After the Storm
Chapter 16
Bad idea.
Reno crouched down in the rubble of a hallway and let his mind race. Okay, so this face off had not been one of his brightest plans ever, but how was he supposed to know that the man in red would decide to intervene?
Gone was the room where Reno had fought the shadow demons, where Yuffie had been taken prisoner by the man wearing the crimson doublet. Everything had been razed almost to the ground in seconds. The ex-Turk was trying not to think about it, but fighting a losing battle. That amazing power! That man, whoever he was, had power like Reno had never seen before. Alright, true, he had never encountered Sephiroth or Jenova first hand, but he could well imagine that they were something akin to this. And he was expected to fight and win against that!? Now more than ever he couldn't help but respect that stupid chocobo-haired Strife and friends; not to mention Yuffie.
After dispatching with the shadow monsters, Reno had been prepared to go toe to toe with Hwen in a do or die bid for freedom. Electromag-rod spinning, gun at the ready he had faced Hwen without fear, ready for the worst. And then out of nowhere, the man in red, dubbed Vampy by Yuffie, had stepped in. With that bone chilling laugh of his and the barbed smile that never seemed to leave, he had raised a hand and stopped Reno and Hwen where they stood. He'd said it was time to widen the playing field. And then with a sweep of that same hand, walls crumbled and toppled to the ground. Reno had found himself flung hard backwards, and into the destruction. A wall had broken his fall, hard, and there were now minor shooting pains running down his spine.
Not good, not good. Neither did he have any clue what had happened to Yuffie after the incident, either. Presumably she was still locked in the center of the building with Vampy, and that posed some new problems and Reno had no clue what to do about them. He had to find her, help her; but if he got close to Vampy again then he'd probably just get a repeat performance of his brief trip through space. Besides, he wasn't sure if his ribs could take any more of this, and he still had to deal with Hwen.
Reno was having some problems. As a Turk, he had been one of the best damn Turks Shinra had ever seen before. Maybe he hadn't been able to take down AVALANCHE way back when, but hey, it'd been three to one. He knew this wasn't a real excuse for a Turk, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that he could probably take on any one of them in a one on one fight. He'd joined the Turks at age sixteen, and had never looked back. He'd been recruited out of the Midgar slums by Tseng, already bitter from life and world-weary. Reno was twenty-five, but twenty-five going on three hundred. He managed to hide it pretty well still: bad jokes, crude remarks and cutting comments were his trademark. Not to mention the alcohol and tobacco problems. Huh. Everything was part of a carefully designed façade, born out of years of torment in Midgar's underworld. He kept his friends close, and his enemies closer. The real problem was that no matter how much closer, they were still always at a distance from him.
And in just a few short days his world was turned upside down completely and irreversibly. But damn, he'd never suspected he was such a romantic before. Sure he could sweet-talk any girl when he felt like, but he'd never given his heart into the things he said before. This was something totally new and dangerous. How could some bratty nineteen-year old just waltz into his life and suddenly take top position for importance? It didn't make sense, and he didn't know where to start figuring it out.
Yuffie was. She expected too much of him. Reno had been a blue suit, one of Shinra's pet demons and he didn't regret a moment of it. And then Yuffie was all shocked when he told her that he was still the same person. Sorry schweetheart, three years alone couldn't work that big of a miracle. And that was the weirdest thing. Being around Yuffie, he felt like he should be everything she wanted him to be; like he could be. He could fight for her, and he would win or go down with the rest.
She had said that she loved him. He'd known her for only a week, goddammit! And he was supposed to believe that she was telling the truth, or even knew what she was talking about!? She'd said that she loved him. Would she still when it was all over, now that she knew the truth? Even if they got out of here there was no guarantee that Yuffie wouldn't just turn her back on him. But she'd said that she loved him, and that was what was keeping him going.
Maybe it was because she hadn't flinched away from him even knowing that he'd been a Turk. Now that Shinra was long gone, most people spat the word 'Turk' as if it were the most distasteful and sickening sound to ever roll off their tongues. Reno had heard it all, suffered all the abuse. Unlike Rude and Elena he hadn't been able to leave it behind, and he'd paid dearly for that. And Yuffie had known his past, known who he was and simply let it go at that. Until she'd found out about Wutai, anyway. Then it had become personal, and she'd been forced to face his demons as well as her own. Maybe her horror had drowned out anything else she'd felt, but Reno had to take the chance. If he didn't. If he didn't what would he have left? Even if he managed to get out of here, where would he go? Back to being a goddamn mercenary?
Maybe he didn't understand why, but there were some things he had to do. Finding Yuffie and getting her out were the most important of which. Unfortunately, it looked like before he could worry about that, he'd have to deal with Hwen. The bastard had been the target of Reno's assassination order before becoming a turncoat and abandoning his entire city to be wiped away. Now that he was on what he considered the 'winning side', somewhere in his warped mind he'd developed this strange idea that it would be fun to torture Reno until the end of his days. While Reno was always open to new ideas, this one was not exactly a winner in his mind. He'd already seen first hand that Hwen was a sick bastard, and the man had friggin' betrayed Yuffie. Reno needed no more reason than that to beat the hell out of the man.
Hwen was out there somewhere, probably creeping around the corners, already imagining what he'd do to Reno with sadistic pleasure. Yes, he was definitely that type of person. The ex-Turk could only wonder how Wutai had failed to see the man's true face before.
It was time to stop worrying and start moving. The last thing he needed was for Hwen to take him by surprise. He was already pretty beaten up, and already at a disadvantage. His blue eyes widened and then narrowed suddenly in realization. Damn it! That damn Vampy character had planned this, done this on purpose! The man (creature disguised as a man) had probably never doubted Reno would beat his demon pets. It had all been a ruse to make sure that Reno was well and truly roughed up before the real fight started. He didn't doubt that Hwen was a good fighter if he'd risen that far up the ranks of the Wutaian nobility. In Wutai, the best fighters were the leaders. Had been.
If he circled counterclockwise around, chances were that he'd have to run into Hwen sooner or later. Maybe he'd even find Yuffie. Ducking down, he slunk down the ruined corridor as close to the ground as he could get without actually crawling. In truth, Reno was a mess. His jacket lost somewhere, his shirt and side equally torn and battered. His flaming red hair was the only thing that didn't seem to have changed much. It was tied back in a ponytail, and unruly bangs that were usually tucked behind sunglasses fell in his face. Reno found himself unconsciously reaching up for his absent sunglasses to slip them on. He cursed himself as his hand faltered in the middle of the habit formed gesture.
He started to walk now, fumbling his hands into his pockets. He could really use something to steady his nerves right about now, and Reno wished he had a cigarette. Hell, he'd settle for anything about now. He wasn't about to start being picky. He shook his head, trying to clear it a bit. The once-hallway he was currently in stretched on in the dim light, and Reno looked up in hazy wonder. He wasn't an architect or anything, but he'd always sort of figured that you needed walls to hold up a ceiling. The high, vaulted ceiling hung far overhead seemingly unsupported. The walls were all pretty much leveled, and plaster dust choked the ex-Turk. The lights were gone - presumably knocked out by Vampy's little spectacle although a dim glare seemed to be coming from somewhere. A nearby section of wall teetered ominously, and Reno carefully sidestepped around it. Following this one would inevitably lead him inwards once more, so he had no need to try to work his way towards the center again. Besides the ruins of the walls were all low enough for him to see over at eye level. If something was coming he would be able to hear it, even if he couldn't see it.
He padded silently like a cat through the shadows, keeping his labored breathing as quiet as he possibly could. About the only thing that had gone right in the past ten minutes was that when he had been sent flying somehow or other he'd managed to keep hold of both weapons. He knew without knowing that in the instant he lost those he was a dead man. Hell, he probably already was. So far he'd survived more than he would have ever thought possible. At the thought, his mouth twitched into an ironic smile. To be honest, he hadn't expected to live much past twenty. No, there was no getting around it. He was living on borrowed time.
He wanted to get out of here. The thought crashed down on him unexpectedly. He wanted worse than anything to be anywhere but here. With that creepy gray ceiling floating far overhead, he wanted to see the sky. He wanted. everything. Expected nothing. Reno had never been afraid of death; not even during his long days as a Turk when fatalities were a certainty. All he had wanted was to know that when he died he'd go down fighting to the end. He wanted those left behind in the aftermath to remember him in their nightmares all through their years. He wanted to not be forgotten. He wanted to make a difference. It was funny how it always twisted around to that. It sounded so goddamn noble that Reno would have laughed if it hadn't hurt so much. But still, he knew that even if it was ironic, it was true.
Maybe. maybe things weren't so different now. Things were bad, it was true, but he'd been in tight spots before. And if he was going to die tonight, then he wouldn't die in vain. He had to remember Yuffie. He couldn't forget Yuffie. Her smile, her bratty airs, her determination; they were all ingrained in his memory. He'd save Yuffie, and she'd live knowing that someone had cared enough about her to die for her.
These were unusually grim thoughts for Reno, and he tried force himself to lighten up by picturing Yuffie as a damsel in distress. It was indeed a funny picture. As he walked, he grinned to himself as he imagined her dressed in a long flowing dress standing in a tower window. The grin widened when he realized the likelihood of Yuffie ever wearing an actual dress.
And so, despite all his precautions, he never saw the shadowy form seep out of the shadows behind him and lunge before it was too late.
* * * *
Yuffie was in quite over her head. She had been forced to watch, helpless (oh, how she despised that word), as Reno was thrown through the wreckage and somewhere into the darkness. She had screamed as she heard the distant impact of him hitting the wall. She had watched, horror and anger racing through her, as Hwen had slunk away to find and finish off the surely disabled Turk.
As Hwen had disappeared around a corner, hundreds of horrible pictures had flashed past her eyes. She'd seen Reno lying unconscious, or badly injured in a hallway somewhere as Hwen crept up on him to finish what he'd started. She'd yelled louder, pounding and throwing herself against the barrier erected by the man in red. The man had just watched her in detached amusement until she's finally tired herself out. As she'd slumped against the invisible wall, beaten, she caught a glimpse of the look on his face and instantly her temper had flared back to full force. Now she stood, alone, her conformer lying just outside the barrier's reach. Her eyes blazing, she confronted her captor.
" Why are you doing this!? You have nothing to gain by killing him! Stop!" Hwen smiled for a moment longer before answering.
"You are the one that I am after; you know this."
"I have nothing!" Yuffie's shout echoed across the empty, ruined hall. She took a deep breath to gain control of herself. "You've taken everything already. There is nothing I can give you that you haven't already taken."
"You are mistaken."
"Then what?"
"Why, you yourself of course."
Yuffie was taken aback. "Me?"
"Yes. You, or more precisely, your mind. I want your imagination and power Yuffie, and I'm going to take them."
"You. what!?" She took an involuntary step backwards, but then caught herself and went into fighting stance. "'Imagination'? You're crazy!"
"Is that so? I told you already that I occupy the body of this man you see before you. He served his purpose, but he was weak. I'll admit that physically he was strong, but the true source of my power lies in the mind."
"What does that have to do with me?" But already comprehension was starting to dawn on her face.
"You're not that stupid. Think. Jenova suffered defeat at the hands of AVALANCHE. No ordinary humans could have done such a thing, and it then becomes obvious that they must be the strongest on the Planet. Besides the unreal strength I stand to gain, think of the revenge." He smiled again, savoring the words. "But none of the more obvious members of the group had a mind that I could use. Cloud Strife. once maybe, but it has become twisted by what was done to him by Shinra. He is of no use to me. So I decided to focus on the others." He leered at Yuffie.
"But why me?"
"Imagination! You have already discovered that your mind is the only real weapon that can defeat my shadow soldiers. It takes a strong and sharp mind - one with a powerful imagination. Tell me, can you honestly imagine that hulking bear Wallace or the foul-mouthed Highwind having such a novel thing?"
Yuffie had to acknowledge the truth there. None of the others fitted the image he painted. Red? He wasn't even human. Reeve? His strength had come from Cait Sith, and besides he was too practical. Tifa? Tifa was one of the nicest people Yuffie had ever met, but she could sometimes be very boring. Vincent? Yuffie would have giggled at the thought had circumstances been different. Yes, she understood, but that didn't mean she would take it sitting down. The man in the crimson cape read the look spreading across her face and laughed.
"I see you comprehend. Using you, I could become a thousand times what Sephiroth was. You are the key, my dear."
"I'm not anyone's dear, especially not yours." She spit the words back at him. He just smiled patiently.
"Oh really? Not even that miserable Turk?"
Yuffie involuntarily twitched her eyes towards the place Reno had been thrown. Then, flushing again with anger, Yuffie faced 'Vampy' again.
"Damn you." He laughed again, and Yuffie dug her nails into her palm. The man gazed at her with his eyes that opened into the deepest reaches of space.
"And of course you'll have told the others not to try to follow you here; you always did care about them even when it wasn't in your best interest."
Yuffie startled, her eyes widening, and the man continued, smiling.
"That wretched pilot is closest, so you must have sent the word to him because you're practical. Did you really think he'd listen to you? Unless I've underestimated them, the whole lot should be arriving within twenty-four hours. Imagine their surprise when the one who finally wipes them out is one of their own members." The last was said sweetly, mockingly.
"I would never!"
"You will have no choice. I will leave this pathetic cripple behind and take your mind in his place. And I will do to you exactly what I did to him. You will fight back at first, but soon you will learn that you cannot win. You will be forced to watch me destroy your friends with the hands that used to be yours. And then you will be left to scream in the silence of you own head until I let you die. And I never will."
Before she could contain it, terror flooded over Yuffie, and for a minute she thought she would break down. But Yuffie Kisaragi did not break. She had cried too many tears in the last few days, and now it was time to remember who she was. Hadn't the man just told her? She was Yuffie Kisaragi, of the quick thinking and faster feet. She bowed to no one, and she acknowledged no one as her superior. And so, Yuffie did what she did best. She thought fast.
The man picked that moment to step towards Yuffie. Pretending panic, she fled towards the barrier, and banged it with her hand, looking fearfully back over her shoulder towards the man. He smiled at what he perceived as her fear, and when he spoke it was as if he spoke to a small child.
"Come here Yuffie, I won't hurt you. I need you to much for that." She turned to watch him, her expression still cowed. "If I promised you the Turk's life, I would be lying. But I can promise you this. Come to me now, and I will not harm you in any way. It'll be over quick and easy, you'll see."
Fearfully, Yuffie walked forward. Her expression betrayed nothing, her eyes downcast as she stepped falteringly towards the man. She stopped just out of arm reach from the man, and his smile became suddenly triumphant.
"That's right. Don't try to run or fight. You cannot break the barrier as long as I will it to be there.
Suddenly Yuffie's eyes snapped up to meet his empty ones, and there was no mistaking the fire in them.
"Suits me fine." And with that, she drew back her arm and sent her hardest punch flying into the man's nose.
He reeled back in pain and fell, tripping over his long black cape so that he sprawled in private agony on the ground. Apparently being partially alien doesn't make you immune to pain. Before the man could truly register what had happened, Yuffie was already running. She darted away, and ran straight towards the barrier. And then right through it. 'Vampy' had given her the answer when he'd told her that the barrier existed because he 'willed it'. She'd already suspected as much though. It was like being able to cast Protect without using Materia - it took concentration and probably a fair bit of effort. He used his mind to do things with psychotic powers or something. That wasn't the word. psychic or maybe it was kinetic. She really couldn't have cared less. Everything in this whole messed up, tragic ordeal was somehow centered around Yuffie - and her imagination.
Without looking back, still running, she ducked and grabbed the conformer as she sped by. Feeling the weapon in her hands, Yuffie's confidence increased ten fold. She didn't know where Reno was but she would sure find him. Then they'd beat the living daylights out of anyone who dared oppose them. And after that, she'd give Reno hell for making her worry so much. She took a deep breath. There was only so many times she could say 'and then' and only so much optimism to go around. Yuffie didn't dare hope for what would happen after that.
And with those thoughts she hurried into the waiting darkness.
~* Authors Note: My god. A chapter! Could it be? Alright, I'll admit not much happened and it was way shorter than I intended it to be. I know it probably wasn't worth the wait, but chapter seventeen is on the way and I PROMISE that one will be better. Also, I just want to thank everyone again for reading, and especially for their patience! Special thanks to Voodoo Fyrefly (Tio) and DarkAngel666 for reading and reviewing every chapter. It means a lot to me! Anyway, comments, suggestions and constructive criticism always appreciated. See you soon, guys! *~
Chapter 16
Bad idea.
Reno crouched down in the rubble of a hallway and let his mind race. Okay, so this face off had not been one of his brightest plans ever, but how was he supposed to know that the man in red would decide to intervene?
Gone was the room where Reno had fought the shadow demons, where Yuffie had been taken prisoner by the man wearing the crimson doublet. Everything had been razed almost to the ground in seconds. The ex-Turk was trying not to think about it, but fighting a losing battle. That amazing power! That man, whoever he was, had power like Reno had never seen before. Alright, true, he had never encountered Sephiroth or Jenova first hand, but he could well imagine that they were something akin to this. And he was expected to fight and win against that!? Now more than ever he couldn't help but respect that stupid chocobo-haired Strife and friends; not to mention Yuffie.
After dispatching with the shadow monsters, Reno had been prepared to go toe to toe with Hwen in a do or die bid for freedom. Electromag-rod spinning, gun at the ready he had faced Hwen without fear, ready for the worst. And then out of nowhere, the man in red, dubbed Vampy by Yuffie, had stepped in. With that bone chilling laugh of his and the barbed smile that never seemed to leave, he had raised a hand and stopped Reno and Hwen where they stood. He'd said it was time to widen the playing field. And then with a sweep of that same hand, walls crumbled and toppled to the ground. Reno had found himself flung hard backwards, and into the destruction. A wall had broken his fall, hard, and there were now minor shooting pains running down his spine.
Not good, not good. Neither did he have any clue what had happened to Yuffie after the incident, either. Presumably she was still locked in the center of the building with Vampy, and that posed some new problems and Reno had no clue what to do about them. He had to find her, help her; but if he got close to Vampy again then he'd probably just get a repeat performance of his brief trip through space. Besides, he wasn't sure if his ribs could take any more of this, and he still had to deal with Hwen.
Reno was having some problems. As a Turk, he had been one of the best damn Turks Shinra had ever seen before. Maybe he hadn't been able to take down AVALANCHE way back when, but hey, it'd been three to one. He knew this wasn't a real excuse for a Turk, but he consoled himself with the knowledge that he could probably take on any one of them in a one on one fight. He'd joined the Turks at age sixteen, and had never looked back. He'd been recruited out of the Midgar slums by Tseng, already bitter from life and world-weary. Reno was twenty-five, but twenty-five going on three hundred. He managed to hide it pretty well still: bad jokes, crude remarks and cutting comments were his trademark. Not to mention the alcohol and tobacco problems. Huh. Everything was part of a carefully designed façade, born out of years of torment in Midgar's underworld. He kept his friends close, and his enemies closer. The real problem was that no matter how much closer, they were still always at a distance from him.
And in just a few short days his world was turned upside down completely and irreversibly. But damn, he'd never suspected he was such a romantic before. Sure he could sweet-talk any girl when he felt like, but he'd never given his heart into the things he said before. This was something totally new and dangerous. How could some bratty nineteen-year old just waltz into his life and suddenly take top position for importance? It didn't make sense, and he didn't know where to start figuring it out.
Yuffie was. She expected too much of him. Reno had been a blue suit, one of Shinra's pet demons and he didn't regret a moment of it. And then Yuffie was all shocked when he told her that he was still the same person. Sorry schweetheart, three years alone couldn't work that big of a miracle. And that was the weirdest thing. Being around Yuffie, he felt like he should be everything she wanted him to be; like he could be. He could fight for her, and he would win or go down with the rest.
She had said that she loved him. He'd known her for only a week, goddammit! And he was supposed to believe that she was telling the truth, or even knew what she was talking about!? She'd said that she loved him. Would she still when it was all over, now that she knew the truth? Even if they got out of here there was no guarantee that Yuffie wouldn't just turn her back on him. But she'd said that she loved him, and that was what was keeping him going.
Maybe it was because she hadn't flinched away from him even knowing that he'd been a Turk. Now that Shinra was long gone, most people spat the word 'Turk' as if it were the most distasteful and sickening sound to ever roll off their tongues. Reno had heard it all, suffered all the abuse. Unlike Rude and Elena he hadn't been able to leave it behind, and he'd paid dearly for that. And Yuffie had known his past, known who he was and simply let it go at that. Until she'd found out about Wutai, anyway. Then it had become personal, and she'd been forced to face his demons as well as her own. Maybe her horror had drowned out anything else she'd felt, but Reno had to take the chance. If he didn't. If he didn't what would he have left? Even if he managed to get out of here, where would he go? Back to being a goddamn mercenary?
Maybe he didn't understand why, but there were some things he had to do. Finding Yuffie and getting her out were the most important of which. Unfortunately, it looked like before he could worry about that, he'd have to deal with Hwen. The bastard had been the target of Reno's assassination order before becoming a turncoat and abandoning his entire city to be wiped away. Now that he was on what he considered the 'winning side', somewhere in his warped mind he'd developed this strange idea that it would be fun to torture Reno until the end of his days. While Reno was always open to new ideas, this one was not exactly a winner in his mind. He'd already seen first hand that Hwen was a sick bastard, and the man had friggin' betrayed Yuffie. Reno needed no more reason than that to beat the hell out of the man.
Hwen was out there somewhere, probably creeping around the corners, already imagining what he'd do to Reno with sadistic pleasure. Yes, he was definitely that type of person. The ex-Turk could only wonder how Wutai had failed to see the man's true face before.
It was time to stop worrying and start moving. The last thing he needed was for Hwen to take him by surprise. He was already pretty beaten up, and already at a disadvantage. His blue eyes widened and then narrowed suddenly in realization. Damn it! That damn Vampy character had planned this, done this on purpose! The man (creature disguised as a man) had probably never doubted Reno would beat his demon pets. It had all been a ruse to make sure that Reno was well and truly roughed up before the real fight started. He didn't doubt that Hwen was a good fighter if he'd risen that far up the ranks of the Wutaian nobility. In Wutai, the best fighters were the leaders. Had been.
If he circled counterclockwise around, chances were that he'd have to run into Hwen sooner or later. Maybe he'd even find Yuffie. Ducking down, he slunk down the ruined corridor as close to the ground as he could get without actually crawling. In truth, Reno was a mess. His jacket lost somewhere, his shirt and side equally torn and battered. His flaming red hair was the only thing that didn't seem to have changed much. It was tied back in a ponytail, and unruly bangs that were usually tucked behind sunglasses fell in his face. Reno found himself unconsciously reaching up for his absent sunglasses to slip them on. He cursed himself as his hand faltered in the middle of the habit formed gesture.
He started to walk now, fumbling his hands into his pockets. He could really use something to steady his nerves right about now, and Reno wished he had a cigarette. Hell, he'd settle for anything about now. He wasn't about to start being picky. He shook his head, trying to clear it a bit. The once-hallway he was currently in stretched on in the dim light, and Reno looked up in hazy wonder. He wasn't an architect or anything, but he'd always sort of figured that you needed walls to hold up a ceiling. The high, vaulted ceiling hung far overhead seemingly unsupported. The walls were all pretty much leveled, and plaster dust choked the ex-Turk. The lights were gone - presumably knocked out by Vampy's little spectacle although a dim glare seemed to be coming from somewhere. A nearby section of wall teetered ominously, and Reno carefully sidestepped around it. Following this one would inevitably lead him inwards once more, so he had no need to try to work his way towards the center again. Besides the ruins of the walls were all low enough for him to see over at eye level. If something was coming he would be able to hear it, even if he couldn't see it.
He padded silently like a cat through the shadows, keeping his labored breathing as quiet as he possibly could. About the only thing that had gone right in the past ten minutes was that when he had been sent flying somehow or other he'd managed to keep hold of both weapons. He knew without knowing that in the instant he lost those he was a dead man. Hell, he probably already was. So far he'd survived more than he would have ever thought possible. At the thought, his mouth twitched into an ironic smile. To be honest, he hadn't expected to live much past twenty. No, there was no getting around it. He was living on borrowed time.
He wanted to get out of here. The thought crashed down on him unexpectedly. He wanted worse than anything to be anywhere but here. With that creepy gray ceiling floating far overhead, he wanted to see the sky. He wanted. everything. Expected nothing. Reno had never been afraid of death; not even during his long days as a Turk when fatalities were a certainty. All he had wanted was to know that when he died he'd go down fighting to the end. He wanted those left behind in the aftermath to remember him in their nightmares all through their years. He wanted to not be forgotten. He wanted to make a difference. It was funny how it always twisted around to that. It sounded so goddamn noble that Reno would have laughed if it hadn't hurt so much. But still, he knew that even if it was ironic, it was true.
Maybe. maybe things weren't so different now. Things were bad, it was true, but he'd been in tight spots before. And if he was going to die tonight, then he wouldn't die in vain. He had to remember Yuffie. He couldn't forget Yuffie. Her smile, her bratty airs, her determination; they were all ingrained in his memory. He'd save Yuffie, and she'd live knowing that someone had cared enough about her to die for her.
These were unusually grim thoughts for Reno, and he tried force himself to lighten up by picturing Yuffie as a damsel in distress. It was indeed a funny picture. As he walked, he grinned to himself as he imagined her dressed in a long flowing dress standing in a tower window. The grin widened when he realized the likelihood of Yuffie ever wearing an actual dress.
And so, despite all his precautions, he never saw the shadowy form seep out of the shadows behind him and lunge before it was too late.
* * * *
Yuffie was in quite over her head. She had been forced to watch, helpless (oh, how she despised that word), as Reno was thrown through the wreckage and somewhere into the darkness. She had screamed as she heard the distant impact of him hitting the wall. She had watched, horror and anger racing through her, as Hwen had slunk away to find and finish off the surely disabled Turk.
As Hwen had disappeared around a corner, hundreds of horrible pictures had flashed past her eyes. She'd seen Reno lying unconscious, or badly injured in a hallway somewhere as Hwen crept up on him to finish what he'd started. She'd yelled louder, pounding and throwing herself against the barrier erected by the man in red. The man had just watched her in detached amusement until she's finally tired herself out. As she'd slumped against the invisible wall, beaten, she caught a glimpse of the look on his face and instantly her temper had flared back to full force. Now she stood, alone, her conformer lying just outside the barrier's reach. Her eyes blazing, she confronted her captor.
" Why are you doing this!? You have nothing to gain by killing him! Stop!" Hwen smiled for a moment longer before answering.
"You are the one that I am after; you know this."
"I have nothing!" Yuffie's shout echoed across the empty, ruined hall. She took a deep breath to gain control of herself. "You've taken everything already. There is nothing I can give you that you haven't already taken."
"You are mistaken."
"Then what?"
"Why, you yourself of course."
Yuffie was taken aback. "Me?"
"Yes. You, or more precisely, your mind. I want your imagination and power Yuffie, and I'm going to take them."
"You. what!?" She took an involuntary step backwards, but then caught herself and went into fighting stance. "'Imagination'? You're crazy!"
"Is that so? I told you already that I occupy the body of this man you see before you. He served his purpose, but he was weak. I'll admit that physically he was strong, but the true source of my power lies in the mind."
"What does that have to do with me?" But already comprehension was starting to dawn on her face.
"You're not that stupid. Think. Jenova suffered defeat at the hands of AVALANCHE. No ordinary humans could have done such a thing, and it then becomes obvious that they must be the strongest on the Planet. Besides the unreal strength I stand to gain, think of the revenge." He smiled again, savoring the words. "But none of the more obvious members of the group had a mind that I could use. Cloud Strife. once maybe, but it has become twisted by what was done to him by Shinra. He is of no use to me. So I decided to focus on the others." He leered at Yuffie.
"But why me?"
"Imagination! You have already discovered that your mind is the only real weapon that can defeat my shadow soldiers. It takes a strong and sharp mind - one with a powerful imagination. Tell me, can you honestly imagine that hulking bear Wallace or the foul-mouthed Highwind having such a novel thing?"
Yuffie had to acknowledge the truth there. None of the others fitted the image he painted. Red? He wasn't even human. Reeve? His strength had come from Cait Sith, and besides he was too practical. Tifa? Tifa was one of the nicest people Yuffie had ever met, but she could sometimes be very boring. Vincent? Yuffie would have giggled at the thought had circumstances been different. Yes, she understood, but that didn't mean she would take it sitting down. The man in the crimson cape read the look spreading across her face and laughed.
"I see you comprehend. Using you, I could become a thousand times what Sephiroth was. You are the key, my dear."
"I'm not anyone's dear, especially not yours." She spit the words back at him. He just smiled patiently.
"Oh really? Not even that miserable Turk?"
Yuffie involuntarily twitched her eyes towards the place Reno had been thrown. Then, flushing again with anger, Yuffie faced 'Vampy' again.
"Damn you." He laughed again, and Yuffie dug her nails into her palm. The man gazed at her with his eyes that opened into the deepest reaches of space.
"And of course you'll have told the others not to try to follow you here; you always did care about them even when it wasn't in your best interest."
Yuffie startled, her eyes widening, and the man continued, smiling.
"That wretched pilot is closest, so you must have sent the word to him because you're practical. Did you really think he'd listen to you? Unless I've underestimated them, the whole lot should be arriving within twenty-four hours. Imagine their surprise when the one who finally wipes them out is one of their own members." The last was said sweetly, mockingly.
"I would never!"
"You will have no choice. I will leave this pathetic cripple behind and take your mind in his place. And I will do to you exactly what I did to him. You will fight back at first, but soon you will learn that you cannot win. You will be forced to watch me destroy your friends with the hands that used to be yours. And then you will be left to scream in the silence of you own head until I let you die. And I never will."
Before she could contain it, terror flooded over Yuffie, and for a minute she thought she would break down. But Yuffie Kisaragi did not break. She had cried too many tears in the last few days, and now it was time to remember who she was. Hadn't the man just told her? She was Yuffie Kisaragi, of the quick thinking and faster feet. She bowed to no one, and she acknowledged no one as her superior. And so, Yuffie did what she did best. She thought fast.
The man picked that moment to step towards Yuffie. Pretending panic, she fled towards the barrier, and banged it with her hand, looking fearfully back over her shoulder towards the man. He smiled at what he perceived as her fear, and when he spoke it was as if he spoke to a small child.
"Come here Yuffie, I won't hurt you. I need you to much for that." She turned to watch him, her expression still cowed. "If I promised you the Turk's life, I would be lying. But I can promise you this. Come to me now, and I will not harm you in any way. It'll be over quick and easy, you'll see."
Fearfully, Yuffie walked forward. Her expression betrayed nothing, her eyes downcast as she stepped falteringly towards the man. She stopped just out of arm reach from the man, and his smile became suddenly triumphant.
"That's right. Don't try to run or fight. You cannot break the barrier as long as I will it to be there.
Suddenly Yuffie's eyes snapped up to meet his empty ones, and there was no mistaking the fire in them.
"Suits me fine." And with that, she drew back her arm and sent her hardest punch flying into the man's nose.
He reeled back in pain and fell, tripping over his long black cape so that he sprawled in private agony on the ground. Apparently being partially alien doesn't make you immune to pain. Before the man could truly register what had happened, Yuffie was already running. She darted away, and ran straight towards the barrier. And then right through it. 'Vampy' had given her the answer when he'd told her that the barrier existed because he 'willed it'. She'd already suspected as much though. It was like being able to cast Protect without using Materia - it took concentration and probably a fair bit of effort. He used his mind to do things with psychotic powers or something. That wasn't the word. psychic or maybe it was kinetic. She really couldn't have cared less. Everything in this whole messed up, tragic ordeal was somehow centered around Yuffie - and her imagination.
Without looking back, still running, she ducked and grabbed the conformer as she sped by. Feeling the weapon in her hands, Yuffie's confidence increased ten fold. She didn't know where Reno was but she would sure find him. Then they'd beat the living daylights out of anyone who dared oppose them. And after that, she'd give Reno hell for making her worry so much. She took a deep breath. There was only so many times she could say 'and then' and only so much optimism to go around. Yuffie didn't dare hope for what would happen after that.
And with those thoughts she hurried into the waiting darkness.
~* Authors Note: My god. A chapter! Could it be? Alright, I'll admit not much happened and it was way shorter than I intended it to be. I know it probably wasn't worth the wait, but chapter seventeen is on the way and I PROMISE that one will be better. Also, I just want to thank everyone again for reading, and especially for their patience! Special thanks to Voodoo Fyrefly (Tio) and DarkAngel666 for reading and reviewing every chapter. It means a lot to me! Anyway, comments, suggestions and constructive criticism always appreciated. See you soon, guys! *~