Valentine's Day 4: Arbiter of Aggression
There were gawkers and rubberneckers galore at the scene of Rude's gruesome demise. What a mess Vincent had made... Poor Rude hadn't stood a chance. Most of them left after only a few minutes, because Rude had been eviscerated. They didn't want to see him with his guts lying on the ground... There were about a dozen "clean-up" agents on hand when the police arrived.
"What a mess."
"Clean it."
A new voice cut through the murmurs. It was sharp and authoritative.
"Nobody touches anything. This is a homicide."
Everyone turned to see who was talking. Suspicion ran rampant in their eyes, bodies and voices.
"Who the hell are you?"
One hand snapped up and revealed a brown leather folder. The folder was opened, unveiling a lieutenant's badge. They nodded and backed up about 10 feet.
"I'm in charge of this investigation."
One of the women spoke quietly.
"They were killed by one man, weren't they?"
"As far as we can tell, yes."
"The woman they found with Reno was my sister."
The badge was put away and that hand was on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry. And I'm afraid you'll have to leave."
They gathered around the woman who'd lost her sister and led her away. One of the men looked back and could have sworn he'd seen a pair of wings! He blinked repeatedly and rubbed his eyes, then looked back. Whatever he'd seen was gone now...
"Let's get to it! Jacoby, bag that blade as evidence!"
"Yes, Lieutenant!"
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*They're laughing at you, Meris. Look how they're pretending to work.*
"Be careful with that evidence... It's the only way we can identify the killer!"
They take care now... They want to catch him as badly as I do. But nobody knows about the demons that drive me to solve impossible cases... Nor do they know the secret I hold. My flesh-and-bone hand touches the metal one with guilt and fear.
*They'll hate you if you don't find him.*
The voice is right, of course... The voice is always right. And as always, the doubt I feel about my hand overwhelms all sense and reason.
*Don't worry. That hand is as much a part of you as I am.*
That voice always knows the right thing to say. But now I wonder if I can catch whoever is responsible.
*I know who it is. But we'll need proof.*
We both know that's the one thing this case doesn't have. I close my eyes and try to keep my calm. They're a bunch of nitwits...!
*Lacey's trampling blood evidence...*
"Lacey, you'd better be taking pictures before you walk!"
His startled shout tells me 2 things: A)He hasn't. And B) He wasn't expecting me to notice.
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The coroner sighed as the officers brought Rude's corpse in on a gurney. It was obvious they didn't think there was any evidence to go on. But he saw one looking at the body with a speculative gleam.
"Post haste, Doc."
"Name?"
"Victim is Rude. Ex-Turk. Officer is..."
"Meris. Lieutenant."
"Right away, Meris."
"Thanks!"
No sooner had they left than the coroner began extracting debris from the body. With the evidence screen in place, he carefully poured lukewarm water over everything to shake loose any shrapnel. What he saw made him curse: From the slash marks had come metal shavings so thin as to be paper! But they were metal... And he catalogued, photographed and stored them. Then the gruesome part began: The actual autopsy. People were getting scared... An oily voice he'd come to hate slithered from the shadows.
"Lose any evidence you come across."
"Why?"
"It's not for you to question me, Doctor!"
"I'm sorry, but Lieutenant Meris told me Post Haste. And I'm not one to disobey her orders!"
"Her?"
He sounded surprised. Good!, thought the coroner. Meris had a pretty good idea as to who the killer was. Once again, that slick voice lashed out from the shadows. But now it held a note of caution and, yes, fear!
"Tell me, is she tall and slender with brown hair and eyes that go right through you?"
"Yes."
"Damn!"
"You sound scared."
There was no response. They were gone. The coroner breathed a sigh of relief before getting back to work. He documented the bruises and had a sneaking suspicion he knew who Meris was after. After he'd catalogued his results, he bundled the originals with the metal fragments and mailed them to Meris with a slip of paper. On that slip of paper was one word: "Turk". She'd know what it meant. He left a note saying Rude could, nay, WOULD, be buried with Elena and Reno.
"G'night, Rico."
"Goodnight, Dr. Forester."
Rico didn't know that would be the last time he'd see Dr. Forester alive. Once the doctor had pulled away, he was no longer safe...
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Tseng snarled at the voices in his head. They were telling him things he already knew. Then he saw Dr. Forester's car. Doctor... Flashes of what Dr. Hojo did came and went. But that was ridiculous... Hojo was dead. It wasn't the same guy.
"Then how do you explain the similarities?"
Tseng hated that voice. It always came from elsewhere, but sounded like it was inside his head. Of course, being run through with a seven foot Masamune didn't help matters any! If he'd been a bit more rational, it would have seemed strange that he'd survived that. But he wasn't. He wasn't completely insane either, so that made him very dangerous.
"It could be him."
"Shut up! Hojo is dead!"
"Nothing is as it appears, Tseng. You know that!"
"Shut up and leave me alone!"
If anyone were to walk by, they'd have seen him talking, quite literally, to himself. One of the Tsengs was a cybernetic double. It was easily identifiable... The double could stand up straight. The real Tseng could not. He had to walk slightly hunched over until the doctors could repair his stomach muscles.
"Come on, Tseng... You know as well as I do that Dr. Hojo had a brother."
"That's not him."
"How can you be so sure?"
"That one's a coroner."
The double was taken aback. Maybe Tseng was right... Then it mentally shook its head. Tseng couldn't be right!
"I have a few things to take care of. Stay put and I'll be back later."
Tseng watched the double walk away. He knew the double would kill Dr. Forester. But, for once, Tseng knew precisely what to do. Tseng was the only one who knew how to shut the robot down...
The double sprinted toward the highest bridge in town. That was the best place to wait for him... Dr. Forester's car was the only one on the road. It came under the bridge and when it emerged, the double was on top of it. The car veered and swerved, but it couldn't shake its passenger. With a scream of agonized metal, the car flipped over and slid down a muddy embankment. When it reached the bottom, it exploded.
Tseng pulled out a remote control. With a feral grin, he hit the self-destruct button, making the double explode. The explosion lit up the night sky, throwing everything into stark relief. Robots sure made pretty lights when they went boom... Even as far away as he was, Tseng could see it. He made one final remark before he walked away into the night...
"That's one less voice I have to listen to."
Then he was gone. If anyone were to look closely at the wreckage, they'd find bits of machinery and things that looked suspiciously like computer chips. That is, provided they were able to get close enough. The wreckage was generating a surprising amount of heat!
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The next morning, Meris got Dr. Forester's package. Looking through his notes triggered a memory... "Victim appears to have been slashed with metal claws." She stood there, notes in hand, eyes blank as she remembered something long forgotten.
Hojo's lab... The screams of his latest victim were deafening. Of course, it didn't help he'd cut off more than just her hand... No, he'd cut off her arm! The drugs he'd given her had finally kicked in. Blessed silence had filled the lab as he attached the metal arm. The metal cap had already been fitted over her heart. His intent had been to turn her into a cyborg... But Vincent had put a stop to it by killing Dr. Hojo. Not only had he not known she was a test subject like him, but he hadn't seen either her or Tseng! Her eyes came into focus with a gasp, papers falling to the floor.
"Shinra!"
"What?"
"Oh, sorry, Jones. The Chief in?"
"Yeah. He's expecting you."
"Thanks."
She picked up the papers and put everything in a safe place. Then she walked into the Chief's office.
"You wanted to see me, Chief?"
"Yes, Meris. Please have a seat."
She sat down across from his desk and closed her eyes. The Chief must have known she had something to say, because he closed the door.
"What's wrong, Meris?"
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The way he's looking at me tells me he wants to listen. Something tells me I can trust him. So I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Then I open my eyes and look right at him.
"Have you heard of Dr. Hojo's experiments?"
"Who hasn't? He had an entire database of subjects!"
I toy with my sleeve, then look up again.
"It isn't complete. There's one record missing..."
He looks at me, then the Rude files on his desk.
"What do you mean, Meris?"
"He had 12 subjects. But he only recorded 11 of them..."
He flips through the files, then studies points of interest. After a while, he looks up at me.
"So which one killed Rude? The unknown?"
"No. The person responsible for the wave of deaths that ended with Reno, Elena and Rude is the most dangerous one of all... Vincent Valentine."
To his credit, he doesn't explode. He studies me appraisingly for a minute.
"Do you know where the 12th subject is?"
"Yes, sir, I do."
I have to take a deep breath before continuing.
"You're talking to her."
Now he reacts. His eyes widen and a vein starts throbbing in his neck. But, in spite of all this, he manages to keep calm.
"Why weren't you recorded?"
"Vincent killed him before he could complete his work."
"You mean...?"
"Yes, sir. I would have been a cyborg if he'd been allowed to continue."
"And a Shinra soldier to boot, I reckon."
"No doubt about it."
He can tell there's more to this story...
"What else?"
"Well, he didn't just cut off my hand. He cut off my whole arm... The whole thing's metal. And he somehow got a metal cap around my heart..."
When I finish my tale, I'm crying. He's staring at me like I'm some sort of monster. I am, but that's not why he's staring. His hand gently grips my shoulder.
"I'm proud of you."
"Why? I'm not fully human."
"You are to me. Just because you have a metal arm doesn't mean you're not human."
He hands me a handkerchief so I can wipe my eyes. Then he says something that makes my heart soar.
"This is still your baby. Go catch Vincent Valentine, and if he dies, so be it."
"Thank you, sir!"
I leave his office, whistling a merry tune. The sound of my whistling fills everyone with a sense of purpose. Even my men are happier...
"When do we catch him, boss lady?"
"Once we get enough proof, Jacoby!"
They cheer. Even Lacey. But what we aren't aware of is that someone else, someone far more dangerous, is also aware of Hojo's database...
There were gawkers and rubberneckers galore at the scene of Rude's gruesome demise. What a mess Vincent had made... Poor Rude hadn't stood a chance. Most of them left after only a few minutes, because Rude had been eviscerated. They didn't want to see him with his guts lying on the ground... There were about a dozen "clean-up" agents on hand when the police arrived.
"What a mess."
"Clean it."
A new voice cut through the murmurs. It was sharp and authoritative.
"Nobody touches anything. This is a homicide."
Everyone turned to see who was talking. Suspicion ran rampant in their eyes, bodies and voices.
"Who the hell are you?"
One hand snapped up and revealed a brown leather folder. The folder was opened, unveiling a lieutenant's badge. They nodded and backed up about 10 feet.
"I'm in charge of this investigation."
One of the women spoke quietly.
"They were killed by one man, weren't they?"
"As far as we can tell, yes."
"The woman they found with Reno was my sister."
The badge was put away and that hand was on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry. And I'm afraid you'll have to leave."
They gathered around the woman who'd lost her sister and led her away. One of the men looked back and could have sworn he'd seen a pair of wings! He blinked repeatedly and rubbed his eyes, then looked back. Whatever he'd seen was gone now...
"Let's get to it! Jacoby, bag that blade as evidence!"
"Yes, Lieutenant!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*They're laughing at you, Meris. Look how they're pretending to work.*
"Be careful with that evidence... It's the only way we can identify the killer!"
They take care now... They want to catch him as badly as I do. But nobody knows about the demons that drive me to solve impossible cases... Nor do they know the secret I hold. My flesh-and-bone hand touches the metal one with guilt and fear.
*They'll hate you if you don't find him.*
The voice is right, of course... The voice is always right. And as always, the doubt I feel about my hand overwhelms all sense and reason.
*Don't worry. That hand is as much a part of you as I am.*
That voice always knows the right thing to say. But now I wonder if I can catch whoever is responsible.
*I know who it is. But we'll need proof.*
We both know that's the one thing this case doesn't have. I close my eyes and try to keep my calm. They're a bunch of nitwits...!
*Lacey's trampling blood evidence...*
"Lacey, you'd better be taking pictures before you walk!"
His startled shout tells me 2 things: A)He hasn't. And B) He wasn't expecting me to notice.
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The coroner sighed as the officers brought Rude's corpse in on a gurney. It was obvious they didn't think there was any evidence to go on. But he saw one looking at the body with a speculative gleam.
"Post haste, Doc."
"Name?"
"Victim is Rude. Ex-Turk. Officer is..."
"Meris. Lieutenant."
"Right away, Meris."
"Thanks!"
No sooner had they left than the coroner began extracting debris from the body. With the evidence screen in place, he carefully poured lukewarm water over everything to shake loose any shrapnel. What he saw made him curse: From the slash marks had come metal shavings so thin as to be paper! But they were metal... And he catalogued, photographed and stored them. Then the gruesome part began: The actual autopsy. People were getting scared... An oily voice he'd come to hate slithered from the shadows.
"Lose any evidence you come across."
"Why?"
"It's not for you to question me, Doctor!"
"I'm sorry, but Lieutenant Meris told me Post Haste. And I'm not one to disobey her orders!"
"Her?"
He sounded surprised. Good!, thought the coroner. Meris had a pretty good idea as to who the killer was. Once again, that slick voice lashed out from the shadows. But now it held a note of caution and, yes, fear!
"Tell me, is she tall and slender with brown hair and eyes that go right through you?"
"Yes."
"Damn!"
"You sound scared."
There was no response. They were gone. The coroner breathed a sigh of relief before getting back to work. He documented the bruises and had a sneaking suspicion he knew who Meris was after. After he'd catalogued his results, he bundled the originals with the metal fragments and mailed them to Meris with a slip of paper. On that slip of paper was one word: "Turk". She'd know what it meant. He left a note saying Rude could, nay, WOULD, be buried with Elena and Reno.
"G'night, Rico."
"Goodnight, Dr. Forester."
Rico didn't know that would be the last time he'd see Dr. Forester alive. Once the doctor had pulled away, he was no longer safe...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tseng snarled at the voices in his head. They were telling him things he already knew. Then he saw Dr. Forester's car. Doctor... Flashes of what Dr. Hojo did came and went. But that was ridiculous... Hojo was dead. It wasn't the same guy.
"Then how do you explain the similarities?"
Tseng hated that voice. It always came from elsewhere, but sounded like it was inside his head. Of course, being run through with a seven foot Masamune didn't help matters any! If he'd been a bit more rational, it would have seemed strange that he'd survived that. But he wasn't. He wasn't completely insane either, so that made him very dangerous.
"It could be him."
"Shut up! Hojo is dead!"
"Nothing is as it appears, Tseng. You know that!"
"Shut up and leave me alone!"
If anyone were to walk by, they'd have seen him talking, quite literally, to himself. One of the Tsengs was a cybernetic double. It was easily identifiable... The double could stand up straight. The real Tseng could not. He had to walk slightly hunched over until the doctors could repair his stomach muscles.
"Come on, Tseng... You know as well as I do that Dr. Hojo had a brother."
"That's not him."
"How can you be so sure?"
"That one's a coroner."
The double was taken aback. Maybe Tseng was right... Then it mentally shook its head. Tseng couldn't be right!
"I have a few things to take care of. Stay put and I'll be back later."
Tseng watched the double walk away. He knew the double would kill Dr. Forester. But, for once, Tseng knew precisely what to do. Tseng was the only one who knew how to shut the robot down...
The double sprinted toward the highest bridge in town. That was the best place to wait for him... Dr. Forester's car was the only one on the road. It came under the bridge and when it emerged, the double was on top of it. The car veered and swerved, but it couldn't shake its passenger. With a scream of agonized metal, the car flipped over and slid down a muddy embankment. When it reached the bottom, it exploded.
Tseng pulled out a remote control. With a feral grin, he hit the self-destruct button, making the double explode. The explosion lit up the night sky, throwing everything into stark relief. Robots sure made pretty lights when they went boom... Even as far away as he was, Tseng could see it. He made one final remark before he walked away into the night...
"That's one less voice I have to listen to."
Then he was gone. If anyone were to look closely at the wreckage, they'd find bits of machinery and things that looked suspiciously like computer chips. That is, provided they were able to get close enough. The wreckage was generating a surprising amount of heat!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Meris got Dr. Forester's package. Looking through his notes triggered a memory... "Victim appears to have been slashed with metal claws." She stood there, notes in hand, eyes blank as she remembered something long forgotten.
Hojo's lab... The screams of his latest victim were deafening. Of course, it didn't help he'd cut off more than just her hand... No, he'd cut off her arm! The drugs he'd given her had finally kicked in. Blessed silence had filled the lab as he attached the metal arm. The metal cap had already been fitted over her heart. His intent had been to turn her into a cyborg... But Vincent had put a stop to it by killing Dr. Hojo. Not only had he not known she was a test subject like him, but he hadn't seen either her or Tseng! Her eyes came into focus with a gasp, papers falling to the floor.
"Shinra!"
"What?"
"Oh, sorry, Jones. The Chief in?"
"Yeah. He's expecting you."
"Thanks."
She picked up the papers and put everything in a safe place. Then she walked into the Chief's office.
"You wanted to see me, Chief?"
"Yes, Meris. Please have a seat."
She sat down across from his desk and closed her eyes. The Chief must have known she had something to say, because he closed the door.
"What's wrong, Meris?"
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The way he's looking at me tells me he wants to listen. Something tells me I can trust him. So I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Then I open my eyes and look right at him.
"Have you heard of Dr. Hojo's experiments?"
"Who hasn't? He had an entire database of subjects!"
I toy with my sleeve, then look up again.
"It isn't complete. There's one record missing..."
He looks at me, then the Rude files on his desk.
"What do you mean, Meris?"
"He had 12 subjects. But he only recorded 11 of them..."
He flips through the files, then studies points of interest. After a while, he looks up at me.
"So which one killed Rude? The unknown?"
"No. The person responsible for the wave of deaths that ended with Reno, Elena and Rude is the most dangerous one of all... Vincent Valentine."
To his credit, he doesn't explode. He studies me appraisingly for a minute.
"Do you know where the 12th subject is?"
"Yes, sir, I do."
I have to take a deep breath before continuing.
"You're talking to her."
Now he reacts. His eyes widen and a vein starts throbbing in his neck. But, in spite of all this, he manages to keep calm.
"Why weren't you recorded?"
"Vincent killed him before he could complete his work."
"You mean...?"
"Yes, sir. I would have been a cyborg if he'd been allowed to continue."
"And a Shinra soldier to boot, I reckon."
"No doubt about it."
He can tell there's more to this story...
"What else?"
"Well, he didn't just cut off my hand. He cut off my whole arm... The whole thing's metal. And he somehow got a metal cap around my heart..."
When I finish my tale, I'm crying. He's staring at me like I'm some sort of monster. I am, but that's not why he's staring. His hand gently grips my shoulder.
"I'm proud of you."
"Why? I'm not fully human."
"You are to me. Just because you have a metal arm doesn't mean you're not human."
He hands me a handkerchief so I can wipe my eyes. Then he says something that makes my heart soar.
"This is still your baby. Go catch Vincent Valentine, and if he dies, so be it."
"Thank you, sir!"
I leave his office, whistling a merry tune. The sound of my whistling fills everyone with a sense of purpose. Even my men are happier...
"When do we catch him, boss lady?"
"Once we get enough proof, Jacoby!"
They cheer. Even Lacey. But what we aren't aware of is that someone else, someone far more dangerous, is also aware of Hojo's database...