Sensitivity
It took Vincent until midwinter to go through all of the computer files and written notes lying around the Shinra mansion. Lucretia's notes and thesis were dealt with early on since they were both the tidiest and the most critical, but working out what Hojo had done and gathering all he had written from hidden shelves and secret drawers took months. The former Turk copied all the important documentation about 'Specimen V' and 'Specimen S' onto two hard drives and packed up the handwritten notes into a separate folder.
Vincent also found some of professor Gast's notes on the Cetra and JENOVA in one of the hidden cubbyholes. Those notes had been stashed there more recently, either by Gast himself or by a dangerously well-informed thief. Vincent suspected the latter: the notes gave her a rather alarming insight into what JENOVA really was and what Hojo had done to her son.
JENOVA was an extraterrestrial virus that boosted the strength, senses and reaction times of the subject. More disturbingly it caused physical mutations -slit pupils, feathered wings, tentacles and scales among other things- and was more likely to drive the victim insane in the long run than offer any genuine advantage. Worse, Hojo's notes indicated that the virus was sentient: the mutated J-cells were aware of each-other and could communicate, largely through a kind of empathetic projection but actual mental contact was possible if the cell concentration was high enough within the host. The deranged professor's handwritten notes raved about JENOVA talking to him in his mind and how he would be elevated above all others for bringing her to greatness.
All of the lunatic's plans involves Sephiroth in one way or another, which caused Vincent to amend her plan -third, locate Sephiroth; fourth, destroy JENOVA as soon as possible- and more determined than ever to find and protect her son. Her new physical condition meant she would likely be incapable of conceiving a child of her own, which only made Sephiroth more precious.
What was currently bothering Vincent was the unfortunate reality that her plan would need to be altered to include Cloud. His mother's name turned out to be Strife, which was surprisingly apt: the boy had a knack for destroying things. So far all the former Turk had taught him was basic hand-to-hand, although she had also introduced the short blond to the concept of planning ahead, strategy games and other little logistical exercises. Most of what she made Cloud do was build his strength, endurance, flexibility and speed, which meant running laps, doing situps, pushups and other stretches and a version of tag where Vincent threw things that Cloud had to dodge while remaining inside a circle.
The circle gradually got smaller as the boy improved.
Cloud was also working on his stealth, mainly through trial and error: Vincent had promised to start weapons training early if the energetic boy could sneak up on her even once. The nine-year-old was yet to succeed but he was nothing if not persistent and he was getting better every day. That sheer single-mindedness was both an admirable quality and a dangerous defect, as well as the reason behind Vincent including the blond in her increasingly detailed plans; whether or not he was physically ready Cloud would not allow himself to be left behind. The boy had got his hands on some of Hojo's notes a few months back and decided then and there that the professor had to be stopped. Vincent would have believed it just a childish phase had Cloud's work ethic not doubled in intensity overnight and consistently improved ever since.
Regardless of whether the boy's stealth was up to par the former Turk intended to begin weapons' training within the month; Cloud was ready.
In the past six months Vincent had also explored and pushed her own limits, exploring the Nibel mountains and killing monsters both as practice and for supplies. She had also experienced the emergence of all three of her inner abominations and witnessed what kind of damage they left behind, as well as Chaos' own battle strategy. The latter occurred when she accidentally stumbled across a dragon.
The Galian Beast was the easiest to deal with and accept since it acted very much like the local Nibel wolves: it was an apex predator with a taste for raw meat that killed anything that attacked it or that it felt threatened by. In addition to its immense physical strength it could throw fireballs, or at least Vincent thought they were fireballs. Its habit of dining on defeated monsters made the former Turk seriously consider turning vegetarian before deciding that letting something Hojo had done to her limit her own choices would just be letting him win ans she refused to do that. Besides, the Galian Beast was less hungry when she ate properly, which was one reason not to give up meat. Although she did make sure her meat was properly cooked.
Death Gigas was the most humiliating manifestation. For one it was male, for another it was utterly, irredeemably stupid. If something living was in front of it, Death Gigas attacked it. It only ever went forwards, not even noticing the things on either side unless they attacked it. When that happened it turned to face the attacker and only paid attention to that new direction, moving in a straight line until the danger was over and Vincent returned to herself.
Hellmasker was the most terrifying manifestation. Even Chaos disliked him, which was saying something. There was something profoundly wrong with Hellmasker that made Vincent very nervous about herself and the human race in general: some things should not be allowed out of the mental closet at all ever and Hellmasker was one of those things. He revelled in torture and bloodshed, lived for the pain and suffering of others and was consistent in his insistence that agonising death was the most beautiful thing ever created. Hellmasker had neither allies nor enemies, only potential victims. After that incident Vincent hunted down Cloud, described the manifestation and ordered the boy to hide well out of sight if he ever saw it emerging and keep any bystanders out of the monster's sight as well.
Chaos was different from the others as well as more powerful, mainly because it had once been an independent being. When Chaos was in control Vincent felt like the being was wearing her like a flesh suit, which was a whole new kind of uncomfortable. Chaos was also utterly unpredictable and rarely did the same thing twice. Certainly never twice in a row. The only advantage to dealing with the WEAPON that was the herald of OMEGA was that Vincent could suppress it more easily that the others. She could also call it up more easily, but she only did that when Chaos was preferable to the alternative. As the other three came to the fore depending on how badly she was wounded, it was good to have an alternative she could call upon at will.
Well, almost at will; Chaos had a will of its own and sometimes fought tooth and nail for control, though Vincent won nineteen times out of twenty the first time around and all of the rematches.
Having learnt all she could within the mansion and all she needed about her own inner monsters Vincent set about preparing herself for the spring, when she could turn her attention to the rest of the world and find out what ShinRa had been up to in her absence.
A brief interlude before the action really gets moving and an introduction to Vincent's inner beasties. Oh, and more Cloud in the background. Please review your favourite chapters!
