Final Fantasy VII: Black Gold

Aveline nodded to her head slowly to Sephiroth's harsh statements. I'm the student now, she thought determinedly. I've got to get into that mindset; he's not going to be the type of teacher I'm used to; this is how things will be, and I'm willing to listen to anything he says, no matter what.

"Yes, of course," she answered after a moment, her mind already racing with which weapon she wanted to choose to keep. "I just-"

"And you do realize that both of us will be watched," he interrupted, his cool eyes on the floor, looking at nothing in particular. "We'd probably be watched right now if it wasn't for the fact that this is one of Shinra's designated First Class SOLDIER safe houses; the Turks rarely watch or keep up with surveillance of them. In the future, though, it will not be this way."

"Then when will I see you ag-"

"We will both arrive at the training rooms tomorrow morning. I will arrive later than you. Train on your own for at least an hour and I will find you," Sephiroth cut in again. "If you arrive with more than one choice weapon I won't speak to you or help you."

Aveline shifted uncomfortably, testing several of her wounds. The potions were helping, yes, and another before she fell asleep would mprove her mobility even more, but practicing combat immediately in the morning... with Sephiroth himself? She didn't know if she could manage that.

 

OOC: 'Cause Bueno said I could, I'll be doing Cloud for now.

Cloud, a little uncomfortable, stared at Zack for a moment. He was supposed to stay and watch this woman? She looked like she was about to bleed out any minute. Should he help her? Try to stop the bleeding? Shinra would want her alive, right? He finally nodded at Zack, agreeing to his instructions. He walked through the doorway with Zack, unable to take his eyes away from Caleigh's cold stare. He was amazed she was on her feet.

"Ca... Caleigh...?" Rae listened to the shouting from the front room and then footsteps. Her dull, glowing blue eyes were locked on the open doorway, waiting for Caleigh to come in and tell her everything was okay.

 

Lent looked up at the sky has he walked, not paying particular attention to where he was going. He didn't need to really, he just usually went on auto-mode. Knowing the streets so well from his life before Shinra and SOLDIER was just another sad advantage to him.
He thought about Lightning as he walked and what the intense training would be like tomorrow. "Well, at least I won't get bored.." he muttered to himself as he walked down an almost deserted street.
"Sheesh... I'm so bored now though." he sighed under his breath.
Bring on tomorrow already. he prayed in his head has he passed 3 or 4 guys, the only other people in the area other than him. They seemed to be laughing about something. Well, at least some people are having fun. the sarcastic thought popped into his head.

 

Aveline stood carefully from the bed, testing her weight on her healing knee. It wasn't as bad as she thought; she could lean on it slightly thanks to the potions, but she was going to have a prominent limp going home.

Home, she thought worriedly, letting her chin fall to her chest, staring at her boots so Sephiroth wouldn't see the fear in her eyes. What will Father say if he's still up, waiting for me to come back? He'll want to know what happened; it's his fault I'm in this shape, but it's thanks to his tip that I even found Sephiroth... but if I'm lucky he's asleep, not caring about me anymore, as usual.

"Thank you," Aveline muttered, but did not expect a "you're welcome" or even a response at all. That wasn't how this was going to work.

The four men that had been walking through the alleyways and winding streets of Midgar had to stop themselves more quickly than should have been possible; the result was a messy, jumbled bunch of swearing, tripping, and drunk punching before they realized what had even made them halt. The leader of the group turned on the spot, catching his balance uneasily.

"SOLDIER?" he whispered, slurring the word slightly. "No way..."

His eyes were trained on the man they had just wandered past, not even believing the uniform he'd barely been able to see in the dark. They'd just beaten the hell out of a SOLDIER member, a girl, even, and now... another? How lucky could they get in one night?

"Hey, kid!" the man shouted, the other three standing behind him silently, waiting. When he didn't get an immediate response, the leader moved forward a few steps. "Hey! Shinra's bitch! Little SOLDIER prick! Look at me when I'm talkin' to ya!"

 

Get up? Rae raised her eyes to look at who had spoken to her. It wasn't Caleigh. It wasn't anyone she recognized. And whoever he was frightened her. He was tall from her perspective on the floor, and the large blade he had brought no comfort. She blinked her Mako-blue eyes and bit her lower lip, shakily moving backwards until she bumped against the wall. A small whimper escaped the girl as she stuttered, "N-no... Caleigh... I-I wa-want Caleigh..."

 

Lent's pace slowed to a stop, he titled his head to get a look back at the idiots who had just called him out.
He sighed as he faced forwards again and started walking. He'd encountered drunk ******'s like them a lot before back on the streets, best to keep on walking, these guys just weren't worth it.

 

Goddamn it! Legas' thoughts were loud in his head. He brought down the Third Class before they even realized what was happening, but the sounds of gunshots sent shivers down his spine. Not now, he prayed to whoever was listening as he ran as fast as he could around the corner. His plan couldn't be ruined, he was almost free from Shinra's rules. Why did they attack now?

Cloud focused his eyes on the woman and simply stared through his helmet. More action than I expected, but it was over quick..., he thought to himself as he shifted his vision to the unconscious (or perhaps dead) Third Class SOLDIERs. He almost gulped when he realized that he was below them on the Shinra heirarchy and yet, he was supposed to watch the woman who took them out? What am I worrying about? She's barely alive at this point...must have been luck. He raised his rifle and pointed it to the woman. "We don't want you to die," he started as he took a step towards her, "Surrender now and we'll get you some treatment for those wounds."

Legas turned another corner and stopped when he reached the kicked down door, ignoring the forming crowd. I'm hopin' those thick-headed SOLDIERs aren't causin' too much dama-"Cayleigh?" His thoughts stopped focusing on himself when he saw the scene. SOLDIERs on the ground and a Shinra infantryman pointing a gun at his earlier pretty acquaintance...who was bleeding a very unhealthy amount. He took a few steps forward until the infantryman turned and started speaking.

The sounds of footsteps caused him to turn around, his rifle still raised. Great, civilia- he noticed the black suit first. "Turk?" Watching his tone, Cloud addressed the lean man in the suit and shades. "It's alright, uh, sir, we have thi-"

Like a black flash, Legas flew towards the infantryman, an inactive bomb in his right hand.

Training kicked in and Cloud started shooting like never before. He was barely aware of what was happening.

Legas didn't think, he simply moved forward. His body barely changed posture and, yet, he dodged most of the bullets. The ones he didn't dodge were deflected by his dud. The moment he was too close to the infantryman to be shot, his body spun with his foot high in the air, aimed straight at the Shinra helmet.

Reflex kicked in this time and Cloud ducked, barely dodging the kick...but his rifle was hit and knocked from his hands. Time froze as Cloud's training and his reflexes combined in one instant. He was crouched, both hands raised slightly past his head. His rifle no longer existed to him. A long leg, clad in stylish black and topped with a black shoe, was suspended above him. Another leg, slightly bent at the knee, was right in front of him. Where the legs met, appeared a lean, possibly silk, black blazer. Past that, he saw a chin and the inside of two nostrils. A dark pair of sunglasses were hanging off and Cloud caught a glint of green focused on him. The time to act was now. Punch! He ordered himself, focusing on the Turk's chin.
Adrenaline poured through his body.
His torso fell and made an angle.
His right leg unbent completely, shooting him forward.
His hands turned to fists and his left fist fell.
His right fist stayed close to his chest as his left one started to move forward.
He felt the Turk's raised leg by his face as his head reached the Turk's hips.
His left fist was closing in on the Turk's chin.
Smack!
Contact! His fist reached the Turk's...gloved hand?!

"They don't train y'all enough," Legas said in a low voice. The infantryman moved quickly, even faster than Legas expected, but Legas wasn't the Legendary Turk for nothing. One hand blocking the infantryman's fist from his chin and the other raised above the soldier's head, along with his kicking foot. "No hard feelin's, though!" He brought his foot and hand down hard, twisting his body forward as he did. Another dud slipped from his sleeve and into his hand as it fell.
Crunch!
The inactive bomb made contact with the infantryman's helmet before another second was over. Legas' foot hit the ground, breaking through the floorboard. He felt the body go limp and let go of the infantryman's fist and freed his other hand from grasping the dud. He didn't give the body another thought. He didn't aim to kill, just knock unconsious...and break a helmet, maybe. The entire fight was maybe 4 seconds, but that was too long for Legas.
"Miss Cayleigh! Are ya alright?" He asked, panicked as he moved forward to grab his new "ally."

 

With the infantryman taken out, Caleigh grinned at Legas, falling forward into his arms. Her bravado was gone and she couldn't stand anymore. "I'm perfect. Just as sunny as the sky outside." It was overcast. The clouds still hung over from the day's rain showers. Her voice was ragged and breathing harsh. Legas knelt down, holding Caleigh against his chest. Her blood stained the classic suit he wore.
"That b-bastard, asking me to sur-surrender like that. J-just who the hell does he think I am?" She chuckled, then coughed, blood leaving her lips. Her dark grey eyes met Legas' sunglasses. "AVALANCHE needs someone like you... I... I can't--" She closed her eyes and took in a strangled breath, expelling it with effort. Her eyes opened again, but they'd lost their shine. "D-down th-the hall... Rae... Legas... Protect Rae...."
She didn't say anything else. Her eyes closed and she exhaled a last time, a last, broken exhale. In the Legas' arms, the woman was limp. She'd been one of AVALANCHE'S top intel agents, but more than that, she'd been a friend -- and very much a disgruntled mother -- to many. Finally, the rain clouds outside began to clear, letting in rays of moonlight now. They flooded the room, shining off the pool of blood on the floor, and the one tear on Caleigh's cheek.

 

Aveline made her way home slowly and silently. The streets were even emptier than before, and she said a silent prayer that she wouldn't meet any people; with the state she was in, it would be better if could just get home and go to bed. Her back was straight when she walked, however; Aveline had a purpose now, something that she could look forward to in the morning... even if it meant more bleeding and broken bones.

The group of men stopped, halting into each other once again, but this time they caught their footing and fell into an amateur formation much more quickly. None of them could believe what had just happened. The leader stepped forward yet again, rolling his shoulders and flexing his fingers, new anger in his intoxicated veins at this kid's belligerence.

"Hey, asshole!" he tried again, real rage in his voice now, "who the hell do you think you are? Too good for us normal folk, you SOLDIER puppet?! Turn around before I make you!"

 

"Like you could." Lent stated plainly, his pace not slowing nor his head moving to show any signs of acknowledgement.


OOC: Really short, but it's all he would do right now lol.

 

Aveline arrived home without any trouble, but, for some reason, her thoughts were not on Sephiroth or tomorrow morning, but the events at the bar that night: yes, she'd gone to that place for information before, but tonight was very odd: there were so many other important people at the same bar, all looking for something to help them forward in life.

It seems I'm not the only one, she thought as she finally lay down to sleep. Those Turks... SOLDIER members... and those anti-Shinra people, mainly that lady I bummed a cigarette off of. They all seemed so sure of themselves and what they could get. I was just playing a damn games, like a child not knowing what would happen if I actually achieved my goal. Well, now I've got it, and I sure as hell won't stop till I get what I want, no matter who's side I end up on.

The leader of the group of drunk men seemed to have had enough; grinding his teeth and grumbling angrily to himself under his breath, he motioned for the men near him to move up behind either side of the cocky SOLDIER boy.

"You've got a lot of nerve, kid!" he started again, not caring if he got a response or not at this point; he was ready to fight. "You walk around out here in the middle of the night in that nasty, lying uniform and don't expect trouble? Well you've found it whether you want it or not!"

The man took two hurried steps forward and grabbed the back of the SOLDIER's uniform shirt, turning in around, his other fist raised to punch.

 

Lent sighed as he felt one of the drunks grab the back of his uniform. "Guess we gotta do this the hard way huh?" he said lazily waiting for the imminent attack. Was he worried? Heck no, this was just a waste of time to him... well. Actually... he had been saying just moments before how bored he was and how he wanted something exciting. Was this exciting? Well... no. But it was better than nothing and would keep him occupied, at least for a few short minutes.

 

As Cayleigh's body went limp, something inside Legas snapped. He could feel his arms relieve slightly from the tension, letting her body become even limper. He heard the footsteps approaching him, but he did nothing of the sort. He had no idea who Rae was, but that would have to wait. The Turk felt something inside, something he's never felt before. It made him sad, almost heartbroken that the woman he had barely met and had considered nothing more than a tool for Shinra and a way for him to escape corporate servitude died. It made him angry that she was killed by Shinra, his employers. It made him even more furious that he should have known she would probably have died anyway, most likely because of him, if his plan went through. It made him confused, confused at who Rae was and what he was supposed to do now. He didn't like it. Those feelings and whatever was causing them were new to him and he didn't like it one fucking bit. He heard someone ask a question from his side. "Who am I?" He bent over slightly, letting Cayleigh's body rest on the floor, but he made sure she wasn't in a puddle of her own blood, though her body kept bleeding regardless. As she slid off his arms, he stood up, his fists shaking. "Don't ya know?" He asked whoever had addressed him as he turned to face them. Under any other circumstances, he would have recognized the SOLDIER First Class; they were Shinra's public agents and Turks were supposed to know these things. But right now? He couldn't give a damn less. "I'll tell ya," he whispered as a bomb slid into his hand. "I'M THE GODDAMN LEGENDARY TURK!" He yelled at the top of his lungs and threw the bomb as hard as he could towards his new opponent.

 

The leader of the group of men threw his first punch right at the SOLDIER boy's face, only slightly aware that his aim was a little off and not as powerful as he'd thought. At the same time, he brought his knee up to the boy's crotch, hoping to land at least one of the attacks before his men backed him up.

 

Vance quickly worked the boat that once brought him to this island back together, and, after collecting a few essentials for the trip, set sail back to mainland. Without any compass or map, he set sail just trying to reach any land.

Sailing for three days, Vance was beginning to lose hope of ever reaching land alive. But as the top of the fourth day, he spotted land... and what looked like Wutai.

"What luck!" he sighed, remembering hearing about the War ending. This will be the perfect place to hide for the time being. Shinra thinks I'm dead... and, even if they still had tabs on me, somehow... why would they explore their time and money here of all places? he thought to himself. Vance wasted no time, quickly sailing to the shore. He fell to his knees in joy as he felt the warm sand between his toes and, more importantly, solid ground beneath his feet.

 

Lent didn't even move that much. He lazilly angled his head to the side so the man's fist just sailed smoothly past, not making any contact, and he bought a hand out to catch the knee heading towards his groin. "You sure you wanna do this?" he smirked. "Something else other than your alcohol induced stupor must be making you cocky enough to make you think you can take on a member of SOLDIER."

 

The man laughed, trying to hide his shock at being blocked so easily. "Well, the last one wasn't as strong as you!" he began, looking around at his men. "I mean... she went down pretty quickly even though she took one of us with her. Stupid SOLDIER slut." A couple of the men nodded their heads in approval, smirks rising on their faces. He glanced over at the SOLDIER in front of him, and got even more upset that he hadn't even managed to scratch the guy yet.

"Yeah," he continued, hoping to get a rise out of the boy. "Seems like you're not the only stupid SOLDIER wandering out here at night. We just met another one of you, a girl, surprisingly, out here. Beat the living shit outta her, like she deserved. Fought with a bunch of knives like some kid... it was embarrassing! Hell, she's probably dead by now, which would be a good thing. One less Shinra asshole out here bothering us normal people."