Chapter 2: Nibelheim
"Good morning, subject X-05. I trust you slept well?". The cruel, mocking voice belonged to the man he hated most; Professor Leddan, the scientist in charge of experimenting with him. His tortured throat wouldn't allow him to reply to the sarcastic query, but his eyes blazed with fury.
"Insolent as ever, I see. Perhaps this will teach you some civility." The Professor flipped a switch, and suddenly his tank was electrified. He screamed in agony as the raw voltage coursed through his body. Leddan smirked and turned the power off again. "Did that teach you anything, scum? Maybe you'll learn to respect your master now."
He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this man was not his master. If he had his sword, then he'd show that-
Sword?
What sword?
Did I used to use a... sword? he thought, his fragmented memory confusing him again. Yes... I had a sword... a huge sword... my Buster Sword! That was it! Buster Sword! But how did I lose-
And then the memory hit him full on. The chase... the bullet in his back... his friend thinking him dead and taking his sword to avenge him... his friend wailing his name...
His name... his name was...
"zk" he mumbled. Leddan frowned.
"What was that, scum?" he sneered. But the Professor was furthest form his mind now. His name was the trigger. He remembered it all. The life, the battles, the magic, the power within him. Most of all, how to use that power.
Another electric shock made his body convulse. "Answer me when I speak to you, scum!"
"zck."
"What?"
"Zck. Zck," he mouthed, trying to get his vocal chords to work.
"Speak up, scum!"
"zck. Zck. Zack. Zack! ZACK! MY NAME IS ZACK, YOU BASTARD!" His rage fully awakened, he chanelled it.
Orange rings of energy surged outwards from his body, as Leddan looked on in horror. He tried to shock the subject again, but there was no effect. Suddenly, the tank burst open, leaving only the subject standing in front of the Professor, who tried in vain to back away. Warning sirens screeched as Zack summoned forth his power. Then he roared. And the full force of his limit break was released. Professor Leddan had time to scream once, and omly once, before he was ripped apart.
The destruction had only begun.
****************************
An instant before the enormous bird reached Aeris, it screeched and lurched backwards in pain, it's agonies accompanied by the sound of a gunshot. Two more shots and the creature died, green blood oozing from it's flanks. Aeris looked over to the source of the bullets, and smiled at her saviour.
Vincent Valentine reloaded his rifle and strode over to the former flower girl, his crimson cape billowing in the wind, red eyes showing no emotion.
"Thanks for the save, Vince!" she beamed at him.
"If you must insist on this hazardous trek every morning, then please be more careful. I won't always be here to help you out." She frowned.
"Ok, ok, no need for the lecture! I'll be more careful next time. Anyway, what brings you out here this early? Not that I'm complaining, of course, but you usually don't get up till about noon!"
The usually emotionless gunslinger looked slightly embarrassed. "Erm, well..."
A slashing noise from above caught their attention, and they looked up just in time to see another Zuu fall from the sky, it's head landing a few feet from it's body. It had been a few seconds away from rending them limb from limb.
"You're getting sloppy, guys!" came Yuffie's taunting, singsong voice as she caught her returning Conformer and wiped the blood from it. She strolled over to them, smirking. "Lucky you've got an amazingly talented and beautiful ninja on your side, eh?"
Aeris rolled her eyes. Yuffie was one of her best friends, but she had the skill to get on anyone's nerves after a while. "Thanks for the save, Yuffie," she sighed. "Vince, you still haven't answered yet. What are you-" Then she realised why he looked so sheepish, and she gave him a knowing smile."Oh, I see!"
The gunman's face went the same colour as his eyes. "I promised Yuffie I'd take her to see the materia fountain," he mumbled, "You know how much she likes materia, I thought she'd appreciate it."
"I'll bet you did," she chuckled. "Well, I'd better let you two get where you're going. See you!"
"Bye Aeris!" chirped Yuffie as she grabbed Vincent's good arm. "C'mon Fangs, let's go!" With a quick goodbye from Vincent, the two walked off towards the mountain. Aeris grinned. Who'd have thought it? she mused. Oh well, I hope he doesn't clam up talking to her!
With a last glance at the disappearing duo, she turned and finished her homeward journey, back home to the Shinra mansion.
Nibelheim had formerly been occupied by a group of actors, hired by Shinra to pretend to be the real occupants of the village, who had died in the fire that Sephiroth started. They had helped push Cloud over the edge, as he doubted his own memories of what had happened to his hometown. Eventually, his real memories had resurfaced, and saved his sanity. In the aftermath of Shinra's collapse, the actors had disappeared, leaving the area deserted. AVALANCHE took advantage of the situation by taking over the town for their own. A year later, the population had swelled slightly, and the village was thriving once again.
"Hey Aeris!" came a voice as she walked into town. An enormous stuffed toy was strolling over to her, carrying a black and white cat which was waving a megaphone wildly at her.
"Hey Mr. Mayor! How's things?" she asked.
"Don't call me that! Just 'coz I organise the town meetings, it doesn't make me the mayor. You know the town doesn't have a mayor."
"Yeah, but only because you and Reeve both refused the post. By the way, is he getting stuck into his chores?"
"Yup, sadly. You'd be amazed how boring it is to be psychically connected to a guy doing housework. The things that guy thinks of when he's bored, I could tell y'all a few stories..."
"No thanks!" said Aeris hastily, "I really don't want to know what goes on in Reeve's head. Anyway, to get away from the really scary conversation, what's new in town today?"
"Well, I'm trying to call another meeting for tonight. A lotta monsters have been showing up 'round town lately, so I'm just gonna warn everyone 'bout them."
"I thought something wasn't right. I just got attacked by a couple of Zuus up in the mountains." Cait Sith frowned.
"That's weird. They haven't bothered anyone since the reactor got shut down, months ago. I better get the rest of the guys and go on a hunt tomorrow. I'll talk to them tonight." He grinned. "I'm gonna take 'em all to the cleaners this time!"
"Oh yes, it's your poker night, isn't it? Well, good luck!"
"Thanks, but a superior cat like me can get by on skill alone! Anyway, I hafta go. See ya Aeris!"
"Bye Cait!" called Aeris to her feline friend as he bounced off down the street. Then she turned back and walked into the mansion, closing the door behind her. It looked like it was going to be a good day.
The creature that had been watching her growled.