Leaning on You(FF7)

37

"Ever had to use it much?"

"Yeah. Escaping from Midgar and traveling here," he says quietly.

"Hmm."

"Did my mom... How did you know she wanted you to take care of me?"

"She told me before she died."

"You were there when she died?!"

"Yeah," I look down into the grayish dishwater. "I should've saved her life..."

"What happened?"

"Sephiroth," I say bitterly before scrubbing at a plate again.

The boy must sense my sudden hatred and silences himself, continuing his cleaning. I start up the dishwasher and dry my arms off with a sigh.

"Sorry, I just can't stand him. I've lost too many friends by his hand."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not," I shake my head. He frowns at me before shaking his head and throwing Hus used paper towel away.

"Goodnight, Mr. Valen..."

"Derek," I raise an eyebrow. "Just call me Vince. Okay?"

"... Okay," he nods. "Goodnight Vince."

"Night Derek," I smile and he's on his way. After wiping down the table, I head to the bunk room. Then I pull my headband off my forehead and yank my metal plated shoes off. Laying down next to Tifa, I yank the covers up over my shoulder and close my heavy eyelids. Today has been a rough day...

I kick down the door to the house of the man I'm supposed to be on a job for. Assassinations are just another job for the Turks. My hair is shorter than I remember, and I hold a silenced gun in my left hand, where my claw usually is.
"Margaret?" I hear a voice call from the living room. "Did you ever read that..." He stops in mid sentence when he sees the end of a barrel and feels the cool metal against his forehead. I pull the trigger without much emotion, a specialty of the Turks.
"Robert... Who are you?!" A woman shrieks behind me. I swivel around and point my gun at her. A witness. She drops to the floor in a pool of blood and brain matter. Then I turn to go, but another voice stops me.
"Momma?" A small girl with curly brown hair stands on the steps sleepily, hugging her stuffed chocobo by its long neck and rubbing one eye. Another witness. And just like that, I've created a new breed of chocobo. Blood red.