Chapter 15. PORTAL

Sephiroht's POV

I couldn't believe my eyes.

Fair was walking the line again. Shamelessly, in front of everybody, my 1st Class engaged in dubious, private conversations with the woman, unauthorizing me with all his will.

Come on, I had been the one arranging the whole 'conversational scenario' and now they were like… sharing secret information right under my nose?

Well, mine and John's. As Zack and Eleanor talked the way they did, the good doctor didn't particularly enjoy it as well.

Jealous, John?

It was obvious he was getting too attached to the woman, and that alone was enough to close his lab and put him out of Shinra in a blink of an eye. It was unethical and we both knew it. However, I would keep my mouth shut about it. It was a card I had and I was willing to play it if John decided to get all wiseass on me.

That way, I would have John's team on my hands. The thought abstracted me for moments. Zack and Eleanor talked and talked, no one of us said a word as we remained standing behind the mirrored wall.

Impatience grew on me as I watched them all cozy and smiley with each other. Zack was such a ladies' man.

Enough!

I got inside and stopped all that nonsense in a blink of an eye. At the sight of me, the woman had the most visceral reaction. I had to admit it confused me sometimes. If she actually knew everything about us, then why react like that? Didn't she know what to expect from us? From me?

I guess the answer didn't matter right now.

I excused myself from the labs with no words, me and Zack exiting the place in long strides. We were now outside, and as we stopped, I decided to discuss with him how lousy his performance had been.

"Was that really necessary?"

"What-"

"You were flirting shamelessly." I interrupted, my stare chastising Fair without mercy. Yes, he had been extremely inadequate and reckless. "But thankfully, we have the hints we needed."

Zack blinked at me, clueless.

"Do we?"

For the Planet's sake Fair, wake the hell up! I sighed at how unaware Zack was. Did the last mission affect him that much? Did the whole Angeal thing screw him up that bad?

It was not a decent behavior for a worthy SOLDIER 1st Class. I considered if I should tell him right now, face to face and threaten him with dismissal.

But then, some other things popped in my head. Priorities. There were other things that mattered the most right now.

"We need to check her initial statements. And, most likely, the exact place where she was found. I have a feeling we'll find the answer there."

"Okay."

Zack's tone was weak and confused, so I decided it to call it a day.

"Get back to HQ."

Zack dismissed himself and left. I stood there, the cold breeze of the upcoming night greeting me, clearing my thoughts… recalling me there was something waiting for me in the horizon line, back in the training area.

Soon, I thought. Soon.

Zack's POV

"I wasn't flirting." My stare tried, in vain, to search for the General's, but he was implacable. I stood, in front of his desk, humiliating myself, trying to make things right. But The General seemed like stone today, sitting calmly and paginating files as if I wasn't there. "Sephiroth, I wasn't."

I saw him sigh, as the man not even bothered to look at me.

"I won't make any further appointments on that."

I gulped dry, feeling terrible. Man, he was being so unfair! Come on! It wasn't my fault Elie knew all about me and my… secret adventures. What the hell was his problem, anyway?

"What's the problem with her being nice to me?"

That seemed to catch his attention somehow. But still, no eye-power involved. Sephiroth clearly didn't consider me worthy of a dignifying conversation.

"That was not being just nice, Fair."

Grrrrrr! I reacted at once, going straight to the point. I rested both my hands on his desk and spoke my mind to him.

"What, are you jealous because she did talk to me and with you she looks like she's possessed or something?"

I saw Sephiroth calmly easing the whole paginating thing. He closed the file… and patiently, he grabbed another one.

"I won't even bother answering that."

It was then I realized that picked his nerves. I wondered why.

"That's it, isn't it? You can't stand not being in control."

But the time I finished the sentence the General stood swiftly in front of me. His eyes met mine and I felt diminished under his stare, compressed by invisible hands.

He was mad.

"Watch it, SOLDIER." Sephiroth's tone was low and harsh. "I am your General and patience...is not one of my virtues. So I advise you to watch your tone and tongue. Or there will be consequences."

The words had been direct and straight to the point. I gulped dry as I tried to make amends.

"Fine, Sir."

"You'd better, SOLDIER."

I was out of words to say and, after such confrontation the General dismissed me with a swift look. I didn't say a word, I just left.

With my ego down. Consistently.

Sephiroth's POV.

May 0001.

In between missions and military issues of the company, I took my time preparing my travel.

I had re-read all the statements concerning Eleanor Stevens rescue - and now, things seemed to be headed somewhere. I had the precise coordinates of Eleanor's finding and I was going, prepared to face the unknown. Something was out there, waiting for me. And I was going to face it, once and for all.

My instinct was screaming. And I couldn't wait to get there.

I traveled all by myself. I hadn't told anybody, not even my closest SOLDIER. This was something I had to investigate on my own, I wanted to keep this private.

I had the feeling I was going to find something worthy of… secrecy.

There was still daylight when I arrived to the training area.

I had left the company car by the gates, a black SUV dotting the abandoned area. I exited the vehicle, scanning the building.

There were no readings. The heat sensors were silent and the place seemed as peaceful as the most remote forest.

I narrowed my eyes at the sight.

So silent, like a dormant giant of concrete, the training area definitely hid something. So, under the moist breeze of May, I went on.

My footsteps were calm and firm as I grasped my sword tight. I knew where the coordinates led me to, I knew it like a map inside my head I had memorized for days now.

Without difficulty, I found the room where the woman had been found.

I opened the door, the hinges cracking as I performed the movement.

I stood right there with the door open for a while, scanning thoroughly the room. Apparently, there was nothing.

Nothing at all - just a latent emission of strange energy, that somehow collided with me. So, that meant I sensed something that I couldn't actually see.

Hum.

I closed my eyes for a moment, focusing on that strange form of energy. It was different somehow, the way I felt it. I had never sensed something like that in my life.

This was something totally new for me.

With my eyes open again, I started walking - slowly, almost glued to the wall, checking every corner methodically.

Nothing happened until I passed by the window and grasped the most unusual reflex in the third corner of that room. The rays of sun setting bathed the room with a very particular light, which allowed me to see what remained in that hidden corner right next to the window.

It looked like a veil of virtual water. Transparent, delicate and latent, releasing energy at a rhythmic pulse.

The rays of light impaled that ghostly veil, without distorting.

I widened my eyes at the phenomenon.

What on the Planet is this?

I stood there, in front of that undulating veil, for too long - until I decided to do something very unwise.

My fingers tried to touch it - but I didn't find anything. Instead, I felt a pull. As if something was grabbing my fingers, urging me to move forward.

I hesitated for a moment.

But then, my instinct decided for me.

In a swift move I walked towards the transparent veil, the whole wave engulfing me completely.

And as I got inside, I remained floating.

It was dark and warm inside. Comforting. But I wasn't used to comfort - so I stepped forward again.

When I blinked again, I was in a cold, silent place. It was dark - so dark it meant it was nighttime. And the air was terribly contaminated, the noise of vehicles far away.

The room where I stood was somehow familiar. I walked carefully, exiting the room and finding an old, abandoned building that resembled a factory.

I explored the place, realizing it was according to Eleanor Steven's descriptions.

So, she had been right after all - she had been telling the truth. She came from a different place all right - a place where I lingered right now, a place unknown and polluted.

Potential, I thought.

All this situation had immense potential.

And that was why I had to go back asap.

I made my way towards the room and I closed the door. Just to be safe, I locked the whole structure using Mako-enhanced power. That way, the place would be completely sealed and no one would enter, risking another travel like the woman had done… without knowing.

This was serious enough - and I didn't want to risk several Eleanor Stevens showing up and disturbing my own reality.

My world.

So, I just entered the dark veil of undulating energy, meeting the void once again.

John's POV

The evening was cold, despite being May.

I had been shopping the whole afternoon. Thankfully, one of my co-workers had helped me with that since I knew nothing about women's clothing. Namely, when that woman was Eleanor Stevens.

The scientific committee had agreed with her 'blending in' for now. Of course, Stevens would be under surveillance and her perimeter decided accordingly all safety measures. The President had been involved as well - but he had been silent the whole reunion. For now, it had been decided that Stevens was allowed to wander in our level and above. Nothing below the third floor.

Security would be tight and who knew, maybe in time she would be allowed to walk around safely. Turks were involved, as well as some SOLDIER's lower ranks. Since Stevens was still categorized as 'unknown organism', all careful was needed to prevent any disaster.

It was well known that some of Hojo's labs were in the building as well and rumors were told about his gross experimentation he enjoyed doing so much.

Well. All I knew was that I wanted Elie out of that shit. She was my responsibility and I wanted her alive and healthy. So that included having her dressed properly.

Hence the shopping.

"Elie?"

"Yep."

"There you go." I said, smiling, holding several bags in my hands. Seeing her in that white, sterile pajamas all the time was not only depressing - it was sick, in a way. Well. Time for change.

"Oh my God! Clothes!" She said, smiling openly at me. "Thank you so much!"

"Uh… I had help. Obviously."

She giggled at me.

"I hope they fit."

"I'm sure they will."

I remain caught in Elie's stare for a while, enjoying the sensation of seeing her so happy, so… alive. Man. Impressive, how could she know so many things about us, about our company, the Planet… all of it felt so strange… and yet, so right. She was a very balanced creature - which eased up our communication. It was easy talking to Eleanor.

"I've been wondering…"

"About what?"

I didn't resist, I had to ask.

"What am I in your reality?"

Her eyebrows rose in response, and I couldn't read her face. She was a little surprised with my question though.

"I-I didn't know of you John. You weren't part of it."

Uh?

"How so?"

"It's… you know, the action is focused on SOLDIER and the Turks. Hojo. You were not there. Sorry."

Well, well. I was not expecting something like that indeed. What, was I so irrelevant in the whole plot she mentioned all the time? I couldn't help but to feel frustrated.

"But-"

The phone interrupted us once again. My eyes focused on the screen and I took a deep breath. Man. The General, at this hour of the evening? What could he possibly want now? I answered the phone under the worried gaze of Eleanor, exiting her premises fast and locking myself inside my office.

"Yes?"

There was a lot of background noise in this call. Where is this guy, anyway? In the bottom of a pit?

"I found it, Medina."

I blinked at his words, the General's voice with an edge of excitement.

"What do you mean?"

I heard the man snort at my words.

"The place where Eleanor Stevens came from."

"No shit." I whispered, sitting in my chair, my eyes open and focused in the man's voice.

"It's a Portal of sorts. You should get here and see for yourself. I'll send you the coordinates."

"I'm on my way."

And I basically flew off that place, downloading the coordinates and sending them to my car.

So. I would pay a visit to the closest wasteland surrounding Midgar.

-/-

When I got there the General was expecting me - with a look on his face that made me feel even more nervous. Man. He sure knew how to make a man like me suffer. Adrenaline pumped inside my body.

"Hey."

"Doctor." The General greeted, bowing a little. He started walking at once and I followed him. "Come, I'll show you."

"What did you do, exactly?"

"I went through it."

"What?" I stopped for a moment, not believing his words. How could he behave so recklessly? Going through a PORTAL just like that, without knowing the consequences…? What he INSANE?

"Don't look at me like that, you'd do the same." Sephiroth snorted, urging me to follow him. "I've seen it - the place where Stevens claims to come from. It's like the underground. Dark, polluted."

My. This was too much information, my head was starting to spin.

"How far did you go?"

"Not far. The other side of the PORTAL is a mirror of this place, somehow. I sealed the door to avoid further complications and until we decide what to do."

Suddenly, there was a door. Sephiroth stopped and made that face. The it's-here face.

"We're here." He opened the door slowly and with a gesture, he pointed towards a specific area of that room. "There, on the left corner."

I walked towards the area, noticing how strange the whole thing looked like. It was like a transparent wavy bubble, only noticeable if someone focused on the area.

No wonder the training soldier didn't see it. If the General hadn't pointed it out to me, my eyes would not have discovered it.

"My… W-What the-"

"It's some kind of void inside. Once you touch its surface, it sucks you in."

"Oh."

I tried to do that exactly. Touch the surface of the bubble, feeling at once the slurping effect it made. I removed my fingers at once, trying to gather my thoughts. And I couldn't help but to verbalize my line of thinking.

"So this is where she came from… it all makes sense now. A lot of things she said make sense now."

"Yes."

"So now what?" I asked, out of ideas. All this was too much of amazing for me to think of details. "Is there any protocol for this?"

"We have to seal the place. Make sure no one comes in or out."

The man was right.

"And we'll need the Physics Department here. This… needs further investigation."

"We're all on the same boat, Medina."

"We are."

The General smiled softly at me and turned. I only heard his last words.

"Time to make some phone calls."

A/N - And they've found it:) Now things will heat up, you'll see. As always, you're most welcome to read and review, I really miss your comments guys. Oh and I've started a new fanfic 'SIN', it's about THOR/The Avengers, and not an OC/main character, which is something very new to me (I mean, not involving OC's)! It pairs two main characters, LOKI Laufeyson, the most iniquitous badass in Asgard and the most willed, obstinate human (in here, former Thor's love interest), Jane. For those who are familiar with the characters and are fans of the movies, give it a try. :)

Thank you and see you next chapter!