The Future Imperfect
AN – well, I've finally written to the end of this story. It will have 23 chapters plus the prologue, so 24 in total. It's at a rather whopping 80k words, or thereabout, so I've decided to bring it to a close and work on a sequel to continue the story. I'm still going to post roughly once a week, to give myself a chance to get ahead on the sequel before I start it
Chapter Nineteen
Cloud stood, unmoving, watching the tableau set before him. It felt staged, almost as though it wasn't real. A whisper echoed in the back of his mind and he knew suddenly that this had been done for him. Laid out for him to see, to be burnt into his eyes and his brain.
The rotund form of President Shinra, slumped forwards over the giant desk he occupied with a gleaming sword arcing up from the centre of his back. His hands lying on the desk, as though scrabbling to call for help even as he was run through from behind.
Cloud had killed before, yes, but never like this. Not in cold blood. Not in the back. Not like this.
Tifa was staring, her hands covering her mouth. But she wasn't staring at the body of the most powerful man on Gaia, instead she was staring at the sword. A static filled memory hit Cloud's mind.
Tifa, clutching the body of her father. "I hate them," she sobbed, grabbing handfuls of his shirt and clutching it to herself. "Shinra, Sephiroth, SOLDIER, I hate them all!" Stumbling to her feet, picking up the Masamune where it had casually been discarded before tottering deeper into the reactor.
Sephiroth, having easily taken Masamune from her, slicing through the air and sinew and muscle and sending her flying back, back down the steps where she crumpled into a broken heap, looking like a rag doll except for the blood that was welling around her.
Of course, this was that sword. The sword their Sephiroth was carrying might be identical, but it wasn't the one that had been used to cut down the people of Nibelheim. It wasn't yet tainted with Tifa's blood, and Cloud's, and countless others. But this sword was. This sword represented so much more than a simple weapon.
Tifa's left hand clutched at her top, by her breast, forming a fist. Cloud assumed she was lost in the same memories that had just assaulted him. He stepped forwards and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. She turned her face towards him, away from the scene in front of them.
"Come," Red offered a moment of clarity, breaking through the fugue that had taken up residence inside Cloud's mind. "We do not want to be found here, it is best if we do not linger."
Barret shot a glance out the side of his eyes towards Sephiroth who, like Angeal and Genesis, was still standing near the doorway in a state of shock.
"Roof out thatta way?"
"Yes, I can smell the moving air." Red led the way, his fiery tail providing a guiding light as it swayed to his step. The rest followed him and after one last look at the former President Cloud went to do the same. Except… that wasn't quite right. Sephiroth hadn't yet moved.
Angeal had also turned to his fellow SOLDIER with a frown, but Cloud nodded towards the roof to encourage him to go. Without stopping to check if he had, Cloud approached the man who by all rights should have been his enemy but had somehow become a friend of sorts.
Sephiroth's expression was as frozen as usual, though despite not knowing him for long Cloud could tell from his body language that the taller man was tense. He, like Tifa, had focussed his gaze on the sword.
The leather of his gloves creaked where he held the hilt of Masamune tightly with his left hand. His right was clenched by his side, the trooper gun swinging uselessly from his right shoulder. It was quite surprising he was still carrying the gun around, Cloud thought absently, but then he was likely to be an excellent marksman on top of everything else. Cloud wasn't actually sure there was anything Sephiroth couldn't do, once he put his mind to it.
Except possibly showing emotion. Not that Cloud was one to talk.
Cloud stopped a couple of strides away from Sephiroth and hesitated. He'd reacted on instinct before, clearing the others out so that he could speak to Sephiroth alone. But now, he couldn't find any words to say.
Scowling, he crossed his arms and looked at the floor, directing his gaze just slightly to the left of Sephiroth's boots.
"You ok?"
It felt wholly inadequate.
Sephiroth shifted, turning that preternatural focus onto Cloud. He felt a small shiver, hastily suppressed, run through him. A natural reaction, after Nibelheim. Except… in Nibelheim Sephiroth never really looked focussed. He had been distracted, barely there. Maintaining a façade. Cloud shook away the memory of a smirk illuminated by flames crossed his mind, eyes maddened yet oddly blank. Maybe his memories were playing tricks with him again.
"I don't understand." Sephiroth said eventually. To almost anyone else, his tone would be steady and expressionless. Somehow, Cloud caught the uncertainty underneath it. He shrugged and shook his head helplessly.
"Do any of us?"
"Hm." Sephiroth turned his gaze back to the body, slowly stepping forwards until he was directly in front of the desk. The desk was raised, presumably to give the President the illusion of looming over his subordinates, but Sephiroth's height completely negated that fact. He stretched out his arm and grasped the pommel of the other Masamune, only for the sword to disintegrate under his touch. They both watched as the gleaming blade collapsed into the finest of black particles, before they drifted away in the slight breeze coming in from the open door to the roof.
Once the sword was gone, the President's body softly glowed with a green light before collapsing and returning to the lifestream. Cloud realised with a sickened lurch that he had been right. It was a display, and now that it had run its purpose it didn't need to be maintained anymore. All that remained was a pool of blood, running off the desk and dripping onto the carpet below.
"It's time to go," Cloud told Sephiroth, moving towards the rooftop. This time, the SOLDIER followed.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The rest of their party were standing in the centre of the roof, looking out for the helicopter that was their ticket out of the Shinra building. A nagging sensation in the back of his head caused Cloud to look behind, just in time to see a drift of silver disappear around the right hand side of the building. Instinctively, he followed.
Rounding the edge of the building, he couldn't see anything. The glass walls of the President's office were curved and light was reflected in them, for a moment Cloud wondered if he had just seen lights reflecting. But no, there it was.
Tucked down the side of the building was a ladder that led up the side to a platform above the rooftop affording views across the city. Standing on that platform, silver hair blowing in the wind, was the other Sephiroth. He was holding something that looked like a body. As Cloud moved closer, he thought he could see a purple sheen reflecting the lights on the rooftop.
Well, that explained where the headless corpse had got to.
"Goddess," a whisper drifted to him. Glancing behind, he saw that Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth had all followed him around the building. The others were now out of sight, hidden by the curving windows. In the air around them whispers floated lazily, not approaching the rooftop but watching it closely. Cloud looked up at the figure standing on top of the building and started to climb. Reaching the platform, he realised Sephiroth was standing on a higher gantry. He made for the next ladder, looking up at the man standing above.
Sephiroth looked back at him, cat eyes gleaming as he smirked at Cloud. Then his image flickered, and instead of the SOLDIER it was a man in a tattered cloak with the hood covering his eyes. All Cloud could see was the bottom of his face and his left shoulder, the number forty-nine clearly inked against the pale skin. The man leant forwards, tumbling off the side of the building and plummeting to the city below.
Cloud slid down the ladder and rushed across the rooftop to join the SOLDIERs who were already hanging over the railing, shocked expressions on their faces. The figure disappeared below and Cloud stood up, making a sound of annoyance.
"He had a number!" Genesis exclaimed, turning to Sephiroth. "Wasn't Hojo asking you what your number was?"
"He just… how did Sephiroth just disappear?" Angeal was gaping down at the city, the figure long gone.
Sephiroth slowly looked at Genesis. "Yes, Hojo was demanding my number. He was talking about clones."
"That's it!" Genesis punched the railing triumphantly. "Hojo made Sephiroth clones! It isn't you at all, just some weird clone of you that Hojo was probably controlling, made to look like you through an illusion of some kind."
Cloud watched them converse, not willing or able to contribute. He knew nothing about clones or numbers or Hojo's work, he only vaguely remembered the feeling of dread the late Professor's name elicited in him. He shuffled awkwardly, dropping his gaze when Sephiroth noticed his movement.
Angeal was still staring at the place the clone had been. "But how did it just turn from Sephiroth into somebody else?"
"That is not Hojo's work." Sephiroth concluded after a pause. "He thought I was a clone, he asked how I had turned functional. He did not cause the clone to take on my likeness. Something else must be at play."
The distance sound of rotor blades caused Cloud to leave the railing behind. "Sounds like our lift."
Sure enough, the helicopter was marked with a crude letter A and preparing to land on the roof. The rest only waited until the SOLDIERs and Cloud re-joined them before moving towards it.
But before they could approach, the helicopter disappeared into a ball of flame. The wreckage plummeted down the side of the building, and as it cleared the culprit came into view. A second helicopter, this one with the red Shinra logo emblazoned on the side.
"Shit," Cloud hissed, moving back towards the office at a jog. Genesis drew up alongside him, a fireball already flickering in his left hand.
"One helicopter is no match for us."
"If they radio for backup we'll never get out of here." Cloud eyed the SOLDIER. "Unless you actually plan to take on everyone in the tower." Genesis huffed but the fireball dissipated.
The helicopter approached the edge of the rooftop and landed gently on the edge. A quartet of elite troopers emerged, guns pointing at them, followed by a tall man in a distinctive white suit. He had sandy blond hair and an arrogant expression. Cloud slowed, taking in the new arrival. Barret stopped with him and pulled a face.
"If it ain't Rufus Shinra, heir to the throne himself."
"My, look who's all grown up." Genesis murmured, before looking to Cloud. "What is your plan now?"
Rufus Shinra gestured to the helicopter and it took off, leaving the four troopers standing with him on the roof. He was accompanied by an enormous dog, one of Shinra's hybrids but bigger than any others Cloud had seen.
Barret snarled and strode forwards.
"Stop!" Cloud called authoritatively.
"The hell I will! We can finish off the whole family here and now!"
Cloud looked over at Aerith and Tifa, standing uncertainly near the doors into the building. He shook his head. "Take Aerith and get out of here." The troopers began advancing towards them and Cloud unsheathed his sword. "I'll buy you guys some time."
"We will buy you some time." Genesis declared, pulling out his own red sword and lighting up another fireball. The steps of the closest trooper faltered as he realised that Genesis was no ordinary guard. "The wind sails over the water's surface, slowly, but surely."
"What the hell does that even mean?" Barret grumbled, but he headed towards the girls. "You better be right behind us."
Genesis waved at Angeal, who grimaced but also fled the roof. Rolling his neck, the redhead turned towards Rufus.
Rufus passed his gaze over Genesis, dismissing him before moving onto Cloud. He frowned slightly upon seeing Cloud's mako eyes.
"You're a SOLDIER, aren't you?" He had a deep, smooth voice with more than a touch of entitlement in it, not helped by his next words. "Which of course, means that I own you."
"I wasn't a SOLDIER, and you don't own shit."
Rufus hummed thoughtfully before gesturing towards the door the rest of their party had gone through. "Secure the others." The guards that had accompanied him ran to carry out his orders. Cloud dashed to cut them off but slid to a halt as a rain of bullets fired down from the helicopter that was still hovering around. It forced him to turn back to Rufus, alone now except for the large dog by his side.
"Just the two of us." Rufus smirked. "Well, and Darkstar, of course; but then you have your loyal companion too."
Cloud's eyes widened a split second before the snarl came from Genesis. "I am not too be compared to a dog!" Suddenly the guard dog had disappeared within a tower of flames. Cloud almost rolled his eyes at Genesis's predictability, but he was closely watching Rufus who did not look happy at all.
Somehow, the dog wasn't quite dead when the flames finally disappeared, although it wasn't far off. Rufus cast something at the dog which helped it stumble back to its feet. A quick gesture from Rufus and it was slinking off to the edge of the rooftop.
A burst of helicopter fire meant that Cloud had to dodge out of the way sharply. A muffled curse was the only sign he had that Genesis hadn't quite been quick enough. A glance at his companion showed him that he was correct, Genesis was now clutching the front if his left shoulder where a red patch was spreading. Cloud cast cure on him but it didn't seem to have much effect.
"Now it's just the two of us." Rufus called, the smirk on his face not completely masking his earlier anger. Genesis nodded once at Cloud, green light emitting from his gloved hand that was pressed over the wound as he attempted to heal it himself. Cloud turned his full attention back to Rufus. "Where were we?" Rufus questioned, before firing quickly at Cloud with a sawn-off shotgun he produced from within his white overcoat. Using the flat of his blade, Cloud was able to deflect the shots but it sent him skidding back across the roof. Rufus fired behind him to propel himself forwards before firing point blank at Cloud, who dived out of the way. He then quickly reloaded and Cloud saw his opportunity. With a leap, he brought his blade down on top of the other blond, causing him to have to dodge backwards out of his way. The shotgun skittered across the rooftop.
Rufus grabbed a different gun from within his cloak, but Cloud was faster and sent it flying over the edge of the roof. Rufus watched it fall, before facing Cloud who help his sword up ready.
"I could end this, here and now." Cloud spoke coldly.
"What are you waiting for?" Genesis staggered up behind Cloud, staring Rufus down.
Rufus looked over the edge of the building again, a smile forming on his face. "No, not quite. Tonight marks a new beginning for Shinra!" The helicopter appeared behind him and he grabbed hold of one of the landing rails. Cloud gaped as it swung around the roof, turning to face him before letting loose a barrage of bullets. He brought the Buster Sword up to defend against them again, Genesis behind him, but they were forced back by the strength of the shots. Behind them, the railings at the edge of the roof were being blown apart by the hail of bullets, leaving nothing between them and a seventy storey drop.
A flash of silver and the bullets stopped abruptly, the helicopter spinning wildly as the whole tail section was taken off in a single slice. Sephiroth landed lightly, moving into a position in front of Cloud and Genesis. Rufus had dropped down from the helicopter as soon as it started to spin, the pilots bailing out before it swung down below the edge of the building to inevitably crash below.
All three from the stricken helicopter stood up slowly. Cloud clenched his jaw as he realised that the pilots were the same turks that had been responsible for dropping the Sector Seven plate. Rufus turned to face the SOLDIERs, eyes wide. The turks flanked him, the bald one with the sunglasses didn't give anything away but the one with red hair was gaping.
They must have made quite the sight despite still being in trooper outfits. Sephiroth was standing in the centre, long curved blade stretching away to his left. On his right, Cloud moved up with the Buster Sword held threateningly in front of him, while to his left Genesis flanked him with a lit fireball in his right hand. He had sheathed his sword for now as his left arm hung uselessly because of the bullets lodged in his shoulder.
"We really could end this here and now," he murmured at a volume only enhanced hearing could detect. Cloud hesitated, still unwilling to kill them in cold blood despite the fact they hadn't extended the same courtesy to the residents of Sector Seven.
"Cloud!" A voice called from behind him. He turned to see Tifa running towards them, though she slowed as she approached, casting wary glances at the other men on the roof. "This isn't the time to play the hero."
Cloud grunted. "She's right." He cast one last look at the trio in front of them on the roof. "They aren't worth it."
Sephiroth slowly lowered Masamune, exchanging a quick glance with Cloud. Tifa went over to Genesis and gently supported his injured side, throwing his left arm over her shoulders. With Cloud and Sephiroth following, they made their way off the roof.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Reno couldn't stop his jaw from dropping as he stared at the man dressed in a trooper outfit in front of him, that he was now certain was in no way a trooper at all. He'd just taken out the helicopter with a jump only a SOLDIER could perform, and was now standing in front of them casually threatening them with a six foot long katana that looked eerily like the one Sephiroth used to wield. In this context, the second trooper who had a long, red rapier attached to his hip and who was casually toying with a fireball looked a bit too much like the real deal as well.
The girl ran up to them and persuaded them to follow her out. Reno breathed out a sigh of relief, he could have taken them on but he didn't really like his chances. Even less so if his sinking feeling about their identities was actually correct. He waited until they were inside the building before turning to Rude.
"No matter what Tseng said, that wasn't an Avalanche copycat."
Rude actually took off his sunglasses, polishing one of the lenses on a cloth he withdrew from his breast pocket. "It certainly would appear not."
"I just wanna say – what the everloving fuck?!" Reno looked over at Rufus. "You ok, boss?"
Rufus's hands clenched into fists within his fingerless leather gloves. "Get me Tseng, now."
"Sure thing." Reno pulled out his phone and dialled a number, handing it to Rufus.
"Tseng." Rufus's voice was chilled as he spoke into the phone. "I trust you will have good news for me?"