A/N#1: This chapter was written entirely by Tehn. I take no credit.
Everglow - Chapter Forty-Three
Vincent walked out of the store, carrying two large, heavy paper bags. The groceries were to be the supplies for the children's meals for the next week. Already Vincent's Turk training was kicking in, and he was rationing out the food. He was absentmindedly walking down the alleyway that kept him out of the crowds, giving him a shortcut back to the home.
In quick succession, Vincent's hair was pulled back, jerking his neck with it. His first reaction was to drop the groceries, reach for Cerberus, but cold metal touched his throat before he could feel for his gun.
"Hello, friend," a voice slithered over the words. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Kadaj," Vincent choked out between gritted teeth.
Kadaj giggled. "All I need is one simple little answer to a teensy-tiny question. If you answer it, we won't have to hurt you!" Kadaj lowered his mouth to next to Vincent's ear, his voice becoming serious.
"Where are the children?"
Vivian combed Nadiya's long, silky hair before looking at her watch again. "Where could he be?" she mumbled.
She heard a thump against the door. Cautiously, she opened it peeking behind a small slit.
Vincent lay bloodied on the doorstep.
"Oh Gaia," Vivian gasped as she pulled Vincent's body inside. He flinched at each movement. "Vincent, who did this to you?"
"Verian…Kadaj…" his voice rasped with wet blood dripping from the corners of his mouth.
"Aidan," Vivian called, not looking away from Vincent. "Get Nadiya and-"
"Now, now, now," a slippery voice called from the shadows. "Don't be like that. We just want to play."
"Kadaj," Vivian hissed.
"Vincent was so good, crawling back to his hidey-hole. It really was too bad that he didn't know we were following him; it would be better for him now if we hadn't gotten the idea." He turned to Vincent, his voice playful, but his eyes hard. "You said you didn't know where they were. I would never have expected you of all people to lie to me. That's a very dangerous gamble." He leaned down to whisper in Vincent's ear. "And you just lost."
Vivian bolted from Vincent, grabbing Aidan and Nadiya up. Verian appeared in front of the door.
"Think again," he said, smiling tauntingly. Vivian ran to a corner, crouching and trembling with the children.
"Leave them!" Kadaj barked, and then his mouth slid into its oily smile. "First we must make an example out of this one." He gestured to the wounded man on the floor.
"No! Please! Don't do it!" Vivian said through a broken voice, tears dripping slowly on the floor.
"Well. If you're already crying, then I'm going to hate to see how you'll react to this," Kadaj chuckled. Vivian whimpered, holding Nadiya closer as the little one buried her head into Vivian. Aidan, open-mouthed in complete horror, was frozen in fear.
Verian trod heavily to stand in front of Vincent.
"Get up," he ordered. Vincent staggered to a standing position, clutching his arm. Verian scoffed, prodding Vincent's bleeding leg with the blunt edge of his weapon. Vincent's eyes closed quickly in a silent flinch. Vivian bit her lip as she watched him, Verian and Kadaj circling him so she could only see snatches of his tall, dark figure. Suddenly Kadaj let out a mix of a laugh and scream, and the tense moments of safety were over.
Vincent swerved between the two fluidly, though the usually simple task was now sending first beads, then rivulets of sweat down his face. With each evasion, Kadaj's eerie smile grew wider, chilling Vivian's blood until she could no longer feel any run from her face. They were wearing him down. Verian seemed to be drinking Vincent's energy; with each strike he only grew stronger. In a brief moment of peace between attacks, Verian took his opportunity. He swept his arm around, latching his hand around Vincent's pale, thin throat.
Vivian looked frantically around for Kadaj. Kadaj stepped forward, holding his sword, only now half of both the blades were glowing a bright orange, in the other hand, a glowing and mastered Fire materia. Vincent's scarred skin showed through where Verian had ripped the remains of his shredded clothing to reveal a pale canvas.
"No!" Vivian shrieked, gripping tighter to the children to keep her from running to Vincent. She watched in horror as Kadaj slowly inched the almost-melting metal towards Vincent's stomach. Even he could not retain his grotesque, pained scream as the double-katana stroked across him again and again.
Verian deftly hooked chains on Vincent's wrists, placing them on a hook so he could hang immovable. He spun the gun master around, Kadaj keeping his blade in the same place, so he could spread the pain equally. Vivian screamed at the scene before her. She looked down.
Aidan and Nadiya watched with wide, frightened eyes.
Vincent was burned and bloodied when they dropped him. Laughing darkly, Kadaj walked over and crouched in front of Vivian.
"Wanna play?" he grinned. Verian moved towards the children.
"Stay away," Vivian hissed. Kadaj grinned even wider, taking a handful of her hair and pulling her towards him.
"Oh, little children," he sang. "Come with us, and she will be left unharmed."
Nadiya ran towards Verian, making her decision clear.
"No," Vivian said in a choked whisper. Kadaj pulled her back even farther and placed a knife against her throat.
"Do it," he spat at Aidan. Aidan glared, resisting, but went to Verian all the same.
"Take them," Kadaj directed Verian. Victoriously, Verian directed the children out of the building.
"Make sure you give Vincent my greetings when you reach him in the Afterlife," Kadaj snickered. He gripped his knife tighter, fluently stabbing it into Vivian's ribs. She gasped, and then hit the floor as Kadaj dropped her. Laughing, Kadaj left.
"Vivian…" Vincent gasped. Through the red pain, Vivian crawled to him.
There was something white against the black of his clothing. From how it was carefully folded, she could see a glint of gold glitter beneath a splattered coat of red blood...
Vivian's eyes widened. He had kept the picture that Nadiya gave to him. Not only that, but it was folded carefully, tucked in the pocket closest to his heart.
"Call…Sephiroth……" Vincent clasped her hand, sliding his cell phone into her palm. Quickly, she dialed the number.
Sephiroth's phone rang, the noise too loud for his quiet sanctuary.
"Hello?" he asked. There was only the sound of noisy, wet rasping.
"Please….help…" a feminine voice pleaded, then the phone went dead.
A/N#2: ...well...don't kill me...
On the bright side, Sephy answered his phone!
Erm...yeah.
