A Mission in Progress..

[Vincent]

Yuffie’s affirmation had him ready, poised in a fighting stance and coiled like a spring aching for release – but he needed the right moment to attack. It was easy for people as skilled as ex-AVALANCHE members to underestimate opponents and merely attack blindly, but to do so would be foolish and would give the advantage to their foe. Vincent held his breath, unsure how to get rid of the smell, which was filling the air with noxious fumes strong enough to fell a usual man.

The small weight against his back left him, and he heard a strangled gasp coming from the woman at his back. Few things would have him turn his back on a potentially fatal enemy, but his friend was in need and losing her aid would be a loss of an ally and a friend. The sight of her desperate scrambling shocked the usually composed marksman, as there were few things in this world that could have such an effect on the princess of Wutai.

“Yuffie, what’s wrong?” he asked, keeping alert for their foe, but still concerned the effect the smell was having on her – the inhumanity inside of him kept him from being affected. A thunderous roar followed by a footstep had Vincent acting within minutes, his crimson cloak billowing around him as he sprung into action. Swinging his arm in a horizontal arc above her, he let off two shots, shattering each giant window in an attempt to help clear the air, and after another quick glance behind he bent down to help her up.

Holstering his gun, he made sure to use his clawless hand to lift, and pulled under her arm, giving her his shoulder for support. The noise had seemingly alerted the already cautious beast, and another stomping step could be heard as he straightened up, Yuffie leaning against him. Vincent was unsure of his next action – get her outside or stay inside to fight the thing away from innocents? It was rare for Vincent to feel this indecision, but another great step had him acting within seconds.

With his gun-arm helping Yuffie and only his claw for protection, he realized his disadvantage – his greatest skill was his accuracy, and he needed to gain that back. Barely thinking now, he headed for the door, helping Yuffie toward a better source of clean air – even with the air streaming in from the windows, the smell was overpowering, even for the relatively unaffected Vincent.

Vincent knew that he would have to get Yuffie to evacuate the townspeople out while he dealt with whatever it was that had risen within the mansion. However, his first priority was to help Yuffie, and he kept a watchful eye on her as they made their way to the mansion’s front door.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

When at last they reached the door, the ninja reached for the knob and frantically flung it open, causing a loud crack as it hit the wall, followed by a slight ocean of dust billowing out from beneath it. She pulled herself forward so that she was hanging out into the air, trying to free Vincent's arm so that he could use it.
Within just a few gulps of evening air the numbness in her legs began to dissipate, and the pain in her skull slowly began to subside.

She squirmed farther away from the man, stooped upon her hands and knees as she caught her breath, motioning for him to get back in the mansion. Don't worry, I'm good, she seemed to say. Get back in there and get that thing and I'll cover you in a minute!

With the windows now nonexistent, the mountain-breeze would soon overcome the terrible odor... It was just a matter of how long it would take. Since accuracy was a deadly weapon for Yuffie as well as her armed companion, it wouldn't be too difficult to fight around Vincent, even if she had to stay outside long enough for the wind to take effect. Perhaps the complete fight didn't need to be taken outside afterall---she would just have to remain there for a bit longer.

After a moment, and another booming footstep from above (this one a bit closer to the last, which implied gathered balance or speed) Yuffie rolled onto her back and back into a crouched position, abating the pain in her stomach with a slight grin.
Don't count me out just yet! Her eyes were fiery.
"G-Go," she stammered, attempting to hold back another wheeze, the small grin still across her cheeks. "I'll cover you."

A few more great footsteps sounded from above, and Yuffie slowly rose to her feet, pulling a few kunai out from inside her jacket. She skillfully held them between her fingers and bent her knees to test her recovered flexibility. Though she still felt a little dizzy, the air was cold and brisk and she knew that soon she'd be back to pulling her normal stunts. She inhaled deeply in preparation.

"I'm not leaving...just yet." She was forced to pause for a bit more oxygen. "Lure it down here and..."

A longer pause as she sunk into a stealthy crouch once again. "I'll cover you."

She watched the man intensely, stubbornly, waiting for some form of disapproval. Yuffie looked determined to knock some heads, despite whatever the man said.

[Vincent]

Vincent relaxed as he saw Yuffie breathe easy, the cool air clearing her lungs, ridding her system of the noxious fumes emanated from the mysterious beast that still resided within the mansion. His firing arm was now free, and he wasted no time in retrieving Cerberus from its holster, a feeling of power reassured as he felt the cool handle of his most trusted ally, even the death penalty weapon hadn’t been as reliable as his latest gun. Seeing her motioning, he turned, steely-eyed to finally face this monster and throw away this game of pretense – the fight would begin.

Her words spurred him on as he strode back into the mansion with a confident stride, the poisonous air now mostly clear. Fear seemed to have fled his mind, and his pace didn’t slow as he neared the stairs, heavy footsteps revealing that the creature was also closing the distance. Yuffie spoke again, her voice now stronger, lined with that resilient edge that he had grown used to.

“Gotcha” he said, something close to a smirk gracing his pale features. He knew she expected him to turn back and tell her to go, or gloomily reject her assistance, but by now he knew not to try and deter Yuffie – it only made her all the more stubborn. Focusing again on the task in front of him, he noticed that the creature had started to edge around the corner, revealing part of its hideous form.

Even in Vincent’s many years of ageless existence, memories were as clear and vivid as they day they occurred. Part of his curse (what he believed to be his punishment) was that the pain of his past would never be lost to forgetfulness and haze. This was both a gift and a curse to him, as he would forever remember Lucrecia and his role in her demise, how he watched and only acted too late. Even the smaller memories stayed with him, and he could recall them with surprising precision when the need arose. However, no powers of recollection were required when his gaze fell upon it; images came flashing back to his startled mind.

The sight of a monstrous yellow appendage was all that he needed to see, and he was somewhat dumbfounded, stopping in his advance from some kind of abstract denial. This can’t be....was all his mind registered, his arm dropping uselessly to his side.

Mere seconds passed before Vincent reacted, and when he realized he had been stunned into inaction, he returned his arm, gripped by a determined vigor, his muscle coming to life with fearless abandon. The gun came up with almost inhuman speed, firing three shots at the monstrous limb while his voice rang out in the broken silence, cool and commanding to his stealthy companion.

“Yuffie is this what I think it is?” he asked, fearing the worst. Though he spoke quietly, his voice was somehow easily heard through the commotion of the monster reeling from the hurried shots.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

Yuffie leaned back against the frame of the door, clutching Oritsuru once again as she peered slightly over her shoulder at the sound of her comrade's voice.
The only disadvantage of letting in a bunch of cold air was that, because Yuffie was more of a physical fighter, her muscles became a bit more stiff and difficult to work with every moment she waited.

I'll cover you. Her own words were echoing in her ears as she sank against the base of the door, poised like a cat ready to pounce at any moment. She loaded the fire materia from earlier safely into one of the many empty slots on her weapon, arranging the kunai that she held into a neat line of three between her unoccupied fingers. The spores of rot were still slightly evident in the air--the ninja noticed as she stuck her head back through the door opening--but nothing like they were before. She could at least breathe now, even if her lungs still ached from her desperate attempts before.
"It's now or never, Yuffie," she mumbled under her breath as she looked up from her preparations to stare at Vincent.

"Yuffie" her ears seemed to peark at the sound of her name, "is this what I think it is?" He seemed humanly awestruck, something that was rarely (if ever) seen on the gunman. Yuffie found herself trying to peer around the man, careful of what could be on the other side of him...

She ran a few steps toward her companion and skidded to slow to his side, still crouching and ready to strike. She caught sight of a small portion of their foe, and more disbelief than fear completely overtook her.

Lost...
"...Number?!"

The horrific, tangy yellow of the limb meant that it could be none other.

"But...we killed him! Before we even came to get you!" Yuffie looked up at Vincent frantically--both bafflement and a tinge of urgency were evident in her eyes.

She remembered that battle well, and thought she'd never have to face it again... For a split second, she wondered how much of a pain in the ass it would be the second time around. The beastly, multi-faced enemy (however silly and pathetic it may have looked at the time) had certainly packed the strongest wallop she'd seen at the age of sixteen.
Good gawd, don't tell me it's back and better than ever...

The beast had hit hard-- harder than the other flighty ghosts and fleeing beasts that resided within the mansion at the time of their arrival. At first glance, Yuffie remembered scoffing at its display of purple-orange pride, despite it's size...After promptly being nearly smashed by its display of strength, however, she quickly began to whistle a different tune. Its speed was a bit more formidable than most, as well, due to its stringy limbs. (With the current lack of speed though, or at least what seemed like a lack to the ninja, having battled with it before, put her mind in a slightly less-panicked state. The shots from Vincent's gun had made it reel back a few steps--perhaps they could win over a ground advantage afterall.

[Vincent]

The mansion had been home to many horrors, as the previous base of Hojo’s operations, many twisted creations had been created within its walls – Makonoids, Sephiroth, and even Vincent himself. It was part of the maniacal scientist’s legacy, and one that never seemed to completely diminish. The Lost number was something Vincent only saw once, having glimpsed its brutality whilst protecting Lucrecia and Hojo as a Turk all those years ago, and yet upon seeing it again he instinctively knew that it was more dangerous than he remembered. How much longer would Hojo continue to haunt his waking moments?

The monster recovered quickly and was on its feet in minutes, its hideous form now completely exposed to the fighters, its two halves operating simultaneously as though it were plagued with a repulsive parasite. It’s seemingly symbiotic nature did nothing to slow its reactions, and upon seeing the two crouched figures, it leapt the remaining stairs with an unexpected speed. The sudden movement had Vincent jumping backward to the door-frame, letting off shots at the beasts head as he flew through the air.

Turning to Yuffie, he continued to fire at his opponent, each shot merely jogging the creature, its impressive bulk able to withstand most of the shots to its organs. “I’ve seen this thing before. It’s a shape-shifter, right?” he called to her, wondering whether they’d be able to hold the monster in the mansion, or if their fight would spill into the streets of Nibelheim, endangering the innocent lives around. The ShinRa mansion had caused so much death and pain to the small town, and its constant production of these beasts never ceased to surprise the cloaked gunman.

Despite its history, Vincent found it hard to see damage done to his sanctuary, the preserved rooms from his past chipped and cracked by the number’s presence. Maybe it was the evil that made him feel at home on the castle, or maybe he was just drawn to linger on the pain of his past, whatever the case he felt quiet defensive of his makeshift home, even if he rarely truly resided there.

Letting the number shake off his most recent attack, he quickly checked his equipment – only a handful of potions and material, nowhere near enough to make this easy, he just hoped the resourceful ninja at his side had tricks up her sleeve. His resolve still intact, he moved forward slowly, preparing his limbs to use superior agility on it, needing to find a weak spot or an opening to end this fight before it did anymore damage.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

"Vincent!"
She called, without even realizing what she'd done until a second after. She flashed the fire materia from earlier at the gunman. Maybe if fire was effective against it in life, it'll be the same way in...re-life! She reeled her arm back, preparing to sling it at him with quite a bit of force.

From before them, the beast let out another vicious roar and brought one of its long, emaciated arms (compared to the rest of its body) forward.

Shapeshifter? She almost forgot about the question in her anxious fit. "Yes, it's a shapeshifter!" She called as she let the materia sail through the air toward the man.
She'd need to buy him time to equip it.
Drat, that plan was not very well thought through...

Yuffie sidestepped for a quick advance to the beast's left, an unconscious maneuver that more often than not brought the ninja completely out of sight. Yuffie bolted toward the enemy; her legs were nearly numb from standing in the frozen air, and she couldn't feel the steps as she took them. As she ran, she pulled the three kunai knives from before out from one of her many hidden pockets and kept them poised between her fingers. Her hair flew from her shoulders with each stride, sending freezing waves down her spine. It seemed like such a long distance---Yuffie drifted off for a few seconds as her feet strayed from her strides and instead came together in an agile slide across the floor...

At the sight of the man after so long, Yuffie had almost been awestruck. She'd had a bit more years of experience behind her at that time, yet she was still not strong enough to equal him... She remembered being frustrated at that, for just a little while... He'd not changed a bit, and upon seeing him in that moment, Yuffie had suddenly felt nostalgic of the past...of Cloud and the others...of their battle for the good of all...of even Vincent, himself, for whatever reason. His cape was tattered---the fabric was aged, but Vincent's mindset was far from broken. His face was still smooth, his eyes were still like warm blooddrops in a sea of a ghostly complexion, and he still seemed to be completely unaffected by anything and everything going on around him.
She wondered, in that moment, if he expected it to be her in the silly costume...
....of even if he'd noticed that anyone was there at all.

Her trance was broken as her slide came to a close.
On instinct, she flicked her wrist and sent the knives flying for Lost Number.
It was taller than she remembered...
It seemed to flinch ever-so-slightly as the kunai dove into its flesh.
Following the kunai, Yuffie grabbed a few small shuriken from a different pocket and flung them with a vicious "Kyaa..!"

Was Vincent finished with his equipment..?!

Did he need her out of the way..?!

Yuffie wanted to check on her companion, but knew that turning her back on the target, especially since it was now completely focused on her, would be a fatal, and not to mention a stupid move.

[Vincent]

Vincent took a step back, the metal clinking against the hard-wood floor as he tilted back, taking the huge beast in. Vincent readied himself as the lost number regained focus, its inhuman eyes glaring at him with malice burned into its ghastly gaze. A shout from behind him caught his attention and he shot a look back at Yuffie for a mere second due to being in the heat of battle – but that was enough to see the glint of material in the ninja’s palm, her plan already obvious to the wise gunman. There had been a time when Yuffie wouldn’t have given over material for the life of her, but luckily her obsession with material had gone and she had grown up since those old days.

Sensitive ears picked up the faintest sound – something whistling slightly as it sailed through the air. Vincent turned to catch the thrown materia, his back turned to the beast for only a second as he caught the small globe, not stopping or breaking stride as he felt the small orb rest in his gloved palm. Only a split-second later, when he had turned back to face his opponent did he notice the misshapen arm hurtling toward him, and he reacted instantly. Leaping back, he twisted in the air hastily, rolling onto his back and up onto his feet within seconds, trying to equip the material before it had a chance to strike at him again.

Yuffie’s attack bought him some time, and though he had the pressing urge to equip the materia as fast as he could, he found himself watching Yuffie’s smooth motion, her attack flawlessly executed as she glided below the creature, he aim perfect. A grin caught his face – either she had kept training or she was finding it easy to get back into the stride of battle. Locking the sphere into place, he turned to see her end her offense, three kunai now sunk into the monster’s colorful form, its face as close to a grimace as it could manage.

“Yuffie, move” he said, as loud as his smooth voice could go, as he leveled his gun at the beast, the materia hanging from the hilt by a chain, glinting in anticipation of its use. He hoped that the fire would weaken it enough, and as he saw Yuffie scramble to her feet, he prepared to barrage the beast with fire-enhanced gun-shots.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

Yuffie knew what to listen for. The command was soft and smooth, yet Yuffie knew the gunman's voice, and could hear him even over the great commotion from the beast. His tone was crisp like the air yet subdued by his cloak, making it sound urgent but almost benign.

Yuffie almost chuckled at herself as she sidestepped a few paces, momentarily forgetting her anxiety. Her manuever had brought her completely out of her companion's way, but there was no way of telling whether or not the beast still had her in its sight. She'd have to move fast to get around to Vincent's side-- not that that would really be a problem, considering her skills-- but Yuffie was actually thinking more for Vincent than herself. If she was still the beast's target, moving could completely destroy the aim for his shot.
Vincent's skill with a gun was not to be taken lightly, of course, but as deadly as his accuracy was (even moreso than her own most of the time), if he was aiming for a particular place or possible weak spot, just a few movements from the monstrosity could make it impossible... Especially if it came after her as she ran.

She attemptd a side glance to Vincent... His stance was strong, with perfect posture. He seemed perfectly prepared to shoot. Despite the distance, she could even see his eyes...
The dry blood and crimson meshed perfectly together as if they were blended by a brush. It seemed as if the man had been painted around them, his livid complexion and ebony strands of hair simply brushstrokes, perfect on the very first try.

His hair reminded her of her homeland's calligraphy.
Every time she looked at it as a girl, she would try to imagine the tangled-together words that made up the strands-- that made up the man, in his entirety...

The numbness began to return to her legs.
Yuffie blinked, frantically recalling the details of the last few seconds in her mind.
Shiiiit! She wanted to yelp as the beast let out another roar and lunged...

...It was headed right toward her!

She let out a stream of vulgarities in her mind-- all of which she learned from Cid-- as she gawked, her back against the wall.

She caught sight of Vincent again, still ready with Cerberus in hand... But he wasn't shooting. What on Gaia was he waiting for?!
Her instinct to run had been completely shattered.
Her inner Yuffie screamed IDIOT! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE! GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR AND RUN, ALREADY! while her legs pleaded with a silent No, thank you. We're fine where we are.
Very few times in her life had she ever been cornered.
This just happened to be one of those rare occurances.
Lucky her.

It was Yuffie vs. The-Evil-Mansion-Monster Round 2, and things didn't seem to be working out for the ninja this time around. She had approximately two seconds to think of a plan, and one just wasn't coming.

With her voice as her only other option, lest she get flattened by a second-rate zombie-experiment brought back from the wherever these things came from, she desperately called out to her dear companion.

"Vincent!!" Her cry was shrill and aghast. "Torch this b%&*^!!"


If he could just delay it for a few seconds, she would have enough time to get away and use her own magic on the abomination.
Did that count as a plan?
It was about as much as she could get.

[Vincent]

With AVALANCHE, Vincent had been a number of things – terrorist, saboteur, public enemy and chiefly of all, a warrior for peace, a freedom fighter. There were many differences between himself and those he fought against, even excluding the obvious physical dissimilarities, and yet it was the smallest of details that could tip the balance of life and death in battle. For Vincent, his observation and calm demeanor often proved fatal when matched with a more emotionally-driven foe. Emotion could be used to drive a weakened fighter on or it can be their Achilles heel at a critical point. Yet when he saw Yuffie cease movement, her eyes glancing at him in the heat of battle, he broke his usual composure, his mind screaming for her to move.

Crimson eyes darted back to the lumbering beast as it noticed her hesitance, and though Vincent managed to fire two shots into its body before it took off toward her, his target was the head. Vincent had deduced that its head was it weakest point – its sturdy limbs were strong enough to resist fire, but shots to its head made it recoil in fear. However, with the beats now running blindly at Yuffie, its large mass giving it unnatural momentum and speed, he knew he wouldn’t be able to get the shot he needed.

However, it was concern and worry, not logic that had him running at the thing, mimicking its mad lunge as he again noticed Yuffie’s frozen state. I have to stop this thing before it reaches her he thought, desperately urging his body on. “Yuffie, move” he shouted, doubtful that she would react – she was cornered and barely armed, and it was her current vulnerable state which urged Vincent into such uncharacteristic behavior.
Fatigue didn’t register with the gunman as he leapt at the creature, now meters from Yuffie, and poised to attack. Hearing her shout, he prepared himself for the impact, his claw reaching back in a beastly display of intention. At last he landed on it, his form crashing into its torso awkwardly, he sunk his clawed hand into its face, sinking into its flesh with a sickening squelch. Within seconds he had the barrel of Cerberus pressed against its temple, firing a succession of shots into its head – or he hoped so.

After pulling the trigger, he felt pain shoot through his body, originating from his ribs. Looking down, he noticed its other large green arm had pierced his stomach at an upward angle, a gaping wound now appearing – even his enhanced healing wouldn’t be able to sort that quickly. Luckily, he had stopped the attack on Yuffie, but as he was bodily thrown from the creature, he hoped that the shots he fired would at least slow the beast, as he was losing blood fast, and as he stood again, it was on shaky legs.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

V-Vin--
She could only watch him, horrified, still clutching both her weapon and materia. Her back was still pressed hard against the wall; so much so that it looked as if she would fall through it at any moment. She searched for him, desperately seeking his frame in her vision for comfort--she didn't know why, but she didn't have time to care.
Where is he, and why isn't he shooting..?!

She wanted to scream, to call out for him, but not even her voice wanted to work now.
Losing hope fast, she tightly closed her eyes... At least if she was flattened, the monstosity might be a bit more distracted eating her, which would give Vincent ample time to kill it.

Gawd, it can't end like this..!
She wanted to curl up into a ball. She wanted to sit and wait and not face the beast when it finally reached her. The seconds that she had felt like hours, years, centuries...
It can't, it can't.. What can I do?! Why didn't Vincent shoot it..?!
On the verge of tears for the first time since she was a girl, Yuffie waited for her impending doom... His crimson orbs were imprinted on the inside of her eyelids. She saw them, calm and collected as always.
So cool, despite their cruel color.
They were staring right at her.
Her--The Great Ninja Yuffie, Miss Yuffie, Yuffie Kisaragi, Master of Everything, "Princess" of Wutai.

"Yuffie, move--"

The command rang in her ears once again.

Vincent?!

But where was he?!

Her eyes shot open, releasing the held tears as she searched for the direction of the voice.

She saw him-- barreling for the beast at the same power as it was for her. He suddenly leapt for it, surging through the air like a bolt of lightning, his hair and cape billowing behind him like a miniature storm. She traced his every move as he brought his claw behind him to catch right into the abomination's flesh. It squealed in pain as muffled bullets tore through its tender body. Green, slimy fluid leaked from its wounds as it writhed, bringing one of its massive arms up to defend itself--- she heard a crack as it ripped through the man and threw him from its broken frame.

Large and small splatters of blood stained the arm of the beast, soaked into the wood of the floor, and even landed upon Yuffie's terrified face.

"VINCENT..!"

She screamed over the horrid shrieks of the beast as tears continued to fall. Her voice was shrill and confused and full of a childish disbelief and fear.

The string of events had not yet registered to her.
She'd just witnessed her comrade get mutilated and possibly murdered by the corpse of a past enemy.

Frantically, she searched for him again as the monster continued to roll and wail in agony; its cry piercing her ears, making a pit of rage form in her stomach.
This bastard was messing with the wrong ninja.
Relief overtook her for a split second as she saw him stand, yet as she saw his weakened stance and the gushing blood, her rage returned.

She stared at the awful thing that had wounded her companion, her partner---her friend---and her eyes filled with an overwhelming hate.
The tears kept coming, but Yuffie wouldn't cry.
She was too far beyond pissed-off.

You've f%^&ed with us for the last Gawd-damned time... She almost screamed it. I'm dragging your ass back to wherever the hell you came from. Her inner-Barret/Cid was proud.

She clutched Oritsuru tighter than ever before, no longer fearing for her life, but so royally pissed that her icy hands became warm with red and white splotches. If given a second thought she would have felt ashamed for earlier, but Yuffie's wonderful temper and thirst for revenge was often too strong for her to notice, and when she succumed to it---well, whatever opposition she faced was usually sent running.

Recklessly she bolted for her target, ignoring the lack of feeling in her legs and the tears running down her cheeks. Her body felt warm, even against the freezing air as it whizzed by her. With almost unbelieveable speed, Yuffie jumped into the air and brought the tip of her weapon down, straight into one of beady eyes of the beast.

Hell hath no fury like an enraged Yuffie.

It screamed and wheezed as Oritsuru sunk into the decaying material that was its eye, and then again when she ripped it out, fast but cruel, the way of a true ninja. She forced her body upward and into a backflip as the terrified thing twisted away from her, its bulk nearly taking out the opposite wall. She held her ice materia close, preparing to aim the spell and effectively cast it while in mid-air.

"This one is for Vincent," she mumbled, completely inaudible over the commotion of the beast.
I'm sorry you had to save my ass...

In less time than a blink, large freezing spikes shot through the fiend. More of the green fluid leaked and gushed everywhere from the beast---it soaked into the floorboards, and even seemed to bubble and burn them... The abomination seemed to be coming apart at the seams.
Did she finish it...?
Would it just get back up...?
Would Vincent shoot it..?!

Yuffie barely landed on her feet. Her rage was gone and so was most of her strength, replaced by concern for her companion.

[Vincent]

Even amidst the chaotic bloodbath that this battle had become, their tactics seemed to work, and Vincent’s furious charge had both weakened the beast and given Yuffie time (as well as incentive) to attack. He watched as she let fury take her, destroying whatever was left of the defeated creature, the magic ripping through its flesh like a knife through butter. Yuffie’s slender form belied a magnificent strength, and she was exhibiting it now, an almost insatiable anger had gripped her, pushing her on through fear and doubt.

Vincent watched her move, unsure what to make of her outburst – he was touched by her worry, but rarely had he seen her break her confident attitude like this, and he hated to see it was over him, especially as he strived to distance himself from people. It was after his defeat of Omega years ago that Vincent had heard of the state of his friends were in when he went missing, and had felt guilty. Whether he liked it or not, he was attached to them, his coldness doing nothing to sever the bonds of friendship that linked him to each of them, and even now after two years of separation there was still undeniable concern in their actions.

“Yuffie, I’m fine” he said, hoping that she’d hear him through the creature’s dying gasps. It wasn’t totally true, he felt faint and unsteady which was rare for him, but he kept his body straight, so as to appear stronger than he felt. Even in injury he had to maintain his calmness, and he found himself wondering what had re-awoken the powerful beast, pulling it from its eternal slumber so randomly.

A wave of light-headedness hit him, and he stumbled, cursing his own mortality as he felt his healing factor kick in, working to cure him, though its slow pace was worrying. As he pushed aside thoughts of why this had all occurred, he caught another glimpse of Yuffie, though whether or not she had finished with the lost number, he couldn’t quite make out. However, as his dark red eyes met her lighter ones, he calmed visibly.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

Yuffie sat, watching the abomination curl in defeat. Her chin was pressed against her legs with her arms wrapped firmly around them. Her eyes seemed to burn holes through the floor where the beast lay.
She'd trained, practiced, focused on something more than just surviving, and for what? So she could stand and panic like a little girl.
Sure, she hadn't trained for zombies, but... Still, dead was dead, and movement was alive and kicking. Quite a difference could be seen in those two facts. The problem was that it hadn't registered fast enough. Any other Wutainese warrior would be dead. How she always managed to get out of such life-threatening situations, or moreso how he always seemed to pull her out of them, was both confounding and slightly aggravating. Perhaps she hadn't really improved at all.

She caught herself gazing toward Vincent (despite her exasperation), only to find him staring right back. Their eyes locked for just a few seconds--the time it took Yuffie to figure out that something wasn't right about the situation--before she turned away once again, split between confustion and self-frustration. She'd turned away just in time to miss his stumble.

Gawd, you're an idiot, Yuffie. What the hell was up with that fight? She was worried about Vincent---but it was her fault that he was injured in the first place.

That fact made her miss the old days---she had no claims to any responsibilities...even if she actually did.

It was easy enough for her to get pissed off at things, but this time she felt...bad.

She'd felt terrible (not to mention terrified) when Aeris had been murdered before her very eyes. She'd felt bad, like sick bad, when riding with the crew on the airship. She'd felt bad, like sad bad, when she'd traveled to visit Tifa and Cloud in Mideel so long ago.
But none of those things were her fault.
Vincent's state...very much was.
Whether or not he particularly cared about it, it was.

There was nothing that she could even do for him. He would be good as new tomorrow, with his freaky healing powers... They didn't seem as strange after knowing him for so long, though.

Yuffie considered the pros and cons of time travel for just a second---perhaps if she'd just jumped into the beast's mouth, being eaten wouldn't have been so bad.
She had no doubts that it would feel better than how she did now.

A rumbling captured her attention, and she looked up just in time to catch the body of the monster completely disintigrate, leaving more of the green goo in an impressive-sized puddle on the floor. It seemed awfully menacing as far as remains went.. The color of life was completely surrounded by death... Not to mention the fact that it seemed to be rippling for no reason at all.
She didn't like being in the mansion anyway, but the whole experience (and that strange liquid) just made her want to throw her past away, Vincent and all.

She'd heard him say some time ago that he was fine, but coming from the gunman it seemed to be a bit more unsure than she was used to.

With her first intention being to move away from the remains of their foe, she stood up and approached the man, making sure to look more around him than at him.

"I'm sorry about...that." The words were difficult, and didn't sound right. She usually didn't have to think about other people---she hadn't for some time, even with the WRO. She was given assignments and she completed them, whether or not there were other people with her. Yuffie just wasn't good at that stuff.
She could make an ass of herself, and complain with the best of them, but when forced with consequences for her actions (or lack thereof, in this case) she was still quite inexperienced.
"It's too late to leave now," she continued. "Can you even walk..?"


Great. Just great.
She nearly killed the man, and she couldn't even effectively apologize to him.
It was a good thing that it was Vincent---anyone else would have been dead.

She wanted to look at him, but couldn't bring herself to.

Next time I'm just not gonna think, she resolved.

[Vincent]

Seeing Yuffie wrench her eyes away from his made him turn away in shame – had she judged him for his animalistic attack? Had she lost faith in him due to his display of humanity? Vincent’s role in AVALANCHE was to be level-headed and stable, and so much seemed to hinge on that, and now that he had strayed from that coldness, he wondered if she had seen it as a weakness, a chink in his armour.

Seeing the beasts decaying form, a slight frown graced his pale features as he watched it disintegrate, nasty ooze seeping from it as it died. The creature had left a disgusting muck in its wake, as though it wanted to leave something of itself at the mansion, a constant reminder of its existence - it was almost poetic in that respect. However, the fact that it had come back from the land of the dead once made him doubt the beast would remain in the afterlife, and the reason as to why it had come back pressed on his tired brain.

Vincent made a mental note to dwell on that tomorrow, realising that night had descended on Nibelheim and supplies would have to wait for the following morning. Red eyes looked up and stayed trained on the ninja as she approached cautiously, her eyes looking anywhere but at him. His stomach clenched slightly at this, it was hard to bear the scorn of a teammate, especially if it was shame or disappointment. Though with her apology, the truth of the situation hit him like a charging dragon – was she ashamed of herself?

Despite her usual sunny disposition, Yuffie was a warrior, trained and bred for battle (and stealing), and her moment of hesitation must have weighed heavily on her mind. Vincent chuckled, wanting to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all – he had been the one to attack blindly and forget to protect his side in such close quarter with a dangerous foe. The mistake was with him, never with others, especially as she wouldn’t have been there if he hadn’t skulked away from the group for fear of dependence.

“It’s not your fault, I was careless” he explained, his voice a bit more steady now that he had time to compose himself. The gunman was aware that his show of emotion was uncharacteristic, though he would do it again for someone close to him. In his eyes he had the least to live for, and though he no longer hungered for death as he used to, he knew that his life was to atone for his crimes, and that he deserved death the most out of the team.

“Yeah I can walk, I just need some rest” he said, trying to step and stopping himself, too smart to think he could manage it on his own, but too proud to ask for help. Looking at the stairs doubtfully, he turned to Yuffie, hoping she’d get the hint and spare him any more embarrassment.

[Yuffie Kisaragi]

((EDIT: Corrected a lot of stupid mistakes and silly-sounding things. I apologize for them. I've also elaborated on things that I felt were a bit too choppy.))

She stole a quick glance at his face---he was acting stranger than normal.. But why? Did he think it was his fault? That just wasn't right... She took a few more steps toward him, racking her brain on what to say while he answered her question. She saw his claw flex slightly as he attempted to take a step--it acted as if it felt the pain just as his other clentched fist did. Whether or not that was true, or if it was just a reflex because of his other hand she was unsure, but it fascinated her nonetheless.

At first she didn't believe it. To a younger Yuffie, there just had to be something under it. It was just a scary, gross-looking glove. But after years of studying it (or glaring at it) from afar, the idea of it didn't bother her much anymore.
It was kind of cool...in a creepy, Vincent-y sort of way.

Yuffie unconsciously smiled as she watched the man. Her eyes were bright as they caught his once more. His own display of pride made hers look a little silly, and for just a moment they chuckled at each other on the inside.

I'm sorry you got hurt because of me...I don't care if you think if was your fault, you don't have me convinced...And I know you can't walk. Yuffie smirked slightly.

All right, you caught me, despite the ninja's oh-so-wonderful personality, the man still seemed a little amused. He said nothing at all, but Yuffie liked to think that he had. The triumph of being 'right' was something that she could never turn down. I'll shoot you if you say it. Yuffie was probably putting words in his...eyes...with that last part, but it made her inward chuckle show itself. She'd always had quite an imagination.

"Okay, Vinny," she hadn't called him that in quite some time. Her voice was sly--she knew that he was having trouble, and she teased him about it a little. "I know you can walk. But I'm going to help you anyway. Lean on me!" She closed in on the man and put her arm around his waist, forcing herself to disregard the blood. Being surrounded by the warmth from his body and cloak made the ninja settle in quite nicely; the feeling would come back in her fingers if she stayed like this for a little while.

Even his claw resting awkwardly against her didn't take away from the coziness. He seemed to be keeping it distant still, though... Why? Did he still remember the remarks that she used to give him for it so long ago...? They wouldn't be able to move at all unless he trusted that she wasn't going to pull away from it. Was that the reason?
She grabbed the cool metal with her free hand and draped it farther over her shoulder, resting her head on his shoulder, and her neck in the crook of his arm.

Grab my shoulder, Vince.. It'll be harder to move you if you don't. I promise I won't say anything... I owe you that much, after how much hell I gave you before. She still felt a little bad, but she smiled up at him from under his shoulder.

His eyes were stunning---whether or not they were to anyone else, they were warm to her. She swore in that moment that she'd never find another pair like them. Not from the experiments that she barely knew about, but from the person they belonged to.

The two of them fought often (or at least Yuffie liked to argue with whatever Vincent said), they were complete opposites on every possible thing, he was collected and she was rash, but they were a team. Despite their extreme differences, Vincent had always been there to pull her out of nearly killing herself, and she had always been there for him for..at least a few sarcastic comments. The notion made her chuckle again, yet her gaze didn't falter. Even through so many random occurances, from Sephiroth to Reeve and the WRO, they always somehow came back to each other. They were together...possibly to the end, if ever it came to that. Not entirely out of choice sometimes, but together nonetheless.
With every time Vincent had listened to her whine and complain, and every time she'd gotten angry at him for saying something (or more often than not, not saying anything at all), she just couldn't seem to get away from him. (Not that she'd ever try, to be honest.)

Vincent had always pissed her off more than any other individual. He was cruel and cold and quiet to the world. But in the same respect, she would never hesitate to help him if ever he needed it---such as right now.
She had never been able to figure out why she continued to hunt him, even after so many times that he'd departed, but she was always glad to find him no matter the time it took.

With distance there always came an overpowering sense of time. She hadn't seen the man in nearly two years, yet he was exactly the same... It was always refreshing to see him.
Which made her wonder a bit...
Had she really changed at all...?

Though it was warm, being this close to Vincent was still weird. Despite the warmth of his frame and eyes, Yuffie refused to get comfortable.
The notion in itself was nearly insane.

[Vincent]

Vincent couldn’t help but smile as she practically read his mind, moving forward and offering help so easily. As much as the pair acted like polar opposites, they always seemed to read each other so well, as though there was this shared drive that always brought them to the same side – in AVALANCHE, then to the WRO, and now here together again. At first Vincent saw it as the ninja finding enjoyment in pursuing him, but later he came to realise he enjoyed and looked forward to their re-unions as much as she seemed to.

The gunman was thankful for the help, and severely grateful that Yuffie had spared him any more embarrassment, even without anyone else around to see. Pride was an emotion he rarely had to worry about, and yet now he was vulnerable, which was almost scary for the durable fighter, and Yuffie had luckily realised that his ego was as fragile as any humans.

Part of Vincent’s persona was a certain coldness, both emotionally and physically, at least to those who didn’t know him well enough, and he appeared distant and aloof. As the lithe ninja huddled against him, supporting his much larger frame, he felt a very human heat emanating from her, and he felt it the warmth spread to him, like a fire melting the edges of an iceberg. Despite being covered in the clearly non-human blood, she supported his weight, guiding his steps patiently – he reminded himself to direct her to a shower before getting his much-needed rest.

Vincent was careful to avoid touching her with the claw, as when they had first met (and for a while afterwards) she had seem awfully perturbed by the limb, and he had made a point to keep it away from her. However now she didn’t hesitate to grab it, unafraid of its razor-sharp edges, and it was this kind of acceptance which meant he valued her support, even if he doubted she’d be as comfortable with the hand underneath the golden gauntlet.

“Thank you” he said quietly, genuinely grateful to her, and it was less difficult to display his thanks to someone this time, for reasons he wasn’t quite sure of. Vincent found it hard to be this close to people, and was aware that she probably wasn’t happy with the close proximity with him, but she still helped him. As they approached the stairs, he groaned inwardly, though he was very comfortable with Yuffie this close to him (which he would never acknowledge), he didn’t want to be too much of a burden to her.