Guilt’s Cost: Part XCV

Rescue

At seven o’clock it was time to head out. Reno had called the pilot Brad to make certain that everything was go with the chopper. Brad heartily assured him that come the proper time he would be in the sky over the Shin Ra building ready to get them out. Tifa continued to protest the fact that Reno wasn’t going to let her come along, but eventually she ceded and agreed to stay with Angel. Truth be told Tifa knew that she wasn’t up to it at this point anyway. The two women were then given the keys to Porter’s car and instructed on how to get to Rayna’s. Porter and Reno agreed that this would be the best plan of action, considering that it would mean they would only have to make one stop after the escape instead of two. Porter also decided that it would be best to have the women take D with them, so that he didn’t have to worry about his dog during the potentially dangerous extraction.

They all left the hotel room at the same time, with the men heading toward the Shin Ra building and the women toward Porter’s car. The four would be Turks followed Porter across the street and into the building.

Jaras had tied his hair tightly back and was wearing his glasses in an attempt to disguise his appearance to some degree. This failed to work very well, with the extraordinarily long sword hanging off his hip coupled with his very unique look his identity would be given away to anyone who took the time to notice.

The guard at the security desk smiled upon seeing Porter. "Don’t have your dog with you, I see."

He returned the grin. "No, I decided to leave him behind while I showed my associates from Junon around."

"Oh, you guys are from Junon, huh?" The guard looked impressed. Everyone in Shin Ra knew that some of the best Turks were those trained in the coastal town. "What brings you to Midgar?"

Reno took this opportunity to drop a name. "My friend Rude invited us to come and go over some new training guidelines."

The guard’s eyes went wide. Not only were they some of the most elite of the Turks, they were personally aquatinted with Rude. He decided better of delaying them any further. "Well, have a nice stay."

"Thank you." Jaras replied for the group as they passed the guard station and started toward the elevators.

***

Back in the lab Hojo was packed and ready to head out to the other lab location. He still had a while before Porter was scheduled to arrive, and he decided to spend this time checking on Vincent.

He entered the room to find Vincent still laying as Porter had placed him several hours earlier. Hojo unconsciously reached down and twisted the wedding band he’d stolen from Vincent around his finger. "Mr. Valentine, are you feeling any better?"

Vincent’s dull eyes just gazed up blindly into nothingness. His only movements were his painfully slow breaths and his occasional blinks.

Hojo sighed and furrowed his brow. There was a possibility that there was more wrong with Vincent than madness and Hojo realized that he should run a blood panel on him just to be sure. He retrieved a syringe and several glass vials from a drawer and came to Vincent’s side. The only problem was that all of the normal blood draw sites on Vincent’s body were now artificial. Hojo shrugged and decided that he would have to get the blood from Vincent as he took it from his animal specimens. He placed his left hand around the lower portion of Vincent’s neck until he could make out the jugular vein. Once certain of its location, he drove the needle beneath Vincent’s skin and started to draw forth the sample he needed.

Vincent gave absolutely no response to this needle stick, and Hojo became even more worried. He knew that above all else Vincent dreaded needles and sample draws and it was highly unusual that there wasn’t even the slightest reaction from him. This was conclusive evidence to the scientist that Vincent definitely wasn’t faking this catatonic state.

Once his syringe was filled sufficiently, Hojo held a small piece of cotton firmly against Vincent’s neck where the blood draw had been performed. He needed to get the blood into the tubes for the CBC before it clotted and he let go of the cotton pressed to Vincent’s neck too quickly. As he let the blood fill the tubes in his hands, he saw a dark bruise begin to grow beneath Vincent’s fair skin.

"Sorry to mar you, Mr. Valentine." Hojo apologized as he dropped the filled vials into his pocket. "I will go check this before I head off to the other lab. I have an assistant that will be tending to you while I am away. I regret that I have to leave you like this for now, but I will be back for you. Who knows, once you snap out of this little spell maybe I can take you to the other lab with me. Sorry that I must leave you, Sleeping Beauty."

Hojo sighed and turned to leave the room. He stopped a few steps away and looked back at Vincent. "There was a way to wake Sleeping Beauty, wasn’t there? Maybe it’s unscientific, but it is worth a try I suppose." He returned to Vincent’s bedside and looked down at him. Slowly he ran one of his blood stained hands through Vincent’s hair and began to lean forward. Gently he let his lips meet those of the unresponsive man and allowed them to linger there for a few moments. Needless to say he wasn’t really surprised to see that Vincent didn’t respond. "Oh well, it was worth it anyway, wasn’t it, Mr. Valentine? Since I don’t have to worry about you walking off at this point, go ahead and power on." With that, Hojo left the room.

Had Vincent been aware to notice, he would have felt his body again activate.

***

Reno, Porter, Jaras, Ericson, and Morris all got onto the elevator and started the long ride up to the lab level of the building. Porter found himself staring at Jaras as he had been doing for the last several hours. There was something eerily familiar with him, and Porter couldn’t help but think how very much he looked like Sephiroth. He still hadn’t learned the truth about Jaras’s identity, and didn’t dare to ask. Jaras had noticed that he was under the constant gaze of the Turk and was feeling a little more than uncomfortable with it. He tried to act as though he didn’t notice, but it was wearing on him.

Porter reached down and slid his hand across Vincent’s gun, as it was still strapped to him. Reno caught the action out of the corner of his eye, and being all too familiar with the weapon he grimaced. "Death Penalty?"

"What?" Porter answered, coming out of his daydream.

"That’s Vinny’s Death Penalty." Reno pointed at the massive gun. "Don’t think he’d like it too much to know you were going around using it."

Porter smirked. "But I haven’t been using it. At least, not yet."

Reno grinned. "Maybe you’ll get the chance to unload it in Hojo’s sorry ass."

"I can only hope." Porter sighed.

***

Inside the lab, Hojo stood in front of his blood analyzing machines, waiting to see the results of Vincent’s tests. With his Jenova heightened senses, he heard the elevator open outside the lab doors. Hojo looked over at a clock on the wall to see that it was only seven fifteen. Knowing that it was far too early for Porter to show up (he was never early) and also being aware that no one else had any business on this floor at this hour, Hojo grew immediately suspicious. He quickly moved away from the analyzers and over to the counter where the small cooler containing the embryos was sitting. There was something very wrong in the air, and Hojo wasn’t about to lose his precious start to the Neo-Jenova Project. He crouched down behind a workstation and peered toward the door as he heard someone slide a pass card through the door lock. The scientist kept the cooler firmly clutched against his chest.

The lab doors opened and Porter walked in followed by what at first glance appeared to be four other Turks, but as Hojo watched through his dirty glasses he recognized the men one by one.

Porter, you went to ASRIO? Hojo thought. I would have expected better of you; especially knowing that Rayna’s life is in the balance. Maybe I underestimated you after all. Let’s see, who do we have here? Reno, as always, and it looks like Ericson and Morris. And what is this?

A sweat broke out across Hojo’s skin as he recognized the fourth man. He couldn’t believe his eyes, and grew terribly afraid. If there was anyone who ever might have been able to kill him, it would have been Sephiroth. How he was still alive, and why he was with ASRIO mystified the scientist, and he had to do all within his power to keep quiet and hidden. It didn’t seem as though they were looking for him.

You’re here for Mr. Valentine, aren’t you? Hojo studied the situation. Sephiroth is looking for his father? How does he know? Does he know? Of course he must, why else would he be here? ASRIO knows of his true parentage and they must have found him somewhere and told him. It must be the Jenova preservation drive within him. He is compelled to save those genetically close to him. Yes, that must be it… I shouldn’t let them take my dear Mr. Valentine now, should I? But if I attempted to stop them I might risk losing the embryos. I can always get Mr. Valentine back… I’m certain of that.

Porter and the others were completely oblivious to Hojo’s study of them from his hiding place across the room. The Turk quickly made his way to the room where Vincent was being held and unlocked the door. He slipped inside with Reno while Jaras, Ericson, and Morris continued to flank the door for anyone that might come upon them.

Reno ran up to the bed and ripped the sheets off Vincent. He was momentarily stunned by the sight of Vincent’s new body, and his jaw fell slack as he stared. "Oh fuck, Vinny… what did he do to you?"

Even with the presence of someone he knew Vincent was unable to break loose of his trance. Porter sighed loudly and started to try and pick up Vincent. "He’s been like this all day, we’re going to have to carry him."

"Shit, this is going to slow us down." Reno said as the draped one of Vincent’s arms around his shoulders. With the two men now supporting Vincent’s weight they started out of the room.

Hojo continued to hide, coming to realize that Jaras was making his way away from the door and toward the back of the lab where he was hiding. As a loss for what to do, quietly Hojo whispered a command into the air, something that would only be picked up by his computer.

"Mr. Strife, please come to the middle of the lab." He said in a deathly whisper.

From a dark corner, the newly repaired living robot moved. He strode toward the middle of the room as ordered, staring directly at Vincent as it was programmed to do when it didn’t see Hojo around.

Vincent’s previously unseeing eyes locked into Cloud’s gaze and his body suddenly went rigid as the memory of Tseng’s command rang through his mind. If Cloud isn’t willing to go with you on his own, then you are ordered to kill him.

Out of the corner of his eye Vincent caught sight of his Death Penalty upon Porter’s hip. In one fluid motion, he ripped the gun from the other man’s side and aimed it directly at Cloud before him. Acting more upon instinct than conscious thought, Vincent pulled the trigger repeatedly until the gun would fire no more.

Cloud’s head was struck by the barrage of bullets; his face at once becoming unrecognizable as the multitude of projectiles shattered his skull into countless fragments. The computer within his cranium was destroyed beyond all repair. As the computer’s commands to continue the body’s life functions ceased, Cloud’s body fell backwards; dead for the second and final time. A crimson pool began at once to collect where Cloud’s head would have landed had it still been intact.

Everyone in the room including Hojo was stunned by this action. With the gun emptied into Cloud, Vincent’s arm dropped back to his side and he stared at where his former friend was now laying. There was some presence now within his consciousness and he grew aware of the fact he was with ASRIO.

Reno stepped back, his ears ringing terribly from the gunfire. "Holy shit, that’s a nice how do ya’ do. You just killed Cloud!"

Vincent didn’t say anything, and needing to escape the lab he bolted for the door. The other men quickly followed, knowing that Vincent had the right idea. After clearing the lab doors, Reno hit the elevator call button. He went to Vincent’s side and looked into his father in law’s weary eyes. "How you doing, Vinny?"

Vincent just looked at him with a slightly confused look. He motioned at his body weakly with his left hand as the gun was still firmly grasped in the right. "Hojo took me apart."

"Yeah, I see that." Reno crossed his arms, hoping that the elevator would arrive before any guards did. "What the fuck is with this new body?"

Vincent looked down at himself slowly, sickened by what he saw, and what he didn’t. "Do you think Tifa will still want me?"

"Of course she will." Reno hadn’t really appreciated all that had been done to Vincent until now. Noticing his friend’s complete emasculation he couldn’t help but cringe. "She’s not shallow."

Vincent cocked an eyebrow, not too sure.

The elevator doors opened and they started to file in. Porter was the last to step in and as he did so, he heard something behind him.

"Porter!" Hojo had slipped out of the lab and stood just before them. He pulled his small derringer out from under his lab coat and fired one shot into the elevator as the doors shut.

Porter was stuck by the single bullet in his right hip. He fell backward, being caught in Jaras’s arms. He screamed from the pain as the bones within were shattered. His leg twisted beneath him at an ungodly angle and he lost feeling below the wound.

Jaras held him up as he writhed within his grip from agony. Blood poured forth from the wound as the femoral artery had been nicked. Knowing that at the rate he was bleeding he would exsanginate quickly, Jaras looked over at Ericson. "Get a hold of him and get pressure on the gunshot!"

Ericson quickly did as ordered and pressed a hand against the warm flow. Porter continued to struggle in Jaras’s grip as the force being applied to save his life sent him to new levels of pain.

The elevator finally arrived up onto the roof, and when the doors opened everyone was relieved to hear the sounds of a helicopter. Brad set the chopper down before them and they made their way to it as fast as they could. Jaras and Ericson still held Porter between them and they managed to get him onboard despite his thrashing. As Vincent stepped out of the elevator, his limbs suddenly lost power and he fell to the ground. Everyone was so focused on Porter at this point that they didn’t notice for several seconds that Vincent wasn’t with them. Reno did a quick head count and realized that Vincent had gone missing. He turned to see him laying helplessly on the ground just before the elevator doors. "Shit, Vinny, get up!"

Vincent managed to strain his neck to look up. "I can’t move!"

"God damn it!" Reno started to run back to pick up Vincent.

The stairwell door to the roof burst open and five armed Shin Ra guards flew out. They were a good fifty yards away from Vincent, but he knew that there was no way that Reno would get to him and drag him to the chopper on time. "Go, Reno! Forget about me!"

Reno disregarded this order and reached Vincent’s side. He took Vincent’s heavy form up into his arms. "Sorry, but you’re what I came for. If I leave without you, Tifa will be pissed."

With the ample amount of adrenaline flowing through his veins, Reno was actually able to make it toward the helicopter fairly quickly.

The guards started to open fire upon Reno as he continued to flee, their bullets narrowly missing their mark. Morris assessed the situation from the chopper door and pulled out his own weapon. With his expert marksmanship, he managed to take out the first guard easily. Upon realizing that they were receiving return fire, the other guards scattered, trying to find any shelter they could upon the roof. This bought Reno the time he needed to get Vincent hauled into the helicopter.

Once onboard, the helicopter took back to the sky. Brad had already received his directions from Porter on how to get to Rayna’s house during Reno’s call to him earlier which was fortunate as Porter was currently in no state to give directions now.

Reno yelled up to the pilot as Jaras and the others continued to wrestle with the wounded man in an attempt to curb his blood loss. "Get us the fuck to Angel or this bastard’s gonna die!"

Brad pushed the old bird as fast as she would go, and in five minutes he was setting it down in the middle of the residential street Rayna lived on.

Inside the house, Angel recognized the sound of the ASRIO chopper and shouted out to the other women. "Let’s go, they’re here!"

Tifa, Angel, Rayna, and D ran out into the street toward the awaiting helicopter. Several of Rayna’s neighbors were standing in their front yards, quite mystified by the sight of a chopper in the middle of the road.

Once onboard, Tifa spotted Vincent heaped onto the floor and she flew to his side. She knelt down beside him and her eyes raced over his body. "Vincent? Oh God, Vincent?"

He looked up at her and offered a weak smile. Wishing that he could move to hold her he was forced to lay still in his paralysis. "Tifa…"

"What’s wrong? Why can’t you move?" She said, reaching down and taking up his frozen robotic hand in her own.

"Hojo arranged it so I wouldn’t be able to function outside the lab." Vincent said matter of factly. His mind was still in a great deal of shock, and he was no where near to being normal. He wanted to whither away and disappear before Tifa looked at him anymore. Had there been anymore tears left within him, they would have fallen.

Tifa saw the pain in his face and stroked his hair with her free hand. "It’s all right Vincent. You’re with me now."

For her sake, he forced a smile.

Rayna saw the distressed state of Porter and collapsed to her knees next to him. "Porter!"

He managed to come out of his pain driven rage enough to realize she was there. "Rayna… are you all right?"

"Yes, what happened?" She said, terrified by the amount of blood covering his body.

"Hojo shot me." He said, wincing in pain as Angel sat down on the other side of him and started to assess his injury.

Angel tore open her medical bag and started to pull out various items, knowing that she had to mend the damaged artery before he bled to death. It was going to be hard work to do in the shaky and poorly lit helicopter. Quickly she started to get to work upon him, having to ask Ericson and Morris to hold him down.

D started to growl upon seeing so many strangers piled upon his master, and Rayna was forced to hold the dog back so that the work on her mate could continue uninterrupted.