Episode 24: The World's Enemy

Two Years Ago…The Mako Factory…

A town once known as Nibelheim was nothing more than piles of burnt rubble. The bodies of the citizens were long since given proper burials, though some were too burned to recognized. The stench of an evil left unsolved permeated the air that Cloud Strife couldn't ignore. Running up the hill leading to the lone Mako reactor, Zack Fair and Sethlans King followed Strife's lead towards the climax of his search for answers. They had their suspect—Cloud did, at least, and he was sure he would find the answers inside the reactor.

Sethlans managed to get his question out as he gasped for air as he ascended the long flight of stairs to the reactor entrance, "Sephiroth is the one behind the attacks on the colonies then?"

"Yes, this entire time right under our noses," Cloud answered without hesitation.

"So he's working for the Americans then?" King threw his hands behind his back and sped up to Zack and Cloud as he ground his teeth. "He's a damn spy!"

Zack glanced at Sethlans. "I think Sephiroth is much more than a spy," he added. "He's not the kind of guy that can be controlled by someone as pitiful as the Americans."

"It probably goes much deeper than can fathom," Cloud tightened his fists as the entrance became clear over the horizon. "Either way, it ends today."

After a long, non-stop run to the Nibelheim reactor, they finally reached the top. The trio stared at the large iron doors, sensing an ominous presence behind it. Sethlans took a large gulp, the lump slowly going down his throat as his fist shook uncontrollably.

Zack placed a hand on his subordinate, his smile reassuring. "Don't worry. We're gonna make it out of this."

"Hah, you think I'm nervous over someone like Sephiroth? I can take him myself!" Seth lied, his nervous smile displaying his obvious apprehension.

"Your fear is evident," Cloud pointed out, continuing to study the doors.

"What?"

Cloud turned to the young magic manipulator with a blank stare. "Sephiroth will take hold of that fear and control you if you let him. Hide it as much as possible."

Seth snorted and walked past the black armored subordinate of Alpha Sector. "Even now you're such a weirdo, Cloud." He sighed and looked back at Strife with a small grin as the door slowly opened. "But that's what I like about you. When this is all over, maybe we can go to Seventh Heaven again with everyone."

"Yeah." Zack smiled, believing there was a chance they would all make it out of this ordeal.

Cloud, however, thought otherwise. Or maybe he didn't. He sauntered past King once the door fully opened. "Let's go."

Sethlans chuckled and followed Cloud with Zack as Cloud ran inside. The wicked aura filled the air once the trio entered the factory. The door slammed shut behind them and the dim lights hanging over the factory became their only source of light. Swinging side to side, they revealed the large storage tanks of Mako Energy on the sides of the interconnecting bridge they stood on.

"Where's Sephiroth?" Sethlans wondered, looking around as they continued down the bridge.

"He's here," Cloud answered, "In the control center."

Zack grunted. "How'd you figure that, Cloud?"

Cloud closed his eyes and stopped. "I just know…he was my former Chief, after all."

"Makes sense, I guess." Fair clasped his gloved hands behind his head inside of his black spiked hair. "A good thing Seth doesn't know me that well."

Sethlans snorted, shooting Zack a dirty look. "You implying something?"

Cloud opened his eyes and hurried on down the long bridge. "Let's go."

Sethlans sighed, but ran behind Cloud with Zack, making their way down the stairs to the lower bridge levels. Their footsteps echoed and broke the eerie silence inside of the factory. It made King wonder if anyone actually worked inside of the factory before. If Sephiroth actually was in here, did he kill all of the workers?

If so, where were their bodies?

It was a concern, but King didn't worry about it that much. "Cloud is dead-set on finishing things with Sephiroth, huh?"

"Sephiroth has a lot of things to answer in Cloud's mind," Zack replied, matching King's speed as they trailed behind Strife. "He destroyed Nibelheim—Cloud and Tifa's hometown…not to mention a lot of other things."

"Not that I'm saying it's not justified. It's just…," Seth sighed, "living life with hate in your heart is a heavy thing."

Zack grinned a little. "Since when did you get so philosophical?" he wondered with a teasing tone.

Sethlans snorted and looked away. "Shut up, I've always had a sense for looking at life from a different standpoint. I just hope after this, Cloud can find peace and hook up with Tifa already."

A chuckled escaped Fair as he watched King. The King before him was a lot different than the immature teenager that the three Generals placed under his care. It was refreshing, though. "You've changed, Seth."

Sethlans glanced at his chief with a curious expression and grunted. "Nah, you just know more about me now."

"Heh," Zack smiled. "Yeah, but still—"

The screech of a sword swiping through steel echoed in the thick air as a flash stopped the three in their tracks!

It didn't take long for Cloud to figure out who it was! Unsheathing his large sword from his back, he took his position. "It's him!"

On cue with Cloud's warning, Zack and Sethlans gasped as a haunting figure floated down to block their path, his long white hair falling the mesh floor. His blue eyes found its way into the trio's hearts as his one, black wing folded behind his lightly armored back.

"And so the three blind mice come seeking the cheese," said Sephiroth with a smirk, a cold-blooding mocking tone in his voice.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud snapped.

Sephiroth examined his former subordinate and closed his eyes as he bowed his head slightly. "Cloud…your stance is still weak. You leave your lower quarters open."

"I don't need lectures from you!" Strife roared. Zack and Sethlans never saw seen him this angry. Usually he was very reserved in his emotions, but Sephiroth truly was the root of his rage, wasn't he? "You betrayed the Parliament and destroyed Nibelheim!"

Sephiroth grunted. "Hmmph, I was never interested in serving Cid or the Space Federation in the first place," he explained, flicking a long strand of his hair. "It was a paid commission, and even so…they never served my interest."

"Then why did you stay as long as you did?"

Sephiroth opened his eyes, pinning Cloud with a heartless gaze. "To finish my mission."

Cloud hissed, tightening the grip around the hilt of his Buster Blade. "Finish the mission?" he echoed. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"I don't expect you to understand even if I explained, so there is no point in telling you. You served well as pawns in our plans, but now," he brought his hands out and tilted his chin up as he declared, "it's time we ended this and bring civilization to a halt."

"I've had enough of this traitor!" Sethlans shouted. "Let's put an end to this!"

Sephiroth lowered his head and focused on King with a small smile—a smile that sent chills down the young man's spine. "Interesting you should mention such thing…seeing as a traitor is amongst your group."

Sethlans took a step back and growled. "What was that?"

"Enough," drawing the long blade from his scabbard, he pointed the great katana at his foes. "It is time for you all to die here."

"He's mine!" Cloud shouted. "Hurry to the control room!"

Rushing his former chief in a nearly blind rage, his sword clashed against Sephiroth's and created a great wave of power. "I will kill you Sephiroth!" he declared with every fiber in his being, continuing to test his mighty blade against his in a display of speed and power. Pursuing the one-winged angel as they bounded from bridge to bridge, he descended down upon the devil with great fury.

He swung his sword as Sephiroth vanished in a storm of black feathers, his chuckle echoing in the cold air. "Damn you!"

"You're no match, Cloud," Sephiroth taunted, appearing high above Strife's head and charging with a blinding stab as he yelled, "You never were!"

Sethlans watched them disappear with a dumbfounded, slack-jawed expression. "Well what was the point when," he stopped himself and shook his head as he dropped his hands and sighed. "Whatever, I guess we can go and shut down the main system. Sephiroth may have tampered with it. C'mon, Zack. Let's hurry up!"

His response was the swiping a sword behind his back. The piercing wind of the swing halted King.

Seth felt a strand of his short, dirty blonde hair fall out as he turned to Zack. "Zack, what's up? You someth--"

Another swing came at King fast! He barely managed to evade the attack by jumping back! What the hell was Zack doing? Sethlans felt his heart beating fast as a drop of sweat trickled down his face, eyes wide to the hardened expression on Zack's visage. "Zack…," he shuddered. "What…what the hell, dude? Either I had something on me, or…"

"This ends here," Zack uttered coldly. "The game is up, Sorcerer."

"Zack!" Sethlans snapped. "This isn't the time to be playing around, dude!"

"The only one who's playing around is you." He rushed the alleged sorcerer once more, swinging his sword wildly at him. "You still think you can lie to me?"

Bobbing and weaving around the attacks, Sethlans tried to get his sentences out, "What the hell are you talking about?" He rolled back from one swing and dropped to one knee as he caught his breath.

Zack lowered his sword, giving King a look of pure disgust. "Maelstrom, the Queen of Sorcery, and you…Vulcan, the King of Sorcery…the both of you plan on destroying mankind!"

Sethl—Vulcan rose to his feet, fists shaking as he clenched his teeth. He snapped his head up and looked to Zack with tears rolling down his cheeks. "Zack…what…who told you all of this?" He took a step back as Fair advanced. "How do you know about Maelstrom?"

Zack raised his sword once more, aiming it at King's Adam's apple as he forced him to the edge of the bridge and staircase. "I was ordered to monitor your actions by General Renoa. He said you were…untrustworthy."

Sethlans came to the railing and stopped. "And he told you I was out to destroy mankind?"

Zack snorted. "The sudden waves of attacks are proof. Your sudden disappearance during the attack on our base, your background, and Maelstrom's emergence with your reaction…you and Sephiroth are working for her."

"That's crazy talk!" Vulcan denied fervently. "Sephiroth is on the lunatic fringe! I haven't made any plans with him! And Maelstrom…," he snarled, "I don't even like having that name mentioned to me! You gotta believe me, Zack! I'm not here to do anything!"

The emotions poured from Sethlans King, but Zack remained unfazed. "It's pointless. I know about the God Complex. You plan on destroying us all. Whether your motives are with Sephiroth of not, you can't get away with this!"

The God Complex? That…Sethlans narrowed his gaze on Zack. "That's not common knowledge, Zack. No one in the Federation knows about the God Complex."

"Your knowledge proves your guilt," Zack reversed the role of traitor.

However, Sethlans reversed again, shooting an accusing finger Fair's way. "Not likely! There's only one person who could have told you that! You're a double agent for NEXUS, aren't you, Zack?"

Silence…and silence spoke in volumes for King. Shaking his head as tears continued to escape his eyes, he asked, "Why did you do it?"

"Orders from NEXUS," Zack answered simply. "There's a lot more to this than you realize, Vulcan."

"So that's it, huh?" Seth grunted. "So Sephiroth was talking about you when he said there was a traitor amongst us?"

Zack's eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Sorry, but I have to do this for her sake."

Seth chuckled, "Then I'm to be the villain in their eyes, huh, Zack Fair?"

"That's right, Sethlans King."

Then it was decided. Sethlans bowed his head, laughing to himself as he built his resolve. "Fine then, but…"

His head snapped up, eyes burning with ire as he swung a sword materialized from a burst of light in his hand. "I won't go down as the one who killed Zack, you imposter!"

Zack acted fast and intercepted the sword attack with his own, struggling against the sorcerer in a test of strength! "I'm no imposter!"

"You can't fool me!" Vulcan snapped. "Like I said, there's only one person who could have told you all of this and I promise you it wasn't Renoa! It was Julia, and I know Zack would never join NEXUS! He would never help the Americans—not the same country that destroyed his hometown! Not to mention, he would never give me such cold looks!"

Vulcan's power…he was pushing Zack back! "Zack and I are like family! As if I didn't realize something was wrong in the first place! Ever since the attack on the base, you've been acting strange! Now I know…show yourself, faker!"

Zack smiled, dropping his sword and melting into a black puddle as Vulcan's blade sliced through the murky water. The puddle quickly retreated and reformed itself into the form of a mysterious youth in a black coat, the bottom half of his face covered by his collar. He adjusted his bifocals as he faced the sorcerer.

"A NEXUS agent!" Sethlans shouted.

The black ponytailed youth grunted, pushing the bridge of his glasses up to cover his crimson eyes. "Don't insult me by comparing me to an average agent."

"Whatever, you look like garbage to me."

The young man shot a gloved finger at Sethlans and laughed, "Really? The only garbage I see here is the one standing before me. You weren't even good enough to go to Atlantis! You stayed with all of the other filth in Oceanus!"

Sethlans stepped back and scowled. 'Punk, how does he know about Oceanus and Atlantis?'

The black coat shape shifter lowered his hand and slouched, relaxing his hand at his hip. "Me on the other hand, I don't need such crutches to become a Superior!"

"Wait!" King screamed. "A Superior?"

The boy held his hands out at his sides. "Yes, and you may call me Seto! And as for your demise…,"

Pumping his fists above his head, he hollered from the top of his lungs as a massive black being emerged from his shadow. Bearing a horned, winged devil's form he dubbed him, "Shaitan!"

Seto pointed out its target—Vulcan. "Purge him with darkness!"

"Oh hell no!" Vulcan muttered.

Running as the devil smashed through the bridge with its gigantic fist, the force of the blow blew him off the bridge. He caught the railing with his hands, flipping back and jumping through the hole Shaitan created to the next bridge below. He didn't have time for this, but it didn't seem like this Seto character and his beast Shaitan were going to give him much choice in the matter.

"I can't win against this guy," Vulcan admitted, facing the behemoth as its red eyes shot through the darkness. "At least not in this crowded space…I gotta get to that control room!"

Perched on the shoulder of his shadow creature, he looked down upon the sorcerer and snorted. "You can't be allowed to destroy the world, King Vulcan! It's not in the interests of Lady Superior!"

He snapped his fingers. "Shaitan…"

Shaitan's roar shook the entire complex. Such power from the beast as it stretched out its palm and demolished the bridge with a single thwack!

It was fortunate Vulcan dodged the attack in time, but still, "Holy shit!"

Crashing down hard on the next level, he got right back up. "Now I'm getting pissed," he hissed as he swiped his sword in the air and taking his stance. "Looks like I gotta take this guy out now!"

Seto observed his target going on the defensive and snickered, "The Deus Blade is nothing special. You think it can take out Shaitan because he's a beast of darkness, but your light won't even faze him!"

Shaitan roared and Seto's whisper reverberated as he and his beast vanished into the shadows, "Come now, King."

Vulcan did a double-take, check his six, three, and nine o'clock. "Damn it! Where'd you go?"

" Can't see with that feeble light, I see," Seto mocked. "Smash him, Shaitan!"

Determining the sound of Seto's voice and the direction it came from, King whipped and cut through what felt like flesh. The earthshaking wail was proof that he indeed caught Shaitan! Reappearing out of the darkness, the devil withdrew, favoring its clawed hand.

"Looks like my sword does more damage than ya' think!" King taunted, jumping onto the railing and preparing to leapt into the darkness where Shaitan was potentially strongest.

"Sethlans, stop!" a voice from unknown location shouted. "It's a trap to lure you out of the light over the bridge!"

Vulcan looked over his head and watched a light armored man land behind him. The shoulder-length, spiked hair may have made him look a little different, but his uniform and sword made it no mistake.

"Zack!" Somersaulting backwards and running back to Zack, he resisted the urge to hug his Chief—the real Zack Fair. "Where've you been?"

Zack, on the other hand didn't seem to be in a talkative mood, stepping in front of King as he drew his large sword. "I'll explain later! You gotta head to the control room!" he exclaimed, taking his stance. "I'll take him on!"

"Hold on!" Vulcan blurted. "I can take him! I've got—"

"The Deus Blade won't cut it against this monster. You can't beat this guy…at least not right now… he's a Superior."

King snorted, glaring at Seto and Shaitan. "You don't know what I can do."

Zack smiled at Vulcan. "You're the King of Sorcery. Can't have your Majesty dirtying his hands with guys like this, right?"

Another snort from the sorcerer. "Flattery ain't getting you nowhere, Zack."

Coming in as his beast dove from above, Seto screamed, "He's going nowhere!"

Zack jumped up and met Shaitan's powerful charge with his sword! With a mighty burst of power with his sword's swing, he drove the black terror back.

"What?" Seto yelled, standing up on Shaitan's shoulder as the monster roared. "That's impossible!"

"Hurry up!" Zack yelled as he landed in front of King. He glanced over his shoulder at him. "I'll be fine! Just go and shut this place down!"

Again Vulcan had to part with one of his only friends...he growled as the thought of losing Zack again flooded his mind. Zack was strong, but this Seto guy was a Superior!

No, he had to believe in Zack. Zack believed in him, right?

"Damn it!" the sorcerer snapped, finally coming to a decision. "You better not die on me! You've got a lot to explain!"

Zack smirked, giving his friend a thumbs-up. "Don't worry. We'll meet again, Your Majesty."

Vulcan didn't give it a second thought! Jumping off the bridge as Shaitan came roaring in for another assault, he flew down to the bottom bridge. "This is it!" he said, landing in front of a door. He rushed the metal door, drawing his sword. "No time for courtesies!"

He sliced the door in half and immediately saw the control panel for the Mako Factory. "Damn it. It would really help if I knew computers a bit more. Isn't there like a big red button or something?"

Just as he approached the computer panel, he heard the footsteps at the entrance. He immediately spared a glimpse over his shoulder. "Who's there?" he challenged with a gasp.

"No more friends to come to your aid, King."

Impossible! Him? "What're you doing here?"

The silver-haired man clad in his silver trench coat and suit stood at the threshold of the door, holding a sheathed katana in his hand. With a blank expression, he told King, "This time, you will be the antagonist."

No doubt about it. It was him.

To Be Continued…

"…Sion."