Vincent Comes Home

Ok. So I managed to get this done tonight. It's 2:00 am, so I'm not going to read it over. I'm going to bed. I'll come back and do any editing later. I'm tired.


Sleeeep, now they'll sleeeeep. *evil Wicked Witch cackle*


Vincent,

I can’t believe you’re so sweet on this girl. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so whipped. And hell, she’s not even yours yet. But what am I sayin’, who can resist the Valentine charm, right? She’ll come around. Although I never imagined I’d have to answer a letter from you consoling your girl-troubles. So she’s up for Hojo, huh? What’s she want the Mad Scientist for anyway? You’re much better in the looks department. *winkwink* Or, well, at least Corrie and Lia say so. (They say hi by the way. And they hate your guts for leaving—because now they’ve had to take up the slack from your laziness. All you have to do is sit around and look at scientist babes. But if you manage to get pictures of Hojo in a bikini and send them in so we can put them up around the office, they say they’ll forgive you.) Don’t worry about it.

Seriously, man. Don’t let it get to you. She’s just one girl. There are plenty of others in the world. If she wants Hojo, she must be a fucking crazy bitch. He’s a super-geek. I mean, hell, if I were a woman (and you know I’d be beautiful), I’d totally be all over you. But only if I was a woman, so don’t get any ideas, tiger.

This part seems a little inappropriate considering the trouble you’ve been having, but I wanted to tell you that Elaine and I have finally set a date for the wedding. I wanted it later, but; you know, she’s been getting pretty pissed at me because I’ve been making her wait for so damn long. It’s my own fault. So the wedding is next month.

I know what you’re thinking. I have no idea what the hell I’m suppose to do, but Elaine has become Bride-zilla—so she wants to plan everything (although with her large, pointy teeth, I’m uncertain as to how she’ll lick the invitations without tearing them to bits). I think she was afraid I’d take off. I wanted to wait until you got back from No-Where’s-Town so you could be the Best Man but she wouldn’t have it. I was afraid I’d have to ask her friend Robb to appease her. He’s so Goth-wanna-be I was afraid he’d blend in with his suit. Klaus suggested that he wear pink and Robby got really pissed at us and said that we were making ‘stereotypical assumptions’. And hell, I am. I know that Goth is a type of architecture. And he has no pointy rooftops, large windows, or gargoyles (although I’m sure he would if he could). But you know Robb—the guy is a wanna-be. Real Goths at least have dignity. But I won’t tell Robb that, I’m afraid he’d go home and cry. So, to make a long story short, I’m gonna ask Mortimer. (I’ll bet Robb wishes his name was Mortimer.) And Mort was really fucking cool about it, but he wanted your okay before he did it. Klaus suggested we take your picture, make it really big, print it out and then cut off your face so Mort could wear it like a mask. But it made us all look weird at each other, so we didn’t (although Corrie did suggest that we could put fake blood around the neck to make it more realistic—Lia thought that was hilarious—I think they want you dead, you better watch your back.:). So think of me a month from now and wish me luck when you’re watching your scientist babe through her window (or whatever it is you pretty boys do).


I’ve saved the worst tidings for last, I’m afraid. They took Snicket yesterday. They said it was because of his flask. But we all know that’s a bunch of bullshit because everyone knew he had that fucking flask. And even if it was something as dumb as that, he should have just been given a reprimand from Verd. But Snicket hasn’t come back. It’s been a week. There’s a pool goin’ at the office, and I’m sure you’re not surprised (you remember the bets that went around when Witherton, C’pricorn, and Rogirrek didn’t come back, after all), about whether or not Snicket will come back in one piece. So far, all’s silent from the Top. (Have I mentioned that I miss Eyes? I never thought I’d say that.) So me, Corrie and Klaus are quietly looking into it. See if we can find out what the hell he did that got him into trouble. And see if he’s still alive or not. I wouldn’t hold your breath but, if you’ve got a God, pray real hard. Things don’t look good for Snicket.

So now, I’ll bring my letter to a close. And really man, it’s a village—find a village girl to fuck around with or something. Let ol’ Lu go. She wants Doctor Frankenstein she’ll either come around, or she won’t. Don’t worry about it, Vince. Not as if you’ve ever had trouble gettin’ a girl before. There’s gotta be one time where she doesn’t fall for Casanova. Where she is immune to your Manipulate Command Materia. Where you don’t nail her (cough) between the shoulders. Pervert. I know what you were thinkin’.

Wish me luck. Truly yours (well, until next month). Love and kisses—all that bullshit that Elaine always writes.

Hopefully, I’ll see you soon, eh?

--Eddie

Vincent rolled his eyes, but he had to smile. Eddie was more like Casanova than he was. He laid the letter on his desk and just looked at it for a moment.

“Just give up on her, huh?” He put his chin in his hand.

He hadn’t at first, but when it came to her decision to be in the experiment, he had left. He left her. And it had killed her.

Vincent opened up his locker and pushed aside all the new clothes he’d been given. His old black leathers and red cape hung in the back of the closet, smelling faintly of lemon-scented laundry soap. He pulled them down and sat on his bed. He held the cloth in his hands. I should never have kissed her.

He could put this on again. He could put it on and instantly undo all the little changes he had made. He could, again, become untouchable to his friends and companions. He could go back into his shell.

“Hide, in other words,” he whispered to himself, a sneer of self-loathing on his face. “Hide and run away with your tail between your legs. Like a coward.”

He put his elbows on his knees, raised the red cloak to his face and buried his nose in it. Somehow, past a fresh lemon scent, he could smell the dark forests, passing roads, crisp snow, and wildflowers. He could smell old ruins, bogs, rain, and the ocean. He could smell oil lamps, shady bars, musty basements, and smokey inns. He could take in the perfumes of the world; the places he’d traveled. But he could also smell the cold. He could taste the metallic tang of armor. Because that’s what this cloak was. It was his armor against the world.

“No,” he muttered. He shook the cloak out and hung it, and the leathers, back in the closet. “I won’t hide.”

He stood still for a moment and then stripped off his shirt. It was dark now. Soon, the crew would wind down.

And Tifa would go to Cloud.

“That is her choice. I respect her choice.” That made him feel better for a moment, like he was making the decision because he cared so much for her happiness. Well, didn’t he? He hadn’t respected Lucrecia’s because Vincent had always hated Hojo. But Cloud? How could he hate Cloud? Cloud was his friend. And they were going to save him and afterwards, Tifa would go with him.

“It’s for the best.” Vincent changed into the baggy, cotton pants that served as pajamas.

That’s when the screaming began.

Vincent flew out the door. Someone was flipping on lights, stinging his eyes. He cast around, listening for a moment and then took off again in the direction of the shrieks.

“What’s goin’ on?” Reno called, opening his door, shirtless and sleepy-looking, rod clasped loosely in his hand. Yuffie ducked under his arm, looking more awake. “Vincent! What is it?”

Vincent ran right past them and he heard them follow behind. He turned a corner and came upon Barret, thundering out of his room. He didn’t even acknowledge Vincent; he just took off running.

Suddenly, the screams stopped.

All four of them froze, listening intently.

“Oh, Jesus Christ!” Reno yelped.

Nanaki had come prowling among them, brushing up against Reno’s leg.

“Nanaki,” Vincent said. “Where was it coming from?”

The cat-beast didn’t answer. His hackles raised, he walked further down the hall and sniffed at three doors. At the last, he froze. “I smell blood.”

That was Tifa’s room.

Vincent shot to the door and tried the knob. “It’s locked. Tifa!”

There was no answer.

Vincent clenched his claw and raised it—

“Outta the way,” and Barret was there, pushing him aside. He raised his heavy gunarm and crashed it into the door. There was a loud, metallic thud. Barret hit it again, gave it a mighty kick and it flew open.

The room was dark. Vincent came in right behind Barret, flipping on the lights.

Yuffie gasped, the other four froze.

Tifa had Cloud in a chokehold, struggling to keep him in place. They were sitting on the floor. A long, ragged gash made it’s way up Tifa’s side. Cloud’s sword lay at their feet, trimmed in blood. She looked at them.

So did Cloud. His eyes jerked wide and he lurched against Tifa’s arm, broke free and whipped around. Raising his armored wrist, he smashed it down on her calf.

The sickening crunch confirmed the hit.

Everyone seemed to move at the same time. Barret bounded forward, batting Cloud backwards with his gunarm. Reno and Yuffie whisked to Tifa, crouching over her. Cloud slammed into the walls with heavy thump.

He was up again.

And then Vincent reached him. The former Turk clamped both hands onto Cloud’s shoulders and threw him into the hallway. He strode after him.

“Vincent!” It was Tifa’s voice. He ignored it.

As soon as he was out the door, Cloud was up, throwing his arms out and activating his Materia.

He heard more than felt the shuddering crack of white lightening that bolted through his system. His gasped, going rigid, his vision swayed.

(I will kill your enemies. May Ramuh feed my Power.)

“Vincent!” Reno roared, throwing something at him. It was his rod.

Vincent felt the warm hum of magic as soon as the rod came into his hand. It had six orbs of mastered Materia. Cure, Bio, Odin, Time, Barrier, and Ultima.

Their calls reached to him. He had had Bio before ( I will weaken your enemies. I will give them slow death.) but never Ultima (I will Destroy your enemies. None can escape my Call.). It had been one of Cloud’s favorites.

He didn’t think twice about using it.

He could hear Tifa yelling from somewhere but all of that was falling away, blackness edged his vision. All he could see was Cloud.

Cloud, swinging his gauntleted wrist forward, activated his Materia again. Contain’s Flare first (I am the user of Nature’s Wrath. The Four are within.), and then Fire (I will maim, torch, and burn. May Ifrit feed my Flame.).

The Materia in Reno’s rod flashed heat up Vincent’s arm in reply. He swung the rod forward.

He heeded Ultima.

It was over in that instant. Cloud fell in a heap to the ground. At first, he was motionless, but then his head jerked up, unnatural-looking and grotesque, as if someone had grabbed him by the hair and broken his neck. “I will kill you.”

Vincent stared at him.

Tifa’s screaming suddenly reached his ears.

Reno’s rod felt hot in his hand, the Materia buzzing. Swallowing hard, he looked back into Tifa’s bedroom. She was lying on the floor; Barret crouched over her. From the looks of it, he had activated Cure. A green light encircled them and he heard Tifa’s leg bones pop as they mended.

Yuffie scurried out of the room to Cloud. “Is he all right?” she asked, grabbing him up and flipping him over. She didn’t wait for his answer but checked his pulse.

Reno came out in the hallway to stand beside Vincent. He raised his eyebrows. “You all right?”

Vincent looked away and handed the rod back. His arm instantly cooled. “Yeah. Fine.”

He looked up, noticing that several crewmembers had gathered at the end of the hallway. Vincent looked about, puzzled. “Where is Cid?” He hadn’t even noticed the man’s absence.

Reno shrugged. “Dunno. I figured he woulda been here instantly, swearing and shit. You know, all that charm he turns on.”

Vincent snorted.

Nanaki exited the room, his tail bobbing in the air. He didn’t say anything, but he stalked past Cloud and Yuffie. “Everything is all right. Go back to your duties.”

The group did so, but slowly. They were muttering to themselves, pointing and whispering. O’Malley came upon them suddenly. “Oi, wha’s goin’ on?”

“It is nothing,” Nanaki assured him. “Merely an accident.”

O’Malley narrowed his eyes.

Nanaki ignored it. “Do you know where Captain Cid is?”

The man shook his head. “He’s been out of sight today. In a shitty mood, I heard.”

Nanaki nodded. “Then don’t worry about it. Thank you for your concern. If you could get the crew in order…”

O’Malley took the hint and turned smartly, rapping out orders and berating the night shift’s men and women for standing about gawking when they should have been working.

Nanaki turned back around. “Let’s leave Cid out of it for now. It will only make him angry.”

“He needs to be fuckin’ locked up,” Reno said, pointing at Cloud, who seemed to be unconscious.

Nanaki seemed to consider that for a moment. “Perhaps. Perhaps not—“

“Uh, he attacked Tifa! She told us. She was sleeping and he snuck in here and tried to kill her! And then he attacked Vincent!”

Nanaki nodded in agreement. “Although, I will put in that Vincent did throw him out the door.”

“Good thing he did, or Cloud might have killed us all,” Yuffie said, standing up. “Tifa said he was possessed with Jenova.”

“We’ll put him in one of the cells in the basement. There is an empty storage room there with bolts and other such locks,” Nanaki decided, taking control of the situation. “Yuffie, Reno—I will show you the way if you will carry him.”

“Wait!” And Tifa came running out of the room, limping slightly on her newly Cured leg. “Don’t—you can’t! You can’t lock him up!”

“Tifa!” Yuffie said, indignantly. “He tried to kill you!”

“It wasn’t his fault! Jenova--!”

“Whether it was his fault isn’t the point,” Nanaki said, quietly. “He is dangerous either way. We will check on him in the morning.” He nodded to Yuffie and Reno. Reno bent down, handing Yuffie his rod, and heaved Cloud over his shoulder. They followed the beast away.

Tifa turned on Vincent. “Why did you attack him?”

Vincent looked at her, but couldn’t say anything. His words had dried up.

“He had to, Tifa. Else Cloud woulda hurt you or us.”

“But—but you didn’t—“

“Tifa,” Barret interrupted, crossing his arms. “You know the feeling better than anyone—o’ that moment where the adrenaline rushes in and all that anger and stuff just hits you like a ton o’ bricks. Yer mind takes a backseat and your instincts take over.”

Tifa looked down. She nodded. She turned her eyes upwards. “Vincent, I—“

He shook his head. Vincent turned around, suddenly not wanting to hear it at all. No apologies or rebukes. He didn’t want to hear it, no matter which it was. He walked away.

He went back to his room, closed and locked the door behind him, and sat down on his bed. He stared at his hand and his claw.

There would be no rest for him tonight.

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