The Bandits, Chapter 10
Sephiroth's Offspring
Yuffie's POV
This was a strange turn of events. After managing to hitch a ride in an airship, thanks to Cid, we escaped. This little girl named Hazel came with us. Her hair was silver but she looked like a normal girl to me. After losing my lunch on this ride we made it back to New Midgar. We had a bunch of questions for her.
In Reeve's private office, where he did most of his paperwork, we all sat down wherever there was room and listened to Hazel. She spoke like she was at least twenty.
"Who are you?" Cloud began right off the bat. "My name is Hazel. Well I don't think it's my real name but that is what Hester called me." She told us. "Hester, are you her daughter?" Tifa asked. "Not exactly. You know that Hester was a Sephiroth clone?" she asked us. We all nodded. "Hester was pleased with her results that she tested her potential and escaped Hojo. Over the years she was slowly gaining an army to take Sephiroth's place. She ordered herself to be cloned." She continued on. "And you were that clone?" Vincent asked. "Yes. I am Hester's clone. I'm still a Sephiroth clone technically though." This was getting creepy.
"That explains that power you have." Perry spoke up. "Yes. I have a bunch of master level materia with me. But this one doesn't do anything." She said holding up a very bright green orb. "What kind is that?" I asked. "Hester named it U-78. I call it Omega Materia." She said as Perry's sword, Omega Weapon, began to glow the same color. "Is that the Omega Weapon?" Hazel asked. "Yes, why?" Perry asked back. "This materia was made after the weapon, from a part of it. Hester said only one person could wield it." The child continued.
"But if you're her clone why did you help us fight her?" Vincent asked. "I'm different. My mind thought differently than Hester's did. I had all her powers but not the same intentions." She explained. "You're quite a fearless girl. Most people your age have been afraid of me." Vincent murmured. "Well you just seem misunderstood, that's all." She said walking up to him. He bent down to meet her gaze, then she just hugged him. "Why did you do that?" he asked puzzled. Man, he didn't even flinch.
"You just need a friend. But back to what we were discussing." She said changing the subject. "What happened to that psycho bitch anyway?" Cid cursed. "Well she fell into the portal. She should be in Perry's world now." She explained. Perry got this pissed look on his face.
"Can't we be left alone!? I mean, first I'm cloned and now this woman wants to mess up my world. Can we follow her?" he asked. "Yes. We need to go back there. Time in your word passed slower than here so we shouldn't notice anything at first. I'll come with you. You may need my help." Hazel volunteered.
"What are we waiting for?" Perry asked everyone. "Let's call Nanaki first. He should come along for this." Vincent suggested. "See, your beginning to think for others." Hazel said taking Vincent's hand. It was like Hazel was his little sister. An odd sight, Vincent taking care of a little girl. Hope Chaos doesn't erupt and kill anything.
Tifa's POV
Vincent and Hazel huh? Maybe it would change him for the better. I was more concerned about Perry. He was facing the destruction of his world. That's more pain than my town being destroyed years ago. I would do everything in my power to stop this. Cloud came up next to me as we left to get an airship to Siren's Headquarters again. It felt bad going back there.
"I'll stay on board and monitor from here." Reeve told us through Cait Sith. We all landed at a landing pad Reeve found from hacking into their systems while there. "Before you go through the portal we need to fix a problem." He began.
"Reeve! We don't have time." Perry shouted. "No. It appears that there has been something killing everybody there. I only detect one life sign." He stated. "What? What was it?" Perry asked. "It came from the bio-lab. Try and find it. Avoid it if its too much for you guys." He said as we departed the ship. I took the chance and walked over to Perry placing my arm around him.
"Cheer up. We'll get this Hester person and your world will be fine." I said trying to get him to be happy. "I know Tifa. It's just, she might kill everyone I've ever known. If she knows about me this much." He started being cut off by sniffles. "There there. I'll make sure she doesn't." I said holding him tighter as we went down the freight elevator. "Thanks. I'll just think of this as a chance to show you my world." He said feeling a bit happier. "That's the spirit." I said. I kissed him lightly on the cheek before moving over to Cloud.
"I wish you would treat me that well sometimes." Cloud said laughing a bit. "Hey. You do remember the lifestream don't you?" I reminded him holding my hands up to my hips. "Yeah. I was kidding. I know you care." He said holding me. "Of course I love you Cloud. Perry was my first real boyfriend that's all. He's special to me, like everybody else." I said as the elevator reached the lower halls.
Aeris' POV
How disgusting! The halls were covered in blood and there were mangled bodies everywhere. "What happened here?" I asked aloud. "Looks like something got uber pissed!" Barret said joking but it didn't sound that way to me. We walked down following the blood and we were in the room where all the tubes were.
They were all intact except for two. "Wasn't this where Perry's clone was?" Cloud asked nobody in particular. "It is. The label is still there." Cid noted. It was shattered and wet footprints were leading out into a large area.
Inside we saw something. Wasn't Perry's clone though.
"Uh. Unless my clone put on some weight this isn't him." Perry said looking at the creature. It looked like a Behemoth but only it had blue armor on and was very muscular. "I came prepared!" Barret told us as he used his Sense materia on it.
"Project B-2." He told us. "Must be some experiment." Cid said. "Let me help you guys." Hazel offered. "Are you sure?" Vincent asked. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." She said winking. She held up some kind of numbchaku (like Selphie) and soon she cast Fire3 on it. The beast lurched in pain as part of the armor turned red. "Last time I saw this thing it wasn't very big. Hester experimented on it. Made it less human. This was another Sephiroth clone." She went on explaining.
"How? It's not even human!" Yuffie protested throwing Conformer at it. "She designed it to be a monster instead. Hoped a more powerful version could be made from it." Hazel continued. "What a sick woman." Nanaki burst in casting Break on it. The beast still stood. "Destroy his armor! That way we can attack his heart." Hazel announced striking it with Ultima.
"This girl has more spells than all of us!" Yuffie stated. "Tell me about it. Oh and it's been awhile since I did this!" Perry said driving his sword into the ground and bringing the beast upwards with a beam of light and then blasting it back down the same way. "Blasting Zone 2!" he shouted as he dropped it. He must have been saving that for awhile.
After the rest of us used every spell and trick we had the armor finally broke exposing its heart. "Now just attack the heart." Hazel instructed. "With pleasure." Vincent said taking Sniper CR and blasting it square in its organ. He picked it up at Shinra, they made some nice guns. The beast finally fell to the ground and near it was some odd capsule. "What's this?" Perry said picking it up.
Perry's POV
"That's a special capsule for you. It was designed for the clone but it should work for you." Hazel explained. "What is it exactly?" I asked her again. "Your Level 4 Limit Break. The clone never learned it. Hester made this one to give to it." She continued. "How do you know so much about her plans?" I asked again. For someone with as much power as she had she sure didn't seem to make sense.
"I escaped after they cloned me. I actually hid in the facility for years before they found out about me. Quite lonely. That's one of the reason's I wanted to come with you guys." She said looking depressed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it." I said. She looked a little happier. "Open it up and learn it already." She ordered. For a ten year old clone she sure was bossy. I opened the capsule and then a feeling rushed over me. "Heaven's Gale." I mumbled to myself. That was my final Limit Break. I felt so strong knowing it.
"Great. Now you should be prepared for the battles ahead." Hazel observed. "Wait. If what we just killed wasn't Perry's clone then where is his clone?" Yuffie asked looking worried. "Good question." I said.
We walked to the portal and it was still open. Dead people everywhere but it was still operational. Than we saw him.
"You!" I said pointing to myself. "You remembered. How nice? Mistress Hester doesn't want you going. I knew you would come back and now you're going to stand aside as I enter your world. I'm sure all the girls back home would love to see you again." He chuckled. "God damn you!" I screamed at the top of my voice. Drawing Omega Weapon I lunged at him with incredible force. I stabbed him and he didn't seem hurt at all.
"That tickled. You can't hurt me. Hester saw to that!" He said snapping his fingers having the Omega Materia Hazel had appear in his hands. "Time to saw goodbye. See you on the other side!" he said before a giant burst of energy destroyed the room we were in. I managed to stand up and everyone else was practically in the same condition. Hazel looked fine. She stood there holding her hands to the ground.
"Hazel. What happened?" I asked her weakly. "He used the Omega Materia. I managed to keep your friends alive but we have no way of following him now." She said. The portal was gone. The whole room was gone. It was turned into a balcony. "We have to find a way! Not only is Hester there but so is my clone!" I shouted to the world in my anger.
After regrouping back at New Midgar we made our plans.
"We have two problems. Getting to Perry's world and stopping Hester." Reeve said aloud to everyone. "I don't know how we're gonna get there." Cid said. "Even the best airship couldn't go across worlds."
Then it hit me. I still had it. "I still have it!" I shouted. "Have what?" Cloud asked me. "Otherworld! The Otherworld materia. It's at my house. We might be able to use it to get back to my world." I said feeling a new resolve. "But that only worked for you. How do we get the rest of us there?" Cid said. He was the technical guy. "I don't know that yet." I said. "Bring it here. We can analyze it and find a way I'm sure." Reeve ordered as I left to get to my house.
Once there I handed it to a Shinra troop who came with me and he left to take it to Reeve. Aeris and I were going to stay home for the rest of the day.
"Look, I'm sorry about what's happening to you." She began. "Don't worry sis. We can stop this. I'm just worried about what we'll find when we get there." I said leaving her room to go to bed.
Quite the turn of events. Can they follow the clone back to Perry's world?
Sephiroth's Offspring
Yuffie's POV
This was a strange turn of events. After managing to hitch a ride in an airship, thanks to Cid, we escaped. This little girl named Hazel came with us. Her hair was silver but she looked like a normal girl to me. After losing my lunch on this ride we made it back to New Midgar. We had a bunch of questions for her.
In Reeve's private office, where he did most of his paperwork, we all sat down wherever there was room and listened to Hazel. She spoke like she was at least twenty.
"Who are you?" Cloud began right off the bat. "My name is Hazel. Well I don't think it's my real name but that is what Hester called me." She told us. "Hester, are you her daughter?" Tifa asked. "Not exactly. You know that Hester was a Sephiroth clone?" she asked us. We all nodded. "Hester was pleased with her results that she tested her potential and escaped Hojo. Over the years she was slowly gaining an army to take Sephiroth's place. She ordered herself to be cloned." She continued on. "And you were that clone?" Vincent asked. "Yes. I am Hester's clone. I'm still a Sephiroth clone technically though." This was getting creepy.
"That explains that power you have." Perry spoke up. "Yes. I have a bunch of master level materia with me. But this one doesn't do anything." She said holding up a very bright green orb. "What kind is that?" I asked. "Hester named it U-78. I call it Omega Materia." She said as Perry's sword, Omega Weapon, began to glow the same color. "Is that the Omega Weapon?" Hazel asked. "Yes, why?" Perry asked back. "This materia was made after the weapon, from a part of it. Hester said only one person could wield it." The child continued.
"But if you're her clone why did you help us fight her?" Vincent asked. "I'm different. My mind thought differently than Hester's did. I had all her powers but not the same intentions." She explained. "You're quite a fearless girl. Most people your age have been afraid of me." Vincent murmured. "Well you just seem misunderstood, that's all." She said walking up to him. He bent down to meet her gaze, then she just hugged him. "Why did you do that?" he asked puzzled. Man, he didn't even flinch.
"You just need a friend. But back to what we were discussing." She said changing the subject. "What happened to that psycho bitch anyway?" Cid cursed. "Well she fell into the portal. She should be in Perry's world now." She explained. Perry got this pissed look on his face.
"Can't we be left alone!? I mean, first I'm cloned and now this woman wants to mess up my world. Can we follow her?" he asked. "Yes. We need to go back there. Time in your word passed slower than here so we shouldn't notice anything at first. I'll come with you. You may need my help." Hazel volunteered.
"What are we waiting for?" Perry asked everyone. "Let's call Nanaki first. He should come along for this." Vincent suggested. "See, your beginning to think for others." Hazel said taking Vincent's hand. It was like Hazel was his little sister. An odd sight, Vincent taking care of a little girl. Hope Chaos doesn't erupt and kill anything.
Tifa's POV
Vincent and Hazel huh? Maybe it would change him for the better. I was more concerned about Perry. He was facing the destruction of his world. That's more pain than my town being destroyed years ago. I would do everything in my power to stop this. Cloud came up next to me as we left to get an airship to Siren's Headquarters again. It felt bad going back there.
"I'll stay on board and monitor from here." Reeve told us through Cait Sith. We all landed at a landing pad Reeve found from hacking into their systems while there. "Before you go through the portal we need to fix a problem." He began.
"Reeve! We don't have time." Perry shouted. "No. It appears that there has been something killing everybody there. I only detect one life sign." He stated. "What? What was it?" Perry asked. "It came from the bio-lab. Try and find it. Avoid it if its too much for you guys." He said as we departed the ship. I took the chance and walked over to Perry placing my arm around him.
"Cheer up. We'll get this Hester person and your world will be fine." I said trying to get him to be happy. "I know Tifa. It's just, she might kill everyone I've ever known. If she knows about me this much." He started being cut off by sniffles. "There there. I'll make sure she doesn't." I said holding him tighter as we went down the freight elevator. "Thanks. I'll just think of this as a chance to show you my world." He said feeling a bit happier. "That's the spirit." I said. I kissed him lightly on the cheek before moving over to Cloud.
"I wish you would treat me that well sometimes." Cloud said laughing a bit. "Hey. You do remember the lifestream don't you?" I reminded him holding my hands up to my hips. "Yeah. I was kidding. I know you care." He said holding me. "Of course I love you Cloud. Perry was my first real boyfriend that's all. He's special to me, like everybody else." I said as the elevator reached the lower halls.
Aeris' POV
How disgusting! The halls were covered in blood and there were mangled bodies everywhere. "What happened here?" I asked aloud. "Looks like something got uber pissed!" Barret said joking but it didn't sound that way to me. We walked down following the blood and we were in the room where all the tubes were.
They were all intact except for two. "Wasn't this where Perry's clone was?" Cloud asked nobody in particular. "It is. The label is still there." Cid noted. It was shattered and wet footprints were leading out into a large area.
Inside we saw something. Wasn't Perry's clone though.
"Uh. Unless my clone put on some weight this isn't him." Perry said looking at the creature. It looked like a Behemoth but only it had blue armor on and was very muscular. "I came prepared!" Barret told us as he used his Sense materia on it.
"Project B-2." He told us. "Must be some experiment." Cid said. "Let me help you guys." Hazel offered. "Are you sure?" Vincent asked. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." She said winking. She held up some kind of numbchaku (like Selphie) and soon she cast Fire3 on it. The beast lurched in pain as part of the armor turned red. "Last time I saw this thing it wasn't very big. Hester experimented on it. Made it less human. This was another Sephiroth clone." She went on explaining.
"How? It's not even human!" Yuffie protested throwing Conformer at it. "She designed it to be a monster instead. Hoped a more powerful version could be made from it." Hazel continued. "What a sick woman." Nanaki burst in casting Break on it. The beast still stood. "Destroy his armor! That way we can attack his heart." Hazel announced striking it with Ultima.
"This girl has more spells than all of us!" Yuffie stated. "Tell me about it. Oh and it's been awhile since I did this!" Perry said driving his sword into the ground and bringing the beast upwards with a beam of light and then blasting it back down the same way. "Blasting Zone 2!" he shouted as he dropped it. He must have been saving that for awhile.
After the rest of us used every spell and trick we had the armor finally broke exposing its heart. "Now just attack the heart." Hazel instructed. "With pleasure." Vincent said taking Sniper CR and blasting it square in its organ. He picked it up at Shinra, they made some nice guns. The beast finally fell to the ground and near it was some odd capsule. "What's this?" Perry said picking it up.
Perry's POV
"That's a special capsule for you. It was designed for the clone but it should work for you." Hazel explained. "What is it exactly?" I asked her again. "Your Level 4 Limit Break. The clone never learned it. Hester made this one to give to it." She continued. "How do you know so much about her plans?" I asked again. For someone with as much power as she had she sure didn't seem to make sense.
"I escaped after they cloned me. I actually hid in the facility for years before they found out about me. Quite lonely. That's one of the reason's I wanted to come with you guys." She said looking depressed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it." I said. She looked a little happier. "Open it up and learn it already." She ordered. For a ten year old clone she sure was bossy. I opened the capsule and then a feeling rushed over me. "Heaven's Gale." I mumbled to myself. That was my final Limit Break. I felt so strong knowing it.
"Great. Now you should be prepared for the battles ahead." Hazel observed. "Wait. If what we just killed wasn't Perry's clone then where is his clone?" Yuffie asked looking worried. "Good question." I said.
We walked to the portal and it was still open. Dead people everywhere but it was still operational. Than we saw him.
"You!" I said pointing to myself. "You remembered. How nice? Mistress Hester doesn't want you going. I knew you would come back and now you're going to stand aside as I enter your world. I'm sure all the girls back home would love to see you again." He chuckled. "God damn you!" I screamed at the top of my voice. Drawing Omega Weapon I lunged at him with incredible force. I stabbed him and he didn't seem hurt at all.
"That tickled. You can't hurt me. Hester saw to that!" He said snapping his fingers having the Omega Materia Hazel had appear in his hands. "Time to saw goodbye. See you on the other side!" he said before a giant burst of energy destroyed the room we were in. I managed to stand up and everyone else was practically in the same condition. Hazel looked fine. She stood there holding her hands to the ground.
"Hazel. What happened?" I asked her weakly. "He used the Omega Materia. I managed to keep your friends alive but we have no way of following him now." She said. The portal was gone. The whole room was gone. It was turned into a balcony. "We have to find a way! Not only is Hester there but so is my clone!" I shouted to the world in my anger.
After regrouping back at New Midgar we made our plans.
"We have two problems. Getting to Perry's world and stopping Hester." Reeve said aloud to everyone. "I don't know how we're gonna get there." Cid said. "Even the best airship couldn't go across worlds."
Then it hit me. I still had it. "I still have it!" I shouted. "Have what?" Cloud asked me. "Otherworld! The Otherworld materia. It's at my house. We might be able to use it to get back to my world." I said feeling a new resolve. "But that only worked for you. How do we get the rest of us there?" Cid said. He was the technical guy. "I don't know that yet." I said. "Bring it here. We can analyze it and find a way I'm sure." Reeve ordered as I left to get to my house.
Once there I handed it to a Shinra troop who came with me and he left to take it to Reeve. Aeris and I were going to stay home for the rest of the day.
"Look, I'm sorry about what's happening to you." She began. "Don't worry sis. We can stop this. I'm just worried about what we'll find when we get there." I said leaving her room to go to bed.
Quite the turn of events. Can they follow the clone back to Perry's world?
