Chapter Nine: The Cloaked Schemer
Vincent stood up and gripped Cerberus at his side. "Who the hell are you?" he asked as he stepped in front of the girls to protect them. He pulled out his gun and aimed it directly at him. "Answer me!"The hooded figure let out a quick laugh while shaking his head. "Ah, temper, temper," the man replied, folding his arms across his chest. "You're just a bag of fun, my friend. Well, I suppose this is the time where I spill the beans."
The mysterious man then pointed to Miyo, and a smirk crossed his face. "I got some information for your little friend, missy," he said slyly. "Why don't you be a good girl and go away for a while? I promise no one will be hurt."
Vincent did not move a muscle and he continued to outstretch his arm and aim Cerberus. "I think not," he said though his teeth as he thinned his eyes. "I have no idea who you are. There's no way I'm sending Miyo away just because you tell me to." The Turk glanced over his shoulder at the young woman and nodded.
Miyo let out a tiny gasp, then giving a small nod to Vincent. "He's really concerned for me," she thought. "I never imagined having someone to protect me."
The figure clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Not a smart move, man," he retorted sharply. "I'm helping you here. Maybe if you catch some of this, you'll be able to keep your life before things... get dangerous."
"Danger?" Miyo questioned. "What do you mean?!"
"Well, the only way for you to find that out is for him to hear what I have to say...alone," the figure responded.
Vincent looked down at the ground and fell into thought. The man wasn't certain of what he should do. He didn't want to abandon Kohana and Miyo, but he also needed to hear what this man had to say, in case the mysterious man knew something about why he and Kikyo were in Riyona.
The Turk lowered Cerberus and shifted his red eyes toward the stranger. "I'm sorry, but if my friend cannot hear your information, then I cannot hear it," he said as he relaxed himself once more. "Why is it you cannot tell Miyo your information?"
"Sorry," the hodded man responded, "Rules are rules. You can either come with me to hear what I have to say or leave. Your choice."
Miyo sighed and replied, "It's okay. We'll be here. If it's important then you should go." She gave Vincent a small shrug and looked down at Kohana.
The hooded man rolled his hidden eyes and crossed his arms once more. "Come on, come on," he lightly growled, beginning to tap his foot to a beat playing in his head. "I haven't got all night, y'know. Just trust me, she'll be fine."
Vincent thinned his eyes and huffed. He looked at Miyo and nodded. "If you need me just call my name, alright?"
The young woman looked up and gave the Turk a reassuring smile. "Right," she said softly. "Everything will be alright, Vincent. It's going to be okay."
The man nodded and walked toward the hooded figure. A strange and malevolent feeling resided about him, but Vincent quickly shook it off a moment later.
"Ah, now that's better," the shadow uttered with a scoff. "So, let's get to our little interview, shall we? Tell me, have you lived in this world since your birth?"
Vincent looked over at Miyo once more and then closed his eyes. "No," he said in a melancholy voice. "I wasn't born of this world. I was born sixty years ago in a city called Midgar."
A smirk grew upon the shadow's hidden face as he cunningly devised a quick plot in his mind. "Perfect," he muttered in a low, inaudible tone. "So far, so good."
Sitting upon the ground, her sister's head resting in her lap, Miyo couldn't help but look over to Vincent every so often. Her moonlit eyes gazed upon him intently and she was certain that he never left her sight. "I can't help but feel useless," the woman thought while looking away. She lowered her chin and, let out a sigh. "What if what that man was saying is true...what if Vincent is really in danger?"
The shadow continued. "So, from my understanding, you just popped into this little world out of the blue?" the figure inquired, darting his eyes at Miyo for a brief glance. "You've arrived here quite by accident?"
The Turk nodded and was silent for a few moments before speaking once again. "That's right," he simply said crossing his arms as his eyes thinned. "Look, I don't know who you are and I don't know your intentions. So, who sent you? Why are you here? I want answers and I want them now."
"Of course," the shadow replied while a sneer grew upon his covered face. "Let's just say that I'm not exactly the good or bad guy in this little scenario. Does that answer your question?"
The man touched Cerberus at his side and his eyes entered an intense glare. "I'm afraid not," he responded sharply. Vincent advanced toward the man and he began to draw his gun from its case. "Understand, if the situation calls for it, I won't hold back. I'll ask you again: who the hell are you?"
Miyo looked over at Vincent and noticed the bitter expression on his face. "Something's wrong," the young woman whispered softly before looking down at Kohana. She took off the top layer of her clothing and made a pillow for the young girl. She lifted her head and placed the cloth under it. Miyo kissed her sister's forehead and got up from her position a moment after. Cautiously approaching the two men, the young woman loomed with various emotions residing about her. She tensed herself as the unknown figure snapped his head to her direction, and the whites of Vincent's eyes were in her gaze.
"I thought I told you to stay away," the hooded man snarled.
"Just stay behind me, Miyo," he said softly as he glanced over to the young woman. The man turned his attention over to shadow and glared at him intently. "Keep away from her. If you dare come near us, I'll rip you to shreds."
The hooded figure placed his hands on his hips, and he let out a quick chortle. "Now, now, let's not be hasty," the voice continued waving his hands about in the air. Looking up at Vincent's glaring face, the shadow smirked. "You've got it all wrong, my friend. I'm trying to get you out of a little mess that's going to ensue, ya get me?"
Vincent grew increasingly suspicious as the figure pressed on with his speech. "What are you talking about?" he asked, the man's voice was low and almost sounded like a growl. "A mess? Danger?"
Without a second thought, the hooded figure proceeded. "Well, if you must know, something big is coming on the horizon," he continued, the figure then began to circle Vincent and Miyo, and his tone was dark and menacing. "I can't exactly inform you of what it is at the moment. No, not now... You have to realize that by just coming along with me, you'll be dodging a bullet that's yet to be fired. I'm not asking for anything--nothing at all; it's simple. A child can grasp the concept. Don't you understand? All you have to do is comply to my terms, and you're going to be totally worry free."
Rage grew inside of the Turk as his keen eyes followed the black shadow's movement, and his ears took in the man's deceitful words. "Absolutely... not," Vincent replied, nearly frightening Miyo with his chilling voice. His intense eyes thinned while he placed Cerberus back into its leather case on his thigh. "I don't care about what happens to me. I only intend to keep my friends safe from any of your chaotic mess. Understand? Miyo, are you coming?"
"Yes," Miyo responded, following close behind him. The young woman darted her eyes to Vincent before lowering her gaze to the ground. She turned over her shoulder to check on Kohana who, surprisingly, was still dozing off.
The dark figure raised a hidden brow after his arms folded to his chest. "Fine, I see how it is, but remember, this won't be the only shifty encounter you'll have; not by a long shot." he whispered to himself, his voice was twisted and cold. "If you won't join me, then I'll have the pleasure of--well, I'll leave that to the imagination. Until we meet again, I guess this is farewell...."
"Fine by me," Vincent said, leading Miyo away from the hooded figure. As the two made their way over to the sleeping girl, the young woman looked over to where the hooded man was previously standing. To her surprise, he had completely vanished, leaving not a trace of the mysterious encounter.
Chapter Ten: You're Welcome > >
