Violet Shadows (FF7)

12) Reunited

I wake up to the high pitched sound of an alarm, noticing that the cell door is open. Next I notice that Vincent is tapping me with his foot, so maybe it was he who woke me up... Oh well. Either way, we're getting out of here. I don't even care about getting my bow, I just want out. So I scramble awkwardly to my feet, Vincent following like a lost puppy (which is very strange for him) and together we begin our trek out of the dark lab. We follow the long corridor for what seems like forever, hurrying to leave this horrid placs. I hear a click and spot the armed men just in time. There're only two of them, and some how we manage to take them down.

"I think they're down here!" I voice yells. My eyes widen and I run toward the voice.

"You crazy, old fart!? There's gotta be another hall! This one's so creepy!"

"Cid!" I call. Vincent sighs and follows me, giving up on his search for some pistol he bought in the last town we visited. What was that, Icicle Village or something?

"Wha..?" I hear Yuffie's voice cut off as she bumps into me. "Violet!"

"Vin too, huh?" Cid chuckles. Then he frowns. "The heck? Why they got you in straightjackets?"

"That's what I'd like to know," I mutter. He just laughs again and fiddles around with it for awhile before it comes off, my arms aching terribly from being restrained for so long. Cid helps Vincent out too, cracking a few jokes before the stupid thing slides off his arms and we can get moving again, running toward the exit.

"There they are!" Cid curses.

"Shinra! You guys are armed, right?" He looks back at us momentarily while he pulls out his spear. In answer, Nightmare appears and Vincent silently glances down at his clawed gauntlet. "Good."

"Gawd, I'm sick of this," Yuffie groans, slinging her shuriken in an officer's direction.

"Me too," I sigh, slashing at one. Vincent gets pretty creative with his slashy-kicky-punchy stuff, making me want to laugh, but it works, and the soldiers are dead soon enough. I sadly gaze down at them, crouching beside one to gently touch his head. At least one of these men was in a situation like me and David's. One of them was about to go home to their lover and/or child. And it was I this time who acted as terribly as Hojo.

"Violet," Vincent seems to read my thoughts, laying a hand on my shoulder and crouching behind me.

"Sometimes I wonder," I say just under a whisper. "If I'm truly any better than Hojo."

"Yours was an act or self defense," he defends. Then he actually slides his hand down my arm, wrapping his long fingers around my wrist before gently tugging me to my feet. Cid impatiently watches us with his hands on his hips, waiting for me to get over my little episode so that we can go. He's probably wondering what the heck Hojo did to me to make me like this.

"Hurry up! We gotta go save Teef and Barret to, ya know."

"Sorry," I mumble, following he and Yuffie out of the lab and up a long set of stairs into the above ground, a grassy field just outside the massive city. And right beside us is a huge airship, the Highwind, if I remember correctly. The four of us sprint across the open, climbing into the machine quickly.

"Williams, show 'em to their rooms," Cid commands, proudly in charge of his baby once again.

"Captain!" Someone yells. "The cat just called! He said that Tifa just broke out!"

"Get us to the end of the cannon now!"

Cid stomps away to the cockpit, leaving the three of us behind with some guy in an orange vest.