09-21-2013, 11:24 PM
“Target dead ahead, sir. Maintaining altitude! ETA fifteen minutes!”
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Vin? I have a bad feeling about this.” The blonde pilot asked, putting out his cigarette. He looked exceptionally tired, more so than Vincent had ever seen him. The years were wearing on him, the wrinkles of middle-age beginning to creep across his face. Although his voice was just as strong and commanding, his normal slanted grin was conspicuously absent.
The raven-haired fighter squared his jaw. “Cid, you know that I’m the only one that can do this,” he said plainly.
“Well, yeah. But you’re not even sure ya’ can!” Cid responded, lighting another cancer stick.
“I’m the only chance we have,” Vincent replied, reaching across the control console and tapping the intercom button.
“Tifa, has Edge been evacuated?”
There was a long silence before a familiar voice answered, “Tifa’s grabbing Shelke and Denzel now. Everyone else has already scattered. You really should wait for us, Vincent.”
“Thanks, Cloud. But this needs to be done.” He clicked the intercom off, took his seat and waited.
- - -
The Airship rocketed northward, tracing a path toward Midgar; or at least, what once was Midgar. Following the attack on the metropolis years ago much of the area had been leveled. Recently, the city of Edge had been built over the ruins in a stubborn attempt by the population to continue with their lives. The noble citizens of Gaia were known for their resilience, and this was nothing new. When the earthquakes and radiation spikes started, it seemed that fate had something different in mind. In the past week no less than three rifts had torn through the city, spilling clouds of scalding Mako vapor into the air. They just couldn’t catch a break.
Vincent himself had not only volunteered for this mission, he had planned it. He was to enter from overhead, dropping right into ground zero and place a Mako sensor. The sensor would supply data on the tectonic activity as well as the radiation levels. Provided there were no surprise earthquakes, it would be a relatively simple mission. The danger lied in the possibly lethal dose of radiation one could absorb. Vincent was the only person who had a chance of surviving, thanks to the cursed, nigh-immortal biology conferred on him by the twisted mind of Hojo. As heroic as one might perceive him to be, it was in some small way a selfish ploy. In the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but almost enjoy the thought of succumbing to the radiation. Being 62 in the body of a 27 year old was fast getting old.
The tectonic activity and radiation in Edge was atypical of anything Vincent had heard of in regards to the Lifestream, though many suspected it was the birth of another “Weapon”. Gaia’s Weapons, created and dispatched to protect the planet from those that would aim to harm it. Vincent and his comrades had so far put an end to 7 of these guardians, colossal beings of pure destructive power that destroyed anything in their wake. Countless lives had been ended, cities obliterated in the past due to these beings. Vincent himself was unsure of this Weapon theory, though it seemed like the most likely culprit. Although recently efforts had been made to lessen the amount of Mako extracted, Shinra Power Corp. wasn’t exactly going out of business. Humanity was still tapping the Lifestream’s power, literally draining the earth dry. This wouldn’t be the first time that Shinra’s greed had birthed a monster.
“Coming up on Edge, sir!” a crewman called, “We’ll be overhead in less than a minute!”
“Bring us overhead and maintain position!” Cid called, a fresh cigarette dangling from his lip. “Vin, I know you’re not going to listen to me, but this is dangerous! We should wait for the others. What if it really is a Weapon? What is Omega is back?!”
Omega. The cloaked warrior shook his head. “I’m just dropping down look at Rift I. I’ll be fine.” The largest rift, the most dangerous. Foolish? Perhaps. He got to his feet, walking quickly to the main deck. He pulled a hi-tech surfboard-sized sheet of metal from the wall as he passed. Laying it on the track at his feet, he stepped on and buckled himself to it. “Ready when you are.”
The deck of the Shera slowly opened like the maw of an almighty beast. Air burst through the growing gap ahead, whipping Vincent’s cloak violently around him. Air poured into the vessel, exposing the dark night below. The airship’s deck continued to lower, pointing Vincent toward the gap. He braced himself as he felt his board begin to slide below his feet as force overcame friction. Bending at the knee, he lowered his center of gravity and soon shot down the track, off the ramp and out into the open air. The city of Edge lay a few hundred feet blow, with Rift I being almost directly beneath the Shera. Vincent extended his arms as if walking a tightrope, in this way steering himself toward the ground below. The weight of the device he was strapped to served to aim him feet-first and prevent a nose dive, whilst he created his own descent path. He soon reached terminal velocity, spiraling toward the ground in wide circles as wind blasted his ears. As he neared the ground, the ‘board’ made a sharp chiming noise, followed by a loud clang as the back shot off and the parachute was deployed. He slowed, the parachute pulling the board vertical and causing him to fall nose first. The raven-haired man quickly ducked, unbuckling each foot simultaneously and sprang forward off the board. He hit the ground at a crouch, tumbling a few times before standing, unscathed. His ride didn’t fare so well, imbedding itself into the cement behind him.
Valentine took a moment to steady himself before walking toward his goal: a mere thirty feet ahead of him stood his objective, Rift I. The chasm was unmistakable in the otherwise dusky darkness, bathing the area in a dazzling green light. He reached the edge of the rift, peering over the edge. His hand instinctively found his sidearm, Cerberus, drawing it from its holster. Although the city had been safely abandoned, he was wary of the possibility of an attack. With the amount of radiation and Mako vapor in the air, this was not outside of the realm of possibility. Mako was known for its mutagenic properties, twisting ordinary people into vile monsters. Vincent himself was living proof.
His weapon drawn, he looked carefully over the edge. The sight was both breathtakingly beautiful and absolutely terrifying. Vincent was looking into the heart of the planet, something no one was meant to behold. He saw the swirling mass of Lifestream below, pulsing with power and energy. It both blinded and deafened him, the raw power flowing chaotically like a storm at sea. For a moment, he could hear far-off whispers within his mind from the souls of the departed, now united in the core of the planet. He could feel the stifling heat pouring through the now gaping vent, warming his pale skin. A flash of light far below, brighter than the rest of the ‘stream’, suddenly caught his eye. A flash of…red light?
What…Vincent wondered, squinting at the swirling material below him.
As if to answer his inquiry, the ground below him gave a sudden, monumental heave. The gunslinger was knocked to the ground, flinging Cerberus as he fell. He watched as his gun quickly disappeared into the chasm, the earth still quaking beneath him. Huge chunks of pavement loosed themselves from the rim of the chasm, plummeting downward, following his now lost ‘friend’. Vincent had little time to consider the loss as yet another quake tossed him like a rag doll. Pavement again rained into the pit as he scrambled to clear the edge. He felt panic rising in his chest as he took off at a run away from the rift.
Now sprinting from the schism, the gunslinger fumbled in his pocket and extracted his cell phone. His fingers found only the first digit before yet another harsh vibration shook it from his gloved hand. He turned to see the ground behind him crumbling, falling helplessly into the rift. Rift I, which now had widened by nearly 20 feet and was quickly gaining on him. The raven-haired warrior resumed his sprint, racing toward the center of town. The familiar feeling of panic rose in his throat as a wide crack split the asphalt not five feet in front of him. He stopped abruptly, avoiding the spray of caustic material. This proved to be a mistake as he felt gravity shift beneath him and the slab he now stood on slide backward and downward, plummeting into the blinding abyss.
Vincent gazed downward as he fell, the blinding light slowly fading to darkness. Darkness, silence and calm.
In that moment he ceased to exist.
“My name is Omni…”
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Vin? I have a bad feeling about this.” The blonde pilot asked, putting out his cigarette. He looked exceptionally tired, more so than Vincent had ever seen him. The years were wearing on him, the wrinkles of middle-age beginning to creep across his face. Although his voice was just as strong and commanding, his normal slanted grin was conspicuously absent.
The raven-haired fighter squared his jaw. “Cid, you know that I’m the only one that can do this,” he said plainly.
“Well, yeah. But you’re not even sure ya’ can!” Cid responded, lighting another cancer stick.
“I’m the only chance we have,” Vincent replied, reaching across the control console and tapping the intercom button.
“Tifa, has Edge been evacuated?”
There was a long silence before a familiar voice answered, “Tifa’s grabbing Shelke and Denzel now. Everyone else has already scattered. You really should wait for us, Vincent.”
“Thanks, Cloud. But this needs to be done.” He clicked the intercom off, took his seat and waited.
- - -
The Airship rocketed northward, tracing a path toward Midgar; or at least, what once was Midgar. Following the attack on the metropolis years ago much of the area had been leveled. Recently, the city of Edge had been built over the ruins in a stubborn attempt by the population to continue with their lives. The noble citizens of Gaia were known for their resilience, and this was nothing new. When the earthquakes and radiation spikes started, it seemed that fate had something different in mind. In the past week no less than three rifts had torn through the city, spilling clouds of scalding Mako vapor into the air. They just couldn’t catch a break.
Vincent himself had not only volunteered for this mission, he had planned it. He was to enter from overhead, dropping right into ground zero and place a Mako sensor. The sensor would supply data on the tectonic activity as well as the radiation levels. Provided there were no surprise earthquakes, it would be a relatively simple mission. The danger lied in the possibly lethal dose of radiation one could absorb. Vincent was the only person who had a chance of surviving, thanks to the cursed, nigh-immortal biology conferred on him by the twisted mind of Hojo. As heroic as one might perceive him to be, it was in some small way a selfish ploy. In the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but almost enjoy the thought of succumbing to the radiation. Being 62 in the body of a 27 year old was fast getting old.
The tectonic activity and radiation in Edge was atypical of anything Vincent had heard of in regards to the Lifestream, though many suspected it was the birth of another “Weapon”. Gaia’s Weapons, created and dispatched to protect the planet from those that would aim to harm it. Vincent and his comrades had so far put an end to 7 of these guardians, colossal beings of pure destructive power that destroyed anything in their wake. Countless lives had been ended, cities obliterated in the past due to these beings. Vincent himself was unsure of this Weapon theory, though it seemed like the most likely culprit. Although recently efforts had been made to lessen the amount of Mako extracted, Shinra Power Corp. wasn’t exactly going out of business. Humanity was still tapping the Lifestream’s power, literally draining the earth dry. This wouldn’t be the first time that Shinra’s greed had birthed a monster.
“Coming up on Edge, sir!” a crewman called, “We’ll be overhead in less than a minute!”
“Bring us overhead and maintain position!” Cid called, a fresh cigarette dangling from his lip. “Vin, I know you’re not going to listen to me, but this is dangerous! We should wait for the others. What if it really is a Weapon? What is Omega is back?!”
Omega. The cloaked warrior shook his head. “I’m just dropping down look at Rift I. I’ll be fine.” The largest rift, the most dangerous. Foolish? Perhaps. He got to his feet, walking quickly to the main deck. He pulled a hi-tech surfboard-sized sheet of metal from the wall as he passed. Laying it on the track at his feet, he stepped on and buckled himself to it. “Ready when you are.”
The deck of the Shera slowly opened like the maw of an almighty beast. Air burst through the growing gap ahead, whipping Vincent’s cloak violently around him. Air poured into the vessel, exposing the dark night below. The airship’s deck continued to lower, pointing Vincent toward the gap. He braced himself as he felt his board begin to slide below his feet as force overcame friction. Bending at the knee, he lowered his center of gravity and soon shot down the track, off the ramp and out into the open air. The city of Edge lay a few hundred feet blow, with Rift I being almost directly beneath the Shera. Vincent extended his arms as if walking a tightrope, in this way steering himself toward the ground below. The weight of the device he was strapped to served to aim him feet-first and prevent a nose dive, whilst he created his own descent path. He soon reached terminal velocity, spiraling toward the ground in wide circles as wind blasted his ears. As he neared the ground, the ‘board’ made a sharp chiming noise, followed by a loud clang as the back shot off and the parachute was deployed. He slowed, the parachute pulling the board vertical and causing him to fall nose first. The raven-haired man quickly ducked, unbuckling each foot simultaneously and sprang forward off the board. He hit the ground at a crouch, tumbling a few times before standing, unscathed. His ride didn’t fare so well, imbedding itself into the cement behind him.
Valentine took a moment to steady himself before walking toward his goal: a mere thirty feet ahead of him stood his objective, Rift I. The chasm was unmistakable in the otherwise dusky darkness, bathing the area in a dazzling green light. He reached the edge of the rift, peering over the edge. His hand instinctively found his sidearm, Cerberus, drawing it from its holster. Although the city had been safely abandoned, he was wary of the possibility of an attack. With the amount of radiation and Mako vapor in the air, this was not outside of the realm of possibility. Mako was known for its mutagenic properties, twisting ordinary people into vile monsters. Vincent himself was living proof.
His weapon drawn, he looked carefully over the edge. The sight was both breathtakingly beautiful and absolutely terrifying. Vincent was looking into the heart of the planet, something no one was meant to behold. He saw the swirling mass of Lifestream below, pulsing with power and energy. It both blinded and deafened him, the raw power flowing chaotically like a storm at sea. For a moment, he could hear far-off whispers within his mind from the souls of the departed, now united in the core of the planet. He could feel the stifling heat pouring through the now gaping vent, warming his pale skin. A flash of light far below, brighter than the rest of the ‘stream’, suddenly caught his eye. A flash of…red light?
What…Vincent wondered, squinting at the swirling material below him.
As if to answer his inquiry, the ground below him gave a sudden, monumental heave. The gunslinger was knocked to the ground, flinging Cerberus as he fell. He watched as his gun quickly disappeared into the chasm, the earth still quaking beneath him. Huge chunks of pavement loosed themselves from the rim of the chasm, plummeting downward, following his now lost ‘friend’. Vincent had little time to consider the loss as yet another quake tossed him like a rag doll. Pavement again rained into the pit as he scrambled to clear the edge. He felt panic rising in his chest as he took off at a run away from the rift.
Now sprinting from the schism, the gunslinger fumbled in his pocket and extracted his cell phone. His fingers found only the first digit before yet another harsh vibration shook it from his gloved hand. He turned to see the ground behind him crumbling, falling helplessly into the rift. Rift I, which now had widened by nearly 20 feet and was quickly gaining on him. The raven-haired warrior resumed his sprint, racing toward the center of town. The familiar feeling of panic rose in his throat as a wide crack split the asphalt not five feet in front of him. He stopped abruptly, avoiding the spray of caustic material. This proved to be a mistake as he felt gravity shift beneath him and the slab he now stood on slide backward and downward, plummeting into the blinding abyss.
Vincent gazed downward as he fell, the blinding light slowly fading to darkness. Darkness, silence and calm.
In that moment he ceased to exist.
“My name is Omni…”
![[Image: G3vODOp.png]](http://i.imgur.com/G3vODOp.png)
![[Image: oQAQ9Jn.png]](http://i.imgur.com/oQAQ9Jn.png)
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