Chapter 2 - Minds Revival (Rewrite)

The strangely pale woman quirked her head to the side as she stared down at the bleeding infantryman. He stared back and she could feel his eyes wandering over her bare flesh from beneath the concealing helmet. She gave a small huff before turning away from him to wander over to the bowl of fruit on the table. She snatched up an apple and dragged one of the metal chairs over to sit before him. He cringed at the harsh noise the chair made as it scraped along the tile floor and tried to shift further against the wall as she drew near.

The frightened response came as no surprise. I could just as well be some ghostly monster. She could hardly blame him for it. He squirmed a little under her ethereal gaze as she assessed him. The wound was deep, but the bleeding had slowed. That was good, but the fact that he was literally holding himself in was not. She took a bite of the apple and leaned back casually in her seat without pulling her gaze from the man.

"That wound looks pretty fatal," She said nonchalantly. She cleared her throat softly. It was rough from lack of use…or rather, never having been used at all, "I don't have the means to stitch that up, and even if I did infection would set in pretty quick."

The man took a shaky breath, "What are you?"

The pale woman leaned forward in her seat, looking at him intently with narrowed eyes. From where she was now she could see his eyes… they were filled with terror. She gave an irritated sniff and leaned back, ignoring his question.

"Do you want me to make it quick?" Her inhuman gaze flickered down to the gaping wound, "Better then bleeding out I'd bet, gut wounds kill slow."

His eyes widened, "Wh-What? No! The… The Soldier out there he's got a Cure on him." He fumbled with a broken sword that lay beside him. Its handle was wet with slowly drying blood and its blade had broken jaggedly about half way up its length, leaving one side at a thin sharp point.

"Here… Please Miss! It can heal me…I-I'm sure it can! It's on an armor bangle, I know it's there." He insisted, growing desperate. He pushed the bloody blade into her hands and she looked down at it skeptically.

She rose slowly, turning the blade in her hand as she eyed it, "I'll see what I can do…"

She hummed softly and took one last bite from the apple in her hand before tossing it aside. A quick peek through the door showed the large insectoid beast still chewing away at the body on the floor. Otherwise the hall was empty. Little one wandered off. She slipped through and took to the shadows, approaching the unwary thing silently.

She passed the blade from hand to hand to get a feel for it. Its shattered blade made it oddly unbalanced, but still had some good weight to work with. While she had a strange recollection of being fairly good with blades, at the same time it felt foreign in her hands. Nothing seemed to want to quite click together in her mind. She shook it off and focused on the beast in front of her.

Its back was layered with tick chitinous plates that tapered sharply to a thin neck. A narrow triangular head sat atop it. The juncture connecting the two was wider there to allow for a better range of motion, and also made for a soft vulnerable target. She watched in bend down to tear another chunk away from the body at its feet before it rose back up again.

Crouching low she moved slowly towards it, keeping right behind it and hopefully out of its line of sight. She glanced to the body on the floor looking for whatever piece of armor the man had mentioned. He didn't have much in the way of armor to begin with so it wasn't hard to spot. On his left forearm was what looked like a light gauntlet of some sort. At the wrist a large steel bangle sat inset with small round sockets. Two of them glinted faintly in the dark. That must be it.

It bent again and she positioned herself low with the broken blade pointed upwards in both hands. As it straightened she struck. Pushing with the strength of her legs as well as her arms she jammed its narrow tip into the base of the beasts' skull. It gave a single short shriek and spun as she leaped back. It's wild slash missed mark. That was all it managed before it fell to the ground with a thump. She remained crouched and ready to bolt, but the form failed to rise.

Thin wisps of green rose from its body like steam and as she stepped forwards they shot to her, sinking into her body rapidly. The sudden jarring reaction knocked the air out of her like a punch to the chest. Foreign images and emotions flashed through her mind in quick succession. As they passed she was able to recall bits and pieces of them. The hole in the reactor chamber wall, dark earthen tunnels, networks of silk weaving through the darkness to converge at a chamber of eggs, and intense drive to feed the hive, feed the mother. She struggled to shake it off and make sense of it all.

That...that's not good. There were more of these things...far more then she had any intention of dealing with. She hurried over to the mangled corpse and the creature slumped atop it. She had to brace her foot against its narrow head in order to jerk the broken blade free from its skull. Grayish green ichor coated its blade and she gave a faint scowl. Shifting the creatures' body off of the man beneath it, she reached for what she came for.

The gauntlet slid from his arm easily and she slipped it over her own. As soon as the softly glowing orbs lying within made contact she felt a jolt of energy run across her skin. It was quick and sudden like static shock and as soon as it came it faded to a soft comfortable warmth, like the deeper reaches of the Mako pools. Glancing down at the bangle where the orbs sat, she traced each with her fingertips. Cure...and Thunder. It was as though the orbs themselves told her this. Magic...they are for casting magic.

She hummed softly as she stared down at them. I played a good shadow priest...but I generally prefer to roll rogue. She blinked oddly and shook her head. I...what? Small flickers of memories danced just out of her reach. She couldn't make heads or tails of her own thoughts.

When she looked up it was as though she were seeing her surroundings for the first time. The smell of blood and ruptured organs suddenly became pungent enough to make her retch and she moved away from the body on the floor. She glanced down at it blankly. I...I shouldn't feel this calm. It was as though just the acknowledgement was enough to break whatever spell had been over her. The last few days...weeks? Months? Suddenly caught up to her. A sharp chill ran through her and she wrapped her arms around herself as she fought the sudden onslaught of shakes. Her hands traveled up to clench at her hair as surges of pain shot through her temple and radiated through her skull. She staggered and leaned against the wall to brace herself. Slowly she calmed enough to think and her breathing steadied.

Focus...one step at a time. The Cure, that man needs healing. She took maybe two steps towards the door when a sharp shriek of pain and fear made her freeze. It had come from the staff room. In an instant she was there, throwing open the narrow door to race inside.

The man on the floor kicked out weakly as one of the creatures converging on him. Another dropped down from the vent along the wall to join the others. One of the grub-like beasts jabbed its sickle like forearms into his chest and he gave a single weak gargling cry before his head slumped down limp against his chest. She staggered to stop, staring wide eyed at the man that just moments ago had been pleading for his life.

Once again soft green wisps drifted from the now dead form. She didn't get a chance to brace herself before it surged into her.

" Harold! You don't have to do this. We have been doing fine for ourselves!" A young brunette insisted. A warm feeling washed over her at the sight of the woman, "If I join ShinRa we will do so much better!" Did that voice come from me?

"Private! Get back in line"I… who? "Yes SIR!"

"You know, I saw Sephiroth once."Sephiroth…She felt a chill run down her spine. That name… "Bullshit, Martin." That's not my voice... "It's totally true! They had me patrolling the 69th floor one time and there he was!"

The rapid pop of gunfire filled her ears. A pained scream echoed along harsh metal walls. Fear… "Harold get somewhere safe NOW, call for backup. WE NEED BACKUP!"

She gasped frantic gulps of air and took a few staggered steps back. It felt like she'd been drowning or forgotten how to breathe entirely. What... The smiling face of the brunette with no name flashed before her eyes. Her vision felt blurred and tunneled in its focus. The writhing motions of the creature ripping into the dead man snapped her focus to them. Haroldhis name is…was…Harold.

A strange surge of rage bubbled up suddenly and unexpectedly. She couldn't recall ever feeling such intense anger…not that she could recall much to begin with. The man on the floor and the beasts tarring through him were in acute clarity. The sound of her blood pounded in her ears, defining everything around her… defining the cry of animal rage that poured forth and the sharp crack of thunder. White arching bolts of electricity poured from her out stretched hand. Its energy arched between the monsters leaving little more than the stench of sizzling flesh and ozone.

She stood there silently for a while, simply staring at the blackened creatures and the bloody body they lay sprawled across. Her heavy breathing began to slow and a few short steps back pressed the back of her legs against the soft surface of the loveseat. She dropped down into it, never letting her eyes stray from their smoking forms.

Everything was flooding forward. This was no dream. She had no idea how she'd gotten here or how long she'd been here, but she suddenly and irrefutably knew where she was. A game…this is a game. She was in what she knew only to be a game, another planet, another reality entirely. She glanced down at the bangle on her arm. The tiny Thunder Materia…and that was what the little thing was, still glowed faintly with energy from her spell. Impossible…

Memories poured forth and she slid down to lay her throbbing head against the loveseat cushions. Name…my name. She couldn't remember it before…or hadn't really tried to. Ryo…Ryo Kesh. Her eyes fluttered closed and remained clenched as jumbled memories overran her.


Yellow tape marked out the edges of the quarantined area outside the front of Reactor 3. An armored vehicle pulled up to the front gates and was waved in by the men on guard. A few small pop up tents were set up just inside the boundaries as an impromptu command center. Commander Genesis stepped out of the SUV as its engine died and the two infantrymen hurried out to unload medical supplies for the injured reactor workers as he walked past.

The men there had been hit hard by this 'little' infestation. Genesis scowled. Someone's mistake had cost lives and possibly a Soldiers' as well. As his approach was noticed a short balding overweight man in a suit hurried forwards to greet him. He was sweating anxiously and looked frantic.

"Finally!" He gave Genesis a strained smile. It wavered when the Commander failed to return the gesture. He cleared his throat nervously, "Ah...well...The Director informed me another unit would be sent out. We haven't heard anything from the last since the SOS." He gave an uncomfortable laugh, "I didn't think a Soldier could be bested by a few bugs."

In a better world Genesis' glare would have stopped the greasy bureaucrats heart dead. Instead he just sweated more profusely. Genesis ignored the man's comment. "We will handle the situation from here Mr. ..." He let the question linger as he continued forwards.

"Oh! Ah... W-william Harbin Sir. How rude of me not to introduce myself." The little man was forced to jog to keep up with the Commanders long gate. Genesis gave a noise Harbin took as encouragement to continue. "I am the manager for Reactor 3..." When this failed to get any more recognition than a mild hum he fell into a nervous ramble. "T-this is such a tragedy! From the sound of things the damage to the facility is extensive... It will take months to have things up and running again. The cost alone will be devastating."

The Commanders eye gave a very slight twitch at the man's comment but he said nothing, just let the manager prattle on till he got winded. The medical trooper and infantryman assigned to him hurried past with supplies and Genesis gestured for the medic to join the workers requiring aid. The other fell into step beside the Commander. Mr. Harbin still hurried along at his heels like an eager mutt. Oblivious twit can't take a hint…

"Well…" Genesis stopped abruptly and turned swiftly, "Worry for your finances no more Mr. Harbin. I'm sure the losses of labor costs due to your deceased employees will more than make up for it." He gave the sunned man an exaggerated bow. His smile was sickly sweet, the anger and disgust boiling just below the surface.

Without giving the manager a chance to respond he turned to the infantryman, "Help the guards with securing the parameter. No ones to go in until I come out, understood?"

The young infantryman gave a stiff salute and hurried off. Genesis passed the parameter line leaving Mr. Harbin and his men at its tapes off edge. There was a bit of a disturbance near the medical tents and a stocky older man with his arm in a sling hurried over to the Commander. The worker was tailed by a medic who was insisting he lie down but the man look determined.

"Commander Sir! There's something you should know." Genesis raised a brow at the scruffy reactor worker before glancing to the exasperated medic behind him. Gen tilted his head in a short nod for the man to continue.

"The manager says we are mad fools… but that reactor is haunted." He gestured to the facilities entrance. His face went red at the Commanders skeptical look, "I seen it with my own eyes, and others have to!" He said gesturing to the workers standing nearby getting treatment. Some nodded others avoided the Commanders gaze entirely. "The janitors find bare footprints of Mako in the lower levels. There's something down there."

Genesis eyed him doubtfully, but nodded all the same, "I will remain vigilant… thank you for the information." The man apparently satisfied let himself be led away by a medic.

Haunted…what will they think of next? He gave a bemused grin. He stepped through the large metal entryway to Reactor 3 and drew Rapier, gave it's a short testing swish. It felt good in his hand…familiar. The battlefield was his home not the stuffy little office back at HQ. Maybe a little break from paperwork isn't such a bad idea after all…


Ryo lay on her side staring, but not seeing the bodies on the floor that stunk of ozone and burnt flesh. Her focus was inwards. She hugged her knees tighter to her chest and clenched her eyes shut as disorganized thoughts flooded her mind. ShinRa… Mako… Soldier. Final Fantasy IIV…That's where they're all from. How the hell… None of this is real…none of this shouldn't real!

This was supposed to be a game. Just a quirky little JRPG classic that had consumed a few years of her life back in early high school. A world of sexy swordsmen, talking red catdogs… and chocobos. Her eyes snapped open wide and her mind went oddly blank for a moment. I want a chocobo… a not entirely sane giggle erupted between tightly clenched teeth. Impossible…And yet here she was staring at a fried ShinRa Trooper and a bunch of bug monsters that she'd blasted with a Thunder Materia.

She glanced down at the little orbs socketed at her wrist. I just cast fucking magic…Fucking. Magic. Another mad little giggle fell from her lips and her head bobbed back and forth to a tune in her head. I'm a motherfuckin wizard! I will fuck up your shit! The massive grin on her face was painfully stiff and she flexed her jaw as is tried to lock up.

Enough! Get it together…Ryo took a deep breath and struggled to pull the reigns in on the madness that was clawing at the front of her mind. Her brain wanted to jump from tangent to jittery tangent. I'm in a video game! This was all kinds of impossible. Even if she were to look at things from just the games standpoint…Mako tended to kill people. I distinctly remember Cloud having a bad time after his various dips in the stuff. The voices… from deep down in the Mako. Was that the Lifestream? I guess I understand its concern now at least…the last foreign body it encountered nearly killed it. Her head throbbed from all the information it was trying, and failing, to process.

Not to mention Shadowmeld isn't even from this game… Ryo gave an irritated growl. Nothing was making any sense. There were too many questions. What was going on? How did she get here? Possibly more important even…When in this worlds timeline was she? Crisis Core, Before Crisis? The reactor was functional, so this had to be before the events of Meteor and Advent Children.

Her eyes wandered to the memo board on the wall. The years and dates on them meant nothing to her, but from what information she could gather this was before Rufus ShinRa's take over and the Sector 4 plate was currently in construction. Sector 6 was left unfinished in the core game. Focus on what you do know… you're in Reactor 3 in the city of Midgar, Rufus hasn't off-ed his old man yet… or at least Sephiroth hasn't. Oh God… Sephiroth. Her breath caught in her throat and her frantic thoughts came to a grinding halt. I hope he hasn't gone off the deep end yet.

Ryo took a deep breath. This wasn't the time or place for a mental breakdown. The soft scratching of claws on metal shifted her gaze to the staff room door. It hung open a little and she watched the little bug creature drag its grub-like body across the floor. She scowled at it. Every gamer develops a certain deep-seated hatred toward oversized insects over time. I've seen too many cazadors, giant spiders, and radroaches for one lifetime…

She gave a tired sigh before steeling her determination. Okay, let's get our priorities straight. One: Get out of here alive. Two: Figure this shit out. Three:…Profit? She grinned and gave an amused snort. Ryo shifted to a sitting position and glanced over to Harolds corpse. He was a mess. She turned her gauntleted hand over and felt the Materia there. It was a Cure, but not a mastered one and she highly doubted it would have been able to save him considering the extent of his injuries…but that didn't stop the twinge of guilt that stabbed at her chest. She looked away and scowled at the floor.

He was dead, but even now she could sift through snippets of his memories, and the monsters before that. The energy that left them had looked like Mako. Did I absorb their soul? It was a disturbing thought and one she didn't have the mental stamina to try to deal with. She filed it away for later and shook her head. I don't have time for this right now. From sound of the clacking and chattering noise coming her way, she had bigger problems to worry about.

The short broken sword lay discarded on the bloodied floor and she retrieved it quickly as she came to stand. She crept towards the crack in the door, coming just to its edge to peek out into the hall beyond. Ryo gave a pained hiss. One big…two small. And from the sound of it more coming her way. They moved swiftly towards her position with purpose…like they knew she was there. Maybe I underestimated their intelligence a little.

Ryo opened the door wide and stepped out so she stood just outside its frame. The large beast chattered excitedly and came towards her with greater speed. She waited, timing her move to the last second. The mantis like creature charge forwards and she dropped down and to the side in a rolling dodge. It hissed angrily, but could not alter its momentum. It crashed through the doorway and into the table and chair at the middle of the room. As it struggled to untangle itself from the debris she slammed the door closed behind it. Hope you know how to work a door handle shit for brains… She gave the door a smirk before turning back to the remaining monsters.

The other two were of the smaller variety and shuffled along at a much slower pace. Their little sickle clawed arms were raised and they chattered aggressively. The first coiled back on its short body like a spring before shooting forwards, flinging itself at her like some kind of headcrab. She side stepped it and brought her blade down through its back as it landed gracelessly on the floor. Its partner gave a grabbled hiss and took a swipe at her leg. It grazed her leaving a thin red scratch along her calf. A quick stab killed it as easily as the last. The soft wisps of energy that swept over her left her giddy and even the slight sting of her scratch faded to nothing. Ryo retrieved her blade from its corpse with a sharp jerk, ignoring the ichor that coated its blade, and rose to face the next wave.