The Nightmare Begins

1

It's simply amazing what can happen if you just let your mind wander. When I was young I often wondered what dreams would be like if you were to never wake up. During my adolescence I mused myself with such dark humor. I thought that perhaps life would be better in an endless dream, because you could do whatever you wanted. But I know, now, that endless dreams aren't all that different from life. At least, endless nightmares aren't. You relive your worst memories over and over again until you wake up screaming in the dark, drenched in cold sweat. And then there is nothing to do but sleep and dream again, until your memory comes back to haunt you.

God how I miss you Lucrecia.

"You're late, Rachael."

"Shut up Tsang, you're an ass sometimes. I had things to do."

"Such as?" Tsang said, raising his right eyebrow.

"Such as: none-of-your-goddamn-business," Rachael replied, gathering her long dark brown hair into a ponytail.

Tsang scowled and locked eyes with Rachael. Opening his mouth to say something about being Rachael's superior, Vincent spoke, still facing the other direction. "What Tsang meant to say, Rachael," Vincent began, cutting Tsang off, "is we missed you and welcome back."

"How da-"

"Tsang I can honestly say that you do not wish to finish that sentence," Vincent stated calmly, discreetly using his rank to win the argument. Tsang's upper lip curled into a sneer and Rachael, who merely smiled.

"So where we goin' next, Vince?" Rachael asked, returning to her normal bouncy mood.

"Back to Midgar."

"Again?" Rachael whined.

"Yes, again. We have been summoned for another mission."

"But we just finished one!"

"We," Tsang interrupted, "finished our mission a month ago."

"Tsang!" Vincent shouted, turning around.

"What?" he snapped, turning to Vincent and staring down the barrel of a short-barreled rifle. "You…. You wouldn't."

"Mmm?"

"Y-you can't. Th-they'd come looking for me."

"Monsters got you. Such a pity." A wave of horror washed across Tsang's face.

"Vincent, they wouldn't have shot him, now would they've?" Rachael asked.

Tsang was filled with momentary relief, as Vincent lowered his gun. "Tsang my friend, understand this: If I truly wanted to kill you, I would have. But we are Turks, and we are family. Therefore, my old friend, you don't make Rachael squirm I don't make you squirm. Understood?"

"I wasn't squirming! I'm a Turk!" Rachael yelled, annoyed that she'd been indirectly called weak.

"And as such you should not be put in a situation in which you should be made to censor your speech because a superior officer is being an asshole."

"But-" Tsang began.

"Calling me an asshole, Tsang?" Vincent smiled.

"No…" Tsang looked off.

"Good then," Vincent grinned at Rachael, who smiled back. "Now get in the car, ladies."

"Are you calling me a lady, Vincent?"

"Are you offended by it, Tsang?" Rachael asked, pushing Tsang into the car while she got in.

"Now now kids don't fight, Daddy needs to drive," Vincent said, grinning and getting in.

***

"All the subjects tested went positive in less than 72 hours, Professor."

"All? Fully matured?"

"Yes."

"And their strength? Longevity?"

"Had it not been for the fact that we are Turks I do not believe we would have survived."

"Hmm… how much did the other Turks know?"

"Nothing. They just believed we ran across a terribly rare bunch of monsters."

"Perfect. The absolute secrecy of this must be kept."

"Yes, Professor."

"Hojo and I will be going to Nibelheim. The Turks will accompany us."

"Yes, Professor."

***

The sun rose slowly, as it did every morning, only slightly illuminating the dark and cold city of Midgar. Most of it was shrouded in perpetual night while the few very lucky, very wealthy, people lived where they could see the sun. Vincent walked these evenly paved streets, oblivious to the corruption underneath his very feet, where people lived in obscure poverty. In fact, he was oblivious to most everything as he walked to a home that he had visited many times over the past year and a half.

I don't want to wake her up… but I won't get a chance to see her later today… he thought, as he raised his hand to knock on the door. As his hand came down, however, the door opened, and a beautiful, brown haired woman began to walk out, carrying a suitcase.

"Vincent!" she yelled, seeing him, dropping the suitcase, and throwing her arms around his neck. "I missed you so much!"

"Good morning Lucrecia," he said softly, embracing her tighter. "I missed you too." He smiled, and she let him go and brushed away the hair that had just fallen into her eyes.

"Just a good morning is all I get? No 'I love you' ? No 'Lucrecia every minute I was away from you I was in pain? ' Not even a kiss?" she grinned, flashing her teeth.

He kissed her for a moment, and then returned her grin while mocking being hurt by her comment. "But Lu I thought you were getting tired of all that. Since you know I do love you."

She kissed him again. "Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you call me Lu?"

"I love you," he said, again, voice soft.

"I love you too," Lucrecia replied, smile widening.

"So… why are you up so early?" Vincent asked, as the sun began to shin on the streets.

"I… have some work to do with Professor Gast."

Again? "Oh… but he's going to be leaving later today. Soon, in fact."

She picked up her suitcase. "I know. I'm going with him to Nibelheim."

Vincent was taken aback. "He… didn't mention anything to me. About it… you." Why didn't he tell me?

"He knows, Vincent… about us, I mean," Lucrecia looked at the ground.

Oh god... "Then why do we have our jobs?" Vincent said, heart pounding.

"I… I made some concessions to him."

Lucrecia what have you done… "Like what kind of concessions?"

"Nothing much. I just have to separate my personal life from my business one. That's all."

You're joking. "That's it?"

"Yeah…" Lucrecia took Vincent's hand into her free hand and began walking down the street towards the Shinra headquarters building. "Come on, let's walk."

"Alright," Vincent replied happily, displaying a false grin and he and Lucrecia avoided talking about anything even remotely relating to their jobs. There's something wrong with this… Professor Gast is never this easy on anyone… Why did he let us off the hook….