-1A new rule
"That lying bastard!" Aya yelled throwing the heap of twisted metal that was her bed frame. She had been locked up down in the labs where the other projects were. It was farley dark and Aya couldn't see in the other cells but she didn't feel alone whether there were cameras or people in the area. Aya pulled up the bed frame and threw it again but cutting her arm with a bit of sharp metal that sent her cussing. She sighed and sat on the mattress that was on the floor in the back of the cell.
"What did they promise you?" A voice whispered from across the hall. The voice was hoarse yet smooth. Aya went to the bars and looked across the hall to the cell where the noise came from. There was something there, something not human. It shifted to look through the bars to show its face. It had a long face that was thin with black eyes and white pupils , bluish tinted skin with fangs extending from it's mouth.
"That I could take my friend home with me." Aya answered bewildered by the thing that she was talking to. It opened its mouth revealing other sharp pointed teeth.
"Oh, well it sounded like something….more important." The thing said with a hint of sorrow to its voice.
"What would you know about importance!" Aya yelled flopping down on the floor of her cell.
"You let them change you for one person. Not 20, or 50, or even 100. Someone as young as you knows not what they should give their humanity for."
"Oh well if you are so smart why are you down here?" Aya retorted. The ting looked grim and replied.
"I gave myself to Shin-ra's projects to save my village of 350 friends and family. To save them and my wife with her unborn child. There was a plague and it was spreading through my village fast. Shin-ra had promised to help them if I gave myself to their experiments…" The thing paused for a moment then said.
"none of them survived, not one. Shin-ra didn't lift a finger to help." Aya looked at the thing with pity now it was human and now looked nothing like a human.
"I was mad at first, like you are now, but over time it did no good to fight and destroy things. Now my rage smolders, I have been here for longer than I can recall." Aya sat in silence for a long time unable to look away from the suffering thing. The question bubbled up to the point where she had to ask.
"What is your name? Mine is Aya." She scooted closer to the bars.
The thing didn't speak at first it appeared to be thinking.
"My name?" It shook its large head from side to side. "It has been far to long for me to remember my name. Here I am referred to as 'Number 13'" Before Aya could talk again Number 13 shrank back into the shadows his white pupils the last thing to disappear in the darkness. Down the hall a door opened and someone walked down the hallway with a cart that had a squeaky wheel. Aya shrank back to sit on the mattress. Rufus Shin-ra stood in front of Aya's cell with a cart that had numerous things on its one Aya recognized as a tazer.
"Now Aya lets make this as simple as we can. You tell me where the location of the portal is or I have no problem having you tortured." Aya noticed that on the other end of the cart was Hojo and Rude. Aya looked at the cart again but stayed silent. Rufus sighed and gave Rude a signal to begin to torture Aya. Rude first shot Aya with the tazer to take her down. Aya withered on the floor as the electricity flowed through her. She kept silent through the torture methods applied to her. Hojo was there to make sure Aya didn't die. Aya gave in after an hour.
"The crater…" she gasped still coughing from a good kick to the ribs. Rufus smiled now that he was getting results.
"Where at the crater?" When Aya didn't answer right away Rude gave her another good kick making Aya spit blood.
"t-the center." Rufus was pleased with the answers Aya gave and then said to Rude.
"Kill her." As he said this a bright red claw appeared just over his shoulder then disappeared quickly stabbing through Rufus's back and exiting through his stomach. Wide eyed he coughed up blood then went still. Hojo was looking across the hall at Number 13's cell horrified he made to run when Rufus's body was flung at him taking him down. Rude backed up in the cell drawing his gun and shot at Number 13 there were some bright sparks as it glanced off. When he saw his shot had no affect Rude ran for it. Number 13 made no effort to stop him.
"You still live?" Number 13 asked withdrawing his long tail with the bloody claw. There was a loud groan from the bars at he swept them aside easily with his clawed hand. Number 13 emerged from the cell, his skin was all a pale blue and he had large red spikes jutting from his back. The way he walked resembled that of a horse. He had spines and claws that were all the same red color. From the top of his head and extending to the beginning of his tail was a black mane. On his head were two large bat ears that were stable with red horns growing right next to them. He turned over to where Hojo had just gotten Rufus's body off him. He was covered with blood. Number 13 pinned Hojo down with one enormous hand red claws resting around Hojo.
"You have the same smell as the ones that made me this way." Number 13 said with clear rage in his voice. Hojo could only look up at the great beast with aw. Then Number 13 crushed Hojo under his hand flattening him as if Hojo was the person that made him that way. Aya had gotten up holding the bars of her cell door for support. Number 13 turned to her and said in his normal calm voice again.
"I will take you from this place. You are not only protecting your friend but also your home." He walked over to Aya and knelt down so Aya could get on his back.
"I can carry you but there is nothing I can do if you injure yourself on my horns they are poisonous." Aya nodded and got on his back. Number13 went through the larger hallways where the horns wouldn't catch and get him stuck. They made it to the stairway with a line of Turks and guards waiting to head them off.
[Seventh Heaven
Vincent kept a hand around Kat's waist now that they were "out". They had no idea what Hojo had done to Kat while she was at the labs for that short time, so Vincent had gotten over protective. They talked about what Hojo could have done with a few injections, Cid didn't talk apparently trying to not bring up what happened that morning.
"I don't feel any different." Kat commented later on when Yuffie had come over. Cid burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Yuffie asked.
"It's nothing Cid is just drunk again." Vincent said glaring at Cid when he stopped laughing. Kat sighed and continued.
"The thing that concerns me is that Shin-ra has made no attempt to find me or Vincent since."
"I herd something went wrong down in the labs," Yuffie said then continued.
"Loads of people were hurt, but no one knows who yet."
"Maybe one of the projects got away." Cloud said who until now had been silent.
"Only one way to find out. Though I am not to wild about going back, but we need to know who we are still fighting here." Kat said standing up, Vincent got up too.
"Fine, but Vincent I think you should search they skies while we take Kat over by foot." Tifa said.
"I can fly Tifa, and I think that me flying is safer than walking with you guys." Kat said.
"I agree, on foot she can easily get trapped in some place where she cant get away." Vincent said. Tifa sighed in defeat.
"Fine go by air we will go on foot."
"They should probably head out the back, it wouldn't be wise for them to change in the street." Cloud said, it was clear who supported Vincent and Kat being together and who didn't. Tifa hated the idea seeing Kat as a child still, where Cloud was all for it knowing that Vincent didn't fall in love or even a slight crush easily. Cid, well Cid was the one who couldn't help but find the couple funny.
"Ok lets go." Kat said walking towards the back with Vincent at her side holding her waist.
"What's going on?" Yuffie asked clueless as to why Vincent was so at ease around Kat.
Tifa sighed.
"We'll tell you later." Out back Vincent changed into Chaos quickly. Kat was focusing as hard as she could to changing but didn't.
What? Why cant I change?
I don't know? Your asking me? Rage replied.
"What's wrong Kat?" Chaos asked. Kat looked up at his golden eyes and sighed.
"I can't change and Rage doesn't know why." Kats voice cracked on the last word. She kicked the metal trash can that would on any other day have been dented severely, it merely scooted along the pavement. Kat let out a chain or cusses as she held her foot, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I'm useless! I always have to be saved. I'm good for nothing!" Kat cried just having a total mental breakdown. Chaos turned back into Vincent and said.
You get to handle this.
"Kat that's not true-" Vincent was cut off.
"Isn't it! What good have I done anyone since I came here! What good am I doing now?" Kat insisted heading for the back door to be cut off by Vincent.
"Where are you going?" He asked getting a little irritated.
"I'm going back inside, move." She said trying to push past him, Vincent grabbed Kats arm holding her there.
"Let me go!" Kat insisted.
"No you wanted to go to Shin-ra to see what happened and we are going." Vincent said changing again into Chaos. Chaos grabbed Kat's under arms and took off lifting her up.
"Hey! Let me go!" Kat yelled looking at the shrinking ground getting dizzy.
"Vincent I am seriously going to barf." Kat said in a calmer tone.
"Just hold on we are almost there." Chaos said flying faster. Chaos set Kat down on top of the Shin-ra building she sank to her knees holding her stomach. Chaos landing changing back to Vincent.
"Kat are you alright?" Vincent asked kneeling down next to her, Kat answered with her upchuck reflex. Vincent grimaced but held back Kat's hair.
"We need to get you back to the bar." Vincent said still holding Kat's hair back.
"Just fly low." Kat said forcing herself up dizzy. Vincent took Kat back to the Seventh Heaven flying low stopping when she felt like she might throw up. Vincent lead Kat inside to the upstairs bathroom. Kat buried her head in the toilet heaving while Vincent searched for a hair band. When he found one he tied Kat's hair back then went to call Tifa.
"Tifa we are at the bar, but Kat is really sick… Just vomiting so far….No I haven't given her anything yet…Yeah her hair is tied back…Alright see you soon." Vincent said hanging up the phone. When Tifa and everyone got back to the bar they walked in to the sickened smell of bile and they were greeted by the sound of Kat heaving. Tifa hurried to the back bathroom where Kat and Vincent were.
"Its just been getting worse." Vincent said as he flushed the toilet for Kat.
"Cloud get some towels!" Tifa yelled to the main bar while going through the medicine cabinet and pulled out some sleeping aids, and fever reducers.
"Kat you need to take these." Tifa said holding the pills and a glass or water to her. Cloud came down with 2 white towels in hand. Tifa took one and cleaned Kat's face and then had Cloud get the other one wet with cold water. Kat reluctantly took the pills and held them in the best she could.
"She is burning up." Tifa said putting the cold towel to Kats forehead.
"Take her up stairs and make sure that there is a bucket next to her bed or something." Tifa said letting Vincent take her. The pills got Kat into an uneasy sleep. Down at the bar Tifa was spraying air freshener around to get rid of the smell.
"So what was going on with Shin-ra?" Vincent asked from his seat in the corner.
"Something happened, an experiment got out or something. The main point is that Rufus Shin-ra and Hojo were both killed along with at least a dozen guards. That's not what worries me though." Cloud said pausing to take a drink. "There is already a new president of Shin-ra. There was a speech, she said that she planned to follow through with all projects Rufus had going prior to his death."
"All projects? There must be something big going on, bigger than them wanting to experiment on Kat." Vincent said. At that moment Kat began screaming in pain. Vincent rushed upstairs to see what was going on. There was a crash herd and Vincent yelled down.
"She is having spasms!" Cloud and Cid went upstairs to help Vincent. Tifa was about to follow when something at the front of the bar caught her attention. A large mass was blocking the street light. Its head bowed down to look into the bar. It pushed on the door slightly and then the glass shattered . It withdrew its head eyes closed as the broken glass slid off its large snout. Tifa was backed against the bar starring at the thing in the doorway.
"C-Cloud!" Tifa called up not looking away from the thing. Cloud came down and froze when he saw the thing with its head through the door way. Kat was still screaming upstairs.
"Don't fear me. I seek your help." The thing rasped. Cloud walked towards the door some and saw that on the things back between the red horns coming from its back was Aya passed out and beaten up.
"Tifa help me with Aya." Cloud said rushing outside to pull Aya off the things back.
[up stairs
Kat screaming with pain as the spasms came. Vincent rushed up to see what was going on. He yelled back something that Kat couldn't understand or hear through her screams. He ran in grabbing her arms to hold her down as Cid and Cloud came through the door to help. Cid cussed and held Kats legs down while Cloud helped Vincent. Tifa called Cloud and he left cussing. Vincent and Cid had to use all of their strength to keep Kat from hurting herself. Kat screamed again it was like her was feeling all of the pain she felt when she was first being changed at the labs. Kat looked up at Vincent wishing for his warm embrace yet there was only pain. Then the light began to fade the pain lessened but was still there. Vincent was fading as well. It was as if he was the light leaving Kat.
"No…don't leave." Kat called to Vincent who was still fading until everything went black.