Altered
His fate was changed
Thirty years ago Hojo was stopped, and brought back to his senses, ultimately this saved Vincent Valentine's life. This is the altered tale of the Final Fantasy plotline.
It had been a few hours since Vincent Valentine, the ex-Turk, arrived and he had been welcomed into the mix matched group by only seven of the members. He was told that soon he would meet a Reeve Tuesti, a Cloud Strife, a Cid Highwind, a Sephiroth Crescent, and a Genesis Rhapsodos. He had already met so far, Zack Fair, Tifa Lockheart, Barrett Wallace, YuFi Kisaragi, Shalua Rui, who had left an hour ago, and Shera Magnavo who had made a delivery. Shalua and Shera were also official members of AVALANCHE but did not live at the bar like the others did.
Vincent sat with a drink in his hand. Yu was cleaning glasses. He needed to strike up conversation with the girl. "How old are you?"
Yu shrugged, "I'd say about sixteen, but…meh, I'm not really sure." She looked up, "All I remember is that the drug my half dead body to Doctor Hojo's house and when I woke up…Sephiroth was standing over me giving me directions to go to Midgar." Yu placed the glass in the cabinet. "How old are you?"
He looked at his glass, "I can't really say either." Tifa sighed.
"Stop sharing your depressing stories!" Boots thundered down her stairs, Zack appeared at the base of the stairs.
He huffed, "She's coughing up blood again." Yu dropped the glass she was now working on, having it shatter, and ran up the stairs. Tifa was right behind her, Vincent then slowly followed. He watched as the two girls rushed into Marlene's room. He peeked through the door and watched a young girl cough.
Zack stood by his side, "Hojo has done all he could, Lucrecia even looked at her…The fumes that she has taken in to her lungs have done too much damage."
"What?"
"Her father, Barrett, the man you met an hour ago, worked on rockets once upon a time. She inhaled rocket fuel fumes on accident when one of Barrett's employees took her into a restricted area without a face mask; she's been like this since," He sighed, "Such a shame, that pretty girl has to suffer."
Vincent nodded and spoke, "Why is AVALANCHE so against the Turks and ShinRa?"
Zack stuffed his hands in his pockets, "They've been killing people recently, more people than before. The sector seven slums have been reduced to ashes, its arson, I've already looked at it."
Vincent glared at his new comrade, "I'll be the judge of that," He pulled on his gloves and Zack coughed.
"Alright…but I'll let Aerith give you the other background information on what ShinRa has been up to recently." Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Aerith is my wife, and our resident Cetra."
"Cetra?"
Zack smirked, "Well I'd be damned…a Turk that doesn't know what a Cetra is," He smiled, "When 'Rith is done with Marlene I'll let ya'll talk." A woman dressed in pink wiped off her hands and walked out the door. She smiled at Zach and spoke slowly.
"Who's your friend Zack?"
"Aerith, this is Vincent Valentine."
She stuck out her now clean hand and smiled, "Nice to meet you, Mister Valentine." She paused as he took her hand and shook it, "I am Aerith Gainsborough-Fair, and I'm guessing you're another of Hojo's boys." He nodded, "Well consider yourself lucky. They could have sent you to Doctor Hollander Hewley at ShinRa; he took the job of head scientist at ShinRa a few years ago when Doctor Hojo turned it down, for about the fiftieth time." She shook her head. "Hollander is a monster."
"Excuse me?" Vincent said leaning forwards, new found interest in this discussion sparked.
"Oh," She waved her hands, "I'm sorry, let me explain. Doctor Hollander Hewley is the reason why we are really here, true we owe Doctor Hojo as well, but...our main threat is the rising of Mako usage and well...human experimentation." Vincent blinked.
"But...Doctor Hojo destroyed all his research...I was there when he did..." Vincent said, "I can't understand this."
Aerith nodded and folded her hands, "True, Doctor Hojo did destroy his research...but...with the need of another energy source...ShinRa disregarded what ever had happened thirty years ago as a fatal mistake. ShinRa has instated a new program called SOLIDER and the Turks are rising as numbers as well." She fell silent for a moment, "These SOLIDERs have been injected with Mako... which in accordance to Doctor Hojo's research is deadly to a human."
Vincent sighed, "Why aren't they listening?"
"Doctor Hollander's experiments have all come out with very promising results for ShinRa...and as long as Rufus is making money...he could care less about the safety of others." Aerith explained.
"Excuse me? Rufus?"
"The late President Shinra's son. He took power a few ago and almost everything that Misses Fallon, Misses Crescent, and Doctor Hojo worked for...died and Mako research became a project once again." She said with a frown.
Vincent nodded, "You're well informed." He had to ask, "How do you know all this?"
She smiled, "I'm the last remaining Cetra," She turned around and looked out the window, "My parents, Elmyra and Barrett did not bear me. I was given to them by my mother, and my mother was a Cetra. My father...well...he was human... Doctor Hollander Hewley killed him...and kidnapped us, I was seven when my mother and I escaped and she died after she gave instructions to Elmyra and Barrett."
He sighed again, "If I may inquire who your father was?"
She rubbed her arms, "Mister Valentine...he was Doctor Gast. The man that unearthed Jenova. Another threat to our world." Vincent nodded. "So I think that's all you need to know about ShinRa is doing now days." She turned around and smiled, "If I remember anything else I'll tell you." Vincent nodded; Aerith was a nice person, who had suffered. Her story was the only one he had heard.
Zach stepped in, "I'll take you to the plate now, if you want to go."
Vincent sighed and waited until Aerith had left until he spoke, "Are all stories like that?"
Zach nodded, "Yeah, mine is just as bad...and Yu's is nasty, and Tifa's is straight forward. But most of AVALANCHE's stories are like that"
Vincent just stared into space until a slamming of a door woke him from his thoughts, "Gawds! If I ever get my hands on the asshole that took Marlene into that room, I WILL ring their neck with my skinny ninja hands!" Zack laughed and Vincent began to drift back into a standing sleep. "Aw our favorite Turk is sleepy!" A crimson eye opened and a low growl emitted from his throat. Tifa appeared and laughed.
"Aren't we all getting along nicely?" Yu nodded and smiled at Tifa.
"Hey Boobs?" She paused, "shouldn't we get a room set up for, Vinnie here?" Tifa thought for a moment and smiled.
"I don't see why not. I mean...he'd have to share a room with somebody like Genesis."
Yu made a face, "Hell no! And become a little greasy Turk? Next!"
Tifa laughed, "Reeve then?"
"And be annoyed by the Beat-Boxing cat of death? Next! Again!" Yu said placing her hands on her hips.
"How about Cid?"
Yu let out a cruel laugh, and Zach even snickered. Yu looked at Tifa, "That's like murderer. He'd die from smoke intake!"
"Well I'm out because, of..."
"Cloud!" Yu shouted, throwing her head back dramatically and placing her hand over her heart. Tifa ignored her.
"Nanaki eats outsiders, Sephiroth would go...like berserk...he's already got three kids...he does not need a roommate, Aerith and Zack...well...never mind...Barrett? No...He's..." She smiled, "Yu I would like to introduce you to your new roommate." She clapped her hands together, Yu spun around, and Vincent opened his eyes, "Vincent Valentine!" Zach laughed.
Hojo examined the girl's knee and then pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. "You were burned, Miss?"
"Miss Rui...and yes I was burned by scalding hot water." She said with a monotone.
"Hmm...Curious..." He paused looking up at Miss Rui, "These burn marks look like they came from a low level Materia." He laughed, "And in my thirty years of being a doctor...I've never seen a person burn themselves with hot water on their knee." He continued to examine her knee. She no longer said anything but waited calmly. "Rui? Are you related to oh...what was her name? Shalia? No that wasn't it...Shalua! Shalua Rui?"
"Poppa! Poppa!" Three tumbling boys came running down the stairs and into the examination room. Hojo let go of the girl's knee and spun around to be attacked by his three trembling grandsons. The three sliver haired boys stuttered as their grandfather tried to coax them to speak, "What's wrong? Where is your grandmother?"
"Grandmamma...Grandmamma..." The middle child Yazoo stuttered, "Bad men...in suits..." Hojo's eyes widened at this new piece of information. He looked at the young woman on the table who was smirking.
"You're a...a... Tsviet...you're...here..."
"Very good, darling." A laugh. The blood curling laugh became louder as the woman walked down the stairs followed by three men, and woman, and men in suits and then a man in white. "Shelke, you've done your part. Now come here." Shelke nodded and walked over to the group. The man in white smirked, "Nice to see you again Hojo."
"I can't say the same...Hollander. Now...where is my wife?"
Vincent put the pack down in a chair. Yu flopped down on her futon, "We'll get another one of these babies when Smokey gets back."
"Smokey?"
"Yeah the bear!" She giggled, "Boobs was going to room you with Cid Highwind. Our flight captain. Smokes like a chimney." Another laugh. A door slammed and she rolled her eyes. "A CRANKEY teenager is home!" She laughed even harder when she heard the response.
"Shut up AUNTIE YU!" The boy yelled and banged from the other side of the wall.
"Auntie...Yu?" He asked. Yu shrugged and fiddled with a faying edge on her tank top.
"Got the nickname when Tifa adopted him...supposedly he's one of the only seven sector survivors." She smiled sadly, "Though my family didn't live in Sector Seven or in Midgar." She turned over and looked at him, "I felt a connection with those people. You know?" Vincent didn't know. He couldn't understand feeling pity for people he had never met. Was it because he was a Turk?
"I don't understand..." Yu flipped off the Futon and walked over to him. She craned her head up and placed her hands on his shoulders.
She smiled, "Well I'll help you! I promise or my name isn't YuFi Ayaka Mistuka Kisaragi the Last White Rose of Wutai!" He smiled.
"And I, Vinsento Tsen Varentain of Da Chao, will try my best." Her jaw dropped and then she began to laugh. She could trust another Wutaian.
"YUFI!" Somebody yelled, "Get yer skimpy little ass down here! We've gotta get back before eight! Spike! Stop!" She smiled.
"Cid's home! Cid's home!" She let go of Vincent and leaned over the railing, finally she jumped over it and flipped down and landed on her feet. Vincent watched as the Ninja did this in slight amazement. "SIPKY!" she shrieked latching on to the blond man and then grabbing the brown haired man, "Mister Leader!" Tifa pried the Ninja off of Spiky and hugged him.
"Cloud!" She was happy to see him. She grabbed the other blond man, "Cid! Why were you gone so long?"
"Guys!" She was no longer bouncing, "It's been two weeks! You shoulda called." She smiled none the less. Three other men walked into the room followed by a robotic cat. The black haired one picked up the robotic cat, while the brown haired one began to talk to Mister Leader. Yuffie rolled her eyes and hit the one that was talking on his forehead. "Hey Genesis! Earth to Grease Monkey and everybody else!" The chatter stopped and she turned to Zack, "Sonic go get Vince." Zack saluted and laughed. "We got a new member guys! He's an ex-Turk."
The man named Genesis rubbed his chin and turned to the sliver haired man, "This could work to our advantage then, couldn't it Sephiroth?"
Sephiroth Crescent stood proudly and nodded, "Because Cloud, You, Aerith, Reeve, and I are wanted men...we could use somebody that has been wiped." He paused "I know Vincent...to the world he no longer exists, so says my father." Aerith smiled and excused herself to go check on Marlene. Zack looked at Vincent.
"They wanna meet you." Zack said, "Should I tell them later? It's a zoo down there...and Yu and Cid gotta get a list and then you three can leave." Vincent nodded. Zack laughed and smiled, "Well I'm going to try and help Aerith...so I can escape a mission that might get me killed...by Aerith..." He laughed and stood there as Vincent walked away.
They all sat at the table. Vincent, Zack, Aerith, Shera, Shalua, and Barrett were missing. Reeve smiled as he began to speak. "Sorry that we took so long." Yu crossed her arms and ignored her big brother. Cait Sith danced around on the floor and the man with back hair sat away from the table slouching backwards slightly.
Tifa was the first to ask, "Why?" Cloud answered that.
"We were having trouble with the robots," his glare shifted to the man in the chair, "He wouldn't even turn on. It was that bad."
Yu shrugged, "Build Angeal again, I mean...he's a robot...it doesn't really matter." That earned her a glare from both Reeve and Genesis.
"It's taken Zack awhile to convince Shinra that my robot is really Angeal, and if that model breaks, It will take me six months to build a new one. And he's on desk work as is, which means if he's gone for six months people will ask questions. And all we need to worry about right now really is that the Angeal might run into Hollander, I haven't uploaded all his memory yet. But if they don't we are save to use the robot against ShinRa. " Genesis sighed, "I can't image where the real Angeal is."
Cloud's gaze shifted to the floor, "He's been missing for six months now..." Sephiroth sighed.
"Angael Hewley wouldn't die that easily Cloud, but...your right six months is quite a long time." Sephiroth spoke slowly; he would lose a friend if he gave up hope on Angael. Paws pattered through the room, Nanaki was awake. He gave his hellos and retreated back into the study.
"We have to go shopping." Tifa stated. "And Yu signed up for a show tonight to bring in some extra cash flow...just in case." She paused, "That means she needs Cait Sith and a Body Guard." Cloud sighed.
"I can't be spared; Sephiroth, Genesis and I are heading out to get this war out and on the road with Barrett tonight." He said softly, "Were going after the Mako reactor."
Yu sighed, "Aw! You all get to do all the fun jobs!" She huffed, "I get to dress up and go shopping once a month, sing to bring in money, and work at the bar, oh and recon work as the Wutai Flea!" Reeve looked at his shoes.
"We envy your line of work Yu..." He slid a piece of paper to her, "we wish we could be seen without being taken in." Yu looked at the paper.
Wanted ALIVE: Reeve Tuesti: Crimes against the State of Midgar and passing illegal information onto AVALANCHE and WRO
Wanted ALIVE: Genesis Rhapsodos: For enabling AVALANCHE, WRO, and other underground research faculties.
Wanted ALIVE: Cloud Strife: For crimes against the state and knowledge about the fire upon sector seven.
Wanted DEAD OR ALIVE: Sephiroth Crescent: Numerous crimes against all corridors of the planet, Hiding illegal Mako information, being in contact with AVALANCHE and WRO, Founding AVALANCHE and WRO, and the burning of the seventh sector. Public Enemy number one.
If you have any information about these people please call 12-780-768-3322, this is a direct call to ShinRa Turks. Or dial #911 on you ShinRa mobile phone.
OH! Core Crisis Characters! Tell me if you don't like this idea! Is my English getting worse or is it just me? Happy TURKey day!
Sera