The Reason

Chapter 16

“Milo?” Jexebel asked, weakly.

“Jexebel…” Weiss said, a look of utter disbelief.

“I thought you were dead…” She said, taking a step closer. Vincent took a step away from her to look at her face. Jexebel closed her eyes and clenched her fists, shaking. When she opened her eyes, she was no longer Jexebel Strange. She was a Tsviet again. She remembered everything.

Tseng came around her and saw it as well. He put his hands out and forced the others to back away from Jexebel, pulling out his radio.

“I searched for you everywhere!” Weiss said. He too took a step forward.

Jexebel walked to Weiss, and he threw his arms around her possessively. Vincent reached for her arm, but before he could grab her, Weiss whirled her around, pulling her tightly against him and pressing a blade to her throat. Jexebel cursed herself for getting into this situation, until Weiss leaned down next to her ear and whispered, “Don’t worry, my love. I see the way he looks at you. We’ll kill him together. Just like old times.”

Weiss didn’t see the look of terror in Jexebel’s eyes, but Vincent did, just as he had seen Weiss whisper in her ear. Her lips moved.

“I love you.” She mouthed. He saw it in slow motion. Jexebel raised her arm and elbowed Weiss in the gut, spinning away from him and slicing at him with clawed fingertips. Weiss roared his rage and swung at her, slicing across her back with his lethal blade. Jexebel cried out and fell to the ground, gasping in pain as Weiss came to stand over her.

“I can see that I’ve lost you. Never fear, my love. I will end your suffering.” He lifted his sword and was prepared to run her through, listening to Vincent’s cry of fear and panic as he tried to stop him. His attention was caught when a familiar darkness suddenly swirled into existence to his right. His brother, Nero the Sable.

Jexebel turned and took a good look at the man that had just entered the room.

“You!” She snarled. Nero looked at her, and for the first time in his life, was truly afraid.

“Jexebel! Y-you’re alive!” He stuttered.

“No thanks to you, traitor!” She hissed, struggling to her feet. Vincent rushed to her side, surprising Weiss and shoving him away from her. He helped Jexebel to her feet.

“You tried to kill me! It was you!”

“What?!” Weiss roared.

“Brother…I can explain…please, she was going to destroy you! She was keeping you away from…me…Brother…please…” Nero said.

“I’m going to kill you, Nero.” Weiss said quietly. Somehow, that soft-spoken sentence was more terrifying than any of his snarled comments in the past.

“Brother…” Nero pleaded.

“No!” Jexebel said, shoving her way to Nero. “He is mine.”

Jexebel reached behind her and drew her sword slowly, then swung the blade at Nero. He dodged and backpedaled away from her, falling into form and drawing his pistols. Weiss knocked them from his hands as he spun into the battle.

The two fought seamlessly, as if they were to be one being. Nero extended his metal wings and knocked Weiss to the side, intending to flee. His plan was cut sort, however, as when he took his attention from Jexebel to summon his darkness, she lunged at him. It was eerie, how suddenly the room went quiet at that point. Nero stumbled away from Jexebel, revealing to the group behind them that her long sword stuck clean through his body. He backed away from her, choking and gasping as blood dripped from his lips down his chin. The look on Jexebel's face was cold, the look of a trained killer. She moved like lightening, jumping high and kicking the hilt of her sword, pushing it further into Nero's body, her landing silenced by the sound of Nero's body falling to the ground, lifeless. Jexebel looked to Weiss. He lay on the ground with a spine from Nero’s metal wings stuck in his side.

Then she turned back to Vincent. The last thing she saw was his worried face as he rushed toward her when the stress and loss of blood got the better of her. She fell to the floor and lost consciousness.


Vincent was frantic as he lifted Jexebel and rushed out of the building. Tseng and Elena were already outside. Jexebel’s bike was on fire, burning away any evidence of where the bike had come from. Vincent mounted his bike, laying Jexebel across his lap, and they took off, roaring out of the city at speeds that he’d never achieved, even as Chaos.

When they reached the bunker, Elena rushed inside and roughly shoved everything off of the metal table. Vincent came in carrying Jexebel, and lay her atop the piece, rolling her onto her stomach to assess the damage to her back. He used his gauntlet to slice away her clothing, barking out orders to Elena and Reno to get a needle and some alcohol.

“Calm down, Vincent. Let me do it. You’re shaking too badly.” Tseng ordered.

“No, I’ll do it!” Vincent snarled back.

“Valentine, that is a direct order. Move aside.” Tseng said, all emotion gone from his voice. Vincent whirled around and stared at him, utterly enraged.

“Fine.” He said. He stepped away from Jexebel as Elena and Reno returned with the supplies he’d asked for. Tseng stepped forward and poured the alcohol over the cut on Jexebel’s back, then took the needle and wire that Elena had supplied. He pressed the needle to her skin and began sewing the wound closed. It was done in a few minutes, and Tseng used a cloth to clean the remainder of the blood from Jexebel’s back. Vincent took over then, lifting her and carrying her to their bunk and laying her down. He left the door, but did not close the door, just in case.

“What do you think, Tseng?” Elena asked, sitting on a barstool and running shaky hands through her hair.

“She lost a lot of blood, not to mention the fact that Weiss’ blade is poisoned. I don’t think she’ll live.” He rested his arms on the table in front of him and laid his head on them.

“Don’t say that.” Vincent growled. “She’ll be okay.”

“Vincent,” Tseng reasoned, “We don’t have an antidote for the venom that sword was laced with. Unless her body can beat it, it will kill her.”

“If Quietus is anything like Chaos, she’ll be fine. I should have died a hundred times over, but Chaos kept me alive. She’ll be fine.” His voice did not sound like his own. It sounded airy, panicky, and terrified. He knew the others could tell that he was in a state of pitiful denial.

He turned his back to the group and marched into his room, slamming the door behind him. He only stood there for a moment, staring at the woman in his bed. The woman whom meant more to him than his own life. He walked to the bunk and dropped to his knees at her side, reaching out and clasping her pale hand in his own.

“Jexebel. Come back to me…don’t you leave me like this…you swore to me that you wouldn’t die…” Vincent bowed his head, resting it on the bunk. “I love you…”

Something wet fell onto the floor at his knees. He sat up and felt the skin under his eyes, finding it moist.

Feeling the dampness from his eyes, he gave in to despair. For the first time in over thirty years, Vincent Valentine cried. He crawled up into the bed weakly, pulling her into his arms – mindful of her injury – and holding her tightly to him.

He fell asleep like that.


Vincent awoke to a soft knock at the door before it slowly creaked open the next morning. It was Reno.

“How is she?” He asked, stepping into the room.

Vincent sat up and rolled her over, aiming to check the cut on her back.

It was gone. Not even a scar remained from the vicious blow. He felt her forehead. She wasn’t warm. Her skin was even back to its normal caramel shade.

“Reno, get the others and come look at this.” He said, standing and maneuvering Jexebel so the others could see her back. Reno returned with them and Vincent pointed out the phenomenon.

Elena stepped forward and placed her hand on Jexebel’s forehead to check for herself.

At that moment, Jexebel awoke. She lashed out with clawed fingertips and knocked Elena to the ground. Vincent tackled her to the bed and shouted for the others to get out as Jexebel fought against him.

“Jexebel! Jexebel! Stop! It’s me! It’s Vincent!” He yelled. Her movements stilled and her body tensed.

“Vincent?” She said, her voice raw.

He fell against her, showering her with soft kisses all across her face and neck. “Thank Gaia…We thought…we thought you wouldn’t make it…Oh Jexebel…”

She tentatively wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. “Let me up.” She said, her voice a bit stronger. Vincent tensed. Her voice didn’t sound the way it did before. She sounded…animal. He reluctantly sat up and helped her out of the bed, following her into the main area of the bunker. Elena, who threw herself at the dark woman, hugging her so tightly that Vincent could tell she couldn’t breathe, tackled her to the wall.

“ Oh thank Shiva you’re alright…” Elena said, releasing her. Jexebel looked at Tseng.

Tseng knew as soon as Jexebel walked out of her room that she was not the same person anymore. She knew he knew it, too.

“You remember.” He stated. Jexebel began to shake.

She nodded.

“Tell me.” Tseng ordered.

She shook her head.

“I am ordering you, as your superior officer to tell me what you know!” He said again. He cared for Jexebel, but enough was enough, and he had to know if she was a danger to his men.

She shook her head again, letting out a tiny whimper and clutching her head.

“No…” She moaned, “Not now…no…” She fell to her knees.

“Jexebel…” Vincent said, kneeling down next to her. She shoved him away. He looked at her, confused, but then he saw her skin begin to ripple. It was like something was crawling underneath, waiting to escape.

“Get in the panic room.” He stated in a cold and quiet voice.

Tseng glared at him. “Why?”

Vincent pointed to the broken woman on the ground. “I think she’s going to change. Panic room. Now.”

Tseng’s eyes widened in understanding and he grabbed Elena, yanking her in the direction of the panic room. Reno and Rude followed, both giving Jexebel a sad glance before disappearing into the room.

“Vincent!” Tseng barked, “Get in here!”

“No. She needs me.”

Tseng’s face reddened with anger, and he opened his mouth to speak. Vincent cut him off by hitting the panel on the door and closing it, pushing the large metal workstation in front of it so that they couldn't get out. He turned back to Jexebel.

He was right. The transformation had begun.

Her skin turned ice blue, cracking and pulling, and silvery ice-white feathered wings erupted from her back. She screamed and closed her eyes as her teeth grew in length, becoming sharp and catlike. Her fingernails grew and warped, curving harshly like a predators claws. Her skin seemed to grow a fine coat of short fur of the same ice blue color, and Vincent watched in mixed horror and fascination as Jexebel stood. The energy swirling behind her reminded him of a hurricane. It was like stormy grey clouds and thunder, lightening flashing through her body. Her legs and feet twisted and became like those of a cat’s hind legs. Her clothing changed, ripping and tearing to accommodate her body’s changes. It was a darker blue, the lower leg ripped open to reveal her unnatural legs, her shirt burst open, leaving nothing but a rag hanging from one shoulder across her chest.

Then she opened her eyes, and Vincent was truly afraid.

They were yellow, much like the eyes of Chaos, and the pupils were dilated wildly, then finally thinned out to vertical slits. Jexebel shrieked again and the aura behind her darkened, becoming more ominous.

“Jexebel…” Vincent said, taking a step toward her.

“Stay back!” She ordered, slashing at him.

“You know I can’t do that.” Vincent said, taking another step.

Jexebel fell to her knees and sobbed, her angelic and tragically beautiful wings falling to the floor on either side of her. Her sobs were deep, and Vincent knew that if she didn’t calm down, she would faint. He cautiously approached her, kneeling down and placing his hand on her shoulder. The beast she had become growled, but gave in to the need for comfort. Quietus – Jexebel – Vincent wasn’t sure which – threw herself at him, crying all over his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her, underneath her feathery wings, noting how soft they were.

“Shhh…” He hushed her. “It’s okay. Nothing in your past matters now…you know that…hush now, love…it’ll be all right…”

Slowly, Quietus began to fade, the whipping winds of the stormy aura dissipating to nothing. Her claws and teeth returned to normal, as did her legs and feet, and her skin returned to its natural golden shade. She was Jexebel again. Just as she came back, the door of the panic room burst open, the large metal workstation being shoved to one side, and the other Turks filed out, weapons drawn. Seeing Jexebel back to normal, they put them away.

“Let’s go.” Tseng said roughly. “Shelke will know what to do.”

No one said another word as the six piled onto the cart, leaving the bikes behind. Jexebel sat with Vincent, leaning against his shoulder, exhausted. Elena sat in the back with them, her hand on Jexebel’s shoulder, rubbing in a comforting manner.

When they returned to the safe house, Shelke was waiting, as Tseng had radioed her.

Vincent explained the situation as Jexebel stared off, her expression blank.

“You mean she could control it?” Shelke asked, awed. She glanced at Jexebel, an expression of pride covering her features. “That is unbelievable.”


Jexebel could hear the voices and see those around her, but it was as if she were underneath water. The voices were distorted, the faces warped. She was pulled around to face Vincent, and she could clearly see his worried expression. Warped voices conversed again, and Jexebel was lifted up and carried into what she figured was the lab. She wasn’t paying attention anymore. There was a new voice in her head, one she recognized.

“You have found him.

Soul wrought of terra corrupt
Quelling impurity
Purging the stream to beckon forth
An ultimate fate
Behold mighty Chaos
Omega’s squire to the lofty heavens

Enter Quietus
When Chaos ends in Death
So new life will begin…”

‘Quietus…’ Jexebel addressed.

‘Host.’ The beast answered.

‘What does that mean?’

‘You know what it means, my master. When Chaos ‘ends’ in Death, so new life will begin. Chaos and Quietus will create a child. This child will be a superior being. She will leave this planet, and travel the cosmos, searching for life. She will then drain all life from other worlds, leaving them as nothing but empty shells before moving on to the next world. Only one of these creatures has ever been defeated, a name these mortals know well.’

‘Jenova…’ Jexebel finished.

‘Yes.’

‘But Chaos is dead, Vincent doesn’t hold him anymore.’

A cold, flat chuckle echoed through her mind. ‘Not so. He lays dormant, yes, but he will never be gone. Vincent Valentine harbors the Chaos gene, just as you are host to me. We may disappear for a time, but in the end, we will return. As mortals you both may die, but at the end of the world, your human bodies will be resurrected to allow us to complete our destiny.’

Jexebel screamed.

“What is it? Jexebel?” Vincent said, shaking her. Finally, she looked at him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes were finally back to normal, as was her voice when she spoke to him.

“Where am I?” She asked, looking around.

“This is the psychiatric ward of the Inn. You’ve been…different for a long time, Jexebel. What happened?”

“I talked to her. Quietus.” She felt nothing, no fear, no sadness, only the strong sense of knowledge that her demon had given her. “What do you know about Chaos?”

Vincent looked at her strangely for a moment, but began talking.

“He is like the reaper, so to speak. It is his duty to kill all living things to prepare life for its journey with Omega. What does he have to do with this? Chaos is gone.”

Jexebel shook her head. “No he’s not. Quietus told me: ‘He lays dormant, yes, but he will never be gone. Vincent Valentine harbors the Chaos gene, just as you are host to me. We may disappear for a time, but in the end, we will return. As mortals you both may die, but at the end of the world, your human bodies will be resurrected to allow us to complete our destiny.’ Those were her exact words. If we, even in human form, create a child, we will be responsible for the destruction of this world, and many, many others.”

Vincent sat still in shock. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“You know of the tablet that speaks of Chaos?” Vincent nodded. “There’s more to it.”

She began reciting the writing on the tablet as Rufus and the other Turks filed into the room, unnoticed.

“Soul wrought of terra corrupt
Quelling impurity
Purging the stream to beckon forth
An ultimate fate
Behold mighty Chaos
Omega’s squire to the lofty heavens

Enter Quietus
When Chaos ends in Death
So new life will begin.”

Shelke’s voice rang out over the intercom. “That was our back-up plan as Tsviets. If Omega failed, we would capture Vincent Valentine and extract his…essence…and artificially inseminate Jexebel, creating a superior life form. The child created is the same creature that Jenova was.”

Rufus made his presence known. “Jexebel Strange. I hereby release you of your services. Live in peace.” He said, with meaning. Jexebel whirled around.

“What? No! Why?” she said, shocked.

“I can not have you endangering my Turks, Miss Strange.” He said, flatly.

“But I can control it! It’s no different from Vincent and Chaos!” She argued. “Don’t do this! I need this! And you need me!”

“Sir.” Vincent said, stepping forward, “I will take full responsibility for Miss Strange.” Jexebel stared at him in awe.

“Mr. Valentine?” Rufus asked, confused.

“I will speak for her.”

Rufus stared at the two, long and hard. A few minutes passed before he spoke again.

“Very well. Miss Strange, your services are required. Do you accept?”

“I do, Sir.” Jexebel said. She breathed a small sigh of relief.

“Valentine, if anyone is hurt, it will be on your shoulders, and you will be held to the consequences. Understood?”

“Sir.” Vincent nodded.

Rufus turned and walked out of the room lifting his cane over his shoulder as he passed through the doors. The other Turks followed, each stopping to nod at Jexebel and Vincent on their way out.

Jexebel turned to face Vincent.

“Why did you do that? You don’t want me doing this. It doesn’t make sense.”

“I know how much is means to you, being a part of this, and after seeing…Weiss…Tell me something, Jexebel: Were you married at all?”

She bowed her head. “No. I think it was the chip that made me think-Oh gods the chip! Vincent! We have to remove it! They know I’m alive and they’ll try to track me! They’ll find us!”

Shelke entered the room. “No they won’t.” She said, “When Weiss cut you open the chip stuck to the tip of his sword. They won’t find you.”

“How do you know?”

“I am connected to the neural network of all of the Tsviets, except you and Nero. It was too dangerous for both of us, because your mind is already shared with Quietus, and Nero’s darkness would have over-taken me.”

“You are sure?” Vincent asked.

“Yes.”

“Can I leave?” Jexebel asked Shelke.

“Yes, I just need to give you another injection. Vincent?” Shelke said, gesturing for him to hold Jexebel down.

“I don’t need it.” She interrupted.

Shelke looked at her for a moment, and apparently decided to trust her, because she simply cleaned the area and stuck the needle into Jexebel’s arm.

Jexebel inhaled sharply, but no other sound or movement was made.

“How can you just sit through that?” Shelke asked.

“Easy.” Jexebel answered. “I’m not human anymore.”