Pairings: TifaxVincent, TifaxCloud, VincentxLurcrecia, HojoxLucrecia
Music: Shining by Kristian Leontiou
Disclaimer: Don't own FFVII, Characters, etc.
Summary: This is based off of a lot of 'what ifs' throughout the FFVII storyline.
Chapter I: Say Goodbye
"Hojo, you're up late."
He can see the young Turk's eyes glowing like embers that light up the darkness. For a moment, he thought that those glowing eyes were real but the moon was a cruel mistress and it was her glow upon his eyes that gave him the impression.
Hojo scowled to himself. Deep within his heart he wished that he had Valentine as a test subject. Ever since the Turk had been issued down to his headquarters, he had watched him. Vincent had the potential to become the perfect specimen. Good health, quick reflexes, good eyesight, strong immune system (the man rarely got sick), fast, strong, clever, among other things. He could become something glorious and through him, Hojo could learn so much!
But the man was also filled with useless qualities such as pride, moral center, and was too willful for his own good. He had a pure heart and human experimentation probably wouldn't sit well with him, not to mention the fact that being a human test subject probably wasn't high on his 'things to do before I die' list.
But none of that mattered and Hojo knew what he must do. With a nimble flick of his bony fingers, Hojo cast the room into light. He grinned within himself when he saw Vincent wince a bit at the sudden introduction of light to his sensitive red hued eyes.
Vincent sat at the table, a mug of steaming something or other sitting on the table beside him, his gun parts set neatly down in the order that they were taken apart, a cleaning set beside them and in his hands was one of the more intricate pieces of his prized gun as he cleaned it dutifully.
Vincent was still clad in some pieces of his Turks Uniform but seeing as he didn't need to worry about his image while everyone slept, he had his white dress shirt untucked and loose about the collar a few buttons down, his coat hung neatly from the chair next to him and his shoes and socks were no where to be found. His hair was as neat and shiny as ever.
"The same could be said of you, Valentine," Hojo said softly and walked further into the kitchen, towards the fridge and his objective. With Vincent being in the kitchen anyways, it made his plans oh so easy.
Vincent only hummed his agreement.
"You know, I had a dream just now," Hojo said softly and this was what everything was truly about. His dream, unlike others, felt so real. Not to mention that everything made sense. He couldn't explain it but he couldn't ignore it either. If he wanted his dreams and aspirations to come to fruition, he couldn't take any risks. None.
Vincent glanced up at him from his work, and curiously wondered where this was going.
"In my dream, everything that I worked so very hard to accomplish was taken away from me…by you and a bunch of meddling imbeciles."
Vincent's hand visibly tightened on the component of his gun and slowly, Hojo could tell he was thinking of a way to put his gun back together and load it, just in case.
Hojo opened the fridge and ignored the cool air that came to greet him as he put his hands out of Vincent's sight, acted as though he was rummaging. Deftly his fingers took up a frozen syringe already filled with the liquid he needed, a powerful sedative, and harmlessly slipped it down the sleeve of his bathrobe, grabbed a packet of fruit juice just afterwards to cover it up and put Vincent a little more at ease.
"You see… you had snuck down into the labs that, in your contract, you were clearly forbidden to enter. Upon seeing the things that the ShinRa Company has assigned Doctor Crescent and myself to do, you promptly threw a hissy fit. I suppose that I also failed to notice that you and Lucrecia were slowly becoming…involved with each other outside of work…"
Hojo suppressed a grin when he noticed Vincent stiffen, though his emotionless Turk mask never faltered for a second. It was then that Hojo knew his dream was right.
"You tried to stop Lucrecia and I from furthering our careers and our research but you neglected just two things, in my dream."
Vincent's voice was stiff, cold, and professional, "And what was that?"
"For one, you forgot that first and foremost, we are scientists, Vincent. Secondly, you forgot that women are very fickle creatures and you let your emotions get the best of you," Hojo's eyes flashed with smug pride and madness, "As a Turk, you should've known better."
Without him ever noticing, Vincent had already pieced together half of his gun. His fingers were silent, deft and dexterous. Vincent and Lucrecia had already grown quite close and Vincent had already made a few trips into the basement of the ShinRa Manor, all in hope of getting the proof to call ShinRa on its madness and to free Lucrecia from her bindings to the hellish organization. To stop the JENOVA project before it got out of hand. From the information he got from Professor Gast before he mysteriously disappeared as well as his family, Vincent knew this was all bad news.
"I put a slug through your gut when you came to confront me on why Lucrecia and I are planning to implant JENOVA cells into our baby."
Vincent's eyes widened and his hands stopped in their ministrations.
'Hojo and Lucrecia…bare a child. Then they…experiment upon it? Dear God!' Vincent thought hurriedly as his fingers slid his gun components into proper place.
Vincent had to stop this madness. While Hojo claimed it to be a dream, he had also said he had to stop this before he got in the way. Meaning he was planned on it either which way.
"Hojo," Vincent growled, his gun mostly completed but Hojo just continued.
"We tried to save you to further our research, Vincent. We injected you with DNA from JENOVA, MAKO and other forms of healing supplements. Nothing worked but even after I gave up, Lucrecia didn't. She implanted you with the WEAPON Chaos. From there, you suffered for 30 years in a coffin, holding the scars of experimentation, MAKO, JENOVA, the four monsters we implanted in you and living through your own guilt. From there, I don't feel like getting into the details. To put it simply, you are released 30 years into the future, you stop my son, JENOVA and I at every turn so…" Hojo said, all the while circling him, dropping his packet of juice upon a counter as he passed, "I'll take care of the problem now, before things get out of hand!"
It was then, in a flurry of motion, that Vincent had his gun finished and loaded, that he sprung up and spun on heel to get in the ready and aim at Hojo and it was just a second too late that he registered the connection between Hojo's grinning, fearless gaze and the quick, creeping numbness taking over his body.
With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Vincent watched Hojo as his expression changed from smug to delighted.
"That is a special sedative I made from scratch that could take down even the most ferocious of monsters. You stand no chance against it."
A loud clattering noise issued throughout the room and moments later Vincent realized his hands had let go of the heavy gun and were empty, not to mention motionless. A few moments later he crumbled to the ground, numb and growling, as the edges of his vision got darker and spread until all was naught but darkness and nightmares. The last thing he would hear in his life of freedom was Hojo's cackling, light footsteps and Lucrecia's screams.
…Lucrecia…I'm sorry...I tried but it wasn't enough…
"What are you going to do with him, Simon?!" Lucrecia panicked, holding the unconscious Turk's head gently in her lap.
Hojo simply smiled, "I'll do as I have always wanted to do and you will help me. When the time comes we will take care of him accordingly so that he can never help those meddling children."
"What are you talking about?" Lucrecia murmured sorrowfully, glaring at the man she once respected and now hated above all things.
From the Author of Final Fantasy's:
Two Where There Was One
&
Grew Up Wishing
As well as Devil May Cry's:
Unplugged
Comes the story of one man's suffering and one woman's quest to solve a mystery long since forgotten…
Blindfolded Angel now proudly presents
The newest tale of the Final Fantasy Series
Tomorrow we Believe, But not Today
30 Years Later…
"Tonight on TNN, the search is called off for the young Turk of the ShinRa Electric Power Company, Vincent Valentine. After thirty years of looking, hope has finally ceased for the loyal young man and a funeral service is to soon be held by the ShinRa Company. He will be dearly missed. On other news," the young woman on the TV said professionally but she didn't get to finish her sentence before the TV was cut off.
The room grew dark as the light from the TV faded, casting the area in shades of blue and black and gray. The hospital room was a nice size, not too big but not too small for just one occupant. It was cozy, or at least it should have been with its comfortable chair, warm bed, TV, bookshelf and bathroom, not to mention a window with a view, but the air in the room was thick. Thick with sorrow, pain, and hatred to such an extent that the nurses and doctors of the facility felt anxious to simply look at its door.
Outside the world was a sunless, wet place. The dark grays and blacks of the clouds were menacing and relentless in their scorn upon the earth, throwing down buckets of rain and dishing out claps of thunder and lighting so bright that it was as dazzling as it was frightening. The storm had no intention of letting up anytime soon and it fit the situation perfectly.
"Well, there you go, Mister Valentine, it seems as though your stay with us has no intention of ending, hm?" said an annoying, squawking voice that belonged to a man in his middle ages that sat on the edge of the bed. His hair was long, tied in a loose thing tail, and as greasy as it was black. Clad in a white laboratory coat, the man seemed to glow in the room, his glasses gave off a light all their own.
A seemingly young man who appeared to be tucked in like any other healing patient occupied the bed. His hair was a messy long raven colored mane that somehow was unaffected by the horrors of bed head. He was pale despite the fact that his bed was positioned in the window in such a way that light could still fall upon him. But there was no light now except for the flashes of lighting that flickered across the sky in stormy wrath. His eyes were thick with emotion, with hate, anger, and bitterness. Anyone who passed him might have fancied that his eyes were glowing bright red like the very fires of hell.
"Such temper, Mister Valentine! If you keep that up the contacts I made for you will be of no use! Though it is so disappointing to have to cover up your eyes, Vincent. I like the monstrous red MAKO eyes I gave you much more than the dull brown these contacts make them," he sighed, "What a pity. Oh well."
The man gave no response but instead opted instead to glare at his tormentor.
"So silent, Vincent…always so silent…"
Vincent wanted to growl, wanted to scream, and to let out all that Hojo's medication had bottled up within him. Medication… hardly. More like a way to hush up the only living witness to Hojo's crimes. The medication was administered often and left Vincent feeling weak to a point that made breathing and staying alive an exhausting effort. Hojo's fingers brushed over the blankets, where Vincent's arms were tied to the metal sidings of the hospital bed. Thick Velcro straps trimmed with reinforced lead. Straps along his arms, straps around his torso, straps around his legs…not like they were needed anymore; he could barely lift a finger. Or so Hojo thought.
The metal sidings of the bed lurched and shook as Vincent tugged and struggled, making the man's eyes go wide. With one final lurch, Vincent hauled one of his arms free, a dark static singing through his skin from a foreign strength not his own. His eyes shown like bright amber stars but thanks to the contacts, appeared only to be a warm caramel color.
"I'm disappointed…" Vincent growled, "I expected more foresight from a doctor experienced in handling experimental medicine. Use the same medication enough times and the body grows immune, Hojo!"
"Oho!" the man laughed, still slightly startled as he managed to stay just out of reach of the rapidly mutating arm. The arm became a clawed and dangerous thing, the muscles beneath the skin growing and contracting with each second, "So I see, Mister Valentine! Well, I suppose I'll have to make a new medication, now won't I?"
Vincent growled, fangs growing beneath his lips as they pulled back to snarl, his legs and arms that were pinned struggled against their bonds desperately. His hair lifted and became long messy spikes.
The man picked himself off the bed and slowly made his way to the IV feed used to give Vincent his medication, his form still shadowed and unidentifiable. Vincent's thrashing didn't stop as the man did so and it was only when a flash of lighting reflected off of the shine of needle that Vincent stilled to look at him.
The syringe that the man was holding was small and seemingly harmless due to its size but the young man, who didn't appear to be a day over twenty seven, knew better than that. He has experience that said otherwise concerning the rather harmless look of the syringe. Even a dose as small as that could hurt him in ways that not even the largest dose of any other drug could. But this drug was not the same as the one before. It was teal and swirling, unlike the thick black broth from before.
"It took you 30 years to become immune to the medication before this one. I think I'll be able to think of another in the time it will take for you to get used to this one," the man grinned, his teeth gleamed in the darkness, "Sweet dreams…Chaos."
With that, the man inserted the fluid with a motion too quick for Vincent to see and before he knew it, that liquid hell was making its way through the tube and inching slowly to the needle in his arm. He moved to go and rip the needle from his arm but seeing as it was in the free arm and in the crook of his arm, his hand could not properly reach it. With wide, panicking eyes, he watched that liquid enter his body and in that moment he thrust his gaze to the back of the retreating man. As he heard the click of his door and felt the control his mind had over his body slip and the power of his demon abandon him. He felt anger like no other boil in his stomach.
With a roar that took the last of his energy, he howled into the darkness of his hell, "HOJO!" the sound of that name being called throughout the complex seemed to carry on forever and as his control of his voice slipped from his mind, Vincent simply let his frantic eyes flick in rapid movements, the panic of being unable to move once again sinking in. His useless free arm sat limply at an uncomfortable angle and all the while he tried to digest the information Hojo had just shown to him.
The search has been called off…
He closed his eyes as if the act would make everything simply go away and all the hell he went through for the past thirty years would just be a horrible dream but the sinking in his stomach told him otherwise and as his heart began to still, his eyes returned to the dull chocolate color of the contacts, the glow in them gone and defeated. He turned to look out of the window, to the storm outside.
There is no more hope…
Hojo has finally won.
"Welcome to TNN, the 24/7 news center with the quickest updates and most reliable information out there! I'm Amelia Turner," said the young woman on the Television just as the camera moved to another anchor, this time a male, "and I'm Kyle Richardson."
Tifa sighed and scrubbed harder at the already glossy counter tops of the Seventh Heaven bar. Her hair was tied back in a beautiful, loose tail to keep it out of her way as she worked. Clad in a rather revealing black ensemble she betrayed the true dangerous potential she had. She was quite the fighter and her fiery cherry chocolate eyes proved the point, blazing with a fire that seemingly nothing could take out.
Giving up on her task, she leaned upon the counter of her bar and let her head sink into one of her hands and watched the last of her customers leave their pay upon the table and leave. It was just about time to close up but she didn't want to. If she closed up, she would notice the sudden lack of life in her bar. With Marlene and Denzel gone there was an odd emptiness to the bar that was driving her up a wall. With a sigh she picked herself up off the counter, walked to the doors and flipped her little sign from open to closed.
"As stated earlier, the search for Vincent Valentine has finally ended after thirty long years of looking. Vincent Valentine was once a loyal member of the Turks of the ShinRa Electric Power Company. Sadly, a few months into his last mission before his upcoming promotion to succeed Veld Verdot, Vincent was filed as missing in action. The ShinRa Company has marked up a date to give the loyal young man a proper funeral and they send their condolences to his friends, family and loved ones. Vincent Valentine shall be sorely missed."
Tifa paused, listening as she began to clean up the bar.
"How sad," she said aloud, straightened to look at the TV in hope to catch a glimpse of a picture of some kind but the news cast provided nothing other than the headline stating that Vincent Valentine had finally been filed as deceased, the ShinRa logo hung just behind it. Her voice was kissed with pity and sadness, "Thirty long years…the man's family…"
Then she shook her head, remembering just how horrible ShinRa was and what the Turks really did behind the cover of ShinRa's name.
She wrinkled her nose; the world's well rid of him.
With a nod to confirm it, she continued to close up shop.
"On other news, the Heir of Wutai has been convicted of theft and has been scheduled to go on trail to receive the proper sentence for her crimes. The Emperor of Wutai has requested that his daughter be judged, not as the soon to be Empress but as a citizen of Wutai. His shame is evident and the country mourns the dishonor that their representative has set upon them."
Tifa shrugged, why should I care? Why should any of them care? They should be used to this. People in power always abuse and misuse their power. Good for the Emperor, having her judged as a common thief instead letting her standing get her out of her mess. He's probably a good man. How rare…
Tifa gathered several glass mugs between her fingers, all sticky with the residue of the alcohol within them and led them to the sink, holding them a safe distance away from herself.
"The investigation into AVALANCHE, the terrorist group, has finally come to an end," the young man called Kyle said and this caught Tifa's attention with such power that she nearly dropped one of her expensive glass mugs as her head spun to the TV, "The following were caught and apprehended for the crimes that were about to be committed on the Plates of Midgar. Biggs, Wedge, Jessie, and Barret Wallace have all been put on trail and were executed earlier today. Thanks to ShinRa the group was stopped before anything could happen and now the people of Midgar are safe once more."
It was then that the glasses slipped from Tifa's shocked fingers, fell and shattered upon the cold floor of the bar. The shards and slivers of the glasses twinkled and sang as they skittered across the floor in all directions.
Tifa was only faintly aware of the loss of her mugs, however. Her soapy hands were still in front of her, as if still holding the mugs, and they trembled horribly. Her brows drew up into a arc and she let out a loud sob as she fell to her knees despite the glass.
Blood puddled onto the floor from her knees where the bite of the glass shredded her skin as she let her face fall into her hands. Her blood mingled with her tears as she sobbed for the loss of her friends. She originally was going to go with them on that raid but she couldn't leave the bar. She wanted to spend one last night with the kids before they left and she was still waiting…
…For him…She hadn't heard from Cloud since he left so very long ago, back when they still lived in Nibelheim.
They're gone! She sobbed. All gone!
Three Days Later…
She couldn't stand it anymore. Tifa was going insane with grief. For three days she had done nothing but drink and sleep, trying to forget her pain. For three days the bar had been closed. She figured she could simply reopen the bar and work in hopes to forget that horrible report but with the small talk that she always overheard, she knew that she would constantly be reminded of how her friends were wronged and how the rest of the world hated the ones who wanted to save them.
Her heart tightened at the thought. What would she tell Marlene?
She shook her head, refusing to think about it now and refusing to grab another drink from her immense supply. She needed to get away from the bar, away from the constant reminders. As far as Marlene went…she still had time before the little girl came back. She just had to hope the girl didn't hear about it while at camp. Tifa didn't want her to have to deal with it, not just yet.
Let the little girl have a few more months of peace and happiness before the world came crashing down on her. Was it so wrong to be selfish? She didn't want to deal with what loomed on the horizon. She did not want to deal with the two sorrowful little children and with them gone…At least this gave Tifa sometime to compose herself so she would be ready to give Marlene the support, love and comfort she would need when she came back. It wasn't like she had a funeral to rush to; ShinRa wouldn't give back their bodies…
She would create her own funeral. With Marlene and Denzel, they would make all of AVALANCHE a memorial. They wouldn't go through the Life Stream forgotten…
Tifa thrust the thoughts away just as fresh tears came to trace her cheeks. Wiping them with the back of her sleeves, she opened up the newspaper.
She needed to get away from Midgar. Away from the reminders and the pain and the sorrow. She would call up a friend and go on a trip out of town up until the kids came back. She didn't care where she was or what she was doing as long as she wasn't there, in Midgar, any longer.
Her eyes traced over the paper absentmindedly, not really taking anything in, until she accidentally came across an ad that caught her eye.
Due to a sudden lack in staff The University of Nibelheim Medical Hospital is seeking volunteers to help handle patients. For more information please contact the University Hospital as soon as possible. Room and board will be supplied in an apartment Complex not too far from the Hospital. Please contact…
It was perfect.
Tifa was already dialing the number before she finished reading.
"Hello?" Tifa said, shouldering her phone as she went about gathering her luggage to get ready to pack, "Yes, my name is Tifa Lockhart and I'm calling to answer your ad for the volunteers at your hospital. Hm? Yes, of course I'll hold."
The door to his room opened with a swish but Vincent didn't notice. He was trapped within his body, just like before but now it was worse. While before he felt clear minded and was aware of everything, now the new medication made his thoughts slow and sluggish. He felt mentally exhausted and would often lose his train of thought thanks to the thick fog in his mind. He slowly turned to look at Hojo as he entered, his eyes following the horrid man as he closed the door behind him and crossed the room to sit on the side of his bed where the metal bars didn't encase it.
"Hello Mister Valentine, how are you feeling today?" Hojo said with mock sincerity.
Vincent almost forgot to glare at him. Almost. But it didn't do much good seeing as his exhaustion and lack of muscle control barely made him a threat.
Vincent looked away from the smug man above him, his heart sick with the ache that came with defeat. He would never get out of this place and he would never be able to die…not with Hojo doing everything possible to keep him alive. He kept his eyes pinned to the ceiling.
"I have good news for you, Vincent," Hojo said as he took out a flashlight pen and began to shine it in and out of Vincent's eyes in turn, trying to gauge how effective his new medication was. The pupils were sluggish in their reactions, "A young woman from Midgar has just accepted one of our volunteer positions. Seeing as I am a busy man, and you are obviously a very lonely man, and I no longer need to worry about that awful investigation of your MIA, I figured I would assign you as her patient. She'll be taking care of some of the more tiring tasks that must be done to take care of you, Vincent, so that our paid staff can actually focus on our paying patients, hmm?"
What, do you think I want to be here or something? Its not like I wanted to waste the space in your damn hell of a hospital, Hojo! Vincent's mind screamed with growing rage.
Hojo continued to check Vincent's vitals, "Now there is no need to thank me, Vincent," Hojo continued, very aware of the fiery red orbs shining through the brown tinted contacts, burning a hole through the ceiling, "I know you'll appreciate the reintroduction to humans from outside the hospital," Hojo stopped and frowned, "We'll need to get you a oxygen mask soon if the degeneration in your muscles continues at the rate it is. I didn't think the serum would be so effective!"
Vincent accomplished forcing a meager growl through his lips but he didn't look at Hojo, he refused to look at Hojo. Even if he could talk, he would never admit to the fact that breathing was becoming harder and harder for him.
"I think I'll need to give the serum a few finishing touches. I can't let this effect the strength of your vital organs, now can I? He pressed the button above Vincent's bed with a quick flick of his fingers, "Don't worry, you're mask will be here soon and I'll fix the serum so that you can breathe by yourself as soon as I find some time," Hojo sneered.
Vincent wasn't afraid. He knew Hojo would fix the serum. He wouldn't let him die that easily…Vincent would never die again.
A nurse knocked lightly on the door before opening it and peeking through, "You called, Doctor Hojo?" she asked, her voice soft and warm but Vincent refused to look at either of them. He heard the concern in her voice as she asked, "Is Mister Crescent okay?"
Vincent's eyes widened. Mr. Crescent?
Hojo requested that the nurse went to get the proper tools to help Vincent breathe properly and once she was gone and the door closed, Hojo turned to look at Vincent who still refused to meet his gaze.
"You heard right, Vincent. I changed your name here. I completely forged and created a new persona for you to use. You are now Vincent Crescent. Isn't that kind of me? You never got the chance to give Lucrecia, Gaia rest her soul, your name but with her death," Hojo smiled, "She has given you hers."
Hojo couldn't see the man properly thanks to the shadows from the storm brewing once more. The whole week had been filled with thunderstorms, despite the cold weather of winter, and some had begun to take it as a consequence for using MAKO. As a sign…ha, what utter pishposh!
"Oh, and don't worry, Vincent," Hojo said after he walked to the door and opened it, pausing in the doorway to look over his shoulder to the man in bed, his body framed with a halo of light from the hallway, "No one knows that you are really fifty seven years old. They all think you're still in your twenties. You can thank me for that, my little Turk."
Hojo was sure, as he turned to leave, he saw the other man tremble despite his strength sapping medication and he was sure that, as he left, he saw a tear fall down Valentine's face.
Probably because he still thought Lucrecia was alive.
What a fool.
Hey guys, both new and returning! For all of those who noticed I have created another story without finishing the other three, I'm sorry! I couldn't resist! I'll try to equally update all three…
I hope you guys enjoyed the new storyline and I hope its original because I don't like redoing what has already been done. Its kind of like the opposite to my Two Where There Was One story line, in sorts. You'll see.
Yes, this is a Tifa Vincent story. I tried to write with Yuffie but I just can't stand her and the age difference and personality difference just rubs me the wrong way.
Er, Review if you think its worth it. All suggestions, comments, reviews, etc, are highly appreciated and accepted, even if they are negative. It will help me improve since I am first and foremost a writer…though you can spare me comments on spelling, I don't bother rereading, I'm too lazy.
-Spazzy