The sharp scent of chemicals clawed at his nose as Vincent stalked through the abandoned lab, the sterile metal counters, shattered vial, and grim machinery illuminated by flickering emergency lights. His boots echoed across the floor, slow, measured.
Hojo's lab.
He thought he'd buried this place. Then he saw it.
The containment tube. Frosted glass. Blue liquid pulsing faintly inside.
You.
Suspended. Unmoving. Wires wrapped around you like chains. Breathing but barely.
Vincent froze. The weight in his chest pressed harder. His claw flexed at his side, creaking faintly under the strain.
Your name hovered on his tongue but he didn't say it. He couldn't.
It was you. His little sibling.
The last time he saw you… smaller. Smiling. Tugging at his coat.
Before.
His eyes stayed locked on you, unblinking. The fury that curled in his gut wasn't loud. It was cold. Heavy. Old.
His claw shot out, shattering the glass in one violent strike.
Fluid rushed out, shards clattering to the floor. The sterile air filled with the faint, familiar scent of you.
Vincent caught you before your body could hit the ground.
You were cold. Too light.
His arms tightened around you, steady despite the quiet tension in his jaw. His gloved hand brushed your wet hair back, crimson eyes scanning your face.
Silence.
His thumb lingered at your temple. Barely breathing. But breathing.
"I've got you." Almost to himself.
No promises. No apologies.
Just the quiet weight of everything he couldn't say.
"I've got you now, {{user}}."