Chapter 16
Vincent felt the icy heat surge quickly through his body. The electricity cut itself like a knife through his torso, sending his muscles into a fit of agony. He screwed his eyes shut and forced back a cry of pain.
The pain which had lasted but a moment, had felt like an eternity, before it stopped. Vincent let his body slump heavily, he was held up only by the chains on his writs.
He reluctantly lifted his agonizing head to see the others in similar positions. Hanging by chains and being tortured like he. Perspiration ran down their pale faces as they fought to stay conscious. Nanaki was closed inside a tight cage that didn't even provide enough space for him to turn. He lay on the floor of his prison, strength-less.
He dropped his head again. By now, he should have thought of an escape plan, but his wits were too dull to cooperate. It was his fault that they were here. If he had finished his mission properly, none of them would have had to endure this. Just then, another jolt poured into his senses. He heard somebody nearby, Tifa or Yuffie or Shelke, he couldn't tell, let out a gasp of pain. His body tensed, all the cells in his body screamed and begged for the throbbing to stop.
Then, he heard somebody calling their names worriedly. This was followed by a series of malevolent laughter. The pain ceased and he strained to open his eyes but they wouldn't comply. Though he couldn't see the caller, he had already identified her.
After the pain had subsided a bit, with great effort, he opened his eyes. Bernice struggled to release herself from Weiss's grip. From the look of the situation, Vincent figured that she had probably tried to run towards their limp bodies when she entered the room.
As far as Vincent could tell, they were in Deepground. In the same room where Vincent and Yuffie first saw Weiss, though the person that sat on throne was a person whom he had never seen before.
Bernice had been ushered into a room lit by mako. Though she knew that anything in that room would be to her dislike, however, nothing could prepare her for what she met her eyes.
Cloud and her other friends were chained to the high ceiling by their wrists. And judging by the way they looked, they had definitely been through some sort of torture. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so worse for wear…
"TIFA! VINCENT!"
They laughed at her. Their laughter was filled with spite and mockery.
She eyed the other three hateful people present. A woman with long red hair, a figure with metal wings and a man who sat on a throne on the dais.
Discreetly, she expanded her vision throughout the entire room. This was something her tutors had always emphasized during her training: Always pay attention to your surroundings. The door she and Weiss had entered from was the only exit from this dimly lit room. By the wall to her right, a table stood, adorned by all her friends' weapons. The walls, floor and ceiling seemed to be made from the same material.
The man on the throne spoke with a voice that sent chills down her spine. "Ah, Bernice, how nice of you to join us?"
Anger overcame fear as she replied in a cold voice. "Well, I didn't have much of a choice, did I?"
He gave a throaty chuckle. "Fire, I admire that." He paused, as if savoring the heated reply and then continued in mock humility. "Where are my manners? Introductions: I'm sure that you've met Weiss. This is Rosso and Nero, and I am Genesis." He considered the young woman before him and said, "I have a proposal, Bernice Talwin"
It hit Bernice like a rock. "How did you-"
"Know your last name?" Genesis finished for her. Even when you have never mentioned it before in this world, even to your tutors? Rather simple actually, you see, before I changed my name to Genesis, I was known to all as Charles Talwin."
Bernice's eyes widened instantly. "My- my father?"
"What?" said Cloud and some of the others. Weiss and the Tsviets looked equally astonished, indicating that Genesis didn't hold this topic for discussion before.
"It can't be, my parents are dead."
"Well, as you can see, I am not. Though for your mother, it was a different story. But that is all in the past. Join me in me reign over the world."
"Never! Father or not, I won't."
Genesis's eyes narrowed. "I thought that that would be the case. Very well, it is your decision, but I do fear for your friends' fate."
He inclined his head. Again, electricity surged through the chains. She watched, horrified, as her friends' bodied strain against their bondage.
"No! Let them go! There is nothing that they have that you want."
"Not true," Genesis said in a contrary tone. "They have your friendship. Join me and I'll let them go if that is your wish. Defy me and they will all die."
Bernice bit her lower lip. She did not trust herself to talk right now.
"This is your destiny."
The words never really reached Bernice. She was too caught up in thought. To give in was an unthinkable thought, but if she were to refuse, her friends would pay the price. It was a hopeless situation. Only one option left.
Bernice sighed inwardly. She drew her gun-blade. She took a step forward, then another, then another until she was before him.
Bernice felt more than saw everyone in the room tense. A mixture of fear and worried looks appeared on her friends' faces, especially her tutors'. Though Vincent only placed a stern stare on her.
Weiss unsheathed his twin gun-blades, Rosso readied herself and Nero stretched open his metal wings. Genesis stood up with his hand lightly resting on the hilt of his katana.
Bernice knew that even though Vincent seemed stoic and very much subdued, he was probably praying silently in his heart that whatever she planned to do, it would not be anything stupid. Yup, she could imagine it now. Vincent, probably accompanied by Cloud and Tifa, criticizing her stupid actions…if they survived through this.
Bernice dug the tip of her gun-blade into the ground hard and knelt on one knee in one swift movement. The ancients' sign of pledging loyalty.
Genesis took no pains to hide his satisfaction. "Wise choice, daughter."
"NO!" shouted Cloud as he and some others struggled against his restraints. Vincent didn't shout nor struggle, but his shoulders visibly slacked. Not wishing to see anymore, he tore his eyes away from the scene.
Genesis turned his gaze over to the seven chained heroes. "Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, I want to thank you for saving me the effort in training her. Now, say goodbye to your apprentice," Genesis said with a smirk that Tifa just HAD to wipe off.
Startled by his words, Bernice looked up as Genesis put his right hand on her head and acid green light bathed her. A gasp of pain escaped her lips as she was glued into the position she was in. She gritted her teeth as pain continued to flow down from his hand to her body.
Bernice bit back a second gasp when Genesis abruptly lifted his hand.
Cloud saw Bernice stagger to her feet. She appeared to be unharmed but Cloud knew better than to think so. Bernice held both hands at her temples and shut her eyes tight as if having a headache. A few moans could be heard.
Suddenly, the pain seemed to be lifted. She slowly lowered her hands to her side and turned to face them. Cloud and the others gasped when their eyes met her. They were stone cold and void of emotion. It was as if the light of life had gone out.
With hatred written on her face, Yuffie exclaimed, "You'll never get away with this, you meannies!"
"I'm almost sorry to say, that I haven't really gotten away with this event yet. See, as long as the Heroes of Gaia still live, there really is no reason to celebrate."
"So what do you plan to do with us, son of a ? Gonna slit our ing throats while we're ing tied up?" Cid shouted angrily at Genesis.
Genesis's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Actually, you have no idea how tempted I am to do that, especially Valentine here, destroying full armies two years ago. Every second you all live, you stand a chance of defeating me. No, slitting throats is just a little too merciful for my taste and I think I'll let someone else have the honor in killing you seven."
Vincent averted his eyes towards Weiss and the others. "Relax, Valentine, it isn't any of the old Tsviets," said Weiss, his voice showed disappointment.
"Then, who-" Cloud didn't finish the sentence. He had already answered it himself.
"That's right, Cloud," Genesis said, his trademark smirk back in place. He gestured with his hand. "Bernice, won't you be a dear and walk over to that table where their weapons are and turn those rats into hanging corpses." "Take as long as you like." He added with a hint of glee.
Bernice started to cross the room to where a table was rising from the ground. Bernice picked up Yuffie's shuriken. "Don't do it, Bernice!"
Everyone turned at the sudden sound. "Don't do it!" Tifa repeated.
Genesis started to say something but was interrupted by Bernice. "Shut up, Lockheart." Tifa seemed to be a little taken aback at this.
Bernice put down the shuriken and reached for the Cerberus. She twirled Vincent's gun around a few times, then when she was satisfied, she held it in her left hand and took out her gun-blade. She advanced on her friends.
Great, just great. Isn't THIS ironic? I'm gonna be killed someone I trained! And if that isn't enough, she's gonna kill me with my own gun! This is HELL Ironic. Vincent had thought miserably. He then noticed Bernice doing something peculiar. It might not have proved any difference, but it was odd…
All of a sudden, Bernice stopped several feet away from the captives. "Fight it, Bernice, don't let him control you!" Tifa had not yet given up on her.
Bernice leveled her gun-blade at them, then, pulled back the trigger. A flash of white light erupted from its tip and hit the ceiling above them, its ice spreading fast, engulfing all seven chains. The seven people all averted their gaze and shut their eyes as if expecting the ice to swallow them whole. "I said shut up, Lockheart."
Even as the freezing spell worked its way through their bondages, three things occurred simultaneously. One, Bernice had sprung towards the wall on the far left. And two, as her feet came in contact with the wall, she threw her gun-blade at the opposite wall. It dug deep into the metallic surface with a satisfying 'Thwok', but not without shattering the eight now-brittle chains in the process. Three, as Bernice kicked-off from the wall, she twisted her body so that she faced Genesis and Tsviets. Immediately, Cerberus flew to her right hand. She cast flare in their direction, followed by a hail of bullets.
Another summersault and she landed squarely in front of her friends.
The restraints came lose and all seven friends landed lightly on the floor below them. Nanaki's cage, however, had crashed onto the ground, thus requiring him to pick himself up from under the undignified heap of iron. Vincent, who had been the closest to the wall, had kindly retrieved Bernice's gun-blade on his way down.
Vincent and the others rushed forward while they saw that Bernice hadn't stopped far from her targets at all.
Bernice had managed to get a few bullets into both Rosso and Nero before they started dodging. "What?" screamed Genesis, sounding thoroughly outraged.
Nearby, he heard Bernice shout in reply, "Sorry, pops, world domination just ain't my thing!"
Bernice heard laughter and turned to see all of the friends armed and ready. With a curt signal from Vincent, weapons were exchanged and Bernice found herself holding her gun-blade once more. A glance at her mentor told her he was glad to have his gun back. She giggled inwardly at that.
Putting a reassuring hand on Bernice's shoulder, Cloud said, "We'll have a chat later, but right now, what do you say if we just get out of here first?"
Bernice nodded and leveled her gun-blade. Genesis and the others readied their weapons to deflect the bullets, but they never came. Instead, a gigantic fireball erupted from the tip of her gun-blade and the room exploded in flames.
A sudden gust of wind chased the smoke off and the room was empty save Genesis and his remaining Tsviets.
Whatever happened after that was a blur to Bernice. Though she vaguely remembered brief battles, a long, hasty trek through some ruins, a sewer at some point, a phone call and somehow the group ended up in the lobby of the WRO headquarters. Reeve and Cait Sith had come to greet them. Then, the commissioner had taken Cloud aside to hear what had happened during the mission.
Safe at headquarters, Bernice could just imagine the fits of rage her father was likely to be throwing, with only sheer exhaustion keeping her from laughing.
She felt a playful punch on her shoulder. "Shut up, Tifa?!" The brunette said in mock anger.
"Uh…sorry about that. I had to make it look convincing." Bernice responded, grinning sheepishly.
Just then, Yuffie gave her a hard slap on the back. "You were awesome, kid!"
"Not half bad." Cid and Barret sounded their agreement.
"Thanks." She replied. She felt embarrassed all of a sudden.
She glanced at Shelke and Nanaki, who nodded and smiled.
Before long, the commotion subsided. Yuffie, Barret, Cid, Nanaki and Shelke had decided to call it a night.
Tifa sighed and furrowed her brow before asking, "Are you alright? I mean…Genesis…"
"I understand. And yes, I'm fine. I'm just glad that everyone made it out okay." She paused and considered the doubt on Tifa's face. Bernice forced a smile and said, "Tifa, any man can be a father, but it takes more than the contribution of sperm and a name to make one a parent. You guys, and the WRO, are my family now. Nothing would ever change that."
Tifa smiled at that. It was grand to officially have a new member to their band…even though it would never replace the initial loss. Throughout the conversation, the figure leaning against the pillar watched and listened in silence with his own ghost of a smile carefully hidden behind his cowl.
Author's note:
Right, so that's chapter 16. The confrontation part was rather brief, so if you think there is a need for me to fill in any gaps, don't hesitate to point it out to me. (I don't bite) I've split this chp, btw.
As you probably guessed, Bernice had planned the whole escape since she kneeled before Genesis and 'initial loss' refers to Aerith.
Also, we are nearing the end of the story. I think I might write a sequel…provided I get a decent amount of reviews on this story of course...
So, see that 'Go' button next to 'submit review'? Go on, press it!
Val.