FF7 Heartstrings
Vincent Unleashed
by TacomaSquall
Part Fifteen
Cloud Strife felt the cold grasp of fear around his heart. They had come in response to a message that Mideel was attacked by Chaos, only to discover that they were far too late to save anyone here. Chaos was capable of this?
He remembered the taunting message that Chaos had left for AVALANCHE. By the time you read this, I will have destroyed a third community. Stop me, if you can!
The wreckage of the tropical free-thinkers' community was pitted and charred, as if burned by both fire and acid. Clouds of flies buzzed around what could only be the decomposing, boneless bodies of the dead. The stench of death hung over the area like a miasma from the mouth of Hell. Maiji, Tifa and Yuffie had chosen to stay on board the Highwind instead of descending to this abattoir. I wish I had stayed with them.
"Cloud!" The blond ex-SOLDIER turned to face Barret and Hieros. They were standing by the bone lattice that covered the Pool of Souls. Hieros had bent down and was examining something on the ground. Striding closer, Cloud could see that the Sahugin's attention was focused on two gleaming crystals of Materia. One was a brilliant ruby, while the other was a glowing citrine.
Hieros spoke. "These weren't dropped here. There is no sign of an impact on the ground, no discoloration or smudging on the gems, which leads me to believe that the gems were left here by Chaos."
"Why would Chaos leave Materia here for us?" Cloud was perplexed. The only reason he could think of…
"If he felt they could do nothing to him," Barret rumbled.
"You did not hear me correctly. These crystals were not dropped here, or left here. There would be some discoloration, even if it were miniscule." Hieros tried to be as patient as he could with these humans. "They seem to have grown here."
* * * * * *
The members of AVALANCHE gathered the corpses into a huge pile. The grisly task was a trial for all of them, save one. Cait Sith was the workhorse of the operation, carrying bodies to the pile without stopping, as the others fought their nausea and revulsion.
After all the corpses had been gathered, the burial pile was taller than even Barret. Cloud stepped in front of the massive pile of the dead. He focused his will on the Summon Materia for Phoenix. "Phoenix, I do not summon you to bring these lives back. Rather, I summon you to cleanse the bodies of the dead, that they may go to what afterlife awaits them, untainted by the horrendous tragedy that occurred here."
The massive firebird screamed as it appeared, and flames engulfed the bodies. They began to burn slowly, giving off a greasy cloud of smoke. The smoke climbed to the heavens, reminding both Cloud and Tifa of their hometown on a fateful day over seven years before.
Nanaki stepped near to the pile and howled mournfully. The Kyrrawlen's cry was full of grief at the loss of so many lives. As Nanaki's voice rose to the sky above, it was answered by a chorus of howls from all around.
The members of AVALANCHE watched in amazement as first one and then another Spiral stepped into the ruins of Mideel. Their heads were thrown back as well, and they added their voices to Nanaki's lament. Out of sight, more Spirals joined in the chorus.
Hieros drew his scimitar, and it burst into flames. He stabbed it downwards, into the hard ground. He knelt before the upraised cross of the scimitar's hilt. As he knelt, he began to sing.
Once one of our brothers,
Taken from us in this hour.
We who are left behind
Seek for the meaning in this loss.
We who yet are living,
It falls to us alone –
To justify - to discover
Reason from this chaos.
Cursed to be what we are –
It falls to those that remain.
When the time comes –
To prove ourselves worthy.
Your redemption lies,
In our unworthy hands
Guide us in days to come –
That we fail not your trust
The Testing is coming –
When our worth shall be found.
Upon that day,
May we serve you well.
Barret's voice rumbled as Hieros ended his hymn. "I don't care what it takes. We're gonna put you down, Vincent."
Cait Sith cleared his electronic throat. The members of AVALANCHE turned their eyes away from the bonfire and fixed the stuffed moogle with their gaze.
"As soon as we found the message from Chaos, I used some of my assets within ShinRa and the Commonwealth to check on the other communities. All of their reports are back." His voice became very soft. "Chaos destroyed Condor Fort."
Tifa gasped in shock. "The condors?"
Cait Sith shook his head. "They were killed, too." The automaton hesitated. "It gets worse. Yesterday, Corel was attacked and destroyed."
* * * * * *
At the Research Center, Dr. Janet De Vries was awakened from a dream by Vincent's voice. "Janet, we need to talk."
She sat up in her bed, a single-sized cot that mirrored those in similar dormitory rooms throughout the Center's compound. Her spartan quarters were dark, just as they had been before she went to sleep after the monthly staff meeting, worried about the progress of the Strife pregnancy. As one of the scientists that had been assigned to study the data generated from the mutations caused by Mako's effects upon the unborn, she had spent the last few months in study, and in close association with Director Valentine and Administrator Pischke. Her skill and professionalism had made her into Administrator Pischke's lieutenant. With Administrator Pischke in Junon on business, she was in charge in the Center. She looked around and saw two glowing red eyes.
"Mr. Valentine!" She blushed in embarrassment. Here she was, in her quarters, without a stitch of clothing on, except for the blanket she now clutched protectively to her body. "How?"
"It doesn't matter right now, Janet. I can show you later." His voice was cool and professional, with just a touch of urgency. "Jenova has been reborn. She has adopted the form of an armored warrior, and is coming here."
"How do you know?"
"It would take too long to explain. I need every member of the Center equipped with the contents of the locked arsenal we discovered beneath the mansion." Janet noted admiringly that the titular leader of the Research Center sounded saddened to say the words that he had to speak. "I know that this is an installation devoted to peace, but if Jenova is not stopped, there will be no peace ever again."
"What about AVALANCHE?" Janet felt terrified. Her work had always been devoted to peace and helping people. Like Dr. Pischke, she had left ShinRa due to their military research programs.
"If we can slow Jenova down, they should arrive in time. They are investigating the attacks upon Condor Fort, Mideel, and Corel." The gunslinger sadly shrugged. "Until then, I am all of AVALANCHE that is available."
Janet nodded. "Lights: one quarter level." The lighting of her quarters, rigged to accept voice commands, came on dimly. She slid to the edge of the bed, trying to ignore Vincent's cool gaze. Holding the sheet around her as a wrap, she stood. "What do you want us to do?"
Vincent strode closer to her as he spoke. "Jenova will be here in just five hours. Alert your people and have them meet in the main Conference Room in two hours. What I will need your people to do is take up positions outside of town, and when Jenova is spotted, keep him distracted by fire from multiple locations. Keep your people moving, so he cannot get a fix on any of them to suppress their fire."
Janet looked up at the gunslinger, who was standing within arm's reach. How many times I wished for this opportunity… To be alone with him –
"There is time enough for strategy later, however." Vincent's soft voice sliced through her reverie.
"What?"
"Janet. I have always known the way you looked at me. I would have to be made of stone to not notice." His voice deepened. "I waited for you to say something. I would not push myself on a woman."
Surprised, Janet looked into Vincent's eyes. The look he was giving her was level, possessing a hunger she never knew the former Turk to have. It was brimming with passion, and desire, and it seared to the depths of her being. In her wildest dreams, she had wished for him to look at her thus…
As he took her in his arms, shape-shifted in the likeness of his former avatar, Lord Chaos smiled. Thus is my survival ensured, if AVALANCHE should succeed in defeating me, or my treachery to Tenarrus is found out…
* * * * * *
Elena, Rude, Vincent and Reno were climbing into one of the inflatable launches carried on board the Palmer. After a nightmare journey, through the underwater tunnel to reach it, they had finally arrived at the source of the Gongaga River. Two crewmen waited in the launch, one at the tiller of the small boat, and the other armed with a boathook.
Wordlessly, the Turks took seats in the boat, and the man with the boathook pushed the launch away from the submarine. Once the launch was clear of the sub, the man at the tiller pressed a button and the motor launch extruded its propeller. With a press of another button, the launch roared towards the near shore.
A few minutes passed, with the only noise being the roar of the engine and the splashing of the launch as it arrowed through the waves. Vincent could feel the dark mood that had been his for years threatening to swallow him again. It beat around his mind like the wings of a raven that was trying to drive away a smaller scavenger from a recent kill.
Lost in his musings, Vincent did not notice the progress of the launch until it ran aground on the beach near the cave. Lucresia's Cave.
Reno grabbed the sleeve of the black silk shirt that Vincent had taken to wearing while on board the sub. "Hey, Gloom-and-Doom, we're here."
Vincent stood and stretched. As he stretched, the light of the morning sun glinted off of the metal of the Twilight Scope. He looked at his companions and growled, "Reno, I'm not who I once was."
"Really? Coulda fooled me with your stone-face routine on the trip here."
Vincent pushed Reno over the tail end of the launch. The Turk landed, tail-first, in the cold water of the lake. As Reno fell, Vincent asked archly, "Would I have done that before?"
Reno spluttered and rose to his feet. He shook himself as he strode out of the water. Once he was on dry ground, he drew his Shock-staff and squared off. "That's it, terrorist. I've just about had enough of your shit. You are gonna get –"
Elena's laughter cut through the air, shattering the tension. Rude nodded and smiled. "True, you wouldn't have done that a year ago, Vincent."
Reno growled, "After this is done, Vincent. You and me."
Vincent nodded. "After things are dealt with."
The four Turks, one former and three current, walked toward the cave. Within lay the most severe test of their lives. The three knew what lay ahead, but also knew that their only way out of this was to place their trust in Vincent.
If Vincent Valentine has not truly changed, then all four of them were walking to their deaths.
End of Part Fifteen