Crimson Demons (FF7)

29) Midgar

I stand off to Violet's left, watching her wiping the blood of the guard hounds we just killed off her blade. The crimson beast at her feet lays still, glowing amber eyes staring into nothingness . 

"Come on, it can't be too much further," she calls over her shoulder to me, walking past me. I start to follow her, but I freeze upon hearing the smallest possible rustling sound behind me. Swiveling around, the hound is practically on top of me already. Instincts taking over, I claw the animal, kicking into shooting range with one pointed sabaton, and finally shooting the orange creature in the head. I then holster my gun and walk past Violet. She rolls her eyes with a soft scoff. "Don't you think that was a little overkill?" I don't reply, only continuing my walk to the city. Upon entering the next area, she groans, shuffling closer. "Perfect spot for an ambush."

"Agreed." Almost immediately, six hover bikes drop from the ledges above us, circling us in a swirling wall of blue and grey. I raise Cerberus and fire after a moment of waiting for the right time. The rider falls off his bike, the vehicle swiveling out of the circle just as Violet kills the person behind him with an arrow that strikes through his helmet. I shoot down two more, Violet one, before I hear one of the motorcycles coming toward us. I manage to get out of the way, expecting Violet to move herself. She swivels around at the last possible moment, getting rammed in the stomach. The rider swerves all over the ground trying to get her off the front of his bike while I aim my gun at them. I can't shoot, unless I'd like to risk shooting Violet. She stabs through him with Nightmare and leaps off the motorcycle as it rams into a rock column further away. I hurry over to her, already fishing a potion out upon seeing the red puddle forming around her. 

"Geeze," she puffs. "What do they put on front of those things?" I hand the potion down to her.

"I'd imagine something sharp."

"You'd imagine," she scoffs. "Vincent, no offense, but I don't think you even have an imagination. And if you did, it's probably really sad and dark." I shake my head whilst fighting a smile and turn to lead the way again. She downs the disgusting liquid in her hand and hurries to catch up with me. Such an innocent child when she's not fighting or reminiscing  on the past. 

Perhaps that's why you two seem to get along so well. 

Well? She's possibly leaving because of a disagreement. 

And who's fault is that? 

Not mine. 

"It's just weird," she pipes up. "To think that the people of Midgar thought the only people who lived under them where the ones under the plates. Really, there was entire city of dangerous soldiers under them the whole time."

"Odd, yes," I frown. And Hojo... "Because you were with Hojo during the beginning of Deepground, do you think perhaps you got the same treatment to make you stronger?" 

"What?" Her eyebrows pinch together. It's a possibility, is it not? 

"I heard Shinra commented on your excessive strength, supposedly bypassing Chaos himself," I explain, giving her a slight teasing smirk. "I have yet to see such strength from you."

"I didn't know what he was talking about," she shakes her head, my attempt to lighten the mood failing. "But there can be other ways, right?"

"Of course," I nod. "It was merely a theory." 

She sighs and turns to look at the barren land that surrounds us. "But what if I'm like them? What if something makes me lose it and I..."

"Violet," I sigh, regretting my choice to tell her anything that was on my mind. "Forget I said anything, I did not wish to make you nervous."