Chapter 5: The Island
Jason hurriedly guided Vincent through the Midgar streets. He'd check his wrist watch every so often as if he couldn't afford to be late. Vincent wasn't struggling to keep up with him at all, though his mind was still stuck on the woman on the boat. Something certainly wasn't right with his adoptive "father", if that's what he could be called...
"Where are we going?" Vincent inquired while keeping up to Jason's quick pace.
"You'll see." muttered the bespectacled man vaguely.
Vincent furrowed his brow at the answer. No, he wanted a clear and concise reply. He stopped walking. Jason, noticing the sudden disappearance of the tall raven-haired teenager, quickly turned on his heel and faced Vincent.
"Why are you stopping again, hm?" He asked in an annoyed manner. It seemed that his patience was running thin and the already very sinister look in his eye seemed to be much more dangerous.
"Tell me where you're going now." Vincent forcefully commanded. His rising anger didn't seem to phase the man opposite him on the busy city streets, though. He merely sneered as he did when Vincent told him to pay the female sailor.
"We're going to where I live." was his answer. It wasn't good enough though. Vincent figured that much out already and he didn't need information he already knew.
Jason noticed how Vincent refused to follow him. He couldn't afford to lose him, though, so he decided that vague and mysterious wasn't going to help him accomplish anything.
Sighing in mock defeat, he said, "We're going to an island up north."
Vincent glared suspiciously at the small man before reluctantly recommencing in following him. An island up north was something he could think about, so during the following moments of walking, he tried to think of northern islands. He could only think of two places that were pretty much inhabitable from what his teachers had taught him. Maybe it was the northern continent where the Icicle Inn was located. Somehow he doubted that...
They turned a corner to a more empty space where there was a medium sized, one story, windowless building and a row of aircrafts. They were at an aircraft strip. Jason gestured for Vincent to continue following him even though there really was no need. The entrance of the building was locked when they arrived at the door, though. Jason growled impatiently before jabbing the intercom button. It took a while before a reply came from the tiny speaker.
"AirCurrent Aircrafts, how may we help you?" came the scratchy male voice.
"I need a plane." Jason stated simply.
"State your name and stand in front of the camera."
Jason rolled his eyes and jabbed the intercom buzzer stating only his first name and stepping into the view of the security camera. He glared at the small lens that just stared back at him.
"Oh, sorry, sir. It's you."
There was a buzzing sound before the door lock clicked open. Jason yanked it open and told Vincent to go inside. Vincent did so without a word and Jason followed right behind him. The interior of the AirCurret Aircrafts building was very plain. There was the entrance and a door on the opposite side of a narrow hallway. Down the hallway was a room with only a few chairs and a counter where a tall woman in a white blouse and a black skirt sat. Vincent and Jason went to the counter.
"I'm so sorry Jason, but it's been at least five years since you've been here and you know how nosy those ShinRa workers are." the woman explained, "We've had to tighten security and even use a voice warper to make me sound like a man."
Jason smirked and waved it off. "Just get me my usual aircraft and I'll be off."
The woman nodded and typed away at her computer. While she did this, Vincent contemplated some things.
Five years...
How very coincidental that Tifa should be adopted five years ago and that Jason came here at least five years ago... Vincent shook off the thought. It was what he thought it... Just a coincident. He had doubts, though.
The woman was finished processing the information. She nodded at Jason while giving him a paper. The man thanked her before leaning over the counter.
"Spill a word to Shinra and you'll pay the consequences." He whispered maliciously. Vincent only heard the name Shinra, but the cruel and dangerous look on his adopter's face chilled him.
The woman glanced fearfully at Jason, then looked away nodding furiously. She knew very well what the consequences were and she didn't intend to fall victim to them. No, she'd definitely stay quiet about this sinister man. Her life depended on it anyway. Jason was satisfied with this, and after one last malicious glance at the frightened woman, he walked back down the hall. Vincent hesitated following him and looked at the woman. She was silent, but he was certain that she was petrified.
"What are you waiting for, boy? Follow me!" Jason snapped at him from the end of the hall, his hand on the handle of the door opposite the entrance. He was getting impatient with Vincent's defiance and hesitation. He knew the boy was beginning to suspect him, so if they did things quickly, he wouldn't have to worry about him escaping.
Vincent wasn't phased by the sudden sharpness of the older man's voice. Although he didn't wish to follow him, he did so anyway. Something pulled him to this place they were going to. He felt as if a promise would be fulfilled if he went. No matter how sinister Jason's intentions seemed, he needed to follow him. So it was decided... he wouldn't hesitate anymore. He would go and find the promise he was looking for. With this decision, he walked confidently down the hall. And he knew he was diving head first into danger.
Jason smirked. He would get his next subject after all. Once Vincent arrived by his side, he opened the door and they came to a black room. Jason flipped a light switch and giant lights flickered on. The room was actually a large garage containing one jet. Vincent followed Jason to it and they both boarded the aircraft, which seemed to be smaller than the ones outside. Jason started the engines and the garage door began to open, revealing the daylight outside. He waited a few moments for the engines to warm up before setting the jet in motion. It moved forward, rolling out of the garage and onto a track. It gained speed. Faster and faster it went until it finally shot off the land and into the sky. Vincent found this experience exhilarating since he'd never been on a plane, but he was less thrilled since he was with Jason, who he now loathed to no end.
The minutes went by in silence. Before, Vincent could see the outlines of land on the horizon, but now they were flying over an endless expanse of blue. The beauty of the sea enraptured Vincent. It seemed like it could go on forever...
He looked at the short man, who was now concentrating on flying the speedy aircraft. Vincent wondered how Jason knew how to fly a jet. What was his profession? Where did he come from? What did he intend to do with him? There were so many questions to ask, but none could be answered... at least, for the moment.
It was nearing an hour of flight when Vincent saw a strange mist on the horizon. It was then that he noticed how the sky got darker the closer they came to the strange mist. It seemed that a storm was approaching, but Vincent said nothing.
Ten minutes passed and they were now very close to the mysterious fog, and the clouds were now as grey as ever. They entered the fog and there seemed to be a certain turbulence. The jet was now shaking and Vincent was getting nervous. All around was a sinister grey, like an empty space. But something dangerous was lingering in the grey void around... and it was coming.
Jason was not at all phased by the circumstances. He actually seemed quite confident in the fog. He actually looked more at ease than he had been throughout their whole journey. Vincent took this as a bad sign and prepared himself.
The shaking became more violent and still Jason was at ease. Vincent was holding on to the armrests of the seat. His knuckles were whiter than usual and his brow was perspiring. He could have sworn that he saw a pair of eyes through the fog... And what was that? He thought he saw a movement, like a flapping of wings, but the creature who produced it was not visible. All this shock was causing Vincent to panic, but he forced himself to calm down. They're only birds, he told himself.
After what seemed like forever, they emerged from the fog to an island. The dark grey clouds swirled over the small piece of land. This was the place that they gathered. All that could be seen on the island were trees, but with his keen eyesight, Vincent spotted a white building in the distance. It was just a small bit of it that he saw, but he was certain that it was there.
The jet was descending onto the beach where a man in a dirty lab coat stood. Sand was blowing everywhere as the jet neared the beach, but he didn't seem to care whether it got on him or if the salty waves hit his black shoes. He seemed to be frozen.
When the aircraft landed and Vincent and Jason could get off, the man was fully visible. He had dark hair and his lab coat looked like it hadn't been washed in years. That wasn't what mattered to Vincent, though. What intrigued the seventeen year old was that while he approached the aircraft, he moved like a zombie; slow and lifeless. When he was close enough to see his eyes, they were empty pools of white.
The zombie-like man seemed to know what he was doing as he shuffled over to the aircraft. He climbed into the jet and waited for Jason and Vincent to leave the vicinity. Jason was starting to walk away already, but then he noticed how Vincent was entranced by how lifeless the man was. He impatiently strode over there and harshly grabbed the teenager's wrist. He yanked him over into the forest and once they were far enough from the aircraft, it set off up into the air, flying towards somewhere on the island. Once it was out of view, Vincent felt as if his only means of escape had been snatched away from him. He was trapped.
The silence of the forest was unnerving. Vincent was frozen while Jason studied him. Yes, he would serve as a very good experiment.