In Which We Find Our Immortality
Chapter 17: Washing Blood From Our Hands
Cid bit back several curses, watching as all three of the Phoenix Lattice trucks were incinerated by the Dragons' fire. "F--k that Matthews," he hissed, prying at Vincent's chains. "They were too goddamned fast." They were fortunate, however, in that the Dragons were aiming fort the larger targets so far.
"Cid!"
Cid lurched back at the woman's cry, just barely escaping a dart loaded with Professor Arswick's powerful muscle paralyzers. Still cursing, he raised his eyes to Broddick Matthews.
The President's husband was clearly beyond most reason now. He could see that retreat wasn't an option, and accepted that. "We're all screwed now, Mr. Highwind," he snarled, Arswick's dart rifle in one hand and a handgun in the other. He aimed the former at Vincent, who was pulling on his chains futilely.
Marlene pounced on his arm just before the rifle fired, and the drug-laden projectile plunged into Broddick's foot. He cursed as the potent liquid took effect, rendering his entire right leg motionless. Marlene shoved him onto his back. With Cid's help she managed to steal both weapons in his confusion.
"Now hold still and shut the f--k up," Cid commanded with a wicked grin. He kept the handgun trained on Broddick's forehead. "Like you said, we're all screwed anyway."
Behind them, Vincent had begun his transformation. His skin blackened, and claws emerged from his fingertips. The blanket Marlene had cast over him earlier was thrown aside by the demon's thick tail. Last came the black, leathery wings, stretching from his flesh and extending to their outmost. The chains containing him were easily shattered, and with a bellow of fury, Chaos took to the air.
"Father, you have to get up," Collin continued to plead, still struggling with Cloud's bonds. "Please, get up. I can't just watch you die."
Cloud's gaze had never shone with more pride. He watched his son, amazed that never before had he seen this kind of devotion. "I'm so proud of you," he murmured, oblivious to the ever-approaching threat. "You grew up without me."
"Stop it and help me!" the boy exclaimed frantically. "They're almost here!"
Slowly, he shook his head. "Just go, Collin. Get away from here. You don't want to die now. You're too young."
"Stop…." Tears overflowed Collin's eyes as he fell over Cloud's body, crying into his chest. "Please, you can't…what will I do?" His hands curled into fists around pieces of stained fabric. "Father, how can I…?"
Cloud stared up at the canopy of clear blue sky above them. He couldn't' remember a more beautiful view of Heaven. It was his fate to die this way--why did his son not understand? He'd lived too long, and done too much to be a father to him now. Even if he wanted nothing more than to hold him, to cry foolishly, he wouldn't have that chance.
My son…is crying for me. The man's lips were twisted with a smile. Aeris, can you see this? You were right. Finally, I've found my son.
"I can see you."
Cloud smiled. This was all he wanted--he had found favor in those he cared about the most. If only he could see Tifa one last time as well…and show her. Show her how beautiful her son had become, and how strong.
"She can see you too, Cloud."
Collin lifted himself from his father's chest. He turned his gaze on cloud, pleading through the tears. "Father…."
Tifa…your son…our son…can I leave him like this? I…can't. The man drew a slow, shaky breath. He must forgive me. I can't abandon him again, can I?
"Get my sword," Cloud said. He pulled at the chains attached to his right wrist, and the metal squealed in complaint. "I told you I can take out one or two."
The boy's face flowed with relief, and he hurried to comply. His father grinned. Thank you, Cid, for taking care of him. The chains snapped, and he quickly set upon those on his left wrist.
The Ultima Weapon had been set beside the white Phoenix Lattice van, along with Cloud's other armor and materia. He stuffed as many of the spheres into his pockets as would fit, then prepared to lift the sword. It was dramatically heavier than he'd imagined--he could barely pick it off the ground, let alone fight with it. Come on, come on…. Collin glanced over his shoulder to see the Dragons' progress, and was halted in terror. They were already there.
The first Dragon sailed over the camp, landing in front of the remaining trucks. The other three surrounded the camp: one near Cid, Marlene and Broddick; one landed in front of Cloud, who had been joined by Chaos; the last placed itself before Collin.
Until then Collin had only seen Dragons in text book sketches--and those hadn't been Clan Dragons. The creature's size alone staggered him; at least twenty feet oat the shoulder, twenty feet down its spin to its hips; the tail, easily that same length, tapered into a collection of long, sharpened blade like a sword. Its thickly-muscled limbs ended with massive claws that dug furrows in the earth. The head, perched upon a twisting, snake-like neck, was longer than Collin's height; the grueling features of its reptilian face were bony and wide, unlike the majestic form the boy would have expected.
The head came down. Somewhere to his left, Cloud was telling him to stand still--he couldn't have moved if he wanted to. The Dragon lowered its bulky torso down, until Collin was staring directly into a pair of protruding, obsidian orb eyes.
Oh God…oh God…. Collin gulped, breathless and faint. He tried to pull himself together; he had come in the first place to meet these animals, to prove to them his harmlessness. But faced with the creature, he could barely think let alone formulate a plan. The chill he'd felt earlier now rested like a block of ice in his chest, until his fingers numbed and his entire body was trembling.
The black eyes blinked slowly, and then began to lighten in color. Collin stared, paralyzed, as they gradually changed to pure white. The Ultima Weapon dropped from his grasp; he couldn't' move. Fa…Father?
"The Dragons are testing us," came Cloud's firm voice. The beast before him and Vincent was in a similar state. "They're looking for a threat."
This is your chance. Take it. Collin gulped, gathering the courage to straighten his posture. He stood, tall and attempting confidence, hoping the animal could somehow sense his intentions. I'm just a kid. I don't want to hurt anyone.
Collin's heart nearly stopped when the Dragon to his left bellowed furiously. He turned, just in time to see Cloud and Chaos dodging a swiping claw. The monsters eyes were blazing red now. Its talons flashed, trying to drag Chaos out of the sky. As they continued this way, Cloud turned and ran at Collin.
The boy glanced back at the Dragon facing him, and began to panic when its eyes began to change from white to deep scarlet. Its wide, tooth-laden jaws gaped wide and then rushed forward. Cloud reached him just in time, dragging his son out of reach. The Dragon roared in outrage as it scooped a mouthful of earth. It was a terrible, blood-curdling sound, one that was echoed by its companions.
"Collin." Cloud was still holding onto him, his focus on the Dragon that was already preparing another attack. "It's too late to run now. You know that."
"Y-Yes." Collin briefly scanned the clearing--the soldiers were scattering in panic, as the remaining two Dragons began destroyed the trucks and white equipment vans. Fortunately Cid and Marlene were far enough from the destruction to be hurt.
"You'll have to fight. Do you have the camouflage materia?"
"Yes." He slipped his hand into his pocket, and bit his lip anxiously when his hand closed around several of the items. He pulled out a handful--Cloud quickly picked out the correct sphere and discarded the rest, to his relief.
"There. Wait here." Cloud darted forward suddenly. His movements quickly attracted the attention of the Dragon, and it lunged with a furious cry. Collin held his breath. Just before the jaws hit Cloud rolled, dodging the attack and snatching the Ultima Weapon off the ground in one motion. In the next instant he was on his feet, the blade striking a long scar down the Dragon's neck. It roared angrily, and both retreated.
Collin was stunned. He watched the giant beast shaking its head, spraying nearly black blood across the grass, not knowing what to think. When they'd fought earlier he'd been too consumed in the battle to appreciate his father's ability; his every movement was practiced and skillful. He could only stare as Cloud attacked--actually attacked a Dragon--and sliced another long gash across its right foreleg. One more slit the underside of the animal's jaw, and it recoiled as the man dropped back to Collin's side.
Cloud wasted no time. He pulled a materia out of the Ulitma Weapon's slots and handed it to his son. "That's Ultima," he told him firmly. "The strongest spell I have left. Use that camouflage--the Dragons can still sense you, but they can't attack something they can't see."
"Okay." Collin stood tall, genuinely pleased by his father's confidence in him. "When should I use Ultima?"
The edge of Cloud's lip twitched. "I'm gong to attack--try and open up his ribs. The spell won't do any good unless you can get inside the scales. But be careful." He glanced about, taking note of where all the Dragons were. "The more you move, the faster camouflage will wear off."
Collin nodded. "Got it."
"Good." The man looked down at him, attempted a smile, and was off again. His challenge was quickly met by the vengeful Dragon, and as they fought Collin activated the camouflage materia. It'll have to be the right moment he told himself as the spell took affect. Good luck, Father.
Meanwhile, far from that battle, Cid watched with a bit of appreciation. "He's still got it," he mused, as Cloud dodged another claw swipe. "That shit."
"Cid." Marlene gesture to the two Dragons that had been destroyed the Phoenix Lattice trucks; they'd finished, and were now looking for another target. One began to swat teasingly at the soldiers, and the other look in their direction. It worked its jaws anxiously.
"Christ. Marlene, we gotta get out of here." The ground began to shake as the beast lumbered toward them. He snatched her by the arm.
"Wait--wait!" Still lying helpless on the ground, Broddick reached out for them. "You can't leave me," he told them, as if it were a command. "You--"
"I told you--" Cid broke off when he saw that the Dragon was nearly upon them. Its jaws were still working, and it stopped to take a breath. He knew too well what was happening. "Holy--"
The breath was knocked out of him, and suddenly Cid felt himself being lifted off his feet. Something had encircled his waist--an arm of black flesh, he was slow to comprehend--and a heavy leather wing beat against him. Chaos had saved him. Marlene was tucked under the creature's other arm. "Goddamnit, you could'a come sooner," he muttered.
But they weren't heading away from the Dragon--they were flying toward it. The monster was even more terrifying up close, its jaws gaping wide to reveal rows of serrated teeth. The back of its threat was illuminated with the growing fore of its magic. "Pull up, you f--king moron!" Cid heard himself scream, just above Marlene's terrified screeching. He thought he heard another voice--a man's--but that concern was quickly made insignificant by the sight of the flames.
Chaos banked left, pulling them into a roll that forced Cid's stomach into his throat. The Dragon's fire unleashed a moment later. It was followed by the agonized cry of another Dragon; Chaos had led its original antagonist directly into the second's blazing attack. Cid was about to cheer when he realized that he was still holding tightly onto Broddick's handgun. They were still close to the Dragons, and he took advantage of the position to fire a dozen rounds into its face. Several shots missed, others were repelled by the scales, but a few lucky ones managed to catch the beast's eye and shatter it.
The Dragon reared, bellowing in pain, only to be struck by its companion--the animal drawn into its fire. They squabbled back and forth, oblivious as Chaos carried its charges away from the battlefield. It dropped down among the stand of trees Collin and Tess and occupied earlier; the latter came out of hiding, helping Marlene to sit down against a thick trunk. The older woman was shaking and pale. Cid also found himself to be less than stable upon landing, as he dropped to his rear in the grass. "Shit, I'm too old for this," he muttered.
Chaos set down one more before landing itself: Broddick Matthews, whom it had carried with its feet. The man was no better than Marlene, wide-eyed and in shock. Cid allowed himself a chuckle at the sight. "Wild ride, eh Matthews?" He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Now you see what Avalanche is all about."
Broddick didn't respond. Instead he looked to Chaos, which was standing protectively in front of the group. Its arms were crossed, and its tail waved gently back and forth. He took a moment to collect his wits before speaking. "Why did you save me?" he demanded. "If you think I'll give you any leniency because of it, then--"
Chaos glared at him over its shoulder, and Broddick stopped talking. It returned to watching the Dragons.
"I can't see Collin anymore," spoke up Tess in the silence. "He used Cloud's materia and disappeared."
"He'll be okay, then." Cid puffed on his cigarette, watching Cloud's progress against his own enemy. Then he swore, as the remaining three Dragons organized themselves and began lumbering toward the trees, searching for them. "We've the ones in real trouble.
Collin's fingers trembled as he gripped tightly onto the Ultima materia Cloud had given him. Any attempt to calm himself was quickly proven ineffective. His eyes were locked on Cloud's darting figure, waiting for his chance. The Dragon was too quick to be injured again despite Cloud's best efforts. When the man came close it simply released its fire, burning the long grass and driving him back.
I have to do something. But what can I, against a Dragon? He shook his head, trust in his father's plan. He'll do it. He has to.
The Dragon whipped its head in an abrupt manner, catching Cloud off guard. The jaws gaped, and a moment later snapped shut once more. It had happened so fast that Collin couldn't even see what had been done. But Cloud was gone.
"Father!" He needn't have panicked. A moment later the Dragon screamed in pain, and its bottom jaw was forced open with the explosion of a powerful spell. Cloud began to fall--surly a drop from that height would kill him. Collin did the only thing he could think of. He took to the air. His speed proved to be enough, and he managed to catch the man long before he hit the earth. In the process, however, he released the Ultima materia.
Father and son landed safely--relatively so, as they were still in a dangerous range. Cloud didn't waste time in speaking; simply picked Collin off the ground and began to run, passing the creature's left side in an attempt to get behind it and out of reach. Collin allowed himself to be carried without complaint.
The Dragon recovered far more quickly than it should have. It twisted its head, screaming and snarling, intending to sink its teeth in the pair from behind. Cloud ducked and rolled, dragging Collin with him in the maneuver. The reptilian head impacted soil just behind them. Then they were up again and running.
Collin clung to his father tightly. The cold feeling had returned to his chest, fighting to control his breath and pulse with its icy tendrils. He tried to calm himself without success, focusing on this escape. But he couldn't shake the sudden panic in his instinct brought on by the crying beast, and the smell of blood and fire.
He glanced up, only for a moment, and in that instant realized the cause of his distress. The Dragon's tail was in motion, sweeping forward at an incredible speed. Its scales reflected the harsh afternoon sunlight as if rolling of a blade. That was all Collin saw before he was thrown to the ground. He only heard the blow: the sound of tearing fabric and flesh, and a man, gasping. By the time he rolled onto his back to see it as already too late. He saw Cloud, twisted backwards grotesquely, hands groping for something--anything--to keep him upright. Blood poured from the wound drawn by the Dragon's tail: a long slash from his hip to his shoulder.
Just like a sword wound.
Cloud's eyes were wide. They met Collin briefly; in them he found an understanding, the revelation of a truth hidden deeply in those emerald pools. Collin sat motionless, startled by the images Cloud's gaze awoke in him. He saw himself, tiny and helpless, being carried in the arms of a beautiful brunette woman. They were running through the grass, terrified and desperate. Over and over the woman spoke her husband's name as if in prayer.
She never saw the Dragon that killed her; it was small, barely more than an adolescent, and with its speed had easily snuck up on the fleeing pair. She dropped Collin just before it struck--her last motherly act in an attempt to save his life. Her blood had washed over him.
Collin blinked, and suddenly he couldn't see Cloud anymore. He saw only the Dragon looming over them, its red eyes glowing in triumph.
Cloud didn't kill Mother, and neither did I. It was a Dragon. His fists curled. All this time, and we both thought…God damn it all! Collin climbed to his feet, slowly wiping the blood--Cloud's blood--from his face. I came here to stop this. Damn you all--it doesn't matter what I am anymore! Why can't you understand? From his hands an eerie green light began to glow.
The Dragon attacked. Collin unleashed his anger at the same time in the form of a powerful spell. His magic burned its flesh, ripping at the gashes made by the Ultima Weapon and opening them further. It entered the creature's body and tore at its innards until it screamed shrilly in agony. The Dragon recoiled, still writhing. Its body fell and twisted, melting and burning. The strength of Collin's injustice was without mercy. Soon there was little left of the once impressive animal; no more than a heap of charred flesh and splintered bones.
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Ah~! AAAA~~~HHH!!! (sorry, I needed to get that out)