Shadows of A Lonely Man: Chapter 7 - Hojo's Order
Vincent stood up from the chair and turned his back to Ceilia, she watched as he walked back over to the window and once more the shadows seemed to cover him. He stood there silent only the whirring of the tape recorder making a sound in the room until he spoke.
"Ive seen..a lot of evil in my life..more than you can imagine.but nothing worse than something that happens to..a friend.."
"He was your friend?" she asked
"He tried to be..but I kept refusing him..but it was at that time I realised..he was my friend.."
"It must have been hard for you"
"You've no idea.."
Vincent stood watching as the truck containing Edwards body drove down the street and pulled out of the village bound for Costa Del Sol, there it would be left on a ship and taken back to Midgar were he would be buried. Most everyone stood in complete silence, even Vincent who hadn't said a word all morning. After everyone left Vincent still stood in the street watching the space were truck had been, his face was straight..cold..like he didn't feel anything but that was far from the truth. His mind raced..he should have told Edward to stay, he knew what was happening he should have told his partner. Suddenly Edwards death became his fault. Eventually he moved, walked back to the hotel and was about to open the door to enter when a voice called from the mansion.
"HEY! TURK! Were are you going? You've got a job to do remember!? GET UP HERE!"
It was Hojo..the little creep didn't even feel the need to give him some time alone instead he felt like barking orders. Vincents hand slid under his jacket and he fingered his gun then it dropped to his side and he turned and started towards the mansion. After the explosion the mansion had seemed reletivly uneffected, the bombers had been of low skill and simply not put the explosives in the right places to do any substantial damage. The majority of the smoke had been from furniture and beds. Vincent hadn't gone to see Lucrecia that day, he simply didn't want to see anyone and when he entered the Mansion felt like disobeying orders and leaving again. Most of the inside was black with soot from the fire, it still smelled but the house was in tact. He looked up to see Hojo stood at the top of the stairs waiting for him, a sneer was on his face as he parted his lips.
"Come along I havent got all day!!"
Vincent ignored him and took his time looking around before finally making his way up the stairs, he put his hand on the banister but took it back again once it got dirtied with soot. When he finally reached Hojo he scoffed and motioned for him to follow. He led Vincent into one of the guest bedrooms and walked up what he could only assume was the top of the main Chimney made totally from brick but he was wrong. When he reached it Hojo pushed one of the bricks and it gave a jerk, then sending dust into the air it slowly turned to reveal a set of stairs spiralling down under the mansion.
"Follow me.." Hojo instructed
Nodding he followed as Hojo started down the stairs he coughed the dust catching the back of his throat as he inhaled. When they reached the bottom they were faced with a long corridor that seemed to be carved out of the ground itself, there was no doubt they were under the mansion. As they walked they saw a wooden wall with a door before them but passed it and then came to another formation of the same structure, wooden with a door. Pushing it open Hojo and Vincent stepped inside. The room was rather big, bookcases lined the walls filled to the brim of course with many books. A table sat in the middle of the room and when Hojo turned a corner Vincent was surprised, it was bigger! They walked down a very small corridor of books and came to another small room were there sat another desk which Hojo sat behind like he was king of the world. And started writing some notes leaving Vincent stood there waiting. Eventually he talked.
"I've seen the way you look at my assistant Mr. Valentine."
Vincent just looked at him.
"I'd advise you to stay away from her"
"Is that a request or an order?" Vincent asked
"Both.." he snarled
He watched him for ages before Vincent turned and started walking away, Hojo looked up and furrowed his brow at him and then looked down again.
"Excuse me." he said menacingly "Were do you think YOURE going?"
Vincent stopped and turned around looking at him, he narrowed his eyes and parted his lips his voice cold and clear.
"Away from you.."
Hojo bolted from his chair but before he could do anything Vincent was gone, out of the room and up the spiral stairs. As he exited the passage Hojo had shown him he stopped at the guest room door when he saw Lucrecia at the top of the stairs, he swallowed and started to hide when she saw him and smiled. That smile he couldn't refuse, she was so beautiful it overwhelmed him but he knew he would be disobeying orders. She ran over to him and threw her arms around the turk smiling then looked up at him. He looked down at her much the same way he looked at her the day of the attack and smiled a little, then he looked sad.
"Whats wrong?" She asked
"I..cant see you.."
She stepped back and looked stunned placing her hands over her mouth.
"Why?"
He looked at the floor unable to look her in the eyes, he didn't want to tell her it was a simple order keeping them apart when her hand slowly graced his face and turned it to his.
"Vincent.."
He looked at her as she slowly moved to him and pressed her lips against his, she slide her arms around him and he embraced her like they had done this a thousand times both Vincent and lucrecias eyes slowly closing. It was then that a creaking noise was heard, they didn't quite hear it at first the two of them had been too involved with each other but when they parted the kiss and saw Professor hojo stood by the enterence he had seen earlier they new trouble was about to brew.
Vincent stood up from the chair and turned his back to Ceilia, she watched as he walked back over to the window and once more the shadows seemed to cover him. He stood there silent only the whirring of the tape recorder making a sound in the room until he spoke.
"Ive seen..a lot of evil in my life..more than you can imagine.but nothing worse than something that happens to..a friend.."
"He was your friend?" she asked
"He tried to be..but I kept refusing him..but it was at that time I realised..he was my friend.."
"It must have been hard for you"
"You've no idea.."
Vincent stood watching as the truck containing Edwards body drove down the street and pulled out of the village bound for Costa Del Sol, there it would be left on a ship and taken back to Midgar were he would be buried. Most everyone stood in complete silence, even Vincent who hadn't said a word all morning. After everyone left Vincent still stood in the street watching the space were truck had been, his face was straight..cold..like he didn't feel anything but that was far from the truth. His mind raced..he should have told Edward to stay, he knew what was happening he should have told his partner. Suddenly Edwards death became his fault. Eventually he moved, walked back to the hotel and was about to open the door to enter when a voice called from the mansion.
"HEY! TURK! Were are you going? You've got a job to do remember!? GET UP HERE!"
It was Hojo..the little creep didn't even feel the need to give him some time alone instead he felt like barking orders. Vincents hand slid under his jacket and he fingered his gun then it dropped to his side and he turned and started towards the mansion. After the explosion the mansion had seemed reletivly uneffected, the bombers had been of low skill and simply not put the explosives in the right places to do any substantial damage. The majority of the smoke had been from furniture and beds. Vincent hadn't gone to see Lucrecia that day, he simply didn't want to see anyone and when he entered the Mansion felt like disobeying orders and leaving again. Most of the inside was black with soot from the fire, it still smelled but the house was in tact. He looked up to see Hojo stood at the top of the stairs waiting for him, a sneer was on his face as he parted his lips.
"Come along I havent got all day!!"
Vincent ignored him and took his time looking around before finally making his way up the stairs, he put his hand on the banister but took it back again once it got dirtied with soot. When he finally reached Hojo he scoffed and motioned for him to follow. He led Vincent into one of the guest bedrooms and walked up what he could only assume was the top of the main Chimney made totally from brick but he was wrong. When he reached it Hojo pushed one of the bricks and it gave a jerk, then sending dust into the air it slowly turned to reveal a set of stairs spiralling down under the mansion.
"Follow me.." Hojo instructed
Nodding he followed as Hojo started down the stairs he coughed the dust catching the back of his throat as he inhaled. When they reached the bottom they were faced with a long corridor that seemed to be carved out of the ground itself, there was no doubt they were under the mansion. As they walked they saw a wooden wall with a door before them but passed it and then came to another formation of the same structure, wooden with a door. Pushing it open Hojo and Vincent stepped inside. The room was rather big, bookcases lined the walls filled to the brim of course with many books. A table sat in the middle of the room and when Hojo turned a corner Vincent was surprised, it was bigger! They walked down a very small corridor of books and came to another small room were there sat another desk which Hojo sat behind like he was king of the world. And started writing some notes leaving Vincent stood there waiting. Eventually he talked.
"I've seen the way you look at my assistant Mr. Valentine."
Vincent just looked at him.
"I'd advise you to stay away from her"
"Is that a request or an order?" Vincent asked
"Both.." he snarled
He watched him for ages before Vincent turned and started walking away, Hojo looked up and furrowed his brow at him and then looked down again.
"Excuse me." he said menacingly "Were do you think YOURE going?"
Vincent stopped and turned around looking at him, he narrowed his eyes and parted his lips his voice cold and clear.
"Away from you.."
Hojo bolted from his chair but before he could do anything Vincent was gone, out of the room and up the spiral stairs. As he exited the passage Hojo had shown him he stopped at the guest room door when he saw Lucrecia at the top of the stairs, he swallowed and started to hide when she saw him and smiled. That smile he couldn't refuse, she was so beautiful it overwhelmed him but he knew he would be disobeying orders. She ran over to him and threw her arms around the turk smiling then looked up at him. He looked down at her much the same way he looked at her the day of the attack and smiled a little, then he looked sad.
"Whats wrong?" She asked
"I..cant see you.."
She stepped back and looked stunned placing her hands over her mouth.
"Why?"
He looked at the floor unable to look her in the eyes, he didn't want to tell her it was a simple order keeping them apart when her hand slowly graced his face and turned it to his.
"Vincent.."
He looked at her as she slowly moved to him and pressed her lips against his, she slide her arms around him and he embraced her like they had done this a thousand times both Vincent and lucrecias eyes slowly closing. It was then that a creaking noise was heard, they didn't quite hear it at first the two of them had been too involved with each other but when they parted the kiss and saw Professor hojo stood by the enterence he had seen earlier they new trouble was about to brew.
