[A/N: I bring to you.... action!!!! adventure!!! twists and turns at every corner!!! Hehe, I had fun with this chapter ^.^ There'll be a few plot twists that I know most of you won't like, that make you hate Tadrith all the more... :D Oh, and I'd like to give my personal thanks to Felix, who really made me feel better about my writing and stuff. *sniffles* Thank you! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside ^.^ Ok, people, Read on!!]
..x.x.x.x.x..
"She had a gold chocobo, you say?" A cheery young lady said.
Cid, CaitSith and Vincent were all weary and in dire need of a drink, or even a bite to eat when they entered the town of Kalm, their fourth visit to random places around the globe. Yet they pressed on, deciding to keep searching until they found Tifa, or at least a clue as to if she was well and alive.
Cid rubbed at his temples, feeling his long exposed headache wear away at his senses. "Yeah, and long brown hair with redish-type eyes." He had been awake for far too long. His description ability had gone from every tiny detail to just a couple of famished words.
The woman's face lit up. "Why, yes. A polite young girl, passed by here a couple days ago. Her chocobo somehow escaped during the night, I'm not sure as to where she's staying now. Word has it she's staying with the local businessman until she gets a ride to her friends house." She blushed slightly at those words, recalling the endless gossip that skipped around the town from person to person. It was highly rude to meddle in other's affairs, but if these young people were looking for her..
All three looked at each other, as Cid's eyes popped open and felt his adrenalin heighten; they finally found something! She was alive after all! Well, hopefully. But who was it she was supposedly staying with? He stroked his chin, not liking the sound of it. "Local businessman? Where's he staying, miss?"
The woman looked down. "I'm afraid we don't know, sir. We always see him in town, but have never seen where he retires to. Word has it that he came over from Midgar when it was destroyed, along with most of the other survivors." She lightly bit on her lower lip, thinking about the gossip she had heard again. It was none of her business, really..
Cid smiled warmly, sensing the lady's distress. "Thank you miss, we really needed the help. I think we'll be able to take it from here now."
She blushed in response, curtsied politely, and hurried off to wherever it was she had to go. Cid turned and looked at the others. Vincent had his usual placid look, yet his eyes reflected the same feeling Cid had. Tifa was a dear friend to them, and was always there to cheer them up when things were tough. She was genuine, and the thought of anything happening to her was heart wrenching. Vincent himself couldn't help but feel anxious, she had openly talked to him for hours, always trusting and smiling, treating him like a normal -human-. She had even managed to make him smile, a task he was far from accustomed to. She was his friend, and she needed his help. As she had for him, he'd be damned sure to be there for her.
CaitSith was the first to speak, in his thick, programmed casino accent. Reeve was also deeply concerned as to what had happened to his dear friend, and was everything but reluctant to send CaitSith along to help. "A businessman from Midgar? That's gotta mean he lived on the top plate. Nobody but the poor lived in the slums underneath.."
"So he more than likely worked for Shin-Ra." Vincent said in his melodic, velvety voice.
Cait nodded his little feline head. "That's right. That bein' the case, why ain't he in Junon where most of the others went? There must be somewhere close by where he could be stayin'."
Cid was still scratching at his chin, thoughtfully. "It doesn't necessarily mean he's stayin' IN this town, he could be somewhere outside, ya know, around the outskirts of this place."
CaitSith leaned his head to the side, mimicking the idea of thoughtfulness. "Hold on a sec. I'll check for any places nearby." With that, a mechanical drone sounded from the little spy robot, as if he were instantly powered down.
"Ugh, when this is over, I'm gonna sleep for a week, smoke a pack, and then sleep some more." Cid rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the strain of the days search wearing on him greatly.
Vincent eyed him skeptically. "You're going to smoke yourself to an early grave."
"At least I'd sleep!" Cid protested, throwing his arms dramatically into the air.
Vincent rolled his blood red eyes, as CaitSith whirred to life before their eyes. "There are a couple'a places around this town on the radar, pretty small, I'd say maybe a house or two. One of them was made by the Shin-Ra, kinda like the one in Nibelheim. There's alotta technical stuff in there.. I think we should check there first."
Turning down the thought of stopping for a quick coffee fled from Cid's mind. As they followed CaitSith to the direction of the Shin-Ra house, he took out his PHS to tell the others the news. They should all be here for this, just in case something deeper was going on.
He, for one, didn't want to take any chances. This was one of his closest friends he was talking about.
.x.x.x.
Tadrith was seething with rage. He slammed the door shut behind him as we quickly walked down one of the long corridors of his home.
/MY home. Where what I say goes. That foul little bitch../
He wiped the blood from his broken lip, his dark brow strewn together in frustration.
/How dare she defy my as she does. After all I've offered her./
Just before Tadrith could lift Tifa's skirts above her knees, she looked at him with eyes full of a burning rage he had never seen before. She parted her lips to whisper two faint words he couldn't remember, then released an energy blast from her restrained fists that sent him to the floor in pain.
/Final Heaven. Those were her words./ He wish he hadn't remembered. He still felt the pain radiate through his body, mainly his head. He thought he'd had her at last, but she was just full of delicious surprises.
When Tadrith came to a stop, he stood before the golden chocobo Tifa had called "Blade". It looked at him through tired and angered eyes from it's restrained position, chained to the wall in one of the barren chambers in the west wing of the house. Tadrith grimaced at the bird, feeling the hatred stream from it's wide, intelligent eyes. He smiled again, feeling the rage at the innocent thing's defiance, and swung his already bruised fist at the chocobo's head, landing with such a blow that it's neck snapped instantaneously. It's golden body fell painlessly to the floor.
Tadrith shook his fist in pain and anguish, feeling somewhat better to have taken his rage out on -something-. /Besides, she doesn't need that ghastly creature anymore. She belongs to me now, and I don't intend her to get away./ He turned and headed back to his personal bedchamber. He was completely unaware of the beast of a man he was turning into. He hadn't even a clue as to the side-effects of Hojo's life expanding serum, as it coursed feverishly through his veins, as it had for several decades now. He didn't know, didn't care that it was changing him internally from a patient, calm, understanding man of eloquence and education, into something far worse; far more dreadful.
Tadrith stepped into his private chambers and fumed to his own demand. He thought about the beautiful Tifa he had trapped and abandoned in his room. His features slackened for a moment, and a faint smile slowly adorned his darkly handsome face. /I'll let her wait. She has to sleep sometime.. And she can't go long without food.. I'll just wait for her to let her guard down, then approach her and do as I please. She does, after all, belong to me now. I want her, and I always get what I want. She's mine. I'll have her whenever I please.. After all, I am a patient man./ He sneered to himself, content with his plan.
Hojo's wishes were finally coming true. If only he were still alive to monitor this creation of his.
.x.x.x.
After a quick refreshment of the last Mimmette Greens and an assortment of other nuts and foods, Matrix was ready to go. Cloud felt exceedingly happy. Things seemed to be in favor of him now, and he felt.. Well, -proud-.
/Call it what you want, but Tifa's still missing. After all you told Aeris, you shouldn't be dragging around here wasting time./ He mentally kicked himself out of his sudden lazy state of mind, and mounted Matrix.
"Well. Now for where to go. I supposed I should call-"
Just before he could finish his sentence, his phone rang. Cloud's heart skipped several beats at the unexpected ring, and reached down with a shaky hand, searching for the receive button.
"Hel-"
"Cloud!! Get your spiky headed ass down here NOW!" It was Cid, who was obviously excited about something. "We found Tifa! She's trapped in some lunatic's mansion outside of Kalm. Get here fast, CaitSith's working on the security system an' lock controls an' stuff. But- who the hell cares, jus' get yer fuckin' ass down here now!!"
The adrenalin in Cloud's body peaked at it's highest since they entered the fight with Sephiroth. He felt choked with panic as worry overcame his frustrated mind. He grabbed the reigns for Matrix, and not even asked, he pleaded to the readied bird.
"Matrix, please get me there as fast as you can, Tifa's in trouble, please hurry.."
.x.x.x.
Inside the mechanical control room of the mansion, CaitSith was endlessly toying with the control panel in front of him. There were small security monitoring televisions lined in a row above their heads, which randomly surveyed specific areas of the grounds.
"Wow, this guy really know's his stuff!" Cait said while deciphering the codes to the locking system of the house.
Cid never knew how handy CaitSith's spying utilities and skills would come in handy. He was damn relieved to have the little guy on his team.
"I think I almost have it. The fire walls and security codes are pretty well managed, so it's takin' a little while to hack through them." Cait added, while punching away at buttons, seeming to know everything he was doing.
One of the t.v monitors flashed back to the room Tifa was locked into. She hadn't moved from her spot on the floor from before. She was propped up against the bed, appearing to be very worn down from a probable fight to defend herself. Cid growled to himself. He would personally slice the gonads from the man responsible; assuming it was even a male at all.
Another small t.v revealed what looked almost like a prison, only without the iron bars. There were grey stone walls placed in the form of individual cells with chains and shackles hanging from the back of each one. Inside of the cells appeared to be the lifeless body of a once-magnificent golden chocobo. Cid felt his heart sink. It was Blade..
"So that's what happened to Blade when she "disappeared." Cid said out loud. Vincent looked in his direction, and saw the image just before it flickered away to some other empty room. He clenched his clawed fingers tightly, feeling his blood boil. /Tifa loved that chocobo beyond comparison.. It had taken her months to finally hatch it./ He couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm going out." He stated simply, walking for the door as his crimson red cape fluttered quietly behind him. "I need to see if I can find something -useful- to free her. Waiting here is accomplishing nothing." Vincent then slipped out into the shadows of the corridor, not giving Cid or Cait the chance to reply. He couldn't stand to sit around and wait. It just wasn't his nature. /I've remained still far long enough./ He thought, vigorously.
"Grrr.. If only there were an intercom system or something. Then we could talk to Tifa and find out what's going on, an' see if she's alright." Cait commented after a moment of painful, still quietness.
Cid's groggy mind wandered endlessly, unable to remain focused due to his lack of rest. He had unexpectedly run out of cigarettes hours ago, sending the others into a fit of amused laughter. They thought he had infinite cigarettes, or something of the sort. /Hmph. Like this is some sort of game, with cheat codes, or something like that./ He thought darkly. He -wished- he had a cigarette.. God, at least half of one, anything to ease his mind.
His mind instantly fled to the thought of Shera, and if she was currently in this situation right now. He instantly felt the anger redden his skin. /Cloud, you better get your punk ass over here right -now-../
"Got it!" Cait exclaimed happily. He clicked a single button with a gloved finger, and an electrical "click" could be heard throughout the house.
.x.x.x.
Tifa's eyes gazed up at the door as the sound of it unlocking echoed through her room. She felt drained and weary, and sick of this overly lavished house. She wanted -out-. She wanted to see her friends, to laugh and smile with Cloud like before he left. She pushed herself up, wishing she had some kind of potion, an elixer or restore materia of some sort to replenish her strength.
She feebly walked to the door, not daring to raise her hopes, and scared that if it -was- unlocked, her predator would be waiting on the other side, ready to ravish her and perhaps even end her life. But she had to push on, she wouldn't allow herself to be kept here, or to die here for that matter.
/Think of how much little Marlene will miss me./ She thought, trying to replenish her faded hope. Taking a deep breath, she pushed at the door, surprised to feel it's weight drift forward. She carefully padded forward on her bare feet, trying to walk as stealthily as possible so as not to be heard.
There was no one visibly around, and she pondered her options. /Who unlocked the door? Has someone come to help me?/ Her dark red eyes scanned the halls around her, thinking about leaving to her room to get her things. /Yes, there I can get my gloves and boots, my materia and things.. Then I'll sneak down and find Blade and we can get out of here../ She smiled inwardly, silently making her way to where she thought were the main stairs.
/This will be easy. Just be as stealthy as Vincent, and I should be out of here in no time./ She thought, trying to sound as confident as she wish she was.
.x.x.x.
Cid stared at the tiny monitors, waiting for Tifa's room to pop up, while Cait typed away at more random keys an buttons for God-knows what.
"Come on, come on.." Cid urged impatiently. He wished Vincent hadn't left, they'd have to get him before they made their escape from the mansion. But Cid knew the dark man wanted revenge. Hell, they all did. Maybe they -should- stick around and pay a nice little visit to Tifa's kidnapper.
The t.v focused on Tifa's room, suddenly. "There ya go, Cid!" Cait said with a smile.
Cid searched the screen for any sign of Tifa, and saw that she was gone. He pounded the table with his fist, shouting, "Shit! She's already gone! Come on, we gotta go get her before that asshole does!"
As the two turned to leave the safety of the control room, the last t.v monitor changed to show a room with a very angry looking, well dressed man with dark hair. He was just waking up, it appeared, by something that seemed to startle him awake. The man quickly walked out of his bedroom door.
Neither Cid nor CaitSith turned to give it a second glance as they walked out the door.
.x.x.x.
Vincent was finding his way around quite nicely. After his years long ago training to become a Turk, he was actually quite used to the winding hallways and numerous doors and rooms of the Shin-Ra buildings. He pondered what this house was really used for, back when Midgar was alive and well. He scoffed at himself for even bothering with the imbecile thought, and pressed on, blending and slinking in between flittering shadows.
This was his true thrill. Blending with the darkness, following the scent of blood, tuning into his unnatural abilities as an experiment from long ago. He could sense Tifa near by, and felt that her energies were spent and very low. He could also sense the decay of an animal, freshly killed somewhere within the walls of the tangled mansion. /Blade./ He remembered the image of the bird on the cell floor, how mangled his neck looked.
/I'll return the favor to it's killer. It may be another sin to add to my many, yet to let anyone as sinister as he roam freely in the world is more a sin than any./ He smiled. /So it is my duty to return the safety to my dear friend./
He soon came across the door that Tifa was once trapped behind. It was propped slightly opened, and his inhuman heart skipped a beat at the thought of her roaming around the house, alone. As he peered into the room for any signs of the young girl, he began to sense something else. Something different, evil, you might say.. It was a malevolent aura..
Vincent snapped his head away from the door and stared at the man that now stood before him. Vincent's eyes glowed an eery red as his veins pulsed in hatred. He recognized the other man, from long ago in the Shin-Ra buildings of Midgar. It was the man behind Hojo's exquisite labs and intricate items of destruction. It was Tadrith Shin-Ra.
Tadrith stepped forward, smiling grimly. "My, my. What have we here? An intruder of sorts? I'm afraid we don't welcome intruders. Especially contorted experiments gone wrong, such as yourself." He sneered at Vincent menacingly.
Vincent lowered his half-hidden face in ferocious anger. His metal claw flexed anxiously beneath the folds of his crimson cape, thirsting to thrash at the face of the abomination of a man standing before him.
"Don't think I've forgotten you." Tadrith continued, his voice smooth and dark, sounding as if he'd planned all his words ahead of time. "You're name is of no importance, but who could forget a face like that. You're that bile experiment of Hojo's, the Turk who failed to complete his duties, and failed to save the life of the woman he loved." He let out a deviant chuckle. "Too bad she chose Hojo over you. I guess in the outcome, you just weren't worth it."
The cold words didn't even brush Vincent's heart. He had long since turned cold to those facts, accepting them as reality. To hear them from this man, though, freshened his anger, and his eyes transformed into a deeper burgundy. His skin felt inflamed with angry fire, and felt his body twist into the form of another being. The energy that was swelling in his body was incredible, almost unreal.
Tadrith's eyes gleamed, and his smiled faded for a moment. "How predictable." He muttered, and stepped forward, grabbing Vincent in his weakest moment and thrust him with an inhuman strength into the steel-enforced room that Tifa was locked in before. Tadrith slammed the door and quickly punched in another code, followed by the sound of the lock whirring shut. He smiled even more, flexing his fingers at his newly found energy. He'd never felt so unbeatable.. this was turning out to be a good day, after all.
The Vincent-turned Chaos pounded furiously at the door, his talons and scaled skin trying to rip furiously at the metal. His wings beat at the air endlessly, trying to muster up enough strength to tear the very walls down.
/Which is exactly what I'll do./ Vincent and Chaos thought together in unison.
The sound of Tadrith's laughter could be scarcely heard on the other side of the door. "It will take you far too long to break it down, my twisted friend. By the time that happens, I'll have the girl, and we'll be gone." His laughter faded as he walked confidently towards the stairs, where Tifa's guestroom lay.
..x.x.x.x.x..
[Awww, poor Blade!! *sniffles* And now Vincent? *more sniffles* More action and good things like that, coming up in the next chapter ^.^ Should be up really soon.. I have an unusual amount of time on my hands, now that Midterms are over ::wipes a sweat drop away:: well, until the next chapter, farewell ^.^ v ]
..x.x.x.x.x..
"She had a gold chocobo, you say?" A cheery young lady said.
Cid, CaitSith and Vincent were all weary and in dire need of a drink, or even a bite to eat when they entered the town of Kalm, their fourth visit to random places around the globe. Yet they pressed on, deciding to keep searching until they found Tifa, or at least a clue as to if she was well and alive.
Cid rubbed at his temples, feeling his long exposed headache wear away at his senses. "Yeah, and long brown hair with redish-type eyes." He had been awake for far too long. His description ability had gone from every tiny detail to just a couple of famished words.
The woman's face lit up. "Why, yes. A polite young girl, passed by here a couple days ago. Her chocobo somehow escaped during the night, I'm not sure as to where she's staying now. Word has it she's staying with the local businessman until she gets a ride to her friends house." She blushed slightly at those words, recalling the endless gossip that skipped around the town from person to person. It was highly rude to meddle in other's affairs, but if these young people were looking for her..
All three looked at each other, as Cid's eyes popped open and felt his adrenalin heighten; they finally found something! She was alive after all! Well, hopefully. But who was it she was supposedly staying with? He stroked his chin, not liking the sound of it. "Local businessman? Where's he staying, miss?"
The woman looked down. "I'm afraid we don't know, sir. We always see him in town, but have never seen where he retires to. Word has it that he came over from Midgar when it was destroyed, along with most of the other survivors." She lightly bit on her lower lip, thinking about the gossip she had heard again. It was none of her business, really..
Cid smiled warmly, sensing the lady's distress. "Thank you miss, we really needed the help. I think we'll be able to take it from here now."
She blushed in response, curtsied politely, and hurried off to wherever it was she had to go. Cid turned and looked at the others. Vincent had his usual placid look, yet his eyes reflected the same feeling Cid had. Tifa was a dear friend to them, and was always there to cheer them up when things were tough. She was genuine, and the thought of anything happening to her was heart wrenching. Vincent himself couldn't help but feel anxious, she had openly talked to him for hours, always trusting and smiling, treating him like a normal -human-. She had even managed to make him smile, a task he was far from accustomed to. She was his friend, and she needed his help. As she had for him, he'd be damned sure to be there for her.
CaitSith was the first to speak, in his thick, programmed casino accent. Reeve was also deeply concerned as to what had happened to his dear friend, and was everything but reluctant to send CaitSith along to help. "A businessman from Midgar? That's gotta mean he lived on the top plate. Nobody but the poor lived in the slums underneath.."
"So he more than likely worked for Shin-Ra." Vincent said in his melodic, velvety voice.
Cait nodded his little feline head. "That's right. That bein' the case, why ain't he in Junon where most of the others went? There must be somewhere close by where he could be stayin'."
Cid was still scratching at his chin, thoughtfully. "It doesn't necessarily mean he's stayin' IN this town, he could be somewhere outside, ya know, around the outskirts of this place."
CaitSith leaned his head to the side, mimicking the idea of thoughtfulness. "Hold on a sec. I'll check for any places nearby." With that, a mechanical drone sounded from the little spy robot, as if he were instantly powered down.
"Ugh, when this is over, I'm gonna sleep for a week, smoke a pack, and then sleep some more." Cid rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the strain of the days search wearing on him greatly.
Vincent eyed him skeptically. "You're going to smoke yourself to an early grave."
"At least I'd sleep!" Cid protested, throwing his arms dramatically into the air.
Vincent rolled his blood red eyes, as CaitSith whirred to life before their eyes. "There are a couple'a places around this town on the radar, pretty small, I'd say maybe a house or two. One of them was made by the Shin-Ra, kinda like the one in Nibelheim. There's alotta technical stuff in there.. I think we should check there first."
Turning down the thought of stopping for a quick coffee fled from Cid's mind. As they followed CaitSith to the direction of the Shin-Ra house, he took out his PHS to tell the others the news. They should all be here for this, just in case something deeper was going on.
He, for one, didn't want to take any chances. This was one of his closest friends he was talking about.
.x.x.x.
Tadrith was seething with rage. He slammed the door shut behind him as we quickly walked down one of the long corridors of his home.
/MY home. Where what I say goes. That foul little bitch../
He wiped the blood from his broken lip, his dark brow strewn together in frustration.
/How dare she defy my as she does. After all I've offered her./
Just before Tadrith could lift Tifa's skirts above her knees, she looked at him with eyes full of a burning rage he had never seen before. She parted her lips to whisper two faint words he couldn't remember, then released an energy blast from her restrained fists that sent him to the floor in pain.
/Final Heaven. Those were her words./ He wish he hadn't remembered. He still felt the pain radiate through his body, mainly his head. He thought he'd had her at last, but she was just full of delicious surprises.
When Tadrith came to a stop, he stood before the golden chocobo Tifa had called "Blade". It looked at him through tired and angered eyes from it's restrained position, chained to the wall in one of the barren chambers in the west wing of the house. Tadrith grimaced at the bird, feeling the hatred stream from it's wide, intelligent eyes. He smiled again, feeling the rage at the innocent thing's defiance, and swung his already bruised fist at the chocobo's head, landing with such a blow that it's neck snapped instantaneously. It's golden body fell painlessly to the floor.
Tadrith shook his fist in pain and anguish, feeling somewhat better to have taken his rage out on -something-. /Besides, she doesn't need that ghastly creature anymore. She belongs to me now, and I don't intend her to get away./ He turned and headed back to his personal bedchamber. He was completely unaware of the beast of a man he was turning into. He hadn't even a clue as to the side-effects of Hojo's life expanding serum, as it coursed feverishly through his veins, as it had for several decades now. He didn't know, didn't care that it was changing him internally from a patient, calm, understanding man of eloquence and education, into something far worse; far more dreadful.
Tadrith stepped into his private chambers and fumed to his own demand. He thought about the beautiful Tifa he had trapped and abandoned in his room. His features slackened for a moment, and a faint smile slowly adorned his darkly handsome face. /I'll let her wait. She has to sleep sometime.. And she can't go long without food.. I'll just wait for her to let her guard down, then approach her and do as I please. She does, after all, belong to me now. I want her, and I always get what I want. She's mine. I'll have her whenever I please.. After all, I am a patient man./ He sneered to himself, content with his plan.
Hojo's wishes were finally coming true. If only he were still alive to monitor this creation of his.
.x.x.x.
After a quick refreshment of the last Mimmette Greens and an assortment of other nuts and foods, Matrix was ready to go. Cloud felt exceedingly happy. Things seemed to be in favor of him now, and he felt.. Well, -proud-.
/Call it what you want, but Tifa's still missing. After all you told Aeris, you shouldn't be dragging around here wasting time./ He mentally kicked himself out of his sudden lazy state of mind, and mounted Matrix.
"Well. Now for where to go. I supposed I should call-"
Just before he could finish his sentence, his phone rang. Cloud's heart skipped several beats at the unexpected ring, and reached down with a shaky hand, searching for the receive button.
"Hel-"
"Cloud!! Get your spiky headed ass down here NOW!" It was Cid, who was obviously excited about something. "We found Tifa! She's trapped in some lunatic's mansion outside of Kalm. Get here fast, CaitSith's working on the security system an' lock controls an' stuff. But- who the hell cares, jus' get yer fuckin' ass down here now!!"
The adrenalin in Cloud's body peaked at it's highest since they entered the fight with Sephiroth. He felt choked with panic as worry overcame his frustrated mind. He grabbed the reigns for Matrix, and not even asked, he pleaded to the readied bird.
"Matrix, please get me there as fast as you can, Tifa's in trouble, please hurry.."
.x.x.x.
Inside the mechanical control room of the mansion, CaitSith was endlessly toying with the control panel in front of him. There were small security monitoring televisions lined in a row above their heads, which randomly surveyed specific areas of the grounds.
"Wow, this guy really know's his stuff!" Cait said while deciphering the codes to the locking system of the house.
Cid never knew how handy CaitSith's spying utilities and skills would come in handy. He was damn relieved to have the little guy on his team.
"I think I almost have it. The fire walls and security codes are pretty well managed, so it's takin' a little while to hack through them." Cait added, while punching away at buttons, seeming to know everything he was doing.
One of the t.v monitors flashed back to the room Tifa was locked into. She hadn't moved from her spot on the floor from before. She was propped up against the bed, appearing to be very worn down from a probable fight to defend herself. Cid growled to himself. He would personally slice the gonads from the man responsible; assuming it was even a male at all.
Another small t.v revealed what looked almost like a prison, only without the iron bars. There were grey stone walls placed in the form of individual cells with chains and shackles hanging from the back of each one. Inside of the cells appeared to be the lifeless body of a once-magnificent golden chocobo. Cid felt his heart sink. It was Blade..
"So that's what happened to Blade when she "disappeared." Cid said out loud. Vincent looked in his direction, and saw the image just before it flickered away to some other empty room. He clenched his clawed fingers tightly, feeling his blood boil. /Tifa loved that chocobo beyond comparison.. It had taken her months to finally hatch it./ He couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm going out." He stated simply, walking for the door as his crimson red cape fluttered quietly behind him. "I need to see if I can find something -useful- to free her. Waiting here is accomplishing nothing." Vincent then slipped out into the shadows of the corridor, not giving Cid or Cait the chance to reply. He couldn't stand to sit around and wait. It just wasn't his nature. /I've remained still far long enough./ He thought, vigorously.
"Grrr.. If only there were an intercom system or something. Then we could talk to Tifa and find out what's going on, an' see if she's alright." Cait commented after a moment of painful, still quietness.
Cid's groggy mind wandered endlessly, unable to remain focused due to his lack of rest. He had unexpectedly run out of cigarettes hours ago, sending the others into a fit of amused laughter. They thought he had infinite cigarettes, or something of the sort. /Hmph. Like this is some sort of game, with cheat codes, or something like that./ He thought darkly. He -wished- he had a cigarette.. God, at least half of one, anything to ease his mind.
His mind instantly fled to the thought of Shera, and if she was currently in this situation right now. He instantly felt the anger redden his skin. /Cloud, you better get your punk ass over here right -now-../
"Got it!" Cait exclaimed happily. He clicked a single button with a gloved finger, and an electrical "click" could be heard throughout the house.
.x.x.x.
Tifa's eyes gazed up at the door as the sound of it unlocking echoed through her room. She felt drained and weary, and sick of this overly lavished house. She wanted -out-. She wanted to see her friends, to laugh and smile with Cloud like before he left. She pushed herself up, wishing she had some kind of potion, an elixer or restore materia of some sort to replenish her strength.
She feebly walked to the door, not daring to raise her hopes, and scared that if it -was- unlocked, her predator would be waiting on the other side, ready to ravish her and perhaps even end her life. But she had to push on, she wouldn't allow herself to be kept here, or to die here for that matter.
/Think of how much little Marlene will miss me./ She thought, trying to replenish her faded hope. Taking a deep breath, she pushed at the door, surprised to feel it's weight drift forward. She carefully padded forward on her bare feet, trying to walk as stealthily as possible so as not to be heard.
There was no one visibly around, and she pondered her options. /Who unlocked the door? Has someone come to help me?/ Her dark red eyes scanned the halls around her, thinking about leaving to her room to get her things. /Yes, there I can get my gloves and boots, my materia and things.. Then I'll sneak down and find Blade and we can get out of here../ She smiled inwardly, silently making her way to where she thought were the main stairs.
/This will be easy. Just be as stealthy as Vincent, and I should be out of here in no time./ She thought, trying to sound as confident as she wish she was.
.x.x.x.
Cid stared at the tiny monitors, waiting for Tifa's room to pop up, while Cait typed away at more random keys an buttons for God-knows what.
"Come on, come on.." Cid urged impatiently. He wished Vincent hadn't left, they'd have to get him before they made their escape from the mansion. But Cid knew the dark man wanted revenge. Hell, they all did. Maybe they -should- stick around and pay a nice little visit to Tifa's kidnapper.
The t.v focused on Tifa's room, suddenly. "There ya go, Cid!" Cait said with a smile.
Cid searched the screen for any sign of Tifa, and saw that she was gone. He pounded the table with his fist, shouting, "Shit! She's already gone! Come on, we gotta go get her before that asshole does!"
As the two turned to leave the safety of the control room, the last t.v monitor changed to show a room with a very angry looking, well dressed man with dark hair. He was just waking up, it appeared, by something that seemed to startle him awake. The man quickly walked out of his bedroom door.
Neither Cid nor CaitSith turned to give it a second glance as they walked out the door.
.x.x.x.
Vincent was finding his way around quite nicely. After his years long ago training to become a Turk, he was actually quite used to the winding hallways and numerous doors and rooms of the Shin-Ra buildings. He pondered what this house was really used for, back when Midgar was alive and well. He scoffed at himself for even bothering with the imbecile thought, and pressed on, blending and slinking in between flittering shadows.
This was his true thrill. Blending with the darkness, following the scent of blood, tuning into his unnatural abilities as an experiment from long ago. He could sense Tifa near by, and felt that her energies were spent and very low. He could also sense the decay of an animal, freshly killed somewhere within the walls of the tangled mansion. /Blade./ He remembered the image of the bird on the cell floor, how mangled his neck looked.
/I'll return the favor to it's killer. It may be another sin to add to my many, yet to let anyone as sinister as he roam freely in the world is more a sin than any./ He smiled. /So it is my duty to return the safety to my dear friend./
He soon came across the door that Tifa was once trapped behind. It was propped slightly opened, and his inhuman heart skipped a beat at the thought of her roaming around the house, alone. As he peered into the room for any signs of the young girl, he began to sense something else. Something different, evil, you might say.. It was a malevolent aura..
Vincent snapped his head away from the door and stared at the man that now stood before him. Vincent's eyes glowed an eery red as his veins pulsed in hatred. He recognized the other man, from long ago in the Shin-Ra buildings of Midgar. It was the man behind Hojo's exquisite labs and intricate items of destruction. It was Tadrith Shin-Ra.
Tadrith stepped forward, smiling grimly. "My, my. What have we here? An intruder of sorts? I'm afraid we don't welcome intruders. Especially contorted experiments gone wrong, such as yourself." He sneered at Vincent menacingly.
Vincent lowered his half-hidden face in ferocious anger. His metal claw flexed anxiously beneath the folds of his crimson cape, thirsting to thrash at the face of the abomination of a man standing before him.
"Don't think I've forgotten you." Tadrith continued, his voice smooth and dark, sounding as if he'd planned all his words ahead of time. "You're name is of no importance, but who could forget a face like that. You're that bile experiment of Hojo's, the Turk who failed to complete his duties, and failed to save the life of the woman he loved." He let out a deviant chuckle. "Too bad she chose Hojo over you. I guess in the outcome, you just weren't worth it."
The cold words didn't even brush Vincent's heart. He had long since turned cold to those facts, accepting them as reality. To hear them from this man, though, freshened his anger, and his eyes transformed into a deeper burgundy. His skin felt inflamed with angry fire, and felt his body twist into the form of another being. The energy that was swelling in his body was incredible, almost unreal.
Tadrith's eyes gleamed, and his smiled faded for a moment. "How predictable." He muttered, and stepped forward, grabbing Vincent in his weakest moment and thrust him with an inhuman strength into the steel-enforced room that Tifa was locked in before. Tadrith slammed the door and quickly punched in another code, followed by the sound of the lock whirring shut. He smiled even more, flexing his fingers at his newly found energy. He'd never felt so unbeatable.. this was turning out to be a good day, after all.
The Vincent-turned Chaos pounded furiously at the door, his talons and scaled skin trying to rip furiously at the metal. His wings beat at the air endlessly, trying to muster up enough strength to tear the very walls down.
/Which is exactly what I'll do./ Vincent and Chaos thought together in unison.
The sound of Tadrith's laughter could be scarcely heard on the other side of the door. "It will take you far too long to break it down, my twisted friend. By the time that happens, I'll have the girl, and we'll be gone." His laughter faded as he walked confidently towards the stairs, where Tifa's guestroom lay.
..x.x.x.x.x..
[Awww, poor Blade!! *sniffles* And now Vincent? *more sniffles* More action and good things like that, coming up in the next chapter ^.^ Should be up really soon.. I have an unusual amount of time on my hands, now that Midterms are over ::wipes a sweat drop away:: well, until the next chapter, farewell ^.^ v ]