Violet Shadows (FFVII)

XXX) Edge

I slaughter the last of the hounds that ambushed us and wipe the blood off my blade. This time the modified dogs were led by a bright orange member, one that was particularly fast. I shake my head.

"Come on. It can't be too much further," I call over my shoulder, already letting my feet carry me away from the bloody scene.

Vincent starts to follow, only to pause a moment later. I turn, ready to call out a warning, when he swivels around and slashes his golden claws down the body of a pesky hound that stirred back to life, kicking the beast away before sending a trio of bullet through its skull. He holsters his gun, keeping his eyes on our destination as he passes. I scoff, walking (distantly) at his side. We come to a ridge that surrounds a wide gap in the road. It quickly makes me uneasy.

"This is a bit suspect," I mutter.

"Agreed."

Sure enough, the rumble of engines surrounds us. I sigh, watching a circle of six motorcycles rise up around us. By the time I've conjured Sacrifice, Vincent's already shooting. I fire an arrow, accurately predicting just where a rider will be judging by the speed of his bike. The arrow pierces the side of his gray helmet, sending him into the ground as his motorcycle skids away.

Another two men are taken down by Vincent. I'm so focused on attacking one person that I don't notice the rider charging toward me until the moment before his bike slams into my stomach. I clench my jaw and grip the front of the motorcycle with my knees, hardly missing being sawed in half by the bladed wheels inches from my legs. The rider swerves, trying to throw me off, but I merely summon Nightmare and jam the blade up through the underside of his jaw. I dive off the bike just before it crashes into the canyon wall. I wince when my feet hit the ground, the impact carrying all the way up to the sore spot where the bike first rammed me. I press my hand over the throbbing injury, drawing away with a hiss when I feel sticky heat.

"#$%^, what do they put on the front of those things?" I grumble, accepting a potion from Vincent.

"I'd imagine something sharp," he replies dryly.

"You'd imagine," I scoff, allowing Nightmare to dissolve into a pile of black sand. "Vincent, no offense, but I don't picture you having much of an imagination. And even if you did, it'd all be angst and dreary #$%^." Vincent shakes his head and holsters his gun. He starts walking as soon as I finish downing the slimy curative; I toss the glass vial to the side and jog to catch up. "It's weird to think that the people of Midgar thought the only people living underneath them were the people who couldn't afford to live on top of the plates. Really, Shinra was building an army the whole time."

"Odd, yes." Vincent frowns, looking lost in thought.

"What is it?" I prod, raising an eyebrow.

"Hojo had you during the beginning stages of Deepground's development," he murmurs, brows furrowed. "Do you think perhaps... He tested their treatments on you before they received them?"

"What?" I frown, trying to recall any sort of memory in which Deepground was mentioned. "I never thought of that, but maybe..."

"I heard that Shinra commented on your excessive strength—supposedly he said that it may bypass the power of Chaos." Vincent's eyes meet mine, something lighter twinkling in his. "Though, I have yet see such strength from you. You still manage to trip over yourself every other fight."

"It's coming, you'll see," I snap playfully, rolling my eyes. "I don't know what he was talking about. There could be other ways that Shadow caused, right? It doesn't have to be Deepground."

"Of course," he nods, turning his gaze away. "It was merely a theory."

I sigh, looking at the wasteland around us. But... what if he meant I'm going to turn into one of those people? The Tsviets? Those monsters... I shudder.