Chapter 12:
Transformation
A/N: I'm back everyone. I've been having a hard time focusing on my writing but I should be able to fall into a groove again. Thanks for everyone who reads this fic still.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or any characters used therein. The character Will does belong to me however.
Warnings: Blood, Gore, Violence, Sexual Situations, Sex, Offensive Language, Nudity, Torture, Objectionable Political Views, Rape and Dark Humor.
Pairings: Zack Fair x Aerith Gainsborough. Roxas x Axel. Will x Riku x Sora (it's complicated).
Summary: The compound is no longer safe and the group finds and uneasy alliance. A new knight is revealed and their path is set. Along the way several startling revelations are made.
Special Thanks: CrystalMeltdown for your review of the last chapter and Jade-Eyed-Jinchuriki for your support. And to everyone who still reads this fic.
There was screaming then, a muddled collection of despairing people and the war cries of their attackers. Weapons fired intensely, echoing through the night air. Spouts of blood surged from the wounds they inflicted. Fires glowed in an ominous fashion much akin to the foreboding howl of a hurricane. And as the sands of time fall and are forgotten so too were the people on that fated night.
"Alpha breaching now!" A soldier shouted an instant later an explosion rocked the bullet ridden structure that had once been a safe haven. For their part the soldiers, dressed in black and superbly armed, were efficient and merciless though they found these people, their enemies to be hardened and vicious as a result of the unfolding chaos.
Amid the cringing house Will, Riku and Sora raced from room to room organizing their surviving comrades as best they could. The explosion at the front entrance immediately drew their attention and they rushed forward just as the first members of the breaching team surged through the entrance. They were dispatched quickly with swift sword blows.
"Raven Six this is Iron Claw we are under attack….damage is critical…..we're going down!" The radio squawked with the desperate cries of the pilot. The gunship smashed into the side of the house, near where Axel's room was. The structure was bathed in fuel that ignited almost immediately. Massive 30mm rounds began cooking off in the blaze and missiles detonated in rapid succession.
"Alpha come in! Come in Alpha! Goddamn it! Charlie, move on the target." The major gave his orders quickly and with precision. A low, hellish howl sounded in the forests surrounding the compound. Soldiers gave startled gasps and muttered among themselves. There was a short lull in the fighting as the howl became two, thirty and finally too many to number. Flames roared accenting the despairing situation with a venomous flair.
"…Six…Badger…22…no…27….all…alone….I'm….alone….God….No…Help me…" The transmission ended abruptly and the major came to the realization that he was now cut off. His troops were taking casualties and there was only one place to go: the house. He ordered all of his men to take refuge in the burning structure. There was little option now.
"Everyone, keep moving, we're surrounded. Give 'em all you got!" Soldiers bounded from their positions like gazelles being run down by lions. The major led the way and came to a halt just beyond the threshold of the hole Alpha team had made. He could see the shadowy figures emerge from the forest hot on the heels of his soldiers. They opened fire. Some of his men were run down and torn to shreds others were wounded and drug off. He had his men shoot those poor souls to spare them the horror he was sure would unfold.
"Enough of this shit!' A shout thundered from inside the house. A damning thunderstorm sprang to life and a merciless downpour tore from the sky, a curse from heaven. By the time the major turned to see the speaker he was met by a fist to his face and sent flying some ten feet. He leapt up seemingly unaffected and began trading blows with the large blond man. He was faster than any of his soldiers but not as fast as he was.
A smaller brunette came to the blonde's aid and the major was forced to dodge and weave very carefully between their kicks, punches and sword strikes. It was almost like watching a ballet. His troops were either mesmerized by the sight or fighting the descending creatures. Finally they witnessed a silver haired man join the fray. Though the major was skilled and was matching them move for move he was on the defensive and unable to deliver a strike.
A pack of doglike creatures surged forth and bypassed the soldiers. They were living flames. They dove straight for the four combatants. In the next instant the uniformed man was gone and in his place was a seven foot tall horned beast with purple fur and a massive tail. It was muscular and its teeth shone bright in the firelight, much akin to molten steel. With a whip of the tail the beast knocked the other three men to the ground and with a series of swipes from its claws, dispatched the dogs, five in all.
"Holy shit!' A soldier called. The beast cocked his head to the side as the blond rose from the mud. There were a few tense moments before Will shrugged and cracked his neck.
"Okay. Looks like we're all gonna need to team up. You take the south, Sora the east, Riku the west, I got the north. You guys should split up and cover west and south. Let's fucking go!" The beast gave a low growl but did as he was instructed and darted through the smoldering house; the fires were being quenched by the rain making the whole inside hazy and stifling.
"Aim for the eyes!" Will shouted at the soldiers. An instant later the world around them was dark, there were glowing red eyes that bobbed and weaved in the dark. The dogs circled and attacked. It was a maddening event full of terror and woe. In the dark it was nearly impossible to see one another's face though they were at arm's length. The people recount only the endless howls and gnashing teeth, not the horrors they did to their friends in desperation.
There are not words to describe what occurred that night, any mortal rambling falls despicably short of the carnage. Were it possible to sum the night in a single word that word would be: nightmare. The survivors would remember the night as an end to their sanity, what few strands that remained in the wake of the apocalypse had been severed in a dramatic and cruel fashion, the same way that the rancher drives the calf to impending slaughter.
The sun rose in the east, bright and yellow, just as it had always been. The night retreated to unveil the scorched earth around the smoldering house. Riku panting and dripping sweat eyed the horizon wearily, he prayed to himself there would be no more enemies. He hadn't the strength to raise his sword anymore and was startled when a strong hand clasped his shoulder.
"Hey, get some rest kid. You earned it." A soldier said with a hint of reverence. Riku nodded absently and allowed Ygglemir to vanish from his hand. He was led into the house by another soldier and was sat down and examined by the medic under the direction of Aerith. His minor wounds were bandaged and he was led by Zack to where Sora had curled up on the floor. Riku ran a hand across the brunette's forehead and arm, he was frigid. Riku grabbed a length of fabric, possibly from a curtain and wrapped himself and his love up as he cuddled with the smaller male and fell asleep instantly.
To the north Will stood scanning meticulously for any enemy activity. His eyes were bloodshot and his head throbbed with a migraine, still he was steady on his feet and rested Bak'frelm on his shoulder. Scanning the tree line Will was certain there was danger just beyond his blurred vision. It seemed they were safe in the daylight, how long it would last he wasn't sure.
"You did pretty well last night." The deep tone of the major sounded behind Will. The blond didn't turn to face the soldier he simply rubbed his eyes. The major patted Will's soldier in an almost brotherly fashion. The spent a few moments watching for movement, the silence was comfortable between them, not the silence of animosity or enmity. Will sighed lightly; he could feel Sora and Riku flying far away in wonderful dreams.
"Yeah, thanks. You did pretty good yourself Captain Valentine." Will gave a wry smirk as the soldier next to him shifted uneasily. Pulling down his mask the soldier revealed his short black hair. Orange eyes widened in the sunlight and pale features worked between a scowl and a bemused smirk. Eyeing Will carefully the soldier thought carefully.
"It's Major Valentine. How did you know my last name?" It was Will's turn to hesitate. Major Valentine stated unrelentingly at the blond. There wasn't really a good way to word his answer so Will shrugged and rubbed his eyes again.
"I just get these impressions sometimes. I know who people are and what they think sometimes, interesting seeing you so young though."
"Oh? And how old am I supposed to look?"
"Around 62, you took part in Eagle Claw after all."
"How the-? That's classified."
"Not to me it's not. As I recall you died in the explosion."
"I did. Well, it's more complicated than that."
"Clearly. You're standing right here."
"Yes. I remember fire and darkness. Then I awoke."
"September 12, 2011. Been fighting terrorism ever since. Although that's what you were doing anyway."
"Hmm. So then you're familiar with Dr. Lucrecia Crescent.?"
"Very much so. You were her most successful project."
"I see. She was dead when I awoke. I never got to thank her."
"There's always the next life Vincent. I'm calling you by your first name from now on. My name's William, Will for short." The pair shook hands and lit a cigarette.
"My last one. Figured I may as well share with you." They laughed at that and took in the white clouds hanging lofty in the sky unaware of the desolation below.
"Looks like we're gonna have to team up for now. You guys did a number on us and those fuckin' mutts didn't help any. I'm not sure how many we have left at this point."
"Me either. Guess we better go check." Their conversation over Will flicked the cigarette into the barren earth scorched by the remains of the dogs. Upon death these creatures turn into an ash that ignites for a moment and burns hot enough to melt iron. It was their last effort to kill their pray, fortunately none had made it into the remains of the house.
"Sergeant, how many men do we have left?" Vincent asked one of his men, a tall black man with a full beard and a deep set scowl on his face. His hazel eyes flared with a mix of anger and outrage. Still the man wiped his nose, it had dripped blood that was now dry, and eyed his commander warily.
"Counting you an' me, thirteen. Thirteen of 68. Now excuse me sir, I gotta take these bandages to the Doc." The Sergeant shoved past his commander without so much as an apology. His reaction showed that none had known of Vincent's abilities and now that they did they were unsure if he was an enemy or a friend.
"Yo Axel! Come 'ere." Will waved Axel over. Trotting up the redhead shook his head. He muttered to himself incomprehensively, probably ashamed and horrified that his father's home had come to be treated as little more that a shack. Axel hung his head for a moment and he let tears fall down his eyes veiled by his hair.
"Roxas got hurt last night. His right arm got broken in the explosion. Elena's dead. Squall broke a few ribs. Tifa has some cuts, nothing serious. I can't find Reno, Rude's okay though. Rufus is coughing up his lungs, inhaled a lot of smoke. I can't believe this happened. I just…." Will rested a hand on Axel's shoulder; the taller man looked down at the blond. They both had green eyes, though they were radically different.
"I'll take care of Roxas and Squall. Get some rest. I'll find out what's going on. Vincent you should check on your troops." Vincent nodded and Will escorted Axel to where Riku and Sora lay curled up on the floor. An earthquake couldn't rouse those two at this point. Axel wrapped some fabric around himself and leaned against the remains of a wall and nodded off.
"Will, I got bad news." Zack had stridden up behind Will. They quietly backed away from the sleeping men and found a quiet place in what used to be the kitchen. It was now littered with rubble and had no roof to speak of. The open air fluttered their hair; both Zack's and Will's had grown a couple inches since everything had begun. They remained in silence for a moment.
"Not surprising, shoot."
"Well, Me, Aerith, Tifa, and you three are doing decent. That Rufus prick was all pissy about getting a finger broke. Tseng and Rude are okay, hurt but okay. Roxas, Squall and Yuna aren't in the best shape. Demyx is all fucked up, I don't think he's gonna make it. Reno is dead. I don't think Axel knows that yet. No one else made it. That makes 28 of us total. Oh and Nananki went to find us a route out of this shithole." Zack dropped his head and groaned.
"Better than most of the time. I'll take care of everyone. We need to get things prepped to move. We should get out of here before noon. That'll give everyone time enough to rest. Zack, you should tell Aerith to grab some sleep now. There's nothing more she can do." Zack nodded. The pair departed and went about their business. Will went and healed Roxas, Squall, Yuna and Demyx. The smaller blond hugged Will tightly when he came to. Will even healed Rufus, though he would rather just break his neck. Then he helped Zack get Reno.
Reno had been crushed to death by a falling beam. He was nearly cut in half by the weight. It was a difficult task for Will to channel his energy with his fatigue as high as it was but he managed. Zack rolled the broken body in a death veil and set him with the other dead. Zack had hoped he would never see the sight of dozens of bodies broken and torn of their lives again, but fate has little concern for the wishes and prayers of mortals.
Will staggered to his lovers his tasks finished. He curled up next to Riku and Sora and drifted with them into slumber. Their heartbeats synchronized and their breathing formed a rhythm that was musical. The floor was of little comfort to the trio though they paid little mind as they let the night's events wash away from their bodies.
"Fucking fags." A soldier muttered as he walked by. Zack whipped around and cold cocked the man. The soldier staggered back and was restrained by his comrades, cursing all the while. Zack was held back too though he made no further aggressive action. The dark haired man glared at the soldier opposite him.
"Those 'fags' have saved my ass on more than one occasion. They've been through hell to get here with everyone they could and have done nothing but help us." Zack growled out the veins in his head throbbed to life. He was ready to tear his adversary apart with his bare hands. Living the last couple months the way they had seemed to have made him more volatile and animalistic.
"Tch. Whatever. We've had a hell of a time too."
"Let me explain some things. These three 'fags' were at ground fucking zero when the outbreak broke out at the UO campus. They made it through that. Then after they dropped a fucking nuke we struggled our way through the mountains where Will, the blond one, made up some potion that healed our radiation poisoning. I shot his ass because I thought he betrayed us. He got lit on fire, barely survived. We were ambushed and separated at one point, half us nearly drowned. When we met up with Tidus it was because of these three we made it out of there. Riku, the tall one, was tortured for almost 24 hours, and I'm not talking that pussy-ass water boarding shit. I'm talkin' straight up medieval, tear your skin off, burn you, and dislocate your joints shit. The ONLY reason we're here today is because of these three. Sure they're fucking gay. Who cares anymore? None of that bullshit matters anymore. God, Jesus, the Bible, it was all lies. You get your shit in line or I'll waste your ass. And the name's First Sergeant Zack Fair so you know who you're dealing with." Zack walked off muttering. The soldiers stiffened when Zack identified himself, they had heard of him, he was practically a legend. The silently supposed if he said these three were alright then they were. No more insults followed.
It was nearly noon when Nananki came trotting up to the ruined house from the North. He panted lightly and the flame on his tail was dimmed. Padding up to the center of the room the soldiers raised their rifles at the dog, suspicious of its intentions. Zack waved them off. Scratching behind Nananki's ears Zack let the hellhound communicate his message in his own time. There was no urgency at the moment and they would need all the details, accurate intelligence was equally important as timely intelligence.
"There is a clear path through the main gate. There are a few vehicles; I did not see anyone though. We should leave soon. The Ashurans will descend upon us at the Sun's departure." Nananki spoke deliberately and with a wag in his tail. He was unconcerned that things would be well once they left, danger was his daily life as chief.
"Okay Dem, you wake our heroes up." Zack ordered. The Ranger departed the room quickly gather his pack. The others followed suit. Demyx for his part was left with more than a little apprehension flowing from his body as he contemplated how best to rouse the sleeping knights and remain among the living.
"Hey, wake up huh? Time to go, places to be." Demyx shook Riku's shoulder gently hoping the tall silverette would be more capable of waking his lovers than he was. When Riku failed to do more than wrap an arm around Demyx' neck and draw him closer the small blond had to abandon his plan. Worming his way free he focused on rousing Sora.
"Hey, let's go, we have to get outta here." Demyx patted Sora on the face gently hoping it would wake him without too much of a fuss. He received a slap to the side of his face as Sora rolled over to snuggle into Riku's chest. Thoroughly irritated Demyx decided he had one option left: waking Will. At this point the poor blond had given up any hope that he would escape the day with his life.
"Okay, wake up you-"
"Do not finish that sentence." Will growled as he glared at the blond. Demyx smiled sheepishly and darted off. Will shook the two males lying next to him. Yawning they stretched their aching joints and stiff muscles. They stood and stretched letting all the discomfort drain away. They shared a kiss with one another before Zack sauntered up and leaned against a doorframe.
"You guys ready? We got a way out. We're dividing into three teams. Each of you will be on a separate team. Gives us all a fair chance. That's not going to be a problem right?" Zack raised a brow when the younger men looked as if they were going to grumble and complain but they kept their silence and hugged one another tightly before stepping out into the main room. Vincent began the final run through of their plan.
"Alright so we're going over this one last time. Our escape route is to the north. The main gate is clear of obstruction and there are a few vehicles there, though we do not know their conditions so do not expect them to work. We're dividing into three teams. I will head one team with William, the remaining seven team members will be: Tidus, Squall and the remains of Charlie team. One group will consist of Zack, Riku, Tifa, Roxas, and what's left of Bravo. The last group will consist of Wallace, Sora, Biggs, Demyx, Axel, Rufus, Tseng, Rude and Nananki. Group three is our weakest link so they'll take the center position and trail about a hundred meters. Groups one and two will take up flanking positions and keep eyes and ears open for anything suspicious. That means our formation will be an inverted wedge. Maintain radio silence. We'll regroup at the main gate and form a perimeter around the vehicles while Biggs checks their condition. Any questions? Outstanding!" Vincent concluded his speech with a "hooah" that was returned by his fellow soldiers including Zack.
The groups left just before noon hoping they would gain ground quickly. The day was cool though a tinge of warmth was laced within the air. The groups moved in silence. They were spaced out and watched the surrounding terrain closely. Moving quickly and quietly they cut into the forest with soft brushes against tree limbs. They could see one another well enough to know they were still close to each other and allowed their concern to ease slightly.
"So you can transform?" Will whispered to Vincent at length. The pair was roughly five feet apart and walked in an almost supernatural silence. Vincent let a scowl form on his face and his eyes narrowed. The blond waited patiently for a reply. The M-4 that he had acquired from a fallen soldier was nearly weightless to him now; he had spent so much time packing heavy gear that he wasn't effected by it anymore.
"Yes…I awoke with this burning in my chest and a mark on my chest. Some…brand I guess. It isn't a tattoo. A raven clutching a spear on a white shield. It's been glowing lately." Vincent let a puzzled look form on his face and he breathed an unspoken word. For his part the major looked very tired and broken. He appeared to be a man who had seen hell for himself and could no longer find happiness in anything.
"Welcome to the club, Lord Berserker. You will find that Riku, Sora and I have similar markings. We are members of a knightly order, whether we want to be or not." Will supplied his answer with a soft smile. Vincent considered the words in silence. It certainly explained a few things that had been occurring as of late: the glowing mark, his inability to sleep without seeing a woman clad in gilded armor, his pull to this mission and his incomprehensible trust of these strangers. He thought back to when he volunteered for this mission.
Three days prior 22:45, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
"Major Vincent Valentine. Welcome to my humble residence." A dark haired older man with a full beard was standing before him in antiquated military attire, likely from the early imperialist era of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. . The man was General Heidegger and was the acting commander of USSOCOM. Few liked the General as he was notoriously ineffectual as a commander.
"You have a lovely home sir. You have a mission for me?" Vincent was in no mood for games. He had been pulled from the front lines of D.C. for this meeting. To Vincent it had best be important otherwise the General may not survive the night. Heidegger simply gave a massive balking laugh, a horse laugh that was both irritating and disgusting at the same time. Vincent felt a tinge of annoyance travel up his spine and rest at the base of his skull.
"I have several. There is a mission in France that requires the attention of Delta Force. Another problem in Moscow. There is of course the trouble in Japan. And there is something in Oregon that our good friends at Langley would like us to take care of. The choice is yours Major." Heidegger gave the same pseudo-mocking laugh. Vincent had little patience for political appointees. Whoever put this imbecile in command deserved to be shot twice in the face, Vincent was a soldier, he was to receive clear commands and carry out his orders to the best of his abilities.
"I'll handle the Oregon assignment." Vincent nearly broke into a laugh of his own when Heidegger choked on his whiskey. He had been right to think that they wouldn't expect him to take that mission.
'So much the better.' Vincent thought darkly.
"Very well, my secretary will have all the details for you. Dismissed." Heidegger gave Vincent a lazy salute which the major was forced to return. Walking down the stairs he couldn't shake the feeling that he chose his mission for more than just irritating his incompetent superiors. He felt drawn to this mission in an unnatural way. Even as he assembled his team he felt that many would die just so he could see this mission through and their sacrifices would be for a greater good than any of them knew.
"Hmm. You know that I'm not lying to you. You have the look of a man who knows the truth." Will observed with a smirk as Vincent snapped out of his musings. The major couldn't reply to the younger man as he didn't understand what was happening himself. The two enjoyed silent brotherhood as they continued on, eyes of fire and green scanning the area with venom seething beneath.
"So kid, you homo?" The large man next to Sora asked. As they led the center group Sora had come to find that Sergeant Wallace was an interesting and impassioned man. He fought for his daughter Marlene and did his best to be there for her. He was about to retire and take a security consulting job when everything happened. He managed to get her to safety and got back to work.
"I guess…I don't know. I had a girlfriend. We were going to get married. She was killed and I almost was too. I spent a long time in the hospital and recovering. I met Riku and we became friends. Then all this happened. I met Will and we weren't on the best terms but that changed. We came to rely on each other for everything. And somewhere along the way I started feeling something more than comradery and friendship. I started to actually love them. It seems so surreal now, I hated my brother when he came out to me, wanted him to disappear for shaming the family. Now look at me." Sora scoffed and shook his head.
"Well shit boy. Ain't non' o' that makes a fuckin' difference. I just heard Zack go off 'bout that shit earlier. Thought I'd ask ya. I'm 'kay with ya being a fairy. Just don' think I wanna boff ya too." Wallace laughed heartily and Sora was unsure if they had to worry about their position being compromised, after all neither of the other groups were being loud like they were. And it wasn't just the two of them. Practically everyone in there group was conversing, rather loudly.
"Thanks Sarge. I'm not into old guys so you don't have to worry."
"Who you callin' 'old' shorty? An' ya can call me Barrett. Got a name fer a reason." Barrett laughed at Sora. It was strange that the soldiers were warming up to them so quickly but Sora didn't think much of it. He liked having someone with some personality beyond, angry, guilty, angsty, vindictive and hateful to talk to. Barrett was a good man too. Wasn't judgmental he was legitimately concerned for everyone so long as they weren't doing anyone else harm.
"How you holdin' up kid?" Zack asked as Riku momentarily leaned against a tree for support. Rubbing his eyes Riku shook his head with a smile. Zack and Riku were close friends at this point and they told each other everything. Tifa and Roxas were whispering to each other as well. The soldiers simply exchanged looks. Zack patted Riku's shoulder with an aura of brotherly affection.
"Well, I'm alright I guess. As good as can be expected. Just disappointed." Riku admitted. Zack tilted his head not asking the question that Riku knew was going to come.
"We never got to have sex you know?" Riku deadpanned. Zack stifled a laugh though he did feel for the younger man. He couldn't remember the last time he and Aerith had gotten the chance to be intimate in all the chaos. They would have to make a special stop sometime for everyone to get off. At least Zack thought they should.
"Tough break. I figured you three would be all over each other soon as we turned our backs. You guys are so horny you'd pop a balloon twenty feet away, if we had one." Zack chuckled softly. Riku smirked, what Zack was saying was true. He looked over to Will and Sora whenever he got the chance and had to actively think disgusting thoughts just to keep his pants from getting tighter.
"Hey, I'm happy for you guys. Hear me?" Zack took on a serious tone. Riku looked at the man for a moment before nodding.
"Thanks. I don't know what to say really. I'm still getting used to the idea of being in love." Riku felt a strong breeze at his rear and closed his eyes for just a second as his hair whipped forward and tickled his face. He was dirty from the night's fighting and he ached from fatigue, still he was happy and he noted how much he had changed in such a short time.
"Yeah it sneaks up on you, but it's a good thing. Trust me." Zack replied with a warm smile. Riku nodded and gave the older male a playful punch on the arm. It was August now and the air was rapidly warming and soon it would be hot and their movement would struggle. Still it was a nice reprieve from all the moving at night and it was peaceful at the moment so they enjoyed things as best they could.
"So you and two other men are in love?" Vincent asked skeptically. There was around a quarter mile between them and the main gate. They could make out the shapes of military vehicles from this distance though they couldn't' see anyone. They wanted to close some more of the distance before creating a perimeter. As for Will and Vincent their conversation had taken a very personal turn.
"Yes, we are. Problem?"
"I just don't get it. How a guy can do that with another guy."
"Well, there isn't really a good explanation."
"What do you mean?"
"It's kinda like being with a woman and its not."
"Okay…you lost me."
"Think of it this way: when people are in love they it's because there's something about the other person that is desirable. For most men they have the primal urge tugging at the back of their mind to reproduce, and it's true for most women as well. However, that instinct has been exaggerated and cemented into the forefront of our thinking by thousands of years of society. People are more complex that used to be thought, what drives two guys, two girls or any other 'non-traditional' romantics is beyond me. I just know I love them and I'm not afraid to admit it." Will spoke deliberately, knowing the older male would have trouble understanding his thinking.
"Hmm…I see. Not something we can understand easily I guess. I don't approve of what you do, but it's not my place to judge you either. I've done things that are no less sinful so it would seem I am in appropriate company. I still love her." Vincent absently allowed the last sentence to roll off his tongue. Will felt a chill run down his spine.
"Who?" Will couldn't help but ask. It was more than petty curiosity, there was a connection here he had missed. The world halted for just a moment as Vincent turned his head to answer. They stopped in place. Vincent's face darkened, his eyes glowed harsher, red instead of orange. His thin lips pursed in a thinker's expression.
"Doctor Lucrecia Crescent, she was my world. I never should have gotten involved with her, but I did and it hurts me still. She was so kind and so wonderful and I know it shattered her heart when she learned of what happened to me." Vincent let his voice drop and his head fell for a moment. This allowed Will to regain his composure from the shock of Vincent's revelation; a woman he killed was the woman he loved.
Vincent signaled for the group to hold its position. Crouching down they looked around vigilantly, the vehicles were around a hundred yards away now. Vincent signaled to the other flanking group and they moved forward in unison. The center group took up a rear guard position. The distance was covered quickly and efficiently. From his position Sora watched Will and Riku intently, his head spinning with concern.
"All clear!" A soldier shouted. There were ten vehicles in all, five Hummers, four of which were mangled and inoperable, two Stryker IFV's, one with a 105mm gun and the other with a .50 caliber machine gun. There were also three supply trucks, one rolled over, one gutted by fire and one that seemed to be operable. Blood and gore was all about though there were no bodies. The soldiers quickly set up a perimeter around the vehicles and signaled to the center group.
Quickly they opened and checked each vehicle for any survivors; they found only blood, spent shell casings and a few weapons. There was a soft whimpering that a soldier heard by chance. Identifying himself before looking under the Stryker he found a survivor. The poor man was hauled from underneath and stood up shaking. Vincent was called over to talk to him.
"What happened here?"
"We…were..am-ambushed. They fucking…came out of nowhere!"
"Did anyone else make it?"
"No."
"Where are the bodies?"
"They…fucking ate them!"
"Alright son, we'll get you out of here, just relax, here drink." Vincent handed the soldier a canteen to drink from, he was one for nostalgia. The soldier shook his head and grabbed Vincent's sidearm, pointing it underneath his chin. The other soldiers around started trying to calm the man down.
"Hey, what's your name son? Where are you from?"
"Evan…Lerwick. I'm…Connecticut." The man's green eyes and shone with distress. He looked around with seeming clairvoyance.
"Alright…PFC, just calm down, we're here now to help you."
"Can't help…too many…trees…wings…blood…the screams…ah…no…get away…" The echo of the gunshot rang in everyone's ears. Vincent wiped the splattered blood from his face with a sigh. No one bothered to bury the man, there wasn't any real point to it and they needed to leave. Biggs checked the vehicles and confirmed that the one Hummer was functional as were the Strykers and the supply truck. Barrett took command of the Stryker with the 105 along with Biggs. Vincent took command of the Hummer with Zack on the gun and Sora driving. Will took over the other Stryker with a soldier driving and Riku with him. Tidus took drove the truck and everyone else distributed randomly between the four vehicles.
"So where to?" Barrett asked on the radio.
"Portland." Will answered back.
"What the fuck fo'?" Barrett responded.
"There's a facility we need to get to, headed by a Professor Hojo." Will felt guilty in that moment, but he knew what had to be done.
"Listen to him sergeant. That's an order." Vincent responded his anger growing. There was a bestial urge to obliterate the man that had just been mentioned. The precise reason was not clear to him at the moment, though he didn't really care either. Vincent was done being an aloof puppet and decided in that moment he had a responsibility to right the wrongs of mankind.
"Awright." Barrett returned shaking his head. Their mission had been simple. It was far from that anymore. As the small convoy began its trudge to the northwest Sora allowed his thoughts to drift to hopes of tomorrow. Perhaps with a touch of fortune they would be able to rebuild a world where peace would be possible. Through their connection Riku and Will felt Sora's thoughts. They entwined their hands and shared a smile. Calm settled over the group and in those moments of relaxation they never knew they were being followed.
A/N: Okay so here's the latest chapter. I know people may be upset by Reno's death but it is a plot point. And Axel still doesn't know. I look forward to any and all reviews. Thanks everyone.