So, are you all ready for the next chapter? I hope so because here it is whether you are or not. Again, fair warning, this chapter will be graphic. And not in the sexual nature. So if you can't handle it, skip this chapter about part way through. Here is where I earn that M rating I put on the story. Bet you all had been wondering why it was there besides Cid's cursing huh? The really sad part is that the things that Yuffie sees happening to people here are very similar to things that have actually happened in human history. If you look up what happened during the Holocaust and the Andersonville prison camp of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War you will see what I mean. And then you will be proud to know that I did my research! Yay research! Hey, I do it all for you! 'Cause I love you guys. Anyway, I do wish to say thank you to all the wonderful people who have sent reviews. The words of praise and critiques do help. And to those of you who sent those amazing and inspirational PM's, you know who you are and I am indebted to you. Thank you. So now on with the story.
P.S.- Thank you Shtit! You are Great! Fantastic! Wonderful!
~Isa
Disclaimer: Did we perchance enter some alternate reality when I wasn't looking? No? Then obviously FF and its characters are not mine. Nor do I work at or for Square-Enix as has been hinted at. LOL. I'm just a lowly Assistant Manager for a retail store. Oh, with a high school education. Yikes. And not a very good high school at that. Double yikes. LOL.
Chapter Twelve
The Female Of The Species Is More Deadly Than The Male. And Don't You Forget It.
About a few things Yuffie was absolutely certain. One, those bastards could have picked a nicer rope as this one chaffed something fierce. Two, it was dark but the blindfold easily accounted for that. Three, her left cheek itched like crazy where the edge of the blindfold touched it but she doubted the men sitting in the van with her would like her reaching up to scratch it seeing as how she was supposed to be tied up an all. Amateurs. And Four, and this was the most important part, Vincent was going to be pissed. Scratch that, Vincent was pissed and when he finally found her, because she didn't doubt that he would, there would be hell to pay. Or as was the case in this situation, Chaos would come collecting. Either way Yuffie wished she didn't have to be there when it happened. But that would be impossible since he was searching for her right at this moment and wouldn't stop until he found her,even if he had to drag her royal ass from the Life Stream. Oh, he would do it to and shoot the person who doubted him.
The person responsible for Vincent's anger was currently trying to wiggle her nose and cheek in order to alleviate some of the irritation. Sure it may have resulted in her making ridiculous faces at her captors but she didn't care at the moment. That itch was going to drive her crazy! Besides, were they really considered your captors if you let yourself get caught? Yuffie didn't think so. But they had served their purpose. Already she had heard one of them, the leader most likely; alert someone that they had captured her. And after that it had been non-stop about how 'His Lordship can't wait to see you,' or 'You should be grateful for an audience with His Divinity,' and so on. Oh yeah, she was grateful alright. She kept quiet as she listened with only half an ear to the men gush with praises about their leader and how He was going to lead them all out of the dark times and restore the planet to the proper order.
In her head though she thought back to the past couple of weeks that led to her being tied up and blindfolded (was that really necessary?) in a van with six of Malakai's goons. So far everything was going according to plan. They came, she pretended to fight back, they knocked her upside the head hard enough to give her a slight headache, and injected her with something that was probably supposed to knock her out. Again, amateurs. They had been in the van for about two days now steadily traveling east before turning slightly north after she had been picked up almost due north of Cosmo Canyon. Even blindfolded in a moving vehicle, a ninja never looses their sense of direction. Especially not one trained by Judoki.
Her thoughts were brought to a shuddering stop. Judoki. Her days had been but a blur the week of his death, punctuated only by the sharp pain that would not leave her heart. She had refused to leave her room at the hospital after that first day of heading out to the ruined warehouse. She had searched around it looking for certain signs. And sure enough, she found them. Her former master and advisor had managed to take out nearly all of Malakai's forces that had invaded Cosmo Canyon that night with the explosive tags he had thrown at the last moment. All but five. Five tracks had led away from the warehouse before it had blown up. And they seemed to carry with them a bloody prize. Yuffie had kneeled down to examine the tracks and stood back up, staring over the horizon towards the direction they disappeared in. With her fists clenched tightly at her sides, she turned back to Vincent and Nanaki who had waited quietly in the background; partly to give her space but also, she thought, to make sure she didn't chase after those tracks. As though she would ever do something so obvious.
When they had returned to Cosmo Canyon she still hadn't said a word to either of them. She had even pushed from her mind the strange sense of peace and comfort she derived from the safety of Vincent's arms the night before. Things were changing between the two of them. In fact, something imperceptible already had but she didn't spare a thought towards it as her mind was filled with Judoki and the last words he shared with her.
'Daughter of My Heart' he had called her and Yuffie would forever regret that she hadn't reciprocated those same feelings aloud. For though it was Godo's blood that ran through her veins, it was Judoki who held the honor of father in her own heart. And now he was gone. But he had left something for her, the journal her mother wrote was now in her possession and Yuffie had spent six days sequestered in her small room pouring over her mother's words. The truth of her mother's death released a burden from her chest Yuffie hadn't known she carried. But what her mother was doing, what she had hoped to accomplish…was it even possible?
'If this works, dearest Yuffie, Wutai will be safe forever from such attacks. And that will be worth any amount of pain or fatigue on my part. Even perhaps my very life should it come down to that. My biggest fear is that if I should fail, you will have to start over in my place.'
She too hoped it didn't come down to that but if it turned out Judoki's fears were true, well she would cross that bridge when she came to it. Her birthday had passed on the fourth day she shut away the world but for once Yuffie paid it no mind. Nanaki and even Vincent had passed by several times in an attempt to get her to come out. Nanaki had been pleading, saying she needed to come out and eat something at least. Eventually they gave up and simply left trays of food by the door for her to grab at her leisure. Vincent on the other hand had been more subtle, saying that Tifa was on the phone for something or other. But again, Yuffie had refused to answer, even on her birthday. The only sign they had of her being there were the empty trays of food left outside her door each night.
On the seventh day Yuffie resealed the journal and set her ninja brain to work. Though she still carried a heavy weight of grief in her heart, anger consumed the rest of her mind and body. A burning anger, the kind that made her knuckles white and her jaw rigid, settled like a cloak over her. Someone, one of Malakai's men, had made off with Judoki's head as some sort of sick trophy and it was only fair she return the favor. And she would find them alright. The tracks indicated one of men was pulling up short on his left foot and that it twisted inward slightly. Most likely the person was born this way for the tracks indicated he moved fairly quickly despite the handicap. And it was these tracks that had a slight blood trail beside them. This man with a limp would hopefully be where ever her captors were taking her.
But before allowing herself to be "captured" she had needed to sneak out of Cosmo Canyon. A task made much more difficult by the fact she had two babysitters in the form of Vincent and Nanaki. Yuffie knew that as soon as she opened her door either one of them would be there in an instant. So Yuffie made sure her pack was ready and all her weapons in place. She hadn't really been eating everything. Some things like the wrapped bread and bottled water had made it into her pack, along with her mother's journal. After throwing the pack under her bed, Yuffie waited till the sun was just about to set before pushing the little red nurse's button on the side of the bed. The speed at which a nurse arrived clued the ninja in on just how worried they were about her and confirmed her suspicions that Vincent and Nanaki were always close-by. Both the gunman and the large cat had been following right on the heels of the poor woman. If it wouldn't give her plan away, Yuffie would have rolled her eyes.
"Look, could you ah, I don't know, give me something to help me sleep? I haven't…I haven't slept since…I tried and I can't."
She tried her very best to sound believable and it really wasn't all that hard. Yuffie hadn't been telling a full lie. She really hadn't been able to sleep for more than an hour each night. Luckily the nurse had been full of sympathy and had left right away saying she had just the thing. Vincent and Nanaki just continued to stand there, one looking just as sympathetic as the nurse and the other looking suspicious as well. Stupid cloak wearing man. What did he know?
"Yuffie…"
"Not now Nanaki." The young woman said as the nurse came in and injected something into her arm. "I just can't yet. But in the morning we'll talk. I promise." Yuffie wondered if Gaia would swallow her whole for telling such an outrageous lie.
"Very well." The big cat said as the two turned to follow the nurse out the door with Vincent shutting it quietly behind him after looking at her one last time.
Yuffie listened carefully as she heard the nurse explain to them that she had given her enough tranquillizers to knock her out for a couple days. She couldn't help but smile at that. The ribbon Godo had given her, combined with the strange effects that started to take place on her birthday, rendered whatever that entered her system quite useless. It seemed that what ever caused the Kisaragi women to outlive all other mortals started to take effect once they reached their twentieth year. Kind of a nice little bonus. No one would be poisoning her anytime soon.
But at the moment all she could do was wait. Once the sun had fully set, Yuffie started to reach under her bed when she heard movement outside her door. Quickly she had repositioned herself under the covers and feigned sleep. She continued to fake it for three hours as her visitor had come in had pulled up a chair and made themselves comfortable in her room. The slight swish of a cloak alerted the ninja as to who that uninvited guest was. Did he suspect her somehow? Why the hell would Vincent be in here at this hour anyway? It wasn't till almost midnight when the ever silent gunman finally left and Yuffie gave a sigh of relief as she flung back the covers and grabbed her pack. Then, using all the stealth skills she had acquired through her years of training, Yuffie pried open the small window to her room and eased herself out of it. Luckily she was on the ground floor allowing her to silently drop to the dirt below. The ninja made sure not to leave any tracks as she darted unseen between the buildings on that moonless night.
Luck was with Yuffie as she headed to her destination, Judoki's small hut. It was difficult, more difficult than she had imagined it would be, to walk in there and be bombarded with memories. The place still smelled like him though already it was starting to fade away till, just like the man, it too would be no more than a memory. Quickly, before she lost herself to her grief, Yuffie found a floor board that ran under a bookshelf she was able to pry loose. Once she did so, she carefully almost reverently placed her mother's journal in the space below before setting the board back in place and sliding the bookshelf back over it. Even going so far as to rearrange the dust on the floor to get rid of the tracks made from moving the shelf. It was what ninja do, even if it takes time; and Judoki had trained her well.
Finally she was all set. With one last glance around the tiny dwelling, Yuffie took a deep breath and slipped off into the night. She traveled quickly while in stealth mode, able to go a fair distance from the town before needing a break. She stopped at sunrise to take a short nap under a small outcropping of rock that could be found in the last stretch of the canyon. After a couple hours she rose, ate and went about getting herself a chocobo. Under no circumstances had she planned to bring Shiva with her on this journey. For one thing the enemy would just love to get their hands on a bird of that caliber and secondly, she knew she wouldn't make it out of town for surely the stables were being watched for just that reason. So instead Yuffie was forced to put her wrangling skills to the test and in no time was able to catch a wild one and keep it under moderate control.
After two days of wandering around in the middle of nowhere getting closer and closer to the desert, they found her. Or rather, she allowed them to. It turned out they hadn't even been looking for her. They were just a scouting party sent from the nearby base on their way to Cosmo Canyon to gather what information they could. It was just their lucky day that they found her wandering around in the desert, apparently delirious from the heat and broken by grief. All this she had learned while listening in while she was supposed to be knocked out from the head injury. Yuffie thought that if ever there were awards given out for acting she surely deserved one for her wonderful performances lately.
The sudden stop and sounds of voices coming from outside the van brought Yuffie back to the present. It would seem they had arrived at their destination. The kunoichi hoped with all her being that her luck was still with her and that she was at one of the bases they had been searching for and that Malakai would be there waiting. She listened as the rear van doors were pulled open and she was roughly pulled up from her seat and shoved out. Only her quick reflexes kept her from toppling over completely, but then she remembered she was supposed to be drugged and stumbled a bit, making sure to fall heavily into the nearest heat source. That man wasn't nearly so stable on his feet.
"Damn it, Quinn, watch it! You shoved her right into me!"
"Well if you weren't so damn busy lookin' at her tits bouncin' it wouldn't have happened!"
Yuffie rolled her eyes beneath her blindfold. These two had been the worst to listen to during the last two days; they made Reno look like a saint. A paperclip to the forehead was much too nice for these two.
"Brothers, please. You forget we have royalty among us." This was a new voice and came from the right. It obviously was one who had authority of some kind as well. Yuffie could hear the man come closer and instinctually stiffened. There was a low chuckle and suddenly the blindfold was removed and Yuffie had to blink back tears at the sudden glare of the light. "Welcome, you're Highness. Please, allow me to escort you to where Our Lord and Master awaits. He has been very much looking forward to meeting you."
Yuffie didn't say anything as two men; luckily it wasn't perv one and two, came up on either side of her and forced her to follow the black cloaked man who had removed the blindfold. The ninja hadn't paid any attention to his looks, only watching his gait. He wasn't the guy she was looking for. Oh well. Since one of her targets wasn't in the group walking up the steep incline, Yuffie decided to look around her. They were near the coast it seemed for there were seagulls in the air. Apparently the Turks were right about the general location of one of the bases being off the gulf by Gold Saucer. They had actually taken her to their base.
The first thing that struck Yuffie as she walked towards what she assumed was the base was the smell. Even though they were far enough away that Yuffie could barely make out the tops of guard towers at the top of a steep hill, it took all of Yuffie's self-control not to retch. Her stomach turned and her eyes watered but she refused to give in. The man before her turned back with an almost cheerful smile on his face.
"Oh, don't worry. You almost get used to it after a while."
The young woman fought back another gag as the men on either side of her gripped her elbows harder and continued to drag her ever closer to the stench. Before them loomed a tall steel wall with look-outs placed fifteen feet apart facing either side. The man acting as their escort saluted someone in the tower and the enormous gates started to lift up but just enough to allow them to duck under and pass. Once inside, Yuffie saw the cause of the stench and felt her anger nearly boil over as tears gathered in her eyes but refused to fall.
The pictures Cait had shown her in the palace did little to prepare her for what she saw now. For while the camp in the Mideel Area had been fairly new, this one was obviously well established. The awful stench that filled the air came from massive amounts of death, rot, decay, sickness, and hundreds of people with nothing to bathe in. Like the Mideel Camp, it too had a small stream running through the middle. Yet unlike the one in Mideel, there were no buildings for people. In fact there was no shelter at all. Here and there were remnants of tents, but for the most part people were forced to make shelter out of whatever material they could find. Some even dug holes in the ground in a desperate attempt to escape the elements.
The camp itself consisted of an open yard of sorts with the stream running through the middle. A raised platform ran perpendicular to the stream and formed a bridge over it. The platform was on the left side of the yard with only about forty feet of space between it and the closest wall while the rest of the encampment was on the right. Many of those that could move had gathered to the shaded area on the left or under the bridge. And none dared go on the walkway.
Dead bodies littered the ground everywhere. Some floated in the water with raw sewage, some left wherever their last breathe took them - in their hole, by a fire pit - it didn't seem to matter. Yuffie could see in one corner where people had attempted to make a graveyard but apparently had given up. Now there was just a messy pile of bodies in various states of decay. And though the place was huge, it obviously held more people than it had room or supplies for.
Everywhere she looked, people in nothing but rags, sometimes with nothing at all, could be seen fighting with each other for little scraps of food. People cried, people begged, and most looked like they had just given up. Many were so malnourished they looked like nothing more than skeletons. The only thing indicating they were alive was the slow blink of their empty eyes. The worst part was seeing the children in these conditions. Yuffie could hear them crying to their parents wondering why this was happening to them and why they didn't have any food. Some children just cried for parents that weren't there. The worst just sat there staring off into space; too weak and sick to do anything else.
As Yuffie and her escort continued walking on the raised platform, she could make out signs of various diseases affecting the people here ranging from small pox, malaria, open sores that had turned into gangrene, and a plethora of others. She also noticed that as they walked, the prisoners never once looked their way.
It was when they reached the center and Yuffie was trying to take in a small gulp of air through her teeth that there was a commotion at one of the closer walls to her left. The base had two walls running around the perimeter. There was the main wall that housed the look-outs and another wall, set inside of it, that was nothing more than a chain link fence lined with wicked looking barbed wire. Someone had written in cruel handwriting, 'Dead Line', on signs set in the middle of each inner wall on all four sides. Yuffie quickly discovered what that sign meant.
There was a woman in rags holding a weakly crying infant in her arms. It was impossible to tell her age due to the distance and the state the woman was in. Her arms looked like little more than twigs as she shook from the weight of the infant, slight as it was. She looked as though a soft breeze would knock her over. Her ribs and pelvic bones could easily be made out through the holes in what was once a dress. Greasy stringy hair covered her face but it was impossible to tell what color it might have been. But the thing that stood out most about her was the desperation in her voice. The whole camp came to a stand still as the woman walked closer and closer to that inner wall.
"P-please…it's…my baby. Please. She's sick. I just want…I just need some medicine or even some fresh water for her. Please. That's all I ask."
"Lady, get back from the Line." Called out a voice from the look-out tower before her.
"Please, it's just…it's just for my daughter. Just one tiny cup. Please." The woman took a step closer.
Their escort had stopped as well and turned to watch the proceedings. "Oh, it's been a while since we had someone approach the Line. This looks interesting."
Yuffie felt absolute horror at the callousness of the man's words but could not turn her eyes away from the woman to glare at him. Even the men that held her arms gripped her tighter with each step taken. They were definitely going to leave bruises but Yuffie couldn't care less. What were bruises compared to what these people had to deal with?
"Lady, I will tell you one last time, step away from the Line!"
"Please." And though she had whispered it, it carried though the silent camp as though she had shouted it.
Suddenly a single shot rang out and birds, startled by the sound took off to the skies at once. Yuffie was too shocked to move as she watched the body of the woman crumple to the ground and the squalling baby land hard beside her. Now in the silence the infant's cries seemed even louder till they rang in Yuffie's ears. She knew that sound would forever haunt her dreams. Still nobody moved till one man, looking no better than the woman had slowly stepped forward.
"Please sir, I only wish to retrieve the baby. Than I will leave the area."
"No."
"Please, it will only take a moment for me to grab…"
"Quiet, filth! I said no."
"But the baby…she's crying and…"
A second shot filled the air and the infant's cries were heard no more.
"There, now you don't have to worry about it. Everyone get back as you were!"
This time Yuffie didn't have to pretend being dragged away as they continued their journey across the walkway. Rage very nearly consumed her being and begged to be unleashed. She wanted nothing more than to race over there and slit that man's throat. Yet as much as she may desire that man's death, she knew he was but an extension of the monster that was Xyler Malakai. And in order to kill the beast known as the Purists Organization, one had to chop off its head. She was more than ready for the job.
"It is such a shame. When will they ever learn? Usually animals are easier to train than this. We put that fence there for their protection. Can't they see how generous Lord Malakai is? It is all for their own good you know. Like Lord Malakai says, they are contaminated and as such need to be kept separate from the rest of civilized society."
Yuffie's hands were clenched hard into fists behind her back till the warmth of her own blood seeped between her fingers. If this was how all of Xyler's followers thought she hoped they all rotted in hell. And she was more than willing to send them all there.
Soon they came to another set of steel doors that seemed to lead underground. Once the doors were pulled open, a fresh wave of death, despair, and decay hit Yuffie anew that made the outside seem like a pleasant valley. She was led through winding corridors going ever deeper till they came to a large open holding area. Though it was kept pretty dark, there was enough light to make out cages. Hundreds of metal cages stacked one on top of the other up to three high. Each cage was probably only three feet tall and four feet wide and deep. They were filled with people. Or what once might have been people. Here instead were shadows of human beings, their skin grey and sallow looking from the lack of fresh air and sunlight. They seemed to hover between this world and the next as they awaited whatever doom Fate and Malakai's men had in store for them.
Some cages only had one, but most had three or sometimes four people stuffed in them. All were naked, all were starved, and all had anguish etched deeply into their faces. Yuffie could tell from looking in the cages nearest to the procession, open sores and gashes most likely left from beatings were infected with gangrene much like on the outside. Only here it was worse and more abundant. The blackened flesh and noxious odor made for an easy diagnosis. People were forced to sit or lay in their own excrement and sometimes share the cage with dead bodies. All ages and sexes were forced to be in the same tiny cages. Men, women, and even children were made to endure these horrible conditions. Many cried while some muttered unintelligibly to themselves while rocking back and forth. But most just sat or laid there, their doom already written in their dead eyes as they stared sightlessly out of their cages. Yuffie could make out one prisoner huddled in the back of his cage slowly peeling the rotted flesh off his leg with the same detachment used as though he were peeling fruit.
The escort must have noticed the horrified look on Yuffie's face when he turned to look at her and gave her a pleasant smile. "This is where we keep the ones who insist on disobeying Lord Malakai's simple and good rules."
There was the sound of footsteps coming closer, footsteps with a slight drag to them. Slowly Yuffie turned her head to the sound as a man with a club foot came forward. He too wore a black cloak but kept his hood thrown back, not at all ashamed to show his face. He grinned a lecherous smile and nodded towards the tied up ninja before addressing the man leading the group. "Got a new one in today." He said, banging a metal stick against the bars of the nearest cage. The people in the cage didn't even flinch, didn't even acknowledge the man as they continued to sit, far removed from the situation.
All but one; a little boy, no more than eight years old, whimpered and crawled to the furthest corner of the cage to get as far from the man as he could. Pressing his bony body against the bars, he tried to force himself into the wall beyond, eyes wide in fear as he stared at his jailor. Tears he could no longer shed had left dingy watermarks down the sides of his hollow cheeks. There they had mingled with the mud and filth that coated his face, serving as temporary scars and a harrowing testament of what his life had become. Tears would not come to this little boy because he was empty. Dehydration and despair had taken their toll on his little body. And now he was just too tired, even to cry.
"Ah, it is good to see you, Brother Mathis. I hear you recently returned from a trip yourself?"
"Yeah, brought back a little something for the Master."
"I'm sure he enjoyed it. He always does enjoy your gifts. What's this about a new one?"
"Caught him trying to steal more food than was rationed."
"I-i-it was for my little sister, sir." Came a quiet voice.
"Lying is a crime as well, runt!" Another bang of the metal stick against the bars and the boy cowered further in the cell. "Don't worry, Brother Brevin, we'll have this one falling in line soon enough."
"You do have the touch, Brother Mathis. We must be off though. One mustn't keep His Holiness waiting."
"She your gift to him?"
That genial smile was upon the wretched man's face again. "In a way, yes. Good day, Brother Mathis. May Lord Malakai's light shine upon you."
"Good day, Brother Brevin. May Lord Malakai's light shine upon you as well." The cloaked man saluted with his baton before slowing raking his eyes over Yuffie's retreating form.
The ninja kept her eyes on him as long as she could, memorizing his face as she nodded once in his direction. 'I will see you later.' She promised in the glare she sent over her shoulder at him.
She brought her face forward once more as they entered a brightly lit hallway this time. There were a few more twists and turns, but Yuffie had no trouble keeping track of them all. They passed various doors leading to sleeping barracks, and a mess hall, and the smells coming from it let Yuffie know Malakai's followers lacked for nothing as far as food went. All the time the gears in her head were spinning, and her anger continued to maintain meltdown levels.
Finally they reached a white metal door with a small window in it. "Ah, here we are, Empress. I hope you find your accommodations suitable." With that infuriating smile still in place, the man reached forward and opened the door, stepping back with a low bow as the other two forced the young woman into a sterile looking room. There was a door at the opposite end with a wide window beside it that had the curtains drawn. The room was nothing but shiny white tiles, a hook in the ceiling, a low metallic table, and a large drain in the center of the floor. It didn't take a genius to figure out what this room was used for - they intended to interrogate her here.
But Yuffie was not afraid. She had counted on something like this happening for she knew Malakai wouldn't see her until he was certain she would be incapable of attacking him. Torture did not bother Yuffie, she was trained as a member of the Wu Shang after all. It was only due to the healing properties of the Sacred Spring that healed the scars of her trials that otherwise would have riddled her body. Besides, she wasn't concerned for herself, but for the people kept in those cages, kept outside at the base, in all the other bases, and on the people of Wutai and the fate that would befall them should she fail. Torture only worked if the mind accepted the pain. That lesson she had learned well.
So when the men on either side of her brought her bound hands up from behind her back and over her head, causing a horrendous pop and crack as the sound of both arms popping out of socket filled the room, Yuffie didn't even blink. Her face remained completely composed even as they lifted her bound hands onto the hook in the ceiling, suspending her off the ground creating more stress on her dislocated limbs. The whole time her metallic eyes never leaving the brown eyes of the ever pleasantly smiling man in front of her.
Yuffie still didn't say anything to him as he indicated with his hand for the other two men to leave the room. Once the door clicked shut behind them, the man slowly began to pace around Yuffie and the ninja had no trouble identifying the tactics he was using. She knew that building the anticipation built the fear, especially when the person being interrogated couldn't see you yet knew you were there.
"I must say that is an interesting tattoo you have on your back. I've never seen the like, and I have seen many, many tattoos."
There was the feeling of a cold finger tracing the edges of the tattoo on her back and Yuffie used all her self-control not to shudder. There was no way she would let a slime ball like this know how much he affected her. Instead she continued to hold completely still while staring at the door in front of her.
Once again the man came around before her and slowly started to pull open the edges of his robe till he removed it completely and stood in front of Yuffie wearing only simple black pants. Not that the ninja would have noticed, she was too busy staring at the man's bare chest and arms, wondering just what sort of man she was locked in with. From the neck down he was covered with tattoos of every kind, color and shape. However, none of the tattoos were his own. Pieces of skin had been sewn or graphed onto his own body till he looked like a twisted human patchwork quilt.
"I'm a collector, you see. And I wonder if the Master will let me collect yours when he is done with you. I even have the perfect spot picked out."
Yuffie spat at him. That infernal grin faded a bit and became more forced as the man slowly wiped his face while staring back at her. Then he pulled back a fist and caught her square on the right cheek, the force of the blow causing her to swing erratically on the hook while the rope dug into her writs and hands. Yuffie tasted blood and spat that on him instead. This time she smiled and it wasn't nearly as pretty as his with her teeth looking a more grisly pink than white.
The man stood back and looked at the tied up ninja speculatively while once more cleaning off his face. "So you are going to be one of those then? Very well, I will do what I can to make sure you show better manners for Lord Malakai's arrival." While he said this, he reached behind his back and pulled out black leather gloves that had metal tips on each of the knuckles. "You are just like those dogs outside, refusing to acknowledge your betters."
Gunmetal gray eyes narrowed as Yuffie watched the man come forward and move to the left side. This time his fist hit the left cheek and as she spun around on the rope, it cut further into her wrists causing warm blood to run down her forearms. Her arms and shoulders felt as though they were on fire, she could almost feel muscles tearing. But still Yuffie did not make a sound. Instead, once the rope stopped twisting around, she faced her assailant and proved just how much a certain gunman was rubbing off on her by lifting a single eyebrow and saying with one look, 'You bore me.'
"You really shouldn't antagonize him so, Empress. Brother Brevin doesn't take kindly to being mocked."
Yuffie slowly turned her face to notice the curtains of the window had been pulled back revealing Xyler Malakai, reclining in a chair and looking for all the world as though he were perhaps witnessing an afternoon play instead of a young woman getting beaten. "Well I don't take kindly to my country being attacked so I guess that leaves us at an impasse."
"Ah, she speaks. My people had informed me of your…reluctance to utter so much as a single word. I was starting to wonder where that infamous temper of yours was. Although, speaking of attacks, I'm afraid that is a rather touchy subject for Brother Brevin here. You see, he lost many of his friends and brothers to the hands of your Wu Shang. I would show a bit more discretion when mentioning it if I were you."
Yuffie prepared herself just in time as another fist landed hard on her stomach. Slowly she released a breath as she continued to ignore Brevin and focus all her attention on the man behind the glass. If she were to guess, she would say he was in his mid to late forties with straight black hair and green eyes. There were a few bits of silver here and there but he still looked young. And while Yuffie normally associated green as being a happy color, his eyes were nothing but cold and calculating as they stared at her.
"If you were honestly stupid enough to think I would hand Wutai over to you, your men deserved what they got." Another blow, this time to the kidneys, had Yuffie arching her back slightly but she still did not cry out or even wince, just a low hiss between clenched teeth.
The pleasant smile on Malakai's face darkened a bit and his eyes got even colder. "The last person to insult my intelligence did not survive to see the sunrise the next day. I would be more careful with my words if I were you."
Yuffie would have shrugged if it were possible. Instead the corner of her mouth twitched in what might have been a smirk if that blasted man wasn't so quick to try and wipe it off her face. She would be lucky to have any teeth left in her head after this was over.
"So noted." she said while spitting out another mouthful of blood.
"It saddens me that we must meet like this, you know. I am not the monster you and your friends portray me as. If you just knew the vision I had for the world, if you would let me share it with you, you would see that we are not that dissimilar."
"If what I saw out there is any indication of the 'Perfect World' you are trying to create, I'm quite sure I've seen all that I need to."
"Ah, you judge too quickly, Lady Yuffie." Malakai turned his head to speak to someone else in the room that Yuffie couldn't see and suddenly the door by the window opened and a small monitor was rolled in and placed right in front of her. The black cloaked individual quickly turned and shut the door behind their retreating steps. "There is more, always more. How fortuitous that you should be here for this."
The screen in front of her came on and was blank for a moment before showing the area where the cages were located. Yuffie had no choice but to watch as Brother Mathis, the man with the limp, came forward and opened one of the cage doors. The people within the cage were urged to leave, sometimes having to be prodded with the metal stick in order to get their tired bodies to move. Even standing in the open, their backs remained hunched over and their knees bent, having been forced to contort themselves for so long. Brother Mathis seemed to be indicating that they were free and pointed towards the exit with his metal baton.
The people looked back and forth between the cage and the exit, seeming to debate the matter and Yuffie couldn't figure out why. Even from the angle of the security camera, she could see the resigned set to their bony shoulders as a man, two women, and a young girl slowly made their way to the exit. Practically crawling, they left the view of the camera and suddenly the screen switched over to another shot. Just as they were about to turn the first corner, a ringing alarm sounded. Though Yuffie didn't know what it meant, the poor people in the hall did. Yuffie watched as fear settled over their faces and the prisoners attempted to force their tired and abused bodies to move at a faster pace. The man kept an arm around one of the women urging her on while the other woman kept looking back at the young girl, wanting to help the slower child but unable to.
The group kept looking over their shoulders as though fearing a pursuit, the camera views switching as they kept turning the various corners. Panic was starting to set in and the people gave up looking over their shoulders and instead focused on getting to the exit. The child was the first to go. Yuffie couldn't make out much but from what she was able to see, an animal of some kind had come up from behind the girl and grabbed her. There was no sound attached to Yuffie's monitor for which she was grateful. The single woman was the next to go. This time the ninja was able to make out the shape of a Nibel Wolf before it disappeared from view, dragging the terrified woman away. The remaining couple hurried on as best they could and Yuffie felt a moment of hope as it looked like they were about to make it to the doors. In her head Yuffie cheered them on, urging them to make it those last few steps. But it was not to be. The half starved wolves had launched themselves at the couple just as their hands started reaching for the doors. She closed her eyes as the screen went blank before finally turning off. The cart was rolled away and the door once more locked before Yuffie opened her eyes to glare at the monster behind the glass.
"My pets do so love their treats."
"You keep monsters as pets?"
"Yes, you've seen many of them wandering around outside and of course locked in the cages. Do you not recognize a monster when you see one?" Malakai said, obviously referring to the people instead of what Yuffie had intended.
"A starving Nibel Wolf will do what it is in its nature to do. What is your excuse?"
This time Brevin aimed directly for her spine and Yuffie bit her lip hard enough to draw blood to keep herself from making a sound. She kept her silver eyes pinned on the man on the other side of the glass as he stood up as though to get a better view. The serene smile never leaving his face.
"Your resistance to pain and reluctance to even cry out is commendable. I'm sure you do Judoki proud." There was no mistaking the sneer in Malakai's voice as he said this and Yuffie's façade nearly faltered. He looked away from Yuffie though and directed his next words to the man who was intent on turning the petite woman into his personal punching bag. "She is completely disarmed?"
"Yes, Lord Malakai. The acolytes Quinn and Davis disarmed her themselves before they arrived while she was passed out in the truck."
"Ah, a thorough job then?" Seeming to know full well the grasping hands those two men possessed. Yuffie just thought they were damn lucky she was pretending to be unconscious.
"To be sure, Divinity. And I have detected no further weapons on her person."
"Very well then. I trust in your judgment, Brother Brevin." Malakai left the window and a moment later the door to the room opened and he stepped in with his hands clasped behind his back. "I have a gift to give to the Empress and wish to be alone. Leave us and turn off the microphone."
"But, my Lord…"
"I will not repeat myself."
With a stiff bow, Brother Brevin left the room with a frown on his face. But she paid him no mind. Her focus was entirely on the man now standing before her. With a casual air Malakai brought one arm out from behind his back and released the edge of a black cloak before dropping the soggy cloth to the floor. Its contents arched slightly in the air before landing with a sickening thunk on the concrete floor where it rolled lopsidedly till it came to a stop just under Yuffie's feet. She could not hold back the strangled gasp as Judoki's head looked back up at her. Or perhaps it would have if someone hadn't gouged out the eyes.
"Your former Master, I presume?"
"You fucking bastard!" Yuffie spat out venomously.
"Now, now, language dear. I wasn't the one who chopped off dear old Judoki's head. You'll have to thank Brother Mathis for that. You've met him, I think, he's in charge of looking after the inmates who misbehave. Every now and then though he goes on a special mission and he always brings me back a present. Frankly I think it is an improvement," he said as he took a few steps closer to look down at it.
Yuffie wanted desperately to get loose of the ropes so she could snap his neck. But her arms, due to the condition they were in and the length of time she had been suspended by them, were refusing to cooperate, giving her a hard time getting her hands free. Instead her leg swung out in an attempt to kick him but he stepped back just far enough so that it sped past his nose.
"Pathetic. Perhaps your father should have rethought his edict on discouraging woman from joining the Wu Shang. Even the mediocre training you would have received as princess should have produced a better ninja than the one currently strung up before me. Your grief has made you weak. Judoki must have taken pity on you to have bothered training you in the first place."
"You are not worthy to speak his name!"
"No? You are the third person to say I was unworthy of something. The first's head lays at your feet. The second I'm sure is dead by now as well. I wonder what that says for your prospects?"
Yuffie didn't know what to say to that, instead she just glared at him as she continued to discretely try and restore feeling to her hands.
"You seem perplexed, my dear. Perhaps you wonder how it is I know Judoki and of Wutai's policies. You see, it is really quite simple. I was born there."
"You lie!"
"No, I assure you I am not. But the surgeons did do a wonderful job of removing signs of my nationality. Changing one's name helps as well and happens to be amazingly easy. Shall I expound upon my past for you so that you may better understand why it is I say we are not so different? Yes, I shall. After all, you certainly aren't going anywhere. Besides, I'm sure you are wondering, why me? Why Wutai? Let me tell you.
"I was born 47 years ago in a small village just south of the capital city. Like all Wutainese children, I grew up surrounded by stories of our illustrious rulers, ageless and invincible. How the god Leviathan chose the Kisaragi clan out of all others and gave his blessing with their rule. The stories went on about how the daughters of the Kisaragi line bear the mark of this blessing in their silver eyes. No other Wutainese native has those eyes except them. Of course, those were only legends, except apparently the part about the eyes. Though perhaps if your face wasn't so swollen I would see yours better and be able to attest to that myself. No matter."
Yuffie growled at him. "So articulate. Where was I? In my youth I was enamored with the idea of becoming a member of the glorified warriors and personal guard of the Empress, the Wu Shang. And I wasn't the only one. Every boy in my village shared that same dream, even a few of the girls. There was one boy, Judoki, a few years older than I who had just been accepted into their training program. I thought that if a half-wit like him could make it, surely someone of my caliber would have no trouble. A few years passed and it was almost time for my chance to prove my skills in the entrance exam. Judoki had just returned the conquering hero; apparently he had survived the training and was set to receive his mark. Knowing I was far superior, I wanted to prove to myself and the others that I was ready for the training. So I challenged him. I will say this about him, he was the first and only person to defeat me. After, he told me I was not good enough. That it had nothing to do with my losing, but more of my manner and how I had lost. The next week was the exam and the Captain of the Wu Shang at the time told me the same thing after failing me. Perhaps the worst part was watching that imbecile move quickly up through the ranks till he took over the position of Captain when the previous one retired.
"I left soon after, had the surgery and changed my name. Shinra was quick to hire me as I showed so much potential. I was in charge of their records and during my time there, I came across many things, secret things I wasn't supposed to see but looked at anyway. Hojo, despite how much people hated him, was a genius. His notes on his experiments, so clear, so concise, how could I not see the madness yet applaud the genius. The Ancients, the secrets they took with them, the power they had; like Hojo I wanted it for myself.
"In the wake of Sephiroth's Meteor, I found my calling. I spoke of the truth we all knew but were too weak to speak out against. All those people, the many thousands of them, all posed a threat to our planet. They all had the same experiments preformed on them that had been done on Sephiroth. Slowly, more and more people began to listen. First at the office, in restaurants, even on the streets. But it was not enough. It wasn't until a little over a year ago when those three freaks sent out their Geostigma that people really began pay attention to my words, my teachings. Fear is a wonderful inspirational tool for those that know how to use it. Why, the planet may as well have been handed itself to me. I have power, I have people and yes, dear Yuffina Kisaragi, I have weapons. Weapons I am not afraid to use unless you give me what I want."
"Wutai will never accept you as a leader!"
"While that is not entirely what I meant, we can start there if you like. While it is true Wutai will not accept me, alone as a leader, there are ways around it."
"Wouldn't that just make you one big fucking cliché. Force the girl to marry you to get the country."
"I wasn't talking about marriage, Highness, though I am honored that you would even consider it. No, I propose you simply rule as a figurehead and cede all power to me. The people have their beloved Empress, you have your country, and the serpent is kept happy. That and you share with me the secret power of the Kisaragi clan."
"Power?"
"Do not play coy with me. It is too late for that. I want the world, yes, but you posses the crown jewel to my empire; immortality."
"You're out of your mind!"
"Am I? I have Hojo's notes and have seen what Mako and Jenova can do a person. Your friend Vincent Valentine is a prime example of this. And Wutai has more hidden Mako springs than anyone else on the planet. Plus, I remember those stories told to me when I was young. And I remember learning the history of Wutai. For centuries the empress of Wutai would have one of two names, Ai or Mei-Zhen, each time it was said the daughter was named for the grandmother. Then that tradition stopped and they kept the name of their mother. Each year of their rule, the people would see less and less of the Empress until it was time for her daughter to take over. And every few years this would repeat itself, until you were born. But the people never questioned this and were happy. I though, began to question it. Especially after reading Hojo's notes, I became convinced Wutai had been under the rule of a single person for centuries; first your grandmother, then your mother. I want that, I want what the Kisaragi line has been granted."
"Fuck you!"
"That was entirely the wrong thing to say, Empress. Especially considering I'm holding all the cards." Malakai came around till he was standing beside Yuffie and kicked Judoki's head out of the way. "As I'm sure your Master probably told you before he died, my men are working on an ultimate weapon as we speak. It is the same weapon that Shinra was going to use on Wutai during the war, but I have improved upon it. Nothing, not even a sandbar will be left of your country." He said in her ear before moving away again.
"No." came a weak whisper.
"Oh, yes. But I am a generous man. As of yet the weapon is not completed. I will give you a month in one of our 'Special Cells,' room service included of course. During that time you will have to decide whether or not your precious secret is worth the lives of your people. And just think of the example I could make of them to the rest of the world. They will see the power I have and the consequences of what will happen should they try to oppose me."
"I will kill you." Yuffie said, working out the last knot of the rope, made more difficult by the fact only one hand wanted to work properly.
"I'm working on making that impossible. Until such a time, I do hope you enjoy your stay."
Just then Brother Brevin burst through the back door followed by five cloaked figures, quickly filling the small room and surrounding their master. "Lord Malakai, there is word of a breach and several vehicles have been spotted heading this way, including an airship."
'No! No! No! No! No!' Not yet, she was so close!
"That would be my cue to leave. I did so enjoy our conversation. Do not forget Yuffie, one month. We'll be in touch. "
"My Lord we must leave."
"My Lord, permission to collect something before I go?"
Xyler turned away from the door to give Brother Brevin an indulgent smile. "If you can be quick, but be sure to leave her alive. For now."
"Thank you, Divinity." The masochistic man bowed low as the others hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind them and the sound of a steel bar sliding into place to seal it followed.
"Hello again, Patches." Yuffie said almost sweetly despite the fact the anger from Malakai's escape was pulsing in her veins. Five more seconds, was it too much to ask for?
"I wonder, for an empress your manners are terribly lacking." He pulled out a wicked looking carving blade from his robes and proceeded to roll up his sleeves. "You obviously do not know who I am. I am one of Lord Malakai's most trusted servants. And because I serve so faithfully, he indulges my…whims."
"And you obviously do not know what this tattoo means if you think I'm going to let you cut it off me. That and your ignorance is truly epic if you think this pathetic rope protected you." As she said this Yuffie grasped the hook with both hands, brought her legs up so her ankles were wrapped around his neck, and using the hook for leverage, swung her lower body towards the nearest wall. When her momentum was at it's fullest, she released her grip and sent the man hurtling head first into the wall where his head was pushed into his spine with a sickening crack and his body slumped to the floor; a pool of blood starting to spread out from under his head.
"By the way, you hit like a pussy."
Just as Yuffie was about to slip her hands out from the rope, the main door to the interrogation room burst open and she looked over her shoulder to see a three barreled gun followed by what was obviously a very pissed off Vincent Valentine. His crimson eyes darting quickly around the room before finally landing on her suspended form. They seemed to soften momentarily before a different kind of anger set them ablaze once more; an anger Yuffie had never seen before.
"Yuffie…"
"Not now, Valentine. I'm not the happiest person in the world right now. In fact I'm downright pissed off!" Her usually nimble fingers released the final knot and her body dropped to the ground below. She landed in a crouch before quickly standing up while Vincent stood in the doorway, one eye on the hall behind him, the other on her.
"You are angry?" He turned away from the hall to look at her fully, noticing for the first time the condition she was in as her limbs hung limply at her sides. "Yuffie…!"
Was it just her or did his voice sound slightly animalistic? "Yeah, yeah, give me just a sec. In the meantime, make yourself useful and see if you can shoot that window out for me."
She ignored the two gunshots as she rolled first one arm, than another into socket before slamming her shoulders into the wall. Each popped back in with a disgusting crack and she rolled each shoulder experimentally. Pain warred with relief as blood once more started flowing into the limbs.
"It is bulletproof. Malakai?"
"Escaped just as I was about to take him out. Thanks for that by the way." Yuffie all but shouted as she wiped her mouth on her arm.
Vincent's mouth turned down into a frown and Yuffie felt some of his anger directed towards her, then his hand shot out to grasp her chin, turning her battered face this way and that.
"If you think this is bad you should see the other guy. Pool of blood about five feet behind me. Can't miss it. Do you mind though?"
Vincent release her chin. "We must leave. Then we will talk."
"Whatever."
But Yuffie wasn't paying attention. She was too pissed off herself to give a damn about any temper tantrum Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious might be having. Instead she cast her eyes about the floor, searching for something she would not be leaving without. Finding it in the corner by the door, she bent down to pick it up reverently, grabbing the same soggy cloak Malakai had used and wrapped it back up. Vincent was standing by the body on the floor, staring down at it with his frown growing deeper.
"Are those…?
"Tattoos from other people, yeah. Apparently he is a collector and Malakai gave him permission to collect mine before he left."
The gunman didn't say anything, just pulled back the hammer of his gun and fired, causing the back of the already dead man's head to explode. When he looked up Yuffie noticed his glowing eyes were pulled directly to the makeshift sack gripped tight in her hand. He nodded his head towards it, apparently unable to speak at the moment.
"Yeah, we're taking it with us."
"You need weapons." He reached inside his own red cloak and pulled out her pack, the weapons still inside. The man must have paid the perverts a visit. Yuffie didn't feel sorry for them.
Instead she pulled the weapons out and gently placed Judoki's head inside. Then she slung it over her shoulders, wincing slightly as she did so, before re-arming herself once more. Not that she had been totally disarmed, but it was nice to have the tonto and Conformer back in her possession.
"Let's mosey."
"Still no improvement."
"You just have no imagination, Valentine."
Whatever the man said after that, Yuffie didn't know as gunfire and shouting started echoing down the hall outside towards them. Vincent reloaded his gun and stood with his back to the edge of the door. The ninja rolled her neck and twirled the giant shurikin in her hand.
"You know, if you would have just waited five more seconds all of this would be over." She said through gritted teeth.
"I will not discuss this with you now." Said the man who seemed dangerously close to transforming.
Yuffie rolled her eyes but didn't say anything further as she breezed past Vincent and took off to meet the enemy head on. She heard the gunman curse behind her and she almost smiled. Various cloaked figures tried to stop her but they were grossly unprepared for an assault from within. Especially when that assault came in the form of one very pissed of Yuffie Kisaragi. Everything, all the pent up anger and disgust at what she had witnessed and heard all came rushing out through the use of fists, arms, feet, and the multitude of weapons she had at her disposal. Those imbeciles hadn't even come close to disarming her.
Eventually she made it to the inner holding area where the people were kept in cages. While her eyes adjusted to the lower light, Vincent appeared right behind her. Quickly she moved to the one cage that drew her attention, the one with the little boy. She pulled out a pin and started picking the lock.
"You can't free them all, we must leave."
"I am not leaving without him!"
"I don't think you will be going anywhere, period."
Yuffie shot up and kept Vincent from firing just in time as the man with the limp came out from behind one of the cages. The little boy behind her whimpered, and from the corner of her eye should could see fresh marks from where he had been beaten recently. The man stepped further out and Yuffie squeezed Vincent's forearm in a silent plea to hold his fire. He gave her a strange look, but did as she asked, keeping his gun trained on the man just in case.
"Is Lord Malakai done with you already? That's a shame, I would have spent more time with you if it were me." The man laughed at his own wit and pulled out the keys to the cages and jingled them between his fingers. "Looking for these?"
The ninja smirked before swinging open the cage door.
"Bitch." he snarled.
Yuffie smiled beatifically as she pulled out her tonto once more. "You have something I want, Brother Mathis. And I'm here to collect." She said while running her finger along the edge of the blade before crouching down into an attack position.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Mathis pulled out his metal baton and brandished it like he would a sword. Yuffie's smile only got larger.
"You aren't the only one who likes to take home trophies." And with that she pushed off and shot forward towards the man. With ease she avoided his attempt to disarm her as she spun quickly, bringing the blade around with her. Hot blood shot up like a fountain, spraying Yuffie's outstretched arm as the body crumpled and jerked around on the floor while the head landed with a dull thud on the concrete floor and rolled towards Vincent.
An eyebrow shot up as he regarded the ninja while she cleaned her blade on the man's cloak before tearing part of it off to make another sling. She came forward and wrapped the bleeding thing up like she had Judoki's but handed it to Vincent. "Mind tying it to my pack for me?"
He didn't say anything as he did so and quickly stepped back. Once she was sure he was finished, Yuffie turned back to the cage. The people within still hadn't moved although there seemed to be some sort of life returning to their eyes. But perhaps that was wishful thinking on her part. Her main concern however was for the little boy, still huddled in the corner with his forehead pressed into his drawn up knees.
With her heart in her throat, Yuffie called out to him. "Hey there, it's ok. Really it is safe. You can come out now."
"Yuffie, we must leave. Others are coming."
Yuffie just pretended to be royal for a moment and ignored him. "Come on, I promise I will not hurt you. And neither will the man next to me. My name is Yuffie and this is Vincent. You know…from AVALANCHE?" She normally didn't play that card but she was desperate to get that little boy out of there. Her current battered appearance probably didn't help matters but she had to try.
It seemed to work though as his head came up a little and empty brown eyes looked over bony knees to meet hers. "AVA-LANCHE?" Vocal chords weak from disuse and dehydration caused his voice to crack and sound as dry as dead leaves on the ground.
"Yeah, you know, the guys who fought Sephiroth. Look, we need to get you out of here. Don't you want to see your sister?"
She could barely make out the movement of matted hair before the boy slowly started crawling towards her. He stopped just at the open cage door and looked around. "You…you won't let the monsters eat me?"
Yuffie shook her head. "That much I can promise you."
"I-I-I can't walk though." the despair in his voice broke her heart anew.
"I know sweetheart, I know. That's why I'm going to carry you."
A red cloak came into view as Vincent held his over her head. "Here, wrap him in this."
Yuffie looked up at him from her crouched position on the floor. "Thank you…Vincent Valentine."
The gunman said nothing, just nodded his head before returning his attention to the room around them. Yuffie grabbed the cloak and quickly wrapped the fragile child up in it before gently picking him up to carry in her arms. "I'm not going to let you go. I promise."
She left the door open for the others in the cage but they made no move towards it, their minds had already gone on it seemed and their bodies would soon follow. Yuffie ignored the tracks of blood in the corridors leading out of the underground as they followed the many twists and turns. Vincent kept his gun drawn and periodically would look behind them to search out any pursuit. There was none. It would seem that all of Malakai's men were already topside preparing for the reinforcements Vincent had brought along. Yuffie didn't need more than one guess to know who was piloting the airship that had been mentioned.
Once they finally made it to the double doors of the exit, Vincent pushed her back a bit and went out before her. After a moment he gave her the clear and she stepped out into the sunlight. Gunfire and shouting filled the air as cloaked figures ran to and fro, ignoring the man and woman standing by the door in their haste to deal with the oncoming attack. The duo ducked around various prisoners who were in a state of panic. Yuffie looked down at the little boy in her arms. "Where is your family?" she asked, wondering how in the name of Gaia they would find them in the chaos.
Under normal circumstances she knew her arms would be shaking from the burden of a small boy, especially after having to pop her arms back in place. But he was so malnourished Yuffie felt as though she were carrying a sack of air. What had he ever done to deserve this?
"My sister is all I have. She…she should be over by that fire-pit." An almost skeletal hand came up and weakly pointed in the direction she was to go before falling limply down once more.
Yuffie's eyes followed the line his finger had made and could see the fire-pit in question. "Valentine, this way!" She shouted as she took off towards it. Once they reached it, Yuffie looked around for a little girl. "How old is she?"
"She just turned five before…before we came here."
Five years old. And already she had seen and experienced more in her young life than anyone ever should have. Yuffie wanted to lay into Malakai anew but first she had to find a little girl.
"Yuffie, it is no use. We must leave."
"Not yet!"
"You can't save them all."
"Damn it, Valentine! Help me look, please!"
He didn't say any more as they continued to look around the mass of bodies everywhere amongst all the confusion and chaos. Yuffie swore she would never take for granted the smell of fresh air ever again. She would never take anything for granted after seeing this.
Finally they found her, but by then it was too late. Her little body was huddled into a small ditch with what looked like a ragged doll still in her hand. It was easy to see that starvation had been the cause. The little boy just stared down at her. "Molly?" But the girl did not answer. He let out what might have been a sob if his body were able to fully produce one and Yuffie just clung to him tighter.
"Let's get you out of here," she said over the din.
Vincent nodded as they made their way over to the gate that was just shutting behind a group of Purists that had gone out to meet their attackers. Yuffie crouched down against the wall as Vincent ran towards the control tower. She didn't watch what was going on but heard the distinct shots of Cerberus and suddenly the gate was opening once more, only this time it would stay open. She looked up in time to see Vincent coming out of the tower and motioning them forward. They ran out together, dodging bullets as they went.
Yuffie hissed in pain as one grazed her upper thigh but she continued to run and ignored the stream of blood now running down her leg. Vincent followed behind her and continued to shoot at various targets around them. She didn't doubt that he hit them all.
Finally they crossed the line between Purists and the good guys and Yuffie let out a sigh of relief. The sound of airship engines soon drew precedence as Cid's booming voice filled the air. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, you fucking brat!"
Yuffie and Vincent stood back as the airship touched down and Yuffie brought the bundle in her arms closer to her. Men and woman in blue uniforms fanned out around them and continued on up the hill followed by many members of Nanaki's tribe. It would seem they had Malakai's men on the run.
'Wow, they brought the whole army.'
Once the Shera landed, the hatch came down and the door opened to reveal some very pissed off and worried friends. Vincent put a hand to the small of her back as though to guide her up the ramp and Yuffie was in no mood to fight it. She was emotionally and mentally exhausted. And over a weeks worth of sleep deprivation was struggling to take over. Instead she wearily put one foot in front of the other and ignored the crewman who offered to take the now sleeping child out of Yuffie's arms. It seemed his body couldn't hold up to the moment either. That and the fact that for the first time in months he felt safe enough to actually fall asleep.
Cid of course was the first one to lay into her. "Are you outa your fuckin' mind? What the hell were you thinking takin' off alone like that?" Once he took the time to actually look at her, he choked on his words. "Kid…what the…what did they do to you?"
"Yuffie you've been shot!" Tifa rushed forward and pointed to her leg.
The ninja just continued walking towards her cabin. "I'll deal with it later. But I just need to sit down a moment."
"She's lost too much blood. She's delirious."
"Holy…is that a child she's carrying?"
"Fucking sick bastards!"
Yuffie didn't hear anymore though. Instead she walked calmly over to her bed, dropped her pack at her feet, propped herself up against the wall, and fell asleep with the little boy still in her arms. Just like she had promised, she wouldn't let go. And she didn't. Not even when gloved hands came and wrapped her leg. Not even when those same hands put a blanket over her to keep out the cold. She never noticed the claret eyes that roved over her face and arms, silently taking in the damage. Instead she dreamed of Judoki's rolling head and an infants cries in the background.
A/N: So? What do you think? I hope you all enjoyed this. I wanted to show just how evil and horrible these people were. By the way, this is a special note to Clairer55: Look! Look! Notice anything? Say perhaps a lack of spelling mistakes, or typos? Or any other little problems that drove you crazy? And honestly they drove me crazy too. I have a beta now! Yay! You should all thank Shtit for taking time out of his busy, busy life to help me on my story. I was stuck on a very crucial part and if not for his help and guidance, this chapter would not have come out the way it did. Most likely it wouldn't come out at all I was that stuck. So thank you so much Shtit and everyone who has reviewed or even taken the time to read my story. I would have posted this chapter sooner but a bad storm rolled through our area and I was out of power for a week. I couldn't work on it. But the next chapter is already in the works! You all should thank Shtit for being so awesome a beta. I'm looking forward to hearing from you all on what you think of this one.
-Isa
