Chapter XVII: The Mask Of Evil.
Wrong. It was all wrong. He shouldn't have done it. It was so very, very wrong.
These were the thoughts of Vincent Valentine as he drove the buggy through the streets of Junon. Silence dominated the buggy as Yuffie and Vincent drove to their hotel, Vincent too busy beating himself mentally, and Yuffie still dazed at what had happened.
The buggy rounded a corner, and Vincent stopped. They were back at the hotel. They both sat there for a while. Then Vincent spoke
"I'm sorry." He said.
"No, don't." Yuffie answered.
"I shouldn't have done that." He paused. "You shouldn't even be here."
"Its alright."
"No its not," He said, getting out of the buggy. "Good bye." He walked into the darkness of the night.
Yuffie opened the door and ran after him.
"Wait!"
Vincent turned.
"I have endangered your life long enough. I must leave." Pause. "You probably don't care."
He began walking again. Yuffie stood dumbstruck, incapable of comprehending that he was leaving. Then she got mad.
"Ya know what Vinnie, you can go and feel sorry about yourself for thousands of years, but nothing will change. Lucrecia's dead, and you still love her. Don't let me get in the way." She immediately regretted her words. When he looked at her he looked as if she had plunged a dagger into his chest.
Then something happened.
Vincent's crimson eyes flashed black and he fell to his knees. His skin turned deep black, wings sprouted from his back, his hands changed to a pair claws. His midnight black hair shrunk into his head, while horns quickly grew from his skull. His head stretched into a snout as his teeth grew to fangs. The beast before Yuffie was no longer Vincent. It bore down on Yuffie. It clacked its mouth in anticipation at what would come.
"No one to protect you now." It laughed cruelly. "You are ourssss."
Yuffie looked in fear as the beast began circling her. Then it stopped.
"Yuffie?!" It said in disbelief.
"Y,yes?" She said halfway scared, the other half already having run away.
"Urgh."
It spread its black wings and began flapping them. It rose into the air and flew away.
Yuffie stood still again, baffled as to why she still stood.
Then, she began looking for him.
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The thing that had once been Vincent Valentine soared trough the black sky. It howled hatefully across the sky. It landed on a building and looked down at the streets. Its obsidian eyes searched for a victim. A voice at the back of it's mind howled at not to do it. The beast banished the voice.
It hissed loudly.
It spread its black wings.
It threw itself from the building.
It howled viciously at a unsuspecting group below him.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Vincent Valentine lay sleeping in a pool of blood. It trickled softly into the sewers. There was a sturdy man standing above him. He suddenly kicked the sleeping man.
"Get up." He growled.
Vincent stirred.
The man kicked him again.
"Get UP!" He repeated.
Vincent hissed.
The man took a step back.
Vincent pushed himself up. He glared at the man.
"WHAT?"
The man pulled out a gun.
"This."
BANG!
They both stood there, staring at each other. Then Vincent pulled out the bullet from his chest.
"OUCH?" He said questioningly.
The man gave Vincent a horrified glance.
"What are you?"
Vincent raised his golden claw.
"YOU SEE THIS CLAW? ITS KILLED MORE PEOPLE THAN YOU'VE SEEN." The man looked in horrified fascination at the claw. Vincent grinned maliciously. "BUT THERE'S A REASON MY BOOTS HAVE STEEL TIPS."
Vincent dropkicked man between the legs, and when he fell to the ground in pain, Vincent stomped down hard on his head.
There was an audible crack and then a squish.
"HUMANS." He sneered.
He stood there a moment, comprehending what he had done.
"OH GOD."
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Vincent stumbled into the Cabaret, thin silver streaks coursing down his face. He had wiped the blood away from his skin but it was still spattered on is clothes.
He walked into the bar. "Four beers and a bottle of scotch." He despairingly.
The bartender was an old man with grey hair. He gave Vincent a sceptical eye.
"Name?" He asked.
"Valentine. Vincent Valentine."
The man scribbled it down on a piece of paper.
"Comin' right up."
"Could you tell Rose I'm here?"
"Why?"
"I need someone to wallow with."
"Whatever." The old man said, putting the drinks down on a table. He walked away.
Vincent sat down and opened a bottle of beer with his claw. He held it in front of him sceptically. Memories of drunken happiness flooded through him. He needed it, but was reluctant to do it.
What the hell. He put the bottle to his lips and tipped his head. He felt his awareness sink slightly.
He took the bottle away and wiped his mouth with his claw. He took another swig quickly.
"Whoa there, slow down. Gonna lose to many brain cells." Rose said as she entered the room.
Vincent smiled at her.
"Hullo."
Rose sat down on the opposite side of the table.
"I see the booze has done its work."
Vincent took another swig and put on grin.
"Iz not booze."
"But that is." She said, indicating the bottle of scotch.
"I don' really care at this point." He said, emptying the bottle. He shook it expectantly.
"There needs to be more in the bottles." He remarked.
"There's three more, Vince." Rose said.
"But there should still be more." He said irritably.
"The words of a true boozer. What took you so long?"
Vincent shook his head as he opened another bottle.
"A coffin I suppose." He remarked airily.
"Huh?"
"Didn't I tell you last time? On my last mission as a turk I fell in love, and Hojo, the mad professor, gave me this." Vincent said, indicating his claw. He took another quick swig.
"Damn, that's harsh."
"That's not all, the girl I fell in love with gave birth to Sephiroth, and I got locked in a coffin for thirty years. I also got these from Hojo." He pointed to his eyes. Another swig passed through the lips of Vincent.
"Shit."
Vincent pulled the bottle away from his lips to remark on this.
"In a cake."
Wrong. It was all wrong. He shouldn't have done it. It was so very, very wrong.
These were the thoughts of Vincent Valentine as he drove the buggy through the streets of Junon. Silence dominated the buggy as Yuffie and Vincent drove to their hotel, Vincent too busy beating himself mentally, and Yuffie still dazed at what had happened.
The buggy rounded a corner, and Vincent stopped. They were back at the hotel. They both sat there for a while. Then Vincent spoke
"I'm sorry." He said.
"No, don't." Yuffie answered.
"I shouldn't have done that." He paused. "You shouldn't even be here."
"Its alright."
"No its not," He said, getting out of the buggy. "Good bye." He walked into the darkness of the night.
Yuffie opened the door and ran after him.
"Wait!"
Vincent turned.
"I have endangered your life long enough. I must leave." Pause. "You probably don't care."
He began walking again. Yuffie stood dumbstruck, incapable of comprehending that he was leaving. Then she got mad.
"Ya know what Vinnie, you can go and feel sorry about yourself for thousands of years, but nothing will change. Lucrecia's dead, and you still love her. Don't let me get in the way." She immediately regretted her words. When he looked at her he looked as if she had plunged a dagger into his chest.
Then something happened.
Vincent's crimson eyes flashed black and he fell to his knees. His skin turned deep black, wings sprouted from his back, his hands changed to a pair claws. His midnight black hair shrunk into his head, while horns quickly grew from his skull. His head stretched into a snout as his teeth grew to fangs. The beast before Yuffie was no longer Vincent. It bore down on Yuffie. It clacked its mouth in anticipation at what would come.
"No one to protect you now." It laughed cruelly. "You are ourssss."
Yuffie looked in fear as the beast began circling her. Then it stopped.
"Yuffie?!" It said in disbelief.
"Y,yes?" She said halfway scared, the other half already having run away.
"Urgh."
It spread its black wings and began flapping them. It rose into the air and flew away.
Yuffie stood still again, baffled as to why she still stood.
Then, she began looking for him.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The thing that had once been Vincent Valentine soared trough the black sky. It howled hatefully across the sky. It landed on a building and looked down at the streets. Its obsidian eyes searched for a victim. A voice at the back of it's mind howled at not to do it. The beast banished the voice.
It hissed loudly.
It spread its black wings.
It threw itself from the building.
It howled viciously at a unsuspecting group below him.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Vincent Valentine lay sleeping in a pool of blood. It trickled softly into the sewers. There was a sturdy man standing above him. He suddenly kicked the sleeping man.
"Get up." He growled.
Vincent stirred.
The man kicked him again.
"Get UP!" He repeated.
Vincent hissed.
The man took a step back.
Vincent pushed himself up. He glared at the man.
"WHAT?"
The man pulled out a gun.
"This."
BANG!
They both stood there, staring at each other. Then Vincent pulled out the bullet from his chest.
"OUCH?" He said questioningly.
The man gave Vincent a horrified glance.
"What are you?"
Vincent raised his golden claw.
"YOU SEE THIS CLAW? ITS KILLED MORE PEOPLE THAN YOU'VE SEEN." The man looked in horrified fascination at the claw. Vincent grinned maliciously. "BUT THERE'S A REASON MY BOOTS HAVE STEEL TIPS."
Vincent dropkicked man between the legs, and when he fell to the ground in pain, Vincent stomped down hard on his head.
There was an audible crack and then a squish.
"HUMANS." He sneered.
He stood there a moment, comprehending what he had done.
"OH GOD."
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Vincent stumbled into the Cabaret, thin silver streaks coursing down his face. He had wiped the blood away from his skin but it was still spattered on is clothes.
He walked into the bar. "Four beers and a bottle of scotch." He despairingly.
The bartender was an old man with grey hair. He gave Vincent a sceptical eye.
"Name?" He asked.
"Valentine. Vincent Valentine."
The man scribbled it down on a piece of paper.
"Comin' right up."
"Could you tell Rose I'm here?"
"Why?"
"I need someone to wallow with."
"Whatever." The old man said, putting the drinks down on a table. He walked away.
Vincent sat down and opened a bottle of beer with his claw. He held it in front of him sceptically. Memories of drunken happiness flooded through him. He needed it, but was reluctant to do it.
What the hell. He put the bottle to his lips and tipped his head. He felt his awareness sink slightly.
He took the bottle away and wiped his mouth with his claw. He took another swig quickly.
"Whoa there, slow down. Gonna lose to many brain cells." Rose said as she entered the room.
Vincent smiled at her.
"Hullo."
Rose sat down on the opposite side of the table.
"I see the booze has done its work."
Vincent took another swig and put on grin.
"Iz not booze."
"But that is." She said, indicating the bottle of scotch.
"I don' really care at this point." He said, emptying the bottle. He shook it expectantly.
"There needs to be more in the bottles." He remarked.
"There's three more, Vince." Rose said.
"But there should still be more." He said irritably.
"The words of a true boozer. What took you so long?"
Vincent shook his head as he opened another bottle.
"A coffin I suppose." He remarked airily.
"Huh?"
"Didn't I tell you last time? On my last mission as a turk I fell in love, and Hojo, the mad professor, gave me this." Vincent said, indicating his claw. He took another quick swig.
"Damn, that's harsh."
"That's not all, the girl I fell in love with gave birth to Sephiroth, and I got locked in a coffin for thirty years. I also got these from Hojo." He pointed to his eyes. Another swig passed through the lips of Vincent.
"Shit."
Vincent pulled the bottle away from his lips to remark on this.
"In a cake."