Chapter XXI: The Steel Wars Saga.
In the slums of Midgar, Steel figures marched through the streets, causing havoc. Their steel fists tore through flesh and bone alike. Blood was spattered across the ground where they marched. In the midst of it all, Mech-Head revelled in the suffering he was causing. His black wings stood out among the silvery mass. He flapped them suddenly, raising himself above his army.
"Kill them all!" He screamed manically.
Mech-Head circled around the retreating humans, slicing down at them with his sharp claws.
He cackled viscously. His army laughed with him.
He flew in front of the running people and landed. He tore through skin and flesh, blood splashing onto his body. He cackled madly. The panicked people stormed past him, trying desperately to get away from the horde of steel. As the people surged around him, he readied his spell.
For the people of the slums, the had been a pop, and it was all over. For the people of Midgar however, it was the beginning of the siege.
Among the surge people, Mech-Head cast a powerful Ultima spell.
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Seph X watched impatiently as the spell was cast. He was waiting for Cloud to come.
"Jarred." He called out.
The cloaked man emerged from the shadows of Reeve's office.
"Yes master?"
"Get the riders ready, tell them to follow Tifa."
"Yes master."
He walked away, to rouse the riders. Seph X continued to stare out the window.
He watched as hundreds of people were slaughtered by a single spell. As it died down, cloud walked in sleepily carrying his sword.
"Mornin'." He said to Reeve, suddenly giving Seph X an odd glance. "Whats up with 'im?"
"Mech-Head is back. With some friends."
Seph X turned, his silver hair floating whimsically around him.
"Are you fragile?" He asked.
"Err, no"
"Jarred!" The machine called out.
"Yes?"
"Are they ready?"
"Ready as they'll ever be."
"Then come here." He said. "You too Cloud."
Cloud sceptically walked to the Seph X, and so did Jarred. Seph X looped an arm around both of them.
"Tell Tifa and the riders to defend the city. We're going to stop their advancement." He said to Reeve.
"How do you plan to get down there?" Reeve asked.
"The simple way."
He lifted Cloud and Jarred off their feet lightly, and jumped through the window.
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As cloud sped through the air, there was only one thing he could say. Or yell.
"OH SHIT!" He swore.
Seph X slammed into the ground, creating a small crater around him.
Cloud felt himself catapulted through the air and land abruptly on the ground. He pushed himself up and watched as large force of mechanic warriors charged him.
"Seph X, I HATE YOU!" Cloud yelled as he drew his sword and charged as well.
The mechanic warriors proved easier prey than Seph X, who had also charged by then, and Cloud was laying the steel men down as fast they came. He cast a quick Bolt 3 spell and sliced at mid height. He roared out his war cry.
Mechanic limbs flew as Seph X and Cloud attacked the army of steel.
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Jarred Rath, an assassin by trade, decided he did not like open warfare. His long knife was blue blur as he swiped it around him. In his other hand was a glowing orb. He watched the sharp blade tore through the thin metal. He grinned to himself. Open warfare wasn't his thing, but it stop it from being fun. He laughed playfully as he plunged the dagger through a metal skull.
There was a sudden roar of hate and rage, then a clash of metal.
Jarred caught a glance of Seph X and Mech-Head collide against each other.
He narrowly dodged a steel fist as it flew past him.
He would have to disregard his master for a while.
The blade spun in his hand as he sheered through metal.
"There's just no end to the bastards!" He swore.
Jarred heard the sound of metal against metal, and the mad laughter of Mech- Head. Then he heard Seph X yell in pain.
"NO!" Jarred yelled.
He tucked his knife and Materia away, and threw the cloak off him.
Below the cloak his skin was a dark shade of grey, with black patterns coursing across his skin. His eyes were a dark red, and his hair was a spiky mass of black. His eyes blazed in the direction of Mech-Head.
"Leave him alone!" He yelled.
In his hand a ball of blue light welled up. He pointed an open palm at the seething mass of steel.
From above, there seemed to be a pillar of blue light. From where Jarred stood, there was only a whooshing sound, and an explosion of light. He ran to aid his master.
The metal demon was ready for him, crouching down low with his claws pointing at Jarred. Seph X lay on the ground, with a large gash coursing down his eye.
"You bastard!" Jarred roared at the demon.
"Come on then, lets see what your made." Mech-Head beckoned.
"Fine." Jarred answered coldly.
A ball of light welled up in Jarred's hand. He pointed his hand at Mech- Head at another pillar of light exploded from his palm. It slammed into Mech-Head. The demon was lost from sight for moment in the light, then it screamed. The light dimmed down, and revealed a fuming demon. It was missing a left arm that was rapidly growing back.
"Go!" Jarred said, while another ball of blue light appeared.
Mech-Head recoiled.
"Retreat!" He called out.
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Cloud Strife heard the command, and immediately saw the reaction. The steel soldiers immediately began their retreat, disregarding anything in their way. He looked this way and that, trying to figure what had happened. He was dead tired from heaving the Ultima sword for so long, but was determined to find out what had happened. He saw the grey-black figure standing alone before Seph X.
"Chaos?" he said in confusion.
In the slums of Midgar, Steel figures marched through the streets, causing havoc. Their steel fists tore through flesh and bone alike. Blood was spattered across the ground where they marched. In the midst of it all, Mech-Head revelled in the suffering he was causing. His black wings stood out among the silvery mass. He flapped them suddenly, raising himself above his army.
"Kill them all!" He screamed manically.
Mech-Head circled around the retreating humans, slicing down at them with his sharp claws.
He cackled viscously. His army laughed with him.
He flew in front of the running people and landed. He tore through skin and flesh, blood splashing onto his body. He cackled madly. The panicked people stormed past him, trying desperately to get away from the horde of steel. As the people surged around him, he readied his spell.
For the people of the slums, the had been a pop, and it was all over. For the people of Midgar however, it was the beginning of the siege.
Among the surge people, Mech-Head cast a powerful Ultima spell.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Seph X watched impatiently as the spell was cast. He was waiting for Cloud to come.
"Jarred." He called out.
The cloaked man emerged from the shadows of Reeve's office.
"Yes master?"
"Get the riders ready, tell them to follow Tifa."
"Yes master."
He walked away, to rouse the riders. Seph X continued to stare out the window.
He watched as hundreds of people were slaughtered by a single spell. As it died down, cloud walked in sleepily carrying his sword.
"Mornin'." He said to Reeve, suddenly giving Seph X an odd glance. "Whats up with 'im?"
"Mech-Head is back. With some friends."
Seph X turned, his silver hair floating whimsically around him.
"Are you fragile?" He asked.
"Err, no"
"Jarred!" The machine called out.
"Yes?"
"Are they ready?"
"Ready as they'll ever be."
"Then come here." He said. "You too Cloud."
Cloud sceptically walked to the Seph X, and so did Jarred. Seph X looped an arm around both of them.
"Tell Tifa and the riders to defend the city. We're going to stop their advancement." He said to Reeve.
"How do you plan to get down there?" Reeve asked.
"The simple way."
He lifted Cloud and Jarred off their feet lightly, and jumped through the window.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
As cloud sped through the air, there was only one thing he could say. Or yell.
"OH SHIT!" He swore.
Seph X slammed into the ground, creating a small crater around him.
Cloud felt himself catapulted through the air and land abruptly on the ground. He pushed himself up and watched as large force of mechanic warriors charged him.
"Seph X, I HATE YOU!" Cloud yelled as he drew his sword and charged as well.
The mechanic warriors proved easier prey than Seph X, who had also charged by then, and Cloud was laying the steel men down as fast they came. He cast a quick Bolt 3 spell and sliced at mid height. He roared out his war cry.
Mechanic limbs flew as Seph X and Cloud attacked the army of steel.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Jarred Rath, an assassin by trade, decided he did not like open warfare. His long knife was blue blur as he swiped it around him. In his other hand was a glowing orb. He watched the sharp blade tore through the thin metal. He grinned to himself. Open warfare wasn't his thing, but it stop it from being fun. He laughed playfully as he plunged the dagger through a metal skull.
There was a sudden roar of hate and rage, then a clash of metal.
Jarred caught a glance of Seph X and Mech-Head collide against each other.
He narrowly dodged a steel fist as it flew past him.
He would have to disregard his master for a while.
The blade spun in his hand as he sheered through metal.
"There's just no end to the bastards!" He swore.
Jarred heard the sound of metal against metal, and the mad laughter of Mech- Head. Then he heard Seph X yell in pain.
"NO!" Jarred yelled.
He tucked his knife and Materia away, and threw the cloak off him.
Below the cloak his skin was a dark shade of grey, with black patterns coursing across his skin. His eyes were a dark red, and his hair was a spiky mass of black. His eyes blazed in the direction of Mech-Head.
"Leave him alone!" He yelled.
In his hand a ball of blue light welled up. He pointed an open palm at the seething mass of steel.
From above, there seemed to be a pillar of blue light. From where Jarred stood, there was only a whooshing sound, and an explosion of light. He ran to aid his master.
The metal demon was ready for him, crouching down low with his claws pointing at Jarred. Seph X lay on the ground, with a large gash coursing down his eye.
"You bastard!" Jarred roared at the demon.
"Come on then, lets see what your made." Mech-Head beckoned.
"Fine." Jarred answered coldly.
A ball of light welled up in Jarred's hand. He pointed his hand at Mech- Head at another pillar of light exploded from his palm. It slammed into Mech-Head. The demon was lost from sight for moment in the light, then it screamed. The light dimmed down, and revealed a fuming demon. It was missing a left arm that was rapidly growing back.
"Go!" Jarred said, while another ball of blue light appeared.
Mech-Head recoiled.
"Retreat!" He called out.
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Cloud Strife heard the command, and immediately saw the reaction. The steel soldiers immediately began their retreat, disregarding anything in their way. He looked this way and that, trying to figure what had happened. He was dead tired from heaving the Ultima sword for so long, but was determined to find out what had happened. He saw the grey-black figure standing alone before Seph X.
"Chaos?" he said in confusion.