CHAPTER THREE
BETTY! BETTY! WHERE ARE YOU! BETTY!
Angeal waves his hand in front of my face as I get lost into deep thought again. My eyes look up at his to see how focused and serious he looks. "Is everything okay?" I ask silently, unaware that he's been in front of me for the last ten seconds.
"I was calling your name. Didn't you hear me? I've noticed that you are easily drawn into your own world," he smiles faintly as he turns to the side, crossing his arms, flexing his muscles with his biceps being noticeable.
"There's a book wanting to be told in my head," I laugh amusingly.
There's no way I am ready to tell him that sometimes I hear Sephiroth's voice shouting in my head. Shouting for my name. Wondering where I am as the plate was falling. He was searching for me. Calling out to me. Eventually—he found me. It wasn't long till I found out that he was a fallen SOLDIER who was rumored to be dead for years. Would anyone believe me if I told them that he was alive that night? Angeal stares at me as I start to lament next to the window I stand by. My eyes become hypnotized by the birds flying in the sky. That was the last time I saw him. If he hadn't found me that night, I would be dead now. Am I the reason that he died? Would Angeal know him? The temptation to ask him about Sephiroth is immense.
"Was this your home?" home…? What is home…?
"It used to be," I reply, refusing to look at my captain.
If I did, he would see the sorrow. Being here right now is sentimental. My body feels numb. My heart feels shattered. "When the news of my father's death was released on the news for the public, it motivated me to become a SOLDIER. All those innocent men died trying to fight a war that had nothing to do with them," I lower my head when I see SOLDIERs standing in line on the field.
"Betty—" he lays a hand on my shoulder, realizing something without me telling him first, "were you by yourself when the plate was dropped?" yes… Kind of...
"Not entirely."
"Entirely?" he asks. His voice sounds as if he is intrigued. There's no way I am telling anyone about Sephiroth. The fallen SOLDIER.
"I had a friend who found me. He took me to safety. Because of me, he was wounded searching for me through the event."
Our conversation starts captivating some of the SOLDIERs on my team. As usual, I ignore them since Angeal is fixated on me only. I look up at him finally, deciding to be honest without telling him his name. "He pushed me out of the way from a huge piece of the plate falling above me. Once the dust settled, I couldn't find him. I stayed there for three days until I was found by SOLDIERs."
People stare at us with the emotions flowing through me. Do they see my pain?
Do they…?
People wail. Women cry. Men are dying. Children are abandoned. The chaos is causing people to act irrational. Explosions are heard as black Shinra helicopters fly above me. More helicopters rush towards their way, losing their control. Two helicopters collide into one another as people run around me. The fire from the huge explosion reflects through my eyes as the night is lit up. The sound of the whirring blades reverberating as they collide together becomes mortifying. Time is slowed as the people rush around me slowly. All I could do was stare at the helicopters being emerged into fire as they crash down ahead of me. the ground vibrates underneath my feet with fire feeling like its scorching my skin. Blades from the helicopter bend into the ground. They break off and are sent off into different directions. They impale the ground, houses, even people. A huge blade breaks off and heads straight for me. I'm too terrified to move. My legs are like cement. My heart beats loudly. It echoes as I watch the blade that moves as if it's traveling through water, slow and wickedly. It doesn't horrify me when I feel arms wrapping around my waist from behind. I'm pulled out of harms way and into a person's chest. Strands of white hair are seen as the person embraces me tightly with the blade impaling the ground. Inches away from us. Ferocious and untamed. With no remorse.
"I found you."
A single tear trickles down from the corner of my left eye as I stare at my own reflection in the mirror. The women's restroom is a place where I can cry silently without people seeing. Witnessing the weakness I am still trying to fight and comprehend. All I see when I look into the mirror is a girl who has nothing. I'm losing my mind. My sanity. What will become of me if I let my revenge blind me? Am I even strong enough? To endure and succeed? I'm just a teenager with a silly vendetta. The single tear drips off my chin as I take out my ponytail. Long ashy brown hair falls over my shoulders as I lower my head. My fingers curl into the black countertop to the sink with my eyes becoming full of dullness. Somber eyes. The melancholy. Why must I feel like this?
People stare at me as I walk out of the bathroom. The air smells musty. There's nothing refreshing about this place. Being so close to Site 0 is heartbreaking. Looking up at the new plate traumatizes me. Will they drop this plate too? How can I save Midgar from the sadness? The sorrow?
Tifa… Cloud… I miss you guys… I'm so alone and lost… Where do we go from here…? Who will save us…?
The thoughts start to eat away the little motivation and sanity I have left. There's no way I can do anything to bring Midgar out of the darkness. A plague covers the broken city like an infected disease. "That fight last night was fucking awesome. I need to start going to Wall Market more often. The Demogorgon is one of Corneo's top champions. He's fucking brutal. He's been undefeated for years. I kinda feel bad for the people who go up against him. His kill count is miraculous."
Wall Market… That place became home to pedophiles and murderers… Corneo… That name makes my skin wither…
"Are the rumors true?" a SOLDIER asks.
Being the nosy girl I am, I linger by a truck while listening to their conversation. Gossip travels through Midgar like fire raging through a forest. "Are you kidding? Hell yeah! Corneo has Demogorgon by the balls. I heard that he is his prisoner forever until Corneo breaks the contract."
Contract…?
"It's fucked up if people believe that Corneo is controlling a man through a contract he made with the devil. Not even Corneo is that stupid. That shit isn't real."
"Believe what you want. I hear that as long as the contract exists, he's shackled to Wall Market. They say he once used to be a SOLDIER. No one knows his true identity except for Corneo. The Demogorgon is Satan's bitch. Are you going to watch his fight tonight? They have ten slots open for people to go up against the demon. Want to sign up?" the SOLDIER playfully pushes his friend to the side.
"Yeah. Sure. I will get right on that. I don't have time to fight fairytales," his friend replies.
The shit people make up. Wall Market is truly horrifying. As the SOLDIERs walk away, I look up at the plate in deep thought. Maybe after the training exercise, I can head to Wall Market to witness the fight. What if the man is chained? Maybe I could talk to him. What if I try to form my own band of misfits to fight against Shinra? Again, a man like that who is shackled to Wall Market is nothing but bad news. If it's true the man used to be a SOLDIER, that would make him an ex-SOLDIER who deserted. If that was the case, Shinra would have investigated it. Then again, they are just rumors.
Night falls when we reach HQ. After getting orders for tomorrow, I head back home. Ever since the destruction of Sector 7 Slums, I moved into Sector 5 Slums. It has been years since I last saw Tifa And Cloud. My house isn't anything spectacular. If anything, it's an eyesore. How can a fifteen-year-old afford to live out of a house? Although it's a small two story house, it's cozy and warm inside. There's a couch, a small shower, a kitchen area and sleeping quarters on the second floor. Thankfully, the bathroom is on the second floor. It has a comfortable and warm vibe to it.
"How are you doing, Lena?" I speak softly when I stroke the white fur to my cat.
Her blue eyes are beguiling when I smile warmly. She starts to purr with her tiny body snuggling up against my arm. She's fluffy and adorable that sometimes I think I will die of cuteness. The shower felt amazing and honestly, I didn't want to get out. It's a lonely life I live without family or friends. Most nights, I find myself sitting on my couch with Lena, wondering what life has in store for me. When I was younger at the age of ten, I lost everything. Everyone. My home. My father. My friends. Lena falls asleep beside me as I look outside my window. I'm wide awake. I'm bored. It kills me since I am pathetic and weak. Luck was on my side when I made it into SOLDIER. The boredom catches up to me when I decide to go out to Wall Market. It's only ten at night. Once I blow dry my hair, I straighten it then apply makeup to my porcelain doll-like fsce. My eyes become outlined with black after blending black eyes shadow and putting eyeliner on. Lena stares at me in wonder when I get dressed. My wardrobe is weird, I will admit. She meows at me when I walk out of my bathroom wearing black skimpy jean shorts, black fishnets and a long sleeve black shirt. Once I put on my black and green ankle high converse, I head outside the door. Kids are still running around with a few people still up. It doesn't take long to reach Wall Market.
Before Sephiroth's death, he always talked about business in Wall Market. Knowing how this place is, I wouldn't be shocked if he used to come here to have fun. Wall Market is vibrant and full of elegant people in flashy clothes. People vomit in the alleyways as I walk near the buildings. People start talking about the fight that's going to happen tonight. I'm not going to lie, I am very intrigued to see what all the talk is about. Not just that. Maybe Wall Market can be the first start to look for people to help me. It's the only way I am able to complete my mission. A mission that I've been working for ever since the fall of the Sector 7 plate. Luck is on my side since I brought currency with me. It's expensive as fuck to see the fights between Demogorgon and other people. Since this is associated with Corneo, something tells me that the fights are always unfair. The stadium is packed full of rambunctious fans. The place is huge with a huge screen displaying the fights. It's not often that I go out and watch fights for people's amusement. Unlike the crowd around me, I sit in the last row of the stadium with a cheerless look. My phone starts to vibrate in my back pocket when two men walk to the middle of the arena with whacky hairdos and shades.
Shit! It's Angeal!
The call is ignored. If he found out that I was in Wall Market about to watch a bunch of fights, he would kill me. My ears start to ring when the people around me start to cheer for Demogorgon as the men start to speak obnoxiously.
"What a crowd we have here tonight! Unfortunately, the people who were listed to fight the undefeated Demogorgon backed out!"
People start to show their rage and furry as they start shouting. It was a waste of money. There's no sense of me to linger any longer. As I go to stand up, my eyes widen when I see men in black suits snatching people from their sests. People start to cheer for the helpless people as they are dragged away. Hands grab me from behind with my body being jerked. It's lifted off the ground as four men carry me away from the seats.
"Let me go! What the hell are you guys doing! HEY!"
I am powerless when they drag me off down the hall and into a room. I'm thrown with force to the floor as the door slams shut in front of me. I land hard on my ass with my hair falling around me like a blanket.
"What the FUCK!" I shriek loudly as I get up and start banging my fists against the metal door. "ASSHOLES! LET ME OUT! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT!"
A voice starts speaking through a speaker, silencing me immediately. "As you can see, we can't disappoint the people who put down huge bets. You are lucky enough to be chosen randomly. Ha-ha-ha-ha! Fortunately for you, you will be the grand finale! SOLDIER! The color of your eyes can not lie! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"What the—" I stop talking when I hear the crowd shouting and raving with excitement. I'm about to lose my shit when I can't find my phone. This isn't good. They know that I am a SOLDIER. Do they not like SOLDIERs poking around Wall Market? I start to pound against the door again even though it won't do me much good. Suddenly, my heart starts to hurt with an intolerable pain grabbing my chest. An invisible force it seems. Through the pounding and the cheering outside, my eyes open wide as I look up at the ceiling. A quick flashback finds its way in my head with everything around me sounding distorted. The flashback happens so quickly. Tears fall from my eyes as I become rigid like a rock. Flashbacks of a syringe falling to the ground haunts me with the sound of a man's voice speaking calmingly.
"What did they do to you? Betty? What did Hojo do to you? BETTY!"
"Why did that man stab me with a needle? Sephiroth? How did you know where to find me?"
And so the tears fall with memories of that day returning back to me. At the age of ten, I've went through so much shit. Why would a man in a white coat approach me in Sector 5 speaking of a fallen SOLDIER and a syringe? Why me?