Twenty-Seven Minutes Until The Firing Of The Gauntlet Of Zeus
Ragnar didn't even know where they were anymore. Some cold comfort was in the fact that they couldn't see the aberration known as Jenova any longer. Even her tentacles were gone now. They were pushing this fight deeper and deeper into the other parts of the sublevel. Pipes continued to tower all around them, but the lights went from industrial to pale again. The bottom level was silent save for the constant strikes of blades.
Sephiroth was advancing on both of them at the moment. Despite their power, he was forcing both of them back. He was striking so quickly that neither of them could counter. He didn't look tired or strained, and simply smiled at them darkly as he continued to beat against them.
Both men were looking rather tired at this point. Both were covered with sweat, cuts, and bruises. None were too serious…but it wasn't due to their skill. The dark man was toying with them, just giving them mild pain here and there. Although Ragnar wasn't nearly as beaten as last time, he was tiring out quick. He didn't think anything could tire him out save for Cloud's Omnislash. He was keeping pace with Sephiroth so far, but it was only a matter of time before he broke down. As for Cloud…he had no idea how much further he could go, but he doubted it was much greater than him.
Cloud just finished blocking another hit from Sephiroth. As the dark man turned to strike at Ragnar again…the ex-mercenary acted. He shifted his grip further along his sword and clasped a different point. After striking on Ragnar and coming back to Cloud, the man split his smaller blade off of his main one. He quickly swept up with his larger blade to block and overhead chop by Sephiroth, and at the same time stabbed out with his smaller sword. Unfortunately…it was again for nothing. The dark man easily leapt up into the air, dodging the blade, and swiped out with his foot to strike Cloud across the face, sending him away again.
Sephiroth soon touched down again, and advanced once more on Ragnar. The youth grit his teeth in frustration as beads of sweat dribbled from his nose. Sephiroth was pounding on him a lot. Now was no exception. He seemed to double his speed and strength as he advanced on the youth, and their two blades became a hail of sparks. Ragnarok was still blazing brightly in the gloom, but Ragnar was feeling his arms go into more pain and soreness with each strike. He knew that Sephiroth knew he was doing this. He was wearing him down. He had to try something else. Unfortunately…other than using Bahamut's power, he only had one other trick left.
Might as well…
Sephiroth abruptly launched forward and locked blades with Ragnar. With a mighty pull that caused a rather painful strain on Ragnar's arms, he twisted around and flung his blade to the side, leaving the youth open. However, this was just what Ragnar wanted. Quickly, he arched backward to avoid the Masamune impaling him through the chest again. Sephiroth quickly followed up with another slice to the legs, but Ragnar wasn't simply arching back. He was doing a backflip. As a result, he soon yanked his legs up and out of the way. Sephiroth took to the air again, and immediately went after him, bringing his sword behind him to slash again. However, Ragnar kept up with the backflips. He immediately went into another one, and another one after that. He was still very fast and agile, and although Sephiroth pursued him he could not overtake him.
As Ragnar was flipping backward, he kept an eye out for something. Disorientating as his moves were, Bahamut had been doing acrobatics like this in the air for centuries. He easily kept a bearing on his surroundings. As a result, he easily spotted a horizontal pipe junction between two large pipes about twenty feet above the ground. That would do fine.
The youth emerged from another backflip…and as soon as he did squatted and then took off, leaping backward in the air. Sephiroth hesitated for the briefest moment, and looked up to him as he darted away. That was all Ragnar needed. He reached into his own power from the Planet…and extended it into Ragnarok. The sword blazed and ignited into flame. Just before touching down, the youth flung the sword at Sephiroth in a deadly cutting arc.
Sephiroth merely cracked a grin and leapt back to avoid it. However…Ragnar had much greater mental fortitude this time. With a simple mental command, he made his blade arch up before hitting the ground and pursue the man. Sephiroth shot backward through the air, but Ragnar made his sword keep coming…and it actually gained on him. At last, the dark man stopped and let it come. He crossed his blade in front of him to block…a move that made Ragnar smile. His sword continued to shoot toward the man, and as soon as it connected with the Masamune…it simply rolled off of it and continued toward the flesh holding it.
Unfortunately, Sephiroth seemed to expect this. He abruptly twisted and seemed to throw his body into midair, using his gravity defying power to his advantage. Ragnar's smile faded, and he quickly halted his sword and brought it back. He tried to bring it up from behind as Sephiroth spun out and into the air. He seemed to fly upward now, but Ragnar traced his movements and led his sword in front of him. He brought it up to intersect with his body as it went into the sky…
Then…moments before his sword could connect…Sephiroth disappeared.
The youth's eyes widened as his sword tore through nothing but air. What had just happened? Yet even as he thought this…he caught Sephiroth in his gaze again. Only this time, he was in the air a hundred feet away from where he had been. He was hovering there straight and tall…smiling wickedly at Ragnar. The Cetra saw him, and immediately made his blade cut through the air back toward him. Yet no sooner had it drawn close enough than Sephiroth disappeared again…and reappeared at a totally different spot in the sky.
Ragnar clenched his teeth and cursed. He was so fast that even Bahamut's eyes couldn't pick him up. He was mocking him now. The youth made his blade go back regardless, moving toward Sephiroth's new location. This time…he halted it early and pulled it in a different direction, trying to catch the man off guard. But it was a wasted move. He disappeared and reappeared in the totally opposite direction. Trying to put more speed on it, Ragnar brought the blade back toward him again, trying the feint one more time. Yet this time…Sephiroth didn't budge. As he brought his blade away from him again, the man simply hovered in midair coolly. That enraged Ragnar again. The bastard could watch him so closely that he knew he didn't need to dodge… His senses were better than his as well.
Angrily, Ragnar drove the sword toward Sephiroth's location again. This time, he disappeared…but he reappeared in a totally unexpected place…right above the whirling blade. Ragnar only had a moment to gape before Sephiroth struck down with Masamune. On connecting with Ragnarok, Ragnar felt as if part of his brain had been yanked out through his ear. He winced and yelped slightly as his mental control was ripped in two. Ragnarok's flame died, and it immediately sailed toward the ground.
Yet before it even touched down…Ragnar recoiled in shock, forgetting all about his mental pain.
Sephiroth disappeared and reappeared right in front of him…his blade pointed at his throat.
The youth felt cold sweat mingle with warm. He cursed himself for being so stupid. He should have brought his blade back long ago, instead of getting mad and continuing to try and hit Sephiroth. It was only a matter of time before the dark man would have done this. Now…he was defenseless and on the point of a blade again.
"You should have run away with your mate as far as you could, Cetra boy." Sephiroth told him. "You should have let the memory of what I did to you keep you from ever wishing to see my face again. You should have taken your second chance at life. Now you wasted it. I've killed hundreds that were far more skilled than you. Did you really think you had a chance at beating me?"
Ragnar didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know if it would make a difference.
Then…he saw it. A flash of light in the corner of his eye.
Thanks to Bahamut's prudence…he understood.
There was no time to be fancy. No time for a last one liner. No time even to confirm what he saw. Anything else would only have given it away. The only thing he could do was suddenly throw himself down and away. He didn't care how sloppy it was…just as long as he got away from Sephiroth's blade. The Masamune still darted out anyway…and knicked one of his shoulders on the way down. Yet Sephiroth pulled his punch at the last moment…for he noticed what Ragnar did.
He noticed a stream of eight different swords spreading out around him from one source.
Cloud unleashed Omnislash before Ragnar hit the ground, or even realized he was hit again. The sounds of metal ringing out filled his ears and sore brain as he crumpled into a heap. Light flashed out from behind him from the power of Cloud's aura. The force of each strike sliced through metal ten feet away from it now…now that Cloud was charged with far more power than before. Ragnar didn't turn to look…not wanting to be in the area. He ran to the side toward his fallen blade. He didn't stop until he reached it, and quickly bent down and snatched it up. He spun around as soon as he had it, wielding it in front of him in expectation of another attack as he faced the area behind him.
Up above, light streaked out everywhere as Cloud struck again at the form in the center. He moved far faster than he did before. Ragnar himself wouldn't have even blocked the first blow. Each strike had more power than before too. The darkness was shattered by the light that Cloud gave forth, illuminating the entire sublevel. Ragnar only saw the latter half of the attack himself. The first had happened while he was running away. His instincts had served him well. His attack on Sephiroth had served one purpose…diverting all his attention while Cloud got ready to unload this.
The attack began to finish. Cloud gathered up his blades one by one, and as he came to strike again, he combined them together into the main sword. After slashing through one final time, and locking the final blade in place, he brought his blade far over his head, and brought it down full force. A huge ripple of electric light shot through the air, and what sounded like a thunderclap went off as the final blow sliced through the horizontal pipe and obliterated the two next to it. As he smashed down onto the ground, a rift over a hundred feet deep was pounded into the earth, tearing through cement and steel and piercing the soil underneath. What was in the way was either annihilated or compressed. On the sides, dirt, rock, and shavings of metal exploded around like a metal volcanic eruption. The entire Dome shook…and far overhead the PPA and NSA alike halted as they felt a tremendous rumble beneath the ground.
The echo was enough to blast out anyone's eardrums. Ragnar's enhanced strength was the only thing that kept him from losing his sense of sound. As it was, his ears were still ringing even after he covered them at the last second. The huge noise slowly died down afterward, traveling up and throughout the rest of the Dome. Metal and stone slowly rained down from the sky all around him, the results of Cloud's mighty final blow.
Just ahead of him, perched in the final position, his blade hovering over the black abyss he had created, stood Cloud. The man had not only done this attack…but had done it with everything he possessed. His blond hair was soaked now. His sleeves and gloves were mere flakes of fabric now in the wake of the intensity his arms had whipped up. His blue gaze burned as he slowly panted, gazing over at where his enemy had been. Ragnar stood silently and just stared, surprised himself at what he had witnessed. Even Bahamut had never seen a human do anything like that before.
Ragnar finally blinked once…
…And then immediately went white.
Sephiroth stood right behind Cloud, sword drawn and ready.
"You missed."
Cloud's own face went white as he turned to see the impossible…but that white turned red as he yelled in pain. Sephiroth raked Masamune across his back. This slash was not light like the others…but deep, from one shoulder to the other hip. It cut through the muscles in one shoulder, and blood flowed freely from it over his shirt. Cloud arched back in pain, losing strength in one limb and instantly dropping Event Horizon to the ground. The ex-mercenary fell a moment later, writhing from the cut. His blood instantly formed a puddle beneath him.
"You didn't really think that attack would work on me forever, did you?" Sephiroth calmly addressed as Cloud stiffened and spasmed. After that…his pale green eyes flickered up and aimed at Ragnar.
The youth had been staring at Cloud until now, aghast at how Sephiroth had somehow managed to dodge that attack…and then at the deep wound he delivered to his friend. But now…the eyes of the monster pierced him. He felt the air catch in his throat, and actually went back a step. He raised his blade in front of him, but Sephiroth didn't make a move. Ragnar thought he should have charged at him…struck him down in his rage. But something about Sephiroth's eyes held him back…
"Cloud gets to live a while longer." He told him. "I promised to take everything from him before I killed him, after all. You, on the other hand, serve only to anger the Cetra. When you are prepared to die…follow."
With that, Sephiroth lightly hopped backward. As if invisible cords were tied to him…he shot back through the air, facing Ragnar the whole time, and back into the networks of pipes and the blackness within. The last he saw was Sephiroth's burning green eyes before vanishing.
Ragnar stood frozen for a moment. He didn't lower his sword, or lose his fearful face. But as Sephiroth faded and his influence lost its power…he realized what he had done. He had been right there…and he couldn't do anything about it. It was as if he was as helpless as last time. He had stood there, petrified in fear…unable to move to stop him from leaving…or from slashing Cloud down the back. All of his strength and knowledge…and it made no difference. They were still being killed by him. He was still going to be killed by him… Perhaps it was inevitable…
The youth snapped out of these thoughts a moment later…because Bahamut's personality exerted itself and ordered him to. The esper didn't tolerate talk like this…not from other espers and not from humans. He didn't tolerate fear or cowardice of any kind. And even if it was desperate, he had been in plenty of fights where that had been the case and had managed victory. His presence began to yell at Ragnar and incense him from within…pushing him like he was his mentor ordering him through an exercise again. The youth couldn't afford to stop or hesitate now. Too much was at stake. If he was going to die trying, then he would die trying. He wouldn't give up here.
Though Bahamut had not wanted him to use this if he could avoid it…it seemed it was time.
Reminded of this, Ragnar clenched his teeth again and tightened his grip. He chased away his own fear and doubt. Bahamut was right. He couldn't stop now. The world was counting on him. Aerith was counting on him. If he didn't stop Sephiroth, she'd become the Sorceress…and Jenova and her children would become all powerful. He couldn't let that happen. He was the defender of this world. He needed to live up to that.
Now bolstered with determination again, Ragnar exhaled a blast of air. He turned again to Cloud. The ex-mercenary was still on the ground, although his writhing had stopped. Seeing him like this, Ragnar quickly twisted his blade around and replaced it in his sheath. He ran up to his fallen friend and immediately dropped down to his side. He reached out his hands to help him up.
As his arm went around behind Cloud, however, the ex-mercenary winced and shook his head. "No…don't kid…" He said between clenched teeth. "It hurts too much. Just moving hurts… He got me good in my back muscles… My right arm's useless…"
"I'll help you get up." Ragnar maintained, moving for another point on his body.
"It's no good… I can't regenerate like you can."
"Well I've got to get you going somehow…"
"Kid."
This last word was said with some force. As a result, Ragnar stopped what he was doing and turned to Cloud's face. The ex-mercenary stared hard back at him.
"…I really don't want to do this…but I've got no choice now. I can't fight him like this. I burned out what I have left doing that last attack. Go after him by yourself. Leave me here."
The last two sentences seemed to hang on the air. The youth's eyes widened.
"…Cloud…"
"You heard me." Cloud flatly stated. "It'll take me ten minutes to even get back on my feet. I won't last against him. You're the only one who's left."
Ragnar blinked. His mouth hung slightly.
"I…I thought we were taking him together…"
"So did I, but the rules have changed. It's up to you now. I'll follow you if I can…but I can't chase him now."
The youth had planned on this originally…but now that he had dealt with the power of Sephiroth and been so easily smacked aside the full impact struck him. He could see the injuries for himself. There was no question that Sephiroth had meant to cripple him. If he had simply stabbed him, he had the chance of getting up and still going. But he had cut his muscles. Now he couldn't move no matter how much his will wanted him to. Cloud couldn't fight. He'd have to go on alone now…and somehow succeed where both of them together had failed…
"Cloud…I can't do this without you."
"You have to." The man answered darkly. "I didn't plan on this. I wanted it to be me and him if it came down to one of us…but now you have to do it. You were going to take him by yourself before. Now you get your chance. You have to stop him."
The youth was still hesitant. Even if he didn't doubt his ability to win, he didn't want to leave his friend here. This was his fight as much as his.
"Cloud…"
"Damnit, kid!" The ex-mercenary suddenly snapped. "You have less than thirty minutes before that thing fires! If it does and he's not dead, no one will be able to stop him! Get after him now before he gets away!"
The Cetra was taken aback by Cloud's sudden violence. He sounded ready to stab him himself if he didn't get moving. His eyes were blazing now. Yet deeper within them…he could see how sad Cloud was. He didn't want him to go alone any more than Ragnar wanted it. But there was nothing for it now. He was the only one left who could fight. More than that…he was the only other person in the world Cloud counted on to do what he could not. Sephiroth was his foe…but he was telling Ragnar without hesitation to stop him for him. He wasn't sending him out on what he thought to be a failure of a mission. He believed that the youth could do it. Though he said nothing, and his look was angry…he saw that in his eyes as well.
Ragnar tightened his fist once again and shut his mouth.
"…I'll come back alive."
Cloud's anger faded on hearing this. A smile cracked instead.
"I'll hold you to that."
The two friends looked at each other for only a brief second longer. But then, Ragnar shot to his feet, turned around, and began to run full speed in the direction Sephiroth had gone. Cloud kept his eyes on him until the last…and deep within his heart prayed for victory.
I hope I'm not making a mistake…
This was all Aerith could say to herself for consolation as she stared at Aleron lying inside the glass cylinder. She had never thought in a million years she'd willingly be putting a person into this thing. Yet she had found herself removing Aleron's attire and then dragging her over here. Luckily, she wasn't all that heavy. Her body must have been streamlined in some way to better aid her ability to fight. For now, she was still unconscious. That made it even harder. Unable to see her eyes…seeing her face free of maliciousness and anger…Aerith could almost see her for who she had been. She told herself Aleron was all that was there now…that she wouldn't really be out unless this worked.
With that, Aerith managed to turn her head away from the cylinder. As best as she could, she began to hobble away from the place she had put her…
"Aerith!"
The Cetra stopped and turned her head over to the sound of the voice. Maritza had finally dragged her own container to the other cylinder, and with a great deal of effort leaned it over on the edge. She turned to the woman and motioned to the console.
"Get to the display! Tell me how much Aleron weighs!"
Aerith was a bit puzzled by that kind of question. However, she didn't dispute it. She turned her attention back to the console and began to make her way over. The Turks had been practically piled in front of it. Unfortunately, there was little else that Aerith could do for them right now. Time was important. They were all alive without serious injury at least. They were just out, and looked like they would be that way for a while.
Beyond them sat the console. It gave Aerith a chill just to look at it. Maritza had already started firing up the machines. Both cylinders were illuminated and active now. The device wasn't operating yet, but it was warming up. The console was fully alive and working, processing Maritza's first memory stick worth of data. It really didn't help that Aerith was a bit "computer illiterate", so to speak. She never had much use for them, after all.
The woman arrived at the console and quickly circled to the other side. The displays were all on, already transmitting data. With further unease, she looked over them until she saw a readout for Cylinder 1. It was already probing Aleron's body with invisible sensors, collecting information. Naturally, it had to know her weight as well, to make sure that the right mass was transferred.
"…61.8 kilograms."
Maritza gave a nod in reply. She typed something on the device at the top of the container, and then leaned it over the edge of the cylinder. The glass door started a bit off of the bottom of the cylinder, and so there was some room to allow something to rest on the bottom without rolling out. Moments later, the container began to hum something. Then it came out.
Aerith was revolted. Maritza hadn't been kidding about the "flesh soup". Some sort of red, viscous material began to pour out of the container and into the bottom of the cylinder. It made a sticky smacking sound like gravy. The Cetra could barely stand to look at it…and she felt fresh doubt about this. What good could come from this material? It could be anything for all she knew…
After a few moments, the device shut off, and the flow of…material…ceased. Maritza actually tapped the end of it, shaking a few additional drops of the stuff into the cylinder. It formed a jelly-like mold at the bottom of it, filling out on all sides. It continued to sicken Aerith to look at it. As for the scientist, she pulled her own container away and set it on its end. Thus secured, she rose and began to run back to the console herself.
"I can't very well try to swap out Aleron's DNA and protein if I don't know how much she has." She explained. "I've built numerous failsafes into the design to correct for problems, but I still needed to know how much she weighed. The material I put in matches her weight. I'm sure there's a bit more or less than 61.8 kilograms, but the program will take care of that. If there's too much, it simply won't transfer that portion. If there's too little, it will delete it from…you know, extra stuff. Keratin…fat deposits…a bit here and a bit there. She'll never miss it."
Maritza arrived at the console, and immediately began to throw herself into the seat. Aerith, seeing her eagerness, backed away. The scientist pulled out her old memory stick, got out a fresh one, and then loaded that one up in its place. After that, her fingers flew across the keyboard. As they did so, Aerith heard a humming sound overhead. She looked up and watched, and saw as the doors to either cylinder slid shut and sealed themselves. Maritza continued to type away as that happened. Aerith looked to the screens and tried to keep up with what was going on, but it was nearly impossible to see with how fast they were moving. It wasn't until part of the screen stayed constant, and Maritza continued to type on the lower half, that she managed to catch something.
GENE SWAPPING PROGRAM LOADED
Current Status:
Cylinder 1 (Recipient): 100 percent
Cylinder 2 (Donor): 100 percent
Cylinder 3: 0 percent – Ready For Transfer
Maritza typed a bit more, before slowing down a bit. She took her time through the last few screens, until she at last stopped at one.
Execute? Y/N
The woman moved her finger over to the Y key…but then stopped. Aerith noticed this, and turned to her in a bit of puzzlement. However, Maritza was calm once again. She had lost her silly look, and seemed perfectly serious. She looked up and to the cylinders in front of her, and seemed to be looking beyond them.
"…What's wrong?" Aerith asked.
"…You came to save her too." Maritza softly answered.
The Cetra said nothing in response.
The scientist stared out a bit more, but then smiled. It wasn't a wily or mischevious smile…nor a secretive or dark one. It was soft…simple.
"You knew what she was. You knew she was meant to be a doll version of you. She was bred to be a Shinra pawn. A puppet. Yet you…you thought of her as a person. You…the last person who should have thought of her as anything…you actually loved her. Cared about her."
Aerith still said nothing. She simply stared back at Maritza. The scientist looked out a moment longer, but then smiled a bit wider. She turned and looked to the Cetra…and the latter woman was amazed. Suddenly…Maritza's attitude had changed again. Not grim or childish…but happy. Pleasant, content, and genuinely happy. And because of that…the woman's true inner beauty shone forth through everything else. She looked suddenly at peace…content…as if she had been struggling with a burden for so long and had now put it down.
"…I'm so happy she has a sister like you." Maritza told the woman.
Aerith was at a loss for words. She wasn't sure what to say. But somehow…she felt she had just received the greatest compliment that Maritza could give.
The scientist smiled a moment longer…and then, to Aerith's surprise, pushed her rolling chair away from the keyboard.
"You deserve to start this even more than me." She simply stated. "I love my daughter with all my heart. I want to prove it to you. I can see you still doubt me…so here it is. I won't start it. I leave the final step to you. If you truly think I still have evil in mind for her, then simply press N. I won't stop you. If you believe me…then press Y."
Aerith was again surprised. Suddenly, the decision was in her hands. Truth be told…she had been growing nervous over the past few minutes. She had been fearful that Maritza might actually still be lying. And what she had done had unsettled her more and more. Yet now…if she truly thought that this was crooked, she had the option of putting an end to it. Maritza had put the power in her hands. Hovering right in front of her was the choice, flashing and blinking on the computer screen.
The woman looked at the keyboard once, and then back up to the screen.
Then, however, she turned and looked back to Maritza. The woman was still smiling, with her hands folded over her. Suddenly…she seemed much older that she was physically. But it wasn't a weary type of aging. It was one that came after a full life…years that one wore with pride and honor and fond memories. At this moment…she suddenly looked like a real mother. Aerith could actually see some of Ilfana within her. The way she sat there…fully at peace to know that her child was alive and well. The only thing that mothers truly care about at the end of their lives. Slowly, Aerith realized she looked that way because she was looking at her. She wasn't just thanking Aerith for what she had done. She realized that Aerith was a mirror image of what Krystea could become. She saw the purity and goodness within her…and realized that Krystea could be the same way. She was looking at her…and seeing what this experiment meant. What the hope of it could be.
When that happened…Aerith, at last, completely believed her.
Without the slightest hesitation, she dipped her finger down and pressed Y.
GENE SWAPPING PROGRAM INITIATED
TIME TO TRANSFER: 5:00
Maritza turned back to the console, and then calmly raised her legs and set them on the edge. After that was done, she crossed them and placed her arms behind her head, in a relaxing pose. Aerith watched her for a moment, and then turned back to the display. The seconds slowly ticked down on them. Ahead of them, the machine began to fire up. The whirring within it started just as it had almost a year ago. After a moment's pause…she felt herself turn and sit down in the adjacent chair.
"So once she is back…what will you do with her?" Maritza finally asked.
Aerith turned to her, seeming a bit puzzled again. However, she began to understand the question a bit more after a moment, and slowly turned back. She bowed her head slightly, and gave a shrug.
"I'd like it if she came to live with us and gave up being a Turk…but it will have to be her own decision. I'll be there for her no matter what she decides."
Maritza gave a slow nod. "She could be like you one day."
Aerith paused. "…I know."
"Not just in terms of personality, I mean. I mean in terms of your magic tricks…"
"I know."
"Based on what she's said…I have the impression that she and Aleron might know everything the other knows. It's likely that she knows she's a clone now, and can't possibly be your sister or Vincent Valentine's."
The clock clicked down to 4:00.
"But there's a chance she won't remember anything. The parts of her brain that were exclusively Aleron's will be excised in transfer. If so…will you tell her the truth?"
Aerith didn't answer right away. She looked down slightly and thought about that.
"…No."
"No?"
"She's suffered enough. As far as I'm concerned, it's as if that was the truth anyway. She may be my clone, but I feel a connection to her. Maybe it's because she is my clone."
"She may put two and two together one day." Maritza answered. "We built it so that she would have an inclination not to think too much about inconsistencies in her history, but you never know."
Aerith paused again here. After a moment or so…she actually smiled.
"The funny thing is that I've been in a situation like this before. I knew something was wrong with Cloud's own memory. Somehow I knew it even though he claimed simply not to remember what happened. That time, because he didn't know the truth, or rather wouldn't accept it, something bad happened as a result."
"You think the same thing could happen to Krystea?"
The clock hit 3:00.
"I wasn't there…but from what I heard it devastated Cloud that he might not have ever been a real person. I'm sure the same thing would happen to Krystea. But Cloud recovered because he remembered who he really was. Krystea doesn't have that. Anything she's built up for herself as a person has been with us…the Turks, Vincent, and me. None of us are going to tell her the truth. And there's no other evidence for it. She never has to know."
Maritza didn't answer this. However, her look didn't change either. It seemed as if this was her way of showing her own approval.
Aerith turned back to the scientist. "What about you?"
Maritza raised her eyebrows. "Me?"
"You said you're dying…you're still getting younger…"
The woman merely frowned and, to Aerith's surprise, waved her hand at the woman. "Feh…like I said, there's only one thing I had left to live for. It's true, I don't want to die…but I would just be getting my just reward. I have a few ideas yet. Perhaps something with radiation and cryogenetics…something to arrest my reverse aging process yet let the molecules that are carrying it out deteriorate. I have a year to figure it out. After that…my brain begins to lose what knowledge I accumulated, and I start becoming less experienced and intelligent."
This only made the Cetra look more anxious, however.
"…You know, you could stay with us. We might be able to help you."
Maritza turned away on hearing this, though she kept her smile as she looked back to the cylinders in front of her.
"…I think I'll pass." She simply stated. "I'd prefer Krystea never see me again. I'm the largest piece of evidence for what happened to her. Besides…I always did like working alone."
That wasn't terribly comforting to Aerith. Yet Maritza didn't seem to even be considering her option. She stared on at the woman, and couldn't help but still feel uneasy. What would it be like to die like that? To literally die by going to the point before life exists? Would it hurt? Would she realize she was becoming less intelligent…forgetting things every day? Would she reach the point where she would just be a simple child, not knowing what lied before or beyond, simply waiting around to die from what afflicted her and not knowing why or how?
The clock struck 2:00.
Aerith thought of saying something more to her. However, Maritza stopped her. She was gazing out with that soft smile on her face, back to her machine. It was rather loud now. The electricity was beginning to crackle beneath it. Yet one thing did change as she stared at it. She suddenly voiced a single word in a very dark voice.
"…Sh't."
The Cetra's brow furrowed, and she turned to see what Maritza was referring to.
The woman immediately gasped as she showed far more horror than the woman next to her.
Within her own glass cylinder, Aleron was stirring and putting her arms underneath her.
"Oh no…"
"No kidding." Maritza said, still having that smile on her face…and then suddenly snapping out of it and going into a panic herself. She looked down to the console she was at, and began to type away at it again. "She's going to be rather pissed off when she fully comes to. But not nearly so much as she will be if she figures out what we're doing to her."
Aerith turned to the woman as she felt herself began to sweat coldly. "Ragnar and Zola couldn't break into our cylinders last time. Maybe…"
"Highly doubtful." Maritza cut off as she kept typing. "True…she'd probably bust up her hands breaking through the glass…mind you, I said 'breaking', not 'attempting to break'…but she's more likely to simply push the door back open. I've done strength tests on her before while I was with the New Shinra and mapped the highest possible growth curve. At best…she could push the cylinder door open on her own."
The Cetra was surprised by that statement. "At best?"
"Yes." Maritza answered. "In the worse case scenario…she only is halfway out of the cylinder when it initiates. Then the machine will transfer part of cylinder itself during the fusion along with Aleron…and the result will be rather ugly and extremely non-viable."
Aerith's eyes widened. Immediately, the Cetra looked to the time.
1:28.
Maritza finished typing, and scowled. "Damnit…there's no way the process can be sped up. She's absorbing energy from all potent sources around her even when she's unconscious. I'm barely getting enough power to do it at the end of five minutes."
Aerith looked back up and out to Aleron. Her arms and legs were underneath her now…but she was still moving slowly. She seemed to be pausing to get her bearings before she pushed up. Aerith couldn't see exactly. Just like before, there were lights glowing progressively brighter from above and below. However, they weren't as strong as Hoeng's. Either Aleron was draining from them, or Maritza had planned on watching her. The machine below was getting loud now…but it didn't matter. It was crazy. When Aerith had been in the tube, one minute and thirty seconds seemed to go by in a flash. Now it seemed like an eternity.
Quickly, the woman pushed herself up from the chair. Keeping a hand on the console, she managed to hobble reasonably fast around the side of it. She kept her eyes on Aleron the whole time. By the time she reached the other side, the dark woman was beginning to push up again…although she still didn't seem aware of her surroundings. Maritza went back to her console and began to type furiously once again. Aerith took a few more steps forward, and then focused her full attention on Krystea. Though it might not work…she had to try. She held up her hand and aimed it at the woman, focused her power, and began to recall the arcane words she had said not too long ago…
For a moment, it seemed to work. The sedative wasn't completely out of Aleron's system, and combined with the power of the sleep spell it was far more potent. The dark woman faltered a moment, dropping to one knee. In another moment, she would have collapsed…
Then, to Aerith's surprise, the woman started to slap herself in the face. She grit her teeth and shook her head furiously. She might not have been aware of what Aerith was doing, but she was still trying to fight the drowsy effects of the drug. As a result, she began to become more alert than before. She got back off of her knee and stumbled to her feet, reeling backward until she could prop herself up against the side of the tube. The Cetra focused harder, beginning to make herself sweat again, and struggled to increase the power. But it was no use. The drug was fading fast, and it had been luck before that Aleron had been preoccupied and cocky enough just for the sleep spell to dazzle her. She was soon only wearing herself out again…and giving a cry of exasperation the woman dropped her arm.
The Cetra turned back to Maritza, who was still typing.
"How much time left?"
"1:02."
Aerith couldn't believe it. "That much?"
"Maybe if we try to play some cards or something the time will pass by quicker." Maritza answered as she kept typing. "I'm diverting what extra power I have to the hydraulics…but they weren't rated for what she can put out."
The Cetra turned back to Aleron, feeling her own heart begin to race. She didn't like what she saw. Aleron was standing straight and tall again. She was still wobbling a bit, and she seemed to be breathing deep. But she was recovering quickly. Aerith hoped for a moment that she would be too disorientated and groggy…that she wouldn't be able to realize where she was for one more minute.
No such luck.
As Aleron blinked…her face turned to confusion. She looked down at herself and grew more puzzled, noticing that she wasn't wearing any clothing. Then the worst thing happened…her eyes opened wider as awareness struck them. She turned her head to the sides, and saw the cylinder she was in. She heard the loud humming growing louder and louder around her. She looked out through the glass and saw the central cylinder as well as the cylinder on the other side. She paused just long enough for full realization to hit her. She knew what they were trying to do.
"Fifty seconds!"
Aleron spun her head around…and the first one she saw was Aerith. The Cetra stared back, frozen in fear as she stared at her. As she watched…Aleron's eyes narrowed as hate blazed in them. Her serpent pupils became slits again as the green retinas flared. Aleron said something to her. The woman couldn't hear it due to being sealed in the tube…but from the lips she could tell it was an obscenity.
Aerith didn't know what to do. Desperate, she raised her arms and was moments from firing off a spell…before she remembered that doing so was useless. She had done it before to try and break out of her tube, and she had nearly fried herself in the process. The only thing she could do was the sleep spell again. With everything she had, she hit Aleron full force.
Aleron snapped her head to the side once…and showed no other sign of effect. After doing so…she drove her fist forward into the glass.
"Forty seconds!"
Aerith, momentarily, thought it was all over. She expected the glass to shatter and for everything to have been for nothing. Hence, she was a bit surprised when the tube shuddered…but then did nothing else. Aleron actually brought her hand back in pain, gritting her teeth and looking down to it. While it was true that she could break through the glass through her own power, she couldn't do so with a single blow. It would take numerous hits, as well as a few broken knuckles, for her to do it…just like Maritza had said. At this point, Maritza, back at the console, actually hoped that Aleron would try to blindly punch through it. There was a chance that the transfer could happen before she succeeded.
Yet after recovering, the woman didn't try to hit again. Instead, she looked up and around the tube…trying to find another way out. Slowly, she began to see the doorway.
"Thirty seconds!"
The dark woman reached out with her palms and slapped them against the glass door. Using the force of adhesion, she grit her teeth and started to pull.
It only took a few moments before the glass started to shudder. Aleron slowly grit her teeth more, and her face actually started to turn red. But she was putting more and more into it. After a few moments, the tube began to groan. Aerith could hear it even over the whirring of the machine below.
There was nothing else she could do except this. Abruptly, the Cetra took off and ran for the front of the tube. She needed to get close enough for her to hear her. She stumbled a bit as she went, but she did get Aleron to turn her head up and look to her a moment before going back to the tube. It continued to groan louder. A second later…and Aerith was standing right outside the tube door.
"Krystea! If you can hear me, listen to me!"
"Just twenty more seconds! If you've got any tricks left, do them now!"
"Krystea, we're going to save you! Stop her! If you have anything left inside you, stop her from doing this!"
Aleron looked unchanged for a moment. She didn't even stop to give Aerith a hateful look. She continued to simply pull back.
But then…ever so slightly…Aerith saw the light in Aleron's eyes dim. The groaning sound suddenly softened a bit…as Aleron's strength pulled back slightly. The dark woman noticed this…and surprise painted over her expression. A second later, and she grit her teeth again and blazed forth with even more determination…trying to both reassert her control and force open the cylinder. There was a battle of wills for a moment.
Aerith cried out in encouragement. "Hold her back, Krystea! Just for fifteen more seconds!"
For one more instant…Aleron continued to struggle.
Then, suddenly, the woman's eyes blazed so strong they did glow. Aleron screamed so loudly that even Aerith could hear it. It was an anguished, animal noise…like some rabid creature fighting for its life against a deadly predator. Abruptly…Aleron's strength increased…and the groaning went out again. A tiny crack appeared in the doorway of the tube.
The console beeped angrily as a message came up.
WARNING! MALFUNCTION IN CYLINDER 1! DOOR NOT SECURE!
RESULTING TRANSFER VIABILITY JEOPARDIZED!
ABORT? Y/N
Maritza looked down to this and froze…her own strained face staring at it blankly. She neglected to tell Aerith as the clock went down to ten seconds.
"Krystea!" Aerith cried out defiantly one last time.
Aleron grit her teeth so much that they cracked. With one mighty effort…the door to the tube slid open a foot. The dark woman's eyes went up and out into the freedom beyond. Immediately…she lunged out part of the way, clearing her head and one shoulder. Her arm went out with it…and her hand wrapped around Aerith's throat. It immediately crushed inward, choking the woman. Aerith's eyes went wide again as she clutched for the iron grip. Aleron braced herself against the door frame and used her one remaining arm and body to force it to stay open. She was still struggling…but she managed to yank Aerith forward so that their foreheads practically touched. Her green gaze burned into her eyes so strongly it was as if she wanted to burn her soul out through them.
"…She doesn't live here anymore." She coldly sneered.
Then, angry and tired, Aleron simply threw Aerith away. The woman sailed back ten feet through the air before landing on the ground. It was hard, and she cried out again as she slid back along it a few additional feet before coming to a stop.
Aleron moved her other arm to the door and continued to push. The console protested loudly. The device below sparked with building electricity. Despite how far she had come, the dark woman now was having trouble. She was only very slowly pulling her body out…too slowly.
Maritza saw this…and turned back down to the console.
Five seconds left.
ABORT? Y/N
The scientist thought of Krystea…her beloved innocent child. And she also thought of that central cylinder opening…of seeing a horrible inhuman abomination coming out. She thought of it coming through dead…and then thought of it living…looking out through a vaguely human face at her… She was a monster now…but at least she would live as a humanoid…not as a mutated freak…constantly in pain and misery…misery that she brought on her…
Trembling and quivering, more scared now than she had ever been in her life…Maritza's finger began to rise and move toward the Y key.
Aerith grunted, and forced her head up. Dazed as she was, she saw Aleron wedged in the doorway, struggling to free herself. She saw how loud the machine was now…and remembered it all too well. It was just like the night she had seen Krystea there…seen the last few seconds ticking down and fearing the worst. It was all happening again. There was nothing left. She couldn't call a spell in time or strong enough. Maritza could do nothing. She thought of closing her eyes…not watching it happen…
Maritza's finger rested on top of the Y key…but she couldn't bring herself to depress it.
Aerith's eyes began to shut…hiding the horrible even behind darkness…
When she saw it.
Aerith's eyes opened up fully…and saw a flash of red suddenly streak by her vision. Maritza froze where she was, seeing it as well. As they both watched…something blocked their view of Aleron. It looked like a red cape flapping in the wind. But it came to a stop in front of the cylinder, and immediately took human form.
Aleron's green eyes widened as she saw the cape seemed to melt away and reveal something beneath it…a man. A pair of red, burning eyes slowly materialized, set inside a pale, dark, hard face topped with long black hair. His grim look came from beneath a red collar as he pointed a gun with three barrels against her forehead…point blank range.
In the last split second…Aleron caught a glimpse of a glowing red materia, seemingly fixed back together after being cracked, resting inside a slot on the side of the gun.
"I believe this is yours." Vincent Valentine coldly stated before pulling the trigger.
A flaming bullet erupted from the gun's barrel and impacted immediately against Aleron's skull. Even if she wasn't devoting most of her strength to holding the door open, she wouldn't have been able to withstand the sheer impact of a shot from that close. Her head was ripped backward and back into the tube. It dragged the rest of her body through with it. Even before she slammed against the back of the glass cylinder, the hydraulics already had forced the door back and slammed it shut once again.
DOOR SECURE IN CYLINDER 1. WARNING ABORTED.
TIME TO TRANSFER: 0:01.
The last thing Maritza did was rip her hand away from the keyboard as she saw the cylinder secure.
TIME TO TRANSFER: 0:00.
Aerith looked away, her brain still trying to process what all had happened, as the roar of the machine became deafening. The sound of electricity snapping through the air reverberated in her very being as a blinding light came from the machine. She wasn't able to see Vincent stagger back as well, trying to cover his eyes. As a result…he collapsed to the ground, for his injuries were scarcely old. On landing…he managed to drag himself back, but that was all he managed. Aerith couldn't worry about him or anyone else at the moment. She was too busy covering her eyes and ears, trying to withstand the sound of the machine for a few moments more.
Then, after a few seconds, it cut off.
GENE SWAPPING EXPERIMENT SUCCESSFUL.
Aerith continued to hold back for a moment. The lights vanished, and the roar slowly died down. The machine beneath the floor slowed as its job was completed. The Cetra then slowly peeled her arms and hands away from her eyes and ears. Uneasily and reluctantly…she began to pull her head up and out to look around. Before she could see anything, however, she heard a voice.
"Ms. Aerith!"
The Cetra turned her head to the source, and found herself looking in the same direction Vincent had come from. She was looking back up the catwalk again within a few moments. A pair of faces she had never expected to see were coming down the way.
"Denzel? Marlene?"
The two children continued to run down the catwalk until they reached the platform below. There, they stopped a moment and looked around. After all…things were a mess. Blood…bodies…damage in the floors…and now three smoking cylinders. Yet after that, they turned back to the Cetra. They quickly ran up to her. Marlene, on her part, immediately grabbed on and hugged her as soon as she was within range. Denzel looked happy to see her as well, but he kept his distance…being a "guy thing" and all that. Aerith, in response, simply looked over them both in bewilderment.
"What in the world are you two doing here?"
"When we were moving through the Dome, Vincent found us." Denzel replied. "He told us to stick with him and he'd take us to you and everyone else. I had to actually help him walk a bit for a little while."
"I'm so glad you're alright!" Marlene said as she continued to hug the Cetra. "I thought you were in trouble when I saw Princess Guard lying on the ground…" At that, however, the girl seemed to realize something. She suddenly broke off and pulled back from the woman. "Oh yeah! I left it up there! I'll go get it for you!" With that, the girl quickly rose back to her feet, and turned and began to run back to the catwalk.
Aerith felt like telling Denzel that what he said hadn't even begun to answer her question, and she was moments from asking him why he was moving through the Dome in the first place…or how he was even here. But before she could say another word, she heard a hiss from in front of her. On hearing that, both she and Denzel turned and looked to the cylinders that made up most of the platform.
Each cylinder was filled with white smoke. However, the glass doors were now sliding open. The smoke that was within was released, and began to slowly trail out. The electric generators slowly ceased all together. After that, there was silence. All three cylinders slowly leaked out their smoke, but nothing move in any of them. And there was no way to see what was in any of them either. There was still too much blocking her vision.
Denzel looked to this uncertainly, and turned back to the Cetra. "What's going on?"
Aerith didn't look back to him. She turned and looked to the console. "Marit-"
Aerith cut herself off when her eyes rested on it. No one was there. The console had been abandoned. Puzzled, the woman turned and began to look around the area. Yet there was nothing. Her container was still there, but other than that there was no sign she had ever been in the room at all. No doors were shutting. No echoing was going out. Nothing. The Cetra was astonished. How had she managed to slip away? Yet she began to realize that there were plenty of opportunities. She had been hiding herself for some time, and been distracted by the kids.
Soon, however, she forgot about Maritza. Her attention turned back to the central cylinder.
The woman swallowed once, but then formed a more resolute look.
"Denzel…wait here."
The boy turned to Aerith with a puzzled look, but the Cetra didn't look back to him. With some difficulty, she slowly put her legs beneath her and pushed up. Once she got to her feet, she began to slowly walk toward the central cylinder. All of her attention stayed focused on it. She didn't even look to Vincent, who currently was conscious but lying still, seeming to still be recovering from the strain he had just put his body through. However, the man preferred that Aerith go on ahead anyway. That was, after all, the main reason he had come here. As soon as Aerith had passed him, he brought his flesh and blood hand down and grasped his side, where he had been stabbed. Stiffly, he began to pull himself up into a seated position.
As for Aerith, she was nearly to the central cylinder. The smoke was very faded now. She turned and looked to the first cylinder. Nothing was there. She turned and looked to the other. If there was something, it was still molded in the bottom. Then she looked back to the third. The bottom was deeper here…but she could see nothing standing. Whatever had come through had to be at the bottom.
The Cetra swallowed again, a dozen fears running through her head, and praying that they didn't come true. She kept her eyes up in the air as she closed the last bit of distance, and stopped at the edge of the cylinder. Vincent, by now, was grunting as he forced himself to put his legs beneath him. Marlene had gone back down to Denzel, now bearing Princess Guard, but both of them held and watched. Slowly, Aerith turned her head down and looked at the bottom of the cylinder.
There was something there.
The skin was as white as the snow, looking like it had never touched dawn. It was without flaw or wrinkle anywhere, looking like it was baby flesh. There were no fingernails or hair anywhere on the body. The muscles were lean…unused and untested. However…the hairless white body was also female…and human. Her eyes were closed, and she lay limp and sprawled out on the bottom of the cylinder. Aerith couldn't tell if she was breathing through the clearing mist.
The Cetra swallowed once, but then stepped into the central cylinder herself. She bent down next to the body and kneeled. She pulled her up and propped her head on her lap, and then put her arms around her head and shoulders. The skin was cold and clammy…but she saw breathing and felt a pulse. Aerith bent down next to her head.
"…Krystea." She whispered.
No response.
"Krystea." A bit louder.
The lips moved ever so slightly. The eyelids parted…revealing white cornea for a moment. Then they opened a bit more, and Aerith saw the retinas and pupils.
They were perfectly round, and had a soft, natural green color…just like Aerith's.
The woman seemed blind for a moment, or catatonic. She was staring ahead blankly, not seeming to see or recognize anything. Then…her eyes flickered once over to who was holding her. They stared just as blankly at her for a moment. Aerith stared back showing nothing.
The lips pursed as the woman swallowed. Her eyelids slowly shut and opened again.
Words came out in a breathless whisper.
"…I'm so sorry, Aerith… I couldn't stop her…"
Yet on hearing this, Aerith felt her heart surge in her chest, filling her with more happiness than she had felt in a long time. Despite her own injuries and weakness, the Cetra pulled the limp Krystea up and propped her head over her shoulder. Then she embraced her fiercely. She kissed her cheeks again and again, until the cold flesh began to grow warm again. She hugged her tightly until she could feel the blood beginning to rush out again.
"It's alright now…everything's alright…" She reassured her. "You're back."
"I did…so many bad things…"
"Shh…don't talk about it. It's over. Just like a bad dream."
A pause for a moment. Krystea couldn't even move her arms. It was as if she had just been literally born again…her body so fresh and new that she could barely use it. Even her brain was weak and unused.
"I…missed you." Krystea finally said.
"I did too." Aerith answered with a smile.
The two continued to hold for a long time. Aerith wanted to hang onto her until she was strong enough to move again…until her hair and nails grew back…until she was just the way she remembered her. But she didn't mind her as she was now…because it was her. Aleron was gone. Krystea remained.
Eventually, however, Vincent managed to limp over to them. Once there, he balanced himself against the cylinder and looked down on them. Krystea slowly managed to turn her eyes upward and look at him. He stared back simply.
As best as she could, Krystea smiled.
"You came for me."
Very mildly, Aerith saw him actually smile back.
"…I'll always come for my little sister."
The Cetra was surprised, although she barely showed it. She was too happy right now. She looked to Krystea and up to Vincent again, and saw that the man was actually answering her affectionate look with his own. Once again, he was doing nothing to refute Krystea's idea that she was his sister. He was actually encouraging it. Aerith didn't know what to think of it. Was this what he had been talking about earlier? Did it have something to do with why he had changed so much?
This happy fancy, however, was suddenly interrupted.
Marlene suddenly started screaming at the top of her lungs.
Seeing this, both Vincent and Aerith snapped their heads around. Krystea's own look became distressed slightly, but she was too weak to do much more than that. Holding her tightly against her, Aerith, despite her bad leg, found the strength inside her to force her body up and to her feet while holding onto her. Vincent, despite his own weakened condition, reached out and assisted her somewhat, helping to lift her over the edge of the cylinder and out again. Ahead of them, they saw Marlene and Denzel. The girl was stricken with terror, cringing and frozen in fear. The boy himself looked terrified, but he was forcing himself to be brave. He put himself in front of Marlene…although he could do little more than that. Moments later, both were out of the tube, and turned their heads in the direction the children were looking.
Aerith gasped and nearly dropped Krystea.
"Oh god…" Vincent said on looking at the thing.
A hideous, dripping, mass of veins, arteries, ligaments, nerves, and God knew what else had formed a twisted, multifingered limb. It was extending from the third cylinder before slapping itself on the ground with a sickening juicy sound. It continued to dribble bits of fat and flesh along with blood as it dragged something along with it…out of the second cylinder. It looked like some horrible blob made up of ground up entrails and material. Bones stuck out in weird shapes and angles from all sides. With a ripping noise…what looked like an assymetrical limb in regards to the first dropped from the other side of the blob. That was before it shifted the front of itself over to look at the three in the main cylinder.
When that happened…some inner mass seemed to rip itself out of the top. It looked like some horrid, malformed skull, with jagged teeth and one eye much smaller than the other. Its jaw was as large as a horse's as twisted lips began to form over it. Veins and nerves stretched out fat until it had some bloody parody of a human face. Silver hair…no longer fine and smooth but ragged and fur-like sprouted out from the scalp…as well as the rest of the "shoulders" and "back" of the hideous monster. Lastly…two pale, dead eyeballs popped out from within the body and planted themselves in the eye sockets. One had two pupils. The other was thin and multicolored. Both focused on the three.
It cracked open its mouth…and spat out bits of flesh and teeth as it spoke in a wet, horrible voice.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME, YOU CETRA BITCH? I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"
The three were petrified. Even Krystea could see that thing well enough. However, on hearing it…she suddenly went rigid in Aerith's arms. She had seen this monster before…had been inside it…and been hearing it torture her and torment her endlessly for months. With what little strength she had left, she tried to pull herself away from it in Aerith's grasp. As for the Cetra, she was immobilized in terror. She had no weapons left, and she couldn't cast a spell holding onto Krystea…assuming it would do any good. Vincent, on his part, could barely stand, and had no bullets left anyway. The fire materia had been put back together just for that shot. It was broken again.
The thing lurched toward them, dragging its wet bulk behind it. It shifted its jaw once…and then opened it wide. A hole large enough to fit a beach volleyball inside was revealed…and the throat was lined with teeth and tongues…each one flickering on little stalks…
Then…suddenly…the mouth exploded into an eruption of blood, followed by an ignition into flame.
Aerith, Krystea, Vincent, Denzel, and Marlene immediately reacted in surprise as they saw some sort of flaming bullet erupt inside the thing's head. Immediately, it threw its skull back and screamed. As it did, fire lashed out from its mouth. Flames moved to its eyeballs and began to roast them inside its skull. Two more eruptions of blood soon followed further down its body. Fire came up in its wake as well. The flames soon spread over the creature's body, seeming to eagerly lap up the juicy flesh. After all…a lot of it was fat, which served to only ignite more.
The creature thrashed about some, making Aerith and Vincent drag Krystea away. But it lacked the muscles or skeleton to move much. It only spread the flames. Soon it was engulfed. It turned its head to the sky and screeched, but it could barely make any real sound with its bad vocal cords. It kicked about a bit more, struggling to make itself move or react within the fire. Yet it wasn't enough. Finally…its head faltered and sank to the ground. Its limbs went limp, and it sank into a pile. As it slowly oozed out, the fire continued to roast and consume it. It was dead.
The five were flabbergasted. How had that just happened? Slowly, they turned their heads to try and see where the shots had come from. When they did, they looked back to the console.
Panting, sore, but holding her pistol out in front of her and aimed at the burning mutant, was Elena.
"I wanted to shoot that bitch dead for months." She gasped.