Chapter 13: Creature within the Maze
Tifa groaned, feeling the cold, stone floor beneath her, and rubbing her head, she got up slowly, only to meet Vincent's concerned red eyes.
"Are you alright?" He asked, and she nodded, sighing as she got up, giving him a reassuring smile, then looking around, seeing no sign of the others.
"Where are we?" She breathed, the place dark and damp, the feeling of despair and horror hanging heavy in the air. There were thick walls of concrete or stone around them, like some sort of horrifying maze, and the stench of something unpleasant and blood making Tifa's stomach turned as she could barely see anything in the dim light.
"The mazes Rude and Elena were captured in." Vincent said, looking around to see if there was any way to get them out of their predicament, or maybe even if there was any of the famed monsters that had made even Reno shudder to think about. This place was truly horrifying. Tifa nodded, not sure if how bad of a situation they were in, and she hoped the others were all right. An inhuman roar rang loudly through the corridors, and Tifa's eyes widened, turning to Vincent. With a nod, he turned and sprinted, Tifa close at his heels, just as the roar grew louder and more horrible. It seemed to be gaining on them, whatever it was. Tifa threw a desperate look at Vincent, who glanced over his shoulder, and whatever it was made him pale more than usual, and he looked back at Tifa, continued to pump his legs hard.
"Let me guess," Tifa gasped, keeping good pace with Vincent, which she figured was a good accomplishment since he had mako enhancement and was a Turk after all, "don't look back." Vincent nodded, and Tifa sighed, taking a deep breath as she continued running, occasionally slipping on a slick film of blood on the floor, though she fought the urge to throw up or mourn for the people this happened to. As cruel as it sounded, she had to live, she had someone to live for, and she needed him just as much as he undoubtedly needed her. Why else would he come for her? Instantly she felt her body warm, even though she was becoming exhausted. Vincent, as if sensing her moral dropping, looked over at her, his eyes telling her everything, his feelings, thoughts, and that he would live if she did. She smiled back, continuing to sprint, though she knew it was basically hopeless. They were running around in the dark, with who knew what after them, and they were bound to hit a dead end- instantly a foreboding wall blocked their vision, and Tifa instantly rammed into it, skidding on the blood puddle there. She winced as she felt her hip ram into the floor, pain flooding all her senses, though she endured, standing up, clutching her side as Vincent gave her a concerned glance. "Fine," she muttered, getting into her battle stance just as the creature rounded the corner, and Tifa's eyes widened as she stared at the creature in horror. That was all it was, no longer looking the least bit human except for its form, which barely was. It had milky white skin, blood red eyes that pierced the core of her being, its claws five inches long, and it sported raptor like feet, three claws in front and on huge one in the back. It forked out its tongue like a serpent, matted and dingy 'hair' clung to its head, and it was sickeningly pale. She gasped, looking over at Vincent, who said nothing, just faced it without fear. She sighed, closing her eyes for a bit, and then got into a stance. With a roar, the creature was upon them, an animalistic hunger shining in its blood red eyes. With a slight cry, Tifa rushed forward, fists raised as she dashed forward, Vincent with his Death Penalty, aiming his bullets right between the creature's eyes. Tifa ducked at the primitive blow, raising her fist up with an amazing speed, catching it by the chin, sending it back, thought not before it swung it's claws at her, and not expecting the blow, Tifa was unguarded, the claws slashing her chest, flinging her backward. Vincent sent another round of fire at the creature's head, then turning and darting to Tifa's side. She was bleeding, though not severely, and her hand was tightly clamped on her wound, and she looked up at Vincent, her eyes filled with pain, and Vincent instantly felt guilt again. Guilt for getting her caught up in this, guilt for getting her captured and used as a pawn, and guilt for not being able to protect her. Seeing his concerned glance, she smiled shakily, though her eyes widened with horror as she looked behind him. "Vincent!" She warned, and he turned around, just to see the creature, blood pouring into its eyes, swing its clawed fist toward him. "Vincent!" He heard Tifa scream again, along with a round of shots, and he felt her arm's wrap around him. "Vincent! Hold on!" Tifa pleaded, and he managed to choke out her name. He heard tears being shed, voices shouting out, and he felt the blood flowing from his head, and he groaned, letting the darkness claim him.
~*Author's Notes*~ Another cliffhanger! And it was so short too! *makes a face* I'm so totally evil! Sorry! Please be patient, since I have some tests coming up, y'know? Anyway, I think one chapter is left in this, at the most two, so don't worry. Anyway, stay tuned, and thank you so much to all of you who took the time to review and stay with this story this far! Oh, don't forget to drop me a line about a pairing you guys want me to do. Well, please read and review! Thank you much!
Tifa groaned, feeling the cold, stone floor beneath her, and rubbing her head, she got up slowly, only to meet Vincent's concerned red eyes.
"Are you alright?" He asked, and she nodded, sighing as she got up, giving him a reassuring smile, then looking around, seeing no sign of the others.
"Where are we?" She breathed, the place dark and damp, the feeling of despair and horror hanging heavy in the air. There were thick walls of concrete or stone around them, like some sort of horrifying maze, and the stench of something unpleasant and blood making Tifa's stomach turned as she could barely see anything in the dim light.
"The mazes Rude and Elena were captured in." Vincent said, looking around to see if there was any way to get them out of their predicament, or maybe even if there was any of the famed monsters that had made even Reno shudder to think about. This place was truly horrifying. Tifa nodded, not sure if how bad of a situation they were in, and she hoped the others were all right. An inhuman roar rang loudly through the corridors, and Tifa's eyes widened, turning to Vincent. With a nod, he turned and sprinted, Tifa close at his heels, just as the roar grew louder and more horrible. It seemed to be gaining on them, whatever it was. Tifa threw a desperate look at Vincent, who glanced over his shoulder, and whatever it was made him pale more than usual, and he looked back at Tifa, continued to pump his legs hard.
"Let me guess," Tifa gasped, keeping good pace with Vincent, which she figured was a good accomplishment since he had mako enhancement and was a Turk after all, "don't look back." Vincent nodded, and Tifa sighed, taking a deep breath as she continued running, occasionally slipping on a slick film of blood on the floor, though she fought the urge to throw up or mourn for the people this happened to. As cruel as it sounded, she had to live, she had someone to live for, and she needed him just as much as he undoubtedly needed her. Why else would he come for her? Instantly she felt her body warm, even though she was becoming exhausted. Vincent, as if sensing her moral dropping, looked over at her, his eyes telling her everything, his feelings, thoughts, and that he would live if she did. She smiled back, continuing to sprint, though she knew it was basically hopeless. They were running around in the dark, with who knew what after them, and they were bound to hit a dead end- instantly a foreboding wall blocked their vision, and Tifa instantly rammed into it, skidding on the blood puddle there. She winced as she felt her hip ram into the floor, pain flooding all her senses, though she endured, standing up, clutching her side as Vincent gave her a concerned glance. "Fine," she muttered, getting into her battle stance just as the creature rounded the corner, and Tifa's eyes widened as she stared at the creature in horror. That was all it was, no longer looking the least bit human except for its form, which barely was. It had milky white skin, blood red eyes that pierced the core of her being, its claws five inches long, and it sported raptor like feet, three claws in front and on huge one in the back. It forked out its tongue like a serpent, matted and dingy 'hair' clung to its head, and it was sickeningly pale. She gasped, looking over at Vincent, who said nothing, just faced it without fear. She sighed, closing her eyes for a bit, and then got into a stance. With a roar, the creature was upon them, an animalistic hunger shining in its blood red eyes. With a slight cry, Tifa rushed forward, fists raised as she dashed forward, Vincent with his Death Penalty, aiming his bullets right between the creature's eyes. Tifa ducked at the primitive blow, raising her fist up with an amazing speed, catching it by the chin, sending it back, thought not before it swung it's claws at her, and not expecting the blow, Tifa was unguarded, the claws slashing her chest, flinging her backward. Vincent sent another round of fire at the creature's head, then turning and darting to Tifa's side. She was bleeding, though not severely, and her hand was tightly clamped on her wound, and she looked up at Vincent, her eyes filled with pain, and Vincent instantly felt guilt again. Guilt for getting her caught up in this, guilt for getting her captured and used as a pawn, and guilt for not being able to protect her. Seeing his concerned glance, she smiled shakily, though her eyes widened with horror as she looked behind him. "Vincent!" She warned, and he turned around, just to see the creature, blood pouring into its eyes, swing its clawed fist toward him. "Vincent!" He heard Tifa scream again, along with a round of shots, and he felt her arm's wrap around him. "Vincent! Hold on!" Tifa pleaded, and he managed to choke out her name. He heard tears being shed, voices shouting out, and he felt the blood flowing from his head, and he groaned, letting the darkness claim him.
~*Author's Notes*~ Another cliffhanger! And it was so short too! *makes a face* I'm so totally evil! Sorry! Please be patient, since I have some tests coming up, y'know? Anyway, I think one chapter is left in this, at the most two, so don't worry. Anyway, stay tuned, and thank you so much to all of you who took the time to review and stay with this story this far! Oh, don't forget to drop me a line about a pairing you guys want me to do. Well, please read and review! Thank you much!