Chapter 8

As Squall led her away, she wondered where they were going.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to the Shin-Ra building to get Vincent back."

"Why didn't you go after him first, instead of me?"

"I figured he could handle himself better."

"So you think I'm defenseless," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" He hadn't quite heard what she had said.

"Nothing." They walked on without another word.

Vincent woke up in an all too familiar room. Nothing but a cot and four walls. He sat up and tried to remember what happened. I was with Squall, and, someone knocked me out. It had to be one of the Turks, but who? As if in answer to his question, Tseng walked in.

"It's nice to see you're finally up Vincent," Tseng said. "Rufus has been waiting for you and is growing impatient. I was sent to-"

"I know what you were sent for," Vincent snapped. He knew all to well what Turks did. "So what are you waiting for? Escort me to Rufus so we can get this over with." Vincent got up and waited for Tseng. Tseng showed him the way, although they both knew he hadn't forgotten.

"Vincent, good to see you again," Rufus greeted him.

"What do you want?"

"My, my, suspicious aren't we?"

"Just get to it."

"Very well. I want you to tell me everything you know concerning that girl Litta."

"I don't know much. No one does."

"Tell me what you do know."

"I know as much as you do. Tell me what you know and I'll know if I have any new information for you."

"Vincent, I could kill you right now, but I'd rather not. If you don't cooperate though, I'm afraid I might become impatient. You wouldn't want that now would you?"

"Litta-" he was interrupted by the alarm.

"Intruders, intruders," was what it repeated over and over again.

"It seems you have business to take care of Rufus," Vincent said.

"I have Turks to do that for me. Now, you were saying-" now he was interrupted by gun shots in the hall. Before he could do anything Squall and Litta came through the door.

"Well, just the person I was looking for." Rufus looked at Litta.

"Vincent, let's go," Squall said.

"Not so fast." Tseng was behind them, along with Rude.

"Fine, we'll beat you nice and slow then," Squall taunted them.

"That's not what's going to happen." He pulled out his gun and fired. Squall reflected it with his blade. It just missed Rude. Rude pulled out a gun but Litta fired hers and hit him in the shoulder.

"Tseng, shoot her!" Rude yelled while he healed himself. Before Tseng could fire though, Rufus told everyone to stop.

"No one is to shoot anyone else. Not even you Tseng."

"Vincent come on, we're getting out of here. You can't tell us not to shoot Rufus," Squall told him. Tseng blocked the door so Squall couldn't leave.

"Move or I'll shoot." Rude grabbed Litta and held a gun to her head.

"If you don't give us your weapons," Rufus said as he looked past Squall at Rude, "then he'll shoot her." Squall looked. He dropped his sword. Vincent dropped his weapons as well.

"Good." Rufus said. "Now that we're all getting along better, we can talk. But I don't want to talk to all of you at once. Rude, take Litta and Squall to another room while I finish talking with Vincent." Tseng took Litta from Rude and took her out. Squall followed, having Rude's gun in his back.

"You stay here," Tseng told Litta. She recognized the room as the one she had been in last time she was here. But then again, they all looked alike so she couldn't be sure.

"Where's Squall?" She noticed he wasn't behind them anymore.

"Rufus had something special in mind for Squall. I'm afraid you won't be seeing him."

"Why? What are you doing to him?" She was almost screaming in Tseng's face.

"No need to yell. We're just seeing what information he knows."

"What are you doing to him though?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Now stay here and I'll be back for you later." He left her alone and locked the door. There was only a cot against a wall. She sat down to think.

What are they going to do to Squall? And what information are they trying to get out of him? Could it have to do with me? Why do I cause so much trouble? That's all I'm good for. She fell asleep after a while. She never heard Tseng come in later.

Squall slowly woke up. He remembered Rude knocked him out. He found himself hanging on a wall hooked up to some machine.

"What's going on?" he mumbled.

"Don't worry." He looked up to see Tseng standing with some other man. "You'll know soon enough. You know what to do," he told the other man. Obviously a doctor or scientist of some sort.

"Where's Litta?"

"She's safe, for now. She'll stay that way longer if you cooperate with us. Turn it on." Squall felt the electrical charges. He didn't yell. "Hmmm. No cry of pain. So, who is Litta? What's so special about her that has Rufus so worried?"

"I don't know who she is." Another charge.

"You're lying. Who is she?" No answer. "If you don't start cooperating I might bring her in here and make you talk."

"You can't make me talk," Squall said, even though he knew it wasn't true.

"You and I both know that's not true. Now, what's so special about her?" He was getting impatient.

"I probably know as much as Rufus. Why don't you ask him what he knows?"

"I'm growing impatient." He nodded at the other man and Squall knew what was coming. He still didn't yell out in pain as Tseng was hoping.

"All I know is that she doesn't remember her past."

"Go on." Maybe I can just lie myself out of this and keep Litta safe for now. But what do I say? He thought of something fast.

"She woke up in Esthar not knowing anything when she was 15, so she's been wandering around ever since." Tseng said nothing, so Squall went on. "Her father was a scientist who was killed by Shin-Ra, and she left with her mother."

"Go on." He had Tseng's full attention now. At least he won't get Litta now, or electrocute me. Hopefully I can keep this up.

"They ran away to Kalm and stayed there hiding from you. Her mom knew what her father had been up to so when she was found by you, you killed her. Litta ran away because she was scared. You weren't able to find her again."

"Hmmm. I'll be back. Keep him in line while I go talk to Rufus." Tseng walked out of the room.

"So you just do whatever they tell you to?" Squall asked the man.

"Shut up."

"Don't you ever wonder what you're doing?"

"Shut up."

"Are you afraid if you don't do what they tell you they'll kill you?"

"Shut up!" He turned on the machine for a few seconds.

"Can't you see what they're doing? They're hurting innocent people. Do you really want to be a part of that?" The man said nothing. "Why don't you let me go and I'll help you get out of here." Still nothing. Am I getting through?

"You can't protect me from them. No one can."

"I can. I have friends in high places. They'll help you."

"No. But I'll-" The door opened and Tseng came in.

"Let him down." The man did. "Come with me Squall. Rufus wants me to put you in a room so he can talk to you in the morning." He led Squall to a room on another floor.

"When do I see Rufus?"

"Tomorrow. Now get some sleep, while you can. I have other business to attend to." Squall wondered what had happened to Vincent.

"So where were we Vincent?" Rufus asked.

"I was about to tell you about Litta."

"That's right. What do you know?"

"She doesn't really remember her past."

"I knew that. She told me that the first time I talked with her. What else do you know? Who are her parents?" I'll just have to make something up until he's satisfied.

"Her father was a scientist," Vincent lied. "You killed him and his wife. Litta ran away and you couldn't find her."

"Go on." Before he could though, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," Rufus called out. Tseng came in.

"Squall talked."

"What did he say?" Tseng told him everything Squall had said. "I see. Well Vincent, it seems that you weren't lying to me. Or you and Squall are very good at lying." He took Tseng outside for a private word.

"What shall I do with him now?"

"Put him in a room so I can talk to him tomorrow."

"And the girl?"

"Have some fun tonight." Tseng smiled. He knew what that meant.

"Thank you sir." He left to do what Rufus had told him. Rufus went back in his office. Vincent had gone out the window.

"I'll get you Vincent," Rufus muttered. He decided he would continue with interrogations in the morning.

Litta woke up when someone punched her in the stomach. "Wake up," she was told. She slowly opened her eyes to see another punch coming. She held her stomach.

"What do you want?"

"Rufus gave me the night off, and permission to have some fun with you." He smiled, but she hated the look on his face.

"What did he mean by fun?" He answered by punching her in the stomach, knocking her off the bed. I guess that answers my question. He came over to where she had fallen and kicked her in the stomach. He kicked her more than once, and then kicked her in the face.

He pulled her up by her hair and threw her across the room. He came over and knelt down on her, with his knee putting his whole weight on her chest. He was making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

"Get...off...me," she gasped.

"Am I hurting you?" She couldn't answer because he dug his knee deeper in still. "Would you like me to stop?" She couldn't answer. She couldn't breathe anymore. She felt the blackness creeping in to her eyes. Just before she fully blacked out Tseng suddenly stood up off her. She blacked out completely.

Vincent had escaped out of Rufus' window and climbed around to the other side of the building. He knew where they were keeping Litta, and he peeked into her room. He saw Tseng with his knew jammed into her chest, and her gasping for air. He slowly, quietly opened the window and jumped in. He had pulled Tseng off before Tseng even knew what had happened.

"Where did you come from?"

"Get out of here," was all Vincent said.

"I don't think I'm going to be the one leaving." Tseng pulled out his gun and shot Vincent several times in the stomach. He caught Vincent before he hit the ground, and checked his pulse. It stopped. "He won't be causing Rufus any more trouble." He left Litta where she lay.

"Vincent's dead?" Rufus couldn't believe that after all this time Vincent Valentine was finally dead.

"He had no pulse. No one could live much longer after being shot that many times."

"Well, you know what to do with the body." Tseng nodded and left without another word. "Oh and Tseng," he turned. "Bring Squall here." Tseng nodded again. He handed Vincent's body to someone else and went to fetch Squall.

"What do you want?" Squall asked when Tseng walked into his room.

"I see you're already awake. You need to came with me and have a little chat with Rufus."

"What if I don't want to?"

"You don't have a choice in the matter."

"Where are Vincent and Litta?"

"Litta is probably still unconscious and lying on the floor where I left her. As for Vincent, well I just can't say."

"Why is Litta unconscious?" Squall shouted. "And what did you do to Vincent?"

"My, but we are quick to accuse aren't we? What makes you think I did anything to Vincent?"

"You must have, otherwise you would have said what happened."

"Get up. You need to talk to Rufus."

"I'm not moving until you tell me how my friends are." Tseng pulled out his gun and pointed it at Squall.

"Move or I'll shoot."

"If Rufus wants to talk to me then you won't shoot me."

"Who said I would shoot you?" Squall got up and went where Tseng directed.

"Sit down Squall," Rufus told him. "How did you sleep?"

"What do you want Rufus?" He was in no mood for small talk.

"Well if you wish to get straight to the point. What do you know about Litta?"

"Didn't Tseng tell you what I said last night?"

"Yes, but I have reason to believe you're lying. So what do you really know?"

"I know no more than you do," Squall stated simply.

"I see we'll have to do this the hard way." He pushed the intercom button on his desk. "Bring her in." The door opened and Tseng shoved Litta inside. Squall saw how beat up and exhausted she looked.

"What did you do to her?" Squall yelled.

"No need to yell. We can hear you just fine. Now, if you want to keep your friend from any further suffering, tell me what you know about her." Squall thought for a second. I can't lie with her in the room, but if I tell the truth I'll die and so will Vincent. What do I do? "I'm waiting for your answer."

"I'm thinking, hold on," Squall snapped. Rufus nodded and Tseng twisted Litta's arm behind her back. A little more and he would break it.

"I'm not a patient man, Squall. So you had better think faster."

"Fine, she's Vincent's daughter." Litta showed a little surprise, just enough to make Rufus consider it.

"Anything else?"

"No, isn't that enough. Maybe you'd like to talk to Vincent about this. He would know more than me."

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

"Why not?"

"That's none of your concern."

"You know perfectly well that it's my concern. Now what have you done to him?" Squall was worried that something horrible had happened.

"He's dead!" Litta burst out. Tseng hit her hard across the face and she fell to the ground. She didn't move, she had been knocked unconscious by Tseng again.

"What!" Squall was furious now. He wasn't sitting down anymore and he walked towards Rufus. "Why did you kill him?"

"I was not in control of that situation." He looked at Tseng.

"He was interfering with-"

"INTERFERING!" Squall was livid. Even Rufus was startled by his outburst. Squall turned to face Tseng. "You killed him because he was interfering!"

"Yes," Tseng said hesitantly.

"What was he interfering with?"

"I was having a little fun with Litta and he pulled me off and tried to get me to stop."

"Is that what you call fun?" Squall pointed at where Litta lay on the floor.

"To me, yes," Tseng said calmly. He was still a little afraid of Squall though.

Squall said nothing for a long while, and no one dared talk to him either. He clenched and unclenched his fists, and stared hard at nothing in particular. What now? Vincent's dead, Litta's unconscious, and I have no power to save either one right now. I can't keep lying, only now they won't be able to check it with Vincent so they won't be as sure if I'm lying.

"If you still expect me to say anything to you," Squall said with forced calmness, "you are sorely mistaken. I want to be taken back to my room." When no one moved, he said, "Now!" Rufus nodded and Tseng took him back to his room, then Litta back to hers.

"I had no idea Vincent would affect Squall that way. He means more to Squall than I expected."

"What now sir? He's not going to tell us anything."

"He will talk. I'll see to that." Rufus turned towards the window and Tseng left the room.

What do I do now? They will make me talk by using Litta, and I don't know how much longer my lies will last. They'll figure out soon enough that everything I've said is a lie. Once they find that out, who's to say they won't kill me too. I doubt they'll kill Litta, she's too important to them. Even they know that. I need to get her out of here, but how?

At that moment, a hole was blown through the wall between his room and Litta's. He saw Sephiroth come through the newly made opening. He went into Litta's room and saw how battered and beaten she was. He turned and looked at Squall.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It was Tseng." Squall could tell Sephiroth didn't believe him. "Go ask Rufus yourself. It was Tseng that also killed Vincent." That got Sephiroth's attention.

"Valentine is dead?" Squall nodded. Sephiroth blew another hole through the doors and left. Squall assumed he was going to see Rufus. He took the chance and grabbed Litta. She was conscious, but still asleep. He woke her up.

"What happened?"

"Sephiroth is here. We need to leave while we have the chance. Can you walk?"

"I don't think so. Where's Vincent's body?" She knew there had to be a way to save him.

"We can worry about that later, but right now we need to get out before we die as well."

"I guess." He picked her up gently and carried her out of the building. When they reached the forest he set her down. "What about Vincent's body? After I found out from Tseng that he was dead, I haven't been able to think of anything else. Isn't there some way we can save him?"

"If I can get his body, I think I can save him. I have magic called Full-Life. You can guess what it does." She nodded. "I'll go back and get his body. If I'm not back in one hour, get away from here. Head to Wutai and stay with Yuffie."

"I won't need to go to Yuffie. You'll be back."

"Just in case I don't, you know what to do." He turned around and left.

Just in case...just in case he dies? But he won't die, he can't. What would I do without him? I would have to listen to Sephiroth, and do whatever he told me to do. I couldn't do that. Even I know what that could mean. She kept thinking, until she realized it had almost been an hour. She slowly got to her feet.

"Where are you Squall?" she thought aloud. Soon she heard gun shots. Then nothing. She waited a few more minutes, and when she was about to leave Squall ran up with Vincent's body. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Hold on while I try to heal Vincent." He laid the body on the ground and said, "Full-Life". Nothing happened. He tried again, but still nothing. He kept trying, and on the fourth or fifth time, Litta noticed Vincent's body start to glow. He stood up.

"Thank you Squall." Squall only nodded.

"Can you walk?" Vincent started walking to answer his question. "Good. We need to keep moving and stay clear of Sephiroth." Vincent turned around.

"What about Sephiroth?" Squall told him. Then Vincent looked at Litta. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling ok, I guess." She didn't really want to say she felt about ready to collapse. If Vincent knew she was lying he didn't say anything. "Thank you for stopping Tseng."

"Your welcome. I'm glad I could."

"Litta," Squall looked at her. "Can you walk yet, or do you still need help?"

"I think I might be able to walk." She started walking towards them, but couldn't get past the third step. Squall came over and picked her up again. He led them away from Shin-Ra, but before long Vincent asked Squall an important question.

"Where are we going?" Squall didn't answer right away. He didn't know.

"Wherever we can get away from Sephiroth," he said at last.

"That won't be an easy place to find." Before they could talk anymore, Sephiroth flew above them and landed in front of them.

"Hand over my daughter, and I might let you live." He gave them no room to move.

"Shouldn't you ask her if that's what she wants?" Vincent asked him.

"I don't need to ask my daughter what's best for her. Now hand her over before I take her from you." Neither moved. Sephiroth put up his hand and levitated Litta in the air. He slowly brought her over to his side, and he caught her in his arms.

"Give her back Sephiroth," Squall told him.

"Why should I? She's my daughter."

"You don't deserve to have her for a daughter."

"And why not?" Squall didn't answer. "Well then, if you'll excuse me. I'll be taking my daughter with me, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't interfere." He lifted himself along with Litta up into the air and flew off.

"Great!" Squall attacked the tree closest to him. "Now what are we going to do? He's got Litta and the Turks are after us."

"Calm down Squall. Getting angry won't bring Litta back to us."

"Well what will?" Vincent thought for a moment.

"I don't know. I don't know if we can beat him, and I don't know what he plans to do with Litta. All I do know is that we ought to follow the direction he went, maybe catch up to him, and stay ahead of the Turks. Perhaps we can come up with more of a plan as we go." Squall shrugged. All he could think about was what he would do to Sephiroth if he hurt Litta.

"So which way did he go?" Vincent walked and Squall followed. They didn't talk, neither really wanting to be disturbed by the other. They walked for hours before stopping to take a rest.