Chapter 4: A new foe
Cloud starred in horror at the face of Sephiroth's, but he knew it wasn't Sephiroth's. The number 4 was what gave it away. And his voice. It wasn't like Sephiroth's, it was less of a bass. Cloud watched in horror as the man smiled. "I am Sephiroth's clone. A successful one at that. You, however, are not Zack."
"I'm not Zack." Cloud said stubbornly.
"Stop playing games. I know who you are."
"I'm Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER, now a part of AVALANCHE."
"And I, am Tyler." The clone replied, his cold black eyes borrowing into the depths of Cloud's soul.
"So, you're excepting that I'm not Zack." Cloud's voice remained even, and the clone just bore deeper.
"Yes."
"Then why have you done all this?"
"To destroy Sephiroth's last clone, and I was obviously mistaken on who that was. Do you have a number?" The inquire sent shivers down Cloud's spine.
"NO." His voice was liquid iron.
"So you say." The clone grabbed at Cloud's arm, ripping away his sleeve. Nothing. He grabbed his other arm and ripped away that sleeve. Nothing. "Is it possible, you are a clone without a number?" Tifa and slowly come back to consciousness and was listening to the conversation.
"He's no clone." Tifa's voice was dazed but steady.
"Then what ever happened to number 3..." The clone whispered more to himself than anyone else. "And how can you look so much like Zack without being a clone?" Directing the comment to Cloud.
Cloud was speechless.
"Hummm." The clone drew his sword. "Where is Sephiroth now?"
"Dead." Tifa gasped
"Again?"
"Yes."
"You?"
"No."
"Then who? Maybe you aren't number 3. He must be out there. He must have killed Sephiroth." Cloud found it eerie that this man who looked so much like Sephiroth was talking about Sephiroth's death.
A laugh reverberated through the cavern. Cloud, Tyler and Tifa all looked towards the entrance. That laugh. Cloud's head was spinning. But how? Not again. This can't be happening. The clone ran forward.
"Sephiroth show yourself."
"Pathetic fools, I am the original. You are nothing but mere bit and parts of me. Your power is nothing compared to my own." He stepped from the shadows dressed in grey and black.
"How?" Cloud's voice escaped him.
"You pitiful fool. So easily tricked." Cloud gasped as he realized what had happend. Sephiroth laughed. Tifa sat helplessly confused. Cloud could make out 2 figures in the background. Barret and Cid. Of course they had no chance against Sephiroth or Tyler.
Cloud drew his Buster Sword, readying for a fight. "Now, now Cloud. Last time you tried this you ended up in a *hospital*." The word confirmed Cloud's suspicions. He'd never really been in a hospital. He probably had never been in Mideel at all.
Gun fire sounded from behind Sephiroth. Bullets bounced as Sephiroth turned, unscathed. His eyes glowing in the darkness like Cloud's, the mako poisoning showing itself in the two. A blast of dark green came from Sephiroth. An ultima wave crashing down on the two helpless men. Cloud sword.
"I see both of you have your questions. As you all should." Sephiroth smiled mockingly at both Cloud and Tyler. "You see I had a little talk with Hojo. And now I know who's a clone and who's not. I know the secrets of everyone in this room. Including you." His piercing eyes shifting their gaze to meet Tifa's. "Especially you."
With that Sephiroth was gone. He didn't disappear or walk away, he was just gone. Tyler went running out of the cave after Sephiroth. Cloud went over and helped Tifa out of the chair. Then over to help Cid and Barret.
"Everyone Ok?" He asked the group.
"I think we're all fine." Tifa said rubbing her wrists. "This is getting really strange." She said as Tyler ran back in.
"He's gone!!" He screamed at the group.
"Good." Cloud responded. Tyler just glowered, then ran out again.
"Damnit that Sephiroth." Was all that came from Barret. Cid was silent.
"I wonder what kinda stuff he knows." Tifa mused thoughtfully.
"I guess he wants us to find out." Cloud responded.
"Is that why you left Cloud? Did you know Sephiroth was still alive?"
"Yea..." His voice trailed off.
"Damn you." Her uncharateristic came as a shock to Cloud. "You could've at least invited me." A smile reappering on her face. They all laughed, though it was an uneasy laugh, it was a laugh.
(Well, this concludes my introduction to the story. I hope I've caught a few ppl's attention...)
Cloud starred in horror at the face of Sephiroth's, but he knew it wasn't Sephiroth's. The number 4 was what gave it away. And his voice. It wasn't like Sephiroth's, it was less of a bass. Cloud watched in horror as the man smiled. "I am Sephiroth's clone. A successful one at that. You, however, are not Zack."
"I'm not Zack." Cloud said stubbornly.
"Stop playing games. I know who you are."
"I'm Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER, now a part of AVALANCHE."
"And I, am Tyler." The clone replied, his cold black eyes borrowing into the depths of Cloud's soul.
"So, you're excepting that I'm not Zack." Cloud's voice remained even, and the clone just bore deeper.
"Yes."
"Then why have you done all this?"
"To destroy Sephiroth's last clone, and I was obviously mistaken on who that was. Do you have a number?" The inquire sent shivers down Cloud's spine.
"NO." His voice was liquid iron.
"So you say." The clone grabbed at Cloud's arm, ripping away his sleeve. Nothing. He grabbed his other arm and ripped away that sleeve. Nothing. "Is it possible, you are a clone without a number?" Tifa and slowly come back to consciousness and was listening to the conversation.
"He's no clone." Tifa's voice was dazed but steady.
"Then what ever happened to number 3..." The clone whispered more to himself than anyone else. "And how can you look so much like Zack without being a clone?" Directing the comment to Cloud.
Cloud was speechless.
"Hummm." The clone drew his sword. "Where is Sephiroth now?"
"Dead." Tifa gasped
"Again?"
"Yes."
"You?"
"No."
"Then who? Maybe you aren't number 3. He must be out there. He must have killed Sephiroth." Cloud found it eerie that this man who looked so much like Sephiroth was talking about Sephiroth's death.
A laugh reverberated through the cavern. Cloud, Tyler and Tifa all looked towards the entrance. That laugh. Cloud's head was spinning. But how? Not again. This can't be happening. The clone ran forward.
"Sephiroth show yourself."
"Pathetic fools, I am the original. You are nothing but mere bit and parts of me. Your power is nothing compared to my own." He stepped from the shadows dressed in grey and black.
"How?" Cloud's voice escaped him.
"You pitiful fool. So easily tricked." Cloud gasped as he realized what had happend. Sephiroth laughed. Tifa sat helplessly confused. Cloud could make out 2 figures in the background. Barret and Cid. Of course they had no chance against Sephiroth or Tyler.
Cloud drew his Buster Sword, readying for a fight. "Now, now Cloud. Last time you tried this you ended up in a *hospital*." The word confirmed Cloud's suspicions. He'd never really been in a hospital. He probably had never been in Mideel at all.
Gun fire sounded from behind Sephiroth. Bullets bounced as Sephiroth turned, unscathed. His eyes glowing in the darkness like Cloud's, the mako poisoning showing itself in the two. A blast of dark green came from Sephiroth. An ultima wave crashing down on the two helpless men. Cloud sword.
"I see both of you have your questions. As you all should." Sephiroth smiled mockingly at both Cloud and Tyler. "You see I had a little talk with Hojo. And now I know who's a clone and who's not. I know the secrets of everyone in this room. Including you." His piercing eyes shifting their gaze to meet Tifa's. "Especially you."
With that Sephiroth was gone. He didn't disappear or walk away, he was just gone. Tyler went running out of the cave after Sephiroth. Cloud went over and helped Tifa out of the chair. Then over to help Cid and Barret.
"Everyone Ok?" He asked the group.
"I think we're all fine." Tifa said rubbing her wrists. "This is getting really strange." She said as Tyler ran back in.
"He's gone!!" He screamed at the group.
"Good." Cloud responded. Tyler just glowered, then ran out again.
"Damnit that Sephiroth." Was all that came from Barret. Cid was silent.
"I wonder what kinda stuff he knows." Tifa mused thoughtfully.
"I guess he wants us to find out." Cloud responded.
"Is that why you left Cloud? Did you know Sephiroth was still alive?"
"Yea..." His voice trailed off.
"Damn you." Her uncharateristic came as a shock to Cloud. "You could've at least invited me." A smile reappering on her face. They all laughed, though it was an uneasy laugh, it was a laugh.
(Well, this concludes my introduction to the story. I hope I've caught a few ppl's attention...)