"Everything goes by, only serenity remains"

-Lao Tse

An attempt to action fanfic starring my favourite character, Vincent. Constructive criticism is very welcome. Flaming, on the other hand, well can't do much about it.

Facing the Ghost

Chapter One: Trio Slaughter.

Red danced from left to right as the golden hue of metal stepped over the glowing sand, under the stinging sun. Eyes as wrathful as only fresh blood can be shone in violence as his thoughts foretold the coming of a strong gale which would give birth to a nigh sandstorm. He looked around, as he saw naught but the plains surrounding Gold Saucer, in exception of course, with the hard-to-miss tower of entertainment itself. The approaching gale led him to faintly cower his face inside his cloak, and keep his tread, ducking slightly sin signs of effort against the wind. Two and a half years have passed since the vanquishing of Sephiroth into the Lifestream, and it seemed that the business of Gold Saucer remained stacked with those willing to drain their wealth into the plentiful attractions, as though they were certain that there would be no tomorrow. The few times Valentine had visited it, while in AVALANCHE, name which he always found a tad cheesy, he had scorned the anxious, hyperactive attitude of those in search for fun. His own attitude, though he knew was far from the best, was at least respectable compared to the one in which grown-ups, supposedly fully mature, would turn into whiny little kids. But he would not blame them, for their hearts had not endured his ache, increasing as the minutes went by, nor had their heads burdened the growls and voices of the demons that floated through his blood. For thirty-two and a half years he had mastered the arts of keeping his countenance stern, and his monsters paced. They spoke to him with thoughts, which in his mind they transformed into horrid, painful textures every time he closed his eyes. And he endured them for a span of thirty years, with his body as locked as his eyelids.

It seemed more than obvious that he headed not to the Gold Saucer. His affairs led him to a less festive place, and, needless to say, much more distrusting. There has been another notorious slaughter in Corel Prison. Though the mind of Vincent had grown immune to the horror of death, a legacy handed in by his job as a Turk, it had been some time since such surreptitious calamities had astonished the peoples from Wutai to Kalm. In his thoughts the fact that none of such news could have any connection whatsoever to Lucrecia, pounded his heart's load with disappointment. But it may have something to do with Hojo.

The theme of battle victory echoed above the surface of the deep lake of the Forgotten Capital. It was the default ringtone for all mobiles.

"Vincent here"

"Please hold on a few seconds." Just then a beep sounded on the other side.

"Must be Reeve"

"Vincent? This is Reeve."

My, what a pleasant surprise Echoed Galian.

"Reeve. How did you manage to get this number?" Vincent's words broke in tune with his voice tone. Even he found them a bit rude.

"Sorry to bother you. News has it something has occurred in Corel Prison. The singing optimistic trio has been slaughtered."

Vincent thought in such moment that he did not care about any cheesy singing team, muttering senseless prose in the middle of a forsaken flesh pile. He then found Reeve's call meaningless and somewhat of an annoyance.

"Who are they?" Asked Vincent, revealing a tail of curiosity in order to relief his previous harsh tone, though he cared not about who had really been murdered. Anyone unfortunate enough to have met his destiny in such place has a better breakthrough in the Lifestream. He suddenly recalled a commentary made by Cloud about such place, leading Vincent to assume that his former team had met such unfortunate event. He repressed his thoughts, seemingly influenced by Hellmasker.

"Nobodies, Vincent. They were despised by every convict in the place. You probably don't know this, but we slightly met them in the place way before we found you in the Shinra Mansion. Anyway, the reason such event has been something to worry about is not the people who were murdered, but how they were murdered. Now being the world-trotter I have heard you have become, this little incident might sound interesting to you. It completely resides in your free will whether to visit the place or not, though if you choose to do so, I would be grateful if you could share the information you can muster. Being a former Turk, this might be fairly easy."

Vincent met with his trademark silence, which echoed as hesitant.

"It's completely up to you. I'll be expecting your call in any case."

"But…" Vincent muttered, only to hear the hang-up beeping sound as an answer.

It was the conversation that practically gave birth to a new age of Vincent's curiosity. How they were murdered, said Reeve. His thought of death sceneries involved mostly bullet-pierced suits and flesh, besides the corpses he left away to rot while in Cloud's company. Even though neither Reeve nor Cait Sith had visited the crime scene, in order for him to show such restive impression over it seemed like something worth wasting time for. Even if it had no relationship with his never-marring life quest, it would at least distract him. Solving a mystery, even if it felt like a hero's role which he was not fit for, could lead him to another perspective which had nothing to do with the princess charming of his life.

Before awareness, he walked near the fences before the small accident on the land. Quiet as the wind was, he crossed the fence door and came into the small, ramshackle village. But just before reaching the crime scene near a junk pile residue, what seemed to be a truck, a rather huge, dark-tanned man approached. Denim Jacket with no undershirt, jeans and a pair of boots, he made his presence even more noticeable, which was useless regarding his aspect.

"What business do you have with the defunct?" The obese man asked.

"I'm here to research the events, the cause and…"

"Look pretty boy, I have no clue where you come from, or who you are, but if you have no relationship whatsoever with any of them, I simply can't let you through. Boss's orders."

To the latter, Vincent figured out that his "partner" was talking about Mr. Coates. He had heard about him before, as a Turk. It seems Coates failed as a clothes salesman in Corel before it fell to ashes. Months after the burning of the village, burglars began to roam around with the lizards, making the surroundings of Corel and the desert a hazardous place to be. After Dyne saved his already wrecked lifestyle from a brigand of thieves, Coates had no other choice but to follow his saviour's orders. It became a habit. During Dio's establishment of the prison, Dyne automatically set himself as at the top of the power pyramid, leaving Mr. Coates to the managing of the village, and the prisoner chocobo races, practically everything that needed to be done. Cait Sith had told everyone the story written in a report which was mainly conformed by Dio's and witnesses' testimonials. After Dyne's death, there was little information to be gathered, and the Shinra had Sephiroth and other matters to attend. Thus Vincent arrived to the conclusion that Mr. Coates was the highest in the Corel prison hierarchy, and the most accurate in information.

"Fair enough. Where's Mr. Coates?"

Vincent could have just lied and said he was some sort of half-brother of some sort. Various reasons led him not to. First of all, though his countenance could not betray him in his treason, he never held a style nor was fond of treachery. There was also the evident part: Vincent's quiet looks and charm had no similarity with any of the men who lied on the floor, for what he could see. And of course there's the entire process of telling a convincing story of how a random man, lying on the floor after who knows how many days, and his own tragic, dark character were deeply entwined in a heart-wrecking life history. Well maybe not heart-wrecking, but even if he could ever muster his utter creativity into a brief story of how they were related, it would all resume itself in muttering and "eh… ah… uhmm."

"And why in this desert's life would you even consider the possibility of having Mr. Coates waste his precious time with the spooky likes of you?" growled the robust man, sprouting a spark of bad breath which floated into Vincent's red cloak.

"What is he doing with his time right now that is so precious? I would rather not think Mr. Coates would want a fourth man resting in his own blood pool." Vincent spoke with a darker voice, which intensified the threat to the point he could she how the man's eyes twitched. He took off rapidly.

That same instant the dark-golden metal feet approached the corpses prudently. Their eyes remained close, which seemed rather strange for Vincent unless they were closed by a third person when they were found. He stood in a gulf created by the sea of blood, so dense yet so vast, a puddle combined consecutively with the one next. The man in the middle had the biggest stain. Red with red, as Vincent's eyes met deeper into the pool as though he was submerged in it, seeing corpses rotten to the skull and yell at him as his stern countenance could hardly hold itself. And soon red became black, and aware of the sun, the metal sparkling as it approached him, and the ghastly scenery just before him, darkness was all his mind thought of. And then it broke into red again.

"Are you the one responsible for the deaths of these men?" asked a man wearing a white suit with a sunset-pink shirt underneath. Mr. Coates had seemingly changed his emerald attire to a rather lucrative and snobbish suit which would fit better on a cactuar. "Did you kill these men, because Hersner here says you did and he-"

"I just arrived. But if it were me, would you be able to do something about it?" Vincent felt he had crossed the line as he spoke dashingly. "I am here on Reeve Tuesti's account to figure out the cause of demise of those three men you have so morbidly left there to rotten. My name is Vincent Valentine."

"Look, Cupid or whatever, things here at Corel Prison do not need explanation. If you're yet another Shinra reporter, please tell President Rufus we do not need a bigger scandal than the one they have already formed." Coates gestured Vincent to take off.

"It's Vincent. Look, it's simple, Coates. I can just have a small talk with Dio and hold you responsible. Then we can go have a talk with the head of the World Restoration Organization back in Midgar an-"

"Alright, alright. Go ahead 'n look at the bodies then". Mr. Coates had no clue what all that big talk was all about. But he knew it was a lot of trouble. On the other hand Vincent was totally bluffing. Even though he hated treachery, this time it was different. Coates may had been hiding something

By the time Coates headed back to the trailer, it was right around noon. Direct sunlight revealed a green substance in the wounds of the men. Though one could think it would be mainly due to the process of rotting, his eyes could tell that the openings in the flesh had been carved from inside out. The jags in the muscles faced outwards, as though the injury came from inwards. It was poisoned flesh, but not coming from the normal Bio magic. One major detail Vincent could not miss: their mouths showed bruises on their sides. Closer yet, inside their mouths, there seemed to be no tongues. The remnant was apparently chewed. To his left side he grabbed with his metal claws a small jar from his pocket, to further collect blood. Once done, he headed to the trailer where Coates was at.

"I've come here to tell you I'm done, Coates. I suggest you at least bury the bodies or burn them. Don't be so sick." Vincent slammed the door, as he had done when he got in. Moments later, as he headed towards the exit fence, a shrilling voice asked him to stop.

"Hey, um, Cloak Guy! Come back!" To these words Vincent was alert. He unleashed his gun, and as he turned, Mr. Coates stood behind him, just about ready to wet his pants. "I would just want to offer you a quick exit through the elevator."

Though the stern character and the demons inside him hated the excessive noise of fireworks and children running like spoiled minions of Sephiroth, he would find it far more comfortable to head to Gold saucer and get back to earth through Corel than going back through the desert to encounter Huge Worms or enemies of some sort. He would beat them easily anyhow, but his mood was not set right for such action; at least after seeing death in such enigmatic expression; even more enigmatic than he could bear. Vincent followed Coates, who led him into the elevator.