Ch. 4: Nibelheim Storm
Rain was pouring down in sheets when they arrived at Nibelheim, and the sky was a leaden gray. Heavy raindrops battered heavily over the slanted rooftops and on the cobblestones which paved the roads in the northern mountain town. As was always the case in Nibelheim, it was cold and the Turks could feel the difference in temperature from the moment they got off the ShinRa car. This was Vincent's first time in the North Mountains and he already felt he disliked the place. As soon as the car had skidded to a halt all the Turks were to go immediately to their positions, so this was really not a time for touring around. Vincent shouldered the large sniper rifle and began to make his way through the heavy rain, his feet splashing frequently in large puddles. It made no difference anyhow, since after merely a few seconds of running through town he was soaked through. But he ran on, through the quaint little houses and across dozens of small narrow alleyways. Every now and then he could see the steeple of some tall building which he assumed to be the fabled ShinRa mansion. It sent a shiver down his spine. That was one place he'd like never to get to know. Finally he found the house where he was supposed to be sniping from. It was a three storey lodging, obviously inhabited by some wealthier resident with a roof which overlooked most of Nibelheim. Blinking his eyes to cleanse them from the rain, he looked around. Crates. A smaller neighboring house. Perfect. He passed the strap attached to the rifle around his back and began.
From one crate he jumped to a higher crate. From that, to the balcony of that neighboring house with the nimbleness and swiftness of a feline - or of a Turk. Finally, he took his distance, ran forwards and with a great leap made it to the rooftop he needed to reach. Taking up a stable position, he cocked the heavy rifle and gazed into the scope. ShinRa Mansion door, in sight. The rain poured relentlessly over him making loud metallic clangs against the metal of the rifle's barrel. There was a crash of thunder, and he felt himself suddenly full of a sense of great foreboding.
Tseng ran a hand through his rain-drenched hair as he walked calmly across town, Professor Hojo close behind him carrying a black umbrella. Once he glanced at his watch and gave a small, satisfied nod. Twice people had stopped and stared, to which he responded with a curt and simple:
"Tough weather. I'd run inside if I were you." Accompanied by a glance only assassins can muster
Eventually he arrived at the looming gates of the ShinRa Mansion. Turning to raise an inviting eyebrow at Hojo, he pushed the massive bars open, proceeding to walk calmly through the path. The front door was locked. He smiled to himself in amusement at their thinking that a locked door might contain a Turk. With a swift jab at it, the door fell inwards revealing the main anteroom and about a dozen of Nibelheim's strongest men. His eyebrow once again arched, this time in bemused surprise.
Hojo waited outside under his umbrella. Inside, Tseng had just come into the knowledge that these men had been camping in the Mansion for a few days ever since news was received that the ShinRa would be coming for the labs. After he pressured them through political influence (his preferred means), one of them pulled a rusty sword and began making his way towards Tseng.
"You. you cannot. ShinRa does not know what it is dealing with. A step further and I'll kill you, Turk or not."
"Is that so.?" Whispered Tseng silkily. The next second the man had fallen dead onto the ground. Thunder crashed outside. The others, possessed by a sudden fury rushed towards him at once. His fists met and cracked jaws, his elbows dug deep into kidneys, spleen and thoraxes. It was a game to him, a warm-up for whatever he might find down there. Blood spattered as he dug two of his rigid fingers into a man's throat, cracking another's neck with a swift kick simultaneously. The endless melody of the cracking of bones and puncturing of organs filled the room as blood sprayed copiously on the floor. In a few minutes they were all dead. Tseng adjusted his tie and Hojo walked meekly inside, pulling his umbrella closed and careful not to step over any of the corpses.
The duo proceeded silently but quickly down the melancholic hallways and corridors of the mansion. Most of the walls were adorned with portraits of President ShinRa, painted in morbid depictions; here as a dark king, there as a gluttonous demon and one in such a surrealist style and so full of symbolism that one couldn't help conjecturing that he was depicted as a God incarnate. Once deeper inside the bowels of the Mansion, twice had Tseng had to stop to deal with a wandering fiend. Though largely at no contest, it had still yielded him a bloody gash which tore through his suit at his abdomen and from which he winced every now and then. They eventually, however, found themselves face-to-face with the large stone chimney-like tower Hojo had previously described. The scientist quickly set to work activating the secret passage, clearly trying to appear as secure of what he was doing - or rather - as godlike as possible. Surely enough, the stone chamber opened, revealing a path of downwards-spiraling staircases into a deep gloom. Tseng turned, nodded to Hojo and they descended, two steps at a time.
What happened later was a blur. The labs were breached; there was gunfire. Someone had shot at Tseng, he had been hit. A table had been turn over, there was glass shattering. A thick smoke filled the air. Hojo was rushing everywhere, grabbing books, notes and test tubes. A black hood slipped over someone's head by Tseng's hand. He grabbed that person who he then slung over his shoulder. A shout was given to Hojo and the Turk began to run out. The scientist was running behind, his arms full of memorandums and paperwork. Tseng's victim was twisting and screaming - among these screams, when they reached the top of the staircase was heard
"Lost number!! Help!"
The mansion began to tremble. It was as if time had suddenly switched back to its normal flow ever since they ran down the staircase. And then, suddenly, the far wall of the room they were in caved in, the debris falling out to reveal a creature of monstrous proportions. Half orange, half purple with arms the size of pillars and gargantuan in stature. It grunted loudly and Tseng froze. Hojo's spectacles dropped to the ground. The juggernaut of a fiend came rushing towards them digging his massive fist in the ground where Tseng would have stood had he not rolled out of the way in time. The Turk wasn't so lucky with the next strike, which knocked him right into the wall with the force of a freight train. He crashed first, breaking part of the fall of the scientist on his shoulder who upon falling to the ground, removing the hood and finding Tseng semi- broken against the wall began to crawl despairingly away. Hojo had hidden behind a large armchair and was now quaking in fear as he heard things crash about behind him.
Tseng got painfully to his feet. He was a bloody wreck. Several of his ribs were broken; one of his shoulders dislocated and his back was torn through and through. That's when he noticed the open safe in the corner of the room. It was his only chance; he would never defeat this thing through blows. Summoning up the energy from the materia he carried, he thrust his hand forward and focused his will on this 'Lost Number' creature. The air was disrupted and a quick swirl of light was noticed at Tseng's feet before the being began to cry out as it shriveled and shrunk, reducing in size until it was no bigger than a large cat. Running towards it despite his many wounds, the Turk kicked the thing with all his might into the safe.
"Hojo!! Close it!!!" He yelled to the cowered scientist.
This latter, realizing what had happened and that his moment of bravery had come, he made a mad rush towards the safe and before the diminutive fiend could get out, had slammed the door heavily shut.
Tseng panted, then pulled out a radio which only through a miracle had kept on working.
"Valentine, Target is headed your way. Halt its progress, now. Shoot on sight."
From the rainy rooftop where he was, Vincent felt himself infused with new adrenaline. Taking the gun to shoulder level once again, he rested his finger on the trigger. Then he saw it. From the door of the ShinRa mansion came a dark smoke, and through that, a shape. He fired. Excellent marksman as he was, there was no miss chance. He picked up the radio. "This is Valentine, Target is. down." His voice trailed off and the radio clattered to the ground from his limp fingers. He looked through the scope again in disbelief. This was no scummy scientist like Hojo. It was a girl, no older than he, lying face down under the at the mansion's doorsteps; the front of her gown covered in blood and rain. And he was the one who had shot her.
Rain was pouring down in sheets when they arrived at Nibelheim, and the sky was a leaden gray. Heavy raindrops battered heavily over the slanted rooftops and on the cobblestones which paved the roads in the northern mountain town. As was always the case in Nibelheim, it was cold and the Turks could feel the difference in temperature from the moment they got off the ShinRa car. This was Vincent's first time in the North Mountains and he already felt he disliked the place. As soon as the car had skidded to a halt all the Turks were to go immediately to their positions, so this was really not a time for touring around. Vincent shouldered the large sniper rifle and began to make his way through the heavy rain, his feet splashing frequently in large puddles. It made no difference anyhow, since after merely a few seconds of running through town he was soaked through. But he ran on, through the quaint little houses and across dozens of small narrow alleyways. Every now and then he could see the steeple of some tall building which he assumed to be the fabled ShinRa mansion. It sent a shiver down his spine. That was one place he'd like never to get to know. Finally he found the house where he was supposed to be sniping from. It was a three storey lodging, obviously inhabited by some wealthier resident with a roof which overlooked most of Nibelheim. Blinking his eyes to cleanse them from the rain, he looked around. Crates. A smaller neighboring house. Perfect. He passed the strap attached to the rifle around his back and began.
From one crate he jumped to a higher crate. From that, to the balcony of that neighboring house with the nimbleness and swiftness of a feline - or of a Turk. Finally, he took his distance, ran forwards and with a great leap made it to the rooftop he needed to reach. Taking up a stable position, he cocked the heavy rifle and gazed into the scope. ShinRa Mansion door, in sight. The rain poured relentlessly over him making loud metallic clangs against the metal of the rifle's barrel. There was a crash of thunder, and he felt himself suddenly full of a sense of great foreboding.
Tseng ran a hand through his rain-drenched hair as he walked calmly across town, Professor Hojo close behind him carrying a black umbrella. Once he glanced at his watch and gave a small, satisfied nod. Twice people had stopped and stared, to which he responded with a curt and simple:
"Tough weather. I'd run inside if I were you." Accompanied by a glance only assassins can muster
Eventually he arrived at the looming gates of the ShinRa Mansion. Turning to raise an inviting eyebrow at Hojo, he pushed the massive bars open, proceeding to walk calmly through the path. The front door was locked. He smiled to himself in amusement at their thinking that a locked door might contain a Turk. With a swift jab at it, the door fell inwards revealing the main anteroom and about a dozen of Nibelheim's strongest men. His eyebrow once again arched, this time in bemused surprise.
Hojo waited outside under his umbrella. Inside, Tseng had just come into the knowledge that these men had been camping in the Mansion for a few days ever since news was received that the ShinRa would be coming for the labs. After he pressured them through political influence (his preferred means), one of them pulled a rusty sword and began making his way towards Tseng.
"You. you cannot. ShinRa does not know what it is dealing with. A step further and I'll kill you, Turk or not."
"Is that so.?" Whispered Tseng silkily. The next second the man had fallen dead onto the ground. Thunder crashed outside. The others, possessed by a sudden fury rushed towards him at once. His fists met and cracked jaws, his elbows dug deep into kidneys, spleen and thoraxes. It was a game to him, a warm-up for whatever he might find down there. Blood spattered as he dug two of his rigid fingers into a man's throat, cracking another's neck with a swift kick simultaneously. The endless melody of the cracking of bones and puncturing of organs filled the room as blood sprayed copiously on the floor. In a few minutes they were all dead. Tseng adjusted his tie and Hojo walked meekly inside, pulling his umbrella closed and careful not to step over any of the corpses.
The duo proceeded silently but quickly down the melancholic hallways and corridors of the mansion. Most of the walls were adorned with portraits of President ShinRa, painted in morbid depictions; here as a dark king, there as a gluttonous demon and one in such a surrealist style and so full of symbolism that one couldn't help conjecturing that he was depicted as a God incarnate. Once deeper inside the bowels of the Mansion, twice had Tseng had to stop to deal with a wandering fiend. Though largely at no contest, it had still yielded him a bloody gash which tore through his suit at his abdomen and from which he winced every now and then. They eventually, however, found themselves face-to-face with the large stone chimney-like tower Hojo had previously described. The scientist quickly set to work activating the secret passage, clearly trying to appear as secure of what he was doing - or rather - as godlike as possible. Surely enough, the stone chamber opened, revealing a path of downwards-spiraling staircases into a deep gloom. Tseng turned, nodded to Hojo and they descended, two steps at a time.
What happened later was a blur. The labs were breached; there was gunfire. Someone had shot at Tseng, he had been hit. A table had been turn over, there was glass shattering. A thick smoke filled the air. Hojo was rushing everywhere, grabbing books, notes and test tubes. A black hood slipped over someone's head by Tseng's hand. He grabbed that person who he then slung over his shoulder. A shout was given to Hojo and the Turk began to run out. The scientist was running behind, his arms full of memorandums and paperwork. Tseng's victim was twisting and screaming - among these screams, when they reached the top of the staircase was heard
"Lost number!! Help!"
The mansion began to tremble. It was as if time had suddenly switched back to its normal flow ever since they ran down the staircase. And then, suddenly, the far wall of the room they were in caved in, the debris falling out to reveal a creature of monstrous proportions. Half orange, half purple with arms the size of pillars and gargantuan in stature. It grunted loudly and Tseng froze. Hojo's spectacles dropped to the ground. The juggernaut of a fiend came rushing towards them digging his massive fist in the ground where Tseng would have stood had he not rolled out of the way in time. The Turk wasn't so lucky with the next strike, which knocked him right into the wall with the force of a freight train. He crashed first, breaking part of the fall of the scientist on his shoulder who upon falling to the ground, removing the hood and finding Tseng semi- broken against the wall began to crawl despairingly away. Hojo had hidden behind a large armchair and was now quaking in fear as he heard things crash about behind him.
Tseng got painfully to his feet. He was a bloody wreck. Several of his ribs were broken; one of his shoulders dislocated and his back was torn through and through. That's when he noticed the open safe in the corner of the room. It was his only chance; he would never defeat this thing through blows. Summoning up the energy from the materia he carried, he thrust his hand forward and focused his will on this 'Lost Number' creature. The air was disrupted and a quick swirl of light was noticed at Tseng's feet before the being began to cry out as it shriveled and shrunk, reducing in size until it was no bigger than a large cat. Running towards it despite his many wounds, the Turk kicked the thing with all his might into the safe.
"Hojo!! Close it!!!" He yelled to the cowered scientist.
This latter, realizing what had happened and that his moment of bravery had come, he made a mad rush towards the safe and before the diminutive fiend could get out, had slammed the door heavily shut.
Tseng panted, then pulled out a radio which only through a miracle had kept on working.
"Valentine, Target is headed your way. Halt its progress, now. Shoot on sight."
From the rainy rooftop where he was, Vincent felt himself infused with new adrenaline. Taking the gun to shoulder level once again, he rested his finger on the trigger. Then he saw it. From the door of the ShinRa mansion came a dark smoke, and through that, a shape. He fired. Excellent marksman as he was, there was no miss chance. He picked up the radio. "This is Valentine, Target is. down." His voice trailed off and the radio clattered to the ground from his limp fingers. He looked through the scope again in disbelief. This was no scummy scientist like Hojo. It was a girl, no older than he, lying face down under the at the mansion's doorsteps; the front of her gown covered in blood and rain. And he was the one who had shot her.