Valenwind AU -- Two Worlds 16

"Why do you guys paint yourselves up before you go fight?" Cid asked as Yuffie painted a red strip across his nose and under his eyes.

"Cause red's the color of war," Yuffie said. "The color makes us strong. And we're gonna need some of that strength, or we'll get our butts kicked!"

Tifa walked up with another bowl of paint, giving Yuffie an admonishing look.

Yuffie scowled. "Well, it's true." She took the bowl from Tifa and put a few white spots on the red stripes. "You look pretty silly, though," she admitted. "Yellow hair and all."

"I don't care. If we get caught, Hojo's gonna know that I'm completely on your side. I can't stand out anymore."

"Does it matter?" Tifa asked with a seemingly innocent smile.

"Well... I like to pretend like I'm part of something, at least." Cid wrinkled his nose.

"You are, and I know someone who would be glad to agree."

Cid smiled, looking towards Vincent. Most of the capable natives were out mixing face paints and decorating each other's faces.

"But... if we're the ones going out to raid the camp, why are YOU all painting your faces?" Cid asked in confusion.

"Because it's like we're leaking all our strength out to you," Yuffie said. "Basically."

Aeris was painting intricate red designs over Vincent's scarred skin, talking quietly to the warrior. Once Yuffie was done with his face, Cid stood and wandered over to Vincent, watching Aeris' skilled hands and laughing inwardly at Yuffie's thick, clumsy strokes.

Amber eyes drifted upward at the pilot, standing out vividly against the ebony hair and deep red paint.

Cid smiled, surprised that he didn't feel more ridiculous. "How do I look?"

Vincent smiled slightly, "Handsome."

Looking very proud of himself, Cid sat down next to Vincent. "You're really good at it," he noted to Aeris. "Not that Yuffie's bad, or anything," he added, after catching the young girl's glare.

Aeris laughed lightly, continuing her work. Vincent looked at Cid, watching him silently.

Cid flashed him a smirk. "Ready to do this?" he asked, trying to sound as brave as he could.

Vincent gave Aeris a nod as she finished and took the bowl of paint from her, turning to Cid. "Not quite." He smiled, dipping his small hand into the paint. He placed it directly over the pilot's heart. "Now I am."

Cid looked down at the paint, then back up at Vincent, before taking Vincent's paint covered hand and holding it against his own until they were both slick with red paint. He made an identical hand print over Vincent's heart.

Vincent looked at their prints, his smaller one compared to Cid's large one. He looked at the pilot and smiled shyly, "Red isn't your color."

Cid shook his head. "It is yours, though. It matches your eyes."

Vincent ducked his head shyly, his heavily decorated hair falling over his face.

Cid tilted Vincent's chin back up, forcing their eyes to meet.

Vincent smiled, his amber eyes taking on a brilliant gold hue.

"Ready to kick some ass?" Cid said.

Vincent's smiled turned predatory in response.

- - - - -

"Here," Cid whispered, pointing at the three soldiers through the trees. They had snuck around to the back of the ship, where the secret hatch was, and Hojo had only stationed three guards there. Of course. Because he had no way of knowing that there was a way in.

He turned to Vincent. "We gotta take care of 'em quietly, or the ones round front'll hear."

Vincent nodded, reading three arrows in his bow. "I can hit them at once but you'll have to get in quickly."

"I can do that." Cid's fist tightened around his spear. Without even thinking, he'd abandoned the metal one and grabbed the one that Vincent had given to him soon after their meeting.

Vincent pulled his bow smoothly, taking aim and releasing the arrows with a sharp snap. The arrows flew true, but not lethally.

Cid rushed out and pinned all three of them under the heavy shaft of his spear.

"SHHHH," he hissed. "If you say anything, I'll skewer ya."

The guards nodded their heads in unison.

Vincent followed quickly after Cid, rendering the guards unconscious in a few quick movements.

Immediately, Cid all but flew towards the ship, hands pressed against a square metal panel on her side. He pressed down on it, and it sprung open like a trapdoor.

Vincent took a quick glance and headed in, going into a crouch and surveying the area with his bow.

They emerged in a dimly-lit hallway, identical metal panels on all sides of them. "End of this hallway's the captain's quarters," Cid explained as they moved along. "Handy, eh? Course, not much in there now... and we still gotta be careful."

Vincent said nothing, his eyes training for any glimpse of movement.

At the other end of the hallway, Cid opened another trapdoor and looked carefully into the room before dropping down onto the floor.

Vincent dropped down after him, making no sound as he landed. "Where are we?" He breathed.

"My room. Well, it used to be my room."

It was now lined wall to wall with chemical-filled shelves, each shelf full to bursting with corked test tubes, lidded beakers, and jars full of floating specimens. A gurney and table had replaced his bed and desk, and a colorful pile of... something was slumped on the table. Cid crossed over to pick one up.

It was a pile of beads. Native beads.

Vincent was filled with horror and images of being trapped flooded his mind. He walked backward towards the door, wanting to run out of the room as fast as possible.

"No!" Cid grabbed his shoulder. "C'mon, stay with me, here, please."

Vincent froze when he saw the beads in Cid's hands. He could feel his legs start to give under him and his mind lock up.

Cid dropped the beads and put his hands on Vincent's shoulders to support him, their foreheads touching. "Calm down," he whispered.

Vincent took a shaky breath and shuddered, nodding against Cid's forehead.

"We're gonna walk on into that armory, grab us a couple dozen firearms, and walk back out like we own the place, got it? We're gonna get out again."

Vincent's eyes wandered to the jars lining the walls, not really listening to Cid's words.

Cid followed Vincent's gaze, reaching a hand out and gently pushing against a jar. The thing inside of it -- was it a fetus? -- swayed in its preservatives.

Vincent swayed slightly, becoming unsteady in Cid's hold.

Cid's hand tightened on Vincent's shoulder. "I gotcha," he muttered.

"Cid...Let's go...plase..."

"Hm?" Cid dropped his hands and took a step away. "What's wrong?"

Vincent continued to stare at the jars, feeling sick to his stomach. "Please Cid...I don't like it here..."

Cid's eyes traveled to the only open beaker in the room, on the table next to the beads. It was filled with a glowing greenish liquid. A handwritten page of notes was lying next to it, which Cid picked up and began to read.

"Mako..." he muttered to himself.

Vincent watched at Cid, feeling even sicker as he picked up the jar of bright liquid.

Cid read over the notes, eyes progressively widening. Abruptly, he pocketed the paper and grabbed a small, empty test tube, pouring some of the green liquid in, corking it, and pocketing it.

Vincent found his legs again and appeared next to Cid, "...He had that."

"Is that what he gave to you?" Cid asked tensely. "What he shot into your arm?"

Vincent nodded slowly, "It felt like fire...I remember my body couldn't handle it...and he did something to my chest..."

Cid grimaced, feeling dirty with the strange liquid in his pocket. "C'mon," he said. "We gotta get to the armory, so we can get back home."

Vincent nodded,taking the beads from Cid and throwing them back onto the table.

Cid gingerly opened the door that led into the main hallway, almost running right into Tseng.

The raven-haired man smiled. "I had a feeling you'd be back." He looked Cid up and down. "I like the makeup."