This was gonna be one of those chapters detailing what Cloud and Tifa were up to, and then Aerith, Zack and Rox. But it sort of just kept going and going and now I have an entire chapter dedicated to Aerith/Zack/Rox. Well, they need love too.
Rox walked down the road, Aerith holding her hand. It wouldn't be safe out for much longer, the sun very nearly set, but after the night before she decided she couldn't take it anymore. That vampire could go into her house any time he wanted and do whatever he wanted to Aerith, and who knows what he wanted to do with Rox herself after that one night she was almost killed.
Aerith had to be given some safety. Master Tristitia said there was a place that could be safe for a potential victim of a vampire, but Rox declined after completing her present for her friend.
"After we visit your church, I'm gonna have to visit Tifa's house. She wanted me to clean out her fridge before anything went bad." Aerith said, looking about the darkening, red tinted pathway as they approached the plaza that held the cathedral. "Zack said he would help if he gets done before work, but I don't know if he'll make it in time...He said he's been busier than usual."
"Oh. What does he do for a living?" Besides suck blood, of course.
Aerith frowned. "You know, every time I ask the conversation just goes into something else. It would be nice to surprise him at work for once."
"Yeah." Rox cleared her throat. "What's he like?"
"Excitable, friendly. Dependable, too." Aerith nodded. "Sometimes a little too excitable, but I find it adorable."
Rox hummed in reply. She decided that vampires weren't just dangerous, they were capricious. One sparing her at the last second, another trying to kill her, and Zack watching her fight it. What were the thumbs up about? She wished Tifa, the real Tifa, was there to explain all of this.
They entered the cathedral, Aerith's emerald eyes lighting up as she looked at the colored glass windows and the large brass statue of a goddess behind the altar. Rox pointed at the different windows, naming off saints. She led Aerith to the back and into her room, showing her around.
"And that's all the books I gotta study...They ride my ass if they don't think I've studied enough." Rox groused.
Aerith laughed. "I suppose if you're going into the priesthood, you would have to study hard, wouldn't you?"
The teen rolled her eyes. "I guess so." Not that she was going to correct her friend any. The guild was relatively secretive, if just because they would be seen as paranoid, superstitious nut-jobs by the masses. The churches financed it all, and the smaller churches that dotted villages usually had a hunter who also held a job at something else to make ends meet. Rox walked up to her nightstand and picked up a necklace with a talisman nestled inside a little glass and metal frame. She handed it to Aerith. "This keeps away certain kinds of monsters, or so they say."
Aerith cocked her head as she took it, studying the little design peeking out of the glass at her. "What kind of monsters?"
"Oh, you know. Ghosts n' ghouls n' vampires." And anything like that, if the book was anything to go by.
Aerith chuckled and put the necklace on. "Well, if it keeps away baddies like you said." She looked at the talisman again before tucking it in her dress. "The green swirls make an interesting pattern."
Rox smiled. "Yeah. Kinda reminds me of spring." She was glad Aerith liked it. It had taken her a dozen tries to get it just right, that particular talisman was nearly impossible for most to make without some artistic ability, the magic peculiar. It would be in more widespread use in the guild if not for the difficulty of its creation, she thought.
They stayed and talked a little while longer, then Aerith asked where the bathroom was. Rox took her towards it and eyed that strange man with a friend of his talking to Master Tristitia before going back to her room to wait for her friend.
She sighed heavily. How was she going to tell Aerith that she was in danger because of a vampire? Most people would find that laughable until their so-called friend or lover tore out their jugular, but then it was too late. 'Master Tristitia said she would speak with her before she left. Maybe she can convince her she's in danger...At least she took the talisman.'
Rox waited, kicking her legs over the edge of her bed while looking at her phone as the minutes wore on. She looked at the last messages Tifa had sent her, asking her to meet up for breakfast at her place the afternoon before she disappeared. What was she up to now? Certainly nothing good. Rox couldn't let something similar happen to Aerith. She looked at her clock, it had been ten minutes. Frowning she headed back towards the bathroom, knocking on the door. "Ya fall in?"
No response.
She knocked again, then tried the knob. It opened, the room empty. Rox looked about the hallway then towards the back of the cathedral, looking about for Aerith. She came across a priestess who was just entering the cathedral from the back, her eyes widening then hardening. Rox grimaced, hoping to not get reprimanded for some forgotten rule she broke.
"Uh, I'm sorry Sister, but have you seen my friend?"
The priestess' face softened, and she let out a breath. "Oh. What did she look like?"
"White dress, brown hair, green eyes...'bout this tall." Rox sat her hand a bit above her head.
The priestess looked down and rubbed her chin with a hand. "I...saw her walk off with Master Tristitia and Master Wylu a while ago."
"Which way?"
The priestess pointed towards another door that lead to the side of the cathedral. Rox nodded in thanks and went off without a clue as to where they went. Maybe they went out for some air as well?
Master Tristitia greeted her eyes as she burst through the door. Rox looked at her with near panicked eyes, and the older woman looked taken aback by the teen's sudden appearance. "Where's Aerith?"
Master Tristitia cleared her throat. "We had to move quickly after our little talk, Rox. I assure you she is in safe hands now."
Rox frowned. Wouldn't that safe place be inside the cathedral? Zack wouldn't be able to approach the place. But how did Master Tristitia convince Aerith of the danger she was in? It was a hard sell on even the most open minded of people, and she had a powerful talisman now. "Where did you take my friend?"
Master Tristitia narrowed her eyes. "She's safe."
"What did you do to her?" Rox whispered. "She trusted me. What did you do?"
"There's a vampire looking for her," the master said sternly. "Master Wylu is watching over her."
Rox wasn't the the best student in the guild, but she wasn't stupid. "You're using her as bait." She narrowed her eyes. "I expect this kinda crap from a vampire, not a vampire hunter." She sidestepped from the door.
"Don't you understand? This is for the greater good. How many people can we save through a vampire's interest in the living? It's not as if we would let her be killed in the process."
Rox opened her mouth several times with curses she wished to mutter, then a knock at the open door took her attention towards the priestess looking back and forth at them. "Master Tristitia, there was someone wishing to see you at the front of the cathedral."
The master's jaw tensed as she looked between the two, then pointed at Rox. "Back to your studies. I will meet you in your room after I'm done with this visitor." Tristitia looked at the priestess. "What was their name?"
The priestess' brow furrowed. "He didn't say. He was of dark countenance, however."
Master Tristitia nodded, frowning, and entered the cathedral, disappearing from both women. The priestess gave Rox an appraising look. "Do what you think is right." she whispered before closing the door behind her.
Rox darted into the alley, skirting about the edges to be less obvious to anyone of an unsavory nature lurking about. Rox moved as quickly and as silently as she could, trying to catch up with Master Wylu, if it was the right path she took. For the greater good? Weren't vampire hunters supposed to be better than their prey? What if it didn't work out as planned?
Rox bit her lip and moved faster. What kind of cutthroat church was this? The ones in her hometown never would have done anything like this. She understood finishing off vampires was a good thing, but bringing unwilling people into the fray wasn't good. Besides, she had that talisman now, Zack wouldn't be able to touch her without some considerable pain in the process.
As she pressed further into the darkness, a glow came up ahead. Rox's heart was in her throat as she rushed further into the darkness. There was a glow in the distance as she ran, her lungs starting to burn. Was Aerith where the glow was? Rox deduced they couldn't have gotten that far if they weren't running the whole time. There was a chance.
There, in the glow of a lone lamp, were two figures handling a third. "Hey! Hands off Aerith!" she shouted.
They looked over at her, almost dropping the woman. "Rox!" It was Master Wylu. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"You're kidnapping my friend for bait and you're gonna ask me what I'm doing?" she spat.
"Yo, who's the kid?" said the other man. "She ain't gonna get in the way, is she?"
In the gloom Rox could see master Wylu glare at her. "She won't." He held out a hand. "Sleep." and everything went black.
Zack couldn't believe it. Following Scotch from the cathedral to the edge of sector six, he found out who exactly was helping those vampire hunters locate guild members. It was the Wall Market Mob, run by Don Mutten. He wondered why they would be helping in such a risky endeavor. How much were they being paid for this?
He hung on the roof near an open window on the top floor, where the mob boss would probably be. Zack's beady little blue eyes looked inside, and with no one to be found, he flew in. Changing back he glanced about the room, eyeing an office desk with papers on it. With soft steps he walked over and looked through for anything he could use. A list of mobster names was just what he needed, and perhaps this note addressed to Mutten.
Zack opened it up and read it while keeping an ear out for trouble. His jaw tensed; this was from the mole and not only was there information on another vampire in the guild, but names of several malcontents willing to assist in a hostile take over.
'What the hell?'
He didn't have time to think over the new information as footsteps and voices traveled up unseen stairs. he stuffed the papers into his shirt and disappeared out the window again, hanging his furry little bat body right above and to the side of the window to eavesdrop.
"...so they're wasting time on an unknown vampire at the time."
"Yes, Don."
There was a resigned sigh. "Hopefully it's one of the ones we found for them. I don't care about the other blood suckers in this city, but getting the ones in the assassin's guild knocked out will weaken them enough where we can push in." Zack heard the creak of a chair. "Hopefully they don't end up missing like the last ones. How hard is it to kill a sleeping vamp?"
"They have slaves, boss." Zack heard footsteps get closer and the sound of breathing by the window. He stared towards the source, and after a few moments who ever it was left.
"So maybe let them borrow a few of our men for extra muscle. Show'em how it's done...Worth it in the end." There was a drumming of fingers on wood. "How'd they plan to nab a vampire during the night if they're so dangerous?"
"They caught a friend of its."
There was a rumbling laughter. "Anything to get the job done."
Zack had heard enough. He flew off towards more familiar territory, mulling over the conversation between Scotch and his boss. Who was this other vampire they were hunting down, and how did they get a hold of their friend? It came off as a bit sadistic.
He landed and sat upon the roof of a building and read over the papers thoroughly. The mole was using a code name, that he knew. Pyre. One of the possible traitors' names listed was familiar to him, a mid-level associate he had met a few times here and there. He went back to his travels towards his guild, landing near an assumed tavern and entering. The dark and wooden decor was something out of a Medieval setting in his opinion, and a little dank and dreary for his tastes. Still he had found himself occasionally drinking and talking with Cloud or another friend here, regardless of the atmosphere.
Zack walked into the back and traveled down the stairs past the kitchen, leading to an old oak door. He knocked three times and an opening slid open, a pair of eyes staring at him. "Passw-oh. Zack." There was a click and the door opened.
"You never let me say the password anymore. I'm gonna forget it at this rate."
The guard huffed. "Yeah, yeah. I'll keep it in mind, sunshine."
"Thanks!" Zack said without missing a beat. He went towards a second door on the other side of the large stony room, a few associates populating it as they lounged and looked over notes. It was decorated in green tapestries and expensive furniture, wall sconces softly lighting the area. He remembered the first time he took Cloud here, the new vampire wide eyed and still dismayed at the prospect of having to murder to live. He couldn't blame him, it still bothered him at times. He chalked it up to enjoying human company so much, though his friend was almost a shut in and he hadn't become bitter yet.
Entering the next, narrower room he straightened his back and stuck out his chest a little, their leader behind the door at the other end. The man had been in charge of the guild for the last thirty years and trusted Zack as a close confidant in the organization; it was why he was put on the case in the first place. He knocked on the door and entered after a muffled voice told him to come in.
"Zack...you have new intel, I hope?" The man asked with a wary voice. He stroked his short, grayish beard.
Zack took out the papers. "Might have a mutiny brewin', Crowley."
Crowley made a face, then snatched the papers from his subordinate. Reading through them the worry lines on his face deepened, then he looked back up at Zack. "So they're using the church to cut into our more...long term members. Then use that weakness to absorb the guild into their mob with the help of some people on the inside." A mirthless chuckle came from his lips. "Ambitious."
Zack nodded. "So, how do we find out who the mole is?"
"Well, it's obviously not a vampire, so your lot is out of the equation. I'll have Serah snoop around, in the mean time, watch after...James Creek from time to time when he's not on duty." Crowley flipped through the notes once more. "They'll be on to us soon, and I'm hoping it's just this one, idiotic branch of this vampire hunter's guild acting desperate, I'd rather not have to assassinate the city's faithful for free."
Zack hummed and nodded. Just another thing to keep track of during the short nights of summer. "You can count on me, Crowley."
Crowley glanced up with his marble green eyes and smirked. "I always can, Zack." He went back to the papers before dismissing Zack from his office.
Upon leaving the guild hall and then the bar Zack crossed his arms and looked about. James was on duty tonight, and he promised Aerith he'd help clean out Tifa's fridge; he walked to be intentionally late, not knowing what kind of wards Tifa may have had placed inside her home. He figured he could make it up to Aerith with a nice dinner.
Zack surmised he hadn't fallen this hard for a woman since before his death, Clarissa and Aerith looking similar enough to be sisters, but not twins. Aerith was rosier and her hair darker, and Clarissa's more golden and wavy with porcelain skin, but the eyes, those are what struck him the most in both women. Playful and green, shining even in the low light of streetlamps. When he first met those eyes after Cloud had tackled him too close to the roof before flying off again, it was like seeing Clarissa all over again.
He looked down. The girl he couldn't save. Part of him wished he had died for good next to her that night. At least Cloud had a chance to save a few strangers; Zack had no such luck. A vampire had ambushed them in mist, plucking Clarissa first. Zack caught the vampiress in an alley as she fed on his love, and somehow, despite the injuries from the fight, he was able to jam his sword into her chest as she straddled him and attempted clawing his face. Her ichor pooled over his terrible injuries before he shoved the monster off of his sword, infecting the dying man. The last thing he saw before bleeding out were those green eyes of Clarissa, wide and dead.
Zack had thought that was that, and then he wondered why he was thinking at all. In a panic he shoved open his dark little prison that was hidden inside a public mausoleum for the warriors of the city that had died protecting it. That woman that killed his love, she stood there mumbling an apology for what had happened. Zack wasn't a hateful person in the least, but every time he remembered that face it made his blood boil still to this day. She had unintentionally tortured him, a confused and emotionally jarred vampire, with talk of her hunger and how she couldn't help it as he ran off into the night. He didn't care, she killed them both and he would share her fate, feeding off the living.
His home was still his home, he found. That was good, a place to think where that monster woman couldn't hound him with excuses. Feeling safe, he mourned the rest of the night. He didn't remember falling asleep, just waking up again; his wrist and hand were in pain, and they looked burned in a way. He was confused a moment until he remembered what had happened the night before, and that he hadn't breathed a single lungful of air since he woke up. His couch and living room was mostly shaded from the sun, but a little trickled through from behind the curtains. He sat there in contemplation for a while, before deciding in a very Zack-like fashion that he should probably try to make the most of what had happened to him.
And somehow kill the woman who caused this.
It didn't start out easy. He didn't and still doesn't like killing people just because he's needy, but he'd be the first to admit he had had some shameful slip ups until another vampire found him wandering about near his home. This vampire assisted the wary Zack, eventually helping him acquire a place in the assassin's guild. That vampire left Midgar a year later, but Zack would always be thankful to him. He hoped he was still 'alive' and well, almost sixty years since they parted.
Eventually he did have his revenge on the vampire that sucked his Clarissa dry, leading to a battle after he surprised her before she could feed on a teen she seduced. Zack was battered and bruised, but she didn't have a weapon with the reach of his broadsword, and clearly hadn't fed as recently as he had. He feinted and she took the bait, and off came her head. Her body was burned with the assistance of materia and he tossed her head at a church door, hoping the hunters within would know how to treat the garbage he left for them.
Zack hummed in disappointment as he approached the house Aerith told him to meet at. No one was here, the lights were out, and as he rummaged about he found the hidden key his girlfriend had spoken about. She hadn't been here, or maybe she had been but had to leave? He snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. He turned into his favorite shape, a spiky black wolf, and sniffed the doormat.
Aerith hadn't come by.
Letting out a disapproving groan, he walked out onto the sidewalk and sniffed about. There was Aerith's scent, faint but growing as he followed it, and he looked about every once in a while for anyone watching him. Zack wasn't too worried, most people would mistake him for a dog he assumed.
'The cathedral?' What was she doing there? He sat down in front of the cathedral, staring at it. Zack had been there to see Hanna after Scotch strolled off a few minutes before; it wasn't like he would be hard to track now. He had watched in the shadows as the mysterious man left, Hanna making a subtle hand gesture towards the hidden vampire to come closer. That was indeed Scotch, and she offhandedly mentioned some of the guild masters preoccupied with a female visitor she had never seen before-
He charged towards a side of the cathedral, sniffing for some sign of Aerith. After several minutes he found it again, muddled with other scents. What did they do? He didn't like vampire hunters but they generally weren't what he would consider underhanded. Brutal sometimes, but working with a mob? That smells of ideological desperation to him.
The wide alley in front of him was deserted, but the scent was fresh enough; it couldn't have been longer than three hours since this happened. Were they taking her to the mob boss as tribute? A disgusting thought that made him trot faster. The trail continued on, and in the first time in a long time he felt foreboding in the darkness.
That's when he smelt it, blood. Zack looked around and found an injured and unconscious man, and getting close he noticed Aerith's scent clung to him lightly. He was tempted to assist the man if just to collect information from him, but if whoever did this had Aerith there was no telling what they would do to her.
Following the trail yet again he came across an abandoned building, her trail leading there. The door was open a bit, and since it wasn't a domicile he let himself in. Zack looked around, frowning. He could hear the sound of the building settling, loud and creaking ominously. The sooner he rescued Aerith the better, especially in such a dirty, unsafe place. He continued his tracking of the flower girl up a flight of dust covered stairs, the walls of the stairwell dull and chipping paint.
Something flew by him after a loud bang as he reached the top step and he jumped in surprise before looking for cover. Zack ran towards an open room and slid in as he changed back, dark wisps dissipating about him. He listened closely as he prepared his next move.
"You shot at a damn dog."
"Well, I'm kinda nervous. We're goin' toe to toe with some creepy blood sucker." The voice sounded uncertain.
"Bah! That old man says they're so dangerous, but come on. Half that stuff gotta be bunk, anyway."
"I dunno, the way he was goin' on before you knocked him out he was pretty adamant about usin' his protections."
Zack heard a snort. "He shoulda shut up, tryin' a boss me around...Whatever, I'll show him how it's done. A bullet works on anything."
"I guess." There was a pause. "What if he doesn't show up? That old man never said how he was gonna find us, just that he would."
"We give the rugrat back to the church and keep the vixen. She don't belong to them. And I don't freakin' know."
"Fair enough."
Zack deduced the man he found must have been a vampire hunter, and these two thought bullets would stop a vampire? This was going to be easy. He left the room with a smirk. "Helloooooo?" he called out.
A flare was tossed down near his position then Zack heard the sounds of guns cocking, and he looked up at the two would be assassins, their eyes trained on him. An instant later he charged up the stairs, their gunshots ringing out in loud bursts as they emptied their guns of ammo. Zack heard one mumble that he had shot the intruder in the chest, and he instinctively pat his chest as he crouched down in the darkness, watching the bumbling idiots look for him in the area underneath them. So he had a bullet hole or three in his clothing, he was fine.
Zack dashed again, towards the thugs, and the first one yelped as Zack brought his full body weight into him as fast as he could, breaking the flimsy guard-wall and tossing them both over the edge. The assailant landed with a thud into a pile of metal and concrete rubble, Zack circling back towards the second thug as a squeaking little bat.
He landed and changed back on top of the man, pinning him to the floor. "You guys really shoulda listened to that old geezer." Zack took the thug's head in both hands and quickly twisted, a satisfying crunch coming from the neck. He stood up and looked back at the first assailant, and he was still. Zack decided to check on him later, he had to make sure Aerith was alright first.
"Aerith?" he called out. Zack heard some muffled noises down the hall from him and he strode towards the source, pushing aside the partially unhinged door. In the darkness there were two tied up, gagged, familiar women: Rox and Aerith. "It's me, Zack!"
He walked over and crouched in front of Aerith, and went to pull the gag out of her mouth but recoiled his fingers, grimacing. He frowned and tried again, a sharp pain shooting up his fingers and causing him to groan. "Damn. Why does it hurt...?"
Aerith's eyes were wide and nostrils flaring, and she glanced at Rox. Zack raised a brow and turned his attention to Rox, walking and crouching in front of her next. If Aerith's eyes were wide, Rox's looked like they were going to pop out of her head. She jerked her head as he took the gag out of her mouth. "What's wrong with Aerith?" he asked in a quiet voice. She just stared back, trembling.
He sighed. "Come on. You took on that vampire, talkin' to me isn't gonna be hard." Zack tried to give an encouraging smile to the teen, but her eyes wavered back and forth between he and Aerith's general direction. He scratched the back of his head and sat down on the dusty floor, thinking about what to do next.
"I-I protected her. From things like you." Rox looked slightly defiant.
"Oh. You must really care about Aerith, huh?" Rox hesitantly nodded. "So...you won't leave her with me alone, right?"
Rox bit her lip. "I wouldn't." She feared vampires, but she wouldn't leave a friend.
"Can you untie Aerith for me? She's havin' a hard time breathing...I'm not asking you to take off whatever protection you have on her, I just want her free. Please." he asked quietly.
She looked between Zack and Aerith, then nodded. Rox felt the bindings come loose, first her wrists and then her ankles. The teen hesitated a moment, then moved over to Aerith to unbind her. Aerith gasped a few quick breaths as the gag left her mouth, then coughed a few times as dust choked her lungs. "I never shoulda brought you to the cathedral..." Rox whispered. "I didn't know, I swear..."
"Your church is a bit different than the one I grew up by, Rox..." she replied in a hoarse voice as her bindings came loose. Aerith looked at Zack, hardly visible in the darkness, then took off the talisman and grabbed his hand as it rested on his knee. "Thank you for saving us, Zack."
"Anything for you, Aerith!" He smiled and rubbed the back of his head. Zack stood and helped Aerith up, Rox holding her other arm protectively while watching the vampire with wary eyes. "But right now we need to get outta here...Hold on."
Zack decided he had to get both women out of Midgar, and quick; they were going to be targets and he didn't need that while dealing with a mob. He promised to watch over Rox and there was no way he was going to let Aerith be kidnapped again, but where could he take them? He took out his phone and dialed Kunsel, a human he befriended ten years ago.
"Hey, Kunsel? Could you meet me at...it's an alley near the intersection of Thundaga avenue and Toad street. No, I need help with an escape plan. Oh, stop laughin', this is serious, man! Thanks, I owe ya one. Couple minutes? Alright." Zack put his phone away and looked at both females, sighing. "He'll be here soon."
Rox squeaked. "Great, another vampire."
He beckoned them out of the room. "Kunsel isn't like me."
"You're gonna tell us you have living people for friends?" Still she followed, not wanting Aerith out of her sight.
"What, am I not supposed to have friends or something?"
Aerith shook her head as she was guided towards the steps. "This isn't the place to bicker." she said simply. "Let's talk later, the dust in the air is hurting my lungs." Aerith coughed again.
Zack took out his phone again and looked down at it, biting his lip. He hadn't heard back from Cloud since the night he said he would speak to Tifa. He sent him a message and hoped he would agree to his scheme. As he walked down the stairs his phone vibrated. He opened it up to Cloud's response.
Sorry I didn't answer last night. My phone got wet, had to let it dry.
It's alright, buddy. Hey, I have a tiny little favor to ask.
Anything.
I need you to house Aerith and Rox. There was a small pause before Zack saw the dots on the bottom of the screen.
Anything but that.
You said anything! Something happened, I need to get them out of the city. Zack waited for a response as he finished descending the flight of stairs with the women, but it seemed Cloud was waiting for an explanation. Look, I'll tell you when I get to Junon tonight.
You better. I wasn't expecting company.
Oh, we aren't crashing you and Tifa's fun, are we?
I didn't get to tell her.
Spike...
Worry about getting here for now. Stay safe, Zack.
Zack put his phone away before peeking out the door, the coast clear. Rox held Aerith's arm defensively, eyeing Zack. He glanced over at her with a frown. "Y'know, I'm pretty sure it's real obvious by now that I'm not gonna hurt you."
Rox swallowed. "W-well...why help me? Weren't you watchin' that one vampire have his way with me?"
Aerith's brows came together. "You watched her get attacked?"
Zack waved his hands. "I didn't want rumors goin' around so I helped in other ways...like telling you which way to go, or that you should've had something on you to repel him. Or blast you onto the church steps."
Rox stared at him. "Why did you do that?"
"Because my friend told me Tifa cares about you a lot, and he asked me to keep you safe." Zack shrugged. "You don't seem so bad, anyway."
Rox sucked in a breath and looked away. "I...I guess you don't seem so bad, either..." she admitted. "Under the circumstances."
They made their way towards the intersection he mentioned to Kunsel and waited in the shadows. A minute later and a truck appeared, then out of the idling vehicle came a hooded figure. Zack popped out of his hiding spot and the figure looked his way.
"What's up with the mask?" Zack frowned at the hockey mask covering his friend's face.
Kunsel shrugged. "I'm probably gonna be doing something questionable tonight."
"Well, I mean it's nothin' to do with the law, man..." He turned towards the women, motioning them towards the truck. "Hey, it's alright." The two approached and both Zack and Kunsel assisted them into the truck bed, and Zack told his friend where he wanted to go: The train station. "We got enough time to get on the last train to Junon."
Kunsel nodded. "Sure thing." He hopped into the driver's seat as Zack took a seat next to Aerith. A moment later and the truck lurched and they were off towards the the train station.
Rox was looking around while holding onto Aerith's arm. "Where are you taking us?"
"Someplace safe." he said as he looked at the stars peeking behind the clouds. Zack glanced at Aerith, a pleading look in her eyes.
"Now that we're out of there...What's going on, Zack?"
"Some bad things, if you haven't noticed...and now you two are involved." He sighed heavily, then noticed she was looking at his torso. "I'm fine, Aerith."
"They shot you." She looked over at Rox, the teen biting her lip, then back at Zack. "You really are..."
He rubbed the back of his head and looked away. "I might be."
Aerith nodded as she pursed her lips, then again looked at Rox. "The ones that took me. They were part of the church, right?"
She didn't answer right away, her nerves still thoroughly shaken as she sat, defenseless, in the shadow of a vampire. "Vampire hunters...like me." Rox shifted uncomfortably as she held onto Aerith. 'If I could be considered one, even.'
"Why would they do such a thing?" Her voice was more than a little angry.
Rox shrugged, a forlorn look in her eyes. "They said for the greater good, but...I've never seen anything like this before. I mean I haven't been there that long but still...it feels off." She looked up at the sky a moment, a sigh passing her lips. "When I found out what they were doing I ran off after you."
Aerith looked back at Zack, wary. "You said you were going to keep her safe? Even if she's a vampire hunter?"
Zack nodded. "I promise, she's staying with you."
She licked her lips. "A...vampire...That's why you fell through my roof without being injured. Why you were so pale...Why I never see you during the day." She looked back up at him. "And, you came for me tonight."
He flashed a grin at her. "I'm supposed to. I'm your boyfriend still, I hope." His confident grin wavered. "I mean, I'll understand if not...I hid it from you." Would she still trust him? He wasn't sure.
"Hm." She looked back at Rox. He went out of his way to save her, and a so-called vampire hunter too. Aerith didn't really know much about the subject, but Rox had been terrified of Zack. The Zack she knew however, wasn't someone to fear. She took one of Zack's hands. "I have a lot of questions."
He grabbed her hand in both of his. "And I'll answer 'em. The train ride should give us time to talk."
Rox just watched, uncertain and still scared. Why couldn't she have just taken the talisman to Aerith? No, she had to get her to talk to Master Tristitia, who happened to be a kidnapper of all things. Maybe they were doomed. Then again, Zack really did save them. Maybe the church wasn't right about all of them? Her recent experiences made her consider that.
Aerith raised a brow. "When will we be in Junon?"
"A couple of hours before dawn." he assured her.
The truck made it to the train station minutes later, and Zack helped Aerith off, Rox hopping out by herself and sticking right next the Aerith. Kunsel poked his head out of the window of the truck and towards his friend. "You gonna be back?"
"Tomorrow night. Gonna stay at a friend's when I get where we're goin'." He smiled at Kunsel and gave a thankful nod. "I owe ya big, man."
Kunsel gave a mock salute. "You've gotten me outta worse. Good luck." His head went back into the cabin and the truck accelerated away, leaving the three by the entrance. Zack headed towards inviting light with the other two in tow.
Aerith looked up at Zack. "So who's this friend we're staying with?"
He grinned. "Cloud and Tifa."
"T-Tifa? She...she's...okay, right?" Rox asked. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see Tifa or not. What if she was a vampire now, too?
Zack scoffed. "As if Cloud would do anything to her." He bought the three tickets at the booth, then the group walked towards the train as it waited for people to board.
Aerith stared at the train as they came closer, then let out a little gasp. "What about my flower shop?"
"I'll water your flowers while you're gone, Aerith." Zack replied.
They entered the train and found a quiet little room to sit in. Rox sat in the corner, staring mournfully out the window at all the people walking one way or another. Aerith sat opposite of Rox, glancing out the window then back at Zack, who sat next to her. The group was silent, Aerith putting a hand over Zack's. He found it strangely reassuring.
Eventually the train moved, and soon the station fell away and all there was outside was darkness and dim lights.
Zack leaned over to Aerith's ear. "You can take a nap if you wanna. It'll be some hours before we get to Junon." he whispered.
Aerith nodded and leaned on his shoulder. "We're going to see Cloud and Tifa...Why is she hiding?" Aerith asked. "I think you should finally tell me, Zack."
"Hoo-boy. Alright, but after this you should probably save your questions for later. Okay? This is all from Cloud's mouth anyway." Zack told her exactly what happened that night Tifa disappeared, Rox listening intently.
"So he kept her at his home until some of her guild members showed up-"
"Master Regis and Huey. They're dead, aren't they?" Rox asked quietly.
"Yeah. Tifa told them to leave, but they thought she was under Cloud's control. She didn't kill them, though. Just tried to get them to leave." He snorted. "As if vampire hunters ever listen." It took several hellish nights to convince Tifa Cloud was really him, and that was because it was someone she knew. The others never would have entertained the thought.
Rox gave him a venomous glare and he smirked. Aerith sighed and he looked back at her, her bangs tickling his chin and cheek. "This is leading to more questions than answers." she said flatly.
"Yeah. Just get some rest, you two. I'll wake you before we head out." He felt Aerith nod before moving her head back a little, resting on his shoulder and the seat cushion. After several minutes her breathing started to even out, obviously worn out from her misadventure. Zack watched as Rox tried to get comfortable, a sad look on her face and her eyes watery.
"You okay?" he whispered.
She snorted softly. "My life's been upended again. What do you think?"
"Sorry."
Rox looked down as she held her knees close in her seat. "Whatever. I wasn't any good at that, anyway." she said bitterly.
Zack shrugged the shoulder Aerith wasn't using. "You've got plenty of time to figure out what you're good out, y'know." He was silent for a few minutes before he continued. "Life is totally not fair. But it doesn't mean you should give up."
Rox nodded, then let out a humorless chuckle. "I'm bein' pep-talked by a freakin' vampire. This has to be some fever dream."
"Maybe if you go to sleep you'll wake up back in your own bed." Zack joked. Rox rolled her eyes, then leaned against the seat cushion, closing her eyes.
Zack watched her from time to time as the train ride wore on. He remembered back to Tifa's indoctrination, but Rox seemed far less hostile and much more fearful, but a lot more reasonable too. 'She just needs time.' He listened to the sounds of the train for a while before leaning his head back on the seat. All he could wonder about as the two women napped was if Aerith really would accept him for who he was in the end, after the shock wore off.