Well, Tadpole is slightly better, but I still edited this one by my lonesome, so bear with me. Gyah, I do miss her, though. We aren't related, but I live with her and her mom, so we're kinda, no, REALLY, close... Anyways, she should be out of the hospital sometime soon, I hope. The doctors still don't know if she has meningitus or some type of disease... Best of wishes, Mimi!
Sinner's Descent
Chapter Eight-Witnesses And Spies
"Your impertinence did not go undetected, Kadaj," Sephiroth said quietly.
Kadaj visibly paled, his skin losing some of it's pallor as he glanced from Sephiroth, to the other man, and then back to Sephiroth. He inwardly debated what to do. Sephiroth and the other man knew he was lying about the Mako, and it would do no good to feign innocence. But, if Sephiroth knew he had intentionally kept it from them...
He shuddered at the thought and lifted his eyes to those of Sephiroth's. "My apologies, Sephiroth. It will not happen again," he said meekly, lowering his head. Sephiroth observed him silently.
"What shall we do?" Sephiroth asked, turning to the other man. As was usual, he had his hood pulled low over his eyes.
"I believe Kadaj should repent," the man said softly. Kadaj looked up, shocked. No death wish, no curse? He narrowed his eyes. Who the hell was the man, anyway? The whole time he, Sephiroth, and the man had been in business, a hood had covered his face, though Kadaj had caught a glimpse of silver hair once.
Silver hair... Why hadn't he noticed before?
"Kuja?" he blurted, his eyes going wide again.
The man emitted a soft chuckle, lifting long, elegant fingers to lower his hood. Sephiroth merely scoffed, throwing Kadaj an uninterested look.
"His identity does not matter," Sephiroth said flippantly, returning his attention to the matter at hand. "What does matter is how you will repent," he added meaningfully. Kadaj nodded sharply, his mind reeling with an acceptable idea.
"There was word that a discovery was made by one of Haschel's associates. I will bring it to you," Kadaj said, controlling his trembling by folding his arms in the sleeves of his robes. The look in Sephiroth's eyes was one of pure malice, and it caused shivers to run down his spine.
"Very well," Sephiroth said evenly, nodding his head in a dismissive fashion before turning to Kuja. "Tell me, Kuja, has the Alliance you are aligned with split yet?"
Kuja shook his head, staring impassively at Sephiroth. "I have pushed the members as much as possible without causing suspicion. The rift will form soon, if it hasn't already," Kuja responded solemnly, cutting his gaze to Kadaj. "Tell me, why was there Mako missing from the pond?" he asked suddenly, his tone hardening slightly.
Kadaj quirked an eyebrow. "There was no Mako missing," he protested, not liking the light that returned to Sephiroth's eyes.
"Then you know not who took it? Did any follow you?" Sephiroth asked. Kadaj nearly sighed in relief, something that did not go unnoticed by Sephiroth. "Don't be a fool," he sneered. "You cannot transport Mako."
Kadaj kept his mouth shut. "Isn't Strife the only one who can touch it?" he asked, looking to Kuja.
"Perhaps it was acquired by another means," Kuja muttered, turning to stare out at the streets. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "We are being watched, Sephiroth," he said quietly, not bothering to look at the mentioned person.
Sephiroth nodded his head absently. "Yes, the three have been there for quite some time. I detect no curiosity from them, however," he said dismissively. He turned back to Kadaj. "Find who took the Mako, Kadaj," he ordered briskly, turning on his heel, and, after nodding to Kuja, disappeared into the evening foot traffic.
"You would do well to mind his orders," Kuja said somberly, finally turning to look at Kadaj. "Sephiroth is a dangerous man," he added cryptically, stepping into the foot traffic as well.
Kadaj stared after him with a marked frown. If he didn't find that Mako or the item Haschel discovered, he knew his life would be short-lived.
"Yo, Irvine, did you see that?" Zell asked loudly, turning his attention from the hotdog in his hand.
Irvine nodded his head, momentarily zoning out on the rambling woman at his side for a moment. "Who do you think they are?" he asked, patting the girl soothingly on the shoulder when she started to tear up about something.
"Irvy, don't you listen to me anymore?" she asked, interrupting Zell's answer. Irvine nodded immediately, flashing her a guilty look.
"I'm sorry, Selphie, honey, what were you saying?" he asked, flashing her a charming smile. Her lips turned upward and she started to speed-talk about the upcoming party in her dorm-room. "Of course I'll be there," he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze.
She was visibly pleased and turned her attention to some stray dog instead. "What was it, Zell?" Irvine asked, lowering his voice so Selphie would not hear.
"I saw silver hair. Ain't the mercenary Seifer is after got silver hair?" Zell asked, staring blatantly down the street. Irvine nodded his head.
"Yeah, but I don't think the mercenary would go out in plain sight. I heard he was a pro," Irvine said, reassuring himself and Zell at the same time. He had been told that those who missed the mercenary were severely punished.
"Yeah, must be. So, we don't mention it no anybody, right?" Zell asked, turning back to his food. After slathering the hotdog in ketchup, mustard, and a strange looking blue sauce, he took ahuge bite, wiping the blue dribbling down his chin.
"No, we don't mention it," Irvine assured him, wrapping an arm around Selphie's shoulder when she returned from petting the stray. "So, Selph, about that dorm-party..."
She was nervous. Her hands were shaking and her palms were sweaty as they gripped the item inside of her jacket pocket. She fingered the 'materia', as Tidus had called it, turning it over in her pocket as she waited.
It was the first time she had ever been on the boss' floor. She had never even seen Haschel, now that she thought about it. Nor T.G. Cid, the other leader, but that was understandable, seeing how he mostly trained the new cadets and kept up with the weapons and phsyical aspects of the Alliance. But Haschel she had never seen.
For a moment she wondered what he would look like. He was old, that much she knew.
When the door clicked open sharply, she was brought out of her musings with a start. Haschel's two door gaurds nodded quietly before the doors swung open, admitting her to his office.
"Come in, girl," Haschel said, his voice not un-kind. Yuna took a few tentative steps forward, observing the room silently as Haschel swiveled around in his chair to face her.
He looked really, really old, with crow's feet etching their way around his eyes, and she could how bad the corners of his mouth and his cheekbones drooped with age. It startled her to know that Haschel wouldn't be leader much longer, with he and T.G.'s advancing age working against the both of them.
"I-I was given this, when-" Yuna started hesitantly, reaching hastily into her pocket to retrieve the materia.
"Yes, when you were traipsing around with the Northside boy. Lulu keeps me well informed of your situation," Haschel said cryptically, steepling his hands under his chin and waiting for her to bring the materia to him. Yuna was too terrorized to hand it to him personally, so she put it on his desk, wincing at the dramatic clang it sent echoing through the quiet office.
He slid it toward him, his eyes lowering slowly as he studied it. After a moment's silence, he looked back up at her. "Expect a promotion," he said brusquely, nodding at the door and offering hera tight smile.
Yuna nodded wordlessly. She turned on her heel and started back out the door, her hands trembling inside the pockets of her jacket.
When the doors clicked shut, Haschel lifted the materia swiftly, bringing it closer to his face for inspection. It was rounded and smooth, growing a bright, neon color. Rubbing it gently with a thumb, he mutely nodded his head, reaching for the phone.
As much as his competitive side wished to keep the materia and lord the discovery over the other Alliances, he knew that Strife needed to be informed. Strife was one of the few people in the city who knew of the amazing discovery of Mako and materia, and he would know what to do.
When Strife answered his phone, Haschel gave the materia one last, wistful look. "Strife? I think I've found something that might interest you."
"Oh really?" Strife asked, his tone immensely bored. Haschel chuckled dryly when he heard the shuffle of papers and the clatter of a pen hitting the wooden desk.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Haschel said genially, smiling in childish glee when Strife snorted in annoyance.
"Save me the fashion tips, old man, now get to it. I'm busy," Strife said, just short of snapping at him. Haschel raised an eyebrow, the smile still on his lips.
"I've found materia," he said bluntly, enjoying the complete silence that followed. He waited patiently for a full minute before he gave the phone a quizzical look, wondering if Strife had hung up on him or not.
"You're shitting me."
"I shit you not," Haschel responded pleasantly, fingering the said materia. "In fact, I'm holding it in my hands at the very moment."
Another pregnant pause. "Why are you telling me this?" Haschel chuckled once again, envisioning Strife crouched over his desk, blue eyes narrowed. "Shouldn't you be announcing an auction or something?" Strife continued.
"No," Haschel said, using the same pleasing, yet infuriating, tone. "I'm working on getting Cowlick to send it over to you."
"What the hell would you do that for?" Strife asked, his voice sounding angry.
"Calm down," Haschel said quietly, studying the materia silently for a moment. "You know more about it than myself or Cid. Therefore, it will be better off in your hands. I want you to identify it for me," he explained, tossing the materia in the air and catching it expertly.
"I don't know about this..." Strife said, suspicion creeping into his tone. Haschel stifled a sigh, setting the materia on his desk and searching about for Cowlick's number.
"As I said before, you know more of it than myself. Pride and notoriety are not the top priorities at hand," he admitted, nodding when he found the number to Cowlick's personal cell. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I must hang up. Cowlick is generally asleep by seven, and it's nearing six," he added checking his watch.
Strife didn't bother to say goodbye before Haschel heard the hum of a dial tone. Setting the phone down, he picked it up again, punching in his messanger's personal number.
"Yeah, boss?" Wakka answered, picking the phone up exactly at the end of the second ring. It was a rather obsessive habit he had formed when speaking to Haschel. Not too eager, yet not too reluctant, to talk.
"I need something delivered. Immediately," Haschel added, raising an eyebrow when he heard the cries of an infant and the muttering of Lulu.
"I'll be there in five," Wakka replied, hanging the phone up.
Haschel sighed as he set the phone on the cradle once again. Just Cid left to tell...
Strife could feel the adrenaline pump through his body when Tifa announced that the materia would be delivered to his office any moment. He hadn't seen a trace of the magical material since Sephiroth's demise years ago, and it gave him a strange sort of hope to know it still existed.
Sure, there were still Mako pools, but materia was an entirely different matter. Mako had no perimeter of accumulated power, it was simply raw and fresh. Materia, however... Crafting it... His mind traveled absently to the book, and he fought the urge to open the drawer and turn through the pages once again.
He looked up whenBarret lumbered in the door, not bothering to knock as he tossed the package at Strife. "Spike, that ain't what I think it is," Barret said, narrowing his eyes dangerously when Strife eagerly tore the package open.
He slowly, gingerly, lifted the materia, holding gently in his hands as if it would break. He turned to Barret, a faraway look in his eyes.
"Just imagine, Barret," he said softly. "To know that it still exists... That it is still possible," Strife added, almost dreamily. Barret caught his breath in his throat, sending the gasp back down before it could erupt from his mouth.
He moved forward quickly, snatching the materia out of Strife's hands. "Fuck are you rambling about? You got something wrong with your head again?" he demanded, holding the materia out of reach when Strife reached for it instinctively.
"Give me the materia, Barret," Strife said coldly, hands curling into fists as his eyes narrowed to slits. Barret stood his ground, holding it even further away for good measure.
"I'll give it back when I'm damn good and ready," he retorted, eyeing Strife angrily. "Listen here, you crazy fuck. You may got this Alliance under control, but I ain't gonna let you sit here and fuck up the peace we worked for. I know 'bout them damn Mako pools, too. You're losin' it, Spike, you're losin' it," he added, slamming the materia down on his desk and stomping out.
Strife shook his head roughly, his breath coming in pants as he stared, almost fearfully, at the materia. What the hell had he just said?
Reaching forward with trembling hands, he picked the materia up, cradling it in his palm before shoving it wearily into his desk drawer. He would identify it later for Haschel.
Resting his head in his hands, he took a deep, shaky breath. What the hell was happening to him?
Whew, I hate to say this, but I am lucky. I had a horrible plothole that I just realized, but this fixed it all up. Thanks to the person, who wishes to remain anonymous, who pointed this out in an e-mail! It's sad when the author can't even realize it, and her beta as well, lol... Thank you so much for three hundred hits to the story! I have no idea if that's good or not, but what the hell! XD! And Mimi, er...Tadpole, is getting out tomorrow, so yay! Read and review!