The Planet's Enemy: Chapter 4
Jun. 9th, 2010 03:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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ff7_fanfictionTitle: The Planet's Enemy
Author: Ebonrune
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Possible swears and violence
Disclaimer: I of course, do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of the compilation. That pleasure belongs to Square-Enix.
Status: Complete
Summary: It's been half a year since Omega was sent back to its rest and everyone has moved on with their lives. As Cloud and his friends soon discover however, the past refuses to remain buried.
Author's Notes: This story occurs post Dirge of Cerberus and makes references to it, as well as Crisis Core, the original Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children Complete, and Before Crisis--a game released on cellphones only in Japan. As well, I've chosen to use the fan names (according to the Final Fantasy wiki) for Cloud's various swords, since they don't have official names and 'Tsurugi' is Japanese for 'sword'. As the swords are not labeled which is which on the wiki, here's the picture for your reference.
Prequel: Ties of Friendship
Chapter Links: One Two Three Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen
"Genesis, SOLDIER First Class." Zack began once everyone was assembled back in Seventh Heaven, most sitting at the chairs rather than at the bar. "I last saw him......well, a while ago. I've got no idea why he's doing this......"
Vincent was pacing a bit, agitated. "You were a First Class, right? Did you ever hear of something called 'Deepground'?"
Zack blinked, then shook his head. "No. What's that?"
"The only people who I would think would know about the Protomateria.......although I suppose Hojo or Lucrecia could have left notes of it somewhere......" He paused in his pacing to look at Cait.
"Aye, Hojo did leave notes." Cait confirmed. "Ae donnae know if he was the only one who knew where it was though. Yae were asleep for a long time, after all."
Vincent gave a low growl, and then resumed pacing. "So it's possible that Genesis could have gotten those notes......and clearly Hojo did mention where it had been put or he wouldn't be after me now......but how did he know where to find Lucrecia? What does he want the Protomateria for? How does he know......" Vincent trailed off and then looked at Zack narrowly. "And what was he to you?"
Zack made a bit of a face and put his hands up. "He was no friend of mine if that's what you're asking, so you don't have to glare at me like that."
Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose. He'd still been dealing with his earlier headache and having all this information on Genesis 'helpfully' shoved into his mind by Sephiroth wasn't helping matters. "Zack's on our side, Vincent. No one is your enemy here. We're gonna help you rescue Lucrecia."
"No....." Vincent was more agitated now, his gauntlet now flexing as he paced like a caged animal in the Zoo. "This is my fault, my sin. I've taken out Deepground, I can handle one SOLDIER."
"One SOLDIER who's probably at least as strong as--ow! Damnable headache......" Cloud hissed as the pain intensified in his skull briefly. Egotistical bastard.....
Zack frowned in concern at Cloud, then looked at Vincent. "Project G--for Gillian--created Genesis. He's like Sephiroth. I don't think he's as strong, mind you--Sephiroth kicked my ass but I was able to handle Genesis--but yeah. He is kinda stronger than other SOLDIERs."
"So I imagine were Deepground." Vincent growled under his breath and stopped pacing again to just stand in the middle of the floor with his head lowered. "This is my problem, and I'll deal with it."
"Oh yeah, because running off after some loony is a great idea!" Yuffie spoke up caustically. "Did you forget what happened in Shinra Manor when I had to save you from that crazy bitch?!"
Vincent let out a soft snort and brought his right hand up to his face. "No Yuffie, I didn't forget.....but she'd managed to take me by surprise and--"
"You're not going on your own, Vincent." Cloud interjected. "And it's not up for debate either. Someone messes with one of us, they mess with all of us. We stick together, okay?"
Vincent tilted his head to look at Cloud quietly for several moments. ".......That reminds me......did you find your answer to the question you asked me in the Forgotten City a while back?"
Cloud blinked and furrowed his brow, having to think hard to remember what Vincent was talking about, but then his features relaxed and he nodded. "Sometimes......sins are forgiven."
"Heh. Sometimes perhaps......" Vincent sighed a soft but heavy sigh and finally moved to sit at an opposite row of tables from the rest of them. "Where could he even be?"
Zack took the paper out of his pocket to read it over again. "There're a lot of questions, actually." He said, smacking the paper with the back of his hand. "I know he probably didn't know I'd died, but there's no way he knows I knew Cloud and I only just met Vincent......so unless he was at Nibelheim....." He shrugged.
"It wasn't necessarily aimed at you." Cloud said, his tone holding some inner relief as his headache finally began to abate. "Though it does still beg the question how he would know any one of us might understand what that passage is supposed to mean.....it means he knows the members of my team......" He sat back on his chair, thoughtful. "Let's see......Cid said he'd been to see a LOVELESS performance once, maybe he knows Genesis." He frowned then and looked at Vincent. "Though how does he know you? You would have been asleep when he was born."
Vincent made a sound of frustration. "Questions piling upon questions and no answers to be found. Rather than focusing on all this speculation, we should try and find his location. Where would he go? Where would he be able to hold someone?"
"I'll get a map." Tifa got up from her chair to head around behind the bar. She dug around for a minute or so, then returned with a world map and motioned Vincent over, then sat down and unfolded the map. It already had little notations on it that Cloud had put to map out routes for his delivery service, as well as to teach Marlene and Denzel world locations. "So let's see......the Crystal Cave is about here" She pointed. "and the closest locations to it are.....Nibelheim, North Corel and the Gold Saucer. Then there's Cosmo Canyon in the other direction. Nibelheim is the closest location and I suppose some of the caves on Mt. Nibel could be used......but there are monsters and it gets freezing cold up there at night, especially at this time of year....."
"The Gold Saucer wouldn't make sense." Cloud continued. "There's too much traffic there. North Corel maybe? They've probably built things up better there, but the community is still pretty small.....he could still have her kept anywhere between these locations though. Off the beaten path. There's bound to be cave systems and such, maybe even ones that don't have monsters living in them."
"..........He would likely need help." Vincent said lowly, having come over and now leaning over Cloud's chair. "It wouldn't be logical to leave a hostage alone for long and it took us a good part of the day to arrive here.....though the theory could follow that he was at Nibelheim and followed us......still......"
"You said he took off into the sky." Cloud said. "So that means he has a wing......like Sephiroth, right?" It was a bit difficult for Cloud to word things as if he didn't already have the information in his mind....at least it wasn't befuddling him like this false Zack memories sometimes did. "Maybe he's a quick flier and can get back and forth faster than we can."
"Or he's left her with his copies." Zack spoke up, invoking stares. "Oh yeah...." He rubbed his head. "Probably should've mentioned that. Genesis can--well I guess he infects people--with his cells and make them into copies of himself. It seemed to make him degrade though..." He shrugged.
"Fine." Vincent growled and stepped away to begin pacing again. "I know what he wants, but I don't know where he is. I could have gone after him as Chaos, but chances are I would have killed him and be unable to find Lucrecia....." He reached up to touch his bandana briefly, fingers shaking slightly as a visible sign of his agitation. "He holds all the cards and I have nothing...."
"You have what he wants." Cloud pointed out, turning to watch his friend pace. "It's a hostage situation....aren't Turks trained to deal with those?"
"......Yes, of course....." Vincent sighed heavily, gave himself a shake and looked at Cloud. "I don't know if she's safe, I don't even know if she's alive.....if she is dead I can avenge her, if she is alive I can rescue her. The only clue has to do with that passage from LOVELESS.....so......how does Genesis think? What significance does the passage have?"
"Ha. If a member of the Study Group was here I could ask them for an interpretation." Zack set the handwritten passage down on the table beside the map and sat back, crossing his arms. "As best as I can remember, Genesis took LOVELESS as a description of his own life." He rubbed his head. "I think.....there are three friends mentioned.....and Genesis wanted to be the hero.....but he seemed to think Sephiroth was trying to steal his spotlight, so they always fought.....but I don't have a clue what any of this has to do with that.....proto thing."
"Protomateria." Vincent said. He smiled a faint and bitter smile. "It seems I will have to explain myself but for the sake of progress, I will try to make it brief." He closed his eyes for a few moments to collect his thoughts, and then opened his eyes again to look directly at Zack. "In brief....I was experimented upon by Hojo and monsters were added into my body, which I have been spending the last few years learning to control. The strongest one--Chaos--would be utterly uncontrollable if not for the Protomateria."
Zack's expression crumpled slightly, and he looked sad. "Genesis called himself a monster, and he got.....he got Angeal and Sephiroth to believe they were too." He slammed his hand down on the table abruptly, expression pained. "I lost my mentor and best friend because of him! Nibelheim burned because of him! Why does he do these terrible things?! Rrrr...." He put his face in his hands, but before anyone could think of something to say to him, he straightened up again and rubbed at his face. "Maybe that's why he wants it then..." He said wearily. "He might think it will make him not a monster anymore....." Did you know about this, Aerith? Is that why you sent me back?
"We're getting off track again." Tifa said, though gently. "Can you make any sense out of the passage, Zack?"
"Nnn....." Zack shook his head, but then he furrowed his brow and picked it up to read it again. "Maybe I can...." He said. "Genesis said this to Angeal.....in Banora. It definitely means he was in Nibelheim, and it definitely means this was aimed at me......but it would mean he's in Banora."
"Banora, then." Vincent said. "Where is it?"
Zack peered at the map for a few moments, then pointed to the Mideel islands. "Here." He said, pointing to the middle of the three islands.
"Hm." Cloud pulled out his cellphone and flipped it open. "I'll call Cid. I know he doesn't like flying at night, but I'm sure he'll make an exception."
"Oh goodie....." Yuffie said, sinking down a bit in her chair. "Being airsick is the best part...."
"Yae donnae need tae come then." Cait said. "Someone will need tae stay behind anyway tae watch over the--"
"Ohhh no no no." Tifa cut in, shaking her head. "If we leave Yuffie here, I'll come back and find the place has been cleared out."
"Hey!" Yuffie protested. "Don't you trust me?!"
"You're a klepto." Tifa responded. "Why do you think we all have chains on our wallets, Yuffie?"
"Hmph." She crossed her arms and sulked.
Cloud set his phone to speaker and set it down. "Evening Cid, it's Cloud."
"Cloud! Where've you been, you spiky-haired son of a bitch?!" Cid's voice was quite cheerful, and obviously glad to hear from him. "Tifa had the whole goddamn planet looking for you!"
"So I've been told." Cloud half-muttered. "Listen, we have a situation and we need your airship."
"Yeah? What for?"
Cloud glanced at Vincent. "Lucrecia got kidnapped by a crazy ex-SOLDIER named Genesis and we think he might be in Banora."
"Goddamn......" Cid muttered. "So this guy's in Banora, huh? Isn't that the place Shinra wiped out 'cause of some goddamn plague?"
"It was a cover-up, actually." Zack spoke up. "But can you come?"
"Who the hell's that?"
"Hurry on to Edge to pick us up and I'll tell you. We don't have any time to waste."
"Yeah....of course." Cid gave a few more choice swears and then hung up. Cloud closed his phone and tucked it away.
"So now we wait for Cid to get here." He said. "It will probably be a couple of hours." He leaned forward and clasped his hands together, staring down at the table. ".......Let's have some dinner, huh Tifa? Shelke can stay with the kids, and Cait too if he wants to. We'll get this done."
"Mm...." Tifa stood up to head over to the bar to start preparing dinner again.
Vincent looked around at his friends and then focused on Cloud. "........I'll go take a walk, I need to.....calm my mind." And with that he headed for the door, Cloud let him go. It would be better if Vincent was calm before Cid arrived, he figured. Though the two men were friends, Cid had a bit more of a problem with Vincent displaying his monsters than the others did--save for Barret, who had even more of an issue with it.
However, Vincent had no intention of returning.
Once outside, Vincent took out his cellphone. He stared at it for a few moments, then flipped it open and turned it off. I'm sorry.....but I can't get you all involved in this. This is my sin....I need to be the one to fix it.
He walked quickly until he found an empty street and he ducked into a nearby alley to transform into Chaos, then took off into the sky. He would get there before they did....he would make this right himself.
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Not long after Vincent left, Cloud headed outside to take Merciless apart again and replace in the compartments of his bike--which he was naturally taking with him.
"What do you think you can possibly do?"
Cloud twitched, previously smooth movements becoming jerky as he continued to disassemble and compartment the parts of his sword. "About what?" He growled under his breath.
"Genesis. For all that he was a failure, he managed to outlive Angeal and I." Sephiroth seemed a bit annoyed about that fact. "I wonder if Mother's chosen him instead.....?"
"You're talking to yourself, Sephiroth." Cloud responded, feeling more annoyed than frightened of him at that moment. "And I told you already. Jenova wasn't your mother. You're contemptuous of him, so he was weaker than you and--"
"Cloud?"
Cloud stiffened and swore under his breath, then straightened up. He refused to turn around and face his friend, however. "Yeah, Zack?"
Zack stepped around the side of the bar to approach him and he reached out to put his hand on Cloud's shoulder, only tightening his grip when Cloud flinched. ".....So, that's where he went, huh?" He said softly.
Cloud didn't say anything at first, and then he slowly lifted his head and turned to look at his raven haired friend. His eyes were haunted and terrified. Not just of Sephiroth's presence in his mind, but what Zack would think or do now that he knew.
Zack just looked back at him steadily, then moved his hand and took a step back. "How long?"
"I....." Cloud shook his head. "A couple of weeks, I guess......I don't know. I'm missing some time......" He looked back at him. "Zack....."
Zack stepped back further to lean against the side of the bar. "Tell me what you remember."
Cloud looked around. "......Here?"
"Well we can't really go anywhere, man. Tiff's making dinner and then we've gotta go kick Genesis' ass. Remember?"
"Mmn....." Well, Zack hadn't jumped him yet. Overall, he was actually taking things rather well......which wasn't serving to make Cloud feel any less nervous, even if it was meant to. "Well....I had had a couple of drinks before bed, I'd been feeling kind of funny......and then the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the shadow of the Northern Crater and.......here he is." Cloud knocked half-heartedly at his skull and casted his eyes down.
Zack crossed his arms and tilted his head. "And Yuffie said you'd been missing for about a month and a half......so he's been there that long?"
"I don't know. I guess so....." Cloud grit his teeth and looked at Zack. "Zack.....if he takes over me--"
"Ohhh no." Zack straightened up and made a cut off motion with both arms. "Already went through that with Angeal. Essai and Sebastian too.....kind of." He shook his head. "Not happening, Cloud. I'm not killing any more friends."
"If Sephiroth takes over me you'll have to, Zack!" Cloud's voice rose in spite of himself, though he hastily lowered it again. "You know what he did to Nibelheim.....he wants to destroy the--"
"I said no." Zack broke in firmly. "Besides, are you sure that's what he wants?"
Cloud just stared at him like he was insane and Zack sighed, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose briefly.
"Yes, I know he summoned Meteor--I was one of the active souls that helped to stop that thing--but you've been acting funny on and off since we got here." Zack looked around and then back at Cloud. "I don't think Sephiroth's after the same thing as before."
"He's just not strong enough yet." Cloud responded, trying to temper his panic back down. He'd been fine until he'd found himself discussing his head problem. "But once he is.....everything will change....." He bit his lip and put a hand to his face. "Zack......I'm not fit to lead and.....if you can't kill me, then.....then I'll just have to tell Vincent. He'll do it." At least, Cloud hoped he would. Though Vincent had fought alongside him and the others up to the Northern Crater, he'd left with Yuffie to rush off to Midgar to evacuate everyone. Sephiroth was the son of the woman he loved--the woman they were going to soon be trying to rescue--Cloud didn't really know if Vincent would be able to kill the man--never mind that doing so would also kill Cloud.
Zack sighed softly and stepped over to Cloud. Clapping his hands down on the shorter man's shoulders, he gave him a gentle shake. "I'm not taking over your team and no one's gonna be doing any killing of you, bad guy or good guy. Now calm down. What did I tell you before, Cloud?"
Cloud wobbled a bit like a broken bobblehead, but then he looked up with confusion. "Huh? What you told me before?"
"Cloud. You were my living legacy, just like I was Angeal's. I took up his Buster sword, and then I entrusted it to you and you retired it when you surpassed my legacy." He gave a crooked smile and moved his hands, stepping back again. "You're no infantryman, Cloud. You made it. You're SOLDIER. You've saved the world, you're strong.....not just in body, but in your heart." He tapped his friend's chest. "You getting me, Cloud? The point I'm getting to is, don't let this get you down and look beneath the surface. Sometimes, things happen for a reason."
"You think there's a reason behind why I've got him in my head?!" Cloud hissed..
Zack leaned over and peered at him. "You're not acting like a six plus foot tall egomaniac on a high." He stated, then before Cloud could begin to do more than sputter that Zack wasn't taking the problem seriously, he continued. "So anyway, what's he doing in that blond noggin of yours? What's he want?"
".........He hasn't really said anything about wanting something." Cloud admitted. "Just taunts, basically."
"Hmn.....well try not to let it weigh you down. Whether I'm wrong or not, I think there's still time to figure things out."
Cloud sighed and shook his head. "Whatever....either way--" He cut off quickly when Tifa came around the side of the bar.
"There you two are. Come on. Dinner's ready. We should eat before Cid gets here." She looked up at the sky and sighed. "I hope Vincent gets back soon.....I've got a bad feeling....."
The two men looked at each other, then Cloud turned away briefly to shut the sword compartments and brushed past Tifa to head in. Zack followed with an eagerness that said he'd stopped all thoughts but the immediate ones of filling his belly. As Tifa turned to follow, she couldn't help a small smile of amusement. So this was Zack, huh? That was good, this team needed more cheerful people around to battle against the emo and grouch factor of the other men.
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Reno stepped into the public washroom at the Gold Saucer. The Turks were staying the night there, though Tseng had ordered them to keep things to moderation as they didn't want to draw too much attention. He checked all the stalls, trusting Rude outside to keep people out for the time being and then stepped over to a urinal. While he took care of opening the fly of his pants to get his business out with one hand, his other hand pulled his cellphone out to sort through his contacts and dial a number.
"Hello?"
"Hey Elena. How's my favorite blond pain in the ass?"
"Oh....Reno, it's you." Elena tried to sound exasperated, but Reno could tell she was glad to hear from him. "You and Thessa aren't getting along, I take it?"
"Never have. We're like oil and water. So really, how're you doing? Any progress?"
"You wouldn't think so the way I'm being coddled around here." Elena responded with some exasperation. "But I think I should be just fine in another week, the nightmares haven't been as severe or frequent."
"Mm, that's good then." He gave a soft sigh as the flow got underway. "Don't rush things."
".....What are you doing?" She asked curiously, having caught the sigh.
"Eh, just takin' a whiz, yo."
"YOU CALLED ME WHILE GOING TO THE WASHROOM?!" She shrieked, making him have to hold the phone away from his ear, even while he snickered.
"It's quieter in here." Reno responded. "Besides, I don't wanna possibly get caught by the Director."
".....How is Tseng, anyway?" She asked in a quieter tone.
Reno worked at stuffing himself away and zipping up again before he answered, heading over to the sinks. "Ehh.....he's not so good, actually. He's been getting real snappy and I don't think he's been sleeping very much either."
"Oh, Tseng....."
"Eh, you know the Director." He tucked the phone into his shoulder and waved his hands under the faucet to get the water running. "He works himself too damn hard. But y'know, his obsession with finding the old boss might have something to do with his Post-Traumatic Stress.....I just hope we finish up before he snaps."
"Do you need to put it like that?! Besides, Tseng's a lot tougher than I am....I'm sure he's just fine."
"I'm sure you need to get over your crush on him....." Reno muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothin'." Reno headed over to the paper towel dispenser. "So just think positive, Elena. Those bastard remnants are gone, so you don't have anything to be worried about anymore."
"......Yeah, thanks Reno." The words seemed snide, but the tone was grateful all the same. "I'll see you soon, I hope."
"You just worry about yourself 'lena and I'll worry about not killing your sister, 'kay?"
Elena gave a snort and he hung up the phone, dropping it back into his pocket before he headed out to join Rude, only to find he already had company.
"Oh....hello Adrian."
Adrian casually looked over and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Reno." He acknowledged the redhead casually. "I'd say I was surprised, but.....I'm not. Has Shinra finally started the hunt for us? I'm a bit--"
"Geez!" Reno exclaimed loudly to cut him off. He wiggled a finger in his ear. "I forgot how freakin' long-winded you are!" He sighed heavily. "No, we're not hunting you down." He made a show of looking Adrian up and down, noting his button up gray shirt and blue jeans. "But I think you already know that, or you wouldnt've been patiently waiting with Rude."
"I trust my former comrades." Adrian responded calmly. "And I saw Thessa walking with Tseng, so I had a suspicion things had changed in our favor."
"We're looking for Veld." Rude broke into the conversation. "Will you help us find him?"
Adrian looked back at Rude and arched a brow. "You're looking for the boss? Why?"
"The Director--that's Tseng, by the way--wants to find him. The President announced a pardon for you guys, and I guess Tseng wants to make sure the boss knows." Reno shrugged. "Personally, I think Tseng wants Veld to take over again.....he's been kinda stressed lately."
"The President announced a pardon?" Adrian frowned deeply at Reno. "Has he had a change of heart then, or does Rufus have something he's using against him to insure our safety?"
Reno arched a brow and finally moved away from the mens washroom to walk, Rude and Adrian falling into step with him. "Boy. You're out of the loop, aren't you? The President is Rufus. His old man got knocked off years ago by Sephiroth."
"Sephiroth.....so he really did go rogue against the company like the other First Classes?"
"Heh....." Reno shook his head. "I donno where you've been all this time Adrian, but you've gotta pay more attention to the news. Sephiroth didn't go rogue against the company, he went rogue against the world. I'm sure you must've heard what happened to Midgar about four years ago."
"It was supposedly the end of the world." Adrian responded.
"Yeah.....well, I know a lot of stuff was kept low key......but Sephiroth summoned that thing. Supposedly it took the Lifestream itself to stop it." Reno grimaced a bit. "Anyway, Rufus is on our side....so, getting back to Veld. Do you know where he might be?"
"No. We went off in all different directions."
The redhead sighed. "Well, are you gonna come with us to find the boss?"
"I may as well. My katana and I have been itching for some excitement for a while."
Reno snickered and put a hand on Adrian's shoulder. "Oh, I'd say things will definitely be exciting."
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As Vincent in Chaos' form spiraled down to where the proto-WEAPON's excellent night vision told him the ruins of Banora were, he wondered if he was making a mistake. It wasn't the first time in the hour and a half flight that he had wondered this. He was alone, the town had been bombed out so no one lived there and there was no electricity. While Chaos' senses were excellent, what if there was an ambush waiting? The clue had supposedly been aimed specifically at Zack, and Genesis would never expect him to come alone. Zack had said something about copies as well. Like Sephiroth's?
Touching down as softly as he could, he folded his wings and scanned his surroundings again, sniffing the air. His wingbeats had been the only sound and now there was silence and all he could smell was the sweet smell of apples gone rotten and fallen off the trees. What if Zack had been wrong? What if his memory had been faulty, or the lines hadn't been aimed at him at all and had a different meaning? Or what if--
Hearing fire ignite behind him was all the warning he had. He spun around and to the side he narrowly avoided being hit by a fireball. Squinting, he growled softly. What had he been thinking, trying this by himself at night?! All it took was a little light, and now there were spots dancing in his eyes.
"So, that's Chaos, hm?" Genesis' voice spoke out of the darkness and lights snapped on about where his head would be. Night vision goggles--Deepground night vision goggles. "Did you come without your friends, Vincent Valentine?"
"Where is Lucrecia?" Vincent growled, his voice made echoy by the form he was in. He flexed the proto-WEAPON's wings in agitation.
"With my 'brother'." Genesis chuckled softly. "When the war of the beasts brings about the world’s end, the goddess descends from the sky. Wings of light and--"
"Enough!" Vincent snarled. "Hand over Lucrecia to me and I might consider sparing your life."
"Oh how noble." Came a low voice from behind him, and then pain lanced though his midsection. Dumbly, Vincent looked down to see two thin swords coated with his blood sticking out of him. Before he could fully comprehend what had happened however, the blades were pulled free. Again Vincent spun around to face someone he could have sworn he'd killed.
"Weiss!"
"Oh, you remember me? I'm quite flattered." Vincent snarled wordlessly, though the sound cut off abruptly when Weiss stepped aside to reveal who was behind him.
Lucrecia stood there, being restrained by two men adorned with one black wing each and one holding a sword to her neck. It was hard to see colors with such a lack of light, but the costuming didn't seem right for Deepground soldiers. Unlike Genesis and Weiss, they didn't seem to be equipped with night vision goggles. Neither was Lucrecia, but her eyes were wide open and staring in the direction she had likely heard his voice come from. As Vincent stared, caught between attacking who was in front of him and not wanting to risk Lucrecia being harmed by him doing so, the man not holding the sword reached up to remove her gag.
"Vincent! Vincent, run!" She near shrieked, trying to break free of her captors without cutting herself on the sword near her skin. "Don't worry about me, just get out of here!" She was quickly gagged again to stop her from saying more and her sounds dissolved into low whimpers.
"Lucrecia....." He whispered, in near agony. He sidestepped finally so he could keep both Weiss and Genesis in sight and began glancing between them. He'd made a mistake. If he had come with his friends, if he had only waited.....
"You have one last chance to hand over the Protomateria." Weiss stated calmly, shaking his gunswords to get the blood off. "You don't want your precious woman to get hurt, do you?"
Vincent snarled, curling up his lip. "........How did you know where she was?"
Weiss chuckled softly and tapped his temple. "The arrogant scientist left his knowledge behind in my head when my brother helpfully eliminated his presence. Now then Vincent, what's your answer?"
"He's a Turk." Genesis spoke up. "One life means nothing to them."
Weiss chuckled softly. "I suppose that's true." He spun his swords and gave a put-upon sigh that was entirely sarcastic, then he lunged at Vincent.
Parry, parry, swipe, duck, parry, parry. Vincent was kept occupied trying to fend Weiss off. He quickly became focused on his enemy, so much so that he forgot about the other one until pain once more lanced through him from behind. This weapon brought with it fire and he screamed as it tore through him. He lost consciousness briefly, and when he came to once more he found himself on his back with Weiss standing over him. He found he could barely make the white-haired man out, but the thing in his hand was clear enough.
"N-No...." He rasped with bloodied lips, staring in horror at the Protomateria held aloft. He heard a muffled scream that likely came from Lucrecia, a sound that cut off with a gurgling sigh. He struggled to get up, to move, but the pain was just too great and he sagged down again. Chaos' feral intelligence began to bubble up within him and he let it come. Let it take him, he had nothing left to lose.
Genesis entered his view then and knelt down. He was holding a box-like device in his hands and this he pushed down against the monster's chest wound where the Protomateria had been. Chaos gave a screaming roar and tried to lash out, but a moment later.....Chaos was gone and Genesis stood up once more with the box now lit up in his hands.
"Well," Weiss commented, standing up and admiring the Protomateria. "at least that woman was good for something." He turned to walk away, laughing and Genesis turned to follow him.
Vincent shut his eyes, tears of frustration and grief slipping free. He'd failed.....
Lucrecia.....everyone.....I'm so sorry..........
Author: Ebonrune
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Possible swears and violence
Disclaimer: I of course, do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of the compilation. That pleasure belongs to Square-Enix.
Status: Complete
Summary: It's been half a year since Omega was sent back to its rest and everyone has moved on with their lives. As Cloud and his friends soon discover however, the past refuses to remain buried.
Author's Notes: This story occurs post Dirge of Cerberus and makes references to it, as well as Crisis Core, the original Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children Complete, and Before Crisis--a game released on cellphones only in Japan. As well, I've chosen to use the fan names (according to the Final Fantasy wiki) for Cloud's various swords, since they don't have official names and 'Tsurugi' is Japanese for 'sword'. As the swords are not labeled which is which on the wiki, here's the picture for your reference.
Prequel: Ties of Friendship
Chapter Links: One Two Three Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen
"Genesis, SOLDIER First Class." Zack began once everyone was assembled back in Seventh Heaven, most sitting at the chairs rather than at the bar. "I last saw him......well, a while ago. I've got no idea why he's doing this......"
Vincent was pacing a bit, agitated. "You were a First Class, right? Did you ever hear of something called 'Deepground'?"
Zack blinked, then shook his head. "No. What's that?"
"The only people who I would think would know about the Protomateria.......although I suppose Hojo or Lucrecia could have left notes of it somewhere......" He paused in his pacing to look at Cait.
"Aye, Hojo did leave notes." Cait confirmed. "Ae donnae know if he was the only one who knew where it was though. Yae were asleep for a long time, after all."
Vincent gave a low growl, and then resumed pacing. "So it's possible that Genesis could have gotten those notes......and clearly Hojo did mention where it had been put or he wouldn't be after me now......but how did he know where to find Lucrecia? What does he want the Protomateria for? How does he know......" Vincent trailed off and then looked at Zack narrowly. "And what was he to you?"
Zack made a bit of a face and put his hands up. "He was no friend of mine if that's what you're asking, so you don't have to glare at me like that."
Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose. He'd still been dealing with his earlier headache and having all this information on Genesis 'helpfully' shoved into his mind by Sephiroth wasn't helping matters. "Zack's on our side, Vincent. No one is your enemy here. We're gonna help you rescue Lucrecia."
"No....." Vincent was more agitated now, his gauntlet now flexing as he paced like a caged animal in the Zoo. "This is my fault, my sin. I've taken out Deepground, I can handle one SOLDIER."
"One SOLDIER who's probably at least as strong as--ow! Damnable headache......" Cloud hissed as the pain intensified in his skull briefly. Egotistical bastard.....
Zack frowned in concern at Cloud, then looked at Vincent. "Project G--for Gillian--created Genesis. He's like Sephiroth. I don't think he's as strong, mind you--Sephiroth kicked my ass but I was able to handle Genesis--but yeah. He is kinda stronger than other SOLDIERs."
"So I imagine were Deepground." Vincent growled under his breath and stopped pacing again to just stand in the middle of the floor with his head lowered. "This is my problem, and I'll deal with it."
"Oh yeah, because running off after some loony is a great idea!" Yuffie spoke up caustically. "Did you forget what happened in Shinra Manor when I had to save you from that crazy bitch?!"
Vincent let out a soft snort and brought his right hand up to his face. "No Yuffie, I didn't forget.....but she'd managed to take me by surprise and--"
"You're not going on your own, Vincent." Cloud interjected. "And it's not up for debate either. Someone messes with one of us, they mess with all of us. We stick together, okay?"
Vincent tilted his head to look at Cloud quietly for several moments. ".......That reminds me......did you find your answer to the question you asked me in the Forgotten City a while back?"
Cloud blinked and furrowed his brow, having to think hard to remember what Vincent was talking about, but then his features relaxed and he nodded. "Sometimes......sins are forgiven."
"Heh. Sometimes perhaps......" Vincent sighed a soft but heavy sigh and finally moved to sit at an opposite row of tables from the rest of them. "Where could he even be?"
Zack took the paper out of his pocket to read it over again. "There're a lot of questions, actually." He said, smacking the paper with the back of his hand. "I know he probably didn't know I'd died, but there's no way he knows I knew Cloud and I only just met Vincent......so unless he was at Nibelheim....." He shrugged.
"It wasn't necessarily aimed at you." Cloud said, his tone holding some inner relief as his headache finally began to abate. "Though it does still beg the question how he would know any one of us might understand what that passage is supposed to mean.....it means he knows the members of my team......" He sat back on his chair, thoughtful. "Let's see......Cid said he'd been to see a LOVELESS performance once, maybe he knows Genesis." He frowned then and looked at Vincent. "Though how does he know you? You would have been asleep when he was born."
Vincent made a sound of frustration. "Questions piling upon questions and no answers to be found. Rather than focusing on all this speculation, we should try and find his location. Where would he go? Where would he be able to hold someone?"
"I'll get a map." Tifa got up from her chair to head around behind the bar. She dug around for a minute or so, then returned with a world map and motioned Vincent over, then sat down and unfolded the map. It already had little notations on it that Cloud had put to map out routes for his delivery service, as well as to teach Marlene and Denzel world locations. "So let's see......the Crystal Cave is about here" She pointed. "and the closest locations to it are.....Nibelheim, North Corel and the Gold Saucer. Then there's Cosmo Canyon in the other direction. Nibelheim is the closest location and I suppose some of the caves on Mt. Nibel could be used......but there are monsters and it gets freezing cold up there at night, especially at this time of year....."
"The Gold Saucer wouldn't make sense." Cloud continued. "There's too much traffic there. North Corel maybe? They've probably built things up better there, but the community is still pretty small.....he could still have her kept anywhere between these locations though. Off the beaten path. There's bound to be cave systems and such, maybe even ones that don't have monsters living in them."
"..........He would likely need help." Vincent said lowly, having come over and now leaning over Cloud's chair. "It wouldn't be logical to leave a hostage alone for long and it took us a good part of the day to arrive here.....though the theory could follow that he was at Nibelheim and followed us......still......"
"You said he took off into the sky." Cloud said. "So that means he has a wing......like Sephiroth, right?" It was a bit difficult for Cloud to word things as if he didn't already have the information in his mind....at least it wasn't befuddling him like this false Zack memories sometimes did. "Maybe he's a quick flier and can get back and forth faster than we can."
"Or he's left her with his copies." Zack spoke up, invoking stares. "Oh yeah...." He rubbed his head. "Probably should've mentioned that. Genesis can--well I guess he infects people--with his cells and make them into copies of himself. It seemed to make him degrade though..." He shrugged.
"Fine." Vincent growled and stepped away to begin pacing again. "I know what he wants, but I don't know where he is. I could have gone after him as Chaos, but chances are I would have killed him and be unable to find Lucrecia....." He reached up to touch his bandana briefly, fingers shaking slightly as a visible sign of his agitation. "He holds all the cards and I have nothing...."
"You have what he wants." Cloud pointed out, turning to watch his friend pace. "It's a hostage situation....aren't Turks trained to deal with those?"
"......Yes, of course....." Vincent sighed heavily, gave himself a shake and looked at Cloud. "I don't know if she's safe, I don't even know if she's alive.....if she is dead I can avenge her, if she is alive I can rescue her. The only clue has to do with that passage from LOVELESS.....so......how does Genesis think? What significance does the passage have?"
"Ha. If a member of the Study Group was here I could ask them for an interpretation." Zack set the handwritten passage down on the table beside the map and sat back, crossing his arms. "As best as I can remember, Genesis took LOVELESS as a description of his own life." He rubbed his head. "I think.....there are three friends mentioned.....and Genesis wanted to be the hero.....but he seemed to think Sephiroth was trying to steal his spotlight, so they always fought.....but I don't have a clue what any of this has to do with that.....proto thing."
"Protomateria." Vincent said. He smiled a faint and bitter smile. "It seems I will have to explain myself but for the sake of progress, I will try to make it brief." He closed his eyes for a few moments to collect his thoughts, and then opened his eyes again to look directly at Zack. "In brief....I was experimented upon by Hojo and monsters were added into my body, which I have been spending the last few years learning to control. The strongest one--Chaos--would be utterly uncontrollable if not for the Protomateria."
Zack's expression crumpled slightly, and he looked sad. "Genesis called himself a monster, and he got.....he got Angeal and Sephiroth to believe they were too." He slammed his hand down on the table abruptly, expression pained. "I lost my mentor and best friend because of him! Nibelheim burned because of him! Why does he do these terrible things?! Rrrr...." He put his face in his hands, but before anyone could think of something to say to him, he straightened up again and rubbed at his face. "Maybe that's why he wants it then..." He said wearily. "He might think it will make him not a monster anymore....." Did you know about this, Aerith? Is that why you sent me back?
"We're getting off track again." Tifa said, though gently. "Can you make any sense out of the passage, Zack?"
"Nnn....." Zack shook his head, but then he furrowed his brow and picked it up to read it again. "Maybe I can...." He said. "Genesis said this to Angeal.....in Banora. It definitely means he was in Nibelheim, and it definitely means this was aimed at me......but it would mean he's in Banora."
"Banora, then." Vincent said. "Where is it?"
Zack peered at the map for a few moments, then pointed to the Mideel islands. "Here." He said, pointing to the middle of the three islands.
"Hm." Cloud pulled out his cellphone and flipped it open. "I'll call Cid. I know he doesn't like flying at night, but I'm sure he'll make an exception."
"Oh goodie....." Yuffie said, sinking down a bit in her chair. "Being airsick is the best part...."
"Yae donnae need tae come then." Cait said. "Someone will need tae stay behind anyway tae watch over the--"
"Ohhh no no no." Tifa cut in, shaking her head. "If we leave Yuffie here, I'll come back and find the place has been cleared out."
"Hey!" Yuffie protested. "Don't you trust me?!"
"You're a klepto." Tifa responded. "Why do you think we all have chains on our wallets, Yuffie?"
"Hmph." She crossed her arms and sulked.
Cloud set his phone to speaker and set it down. "Evening Cid, it's Cloud."
"Cloud! Where've you been, you spiky-haired son of a bitch?!" Cid's voice was quite cheerful, and obviously glad to hear from him. "Tifa had the whole goddamn planet looking for you!"
"So I've been told." Cloud half-muttered. "Listen, we have a situation and we need your airship."
"Yeah? What for?"
Cloud glanced at Vincent. "Lucrecia got kidnapped by a crazy ex-SOLDIER named Genesis and we think he might be in Banora."
"Goddamn......" Cid muttered. "So this guy's in Banora, huh? Isn't that the place Shinra wiped out 'cause of some goddamn plague?"
"It was a cover-up, actually." Zack spoke up. "But can you come?"
"Who the hell's that?"
"Hurry on to Edge to pick us up and I'll tell you. We don't have any time to waste."
"Yeah....of course." Cid gave a few more choice swears and then hung up. Cloud closed his phone and tucked it away.
"So now we wait for Cid to get here." He said. "It will probably be a couple of hours." He leaned forward and clasped his hands together, staring down at the table. ".......Let's have some dinner, huh Tifa? Shelke can stay with the kids, and Cait too if he wants to. We'll get this done."
"Mm...." Tifa stood up to head over to the bar to start preparing dinner again.
Vincent looked around at his friends and then focused on Cloud. "........I'll go take a walk, I need to.....calm my mind." And with that he headed for the door, Cloud let him go. It would be better if Vincent was calm before Cid arrived, he figured. Though the two men were friends, Cid had a bit more of a problem with Vincent displaying his monsters than the others did--save for Barret, who had even more of an issue with it.
However, Vincent had no intention of returning.
Once outside, Vincent took out his cellphone. He stared at it for a few moments, then flipped it open and turned it off. I'm sorry.....but I can't get you all involved in this. This is my sin....I need to be the one to fix it.
He walked quickly until he found an empty street and he ducked into a nearby alley to transform into Chaos, then took off into the sky. He would get there before they did....he would make this right himself.
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Not long after Vincent left, Cloud headed outside to take Merciless apart again and replace in the compartments of his bike--which he was naturally taking with him.
"What do you think you can possibly do?"
Cloud twitched, previously smooth movements becoming jerky as he continued to disassemble and compartment the parts of his sword. "About what?" He growled under his breath.
"Genesis. For all that he was a failure, he managed to outlive Angeal and I." Sephiroth seemed a bit annoyed about that fact. "I wonder if Mother's chosen him instead.....?"
"You're talking to yourself, Sephiroth." Cloud responded, feeling more annoyed than frightened of him at that moment. "And I told you already. Jenova wasn't your mother. You're contemptuous of him, so he was weaker than you and--"
"Cloud?"
Cloud stiffened and swore under his breath, then straightened up. He refused to turn around and face his friend, however. "Yeah, Zack?"
Zack stepped around the side of the bar to approach him and he reached out to put his hand on Cloud's shoulder, only tightening his grip when Cloud flinched. ".....So, that's where he went, huh?" He said softly.
Cloud didn't say anything at first, and then he slowly lifted his head and turned to look at his raven haired friend. His eyes were haunted and terrified. Not just of Sephiroth's presence in his mind, but what Zack would think or do now that he knew.
Zack just looked back at him steadily, then moved his hand and took a step back. "How long?"
"I....." Cloud shook his head. "A couple of weeks, I guess......I don't know. I'm missing some time......" He looked back at him. "Zack....."
Zack stepped back further to lean against the side of the bar. "Tell me what you remember."
Cloud looked around. "......Here?"
"Well we can't really go anywhere, man. Tiff's making dinner and then we've gotta go kick Genesis' ass. Remember?"
"Mmn....." Well, Zack hadn't jumped him yet. Overall, he was actually taking things rather well......which wasn't serving to make Cloud feel any less nervous, even if it was meant to. "Well....I had had a couple of drinks before bed, I'd been feeling kind of funny......and then the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the shadow of the Northern Crater and.......here he is." Cloud knocked half-heartedly at his skull and casted his eyes down.
Zack crossed his arms and tilted his head. "And Yuffie said you'd been missing for about a month and a half......so he's been there that long?"
"I don't know. I guess so....." Cloud grit his teeth and looked at Zack. "Zack.....if he takes over me--"
"Ohhh no." Zack straightened up and made a cut off motion with both arms. "Already went through that with Angeal. Essai and Sebastian too.....kind of." He shook his head. "Not happening, Cloud. I'm not killing any more friends."
"If Sephiroth takes over me you'll have to, Zack!" Cloud's voice rose in spite of himself, though he hastily lowered it again. "You know what he did to Nibelheim.....he wants to destroy the--"
"I said no." Zack broke in firmly. "Besides, are you sure that's what he wants?"
Cloud just stared at him like he was insane and Zack sighed, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose briefly.
"Yes, I know he summoned Meteor--I was one of the active souls that helped to stop that thing--but you've been acting funny on and off since we got here." Zack looked around and then back at Cloud. "I don't think Sephiroth's after the same thing as before."
"He's just not strong enough yet." Cloud responded, trying to temper his panic back down. He'd been fine until he'd found himself discussing his head problem. "But once he is.....everything will change....." He bit his lip and put a hand to his face. "Zack......I'm not fit to lead and.....if you can't kill me, then.....then I'll just have to tell Vincent. He'll do it." At least, Cloud hoped he would. Though Vincent had fought alongside him and the others up to the Northern Crater, he'd left with Yuffie to rush off to Midgar to evacuate everyone. Sephiroth was the son of the woman he loved--the woman they were going to soon be trying to rescue--Cloud didn't really know if Vincent would be able to kill the man--never mind that doing so would also kill Cloud.
Zack sighed softly and stepped over to Cloud. Clapping his hands down on the shorter man's shoulders, he gave him a gentle shake. "I'm not taking over your team and no one's gonna be doing any killing of you, bad guy or good guy. Now calm down. What did I tell you before, Cloud?"
Cloud wobbled a bit like a broken bobblehead, but then he looked up with confusion. "Huh? What you told me before?"
"Cloud. You were my living legacy, just like I was Angeal's. I took up his Buster sword, and then I entrusted it to you and you retired it when you surpassed my legacy." He gave a crooked smile and moved his hands, stepping back again. "You're no infantryman, Cloud. You made it. You're SOLDIER. You've saved the world, you're strong.....not just in body, but in your heart." He tapped his friend's chest. "You getting me, Cloud? The point I'm getting to is, don't let this get you down and look beneath the surface. Sometimes, things happen for a reason."
"You think there's a reason behind why I've got him in my head?!" Cloud hissed..
Zack leaned over and peered at him. "You're not acting like a six plus foot tall egomaniac on a high." He stated, then before Cloud could begin to do more than sputter that Zack wasn't taking the problem seriously, he continued. "So anyway, what's he doing in that blond noggin of yours? What's he want?"
".........He hasn't really said anything about wanting something." Cloud admitted. "Just taunts, basically."
"Hmn.....well try not to let it weigh you down. Whether I'm wrong or not, I think there's still time to figure things out."
Cloud sighed and shook his head. "Whatever....either way--" He cut off quickly when Tifa came around the side of the bar.
"There you two are. Come on. Dinner's ready. We should eat before Cid gets here." She looked up at the sky and sighed. "I hope Vincent gets back soon.....I've got a bad feeling....."
The two men looked at each other, then Cloud turned away briefly to shut the sword compartments and brushed past Tifa to head in. Zack followed with an eagerness that said he'd stopped all thoughts but the immediate ones of filling his belly. As Tifa turned to follow, she couldn't help a small smile of amusement. So this was Zack, huh? That was good, this team needed more cheerful people around to battle against the emo and grouch factor of the other men.
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Reno stepped into the public washroom at the Gold Saucer. The Turks were staying the night there, though Tseng had ordered them to keep things to moderation as they didn't want to draw too much attention. He checked all the stalls, trusting Rude outside to keep people out for the time being and then stepped over to a urinal. While he took care of opening the fly of his pants to get his business out with one hand, his other hand pulled his cellphone out to sort through his contacts and dial a number.
"Hello?"
"Hey Elena. How's my favorite blond pain in the ass?"
"Oh....Reno, it's you." Elena tried to sound exasperated, but Reno could tell she was glad to hear from him. "You and Thessa aren't getting along, I take it?"
"Never have. We're like oil and water. So really, how're you doing? Any progress?"
"You wouldn't think so the way I'm being coddled around here." Elena responded with some exasperation. "But I think I should be just fine in another week, the nightmares haven't been as severe or frequent."
"Mm, that's good then." He gave a soft sigh as the flow got underway. "Don't rush things."
".....What are you doing?" She asked curiously, having caught the sigh.
"Eh, just takin' a whiz, yo."
"YOU CALLED ME WHILE GOING TO THE WASHROOM?!" She shrieked, making him have to hold the phone away from his ear, even while he snickered.
"It's quieter in here." Reno responded. "Besides, I don't wanna possibly get caught by the Director."
".....How is Tseng, anyway?" She asked in a quieter tone.
Reno worked at stuffing himself away and zipping up again before he answered, heading over to the sinks. "Ehh.....he's not so good, actually. He's been getting real snappy and I don't think he's been sleeping very much either."
"Oh, Tseng....."
"Eh, you know the Director." He tucked the phone into his shoulder and waved his hands under the faucet to get the water running. "He works himself too damn hard. But y'know, his obsession with finding the old boss might have something to do with his Post-Traumatic Stress.....I just hope we finish up before he snaps."
"Do you need to put it like that?! Besides, Tseng's a lot tougher than I am....I'm sure he's just fine."
"I'm sure you need to get over your crush on him....." Reno muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothin'." Reno headed over to the paper towel dispenser. "So just think positive, Elena. Those bastard remnants are gone, so you don't have anything to be worried about anymore."
"......Yeah, thanks Reno." The words seemed snide, but the tone was grateful all the same. "I'll see you soon, I hope."
"You just worry about yourself 'lena and I'll worry about not killing your sister, 'kay?"
Elena gave a snort and he hung up the phone, dropping it back into his pocket before he headed out to join Rude, only to find he already had company.
"Oh....hello Adrian."
Adrian casually looked over and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Reno." He acknowledged the redhead casually. "I'd say I was surprised, but.....I'm not. Has Shinra finally started the hunt for us? I'm a bit--"
"Geez!" Reno exclaimed loudly to cut him off. He wiggled a finger in his ear. "I forgot how freakin' long-winded you are!" He sighed heavily. "No, we're not hunting you down." He made a show of looking Adrian up and down, noting his button up gray shirt and blue jeans. "But I think you already know that, or you wouldnt've been patiently waiting with Rude."
"I trust my former comrades." Adrian responded calmly. "And I saw Thessa walking with Tseng, so I had a suspicion things had changed in our favor."
"We're looking for Veld." Rude broke into the conversation. "Will you help us find him?"
Adrian looked back at Rude and arched a brow. "You're looking for the boss? Why?"
"The Director--that's Tseng, by the way--wants to find him. The President announced a pardon for you guys, and I guess Tseng wants to make sure the boss knows." Reno shrugged. "Personally, I think Tseng wants Veld to take over again.....he's been kinda stressed lately."
"The President announced a pardon?" Adrian frowned deeply at Reno. "Has he had a change of heart then, or does Rufus have something he's using against him to insure our safety?"
Reno arched a brow and finally moved away from the mens washroom to walk, Rude and Adrian falling into step with him. "Boy. You're out of the loop, aren't you? The President is Rufus. His old man got knocked off years ago by Sephiroth."
"Sephiroth.....so he really did go rogue against the company like the other First Classes?"
"Heh....." Reno shook his head. "I donno where you've been all this time Adrian, but you've gotta pay more attention to the news. Sephiroth didn't go rogue against the company, he went rogue against the world. I'm sure you must've heard what happened to Midgar about four years ago."
"It was supposedly the end of the world." Adrian responded.
"Yeah.....well, I know a lot of stuff was kept low key......but Sephiroth summoned that thing. Supposedly it took the Lifestream itself to stop it." Reno grimaced a bit. "Anyway, Rufus is on our side....so, getting back to Veld. Do you know where he might be?"
"No. We went off in all different directions."
The redhead sighed. "Well, are you gonna come with us to find the boss?"
"I may as well. My katana and I have been itching for some excitement for a while."
Reno snickered and put a hand on Adrian's shoulder. "Oh, I'd say things will definitely be exciting."
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As Vincent in Chaos' form spiraled down to where the proto-WEAPON's excellent night vision told him the ruins of Banora were, he wondered if he was making a mistake. It wasn't the first time in the hour and a half flight that he had wondered this. He was alone, the town had been bombed out so no one lived there and there was no electricity. While Chaos' senses were excellent, what if there was an ambush waiting? The clue had supposedly been aimed specifically at Zack, and Genesis would never expect him to come alone. Zack had said something about copies as well. Like Sephiroth's?
Touching down as softly as he could, he folded his wings and scanned his surroundings again, sniffing the air. His wingbeats had been the only sound and now there was silence and all he could smell was the sweet smell of apples gone rotten and fallen off the trees. What if Zack had been wrong? What if his memory had been faulty, or the lines hadn't been aimed at him at all and had a different meaning? Or what if--
Hearing fire ignite behind him was all the warning he had. He spun around and to the side he narrowly avoided being hit by a fireball. Squinting, he growled softly. What had he been thinking, trying this by himself at night?! All it took was a little light, and now there were spots dancing in his eyes.
"So, that's Chaos, hm?" Genesis' voice spoke out of the darkness and lights snapped on about where his head would be. Night vision goggles--Deepground night vision goggles. "Did you come without your friends, Vincent Valentine?"
"Where is Lucrecia?" Vincent growled, his voice made echoy by the form he was in. He flexed the proto-WEAPON's wings in agitation.
"With my 'brother'." Genesis chuckled softly. "When the war of the beasts brings about the world’s end, the goddess descends from the sky. Wings of light and--"
"Enough!" Vincent snarled. "Hand over Lucrecia to me and I might consider sparing your life."
"Oh how noble." Came a low voice from behind him, and then pain lanced though his midsection. Dumbly, Vincent looked down to see two thin swords coated with his blood sticking out of him. Before he could fully comprehend what had happened however, the blades were pulled free. Again Vincent spun around to face someone he could have sworn he'd killed.
"Weiss!"
"Oh, you remember me? I'm quite flattered." Vincent snarled wordlessly, though the sound cut off abruptly when Weiss stepped aside to reveal who was behind him.
Lucrecia stood there, being restrained by two men adorned with one black wing each and one holding a sword to her neck. It was hard to see colors with such a lack of light, but the costuming didn't seem right for Deepground soldiers. Unlike Genesis and Weiss, they didn't seem to be equipped with night vision goggles. Neither was Lucrecia, but her eyes were wide open and staring in the direction she had likely heard his voice come from. As Vincent stared, caught between attacking who was in front of him and not wanting to risk Lucrecia being harmed by him doing so, the man not holding the sword reached up to remove her gag.
"Vincent! Vincent, run!" She near shrieked, trying to break free of her captors without cutting herself on the sword near her skin. "Don't worry about me, just get out of here!" She was quickly gagged again to stop her from saying more and her sounds dissolved into low whimpers.
"Lucrecia....." He whispered, in near agony. He sidestepped finally so he could keep both Weiss and Genesis in sight and began glancing between them. He'd made a mistake. If he had come with his friends, if he had only waited.....
"You have one last chance to hand over the Protomateria." Weiss stated calmly, shaking his gunswords to get the blood off. "You don't want your precious woman to get hurt, do you?"
Vincent snarled, curling up his lip. "........How did you know where she was?"
Weiss chuckled softly and tapped his temple. "The arrogant scientist left his knowledge behind in my head when my brother helpfully eliminated his presence. Now then Vincent, what's your answer?"
"He's a Turk." Genesis spoke up. "One life means nothing to them."
Weiss chuckled softly. "I suppose that's true." He spun his swords and gave a put-upon sigh that was entirely sarcastic, then he lunged at Vincent.
Parry, parry, swipe, duck, parry, parry. Vincent was kept occupied trying to fend Weiss off. He quickly became focused on his enemy, so much so that he forgot about the other one until pain once more lanced through him from behind. This weapon brought with it fire and he screamed as it tore through him. He lost consciousness briefly, and when he came to once more he found himself on his back with Weiss standing over him. He found he could barely make the white-haired man out, but the thing in his hand was clear enough.
"N-No...." He rasped with bloodied lips, staring in horror at the Protomateria held aloft. He heard a muffled scream that likely came from Lucrecia, a sound that cut off with a gurgling sigh. He struggled to get up, to move, but the pain was just too great and he sagged down again. Chaos' feral intelligence began to bubble up within him and he let it come. Let it take him, he had nothing left to lose.
Genesis entered his view then and knelt down. He was holding a box-like device in his hands and this he pushed down against the monster's chest wound where the Protomateria had been. Chaos gave a screaming roar and tried to lash out, but a moment later.....Chaos was gone and Genesis stood up once more with the box now lit up in his hands.
"Well," Weiss commented, standing up and admiring the Protomateria. "at least that woman was good for something." He turned to walk away, laughing and Genesis turned to follow him.
Vincent shut his eyes, tears of frustration and grief slipping free. He'd failed.....
Lucrecia.....everyone.....I'm so sorry..........
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-16 05:11 am (UTC)Loving the fic, it's really good!