[FF7][SC] Star Flower

.Both parties have undergone a considerable degree of training, there is no need to catch up with each other, and the dialogue is surprisingly simple and straightforward. "You can start now."

"I tried my ID, and it has been canceled. As I thought, the reason is death." Dismantling the facts in an orderly manner, "Who issued the death report back then? Hojo?"

"Bao Tiao."

Nodding, "I spent some time in Hojo's lab."

This sentence will suffice.Wade turned the rim of the cup, thought for a moment, and thought he understood Vincent's reason for coming. "If you want to convince me that Dr. Hojo's strange experiments have reached out to Turks—I think the conversation can be over."

Vincent understood, "What evidence do I need to provide?"

"No evidence is needed." Wade put down his wine glass, "21 years, this is the time since your 'death'. Five years, this is the time when you were captured again in Nibelheim. And Hojo abandoned Nibelheim. It's been 14 years in Bullheim's lab. You're trying to tell me that during the nine years you've been free, you didn't choose to come back to report, or warn any of us; and then, at this very moment, Come back to this sensitive time? Mr. Valentine, you chose to give up your identity as a Turks, so don't expect me to trust you." He smiled again as if thinking of something interesting, "More Besides, there's more than a little bit of disagreement between you and Dr. Hojo."

"So you have to choose to turn a blind eye to this possibility?" Vincent didn't get angry because of the hidden personal attack, but thought carefully about how to deal with this overt and secret temptation to satisfy the other party, "Even if the subordinate you value In danger?"

"Danger? The fact is that the danger they encounter has always come from forces that oppose Shinra, such as you."

"Is Felicia too?"

"..."

The two of them, gentle, elegant and calm, are tearing each other's wounds mercilessly.This is customary.The first session of the negotiation course, for several months, trains them to control their emotions, their own and the enemy's.There is too much information that can be exposed when emotions are out of control, and how to induce and how to distinguish the true from the false is the most important thing.They know each other too well to be sympathetic, and they can't be merciful.

"You can't trust me, because you can't stop." Vincent will pity the opponent, he is this kind of person, but he will not stop his pace because of this, "Human beings must firmly believe that they are right to survive , and you, the best among them, have spent more than ten years convincing yourself that your life exists for Shinra, and Shinra is everything to you." The red eyes were so clear that they could see everything, and it seemed as if they were about to be sucked in. , but Wade knew that he could not look away at this time, absolutely not, "So there is no need to confirm that, for you, her death is the best ending."

"……where is she?"

"You need her? Will you need her?"

"You controlled her?"

"Or do you want to kill her?"

"Who are you!"

It's close to screaming.It wasn't until the waist was lightly poked that Wade came back to his senses and met Sisne's worried gaze.He looked at the wine glass again. In his reflection, his breathing was uneven and his pupils were dilated. He lost his composure to the extreme.He hadn't let it go at all, never.He knew that it was impossible for someone like Vincent to let go of the past, because they were so similar.

But Lucrezia was dead, but Felicia was still alive. This was the beginning of Wade's failure.

"If." After a while, Vincent asked softly, "Give you a chance to re-choose whether to issue that order, how would you choose?"

"No if." Wade turned his head with a wry smile, and looked at the bartender who was concentrating on cleaning up the bar. "No matter how many times, I will choose to destroy Cam. Does this answer satisfy you, Felicia?"

The bartender was unresponsive.He——she wiped off the water on the table, then walked backstage with an ice bucket and poured it into the sewer, and then returned to the front desk.The movements are slow and the hands are steady.Cisner looked at the handsome girl in surprise, and kept looking at Wade's expression worriedly.Maybe Wade should exist as the anchor of the Turks as usual, so that everyone can feel at ease; but this time, he can't do it.

He just waited in bewilderment, nervousness, but relief.Until now, he hadn't even thought he recognized her. Children always change very much when they grow up, don't they?He always thought that his little princess would grow out to be a noble and elegant lady, instead of the current, rebellious and rebellious tomboy.And what he didn't expect was that even so, he recognized her at a glance.

"Disgusting." Effie threw the rag into the bucket, and with her movement, Cisne secretly touched the gun hidden under the skirt, "Don't call me by that name. Don't make it like a family drama, you Not that kind of guy."

"..." Are all fathers speechless in front of their daughters, or is it just him?

"Don't be nervous, little girl, I won't do anything. I have no interest in the old thing's life." She coughed, thinking it was just clearing her throat, but she couldn't stop after a while.She coughed more and more, as if she was trying to hold it back, but she couldn't hold it back, and blood choked out from her nose.Stupid.Wiping off the "nosebleed" irritably, this time the blood gushed out from the corner of his mouth and stained his white shirt.

They waited quietly for Effie to tidy herself up, and no one offered help.

"Are you happy? I'm going to die soon, and I won't be a threat anymore." She smiled, and immediately spat out another mouthful of blood in disgust, "But I'm not happy. I'm not reconciled. Shinra exists well, you I haven't paid the price yet, I haven't seen you lose everything, I have to try my best not to die, it's so hard—but how can I die with peace of mind?"

"you--"

"Please accept my last gift, a little bit of truth. Your treasured Shinra has turned your sweet and well-behaved daughter into a monster." She unbuttoned her sleeves, revealing the magic stone and ugly, throbbing veins naked In front of them, she has been hiding carefully, but now she has a strange pleasure.Pale cheeks, blood red lips, tainted with a somewhat morbid beauty. "In the foreseeable future, it will take away little by little everything around you like this. It will squeeze out the last bit of value from you, and then throw it aside like a shoe. You will not betray Shinra , never, so I can only hopelessly count the days and wait for that day to come."

She staggered, stumbled, and went around the bar. In the gesture of Sisner who was guarded but was stopped by Wade's eyes, she hugged Wade from behind very intimately and naturally, and put all her weight on the strong body. Physically, it's like a child who acts like a baby and asks his father to carry him on his back.She leaned against her father's cheek, rubbed it tenderly, and left a bloody kiss, "When I think of this...even death becomes so beautiful...dear dad."

Effie gradually loosened up and slid down slowly.Wade grabbed her hand, and the callused, girlish hand was held in the palm, which was completely different from the memory.He thought he had forgotten about it. During the few rare vacations, he took her to play in the golden disc, and had to bend slightly to hold her hand along the way, which was small and fragile.He didn't move.Until the blood soaked through his suit, and the breathing in his ear became inaudible, Wade suddenly trembled violently, pulled Effie into his arms, and frantically wiped off the blood on her face.

Cisne covered his mouth, tears streaming from his eyes.She has always been regarded as a father-like existence, an always firm and reliable elder, but now she is frightened and at a loss, no different from an ordinary person.

Wade pressed Effie's head to his chest and looked at Vincent, as if asking for help, but also as if he was questioning.What does it mean?Going to all lengths to get him here just to watch a girl die?Shouldn't he be blackmailed with the means of treatment?But Vincent's gaze caught him again, causing him to hang his head in embarrassment, his lips pressed against his dry brown hair, and he made intermittent breath sounds.

Even if there is a cure, he will watch her die, won't he?

However, there is not much time left for the sick father and daughter to allow the grief to continue.The sound of breaking the door alarmed them, and the well-trained Shinra soldiers quickly surrounded the crowd, led by several third-class soldiers.Cisner looked at the entrance in shock, and it was Zeng in a suit and leather shoes who walked in together with Heitinga's fat man with a big belly.

In the past few years, they have been carrying out the secret mission assigned by Wade, and they rarely see each other, but now...?

"Now the evidence is conclusive." Heitinga walked proudly step by step with his back straight, his leather shoes clacking on the floor, "collusion with terrorists, tsk tsk." He was careful not to get too close , but looked at the bloody two people from a distance, disgusted, "I finally caught you, old fox."

"Zeng... Zeng?!" Sisne looked at Zeng in disbelief, all the facts pointed to that conjecture, but she thought it was too absurd, too absurd to be called a conjecture.

Wade raised his head, and a veil flashed in his bloodshot eyes.

Haiting took half a step back, the words he wanted to say came to his lips, he hesitated and couldn't say anything.Zeng sighed, stood out from the shadows, and met Wade's sight.Relieved, Heitinga immediately half-hid behind the young Turks.

"You disappoint me so much," Zeng said.Even at such a time, it is polite for him to say such words. "If it's just the injustice of the dismissal, I can bear it. I understand your timidity. But what are you doing now? Pushing the entire Turks into the fire pit? What was my sacrifice back then?"

"How could you not see it, it was to protect you!" Sisne roared unbearably.

Zeng shrugged and spread his hands indifferently, "If that was protection, what is it now?"

"You clearly know...obviously..."

"Know what? Between our daughter and us, who will he choose—do you really have the confidence, Cisne?" With a gentle smile, he also pronounced the sentence with a smile, "You don't." Turning to Wade, The expression became extremely contemptuous, "I'm very disappointed, very disappointed. Wade, if you choose her straightforwardly, maybe I can still retain a little respect. But now, you are just an incompetent coward hovering on both sides."

"I don't remember teaching you this way." Wade didn't even look at him, but gently put down Effie's body.

"You're old, your time is over. If you can't make a choice, I'll make it for you."

They didn't even realize what happened, it happened so quickly and so uneventfully that at the end of the day nobody believed that it really happened - once pulled out a gun, shot Wade in the heart, and then He fired two more shots very naturally.

Wade fell.

"You—you—!" Heitinga didn't react until Cisne pressed the wound in vain, the fat on his face trembling slightly, "How could you kill him!"

"Are you afraid?"

"No...of course it's impossible...I just..." Heitinga took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped off the cold sweat that kept coming out. "It's just that I didn't get permission! You're not in compliance with the rules!"

"Oh." Zeng smiled knowingly, "If it's this matter, you don't have to worry. We all know what a terrible guy Wade is. Trying to arrest him alive will only cause unnecessary losses. I think, You are also unwilling to lose your precious resources?"

"But……"

"Or, do you want to cover up the traitor who betrayed Shinra?" The tone was a little harsh, with suspicion, and after giving Heitinga enough pressure, he suddenly gave a little relaxed message, "Of course I won't Doubt your loyalty to Shinra. In fact, I did this for my own sake." He lowered his voice and hinted with a slight hint of goodwill, "After all, it was the Turks who did this thing, if you can suppress it like this Down - like an accidental death, it's best for us, for me."

Heitinga vaguely touched the doorway, and finally he was able to laugh.After all, the one who did it was Zeng, and no matter how hard he checked, it wouldn't fall on him.This matter is not harmful to him—on the contrary, if Zeng can be promoted to the position of director, it will only be of great benefit—after all, he has such a disgraceful handle in his hands, and he must manipulate Tuckers in the future. It's easy.

But, just one small problem.He must confirm that the enemy is really dead, leaving no chance, no?

Although there is a lot of resistance to the dead-his hands should not be stained by such things-this matter must be treated with caution.Heitinga approached the center of the chaos both excitedly and apprehensively, to feel for the pulse or observe the pupils, that's what it was anyway.He must have been overwhelmed by the joy of victory, not realizing that even the female Turks in pain are by no means to be underestimated.

A bullet grazed his right cheek, and accurately blasted a cloud of blood on Sisne's forehead. The gun in her hand came out, and warm blood splashed onto Heitinga's face.At the same time, the strange young man who had never had any sense of presence suddenly moved, and his red cloak spread out and floated like clouds, causing the soldiers who were tense by the gunshots to panic and pull the trigger.

The scene was extremely chaotic for a while, mixed with Heitinga's endless yelling and cursing, he was hit in the knee by a stray bullet.Moments later, when they calmed down and inspected the messy tavern riddled with bullet holes, the terrorists had disappeared without a trace.

The truck was bouncing across the vast expanse of wilderness.

Everywhere is cold, iron, wind, and twinkling stars.Wade wrapped the blanket around Effie's body tighter, looked at her mottled white hair and purple lips, and finally couldn't help but press her into his arms.There was no resistance.Maybe he didn't have the strength to resist.

Wade remembered the magic stone fragments Vincent gave him before he left.It came from the same magic stone as the shard embedded in Effie's arm, and with this extra shard, she was able to live a little longer.It is said that there are four such fragments in total. If all of them can be found, there is still a way to save her life, but it is only possible.

Thinking of this, Wade just hugged his child tighter, so tight that it seemed that they would never be separated again.

"I hate you," Effie said softly.It turned out that she was still awake.

After a long time, there was a whisper in the dead silence.

"I know."

Wade looked up, watching the stars twinkle.No such starry sky was seen in Midgar, where natural scenery was obscured by false artificial light.He thought of his time in Cam, when he had next to nothing.There are often power outages at night, and they will move chairs or folding beds out, take advantage of the coolness of the night, and fall asleep counting the stars.

Now he lost everything and found the star again.

***

end

Alice Gainsborough had a secret garden.She told no one, not even her adoptive aunt.As sorry as she was for keeping her aunt secret, Alice still wanted a place all to herself.Here, she can talk to herself without being regarded as hysterical, she can suddenly do some weird behaviors without worrying about being worried, and she can even...cry for a while for her father and mother.Of course, she could only sneak in when her aunt went out to work, or after she fell asleep at night.

Her little garden was an abandoned church, and she had set her sights on it almost immediately.How could anyone overlook those beautiful, vibrant flowers?It is said that there were still priests and believers here a few years ago, but for some reason the priest ran away. Gradually, even homeless people did not want to set foot in the unrepaired dilapidated church. It finally became her secret base alone.

Today she came to the church again, the sun streamed down from the dilapidated roof, caressing tenderly and lingeringly...a fluffy golden chocobo?

Alice squatted beside the boy with interest.His carefulness to sleep on the wooden floor, rather than the coveted enjoyment of sleeping among the flowers, won her over.Floor must have had a hard time sleeping, because the boy kept frowning, looking very restless.Alice thought for a moment, knelt down beside him, stretched out her hand——

His blue eyes snapped open.For a moment, Alice thought, could this be the color of the sea, the sea and the vast world she had always wanted to see but never had the chance to see.Then she quickly realized how abrupt and disrespectful her actions were, so she stuck out her tongue under the shocked gaze of the other party, "Do you want a free knee pillow?"

To her surprise, the boy leaned his head carefully and very familiarly.What a weirdo.But she likes it.Alice also boldly stroked that chocobo-like blond hair, and the more she touched it, the more she couldn't put it down. Her fingertips combed through the blond hair over and over again, as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time...or maybe it was Lu Xing A mother bird and a lost chick?Amused by the thought, Alice smiled a little.

"You seem to have a lot of troubles...?" For some reason, this was the first thing she asked.She should have asked the name first. "Even in your sleep you look sad."

She thought that this rash question, like her previous rashness, would soon be forgotten.But the boy was silent for a moment, and asked back, "Have you heard of white blood cells?"

This term, and a series of related memories flashed in my mind.Alice tried her best not to think of those painful parts, and pretended to be relaxed, "I know. Devouring pathogens and dying with them is a way for life to protect itself."

"I think so too."

After saying that, there was no movement, which confused Alice who was waiting for the topic to continue.But immediately, when she realized what was on the wet skirt, she looked away in a panic; then she couldn't bear it, and gently pulled him into her arms, hoping to give him some strength. "Okay, okay, there is no difficulty to overcome, and everything will be fine. As long as you are alive, there is hope for everything, isn't it?"

The boy hugged her, and gradually choked up his sobs, crying so depressedly and aggrieved.Alice's heart ached.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...but I really want to live..."