Chapter 3 (Part 2)

Death always prevails ...

Well, what was the excuse now? It had been a long time, but not much had changed.

Nothing seemed to change.

The same streets were filled with the homeless, the abandoned, the distraught and hopeless, and nothing changed at all. Yet, no one in Midgar remembered the names, or the reasoning of why the sectors were even constructed into the city. It was all forgotten over time, a time which Vincent was born, yet no longer belonged to anymore...

It was...depressing.

"I am sorry. Durramarung no longer resides in this time... I am from SECTOR 5 slums...It wasn't a slum back then, though." The Turks stared at Vincent for what felt like a long time. The long, drawn out silence was broke by, as usual, Reno.

"So what? You were a slum rat, big deal. So were we...'cept for Tseng, of course. His dad was-

"Top West Division of the Shin-Ra Research and Developement...He was my subordinate...And a mur..." Vincent trailed off of his sentence as the eyes and ears of those surrounding him turned their attention quickly. "It...is not important now. I am sorry for indulging in such ban-"

"Did you know my dad too?" Reno jumped in just as Vincent was finishing his sentence. A look of annoyance found its familiar place on the former Turks face as he reeled back into his seat and released a heavy sigh from his chest.

"Yes...I did, and you are just like him..."

"Just like my dad, huh. Hey did you hear that Rude?" Reno's partner nodded quickly. "You know, I don't think that my dad ever talked about anyone like you before. Did he work under you as well?"

"...yes."

"Hey, just what happened to you back then anyway Vincent? I mean, you were sealed away for thirty years, right?" Elena asked so ernestly. "I mean, it was Hojo who tried to do you in, but you survived and he made you into a monster-OH! I'm so sorry Vincent! I didn't..." Then she began to think of what she'd just said to the man. Did I just apologize to him? Just what the hell is wrong with me! And why are we all being so nice to this jerk? He and his friends were the ones who put Tseng in the critical condition he was in for so long. He could've died because of these jerks...

And then Elena glanced at Vincent. She couldn't help but feel pitiful for the man. From what she'd learned over the past year was that Vincent had to be one for pity. The woman he loved was dead and the man responsible, along with his son, were both the only connection he had left to her and now they were both gone. She sighed quietly and offered another cookie to the man, whoaccepted modestly.

/"Hojo!"/ Vincent ran into the quarters where Hojo was standing. The

man seemed to be waiting for him. It was unfortunate that he forgot his

weapon back at the inn where he left Lucrecia. How could he be so

stupid? How could he be so ignorant to not see that Hojo would

harm his own wife in order to keep an experiment going? It didn't

matter now. All that mattered was that he go down to convince Hojo

to save her and the unborn child.

Hojo stood in the middle of the room...alone. Professor Gast was no

where to be found at all. Vincent saw that the mad man was standing

there, smiling like a shark, smiling because he knew what had happened

to her and his own unborn child, smiling because they were dying

due to his irresponsible actions.

/"Hojo! What did you do to her! She was your wife-And your child?

What will happen to him!"/

/"Oh no! OH, NO!"/ The man yelled out in a sarcastic way, running his

fingers wildly through his short black hair, and he was still smiling. /"I

thought that thatman had killed you by now! Oh, there you are...and

here he is. HeheheHEHEHEHEHEHEHEhehehehe!"/ Hojo was out

of his mind, that was for sure. Vincent was stunned by the mad man's

riddles, but not enough to take revenge. Even if Hojo had a gun or not,

it wouldn't be hard to kill the man, not that man.

/"Hojo! You're gonna pay for what you did to Lucrecia! For what you

did to her and her child!" /

Hojo suddenly pointed at Vincent and jerked back as if he were firing a

gun.

Then, a shot rang out. Vincent fell to the ground as he heard faint footsteps

come into the room from behind. And just before everything went dark, He

could recollect the familiar faces that piered down at him. It was almost enough to

make him sick, if he weren't already unconscieous.

/Bastard...you tried to kill me.../

/And then successfully made me into.../

/Into a monster.../

/Are you proud of yourself.../

/What would shethink of you .../

/If she saw just what you did, Sei?.../

/Just get outta here.../

/And live your life like the bastard-rat you are.../

/Goodbye...Lucrecia.../