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Two Weeks Later
SOLDIER Training Room
Sephiroth's POV
Finally. Finally it was time for her to see just how different she was now with her enhancements.
While she would not say that she'd reached her plateau in terms of growth prior to undergoing enhancement she had indeed been feeling a distinct lack of challenge in her training. While Xander's unconventional method of fighting had caused her some confusion she'd adapted quickly enough once more asserting her superiority over the rest of the group. Once more there was no doubt that she was the right choice to be the leader of SOLDIER. Now, with the enhancements, she could see just how much wider the gap between her and them had become. Not out of any pointless vanity of course but rather to judge just how useful they would be as subordinates in the battles to come. If they proved to be too much weaker than her she would have to dispatch them on missions in pairs in order to ensure that the objective was accomplished without any losses. If the gap was more or less the same as before then she could trust each of them to handle jobs solo without much chance of them being seriously hurt never mind dying.
It was a leader's duty to properly assign tasks to subordinates qualified to handle them.
"May I have your attention please." Verdot said through the speakers built into the training room's walls, "This is a prototype training room specially designed to be used by you and all future SOLDIERs in order to hone your abilities to the fullest. As such each part of the room was designed with the theoretical projections provided by Professor Hojo of how much your abilities would be enhanced in mind. That being said there is likely a difference between theory and reality so please show a measure of restraint. If the room is damaged too much we will have to put your training on hold until it is repaired."
"Can't we just use a normal training room?" Genesis asked not sounding pleased at the idea of having to wait again.
"No. Even assuming that Professor Hojo's projections are only half right any other training room wouldn't last the day." He replied no doubt from the observation room.
More like President Shinra would not be happy with the daily repair bills if they used any of the other training rooms. As it was it must've taken some convincing to build this prototype possibly highlighting how certain parts of it could be repurposed for other profitable things. Whatever the case they'd find out soon just how well designed the place was even if each of them would need to hold back.
"First we will test your individual materia proficiency post enhancement." Verdot said before panels in the floor slid aside and targets rose up from the holes, "The targets are made of the same materials as the walls, ceiling and floor. By seeing how your spells affect them we will be able to determine if the room itself can handle an actual sparring match. Sephiroth? You're up first. On the table near the door we have a selection of unmastered element materia for you to choose from."
Turning around she saw the materia and moved over to it picking up each one in turn in order to get a feel for what element was contained inside. She confirmed that they were not mastered and would only allow her to cast the weakest spell of each element but considering the circumstances that only made sense. If the enhancements made their ability to use materia too powerful then keeping them limited to the weakest spells only made sense. It'd reduce the odds of them obliterating the room or killing one another. Picking up the fire element materia she strode over to a spot roughly ten feet from the targets right in front of the middle one to give her the best chance of hitting them.
"Ready when you are Verdot." She said raising the hand holding the materia and aiming it at the centre target.
"Sensors are active." Verdot said the sound of clacking keyboard keys audible, "Safety precautions online. Whenever you're ready Sephiroth."
With a nod she tapped into the materia just as she had many times before but took Verdot's warning seriously so she only used what she considered a quarter of the usual mana. Normally, prior to the enhancement, this would cause the fireball generated to die out before it even reached the target. This time though she could tell it would be different and watched as the fireball came together in front of the materia sphere before shooting towards the target. With an audible thump it hit but once the flames dispersed the damage appeared limited to heating the metal to a light orange glow as well as some blackened charring outwards. While not the same as a full strength fire spell prior to the enhancements it told her quite a bit about how much damage a firaga would likely be capable of.
~This room might need some structural reinforcement if the sparring gets that intense.~ She thought before selecting another target intent on hitting it with a full strength fire spell.
Using the skill she'd honed through frequent materia training she measured the amount of mana being used and then executed the spell. Her suspicions about how much the potency of the spells would be cast was confirmed when instead of a ball of flame like before this one was so large that it was easily four times bigger. Throwing it at the target it impacted with the expected increase in force and once the flames dispersed she saw what else had increased. The target was visibly warped but it wasn't just the target plate but also the pole that it was attached to as well. An angry red glow lingered for a good while as well.
"Interesting. A increase in heat and potency of at least sixty five percent above your previous best with these spells." Verdot said sounding interested, "Genesis? You're next."
"Prepare to be amazed!" Genesis declared as though she was about to give a performance on a stage.
Typical. Genesis had always seen her as a rival in the new SOLDIER unit and had worked hard to prove that there was a choice to be made over who would lead. From what she'd overheard the redhead was the daughter of the mayor of the town of Banora and while not Midgar the status had afforded her some personal benefits. Now that Genesis was here away from those benefits the girl likely thought she had to fight to keep the respect that she'd had from the people of Banora by proving herself an exemplary SOLDIER.
She wasn't completely without understanding and if it motivated the redhead to be the best SOLDIER she could be then that was fine. However she had no intention of giving anything less than her best and that would ensure that no one could possibly surpass her.
After Genesis selected some lightning materia she watched carefully to see just where her 'rival' was in terms of magic proficiency. The first spell cast proved to be longer in duration before the bolt of energy vanished and when it did one could see signs of weakening metal where the bolt had made contact. She personally was aware that when it came to piercing power lightning could often do the trick but normally it required multiple strikes of the same location before you could break through to the other side. If this was any indication it'd take only one or two more strikes to break through the target plate.
For her though she'd be able to break through in one strike since her materia control was measurably different from the redhead's.
A second shot at a different target by Genesis though did succeed in breaking through the target plate but thankfully the bolt petered out before it could make contact with the wall behind the plate. Had the redhead fired the first spell at decreased strength like she had? She'd have expected Genesis to go full strength from the beginning in order to outshine her but instead Verdot's words of warning had inspired restraint.
"Admirable improvement Genesis. A forty-eight percent increase in strength and your magic control apparently has improved enough to increase the piercing strength." Verdot said showing that while Genesis was impressive it only earned the number two slot for improvement.
Much to Genesis' frustration.
Not doubt an impressive amount of training would be done in an effort to bridge the gap between the two of them in the weeks to come.
Angeal went next choosing ice materia in order maintain the contrast in the level of damage and the potency. The boy from Banora acquitted himself admirably even if he wound up just under Genesis in terms of improvement. If she had to describe Angeal as anything it'd be the most well rounded of the four of them in terms of swordsmanship, hand to hand combat and materia usage. Of the four areas of training she would say that hand to hand combat was the one that Angeal had the most skill with showing cunning and adaptability.
He still lost to her but she could always count on a decent workout when sparring unarmed with him.
When Xander stepped up though she was pretty sure that everyone was paying extra attention because unlike the rest of the SOLDIER unit he didn't need materia. They'd seen enough evidence prior to the enhancements that the boy had gained some strength from mastered materia so it would be the control as well as accuracy that she would focus on. Would he be able to control the amount of mana used in the fire spell and would he be able to hit just one target without affecting the others. Raw power might have its uses but only when you didn't care about the damage done to things in the blast radius. If the mission required precision, stealth or for the target to be captured in good condition then power was more of a liability than a help.
Would Xander be SOLDIERs demolition expert or could be counted on for more low key operations?
"Whenever you're ready Xander." Verdot said through the room's speakers.
"Gonna try something a little weird first." Xander said with a focused look coming over his face.
That…made her take a step or two back.
Xander might have a knack for the unconventional and unique but that didn't mean all of his ideas worked on the first try. Most of the time it didn't require a healing potion or the use of a cure spell.
Most of the time.
"What are you going to try?" Verdot asked with a measure of concern.
"Multi-spell casting." Xander replied bringing both hands before aiming at two different targets, "If we're going to be in a fight we can't fire spells off one at a time. We need to be able to do cast them as fast as we can."
"True but learning how to do so takes time. I speak from experience." Verdot said with comprehension, "However it is better to be grounded in the basics before attempting something advanced."
"We know how to use materia Verdot." Xander said not sounding like he was going to heed the man's advice, "We need to learn how to use it in combat. What's the worst that could happen?"
Another reason to take two more steps back.
"Either casting two spells at once will cause one or both to destabilize resulting in a mana detonation or you'll pass out due to significant mana depletion." Verdot replied promptly as one who'd know from experience, "Both possibilities aren't good for one's health."
"Then I guess it's a good thing that the enhancements include rapid healing and that we're not far from the Shinra Building's infirmary." Xander said not backing down in the least.
"Just because we can heal you should this prove dangerous that's no reason to take risks." Verdot said sternly in a tone used to put pressure on the unruly, "You have plenty of time to work your way up advanced materia usage."
"Only if the world doesn't throw any surprises our way." Xander said not showing even a hint of weakness, "What if things in Wutai take a bad turn? I've seen the news so it's not impossible."
"Even if that is true whether or not SOLDIER would be deployed would depend on how Shinra troops fared against Wutai's warriors." Verdot pointed out rationally, "If conventional Shinra forces can handle them it's likely that none of you will be needed."
"Please! The fact that Shinra even decided to make SOLDIER is proof that the rank and file aren't good enough to handle everything." Genesis scoffed at the idea of them having to sit out a possible war, "If things heat up in Wutai we'll be the best shot Shinra has for ending it quickly."
"Only if you've completed your training to the President's satisfaction." Verdot pointed out quite accurately, "He's not about to send you anywhere to deal with anything if he isn't confident that you'll succeed. If my reports say you're performing poorly and are not fit for combat you won't be going anywhere."
"And you'll only say we're ready if we follow your schedule rather than our own, correct?" She said just so that everything could be clear.
"Correct. However in the interest of showing Xander how unwise it is to skip to advanced materia usage so early I'm willing to permit ONE attempt at multi-spell casting." Verdot said in a way that would not be defied, "Genesis? Sephiroth? There should be healing materia on the table. Each of you take one and be ready to cast cure on Xander after he fails. It should heal him enough to get him to the infirmary if he needs it."
With a nod both she and Genesis got healing materia before taking up optimum positions for using them on Xander.
"Now that everyone's ready you can try to cast multiple spells." Verdot said addressing Xander, "But this will be your ONLY attempt regardless if you succeed or not. If after the science division has analyzed the readings they determine that it's safe for you to try again only then will you be permitted to train to master it. Understood?"
"Fine." Xander said sounding annoyed.
While she didn't think that this attempt would turn out any different than Verdot had predicted she was curious to see how far Xander could get on his first attempt. She'd read of examples of multi-casting as well as various methods of increasing one's casting speed but had chosen to heed her instructor's advice about skipping ahead to advanced techniques.
Still…if Xander could get even close to being successful then perhaps she would make preparations to make an attempt herself.
After all if one of her subordinates could almost do it then surely she'd succeed on the first or second attempt.
It didn't take long before Xander began as everyone watched the mana begin to gather in front of his hands. In the left hand she could see the familiar signs of fire beginning to gather while in the other drew together a blue energy that she didn't think meant lightning. At first it seemed to be going well since she could see no difference from when they'd been practicing prior to enhancement. However just as it seemed to reach the final steps before being cast she began to pick up on bits of the forming magic escaping Xander's grasp. They were small at first, so small that anyone else would've missed them, but eventually they grew in size to be almost equal in size to gil coins before fading from sight.
"Looks like you bit off more than you can chew." Genesis commented with a little smugness, "Maybe next time you'll try walking before you try running."
"I'm not…DONE…yet." Xander bit out clearly expending most of his focus on the magic he was trying to wield.
"There's nothing wrong with not being able to do it now." Angeal said in an understanding tone, "Besides Verdot said it's an advanced technique. Work on what you can do right now and work towards it."
"Not DONE!" Xander growled and oddly enough this seemed to increase his focus since the bits slipping out of the magic focal points in front of his hands reduced in size.
~It's only going to be temporary.~ She thought warming up her healing materia, ~Whether it's in physical combat or something more mental in nature anger inevitably brings about mistakes.~
In the case of using materia to cast spells it led to destabilization and in many cases detonation.
However as seconds passed without the expected outcome she had to wonder at just how strong willed Xander was. Against precedent the boy was actually holding his ground from the looks of it but there was no signs of him actually managing to execute the spells either. A commendable effort, one that indicated reliability when being sent on missions, but one that showed where Xander stood in terms of spell casting.
~With some time and dedication he might become almost as good as me.~ She thought not so arrogant so as to dismiss the possibility of hard work matching up to prodigious aptitude.
It was just as she expected Xander's focus and willpower to wane that she witnessed something unusual and probably self-defeating. Whereas before the boy had glared at something and expressed anger now a stony composure grew over his face even as he closed his eyes. An attempt to quiet his anger and focus his mind? A smart move but she didn't think it'd help much. Emotions might increase the potency of a spell but they reduced its stability not to mention drained stamina faster. On the opposite side of things a calm and focused mind might increase stability and allow greater control of stamina consumption but it almost always reduced potency. She imagined that with enough experience one could find a balance between the two possibilities in order to achieve maximum results but she wouldn't see it here.
At best Xander had bought himself more time or they were soon see the spells fall apart.
So all were surprised when neither outcome happened but instead both spells rose to potency before shooting out from Xander's hands. While the spells almost didn't reach their targets it was the results that she focused on. With a flash of blue a barrier spell manifested around one target and with a flourish only somewhat better than a pre-enhancement use of fire impacted the other target. The damage done by the fire spell was a little less than what she'd done when she cast fire but the barrier around the other target was both stable as well as strong. While she couldn't say without trying herself she imagined that it would take a strong Fira spell or a direct hit from one of Shinra's RPGs.
An impressive display and another bit of proof that you shouldn't presume anything where Xander was concerned because he might just surprise you.
"Surprising but not exactly combat ready." Verdot said with measured respect in his voice, "The enemy isn't going to wait for you to prepare like that. If a spell can't be cast within five seconds it's useless without someone buying you the time you need."
"I…know." Xander said sounding winded from the effort, "But the more I…practice it…the better I'll get."
"True. I'll forward these sensor readings to the science division including your vitals." Verdot said coming to a decision on the matter, "Should they find nothing worth worrying about you can continue your work to master multi-casting. However if they determine that it places too much strain on your body I will insist that you wait a full year before trying again. With that much training your body will be stronger and your mana reserves deeper thus making a reevaluation of your abilities feasible."
"Fine. I know what they'll find." Xander said recovering his strength and wind swiftly.
Perhaps he did.
You couldn't always count on medical equipment in the field and doctors still asked patients to describe how they were feeling so it wasn't impossible to predict test results.
In any case she now had another goal in her future training: multi-spell casting and to do it not only faster than Xander but without any measure of fatigue.
A goal she would accomplish without fail.
Time passed as it always did.
It passed and changes occurred all over the planet Gaea both great and small with the effects of each impossible to know for certain.
A boy born to the slums who would learn at a young age that caring brought pain and therefore chose to not care about anyone or anything.
A girl born to a thieving family in the sector five slums who would be taught how to steal to survive but sadly not the judgment to properly choose her targets.
However the more specific changes could be found with the lives of four individuals designated by those above them to be the crown jewels of SOLDIER.
As had originally been intended the girl known as Sephiroth was known by all to be the future leader of the unit and proved her worth in all fields. Hand to hand, swordsmanship, materia skill, tactics, strategy and physical prowess all top level with few being able to be worthy of the label 'rival'. Many thought that the only reason why she wasn't calling the shots already was because of how it'd upset the other members of the unit that'd been around longer. While she was meant to be the crown jewel of SOLDIER that didn't mean that the company hadn't used Hojo's enhancement procedure on others to build up the unit's ranks. It would only cause problems if a girl just entering adolescence was suddenly put in charge of adults that'd been doing the job for years.
Angeal and Genesis had an easier time ingratiating themselves to the rest of SOLDIER with the former proving to be both respectful as well as in possession of a sense of humour. As for the latter several of the older male members started taking a more big brother role when it came to her showing her the ropes while encouraging her about her bright future. The only thing that neatly neutralized those from imagining her five or more years older was her very clear fixation on the play Loveless. While not all members of SOLDIER were uncultured brutes none had the same fixation as Genesis.
As for Xander…well…he was something of a wildcard with no one in SOLDIER aside from the three he'd trained alongside knowing what to make of him. He made no effort to get to know the rest of the unit and only interacted with them when his duties required him to do so. Nevertheless none could doubt the young man's skills and abilities since the few times that other SOLDIERs had taken issue with his anti-social behaviour they'd quickly regretted it.
All four of the new inductees started out as third class SOLDIERs as was procedure and as such were sent out on simple jobs with a second class soldier as backup. Sometimes the quartet went out on missions as a group and other times they were individually assigned jobs that needed more than what Public Security could provide. Nevertheless their notoriety grew with every completed mission and they enjoyed the benefits of that notoriety.
Well most of them did.
Xander did his best to pretend that they didn't exist.
Then a day came unlike anything the quartet had experienced before.
A day that would be long remembered.
Late Winter
Shinra Building
SOLDIER Level
Genesis' POV
"Another mission completed. Woohoo." She said with minimal enthusiasm after she finished logging her report into the system.
"Not much of a challenge?" Angeal said having logged a mission of his own.
"What do you think?" She asked sarcastically as the two of them began walking for the recreation area, "We spend years training and getting these enhancements but the hardest thing I've had to do was deal with a pair of behemoth that got too close to Kalm. Not exactly something you'd expect a member of a special Shinra unit to handle."
"Two behemoth at the same time is a big deal." Angeal argued in an effort to change a mind, "It'd take two squads of Public Security and some heavy weapons to take them down and even then there'd be casualties."
"Then they shoulda sent three squads instead of sending me." She argued back not taking what her best friend was selling, "Now if it'd been a pair of Nibel dragons then I might be willing to call it something worth my time."
"Then you'll be waiting awhile." He said with a shake of his head, "Nibel dragons are only found in one part of the world and if I remember right they usually stick to mountain tops unless there's a food shortage."
She sighed at the bit of trivia information her friend had given her since it meant she'd have to handle these low level jobs for awhile longer.
When they'd been given their SOLDIER uniforms and issued their swords she'd been excited at the possibility of finally being able to use the fruits of her training in real combat. Despite her best efforts she'd been unable to prove to Verdot and President Shinra that SHE should be named the future leader of SOLDIER during training. Thus she'd decided to prove her superiority to the Grey Princess by completing more missions than her and triumphing over stronger monsters. Surely if she could surpass Sephiroth in those areas the higher ups would reconsider their decision or at reopen the topic for debate.
So far she'd heard nothing though.
Upon entering the recreation area she saw the usual assortment of Seconds and Thirds doing what they usually did when not on a mission. With a little under seventy members at the moment spread out across three classes not all of them could be on a mission at one time so if training wasn't an option Shinra provided other means of keeping their warriors occupied. From snack food to pool tables to three TVs built into the walls there was something for everyone. Looking to the far right she could see the Grey Princess looking through various folders that looked like they might have something to do with missions.
Not surprising.
While not as anti-social as SOMEONE she could name Sephiroth had a hard time relating to others or letting them get close. Her rival's elite skill level sadly led to the mindset that associating with the inferior was a waste of time. She wasn't quite as bad in that area but she'd felt the temptation from time to time. When your skills and abilities were on another level it was hard no to grow impatient with those who were not on your level or be resented for your excellence. Sephiroth though didn't see such behaviour as anything wrong but something that was only natural when one stood above all others.
Odds were good that the only people who had a chance of befriending the Gray Princess were the three people who'd spent the most time training with her the past few years.
As for Xander she didn't see him anywhere in the room but that was hardly surprising. Odds were good that if she wanted to find the boy she only needed to check the training room to find him. Of the four of them that'd been given special training by Shinra Xander was the one who showed no signs of wanting to get to know the other members of SOLDIER. If the boy wasn't out on a mission he could usually be found training, reading in his room or wandering about the Shinra building. She'd heard a couple of Second Classes talking about the last bit and the reason that was receiving the most consideration was that Xander was aiming for bodyguard duty for the upper ranks. It made sense then to familiarize oneself with the building both for possible escape routes as well as for possible intrusion points and of course the safest locations in the building.
It made perfect sense but she didn't buy it for a second.
She'd seen how much effort Xander was putting into his training, how hard he was pushing himself, so she knew it couldn't be for bodyguard work. That sort of thing was for lazy bums who wanted the easy assignment where they could soak up the luxuries by proximity that the board of directors might enjoy. Add to that the theorized pay increase and it was a cushy gig to whoever managed to land it. However it was also the least dangerous since most of the VIPs didn't stray far from Midgar according to scuttlebutt and when they did it was usually to a secure Shinra facility. As such most who'd aspire to that position would also try to get by just on their SOLDIER enhancements and only train as a way of showing off to any spectators.
Xander wasn't doing that at all.
That boy was training so hard you'd almost think that he had the same goal as her: to replace Sephiroth as the best warrior in SOLDIER.
She knew better.
She'd taunted him with the possibility a few times when his training got particularly hard and he'd rolled his eyes at the notion of outshining Sephiroth. Only once did Xander actually say anything about the theory and that was how pointless a position it was to be considered the best of the best. It'd angered her at the time to have her goal scoffed at but time and the habit of the encounter replaying in her mind had led to dubious consideration. While it was true that becoming the best of the best earned you respect as well as a certain degree of influence she reluctantly had to admit that one could only hold onto that title for so long. Every story she'd ever read or been told made it clear that old age or injury eventually pried that title from your hands sooner or later. For people with the job of pushing their bodies to their limits and taking on things that would crush an ordinary person the wear and tear happened faster than it did for others.
So what was the point of becoming the best if you eventually became a worn out piece of leather in the end?
The point was to be able to stand before others, to have your name recorded in history, and be able to say without a hint of lie or understatement that you stood at the top. That you earned that right through hard work, skill and proving it to everyone beyond a shadow of a doubt. By doing this no matter how much time passed or how many others who followed and achieved the same she would never be forgotten as one who raised the bar for those who came after.
Xander didn't care about that stuff though but that of course begged the question 'what did he care about'.
She didn't have an answer and neither did Angeal.
They'd both tried to think of things that a boy, a SOLDIER, could want that would require such an intense training regime but they couldn't find a good enough fit. Power, influence or wealth were the most common reasons for becoming a warrior of any sort with some of the more childish doing so in an effort to protect someone or something. Every time they compared a known motivation to Xander it never felt like it'd fit without the use of a hammer.
All in all Xander's motivation was a mystery to all but what wasn't a mystery was just how much the motivation mattered to the boy.
It almost made her wish that she could be there when he finally put all of that training to use.
GONG. GONG. GONG.
Hearing the noise coming from the TVs he wondered what idiot had pressed the wrong button but when she saw what was on the various screens her attitude changed. She only barely remembered the lesson where they'd been taught what to do in certain situations and this one was an emergency broadcast situation. She couldn't fathom what it was since there were no signs of battle or destruction in or out of Midgar but she doubted the higher ups would use it if it wasn't necessary.
"This an emergency SSNet news broadcast! Moments ago we received word of an event that will have consequences for years to come worldwide." The male news anchor said sounding like he was only just keeping his composure, "Earlier today negotiations between the Shinra Electric Power Company and the Wutai nation broke down amidst a heated exchange of words. It was believed at this point that unless a miracle occurred that Shinra would have to withdraw its offer of bringing the benefits of mako technology to Wutai. However minutes before the Shinra negotiation party were about to leave for the harbour in order to return home they came under assault from masked individuals armed with swords.
"The brave members of the security detail assigned to the negotiation party did their best to protect our negotiators but through foul deception and brutality their defence proved fruitless. The only reason why we have received this much news is thanks to the extraordinary resiliency of the sole surviving member of the security detail who managed to get aboard their ship at port." The news anchor explained with the tone growing grim, "Sadly soon after the brave man related the details of what'd happened he succumbed to his wounds despite the best efforts of the Shinra naval vessel's doctor. In light of the antagonistic ending of the negotiations with Wutai and the description of the assailants that killed the negotiation team President Shinra has decreed henceforth that Wutai is a hostile nation and a threat to both the company and its allies.
"As a result all strategic Shinra locations worldwide are being placed on high alert and the Shinra navy will mobilize in its entirety in an effort to contain the Wutai threat." The news anchor said with images of various places appearing in the upper right corner of the screen, "In the statement issued by President Shinra he makes it clear that he has no interest in a struggle against the nation but neither will he allow them to harm more innocent people. It is his hope that by establishing a naval blockade around the nation and raising the security strength in key locations further acts of murder and aggression can be prevented. However should the peaceful efforts of President Shinra and his company prove inadequate a more aggressive solution may be required. It is this reporters hope that it does not come to that."
With that the broadcast slid into a recap of the entire situation with Wutai starting with the initial contact with the company but she didn't pay any attention to that. She was focused more on the fact that Wutai had essentially committed an act of war and was only saved from such a situation by the grace of the president. On the surface this painted Wutai as a belligerent nation that rejected generosity and might possibly have been provoked into the slaughter of innocents with Shinra choosing to stick to the moral high ground.
But she wasn't stupid enough to believe just what was on the surface.
She'd make inquiries as a member of SOLDIER to find out more before she came to a conclusion of her own. One only had to watch a broadcast of SSNet news once to know that it was more propaganda than unbiased news reporting. Only once she'd read the reports and considered all the conceivable scenarios could she reach a conclusion of her own.
"Hope the blockade and increased security do the trick." Angeal said sounding a bit concerned.
"It probably will." She said keeping her own concerns to herself, "From what I've heard about Wutai they don't have a navy capable of reaching either Rocket Town or the Nibel area never mind Mideel. Mostly fishing boats and ships built for short trips out to sea. The odds of them being able to cause trouble outside of their territory aren't worth mentioning. With the blockade in place they won't be able to leave Wutai even if they wanted to. Problem's solved."
"Just because they can't leave Wutai now doesn't mean they won't find a way in the future." Angeal said drawing attention to the 'what if' scenarios, "Sure as far as I know Wutai's self-sufficient and has almost never traded with outsiders but if they're determined to attack Shinra they'll find a way."
"Only if they're stupid." She said unable to see how a nation of ninjas lacking even the smallest piece of mako tech and modern weapons could cause problems for Shinra, "Pulling something on their home turf is one thing. Doing it someplace they've never been before and have no clue about is another."
"True. Guess we'll find out sooner or later." Angeal said realizing that there wasn't much they could do about the situation at the moment, "I better go and let Xander know. There aren't any TVs in the training room."
"You do that." She said not particularly caring, "Me? I'm gonna look into the stuff they didn't put in the news report. A SOLDIER like me should have the clearance to know more than the rank and file."
With that they split up but even as she walked away she wondered if a peaceful containment of Wutai would be the best thing for her personally. She wasn't a war monger or anything but if a war broke out with Wutai it'd be a useful way to prove her superiority over Sephiroth. Capture key positions, defeat famous Wutai warriors and overcome any troublesome obstacles that popped up. Throw in a few daring rescues and reinforcing of Shinra forces and he'd be a shoe in to replace Sephiroth.
~Hope for the best but plan for the worst so I can get the very best.~ She thought with a hopeful smile on her face.
Later That Same Day
Xander's POV
~So Shinra's getting ready to invade Wutai.~ He thought as he continued to memorize the contents of the file in front of him, ~None of my business. I'll be long gone before they get around to deploying SOLDIER there.~
Seven years.
That was how long he'd been forced to wait before he could do what he'd be planning to do all that time. The nightmares he had of the last few years centred around two things: Ifalna suffering under Hojo's experimentation and his rescue attempt failing horribly in various ways. As far as he knew he didn't talk in his sleep otherwise he was pretty sure he wouldn't have been given access to the information he'd acquired but he'd factored the possibility in just the same. Now though his time of preparing was over with and soon, very soon, it'd be time to ACT! If Shinra was really upping security at all their major locations then he couldn't afford to delay any longer.
At best it'd take them four to five days to increase local security to higher levels and it'd probably be comprised of measures meant to prevent espionage and infiltration. Those measures however would also make getting Ifalna and her child out of the Shinra building and then out of Midgar harder. From what he'd seen Shinra Building security was already pretty good with a plethora of cameras and sensors installed throughout though most seemed to be on the sixty-third floor and up. No surprise given where Hojo's labs were as well as the offices of most of the board of directors were located. If things were pretty good now they'd get downright impossible with the justification Shinra now had to put additional measures into place.
As far as plans went his time exploring the halls under the premise of being better able to protect it had given him a rough layout of the various floors as well as a good idea of where to find Ifalna. As far as security patrols and cameras were concerned he'd found a consistency as far as how many were in a patrol group, how much distance was usually between those groups and how far apart the cameras usually were. President Shinra being the gil monger he was there were barely enough men and cameras to keep the place secure against everyday threats like criminals or people with vendettas. That'd probably change once the heightened security measures were in place.
~Step one: make sure anyone watching the cameras loses sight of me entirely. Step two: put my disguise on and slip out of my hiding spot.~ He thought while still taking in the file information, ~Step three: using air ducts, maintenance tunnels, elevator shafts and any other off the beaten path option make my way to where Ifalna is. Step four: neutralize any security measures meant to keep her from leaving before getting her out. Step five: get her and the baby down to the stairwell where my little surprise was waiting.~
It'd taken a bit of creative thinking and sleight of hand but he'd managed to get a pair of grappling guns reworked for descending rather than ascending. All he'd really needed them to do was slowly lower the both of them down to the ground floor since the longer they took to get there the more time Shinra had to come up with ways of stopping them. By using the stairwell and descending at the maximum safe speed they could hopefully get to the front door before Heidegger or anyone else could get enough troopers in place to be a problem.
From there the best he could think of would be to acquire the fastest set of wheels they could within five minutes and head for the edge of the sector five plate. At that point he was counting on finding something designed for plate maintenance to be available for them to get to the slums below. At that point it'd probably be smart to find some place to hide until pursuit died off. Shinra would be expecting them to flee Midgar on the spot but he wasn't foolish enough to think that by the time they reached the edge of the plate that the company wouldn't have gotten its act together.
Better to let them uselessly search everywhere but the slums then be the lone vehicle on the road plain as day.
Given how bad the people of the slums had it compared to those on the plates above he doubted Public Security troopers would be able to move around in large numbers without giving themselves away. Gossip would likely cross the distance faster than they could giving him and Ifalna a head start if Shinra got too close. As for Verdot's people…they'd be the real problem. Unlike Heidegger's people Verdot and his kind were adept at getting around without being seen. If they deserved their rep then they probably knew most of the hideaways down in the slums both occupied and not. The only option he had would be to make whatever place they holed up in look less likely than the others. Maybe touch up the building to look like the entrance had caved in since they last checked or maybe look around to see if there're any gangs and put those markings on the building.
Basically something that would make sense to any Turks who looked and also convince them that they could move onto the next location no problem.
Hopefully.
The only option would be to find someone, ANYONE, who'd be willing to hide them in their home until pursuit from Shinra died down. The question then became who could you trust because he'd overheard enough from the other SOLDIERs who took jobs down in the slums to know that things were pretty bad down there. It was basically where the criminals and people down on their luck lived with both barely managing to earn enough gil to pay for a place to stay and put food on the table. If one SOLDIER he overheard was correct it was only the people who lived on the plates that got to live well with those living below being forced to pinch every gil they earned to get by. Such people might be sympathetic enough to someone on the run from Shinra or they might sell them out to Shinra in exchange for a big enough bag of gil.
That is why he'd prefer to hide out in an abandoned building or even a container of some sort but if he couldn't find such a place quickly enough he might have to go with his gut and trust someone.
He just prayed that neither Ifalna or her child suffered if he chose poorly.
~There. I now have a good idea of the deployment of Public Security troops on the Midgar plates and places most likely to have security cameras.~ He thought closing the folder before reaching for the next one, ~Amazing the info you can get if you give an overworked office employee a good enough cover story.~
Next he picked up the folder containing information on 'emergency procedures' that were in place throughout the Shinra Building. He suspected that it contained information about how parts of the building could be sealed off in the event of an 'emergency' as well as any number of security measures both lethal and non-lethal. Once he got Ifalna and her child out of their room he'd have to keep them in mind since it'd be just like Shinra to seal them behind thick doors before gassing them into unconsciousness. If his rescue attempt was going to work out the way he wanted it to he needed to be aware of as many of the things Shinra could throw in his way as possible. Everyone else in Shinra probably thought that he was doing this in the hopes of being assigned as a bodyguard to one of the board of directors. It was a useful lie that he had no intention of correcting since it helped cover up his true intentions.
Plus having such a job might just be useful after Ifalna and her child were settled someplace far from Shinra's grasp.
As much as he'd like to just stick with them and live happily ever after the best way he could keep them safe would be to keep an eye on Shinra from the inside. With his disguise as long as he didn't use any moves specifically tied to his training they'd never know it was him and he could explain his absence by trying to find the 'escapees' and getting lost someplace. That or he encountered a strong monster, got injured and only managed to return just then. Any excuse would be okay so long as it was believable.
~Just wait a little longer Ifalna.~ He thought opening the folder and beginning memorization, ~I'm coming.~
The Executive Landing Pad
That Evening
President Shinra's POV
~Hopefully things have changed.~ He thought as the propellers of the helicopter began winding down.
He had plans after all and they would be inconvenienced if the action he took to rub out certain rebellious tendencies didn't work. While he would prefer it if a way could be found for him to live forever nothing Professor Hojo had disclosed indicated that that was a possibility. Both in official board of director meetings and in private ones with just the two of them Hojo had made it clear that while his genius was enough to provide enhanced healing immortality was beyond him.
For the moment. Something the Professor often ended such declarations with.
He smirked a bit at the confidence the head of the science division possessed in his intellect.
Without immortality though he was forced to rely on grooming a suitable heir in order to continue on the family legacy and see his long term plans to fruition. From the day he'd accepted that he wouldn't be around forever he'd evaluated several women to find someone suitable to sire a child with. He cared little for their personalities but rather focused on their appearances as well as the results of some tests he had done to determine optimum genetic compatibility with his own DNA. If he was going to have a child he would make sure they were the best they could be physically in order to support an equally excellent mind.
Whether they were born of a rich family or just some girl from the slums it mattered not so long as what they contributed biologically was what he wanted.
It'd taken quite awhile before he gained what was probably the best choice of the lot and fortunately for him the mother of the child died during the birthing process. One less person to support and put a drain on his vast fortune. From the moment the child was determined to be healthy he'd made sure to control every aspect of the upbringing process to create the best heir possible. Anyone who coddled the child or utilized methods the middle class parents often used were fired and replaced with those who did not deviate from his guidelines in the least. It was best to encourage strength and self-reliance from the beginning with nothing being accomplished by depriving the child of any unnecessary support.
As the years had passed the one he'd chosen to be his heir had performed adequately and he'd been given no reason to think that he should prepare a replacement. The only flaw that he'd been able to detect was a determination to overthrow him sooner rather than wait for his death. It amused him to see such ruthless aggression from his offspring but as usual the tactics used were those of a child. It'd been easy enough for many a year to foil them but he didn't show the kindness of pointing out the flaws. His heir would not grow that way. Better for the flaws to be discovered through careful consideration instead.
It was the last plan though that had precipitated assigning his heir to an inspection tour of the company's various holdings with the expectation of a full report upon returning. While he wasn't so concerned that he'd thought it might have succeeded it did point out several flaws in security as well as a few weak links that he had not been aware of. By removing his heir from Midgar for an extended period of time he was able to eliminate both the flaws and the weak links as well as expose a few more. Now it would be quite a bit more difficult for him to be removed from his 'throne' before he was ready to relinquish it or death tore it from his grasp. Once he'd been satisfied with the state of things in Midgar he merely waited for this day to come. If his heir was as sharp as he believed then the openings and weaknesses that had once existed were now known to be eliminated.
Seeing the side door open he made sure to wear an expression akin to a king of unapproachable sovereignty awaiting the only being even marginally close to him in power.
To be a mountain that reached into the clouds themselves standing before an ambitious man seeking to climb it.
~At least decorum has been observed.~ He thought noticing the fine clothing and other efforts at being presentable, ~A difficult task and a long trip are no excuse for letting one's appearance degrade.~
"Welcome home my child." He said once he was close enough to be heard over the helicopter engine, "I trust all of Shinra's holdings are in excellent condition?"
"They are indeed father. I made sure each one met your standards before I departed for the next one."
"Good. Like any machine an empire must be maintained since repairing it or replacing parts can prove to be more expensive." He said nodding with approval, "Come. I've had the chef cook some of your favourites for dinner tonight. You can tell me all about your time away from home."
"While that is tempting father all of the relevant information about each company property can be found in my reports."
"Nonsense. People always edit out information when they write up those reports." He said not willing to let his heir leave his presence just yet, "But one can never truly know what is important and what is not at first glance. I'm sure there are things that you noticed that for whatever reason you chose not to include in your reports."
"Very well father. If it will not bore you to tears I will tell you what I can."
"Good I look forward to it my dear Rufina." He said internally smirking at having foiled his daughter's attempt at leaving him too soon.
Never let anyone forget who is in control, who has the power and who with the right application of wealth can make the world itself bend to their will.
That was the true Shinra creed not the nonsense that was fed to the various drones working within the Shinra Building.
A lesson one Rufina Shinra was becoming quite familiar with right now.
A Little Before Ten in the Evening
Xander's POV
"Where're you going?"
Turning slightly he grimaced a bit to find Sephiroth standing in the hallway with a curious look on her face.
Of all the people he'd been worried might stumble upon him when he chose to leave the grey haired girl had been the one he'd wanted least to be there upon his departure. None of the other members of SOLDIER cared enough about him to give his departure more than a passing thought. Angeal might ask a few questions but would respect his privacy and not do anything since a SOLDIER leaving the barracks at night was hardly against company policy. It had been Sephiroth and Genesis that he'd been the most worried about encountering since the former had a sharp mind while the latter had a curious one. While he didn't look suspicious as far as he knew his behaviour since they got settled in as official members of SOLDIER had been predictable to a fault. Deviating from it would be enough to make both girls curious but he'd been thorough enough to account for that in his planning.
"To get a taste of the local nightlife." He replied enigmatically, "Trouble can come from anywhere and happen anyplace. I plan to be ready."
"A waste of time unless you're like the others and are going to have 'fun'." Sephiroth said sounding like she thought popular forms of recreation were beneath her, "Any environment a SOLDIER might be deployed to can be recreated in the new training rooms. Any other details will be in the mission briefings."
"Reports. Simulations." He scoffed after deciding that being disagreeable was a valid tactic, "If you're really satisfied with such stale things then it's only a matter of time before they choose someone else to lead SOLDIER. Maybe Genesis'll get her wish after all."
Seeing Sephiroth's eyes narrow a bit he could tell that his words had struck a chord so he decided to press onward a bit further.
~Not too far though. Piss her off too much and she just might get it into her head to 'join me'.~ He thought as he measured his next statement.
That would be bothersome.
"Besides most of the places I plan on going probably aren't up to your standards anyway." He said with a simple grin, "Definitely not so clean you could eat off the floor and the smells'd probably make you think something had died there."
"And you're going there why?" Sephiroth asked lip curling in disgust at the picture that'd been drawn for her.
"Gotta start somewhere." He replied before turning away from her and walking through the doors.
He counted the minutes all the while putting his enhanced senses to the test so that he'd know if he was being followed by anyone. While keeping track of Sephiroth and sometimes Genesis could prove difficult the few times learning stealth was the goal of the day he managed to catch them more often than not. It wasn't until he was two floors away without picking up on anything that he concluded his efforts to discourage Sephiroth from tagging along. While it was possible that she'd used her access codes to tap into the security camera feeds he doubted that the young woman would go that far.
Curiosity after all only went so far.
Besides the destination he was working towards was a little known blind spot for the cameras that some of the lesser members of building security used when they needed privacy. Sometimes it was for when they needed to rough someone up and didn't want spectators but most of the time he'd found it was for when two or more of them wanted some 'private time'. As long as no one caught onto this fabricated blind spot people could do what they wanted in there.
And so he had.
Secretly.
Slipping into the little hideaway he was glad to find that no one was using it at the moment. Making sure to close the door quietly he moved over to a corner and pushed aside some…things…that he'd rather not take the time to identify. Taking a tool that he'd hidden out he began to unscrew the access panel in front of him one bolt at a time wincing at the noise it made even if it'd probably take someone with SOLDIER hearing to detect it. When the last screw was removed it didn't take much to pop the panel out of its frame to reveal the next leg of his journey.
The air vents.
~Whoever designed this building must've been pretty stupid.~ He thought carefully setting the panel down on the floor, ~Why the hell would you make the vents big enough for someone to crawl through?~
Still one person's stupidity was his spot of good luck.
Crawling into the vent carefully feet first he put the panel back into place before confirming that it'd stay in place even without the screws. For his plan to work out the best no one, not even the people who used this little hideaway, could know that there was anything amiss. A stray comment from one of them could be all it took to make the Turks look closer and from there it'd be a matter of following the trail of breadcrumbs. Even if they didn't have enough to act on it'd still put him under increased scrutiny for a time and that would interfere with his plans.
Taking a moment to orient himself he began to make his way to the junction of vents where his 'supplies' were stashed. It'd taken him awhile, a few jobs that were located where he wanted to go, but he'd managed to get pretty much everything he'd need. He'd waited until about a week ago before bringing all the pieces together and stashing them in the junction but only because he didn't want them to be discovered by anyone. No matter how you sliced it a stash of clothes and gear hidden in the vents was mighty suspicious.
So were noises coming from vents so he was forced to move slowly and not touch any areas that might produce a suspicious noise.
It took about fifteen minutes by his reckoning to reach the junction and as soon as he was there he began the process of getting into the clothes he'd hidden there. They weren't anything fancy, not really, but they'd be memorable and so unlike 'SOLDIER Third Class Xander' that no one would make the connection. He'd even picked out a mask that'd protect his face well enough since the number one giveaway of having two identities was suspicious marks on the face. Took a bit of doing to change in such a place but before too long he was finished and putting his SOLDIER stuff in the hiding place.
~Hopefully I'll be back before anyone finds it.~ He thought making sure everything was securely in place.
With his preparations done he began the next leg of his journey getting from the floor he was on up to the science division level. It'd be tougher since he figured that Shinra had stuff put into place to make sure that no 'specimens' escaped but with the tools he had he'd manage. With care and precision he navigated the network of air vents keeping a mental map firmly in his head so as not to lose his way. His memory proved accurate when he finally reached the first of the precautions taken to ensure the security of the science division floors.
A thick mesh that looked like you'd need a blowtorch to get through, sensors along the edges and what looked to be nozzles with a bit of frost on them. Not surprising since anything alive tended to die if you subjected it to temperature extremes and ice didn't spread like fire did if left unattended. No doubt the nozzles were keyed to the sensors so that if anything tried to get through the vent it'd get sprayed until it froze solid.
Too bad for Shinra he had a work around.
Taking the first of his special tools out he attached it to the side of the vent before pressing the red button on it. Within a few seconds he could be assured that the sensors were all glitched up since they were similar enough to the ones in the training room to work the same way. Messed up like that there'd never be a match for the conditions required for activation of the cryo-nozzles allowing him to approach without too much to worry about.
Once he was up there he went to work to turn the nozzles to his advantage.
Trying to cut through the thick mesh with heat would take too much time and he doubted he could weld it back into place good enough to pass inspection. Sure there was a chance that no one would come to take a look but with the sensors glitched up there was a better than even chance that someone might be sent. However with the way he had in mind he'd manage to get by a lot easier since it could be explained away as the cryo-nozzles malfunctioning or needing replacing. Putting his custom pieces in place he backed up a bit before hitting the activation switch and watched the cloud of freezing vapour go shooting right at the metal mesh. It lasted for roughly ten seconds before getting cut off but he'd been expecting that since it was the appropriate reaction to a 'malfunction'.
Moving in close he brought back his metal protected right fist before beginning to punch the mesh that'd been so thoroughly frozen that it'd lost much of its strength. Enough that someone with SOLDIER strength had little trouble destroying enough of it so that he could squeeze through. Thankfully he hadn't put all that much muscle on, not like he was expecting Angeal to, so getting through the hole he'd made was easy enough. Looking ahead though obstacles could be seen that'd make things 'interesting' for him.
He'd been worried that Shinra would install motion or heat sensors since while the former could be dealt with by motion VERY slowly the latter could only be bypassed by concealing one's body heat entirely. From what he could make out ahead they HAD put motion sensors in but instead of heat sensors what welcomed him was a network of laser tripwires. They were scattered about the duct in such a pattern that only a master contortionist would be able to slither through the gaps without breaking a beam.
Fortunately some of the simulations in the training room involved laser tripwires so he had a fix for that too: a little cobbled together device that would disperse adhesive particulates up the vent. It'd taken awhile to work out the specifics especially since he couldn't experiment out in the open but after several dozen sketches (all of which he burned 'out of frustration') he'd succeeded. With what he had he need only aim the device at the origin point of the beams for it to have the desired effect even if he had to do it VERY slowly in order to not trip the motion sensors. The purpose of his invention: to cover up the origin points of the laser beams so that no light would get through thus clearing his path. They wouldn't stay that way forever of course since he'd come up with the concoction so that it'd be burned off by the lasers before too long. The remains of the particulates would then fall through to the bottom of the vent shaft being no more remarkable than the dust already present.
Once he was sure that he'd covered as many of the trip beams as he could with his invention's range he began to ascend being VERY careful not to move so fast that he'd set off the motion sensors. With him racing against the clock so that he'd be long gone by the time the particulates were burned off he did feel significant pressure but did his best not to let it rush him.
He couldn't afford to screw up.
Not again!
After what seemed like forever he managed to get past the last of the motion sensors and trip beams but he was surprised when he looked ahead to find nothing but an ordinary vent ahead. To him it didn't make sense to just have security around the exits of the science division floors and not throughout the vent network around the two floors. It'd make keeping track of escaped specimens easier but he guessed it came down to two things: Hojo didn't want to be bothered if the specimen was close by and the universal foe that was budget cuts.
~Gaia bless President Shinra for being such a cheapskate!~ He thought as he continued to move according to his mental map.
It was a short while later that he arrived at the closest exit point to where he wanted to go and possibly the end of the stealth part of this rescue. While he'd been able to get a grasp of the security in the rest of the building he couldn't be sure it'd be the same inside the science division floors. With how inhumane and horrifying the experiments there tended to be there was a chance that there wouldn't be any cameras outside of the ones specifically set up to record experiments. Those type would be in fixed chambers and probably wouldn't be hooked into the rest of building security in order to compartmentalize who knew what.
~No chance of backing out now.~ He thought rolling onto his back to push the access plate open, ~It's all or nothing!~
With stealth all but abandoned he forced the plate open before climbing out of the ventilation duct to find pleasingly that he'd succeeded in reaching the desired area of the science division floor. Sliding the plate back into place to prolong how long he had before the alarms started blaring he looked about before choosing what he felt was the most likely direction for any holding cells. Part of it was gut instinct but the rest was spotting what appeared to be the door out into the hallway. It only made sense to keep your prisoners as far from those kind of doors as possible so as to give containment measures a chance to work.
Proceeding careful so as to not bowl over any scientist still inside he proceeded keeping his ears sharp to detect anything ahead of him before he actually saw it. It was when he arrived at an intersection though that he felt a…pull was the best way he could describe it…in his mind in one specific direction. He had no idea what it was or what it meant but his instincts were telling him to follow the pull if for no other reason than to find out what was causing it. Turning down the hallway that'd take him in the direction he wanted to go he soon found reason to be filled with hope: doors with obvious accessories included to keep things in rather than out. Euphoric with hope he quickened his pace…
…only to find that in his hope he'd let his attention to his sense of hearing lessen allowing him to stumble upon a lab coat wearing woman with hair the colour of grain.
Not knowing what methods were open to division scientists for raising the alarm he shot forward as fast as he dared before grabbing one arm, twisting it behind her back and putting his other hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream.
"Bad luck for you." He whispered into her ear with an intentional lisp to disguise his voice a bit, "You have one chance to live. In one of these rooms there are two specimens that Hojo values a great deal. They look like a woman and a little girl. Take me to them without trouble and I might just settle for knocking you out. Give me trouble and I might just make you VERY dead weight. Understand? Nod once if you do."
The woman didn't hesitate to nod before trying guide him someplace.
While it was possible that she might be trying to lead him into trouble he soon decided that this wasn't the case since he could feel himself getting closer to the source of the pull. Once they were in front of a door at the end of the hall there was no doubt in his mind that they'd arrived at the source of the pull.
"Open it." He demanded manipulating her arm to cause her a bit of pain in order to show that he was serious.
Hearing a muffled reply come from her he concluded she had something to say.
"I will remove my hand from your mouth so you can speak." He warned in a tone that was not to be dismissed, "Speak quietly. If you try to scream for help know that you will die two seconds after doing so. Nod once if you understand."
Another quick nod making him think that she really had no intention of trying anything shady. Carefully he removed his hand from her mouth even as he prepared to permanently silence her just in case he'd misread the woman.
"I can't! Only Professor Hojo has the access card for it." The woman whispered with fear, "He never lets anyone near the specimens without being present! Please don't kill me!"
Figures.
He'd been hoping that aside from three or four things being assigned to the science division meant you could open pretty much any door you needed to without a problem. However given the nature of how they'd been abducted and what he'd overheard that terrible night it made sense that Hojo would keep strict control over Ifalna.
Deciding that the woman had outlived her usefulness he tapped into the sleep spell he'd learned after using the seal materia in training to send the woman off to dreamland. Assuming no one used magic or a potion to wake her she would be out for a few hours at least until the mana left her system. Gently he laid her on the ground a short distance from the door to Ifalna and offhand hoped that she wouldn't be too badly punished for not putting up more of a fuss.
Now what to do about the door…
~Probably isn't too tough.~ He thought as he considered it carefully, ~It's only meant to keep people in there from the looks of things. Not monsters or anything.~
His first inclination was to take out the simple short sword he'd procured for this mission and with a little mana reinforcement to the blade cut through it but dismissed it. That would tip things a little too heavily towards a SOLDIER or someone almost as strong being responsible. Then a thought occurred to him but he almost laughed at its ridiculousness but despite this he couldn't dismiss it. Surely it couldn't be something as simple as that. As if to prove himself right he walked over and pulled open the panel right above the card reader so that the wiring was exposed. Then without much ceremony splashed some water from the thermos he'd brought with him on the wiring.
For a moment nothing seemed to happen and he chastised himself for his foolishness.
Then sparks began to leap from the wet wiring as well as brief arcs of electricity going between the wires that were closest to one another. The real surprise was when with a distorted beep the light above the card slot turned green and the door popped open a few inches before stopping.
"SonuvaBITCH!" He exclaimed forgetting himself for a moment, "It actually worked!"
"Language!" A familiar voice chastised from within and almost made him lose his mission focus.
Without much care he put his thermos back on his belt, grabbed the edges of the door and forced it the rest of the way open. With any luck anyone investigating would assume that the short circuit had simply given him an edge and that no superhuman strength was involved. Once the door was opening he looked within and saw the woman he'd once likened to a mother standing in an elegant red dress with a dark purple sash tied around her waist. She…she looked good for the most part. He could see some signs of hardships and Hojo horrors but nothing that had him worried for her health.
"Sorry." He said disguising his voice a bit, "Ready to leave?"
"Yes." Ifalna replied with a smile before turning to look behind her, "Come along dear. It's time to go."
Before he could even say a word a little girl, not more than seven years old stepped into view from behind her mother wearing a dark orange skirt-shirt combo and her hair done into a ponytail with the help of a pink ribbon. He didn't even have to ask to know who it was because he could see so much of Gast and Ifalna in her the truth was all too obvious. The girl looked at him with shy eyes but also curiosity making him glad that the horrors of Hojo hadn't scarred her deeply yet.
Or EVER if he had anything to say about it!
Shaking his head to get his focus back he gestured for them to follow him even as he took out his short sword.
"Stick close. When things get nasty I want you close enough to cast barrier in an instant." He told them unwilling to risk the problems of letting them stray too far behind.
"Right." Ifalna said and with that they were off down the hallway his senses being the centre of his focus.
The more advanced warning he had prior to them encountering someone or something the better.
With the ventilation ducts no longer an option the hallways leading to the stairwell were the only path left open to them and there'd be no managing stealth at that point. So once they got to the door he was pretty sure led to the hallways outside the division itself he gripped his right wrist as though to activate something then fired a Fira spell at it. He made sure to keep the strength down to the level he'd been at before being enhanced, maybe even a little lower, but it proved enough to send the door flying.
Naturally that was when the alarms went off but he didn't care.
As a precaution he cast barrier on both Ifalna and her daughter to protect them since he had little doubt they'd be running into security soon enough. Using a mental map to chart the quickest route to the lower floors he led the ones he'd come to rescue forward being mindful not to move so quickly that they'd tire out quick. It was still a long way before they'd get someplace where they'd be able to rest so using up all their stamina now wouldn't be a smart move.
It wasn't until they'd gotten down to the recreational facility on the sixty-third floor that troopers finally showed up and that was when the fighting began. He knew they couldn't afford to let themselves get pinned down here! Shinra would just keep piling on the troopers until there was no way out!
Keeping himself between the troopers and those under his protection he continued to follow the route in his head but used Fira again to blast the men in his way. While he did feel a little guilty since they were probably just cannon fodder doing their duty with no idea their bosses were scum he couldn't let that stop him.
He wouldn't let anything stop him!
Down they went down the escalators with him splitting his attention between rejuvenating the barrier spells on those he protected and laying down a barrage of Fira at threats. He'd have to stop soon to 'drink an ether potion' or anyone watching would begin to wonder at the depth of his mana reserves. Once they made it into the company archives he let them stop for a moment even as he took out a bottle that for all the world looked like it was filled with ether. He did have the genuine articles but Shinra monitored what was taken from inventory and him buying a lot outside of the building when he could get it for free inside would raise eyebrows. He hoped he'd be able to save the real ether potions for the last stretch of the escape because by that point he expected the entire army and probably a few SOLDIERs to be after them.
"Drink. It's water." He said holding out the thermos to Ifalna.
She took it with a grateful grin before letting her daughter take a few sips.
"I presume you have a plan?" She asked after giving him the thermos back.
"Yeah. Can't say what it is though. Too many eyes and ears here." He replied before getting ready to lead them on once again, "For now it's get the two of you out of the building as quickly as possible."
"We're ready." She said showing her resolve to follow him.
Nodding they resumed their fleeing of the forces of Shinra managing to make it to the Skyview floor giving him hope that they would be able to make it to the stairwell. It was just as the door to the stairwell came into view though that trouble reared its ugly head in the form of a trio of SOLDIERs stepped out from hiding to block their way. A group of elite troopers did as well but they'd likely be acting as reinforcements rather than the ones doing the actual fighting since they'd only get in the way of the SOLDIERs if the entire group fought as one.
~Dammit! I'd hoped to at least get outside before they showed up!~ He thought wondering how he could win without revealing himself as superhuman.
Even if he considered himself to be above most SOLDIERs that was when he could use his enhanced body freely. With all the security cameras around every second of footage would be scrutinized even if he managed to get away safely with Ifalna and her daughter. ANYTHING that might make them thing of someone superhuman or worse SOLDIER was off the table as a possible solution.
~^Then use their power against them.^~
A new voice.
Not like the one that'd given him the resolve to train for so man years but one that could inspire nonetheless. Still had no idea of what the voice meant though because short of trying to make the SOLDIERs hit each other with their own attacks he had no idea how to use their power against them. When added to that the fact that arranging for such a feat would definitely require superhuman reflexes and timing it seemed a bad move.
Then an image appeared in his mind and in an instant he understood.
It'd still require split second timing for everything to go smoothly but it would clear the way for the three of them.
"Get behind me and stick close." He said just loud enough for Ifalna to hear him.
"Surrender intruder." The middle SOLDIER demanded, "The entire building is on high alert and more SOLDIERs are on their way. You're not getting out of here. Make it easier on yourself."
"Easier on myself? Or easier on YOU?" He asked in the most annoying voice he could pull off, "Shiny outfit, shiny sword and shiny ARROGANCE. I'd be shocked to find out if you deserved any of it. Better to give it to the current Stamp dog I say."
Beneath his mask he smiled as the leader of the trio of SOLDIERs got visibly angry at the comments though it looked like he had enough discipline to keep from acting recklessly. That however wouldn't do since time was a wasting and he needed to speed things up. Fortunately he'd heard one particular insult that would probably do the trick.
"Maybe you should go home to your momma and ask if her you're compensating for something with that big sword of yours." He said in a tone that implied something malicious, "I'm sure she'd know better than anyone. Every. Square. MILLIMETER!"
"YOU BASTARD!" The leader yelled clearly having had one of his major buttons pushed.
It didn't take long before the man brought a hand up and began to gather a massive amount of mana in front of it much to the surprise of his comrades. However rather than try to calm the fool down they simply got well out of the way of where the spell was going making it clear that they didn't care about Shinra property or taking their targets alive. Seeing the mana gain an elemental nature he instantly determined that it had to be thundaga that the SOLDIER was preparing to cast. He knew from experience that casting time varied between users so he prepared himself for the brief flash that almost always preceded the spell activating. That would be his cue and with lightning the flash would be enough to partially blind everyone and the cameras in the area.
Timed right this could work.
~Wait…wait…wait…NOW!~ He thought even as a feeling blossomed within him and he grabbed hold of it with everything he had.
With a flash of blue and a brief shower of what looked to be small crystal fragments he felt a slight weight manifest on his right arm. Even as he felt something…change…within him instinct once more compelled him to raise the object up even before he realized what it was before bracing himself. It was then that the crackling energy of the thundaga struck the object but instead of him getting hurt something completely different happened. The object, a shield he was now able to identify it as, didn't conduct the electricity but rather seemed to reflect it in every direction ahead of him. Arcs of energy struck out in random directions striking the building, the furniture and even the Shinra forces barring his path.
Exclamations of pain and surprise filled the air but only for a few seconds.
When he lowered the shield he saw that all of the troopers were down on the ground either dead or unconscious with the SOLDIERS still standing but fairly out of it. It wouldn't last though since he knew firsthand how quickly a SOLDIER could recover from an elemental attack even if they hadn't seen it coming. It was then though that some sparking caught his attention and when he turned to look at it he couldn't help but smile at the sight of a damaged camera. All about the area as he sought out each one every camera showed some sign of damage or at least the familiar red light that indicated it was active was missing.
Had the deflected thundaga somehow gotten into the wiring and sent a power surge through it? It wasn't impossible. Thundaga was the strongest lightning spell known and if the deflection hadn't sapped away too much of its strength it might've done precisely that. Not through the cameras themselves but rather via a wall outlet or perhaps a disguised junction box.
Whatever had happened he now had the privacy he needed and the opportunity to clear the way so without further delay he acted. Removing his arm from the shield straps he gripped the edge before slinging it at the lead SOLDIER with considerable force. His heart leapt as he realized that his aim was slightly off but worry gave way to shock when in the mother of all surprises the shield hit the side of the leader's head and bounced off to hit the second SOLDIER. Once more this happened before the trajectory of the bouncing sent the shield back his way but with the surprise he was feeling he almost didn't catch it before it hit HIM.
~What the hell?~ He thought looking down at the red, white and blue shield, ~What kind of shield was this?!~
Not having an answer he let go of the feeling inside of him that he felt was connected to the shield and just as it'd appeared the shield vanished leaving nothing behind.
"Come on." He said managing with his words to snap Ifalna out of the mental shock she'd been experiencing, "We don't have time to brain freeze."
"Right." Ifalna said only sounding a little off which was a credit to her mental resilience.
With that they had a clean route to the entrance to the stairwell and hopefully the still waiting grapple guns since if this encounter was any indicator SOLDIER was already on the move.
That meant that Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal would be as well.
If he wound up facing any of them he was certain that they'd recognize him in a heartbeat and even if they didn't cause him problems immediately they'd want an explanation later.
~Gaia? Xander here.~ He thought praying to the planet, ~If you could maybe make sure I run into everyone BUT the people who could expose me I'd REALLY appreciate it.~
