Final Fantasy 7: The Hojo Clone
By Co V Schuler
Part 2: The Second Cetra
Chapter 20 (Continued a few hours after the end of Chapter 19)
At 11:30, Vincent snapped awake and was fully awake in a few seconds. Vampires have biological clocks and can tell themselves when to wake up. He got up and looked at Yuffie's sleeping peaceful body on the other bed.
"Forgive me Yuffie," he said quietly, and left the room. Knowing he didn't want to wake anybody up, he used his vampiric powers and floated over to the infirmary. It was dark everywhere, but Vincent could see the shadows like light.
Another reason why he hates the daylight; it blinds him. He slowly touched the floor and slipped into the infirmary unnoticed. He saw Marlene lying on the bed, breathing quietly. Needles in her veins and other medical things that Vincent didn't understand were attached to Marlene.
"If you die Marlene, Barret and me shall avenge you…for it might be my fault you do." He whispered this and then watched her for another minute or two. He closed his eyes and aid to himself; "You are getting too emotional. Emotions kill people."
Vincent swung his cloak and looked at Sharon's door. He looked at the bottom, where a small light showed through the small space between the door and floor. She is awake. I must do this.
Vincent walked into her room with out knocking and shut the door behind him before she could speak. He looked at her and then…turned back around so he wouldn't see her. She was wearing some kind of erotic dress that was see-through.
Vincent shivered when she spoke. "Vincent! I thought you would come down; I have to call Hojo in a few minutes. Would you like to listen?"
Still with his back to her he answered, "Yes, I would." His thoughts: What the hell?! I killed Hojo after killing the first Proud Clod. In Midgar. That damn traitor…that damn TRAITOR! No! Keep your emotions under control.
As calmly as he could manage, he said, "Hojo is alive?"
"Yes, he is. I will tell you all about it when he says its okay for you to join us."
Vincent nodded but he felt like killing her on the spot. He snapped out of it when he heard her talking again. "You know…we have a few minutes before I have to call him…" She slowly lowered her voice. "Maybe we could…" She stopped.
Vincent was beginning to sweat inside his black and red mask. Suddenly he felt a tingle on his shoulder; she had put her arm there. "No…I uh…think that we should wait."
"Well then at least turn around and we can have a toast," she replied, using the arm she had placed on his shoulder to spin him around.
Emotions under control…the dress was definitely a revealing dress. Vincent blinked and then sat on the couch. What the hell is she trying to do to me? And why? As a test of my faith to her or something? "Yes, a toast sounds good."
Sorry Yuffie. I am so sorry.
Sharon gleefully poured some red wine into two different glasses and Vincent grimaced behind his mask. Red wine was so…bloody looking. He shivered but it appeared she didn't notice. When she was done, she gave him his glass and she sat next to him, leaning on his shoulder and moving her hand through his hair.
"You are so…mysterious Vincent. I really do love you…please? Can we just-," Vincent cut her off.
"If Hojo finds out that we have been…sleeping together then he will think I am a spy for Avalanche trying to use you to get to him…think about Sharon." Yes, think about the truth.
She pouted but knew he was right and pulled away. She got up and walked over to her bedside; Vincent caught himself staring at her. Seduction is temptation, and temptation is evil.
Vincent watched her as she dialed Hojo's number on a PHS…she smiled at him and then she paused like she was hearing something. Then she said something that was so surprising, Vincent couldn't control his face. "Aeris, its me, I need 84."
Vincent flinched. Hojo and Aeris…Aeris is dead and Hojo is dead…what the HELL is goin' on???
A couple seconds later, Sharon spoke again. "Yes Hojo, he is with me and he is looking a little surprised when I said Aeris. And you for that matter." Vincent immediately returned his face to an unreadable expression, like it almost always was.
"So…its okay? Okay, that's fine." Her tone was neutral, and Vincent couldn't tell if he was hired or not. "You want to talk to him…okay." She shrugged and tossed the PHS at Vincent.
Vincent held it to his hear and heard the voice that he hated most. The squeaky, devious voice of Hojo himself. The dead Hojo. "Well hello Vincent. I have never seen you face to face before, but I am sure I will…are you trying to get close to me for revenge on Lucrecia?"
Vincent kept himself under control, but he wanted to kill this man for so many things. "No; what's in the past is the past. I can't change it but I would like to make it better so when I retire, I won't have to worry about old enemies. We can be…we can have a business relationship… don't you think?"
No answer for a few seconds. "Okay, you're hired. I don't care about the feelings you and Sharon have; you two can do whatever you want…but when I need you, I want you able for anything. Now, what is Avalanche doing tomorrow?"
Vincent fought off the urge to scream into the PHS, the urge to break the world just to kill this man. "We are going to destroy the Mako reactor that is being modified."
Again, no answer for a few seconds. "Good. I didn't think you would move this fast but… I can't complain if that's what I need. I need Sharon now, Vincent. Thank you." Vincent handed the PHS to Sharon, who saw that Vincent's hand was shaking.
"Yes Hojo," she spoke into the phone. "Okay. Good bye." She turned off the PHS and put it away. "Are you okay," she asked Vincent.
"I am fine, a little surprised but okay," he said. He got to his feet and said, "Well, I need more rest if I am going to kill people tomorrow."
She looked like she wanted to hold him back but she approached him and put her arms around him. "Please Vincent…just once for now. Please…I love you so much."
Vincent closed his eyes and tried to think. If I do this, would Yuffie ever forgive me? I could do it for Avalanche, for the Planet if it gets me any closer to Hojo. Do I have a choice?
"Please Vincent…" Vincent cupped her chin with his right hand and said, "Okay…but only in the dark. And not tonight."
He turned to leave and she said, "But what if you die tomorrow? How could I live like that?"
Vincent Valentine looked at her and tried to think. What if you die tomorrow? Vincent shook his head and said, "I won't die." And he turned to leave the room. Vincent floated back up to his room and went to sleep as fast as he could…hopefully praying that he just might die anyway.
*
Alone in her room, Sharon Hatch undressed and reluctantly went to bed without her man. Vincent was so great. He resisted me even though he knew he wanted me, she thought. Oh Vincent…I know you won't die tomorrow. But after tomorrow, you will make love to me.
*
At two in the morning, Barret was waking everybody up. "LET'S MOVE OUT PEOPLE," he yelled, making everyone think it was an emergency. Tifa was already awake, saying she couldn't sleep the whole night, and that made Vincent worry. Did she see me go down to Sharon's room?
After a quick breakfast and steadfast planning, Avalanche was outside and ready to go.
They were trying to be quiet because for some reason, it was quiet on the other side of the valley. Vincent could see the reactor without a problem and it was heavily guarded; not one troop looked like he was sleeping.
"Alright, we need the two teams to split up here," Barret said, pointing to a patch of trees that was about a square acre big. "One team heads west while the other just goes straight up and attacks. Team 2 will go through this way." He pointed over to the west side of the mountain. "Remember, Team 2 goes in and out; plant the damn bomb and run like hell."
"The pilots took Marlene to Cosmo Canyon last night, so the head pilot will be attacking with the Highwind." Barret was worried about Marlene but he tried not to show it. "Now, did anybody come up with a good war cry?"
Each person looked at another. Barret's huge shoulders sagged. "You all didn't even think of anything?! Damn! The people I have to work with…"
"I did," said Yuffie. "'For the Materia'!"
Everybody shook their heads. "How about 'For Kalm and Avalanche'!"
Everyone looked at Red XIII. They all nodded and agreed that was the one. "Al right, we got the phrase, we gots the plan, now we decide who goes on what team. I am the leader of Team 1, so who is with me?"
"I'm with Barret," said Nanaki. Tifa looked at him with concern and Red XIII grumbled, "Okay, okay…I'll just use Materia." Tifa still didn't want him going but they needed everyone they could get. "I'll go with Barret, to make sure Red XIII don't try anything dumb," said Tifa, smiling.
"I'm the leader of Team 2," said Vincent. "I'm with Vincent," said Yuffie.
Silence filled the group. They were all hoping to live through this, all hoping to come back safe and sound…but they knew that some of them wouldn't…
Tifa broke the silence. "See you when we are done guys."
"Remember," Barret started. "We don't go till the Highwind charges, cannons flashing and big explosions… okay?"
"Right," they all said, and started down the hill to the patch.
Our doom awaits, but will our fate be shared with others? Or will it be just me? The questions that we ponder are questions that we cannot answer until our time is done, and fate has chosen our paths.
Vincent thought about the poem he had read a few years ago. Then he filled his mind with emptiness and started equipping himself with his best armor, Materia, and weapons he had.