Summary: Their last hope is taken, their leader captured, and their forces decimated...But Roxas knows that they've come too far to back out now. Even if it means facing extinction. This is Diaspora. [AkuRoku]
Inspired by a trailer video on YouTube that Spazzlings made for a contest, I came up with this: a mixture of Terminator, Resident Evil and Kingdom Hearts. It's more on the serious side, instead of angsty/romance. So, reserve judgment until you read it and tell me what you think, okay? And seriously: go look up that video! It's incredible!
VVV
VVVV
VVV
"The right to be a God...."
"Look out!"
A few people looked up at the warning, others were busy and didn't have enough time. The helicopter that Squall Leonhart had just shot down was crashing it's way towards the ground, and he knew that most of his men wouldn't have time to get out of there. He growled, wondering if it was worth it...
"Squall, keep focus!"
The brown haired man looked up, seeing his own Leader above him on a cliff, attempting to get a hold of Headquarters. But the rain was pouring down on them, and the cliff side was getting too muddy for them to fight there. They all knew it. But Squall also knew that their Leader would never accept backing off. They had too much at stake here to run away now. He snarled to himself, wiping blood from his eyes from the large cut across the bridge of his nose.
"Sir, I just did a head count." Squall flinched when a boy, no older than fifteen, ran towards him, his once-silver hair now streaked with mud and blood. "There's only ten of us left."
Ten? Of the five hundred they had brought here, they now only had ten Soldiers? Squall felt his stomach drop and he looked out into the open desert ahead of them. Far away was a glowing city, they're supposed destination. But they would never make it. The enemy forces were too well prepared for them, and there was no way that they could take the city with only ten men and no ammo.
"Axel? What do we do?"
The red haired man, who had finally given up on the now-worthless radio, jumped down to where Squall was with the last remaining people. His green eyes swept over them, then out to the city. They all knew he wanted to keep fighting; that's why he was their Leader. He had lost too much to the Virus-infectees that he wouldn't ever stop going after them until all three CEOs who created this war were dead.
"...We head back." Everyone stared up at him, even Squall. "We're no good to them dead. And we killed enough of their Soldiers that we should hopefully get a cure or something from them..."
"Axel, are you sure?" Squall asked, not wanting to sound too relieved. "Wesker-"
Axel's eyes darkened, making some of the boys back away. "Wesker, Sephiroth and Genesis will all die...but no today. We head back and we get ready. We'll attack them again soon."
So, carrying the wounded and leaving the dead, they started back to their base. At the base would be a vessel to take them back to Headquarters, then they would recover. Squall helped the silver haired boy as he walked next to Axel, trying to be inconspicuous about glancing at him. 'What is it you're thinking, Axel? Are you afraid for yourself or these boys?'
Squall had known Axel for the past seven years. The red head had shown up early into the war, lashing out at everyone. His sister, brother and both parents had been 'purified' in front of him. By Sephiroth himself. He let the boy go, however, seeing that he had been affected by the virus Wesker had set on the town. They left him for dead, but Axel risked death by cutting out of the skin around the affected area, one of the few who had gotten rid of it.
Since joining the Rebellion, Axel quickly rose through the ranks. His hatred for the "Big Three" proved formidable to anyone who challenged him. People found him both inspiring and disturbing. He never seemed to really care about anything other than getting further to killing the three men that started this war. And somehow, Squall found himself Second In Command. Axel seemed to trust him, thinking they had something in common. And they did; Squall's fiancee, Rinoa, had been purified in the attack on his own town.
"Axel! T-there's a plane heading towards us!"
Everyone looked up at the raining sky, all of them tense and alert. It wasn't a fighter jet, but a carrier. Meaning that someone had thought it'd be best to kill them all now then let them get back to Headquarters.
"Squall," Axel whispered as they stopped. "I've got one shot left for the Launcher. I need you to get these brats away from here so I can make a clean shot."
"No." Squall ignored the glare he got, frowning. "Axel, more than anyone, we need you alive. Let me shoot."
Axel snorted. "They already shot me through the calf. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
Squall stared in shock; how had Axel made it this far then, having been shot already? It worried him that this hatred of his friend's seemed to consume him. He knew that he couldn't argue, and he wasn't going to get any help from the frightened boys behind them. So he nodded.
"I'll send someone to get you...so they don't Purify you."
Axel gave a crooked smile. "Thanks. I appreciate it."
So Squall headed the young Soldiers off, knowing in his head that they would never really understand what they had just done; leaving behind their one chance at getting through this war. They were behind another cliff side when the Rocket Launcher went off. What it did, they didn't know. There was a loud explosion, but Squall didn't have much hope. They all stared up at the rain until they heard the carrier take off, knowing that Axel had failed. Squall released the silver boy to go back, to see what was left.
He felt a cold shock go through him; they had taken Axel's body with them.
VVV
"The right to be a God...is now mine."
VVVV
VVV
"Are you serious?" Roxas asked, his blue eyes wide as he stared around the room at all the others. "I knew we'd do it eventually, but...we're seriously going to let ourselves be caught to get inside?!"
"We have to." Squall muttered, gently rubbing the scar that cut diagonally between his eyes. "We know for certain that inside the city, they're holding people so they can be purified or worse. We need to do something, and this is the only way we can."
Chris Redfield, who had taken over as Leader when the previous one had been killed, began to pace. Everyone watched him, since it would be his call whether they would enter the city. Roxas thought they weren't ready. Their group may have gotten bigger since the war began, but he knew that they were mostly teens, like him, who didn't understand that they weren't invincible. Roxas understood too well. He had watched his parents eaten by some infectees of the Virus.
'Where to begin in all of this?' he thought, musing as they waited. Over seventeen years ago, two men named Spencer and Rufus had made a Virus that could stop death. But doing so, in a way, killed the infectee. They became primitive and uncontrollable. Until they advanced the research and made more types of the Viruses. Roxas knew that this was when they tested the new Viruses on the three; Sephiroth, who had been born of a rape between a Doctor and his assistant, was injected in the womb. And Genesis, he was created from tissue of something, Roxas didn't know the whole story. But it was Wesker that they all feared.
Albert Wesker had been created from nothing, a complete project from the bottom up. He had, at first, not realized what he was and helped the Rebellion against Rufus and Specer. But then, learning his origin, he turned on them. Chris had been on Wesker's team when the man betrayed them. But he let Chris live, then he proceeded to kill Specer and Rufus, taking over. He controlled most of the world now that he dropped the Uroboros project on them all from a missile.
"Who would go with us?" They all looked up at Cloud Strife, who usually remained silent through all the meetings. The man looked solemn, not meeting their eyes. "If we infiltrate Dark City, who'll go with us? We can't have anyone who thinks that they can't handle it, and we can't bring someone along unwillingly. This is a war, we don't need cowards or pacifists. If we do this, then the team needs to knew we can relay on everyone."
"I'm in." Squall said, shrugging. "It was my idea."
"Me too." Zack Fair muttered, sharing a look with Cloud, who smiled.
Chris nodded, and Sheva, his partner, did as well; they didn't go anywhere without the other since Wesker killed Chris's old partner, Jill. "Obviously."
Roxas hesitated. "I'll go. I'm the only who's memorized the blueprints to the lab."
"What about the kid?" Squall asked, meaning Chris's younger sister's partner.
"Leon will stay here and keep after things for us...I trust him and Claire to keep them safe." Chris answered. "Kennedy might be a lot of things, but he's loyal."
Roxas snorted. 'Raccoon City,' He remembered Leon Kennedy telling him and Riku about it. He and Claire had gotten caught up in a purification ceremony at the city, and thousands upon thousands of infectees were swarming them. They had to run and hide everywhere. Leon still hadn't gotten over it; he jumped whenever someone placed a hand on him, and once he even sent a general to the Hospital.
"I know Riku will want to go." Roxas said, looking at Cloud. "He'll be able to help us navigate through the city."
Riku had been in a batch of brothers who were made from Sephiroth's genes. There was Riku, Loz, Yazoo, and Kadaj. Riku and Kadaj were the only ones who had escaped the city, and joined the Rebellion. They had run away from the city separately. It was Kadaj that Squall carried back to base when their previous leader had been killed. 'I've heard so many stories about him,' Roxas thought, crossing his arms. 'Ghost stories, really. He seemed to hate the three more than any of us combined...and Dad said that that was what made him so powerful,'
"When do we leave?" Cloud asked Chris, leaning against the wall.
Chris looked thoughtful, glancing at Sheva. "Tomorrow night. Be ready, there's no second chances."
VVV
VVVV
VVV
Roxas, though he knew the whole tower that Wesker resided in in Dark City, poured over the blueprints again, just to make sure. He had always been relied upon by the group because of his knowledge of such things, and he had a good memory to memorize them all. He had promised himself when he first came to the encampment that he would not be worthless. He refused to be. His parents had been mere Soldiers, and they were cut down for being worthless. He wouldn't allow himself to do the same; he wouldn't be another casualty.
"Roxas?"
The blond looked up, seeing Riku ducking into his 'room'. "Hey, Riku. Did you hear? About tomorrow?"
He nodded, sitting next to his friend on the floor in front of the small table. "Yeah. Cloud told me...Me and Kadaj are going to go. We want to see if we can break out the rest of our family."
"...Then shouldn't you be resting?" Roxas asked, curious.
Riku chuckled. "Too nervous, actually. And I could say the same to you! You have these things all memorized, but you're still going over them. I never could read a map...one of my few flaws."
Roxas laughed, gently shoving him. "And here I thought you were flawless."
"No human is."
They sat in silence for a time, Roxas studying while Riku relaxed, looking around the room he knew by heart. They lived underground, so that no one could find them. Roxas's room was small, almost a closet, and no one had doors except the higher ups. Instead, there was a cloth covering the door, giving them privacy. A small bed had been thrown in the corner, and the rest of the room was taken up by Roxas's table, where he kept all his maps and blueprints.
"How do you think tomorrow will go?" Riku asked suddenly, making the blond look up in surprise.
Roxas hesitated, knowing that he could tell Riku the truth, but not sure if he should. "I have a bad feeling...It just seems so sudden, you know?"
"Yeah, but think. If it's sudden to you, then think of what those assholes are going to think when they found out we just made off with their slaves and their research."
The blue-eyed boy grinned, feeling reassured. "Yeah, true....thanks, Riku."
VVV
VVVV
VVV
"You've heard, haven't you? They think that we'll allow ourselves to be caught off guard."
Wesker smirked, turning to Sephiroth as they both stood in front of the large windows that overlooked the city. "Let them come."
"...Do we kill them?" Genesis asked from where he sat on a couch, playing with one of his earrings. "Once they come here?"
"There won't be any need to." Wesker gently pushed up his sunglasses, hands behind his back as he continued to watch the city, as if waiting for it to crawl away from him. "They won't make it pass the basement floors."
Sephiroth frowned slightly, curious. "And if they do? I know that Cloud and Zack are with them, as will be Kadaj. Riku's worthless, he never showed anything special, but Kadaj I know will keep fighting."
"You have too much faith in their hatred." the blond man muttered. "Once Kadaj learns that we killed his brothers, then he has no more reason to fight. I've already know how to deal with all of them...But I'm not so ignorant that I would allow them to march right through here. Have the Ganados ready, just in case."
Genesis watched as the silver haired man left, suddenly feeling curious. "What about that little toy you made? They can't find him, he's not ready yet."
"I'll make sure he's moved, if he's up to it." Wesker answered easily; too easily, Genesis noted. "Keep an eye on Riku though...contrary to what Sephiroth calls worth, the boy showed much potential before he left."
The red haired man gave a laugh. "Before you let him out." he accused lightly.
"It was the only way they would think they had a chance to get through here." Wesker admitted lightly. "I know Chris too well. He'd never come here unless he was sure it was safe. He's a bleeding heart, always worried about other's safety. You should have seen him when Jill Valentine died."
Genesis smirked, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a book. "Oh, I do see it. Every night."
VVV
VVVV
VVV
"You thought you were worthy of such a title?"
Roxas could only stare in facination up at the tower. It had been built by Wesker himself when he took over. It was black iron, tall enough to touch the sky. The windows were special one-way looking, and reflected dark blue off of the light. The city that surrounded it was also dark, but all pale in comparison. Gulping, the blond looked to his companions, his stomache queasy as he remembered what they were about to do.
"Remember." Chris said, getting their attention. "No matter what happens, don't give in to them. If you get separated, leave the building quickly as you can and we'll meet you back at base. Don't let your guard down. And....be careful. Wesker's probably got traps everywhere."
"If you see someone you recognize in there, don't fall for it." Zack said sternly. "It's a trick. Everyone in that tower is already dead."
Roxas felt Riku give a shudder. He wanted to comfort his friend, like he had done for him last night, but nothing would come out of his mouth. He felt like if he tried to say anything, he would be sick. So instead, he gave Riku a smile as they began creeping forward through the empty, barren city.
"...Where are all the people?" Sheva asked, looking around.
Chris frowned. "There are none...People, anyway."
"Sephiroth was doing research on a type of monster before we left." Cloud whispered. "Don't be surprised if you see anything inhuman. You're not insane."
Quickly and quietly they ran, sneaking towards a large, stone building. Roxas knew that inside there was a way into the tower's basement, so they could sneak in and hurry through this damn mission. He just hoped that they all came out of this alive.
VVV
VVVV
VVV
"You've come far. Too bad you won't go any futher."
VVV
Chapter one is done. I wanted to make it a lot longer, but....well, it didn't seem fair. But my favorite part is coming up, and I want to write it so badly!!! :happy face: Please tell me what you think! If you have questions on any of the characters, let me know and I will help as much as I can! Though I suggest looking them up on Google so you know what they look like. :D
R&R
