A/N: Due to the active nature of this chapter, and the fact they are separated, you will get to see some of what's going on with Tifa...you just won't see her thoughts, only Vincent's.
Chapter 6 – The Fiber of Being
I told you so
She's still herself, it's just a fluke. She's been under stress.
Then suit your own denial. It's what your best at.
Vincent was alone in the hollow tube of a room. The silence suited him, if it were not for Chaos's naggings; he might be inclined to relax.
Still...cursing? At Elena? She's just a child, naïve and stubborn.
Vincent had secretly admired Elena's tenacity; it reminded him of his younger self at times. He saw the Turk as a mentor would see her.
She's not acting right either...what is it with women?
He lightly chuckled at his private joke. The musings could go on for days...
Unfortunately, they didn't.
CRASH!!!
It rang loud in his ears...too loud. He reached for his gun...but it was not in its holster.
Almost forgot, damn punk. He deserves a sound beating.
He looked around. Something had changed...something was different about the room.
A door.
It nearly blended in with the rest of the walls, and the handle was only a vertical slit of an indent, so subtle and masterfully camouflaged.
Was this here the whole time...?
Although his mind questioned it, his body went for it; grasping the edge of the indent with his claw...and pulling the door open with full force.
He tried to stifle the scream that rose from his throat.
No. Not that.
Elsewhere...
"No," Tifa breathed out, barely letting the word rise from her lips. She looked as if death had given her a kiss goodnight.
The figure loomed ahead of her, staring intently into her wide frightened eyes...and grinned.
"Hello, Tifa," he said, the sinister curl of his lip spitting out the words.
"Hello..." she said, her eyes never leaving the face, afraid to look away, "...Sephiroth."
The curl disappeared, and he held up his sword, so light a thing in his hands, and began to move past her.
She began to breathe again. And dared turn her head.
He was standing in front of Reno now, staring down at the Turk, sword clasped between both hands, with the blade inches in front of Reno's face.
Reno stared back, a superficially rebellious stare.
Elena's hands were trembling at her sides...a look of Tseng with etched in her face. Tifa wanted to go to her, but her legs would not obey her mind.
"The gun, Turk," the powerful voice rumbled. Reno gave a quick flash of submission with his eyes, and slowly his hands began to obey his will. One pale hand lifted the Death Penalty towards the General, as his large hand accepted the weapon. His glowing eyes lingered on the metal of the gun for an instant, and then flashed a warning to the unarmed man.
"Tifa," he said, still staring at Reno. The Turk's resolve would not last for much longer, he looked like he would launch at the tall man at any moment. She reluctantly moved towards the figure as if under a spell of sluggishness. She could not take her eyes off of him, out of fear or something more horrifying.
"Take this to him," he said, still looking away from her, the gun held out to his side. Her body did not question the action, and gingerly accepted the weapon in her shaky hands.
For a flash of an instant, he turned to her, "Follow the scream."
With that, she awakened and fled from the room.
In the strange room...
Did I just scream?
He did not want to acknowledge the man standing in front of him. He did not want to process what his eyes were seeing.
"Hojo," he said, as if uttering a curse to destroy the world. The hunched figure grinned.
"Only a little," he replied, shifted his weight and leaning a little more forward, "Only in appearance."
Then what the hell are you?
"I'm the visual manifestation of your darkest feelings," he sneered, the odd lighting of the room producing a glare on his glasses that obscured his eyes, "I am not a part of you, like your demons...but I can hear your thoughts."
How convenient.
"You can call me Obsession," he said, sneering out the last word, "I've been watching you for quite some time now."
"Then what are you doing here? Where am I? What happened to me?" Vincent sprayed the line of questions into the air, with the erratic precision of a graffiti artist.
How long have you been watching me?
"I'll answer the last question..." Obsession whispered obscenely, "for the others are far too dull..."
Vincent leaned in closer, like a schoolboy learning a dirty word.
"Since she came along," he rasped out, smiling at Vincent's horrified expression.
Lucrecia. How many more ills will I suffer on your behalf?
"I'm afraid that if you don't act," Obsession grunted, "I will have to hand you over to my brother..."
Brother? What a family...
"Of course," Obsession mused, "He is already detained with a lovely piece of flesh. I think you know her..." His smile only lifted one side of his mouth, and he looked mid spasm.
"Vincent!" a thin female voice shrieked somewhere behind him.
Tifa.
Obsession evaporated in the air, his glasses disappearing last. Vincent cursed under his breath.
"What happened?" Tifa said, shakily clutching the Death Penalty to her chest. He reached his hand out to accept the weapon.
"Thank you..." he said hesitantly, ignoring her question, "Are they...hurt?" He was gently grabbing her hand so that her raw knuckles were in plain view.
She didn't...cringe.
She staring at her own hand, puzzled by the contact. "N-not much anymore," she said, clearly distracted. His eyes began to focus beyond her, just past her shoulder.
"Hello Sephiroth," he said calmly, still holding Tifa's bloodied hand. She nearly jumped at the mention of the name.
Hello my obsession's son.
"Are you another specter?" he asked, letting his eyes glance at the still frozen Tifa.
"No," the powerful voice uttered, "I am flesh...unfortunately."
"Then this is not your original body," Vincent said, as Tifa shot him a surprised look. He finally let go of her hand, and she detracted it slowly, pulling it down in a fist at her side. Sephiroth watched them with a feline curiosity.
"No, it is not," he answered, "It is wrought of a newly dead corpse." Tifa's face crinkled at the mention of this, and her pallor grew paler.
You have left something unfinished. I only hope that Lucrecia got to you in time...
"W-what do you want?" Tifa said in a small voice, refusing to turn and look at the madman.
"Something more satisfying than revenge," he said with an even and cryptic tone. With that phrase she turned to him staring at his glowing eyes.
"Much more satisfying," he said more insistently, staring at Vincent with an unreadable expression.
Maybe we can find it...
Tifa could only look at his upper half, her eyes not wanting to see blood on the Masamune.
I couldn't help bringing Sephy back...but I'm going to say this already...there will be no Tifa/Sephiroth or Vincent/Sephiroth! I just can't write that...so sorry for you fans of all that. Hope you enjoy the action and introduction of a "character". Any feedback is always welcome!