AN:
This is part twelve. As always, props to darknightdestiny
who's helped me with so much stuff it's not even funny. And props to everyone
who reads this. Thanks for your reviews, I can't tell you how much they mean to
me.
* * *
"You fool...what were you trying to do?" Hojo gasped, sitting up shakily.
"You stupid Turk, what is running through your hard little head right now?
Have you finally gone nuts? Well? Answer me?"
The panic continued to tear at Vincent, his heart thudding madly. Every
word sent chills down his spine, every sound made him want to jump. Oh no... no... was
it happening already? Was she driving him? Was JENOVA tired of just watching, and
wanted to have a go at the game as well? Everything was so out of focus, so
frightening...and if his heat pounded any faster he felt it would burst.
"What...what do you mean...? Am I insane now?" He whispered, the fear
painted boldly across his face. "God Hojo, what's going on? Why am I doing this?
I...I don't want to live like this! Make her stop..."
Oh shit. She couldn't be doing it already. Hojo stared at him incredulously,
sizing up the situation. Valentine was frightened, that was for sure. His eyes seemed
ready to pop out of his head, round red orbs shining with terror. The way his voice
trembled, the desperate fear of the situation made things apparent. He was riding
the raged edge between sanity and its antonym.
"Calm down. Sit down. Just sit down. He said urgently, scrambling to his feet,
wincing as he clutched his fresh wounds. "Don't get up. Don't do anything. God's,
so early?" Hojo's actions did absolutely nothing to reassure the petrified Turk. He
numbly lowered himself to his knees, to frightened to make a sound. Who knew what the
next words out of his mouth would be? They certainly wouldn't be his. The sensations
racing through his backbone continued to torment him, the swirling vapors in his poor
head threatened to tear him apart.
"Now just park yourself. I'll be right back." Hojo limped off to the door,
mumbling curses every inch of the way. Vincent watched him helplessly, still too
petrified to move. Hojo finally made it to the door, staggering into the Library,
not even bothering to bolt the door behind him. The gashes were nothing serious,
but they stung like hell. Blood oozed steadily, but he wasn't concerned with that
right now. He wasn't feeling weak from blood loss yet, but there were things he had
to do before it happened.
He shambled over to his desk, his second home and Valentine's favorite spot to
hide in. A smirk lit up his face, despite the situation. The twisted little smile grew,
'til it resembled a mad snarl more than a smile. That gave way to an insane
giggle that nearly racked him with its force. He rode it out however,
chuckling even as he fished through the desk drawers for his precious vial.
His search unfruitful, he pulled the drawer out of the desk, flinging it aside
as he plundered the next.
"You can't hide from me, you little shit. No more than Valentine can hide
from JENOVA. Hiding doesn't solve anything. " He managed to say between chuckles.
He patted the desk affectionately before he began pillaging the third drawer.
"You of all things should know that. How many times did Valentine try to hide
from me beneath you? And you know the success he enjoyed, or rather didn't.
I found him every time. But like an idiot, he kept crawling back to you, like
you could save him. Feh," He threw the third drawer to the ground, and started
on the fourth and final. "Hiding. Things can only be hidden for so long! What
a fool I was to think I could hide him from everyone else. Why, that door won't
hold him, should he decide to break out! No, I can't leave him in that damned
little closet alive." He drew out the vial triumphantly, and let the last drawer
fall as well. He stiffened as the pain gnawed at him, be he determinedly inched
his way back to Valentine.
Vincent was right where he'd left him. He hobbled over to the motionless
wretch, and stooped down to his level, grunting a little with the effort. "Valentine,"
he said, grimacing with pain "It's time. Come on now, before it's too late, and
I can't help you."
As little as Vincent wanted to speak right now; he couldn't help but ask the
professor something.
He parted his lips slowly; wary of what might escape them. "Why...are
you going to help me..?" he whispered in a tiny voice. Hojo frowned, and shook his head.
"A selfish reason, as always...you think of me as a selfish bastard...well,
you're about to see just how selfish I am..." he clenched his teeth, fighting off
the pain that was still chewing on him. JENOVA should be kicking in about now...or
was she too busy with her new toy? "Come on, stand up. Time's running out..."
Vincent stood up shakily, his face a canvas for the emotions that swirled in
him like paint.
Hurt, fear, sadness, hate and a slew of nameless ones that were as potent as the rest.
Hojo lurched over to a coffin, and motioned for Vincent to follow.
He unsteadily approached the doctor. Hojo dug through his pockets,
and produced the vial and a capped needle. "Don't worry...perfectly sterile.
Just hold still." He said, filing the syringe as Vincent watched in awe.
What was going on here?
"Now listen carefully. If you want any relief from JENOVA,
do what I tell you. Understood?" He nodded, slowly, not daring to
open his mouth. Hojo kicked the lid off, coughing as dust flew up.
The occupant was little more than bone and scraps of fabric that crumbled
easily when he nudged them. He gestured to Vincent, who was watching
with horrified fascination. "Climb in."
Vincent stared at him. Climb into that? What was the lunatic doing now?
He wasn't going to climb into that thing...but..relief from these voices...
relief from the tingling in his body...it would be worth it. He climbed in,
keeping his eyes fixed on Hojo, who had finished preparing the needle.
"Now, before I give this to you, hear me out. I still hate you.
I'm not trying to make things any easier for you. As I said, it's for
my benefit. Selfish. Got it? Now, you're going to say goodnight. For a
very long time. You're going to sleep. And perhaps you'll dream.
Oh, the dreams you'll have. So I am not killing you. I'm merely taking
your life. I know it seems contradictory...but it isn't. I advise you
to take one last look around you. You won't be seeing anything for awhile.
And while you sleep...you can think about her. Maybe she'll forgive
you someday...but I won't. Just remember that."
This is part twelve. As always, props to darknightdestiny
who's helped me with so much stuff it's not even funny. And props to everyone
who reads this. Thanks for your reviews, I can't tell you how much they mean to
me.
* * *
"You fool...what were you trying to do?" Hojo gasped, sitting up shakily.
"You stupid Turk, what is running through your hard little head right now?
Have you finally gone nuts? Well? Answer me?"
The panic continued to tear at Vincent, his heart thudding madly. Every
word sent chills down his spine, every sound made him want to jump. Oh no... no... was
it happening already? Was she driving him? Was JENOVA tired of just watching, and
wanted to have a go at the game as well? Everything was so out of focus, so
frightening...and if his heat pounded any faster he felt it would burst.
"What...what do you mean...? Am I insane now?" He whispered, the fear
painted boldly across his face. "God Hojo, what's going on? Why am I doing this?
I...I don't want to live like this! Make her stop..."
Oh shit. She couldn't be doing it already. Hojo stared at him incredulously,
sizing up the situation. Valentine was frightened, that was for sure. His eyes seemed
ready to pop out of his head, round red orbs shining with terror. The way his voice
trembled, the desperate fear of the situation made things apparent. He was riding
the raged edge between sanity and its antonym.
"Calm down. Sit down. Just sit down. He said urgently, scrambling to his feet,
wincing as he clutched his fresh wounds. "Don't get up. Don't do anything. God's,
so early?" Hojo's actions did absolutely nothing to reassure the petrified Turk. He
numbly lowered himself to his knees, to frightened to make a sound. Who knew what the
next words out of his mouth would be? They certainly wouldn't be his. The sensations
racing through his backbone continued to torment him, the swirling vapors in his poor
head threatened to tear him apart.
"Now just park yourself. I'll be right back." Hojo limped off to the door,
mumbling curses every inch of the way. Vincent watched him helplessly, still too
petrified to move. Hojo finally made it to the door, staggering into the Library,
not even bothering to bolt the door behind him. The gashes were nothing serious,
but they stung like hell. Blood oozed steadily, but he wasn't concerned with that
right now. He wasn't feeling weak from blood loss yet, but there were things he had
to do before it happened.
He shambled over to his desk, his second home and Valentine's favorite spot to
hide in. A smirk lit up his face, despite the situation. The twisted little smile grew,
'til it resembled a mad snarl more than a smile. That gave way to an insane
giggle that nearly racked him with its force. He rode it out however,
chuckling even as he fished through the desk drawers for his precious vial.
His search unfruitful, he pulled the drawer out of the desk, flinging it aside
as he plundered the next.
"You can't hide from me, you little shit. No more than Valentine can hide
from JENOVA. Hiding doesn't solve anything. " He managed to say between chuckles.
He patted the desk affectionately before he began pillaging the third drawer.
"You of all things should know that. How many times did Valentine try to hide
from me beneath you? And you know the success he enjoyed, or rather didn't.
I found him every time. But like an idiot, he kept crawling back to you, like
you could save him. Feh," He threw the third drawer to the ground, and started
on the fourth and final. "Hiding. Things can only be hidden for so long! What
a fool I was to think I could hide him from everyone else. Why, that door won't
hold him, should he decide to break out! No, I can't leave him in that damned
little closet alive." He drew out the vial triumphantly, and let the last drawer
fall as well. He stiffened as the pain gnawed at him, be he determinedly inched
his way back to Valentine.
Vincent was right where he'd left him. He hobbled over to the motionless
wretch, and stooped down to his level, grunting a little with the effort. "Valentine,"
he said, grimacing with pain "It's time. Come on now, before it's too late, and
I can't help you."
As little as Vincent wanted to speak right now; he couldn't help but ask the
professor something.
He parted his lips slowly; wary of what might escape them. "Why...are
you going to help me..?" he whispered in a tiny voice. Hojo frowned, and shook his head.
"A selfish reason, as always...you think of me as a selfish bastard...well,
you're about to see just how selfish I am..." he clenched his teeth, fighting off
the pain that was still chewing on him. JENOVA should be kicking in about now...or
was she too busy with her new toy? "Come on, stand up. Time's running out..."
Vincent stood up shakily, his face a canvas for the emotions that swirled in
him like paint.
Hurt, fear, sadness, hate and a slew of nameless ones that were as potent as the rest.
Hojo lurched over to a coffin, and motioned for Vincent to follow.
He unsteadily approached the doctor. Hojo dug through his pockets,
and produced the vial and a capped needle. "Don't worry...perfectly sterile.
Just hold still." He said, filing the syringe as Vincent watched in awe.
What was going on here?
"Now listen carefully. If you want any relief from JENOVA,
do what I tell you. Understood?" He nodded, slowly, not daring to
open his mouth. Hojo kicked the lid off, coughing as dust flew up.
The occupant was little more than bone and scraps of fabric that crumbled
easily when he nudged them. He gestured to Vincent, who was watching
with horrified fascination. "Climb in."
Vincent stared at him. Climb into that? What was the lunatic doing now?
He wasn't going to climb into that thing...but..relief from these voices...
relief from the tingling in his body...it would be worth it. He climbed in,
keeping his eyes fixed on Hojo, who had finished preparing the needle.
"Now, before I give this to you, hear me out. I still hate you.
I'm not trying to make things any easier for you. As I said, it's for
my benefit. Selfish. Got it? Now, you're going to say goodnight. For a
very long time. You're going to sleep. And perhaps you'll dream.
Oh, the dreams you'll have. So I am not killing you. I'm merely taking
your life. I know it seems contradictory...but it isn't. I advise you
to take one last look around you. You won't be seeing anything for awhile.
And while you sleep...you can think about her. Maybe she'll forgive
you someday...but I won't. Just remember that."