Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A Hearts Second Chance ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Waking, Lilly felt the oddest sensation of floating, opening her eyes to see what was going on, she quickly closed them against the bright light of the room. Blinking quickly she hoped her eyes would adjust to the irritating bright green light, but her eyes didn’t want to stay open. Exhaustion was beating at her, demanding she go back to sleep, back to the cocoon of darkness she had been in. Closing her eyes she tried to recall why she had even woke in the first place. Sighing she started sinking back into unconsciousness.
Lilly you need to stay awake. A female voice called.
Lilly opened her eyes to see who had been speaking to her, but her unfocused eyes saw no one. Thinking he had imagined it she closed her eyes again.
LILLY!! The voice barked.
Shut up. Lilly thought, irritated now at the hallucination that insisted on keeping her awake.
A light chuckle was the woman’s response. Lilly, I need you to stay awake.
I’m tired. Leave me alone lady. She growled in her head.
You’re not tired, Lilly, you are being poisoned. The woman said exasperated by the girls defiant nature.
Lilly’s eyes snapped open. What? She shouted, now noticing the mask on her face. Shit, shit, get this off me. She grabbed the mask, but her hands didn‘t want to cooperate. What the hell was wrong with her?
Lilly you need to calm yourself. If you continue to thrash around in the tank the men doing this will come to sedate you. The woman said in a mothering tone.
Looking around the room, Lilly lowered her hands, taking a couple of deep breaths she closed her eyes. She was in some kind of container filled with a thick green liquid that glowed an angry green. The container itself was in a small room with very few things around. There was a control station she assumed controlled the container, and beside that was a steel table she was positive she had been strapped to at some point.
What’s going on? She asked.
A man named Hojo has been experimenting on you. The woman told her. Her voice was light and tinted with sorrow.
Who are you? Lilly asked.
My name is Lucrecia, and I need your help. Lucrecia whispered into Lilly’s mind.
With what? Lilly asked.
I’ll tell you another time. For now you need to escape and become very strong. Soon the scientists will come to clean the tank you are in. When they lay you on the table on the other side of the room you must run for the door. I have already unlocked it for you. Once through, lock it and run. The hallway will be long with many turns and doors.
Lilly gasped as visions of the path were forced into her mind ending at a giant door in the wall of the hallway. Once you reach this metal door open it and go inside. There will be many coffins in the room, but you only need to be concerned with one. There will be a man in there. Tell him I sent you and you need his help to escape. Once you and he are free, tell him I want him to train you. Do you understand?
No, why me? Lilly asked, completely confused about what was going on and why this woman had decided to help her.
Lucrecia chuckled, Later their coming now, pretend to be asleep.
Lilly squinted her eyes and watched some men in white lab coats enter the room. She waited patiently as they drained the container she floated in and removed her. It took every ounce of her will to let these men touch her naked body and dress her in some kind of scratchy gown. One of the men picked her up and laid her on the steel table while the other men went to work scrubbing the container. Lilly didn’t understand what the stuff was they had her floating in, all she knew was she needed to get away. She waited until the man who carried her turned his back to give orders to the men in masks.
While the mans back was turned she slid off the table and slowly crept to the closest door. She tried the handle and it opened. The sound caught the attention of the men.
Lucrecia shouted, Run!!
Lilly didn’t need to be told twice. She shot through the door locking it once shut. Staggering down the hall she followed the map in her head, looking at each door praying they wouldn’t open. She didn’t have the strength to fight anyone. Panting she leaned against the wall of the hallway. She was so tired and her body was screaming at her to lay down.
Come on Lilly, I know you can make it. The room is just a little further up. Lilly nodded and pushed from the wall. Stumbling, she continued forward. Coming around a corner she saw the door the lady told her contained her savior. She tried to speed up but her legs wouldn’t cooperate.
Hurry, their coming. Lucrecia said urgently. Lilly reached the door and pulled the heavy steel contraption open. Staggering through she started pulling it shut as some of the scientists rounded the corner. Before they reached the door she shut it with a thud and slid the lock into place.
Leaning against the door she panted, her legs were shaking so badly she feared they wouldn’t hold her anymore, but she forced her body into motion. Turning around, she knew if she didn’t get to the man she would collapse rate there at the door and never get up. Looking around the room she saw so many coffins, which one was he in?
Hobbling forward she felt drawn to one in particular. Dropping to her knees she looked around the lid, finding a lock, she disengaged it, there was a loud hiss as pieces around the lid lifted releasing the lid from the bottom. Pushing the lid with all the strength she had left, it moved slowly at first, then it broke loose and slid to the side landing on the floor with a deafening crash.
Lying inside was a dark haired man, she briefly wondered if he was really alive and how in hell a dead man was going to help her. Then his eyes snapped open to reveal the deepest red irises she had ever seen. Staring into them she forgot what she was there for, only thinking how beautiful they were. She had the strangest feeling she was falling into their depths, and she decided she would gladly go wherever those eyes would take her.
“Who are you?” He asked blinking his eyes, breaking the spell she was under.
“Huh…umm..” Why was she here. Oh ya. “My name is Lilly. Lucrecia said I must tell you to get me out of here.” Lilly said quickly, turning to look at the door. The sound of the frantic scientists came to her ears reminding her of the danger they were in. “Please hurry. Hojo is very upset that I escaped before he could finish his experiment on me.”
A breeze ruffled the thread bare outfit that the scientists had dressed her in. Turning around she looked at the man in the coffin, but he was no longer there. Her heart raced as she stood looking around the room, had she imagined him? Then there he was, standing by the steel door listening to the noise coming from the other side
“How many are there?” He asked placing his hand on the lock.
“Six before I ran in here. But I’m sure there are more now. That can‘t be the only way out. I don‘t even know where we are.” She said panicking as he started to turn the lock.
“I do.” He replied.
“My name is Lilly, what is your name?” She asked.
He turned those beautiful red eyes on her and said, “Vincent. Get ready to run.”
Then he threw the door open, raking his clawed hand out at the scientists. They all jumped back, not expecting an attack. Lilly darted out the door as Vincent pushed them back, running up the hallway with him hot on her heals.
“Right.” He shouted from behind her as they approached an intersecting hall. As she entered she spotted some stairs to the left. “Up.” He ordered again. Lilly wasn’t sure she could make it, she was already so weak and panting from exhaustion.
Come on Lilly. I know you can do this. The familiar female voice encouraged. Digging deep she found what little reserves she had and started up the stairs. At the top she rushed through a set of doors and came to a stop in the foyer of a large house. Not house, Mansion, Lilly thought to herself. Looking around she didn’t know which way to go. There were so many doors all around the room, but she didn‘t need to worry, Vincent appeared behind her slamming the door shut and locking it. Turning he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to a large set of double doors, kicking them open he darted outside.
Lilly stood in the snow in the front of the mansion, Vincent had stopped to look around. Shivering from the freezing temperature of the environment, Lilly looked back at the mansion. Would they escape from this place only to freeze to death out here?
“We should head into the village and get you some warmer cloths.” Vincent said stepping away from her. Lilly had every intention of following him but her vision slowly blurred. Taking a step forward she stumbled then fell forward into the snow as her world went black.
Vincent turned around when he heard the soft impact in the snow. Sighing he walked up to the girl. Kneeling beside her in the snow, he ran his hand over her forehead noticing she had a high fever. How she managed to keep up with him in this weakened state surprised him. He gently moved her hair from her face and really looked at her for the first time. She was young, barely out of her teens, and from what he could see, she was way too skinny. He wondered how long Hojo had held her captive, subjecting her to his cruel experiments.
Pretty. Chaos whispered from inside him. Vincent clenched his teeth, prying that the cursed demon would take the hint and be quiet. Can we keep her?
Apparently he couldn’t take a hint, he whispered to the demon, No.
Hearing voices coming from the mansion he looked down to the village knowing they needed to get going. Rolling her over he pushed his arms under her carefully so he didn’t scratch her with his clawed gauntlet. Standing he ran for the village to find somewhere they could hide, and hopefully a place for her to recover.
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Vincent hadn’t allowed himself to feel emotion in a long time, but at the moment he felt a large amount of anger. Every time he knocked on the door of one of the homes, the villager had opened it, took one look at him holding Lilly, then slammed the door in his face. If he didn’t find shelter soon he feared the scientists would catch up to them. He knew he could take them but Lilly couldn’t defend herself in her current condition.  Looking down the street he saw a small home sitting away from the rest. Approaching the door a woman opened it before he could knock.
“May we take shelter here? This young girl is ill and we need to hide from the men coming down from the mansion.” Vincent said keeping his tone as cool and calm as he could.
“I think that should be fine. Please come in. You can sit her by the fire to warm her while I get some blankets.” She said stepping back from the door, allowing him into her home.
“Mother who is here?” A young boy asked from the top of the stairs.
“They are visitors who need our help. Could you and your brothers get some spare blankets and the spare mats from the closet?” She asked, watching him disappear behind the wall. Vincent could here his light footsteps running down the hall.
“Bring her over here.” The woman asked.
Vincent took Lilly over to the fireplace and sat on the floor holding her in his lap. The woman came over to him and pulled his red cape apart to look at her.
“She needs to be cleaned up and dressed in thicker cloths.” She ran her finger down the girls arm and pulled it back coated in a fine green dust. “What is this?” She asked.
Vincent looked down at the girl than to his black cloths. “It looks like Mako.”
The woman quickly wiped her finger off and looked at Vincent. “How is it she is still alive? It looks like she has been submerged in the nasty stuff.”
“I believe you are right.” Vincent said looking down at her. He had not given it a second thought that she was drenched when she pushed the lid off his coffin.
The woman sighed, then stood, “I’ll get a basin of hot water and a towel. Do you think you can get most of the dust off her body. I’m afraid I may become ill if I try. Too many people in this village have become ill when they have been exposed to that green liquid.”
“Yes.” Vincent said watching the woman leave. A moment later he heard the sound of the children descending the stairs. Looking over at them he wondered for a moment if they were triplets. They all had the same silver hair and pale green/blue eyes. Though they seemed to choose different hairstyles they looked remarkably alike.
The one with the longest hair inched forward carrying the blankets. He looked like a scared rabbit ready to bolt at the first sign of a wolf. He dropped them beside Vincent and scurried away hiding behind the child with the medium length hair. The boy with the short hair just stood there holding the mattresses. He looked unsure of what he should do.
“Oh boys. Thank you for your help.” The woman said returning with the basin of steaming water. “Loz you can place the pallets in the room beside the fireplace.” She sat the bowl beside Vincent.
He watched as the boy walked over to the wall and pushed on one of the fireplace stones. A door that had been well concealed opened revealing a small room that had a small fireplace in it. “Kadaj, could you please make a fire in the hearth so our guests can stay warm while they hide. Yazoo, please help Loz set out the pallets and put the blankets on them.”
“Are the children yours?” Vincent asked, truly curious about the strange children.
“No. I found them wandering around the reactor in the woods. I asked around but nobody seems to know anything about them, so I took them in.” She laughed lightly, “The people of the village do not seem to like them. But they really don’t like anyone who is new to this area.” She said looking at him and holding out a small towel.
He took it in his hand, and submerged it in the bowl of water. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. I do what I can for people who need help.” She said smiling as she entered the secret room to instruct the children.
Vincent looked down at Lilly as she lay unconscious in his arms. He slowly wiped the dried Mako off her face, trying not to wake her. As he cleaned her, he prayed she would survive this because he needed to ask her how she knew Lucrecia.