Hello
Hello! Another week, another chapter. Thanks to all of you for the reviews for the last chapter. I really enjoy reading them! Thanks for the happy birthday's as well! Alrighty, lets get this chapter running shall we? Hope you all enjoy! Thanks for reading and reviewing! –Annubis
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Squaresoft does.
Chapter 25
"Vincent…?" The woman asked quietly. She stared at him silently, looking him up and down.
'He hasn't changed…not at all.' She shook her head as tears slid down her cheeks.
"Lucrecia!" Vincent felt adrenaline running through his veins. He had not felt so much excitement since before Hojo got his hands on him so many years ago. He started to run towards the woman, wanting to hold her, wanting to kiss her, wanting to be with her like so long ago.
"Stop! Stay back!" The woman rejected him. She put her hands out in front of him, pushing him away. She could not, did not want to touch him. It would be too much for her. Vincent paused. In a second every ounce of joy he had was crushed and thrown to the fires of hell. The tall, dark man lowered his head. He felt millions of eyes upon him. That was what he felt that day, the day he lost her.
Vincent followed the three lab coats as they neared the front gate to the Shinra mansion. He pulled his navy suit jacket lower, a nervous gesture he had. One after another the scientists walked through the gate, preparing for their new work. Vincent took a deep breath and cleared his throat. The third scientist, a woman, turned her head in his direction.
"What is it?" The brunette asked. Her brown eyes lit up when she smiled at him.
"I would like to talk with you." Vincent said to her. She smiled and wrapped her arm around his. He shuddered slightly under her touch. She was the only one who ever made him feel that way. Together they walked to the center of the small town.
"What is it, Vincent?" She giggled. He looked at her nervously and then shifted his gaze to his feet. "You wanted to talk?"
"Lucrecia…" He said quietly. He turned to her and placed his hand in his coat pocket. "I…I have something for you." He stared into her eyes.
"Oh? What is it?" She asked with curiosity. Her long ponytail shifted over her shoulder as she tilted her head. Vincent found himself unable to move, he was too nervous. He could only stare at her beautiful face, her shining brown eyes, her smiling pink lips were parted slightly showing her white teeth.
"…" He silently pulled an item from his pocket and grabbed her hands. She stared at him, watching him as he placed a small box into her hands.
"What's this?" She looked down at the box.
"A gift…" Vincent said plainly. His dark bangs hid one of his reddish tinted eyes. Lucrecia always commented on his eyes, how they almost appeared a blood red in a certain light.
"…What for?" She asked quietly, her voice sounded nervous.
"Open it." Vincent shifted his weight. He wondered why she had not lifted the lid yet. Her hesitation made him slightly uncomfortable. Lucrecia did not look back into his eyes. She stared at the lid of the box and finally slid her hand over it. Her delicate pull gently lifted the small lid. She blinked quickly as the object inside the box glittered from the sunlight.
"Oh!" She looked up quickly at Vincent. He was blushing slightly. He placed a hand on the side of his head and ran it through his hair slowly. Tears immediately welled in her eyes.
"…So…? What do you say?" Vincent asked. He had a wide grin. He obviously surprised the woman.
"…" She did not respond. She just stared at the dark haired Turk and closed the box quickly. Tears fell down her cheeks as she shoved the box into his hands and turned away from him. Vincent felt the box slip from his hands as the woman trotted away towards the Shinra Mansion. He was not expecting that at all.
"Lucrecia…" He whispered. He found himself unable to move. He did not know what to do now. He was so sure that things were going to work out. Vincent turned and walked slowly back towards the mansion. She was out of sight, and had taken his heart with her.
The walk was long and slow. The sky was beginning to grow dark. The storm clouds were nearing and the wind was beginning to pick up. As much as Vincent hated to go back to the Shinra Mansion, he had too. It was his duty to protect them and make sure everything went according to plan. Tonight was going to be very awkward. He lifted his head to find the most unbelievable sight. There was a couple by the front gate of the Shinra Mansion. They had their arms wrapped around each other kissing, oblivious to the world. Vincent felt his breath stop; there was no life in him anymore. He stared for a moment as Lucrecia pulled Professor Hojo into her arms.
"…" Vincent scoffed and turned away from the mansion. There was no way he was going back. Not after that.
'If she is happy…then…I don't mind…' Vincent lied to himself.
Lucrecia held her head in her hands as she stared out the window of her bedroom in the Nibelheim Inn. She sighed slowly as the sun hid behind clouds and lowered. She had been staring outside for hours and did not seem to want to move. She did not want to do anything. The rain came down quietly, pelting against the glass and into the window sill, onto her desk. Lucrecia stood up slowly and closed the window. She plopped onto her chair again, staring through the window at the dark mansion in the distance.
'He warned me about him…He told me not to get close to him. I should not have let my love life get into the way of work. I should never have gotten so close to Vincent.' Lucrecia sighed. She knew deep down that it was not true. She felt that it was the complete opposite. She let work get in the way of her love life. It was ruining her, and it was all too late.
"We have to complete our assignment. No matter the cost." The chestnut haired woman laid her head into her arms on the desk.
"I'm against it! Why experiment on humans!?" Vincent brought his hands into the air. He glared across the room at the two scientists, Hojo and Lucrecia.
"She and I are both scientists!" Hojo stepped in front of the woman. He glared at the Turk in front of him.
"This is bullshit." Vincent spat and turned quickly, leaving the basement.
Lucrecia lay on the operation table in the basement of the mansion. She was breathing heavily and felt very weak. It was hard keeping her eyes open.
'Am…I dieing?' The woman thought to herself. She had lost a lot of blood during the birth but Hojo told her she would be fine. A cry sounded from behind her.
"I…I want to see him." She whispered. A moment later Hojo came to her side carrying a small baby boy in his arms. The child had bright green eyes. They stared at Lucrecia. She felt a chill run down her spine. Lucrecia lifted a hand out, wanting to hold the child.
"S, Sephiroth…" She muttered.
"Not yet. So much to do…so much to do." Hojo turned from the woman and left her alone in the cold basement to pass out on the table.
'My son…You will do great things…' Lucrecia thought and felt the darkness surround her. She had lost consciousness.
Lucrecia walked slowly across her room. She had been feeling pains ever since the birth. She was weak and had no energy at all.
"I want to see…my son." The woman whispered. She stumbled as she tried to reach her bed. "Sephiroth…" The woman whispered as she tumbled to the floor.
Lucrecia slept well on the floor that night. She dreamt about the nights in Midgar. The nights she shared with a certain dark haired man were the happiest of her life. She dreamt about them laughing together, going to movies, going to dinner, and holding each other during the cold nights. As time passed while she was on the floor, her dreams seemed endless, replaying her life with Vincent. A smile crossed her face.
"You know it's wrong!" Vincent shouted.
"You know nothing of this operation." Hojo slapped the table next to him in the lab.
"I know nothing of this operation!? I'm here through it all, I've witnessed it all! What you're doing is inhumane! You're nothing but a monster!" Vincent took a step forward. He knew he should not have been in this fight, but Hojo had gone too far. After seeing what he had done to the child, Vincent decided it was his responsibility to step forward.
"What did you say!?" Hojo stuffed his hands into his lab coat.
"You're nothing but a heartless monster! You don't deserve her love, you don't deserve that child!" Vincent felt himself losing control. He should not have mentioned Lucrecia. "You will only create more monsters, and you will die by them and burn in hell!" The Turk clenched his fists.
"No…" Hojo clenched his hair. He was getting out of control.
'He has no right to say those things to me! I am his superior! He is endangering the objective! I cannot let him!' Hojo reached into his lab pocket again.
"I'm taking them. Both of them and we're getting the hell out of here." Vincent began to turn to leave the mad scientist.
"NO!" Hojo's scream and spastic movements alerted Vincent. He faced the scientist quickly. 'BANG'. The sound was loud. Vincent stopped a moment. That sound was from a gunshot. Hojo had a gun in his hands, a large sadistic grin spread from ear to ear on his face.
"I'm not the monster…you are." Hojo whispered.
"…" Vincent felt a sharp pain in his gut. He looked down at his hand covering the sting. It was covered with blood. The red fluid poured from the wound. The Turk brought his eyes up to Hojo's as he fell to his knees. He looked back down at his hand and fell forward onto the cold cement floor.
"I'll show you who the monster is." Hojo spat as he set the gun on the table next to him.
'So cold…' Vincent thought to himself. He opened his eyes slowly and saw the bright light above him. He sat up quickly, knocking the light over. It crashed loudly as it hit the cement floor. Vincent looked around him.
'I'm not dead…?' He turned his head down; looking at the table he was on. There were specks of blood and other liquids covering the surface. He swung his legs over the side of the table and sighed. He opened his eyes wide when he noticed a shining metal to his left. He trembled slightly as he moved his gaze.
"Ah!" Vincent cried out. He held up his left arm. It was adorned with a metallic claw. It hurt to move. Vincent stared at the object and hunched forward, crying out, he wrapped his arms around his bare chest. He noticed a piece of glass from the broken lamp. He stared at his glowing red eyes in the reflection. Hojo did this. Hojo made him into a monster. Vincent covered his face, crying in frustration, anger, pain and loss. He failed miserably. This was his punishment.
"Lucrecia…" Vincent mumbled.
"Lucrecia. You're alive." Vincent muttered. He could no longer look into her eyes. He was full of shame.
"I wanted to disappear…I couldn't be with anyone. I wanted to die…" The woman whispered. "But the Jenova inside of me wouldn't let me…die…"
She shook her head slowly and sniffed. She looked absolutely miserable. Seeing Vincent was like seeing a ghost. He should have been dead. It was a painful reminder of the incident that occurred half a lifetime ago.
"Lately, I've dreamt a lot of Sephiroth. My dear…dear child." She wept. "Ever since he was born, I never got to hold him. Not even once! You can't call me his mother…That is my sin…" Lucrecia looked down at the glowing crystals around her.
Vincent approached her again. He hated seeing her cry. He wanted to hold onto her, like in the old days.
"Back! Stay back!" She shouted again, holding her arms out. He stopped abruptly.
"Vincent…won't you please tell me?" Lucrecia managed to say after a few minutes.
"…What?" Vincent asked simply.
"Is Sephiroth still alive? I heard he died five years ago…But I dream of him so often. And I know that physically, like me, he can't die so easily. Please, Vincent, tell me…" She stumbled slightly and sat down on her knees.
"…" Vincent remained silent for a moment. Cloud stepped forward, but Vincent held up his claw, waving him back.
"Lucrecia…Sephiroth is dead…" Vincent said to her softly. Lucrecia fell forward, crying. She covered her head, and quavered. Everyone left silently, leaving Vincent alone with the woman. He stared at her wordlessly, not saying anything.
"…Go…" The woman said. "Just…leave, Vincent."
Vincent lowered his head; his long hair hid his features. He turned quickly, not saying a word. His footsteps echoed in the large cave. He brought his right hand to his face, wiping away a solitary tear. He thought he would never feel that pain again, but she proved him wrong. She always could prove him wrong. It was what she was best at.
The man slowly made his way to the submarine, ready to leave. There was too much to do right now. He would come back later when he got the chance. He knew he should not, but she always lured him to her, just to break him again.
"You alright?" Vincent felt a hand touch his shoulder. He looked to his side. Zack was there, giving him a reassuring smile.
"Let's go." Vincent replied.
The group's footsteps echoed through the large stone room. They arrived quickly to the City of the Ancients. Aeris carried the staff like key in front of her. She approached the fountain like structure in the center.
"So…how does this fountain thing work?" Yuffie asked.
"It's not a fountain." Zack cocked his head.
"Then what is it, smart ass?" Cid muttered.
"A music box." Aeris joined in.
"A music box?" Yuffie smiled. "That's a ginormous music box!"
"We slide the key in here." Aeris said plainly and slid the key into a large crack. The blue crystals vibrated and the main pillar in the shrine shifted into the ground. Water flowed from the top of the shrine creating a curtain around the entire room.
"Looks like a fountain to me." Yuffie stuck out her tongue.
"Hooo hoo!" Bugenhagen and the others stared up at the flowing water. "It's a projection!" Many images flew across the screen of water.
"What's it mean?" Tifa asked.
"That's…me." Aeris gawked at the screen.
"What's the point if it shows something we already know?" Cid folded his arms.
"Look…" Cloud pointed. The materia Aeris had, was glowing in the projection screen. She was atop the altar in the city, before Sephiroth tried to kill her.
"It's glowing, but…" Aeris covered her mouth. "I didn't." She shook her head.
"Interesting. Very interesting indeed." Bugenhagen pulled on the orb in Aeris' hair. "It's glowing now."
"It is?" Aeris reached and pulled the orb from her hair and stared at it. "But I wasn't successful."
"Maybe, you were." Bugenhagen hooted.
"But I'm still alive." Aeris looked down at the orb.
"Is it possible the planet chose for you to live?" Bugenhagen asked.
"I don't know. I didn't think so. Wouldn't that hinder the strength of Holy? Besides… why hasn't it stopped meteor yet?" Aeris stared at the glowing orb.
"Something is getting in its way." Bugenhagen said.
"Sephiroth." Aeris growled.
"If you defeat him, then Holy will get a chance." The old man explained.
"Why doesn't it glow all the time?" Aeris shook the materia.
"Can I see it?" Zack reached for the orb. It glowed brilliantly by his touch.
"How are you doing that!?" Aeris put her hands on her hips. She was getting quite frustrated with Zack's abilities.
"Now that is very interesting." The old man neared Zack.
"What does this mean?" Zack asked.
"Can you summon Holy?" Bugenhagen asked.
"Are you kiddin' me? I'm not an Ancient." Zack stared at the bright materia.
"Are you sure of that? Maybe you didn't used to be, but now you are." Grandpa answered.
"Thanks to Hojo." Cloud raised his eyebrows at Zack.
"No thanks to him." Zack scoffed and handed the materia to Aeris. He turned from the group and stared at the projection screen.
"Zack…?" Aeris whispered.
"Whoa! Hey, sorry to burst the bubble here, folks. But we got a problem." Cait Sith ruined the silence.
"Now what?" Cloud looked at the robotic animal.
"Ya remember the Junon cannon that was missing? Well Rufus actually moved it." Cait Sith informed.
"What!? Where!? Why?" Cloud asked.
"He wants to destroy Sephiroth with it, but it runs offa Huge Materia. Since it was all used in the Rocket Plan the cannon is useless." The cat stared at his PHS. "He decided to move it…to a place where materia…no Mako is gathered." He finalized.
"And where the hell is that!?" Cloud asked nervously. He already knew the answer. They had to hurry. They all rushed into the Highwind, leaving the Ancient City alone and deserted. Cid started the engine and immediately an alarm went off.
"What the hell!?" Cid pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.
"What's going on?" Barret looked around and stared at Cait Sith. "Yo! What the hell is your problem!?"
"Whoa! Sorry…" Cait Sith's body twitched and rocked. "My controls went crazy there for a minute. I'm afraid we have worse news."
"What!?" Zack leaned forward.
"WEAPON!" Cait Sith flailed his arms.
"WEAPON!?" Everyone panicked.
"Where's it heading?" Cloud rubbed his temples.
"M, Midgar…" Cait Sith stuttered.
"Well…we're getting' our asses over there!" Cid rolled the aircraft violently, sending many passengers onto their rears.
"Watch it!" Yuffie hollered as she tripped over Red.
"But…what about grandpa?" Red whined.
"We'll drop him off on the way!" Cid growled in frustration. He had to hurry.
"That's why, Reeve, it's your job to adjust the reactor's output." President Rufus informed the man.
"I see…" Reeve looked away from the president. He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Kya haha! Don't worry about adjusting it, Reeve." Scarlet swayed her hips. "Once you open it up, everything will go full speed!" The blonde woman ran a hand around Reeve's shoulders. He rolled his eyes in disgust.
"Gya haha! The president sure has done it this time. If we can defeat Sephiroth, the idea that meteor will disappear is based on different objectives." Heidegger patted his large belly.
"Please remember, Mr. President…it was my idea to fire Mako reactor powered shells." Scarlet waved at Rufus innocently. Her red painted nails glistened in the light.
"Will the shells actually reach the northern crater?" The president asked with a bit of annoyance. He had too many things on his mind at the time to worry about.
"Of course!" She cackled and folded her arms, lifting her cleavage slightly. "But, please don't call it a Mako Cannon. Its name is, The Sister Ray!" She said admiringly.
"…Right…" Rufus pulled a few strands of hair from his face.
'Have they found Hojo yet?' Rufus felt a bead of sweat drip from his forehead. He allowed Tseng and the others to be head of the Hojo operation. Elena was taken with them despite her weakened state. He hoped they all would come back safely. He did not want to think of the possibility of Hojo's army killing them all.
"Is it ready to fire yet!?" Rufus shouted.
"Uh…yes sir. Preparations are now ready." Heidegger saluted.
"Anytime is fine, sir." Scarlet said.
"…Fire." Rufus rested his chin in his hand.
The cannon lit brightly in the darkening sky. The green Mako energy flowed from the machine and the reactors surrounding the upper city. The Sister Ray droned as the power built up and it prepared to fire. Vibrations shook the city as WEAPON neared from the coast. Bright blue light beamed from the cannon, sucking all outside energy with it. The force was amazing, shattering all glass and outside structures of the Shinra building. The beam of light flew straight for the WEAPON.
"Which direction is it attacking from?" Tifa hollered. AVALANCHE was standing out on the bridge of the Highwind.
"Midgar!" Red XIII snarled.
"It's there!? Already!?" Tifa squint her eyes as they approached the continent. "There it is!" She pointed off the coast.
"At least he's moving slowly." Zack said as he pulled out his sword.
"And what the hell do you think your doing?" Barret looked at the man in disbelief.
"Well…we gotta destroy it, before it destroys Midgar." Zack smirked.
"You're one crazy son of a #." Barret chuckled. He reached into his pocket and grabbed a couple of clips. "I'm right there with ya. Gotta protect my girl!" Barret began to sweat.
'Marlene…' he frowned.
The Highwind lowered towards the coast. The screeching monster was feet away from the ship.
"He better not shoot at my plane!" Cid shouted.
"Cid, keep this plane flying. Lower the ladder so we can climb down. We'll give it our best shot, but we might need an escape route." Cloud explained.
"Aye, Sir!" Cid saluted and raised the plane.
"Okay…who's coming with me?" Cloud looked over his shoulder. He smiled when he saw everyone with their gear and weapons.
"You're not going any where without me." Zack squeezed the handle of his sword.
"Then, let's not keep him waiting!" Cloud smirked and leapt over the railing of the bridge and slid down the ladder. The others followed.
"Alright! Let's kick some ass!" Zack jumped from the plane onto WEAPON's shoulder and sliced away at its face.
"Damn, boy! You're crazy!" Cid shouted over the plane's intercom.
"No…he's just a badass." Cloud laughed to himself. "Come on, everyone! Don't let him steal all the spotlight!"
"Fire!" Barret shouted, shooting at the beast's midsection. Vincent joined in. His Remington took chunks of the monster's flesh.
"Oh boy…" Tifa took a deep breath. 'I gotta get close to that thing.'
"I'm coming with you." A soft voice sounded behind her.
"Aeris?" Tifa looked back at the woman. She held onto her staff tightly.
"Ready?" Aeris asked. Tifa clenched her fists and nodded. Together the two women charged for the monster's ankles.
"The bigger they are!" Tifa laughed and kicked WEAPON.
Everyone continued their barrage on the monster, taking bits and pieces off of it. WEAPON, however, was still moving towards Midgar. It did pause every couple of steps to swipe at Zack.
"It's slowing down!" Yuffie cheered as she launched a ninja star into one of its eyes. The monster spun quickly, flailing it arms.
"WHOA!! Watch it, you're gonna get me killed!" Zack shouted.
"No. You can't die, remember." A voice called from the other side of the monster's head.
"Cloud?" Zack moved his head to the side, trying to see who was on the other side of the monster's face.
"Let's kill this #!" Cloud shouted again. Together the two men sliced and impaled the beast's face and shoulders. It wailed with pain and reached for them.
"Look out!" A voice called from below. The colossal WEAPON snatched Cloud and lifted him into the air. As it did this, it opened many flaps of skin and scales, exposing its weapons.
"IT'S GONNA FIRE!!" Zack hollered.
"CLOUD!" Tifa screamed over the battle field.
'Shit!' Zack jumped towards the top of the monster's head. 'He's gonna toss Cloud like a rag doll, there's no way he'll survive the drop.' Zack cursed and leapt onto the other shoulder and ran down the monster's arm length. Cloud grunted with pain as it squeezed him tightly. His head bobbed as he tried to cut into its hand. WEAPON shook Cloud.
"Gah!" He choked and lost his grip. Cloud's sword flew to the ground below.
"HEADS UP!" Zack shouted as the blade cut into the ground a few feet away from Red XIII.
'Oh? That was a little too close…' The animal stared at the blade for a moment and then charged WEAPON's legs.
"Cloud!" Zack stabbed the beast's wrist. The monster screeched and released its doll.
"Grab on!" Zack reached out for Cloud. The blonde man was caught around the bangle on his wrist. It cut into him, but wasn't loose enough to slide off. Cloud hissed in pain. Zack reached down with his other hand, loosing balance from WEAPON's flailing arm. He pulled quickly, lifting the man onto the monster's lower arm. Zack grabbed Cloud by the belt, getting a better grip. The two men fell back, resting on the monster's forearm.
"You alright-?" Zack asked as he flung over the side of the monster's arm. He stabbed the arm and pulled himself back up. The ex-SOLDIER wiped his forehead and laughed nervously. "Bastard…Come on, we need to get offa this thing." Zack helped Cloud to his feet.
"Thanks…" Cloud said quietly. A low growl sounded from the beast as bright energy flowed from the opening flaps on its body.
"It's gonna fire. Get your asses back up here!" Cid shouted and lowered the plane.
"Everyone, board the plane! The cannon is ready to fire as well!" Cait Sith's voice rang out into the air. The ladder dropped and the others quickly began climbing.
"There's our cue!" Zack shouted and ran up WEAPON's arm. He jumped over its head, landing and rolling down its other shoulder. He tumbled sideways for a moment and then slid on his side. He brought his two feet underneath him and lurched forward jumping onto the Highwind's bridge. He hit the grated metal hard and turned quickly and got to his feet.
"Come on, Cloud!" Zack reached for the blonde as he struggled to get to the end of the shoulder. WEAPON and Junon Canon were preparing to fire, and Cloud was about to be in the middle of it. A flicker of light shown on the top of the Shinra building just as the beast opened fire. Cloud leapt forwards, Zack leaned over the rail, reaching for the boy.
"Grab!" Zack screamed as he caught Cloud under his arms. It was an awkward grab and Cloud's weight tugged at Zack. He slid quickly over the railing as the Highwind took off away from WEAPON. The two men screamed in fear. There was a quick tug at Zack's boots.
"You two need to be more careful…" A monotone voice said as Zack and Cloud was pulled back onto the bridge.
"Oh…Vincent!" Zack gasped for air. "MY HERO! I could just kiss you!" He laughed.
"What?" Vincent took a step away from the man.
"Check that out!" Zack said amazed. He quickly got to his feet.
Bright lights flew from WEAPON. It was firing back at the Junon Cannon. The blue beam from the cannon collided with the blasts that weapon sent and a huge flame of white light scorched the sky. The blue beam, however, wasn't through and soared towards the giant monster. It seared through the middle of its chest and sped off past him. WEAPON stopped quickly and fell backwards hitting the waters violently. A large wave soared towards the city and crashed against the lower plate's walls.
"Damn!" Barret looked over the rail, staring at the beam as it flew under the Highwind and out of sight.
"It went right through it!!" Zack hooted.
"I see…That's it!" Cloud jumped up in excitement. "They're going after Sephiroth! The crater on the Northern boundary!" Cloud pointed in the crater's direction.
"Unbelievable. You think it worked!?" Aeris clasped her hands.
The beam shot through the mountains, melting the snow on the points. It cracked through rocks, and continued on its path for the crater. It sprayed in all directions as it hit the barrier protecting Sephiroth. The power screeched as it melted through the wall. Sephiroth's blockade did not stand a chance against the planet's power.
Rufus stood in his office, staring out the window. He had an uneasy feeling about what was about to happen.
"Sir! WEAPONs been defeated! The barrier has disappeared!" a voice called out of the intercom in his office. Rufus took a sigh of relief and walked towards his desk. At least there was one bit of good news.
"Sir! There's some high-density energy heading this way!" the voice called out again. Rufus ran towards the window and looked at the people in the streets below. They looked like ants scurrying for food. They ran for their homes, for their basements. Others hid in restaurants and any other close building for protection.
'This is not happening…' Rufus felt his heart stop.
He watched as beams of light scorched the city and blew up many of the reactors all around. One certain beam, the largest of them all headed right for the Shinra building. His blue eyes stared at the light, awaiting its blow. He blinked once. Within that one blink a million thoughts ran through his head. Thoughts of his mother when he was young, thoughts of his friends he played with on the playground, the girl he first kissed, his father's death, the people's death, the crashing of sector seven, and then Sephiroth. The light consumed his office instantly. He didn't feel anything, just a rush of heat. He heard the crushing sound, like ice, and then a low, deafening boom. And that was all. There was nothing left. No thoughts, no sounds, just darkness.
"Hoo boy!" Cid puffed. "Looks like we're free to get his ass any time we're ready!" Cid looked over at the Northern Crater.
"So the barrier is really gone!? That's great! Well, what are we waiting for, let's get him!" Zack grinned.
"Are you nuts?" Yuffie asked.
"Well…we got to…one way or another. It's not like we can just avoid him forever." Zack scratched his head.
"We have another problem…" Cait Sith chimed in.
"WHAT NOW!?" Cloud and Zack slapped their foreheads.
"Th, that was the President's office!" Elena shouted. She was still a little drowsy but was capable of understanding what was going on.
"No…" Tseng shook his head. "It…can't be."
"The president…he was up there?" Rude gulped.
"No #&' way! He can't be dead! There's no way he can be dead!" Reno stomped his feet. He felt panic take over. "What the hell are we gonna do!?"
"We have to be calm. We gotta find Hojo. Come on!" Tseng led the group through the streets. Many soldiers were dispatched to find Hojo. Tseng hoped he was the one to find him first. He owed the man.
"What!? No way! There's no possible way!" Scarlet screeched.
"What are you talking about?" Heidegger asked the woman. She pointed a shaking finger to the top of the Shinra building.
"R, Rufus!" She wept.
"The President!" Reeve looked upwards. He pulled out a PHS.
"No! Reeve! You have to stop it!" Scarlet slapped the man in the shoulder.
"What!?" He looked at her.
"The Sister Ray! It's trying to fire again! It at least needs three hours before it can manage to fire once again!" The blonde's hair was a mess and falling from her hair pins. She looked like a nervous wreck.
"I…I can't! I have no control over it!" Reeve ran up the stairs to the top platform where the mainframe was. "Hojo!"
"Hee hee! I'll give you all the Mako energy you need, my son! Show them what you can do!" Hojo giggled with delight as he pressed the buttons on the mainframe, taking complete control over all the Mako reactors and the Sister Ray.
"Hojo Stop! Don't use the cannon! Midgar is in danger! You'll kill us all!" Reeve ran to the psychotic man and tried to shove him away. Hojo spun quickly, a long tentacle swung out, smacking Reeve in the chest. The dark haired man scooted across the floor.
"Reeve!" Scarlet screamed. "Hojo, what the hell is wrong with you!?" The woman cursed at him. Hojo glared at her with menacing eyes. She stumbled slightly, her heels getting caught in the grated metal, she tripped backwards.
"My, my…what a perfect specimen!" Hojo licked his lips as he neared the woman.
"You stay away from her!" Reeve shouted. He stood up slowly, his white shirt torn and a cut on his chest. Blood oozed from the wound. His slick, dark hair was now disheveled. Hojo turned quickly.
"And what do you plan on doing?" The man's hand turned into a tentacle once again.
'He's transforming at will. How!?' Reeve gasped and ran for Scarlet. He helped her up and they headed down the metal grated stairs.
"Heidegger! Get the machine!" Reeve called out. The fat man watched what had happened. He turned and ran away in fear.
"Who made you boss?" The fat man asked.
"Just do it, damn it!" Reeve grabbed his PHS.
"It's Hojo, he's controlling the canon and plans on using it again! There's no way that it'll hold. He's endangering the entire city and the lives of everyone!" Cait Sith informed the group.
"Damn it!" Zack punched the palm of his hand.
"Go Cid! GO!" Cloud ordered the pilot.
"Getting there! Shit!" Cid bit his cigarette and pulled hard onto the Highwind, turning it sharp and knocking everyone over again.
"Man, you can fly…" Barret toppled over.
"Course I can!" Cid retorted.
"No way! Are you serious!? Okay, okay! Yeah we're on our way!" Reno closed his phone. "Guess what Reeve found!" Reno sang out.
"Where is he?" Tseng asked.
"He's on the mainframe for the Junon Cannon. He plans on firing it again." Reno frowned. "Which isn't supposed to happen cause all of Midgar will go down. It needs at least three hours to charge."
"Damn!" Tseng growled in frustration. "We have to hurry. Elena…"
"I'm coming with you! There's no way in hell I'm staying here!" The blonde stood up. She'd have to put up with the pain. There were more important issues at hand.
"We have to hurry! I'm not sure if we can make it in time." The Turks sprinted for the Shinra building. "It'll be quicker if we use the underground and back alleys. We can't stop!"
"Hmmm… yes, Yes! Almost there. Preparations are almost complete." Hojo cackled. "Yes, yes…show them your power. Eliminate them all. Show them what you're made of. Kill that failed experiment and his friends. Kill that…ZACK!" Hojo hissed.
"What are you doing?" A voice alerted the scientist.
"Huh? You want to try and stop me?" Hojo turned towards the group of soldiers who were running up the steps, their boots clanging against the metal.
"Halt! Under the order of the president, you are to be captured and taken into the prison cells." One man shouted.
"The president!? THE PRESIDENT!?" Hojo cackled. "Are you men stupid!? There is no president! He's dead!" Hojo pointed a long, dirty finger at the top of the Shinra building.
"No! It…can't be." the soldier gasped.
"Under the order of the Turks, you are to be taken in." another soldier joined in.
"Tell me…was it under the order of dead or alive?" Hojo took a couple of steps towards the men.
"…" The soldiers looked at each other. Their orders were to keep the man alive so the president could deal with him, but now the president was dead and they did not know what the answer was.
"Haha! I see…I see how it is. Well, you can tell the Turks where I am…I'd love to catch up with them." Hojo grinned and snaked a tentacle around one of the soldier's throats. "Don't mess with the gods!" Hojo cackled.
"Gods!?" One soldier asked and opened fire on the scientist. Hojo darted from side to side, dodging the bullets as they flew by his head.
'He moves…like a god. No…he moves like a demon.' A soldier thought.
"Don't you think…10 against one is a little unfair?" Hojo asked.
"Not if the odds are on our side." One soldier replied and threw a grenade at the scientist. Hojo batted it with his tentacle arm, sending the bomb back to the man's face. It exploded immediately. He and the surrounding soldiers flew over the stairs.
"Oh, but the odds aren't. You better get more troops." Hojo turned to the last five remaining soldiers.
"I, I already called for reinforcements." one stuttered.
"Oh…? And about how many will that be? I wanna know how much time I have." Hojo bent forward preparing to lunge.
"The rest of the army." one said proudly.
"What fun! Sorry, but that takes too much time. I'll have to add some players!" Hojo raised his arms into the air and screeched loudly. The soldiers covered their ears. A soft rumble sounded up the stairs towards the men.
"I would like for you to play with my army, if you wouldn't mind. They haven't played in so long, I was worried about them." Hojo cackled and turned back to the mainframe as his dead army sauntered up the metal stairs and onto the platform.
"Don't let any of them distract me. I really wouldn't want to be bothered right now." Hojo ordered and went back to work.
"W, what are those things!?" one soldier turned his attention to a death ninja.
"I'm not worried about those…I'm worried about that!" another pointed towards the bottom of the stairs as a giant armored man ascended atop a massive beast.
"There's no way! They can't be real!" one soldier shouted as he pumped the death ninja's bodies full of lead.
"They aren't real! They're already dead! They're not alive!" They panicked, wanting to leave and be away from this nightmare. A low growl sounded from behind them.
"What was that!?" one soldier turned around to get bitten in the throat by a strange beast.
"Ah! There's animals as well!" they screamed and ran to the corners of the platform. "We need reinforcements NOW!" one screamed into his radio.
"We gotta hurry, who knows how long he's been at it!" Cloud shouted to the group.
'I'll kill him…I owe him.' Vincent huffed and ran even faster. "Keep up!" He yelled over his shoulder.
"Looks like Vincent wants to race!" Zack hollered. "Don't let him beat ya'! There won't be anything left for us if he gets there first!"
"Fine by me!" Yuffie gasped for air.
Zack and Vincent sprinted side by side. Cloud was close after, but the others were falling behind. Zack grinned. Having Vincent and Cloud by his side was the best match. They turned around the corners underground, taking the quick route to the Shinra building.
"You know where you're going?" Barret asked.
"Sure do, we trained in these tunnels!" Zack answered.
"Keep heading north, we'll be there in no time!" Cait Sith reported.
'I sense something is wrong. What's happening?' Vincent felt the demons inside of him scratching and screaming. He ran quicker, his cape flowing behind him. He turned left and then right and ran straight for a hundred yards and spun left once again. Vincent stopped abruptly as Zack flew by his side and collided with another man.
"OW!" Zack took the man out and somersaulted onto his back.
"JEEZ! What the hell!?" A voice sounded.
"Are you alright?" A woman's voice called out as more footsteps neared.
"What's going on!?" Cloud asked. Everyone caught up.
"Damn it! Watch where you're going! We're in a hurry here!" The red haired man picked himself up from the ground and kicked Zack in the side lightly.
"Sorry…We're in a hurry too." Zack rubbed his shoulder.
"Reno!" Cloud pulled out his sword.
"Wait! It's alright." Zack held up a hand.
"What the &s going on!?" Cid armed with his spear puffed a long trail of smoke.
"Yeah and since when was it alright?!" The blonde woman put her hands on her hips. "You guys killed Tseng!"
"What!? No we didn't get it through your head! You –…" Cloud stopped and stared at the fourth man in the group. Everyone stared at one another.
"Reno, Rude, Elena, …." Cloud stopped and pointed and screamed.
"Tseng?" Aeris walked to the man slowly.
"Aeris…you're alright." Tseng looked down at the young woman.
"You're alive!" Aeris hugged him.
"…Yeah. I'm afraid we can't explain right now…we need to stop Hojo." Tseng said quickly.
"That's who we're after!" Zack grinned.
"Good! We can use ya!" Reno slapped the guy on the shoulder and began running. "Try to keep up…" Everyone else followed.
'Why the hell did she hug him?' Elena fumed, glaring at Aeris.
'I forgot that Aeris knew Tseng.' Zack scratched his head. 'But wasn't that guy one of the men that was after her? Why would she hug him? Psh…women.' Zack decided not to worry about it at the moment.
"This is great! We got tons of people on our side now!" Yuffie cheered.
"I just hope Hojo hasn't prepared the cannon yet." Red charged forward with the rest of the men.
"It's just up ahead! See that light!?" Cait Sith pointed. As they neared the light, they also neared a battlefield. They could hear the screams of agony and fear as they made their way into the outdoors and near the mainframe.
"Oh my-!" Aeris covered her face. "So many…dead…"
"Looks like we have more than just Hojo to worry about." Zack growled and pulled out his sword.
"That monster…" Vincent loaded his weapon. He felt the demons inside roaring for freedom.
'All right. Just this once…' Vincent came to an agreement with the devil.
Okay! Gotta end it there! I hope you all like this chapter. I really had fun writing the part about Vincent's past. Hmmm wonder what all will happen in the next chapter? Seriously…I really don't know. I just write this as I go! Heh heh…I hope it's still good. Thanks for reading and please review! Later! -Annubis