Heyya!
Thanks for all the wonderful comments everybody! Especially about the Voice acting! I'm glad someone enjoys this mess of mine!
Slight changes and explanations: Thanks, aNGeL buSiSHi, For suggesting Cameron Diaz for Elena. After watching Charlie's Angels again the other day, she really does fit better than Alicia. Lacey Chabert has been finalized for Yuffie, and everyone else remains the same for now. Though you have a point GeminiWings, when you say Keith David doesn't sound demonic enough for Chaos. He was my first choice for Vinnie actually, with Tony Jay as Chaos. But the way Chaos talks in my head as I write, I needed a voice that wouldn't just be creepy, but intimidating, since he's always bullying and mocking Vincent. And if you ever saw any of the animated Spawn eps, you know Keith David can be damn scary when he wants to.
Well, On with the show!
"Daughter..."
Lord Godo Kisaragi sat in meditation, feeling every one of his years.
He had not been as blind to the changes in her as he appeared to be. Knew all too well what they meant.
Everyone of the Kisaragi bloodline had the Kiargi- the Dreamsense. A talent that would only activate under one certain condition.
She had returned.
*I must have faith in her and Vincent. She is my daughter, after all.*
Fatherly pride filled him as he regarded her and the mysterious man she had brought home two years before. He knew his daughter was in love with the former Turk, and hoped the stern young man would realize he was already snared as well. The thought of dark haired children running around the Pagoda giving their mother fits amused him to no end.
"Watch over them, Leviathan." He whispered.
"Confident, aren't you?"
He had been aware of her presence for some time now, calmly lighting his pipe.
"It has been some time since we last met, creature."
He could see her sneering…her alien beauty bewitching yet repulsive at the same time.
"I see your spirit remains sharp while age has dulled your abilities."
"Test your theory by challenging me, then."
"A tired old samurai I could crush with little effort? It would entertain me more to destroy your worthless daughter."
"You must afraid if you stoop to threats, demon."
"The Kisaragi bloodline no longer threatens me, Old fool. Wutai will be the first to suffer for your treason."
"We shall see."
"Indeed."
Godo felt her presence leave, allowing himself to relax. And doubt.
Premium Spirit Productions Presents
In association with Square Pictures
OBSIDIAN
A Final Fantasy VII fanfiction by Sentora
Final Fantasy and its characters belong to Square. Just borrowing them for this crazy fic. The new ones belong to me, so ask nicely if ya wanna use 'em ok?
Second Chapter: Foreshadowing
The town of Nibelheim slept as night deepened its embrace of the land, unaware of the man standing at its gates. Cloaked in the Persona and 'Uniform' of his days with AVALANCHE, The Vincent he had become these past two years once more buried in darkness.
"Welcome Home, old friend." He remarked somberly.
It had been a week since that incident in the Conservatory. Three days avoiding it-and Yuffie-like the plague, burying himself in his duties. She had been hurt and angry, but left him alone without argument.
*All I do is hurt people…*
He had to follow his only lead without her. Not because she would get in the way, But because he couldn't trust himself around her anymore.
*She'll understand.*
"Sure she will." Vincent snorted, surprising himself. "After she has me tarred, feathered and thrown off the Da Chao cliffs."
He amused himself with the image of her dragging him back by the cloak, turning the air blue with every swear word she learned from Cid.
Enough.
His conscience switched tactics then: Reminded him of how he had the cook slip a sleeping drought into her dinner. Carried her to bed and then fled in the night like the coward he was to catch the ferry to his destination.
*Better angry and safe than to die by my hand.* He thought angrily. *And with Cloud and Tifa celebrating their anniversary in Costa de Sol, no one will interfere.*
Which was why he wasn't expecting her to be waiting for him as he stepped through the town gates. Dressed in her battle gear, arms crossed and smirking at him.
"I'm appalled, Vinnie." She sang. "I thought you'd see right through Yani."
He merely sighed in resignation and self-disgust. Wutai's master illusionist would never let him live this down.
…Good thing he was prepared for this.
"I can't believe you! Sneaking off like this! You think I can't handle myself, is that it?" He ignored her, stalking toward the Old Shinra Mansion. "Are you even listening to me?!!"
"…No."
Yuffie kicked sand at him before following him. "Gawd! Why I put up with you?! You ain't that good looking!"
Vincent didn't answer, but he smiled inwardly despite himself.
Shinra Mansion was one of the few things untouched by time. As unwelcome and foreboding as it had been decades ago. There was little else Yuffie despised on the planet more than the damn place…
"'Bout time ya showed up."
…Except him.
Reno lit a cigarette as he leaned against the gate, smirking appreciatively at her. Beside him, A scowling Elena glared daggers at her, Rude silent as ever. Yuffie could make out two more Turks by the Mansion's doors, submachine guns gleaming in the dark as they handled the heavier equipment.
"Knew you couldn't leave your girlfriend behind." Reno commented. "Pay up. Elle."
Elena's scowl deepened as she handed over the Gil
Before Yuffie could explode, Vincent turned to her. "It's a big library, Yuffie." His voice became that self-reproaching tone she despised. "And they're here for protection."
*Protection?*
As if he read her thoughts, his eyes bored into hers, and she saw Chaos lurking behind them.
"To protect you from me."
"Vincent…" Yuffie fought to urge to cry from the despair in his voice. Damn you, whoever you are…she cursed the nameless shadow from the Conservatory. Cowardly bitch…
"Don't worry, Legs." Reno slid an arm around her shoulders. "You're in good hands, y'know…"
Reno was a walking contradiction to her, which was probably why his presence annoyed her so. How could someone so sloppy manage to look so handsome? Be such a foulmouthed prick and still so charming? Yuffie hated to admit to a tiny crush on the bastard during the whole Meteor deal, but she gotten over it years ago.
…Hadn't she?
Refusing to doubt herself for even a moment, she slipped out his arm. "No female's safe around you, Turkey…"
"Flatterer." He winked.
Vincent twitched.
"Let's get this over with already." Elena snarled as she walked off in a huff.
Reno looked at Rude innocently. "What I do?"
Rude rolled his eyes behind his shades and followed.
The inside of the place had changed however. It was ten times darker, colder, and creepier than Yuffie remembered. Even their flashlights did little against the almost sentient darkness. At least the monsters were staying away, courtesy of Vincent. They seemed afraid of him.
The thought both relived and creeped her out immensely.
A whisper of movement atop the stairs went unnoticed.
"'Aight, Dracula…" Reno drawled. "We're here to find something Hojo left behind?"
"Notes or anything about my condition." Vincent replied. "I have a feeling I find it here."
"Makes sense." Rude said as they marched upstairs toward the secret passage. "What better place to keep a secret than here?"
"As I know all too well." Vincent commented.
They silently descended the spiral staircase to the Underground library, as if the oppressive nature of the Mansion started affecting them. Vincent was the worse, Yuffie sensing his withdrawal into dark memories…
The darkness seeming to strengthen as he sank deeper into its embrace…
She reached out and grasped his hand. A silent guesture that said more than words.
He flinched in surprise…but tightened gratefully.
Once inside, the other two Turks immediately set up the portable generator they carried…Roaches and rats scurrying away as the long dormant lights flickered to life. Dusty shelves of countless books and files stared mockingly at them, defiant of the age and dust and cobwebs that coated everything.
"Eww." Elena kicked a rat the size of a kitten away from her, sneezing from the resulting dustcloud and swatting away the flying roaches. "Smells so moldy…"
"Alright then," Reno put on his 'official' tone. "Everyone pick a shelf and start reading. Elena, dig up the blueprints of this place and anything referring to Hojo and experiments done here." He spat in disgust. "Don't wanna stay here longer than we have to…"
As Elena set up her laptop, Vincent wandered over to the table near the specimen tubes, Yuffie close behind. From the look on his eyes, she could tell this was no ordinary piece of furniture. That and the bloodstains and rusty, wicked looking surgeon tools strewn about.
"This is where it all began for me." He fingered the bloodstains with his claw, his eyes glowing brighter. "My punishment…"
Yuffie swallowed thickly, images of that twisted bastard swimming in her mind. "Rot in hell, Hojo."
"I agree wholeheartedly."
The hours stretched on, the pile of read books growing steadily as they endlessly searched. The sounds of Elena's typing and pages turning were a strange melody of sorts, along with the occasional sneeze or yawn.
Not a damn thing so far. Although everyone learned a lot more about Jenova and Shinra's dirty secrets than they ever wanted to.
Finally…
"I think I have something."
"Gawd…" Yuffie yawned as she shut her book. "Glad someone did…"
They crowded around her laptop as Elena displayed the mansion blueprints.
"There isn't any other hidden passages in the house other than this one." She explained. "But look at how the foundation's built, like the whole place was built above something underground…" A couple taps and the blueprints shifted to a side view. "Something deep."
"The Old Nibelheim Mines." Vincent interrupted. "The hallway outside was a part of them."
Silence.
"Like, ya think there's a lab or something down there?" Yuffie shuddered. "Grossness!"
Elena grinned. "Just what I was thinking, brat."
"Wow, I guess the Turks hired you for more than their cheerleader." Yuffie shot back.
Reno chuckled, earning a glare from Elena.
"Good work, Elena." Rude commented before she could strangle her commander. "How do we get there?"
"If Vincent's right, there may be some sort of secret entrance not in the blueprints…"
Vincent was no longer listening to the conversation however. Not since his last comment.
Not till he heard that peal of insane laughter in his mind following it.
Hellmasker.
One was mistaken to think his 'other selves' were mindless killing machines. Quite the opposite in fact, each was an extension of him of sorts. The Gaian Beast represented his emotions, primal and unrestrained. Death Gigas his will, silent but strong as tempered steel. His intellect twisted was Hellmasker. The dominant Chaos was the sum of all five of them combined in one demonic package, Vincent's dark side given life.
If Hellmasker decided to comment, it would be grave news indeed.
"NownownownowYOUSEEWHYYOUWEREDRAWNHERE?!" The B-movie reject, as Yuffie fondly dubbed him, spoke like the deadly chainsaw it carried. "reallyreallywannaAAAAKNNNNNOOOOOOW?!
WhatwhatwhatdownDOWNTHEREISTRUTHCAN'THANDLETRUTH!"
*Get to the point, Lunatic.* Hellmasker's stuttering and screaming always gave him a headache.
"ininininininSIDEYOUSHOULDLOOKPRETTYBOY!" Vincent pictured the creature leering behind the mask as it cocked its head to voices it could only hear. "hojohojohojohojoONLYSAFEPLACEHOJOHIDE,
vinvinvinvinvinvinVINCENT! HeehaheehaheehaheehahaHAHAHAHA! YouyoyouyouWON'TLIKE!!"
More laughter…and then he was gone.
Vincent snarled to himself. Hellmasker was the brains of his 'little family'…even if it made little or no sense most of the time…
The others watched Vincent suddenly go flying to the floor facefirst. As if shoved from behind.
Reno blinked. "…Does he always do that?"
Yuffie paled.
*Not now, please not now…*
Vincent mentally cursed Death Gigas as he picked himself up, Gaian and Hellmasker sniggering. The Frankensteinian beast was trying to help. Roughly, but helping.
Another shove sent him staggering across the room, Vincent landing close to the old table…
…Of course…
"Shouldn't we do something?" Elena nervously asked as she watched Vincent stagger to his feet. Rude stared impassively while Reno swore.
"No." Yuffie said firmly. "…I think they're showing him the way."
Reno scowled. "You really now how to pick 'em, legs."
Vincent stared at the table for a moment.
Then with a bloodcurdling roar, raised his claw and smashed it to kindling in one blow.
"^&*%!" Reno drew his nightstick but Yuffie slapped it down.
Vincent knelt in the wreckage, breathing heavily.
But as his breathing calmed and he rose to his feet…Yuffie knew something was wrong. His usual grace had vanished, his movement slow and clumsy as if he were drunk.
…Dusted himself off, popped his back and cracked his neck gruesomely as he groaned in relief. Shrugged off the cloak.
Folded his hands behind his back as he turned to face them, bent over like an old man as he stalked toward his stunned 'audience'. Smiled like a shark while his eyes twinkled in amusement.
"You look like you've seen a ghost, Kisaragi-dono."
Even Rude raised an eyebrow in disbelief of that voice.
"Shit on me…" Reno breathed. "Hojo?"
The same voice and mannerisms. That I-know-something-you-don't sneer. The barely repressed insanity shining in his eyes, vibrating in his walk.
On the real Hojo, those trademarks had been creepy. On Vincent they were terrifying.
"No…Just a ghost in the machine…" He smoothed his hair back, blatantly ignoring the weapons of five angry Turks trained at his skull. "A parting gift of mine programmed to activate under certain stimuli, such as our dear Vincent's condition." He smirked at Yuffie as he tapped his chest. "After all, what's one more psychopath in here?"
He giggled to himself at his joke and Yuffie's defiant expression.
"Don't frown so, Kisaragi-dono. I'm just a poor facsimile, and it's too crowded in here for my taste. My function is merely to torment Vincent with the truth and nothing more." The glow of his eyes intensified. "Even your childish crush can't save him."
Yuffie ignored the jab. "From what, ya quack? Is he losing control of those things you stuck in him?"
"Humph. It's rude to bite the hand that feeds you, Kisaragi-dono." He adjusted glasses that weren't there out of habit. "Let me ask you a question that even your inferior minds can comprehend: Of all the many wonderful creatures you faced in your grand journey, which ones remind you of Vincent Valentine? Or more accurately, Chaos?"
*What kinda question was that? Nothing else we fought looked like a vampire or that giant flying furball. Nothing else changed into freaky…*
When she realized what he was driving at, she nearly fainted in horror.
"Jenova…You…and Sephiroth…" All she could see was red, wishing Vincent hadn't ripped the real Hojo apart years ago so she could. "You sick bastard…"
Reno, who had been quiet all this time, snorted in disbelief. "Bullshit. This is bullshit Yuffie…" He sneered at 'Hojo.' "Sounds like that stupid horror movie, y'know the one where that alien gigolo was going around humping girls and having babies every five minutes…"
"Out of the mouths of babes…Or drunken reprobates." 'Hojo' paced like a caged tiger, keeping his eyes on Yuffie as he did. "Try to understand: A lot was riding on the Jenova Project, and there was always the chance that our only specimen could suffer irreparable damage. So when I had a perfectly good Turk lying at my feet, bleeding like a stuck pig, I couldn't resist…"
If possible, his voice grew crueler, red eyes bright with the memory. Yuffie shuddered involuntarily.
"I remade this ungrateful sack of garbage from the ground up…the first ever subject to be enhanced with Jenova cells. But unlike Mako transfusions that merely strength their host, I genetically altered his body to match that of Jenova's unique makeup. In short, Vincent Valentine became the second Jenova in captivity. A male Jenova capable of reproduction with mere human females! Half breeds of course, but an endless supply of specimens nonetheless!"
Still leering at Yuffie, he suddenly pulled back his shirtsleeve…slit his wrist with his claw and flicked the blood at them…giggling at their shock as they stepped back and watched the wound heal almost instantly.
"And Vincent would have no problems attracting the ladies, especially with his ability to produce a little thing called Pheromones. A dash of that radar love in the air and they'd come for miles!" He leaned in as if confiding a secret. "If I was you, Kisaragi-dono, I'd wonder about your feelings for Prince Charming here." he winked at Elena. "Especially around your fellow Turk over there."
Elena blushed angrily. "As if!"
Hojo sniffed. "Don't listen to her, Kisaragi-dono. I can practically smell her hormones from here…"
Rude calmly held her back with one large hand as she screamed and lunged at him.
"Damn, Four-eyes…" Reno snickered. "That's a lot to do a guy for poundin' ya old lady."
If the situation hadn't been so grave, Yuffie would have laughed.
The crude remark was more effective than they expected. The literal roar that tore from Hojo's throat vibrated throughout the mansion, cape and hair dancing on the incredible power radiating from his frail form. Crimson lighting danced within his eyes and his face twisted with rage.
"Don't you dare mock me, Turk! I was cast out of her favor because of that bastard! My birthright of power and immortality were almost ruined because him, but I made him pay! I made him wish he'd never even seen that bitch Jen-"
And as if it never happened, Hojo calmed down immensely, the power he'd summoned fading to nothing.
His eyes lost that hellish glow and he held his claw to his heaving chest.
"…Nice try, Turk."
Reno shrugged.
"You're lying…" Yuffie said adamantly.
"Possibly." The sneer returned as he turned back to Yuffie. "To misquote Shakespeare from my little corner of hell: To the last I will grapple with thee, Valentine. And for hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee…"
And he began to laugh uncontrollably…echoing throughout the mansion as if alive…
Until Elena somehow slipped away from Rude, dropping him with one punch to the jaw.
"Owowowowowow…!" She moaned as she held her hand.
Everyone blinked.
"VINCENT!!" Recovering first, Yuffie ran over to him. "What you do that for, Dingus?!"
"He was freaking me out!"
"Real smart, ya bleached bimbo! He won't say anything else now!"
"Who's a bimbo you half dressed tart?!"
Rude calmly walked over and held both women off the floor by the scuff of their necks. Let them dangle and kick and swear at each other until Reno whistled for silence.
"Cut the shit you two!" He hissed. Both women turned away from the other in a huff. "It's almost 3'o clock in the damn morning and we're wasted. Get some sleep upstairs while you can."
"I'll stay here awhile." Rude spoke up as he set Elena and Yuffie down. "Check out a hunch."
"Whatever." Reno knew Rude could go without sleep for days, motioning the other two Turks to pick up the unconscious Vincent.
Rude waited until they had filed out, turning his attention to the table's remains.
"You were a bigger fool than I thought Hojo." He grunted.
He picked a certain book from the pile and resumed reading. Unaware of the shadow that slithered across the ceiling and out the door.
Through the hallway and up the stairs and around the dark mansion until it found its slumbering prey.
"Vincent…"
##
She grabbed the railing as she fell, nearly wrenching her arms from their sockets.
The luminescent void below beckoned. Taunted her.
Elena's screams echoed madly around.
"Don't hurt him!"
Above her, The woman with the violet eyes smirked...scraping her claws along the railing.
Yuffie managed to climb unto the catwalk, spurred by the savage roar that echoed from above.
"Vincent!"
The frighteningly real terror and anguish of the dream faded…Replaced by strange but pleasant sensations Yuffie never felt before.
Vincent was kissing her.
………!
Yuffie ran that through her head a hundred times in one split second.
…Lord these dreams are getting weirder and…oh!
The white-hot tingle that shot down her spine as he rained feathersoft kisses down her neck…that was definitely real enough to wake her up.
"V-Vinnie…?"
He silenced her with another kiss, breaking it to smile at her before claiming her lips again, his claw cool and surprisingly gentle in contrast to the mad spiral of desire his caresses ignited with in her.
Coherent thought quickly became a chore. Gawd, how she had wanted this…
"Lucrecia…"
Still dizzy and drowning from bliss, Yuffie didn't hear that passionate whisper.
But he had.
Like waking from a deep sleep, Vincent slowly became aware of where he truly was…no longer blinded by too fresh memories of his nights with Lucrecia in this same room…eyes widening in stark horror as her phantom faded and harsh reality reclaimed dominance…
With a low animal cry, he flung himself away from her as if burned.
Yuffie blinked in confusion as she regained her senses. What did I do wrong…?
"Gods…Yuffie…I…I didn't…godsyuffieIalmost…"
Death Penalty seemed to leap into his hands…
"NO!"
The shot went wide of his jaw by mere inches…grazing his cheek as the gun flew across the room…Vincent doubling over as Yuffie buried her fist in his stomach and caught him. Held on despite his attempt to dislodge her.
"…Hojo…I almost…get away from me…"
But Yuffie stubbornly held on, fighting the tears that threatened to fall at the pain in his voice.
"It's alright, Vincent…"
"Not alright…Monster…I almost raped you…"
"It wouldn't have been rape, Vincent!"
Eyes wild, He could only stare at her.
The door flew open.
Vincent glimpsed the ugly scowl that crossed Reno's face…welcoming the agony of the Nightstick's charge and sweet approaching oblivion…
"Stop it Reno!" Not caring about her disheveled state, she hurled herself at the two Turks carrying Vincent away…Reno crushing her to his chest even as she beat at him…"He needs my help!"
"His orders, not mine." He said harshly. "He said to personally fry his ass and lock him downstairs if he tried anything…"
An even worse dread filled Yuffie as she realized what he meant, cursing him and struggling even harder to get away…Reno calmly thumbing a nerve and holding her as she collapsed with a final protest…
"It wouldn't have been rape…"
##
Vincent was dimly aware of the Turks dragging him down to his former 'resting-place'. The lingering agony and paralysis was fading as they laid him within 'his' coffin and locked the door.
They paled before his breaking heart anyway.
*Knew it was too good to last. Perhaps now she will see the monster I am…*
"Oh, please… I can't stand how you get all bent out of shape over women…"
Vincent's eyes snapped open.
Hojo.
With an effort, he sat up enough to 'see' the mad scientist lying atop the other coffin.
"Who are you calling mad?" Hojo snorted. "The walking encyclopedia on Aberrant Psychology?"
Vincent lay down and closed his eyes. "Go away…whatever you are. You aren't Hojo."
"True." Hojo waved a hand. "Between that great big purple dinosaur Chaos, and the missile strike that pilot dropped on him, there isn't enough of Hojo to grow in a Petri dish. Speaking of ye purple people eater, I'd better hurry before he comes along to rip me apart again."
"He has my blessing."
Hojo chuckled.
"Be careful what you wish for, Valentine. I'm the only thing keeping your precious Yuffie intact."
A chill shot down Vincent's spine.
"You have considerable willpower, Valentine. Considerable indeed to restrain your 'little family'. But it isn't enough anymore. After all, who do you think was the Gepetto behind your performance upstairs?"
"…The bitch you referred to?"
"Oh yes indeed!" He giggled. "She's the Queen of Hearts in this ass-backwards Wonderland of yours, and I'm the talking doorknob. Without me, all the willpower in the world wouldn't stop Chaos and the others."
"You lie! You made me into this! Why help me?"
Vincent could feel Hojo's smile poisoning the air.
"Because I want you to suffer, Valentine. To know what it's like for a goddess to show you heaven then cast you into hell. And from that hell I watch and laugh, as you weep for salvation and beg for death."
Vincent wished for the strength to rip his throat out as Hojo walked over to sneer at him.
"But even it will find you too repulsive to claim, just as Kisaragi-dono will-"
A massive purple claw enveloped most of his head, Vincent helplessly watching it lift him in the air.
"Always ruining the good part, Tall dark, and gruesome." Hojo sounded bored despite his predicament. "It must really piss you off that with all your power, you can't step on one little bug…"
Chaos casually tossed Hojo into a corner, Vincent hearing a chainsaw and screaming as the others fed on him.
"He's like a turd that won't flush." Chaos grumbled. "Even I get tired of killing him."
"Sucks to be you."
Chaos' expression was priceless. Then he threw back his head and laughed.
"Yuffie is such a good influence on you. Real shame I couldn't finish what I started upstairs." His long tongue snaked out over his lips. "Would've let you watch, of course."
Rage gave Vincent strength, almost reaching Chaos' throat before the creature slammed him back into the coffin with little effort. Darkness crept around the edges of Vincent's vision as Chaos leaned in.
"You…touch her…and I'll kill you…" Vincent spat blood. "I'll kill myself…to keep her safe…"
"And they say romance is dead."
Chaos playfully ruffled Vincent's hair…before raking the talon across his face. Vincent refused to scream. Glared at his alter ego.
"But you waste your passion on the wrong female, my friend. Our mistress has waited so patiently to be reunited with you, and I shan't disappoint her." Chaos mirrored Hojo's smile, his last words following Vincent into the darkness.
"After all, She promised us forever…"
##
Morning came all too soon.
"…Vincent!"
Reno tumbled out of his 'confiscated' chair as Yuffie cried out in her sleep.
"Don't leave me Vincent…"
It had been a long, uncomfortable night for Reno. Being sober hadn't helped either.
But the same nagging voice that browbeat him into watching over her as she slept, now browbeat him into comforting her.
"It's all right." He said soothingly as he stroked her hair and squeezed her hand. "He's still downstairs."
Sleepy gray eyes slowly opened and focused on him. "R-Reno?" Embarrassment flooded her, staining her cheeks pink as she sat up. "You've been here all night?"
"…Part of the job." He stretched and yawned to hide his own discomfort. She'd probably kill him when she remembered last night. Hell, Elena would revive him to kill him again if she found out. "Look, about last night…"
Oddly enough, Yuffie couldn't bring herself to be angry with him. Instead she was…touched at his concern.
Along with last night, It confused the hell out of her.
"…Doing your job, Turkey. Don't worry 'bout it." Reno visibly relaxed at her gruff tone as she walked over to pick up Death Penalty. "Now take me down there."
At this, he scowled. Without even knowing why. "Why not leave him down there for awhile?" He snarled. "At least till I get some Holy water or a stake…"
"That's not funny, Reno!"
"Wasn't meant to be. Last night…"
"Wasn't his fault!"
"Yeah right." Reno snapped. "Yer a regular bride of %^&*ing Frankenstein!"
"Like you give a shit!"
"Maybe I do!"
They glared at each other.
*Where the hell that came from?* They both wondered.
"*&^%" Reno stood up. "Come on then, ain't got all damn day."
The walk downstairs was quiet, each lost in their own thoughts.
*%$#@ Reno! What the hell's amatter with ya?* He scowled inwardly. *So what if she's got a damn fetish over Goth boy? S'not like you mean it when you flirt with her!*
Somehow, as he remembered watching her cry in her sleep over the bastard, he wasn't so sure.
*God I could use a drink…*
*Why do you care what he thinks?* Yuffie berated herself, hugging the rifle to her. *How could a womanizing slob like him understand? Vincent needs me! Reno…Reno was just a stupid crush!*
Images of his many smiles, from rakish to sarcastic, flashed through her mind.
*Gawd! Stop doing that!*
The Turk guarding him saluted Reno as he approached. "At ease. How's Lestat, Roberto?"
The taller of the two smirked underneath his visor. "Sleeping like the dead." Nodded toward his shorter, dreadlocked partner. "Momo here said he heard 'em talking to himself last night," Yuffie blanched. "But it's been quiet since."
Reno dismissed them after they unlocked the door, Yuffie timidly stepping into the doorway. "Vincent?"
The creak of a coffin lid followed her echoing voice. And Vincent stumbled out of the darkness as Yuffie eeped and stepped back.
Rough night was an understatement. He looked like he was recovering from a three day drunk: Cobwebs hung in his disheveled hair and clothes, his red eyes even redder and his skin even paler. He leaned against the doorway for support as he looked wearily at her.
"Vincent!" She grinned stupidly in relief. He was alive! Looked like shit, but alive!
And then Reno was behind her, both hands on her shoulder in a protective guesture as he glared at Vincent.
The room temperature suddenly dropped tremendously.
Jealousy spiraled through Vincent like a flame, his claw biting into the doorway.
*How dare the bastard touch her! She's mine!!*
And just as quickly, the anger left him. And he felt hollow inside at how…right they looked.
*Better a bastard than a raping monster.*
Yuffie shifted uncomfortably in Reno's loose embrace. "Can we talk alone, Reno?"
"Sure." Reno's eyes never left Vincent's. "I'll be right next door."
The unspoken threat was painfully clear to the both of them.
Hurt her and I'll shove a &^%$ing stake through your heart, bloodsucker.
*And I'll let you.* Vincent added.
Yuffie immediately began fussing over Vincent, removing the cobwebs, straightening his clothes, checking for injuries, etc. Her touch was surprisingly gentle, and remembered last night with guilt.
"Don't you dare apologize for last night."
He shut his mouth…tried again…
"And you're not getting rid of me either."
Foiled again, he tried one last time.
"And if you start that monster bullshit I will deck you, Valentine."
Angry now, he went ahead anyway. "Your responsibility is to Wutai, Yuffie…"
She paused. Glared at him.
"Don't you start that shit with me, Vincent Valentine!" She snarled. "You know how psycho Hojo was! If that-that thing last night was telling the truth, what kept Tifa and Aeris from falling all over you? Why didn't Jenova come rape you in middle of the freaking night?!"
*…I didn't think of that.*
"Of course you didn't think of that, Dumbass! You never consider how I feel! You'd gladly go lock yourself in a gawddamned coffin than confide in me, and GAWD am I sick of it!"
"Then you should get the hint and leave me be!" he said harshly. "I don't need your charity!"
She recoiled as if he'd slapped her. Vincent flinched as tears pooled in her eyes.
"Damn you, Vincent Valentine!" she hissed.
He held up his claw.
"Too late for that, Yuffie."
Two years ago, Yuffie would have cursed him and left. Never looking back.
But that was before she'd allowed herself to love him.
Instead she stood her ground, seeing the desperation in his eyes no one else could. Something else had happened last night…Chaos or 'Hojo' had shown him something so horrible he was desperate to drive her away to protect her. Content to suffer alone as long as she was safe.
It scared her. But not as much as losing him.
Wiping her eyes angrily, She buckled Death Penalty into his holster, adjusting and inspecting the straps.
"You're damned alright." She said thickly. "A damned fool with a skull like cement."
He blinked. This wasn't working the way he intended.
"But I'm even more stubborn than you, Vincent Valentine." She suddenly smirked at him. "I can wait until ya finally pull your head out your ass and realize what a good thing you have."
The statement was so bizarre, so utterly Yuffie, he couldn't think of a reply.
Self-conscious all of a sudden, she drew away from him, blushing fiercely as she dragged him along by the claw. "Come on, Vinnie! Lets get this over with and out this freaky mansion!"
Beaten again, he could only sigh.
He could live a thousand years, and he'd never figure her out.
Aquamarine met Crimson for one brief, nerve-wracking moment as they entered, Reno and Vincent mentally killing each other a hundred times before finally focusing on the subject at hand. Yuffie pretended she didn't feel the animosity she'd unwittingly created, smiling carelessly instead of smacking their heads together.
She missed the equally hostile glare from Elena though.
Rude cleared his throat. "Explain what I've shown you, Elena."
Immediately all business as she stood, Elena shoved aside all thoughts of throttling a certain runty ninja.
"Rude had a hunch after last night's…incident. I've double-checked what he found and there's definitely a connection." Steeling herself, she looked Vincent in the eye. "First of all, Hojo wasn't just a Geneticist. He had several degrees in the field of Psychology as well."
"You gots to be kiddin' me…"
Elena ignored Yuffie's remark. "Before he began the Jenova Project, he was experimenting on Persona Replication, a way to transfer a person's memories and other data into another. Cloning was still in its infancy back then, and Hojo's success would solve the mental instabilities the clones suffered. It would also be used to program a person into whatever Shinra wished, from saboteurs to assassins."
She closed her eyes solemnly.
"I think you were the first, Vincent."
She waited for his reaction. Vincent showed none.
"Please continue."
Elena leaned against a shelf. "If what we heard last night was true, we can assume that he implanted several personalities within you, and Jenova's cells gave each of them shape and form. He also created some sort of program based on his persona to keep them contained or something. It may even be possible that you aren't who you think you are, like Cloud."
"Hojo was also a few feathers short a chocobo." Yuffie snarled. "What if that's what he wants Vinnie to think?"
"That may be the case as well." Rude answered. "But it's all we have so far."
Reno stretched and yawned. "Still sounds like a bad sci-fi movie."
"It's just a guess, ok?" Elena said hotly. "There's just as much evidence against my theory so shut up!"
"Don't bite my ^%$#ing head off, Elle!" Reno retorted. "What's with you?"
"I don't know…maybe it because I'm too tired, smelly and sick of this damn mansion to put up with your shit, Reno!" She glared at the others. "What are you looking at?!"
Yuffie ducked behind Vincent. "Nothing."
"No one's arguing with you, Elena." Rude said calmly. "It's a good theory."
Yuffie eyed Rude suspiciously. Every warning bell in her head went off for some reason, but she kept quiet.
"As I was about to say," Elena scratched her hair in frustration, trying to calm down. "Yuffie has a point. Hojo obviously hated Vincent beyond reasoning, enough to mess with our heads. It could even have been one of Vincent's creatures pretending to be Hojo." She allowed an evil smirk to appear. "And Yuffie seems to be the only one affected if Vincent's producing pheromones."
Yuffie turned ten shades of red. "Bite me."
"Any ideas about what's under here?" Vincent asked.
"According to some news clippings I've found." Rude answered. "It was more than a old mine. Some geologist found something down there, but Shinra bought the land and built right over it. The doc…had an accident."
"Weirder and Weirder." Reno twirled his nightstick. "'Ol fat bastard Shinra passing up some ancient relic? Not unless Four-eyes lied and kept whatever's down there to himself."
*This smells.* Yuffie grumbled mentally. *We spend most of the night looking through a hundred dusty books, and Rude finds all this the moment we leave?*
She didn't have to look at Vincent to know he was thinking the same thing.
"Ok, Alice…" Yuffie threw up her hands. "Show us the rabbit hole."
Elena tossed a book at the snickering Reno. "I bet the entrance's in Vincent's…old bedroom." She made a face as she paced. "I really don't think we should go down there now though. We don't have any gear and those tunnels could stretch for miles…Not to mention we've only got a few hours sleep and no one knows we're here…"
She looked up and saw everyone was gone.
"Doh! Wait for me!"
She caught up as they all gathered in the tomb, Vincent and Rude standing by the far wall. "There's probably some sort of hidden switch around here…"
Rude and Vincent nodded at each other in confirmation.
Elena yelped as the wall powered under their fists, revealing empty darkness beyond.
"…Never mind."
In the hallway, one of the shadows opened its purple eyes…watching…
Reno aimed his flashlight within, barely cutting through. "Yo, Vampi. You can see in the dark, right?"
There was a strange hum…and the darkness was banished as the lamps along the walls mysteriously lit up, one after the other. Revealed a cobweb filled tunnel of sorts, an oddball cross between a fishbowl and mine cart sitting on tracks leading god knows where.
Vincent turned to the stunned Reno. Almost smirked.
"No need to."
"Seems the mines still have power, even though the reactor's dead." Elena commented, tapping the strange transport. "Strange."
"Can't we just walk?" Yuffie eyed the transport with distaste, feeling sick just looking at it. "Thing looks like it'll break any minute!"
"Go ahead." Elena sneered. "Tunnel probably stretches ten or twenty miles. Plenty of bats to keep you company for a few days."
Yuffie scowled. "You're gonna wish I had walked when I get done with you." She threatened.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Vincent winced. Yuffie…fast moving object with no windows…
It was a hell of a squeeze, but somehow they all managed to fit inside. Reno scratched his head at the controls for a moment, then shrugged and started tapping buttons and pulling levers…
"Umm…do you know what you're doing, Turkey?"
He flashed her one of his 'ladykiller' smiles. "How hard could it-"
Whatever he said was lost as the transport violently rattled with gathering power…then blasted down the tunnel like a shot…everyone's stomach dropping to their knees as they were flattened against the seats and screamed in terror.
"RRREEEEEEEEEEENNNNNOOOOOOOYYYYOOOOOOUUUUUAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!"
Back in the hallway, Lucrecia detached from the wall, chuckling softly in amusement
"Like rats in a maze…"
Drawing an egg like object from her pocket, she kissed it gently.
"You know what to do."
She dropped it to the floor, watching with a feral smile as it hatched and grew…six spindly legs dragging its rapidly developing mass down the tunnel with alarming speed…
"Urk…Vinnie…"
Vincent immediately ducked under his cape.
"What-"
"UURRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
Ever been on one of those spinning UFO rides when someone hurls?
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!"
Needless to say, the glass was now less…clear.
The roller coaster from hell ended quicker than they expected. Automatic controls slowed the transport as the tunnel widened into a massive cavern…a cavern that could not have been hollowed by nature. Miniature waterfalls flowed down the perfect, glowing walls of crystallized mako, adding a disturbing surrealness to this obviously manmade place.
The occupants were more interested in the waterfalls than the cavern though.
"I'll get you for that Yuffie." Elena scrubbed her hair and suit vigorously. "I swear I will."
"S'not my fault…Urk…"
Surviving the eruption of 'Ol Yuffie' mostly unscathed, Reno lit a cigarette as he looked up…
…jaw going slack as he realized what he was looking at.
"Holy shit…"
Obviously, The miners had found more than they expected when they extended the tunnels into the mountains. Something President Shinra would have sold his soul to possess if he knew it existed.
"Guys…"
Even though they'd never seen one before, everyone recognized the alien beauty and craftsmanship only seen in The Forgotten City. A beauty marred by violence and time, but still recognizable.
An honest to god spaceship. A Cetran spaceship.
TBC!
Author's notes.
*Winces at glares from Vincent fans.*
Whaaat?!
Ok, I admit, the Vincent/Reno/Yuffie thing's a bit much, considering how crappy I've been to Vincent already. Almost didn't do it, 'til I saw this cute pic the other day of Reno standing behind Yuffie with his hands on her shoulders, this "don't &*#^ with us." look on his face. I couldn't resist after that. I promise I won't go overboard, but it won't be pretty.
As for Elena, well…I always got the impression that she's smarter than she looks, after all, the Turks don't seem to hire just anybody. I think she just gets too overzealous or emotional so she seems like a flake. At least that's my opinion. Don't worry, I'm not going to make her a rocket scientist.
I should be churning out the next chapter soon. I promise it'll have more action than these two. As always, I look forward to your comments, everyone!
Hellmasker: ?
Voice of Hojo: Gawd this was tougher than I thought. I'm leaning more toward the actor that plays Scorpius on Farscape, he's good at sounding intelligent, unstable and flat out twisted at the same time, just like Hojo should. And then there's Kevin Bacon, who played a near damn carbon copy of Hojo in Hollow Man. We all know he can play an arrogant sack of shit with the best of them. Suggestions welcome of course!