Darkening Abyss Ch 12

Ahhh almost 100 reviews! Come on guys you can do it ~_^ Triple digits people! Triple digits we're aiming for now with this chapter! hahaha Thank you all so so SO much for the wonderful feedback last chapter! They keep me motivated! You guys totally rock. I hope that you will enjoy this chapter too!


He simply stood there, staring outside at the blue sky where Bahamut clawed through the windows overlooking Edge. Traces of where the monstrous beast tore through the sky were semi visible as the clouds began mending themselves from the abuse. Chaos was a roaring mess and Vincent had to summon up an immense sense of concentration to maintain control over his body. He could feel his beast's pain... after all, Chaos wasn't the only one who lost Cloud; and Chaos was sure pointing that fact out.

'You moronic ingrate! How dare you, how dare you lose him?! Pathetic whelp!'

'...' Vincent dared not saying anything to further anger chaos but he could do nothing as the beast raged on.

'That bastard took Cloud. He took that which was ours and you let him go! You should have released me and then nothing like this would have happened!'

'Chaos if I left you free other people would have gotten hurt or killed. Don't think that I-'

'Silence your tongue Vincent Valentine! How dare you think that I wouldn't take into account of the others?! You sicken me with your petty excuses for your own foolish weaknesses. And because of your fear we have now lost Cloud!'

'I don't fear you Chaos. I don't fear you or any of the others that reside within me!'

'Bullshit you walking meat bag. If you did not fear us, fear me, then why did you not call upon our power to destroy that bastard? Hojo did this to us and you! We all are forever bound together and I am sick and tired of being inside you; he who doesn't act upon the here and now. No you still fret over that damn woman who locked us away within you. She fucking betrayed you for Hojo and yet you still harbor feelings for her! I can sense it Vincent. You sicken me.' Chaos was snarling angrily at Vincent who gritted his teeth and bore it. Part of what Chaos said was true but the demon was wrong about Vincent still thinking about Lucrecia Crescent. True he did think about her from time to time but it would never be like the amount of time Vincent put into thinking about the blonde hero. She did betray him; Cloud never betrayed him.

'I do not care for her like that Chaos. That was... in the past. I have moved on... Cloud-' Vincent was cut off due to his inner demons' impatience.

'He is now gone, my immortal host, because of you. You broke your promise to him. To me. You failed.'

'I did not fail you pitiful beast!' Vincent let loose his own barrage of insults unto Chaos. Though he had never done so before, now was not the time for Chaos to simply shove all the blame onto Vincent's shoulders.

'You dare raise your voice at me?!'

'No matter what you say, Chaos, you are locked within me and I have the power to end your existence. I recognize your immense power, as well as the others that reside within me, but I have my own reasons for acting the way I did back when Hojo... claimed Cloud yet again. That was my own fault, I know that, so I don't need you further repeating it like a broken record. There were other people who I have grown to care for as... friends... and I will not let you hurt them simply because you can not control your anger Chaos.'

For once in his long eternal life, Chaos didn't have anything to say to his host. Sensing that Chaos wasn't going to further argue with him, Vincent pressed on. 'We will get him back Chaos and I will be more than happy to let you tear apart Hojo limb from limb.' With this, Vincent received a small grunt of acceptance. He knew Chaos all too well. The demon was simply overly infuriated with Hojo's actions and needed a way to let some of that steam out.

'I'll make sure his death is slow and then I shall revive him and do it again. I can hear his cries now... No better yet, I'll rip out his vocal cords before I begin my play.'

'Do whatever you please Chaos but our first priority is to get back Cloud.'

'Foolish immortal, did you not think that I knew that already? We will reclaim that which is ours and then bring him back home and mate with the boy.'

If anyone was standing next to Vincent, they would've been able to see his red eyes widen noticeably before glaring, burrowing his face within his cape's mantel. 'Chaos don't think such crude things.'

'Oh it is not me who is mentally displaying a plethora of interesting bed tousling...I am merely but an avid watcher.' Chaos let out a demonic laugh as he felt Vincent's heart rate increase, knowing all too well that Vincent was the one who was thinking the dirty thoughts. It was amusing as hell to ruffle the vampire's feathers- er... wings.

'I am not thinking of such things.'

'Hmmm... And I am not a beast.'

That being said, Chaos fell back into Vincent's being, finally allowing the cloaked gunner his own thoughts. What Chaos said was partially true in some aspects: Vincent had promised Cloud that he'd protect him yet he had failed. Damn it really hurt. It was just the other day when he promised Cloud that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to him and look what just happened a few minutes ago. Vincent clenched his hand, feeling the metallic gauntlet grind against itself. This was the last time Hojo would take something away from him, screw up his life, and the world all for the sake of science and his own inability to see the wrongness of his ways. Turning away from the gaping maw left by Bahamut's wake, Vincent gazed back into Rufus's decimated office.

It seemed as if Reno and Zack were alright, just totally dazed from the crash through the wall and colliding with one another from Cloud's enhanced kick. The blonde's strength seemed to have doubled, maybe even tripled, after Hojo did his little magic trick. As soon as Vincent saw Cloud come into contact with the Jenova cells coursing through Hojo, he knew the boy would be battling the calamity's madness as well as Hojo's own. No wonder Cloud's mental state was so cumbersome every so often. Yet Cloud seemed to be getting better; even after the remnant issue. Everything seemed to be finally settling down and that should have cued in to them that something else was going to happen.

The dark head gunner shook his head as he stared over the shoulder of President Rufus who was fuming silently by a loopy red head that claimed he was seeing double of everything. Reno slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, making Rufus lurch forward as the red head began swaying form side to side. A small trickle of blood was running down the side of Reno's face, staining the white of his shirt into a reddish hue. Zack had recovered rather quickly when he came to, quickly rolling off of the smaller body beneath him that grunted out in pain with the sudden movement. He had seen Tseng clutching his bleeding shoulder whilst standing near the kneeling President and rushed to take the man downstairs to the doctors much to the head Turks annoyance... again.

"Vincent, do you have any idea where they went?" Rufus continued sitting next to Reno as the red head blinked rapidly, trying to make the multiple people mesh into a single form.

"Rufus… stop moving around will ya?" Reno's ears were ringing and his body hurt. At least nothing was broken after the loud mouthed Turk gave himself a once over. The guy would only be receiving a good helping of black, blue and purple markings.

Ignoring Reno's statement, Vincent turned his crimson gaze towards the Shinra President. "No. The clouds are reforming back into their original shapes, successfully eradicating any traces we may be able to follow."

"So, it was true what Hojo said then?" Rufus visibly grimaced, cool blue eyes hardening, lips thinning out into a fine line. Hojo had slipped around them yet again. The man was a force to be reckoned with even if he was old and untrained in the art of combat. Hojo's ingenious mind far surpassed them in the realms of science.

"Yes Rufus. We were played right from the very beginning. He got what he wanted. His plans are set in motion. Jenova- Hojo- is controlling Cloud." How ironic that two of the worlds most notorious enemies were linked with Gaia's savior, using the boy to do their bidding.

"How though?" The blonde President's inquiring eyes connected with Vincent's own.

"Hojo has control over Jenova, the alien matter is now inside Cloud and thus, Hojo controls Cloud." Vincent's hand clenched as he gritted out the last words. Everything was connected now.

"How does the lifestream take part in this?" Yes that's right... the little matter of contaminated lifestream that Hojo controlled as well... The man's reaches seemed endless.

"Hojo somehow captured essences of the lifestream and uses it in a liquidized form to transfer his mind... spirit I guess you could say... to another host when the body his is in now begins to degrade. That was how he was able to escape into Dr. Mikami and enter Shinra's medical field here within the building. The lifestream itself is used as a connector between the two bodies allowing Hojo to jump from one to another."

"And he needs Cloud in order to help him conquer the world and form it to his own creation. He knows that there's no one here on this planet who would be able to defeat him... not even you Vincent. He know's you'd never lay a hand on the boy. If Hojo is within Cloud's head, there's no doubt that he's reading the boy's mind as we speak. All Clouds memories are a part of Hojo now." Rufus ran his hand through Reno's fiery locks, making the other moan and close his eyes. His head was still pounding.

Vincent turned away from the pair on the floor, gazing at the workers already flocking into Rufus's office space cleaning up the mess. That was one thing Shinra excelled at: removing that which was never meant to be remembered. "We still have yet to find a way to defeat Hojo before he furthers his plans and dooms Gaia."

Rufus smirked up at the man standing next to him. "Isn't that why we are here?"

Turning his head towards Rufus, Vincent merely knitted his eyebrows together, prompting the blonde to continue. "It's quite simple really. We give chase, get back Cloud and eradicate Hojo from Gaia once and for all."

"And how do you suggest we track them down Rufus? I hate to say it Rufus but your statement sounded like something Reno would say."

A quick 'hey!' from Reno was heard before Rufus spoke. "I'm sure we'll find a way to target them Vincent. As soon as Reno's taken care of, I will begin my search and inform you if I come up with something. You do what you do best and search for things on your own terms. Check up with Zack; he might have some ideas on what to do. Hojo can't be as invincible as he so claims. I don't think I've seen anyone survive their body being torn apart and burned to a crisp."

"That is correct. Now all we have to do is find him so the destruction of Professor Hojo can begin." Vincent held out his hand for the Shinra President to take to stand up which he did.

"Woo boy there's four of you all now… I think I need a drink yo." Reno fell back onto the floor and groaned, placing his arm across his eyes.

"My friend, I think that is the last thing you need." Vincent shook his head at the red head.

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"I'm really tired of being within these white walls." Tseng sat on one of the medical beds staring down at his bandaged arm. An elderly doctor had already came in and dressed Tseng's wound, nodding with sagely wisdom, that he would be alright.

"Well lets hope that this will be your last time in one." Zack had kept up a lively chatter as soon as he plopped the elder male on the white bed sheets, helping liven the somber mood Tseng was sinking into.

"I wasn't any help." Shaking his head, Tseng grabbed his bloody shirt and was about to put it back on when a hand stopped him. He was irritated by the fact that Hojo had used him in order to flee the area. Rufus should not have worried for Tseng's sake...

"Hold up, I'll go get you a clean one. And don't say that you weren't any help Tseng. Everyone did their best, including you. If it weren't for you and Vincent, we would have never known the fact that Hojo was using the lifestream to transport himself from body to body, keeping himself alive. The information you gathered regarding Dr. Mikami helped this investigation push forward. We were all caught unawares Tseng when Hojo revealed himself. The only thing we can do now is move on and change our goals to getting Cloud back and killing Hojo." That being said, the violet eyed warrior left the room.

Well if that wasn't a shock to Tseng's system... The Turk just sat on the hospital bed listening to Zack's optimistic outburst. Tseng had felt miserable ever since he was wounded back on the mission with Vincent. Yet it wasn't the type of misery gained with pain, no, more like misery with the fact that he hadn't proven to be of much use besides getting himself impaled by one of Hojo's demonic guard dogs. And again when Hojo used him for his escape. Damn it all. Tseng felt like he was letting down the man he swore his life away to protect until Zack simply erased that feeling with his statement of Tseng's determination and reliability.

Speaking of the dark haired first...

Tseng smirked and waited. Three... two... one...

The hospital door slid open just a tad and a familiar head popped in. "Hey… where do you keep extra shirts? I know you have more than one here since Reno has his own secret stash."

"My office, one floor under Rufus's, closet on the right." Boy was Zack ever predictable sometimes.

"Awesome. Be back in a jiffy!" The door closed and thudding footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Tseng smiled. Yeah, it was good seeing the bouncy first back.

-------

Zack entered Tseng's office and laughed; it was impeccably neat and nothing was out of the ordinary. Yup, Tseng was definitely the one who resided in this office. He walked towards the closet Tseng had designated and opened it revealing two white dress shirts a pair of black pants and a matching black jacket with tie: the standard Turk outfit. He grabbed a white shirt and shut the closet door. Before he left the room, Zack couldn't help himself as he brought the white cotton to his nose and inhaled its scent, smiled and then slapped himself.

"I can't believe I just smelled Tseng's shirt!" Slightly embarrassed with his actions, Zack shook his head and exited the Turk leader's room. That was something he would never ever ever tell anyone else. It was his little, guilty, secret. Besides, Tseng had always had that exotic air around him and Zack wondered if it was just the man himself or his clothes. Now he finally figured out that it was Tseng himself.

When the elevator bell dinged, Zack reentered the enclosed space and was surprised to see Vincent standing in the far left corner. If there were no lights in the elevator, Zack swore that he would've never sensed the dark gunner's presence. But hey, better time than any to get to know Vincent more. "Yo! What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"I was going to check on Tseng's status." Vincent replied with a deadpan tone. Man, how did Cloud put up with doom and gloom?

"Ya need to lighten up pal." Zack clapped his hand on Vincent's shoulder and smiled. But hey if Cloud liked the guy then Zack would have no problem what so ever in befriending him. After all, he was Zachary Fair and no one was impossible to befriend!

"I'm sorry. I'm not… this gloomy usually… not anymore that is…it's just…" Zack's hyperactive nature actually had Vincent stumble around for appropriate words. Cloud's best friend was everything the younger had told Vincent about. He was really easy to become acquainted with.

"This whole thing with Hojo right?" Zack's smile faded. He despised that scientist with every fiber of his being. All the shit that man put them all through... Oh how Zack wanted to thrust his buster sword through the spindly scientist and wrench out the man's innards. Maybe he was back for a reason besides as a mistake born from Hojo's tinkering with the lifestream. "But, what were you like before Vincent?"

"Yes. I too... was an experiment within Hojo's labs many years ago. I carry within me demons that could destroy this world. Chaos is the one that I can communicate with more freely with. After Lucrecia... betrayed me and Hojo killed me, she sealed them within me, keeping me alive. I... couldn't deal with the pain of loss and slept within a coffin. Cloud and the others happened to find me and bring me along with their party to stop Sephiroth and save Gaia from Meteor. You see, back when I traveled with Cloud, I was… very anti-social. Some people in the towns we stopped in even went as far as to say that I was a serial killer. In fact, I don't take a huge liking in killing but it is a deed that must be carried out."

"Yeah, that's the same thing that went for us in SOILDER. We were thought of as monsters. People feared us even though we were the ones risking our lives to save them from the monsters that roamed the lands and protected them from the enemy nations. Some people never really look beyond what they see and that is really a shame. I mean, I don't think I look all that scary now right?" Zack remembered the fear that lit civilians faces when he walked through town with his sword strapped to his back. SOILDER First Class, Zachary Fair. That was his title.

"Cloud speaks highly of you." Vincent quirked his lips slightly as Zack's eyes lit up with happiness. The first's energy was indeed contagious.

"Heh, that little guy is so awesome. He's been through hell and back. I'm glad that he found someone he could confide in when I wasn't here." Zack smiled a toothy grin as a slight blush made its way across Vincent's face. Oh this guy is just too much fun! "So, how was he?"

'Oh he was glorious indeed! Tell him Vincent or I will. This Zack might be one to enlighten us on some interesting facts regarding our blonde.' So Chaos had been listening to their conversation.

'No I will not describe how Cloud... was...' That would not be right, him enlightening Zack on how Cloud was in bed...

'You are no fun Vincent...' For a high and mighty demon, Chaos seemed to pout like a child.

Vincent looked up, connecting crimson to violet, making Zack shudder under such an intense gaze. "He's a real blonde." As soon as those words left his lips, Vincent wanted to disappear as quickly as possible form Zack's line of sight. Chaos had made him say that...

'Chaos how dare you...'

The demon roared with laughter. 'My immortal host I simply could not resist. This is for my own enjoyment after all.'

Zack busted at the seams with laughter as Vincent merely furrowed his face deep into his red mantel, effectively hiding his face from plain sight. That was mortifying what Chaos did and Zack only seemed to take that fact with a stride. "You can make a joke! See it's not that hard!" The SOILDER wiped tears away from his eyes.

"I assure you Zack that it was not me who said that."

Leaning up against the back wall, Zack's body was still riddled with chuckles as he asked, "What do you mean? It was definitely you."

"Chaos... spoke his thoughts..." Dammit all.

'Yes and look at how entertaining it was Vincent.'

"Chaos, your demon right? He doesn't seem all that bad hm?" Zack grinned from ear to ear.

'Oh yes I do like this one Vincent. Let me have some fun with him. I promise I won't leave any marks.' A demonic chuckle erupted within Vincent's mind. Chaos was too horny for his own good. The demon was going after every body that seemed to provide him some type of release. 'Don't fret so much my immortal host. Cloud will always be at the top of my list.'

"What'd he say?" Zack watched Vincent's crimson eyes widen slightly, immediately knowing that Chaos was probably the cause.

"You going to see Tseng?" Vincent quickly changed the subject and effectively silenced Chaos's rants.

"Yeah, the guy keeps getting beaten up. I feel kinda bad…" Zack looked down at the shirt that he held in his grasp and subconsciously began fingering it. What it was really soft...

"Looks to me that someone has a slight… affection towards the head of the Turks." Yes, now it was Vincent's turn to make the other uncomfortable. Zack froze for a moment before answering.

"Hey that's not fair." The dark haired first pursed his lips at Vincent's assumption.

"Yet you don't deny it." Vincent raised his head in a defying manor, making the younger boy squirm slightly underneath a crimson gaze.

"You sneaky son of a bitch." Zack shook his head as the elevator doors opened and the gunslinger exited first.

"Karma Zack." Vincent grinned and shook his head. Cloud and Zack were both good influences.

They both walked down the hallway towards Tseng's room. Vincent's metallic toed boots clanked against the stone flooring as Zack's louder thumps echoed through the hallway. As the two entered the room, Tseng looked up as Zack walked over and handed him the shirt. Tseng did have a pretty nice body... All that Turk training didn't go to waste. "Now you don't have to get cold nips."

Tseng's cheeks flared red as Vincent grinned into his cloak and Zack laughed. This world was in desperate need for humor and Zack provided the perfect solution. They needed to keep a level head as they sought after Cloud and Hojo. They couldn't just rush in there- where ever there was- with all furry and revenge in mind. Staying focused was the key to success. Cloud's life, the entire planet's life, depended on them. Suddenly, both the SOILDER and ex Turk gasped in pain; Zack collapsed like a stack of cards onto the floor as Vincent fell to one knee. Vincent and Zack's ears rang as their vision blurred something fierce. Zack gripped his head, moaning out in pain as he curled into a fetal position, trying to rid himself of the mind blowing pain. The dark haired gunslinger was not fairing any better as he grit his teeth, clasping his leather gloved hand against his head.

One could call it an out of body experience seeing as to how both men froze. Zack and Vincent's eyes blanked out for merely a couple of seconds but that small amount of time was all they needed. Cloud's face quickly flashed across their vision and the feeling of being pulled towards... somewhere was felt within their chests as a sharp ringing sounded through their head.

Tseng had hopped off the bed as soon as he watched the two others in the room collapse onto the floor and tried shaking Zack out of it. "Zack!"

He turned to Vincent and called out to the other. "Vincent?"

No reply from either males. Yet just as the Turk was about to yell for a doctor, the two downed men came back. They shared a look and nodded.

"You felt that?" Vincent rubbed at his chest. It had hurt quite a bit.

"Ya saw that?" Zack held both hands on the side of his temples.

"Yes." They both said in unison. Each had felt the pulling sensation and heard the loud ring that followed. The pain was swift and vanished in short time after they came back to reality.

Tseng was at a complete loss. They were fine one moment, completely out of it the next, and now Zack and Vincent seemed to be sharing a moment. "What just happened? Zack? Vincent?"

Zack looked up into concerned but curious dark eyes. "It was the same feeling as the lifestream... And Cloud was there! Tseng Cloud was there!"

"Where? Where is he, where's Hojo?" Tseng shook Zack's shoulder. This was no time for beating around the bush.

"I don't know but Cloud like... called out to us somehow." Zack raced his hand through the mass of spiky black hair.

"The lifestream..." Vincent stared down at his leather clad hand as small whisps of green flickered out from the palm of his hand and quickly disappeared.

"What?" Tseng and Zack stared, waiting for Vincent to answer.

"Maybe it wasn't Cloud who was trying to contact us. What if it was the lifestream itself directing us towards him? Cloud is connected with the lifestream just as we are... You Zack since you died and were brought back and I due to the event in Hojo's lab all those years ago." Vincent looked at Zack, eyes blazing with renewed determination.

"It's as if the lifestream is trying to tell us something." Zack put a hand on his chest, a sliver of greenish hue waving outwards from his palm just like Vincent.

"It's trying to show us where they are." Vincent looked up at Tseng and then to Zack once more.

"The lifestream is telling us the direction! It doesn't like that Hojo is interfering with it! Geez took it long enough to finally intervene... Aerith your slacking up there! Vincent, this is our chance; we can get him back!" Zack stood, leaning against the bed trying to steady himself. Tseng put a steadying hand on the younger boy's arm in-case Zack decided to fall back to the tiled floor.

'We shall finally take back that which is rightfully ours! That bastard has no right toying with our mate!'

Vincent stood smoothly as if nothing ever happened. "I'll blow off Hojo's fucking head."

Tseng and Zack stared. Vincent just cussed… In unison, both the Turk and violet eyed youth commented on the sudden attitude change. "Woah."

The gunner, realizing what he just said, literally buried his head in his cape as his silky black hair curtained around his face. Chaos's emotions were too close to the surface sometimes... "My apologies."


TBC

Thank you all so much for reading and commenting!

I really appreciate it all. Seriously it's great knowing that you all are enjoying it so keep it up!

Till next chapter ^_^

~ChaosGarden