Nemesis tried to get away, but every time she turned to flee, another White coat surrounded her.  She was being grabbed from all different sides, pulled by every piece of her suit, and bombarded with claims of superiority by every one of the learned hunters.
 “I am the best scientist here. I have a Ph.d and a….”
 “Screw ranks and titles. I’m the most moral. With me…”
 “No harm shall come, if you’re with Dr. Ha…”
 The yells, screams, and pleas felt like mallets to the head.  Nemesis tried to be calm and urged them to please let go of her.
 “Let go. Let go of me please. Hey that hurts, stop! You’re tearing my suit!”
 Cloud, Vincent, Red XIII, Reno, and Rude saw the commotion and took immediate action. Reno turned on his nightstick and dove at the crowd with a warrior’s cry. He was stopped before he could reach the disturbance. RedXIII pushed him back.
“Don’t hurt them, just get her to safety. They don’t deserve…” Before RedXIII could finish his sentence, some of the scientist that where around Nemesis hurried on to him.
 “What strange animal is this?”
 “It should prove to be interesting to study.”
 “I was here first, so back of!”
 “No! The beast is mine”
 “Ladies and gentlemen, please I am not here to be studied an neither is…”
 “And it speaks!”
 “This should prove to be a very inte…ahg.”
 Reno did not take Red’s advice and started to electrocute the scientist with his nightstick. One by one they fell to the floor in pain. His obvious joy was written in his face as he made bodies jerk in jaded awkward positions and fall like a ton of smoldering bricks.  Meanwhile, his partner was dishing out pain with his fists.
 “Reno, Rude STOP!” Cloud commanded.
 “Look he has the eyes, too!” one scientist yelled.
 “Look at his belt! He’s from soldier!” Another one said. Soon, Cloud too was being surrounded by Scientists and Doctors.
 “What the…” The rest of his words where muffled under the sound of a shot that rang out of Vincent Valentine’s gun. Everything went dead silent and all attention was brought to the menacing figure that stood on top of one of the many mahogany tables.
 “Now if you all would just step back and let them go, no one will get hurt.”  Vincent’s voice rang out in a raspy deep tone. His ruby eyes gleamed with the fierceness of the many demons of the many hells. Their crimson visage was tainted with unnatural shadows that whirled outward from the center of his soul or rather his souls.
 “That ones a freak too…” A young secretary said, her words mumbled by the residue of her half-chewed salad.  A fourth of the crowd that suffocated Nemesis ran over to the table and tugged at Vincent’s cape. With one swift powerful turn the assailants where tossed across the cafeteria.  A menacing growl escaped his lips as the pupils of his eyes where lost in the blood stained clouds that overtook the windows to his souls. All eyes glared in awe at the transformation that Vincent was so desperately fighting back. The light from the emeralds gems that where Nemesis’s eyes began to grow brighter.  Like a wandering ship that finds it’s light house Vincent was drawn to her glare. There seem to be no conscious mind in either of them.  They stared, without blinking, at each other’s eyes. For a single second all was stagnant, silent, and still.

A loud yell snapped them both out if it.

“Freeze freaks!” A team of five security officers shouted in unison, but it was they who remained frozen as Nemesis ran over them. She did not stop running. Out of the cafeteria and into the maze that where the halls, she kept on running. She took rights and lefts involuntarily, guided by a lack of her own will. Her footsteps where inhumanly quick and as silent as the great hunter cats. Nemesis ran not knowing where until “it” caught her eye and begged her to stop.
In a room much like all the rooms of the strange maze she saw something surreal and horrific. It was the large capsule in which she had been imprisoned in for so long. The wires where tangled with each other, no life spurred in its cores. The tank itself was also devoid of the life that had once been trapped inside. Not even the fluid, that had kept the being afloat and nourished, remained. The womb that had kept Project N alive, but did not let her live, was dead now. Its iridescent glow and any traces of it once preserving life were gone. Now it was only gray dead matter and a perfectly intact souvenir; a reminder of the cruelty of mankind. Nemesis stared blankly at it and then screamed.
           * * * *
 When he found her, she was sitting on the floor of the hallway, just staring into the open room. Staring at the capsule. She was caught up in some reverie when the quick steps that ran after her took a slow steady pace. A sigh escaped her mouth and she looked up at the figure that loomed over her. Words transpired and he held out his metallic claw. Her bloodied hands clasped it and used it for leverage. She stood in front of him still holding the metal instrument as she stood closer and whispered five jagged words. The others came and silently pointed the way out of the building. Vincent took the time to glance into the room and see the destruction.
                                 * * * *
 Now she was being led through the headquarters of  P.E.A.CE . There where only three levels to the meager office building; meager compared to the once proud Shinra headquarters. But the cubic, unimpressive architecture to this small office held its own dignity. There was no clutter, no screams from the employees who realized their fate all too late, and there was a feeling in the air that gave support to the unadorned walls. There was purpose here; unselfishness, love for the work, and purity. Nemesis looked at the purely white walls and glossy tiled floor. So glossy, in fact, that she could see a blurred reflection of herself as she looked down at her feet. In this place, this rather simplistic, purpose filled, genuine home for heroes, one’s own reason for life seemed so very shady and undefined; lacking in any life what so ever.
 The group entered an office and found Reeve scrambling over papers, furrowing and lifting up eyebrows, and signing contracts. Sitting in chairs to both sides of him where Elena and Tifa. Both where highlighting the important context in their documents so Reeve would not have to go through the fill of them. Yuffie was in the back playing with the digital map that adorned the back wall of Reeve’s office. She touched the screen so that it would zoom in to different locations.
“Guys, where’s Barret?” Asked Cloud
 The trio looked up, only now noticing the large group of people that would detain them from their heavy work. “Um… I think he said he was callin’ Marlene,” answered Tifa.
“Well that’s always good.”
“He’s telling her that he’ll be back in Corel….” she added more softly then before.
“Well that’s a good idea,” Cloud added nonchalantly.” Say Reeve, you wouldn’t happen to have any medical aid kits around here, would ya?”
“Yeah  sure…”
“Cloud didn’t you hear me? Barret is leaving!” Tifa interrupted.
“Whoa. I heard you Tifa. It’s a good idea. You should get back to a normal life too.” He turned around to face the group. “No one who doesn’t have a reason to continue in this should.” He sighed. “ Now where are those things again?”

“Are you hurt?” Tifa asked worriedly as she stood up. / I know I am/

“Um no Tifa. Thank you for your concern”, he snapped his head to look at Reeve, “Where are they again?”

“ Just go to the top floor. First door to your left. It’s a closet full of all your first aid needs. But if you needed it, why didn’t you just ask someone at the center?” Reeve inquired.

“ The Mideel Science Center won’t be allowing us back in anytime soon.” Reno replied with a devilish grin. “C’mon Neme, let’s go get you….Hey where did she go?” His face morphed into dumfounded look. Everyone else inhaled in alarm.
“Relax guys. Didn’t you see her leave to get her hands fixed?” The alarm did not cease after Cloud’s words. “AND,” he continued, “Vincent followed her.”
“Yeah we have to talk about that….” Reno said softly as he looked at Elena.
“It’s not open for discussion,” Reeve corrected him.
         *  *  *
“ Must you always follow me?” Nemesis asked as she slowly went upstairs with Vincent right next to her.
“Actually yes.” Vincent answered.
“Oh, a funny man.” Her voice was low and devoid of any change in pitch. “Just don’t make a noise. Let me pretend I’m alone.” Silence befell the both of them as they made their way to the top floor and into the first door on the left. Nemesis looked down at her blood stained hands. /At least it’s my own blood… OK I’ll need something to clean the wound maybe a needle for the big cut….Wait…./

“Mr. Valentine I think all I will be needing is some water and soap…”
“ I figured as much. Wash room is just around the corner.” He opened the door and stepped aside so she could go through. “And please do call me Vincent.”
“Vincent?…” She whispered to no one in particular. “Ah… thank you Vincent.”

She pumped the liquid soap dispenser twice. Vincent turned on the faucet for her. Nemesis rubbed her hands together under the water. The red stains dissolved as the drain drank up the cranberry liquid. Finally, her hands where clean and the last residue of the evidence of her rage disappeared. Not a single gash or even an irritated spot existed to incriminate her. She stared at her hands. They where like new, or like some other hands that had no connection with her. Her new hands where dried with paper towels and they remained with her down the walk back to the office.
       * * * *
“Reeve, we might be working for you, but you do not speak for us!” Reno openly rebelled against Reeve’s comments. It seemed that the President of P.E.A.C.E had spoken for the Turks on what should be done with Nemesis.
“You seem to think that the Turks really have some input on what to do with her or anything for that matter,” Reeve retorted. “You are professionals paid to help me. Your input, whether emotional or logical, is not needed.”
“You seem to take Elena’s input quite nicely.” Reno growled back.
“And just what is that suppose to mean, Reno?” Elena screamed back.
“What do you think…..”
In the staircase Vincent and Nemesis could clearly hear the argument.
“Turks.” Nemesis scoffed in disappointment.
“Yes. It seems that with each passing generation, it just got worse.” Vincent said, surprisingly sparking conversation.
“What is that? Your version of ‘you rotten kids today!’.”
“Perhaps. Was that scoff yours?”
“Oh! I didn’t realize you had a sense of humor.” She painted on her lopsided grin.
“Neither did I.” He stopped walking down the stairs and looked up at her. “There are some things that I would like to ask you….” He said.
“And there are things that I would like to ask you. But both of us know that it will take more then small talk and a few jokes to have either of us question or answer.” She said truthfully, glaring down at him. /Did he just grin at that?/
“Understood”
And they both resumed walking. When they entered the room the argument was so heated that, even without their swiftness, they went unnoticed. Nemesis made her way to the digital map. Yuffie, no longer was amused it, joined in the argument at full force. So much force in fact that Cloud had to hold her back.
“How do you work this?” Nemesis asked Vincent who stood near her.
“ Your guess is as good as mine, but I believe the child just touched it and it zoomed in to different areas.” Vincent answered. Nemesis touched Midgar on the map. A model of the destroyed city popped up as well as information on population, future plans, dangers; including creatures and “Havoc Zones.”
“Now, how do I zoom out?” She asked politely. Vincent shook his head.
“Reeve, you’re going to disintegrate Midgar?” Nemesis asked, demanding attention above all other voices. Everyone stopped in their tracks.
“What the…How did you get in here?” Was all Reeve said. He let go of Elena who had been reaching for Reno and turned to Nemesis bewildered.
“We used the door.” She responded dryly. “And now that I have answered your pointless question you will answer mine. In this map,” she waved her hand in front of the screen, “it says that you plan on taking down everything in Midgar. Is this true?” she asked.  Reeve regained his composure.
“Yes, then we plan on rebuilding…..” He could not finish his sentence or rather his on coming speech.
“Then you will take me there before you dismantle it.” Nemesis said plainly.

*    *      *

Author's Notes: Long time coming eh guys? I am re-inspired. Thank you to those who have e-mailed me. You know that address by now. – Mar

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