Author's Note: I do not own Final Fantasy or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.
Ch.6 Disappearance
After Zack, Angeal and I escaped the burning Fort Tamblin we ran into he forest, finally making it to the base camp. A few minutes passed before we heard the sound of crushing branches, and turned to see Director Lazard run up to us. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm not used to being on site," he admitted. "You didn't have to come," Angeal said. "This operation will bring an end to the war. I have to see it through personally. Turk agent Vallis, SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack," the director said. "Sir!" both Zack and I called, snapping to attention. "You both performed your duties admirably at Fort Tamblin. I saw it with my own eyes. Frankly, my evaluation of you two is... You took out a lot of enemy units for us. You exceeded my expectations," Lazard told us.
Zack grinned from ear to ear while I merely nodded. Lazard smiled. "Keep up the good work, and perhaps the day you make 1st will not be far off, Zack. You were right, Angeal. He is quite a promising prospect," he said. Angeal chuckled. "This is just the beginning," he said. "Director?" I said, and he turned to me. "Does this evaluation mean we've been both deemed rehabilitated?" I asked. "Well, let's see. When you picture Professor Hojo in your mind, what do you see?" the SOLDIER Director asked. I never lied, and so I said "With his glasses in two, his nose broken, and my foot up his ass." Zack snorted, trying his best not to laugh. Lazard frowned, and said "Then I'm sorry to tell you that the answer is no. Now, let's hurry. Sephiroth is waiting."
In response to this I merely nodded; I didn't think the answer would be yes anyway. Meanwhile, Zack's eyes widened. "Sephiroth? The SOLDIER hero?" he asked. When Angeal nodded, he said "Wow! I get to meet a hero!" Fate apparently, had different ideas, because just then a trio of figures carrying weapons jumped down from the trees, opening fire. We all shouted and ducked behind some trees. "Zack, Jace, go! Get the director to a safe place!" Angeal said. "Got it!" I said, and I grabbed Lazard's arm. "I'll contact Sephiroth," he. Angeal shook his head. "The two of them are more than enough. Now go!" he urged. "This way, sir," I said, casting once more on Zack, me, Lazard. We ran out from behind our cover and I could feel bullets deflecting off of our barrier. While their attention was diverted Angeal snuck through the trees to attack them from the side.
As we ran no more troops came to ambush us, and for that I was thankful. About halfway down the path we spotted several Shinra infantrymen. We handed Lazard over to them, and one said "Thank goodness you're safe Director." Lazard nodded before looking back at us. "I should be fine now, Zack, Jace. Now, go and help Angeal!" he said. "I know!" Zack said, while I nodded. We both began running back, and now that it was just two of us a couple of troops did appear. They pointed their guns and began to fire, but then I dodged and drew my own firearms. "Eat lead!" I yelled, and I fired two shots into the stomach of one before hitting another in the knee. It stopped and Zack slashed it across the chest, casting Fire and scorching the last one. They all feel and we kept going.
Eventually we made it back to where the first troops had been, but while the troops were dead and their corpses were on the ground, Angeal was nowhere to be seen. "Angeal? Angeal!" Zack called, looking around. "Hey Zack, take a look at this," I said. He looked and saw that I was kneeling next to one of the troops. "Yeah, what?" he asked. I pointed. "Those don't look like Wutai uniforms to me," I said. Zack blinked and looked again. The guns had been all we focused on before, but now he could see that I was right. "But if they're not Wutai, who are they?" he asked. Before I could answer we were suddenly surrounded by light, and when it faded we were standing in the middle of a barren landscape with red earth and sweltering heart.
Behind us were heard a feral growl, and slowly turned to see the summon beast Ifrit standing before us. "A summon? Who called it out?" Zack said. Ifrit roared and flexed its muscles, staring at us. "I have no idea, and I'm not gonna stand around to find out!" I said, drawing Potentia. Zack did the same, and Ifrit roared before charging. It swung at me and I rolled out of the way, casting Blizzard. The chunk of ice burst apart against the beast and it roared again. Just as I suspected- having control over fire would make Ifrit weak to Blizzard magic. Zack got the idea and used Blizzard Blade, coating his blade in frost before he swung. Ifrit saw it coming and growled, knocking him back. It growled and cast a Fira spell from each hand, aiming at us.
I countered the oncoming attack with Blizzard, but being a Fira instead of Fire made it stronger than my spell. I grimaced with pain as a tiny ember that made it past singed the side of my face, and I said "Okay, Flame Boy. Time to die!" I put away my sword and drew my pistols, firing. Ifrit growled as a few shots hit its arm, just barely puncturing. The glared at me and cast Flame Shot, firing a ball of pure fire at me. I ducked and Ifrit used the chance to pull out the bullets with its claws. It got out two of them but Zack stopped it before it could pull out the third, slashing with Blizzard Blade again. It snarled and kicked with a hoof, hitting Zack in the chest. He shouted and feel back, clutching a rib that was probably broken. "Zack, hold on!" I said, casting Cure.
His body was suffused in green light and he stood, rubbing the spot where he had been kicked. The bone was fixed, but he'd definitely have a bruise in the days to come. "Now you're going down!" Zack said, and charged. Ifrit roared and fired a Flame Shot, but he jumped over it and swung down. The summon blocked the attack with its arm, but roared when it realized that Zack had been using Blizzard Blade again, and the frost-coated steel cut through its flesh. Ifrit glared at both of us before leaping into he air, and I realized that it was about to use Hellfire. "Brace yourself!" I called. Ifrit sailed back down and its right fist was enveloped in flame, before it landed and punched the ground. It shook from the blow and began breaking apart, flames burning in between the fissures.
Then Ifrit looked up at us and charged, it's body surrounded by flames until it turned into a massive orb of fire, one that raced at us and brought with it four straight lines of fire. Zack and I stood firm as Ifrit hit and both the lines of flame and the flames around Ifrit exploded in a single blast, battering us from all sides with raw energy and heat. After a few seconds it faded and Ifrit jumped away, pausing to recoup after having used its most powerful attack. I cast Cura on both Zack and me, but even so that attacked had come close to frying us in the most literal sense. Both both held up our swords, and I said "Things doesn't want to quit, huh?" "I guess not," Zack said. With that we both charged, and Ifrit growled before kicking at Zack and throwing a punch at me.
I ducked underneath the blow and stabbed the summon beast in the stomach, while Zack moved to the side and slashed at the leg. Ifrit snarled and moved back, and we pursued it. I cast a pair of Blizzards and Ifrit sent them back with a pair of Firas, but that gave Zack the chance to slash with yet another Blizzard Blade. He got Ifrit across the stomach, and it roared before looking at him and casting Firaga. A trio of fireballs flew at Zack and he spun in a circle, turning his sword into a deadly whirlwind that the cut through all three of the fireballs. He jumped up before they could explode on him, and I saw Zack's body glowed. He smiled, saying "Sweet! Limit Break time!" He landed on the ground I could hear the voice of Angeal say "Prove your honor to me." "I got it!" Zack said.
He shot forward and hit Ifrit with a trio of punches and kick before sliding to the side, unleashing another round of blows. Then he jumped away before leaping at Ifrit, yelling. When his fists made contact they each created a small explosion, and Ifrit took another step back. I could see that it was nearing the edge of the platform, and I realized that this was our chance. Just as I thought that I could feel my own Limit Break approach, but it wasn't my usual shooting one. I smiled, and called "Zack! Get out of the way!" He did, and I held up my sword. "Substitution Slash!" I yelled. I ran forward and Ifrit used Flame Shot, which I didn't even try to block. "Jace!" Zack called. But when the flames faded it showed that I wasn't even there, and Ifrit grunted in surprise.
That surprise turned into shock and pain when it felt something cut it on the back, and it looked back, kicking. It was me again, but when it kicked this one of me it burst into smoke, and another one appeared on its right to stab it in the arm. Ifrit roared and swung at that copy, destroying it as well. But then two more appeared in front and behind it, both cutting diagonally before fading away like a mirage. Ifrit took yet another step and was right at the edge, looking around for the next copy of me. But the real me was above Ifrit in the air, and I called "Hello down there!" Ifrit looked up as I dropped down, and before it could block it stabbed it in the center of the chest. Ifrit roared in agony and I smiled, pulling my sword. With a grunt, I shoved it with my shoulder, and the weakened beast fell over... into empty air.
It howled in dismay as it fell over the edge, and I knew that eventually it would hit something and be flattened from the impact. I smiled and flicked my sword, getting rid of the blood on it before sheathing it. "Whoa. That was nice," Zack said, looking at me. I shook my head, saying "It was only because you kept wailing on it that I even was able to come up with the idea. The credit goes to you." Zack rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "So, how about we look for a way out?" he suggested. I nodded and both turned away, walking off. Behind us there was silence, but a clawed hand shot from the edge of the platform and grasped the earth, Ifrit rising back up. After having fallen it was able to grab onto the side of rock and stayed there. But now that we weren't paying attention, it was time to strike.
Ifrit stood and charged, roaring once it was halfway to us. Both of our eyes widened and we turned, seeing the summon beast only a few paces in front of us. Neither of us had time to draw our weapons, to cast a spell, to do anything. We could only watch as Ifrit swung back, howling in victory... before there was a blur and something appeared in front of us, slashing Ifrit across the chest. It stopped, looking down in surprise. The shape stood and revealed itself to be Sephiroth, gazing coldly at the beast. It moaned in pain and staggered back- that slash had gone deep enough, and Sephiroth was strong enough, that the blade had gone through solid bone and cut into its heart. With one last growl Ifrit fell on its back, its body bursting into flames.
After about half a minute the flames faded, and in their place was a pair of summon materia. "Holy..." Zack said, in awe of the silver-haired warrior. "Take them," Sephiroth said, turning and walking between us. While Zack gawked at him like a star-struck fan I nodded, and picked up one. While I didn't need materia to cast magic, I still needed them to summon. Zack eventually picked up his as well, and around us the world turned white before fading back to that of the forest. Sephiroth was kneeling before the mysterious soldiers from before, and we came up next to him. He pulled the helmet off of one, and the revealed face had short brown hair and blue eyes. "Genesis," Sephiroth said, frowning ever so slightly. "The 1st who deserted?" Zack asked, he nodded. I looked at the soldier, and it clicked. "They're identical," I said, confused. How was that possible?
"A Genesis copy," Sephiroth said. "Copy? A human copy?" Zack questioned. "Yes. It seems he can pass his onto others. Where is Angeal?" he asked. "I thought he was fighting around here..." Zack said, trailing off. "Humph, so he's gone too," Sephiroth said. I looked at him. "What do you mean by that?" I asked. "It means... that Angeal has betrayed us as well," he stated. Zack gasped, his expression immediately becoming angered. "No way! I know what kind of guy Angeal is. And he'd never do that! Angeal wouldn't betray us! Never!" he yelled. He looked at me for confirmation, but I had turned away. Angeal had been here when we left him, but now he was gone. That left just three grim possibilities.
Either he had been kidnapped, killed and his body was taken... or he had left of his own free will.
Oh no, that's not good. What will Jace and Zack do now that Angeal is gone? What will happen next? To be revealed... next chapter!
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