Chapter XXVI: Reflection Of Malice.
It moved through the shadows, with its black eyes probing the darkness. It knew its way around, though it had never walked these streets before. Its sickly pale skin glistened in the moonlight as it crawled past a building. It hissed its irritation.
"You are looking well, my little friend." Said a voice.
The thing looked around for its source.
"WHERE ARE YOU?" It spoke, more thought than speech.
"Ah, you are truly a catch." The voice said smugly. "You are nearly a fully fledged demon already. Its been only three days. I have never seen a human come this close to a complete demon at this stage. If there was a book of records for this sort of thing you'd be in it. The only thing you need now is a form and more strength."
It smiled.
The thing that had been Reno was proud of its demonic prowess.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Jarred led Vincent into the infirmary where Seph X, Reeve, Rude and Elena were looking for clues about Reno. Vincent raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
Elena jumped at the sound of his voice.
"Vincent! Where have you been?"
"Gone. What happened?" Vincent asked again.
"Err, Reno's gotten, err, odd."
Vincent looked at Reeve dubiously. He nodded.
Vincent looked back at Elena.
"How odd?"
Rude shifted anxiously.
"He killed some people and ran away." He said.
Vincent raised an eyebrow again.
"Why?" He asked
Seph X, who was currently behind Vincent, spoke.
"That's what were trying to find out."
Vincent put Yuffie down on a bed turned at the sound of the stranger's voice.
"You?" he said in stark disbelief.
Seph X merely looked back.
"Yes, me."
Vincent began a very uncharacteristic sputter.
"B, b, but your DEAD!"
Seph X gave Vincent a bored glance.
"No, Sephiroth is dead. I am alive."
Vincent sat down.
"I think I'm going to have a headache."
Seph X turned to Reeve.
"You know, I think this is one of the rare occasions that I met someone that HASN'T tried to kill me."
"Don't get used to it. Vincent is," Reeve fished around for a word. He gave up shortly. "Special."
Vincent stood up again, trying his best not to notice Seph X.
"What happened around here?"
"Mech-Head has lain siege to Midgar." Reeve said, going back to looking for clues.
Vincent shot them all a very worried look.
"Mech-Head?"
"Yeah, a robotic demon that apparently has a grudge against you and Seph X over there." Reeve answered airily.
I go away for three days and Midgar gets besieged, Vincent thought. I really do attract trouble.
"Robotic demon?" Vincent asked.
"Sure. Seph X knows his real name, Jazac something.
JAZAC NA, HIS NAME IS JAZAC NA. A voice in Vincent's mind said.
"His name is Jazac Na." Seph X said, almost to confirm what the voice said.
HE IS OF THE N'ZAC ZANN TRIBE, AND OF THE SHELOX RACE.
Vincent suddenly caught himself repeating the words to Reeve and the others.
They all looked h at him strangely.
Vincent tapped his forehead.
"He told me."
They all nodded in recognition, except for Seph X.
"Who?"
Vincent glanced over at the robot.
"Chaos."
Seph X raised a steel eyebrow. Vincent shivered slightly.
"Who are you?"
"I am Seph X, the only truly successful Sephiroth clone. I one of the generals defending this city." Seph X offered Vincent a hand to shake.
Vincent gave the hand a sceptical glance. Carefully, he put his hand in Seph X's and shook.
"I'm Vincent Valentine."
"I know."
Jarred coughed.
"Do you need any help master?"
Vincent looked over at Jarred, and jumped as he noticed the colour of his skin. He poked it to make sure it was really dark-grey.
"Damn, I really gotta keep an eye on you guys or you'll replace me with evil people." Vincent muttered.
Yuffie shifted in her bed.
"Vinnie?"
Vincent turned away from all the others. He kneeled by the bed.
"Yes? What is it?" He asked, the concern showing on his face.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"The infirmary in the Shin Ra headquarters."
"How is everyone?"
Vincent gave Reeve a questioning glance.
"We're all fine Yufs." Reeve comforted.
"That's good." Yuffie said, closing her eyes again.
Vincent stayed by her side.
Reeve raised an eyebrow.
"Vince, what happened to you?"
Vincent stood up again.
"Nothing." He said hastily.
"Really?"
Vincent said nothing to this.
Reeve gave Vincent a knowing smile.
Elena and Rude looked at both of them and wondered what the hell was going on.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
It cowered in a corner.
It twitched as the poisonous strength flowed into it.
It howled in pain as its bones stretched.
It screamed as its wings grew out of its back.
It laughed cruelly as the last of its previous master was pushed out of existence.
It moved through the shadows, with its black eyes probing the darkness. It knew its way around, though it had never walked these streets before. Its sickly pale skin glistened in the moonlight as it crawled past a building. It hissed its irritation.
"You are looking well, my little friend." Said a voice.
The thing looked around for its source.
"WHERE ARE YOU?" It spoke, more thought than speech.
"Ah, you are truly a catch." The voice said smugly. "You are nearly a fully fledged demon already. Its been only three days. I have never seen a human come this close to a complete demon at this stage. If there was a book of records for this sort of thing you'd be in it. The only thing you need now is a form and more strength."
It smiled.
The thing that had been Reno was proud of its demonic prowess.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Jarred led Vincent into the infirmary where Seph X, Reeve, Rude and Elena were looking for clues about Reno. Vincent raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
Elena jumped at the sound of his voice.
"Vincent! Where have you been?"
"Gone. What happened?" Vincent asked again.
"Err, Reno's gotten, err, odd."
Vincent looked at Reeve dubiously. He nodded.
Vincent looked back at Elena.
"How odd?"
Rude shifted anxiously.
"He killed some people and ran away." He said.
Vincent raised an eyebrow again.
"Why?" He asked
Seph X, who was currently behind Vincent, spoke.
"That's what were trying to find out."
Vincent put Yuffie down on a bed turned at the sound of the stranger's voice.
"You?" he said in stark disbelief.
Seph X merely looked back.
"Yes, me."
Vincent began a very uncharacteristic sputter.
"B, b, but your DEAD!"
Seph X gave Vincent a bored glance.
"No, Sephiroth is dead. I am alive."
Vincent sat down.
"I think I'm going to have a headache."
Seph X turned to Reeve.
"You know, I think this is one of the rare occasions that I met someone that HASN'T tried to kill me."
"Don't get used to it. Vincent is," Reeve fished around for a word. He gave up shortly. "Special."
Vincent stood up again, trying his best not to notice Seph X.
"What happened around here?"
"Mech-Head has lain siege to Midgar." Reeve said, going back to looking for clues.
Vincent shot them all a very worried look.
"Mech-Head?"
"Yeah, a robotic demon that apparently has a grudge against you and Seph X over there." Reeve answered airily.
I go away for three days and Midgar gets besieged, Vincent thought. I really do attract trouble.
"Robotic demon?" Vincent asked.
"Sure. Seph X knows his real name, Jazac something.
JAZAC NA, HIS NAME IS JAZAC NA. A voice in Vincent's mind said.
"His name is Jazac Na." Seph X said, almost to confirm what the voice said.
HE IS OF THE N'ZAC ZANN TRIBE, AND OF THE SHELOX RACE.
Vincent suddenly caught himself repeating the words to Reeve and the others.
They all looked h at him strangely.
Vincent tapped his forehead.
"He told me."
They all nodded in recognition, except for Seph X.
"Who?"
Vincent glanced over at the robot.
"Chaos."
Seph X raised a steel eyebrow. Vincent shivered slightly.
"Who are you?"
"I am Seph X, the only truly successful Sephiroth clone. I one of the generals defending this city." Seph X offered Vincent a hand to shake.
Vincent gave the hand a sceptical glance. Carefully, he put his hand in Seph X's and shook.
"I'm Vincent Valentine."
"I know."
Jarred coughed.
"Do you need any help master?"
Vincent looked over at Jarred, and jumped as he noticed the colour of his skin. He poked it to make sure it was really dark-grey.
"Damn, I really gotta keep an eye on you guys or you'll replace me with evil people." Vincent muttered.
Yuffie shifted in her bed.
"Vinnie?"
Vincent turned away from all the others. He kneeled by the bed.
"Yes? What is it?" He asked, the concern showing on his face.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"The infirmary in the Shin Ra headquarters."
"How is everyone?"
Vincent gave Reeve a questioning glance.
"We're all fine Yufs." Reeve comforted.
"That's good." Yuffie said, closing her eyes again.
Vincent stayed by her side.
Reeve raised an eyebrow.
"Vince, what happened to you?"
Vincent stood up again.
"Nothing." He said hastily.
"Really?"
Vincent said nothing to this.
Reeve gave Vincent a knowing smile.
Elena and Rude looked at both of them and wondered what the hell was going on.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
It cowered in a corner.
It twitched as the poisonous strength flowed into it.
It howled in pain as its bones stretched.
It screamed as its wings grew out of its back.
It laughed cruelly as the last of its previous master was pushed out of existence.