~~~~Fang's POV~~~~
I couldn't help but smile as I watched Hope and his father talk. It was always good to see a family reunited, no matter the circumstances. I leaned against the wall beside the door to the room where Hope and his father were and said a silent prayer for Vanille's safety. I have to find her.
Getting bored with leaning against the wall, I push myself upright and started walking around Hope's house. The Cocoon style is so open and spread out it unnerved me. It all just screamed false security, no sign of being ready. I spotted the four mystery men standing in a corner talking about something. I was just able to catch some of their conversation.
"So you have a clock on your life but no idea how much time is left?" Angeal asked the floor, judging by where he was looking.
"That's what I have been able to figure out so far," Sephiroth replied. He had his arms crossed and was leaning on his right leg, just the mirror image of how Sunshine sometimes stands.
"But then-" Genesis started but looked over at me. The other three looked over a moment later, it was rather unnerving to have the four of them staring at me. That's when I noticed Angeal, Genesis, and Zack had bright blue eyes and Sephiroth had bright green eyes "Would you like something?" Genesis asked me in a less than friendly tone.
"Why are you guys hiding over here?" I asked cheerfully, ignoring Genesis.
"We were talking about our current mission," Angeal answered. Sephiroth, Zack and Genesis walked away from the corner, leaving me and Angeal alone "Sorry about Genesis."
"What?" I was actually confused by what he said.
"He is actually a nice guy. It's just that he – no, each of us has been through quite a bit," Angeal had a look saying he was remembering something.
"What made him so prickly?" I couldn't help but ask.
"It's not my place to talk about it," Angeal said before walking off.
I made my way back to the main room of Hope's house. Genesis was sitting on the couch and reading a book, I decided against asking him what he was reading. He would probably bite my head off for distracting him. So instead I went over to the television and switched it on. It was set to the news and I swear I heard Genesis growl at the noise, which made me smirk.
"Now for an update on the situation in Palumpolum. The l'Cie continue their desperate flight and the military has now launched an all-out campaign to eliminate them," As the reporter spoke, I walked backwards towards the couch and sat on the end closest to the television.
~~~~Sephiroth's POV~~~~
I could faintly hear the news report from the corner near the front door. I was focusing on analyzing every individual fiber of the carpet to keep my mind from straying. My attention had become so directed, I didn't notice Zack walk up in front of me until I saw his boots. When my gaze met his, I was expecting to see his usual carefree spark but a raging inferno of hatred burned in him.
"So why you?" Zack asked in the most threatening tone I've ever heard from him "Why were you chosen for this over Angeal, me, or even Cloud?"
"Believe me," I refused to show weakness, especially to Zack "I wish I could answer that. I have been wondering the same thing for a long while now."
"You said Aerith was with you for a while," I nodded "Where is she now?"
"With Sazh and Vanille,"
"Where are they?"
"I have no idea," I hadn't thought about them in a while "It's not my job to babysit, Zack. My mission is to help Lightning, that's it. If whoever sent me here wanted me to keep the others on a leash, they would've told me."
"Remember this, Sephiroth," Zack directed his index finger at me "You turn on them, I will finish what I started in Nibelheim," I couldn't help but chuckle at his threat.
"I would love to see you try," I replied with arrogance.
"Shouldn't be too hard. Cloud beat you three times," Now he was trying to make me mad.
"And yet here I am, alive and well," I noticed Angeal walking up behind Zack and decided to not say anything.
"Except this time, if you die, you stay dead."
"Zack!" Angeal barked, quiet enough so only Zack and I would hear him "The circumstances may be different but I will not tolerate my pupil speaking to a superior with that tone," Zack's burning hatred faded from his eyes as he let out a sigh "Now, I've been meaning to ask, where is my sword?"
"He passed it on to Cloud," I answered for Zack "It was the weapon that put me down the first two times."
"Oh," Angeal looked as if he regretted asking. I noticed Hope approaching from behind Angeal. Zack and Angeal followed my gaze to Hope.
"My dad said he'd like to talk to you guys," We followed Hope back to the main room and stood beside Genesis, opposite of the couch.
"Nice of you three to finally join us," Genesis shot at us in a whisper.
"Face to face like this, it's hard to believe you're all dangerous fugitives," Hope's father's statement couldn't more false in my case "But the entire world is scared to death of you l'Cie. No, not even just you. People who've helped you, bumped into you. Sometimes it's even people who've walked by one of you. They think they're 'tainted' and want every one of them Purged," Seems l'Cie share some traits of those who were victim of Geostigma.
"The Sanctum's a puppet of the fal'Cie!" Snow shouted from his place on the floor. Why is he kneeling when everyone else, other than us former SOLDIER, is in a chair? "To them, our lives don't mean anything at all. We'll stop this. Take down the Sanctum, and save Cocoon."
"You've thought that through?" Hope's father asked Snow "If l'Cie take down the Sanctum, fear of Pulse will only get worse. It won't stop at fear. People will take up arms and stand against you," I was all to well acquainted with that pattern "Can you imagine it? The rampant violence?"
"When the government's control is gone, the citizens will revolt," Lightning said in a soft tone.
"So what then?" Fang asked, irritated after a moment of silence "We're supposed to just smile and eat a bullet? That means you, too."
"I know I'm part of this," Hope's father replied to Fang "I'm on your side of the fence. Harborer of l'Cie, and a public enemy," he sounded amused by this.
"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, the goddess descends from the sky, wings of light and dark spread afar, she guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting," Genesis quoted, making everyone look over to us "Cocoon was made and is maintained by fal'Cie. Even if we were to attempt to destroy it, something would step in to save it. Be it fate, a god of sorts, a 'hero', or whatever made the fal'Cie."
The lights suddenly flickered and went out, everyone who had been sitting was on their feet. I heard the faintest sound feet on the roof and the quiet hum of an engine. I had no idea what the engine could have been but I did know there were people on the roof, most likely soldiers.
"Heads up!" Lightning and I shouted.
The sky light shattered and three grenades fell to the floor. Fortunately, they were smoke bombs and not filled with tear gas or actual explosives. Windows shattered and soldiers poured into the house.
"Hope! In the back!" Snow shouted. His tone clearly displayed how injured he still was.
"You're not ready for this," I heard Hope say "I'll stay here," Lightning, Zack, Genesis, Fang, and myself started to fight the soldiers with hand to hand "Snow. Help my dad!"
"Angeal!" Genesis called.
"Assist Snow!" I finished for Genesis.
Lightning, Fang, Zack and Genesis, were able to switch to using their weapons after the first wave of soldiers. I stepped into the back row and joined Hope in spell casting. The Masamune would only hinder me while fighting inside this house and fighting without a weapon would only get me in the way of the others. Two soldiers with, what I classified as jetpacks, flew down and joined the fight. I guess that explains the engine noise I heard.
~~~~Lightning's POV~~~~
We fought through several squads of PSICOM soldiers pretty easily. With Fang and Zack at my sides and Hope and Sephiroth supporting us, PSICOM didn't stand a chance. We took cover by the window as a large gunship hovered close by and a battalion of soldiers covered the yard.
"Who ordered the battalion?" Fang asked sarcastically.
"Zack, take a look," Sephiroth said.
"I've had enough guns pointed at me to last a lifetime," Zack replied.
"They'll take out the whole building next," I stated to the others. PSICOM was more than willing to obliterate most of the city block to wipe us out. I waved over Snow, Hope's father, and Angeal. Hope ran over to his father.
"Thank goodness! Are you hurt?" Hope's father asked him.
"No. How about you?" Hope asked back.
"Still in one piece," Hope's father replied. I was looking around the corner at the massing PSICOM troops. I'm not sure we will be able to get out this one alive.
"My turn," I heard Snow say.
I looked back in time to see him take off his coat. We switched places at the corner we had been hiding behind and Snow took a breath before holding his coat out around the corner. Bullets ripped through the coat for several seconds.
"Don't shoot!" Snow shouted "I'll show you what a l'Cie looks like!" Surprisingly, the troops stopped firing. Snow walked out with his hands up and I could see dozens of laser sights on him "Me! I'm a l'Cie!" Snow shouted "Surprised? Expected some kind of monster? I'm flesh and blood like you! An ordinary citizen of Cocoon! Don't you get it? This has been our home our whole lives! How could we even think about destroying it? We want to protect this place just as much as you!" I really hope Snow is able to convince them to … what would they do? I have no idea how this could possibly end in our favor, what I do know is, if I get out of this I don't want to have to tell Serah about what could happen to Snow.
"You must be Snow Villiers," I instantly recognized that voice, my former instructor Yaag Rosch. I crouched down by the corner and looked out through the window "Yaag Rosch, PSICOM Division. I understand your plight. However, the Pulse threat is not so easily dismissed. The very existence of you l'Cie puts every last one of us in danger. Tell me, do you really think your life is worth more than the lives of millions of Cocoon citizens? I do not. And so it falls to me to order your execution. It's that simple. It is my responsibility to see you put down. Your lives are forfeit."
"Aw, cut the crap!" Snow shouted as Rosch started to walk away "You want l'Cie, then kill l'Cie!" Bad choice of words Snow "Why do other people have to die? The Purge has got to stop!" Rosch spun towards Snow.
"Do you think we want to Purge our own people?" Rosch shouted back "If any trace of Pulse remains, the populace will erupt into chaos. Without sacrifice, without the Purge, Cocoon will die!"
Smoke suddenly appeared, surprising everyone. Before I was on my feet, Angeal bolted through the window, ran in front of Snow, and a green orb on his armband glowed before a barrier appeared in front of him.
"Who fired? I gave no order!" Rosch yelled through coughs.
Bullets ripped through the soldiers and smoke and pinged off of Angeal's barrier. I was on my feet and had Blaze Edge in hand, ready to fight whatever was going to appear. Several explosions rocked the area and I could tell everyone in the house was getting nervous.
"We're leaving," I stated to the others. Sephiroth walked over to Hope's father and took his tie.
"We threatened you and forced you to help us." Sephiroth stated as he used the tie to bind Hope's father's hands "Got it?" Sephiroth stood but remained behind Hope's father.
"There must be something else-" Hope's father started to say.
"Do as he says," I nearly shouted at him.
"Dad, I can't let you get dragged into this," Hope said sadly "I want to stay here. But there's no place for a l'Cie. I'm going with the others. We'll survive somehow. I promise you that. Dad, I hate to run out on you-"
"You're not running!" Hope's father shouted "This is not running away. You've made a choice. You'll survive and do what needs to be done," I looked at Sephiroth and his face was neutral, as always, but his eyes had a hint of sadness in them.
"You mean complete my Focus?" Hope asked.
"Don't you worry about that! You make the choice," Hope hugged his father for a moment.
"Thanks, Dad."
"Think better of me for this," Genesis said as he walked near Hope's father and used the pommel of his sword to knock out the blond man.
We all charged outside and saw Angeal supporting Snow and healing him.
"Our turn, Hero," I said to Snow as I dashed past him and stepped over the bodies of PSICOM soldiers and Yaag Rosch.
"What? I can handle a little gas," I heard Snow say jokingly.
"Catch your breath! I'll throw in some hits for you!" Hope shouted.
I was actually stunned by the fact that we were about to fight a Havoc class Skytank. It was unheard of for infantry to even damage one of them. But they had never been, because there was never an opportunity, tested against l'Cie.
"Zack! Fang!" Sephiroth shouted "Defend Genesis and Hope! Angeal, aid Snow! Hope, Genesis, give me and Lightning cover! Lightning, summon Odin!" I did as Sephiroth said and summoned Odin. At the same time he summoned Zalera.
It took us a long time but we were able to destroy the Skytank. We had to focus on hitting the numerous engines with electric spells in hopes of short circuiting them. In the end, with Odin and Zalera assisting us, we just completely destroyed the engines. As the Skytank was reduced to a fireball and fell, another one flew up and got ready to use its main cannon.
"Again? There's no end to these guys!" Fang shouted.
"Sephiroth!" Genesis called "Angeal, Zack, and I need to charge!" I am assuming he means the orbs he, Angeal, and Zack use for magic.
A bright orange-ish yellow beam ripped through the second Skytank, dropping it. Yet another Skytank flew in but pretty much landed in front of us. A hatch in the side opened and several PSICOM troops jogged out, not one looked like it wanted to fight us.
"Heya, Fang. Zack," the one in the middle said before taking off his helmet. The man had long brown hair and a cocky smirk "Need a ride?"
"Don't get cute," Fang said as she visibly relaxed "Right, let's move it."
"Guess we don't have much of a choice," Angeal stated as he helped Snow towards the ship.
We all got on the ship which promptly sealed the hatch and took off. I guess we are either walking straight into a trap, going to go find the other three, or going straight for the head of the Sanctum. Which ever it might be, we are going to be fighting a very long battle.
Sorry about the wait. I don't have much to say other than, let me know if there is anything that I need to edit/change/add.
Please leave a review.