Trauma

/

The door pushed open, halting Cid in his struggles as he watched four people file into his white prison. His heart shot into his throat, his pain temporarily forgotten as they surrounded him. They were all wearing the exact same lab coats, and the same indifferent, emotionless expressions. Cid felt like a slab of meat on a butcher's table.

"Bastards – lemme the fuck go!" He spat, jerking against his restraints. When no one responded he yelled, "I hope Chaos breaks free and rips yer hearts out – if he can FUCKIN' FIND THEM!"

One female scientist looked at a male colleague. "Sedate him," she said.

"FUCK YOU!" Cid bellowed, struggling anew. Sweat gathered at his palms, his body started shaking – he'd never felt more scared in his life. The pain of his injuries had disappeared under the fear adrenaline. His breath faltered when he saw the needle. "Shit… shit…" He chanted through his teeth. His mind screamed get out! Get out!

They pinned his right arm, barely noticing his swollen wrist. He thrashed as much as he could; it was futile, he knew, but he wasn't about to make it easy for them. The sharp prick of the needle was like a stab of ice, he couldn't look as they depressed the plunger, but he made his discomfort known by unloading his entire vocabulary of obscenities until he had literally run out of things to insult them with.

The drug spread through him quickly. There was no fighting it. He was dimly aware of them rustling about behind him, preparing objects that gave a metal ting, typing on a keypad and hovering around him as his head clouded and his body became sluggish. A second later it no longer responded to his commands without immense effort, and even so all he could manage was slight movements. He felt sick but calm – a frustrating combination.

An intravenous drip was inserted into the back of his right hand; pain exploded from his dislocated joint at the touch. They finally noticed, and with a cold, careless effort forced it back into place. To say it was painful would be an understatement, and although it wasn't his first dislocation, it felt ten times worse in his current state.

Someone – the woman – was speaking into a recording device, stating the date and time as she wheeled a tray of malicious tools into Cid's view. He refused to look at them, concentrating on the link between himself and Vincent. Damnit, Vince, I'm so sorry. So fucking sorry I couldn't save you from this… I'm begging for a miracle. Please… Please, goddamnit…

Two flat sensor pads were attached to his temple, their cold material felt like ice cubes. Several more were placed over his heart and chest. The sedative prevented Cid's heart from racing, but the feeling of gut-wrenching apprehension remained strong.

"What the hell is that racket?" One of the scientists said.

They were all quiet as they listened. Cid could hear an alarm wailing somewhere.

"Go and see what's happening," the woman said, gesturing with her chin towards the door. She had a syringe in hand.

One of them moved towards the door and opened it – at the same time as something kicked it open, sending him flying back into the tray of medical tools. Metal scattered everywhere as the rest of the team jumped back. Cid tore his eyes from the mess to the doorway, and his heart leapt.

Tifa, fists balled and expression set, threw a quick glance at Cid to determine his state before she pounced on the team. Her martial arts skills took care of them easily, and Cid wished he had enough movement to see her beating the shit out of them. He took dark enjoyment in hearing it instead.

"Cid!" Tifa finally dashed to his side, having dealt with the team. They were all out cold, or hopefully dead. The young woman fumbled with the drip in his hand before quickly unbuckling the restraints. "Are you okay? Did they do anything? Can you move?"

With great concentration Cid managed to force the air from his lungs and whisper, "sedated… me…"

Tifa cursed, whipping the chest strap from him and pulling off the sensor pads. She spun around, looking for something, perhaps a wheelchair she could put him in. But there wasn't one. "I can't get you out of here like this," she realized, trepidation in her tone.

"Vince…cent," Cid breathed.

"I don't know where he is," she said even more anxiously, sliding a hand under his back and pulling him into a sitting position. "It's only a matter of time before they find us. We're in an underground complex or something. I don't know – I was locked in a holding cell. I had to beat someone senseless just to find you." She took his face in hand and leveled her eyes with his. "How long ago did they sedate you?"

"…Minutes…"

She cursed again, glancing nervously back at the door. She hesitated. She didn't know what to do.

"Go… without me," Cid managed, feeling exhausted just to say it. "Get… help."

"I can't leave you," Tifa protested quickly, the very thought troubled her.

"Yer gotta… save Vince," he pleaded.

Her brow knitted, torn between options. She could leave him there and escape by herself, or risk getting them both recaptured if she tried to bring him with her.

"Tif… please…"

She clamped her eyes shut and bit her lip, struggling with herself. Finally, she fixed her gaze on him and nodded. "I'll bring the whole damn WRO," she promised, swallowing. Her hand was gripping his shoulder so hard he didn't notice the parting squeeze she gave before she turned and ran out. The door closed behind her.

Cid stared at it, feeling both hopeful and disappointed. He wanted her to find Vincent, but the chance of that happening would be extremely slim; unlike Cid, he would be surrounded by security and locks that she wouldn't be able to pass through.

The alarms continued to wail in the complex, but he could hear nothing else, no footsteps, no voices, no movement whatsoever. Strange, considering they would probably expect Tifa to find her friends first. They should have sent security to cover his room. But obviously they hadn't.

No, they've sent everyone available to make sure she can't get to Vincent, Cid realized. Which meant he might have a small window of opportunity to do something, even if it was locking the door from the inside so he could buy himself time. Getting to the door was going to be a problem, though.

Cid closed his heavy eyes and summoned every ounce of strength he could. Slowly, he slid from the examination table, planting his feet on the floor before carefully distributing his weight to them. His movements were painfully slow, but he couldn't will his body to move any faster. He gripped the table like a lifeline with his sore hand, sure at any minute someone was about to burst in and strap him back down. His head felt like it had been filled with lead, making his visibility fuzzy and his equilibrium shot to hell. It was a miracle he could move as much as he was doing. Well, Shera did say his stubbornness could overcome anything…

It was when he attempted to straighten up did his body fail him, and he crumpled to the floor heavily. Shit… shit… His injuries throbbed like hell, forcing him to still completely and take several deep breaths. When he'd gathered his strength (or what little he could), he lifted his gaze to the door: His destination. It seemed miles away.

But he didn't give up. Using his right arm he dragged his body across the floor, inch by inch. Every second felt like it was draining away his remaining energy, the drug still pumping through his system trying to stop him altogether. But somehow, after an excruciating amount of time, he finally pulled himself to the door. Looking up, the lock looked ten feet high.

I'm gonna kill those science bastards, Cid swore, pressing his face against the door. He allowed himself a few seconds to regenerate his ever depleting strength before balling it all up and unleashing it to reach up for the lock, stretching as far as he could from the floor. His fingertips brushed the metal knob, fumbling for a second before he managed to twist it into position. It gave a satisfying click. Cid slumped back down completely, thoroughly exhausted. He couldn't move any more…

/

A bang jerked him to awareness an unknown amount of time later. He didn't know when he had lost consciousness, he wasn't even sure he had; his mind had been hovering in a drug-induced haze since he had locked the door. Now, however, the sound of repeated banging and muffled voices roused him from his stupor.

They had finally found him. On the other side of the door angry voices called out. They rattled the door handle and slammed their palms against the white surface. Cid froze. They were shouting for the unconscious scientists in the room with him – they hadn't seen Cid right under the door. He didn't dare move, sure that if he did they would see his legs.

A sharp jolt shook his core abruptly, causing him to gasp involuntarily. The sedative they had given him didn't dampen his link with Vincent at all, and he could almost feel what they were doing to him. He felt so useless, cowering under a door, unable to move – unable to save the person he cared about most.

Someone groaned. His eyes snapped to the offender, watching in dread as one of the male scientists stirred. The banging was waking him from the knock-down Tifa had dished out. Cid wished she'd killed them.

The pilot looked about quickly, hoping there might be somewhere he could drag himself to and hide. But the room was lacking such convenience. There wasn't even a cabinet big enough for him to stow away in.

The scientist shifted, raising his torso, disorientated. There was an ugly bruise blossoming on his face as he lifted it to find the source of the noise. Cid closed his eyes and feigned unconsciousness, hoping something might come to him in the time the man made it to the door. He heard his coat rustle as the man climbed to his feet, and then his footsteps approached unsteadily. His breathing was loud as he paused before Cid. The pilot held his breath, hoping he could time this just right. At the sound of the man moving beside him to the door, Cid lunged, sinking his teeth into the man's calf muscle and biting hard.

Immediately the man cried out in pain, stumbling away and falling onto his back. Cid tasted blood, felt it on his lips. He spat out what he could and army-crawled over to the man as quickly as his broken arm could take him. The scientist's eyes widened, but before he could scramble to his feet Cid grabbed his throat with his good hand and squeezed with everything he had left.

"Die you… bastard," he hissed, pushing his down the immense pain of his sore wrist and aching injuries.

Unfortunately, the scientist was stronger than Cid's drugged state and struggled against him, managing to pry the pilot's fingers from his windpipe, throwing his hand away and scrambling back. Desperate, Cid's eyes noticed one of the medical tools lying on the floor. He grabbed it as the scientist clutched his bleeding leg, hutching away, and quickly closed the gap between them, surprising himself and the man by his speed. The scientist kicked at him, catching Cid's temple and sending flashes before his eyes. But something was fueling the pilot, feeding him adrenalin. He grabbed the man's pant leg with his left hand, ignoring the agony in his arm and plunged the scalpel into the shin.

The scientist screamed and reached for his leg, unwittingly bringing his torso within reaching distance. Cid didn't think twice. He slashed the blade throat-height and was immediately sprayed in blood. The man gurgled and groped for his throat, red spilled from his lips. He jerked in shock, and as Cid watched the dark liquid pour from between his fingers the light left the man's wide blue eyes. He fell back against the cold floor, dead.

Cid stared at him before the increased banging tore through his awareness. The men outside were trying to break down the door. Cid didn't have enough strength – or luck – to fight off anyone else. When they do get in, he had no chance, if the other white coats in the room didn't wake up first…

Resigning himself to his fate, Cid let himself go boneless, pressing his cheek to the cool floor, feeling the weight of his actions and condition pressing him down. The sounds of the angry voices drifted into the background of his mind as he tried to focus on his connection with Vincent. Hang in there Vincent… hang in just a bit longer… He hoped with every fiber of his being that Tifa had made it out.

He didn't realize when the banging stopped, but the silence surrounded him quite suddenly. He opened his tired eyes and looked at the small door window. The men had gone. Probably went to find a fucking key at last…

A sudden, single loud bang made him jump, and the sweet, sweet sound of a familiar voice floated from the other side of the door. Cid raised his eyes once again to see the much welcome face of Tifa peering in concern at him. Behind her, several berry-red hats ran past. She had brought the WRO. As promised.

Relief beyond anything he'd ever felt before flooded him. Summoning his last vestiges of strength, he dragged himself back towards the door. Only when he had reached for and unlocked the door did his body finally fail him completely, and he collapsed.

Hands fumbled for him, turning him onto his back as someone checked his vitals. Through his heavy eyelids he could only see vague movement, and through his tired ears he could only hear muffle sounds of comrades. But despite his fatigue, he managed to let out a single word: "Vincent."

"The WRO are storming the compound," Tifa's voice said. Someone was with her, but he couldn't make out who. "They'll find him. It's going to be okay…"

He was lifted onto a gurney and finally, blissfully, wheeled from the torture room into the corridor. Alarms were still blaring from elsewhere in the complex and the bright lights flashed on and off intermittently. The harsh assault on his senses felt like a proverbial splash of cold water on his face, anchoring his consciousness, sharpening his awareness. He opened his eyes. The buzz of the sedative was weakening. He felt his strength slowly seeping back. He shakily pushed himself onto his elbows.

"Hey, careful," Tifa said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Vincent…" Cid mumbled, hand at his throbbing forehead. He could feel the scientist's blood had dried on his face.

"I've told the WRO to inform me immediately when they find him," she explained.

"No, I've… gotta find him," Cid told her, lowering his sore hand, fixing her with a gaze. "I have to."

"Cid, you can't even stand."

"'S wearin' off," he told her. He swung his legs over the edge of the gurney, and the WRO guiding it stopped. "I can find him better than anyone else can." He found his feet and wobbled for an unsteady moment, but his strength was returning quickly, and for the first time in what felt like days he stood straight. A light dizzy spell hit him, but it faded as he took a few experimental steps down the corridor. His broken arm ached and throbbed, but he had grown used to the pain by now.

"Cid, wait –" Tifa took his right arm in hand. "This complex isn't secured yet. Vincent will be surrounded by security, we need backup."

He looked at her. "You're my backup."

She stared at him a second longer before adopting a resolute expression and nodding. Along with the WRO member, they continued down the corridor as quickly as Cid could move.

It was a maze of identical hallways and monotonous interior. The alarms grew louder and the evidence of an infiltration was more apparent. Bullet holes decorated the walls and objects littered the floor. Around every corner their WRO escort checked the way, gun cocked and ready should they run into any hostile barriers.

"Wait, wait," Cid ordered a short time later, hand to head as he focused on the sensation in his head. Tifa and the officer backtracked to him. "This way," the pilot said, starting down another corridor, his body responding much quicker now the drug was wearing off. They followed behind quickly, the officer taking the lead while Tifa fell in beside Cid.

"Halt!"

The trio skidded to a stop and dived for cover behind the wall as a barrage of armed security personnel caught sight of them. Several shots were unleashed after them, followed by the loud, heavy sounds of their advancing steps.

"Drop your weapon and surrender!"

"Like hell we will!" Cid sniped. He turned his eyes meaningfully on the WRO officer.

The young man nodded firmly, tightened the grip on his weapon and quickly squeezed off several shots at the oncoming threat. Two went down with cries of pain while the remaining five dived to the wall for cover and returned fire, forcing the WRO officer to pull back against the corner. He waited two seconds before firing another round of shots – but a retaliating bullet nipped his arm, ripping his uniform. He gasped and pulled back.

"Just a scrape," he wheezed, gripping his arm.

Cid grabbed his gun. "Sit tight." He crouched by the corner, timed his attack and sent a volley of bullets down the corridor. He only hit one man. Gaining a sudden idea, Cid turned the barrel to the lights above and shot them out, hailing glass down on the security team and plunging them into semi-darkness. Using their momentary disorientation as a distraction, Cid quickly targeted two more and put them down with strangely precise accuracy. He had always been pretty sharp with a shooter, but in his current state, and with such poor lighting, it was pretty damn impressive, surpassing his skill even in his prime condition. He suspected he wasn't completely responsible…

The last two proved persistent, but Tifa provided a further distraction by tossing a chunk of wall debris at them and diverting their focus. Cid took them both out.

"Can you move?" Tifa asked the injured WRO officer.

He nodded, gripping his bleeding arm. "We must rescue Mr. Valentine," he stated bravely.

"Yer damn right," Cid said over his shoulder as he headed down the dark corridor.

They moved deeper into the complex, colliding with another security detail that they dealt with quickly – mostly thanks to Tifa's rapid attacks. Once they were down, the trio turned their attention to the door they were guarding.

It was a solid, heavy looking door that required a key code and a handprint to open. They were momentarily stumped until Cid turned the gun on it and destroyed the keypad, the scanner and then the lock. Luck was with them when it gave a deep, resounding click and opened.

They edged carefully around the side of the door in case any bullets flew their way, but the only movement was the flurry of several white coats fleeing the immediate vicinity, disappearing from the narrow room they had stepped into. Cid quickly pursued, dashing into a smaller corridor than the white labyrinths they had left behind. Tifa and the officer followed closely behind.

"Stop before I blow yer fuckin' brains out," Cid growled, raising the weapon at the men trying to escape.

They ceased running and turned slowly, hands in the air. Some looked angry, others look frightful. Cid wanted to plug them all full of lead regardless.

"Now someone…" he began, stepping closer menacingly, training the gun on each one as though promising the order of their deaths. "…better tell me where Vincent is, or I swear to whatever deity yer worship that I will paint this hellhole with yer fuckin' brains."

One of them swallowed visibly as the others quavered in the wake of his threat. The front most scientist lowered his hands slightly.

"If you kill even one of us, none of us will cooperate," he said coolly.

"I've got no problem testin' that," Cid informed him, tightening his grip on the gun. "In fact," he positioned the gun against his shoulder and glared at them from down the barrel. "That sounded like a challenge. And I love a challenge…"

"Wait –" one of them quickly called from the center. "You can't get to him. He's contained behind the highest level of security, it's impossible to get through without code clearance. None of us here have that."

Cid narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe you…" he said darkly.

"Only the highest level personnel are authorized to work on hi – I mean, get to him," the man corrected himself quickly. "We don't even know precisely where in this complex he's being held."

Cid stared him down hard. "Then I don't need any of you." He pulled the trigger and blew a hole in the man's thigh. The scientist screamed his agony and crumbled to the floor, clutching his bleeding leg. Cid stepped closer still as they all shifted in fear. "Now who else wants to fuck about?" He snapped. When no one said anything, he felt his temper surge and struggled to keep his trigger finger still. "Nothin', and I mean nothin', will keep me from gettin' to Vincent," he growled slowly, pronouncing each word clearly. "Your lives mean fuck all to me, and right now I'm an extremely pissed off lab rat that suffered your shitty hospitality, who will do ANYTHIN' to find my partner! If the next words outta one'a' yers mouths isn't 'this way', then I'll blow each and every one's' yer limbs off, riddle yer full of bullets, and letcha die chokin' on yer own fuckin' blood… Now I'll ask again: Take me to Vincent, right now."

They saw the desperation in his eyes, they heard the promise in his voice. They knew he would kill them. It was the threat that spurred them. One of the men, a Wutainese scientist, stepped around the injured man on the floor and agreed, in a wavering voice, that he would lead them to the center section where Vincent was being held. Cid forced the rest of them into a secure-looking room and barred the door, locking them inside. He then ordered the Wutainese scientist to walk.

As they moved they encountered more people. Cid could only do the same to them as he did the others, careful in case any of them grew a backbone and tried to pull something. Tifa received a phone call from Reeve as they descended several floors via an elevator. They exchanged updates and locations before ending the call.

"There's a backup team right behind us," she told Cid and the officer. "Reeve wanted us to wait but he knew you wouldn't."

"Damn right," Cid muttered darkly, eyes on their captive.

The elevator brought them to the lowest floor, where the interior seemed so sterile Cid was sure they had bypassed a decontamination stop on the way down.

No sooner had they stepped out were they suddenly surrounded by armed guards. The elevator closed behind them.

They were trapped.

/