Chapter 2- New Allies

I rolled over in my bed. Another nightmare. Something I was used to. It had been two long, uneventful weeks since that day on the beach. I hadn't ditched at all, the weather was getting colder so going out into town didn't spark much interest amongst my friends. Me? I personally don't really care all that much about the weather. Though, if I had to choose, I'd pick a heavy rainfall. My had healed on it's own, no doctor needed, and it was good as new. My roommate always seemed to be out so I didn't really see him much. I found his name was Sephiroth, that's all I know about him. When he is in our room, he doesn't take, thankfully. We seem to share a silent appreciation of each other in the fact that we've shared hardly any words at all.

It was Saturday morning, which meant no classes. I rolled off the bed, put some clean cloths on, and bounded down to the cafe. The gang was there, sitting at the same table they sat at everyday, at every meal.

"Vincent!" Tifa yelled across the cafe, drawing unwanted attention to my person. Cid gave me a high five as I sat down at the table with the rest of them. I have received most of their acceptance. It was Cloud that didn't seem to really, acknowledge me. He seemed to grimace when he thought I wasn't looking. I've never had any beef with him; in fact, I've never really talked to him more then a casual greeting.

"What's the plan for today?" Zack asked.

"I didn't have anything planned. If no one else has anything we could probably go to that new restaurant in town." Tifa suggested.

"Don't they do karaoke on weekends?" Cid stuck his tongue out in disgust.

"That's sounds fun!" Aerith smiled.

"You all can see my mad skills," Zack flexed his arms.

"Since when do you sing?" Cloud contradicted.

"The day I see ya sing is the day I quit smoking!" Cid stood up and pointed a finger in Zack's face.

Zack stood up and smacked Cid's hand out of the way. "Well, sir! That day will be today! 6 o'clock- Mira's Joint!" Zack stormed off full of himself. He stopped right in front of the door and turned back towards the table and called for Cloud to come with him. Cloud scowled and left the cafe with Zack.

"Has anyone seen Yuffie and Barrett?" Tifa asked.

"She's gone back to Wutai for a bit. Her mother isn't doing very well," Aerith said softly. "Barrett is driving her out."

"Ah," Tifa nodded.

"I'mma gonna head out and lit one up behind the school… or maybe in the boy's room. Haven't decided yet." Cid stated then strutted out the door Zack and Cloud had left moment before.

As Cid was leaving, the red hair man, Reno entered the Cafe and starting walking towards our table. I knew he was bad news from the start. I felt my stomach turn, it made me sick just to looked at him. Tifa gradually lowered herself down the table as if she were trying to disappear. She cussed under her breath.

"Miss Lockhart, trying to hid from me?" He said in a cocky voice.

"Yes…" She said in a dry voice.

"Oh don't be like that dear. My offer still stands."

"As well as my answer, forget it." She turned her head in the opposite direction of him.

Reno leaned down and whispered something in her ear. Tifa stood up from the table. She didn't turn around to face him though. It was like every muscle in her body went stiff. Her arms, like wooden planks rested at her sides with her hands in fists. Her head was down and her hair gently covered her face. I could just barely see that she was shaking with hate and anger.

"Well?" Reno smirked to himself.

That was right about the time Tifa snapped. She spun around in her shoes and leapt at him. Aerith and I both stood up. Tifa grabbed the collar of his suit and launched her fist into is face. I heard his nose crack and blood splattered on both Tifa's and Reno's cloths. She pulled away and booted him in the chest. Reno skidded backwards on the tile floor, barely able to keep his balance. Preoccupied with the blood gushing out of his nose, he didn't see Tifa sprint towards him again. I took that time to intercept her. I ran in front of her just before she collided with Reno and she rammed into me instead. It hurt, I'm not going to lie, but I remained steady. Reno, Aerith, and Tifa all gasped in shock.

"Detention!" Reno barely blurted out. I threw Tifa over my shoulder, which she didn't like very much.

"I'll see you tonight Aerith." I said grimly. I scowled at Reno as I left the cafe. Tifa pounded her fists on my back demanding me to put her down. I walked down the hallway in silence.

"Vincent Valentine, you put me down right now!" She gave a swift yank on my hair.

"No,"

"I'm warning you… I'm going to throw up all over your back if you don't let go of me."

The nearest room was the girl's bathroom, much to my dismay. Fortunately, it was the weekend so a lot of people had gone home to see their families. I pushed open the door and plopped Tifa down on the sink counter. Thankfully, no one else was in the washroom.

"Oww…" She rubbed her stomach.

"Sorry," I said as I wet a piece of paper towel and started washing the blood off her arms and face. I handed her the paper towel and she wiped away the blood off her cloths then tossed it in the trash.

"That bastard…" She folded her arms across her chest.

"What exactly is going on between the two of you, if I might ask?" I backed up and l rested my back against one of the stalls. She turned her head, too ashamed to look at me. It nearly broke me heart seeing her like this. She was so nice to other people and she usually wore her heart on her sleeves. "I can't help you if you don't let me in." I sighed.

Her head spun so fast back in my direction I thought her neck was going to break. Tifa narrowed her eyes at me. "Look who's talking! I could say the same to you." She snarled. Just when I thought she had calmed down a bit.

"And how is it that you think I need help?" I straightened my back; I didn't like the direction this conversation was going.

"You think I don't notice?" She stood up and took a few steps closer to me. "You never start a conversation with anybody, you always pick the desks in the back of the classroom where it's darker, you never smile, when confronted with a question about your past you shy away. You're always wearing cloths that cover all of your skin, your hair is always half covering your face, and that day at the beach you didn't even touch the water. You refused to let anyone see your broken arm and you never eat or drink. Every time some one touches you act as if there's sticking a knife inside your chest." She threw her hands in the air then folded then once again across her chest.

"What answer were you looking for?" I scratched me head and found a new interest in my boots.

"Something! Anything! Just talk to me!" She grabbed my sleeves and held them tightly in her hands.

I sighed. "I'll show you why I always wear long pants and long sleeves." I walked over to the bathroom door and locked so that no one would wander into the bathroom and see me in my pitiful state. I told a couple of steps closer to Tifa but was still about 3 meters away from her. I reached up behind my head and grabbed my turtle neck from the back, pulling it over my head and discarding it on the bathroom counter. I heard a gasp escape from Tifa's lips. I gritted my teeth and clenched my eyes shut. I waited to hear her scream, or yell for help- something! Instead, all I felt was a hand on my chest. I opened my eyes to see what she was doing. To my shock, she was running her finger across my torso. Her hands traces the dark scars running down my shoulders and arms. Tifa seemed to mesmerized with the permanent scars across my body.

"What are you-?" I was speechless. Why was she touching me…?

"Sorry," Tifa stepped back and took her hands off me. I grunted in reply then put my shirt back on, adjusting it to the way I had it before. I went back to leaning against the stall with my arms folded tightly across my body. I didn't like the feeling of being so exposed. "That explains a few things… You can talk to me if you want to Vincent. I'll listen if you need someone for that."

I mentally slapped myself. Why had I done that? Damn it Vincent, so stupid! Again, my boots seemed to become the object of my attention.

"Reno… he's such a pig! He follows me around the school, always stops me in the halls to say something perverted, and tries to…" Tifa began to nibble on her lower lip.

"To what?" I asked, not looking up.

"To get me alone… with him…" She turned and put her hands on either side of a sink, looking in the mirror at me. My head shot up without my consent. I looked at her then my own reflection. My crimson eyes looked as if a fire was burning on the other side of them. That cradle robbing mother fucker. She was 17! God damn it. Yea, she was old enough to make her own decisions, but he must be at least 25, maybe even 27. Disgusting!

"Vincent?" Tifa turned around to see if I was alright. I balled my fists and headed to unlock the door. "Where are you going?!" Tifa shouted.

"To kill that slob…" I turned to face her.

"No!" She ran up to me and pushed my shoulders up against the door. Human contact… not pleasant. "It's not your problem! It's mine." Her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm not going to stand by and let him exploit you!" I lowered my voice.

"So stay with me… don't leave me alone." She looked up into my eyes.

"Tifa…I…" I stuttered. She leaned in closer to my face. Our lips were about half an inch apart. "Tifa…" What the hell was she doing?! She leant in to close the rest of the gap. Her soft lips melted against my cold ones. Her arms slowly snaked around my neck and she rose on her to her tip toes and pressed her body against mine. A strange feeling swept through my body, a strange, foreign feeling. I remained motionless; I'd never kissed a girl before. She slithered her moist tongue into my mouth. I think that's about when I stopped breathing. Then she pulled away from me to catch her breath. I was still in shock.

She giggled, which snapped me out of my paralysis. I noticed that my throat had gone completely dry so I swallowed slowly. "You've never been this close to a girl before have you?"

I felt my fact go hot from embarrassment.

"All your secrets as safe with me. " She smiled.

I turned to head out the door.

"Where are you going?"

"…To have a cold shower…" I said in a low voice. I thought I saw her blush as I left the girls bathroom.

I went on auto-pilot to the showers where I got undressed and put my head under the frigid water. I put my hands on the wall and let the water calm me down. It felt like icicles were sliding down my back, but in a good way. Her body against mine… her lips… her hands running across my chest were all I could think about. I need not go into detail, all I have to say is what happens when a man gets aroused? Exactly… The cold water calmed it down. I sighed in relief. That had never happened to me before. Not even in the morning when I woke up… umm… never mind. It was as if all the blood in my body race to a certain area. In a strange way… I kind of liked it. I shut off the water until I was sure the feeling passed and toweled off. I threw my cloths back on and finger combed through my hair. I sighed in relief as I left the showers.

Two girls were walking down the hallway staring at me, I pretended not to notice. "I heard he and Tifa did it the girl's bathroom!" One of the girls whispered.

"Yea apparently he dragged her there and locked the door!" The other girl whispered. I kept on walking down the hall. Of course I knew they were wrong and misinformed however it wasn't really anyone business about what really happened. Not to mention I'd be wasting my time on pathetic people who thrive on gossip, rumors and misfortune of other people.

Suddenly I felt my stomach grumble. A wave of hunger swept over my body. I felt a roar in the back of my throat that must've come from my stomach. I hadn't eaten in 2 weeks; I shouldn't have put it off so long. I just didn't figure I'd have to feed so often. I need to eat at least once a week I guess. I couldn't eat anything until I was a ways away from the school, and even then I'd have to be smart about it. Not like the first time where I had almost gotten caught. I clutched my stomach and walked quickly through the halls. I heard more whispers as I went. I went back to my room to sleep the rest of the day until it was time to go to Mira's Joint, that's when I'll get something to eat.

Cid, Cloud, Tifa, Zack, Aerith, and I were all sitting at a table in the new restaurant. Cid's gaze would fall on me, then he'd switch back to looking at Tifa, then back to me, and he repeated this cycle for a good five minutes in silence. No one said a word for the longest time. Cloud tapped hid fingers repeatedly on the surface of the table in a rhythm. They all had eaten there dinner and I had sat there insisting I wasn't hungry. In way I was telling the truth. I wasn't hungry for that kind of food.

"That's it! Cid! Throw your cigarettes away, because today's the day you quit smoking!" Zack jumped up and pointed at Cid. Cid just cocked an eyebrow at his dark haired friend. Zack bounded up to the stage and grabbed a microphone. The music started a new beat and Zack turned with his back to the audience. As the beat continued, he pumped the lower right half of his body up and down a long with it. "Oh uh oh oh… Oh uh oh oh…" He said over his right shoulder before turning around. Continuing pumping his hip and knee, he repeated himself several more times.
"No sleep…
no sleep until I'm done with finding the answer.
Won't stop…
won't stop… before I find the cure for this cancer.
Sometimes…
I feel like going down,
I'm so disconnected.
Somehow….
I know I am haunted to be wanted.

I've been watching!
I've been waiting!
In the shadows for my time.
I've been searching!
For tomorrow all my life!" Zack kicked one leg in the air then bent over to sing into the micro phone louder. "Oh uh oh oh… Oh uh oh oh… in the shadows…" He continued his energetic song and the other people in Mira's Joint clapped and cheered. Aerith clapped excitedly, however Cid, Cloud, Tifa and I were gaping in astonishment at Zack. He was actually good. Zack bowed and gave a smug smile to Cid as he got off the stage. "Your turn," He said cockily to Cid.

Cid frowned and stormed up to the microphone. "Dum di de dum do de da da! Dum di de dum do de da da da da da!" A loud beat erupted from the speakers behind Cid.
"Well I walk into the room,
passing out hundred dollar bills,
and it kills and it thrills,
like the horns on my silver rider grills,
and I buy the bar a double round of crown,
and everybody's getting down,
and this town ain't never gonna be the same!

'Cuz I saddle up my chocobo,
and ride into the city,
I make a lot of noise,
'cuz the girls they aren't so pretty,
riding up and down Broadway,
on my old stud Leroy,
and the girls say,
save a chocobo, ride a cowboy!

Well I don't give a dang about nothing
I'm singing and Bling-Blinging
While the girls are drinking
Long necks down!
And I wouldn't trade ol' Leroy
or my Chevrolet for your Escalade
Or your freak parade
I'm the only John Wayne left in this town!" He repeated the second part again, the chorus and threw in a bit of square dancing when he wasn't singing. The crowd cheered, I even clapped when he was done. Cid said nothing once his song was finished. He plopped himself back into his original seat and frowned.

"Cloud let's go up together, I don't want to go alone." Aerith said timidly. Cloud nodded and followed her up to the stage. Both of them grabbed a microphone and waited for their intro. A soft piano started playing.
"How can you see into my eyes like open doors,
leading you down into my core,
where I've become so numb,
without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold
until you find it there and lead it back home…" Aerith sang in a delicate voice.

"Wake me up," Cloud shouted.

"Wake me up inside" Aerith replied.

"I can't wake up."

"Wake me up inside."

"Save me."

"Call my name and save me from the dark."

"Wake me up."

"Bid my blood to run."

"I can't wake up."

"Before I come undone."

"Save me."

"Save me from the nothing I've become!
now that I know what I'm without
you can't just leave me
breathe into me and make me real
bring me to life"

"Wake me up," Cloud shouted.

"Wake me up inside" Aerith replied.

"I can't wake up."

"Wake me up inside."

"Save me."

"Call my name and save me from the dark."

"Wake me up."

"Bid my blood to run."

"I can't wake up."

"Before I come undone."

"Save me."

"Save me from the nothing I've become! Frozen without your touch without your love darling only you are the life among the dead." Aerith back up to let Cloud have the next part of the song to himself.

"All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
kept in the dark but you were there in front of me," Cloud rap-talked.

"I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
got to open my eyes to everything," She sang back.

"Without a thought without a voice without a soul," Cloud said

"Don't let me die here," They both said in a raspy voice. "There must be something more!"

"Bring me to life…!" Aerith said again. They both repeated the chorus until the song was over. Everyone cheered and applauded them also.

"That was awesome!" Tifa smiled. "I guess I'm next." Tifa strode to the stage and picked up a microphone. She clutched it nervously as she waited for the music she had requested to begin to play.
"Its not her fault that she's so irresistible
But all the damage she's caused isn't fixable
Every twenty seconds you repeat her name
But when it comes to me you don't care
If I'm alive or dead
So objection, I don't wanna be the exception
To get a bit of your attention
I love you for free and I'm not your mother
But you don't even bother," She sang her tango themed song really well, then she began is rap talk like Cloud had before in his duet with Aerith.
"I wish there was a chance for you and me
I wish you couldn't find a place to be
Away from here…
This is pathetic and sardonic
Its sadistic and psychotic
Tango is not for three
Was never meant to be
But you can try it
Rehearse it
Or train like a horse
But don't you count on me
Oh don't you count on me boy!" Tifa was amazing! People stood up and cheered for her wildly. A large portion of them were men. I grimaced to myself. Guys can be such pigs.

"You're up Vincent," She beamed as she sat back down in her pervious seat. I didn't respond to her or make any attempt to approach the stage. She gave me a swift nudge and stood up. My feet seemed to carry me to the stage without my permission. I stood in silence as if I were waiting for the microphone in front of me produce a beat of its own so I wouldn't have to. I looked around the restaurant, my eyes rolling over every face in the room. Some I had seen from school, other were strange and foreign to me. I picked up the mic with both hands and opened my mouth slowly. What the hell was I doing? Sure I could sing, just not in front of strangers… or any other person for that matter. On top of that, most of the songs I prefer are gothic and full of angst. My stomach let out a loud rumble, it didn't help that I was holding a microphone which amplified the sound so that the whole room could hear it. I needed food… now. I dropped the microphone on the floor and stormed out of the building, I heard laughter behind me, but that was the least of my concern.

The snow floated gently to the ground outside the restaurant. I balled my fists as I headed down a dark alley. There was bound to be some bums there lighting one up. I kept quite so not to startle anyone before I was ready.

"Yea that brunet was hot." A prosperous man around his 30's said.

"Totally, I'd defiantly tap that ass she had." Another man said. I bit my lower lip to stifle a snarl, pressing my back firmly against as brick wall in the shadows. There were 4 other men standing around smoking behind Mira's Joint. The back door of the restaurant was open a crack to let the men back in when they were finished. I crept along the shadows to the door and slammed it shut, casually leaning my back up against the wall. The all looked in my direction at once.

"Hey! What'd you do that for?" One man shouted.

"Who do you think you are punk?" Another man added. "Answer me!"

I said nothing.

"You got a problem kid?" A different man snarled as he took a few steps closer to me.

"I didn't want anyone to hear your screaming," I looked up at them through the hair draped over my face.

"You really want to start a fight, boy?" The prosperous one put out his cigarette by throwing it to the ground and stamping it out. "There's 6 of us and one of you."

"You're right, the odds are unfair." I stood up straight and folding my arms across my chest. "You guys will need at least 11 or 12 of you to get a fair chance." I smirked to myself. I was on a roll. I tilted my head slightly upwards to catch a better glimpse of my surroundings.

"You cocky little son of a-" The prosperous one said. However, he was unable to finish his sentence because in the blink of an eye, I had him pinned up against the wall by his throat. For once, I didn't fight to remain in human form. The regular transformation pain was still there, only… it didn't seem as bad for some reason. I wasn't in control anymore, but I could see everything that was happening. My demon had taken the reins and I was in the back seat, watching everything that was happening.

"Wh-what are you?!" A man shouted behind me… err… more like my demon now, Chaos. Chaos clenched the hand that was tightly around the prosperous man's neck and squeezed it shut. Blood dripped down the man throat and onto his clothes. The man's lifeless body fell to the cold snowy, ground. The alley was pretty secluded; the only exit was the one I entered from. Chaos lunged at the man who had asked the question. The demon started clawing at his face, tearing it the skin of piece by piece until the man's face was so mutilated that he could not use his nose of mouth to breath anymore. The four other men started barreling for the exit to alley way. Chaos jumped into the air and landed in front of them, their eyes wide with horror. Chaos grabbed the one closet to him and threw him against the cold wall. There was a large crack and his body fell limp, blood seeping out from an enormous crack on the side of his head. The demon threw him at one of the other guys with a significant amount of force causing the man to trip and stumble over. Chaos kicked the fallen man in the chest. Blood started dripping out of his mouth as he coughed and attempted to crawl away from Chaos. Chaos stomped on his legs, shattering his femurs. There were two men left and the both had begun yelling and pounding on the back door. Chaos grabbed them by their shoulders and dragged them away from the door. The demon smacked their heads together to stun them for a moment. One the men fainted and chaos dropped him and stepped on his chest, all his ribs collapsing beneath Chaos' weight. Chaos still held the other man by his shoulder. The man shrieked as Chaos dug is long nails into the mans flesh. The demon thrusted the man against the brick wall and began beating him to death. The man begged and pleaded to live but all attempts to reason with chaos seemed worthless.

"Down here! I heard screaming!" a new male voice was entering the alley way. Quite a few people were with him, judging by the number of footsteps echoing around the corner. Chaos dropped the man he was beating and jumped into the air, perching himself on a rooftop overlooking the scene. I felt a violent shake erupt from my body and I returned my human form. Chaos hadn't gotten a chance to feed. The two of us were still starving, I've have to go out again. Roughly 15 people ran into the alley. 5 of them were police officers and were wielding large guns, 7 of them were doctors and/or nurses and the remaining 3 looked like average civilians. A female civilian shrieked at the mess Chaos had left.

"You think the same person who did a number on those three teenage boys did this too, Joe?" One of the officers asked looking over the bodies.

"I don't think it was a person at all." Another man replied. "Look at these claw marks." He pointed to a body.

_________________Half an hour later____________________

"What's the report?" One of the officers asked a doctor.

"That one took a severe beating to the head which triggered a heart attack. The one against the wall had his corroded artery severed open, he bled out. The two over there too major blows to the torso, causing their chest cavity to collapse. The faceless one, you can pretty much guess that his mouth and nose closed over and were no longer usable, he suffocated. That one had his skulled cracked wide open." The doctor pointed to each body as he described the problems. "This is a really sick killer. I've never seen anything like this. The shear strength it must've taken to cause these injuries."

"What do you think we're dealing with here?" An officer came up to them while the other doctors and officers prepared the bodies to go back to the life stream.

"I don't know, but I'm really starting to get annoyed. 9 people dead. The number has tripled from last time. I want to know what possible motives this crackpot might have. It doesn't look like he's killing for pleasure, so there must be a bigger reason." The other officer said.

"I'll get some people to check the reports on who's come in recently to Neibelheim and hasn't left yet. This whole thing only started a few weeks ago perhaps there might be to usable information there." The officer turned and left the alley.

I rolled over on my back, staring up at the night sky. The snow had made my cloths damp and frigid. I shivered while I stared up at the moon while more snow flakes landed on my dense eye lashes. I lifted my hand to my face to take a better look at it. Blood ran down my fingers and a few stray drops landed on my face. I sighed. I'd finally let this monster get the better of me. There was no coming back from this. As today, October 10th, my death toll had gone up to 13. In three days it would be my birthday. What an excellent present I've given myself. Father was right… I was a danger to society. I was so reckless back there… 6 men. What would've happened if one had gotten away? I would be discovered soon enough. Limiting myself to only a few victims at a time would probably be the easiest path to go for the time being. I shivered some more as I thought to myself.

"Hey, you!" A woman was standing on the roof of the building. I'd been too absorbed in my own thoughts that I let my guard down. "What do you thinking you're doing up here?"

I sat up to look at her. I recognized her as one of the police officers that had investigated the mess in the alley. I gazed at her through hazy eyes; I felt my energy slowly draining.

"You…" Her eyes widened as she looked me over. Blood stained my hair and was scattered across my face. Her eyes trailed down to my torso and then to my hands. Like a cherry snow cone, the blood on my hands dyed the colour of the snow around me a tasty crimson. She pulled out a small handgun from her pocket and pointed it at me. "So you're the one behind all these murders! Stand up and put your hands behind your head!" She pulled out a pair of handcuffs from her pocket. "On your feet!" She took a step closer to me.

I blinked at her but remained motionless. My stomach let out a monstrous growl. I clutched my abdomen with my bloody hand and winced in pain. "Can I have a snack first?"

"I said on your feet!" She hollered at me. I didn't want to kill this woman. Mainly, because she was a girl. Killing guys was one thing; but woman should be treated with respect and dignity.

"Don't come any closer!" I covered my face with my other hand. She did the opposite and I found the barrel of her gun pointed at me head. "Please… I'm hungry and need to eat."

"I don't care jack ass you're going to jail!"

"For what?" I decided to stall for time until I could think of how to make my great escape.

"For murder of the first degree." Her eyes narrowed.

"Do you really follow all orders given to you?"

"Yes." She said in a stern voice.

"It started out as an act to protect some one, but I've discovered that if I want to live on, I need to continue. Is that such a wrong thing?" She was silent as I spoke. "Is it not the same that you're going to kill me to protect the locals; that you get paid for putting people behind bars and are able to have money for food and shelter for your family? Are you not on the same level as me?"

"No! You kill for pleasure, I. for justice." She pushed the gun to my head.

I felt rage swell up inside me. I encased the wrist of the arm that was holding the gun with my own hand and pointed it away from me. I felt my body shift slightly. I didn't need full demon for this one girl. "Not for pleasure… for food." The last thing that escaped her lips was a sigh. I dug Chaos' fangs deeply into her neck. I began to drink her body dry. This wasn't Chaos' doing… I was in control, I was letting it happen. Her frail body hung limp in my arms as I drank the remainder of her blood. I let go of her body and it hit the cold rooftop with a thud. I stumbled back and fell to my knees. I had used up the last bit of my energy, but at least I wasn't hungry anymore. I fell over onto my side and my eyelids closed automatically.

"What are you going to do with him?" A young mans voice asked.

"When they come for our checkups in a couple of days they're bound to find him. Who knows what will happen if they do." A second man said.

"Angeal, Genesis, leave this to me. No one else is to know about him. After all, we've all gone through our share of nightmares." A third voice said. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around my surroundings. I was in my dorm lying in bed wearing clean cloths. The three men that I had heard were none other then my roommate Sephiroth, and his two friends Angeal and Genesis.

"What's going on…?" I asked in a raspy voice as I sat up from my bed and rubbed my eyes.

"You're lucky that Sephiroth found you when he did." Angeal said, as he rested his back against the wall opposite me.

"I saw the whole thing Vincent." Sephiroth said.

I gasped… that meant… he knew…I…? Was…going to turn me in? I stiffened.

Genesis burst into laughter. "Did you think you were the only one?"

"What?" I gave him a confused expression.

"I'll talk to him about it. You two leave us." Sephiroth commanded his two allies. They nodded and left the room, slamming the door behind them. "You knew my mother."

"I'm still confused."

"Then shut up and let me explain." Sephiroth snarled. "My mother is Dr. Lucrecia Crescent, the successor to your father, Dr. Grimoire Valentine. I've done some research since you came to this school. I thought I'd heard your name some where before but I couldn't remember where. Now I know; it seemed like you spent a great deal of time at her work. That's how the two of us are linked. My mother was studying you; however I don't know what she discovered. I've also never met my mother, she's written me letter but never came to visit me. My father is one of the lead Scientists in the entire world. I don't know what's going on with my body, but a lot of changes have happened. I'm stronger and faster then anyone else."

"Lucrecia…?" I let the name roll on my tongue.

"A lot of the kids in this school are part of various experiments. Genesis, Angeal, Cloud, Zack, myself and a select few other people are being studied. That's what Angeal meant when he said that people were coming for our checkups." Sephiroth looked out the dorm window as he continued to talk. "Me? I want to know more. I want to know what exactly is going on. We're never told anything in our checkups. I want to know what makes me so different from anyone else. Wouldn't you like to know more about what you are instead of spending the rest of your life wondering what's happening to you? Don't you want to know the purpose to you existence?"

"Yes… I've often wanted to know why I was kept in the dark."

"Then we shall find out together," Sephiroth turned to face me and extended his right arm for a handshake of agreement. I took his hand.

"What's the plan then?" I asked, releasing his hand.

"The trains have been sealed off from here, because of your…well, work. So we're going to have to go by foot which will take quite a few days." Sephiroth fumbled around in his dresser for a map and spread it across my bed. He pointed to a spot on it and said, "We're right here, we need to get to Midgar. Our plan is to pass threw Kalm and hitch a ride to edge from there. After that it's only a week's walk to Midgar."

"When you say we?"

"You, Angeal, Genesis and I," Sephiroth folded up the map and put it back into his dresser. "We leave in tomorrow at sunset."

"Vincent? Are you awake?" Tifa smiled brilliantly in the young mans face.

Just then the Vincent's stomach growled loudly. Tifa giggled.

"Sounds like you're hungry!" She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Vincent reached up and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders. He met her eyes as they began to change from a fiery crimson to a brilliant yellow. Sharpened fangs protruded from his upper jaw just before a low snarl escaped from his chest. Tifa gasped in shock as she tried to wriggle herself out of his grasp. She felt his body changing underneath her. His shoulders broadened and all of his muscles began to tighten. Vincent grimaced as a set of wings routed their way out from deep within his back. His nails grew longer and dug forcefully into Tifas shoulders. She shrieked in pain. The scent of her blood wafted through Vincent's nostrils. She cried out his name but it was too late; Vincent had thrown her to the ground and was crouching over top of her. He plunged his teeth deep into her neck. Tifa tried her hardest to get out from under him but he had become too strong. She called out for some one to help her but nobody came. She reached up and tried to punch him in the face. The brunette managed to smack his nose. Vincent recoiled and let go of her shoulders, only to break Tifa's arms as if he were breaking a toothpick.

Tifa heard the sickening crack of her limbs before she could feel the pain. She wanted to live so she ignored the pain and started kicking franticly. Vincent took a foot to the stomach and felt the air whoosh out of his mouth as he became winded. He took his finger and dug it deeply into her ankle, and then he ran it up to her knee, slowly and painfully. He liked hearing her in pain. Tears burst from Tifa's eyes. She cried for him to stop but he began to mangle her legs with his fingernails in different areas.

"Vincent!" Tifa's voice cried out once more. My eyes shot open to see her smiling in my face next to my bed. She startled me and I fell backwards off the bed. "Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you."

"Don't worry about it," I stood up and brushed myself off.

"Did you want to talk about anything?"

I shook my head and made my bed.

"Sorry, let me rephrase that; what happened last night?" She folded her arms across her chest. Tifa furled her eyebrows.

"I don't like to sing." I walked over to my dresser to look for clean cloths.

"Bull shit, you and I both know that's not why you left. Look at you! You think you've got it so damn hard! You hate being alone, so let people in! Sure you act like you don't want to do things with people, but I don't see you saying no when people offer. Vincent I care about you and I don't like it when you're upset." She sat down on my bed.

"There are some things I keep secret not because I want to, but because I have to." I leaned on my bed so that we were eye level with each other.

"Why do you act like I won't understand…?" Her eyes shifted to her hands as she talked in a distant voice.

"It's not that I don't think you'll understand it's that you might not want to understand. Hell, I barely understand myself."

"Maybe we can help each other! I know we can."

"There's no cure for what's wrong with me and there probably never will be."

"That may be true, but that's no reason to give up."

"I've long since given up."

Without warning Tifa struck me on the side of my face. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer so that we could exchange a kiss. As I moved towards her, her body fell back against my bed. Still clinging to me neck she pulled me closer still until I was directly on top of her. "I love you," She said breathlessly as she broke the kiss. I leant in again, hearing those three words no ones ever told me before and continue to kiss her. By this point in time a certain part of my male anatomy where seeming to be in control of my movements. Her mouth opened slightly and I plunged my tongue deep into her mouth. She let go of my neck and her hands ran down my chest to when the hem of my shirt was. She tugged it slowly upwards. I broke the kiss to let her pull my shirt off my head and then began to smooch again. My own hand went to her neck where the zipper of her vest was I slowly unzipped it and discarded it to the floor. I felt her body shiver underneath mine. I pulled off her white tank-top to reveal her lacy black bra.

Her fingers danced against my chest and drifted down to my waist line. I broke the kiss again and helped her pull down my pants because she didn't have long enough arms to get them all the way down past my ankles. I brought my hands to the top of her skirt and laced my fingers around the edges. I gave her skirt a gentle tug and slid it down her bare legs, leaving the two of us in our underwear. Tifa sat up and pulled off my boxers. I crept forward and unhooked her bra then slid of her matching panties in a similar style that I had done with her skirt. I gently pushed her back down on the bed. The blood in my head had gone to a completely different part of my body now. There was no going back. I positioned myself to start my entry. I entered slightly then withdrew to renter farther. I trusted myself deeper and deeper into her. Her nails dug into my back as she moaned in pleasure. As I began to keep a rhythm, she seemed to synchronize to it. She arched her back and pushed her chest against mine as she cried out when she climaxed. Shortly after, I climaxed inside of her. I withdrew myself and fell down on the mattress next to her. The two of us panting madly. A smile was on her lips as she turned to face me.

She nuzzled her face into my chest as I wrapped my arms around her. No words were spoken between us for the longest time. The sun started peeking through the curtains of the one window in my dorm.

"We should get up before someone finds us like this," I said gently, her face still pressed against my chest.

"You're right," Tifa pushed herself off the bed and scrambled to put her cloths back on. I put on a clean pair of cloths, my all black ensemble as per usual. I finger comb my hair so that it look slightly less wild then put my red bandana on my forehead to restrict my hair from becoming wild again. I took Tifa's hand and left the room. We walked along to the cafeteria for breakfast and to sit with the others. This might be the last normal breakfast I'd ever have with them. Tifa and I sat down at the usual table and were greeted by the others. Yuffie and Barret were still in Wutai by the looks of it.

"Good morning!" Aerith smiled.

"Good morning," Tifa replied.

"How'd you sleep Tifa?" Aerith asked.

"Great! Got a full night of sleep." Tifa blushed brilliantly. No doubt she was thinking about what had happened earlier this morning.

I noticed Angeal get up from his table and start walking towards me out of the corner of my eyes. He tapped me on the shoulder and motioned for me to follow him. I left the group of my friends and followed him into the hallway outside of the cafeteria. He turned to face me once he established that no one else could see or hear the two of us talking. "Change of plans. Because of last nights late-night-attack the schools going to be on lock down. Nobody gets in, nobody gets out. We're going to leave before that happens; so get all the things you need. We're all meeting up in your room. I'd suggest packing lightly. Take only what you'll be able to carry the entire way." Angeal and I went our separate ways.

Moving swiftly, I went back to my dorm and searched my closet for my bag. I didn't have very much things with me so I pack everything I had brought. It was easy, just piling all my stuff into a side satchel that went around one shoulder. Sephiroth came into the room and nodded at me. He pulled out a back pack similar in size to mine. Angeal and Genesis entered the room shortly after. I saw that the three of them had their jackets on so I put mine on also. Then one by one we crept quietly of my dorm and down the halls. Carefully stepping so that we didn't make any noise. I noticed that they were all carrying different types of swords. Angeal was carrying a thick, heavy sword on his back and a slightly smaller one around his waist, Genesis had a red sword with special inscriptions on it tied onto his waist, and Sephiroth and a 6ft katana strapped to his back. Great… I was the only one without a weapon. I didn't even get to say good bye to my friends, especially Tifa. They were all out of danger without me hanging around them. It was safer for them to be around normal people.

Genesis pulled the fire alarm so nobody on surveillance would see our great escape because they'd be attending to the fire.

Genesis burst into laughter as soon as we were out of Neibelheim. "That was fun!"

Sephiroth sighed and rolled his eyes as he continued to walk onward.

"So Vincent, what exactly are you hoping to find?" Genesis seemed to be happy.

I said nothing. Truth be told, I wasn't sure what I was looking for.

"Me? I'm looking for the gift of the goddess! Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess…" Genesis began to quote something.

"We seek it thus, and take it to the sky
Ripples form on the water's surface
The wandering soul knows no rest," Sephiroth and Angeal interrupted Genesis and finished the poem their selves.

"It's going to be a long trip if you continue quoting Loveless," Angeal sighed.

We walked all day. By now the sun was starting to set so we traveled off road and found a place to make camp deeply in the forest. Angeal made a fire for us as I found rocks to outline the fire so the flames wouldn't get out of control. I laid down on the ground and soon felt sleep consume me. I'd never felt so exhausted.