Twisted Fate

Chapter 2

Revenge

The lab was completely dark. Not a single window to let the moonlight in. It was Hojo’s idea to have no windows in the lab, as if his top secret experiments could have been exposed through some windows. A lone figure walking through the endless maze was bothered by the darkness. No, it was not that he could not see. On contrary, his vision was as good as it was in the daylight. It was a gift from the scientist he was searching for right now. What bothered him was the emptiness in the lab. He knew Hojo very well, much to his own chagrin. Hojo would never leave this lab. The mad scientist literally lived in the lab, and the lights were never out. Now how come the lab was completely dark, and most of the equipment was missing?

His red eyes radiated an icy glow, as he scanned around warily. Two sparkling ruby orbs were the only things one could see in the darkness. His right hand on his Peacekeeper, while his left claw moved away any obstacles as he approached Hojo’s office. Still no sign of any living creature in the lab, which only added to his suspicions. Something was terribly wrong. Hojo always had some specimens to experiment on. In fact, he was one of Hojo’s experiments. He frowned at that disturbing thought. Finally, he arrived at the scientist’s office. His enhanced hearing could not pick up any movement behind the closed door. Still, he had to be cautious.

After making sure his Peacemaker was loaded, he kicked the door opened in such a force that broke not only the hinges but also the wooden door into pieces. Even before the broken door landed on the carpet, he had hold up his gun. He was readied to fire; yet, he was never readied for what he saw in front of him.

An empty office.

Not a single piece of furniture was left in the office. His eyes widened in shock, as his sensitive nose picked up a specific scent. A scent he would never forget for the rest of his life. It belonged to Hojo. Judging from the intensity of the scent, Hojo had not been in the office for at least a few days. Part of him was disappointed for he had to let Hojo to live for a while until he found him. Part of him was curious about what was really going on.

With an amazing speed and grace, he left the lab silently.

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The crimson-cloaked figured walked noiseless down the hallway. No one had detected him yet, not even when this place was filled with security cameras. He knew how to get around those security tricks better than anyone did on this planet. Because he was once a Turk, the best Turk Shinra had ever had, before his nightmare had begun.

Suddenly, a movement outside the windows had caught his eyes. Within a split of a second, he had confirmed the movement was the ascending elevator. He cautiously buried himself in a dark corner nearby as he kept his keen eyes on the elevator.

The bullet-shaped elevator rose at a fast speed. His ruby eyes caught a glimpse of the figure looking out from the elevator’s window. If one could see his face in the darkness, one would realize his emotionless mask had melted. His eyes narrowed in doubt, his jaw dropped in shock. Was his enhanced eyesight fooling him? Was his mind playing a foolish game with him?

The same slender figure, the same brown hair tied in a ponytail, the same white dress…

The same woman he had loved and lost thirty years ago.

No, it was not her.

Or was it?

Did he really miss her that much? Was he going insane?

There was only one way to answer his questions. He kept his eyes on the blinking digits above the elevator door, waiting anxiously for it to stop. His heart was pounding rapidly in his firm chest as his mind raced through all kinds of questions. Finally, after what seemed like an eternal wait, the red digits stopped and revealed the key to his answer.

71^st Floor. The rooftop.

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She needed some fresh air to clear her mind. Sure, the VIP guestroom was the most luxurious room she had ever seen. But somehow she felt as if she was being watched inside the room. Perhaps she was just being paranoid. Hojo was the one who killed her parents, and he was the one who ordered the Turks to catch her. The President did not mean to harm her all this time, did he? Afterall, the President was very nice to her just now during dinner. And if he really wanted to catch her, he would not have to buy her the new house in the upper plate and pay off all her expenses, would he?

The President seemed to like her and thought she was special. Perhaps she could use her newfound power and convince the President not to extract Mako energy anymore. Perhaps one day he would listen and the planet would be saved from harm…

Standing on the rooftop of the tallest building in Midgar, her big emerald eyes looked down to the view below. Aeris could only recognize the cars and trucks by the tiny shiny headlights and taillights. It was almost midnight and the streets of Midgar were still not empty. Fascinated by the sight she had never seen before, she failed to notice a dark figure approached silently behind her.

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A smirk slowly formed on his handsome face as he noiselessly approached behind the girl. Her white dress was moving gently in the night breeze, as the materia tied on her ribbon on her hair reflected the full moonlight, which formed a gentle glow around her head. For a moment, he was memorized by the image he saw in front of him. Was she an angel or a human? Was she really the one that had ultimate power? But she seemed so harmless, so… beautiful…

There was a moment of hesitation before he unsheathed his masamune.

His Mako green eyes narrowed in hatred as he recalled all those tortures he went through just to satisfy one man’s dream.

His hand gripped tightly on the hilt of his masamune. Taking a deep breath and hardened his heart, he held up his sword and readied to strike the angel in front of him.

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