Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Guardian ❯ Chapter 14

“Guardian”

Chapter 14

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*Disclaimer: The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.*

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“Won't be long before we find out if your people are loyal to you or not,” the big kidnapper remarked with a cruel grin as he checked Rufus's cuffs. “I'm almost willing to bet they'll just leave you to die. What do you think, Rich Boy?”

 

“I think someone needs to introduce you to a little invention known as deodorant,” Rufus answered coolly, wrinkling his nose for emphasis. The temptation to kick the man was fierce but he couldn't maneuver himself into a position to get a good shot at him without attracting attention. “But it doesn't really matter, seeing as a corpse has no need for personal hygiene.”

 

The big man glared at him. “Still feeling cocky, eh?”

 

“It isn't hard, given that I'm surrounded by buffoons. You really have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. I wonder how you'll react when my people are tugging your nails free from your fingers or gouging your eyes out.” Rufus smiled. “Will you suffer in silence or will you squeal like the coward you are?”

 

Rufus realized he'd pushed his captor too far when the cords on the guy's neck stood out with rage. The younger man that the president had been getting along with fairly well was nearby and he must have noticed as well, for he started forward with an alarmed expression. There was no way to avoid the blow that came and Rufus saw stars as the bigger kidnapper's knuckles collided with his face. He suffered the blow in silence as his head snapped to the side and he gathered his wits and looked up at the thug with a glare. Blood trickled out of his nose and over his lip but Rufus paid no attention to it.

 

“Paul, cut it out!” the guy with the blond ponytail cried as he started forward.

 

“Paul” didn't listen. He looked like an angry bull as he hit Rufus again, this time in the ribs. “You like that, you fancy asshole?” he growled, “I'm gonna fuck you up good this time!”

 

Rufus had no time to react as the large hands wrapped around his throat and squeezed. The handful of other kidnappers inside the building saw the commotion and they rushed to help the blonde guy wrestle Paul off of the president. Rufus struggled instinctively as his air supply was choked off, but with his hands cuffed behind his back and the kidnapper's body pressing so close, there was little he could do.

 

~I may not have thought this through very well.~

 

It took the combined efforts of all three of the present abductors to pull the big thug off of Rufus and they nearly went down in a tangle of limbs when they finally broke his hold. The captive executive inhaled sharply and coughed when he was released and for a horrible moment, he feared he was going to vomit. The moment ended as two of the kidnappers began ushering Paul toward the reinforced doors leading out.

 

“Adrian, keep an eye on him,” ordered the guy that looked like he was related to Paul. “Come on, Paul…he'll be out of our hands soon enough, man. Chill. Let's go outside and take a breather.”

 

Rufus dramatized his condition as they left, his quick mind pointing out to him that with the three of them gone, he would be left with only one guard on the inside. If he was going to make a move, there wouldn't be a better opportunity. He counted on the compassionate streak of the young man who he now knew was named “Adrian” as the other kidnappers went outside.

 

“You okay?” Adrian asked as he squatted before Rufus and watched him with concern he couldn't hide. “Do you want some water or something?”

 

Rufus nodded and continued dragging in ragged gulps of air. The young man hurried away to the bathroom and returned moments later with a plastic glass filled with tap water. He paused as he stood over Rufus, seeing how he was struggling for breath.

 

“I think I may get sick,” Rufus whispered hoarsely, not entirely fabricating. “I also need to use the restroom.” The second part was completely true. He hadn't emptied his bladder since before he was abducted and the final insult in this situation would be for him to piss himself.

 

Adrian considered him warily. “I…I guess I can help you.”

 

“You intend to wipe my ass?” Rufus inquired with a scowl, lying about which wastes he needed to expel. “It wouldn't be a pleasant endeavor for either of us and frankly, I'd rather shit myself than be treated like an invalid, on top of everything else you people have done to me.”

 

Adrian looked even more uncomfortable and uncertain. “Look, I can't undo your cuffs. If something happened—”

 

“What do you think would happen?” Rufus interrupted with a swallow. “Look at me. I'm in no condition to overpower you and even if I were, where would I go? Just allow me the use of my hands long enough for me to relieve myself and get cleaned up, and then you can cuff me again. Otherwise you're left with a choice between playing the geriatric nurse or being in the company of a man who reeks of shit and vomit. It's your decision.”

 

Adrian pictured the reaction that the president's people would have when they got their boss back and found him covered in bruises, blood, excrement and vomit. He knew that he and his cohorts were already treading on thin ice and the more Rufus Shinra was mistreated, the more likely it would be that his company and the Turks would hunt them down to the ends of Gaia. He was already beginning to think he'd never find a hole deep enough to hide in as it was. It was in his best interests to show some kindness and compassion for the prisoner, in case things went sour.

 

“Okay, but you have to promise me you'll cooperate,” Adrian finally said. Not that he expected the man to keep such a promise, but it felt like the right thing to say and Rufus did make a valid point concerning his condition and situation.

 

“It isn't as though I have any other choice,” the president replied dryly. He swallowed again and closed his eyes. “You might want to hurry, Adrian.”

 

Adrian nodded and went to the other side of the warehouse to retrieve the keys to the cuffs that were being kept in a box near the television. Rufus watched him through lowered lashes, surreptitiously flexing his muscles and preparing his body for action as best he could. He had to time it precisely or he'd blow his only chance.

 

Adrian returned with the keys and stopped before him. “Can you lean forward so I can reach the cuffs?” he asked.

 

Rufus nodded and did so as best he could. His stomach churned at the motion and he wondered if he really was going to get sick—all over his brand new designer shoes, no less. He felt the other man's lean body press against his back as Adrian reached down to unlock the cuffs and he was once again reminded of Reno. If for no other reason than the faint comfort of that, Rufus decided that Adrian, at least, would be spared when this was all over. Of course, the young man would be imprisoned and rehabilitated, but Rufus had no desire to have him killed.

 

There was a click as the cuffs were unlocked and Adrian removed them and squatted down before him again, regarding him with concern.

 

~Perfect position.~

 

Rufus straightened up and gingerly brought his arms to the front, wincing a little at the stiffness in them. He rubbed his wrists and sat back for a moment, knowing he had a very short window of time before the others returned. He debated on whether he had time to go to the bathroom and still act on his plan before that happened. Deciding he couldn't dawdle, he shoved the discomfort of his bladder to the back of his mind.

 

“Adrian.”

 

The young man looked at him. “Yeah?”

 

“You have something on your face.”

 

The other man reached up to touch his face automatically, distracted by the comment. “I do?”

 

Rufus's foot snapped up and the next thing the young man saw was the hard sole of the president's shoe rushing at his face. It connected with his head before he could react and he only felt a moment of pain before he fell to the floor, unconscious.

 

“Yes, the heel of my shoe,” Rufus finished as he watched the young man crumple to the floor. He took a deep breath and heaved himself out of the chair, already knowing where he would go to make his escape attempt. He'd been studying his surroundings the entire time and he knew that even if there were a back door, it would likely be guarded. His only option was the ventilation system and he didn't fool himself into thinking he could actually make it outside and away from this place without being spotted. His intention was to elude his captors long enough for his Turks to get there, so that his life couldn't be used as a bargaining chip.

 

He wished he had his guns but they had naturally taken them from him when they abducted him and he had no idea where they'd put them. More than likely, they had already pawned them or one of them had claimed them as a prize. They were top of the line weapons, after all.

 

~No matter. Even if I were armed, I'd still be outnumbered. The guns are replaceable.~

 

Rufus didn't tarry further. He quickly made his way to the back of the warehouse, where he'd seen a vent he could climb into. The indignity of it all hardly bothered him as he climbed onto a crate and reached up to pry the cover from the large vent. He only hoped that the ducts were secured well enough to the ceiling to hold his weight.

 

~**********************************~

 

Vincent followed behind the kidnappers in the limo and Cloud made a quick phone call to Tseng to make sure the rescue teams were able to track them.

 

“We have a lock on your cellphone,” Tseng informed him, “and you're in visual range. Everything is going according to plan.”

 

Cloud felt a bit uneasy about the bit concerning his cellphone being tracked, but he didn't say anything. He could worry about getting another phone later, after this fiasco was over with. “Okay. We're probably not going to be able to communicate like this anymore after this, so just try to keep up.” After he put the phone away he looked through the divider window at Vincent. All he could see of his friend's face in the rearview mirror were his shades.

 

“Hey Vincent, can I ask you something?”

 

Vincent nodded and Cloud continued, “I thought the Turks gave up their last names when they joined, but you still go by Valentine. Were the rules different when you joined?”

 

“No,” answered the gunman, “I simply reclaimed my surname when I was no longer a part of the organization.”

 

“Oh,” Cloud said. “That makes sense.”

 

Ever since Reno had given in and told him what his last name used to be, Cloud thought of him as “Reno Flynn” in his head. Maybe that was part of what began to change his perception of the redhead…knowing that he was more than a Turk. Try as he might, he could no longer see him as “Reno of the Turks”. He understood why such an organization would require members to give up part of their identity. Hell, the military wasn't much different in that respect. Molding people into the perfect soldiers required breaking down their identity, first. The Turks were soldiers of a sort, after all.

 

They were driving further and further away from Midgar, even away from the rural areas outside of the city. Cloud got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as they passed farmlands and forested areas. It was going to be more difficult for the Turks to continue following without arousing suspicion, because there was little to no traffic now and the places they could stop and wait were getting fewer and further between. He twisted around and looked through the back window after a while, worried about how easily Tseng's car and the following vehicles could be seen. To his surprise, they were gone. Deciding he had enough time for one more call, he pulled out his cellphone again and selected the secured line.

 

“Don't worry, Cloud,” Tseng's voice said as soon as the Wutaian answered the phone. “We had to break off because it would have been too obvious for us to continue following behind you, but we're still monitoring your progress. Help will be available if you need it.”

 

Cloud relaxed. “Got it. You must have read my mind because I was just thinking about telling you to hang back.”

 

“Please be careful,” Tseng answered before he ended the call.

 

Cloud replaced the phone and watched the road. After fifteen more minutes of driving, they approached an old factory. It appeared to be abandoned and there were large warehouses near the back of the compound. The kidnapper's car pulled off of the road and drove through the broken gates, and Vincent followed. They could see now that there were more people involved in this than they first guessed. There were fifteen to twenty armed men standing guard throughout the compound and there was no telling how many were inside of the buildings.

 

“It's never anything simple,” grumbled Cloud.

 

“Not for us,” agreed Vincent softly.

 

“You might want to get your gun out from under the seat,” Cloud suggested.

 

“Sound advice.” Vincent reached beneath him for the hidden catch and popped the panel open. “What about your sword?”

 

“It's too big and obvious,” answered Cloud reluctantly. “We'll just have to wait on that.”

 

They followed the kidnappers to the rear of the compound and Cloud was a little relieved when they drove into one of the open warehouses. It gave them some privacy from the other guards and offered a chance to break in and find Rufus. Vincent played his role perfectly, cutting the engine and getting out to open Cloud's door for him. Their escorts likewise got out of their vehicles and one of them went to the door against the right wall that led into the other warehouse buildings. Two guards stood there and they spoke with him while Cloud and Vincent waited.

 

~Something's wrong,~ Cloud observed when he noticed the expression of disbelief cross the escort's face. He couldn't hear what the kidnappers were saying but he could tell by the motions they made and the looks on their faces that something was going on. He exchanged a look with Vincent before approaching the kidnapper who had stayed behind to keep an eye on him.

 

“What's the problem?” Cloud asked.

 

“There's no problem,” he man insisted, though he was shooting nervous looks at his companion across the way. “Just relax and make sure the money's ready.”

 

Cloud moved back to Vincent, who was staring at the other kidnappers and the two guards with a faint look of concentration on his face. Knowing the gunman's extraordinary senses the way he did, Cloud assumed he could hear some of what they were saying.

 

“They've lost Rufus,” Vincent murmured softly out the corner of his mouth.

 

Cloud couldn't control his incredulous expression as he stared at the gunman. “What? How?”

 

Vincent shrugged fluidly, his eyes remaining on the kidnappers. “It seems they underestimated his cunning. They're trying to find him now.”

 

“Then they can't hold us back with threats against him,” Cloud reasoned.

 

“No,” agreed Vincent, his lips curving into a faint, pleased smile. “They can't.”

 

The escort finished his conversation with his cohorts and approached the limo. “All right, hand the money over and we'll bring him out to you.” To his credit, he kept a straight face as he said this. Cloud saw one of the two guards pull out a cell and bring it to his ear. The other was reaching into his jacket and trying not to be obvious about it.

 

Cloud and Vincent exchanged a look. It was clear that they intended to get the money from them and then shoot them. Negotiations were finished.

 

“I'll get it, Sir,” Vincent said smoothly to Cloud. The briefcase was in the back seat but the kidnappers weren't aware of that. Vincent opened the driver's side door and ducked into the limo while they waited. He moved with good haste, opening the secondary weapon panel and retrieving Cloud's Tsurugi while their opponents were preoccupied.

 

Cloud saw what his friend was doing and he prepared himself. Vincent slid back out of the limo and straightened up, tossing the weapon to him smoothly. Cloud caught it and spun it in his hand as the kidnappers gaped in confused surprise.

 

“You people suck,” growled the blonde as he jumped onto the hood of the limo and rolled towards one of them. The man was taken by surprise and Cloud's weapon struck him painfully in the ribs before he could draw his gun. His companions quickly got over their shock and began to retaliate. Cerberus blew a neat hole in the foremost kidnapper's hand and sent his weapon flying. He opened his mouth to scream, only to get a bullet in the head before the sound could escape.

 

“Vince, they probably heard that,” Cloud grunted in warning as he used his sword to deflect two shots aimed at him. Cerberus was a formidable weapon and it made its presence known quite loudly.

 

Vincent peered out at the opened garage door and saw that some of the men guarding the compound were hurrying over. He quickly surveyed the situation and he spotted the chain that controlled the door. Without hesitation, he took aim with his gun and fired, shattering one of the links. The door dropped closed with a screech of metal, temporarily blocking their opposition from reaching them.

 

Cloud took out the remaining kidnappers in a non-lethal fashion and Vincent smirked with amusement as he rendered them unconscious. “Would they have been so kind to you?” he asked as he joined the blonde at the doorway leading to the other storage building.

 

“Probably not,” Cloud said with a shrug. “That doesn't mean I have to drop to their level.” He searched the guards until he found keys on one of them and he glanced sidelong at Vincent as he unlocked the door. “Whoever's on the other side probably knows there's trouble.”

 

Vincent nodded and stood behind Cloud with Cerberus aimed at the door. “I have you covered.”

 

~***********************************~

 

Rufus crawled through the ducts, knowing that his captors were onto him. He heard swearing and banging from somewhere within the narrow, metal walls and he knew that at least two of them were inside searching for him.

 

~The first thing I'm going to do when I get home will be to take a bath. A bubble bath. With champagne and perhaps some soft music playing. And Reno. I'll have Reno with me…Tseng too. What the hell, it's my fantasy…I'll have Rude and Cloud while I'm at it.~

 

Owning a bathtub the size of a hot tub—complete with water jets—had its advantages after all. Far be it from Rufus to not take advantage of the luxurious plumbing. He filled his mind with images of making out with all four of the men he fancied as he did his best to elude his pursuers. He ended up going in a circle before he knew it and found himself looking through a vent down at the room he'd originally been held in. As fortune would have it, one of the objects of his fantasies burst through the door and began attacking the kidnappers inside with uncanny precision. The young blonde wielded a sword that looked as though it should be clumsy, but the grace of his movements belied that impression.

 

Rufus peered through the vent with a slack jaw as Cloud Strife and Vincent Valentine decimated the ranks of his captors. He started to push on the vent cover to let them know he was there, but the hem of his pants were caught on something and he frowned with annoyance and tugged.

 

~***************************************~

 

“Wait, not him!”

 

Vincent paused as he prepared to put a bullet in the skull of the young kidnapper with the dark blond hair and the ponytail. He looked up for the source of the order, recognizing Rufus Shinra's voice.

 

Cloud also looked up with a puzzled frown. “Rufus?” he asked, trying to locate the president.

 

“Yes, I'm in the air conditioning duct,” Rufus explained.

 

Cloud saw him then, peering out at them through the vent. He coughed to cover up a laugh, imagining how horrifying it must have been for a fashion victim like Rufus to crawl through a dusty ventilation system. “I'm not even going to ask how you got up there,” he said. “Tseng and the others are on standby to help us get you out of here. Come down.”

 

Rufus looked over his shoulder and moved a bit, then swore. “I would, but I appear to be stuck.”

 

Cloud glanced at Vincent, who was keeping an eye on the cowering young man he held at gunpoint. “Stuck on what?”

 

“I have no idea,” Rufus answered crossly. “I can't see it. Just give me a bloody moment, will you?”

 

“You're pretty bossy for a guy getting rescued,” Cloud said with a smirk. Truth be told, he was relieved and he felt an unwelcome throb of affection for Rufus. For once, his penchant for being a complete bastard had paid off and the thought of what he must have put his captors through before they arrived made Cloud grin.

 

Rufus struggled some more and there was an audible sound of tearing material. “Damn,” the president griped. “I think I've pulled free—” The air duct groaned with protest and something snapped. The section that Rufus was in dropped a bit as one of the supporting rivets broke free from the ceiling. “Oh hell,” Rufus said. “Cloud, get out from underneath—”

 

Cloud immediately headed the warning and dove away as the rest of the duct broke away from the ceiling and came crashing down to the floor. He got to his feet and coughed as he inhaled some dust, waving a hand before his face to clear the air. “Rufus? You okay?”

 

There was a soft groan and the vent popped off of the broken duct. Rufus crawled out of it and rolled onto his back, panting. “Nothing's broken,” he reported. His gray eyes narrowed as he looked up at Cloud and noticed his outfit for the first time. “You're wearing my clothes.” He smiled crookedly. “They look good on you.”

 

Cloud snorted. “You're unbelievable.” He reached down and offered his hand to Rufus. The president took it and Cloud helped him to his feet. The two of them stared at one another for a moment and Cloud shook his head. “Don't get used to it.”

 

Rufus smirked and looked at Vincent, eyeing his outfit with an appraising, approving gaze. “I'm a bit surprised to see you here, Valentine. You have my gratitude.”

 

Vincent kept his eyes on his captive and shrugged. “I came as a favor to someone who's important to me…” He snapped his mouth shut and pursed his lips. “A favor to a friend,” he finished softly, seemingly disturbed by his own words.

 

Rufus frowned at him, wondering if he was referring to Strife. “I see.”

 

There was banging at the doors. Vincent had shot the locks but it would only hold the opposition off for so long. Cloud pulled out his cellphone and called Tseng.

 

“Tseng, we've got Rufus. We're going to try to get him clear but we're kind of trapped. You might want to send your people in now.”

 

“Understood,” Tseng answered with a hint of relief in his voice. “I'll give the order. Reno and Rude should arrive with air support soon. The others will be close behind.”

 

“Got it,” Cloud said. “Vincent and I are going to do what we can to get Rufus clear of the warehouse.” He hung up and looked at Vincent, noticing the tension in the gunman's marble features.

 

Vincent took several deep breaths as he felt a presence stirring. He hadn't felt this presence since fighting Omega and now it was waking…getting closer. Footsteps of death approaching, sickly sweet and eager.

 

~You're supposed to be dormant. Why do you wake?~

 

The presence shoved against the gunman's barriers. ~Your frustrations woke me, my dark one. Now I desire sustenance.~

 

Vincent felt a chill throughout his body and he struggled to hold the being at bay. ~My…frustrations? No. Sleep again, Chaos. Your time has passed.~

 

~I will not rest again until I'm satisfied. Give way!~

 

“Vince?” Cloud murmured, “You okay?” His sapphire eyes glanced down when he heard the sound of material ripping and he saw elongated black claws emerging from the glove covering Vincent's human hand. The gunman seemed to be slowly growing taller and larger, the material of his uniform straining until the stitches began to burst. He had a horrible feeling that he knew what was happening.

 

Vincent tore his shades off and looked Cloud in the eye. His crimson gaze was filled with an unholy lust and his lips parted to reveal that his canine teeth were elongating. “Cloud, take the president and get out of here,” he said roughly. “One of my demons is about to rear his hungry head.”

 

Cloud regarded his friend warily, hoping his guess was wrong. “Which one?”

 

Vincent gave him a meaningful look and his eyes flashed with amber light.

 

“Right,” Cloud said, understanding. He grabbed Rufus by the arm. “Let's go, Rufus.”

 

“What's going on?” Rufus asked in puzzlement. He'd never seen the demon in question and thus he had no appreciation for what it could do. “You intend to leave Valentine here by himself?”

 

Cloud dragged the president toward the door leading into the garage. “Trust me, he can handle it. Move your ass!” The fighter sheathed his weapon behind his back and he reached down to grab hold of Adrian's arm too, coaxing the kidnapper to come with them.

 

Rufus didn't argue further, having rarely heard such a note of alarm in the fighter's voice.

 

~***********************************~

 

“About time we got some action, yo.” Reno flew the company helicopter towards the target, eager to start putting the hurt on the people that dared to abduct Rufus.

 

“We'll show them what happens when they fuck with ShinRa,” Rude said with equal enthusiasm. “Just make sure Strife and the president are clear before you start blowing things up, partner.”

 

“Yeah,” Reno agreed without offense, “don't worry. I ain't gonna risk either of our boys, man.” He pulled his mic down and flipped a switch on the control panel. “Tseng, can you hear me?”

 

“I can,” came the response.

 

“We should reach the target in three minutes. You sending in the backup?”

 

“Yes,” answered Tseng. “They should arrive on site within ten minutes. Provide cover for Strife and Valentine but don't use explosives until you've confirmed that the president is clear.”

 

“You got it,” replied Reno. He ended the transmission and took a deep breath, grinning at his partner. “It's been a while, yo.”

 

“Yes, it has,” Rude agreed, his lips curving into a subtle, answering smile. “Are you up for it, Red?”

 

“Baby, I'm up for anything,” Reno laughed. “But you should know that by now.”

 

~*********************************~

 

They piled into the limo, with Rufus and Cloud in the font and Adrian in the back. Rufus stuck his hand through the privacy divider and motioned to his former captor. “Give me your gun.”

 

“Wh-why?” Adrian asked in the tone of someone who was scared out of his mind.

 

“Because I'm a better shot than you,” Rufus answered matter-of-factly. “Do you want to live through this?”

 

Adrian gave the president his gun without further argument and Rufus checked the bullet chamber before lowering the window. He gave Cloud a nod. “Ready when you are, Strife.”

 

“Hang onto something,” Cloud ordered as he put his hands on the wheel and looked over his shoulder. Rufus and the kidnapper both braced themselves as Cloud gunned the engine and backed out. The smell of burning rubber assaulted their nostrils as the fighter peeled out of the garage. Adrian shouted in alarm as the vehicle slammed into the garage door and the scrape of metal dominated his hearing. The door gave way and fell over the limo as Cloud backed out of the warehouse. Gunfire immediately followed as the kidnappers fired at the car, but Rufus returned fire and took out two of them with calm precision.

 

Cloud spun the limo around, producing a cloud of dust in the process. He quickly got his sense of direction and floored it, heading toward the gates. Rufus shot down some of the kidnappers that were firing at them but he could only do so much on his own. He heard the sound of helicopter blades and he looked up to see the black chopper with the ShinRa logo bearing down on the compound.

 

“Kick their asses, Reno,” the blond muttered as he ran over one of the abductors and got closer to the fence. From somewhere behind them, he heard a familiar, demonic roar. Cloud smiled grimly, even as he felt pity for Vincent. Chaos was awake.

 

~*********************************~

 

Reno saw the limo speeding recklessly out of the warehouse towards the gate. He took stock of the situation quickly and reached down to activate the chopper's guns. “Ready to shoot, partner?” he asked of Rude.

 

“Solid,” answered the bald man as he reached out for the targeting stick on his side.

 

The two nodded at each other and together, they opened fire on the people pursuing the limo. Blood sprayed as the partnered Turks aimed the automatic machine guns and shot kidnappers down to give Cloud some cover.

 

“Sending you to hell, motherfuckers!” Reno hollered as he shot a fleeing kidnapper in the back. He would have said more but at that moment, something tore a hole in the roof of one of the warehouses and shot up out of it. Reno and Rude both hollered with alarm as a winged, alabaster-skinned demon hovered before them with a struggling kidnapper in its arms.

 

“What the fuck?” Rude shouted.

 

The unholy, beautiful creature smiled in a chilling way and caught hold of its captive's head, drawing the man's mouth to its lips. As Reno and Rude watched, a green-ish glow suffused both figures and the struggles of the captive weakened and ceased. The winged demon released his captive and let him fall to the ground, apparently dead. Glowing, amber eyes met Reno's through the glass of the windshield and the Turk shivered. The demon creature seemed to consider the two hovering Turks for a moment, as if trying to decide if they were food or allies. Then it spiraled back down into the fray below to select another victim.

 

“Uh, I think that was Valentine,” Reno gasped with wide eyes.

 

“Let's just concentrate on covering the limo,” Rude suggested through pale lips. “I don't care who the fuck it was.”

 

Reno agreed. No wonder Vincent was so fucked up. He saw the demon feed on several other people and it was like watching a car accident…he couldn't look away. “Fuck this shit, man,” the redhead gasped, turning his attention to the escaping limo. He and Rude killed more of the kidnappers with their gunfire and he wasn't certain whether he was doing it out of vengeance or mercy, anymore. Once the car was safely out of range, their orders were to blow up the compound.

 

~********************************~

 

“Tseng, we're clear,” Cloud announced over the phone. He looked through the rearview mirror and winced as he spotted Vincent claiming another victim. “Vincent's still in there, though. Hold off on the explosions until he's out.”

 

“Can you reach him?” Tseng inquired.

 

“I don't think so,” answered Cloud dubiously. “He's shifted into chaos and even if he's still got his phone on him, I don't think Chaos is going to be interested in answering it.”

 

“Did you see what that thing did?” Adrian babbled from the back seat. “Chaos! Fucking Chaos! It sucked their souls out!” He laughed hysterically and clawed at his head.

 

“Shall I shoot him now?” Rufus said, having come to regret his decision to spare the young man. Reno would never have carried on this way.

 

“No, don't shoot him!” Cloud shouted. His blue eyes were round in his face as he looked at the president incredulously. “What the hell's the matter with you people?”

 

“Might I remind you that they kidnapped me?” Rufus said calmly, “and he's become a drooling lunatic. Look at him.”

 

Cloud couldn't deny that the person in question had gone off the deep end, but he stood his ground. “No fucking shooting, all right? Enough people have died, you asshole!”

 

Rufus shrugged. “Fine. I'll send him to a clinic. Satisfied?”

 

Cloud was about to answer that when something heavy and large landed on the top of the limo, nearly making him lose control of the vehicle. “Shit,” he growled as he fought to bring the fishtailing car under control. A pale, inhuman face dropped down over the windshield from above and he recognized Chaos.

 

“What on Gaia…” Rufus muttered.

 

“He's hitching a ride,” answered Cloud. He looked into the sated glowing eyes and he wondered—not for the first time—how Vincent managed to retain sanity with such a creature lurking inside of him.

 

~***********************************~!

 

They arrived at Headquarters and Adrian was taken away to be incarcerated. Chaos climbed down from his perch on the limo and stood to regard Cloud with curiosity that made him nervous.

 

“Uh, thanks,” the blonde said softly as Rufus was ushered away by the Turks. “You helped out a lot.”

 

The demon cocked his head to one side and continued to stare at him. Chaos was twice the size of an average man and the remains of Vincent's chauffeur uniform weren't doing much to cover him up.

 

Reeve arrived with Tseng and the engineer immediately jumped out of the car and hurried toward Chaos. The demon sensed him coming and turned his head to regard him with contemplative, glowing amber eyes.

 

“The host…likes this one,” Chaos announced in a soft, otherworldly voice.

 

Reeve stopped short and looked up at the demon with wary courtesy. His brown eyes were unafraid and calm as he cleared his throat. “It's okay,” he said in a soothing tone. Cloud ogled as he reached out and took hold of Chaos's clawed hand. “Why don't you cone with me? You can rest and I'll have some food send up.”

 

“I don't eat mortal food,” Chaos reminded the engineer, his glowing gaze dropping to the hand that held his.

 

“For Vincent,” Reeve corrected diplomatically. His features were tense and yet calm beneath his immaculately groomed facial hair. “You may not require it, but I'm sure you know he does.”

 

Chaos hesitated and looked around at the tense Turks surrounding him. “My hunger is satisfied,” he said in his low, preternatural voice. “I can't…that is…” He seemed to struggle suddenly, bringing a clawed hand to his forehead and grimacing.

 

“Come with me,” reiterated Reeve. “You can rest in my quarters.”

 

To everyone's surprise but Cloud's, the demon nodded slowly and allowed himself to be guided away towards the elevator by Reeve. Reno and Rude arrived in the parking complex just in time to see the sight, and the redhead looked from the retreating engineer and his demonic companion to Cloud.

 

“I don't know if I should even ask,” Reno muttered.

 

Cloud smiled. “With any luck, you don't need to.”

 

~************************************************~

 

-To be continued