Fearful Symmetry
Chapter 12: Chaos—Immortal Eye
Vincent paced back and forth in his room listening to the muffled clacking of his shoes on the hardwood floor. Lucretia was with him, seated on the bed with her back against the headboard. He could tell that his uneasiness was affecting her, but he couldn't help it. This was his only chance to convince her—in the past he'd failed to sway her from going ahead with the experiments, leaving it up to this moment. She was waiting patiently for him to explain his calling her, but the arguments he'd conjured would not come to his lips. Would she believe him? And even if she did, would she go with him? The one problem he had not expressed to Willy in their plan was that he had yet to convince Lucretia of their intentions.
"What I have to tell you is very important," Vincent began, forcing himself to stop pacing. "It's about your child." He saw her hand move to her belly when he said so, and he remembered that he would have to be very sensitive to her feelings, no matter what the truth was. "They did not inject you or your child with Cetra. It was something else, and it could be dangerous to you both."
Lucretia's face immediately reflected her distress, a look he would have done anything to steal away. "What do you mean?" she asked. "How do you know?"
He took a seat on the bed beside her. "There was an accident in Midgar, and one of my Turks is dead." He kept his voice low, hoping to convey how serious he was. "The man who did it…was once a friend of mine. He was injected with Jenova—the same as your child."
"I don't understand," she interrupted. "How can Jenova not be a Cetra? What does that have to do with a murder?"
Vincent shook his head in frustration. "Don't you see—Jenova was manipulating him. It made him kill my leader. Jenova is evil, and—"
"Stop it." Lucretia pulled away from him, disbelieving and frightened by the intensity in his speech. "You're wrong. Jenova has the power to make dreams come true—didn't you read the translations of the runes we found? Runes written by Cetra." She eyed him doubtfully. "Vincent, you can't just make this up. I know you're concerned, but I didn't think you'd lie to me."
"I'm not lying," he insisted, trying not to sound desperate. "I'm telling you the truth. You are in danger. That's why I'm taking you away."
"What?" Lucretia got up from the bed, staring at him as if he'd just threatened her at gunpoint. "What—what's gotten into you?"
Why doesn't she believe me? I'm only trying to…. Vincent followed her, taking her arm so that she couldn't try to retreat again. "Lucretia, I'm begging you to listen," he said in barely above a whisper. His chest felt tight with fear. "My friends are coming here, and they're going to take us all away. We'll find a way to save your baby. Do you really want your son to grow up with that insane Hojo, as a lab rat?"
She struck him. It took him a moment to realize that the pain on his cheek had been from her blow, so sudden was the action. "Don't…don't you dare speak about my husband like that," she said, though he could see she was choking on the words. "Who the hell do you think you are, making these accusations? Ian is a brilliant, caring man—he loves me more than you ever could!"
Vincent nearly staggered, catching himself on the bedpost as the woman turned and fled from the room. She didn't have far to go—as soon as the door opened she was stopped by the man standing there. The Turk kept his head down. Lucretia's words had left him breathless, and he couldn't bare to let anyone see the raw pain on his face. He didn't even see who had halted her until the man spoke.
"There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding between us, Mr. Valentine."
The grating, pinched voice of Ian Hojo was almost too much for him to handle. Vincent bit his lip to keep from cursing out loud. Of all the times for Hojo to show up—
"Would you be so kind as to join me in the lab, Mr. Valentine? I'd be happy to correct your misconceptions of our work here. Besides, there is also some other business I'd like to discuss with you." Without waiting for a reply he turned and left, guiding his wife to the room they shared at the end of the hall.
Vincent didn't move for several minutes. He wanted to shout in frustration, in anger—in sorrow. Lucretia's words scarred more deeply than any other, and sorting out the chaos left by their passing through his mind took some time. At last he pushed away from the support of the bed frame, finding his balance.
I…have to go. Maybe, if I find out what's really going on…I can convince Lucretia.
He shook his head. No…she won't believe me. She wouldn't believe me even if Hojo admitted it himself. She…loves him that much.
Oh God…
Vincent took a breath to calm his stomach, the left his room. The Shinra was somewhat quiet, he observed dully on his way to the basement. It took him a moment to realize that all the staff was involved in a meeting in the dining hall, and he wondered why Hojo wasn't attending. But then, Hojo never did what he was asked. He preferred to not waste his time with such trivial things. Vincent tried to force any of his bitterness aside: he was confronting Hojo, and it would require a clear frame of mind.
Hojo was waiting for him in the lab, looking over some device of his. Vincent patiently waited to be noticed. When the scientist failed to speak for nearly a full minute he finally said, "You wanted to speak to me, Professor?"
"Yes, that's right." He turned slowly away from his work. "It's about an incident we were recently informed of. One of your fellow Turks has died."
Vincent held his ground, through he was seething with anger at the man's callousness. "Yes, I was informed of that."
"You neglected to share with us."
"A Turk's death is very serious, but not your concern," he replied through tight lips.
Hojo appeared to be mildly amused by his response. "Actually, it does," he said, adjusting his glasses. "An accomplice to his killer, Major Kem Arvon of SOLDIER First Class, was killed. Our associates in Midgar reported that he had been exposed to one of the substances we've been testing. That is the subject of their meeting upstairs." He shrugged indifferently. "I preferred to go to the source."
"The source," the Turk repeated indignantly. "And what do I have to do with it?"
"Mr. Valentine, you're supposed to be security on this project, aren't you? I'd like to know how Dr. Alkens got a sample of the cells that exist only in this mansion."
Vincent was about to respond when his instincts flared; Wily had mentioned Dr. Alkens as being the scientist in Junon who'd treated Gavin and Kem. But the incident wasn't even a full day old. Kem was dead and Gavin was with Willy, so how did Hojo know the name of the renegade scientist? Shinra did work efficiently, but without the Turks….
Hojo's face was twisted with a grin. "You're a smart man, Valentine. However, I find your lack of security to be alarming." He turned his back to him. "Let's not have that happen again, hmm?"
Vincent's hands clenched into fists. He could stand to be mocked and insulted, but not by this man. Not by Hojo, who had for so long been the cause of his pain—and Lucretia's. He should have turned and walked away, leaving the scientist to his toys. He should have gone back to Lucretia, told her what he'd discovered, and taken her far away from this place.
The memory of Raile kept his feet still. The two Senior Turks had known each other for ten years; they'd joined Shinra together, and since then had been impeccable allies. Though he often felt closer to Willy than to his leader, the two men had depended on each other's judgement and skill for a decade of the most difficult situations a man could find himself in. Now that life had been taken, by the curiosity of a mad man.
"You gave him the sample," he said in a low voice. "Lucretia's child may be your son, but the experiment belongs to Gast. You needed a quick break-through with instant results to beat him."
Hojo faced him once more, grinning faintly. "Science needs subjects, Mr. Valentine."
The Turk stiffened in anger. "Subjects?" he growled. "The men you had treated were good officers, and the man they killed my friend. You've always known that Jenova is unpredictable, and you let it happen anyway."
"So?"
Stop it. Leave him alone—you'll be gone soon, and it will be over. Just go.
"I'm going to report this," Vincent heard himself say. "I'm not going to let you hurt more people the way you've hurt Lucretia."
The scientist laughed—it was a grating, chilling sound. "I don't think so," he replied mockingly. "You can't take Jenova from me." His hand dipped stealthily into his white lab coat.
Vincent noticed, but his anger was too well focused on the mans' sickening grin to think of it. "We'll see about that. You can't expect to—"
He broke off, shocked, as Hojo removed from his coat a small handgun. He expected some time to react, to dodge or attack, but his opponent did not speak and fired once. He wasn't a good shot, but at so close a range it didn't matter. The bullet buried deep into the Turk's upper chest; the explosion of gunpowder, shattering bone and ripping flesh was deafening to the wounded man. Then he was on his back, moaning weakly from the pain as blood poured out of him.
Gavin started out of a tender sleep. He glanced about, searching for the source of his rude alarm, and found himself seated on a small charter plane. He'd been awoken by the sound of the engine turning on. In the seat beside him, Wily was fidgeting nervously. His gaze drew her attention. "Hey," he greeted.
Willy smiled at him. "We're just about to take off. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, fine." He attempted to stretch, but the plane didn't allow for much room. "I'm just a bit tired. Traveling always exhausts me."
"Well, you'll have a while to sleep before we get to Nibelheim." She pulled a small blue pillow out from under her seat. "Here—make yourself comfortable."
Gavin accepted her offer with a chuckle. "Thanks, Willy."
Vincent's eyelids fluttered in reaction to the activation of a bright light overhead. He moaned, caught in a terrible pain that spread poison-like through his chest. Blood flowed down his shoulder and neck. He forced his mind to function, to comprehend what had happened to leave him in this state.
Gunpowder. He'd been shot. When he breathed a bitter taste rose in his throat, choking him, and he guessed that his lung had been punctured if not worse.
Hojo.
Vincent scowled. Some part of his brain reasoned that he should find a way to stop the blood, but now he was concerned with discerning the location of his attacker. He could hear someone bustling about, but as his line of sight was limited he saw no one. He coughed weakly.
"Oh good, you're still alive." The light was lessened as a man's face interrupted his view. The features were twisted and unrecognizable to him. "Maybe you'll be good meat after all."
"Damn…Hojo," the Turk croaked.
"Oh come now; no need for that." The man's skinny ands reached down and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him across the floor. Vincent found no strength to struggle as he was pulled roughly onto the laboratory's center table. Glass tubes and bottles snapped and fractured under his weight. "Just lie still for a while. You won't feel a thing." With a wicked cackle he leapt off the table once more and moved away.
Vincent cursed; he would have hollered and struggled had he the power in his lungs and limbs. For now all he could do was lie as he'd been instructed, blinded by light and pain. He did, however, have the presence of mind to cover his wound with his hand to staunch the flow of blood.
"So, you love Lucretia, do you?" Vincent could barely hear the man's voice over his own anguished pulse. "She is rather beautiful, isn't she? Not that it really matters to me." He climbed onto the table and began to set out several objects that appeared only as a blur to him. "She'll have served her purpose once my son is born. So I've decided to do something quite unlike myself: I'm giving her to you."
Vincent's eyes snapped to him, thinking that perhaps he'd misunderstood. Hojo continued with a chuckle. "That got our attention, didn't it? Well, it's true." Their hands met for a moment, and then Vincent felt something being shoved onto the third finger of his left hand. "There. Now she's your whore, and you can go to Hell together." He leaned closer, so that his voice was nothing more than a harsh whisper in his ear. "As long as you wear that gold, you'll both be cursed. Soon she'll be dead, and by the time I'm through with you, you won't be human anymore." He laughed sharply and pulled away. "Isn't this a wonderful thing I'm doing? Anything as pathetic as a man in love should be honored to be a part of Jenova."
Vincent coughed and sputtered, to weak to reply. He wanted to rage and howl, but already the room was growing dark around him. He could no longer feel the blood or the pain, as if it had all become very insignificant. Slowly, he was pulled to the cold, black abyss. The last thing he remembered was the sting of the needle as it entered his flesh.
Lucretia….
When Willy and her friends reached Nibelheim it was just about evening, and the sky was painted with hues of orange and brilliant pink. After thanking the pilot they headed into the sleepy town. Willy thought the scenery rather pleasant, if not a bit dull. She smiled warmly at the people they passed even as they returned her greetings with suspicion. To avoid any scenes the trio moved quickly to the Shinra mansion near the back of town.
Gavin eyed the building doubtfully. "We can't just barge in there, can we?" he asked. "They're gonna suspect if we just stroll in and take people."
"Leave it to me." Willy grinned, removing from her backpack her Navy Turk's Jacket. She buttoned it and took a moment to better her appearance after their travel. "I may not be an actress, but this shouldn't be hard." She winked. "Wish me luck."
"Good luck."
Willy headed swiftly up the steps to the mansion, leaping gracefully over the gate. She rapped loudly on the door, which was answered by a tall woman with black hair. "May I help you?"
"Yes," she replied briskly. "It's very important that I speak with Mr. Valentine. May I come in?"
The woman looked her up and down. "You're a Turk," she asked suspiciously.
"Yes, and it's very important" Without waiting for an invitation Willy pushed past the woman into the mansion. She gaped momentarily at the size of the main room before continuing inside. "Could you tell me where I can find him?"
"The last time I saw him he was headed for the laboratory in the basement." She closed the door with a heavy clang that started the young Turk. "Upstairs, turn right, right again, last room on the left and go downstairs. But that was hours ago."
"Thank you. I'll look myself." With a curt nod she left the scientist, swiftly following the directions to the room that led to the basement. The mansion wasn't as large as the main room would have most believe. She ducked into the stairwell and started down.
She was immediately met with an argument. Lucretia was there, questioning her husband. He treated her concern with careless indifference. "I don't know what you're talking about," he was saying. "I haven't seen that Turk for hours."
"Are you sure?" she persisted. "I really need to speak to him."
"Lucretia, don't worry yourself over him."
Willy approached the pair swiftly—they were talking about Vincent, and she didn't like what she heard. "Dr. Karlauv. Professor Hojo, can I have a word with you?"
Both turned, startled by her sudden presence. "It's Willow Trust, isn't it?" asked Lucretia, squinting against the darkness in the corridor. The basement's chamber was no more than a maze of tunnels cut in the rock, lit with small bulbs along the sides. "You're a Turk."
"I need to speak with Vincent Valentine," she said. "It's urgent." Her eyes met the woman's briefly, wondering if he'd been able to inform her of their entire plan. "Tell me where he is, Professor."
"Unfortunately, that's quite impossible." His face was one of calm innocence. "I have no idea where he might be. He left the laboratory several hours ago."
Willy scowled and simply pushed past him continuing down the corridor toward the lab. She ignored Hojo's angry shouts. If he hurt Vince, I swear I'll kill him myself.
She flung the laboratory door open, calling his name. Her gaze swept the room; it was piled with electronic devices, test tubes, samples and computer monitors. To the left was a small hallway with books lining each side, and on the right a work table in a terrible state of disarray. She moved closer to investigate, and there discovered bloodstains everywhere. "Vincent?" She could hear a man breathing—or, it might have been a man. It sounded more like some creature rasping. The sound was coming from behind the table, and with her gun drawn she rounded the furniture to see for herself.
At first all Willy could see was a mound of black flesh, huddled in the corner like a frightened animal. It was groaning softly in pain. Upon closer inspection she could clearly see the arched, muscular back, broad shoulders, and a thick tail that curved protectively around its body. The creature was large—she guessed ten feet tall or more, were it standing. She'd never seen anything like it.
The beast coughed, startling her with how human a sound it was. The flesh on its back began to bulge outwards, as if pushed from within, and extended. Willy stood back as the skin was stretched and molded into a pair of wide, leathery wings. She was on the verge of fleeing when it turned its head toward her, capturing her in its blazing crimson eyes.
"My, my," came a voice from behind, and the bizarre creature snarled angrily as Hojo entered the lab. He viewed his creation with satisfaction. "What an amazing outcome."
The beast rose to its full height, which was taller than the Turk had estimated. With a bellowing roar that caused the very foundation to shake it spread its wings; the counters behind were cleared of their apparatuses by the wind their flapping generated. Hojo watched the display with appreciation; the two women were not so calm. Willy backed away, her face pale, and Lucretia began to scream. He merely laughed as the creature set its gaze on him.
Willy gulped, her entire body sent trembling from the piercing scarlet eyes. Its twisted, grueling face was too familiar to her. "It's Chaos," she murmured, trans-like. "Korben's card. How…?"
The demon bellowed again, clearly intending to attack. "Get out of here!" Willy shouted to the scientists, awakened by the unearthly cry. "Run!" She aimed and fired at the beast.
Chaos's speed was too great; he dodged, much to her shock, and escaped being scathed by a single projectile. By now Hojo and Lucretia had gone, and she swiftly followed their retreat. She slammed the door behind her.
"That won't help," Hojo snorted. He was rummaging through some crates that were set against the wall.
"Unless you have a better idea," she snapped, "I suggest you—"
The door was thrown off its hinges, shredding the wood into splinters, and Willy covered her head with her arms to shield herself. She cursed as she felt blood dripping down her forearm. Somewhere nearby Lucretia was screaming hysterically, and Hojo was yelling for her to be quiet, and Chaos was snarling; all the sounds mixed like mad paint in her mind. She looked up to see the beast shouldering its way through the opening where there had once been a door. Its eyes, filled with hatred and searching for blood, landed on Hojo.
"Ha! I was right about you," the Professor snorted, his hands still groping through the crate. Lucretia clung to him fearfully. "This is your true form."
Chaos prepared to pounce, and though Willy's shots proved to be ineffective it forced the demon to recoil. "Damnit, I told you to get the hell out of here!" she hollered over her shoulder. When she glanced back she was surprised to find Korben and Gavin covering her from behind. "Thanks for showing up."
"You can't kill him," Korben said. He was watching the beast with wide, disbelieving eyes. One hand was fastened about a Gaea card, the other white-knuckled around his firearm. "Let's retreat."
"What? But—"
"Willy, that's Vincent," Gavin interrupted. "It maybe a monster, but it's him. I know it is."
The female Turk went stiff with his words. Her gaze leapt instantly to the face of the creature, searching the missfigured countenance for something she might have recognized; she was met with only red eyes and protruding fangs. Surly this was not her Vincent, the man she'd trusted time and time again with her secrets and her life. It could not have been her willing older brother, her friend and comrade. Before her she saw only a monster, twisted and without even a glimmer of compassion.
It couldn't be him.
Chaos charged, screaming in rage with claws raised. Willy lifted her gun. Across the barrel she sighted its face. She aimed at it forehead, intending to shoot dead this monster who dared to mock her ancient companion. But as it raced toward her now, she could not bring herself to pull the trigger. Something inside her refused to act, and went so far as to lower her weapon once more. Because more than anything she trusted Vincent.
The beast did not relent. With blinding speed its left hand struck out, and Willy was shocked to feel the sharpened claws digging into her chest. She suddenly felt as if she could not breathe, and her heart with all its blood leapt into her throat and ears.
She was falling. Her legs buckled and folded beneath her, and she collapsed, doll-like, onto the cold stone earth. The pain of her injury came a moment later, stealing away her conscious thoughts so that she could see only the rock ceiling above her—the rest of her senses were numbed by the hot, stabbing anguish.