Valentine

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Fear shot through Tifa's heart. It skipped a beat every time one of Rufus' loud echoing footsteps hit the wooden floorboards, creaking with his voice bellowing and booming as he shouted her name over and over again.

"TIFA! TIFA!"

Tifa wanted to scream, to cry out and get away but she couldn't. She was locked down in a strong grasp. The man behind her had pulled her into a sitting position, his hand covering her mouth. Tifa didn't dare even struggle. Just be still, just be still, she told herself.

The footsteps got nearer. They were close. Rufus' loud boots were followed by Scarlet's high-heels. They were close, she could sense them near the door turning the handle ever so slightly. Everything was quiet now - not a sound. The only sound was of her heavy panting, muffled behind the man's clawed hand.

The man knew the Shinra Mansion well and he knew Rufus well too. He knew he was a lunatic, a dangerous lunatic. It was time to get out of there. He looked above him - an air vent. He had no idea where it led, but it was better than nothing.

Without a moment's further hesitation he snatched Tifa up, grabbing her by the waist and hauled her up as he jumped for the air duct. It happened so fast, Tifa didn't even have time to gather her wits. She was literally thrown into the vent at breakneck speed.

In a blink of an eye, she was inside the narrow, metal tube, high above. The man behind her nudging her forward. The man looked below. The door swung open and Rufus and Scarlet entered the room. At first they saw nothing - another empty room, no distinguishable decor, nothing but white painted walls and the blandest grey carpet.

Then Rufus noticed the air duct and the sound of the metal clanking. They were in there, scurrying along like rats, tiny indentations made where Vincent's heavy body weight and claws touched the thin metal tube. He couldn't let her get away, not with him, not with Vincent Valentine. He would never forgive himself after letting the half-vampire live the last time.

Rufus was quiet for a moment and watched their movement. They were heading west. He held his hand out to Scarlet signalling for her to stop.

"Wait here, Scarlet, this is too dangerous."

Scarlet followed his advice. She didn't want to risk getting clawed to death by Vincent and she knew first-hand how vicious Tifa could be if she was angry. It was better to let Rufus do the dirty work. If not him, then Reno and Rude would clear up.

Rufus jumped up and pulled himself up so he could see through the vent. It was pitch black. There was nothing. Then he heard a rustle behind him. He spun around. A large leather boot kicked him in the face and he fell back down on to grey carpet. "Come on, let's go!"

Vincent then pushed Tifa through the vent. They crawled on their elbows in a vent less than a foot high and barely wide enough to fit through. There was a sharp turning and Vincent and Tifa had to squeeze themselves through, squirming their way around the bend.

They weren't far enough away yet. Vincent knew the Shinra Mansion like the back of his hand. He knew there were places where Rufus would never be able to find them. He had been hiding himself for over a year.

The metal squeaked as they slipped and slid their way through. There was no light. But Vincent had good eyes. He was seeing for both of them. Tifa was relying on him to get them out of there.

They heard nothing beneath them. Rufus was nowhere near. They came to another vent. Vincent quietly told Tifa to stop. This was where they were going to get out. Vincent punched the metal vent down. Tifa looked down below and a all the blood in her body rushed straight to her head.

Down below was a good ten metre drop. It was a high room. A high room with a four red chairs in each corner, a glass table in the middle and a fireplace on the far side. No, no way, Tifa thought. No way, can I jump that and make those chairs. If she tried, she'd definitely land straight through the glass table and shatter every bone in her body.

The air duct buckled under their weight and bent down. Tifa cried out, oh shit! Vincent covered her mouth again with his clawed hand, careful not to cut her as he did.

"Come on, we can make it. Do you trust me?"

Tifa's reply was muffled and incoherent. But she nodded. Her brow was teeming with sweat, shivering in pure fear. Her shivers were causing the air duct to bend further. Vincent held her to try and calm her down. It was only making things worse.

"Trust me!" Vincent said again.

It was a calm, monotone voice. It was the calmest voice Tifa had ever heard. It was reassuring but looking down at the height between her and the floor, she felt like she had no choice but to trust him.

Tifa nodded again as her breathing slowed. She looked at how she could lower herself down on the air duct and then swing herself over to get a nice soft landing on one of the chairs. But she wasn't going to get that chance. She was shoved hard from behind by Vincent and she toppled out head first, screaming and crashing to the ground. Then as quick as a flash Vincent flew out and wrapped himself around the girl to break her fall. Vincent hit the ground first and they both rolled together until they were both wrapped up in his long, red cape.

Tifa stopped screaming and opened her eyes. She was met by Vincent's powerful gaze. They lay their in silence for a few moments just staring at each other. Then Tifa let out a smile.

"Thanks," she said. "You saved me."

"No, you're not safe yet. This is just the beginning. We have to keep moving."

Tifa smiled again. "Well, it's hard to kept moving while we're like this."

They were completely wrapped in the cape like a spring roll, their bodies pressed up close, tied together. Vincent gave a wry smile too. He rolled over to his left to free up his cape and release Tifa. He then stood and extended his hand to help her to her feet.

A noise coming from around the corridor outside. He slapped his hand over Tifa's mouth and pushed her up against the wall. The footsteps grew faint until eventually they couldn't hear them anymore. Vincent breathed a sigh of relief.

"Look, Tifa, do you know this place?"

"Rufus told me this is the Shinra Mansion."

"It is. But it's not like it was before. Since the fall of Nibelheim last year, this place is getting stranger and stranger. I was called back here to protect it. Then the Shinra set up base here. Trying out experiments in the basement to try and regenerate Holy. Rufus has completely lost it, you can't trust him. But you can trust me."

"Why should I trust you?"

"There's no-one else you can trust. You have to be strong Tifa, you have to keep it together. They will try to break you, this place will try to break you. But you mustn't give in."

"If you know this place so well, can't you get us out of here?"

"Not now. The air is poison. We need gas masks and all the doors and windows are sealed up. Only Rufus and Dr Hojo have the pass codes."

"So we're going to negotiate with them."

"No, we're going to kill them!"

Then the voice came back inside Tifa's head. She remembered that voice, pounding away like a jackhammer.

Kill em!

Kill em all!

It was Vincent's voice. He brushed his long black hair away from his face and stared deeply at Tifa once more. She couldn't look away. He looked deadly serious, psychotic, she didn't know what he was capable of. Tifa just listened to his words.

"There are a lot of them here: Scarlet, Reno, Rude, Hojo, Elena, maybe more. You've got to get to the basement and stop the Mako/Holy converter."

"Me? Why me?"

"I've got other things to do right now."

"No, I can't do it alone."

"Don't get caught Tifa. You have to sneak past them. We can't take them all on. You have to be quiet."

"Vincent, please help."

Vincent didn't reply. Tifa started to cry. Vincent hushed her. She felt his gentle warmth encircling her. It was a warmth she could trust. She had to trust him. But then she looked back, hoping to some more reassurance in his eyes but he simply disappeared into thin air.

"Vincent? Vincent?" she called out, keeping her voice down to a whisper. But he was gone. She was alone in the room. Where did he go? How could he just disappear? He couldn't just leave her alone. She couldn't make it. She desperately tried to remember his instructions. Get down to the basement. Stop the Mako/Holy converter. Where was the basement? The whole mansion was like a maze. She was never going to be able to find her way. Not alone. Not without him.

Tifa sank down to her knees and prayed. Please, please, please, let me get out of here alive. Please. The footsteps came back, getting closer. Tifa laid down and tried to look underneath the crack under the door. She couldn't see much, just a pair of heavy black boots. It could have been Rufus, or Reno or Rude, she wasn't sure. She was just sure she had to get out of there.

Tifa waited until the footsteps quietened. She slowly opened the door and stepped out into the corridor. The corridor was at crossroads, a junction heading out in each direction. With no place to hide, Tifa pressed herself up against the wall and slowly moved round to peer around the corner. Clear. Tifa took the chance. Running up the corridor, she saw a narrow staircase at the end. She had to get down to the basement.

Tifa, with great trepidation, walked down each step in turn holding onto the side banister. She looked around her in every direction. She called out to Vincent one more time but nothing. He was definitely gone.

She reached the bottom of the staircase. It didn't seem like the basement. She had to go down further. Then she heard two voices from the other room.

"That chick is more trouble than she's worth."

Tifa recognised the voice, Reno's voice. The Turks were here too. Maybe they were in on the whole plan. The two were loud, practically shouting at each other. The volume escalated, as did their anger and they were soon arguing.

Tifa got down and crouched in the shadows under the staircase. She saw Reno storm out of the room. Tifa held her breath. He walked right past her. Tifa still put her hand over her mouth, trying not to make a sound. Even the slightest noise and it would be game over. There were two people there, she only saw Reno. The other guy was obviously still in the room. She had to wait. She could hear him muttering to himself. Something about what an asshole Reno was and how they didn't want to be caught up in all this mess. She only heard fragments, not whole sentences. Tifa waited. It was only seconds but it felt like hours. It was suddenly deathly silent. The only sound she could hear was the sound of her thumping heart. Each thump pounded away inside her skull like a slow stampede. Her heart skipped. She heard a chime, then the sound of an elevator shaft coming down.

She was going to go for it. It was a chance to get down to the basement. Then other man came out of the room. Tifa looked at the bald man in dark sunglasses. It was another Turk, Rude. He was here too. He looked in a foul mood. She shifted back towards the shadows under the staircase. He hadn't seen her either.

Why did Vincent have to go and leave her alone like this? What was his plan?

Rude called out for Reno.

"Don't go wandering off man! You know this place is haunted! It gives me the creeps!"

When Rude was out of sight, Tifa began to make her move. Slowly creeping around, heading for the elevator up ahead. Every three or four paces, she would look around to make sure no one was behind her. Clear. She reached the elevator. Two metallic doors, which seemed so out of place in the gothic Shinra Mansion, glistened in the half-light. Another chime. The sound of the shaft coming to her floor. Tifa held her breath. Another chime. The door opened.

Nothing.

Tifa breathed again. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

The elevator doors closed and Tifa saw her relocation in the silver metallic doors. Then behind her, another reflection. A tall man, with blonde hair and white suit.

"Rufus!" she cried out and spun around.

He smirked, holding a white handkerchief in his hand. She knew that handkerchief well and its purpose.

"Miss Lockheart, this is no time to play hide and seek. Now let me get you back to your room. You're not well."

He held the handkerchief up to her face. She could already smell the sickening fumes. She was ready to pass out right there. Then his words hit her.

You mustn't give in.

Get to the basement.

Kill em all.

Tifa swatted the handkerchief out of Rufus' hand and pushed him back. She then ran back towards the staircase. She broke a piece off the wooden banister as Rufus chased after her. She held it down low and then as he was just a yard from her, surprised him, jabbing the sharp stake through his left eye.

Rufus screamed and fell to the floor, blood pouring from the wound. Tifa watched as Rufus pulled the stake out, along with his eye, which was left just dangling from its socket. The pain was sharp and intense but he still had his wits. He reached and grabbed Tifa's ankle, tripping her up. However Tifa managed to kick Rufus away and ran.

Rufus screamed again and the sound alerted Reno and Rude who came back to check on Rufus. Reno almost threw up by the sight of his eyeball that was severed down the middle attached to the long slimy ligament left dangling from the small black hole in his face.

"Get that bitch!" he shouted.

Reno and Rude helped Rufus to his feet. Tifa didn't bother lookng back. She just ran for her freedom. She heard the sound of the three men chasing her. Tiredness went out the window. She just had to keep going - keep going to stay alive.

To Be Continued....


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