In Which We Find Our Immortality
Chapter 14: Omnislash
Collin opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he saw was green--a thick shield of emerald glitter, curving over him like a dome. It was beautiful and warm, easing the pain that pierced his shoulder. He realized that he was lying on his back, the tall grass perfectly still against his bare skin.
He remembered what had happened all at once; Cloud's approach, his declaration, and the tearing pain in his shoulder. Am I dead? Collin bit his lip and tasted blood. Guess not. He reached up to touch his shoulder, pressing it gingerly. He could feel the line of a scar that was a bit soar, stretching from above his collar bone to his heart. It was hot and, from the looks of it, glowing slightly.
Cloud got me with…hi sword. He turned his head to the left, noting the Ultima Weapon lying in the grass beside him. It was unnaturally silent outside of its master's possession. But what happened, where am I, and how have I healed? Curious and wary, he sat up.
The attack came immediately. Collin's movement dissolved the barrier of green, leaving him open to Cloud's wrath. His head took the boy, exploding his skull in pain and sending him tumbling. Voices mixed like mad watercolor in his brain as he rolled, too shocked to even shout. At last he stopped, face down and groaning.
"Collin!" The hands touching him only served to make his agony worse, but he didn't have the strength to push them away. His limbs were slow to comprehend their orders. Rather than fight he law still for a moment, gritting his teeth as he attempted to regain his composure.
"Collin, can you hear me? Just lie still."
Was that Marlene? He couldn't tell. But she sounded strained and afraid.
"Collin."
The name was spoken as if it were a command. But Collin could not obey to lift his head; his body felt weak, as if he may vomit. Remembering the last words spoken to him before his blackout made it worse, plunging him into chaotic denial. He didn't want to hear Cloud's lies.
Something stabbed into the earth just beside his head, pushing up the dirt around it. Collin grimaced, expecting to be dead at any moment. The voices had silenced. The hands holding him were now shaking, and clammy with sweat. He didn't dare move.
"You were right." Cloud was speaking from somewhere above him. Then there was a ruffle of fabric, as if he'd crouched down in front of him. "I am a coward. But I'm here, now, and I'm going to finish this between us." There was a only a short pause. "You killed her."
No…no! I don't believe you, coward! Collin tried to push himself up, but his left arm was still weak. "Tess, help," he breathed, and immediately she moved to roll him over. Once on his back he was able to sit up with some more assistance. With a deep breath he met Cloud's gaze.
As before, Cloud's eyes were intense and cold, like ice. His hand was curled tightly around the Ultima Weapon's leather grip; the blade, sunk halfway into the earth beside him, glowed nearly as brightly as his irises. His white, buttoned down shirt had been rolled up at the elbows, revealing trained muscles in his forearms that Collin hadn't paid any notice to earlier. Only now did he seriously consider his position; if Cloud intended to fight, he would never be able to defend himself.
But then he remembered his shoulder, and the strange emerald dome. He remembered feeling the blade, searing flesh and bone like air as it aimed for his heart. So then, how was he still alive? He glanced at Tess and Marlene, both of which looked pale. "What happened to me?" he asked quietly.
"Your natural defenses," Cloud answered before the girls could. "You're more powerful than I thought. You've accepted what you are, and it makes you strong."
"What do you mean?" Collin demanded. "I didn't do anything."
"Exactly. It was your instinct."
"There was a bright light," Marlene explained from her experience. "It threw Cloud back, and then you were surrounded by a barrier."
Tess gripped Cloud's hand tightly. "We tried talking to Cloud, but he won't listen. Collin, we have to go--he means to kill you."
But Collin didn't act as if he'd heard. "So Jenova did this," he murmured. "It healed me."
Cloud's eyes narrowed. "You did it. It is a part of you." He stood, yanking the Ultima Weapon free. "They told me you wanted to find the Dragons. You're a fool."
"You didn't give me a choice," the by snapped back. "At least this way the city won't be in danger, if both of us are out here. That's all that really matters, isn't it?"
His father seemed to consider this for a moment as the trio waited tensely. "You intend to sacrifice yourself, then?"
"It would save you some trouble."
Cloud snorted, though still his expression was unreadable. "True. But I'd rather end it now, and take no chances."
Collin pushed himself to his feet with only a little difficulty, to the dismay of Marlene and Tess. He motioned for them to stay behind him as he faced Cloud. "Tell me," he instructed boldly. "I want to know what happened to my mother."
"So be it." Cloud let the Ultima Weapon hang at his side, though his posture straightened. "You don't remember that night."
"No, I don't."
"I was hired to return to Midgar as a bodyguard," he began lifelessly. "The man told me they were excavating artifacts from the ruins. Your mother stayed with you in Kalm while I was away. I was deceived by my employers." His face hardened just barely. "They had been hired by Scarlet to find clues to how the Mako Reactors functioned. When they tried to take their findings out of Midgar, a Dragon Clan attacked, and they fled back to Kalm."
"That was what prompted the Kalm Raid," Marlene murmured, her eyes wide and hollow. "Father and I…were with Tifa, waiting for Cid's plane that would take use to Rocket City for the annual meeting. We never knew why…."
"Kalm was destroyed," Cloud went on, ignoring her. "I tried to fight the Dragons, but there were too many. I told Tifa to take you and run."
Collin gulped, beginning to recall the ancient, dark images. He remembered his mother's terrified eyes, and the crushing strength of her arms as she carried him away. The fire, the screaming--it was all in his memory.
"Later, I followed. I found the place outside of Kalm. Tifa was dead." The boy flinched--his father did not. "She had been cut from shoulder to hip. It was the same kind of injury she'd received from Sephiroth in Nibelheim, years ago. The air was till warm from magic. And you were there."" Collin watched fearfully as the muscles all along Cloud's forearms tightened. "You weren't crying. You were sitting next to her body, covered in blood, staring. You killed her."
Collin shook his head in fierce denial, even as a memory replaced the words, showing him truth. He could feel the blood covering him; he could even hear his mother's scream. Her voice, rising shrilly in agony, pierced his brain. "No!" he shouted, trembling all over. "I--I didn't kill her! How could I?"
"Collin, don't listen to him." Tess was beside him, her hands on his shoulders. "Please, calm down."
"I killed Barret," Cloud was saying. Marlene gasped, covering her mouth with both hands as tears invaded. "He tried to stop me from killing you, so I killed him. But when Cid came, and the other survivors, I stopped. I had to. And Cid took you away."
Marlene stumbled backwards several steps, from the looks of it too shocked to think or speak. She began to shake, and her hands gripped her chest. Slowly, she sank to her knees.
"Collin, get a hold of yourself," Tess was pleading. She turned the boy away from his father. "You didn't kill her. You're not--"
Cloud took one step forward. His hand flashed, snatching Tess by the arm and flinging her away with only the slightest of effort. She yelped as she tumbled to the ground. "Stay away from him," he advised. "Everything he loves he will betray."
"Shut up!" Collin raged. "You don't know anything!" He shook his head, trying to dispel the woman's scream from his mind. It would not be deterred, replaying over and over until he thought he would go mad.
"You know I'm right, because you know what you are." Cloud lifted the boy's chin, gazing at him directly in the eye. The iridescent sheen was overpowering, leaking over his cheeks and casting strange shadows. His hand was hot and stern. "It's already inside you."
Collin stared back. His body and mind were frozen; he had been pulled into those azure depths and was lost, wading among visions thick as night. They rose up against him, dragging him deeper into the swirling, aching madness. All the scenes from his dreams filtered through him, stopping at last on the one image he'd refused to believe. He realized now. He could see himself sitting beside his mother, her body held in the thick, sturdy arms of the black man, and Cloud, standing over them. And the Ultima Weapon, lifting to end his life.
I…am…Sephiroth…
Collin leapt back as Cloud brought his weapon down. The blade buried itself into the soft earth with a muffled impact. He stood ready, waiting for the next attack. Something tickled his face--he swept it aside annoyedly. He became aware suddenly of an itching in his scalp; and, like an explosion, his hair flared out from his head, growing nearly two feet in the span of an instant. It fell over his bare shoulders, and the wings he hadn't realized he'd grown. Startled, the boy stumbled backwards several steps; he nearly tripped on Marlene.
"Collin…" Marlene stood, too surprised to wipe her tears away as she gazed in astonishment. Several feet away, Tess stared in a similar manner. Collin stood with black wings spread, blanketed in waves of delicate silver hair. His eyes glowed with more splendor than any of them had ever seen.
Finally Cloud's mask of indifference bore its first cracks. His eyes squinted, and his lips parted in what might have been a snarl. He lifted the Ultima Weapon again and slid into a fighting posture. "Now, you see."
Collin didn't reply. His wings spread out stiffly behind him, balancing him as he also took up a stance. His mind spun crazily--how did he knew fighting positions? When Cloud attacked he was able to dodge and block--but how? He knew exactly what he was doing, how to move and how to act, as if following instructions inscribed on his muscles and bones. When the sword came at him he met the flat edge with his bare forearm, and even though Tess screamed, his arm did not crumble. He lunged forward--Cloud twisted--and felt the fingers of his right hand rip into the flesh of Cloud's shoulder. Collin was dealt a knee to his gut before any serious damage could be done, and he retreated, gasping.
"Collin, stop this," Tess begged, clear of the battle taking place. "Don't listen to him!"
Collin couldn't stop. Every move Cloud made provoked a counter movement from him, and he allowed instinct to guide his defenses and offense as the duel continued. Though it was ridiculous to fight this way, he could offer no resistance against the powers motivating him. He hated Cloud--the man was a coward, a failure, kept alive not by his skill but by his luck. He could think of nothing else than ending this pathetic man, if only to escape the guilt and confusion of his own emotions. Even Tess and Marlene were small and insignificant compared to the fierce blood lust.
Cloud leapt into the air, far higher than a human should have been able to, unleashing a powerful spell of flaming rocks like meteors. Collin stood firm, wings stretched behind him. Just before the projectiles hit he launched at his opponent, deflecting the boulders like marbles. He tackled the older man head on, and drove him into the ground. Soil was tossed into the air like a cloud at their landing. Collin immediately withdrew.
He's not dead. Damnit, just die! Collin caught his breath, drawing on his rage to give him strength. So far he was barely sweating and unscathed after their match, but Cloud's condition was not much worse. If he intended to win, he would have to fight harder.
"Collin, that's enough." Tess was suddenly beside him. He didn't look, but her breath was shallow with fear. "Please, you don't--"
"I thought this is what you wanted," he snapped without thinking. Memories of this girl began to pour through his brain: from the first time they'd met, when she came to interview Cid for her performance. Until recently she'd only associated with him when she needed more information for a project. Maybe that had always been her intention in following him. She was looking for a new story to tell.
"What are you talking about?" Tess asked tremulously. "I--"
"This'd make an excellent piece for you, wouldn't it?" Collin snarled. "I'm sure Alex would be glad to do it with you."
Tess fell silent for a moment. "That's not it," she said hoarsely.
"Then back off and let me handle this."
Cloud was on his feet now, casually brushing bits of dirt out of his already tangled mass of hair. He shook the Ultima Weapon in his hand t o clear the blade as well. By now his shoulder had been healed almost completely; a brief spell finished the job. Despite the overlapping tension he paused in their battle to adjust his armor and tighten his gloves.
"Bastard," Collin hissed, his fists clenched, taking this preparation as a sign of disdain. "He's making a fool of me."
The boy's senses flared suddenly, pouring heart through his brain. He grimaced as his temples began to pound. The warning was followed quickly by a long, high-pitched wail. All four looked to the west, catching sight of a dark spot on the horizon. It was flying at an incredible speed in their direction. What…is that? It can't be a helicopter. Collin squinted, but was unable to make it out. It's…familiar…
"What is that?" Tess asked. She gripped his arm tightly in shivering, pale fingers. Now that he was paying attention, he could see how terrified the girl was. She was afraid for him--he'd been cruel to snap at her so harshly, when she only was trying to help.
"Tess, I'm sorry," Collin said, ignoring her question as he couldn't' answer it. "I…"
Tess faced him, gulping, her clammy fingers entwining in his. "I have a bad feeling about this," she told him in a croaking whisper. "Collin, let's just go. Please."
Cloud lifted the Ultima Weapon horizontally over his head, then slowly moved into a stance with the blade held straight up in front of him. A sourceless, eerie wind filtered through the tall grass, as if foretelling a coming storm. Immediately the hairs on Collin's neck and arms stood up with goosebumps. He knew that stance, and the attack that followed it. His heart grew cold even as the blood it pumped thundered in his temples. He forgot Tess, and Marlene, and the strange creature that was drawing closer. His focus narrowed on the gently glowing weapon.
Omnislash. Fifteen maneuvers, each deadly on their own; with the Ultima Weapon, unbeatable. Blocking one blow would only leave him open to a dozen others, the speed was so great. His body twitched, as if reliving each strike dealt to it during some ancient battle. A battle he'd not won. Already he could feel the massive damage that would be done to him. His mind spun in desperate circles, replaying the attack over and over, until he could see only the flashing blade against a drop cloth of black.
Charge. Slash shoulder to hip. Upward to shoulder. Stab. Upward, downward, upward, stab. Spin and downward. Upward, stab, leap, downward, upward, stab, spin, and--
Collin blinked, and his surroundings returned to him once more. I remember his brain whispered, translating the signals from his body. I know. "See a move once and you can learn it. Take a move once and you can defend it." I don't know where I heard that, but….
"Tess, get back," Collin instructed firmly. He shoved her, knowing that a verbal command would not be enough. Her protests fell on deaf ears. He concentrated, all the while his eyes on Cloud. He pictured a strip of solid iron from his wrist to his elbow, a plate of metal which could block a strike from even the strongest sword. His body shuddered, working to make his ideal a reality. Though he felt no change, his instincts told him that the task had been completed.
Collin swept the mass of silver hair behind him, and consciously dimmed the light from his eyes. That he had so much control over himself now was oddly disturbing--his position, however, demanded more attention than his ill ease. He took a defensive stance and prepared to for the onslaught.
Cloud hesitated. Seeing that Collin intended to fight against Omnislash, knowing full well what it was, seemed to sober his temper. He looked unsure, despite the ridiculousness in his opponent's intentions. He was afraid.
Then the attack came. Cloud charged at an incredible speed, leaping as he brought the sword down. Though his face was unnaturally calm the blade screamed shrilly, as if murdering the air around it as it flew. Collin gritted his teeth and raised his left arm, willing himself to be strong. He felt the weapon hit, felt a rip of flesh and flow of blood. The impact of metal against bone was next, jarring his entire body with the force. Marlene and Tess screamed.
But Collin's arm did not break, nor did it shatter. It held firm beneath the Ultima Weapon's incredible weight, trembling but in tact. Collin laughed sharply in amazement at the strength of his bones. I…did it.
Still gripping his sword, Cloud could only stare in horror. The forever indifferent mask had been shattered from his face, exposing his shock and sudden panic at having been halted. Omnislash was a move that was far from perfect--the disruption of any one of its attacks threw off the rhythm and sequence--he could not perform an upward strike when his opponent was already guarding from below.
Collin flashed the elder a wicked grin, but his arrogance faded quickly when he saw his fatheer's reaction. Cloud was afraid. Even after all their fighting, all the accusations, even when faced with his true identity, Collin didn't want to admit that he was the cause of the man's fear. It made him feel ashamed; he was the reason Cloud had never been rehabilitated, as Vincent had. For how could anyone attempt to live a normal life, knowing that their son was their enemy?
Cloud grimaced, lifting his sword. Even faced with the tormentor from his nightmares, he found the will to continue. He skipped Omnislash's second move--the upward strike--and continued into the third: a stab.
Collin had no choice but to finish what he had begun. He stepped back with his left foot, allowing the blade to pass by harmlessly. Growling in frustration Cloud took to the air. He came down with a fierce swing that again was dodged. They continued that way through the rest of the maneuver, moving at a speed too fast for any normal viewer to follow. Cloud jumped and struck; Collin blocked and parried the weaker blows, dodging those that were too much. By the time Cloud leapt to perform the final strike he was screaming in rage, and Collin's forearms were bloody and numb. The Ultima Weapon blazed as it descended, exploding the earth with its own magical power.
But it never hit the boy.
Collin gasped for breath, having retreated far out of the impact's reach. He waited. Though he was trembling with exhaustion, bleeding heavily and dizzy with past images, he knew that an attack could come at any time in any form. He would have to be aler, ready to counter-attack in a moment so that his enemy--
Wait. What the hell am I thinking? I'm a kid, not a SOLDIER general. When he looked, he realized that Cloud had not moved since ending Omnislash. The man was still holding his sword's handle, bent over like a broken, lost doll. He was shaking more violently than his son. From his dry lips came a strangle cry of anguish, and he fell back, finally releasing his weapon. The glow diminished and went out.
Cloud had given up. That much was apparent in his twisted, agonized expression. He sat with his head held between his fists, shivering uncontrollably. Collin could only stare, dulled by what he was witnessing. He is my father, the boy's mind echoed the sick feeling in his gut. I did this to him. I don't want to fight anymore.
Collin's wings folded, pressing into his back once more and vanishing. He stood there awkwardly, not knowing where to begin. I'm not Sephiroth--I don't want to be Sephiroth. How can I make him believe that? Can I even believe it myself? He took a hesitant step forward. "Father…."
"Collin!"
The boy stopped, his gaze streaking to the sky. The figure that had once been only a spot on the horizon was now directly over his head. A blur of black hid flashed across his sight, colliding with Cloud at a speed that sent both tumbling. "No!" Collin shouted, too late.
The beast was entirely black, with leather wings that flapped crazily and a thick tail that swung in vicious circles. From its gargoyle-like limb, sprouted massive claws; they flashed, obsidian daggers that clashed loudly against Cloud's metal wrist guards. Most terrifying of all was its glowing crimson eyes, like the hell-fire orbs of a demon. It's bellows echoed across the plains.
"St…stay away from him!" Collin started forward, watching as the demon's claws ripped a long gash down his father's right forearm. Cloud did not scream--he appeared too baffled by the sudden to respond. When finally his senses returned he gripped both of the demon's wrists and there held him at bay with great difficulty, as he was already physically and mentally weary after battling Collin.
It was then that another sound reached Collin over the sound of Chaos's enraged howling; a rhythmic thumping, and he lifted his head again to discover the source. He was startled to see a white helicopter overhead; it was sporting the Phoenix Lattice insignia. Collin's preoccupation with Omnislash and then Chaos had prevented him from noticing the machines earlier. Fearful that others had escaped his detection, he quickly scanned the area. Half a dozen trucks were heading in their direction at high speed, no more than a few minutes away.
The sliding door of the helicopter opened, revealing armed soldiers. They raised their weapons, sighting Chaos as it continued to grapple with Cloud. Collin had no chance to shout a warning before they fired. Chaos roared, wings flexing and tail slapping. The beast abandoned its human prey for the more potent threat of the soldiers. It rose to meet the men with an enraged cry, ignoring the gunfire.
"Father!" Collin ran to and knelt at his father's side, stiffening at the sight of the man's wounds: his right forearm had been laid open to the bone, and lesser scars crossed his chest and torso. "Father, can--"
Cloud's glazed, frantic eyes fell on the boy, and he quickly backed away in fear. The demon's attack had left him disoriented; he saw only the glowing emerald eyes and silver hair. His blood hands groped for the Ultima Weapon that was now out of reach.
"Pull it together!" Collin snapped impatiently. "Father, they're coming! We have to get out of here."
Cloud's gaze shifted momentarily, and the sight of the helicopter and trucks seemed to return him to his senses. At last his hand closed around his sword. "Run," he ordered in a hoarse whisper. The wildness in his eyes solidified into determination. "Go, now. Don't let them get you."
"But go where? There's nothing here."
The man didn't look as if he'd heard. He was struggling to his fee with the help of the Ultima Weapon. "Go now." He removed one of the materia from his glove and thrust it upon him. "Hide."
Chaos's agonized cry distracted them from their exchange. The beast was falling, one wing thrashing madly while the other lay limp and silent. Collin grimaced as it landed harshly on the uneven ground, moaning in pain. Even more frightening was when the soldiers turned their guns on him.
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