The days blurred together. Training resumed, but Cloud was allowed on more missions after his anger calmed. Zack still had yet to take on his word to take him out by a chocobo farm outside the city.
But there was one mission that stood out to the blond. It was like anything before. Sweep the monsters in the area of some village. Cloud was taking care of them well on his own while Sephiroth kept an eye on the rest of the squad.
Then the wind shifted. Cloud tensed as he cautiously glanced around. He raised a hand to the handle of his sword. He inhaled deeply to get a better sense to identify whoever was approaching.
A female. She smelled of a rainstorm that lost its rage. Instead it carried a sorrow that ran deeply. And yet there was a sense of determination.
The second was a male. A strange mixture. A stubborn winter on the cusp of spring that wouldn't relent on the change of seasons. Cold because of experience and hardships. There was also the taste of gunmetal.
"It's never a good idea to sneak up on me." Cloud glanced around, still debating whether to draw his sword yet.
"Apologies." A baritone voice spoke softly.
Cloud whirled in time to see a figure leap into view. His hand tightened on the handle. The man wore black leather, a red tattered cape. Long dark hair, the bangs kept out of the way from the use of a red headband.
A golden claw for a left arm. Cloud stared into those crimson eyes and recognized one who also endured the whims of a lab coat. There was heartbreak hidden underneath the promise of vengeance in them.
Cloud found himself relaxing in this man's presence. He found himself questioning why. He didn't have time to ponder when the female approached.
A woman with red hair, blue eyes behind thin glasses. She was nervous, but she felt safe beside the gunman. They stopped at a well enough safe distance away.
"You're Cloud the Heart Eater." Her voice gathered the courage as she spoke.
"What of it?" He tilted his head, unsure what to make of them.
"We were the ones to find the lab's location that held you." The man's answer wasn't what Cloud expected.
"I'm Shalua Rui. This is Vincent." She introduced.
"Rui? Like Shelke?" Cloud connected the dots.
"Yes. She's my sister. She's the reason why I searched for the laboratory. Vincent helped me locate it. But we couldn't infiltrate it. So I brought the location and what little information we had to Shinra."
"If you're looking for answers, you're picking the wrong person. I never got close to them." Cloud knew where this was going. However he now understood the how and why the company breached the lab in the first place.
"But you have crossed their paths. And killed one of them off." Vincent pointed out.
"Do you perhaps know what they would be after? Where they could have gone?" Shalua asked.
"I wouldn't know. But they're bloodthirsty. And Weiss is an opportunist. If something can be useful he will do anything to hold an advantage. To be honest I'm amazed they haven't taken advantage of the war yet."
Although with Genesis flying around they might show an interest.
"Does...does my sister remember me?" There was hope in her eyes. Cloud hated that he would be the one to destroy it.
"If she was kidnapped as I was, then no. I barely remember anything from before."
Shalua looked down. Her expression crestfallen. She bit her lip and she was close to crying. Silently she turned away to find a quiet place to gather herself.
"...Why is your scent similar to him?" Cloud had to ask.
"Who?" Vincent was taken aback.
"Sephiroth's. You're like a stubborn winter refusing to make way for spring. He's like the middle of winter. Cold and harsh and unyielding in darkness." This connection made Cloud curious.
The pain in those eyed darkened at the name.
"...I'm afraid I don't know why."
The blond began to slowly circle around the gunman. All the while those eyes never left Cloud. Warily watching. The blond remained aloof in his movements, but his own eyes gave way to the fact he didn't buy the obvious lie.
"I don't have a big list of things I hate. I hate lab coats. I hate needless killing. I also hate liars." Cloud stopped at the last word he said and stared the taller man down.
They both tensed as they braced themselves. Cloud was coming up with ways to get in close and personal with a gunman. With that claw it wouldn't exactly be easy.
"I can only speculate from what little I know. I cannot give out my knowledge without looking into all possibilities further backed up with evidence." Vincent held his ground.
Cloud narrowed his eyes. Before he could say anything his PHS rang. He answered, knowing who it is.
"We've cleared the monsters. Where are you?" Sephiroth asked.
"I took care of the stragglers. I got carried away from the hunt. Won't happen again."
"Did you eat a heart?" Sephiroth's voice was a little strained.
"No. They didn't smell right."
"Return to my coordinates. We will be making our way back soon." The relief was prominent.
"Yes, sir." Cloud hung up.
"...Thank you." Vincent was surprised that the blond willingly kept this meeting a secret.
"You're just simple folk looking for someone. I'll keep you both out of my report. But, if he catches you, I won't stay quiet." Cloud began to make way to the specified location.
"One last thing. If you see Shelke, if you have the chance to speak to her alone."
"I'll tell her that Shalua is searching. I doubt she will know who I'm talking about, but who knows? Maybe she does remember and is really good at lying." Cloud wasn't sure the odds would be that much in his favor. But he might as well make the promise.
Cloud paused as an after thought. He half turned to meet Vincent's gaze. The gunman was still cautious.
"If we meet again, I want those answers."
"What makes you think you deserve to know?"
"You're not the only one to keep secrets." Cloud wasn't going to tell him anything if this man was withholding information.
"We don't exactly have the time." Vincent had a point.
"I'll give you that. But, I'm keeping my word. Maybe I'll exchange information of my own if I have any of equal value." Cloud shrugged before continuing towards the squad.
Sephiroth immediately noticed something was off upon his return. The blond was distant and closed off. Back inside the van Cloud leaned a little too close to the general. Sephiroth let it be when he realized that Cloud just needed to bask in his scent as he feigned sleep.
"What happened during the mission?" Sephiroth inquired that evening.
"Shalua and her friend with connections approached me. They wanted to know about Shelke." Cloud wasn't keeping secrets. He had seen what happened with Genesis and Angeal.
"Who was her friend? She refused to give any information on them." Now Sephiroth was alarmed. Who would be able to approach them during missions meant to be private for only the company?
"His name is Vincent. That's all I know. But his scent was eerily similar to yours. I asked him about it and he wouldn't give answers."
Vincent? That didn't ring any bells with Sephiroth. He mulled the name over a few days before approaching the Turks.
"This must be something serious if you're approaching me in my office." Tseng observed.
"Cloud met Shalua and her companion who had the skills to locate the laboratory. His name is Vincent." Sephiroth watched the as the Turk processed the information.
"Does he have a last name?"
"They didn't tell Cloud that much."
"Hmm. I would have to do some digging. But understand this is a big company."
"And we may have a mole. They approached during a mission."
"Curious. Is there any other details?"
"He's a gunman. Cloud didn't get a good look at the weapon, but the holster was huge. Dark hair and crimson eyes."
"A gunman? Well, he doesn't sound like Public Security. Especially with the skills to locate a secret laboratory. That narrows my search."
"You think he could have been a Turk?" Sephiroth read him like an open book.
"I suspected as such from the beginning when she approached us with possible information of a secret laboratory that held super Soldiers. But she remained secretive on who her source of intel was. It's why I didn't immediately believe her story until I sent Reno and Rude to scout the area."
"That's when you started to think it was a Turk. But obviously not one who is currently in your department."
"And not the group that left. I would have remembered a Vincent. Or someone matching that description." Tseng added.
"I'll leave you to your hunt." Sephiroth left, knowing that Tseng will get to the bottom of it.
Later in that week Tseng approached Sephiroth and Cloud during lunch. They decided to share lunch together since they scheduled to have another training session afterwards.
Wordlessly Tseng approached. Since Sephiroth wasn't alarmed neither was Cloud. They both watched as the Turk took a photo out of a folder before placing it on their table. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow that Tseng boldly did this when they weren't exactly private.
The photo in question was an old photograph of a young handsome man with Wutai heritage. Perhaps half. But he wore a suit like the standard uniform of a Turk. Short black hair and red brown eyes.
"That's him. Longer hair, though. And a lot more sorrow in his eyes." Cloud confirmed.
"And he appeared the same age as this photograph?" Tseng went pale.
"Yeah. He smelled of mako though. And a taint. It's not like Genesis with his rot."
"Who is he?" Sephiroth asked.
"Vincent Valentine. The best of us Turks. A legend that the majority of us have only heard stories from the seniors. This man disappeared during a mission at Nibelheim just before you were born, General."
"I can't imagine Veld ending that disappearance kindly." Sephiroth blinked. He didn't know how to feel with this information.
"He sent people to track him down. They never made it back home." Tseng's face was grim. "Eventually Veld had to give up if it was costing our numbers for one man. But I recall Veld never wanted to give up. As the years passed he never had the time to dig up old bones."
"And now a walking dead man is out there helping Shalua find her sister." Sephiroth wondered how that came to be.
"He was used like how I was. I don't think by the same man. Otherwise he would have been there with us in that lab." Cloud spoke up.
"You sure? He couldn't have just escaped from that laboratory?" Tseng wondered.
"I would have remembered that scent." The blond stood firm.
"I can't mention names. But there is one that he was overseeing in Nibelheim. Understand this is more of my own secret matter to look into. Should you ever come across them again..."
"I'll let you know." Cloud promised.
Tseng collected the photograph and left. Cloud glanced up to Sephiroth, who was deeply disturbed.
"What's wrong?" The blond asked.
"That smile in the photo. It's the same as my own." Sephiroth was at a loss.
Cloud kept his thoughts to himself.