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.13 Angels
Once Zack and I began chasing after Hollander, he tried and failed several times to hide from us. The first time was behind a door, and rather than look around it I simply kicked the door, hitting him in the stomach with the doorknob. He shouted and ran past us, out f of the room, running down the halls. The second chance to catch him was at an intersection, but Zack was distracted a pair of treasure chest that turned out to hold a pair of Hi-Potions. The next time I was the one to be distracted, finding a Magic Up. Hollander kept running and we chased after him, and as he ran he dropped a Circlet. I picked it up as we ran and put it on, powering up my magic. By the time we finally caught up with him it was in an open area with a trio of machines, which awakened as Hollander ran past them.
They blocked the way and I stared at them angrily. Telling to move aside wouldn't work, so I knew we had to fight them. "Let's get rid of these things!" Zack said, mirroring my thoughts. We both drew out swords and the machines readied their respective weapons, lumbering forward. There was a Pile Machine, a Cutter Machine and a Shot Machine, and while Zack went after the Pile Machine I targeted the Cutter Machine. It spun its saw blades and swung at me, but I moved back and avoided it. I swung Potentia and struck sparks against the metal of the machine, which turned and used Poison Gas on me. I didn't dodge quickly enough and coughed, feeling my strength drain away. Quickly I pulled out a Remedy and drank it before casting Thunder, hitting the Cutter Machine with a bolt of electricity.
It fell back and jerked as its systems were temporarily overloaded, and I took that chance to activate one of my Limit Breaks. I held my sword high and called "Substitution Slash!" My body shimmered like a mirage before fading out of sight, and the Cutter Machine stopped, its target gone. It was about to just attack Zack instead when I reappeared on its right, slashing and creating a shallow cut in the metal. The Cutter Machine turned and slashed with its saw, cutting right through me. But then that one of me burst into smoke, and another appeared behind it, stabbing it in the top. The machine let out a bout of Poison Gas and when it hit that copy it dissolved into smoke as well. Two more copies appeared on either side of it in the air, dropping down and swinging vertically.
They both tore gouges in the Cutter's sides that exposed its wires, and it destroyed them both with Spin Saw. Just then the last me, the real one, materialized high in the air above the machine, and dropped silently. When I was a foot above it I shouted and landed on its top, stabbing my sword into it. I channeled a Fire spell through Potentia, and inside the mech the blade glowed red with heat. The heat was such that it set the wires around it on fire, and with a grunt I pulled my sword out, jumping off. The Cutter Machine was weakened but not down, turning around and walking towards me. On the other side of the field Zack was taking care of the Pile Machine, which used Rapid Fire on him. He placed a hand on the ground and leaped over the ensuing stream of bullets, twisting in midair and landing behind the machine.
Before he could attack it though, the Shot Machine used Missile and fired a quartet of rockets at each of us. Zack cut through one, dodged another and destroyed the last two with Fira, while I also used Fira and simply ducked beneath the other two. Zack turned back around and slashed at the Pile Machine while also using his free hand to hit the Shot Machine with Thundara. He could feel a Limit Break come upon him, but it wasn't an attacking one. Instead, an image of Cissnei appeared in his mind, and he smiled before tossing his sword in the air. He began running in place and his body glowed with energy Cissnei's voice saying "You can do it, Zack!" "Yeah! I'm on fire now!" he called, catching his sword and doing a perfect back-flip. He landed on his feet and could feel the Lucky Stars move come to an end, bestowing him with Critical.
The Pile Machine use Partisan but he moved around him, slashing at the machine. Because he had Critical the attack dealt a massive amount of damage, going through the metal plating and cutting into the wires inside the robot. He swung again and this time he did sever a set of wires, causing its right arm to stop moving. It creaked in surprise before turning to him and using Partisan again, this time connecting and piercing one of its blades into his right arm. Zack gritted his teeth and moved back, but the Shot Machine readied to Silence Gas from behind. I planned to stop it with a Thundara spell, but then I could feel another Limit Break come on. I was surprised. Not only was it so soon after the other, but unlike the others, when it did occur I sensed that it was one of my summons attacking, and held up my sword.
It burst into flames and I could feel the power of Ifrit run through me, telling me what to do. I stabbed my sword downwards and the flames traveled into the ground, bursting from the ground all around me. I pushed harder and the flames grew, and I pulled Potentia back out. "Take this! Hellfire!" I called, rushing forward. The flames gathered around me until I was enveloped in sphere of flames, and when I slammed into the Shot Machine the flames exploded in a massive blast of power and heat. The Shot Machine staggered back, its side martially melted, and I stopped to regain my balance, suddenly dizzy. The use of two Limit Breaks back-to-back had taken away a large chunk of my strength, and I needed a second to recover.
The Cutter Machine was apparently determined to not give me that second, and used Poison Gas again. I was hit again and my strength began fading away even more, while the Shot Machine used Missile on Zack. He rolled out of the way and the rockets exploded against the ground, and he cast Cure on the hole in his leg. The wound healed enough for him to weight on his leg, but he'd have a rather interesting bruise for the next few days. Then he charged back in and met the Pile Machine head-on, slashing downwards with both hands and tore through the front of the mech, also destroying the central command box. When that happen it beeped loudly before falling forward, instantly dead. I drank another Remedy and cast Thundara, hitting the Cutter Machine and causing it to pause.
I took a deep breath and marshaled my strength again, coming and up swinging for one of the side cuts my doppelgangers made to the mech. But it saw what I was doing and turned to face me, using Spin Saw. I received a large cut on my right arm and shouted, but refused to give up. Instead I transferred Potentia to my left hand, swung with that. I sidestepped and swung at the cut in the mech's side, luckily hitting the same cut as before even though I was less accurate with my left arm. I severed the wires and cast Thundara into the ruined controls, short-circuiting the Cutter Machine and causing it to fall over. Now all that was left was the injured Shot Machine, and before it could use Missile again Zack jumped onto it from behind, stabbing his sword into one of the missile silos.
Then he let go and the beast continued with its move, but while five missiles cam out one of them exploded inside, destroying the Shot Machine firing mechanism. It turned to Zack and used Silence Gas, but he let it hit and actually ran into it, go through and jumping to grab his sword. He pulled it out and slashed twice at the machines front, exposing its control box. I put away Potentia and drew one of my revolvers, firing a trio of pullets into the control box. The Shot Machine whined and collapsed on its side, dead. "Nice shooting," Zack complimented. I smiled and put away my gun, casting Cura on the cut on my arm. "Nice sword-swinging," I replied, nodding at the Pile Machine. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, before smiling. "Now, let's go get Hollander, shall we?" he asked.
I smiled and nodded, and we resumed our chance for the scientist. We found him outside of the reactor, and stopped when he saw us. "Hollander, do you understand what you're doing?" Zack asked. Hollander smiled and just turned away from us, resuming his run. We began running after him again, but the a large sword suddenly appeared from behind a pillar, blocking us. I narrowed my eyes when I saw exactly which sword it was- the Buster Sword. "So, you're actually working for him now?" I asked. The sword's owner, Angeal, appeared from around the pillar, his gaze as hard and level as always. "What is it you're after?" Zack asked. "World domination," he replied simply. I glared at him. "If that's a joke, it sucks," I said bluntly. Angeal grunted, and half-smiled. "Then how about... revenge?" he asked.
Before I could answer he turned away, and Zack said "Revenge for what? Angeal!" But then Angeal raised his right arm from his side, and suddenly a large white wing burst from that side of his back, feathers rising high into the air. I gasped, eyes widening. "No way..." I said, remembering a black wing on Genesis. "Whoa..." Zack said. My mind was racing, putting it together. Project G, wings, copies, degradation, Angeal being the only possible donor for Genesis. It finally clicked- Angeal was the same as Genesis. As if he heard my thoughts, Angeal said "I've become... a monster." He turned back around to face us. "A monster's objective is usually world domination or revenge," he added. Zack finally got over his shock, saying "You're wrong. Those aren't the wings of a monster."
Angeal frowned. "Well then, what are they?" he asked. "Angel's wings," Zack replied. "I see. Then what should an angel fight for, Zack? What do angels dream of?" Angeal demanded. "Angeal..." I began. He looked at me as well, saying "Angels dream of one thing." "Tell us," I said. He looked me in the eye, and said "To be human." Suddenly he shot forward and punched Zack in stomach, and before I could even shout he gave me a kick to the chest. We both feel back, and although I was gasping for breath and Zack had a hand to his stomach, neither of us drew our weapons. Angeal saw this, and glared. "Defend yourselves!" he called angrily. Zack smiled and shook his head, while I simply said "No." In reply Angeal slammed his fist against the ground, sending a wave of energy at us.
That wave hit both of us and destroyed the grate we were on top of, causing us to fall through. I shouted, as did Zack, and along the way I hit my head on something, blacking out.
Sorry about the shortness of the chapter, but the truth about Angeal has been revealed! And when Jace and Zack wake up, what will occur? Who will they meet?
Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding... or am I?)