Chapter Two: Breaking News
Cloud closed his eyes, trying hard to hold back the very unmanly tears. At the sound of Tifa's scream, he had come running home, only to stumble upon the body of his beloved Aeris. The very thought of who would do such a thing to such an undeserving person made him sick.
He had his arm around Tifa as she sobbed gently into his shoulder. Cloud was not the only one who would suffer from this; Tifa had just lost her best friend, and many people had liked her. She had, so far as he knew, no enemies. Cloud tried his best to comfort his friend, but he could not even comfort himself. Who had done this? Why? Aeris had never sought any conflict with anyone. Who would have the motive to murder her? Cloud just didn't know.
The police had long since taken the body away, but it still haunted Cloud's memory. She had been stabbed in the back and stomach, and her heart had been gouged from her chest with half of a broken bottle. What sick, twisted human being had performed this deed..?
"Barret, you had better come look at this."
Barret left Marlene's room. He had been checking on her, as she had been having nightmares lately. Tonight she appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Barret was happy. He walked down the hall to the living room.
"What's up Vincent?" Barret and Vincent had become good friends, and since he had had nowhere to go after Cloud woke him from his sleep in the ShinRa basement, Barret had invited Vincent to live with himself and Marlene in North Corel. They got along well, though Vincent didn't talk much, but Marlene thought his friend to be a little creepy. Barret suspected that was the source of her nightmares, but the little girl had refused to tell him what they were about.
Vincent indicated the television. "Look for yourself."
Barret looked. He was watching the news. On the screen was a man talking about what sounded like a murder. The scene changed over to what appeared to be a young couple. The girl was crying, the young man had his arm around her. Barret recognised them in an instant.
"Tifa! Cloud! What's going on?" Before Vincent could respond, the scene changed again. There was a freshly killed corpse, oozing with blood, of a pretty young woman. Some torn body part that Barret did not care to identify lay on the floor beside her. In a moment, Barret recognised her too.
"Shit! That's Aeris!"
Vincent nodded grimly. "Murdered. Right in her own home."
Barret hardly believed his eyes. What kind of a sick bastard!?
"Cloud! We gotta go see Cloud!" Barret started for the door.
"But you cannot leave Marlene," Vincent pointed out.
"Shit! Marlene!" Barret cursed himself for acting without thinking first.
"Let her sleep," Vincent suggested. "We can depart for Nibelheim in the morning."
"But Tifa and Cloud-" Barret began.
"-can take care of themselves until we arrive." Vincent concluded.
Somewhat reluctantly, Barret agreed. Let Marlene have one last peaceful dream before the nightmare of reality is laid upon her.
Cid gaped in shock at the television screen, and he heard Shera gasp. His jaw dropped and his cigarette fell to the floor. He grabbed it up quickly before it set fire to the carpet. Aeris, murdered. Who would do such a thing? Cid stared in utter disbelief as the scene zoomed in on the victim's horror-stricken face. Her eyes were glazed over, her hair knotted horrendously and strewn messily across her face. Her neck was dotted with spatters of blood.
Her hair...
"SHIT!!!" Cid exclaimed. Who would have thought that someone like that would be capable of such a thing? No time to ponder why: Cid had to warn Cloud before it was too late. He jumped up from the couch.
"I've got to go tell Cloud!" he declared.
"I'm sure Cloud already knows, dear." Shera said softly. She was crying.
"No, not that! The murderer..." Cid didn't even bother to finish his sentence. He grabbed his spear and headed for the door.
"Cid, what are you doing?" Shera cried, running after him.
"I've gotta warn Cloud," Cid told her frantically. "They'll be after him next..." He may not be 100% certain he knew who the killer was, but he had a pretty damn good idea. He had seen what the others had missed, or rather, he had not seen what the others had never thought to look for. Cid burst out the door.
"But hunny-" Shera began.
"Stay here, Shera." Cid commanded. "I'll be back as soon as I tell Cloud." He didn't give Shera a chance to protest; he set off quickly for Nibelheim.
Cloud closed his eyes, trying hard to hold back the very unmanly tears. At the sound of Tifa's scream, he had come running home, only to stumble upon the body of his beloved Aeris. The very thought of who would do such a thing to such an undeserving person made him sick.
He had his arm around Tifa as she sobbed gently into his shoulder. Cloud was not the only one who would suffer from this; Tifa had just lost her best friend, and many people had liked her. She had, so far as he knew, no enemies. Cloud tried his best to comfort his friend, but he could not even comfort himself. Who had done this? Why? Aeris had never sought any conflict with anyone. Who would have the motive to murder her? Cloud just didn't know.
The police had long since taken the body away, but it still haunted Cloud's memory. She had been stabbed in the back and stomach, and her heart had been gouged from her chest with half of a broken bottle. What sick, twisted human being had performed this deed..?
"Barret, you had better come look at this."
Barret left Marlene's room. He had been checking on her, as she had been having nightmares lately. Tonight she appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Barret was happy. He walked down the hall to the living room.
"What's up Vincent?" Barret and Vincent had become good friends, and since he had had nowhere to go after Cloud woke him from his sleep in the ShinRa basement, Barret had invited Vincent to live with himself and Marlene in North Corel. They got along well, though Vincent didn't talk much, but Marlene thought his friend to be a little creepy. Barret suspected that was the source of her nightmares, but the little girl had refused to tell him what they were about.
Vincent indicated the television. "Look for yourself."
Barret looked. He was watching the news. On the screen was a man talking about what sounded like a murder. The scene changed over to what appeared to be a young couple. The girl was crying, the young man had his arm around her. Barret recognised them in an instant.
"Tifa! Cloud! What's going on?" Before Vincent could respond, the scene changed again. There was a freshly killed corpse, oozing with blood, of a pretty young woman. Some torn body part that Barret did not care to identify lay on the floor beside her. In a moment, Barret recognised her too.
"Shit! That's Aeris!"
Vincent nodded grimly. "Murdered. Right in her own home."
Barret hardly believed his eyes. What kind of a sick bastard!?
"Cloud! We gotta go see Cloud!" Barret started for the door.
"But you cannot leave Marlene," Vincent pointed out.
"Shit! Marlene!" Barret cursed himself for acting without thinking first.
"Let her sleep," Vincent suggested. "We can depart for Nibelheim in the morning."
"But Tifa and Cloud-" Barret began.
"-can take care of themselves until we arrive." Vincent concluded.
Somewhat reluctantly, Barret agreed. Let Marlene have one last peaceful dream before the nightmare of reality is laid upon her.
Cid gaped in shock at the television screen, and he heard Shera gasp. His jaw dropped and his cigarette fell to the floor. He grabbed it up quickly before it set fire to the carpet. Aeris, murdered. Who would do such a thing? Cid stared in utter disbelief as the scene zoomed in on the victim's horror-stricken face. Her eyes were glazed over, her hair knotted horrendously and strewn messily across her face. Her neck was dotted with spatters of blood.
Her hair...
"SHIT!!!" Cid exclaimed. Who would have thought that someone like that would be capable of such a thing? No time to ponder why: Cid had to warn Cloud before it was too late. He jumped up from the couch.
"I've got to go tell Cloud!" he declared.
"I'm sure Cloud already knows, dear." Shera said softly. She was crying.
"No, not that! The murderer..." Cid didn't even bother to finish his sentence. He grabbed his spear and headed for the door.
"Cid, what are you doing?" Shera cried, running after him.
"I've gotta warn Cloud," Cid told her frantically. "They'll be after him next..." He may not be 100% certain he knew who the killer was, but he had a pretty damn good idea. He had seen what the others had missed, or rather, he had not seen what the others had never thought to look for. Cid burst out the door.
"But hunny-" Shera began.
"Stay here, Shera." Cid commanded. "I'll be back as soon as I tell Cloud." He didn't give Shera a chance to protest; he set off quickly for Nibelheim.