Vincent considered his options quickly, forcing himself to control his panic. //My best chance would be that woman.//

He made sure not to look at her directly while she remained in front of the stairs leading down. //She may be strong, but I think I outweigh her enough to push her down.// Trying to plan the best way to tackle her, Vincent had to act before he was finished as he saw Highwind take a step towards him.

He ran and crashed into the woman soldier, grabbing her arms to make sure she didn't attack him even as they fell.

Although Vincent planned to stop on the next flat landing, the soldier kept twisting her body in an attempt to free herself of his grip, so they continued down another floor, tumbling over each other continuously.

Finally, when they stopped, Vincent thanked whatever divine power had caused the woman to knock herself unconscious. He got up and ran down one more floor, hearing the pounding foot steps above him. He double-checked the sign before dashing in and locking the door. //That should give me a few minutes, at least!//

Meanwhile, Reeve was happily adjusting the last tiny screw into his latest creation. An innocent looking animatronic/robotic black cat that would serve as a spy tool, recording all it saw and heard. As per Reno's instructions, it would also be controlled by remote so it could actively collect data. Reeve reveled in his creations, confident in his company. "There we are! All done." He held the cat upright and grinned at it, very much satisfied with himself.

Just then, his door was kicked open, then slammed shut. Vincent locked it as he panted for breath, looking very frazzled. He looked at Reeve, resisting a chuckle at his shocked expression. "Reeve, I need your help."

"Uh, uh, of course Mr. Valentine!" Reeve set down his cat as Vincent walked up to him. "What do you need for your next mission?"

"It's not a mission." Vincent continued when he saw Reeve about to start stammering, "No, not like that. Hojo...well, you know how he is. I expect to be working again soon, but I need time right now. I need to get out of here in one piece before his soldiers find me."

Reeve blinked, then swiveled his chair to his computer and started typing away maddly. "OK, I understand. They're scary."

"You know about them?"

"Yes, Professor Hojo asked me to create their microchips." He didn't stop typing as he looked up at the Turk, "Um... you are gonna stop their project, right? I don't think the Professor should be doing that kinda stuff to people."

Silently re-thanking any deities who had now also found him such a useful ally, Vincent nodded. "Exactly, but right now I need to get away, somewhere safe. Hojo has convinced the president they are useful to him, and I don't think he's told him everything."

"I understand. Oh geez, I feel REALLY bad about this, but I set the PA system to send out a tone that we can't hear, but it'll send a feedback signal to their chips that should cause them to pass out in about 30 seconds." He got up and grabbed two PHS from one of his drawers. He handed one to Vincent. "It's a secure signal, so ya can call without getting caught. Should I give the other one to Reno?"

"Yes Reeve. Thank you." He paused as he was about to walk out, "Should they be out by now?"

"Uh-huh, you're safe. Good luck Mr. Valentine!" Reeve smiled at the Turk, glad something would be done about those soldiers of Hojo's. From the beginning he didn't like what the professor's specifications were on the microchips, but he had not been in a position to refuse. He only hoped that the Turk would be able to fix all of this, somehow.

Vincent sprinted down the hallway, towards the elevators. He stopped as he saw Highwind and another one of the soldiers passed out on the ground a few feet away from the now broken door of the emergency stairway. //I'll get you out Highwind. You and the rest of them.//

***

One week later Vincent was hiding out at Cosmo Canyon. By keeping in touch with Reno, he had found out about the next mission would be taking place there, something about catching a 'wild beast'. Of course, half an hour after he had arrived at the small town, he had met the so-called beast, and explained the situation to him. They formulated a plan and began to carry it out as soon as they heard the soldiers had reached Gongaga for supplies.

Due to the fact that the soldiers still suffered the effects of Hojo's punishment for not catching Valentine, their going was slow and hard. By nightfall of the first day leaving Gongaga, the soldier group was running ragged, most falling asleep as soon as they set out their sleeping bags. Highwind, as the leader, took the first watch. He walked around the camp a bit, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Although they were entering a desert environment, there were several springs and small rivers that crisscrossed the region, based on the forest to the east. He filled his canteen and paused to look at his reflection in the water. The scar that had formed across his face was slowly going away, and his vision was almost back to normal by now.

Though sometimes at night it was a bit blurry, or with long distances. Luckily, he fought at close quarters, so it didn't impair him much. Of course, if it had been fine, he might seen the slight movement to his left and been able to do something before he was pinned down by a heavy weight.

"Don't speak in anything louder than a whisper." A deep voice above him commanded. Highwind saw that it was the monster they were trying to capture. He wanted to alert the others, but he could imagine the size of the claws in the large paw that was pressing down on his neck. He nodded slightly and the beast continued, "What is your name?"

"Highwind."

"Imagine my luck. The prize pet of his." It chuckled softly. "Will you come quietly with me?"

The blond didn't even consider lying. "No. I will find a way to wake the others so we can complete our mission."

"Then I suppose I can't let that happen. Sleepel!" The beast felt the human under him relax and breathe easy. He got off him and grabbed the back of his clothes in his teeth, then swung him up onto his large back. Although it would take the others several days to reach the canyon, he knew of ways to get there within only a few hours.

***

The Captain felt a warm hand stroke his face as he woke up. He sat up, ready to fight, but hesitated when he recognized Vincent. The professor had said something about capturing him, but didn't he also say it was a lost cause? "Sir?"

"Highwind, execute order 4."

"Yes sir." Most of the tension left his body almost instantly. Now he knew that the professor had canceled the order to catch Valentine.

//Good, that should do it.// "Seto, will you join us please?" Vincent spoke towards the open door.

A large furry beast walked in. His shoulders were probably at the height of Vincent's chest, and his weight probably four to five times of the Turk. It's red mane made it seem even larger. Yet Highwind was not afraid or curious, even though he realized this was the same beast from last night. In fact, by the time the beast walked over to the bed, he was looking at Vincent for another order.

"I see. Even a dog growls when it's ordered not to attack someone who kicked it. Fascinating." The large lion-like creature sat back on his haunches, staring at the blond.

"It's a command to counter any previous mission objectives. Very helpful to me, especially under the current circumstances." The Turk turned back to the captain. "I've got a very complex order for you, so you have to pay attention."

"Yes sir."

"You will be undergoing a test which might last indefinitely. You are ordered to follow any and all of my orders, which I give you directly or indicate whom you should obey. You will NEVER listen to Hojo, or your past comrades, no matter what they say. Understood?"

Highwind nodded as he did, even though it wasn't as Vincent meant it. "Yes sir. You are my handler now."

Vincent got a chill up his spine, though he wasn't sure why. //No matter how much I keep reading about what Hojo did, there's still so many things that he never wrote down. This may be harmless, but what other terms or small things do I need to know?// He didn't realize his luck that Hojo had instructed the blond obey Vincent as himself as an actual order, and not just a temporary objective.

"Come now, we have to get rid of the others." Seto got up and walked out the door, with Vincent and Highwind following him. They continued down some stairs carved into the rock, leading in and out under rock formations. "Can you make him tell you their plans?"

"Highwind, what were the exact orders from Hojo?"

"To find and capture the large red beast for his experiments. We were not to kill it, but not return until we caught it or ran out of serum." Highwind said calmly, though it was obvious he had no interest in doing so now.

"That might make it difficult to get rid of them." Seto sighed. "I might have to kill them all. I cannot risk my son."

Vincent crossed his arms as he thought about it. "Highwind, where do you all carry your serum?"

"In this." He pointed to a reinforced pouch that was attached to his belt.

"Anywhere else?"

"No sir."

Vincent turned to Seto. "Then if I just destroy those, they'll be forced to return. Once back, Hojo will know I'm interfering with his plans, so I'm sure he'll leave you alone, and come after me."

"Ah, and when they constantly fail, your president will most likely refuse any plans using them. You can return safely and deter him."

"As well as making sure he leaves you alone. I'm sure the president would love an opportunity to trade for some of the natural resources here."

"Perhaps we shouldn't plan too much ahead. Let's begin with tonight, shall we?"

***

Highwind crept through the bushes slowly and silently. He recognized the soldier who was taking watch as one who usually didn't alter his pattern of walking around. It would be easy to sneak into their encampment. He gripped the large knife in his hand tighter as he remembered his orders. Vincent had told him to remove the serum pouches from all of them, making sure to not get caught. Highwind had every intention to return to Vincent, even if he had to fight his fellow soldiers. Although he didn't know, the lessening of serum in his blood triggered his repressed anger, which made him more predatory. Yet he still knew what his target was, and wouldn't be deterred even if he thought he wouldn't have a chance.

Vincent was lying on a hill on the other side of the encampment, ready with his rifle. The plan was simple, but the Turk didn't want to take any chances. He knew Highwind was a good fighter, but if somehow the others ganged up on him, it would not bode well for the captain.

Once the watcher started walking away, Highwind silently rushed forward, heading towards the sleeping bags. He stopped at the first and quickly removed the pouch. Placing it in his backpack, he went on to the next soldier.

Vincent watched through the sights of his rifle, anxiously twitching his foot behind him. He moved the scope around, now watching the man who was keeping an eye on the camp's perimeter. The Turk wondered if he'd unexpectedly change his pattern, and come back before Highwind was finished. He glanced back at the encampment and saw Highwind carefully cutting the last pouch off. The blond got up and made his way back towards some rocks and boulders, waiting the soldier out.

The soldier walked near him, unsuspecting that a silent enemy could be hidden so close. Highwind waited until he walked past, then jumped out and grabbed him around the neck and mouth, dragging him away quickly.

Vincent swore when he realized they were no longer in his line of sight. //Good luck Highwind.// He waited a while longer, then got up see what was going on. He slung his rifle over his shoulder, and mounted the chocobo they had borrowed from Seto.

He rode in a wide arc around the camp, coming to a close where he had last seen the two. He urged the bird to a stop, then dismounted and quietly got closer. Highwind was on the ground, pushing the other soldier off him, who seemed to be dead.

Vincent helped, swallowing nervously when he realized he had been killed by Highwind's dagger, which had practically decapitated him. "Highwind, are you all right?" The Turk whispered as he saw fresh blood all over the blond, which he hoped belonged only to the dead man.

"Yes sir, I should be able to still walk." Highwind pointed to his thigh, which did seem bloodier than the rest. Vincent helped him up, supporting him when he limped. He also helped him get up on the chocobo, knowing they had to leave before any of the others woke up. They could check his wound once they got back. He couldn't help but ask,

"Does it hurt?"

This was one of Highwind's most difficult questions to answer. He knew he had to be truthful, but he also knew that he should not feel pain. "...I will be fine, sir." And even though Vincent or Reno had often asked it in the past, he still had to think about it each time.

//That proves it. Well, I destroyed all of his serum before we left, but he's still carrying the others'. I could tell him to have just one... No. If I'm going to try to break him away from Hojo's experiments, then I can't allow anything that he made. I'll just use some materia and potions.// Since the blond was sitting in front of him, directing the chocobo, Vincent removed the vials from their pouches and threw them on the rocks as they went by individually, so he made sure each one broke. Focusing on that task, it was a little easier to push the death of the one soldier to the back of his mind, but not for long. //I wanted to help them all... yet Highwind is the one most important to me. I'd rather see him alive than any of the others... horrible a thought as that is.//

They arrived at Cosmo Canyon before sunrise, where the entrance guard helped take Highwind to a room at the inn.

Vincent told the blond to lie on the bed so he could clean his wound. After he grabbed some supplies, he sat on a chair next to him. He pulled off the blond's pants, hoping to get them washed later. He gasped when he saw how his thigh had been injured. The other man's dagger had been probably what had been used, and it must have been gouged in then twisted, leaving torn muscles hanging grotesquely. It was amazing the blond had been able to ignore his pain this whole time.

He cleaned it out as best he could, trying to hurry. Highwind didn't make any noise, but he did tense up his body throughout the cleaning. The Turk cast a couple of Cure spells on him, relieved that most of the damage healed itself.

//He should be fine in a few days. In fact, I doubt he'll have any trouble with it in a week or so, given his quick healing.// He bandaged it up, then covered the blond with a blanket. "You should rest Captain."

"Sir...?" The blond twisted his head to look up at him.

"Hmm?"

"Am I not to take my shots?"

"No. No more, not ever."

"Yes sir."

Idly, Vincent caressed the side of Highwind's face. He couldn't stop himself from remembering the '17'. He wondered if the blond would ever feel what he felt towards him. //Could I order him to? At least the motions?// "Don't pull away Highwind." Before the blond could respond, Vincent moved forward and kissed him. He found himself pleasantly surprised when the blond responded to the kiss by parting his lips, almost eagerly.

When he finished the kiss and pulled away he tried to interpret what Highwind was feeling. His blue eyes were searching, much like when he was waiting for an order. But Vincent noticed the difference between that and how this was. //He does feel SOMETHING positive. But I should wait and see until this serum is fully out of his body. To do otherwise would be wrong.// "Go to sleep Highwind, I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight sir." The blond closed his eyes, mentally reviewing the kiss. It reminded him of a 17 session, but there was a difference. He hadn't felt the same lust, but he did want to continue with Vincent. Of course, he'd never attempt to do so without an order. He couldn't help but wonder if it might have been some kind of reward.

***

Highwind woke up early the next morning. He didn't see Vincent around, so he wasn't sure what to do. //I'll make my rounds now, just to be sure.// He noticed his pants weren't there, but someone had left a different pair. He put them on, stepping lightly on his wounded leg. He forced himself to wipe the grimace off his face, still trying to follow his training not to show he was in pain. He walked outside, pausing outside the inn to observe the area.

He looked around at the people walking around to do their errands and such. Some children ran around playing their games. //It looks all right. But where is he?// Highwind didn't really have a name for Vincent. He knew only that Hojo called him Valentine, and the other Turk called him "Boss". Luckily, he could get away with addressing him as "sir".

The blond went towards the rock stairs he remembered walking down the other day. He started going into the first room when he heard a low growl. His eyes hadn't adapted to the darker interior so he tried to use his other senses. It didn't sound like Seto, and he could feel a presence lower to the ground. As long as he wasn't attacked though, he wasn't going to do anything. He knew that Vincent considered Seto an ally, and this was probably the 'son' he had referred to the other day. If he were to attack him, he would have been ordered to. His eyes gradually adapted and he got a better look at the creature growling at him. It was red as well, but about the size of a large wolf. His mane wasn't as impressive, but wasn't sparse by any means. It seemed that the beast was getting tired of growling though, as if he couldn't figure him out. The captain made sure not to stare at him in the eyes, just in case he would take that as a threat. He heard Vincent talking with Seto though, coming down from a higher set of stairs around the corner.

"Nanaki, what are you doing?" Seto walked over to the growling beast.

"He's an intruder Father, I must protect the canyon!"

Vincent bit back a smile as he walked over to Highwind's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. The youth would have seemed frightening alone, but in comparison to Seto, he was adorable.

"No Nanaki, he is Vincent's... let's just consider him his pet, all right?" It was obvious he thought it amusing by his tone. "Now run along now. Grandfather wanted to teach you more about the Lifestream." The small beast nodded and ran off towards the higher stairs.

"Pet?" Vincent raised an eyebrow at Seto.

"Pets may not be friendly with strangers, but aren't to be mistreated."

"I see." Vincent looked at Highwind to see if he was taking offense to the label. The blond was merely looking at him blankly. "Are you hungry Captain?"

"Yes sir."

"Come then, let's have breakfast. Will you join us Seto?"

"No thank you. I'll see you later." The large creature followed up the way his son had gone.

Vincent gently nudged Highwind to come with him. "Highwind, how do you feel this morning?"

"Sir?"

"Are you lonely without your old comrades?"

Highwind wrinkled his brow slightly as he thought about it. "No sir, I do not think so. It is different from missing you."

Vincent felt himself blush, "Y-you missed me?"

"Yes sir. You are a good leader."

//Here I was thinking it was as I hoped. But, it's a good sign he does feel something.// "Thank you Highwind. Let's get something to eat."