Heartstrings
Vincent Unleashed
by TacomaSquall
Part Seventeen:
Vincent pulled the trigger of the Twilight Scope. The Bolt Materia inside the carbine sparked into life. The electricity generated by the miniature crystal was channeled into a series of electromagnets, arrayed along a twenty-inch-long cylinder. At the same time, a tungsten-steel alloy sliver was inserted into the nether end of the cylinder. Once within the cylinder, the sliver entered into the magnetic field generated by the electromagnets. In the twinkling of an eye, the sliver was accelerated down the cylinder. It exited the carbine's muzzle, travelling at a velocity in excess of 2000 miles an hour.
As the sliver slashed its way through the air, it heated from the air resistance. The glowing piece of metal literally tore a hole through the air, generating a sound reminiscent of a psychotic sewing machine in overdrive. The sliver traveled the space between Vincent and Lucresia in a microsecond.
The sliver punched through Lucresia's head like a superheated knife cutting through a melon-sized piece of butter. It exited through the back of the scientist's head and continued. The sliver spent its remaining force in the granite of the cavern's far wall.
Lucresia stood, her eyes wide and unbelieving, for a fraction of a second after the sliver hit her. Then she crumpled to the ground in a boneless heap.
"I guess that's done, isn't it, Vinnie?" Reno asked wryly. He turned to leave, the other Turks with him. "Let's get out of this place. It gives me the creeps, and I need something to drink."
Vincent flipped the safety back on, and turned to join the Turks. As he started to walk out of the cavern, he was astonished to hear Lucresia's voice behind him.
"So, you have discovered the truth?"
Vincent spun on his heel, bringing the Twilight Scope up into firing position as he moved. Dumbfounded, he stared in amazement as the corpse of the scientist who ruined his life stood. Forgetting that he had just reset the safety, he pulled the trigger of the Twilight Scope. Nothing.
Before he could remove the safety, Vincent was blasted backwards by a ball of concussive force. He flew backwards about fifty feet. When the gunslinger struck, he was stunned by the force of the impact.
The Turks were caught by surprise, but quickly moved forward to attack. Contemptuously, Lucresia, or rather, the thing that had once been Lucresia, swatted them aside.
"You dare attack me? The last of the Children of Jenova?" As she spoke, Lucresia's body writhed, sprouting corded muscles and talons. She grew slowly, her body becoming more massive, and less and less human. The back of her head elongated and stretched into a high crown, and her jaws became more pronounced. Her flesh turned black, as ebon oils were secreted by the pores of her skin. Finally, the thing that had once been one of ShinRa's finest scientists stood before them, an alien techno-organic monstrosity standing over eight feet tall.
"Vincent, for your temerity, you will get to watch as I kill each of the Turks, before I turn to you. Then, I will slowly break you." Lucresia smiled, showing razor-sharp teeth. "Long before I am done with you, you will be begging me for death."
* * * * * *
In Nuavalan, the members of AVALANCHE met with Grennek and Tara. They were in the Eldest's dwelling, which seemed to be a small, arboreal amphitheater. Tifa was awestruck, looking at the exquisite manner in which the Frogmen had managed to shape the great tree the dwelling was mounted upon. Somehow, they had managed to guide the tree's growth in such a manner that the tree had not expanded into this space over the years, forming a massive natural hollow within large enough for living. Tifa turned her attention back to the conversation.
"It is Chaos' goal to break the Barrier," the Sahugin storyteller asserted. "Once he has released its hold upon the Planet, Chaos can free the Mako-twisted."
"That doesn't make any sense," Cloud stated. "Odin told us that Chaos could destroy any of the summoned Mako-twisted."
Grennek answered, "He can. Each of the Mako-twisted had their powers limited when they were imprisoned. Chaos is at the height of his power."
"Shit, that doesn't make any sense. Why would Bahamut, Phoenix, Kjata, and the others serve Chaos if he freed them?" The big man's brow was wrinkled by incomprehension. "After all, he betrayed them when they were imprisoned."
"The lower Summons would be coerced without much effort." Grennek's voice was grim. "Chaos' time free has had the effect of exponentially increasing his power. This means that he can even hold his own against the unfettered might of the Knights of the Round and Lord Bahamut's triple avatars. The only chance the Mako-twisted would have would be in an attack en masse."
Tara added, "I am certain that he plans on subduing each of the Mako-twisted in turn."
Cid smiled, "Which means he has to deal with us. After all, we have how many of the known Summon Materia?" He paused and thought for a moment, and then continued, "Hieros said that we were playing Chaos' game, by chasing after him. He also said you could help us get ahead of Chaos."
Grennek nodded. "Chaos' goal is atop Mount Nibel. If you can get there before he does, you can arrange the battlefield the way you want."
"Then that is where we need to go." Tifa stood, the others with her. Grennek also stood.
"There is more." Grennek cleared his throat. "Jenova has returned and she is also heading for Nibelheim."
Tifa turned pale. She remembered what Jenova had done to the last infant that had bore her cells. What if Jenova tries to use my baby the same way she used Sephiroth?
Cloud nodded. "Reeve, you know the recreated Nibelheim better than the rest of us, due to your contacts within the ShinRa Science Division and their contacts with the Research Center. What would Jenova want in Nibelheim?"
Cait Sith's voice was sad. "The Research Center itself. With the amount of scientific equipment there, she could easily coerce one of the scientists into making something to further her power."
Barret's voice was grim. "Then we should go the Research Center and get both of those sunovabitches at once."
"Grennek, what can you do to help us? We have equipment on board the Highwind if you wish to use it. I am sure some of it, and some of our Materia, would be of use to you." Tifa hoped the old Sahugin would grab something like a Wizard Bracelet or maybe one of Aeris' staves, allowing him to stock up on protective Materia.
"All I need is a small weapon that I can equip two Materia into." The elder displayed the two Materia Hieros had found in Mideel. "This Materia is the prison of the Ki-Rin, one of the most noble of the Mako-twisted. He submitted to us, rather than fight in a battle that wold end up harming innocents." The elder sighed. "Would that the rest of the Mako-twisted had had such foresight."
Tifa asked, "What about the other Materia? The Command Materia that Hieros found with Ki-Rin?"
Grennek grinned. "That is the Counter Null Materia. With it, I believe I can nullify any chance Chaos has of countering any of the other Mako-twisted you choose to employ."
* * * * * *
The Turks looked at each other. Rude nodded, and looked pointedly to the left and right of Lucresia. Elena sprinted towards the right side of Jenova, drawing a taser as she ran. Reno readied his Shock-staff as he bolted to the right. Rude slowly walked forward, adjusting his suit jacket to straighten it out.
Lucresia did not wait for the Turks to complete their plans. Instead she called upon the magical power that was Jenova's gift to her. Bolts of electricity streaked from the scientist to slam into Rude's chest. The Turk was thrown back about ten feet, but he managed to stay on his feet.
Elena closed within ten feet of Lucresia and fired her taser. The barbed dart struck home in the monstrosity's body, and electricity coursed into the monster's form. Lucresia doubled over in agony, setting the monster up for the attack from the opposite side.
Reno flicked a switch on the Shock-staff and triggered a Pyramid attack. The Shock-staff emitted a golden-brown mote of energy that floated over to Lucresia. When it hit the Child of Jenova, a Pyramid of force appeared, encasing the monstrous scientist within.
Elena saw the Pyramid appear, and she tried to disengage the wires that stretched from the taser to the dart. Before she could disengage the wires, however, another surge of electricity sped down the wires toward Lucresia. The electricity struck the barrier of the Pyramid, and shattered it.
Before any of the Turks could act, Lucresia's taloned hands grabbed the wires from the taser and pulled, hard. Using the wires for leverage, the monstrous Child of Jenova threw Elena into Reno. The two went down in a heap, unmoving.
Rude started forward. He looked as his watch as he advanced. It was all up to him. If he failed, he needed to at least tie Lucresia up long enough for the submarine to fire its missiles. One more minute…
The Turk stopped short when he heard Vincent stand up. The gunslinger said, "Let's get this taken care of, so we can get your people evacuated."
* * * * * *
On board the Palmer, Captain Townsend started the missile firing drill. "Weps, status?"
The shipwide intercom buzzed. "Weps, Captain. We are ready to activate missile tubes 1 through 16 for short-range cruise launch."
Captain Townsend looked over at his Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Lidia Lee. "Are you ready?" Commander Lee nodded curtly. "Insert your key on my mark. One. Two. Mark."
Fifteen years of officership, all on board submarines. The last three in command of the Palmer. This was the first time since the Wutai War that any ShinRa Naval Vessel had launched missiles. To do what? Pulverize some rocks and seal a cavern. Not for the first time, Captain Townsend wished he had been in command during the Wutai War.
He sighed. "On my mark, rotate your missile key one turn to the right." This was it.
* * * * * *
Lord Tenarrus smiled. Everything was going well. Soon AVALANCHE would be where he wanted them. Did Lord Chaos think that his treasonous plans had gone unnoticed? If he did, he was an even greater fool. He called his servant, a slender young woman of sixteen years age. As she slowly drew closer to him, he admired her curves in the darkness of his throne hall. Perhaps it was time to end Inanna's influence over him and take another, more pliable, less ambitious consort.
"My Lord?" The servant's dulcet voice broke through his visualization of the pleasure he would gain from seeing Inanna humbled.
"Call my Horsemen together. It is time for the conquest to begin." As he spoke, he smiled. It is also time for my plans to change. Chaos has sabotaged my transfer apparatus. I think he should meet with the Horsemen and I about this. His usefulness to me ends once AVALANCHE is where I want them.
* * * * * *
Vincent switched the selector from single-shot to burst fire. As he braced himself, he saw Rude shrug off another lightning blast from Lucresia, aided by the protective qualities of the Ziedrich. He pulled the trigger, and five slivers screamed towards the Child of Jenova. Somehow, she was able to dodge two of them. The three slivers that the monster was not able to avoid pierced deep within her side. She snarled and charged Vincent.
Rude laughed. "Going the wrong way, aren't you? I'm not dead yet." He flicked his wrist, and Vincent could see the glint of a Summon Materia embedded in the Premium Heart.
Rude and Vincent vanished, as they were replaced by a monstrous four-legged beast taller than a Gigas. The beast threw back its head and bellowed in rage. It extended a long elephantine snout towards Lucresia and inhaled. The suction generated by the beast increased, until it was more than Lucresia could resist. She was sucked up to the Seeker's snout, which shortened and irised open wider, until it could accommodate the Child of Jenova.
Lucresia was sucked into the center of the massive beast – a point singularity that drew everything that came within its influence into itself. Just as she was about to be consumed by the singularity, it vanished, and the Seeker spewed Lucresia back out. The strain on her alien flesh was almost more than she could bear. She screamed in agony.
It was time to end this once and for all. Vincent let all of the rage that he felt towards the woman who had destroyed his life, who had forced him to live a lie for the last thirty years, guide his aim. His arm went upwards, and he fired one, two, three bursts almost directly upwards.
The slivers screamed upwards at over four times the speed of sound, expending their energy and velocity as they climbed. Finally they reached the apogee of their climb and nosed over for their descent. As the slivers descended, they grew hotter and hotter as they accelerated. Just before they impacted into Lucresia, they reached terminal velocity at over ten times the speed of sound.
The slivers struck the Child of Jenova as she was beginning to rise. Each sliver pierced her body, penetrating through her form to embed in the ground beneath her. The fifteen slivers all impacted within a split second, and the concussion of their impacts hurled Lucresia upwards, away from the tiny pieces of metal that ended her life.
Elena shakily stood. "What was that?" she asked, as she helped Reno regain his feet.
"I call it a Lethal Downpour," Vincent said, as he smiled. The Turks, bruised and battered, laughed
That was when the first missile struck the outside of the cavern.
End of Part Seventeen