Title: Little Remnants part 4
Author: Enide Dear
Rating: NC -17 for violence. Complete AU
Pairing: Nothing explicit, KadajxYazooxLoz. Implied Valenwind
Summary: Growing up is hell
Author's note: Valenwind! w00t!
**
The gun would fit Yazoo almost perfectly.
Kadaj had been observing the tall man for almost an hour, waiting patiently and unnoticed in a corner of the bar for the perfect moment. The gun strapped to the man's leg was a big and heavy piece, beautifully constructed with a dangling chain and a muzzle like a dog's snout. It might be a bit heavy for Yazoo yet and the recoil must be murder, but Kadaj's older brother would be delighted and he'd grow into it soon enough. The little guns they'd stolen from the Soldiers were mere toys compared to this thing.
Kadaj watched with interest as the man carrying the gun turned towards a blond man who sat down uninvited by his side and started talking to him, distracting him and making him turn enough in his chair to leave the gun exposed. Yazoo had a natural flare for stealing and Loz made up for his lack of dexterity by simply running fast enough that his victims literally never saw him coming but Kadaj had to rely on stealth and grace, both of which he had plenty of.
Living on the streets had taught the Remnants much; that they were faster, stronger and more skilled than the city's inhabitants and that taking what they wanted wasn't hard. They moved outside of society with the grace of sharks around a school of fish; taking what they wanted and when they wanted it. Still, Kadaj knew they were far from what they could be, what they had to be, if they were to make Mother proud. They needed to get better, much better. And they needed weapons, because somewhere out there were still the keepers and Soldiers and professors who wanted to keep them away from Mother…
He crept forward, darting between chairs and tables in the none too crowded bar, closing in on the gun. The dark man was still distracted by the blond, and Kadaj carefully reached out a stealthy hand.
"Oh, no ya don't ya little punk!" A hand reached down, fast, much faster than Kadaj and grabbed him with surprising strength; terror seized him as he was hoisted through the air, realizing he couldn't get free. The blond man had a firm grip around the nape of Kadaj's neck and Kadaj gasped with sudden fear and bewilderment; no one had been strong or fast enough to treat him like this since the institute.
Piercing blue eyes – but not the mako-shining eyes of the Soldiers in the institute – glared at him.
"Chief, what are you doing?!" the dark man who's gun Kadaj had wanted asked shocked.
"This little brat tried to steal yer Cerebus, Vince." The blond growled and the dark one put an instinctive, protective hand over his gun, still strapped onto his leg.
"It's just a kid. I'm sure it was just meant as a prank…"
They didn't seem like keepers or Soldier's but Kadaj couldn't afford to take any chances; he couldn't go back to the institute, separated from his brothers, cut off forever from Mother…his hand snaked back to the lining of his pants where he kept the long, sharp scalpel he'd stolen.
"Well, he shouldn't go around trying to steal thing like that. He should…"
Kadaj stabbed, aiming straight for that disquietingly blue eye.
"No!" A metal clad hand shot out and wrenched Kadaj's hand aside; he hissed as the scalpel missed the eye and just tore up the vulnerable skin next to the eye, all the way to the bone.
"Fucking Hell!" the blond swore in pain but didn't let go of his grip around Kadaj's neck. "What the Hell was that?"
"Let me go!" Kadaj screamed, trying to kick, but uselessly. He was caught between the blond and the dark haired man and now the metal hand was gripping him the hardest. He was getting truly terrified now; these people were faster than him, stronger and better, he'd been too cocky in assuming there were no other predators out there. What if they would kill him? Mother would be so disappointed. The though brought tears to his eyes. "Let me go!"
"He tried to stab you!" the dark man said angry and shocked, squeezing Kadaj's hand until the scalpel fell from his numbed fingers. "What is this kid?"
"Damned if I know," the blond tried to wipe at the blood running freely down the side of his face. "But we'd better find out, 'cause he does remind ya of someone, doesn't he? Old Sephy didn't have kids, did he?"
"I don't think so. Here, take this." The dark man handed over a red piece of cloth, pressing it against the wound.
"Thanks, love. Well, I think…argh!" Kadaj was left hanging in the dark man's metal grip as a shock of electricity shook the blond. Seconds later a bullet *pinged* of the metal hand, forcing it to release Kadaj completely.
"Let go of our brother!" Loz snarled, wielding the phaser threateningly, it's small claws sparkling with electricity. Yazoo stood behind him, the two guns in his hands.
It didn't take the dark and the blond man more than half a second to get to their feet, clutching their own weapons, but by then it was too late; Kadaj had already grabbed his scalpel and jumped down from the table and ran for the door, his brothers close behind.
Cid snarled and was going to run after the kids, but was stopped by Vincent's hand on his shoulder.
"You are bleeding, Chief. It looks pretty bad; the wound goes to the bone. We need to get you stitched or at least taped."
"Jest slap on some damned tape then and let's go! Those little murderous bastards…."
"Have gone." Vincent said firmly. "Let them go. We'll find them, some day. And anyway, they're just kids."
"Sephiroth was jest a kid to, once." Cid grumbled but let himself be distracted by Vincent's touch and led away.
**
Kadaj was shaking when he led his brothers down a deserted alley, the fear of the institution, the shock of being caught, the humiliation of the situation, all combining to rattle him to the core. He sank down on the alley floor, feeling his worried brothers crowd up on him, cradling him, stroking his hair, trying to calm him. He felt an icy, killing cold creep up inside him, far too familiar.
"Are you alright?" Yazoo wondered. "Did they hurt you?"
"I'll kill them," Loz promised, angry and scared. "I won't let them touch you again!"
"It's not them," Kadaj managed to press out between cold lips, "It's Mother. She's…she's so angry with me…"
"Mother? But she's Mother! We are her sons." Yazoo said bewildered.
"She loves us, right? She wouldn't hurt you. We are her sons." Loz begged.
"No, we…" It hurt *so much* inside now, she was screaming at him, so angry so disappointed. "There is someone else." He hadn't told his brothers about Him, not yet, but now that they held him as he shook at Mother's punishment for his failure, he spilled out the story, told them about Sephiroth. Mother's firstborn, the one they must strive to become.
Yazoo and Loz sat quiet as Kadaj told them about how they must earn Mother's love. It made far too much sense. Kadaj gasped out the tale between the flushes of deadly cold that Mother flushed through him, so angry that he'd almost been lost, which would mean loosing Sephiroth once more
"Do you think…Mother loves him more than us?" Yazoo asked quietly when he was done. Loz was already crying.
Kadaj nodded. His mouth tasted of his own blood.
"She does…now. But when we find her, when we rescue her…she'll love us as much as him. More than him. We will be better than him, then."
Yazoo and Loz nodded and helped him up on his feet again. He was very resilient, but Mother's punishment had been more mental than physical and his legs still felt wobbly. Spitting out some of his own blood on the sidewalk Kadaj drew himself up. He needed to be strong, for his brothers.
"Let's go." He said firmly. "We'll find something to eat and then…then we'll go looking for real weapons. Not just these toys. We need to grow up, and we need to find Mother."
"We'll follow you," Yazoo agreed.
"Anywhere," Loz nodded.
Kadaj almost smiled as a rush of warmth from his brothers' words flushed the last vestiges of cold from his soul. He led them into the falling darkness with unfaltering steps, boasted and supported by their faith.