, OR I WILL KILL YOU!" snarled a voice that didn't fully belong to Vincent. His grip on Cloud's shirt only tightened as he continued to hold him in the air, glaring hatefully into his face.

Oh shit… I am so dead. Think, Cloud, think!

"I-I'm sorry!" he managed to choke out, lifting his hands and trying in vain to pry Vincent's claw off of him. "I didn't mean it literally!"

Vincent tilted his head and studied him in an alarmingly predatory manner, as if he was considering the words but not quite sure how to react. Cloud took that as a good sign that the human side of him was still partially in control and swallowed hard, realizing he had to reach him quickly or someone would soon be cleaning him off the walls with a putty knife.

"I didn't mean any disrespect, Vincent," Cloud said as calmly as he could, starting to feel a bit dizzy from lack of oxygen. "Please put me down, and we can talk about it!" He hoped he was still speaking to Vincent and not the demon that possessed him, because if that were true he was probably already dead.

"Listen to me, Vincent!" he continued to rasp when the other man failed to react, his lips still curled into a snarl and his body trembling with rage. "I'll- I'll see what I can do, all right? I'll look for something else Sephiroth can help with. I already said I was sorry. Now put me down!"

For a moment, Cloud thought he had gotten through, but he closed his eyes in horror a moment later when he felt Vincent's iron grip tighten. He could feel himself lifted even higher off the ground, realizing that the other man had actually grown taller, and much stronger as well. He swallowed hard as a deep growl filled the room, fully expecting the pain to come any moment.

Well, it's been a nice ride… Sorry, Tif.

And then he suddenly crumbled to the floor as he was unceremoniously released. He opened eyes, looking up in confusion as he struggled to his knees. Vincent stood towering over him, his eyes still glowing dangerously and his features still blended with those of Chaos. Cloud shifted back as far as he could against his desk, trembling from head and foot and still certain he was about to be attacked.

"I am sorry," Vincent mumbled in a voice that was still far rougher and more gravelly than his own. And then he was gone, out the door in a flash of red and leaving a cold chill behind him.

Cloud climbed to his feet on wobbly legs, holding onto his desk for support and breathing hard. He lifted one hand to his neck and rubbed the spot where his shirt collar had dug into his skin, dropping into his chair with a heavy sigh. He had never been so terrified in his life, not even when faced with an insane Sephiroth, or during the other occasions where he had come perilously close to facing one of Vincent's transformations. There was such a danger, an evil, that permeated the air when Chaos was exerting his influence. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and he hoped he would never make the demon's acquaintance ever again. He also prayed that no one else would, either… but somehow he had a feeling all was not well with Vincent Valentine.

Cloud also felt quite foolish, chiding himself for having largely caused the outburst. He may have hated Sephiroth, but he really did need to remember that he had family and friends in Junon Harbor, and that he ought to watch his mouth… Especially with regards to the man's parentage. He'd also known that something was wrong with Vincent the moment he got a good look at him. He should have called off the conversation right then and there, but hadn't realized how serious his condition was in time. Tifa was always telling him that one learned as they aged and made mistakes, but at that moment Cloud Strife felt like he made an awful lot of them. And far too many nearly got him killed.

Still shaking and trying to calm his frazzled nerves, Cloud turned back to his computer monitor to find a new instant message from his wife. He laughed aloud with nervous energy as he read it, struggling to type his reply. He was quite certain his hands were going to tremble for the rest of the day.

"hey, babe. how r things going over there? good?"

"Wonderful. Oh, and I think Vincent just tried to killed me."

((Author's Notes: Sorry if I disappoint, but I can't very well have Vincent kill or seriously throttle their team leader and go on living in Junon Harbor heading up security, now can I? Scared the hell out of him, though, and maybe changed his attitude toward Seph a little after all. I went with Cloud's point of view in order to offer a description of how Vincent comes off to someone else, someone who does not like him enough to be biased and look past a lot of his oddities. Plus I wanted to show that Cloud HAS experienced some growth and maturity since Irony of Fate, even if he's still working on it. People have been calling poor Seph a bastard and a son of a bitch since Irony of Fate, and his father has had enough! Vincent is busy making himself look bad to everyone, sadly. And now he is going to head home and face Lucrecia. Hint: She is NOT happy. Ever wonder what might happen if those two were to really get into an argument? ~ JenesisX))