The Future Imperfect
AN – This has taken me a little longer to get out than I meant to! But I wanted to finished Chapter Nine (the one I am working on) before I posted, and it was being a little bit stubborn. That said, it's time to find out what our favourite overly dramatic redhead is up to.
Chapter Seven
Genesis bounded up the stairs, taking two at a time as he made his way up the pillar as fast as he could. The pilfered jacket flared behind him, his red Rapier held in front. He didn't meet much opposition on his way, a couple of air-borne helitroopers that he made short work of with a burst of firaga and some drone-like slug rays that were swept aside with the blade. Nowhere near the number of opponents he had expected – Cloud must have been very thorough with his first sweep.
His progress paused momentarily about two thirds of the way up. On one of the platforms an injured man lay leaning up against the centre of the stairwell. He was unconscious, but his shallow breathing suggested at least a punctured lung and possibly worse. Genesis was going to just leave him, but then he remembered that the people fighting on the tower were Tifa's friends. Instead, he crouched down beside the man and activated a strong cure, having borrowed one from Cloud's materia stash earlier with no real intention of returning it. He'd also pilfered a couple of ethers, but he had really needed them after his work in the sewers.
The man shot awake with a gasp. "Cloud?"
"Hero of dawn, healer of worlds." Genesis quoted sourly. "But no, just a…friend, of sorts. You are one of their associates, I assume?" He took a moment to study the man, who was a slim build and average height. He had dark hair that was swept back using a red bandana, similar to the one Angeal currently sported. In his lap was a handgun, his fingers curling around it and tightening now he was awake.
"I…yeah. I gotta get up there." He tried to heave himself to his feet, before slumping back against the wall with a groan. The way his left arm hung uselessly next to him suggested multiple breaks and his leg had a large wound that despite the cure was still bleeding sluggishly.
"The best thing you can do is to get yourself out of here." Genesis told him sharply. "If Shinra succeed in dropping the pillar, you need to be out of Sector Seven."
The man looked like he was going to argue, when he released a deep sigh and shook his head.
"You're right, I'm no use to anyone like this. I'm Biggs, by the way."
"Well then Biggs, time to trot on out of here. There isn't much down there that should cause you any problems, but I wouldn't dawdle."
"Sure thing." Biggs looked up at him, squinting slightly. "Give them hell from me, right?" He gave a sloppy salute, the gun still held loosely in his hand.
Genesis sighed. "If you insist." He swept away, leaving the man to make his own way down.
Of course, he'd only climbed a few more floors when he met another unconscious fighter, this time a woman. She was wearing a metal breast plate that looked neither comfortable nor functional and a matching red bandana to Biggs. Wondering how many more people would delay his arrival at the top of the stairwell, Genesis knelt beside her and lit up another strong healing spell. She gasped awake, shooting upright from where she had been reclining against a column.
"What… who are you?"
"I'm a friend of Cloud and Tifa's." Genesis drawled. "Yes, I have healed you but no, you are not well enough to continue fighting. As I told your friend several floors down, you need to evacuate the sector in case Shinra succeed today."
He stood up and dusted off his jacket, only to stare in astonishment as the woman grabbed hold of the edge of it. "Don't I get to know the name of my handsome saviour?" She asked coyly, though the effect was ruined by a coughing fit that took hold almost immediately.
Genesis rolled his eyes and scowled at her. "No." He informed her, twitching his jacket out of her grasp. It might have just been something that Tifa found in an abandoned locker but that was beside the point, he still didn't want this woman's soot covered hands on it. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He continued up the stairs, before the sound of fighting above drew his attention. He stopped just below the maintenance platform that surrounded the top of the pillar, a large console against the column itself. On the platform were three people facing a hovering helicopter. Two of them were Cloud and Tifa, sword and fists raised in defensive poses. The third was a huge hulk of a man, taller even than Sephiroth and every bit as broad as Angeal. He had dark skin that was marred by scars and vivid red tattoos, and he was missing his right arm from just below the elbow. In place of his right hand, he had grafted on a machine gun that was spitting out bullets at the helicopter.
Genesis jumped up the last staircase to reach the platform but stayed out of sight for now. There was plenty of cover available, large storage boxes around the platform were obviously meant to provide supplies for any engineers that came to check on the pillar. It was easy enough to crouch behind one whilst watching events unfold. He swapped Rapier to his left hand and rubbed the front of his left shoulder, wincing at the pain he was trying to ignore.
The helicopter approached the platform and the side hatch opened. A man wearing a suit with long red hair that trailed in a ponytail behind him hung out of the side. The dark suit jacket was fastened at the waist over a white shirt, which was also only fastened at the waist. Genesis recognised him immediately as Reno, although obviously not the youngster that Genesis remembered.
The helicopter came closer still and Cloud looked at up it. He must have said something to Reno that Genesis didn't catch, but Reno drew up his top lip and shouted back.
"It's nothing personal, bitch."
The Turk flipped out of the helicopter towards Cloud, who caught his strike on the flat side of his Buster Sword. The Turk flipped away and ran to the centre console. The helicopter fired before Cloud could follow and the blond was forced to retreat from the hail of bullets.
A few quick taps and the console was prepped for dropping the plate. Before Genesis could move out of his hiding spot, Cloud was already attacking Reno who grinned and let loose his baton, that was crackling with electricity.
Genesis huffed out a breath. This is what he had hoped to see. He wanted to see how his new friends actually fought when they were facing a true test.
Cloud was as expected. He fought like a normal SOLDIER, all brute force and large swings of his oversized blade. True, the blond was quick and he did use materia more than most SOLDIERs were capable of, but Genesis wasn't convinced it was anything special.
The man with the gun arm stayed back and focussed on ranged support against the helicopter. He was a good shot, but Shinra helicopters were reinforced against gunfire and it would take a long time for him to have any real effect. Still, it was keeping the helicopter occupied and away from the rest of the fight.
But Tifa… Tifa was the true artist. She had lit her gloves on fire again and was raining blows down on the Turk. She was strong, too – she was almost matching Cloud strike for strike and yet Cloud had enhanced SOLDIER strength and a large sword to help him. Tifa was relying entirely on her own momentum as she spun, kicked and flipped in and away from Reno. For Genesis, it was like watching a dancer moving across a stage with agility and grace. She also, he was pleased to note, threw the occasional fire at Reno. She didn't use materia with the same ease as Cloud, but it was still exquisite to watch.
Which explains why Genesis was so aggrieved when, in the middle of this beautiful show, the helicopter decided to drop bombs onto the platform. Once detonated close to Tifa, sending her flying into a metal container and knocking her unconscious.
Genesis snarled and sent a firaga towards the helicopter before he even thought about it. It was a direct hit on the tail rotor and sent the helicopter crashing down onto the platform. Reno dived out of the way but was knocked sideways by the blast. He stumbled to his feet and staggered over to the helicopter, picking something off the floor.
From out of the burning wreckage a second man came, one that was also familiar to Genesis but whose name he couldn't remember. Reno smirked at the new arrival.
"Clipped your wings, huh?"
In a deep voice the second man replied "I was planning to join you anyway." He was wearing a very similar suit to Reno, but was slightly taller with a broader build and a bald head. As he spoke he pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his breast pocket and put them on, despite it being the middle of the night in Midgar.
"Any landing you can walk away from…" Reno shook his head at the helicopter. "Come on, lets teach them the Turk two step."
Rude went straight for the man with a gun on his arm, who had been making his way over to Tifa. Cloud intervened, leaving Reno to approach the downed woman who was beginning to stir feebly.
The Turk shook out his baton, crackling with sparks of electricity, as he neared her. "I hate to do this…" he grinned at shook his head. "Nah, who am I trying to kid? One fighter down now means one less to kill later."
He was sent flying sideways by Genesis, who fired a strong cure at Tifa as he did so.
"Even for the Turks, attacking an unconscious woman is a new low. There are no dreams, no honour remains…"
Reno scrambled to his feet again, looking at Genesis incredulously. "What the-" He stared at the man in front of him. Red leather jacket covered in some tatty old coat, flat cap covering strands of red hair and mako-bright blue eyes. There was no mistaking his identity. "You have got to be shitting me. What is a freaking Genesis copy doing here?"
Genesis tilted his head to the side as he watched Reno curiously. Tifa came up next to him, shaking her head to remove the dizziness. She fell back immediately into a fighting stance.
"Ready for this?" She said to Genesis, who smirked back at her. He flung a fireball at Reno, who dodged sideways straight into Tifa's spinning kick. The Turk flew backwards and fell into a crumpled heap. Tifa ran straight past Genesis towards the console on the pillar.
"How do I stop this?" She cried, staring at it blankly. Genesis hauled up Reno to get an answer out of him, but the Turk was unconscious. He flung the man down in irritation, not without one final fireball for good measure, and ran to the console.
A wall of the same ghostly figures as before drew up around him, cutting him off. Distantly, he saw the same thing happening to Cloud and Barret who were forced to disengage with the other Turk. Sensing his opportunity, the Turk moved straight for the console. The ghostly shades meant that Genesis couldn't see what happened next, but one moment Tifa was standing by the console and the next she was lying on the floor with the Turk in her place.
Genesis threw another fireball, but it dissipated into thin air as the shades disappeared. The console was now flashing red and a warning siren blared around the platform.
"Warning, plate separation initiated. Commencing separation sequence. Evacuate immediately."
The man with a gun arm shouted something that Genesis didn't catch, he was too busy rushing to Tifa's side again. The brunette looked up at him woozily.
"Guess that's another I owe you for."
Genesis shook his head, looking at the plate console before turning his gaze to the platform. The Turk had run to Reno and scooped him into a fireman's carry, probably Reno's partner, then. One thing you could say about the Turks is that they looked after their own. A red and white helicopter reached the edge of the platform and the Turk stepped into it. Cloud ran after him but he arrived too late as the helicopter took off. The other man was firing relentless at the console, but to no effect.
Genesis helped Tifa to her feet, before she stepped forwards to the console. "What do we do?" she gasped, staring at the message on the screen that was counting down to the separation. Cloud and the other man crowded around the console with her, all three taking a step back when the message disappeared and another Turk appeared ion view. This one Genesis was familiar with – Tseng. Veld's up and coming protégé, although judging by his appearance now the pupil had probably succeeded the master.
"Nothing." The Tseng replied through the screen, indicating that they had cameras on them that were picking up every word. "There is nothing you can do now." He shook his head solemnly.
"You can't do this!" Tifa cried, only to gasp as Aerith came into view on the screen.
"Tifa! I found Marlene!"
"Aerith!" Genesis watched on silently, moving to stand next to Cloud and frowning at the screen. Why would the Turks take Aerith? More importantly, what did they plan to do with her? Genesis needed her; she had said she was able to heal his shoulder. It was hurting even now, more so since he had thought about it again. His fists clenched in anger.
"Marlene! My Marlene? What did you do with her?"
"Where are you?" Cloud asked, leaning towards the console.
"I'm at the-" she was cut off with a gesture from Tseng, as a helmeted trooper came and escorted her out of view.
Tseng watched her leave and then turned back to the screen. "Your activities unwittingly brought you into contact with the Ancient, who is now back in our custody where she belongs."
Genesis hissed under his breath. An Ancient? He had thought they were nothing but a myth.
Tseng was continuing. "For this you have my sincerest gratitude. Alas, the sector in which you are standing has been condemned." He put a finger to his lips and smirked at them through the screen.
"Ancient?" Cloud muttered.
"Run! You have to go now!" Aerith's voice was distant, but the fear palpable.
"And where exactly do you expect them to go?" Tseng wondered out loud, before the transmission cut. The red warning sign was back on the console telling them to evacuate immediately. The plate separation had begun, causing debris to begin to rain down on the platform. They all started to look for a way off the plate, when one of the main supports above them released with a small explosion and caused a large steel beam to drop.
Genesis swept Tifa forward with him out of danger. The man with a gun arm had come as well, although Cloud was trapped the far side. As Cloud began to move around the debris Genesis ran to the edge of the platform and looked around for a way clear. With a cry, he ran to a pulley attached to a long line that seemed to move into the next sector. It must have once been used for bringing up materials on the elevator suspended below it.
"Quick, this way!" He waved at the others. The man with the gun arm was the first to reach him.
"Who the hell are you?"
"It's ok, Barret." Tifa was next, running up the railing. "He's a friend, I guess."
"Come on." Genesis replied grimly. "We are not exactly blessed with any other options."
Barret hesitated for a split second before shouting aggressively, blasting the link between the pulley and the elevator. He grabbed hold of the pulley with one hand and wrapped the other around Tifa. Cloud jumped onto his back like a monkey. Genesis gave him a shove from behind and they shot off down the line. With a running jump, the SOLDIER leapt up and swung his Rapier over the line, holding on tight to each side as he followed the others.
Behind them, the pillar crumpled. Explosions rocked the air as the energy lines were broken and torn apart as the plate began to fall, dust and debris blowing past them as they sped away from the pillar. Barret and Genesis both had to grit their teeth and maintain their holds as they were buffeted by the shockwaves, powerless against the destruction that fell around them as they flew through an ever-decreasing gap towards safety. But eventually they were blown out of the sector, flames and blast waves following them as they hit the ground hard and slid into darkness.