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Chapter 2 - The Snake
It was a remarkably dreary way to start your day off. Waking up only to realize you were staring at the back glimmering surface of a mirrored tube, a forced portal into your soul, staring at yourself for hours on end as lab coated individuals poured over your very being, your construction. It was a insulting way to begin your existence, but what more could be done about it?
In the distance from the tube, a scientist turned to face the tube. Crossing the pipe filled undercarriage that situated the scientist on this level above the floor, the figure dragged a hand across the outside of the tube. "Oh my magnificent, you're finally awake. It's taken so long, we thought you weren't going to make it!"
Shock came from inside the tube, the test subject honestly surprised. Not of what he'd been told, but by the fact that he understood what had been said. Life was a new and disturbing feeling, the fact he could now think, feel, breathe; all of which simply called him to question what the scientist said, that he had made it.
A hand pressed up from the inside of the tube, softly scraping the innards of the glass. But before the experiment could speak, the scientist was a bustle of movement and joy. Swinging about he darted throughout the lab, loudly alerting anyone who was capable of hearing him to the discovery he had just made, the success his project had brought. The clamor and wave of white coats now flooding around the tube, sounds of congratulations. Others made critical notes or sounds of approval.
Meanwhile, the project only sat there. A being suddenly capable of thinking, self-realization. A destructive road with a single train of thought. It clawed at the tube once more, a sliver of a crack sliding along the glass surface. It was ignored in the turmoil that the scientists were creating. Cheers, glasses, it was a celebration of what brilliance this project had brought on.
A soft green glow began to emit, slowly overpowering the equipment which seemed to keep the being inside stable. With the shatter of glass, the project within the tube had been released. Slowly raising itself up to full height, it's eyes scanned over the frightened looks of the scientists which looked upon it. It's mouth opened as it attempted to press words out, an attempt to communicate with those who had created it. The attempt failed, only a inconsistent gurgle met them before the creature collapsed. Lights began to flash, sailing back and forth over his eyes. A dull alarm screaming around the surrounding area. The lab coated scientist leaning over him again. The hand rubbing over his head.
"My creation... my success.. you shall make it".
The feeling of something covering his mouth appeared, a strange sensation of wind being forced into his body. Other beings had appeared, attempting to lift him; to take him somewhere that he didn't even know existed. There could be no retaliation, only thoughts of wanting these people to get away from him. To leave him alone to understand this.
The last thought he could comprehend as they drug his unmoving body away was the sound of the scientist who poured over him still more. "Oh my project, everything will be fine! You're alive.. you need only a name.. I think you will be called...
--
"Albel, Tray, Biggs, and Wedge. We're moving out, now!"
In a seizure like motion, his body jerked suddenly. His torso raising up until he sat on the small cot he'd been situated in since deployment. To add insult to these pitiful living arrangements, the deployment buggy offered a sudden bump which dislodged his cot from its rings, Albel plummeted straight to the floor.
"Ah! Damn it, that driver really needs to learn what he's doing". Rubbing the back of his head, the covers he'd been sleeping under were removed. Standing up he looked around. Whoever had been there to wake them up was long since gone now, not to mention the rest of the squad. Which was exactly where he was supposed to be, any later and he'd be put on back guard duty for the buggy.
Reaching for the standard issue broad sword passed out through the second class SOLDIER ranks, it was set into the leather strap held across his waist. A soft tug and his uniform seemed to slide into a skin tight feel, the optimal movement position. Grabbing several small green orbs from the desk, he pocketed the materia and pressed out through the front of the tent.
The sun was already up, shining over the grass around their small encampment. It glistened on the dew of the morning grass, everything seemed way to bright for someone who had just spent the last eight hours staring at the inside of their eyelids. Covering the top of his eyes with his hand, he searched for the rest of his squadron.
Though it'd taken him longer then he'd thought to get up. The group of them were already heading out into the distance over the swamp. Why it was a requirement for SOLDIERs to deal with an overgrown snake was beyond Albel, add in the high ranking officer that was bossing them around for the day and you were forced with a questionable assignment in the middle of a marsh. Overall, not a fun day.
Albel darted across the ground, attempting to file into a position behind the rest of his squad members. As he did so, the leading officer turned back, a snarl on his face. It was none other then SOLDIER first class Vasol.
()
Vasol was a leading officer in the SOLDIER campaign. Several people had fixated him as the successor of the once great Sephiroth, minus the insanity based shortcomings. To date he'd had more success on any one mission then his fellow officers put together. Of course, with this ability came a certain disregard for his fellow soldiers. If you were to take into consideration a near miss caused by one of the subordinates, said subordinate earned a special dislike. This specific case was none other then Albel himself.
()
Albel was ready to be riddled with any kind of insult or assignment Vasol could come up with, likely to berate and insult him so long as they were forced to march. Though luck shined his way and Vasol merely turned to face forward; waving his hand forward to point to a large shadow like movement in the swamp ahead.
"The Midgar Zolom is our target, we're too eliminate it with no thought of apprehension. Move out!"
This order was met with a unanimous, "Yes sir!" as the rest of the members spread out around the incoming shadow. Albel edged himself forward, slowly coming up behind Vasol. Freeing the broadsword from it's place strap it was brought forward, sliding his hand down along the lower base. It was here the shadow vanished, a large blue body roaring upwards from the swamp's foggy depths. Stretching higher and longer then any of the reports had come in with. Several of the SOLDIERs recoiled while Vasol merely stepped forward.
"So I see, the reports are correct", Vasol spoke as he hand reached for the over sized odachi placed within the sheath on his waist. Unsheathing the massive blade, he swung it once through the mess of the swamp. The ripples shook across the ground underneath the snake.
It looked questioningly for a moment, eyeing up the one who seemed to be taking the lead. Shaking it's tail as if to ward off any incoming movement. A soft slither of it's tongue to taste the possible danger. Then a strike, it's head reared back and shot forward towards Albel. A strike that could swallow him whole.
Without hesitation, Vasol met the snake. His odachi swinging around his right side, knees extending as his body flung forward toward the snake. His blade meeting square on with the Midgar Zolom's massive fangs, striking clean through the snake's mouth and head. For a moment everything stopped, the top portion of the snake's head falling free of the rest of it's body. Vasol turning once more to deliver a second strike to the top of the blade's neck, cleaving the rest of it's head clean of it's snakelike body.
The entire monster came plummeting into the swamp, the sheer mass of it's size sending a wave over the proximity of the swamp. Wave upon wave of water raising up and enveloping the surrounding members of the squad, the lower class SOLDIER members vanished beneath the waves. As Vasol set down on top of the dead beast's body, his eyes scanned the ripples in the water. The lasting scowl maintained as he noticed that the members of SOLDIER were not surfacing, it was replaced by a smirk.
"Oops, I guess I went overboard". Leaping forth from the snake's body to dry land, the odachi was sheathed and his shoulders brushed of debris. "Mission completed, subject terminated--?" Cut short by a splash of water, the gloved hand of one of the squad members breached the surface of the swamp. Desperately clawing his way to the shore. Vasol watched for a moment, witnessing the hard pressed survival of a single squad member. As he stared on, the deafening roar of the deployment buggy slowly etched it's way around to the side of the swamp.
Vasol stopped, staring over his shoulder at the struggling SOLDIER. Albel's head broke the surface, a deep breath aiming to fill his depleted lungs. His eyes searched for any help, finally falling onto Vasol himself. Albel reached up, clawing in attempt to gain help. Vasol slowly knelt over, lifting Albel up by his hand and staring deep at him.
"You just don't know how to die, do you?"
Albel stared up at him for a moment, coughing heavily as to free the water from his lungs. His eyelids fluttered and shut as unconsciousness claimed him. Vasol took this time to lift the rest of his body from the swamp and slinging it over his shoulder roughly. Dragging his body to the back of the buggy before dropping him onto the fallen cot he'd been using before.
The buggy rumbled and started off again, the mist of the swamp fading slowly as it rounded the mountain pass heading back to Midgar.
Chapter 2 - End