Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence. Thanks for the review.
Okay! Chapter ten, part deux! Hopes you enjoyy! (:
Ten; One More Lie.
Part two; Kat's Theory.
xlx
Welcome to the end;
It's all about to go down.
xlx
Kat's knee bounced anxiously, eyes flashing from Sephiroth's speculative face to Angeal's thoughtful face, then back to Genesis' wary eyes. She was sure that this was it, sure that this was what was going on.
It made sense.
How the killer knew when she went to Gongaga and when she left, timing Nathan's death precisely. Lyndsay, her own flesh and blood, was practically killing their family for no apparent reason.
The mere thought made her stomach churn nauesously. Didn't she realize it was her family? Didn't she care?
No, she thought. It was Lyndsay and Lyndsay got whatever she wanted, when she wanted it. Spoiled brat.
"What do you think?" She asked, finally after a few more minutes of torturous silence. Sephiroth glanced over to her whilst Angeal gulped down his water. She bit her lip anxiously, waiting for the answer.
It was Genesis that spoke, not Sephiroth or Angeal. "It's plausible," he answered, as indirect as possible. Kat glared at him, not exactly in the mood for games. He shrugged at her. "What would her motives be?"
Good question. Very good question.
"Me? Nathan? Our father?" She shrugged, as well, not able to give him a full answer. "Damien has a special way of making you want to kill him. It's a gift, really."
The men rolled their eyes at her and she simply arched a brow back. She knew her father better than them. She could remember the man he had once been and the man he turned into.
"Some sort of resentment towards you or Mr. Harmon, it seems..."
Sephiroth's voice became a babble, just a noise to the clammer of her thoughts.
If what she thought was true, if Lyndsay was in cahoots with the bastard that killed her mother and brothers, then Kat was half afraid of who would be next. Her father, most likely, if he wasn't already dead.
Then her friends and comrades in Midgar, going by who was easiest to who was hardest. Her eyes flickered across the small group of men, lingering on Zack, who sat awkwardly in a church, not really talking a great deal.
She wouldn't let anything happen to him, she swore to herself. She'd die before she let him get killed by her sister and that damned man. She didn't care if it came down to that or not, either way it made her proud to know that.
Finally, she had someone she could actually say that about and mean it. With the three Firsts, it was the same way, except they wouldn't need her help. They were far more experienced and could handle an archer and a young woman.
Kat should have been able to handle him. She should have been thinking of every possible attack, every possible outcome. But, she hadn't. She had been too damn trusting and her family was dying because of that.
It was her fault, no matter what anyone said. If she had been stronger, smarter, more defensive... This wouldn't be happening.
With a noise of disgusting that unknowingly interrupted the men's conversation, that had grown more serious by the minute, she stood, turning away from them. Would it be better if she just ended it all? If she went to Midgar and confronted this man that was making her life hell?
Maybe.
But, who was to say that they wouldn't follow her and do something stupid, like, say... try to save her?
It was a very good possibility.
Kat swore under her breath and shook her head to herself, musing over their stupidity. Loving people made you stupid. It truly did. Your life, your well-being, depended on theirs. Love made you dependant and weak and everything she detested.
That was why it would be better if she cut the ties now. Ripped them away from her and kept a careful distance, like she should have all along. For their safety and well-being. She loved them, even though she'd never admit to anyone besides Zack or Angeal, and she'd be devastated if harm came their way because of her.
"Kat?"
She looked up at her name, blinking back the haze of thoughts and narrowed her eyes at the redhead. A familiar mask shifted into place, blocking out any emotion besides ice and cool hardness.
Zack shifted anxiously in the chair.
The room was tense, the older men recognizing this change in her demeanor but not commenting on it, and for that she was thankful. "It's not your fault," Angeal told her quietly but sternly.
Her response was a lethal glare and a steady finger pointed at the door. "Out." She ordered, voice turse and curt. "Now."
The Second's eyes widened in shock and the three Firsts exchanged looks. She didn't care. She needed them out of her rooms, needed to think clearly and freely without having to worry about them noticing.
She needed them to think she was breaking and needed space.
Needed them to think anything, really, just as long as it wasn't the truth.
"Kat," Genesis' voice was soft and quiet, his profile suddenly looming in her vision. She folded her arms over her chest, trying to seem menacing and intimidating. "This isn't you. Don't let her get to you like that."
Kat growled, a low and dangerous sound and flung her arm out at the door again, letting her anger and outrage from everything that had happened so far control her. "Don't you dare tell me who I am, Rhapsodos," she hissed, glaring darkly at his honest and open azure eyes, that suddenly snapped with anger.
She had unintentionally challenged him, daring him to fight her, and he was responding positively.
"I can tell you who you are, Harmon, especially when you're letting yourself get pushed around by your sister," he sneered. "So weak. Can't make your own decisions, can you?"
Her heart pounded with adrenaline, blood singing with the inevitable fight. "I can damn well make my own decisions, and I'm not weak." She fired back, not caring that Zack and Angeal and Sephiroth watched with incredulous expressions. "I'm stronger than you."
Genesis scoffed, his expression cruel and ruthless.
This was a fight; one neither adults intended to back down from.
"Sure, you are. If you're so strong, why is your mother dead?"
Kat couldn't help back the gasp nor the flicker of hurt, but easily hid back her emotions, her expression of hostility and indifference. To Zack and anyone else who had not known her before her mother's death, it was terrifying.
But, to the men and Kat, it was nothing new. She had a tighter grasp on her emotions than Sephiroth, only showing what she wanted, when she wanted.
A crack in this mask would destroy her.
She had lived behind it for so long.
"Because you didn't teach me to think defensively. You only taught me how to be offensive, to fight and not think about the repercussions. That's kept me alive, hasn't it?" She quipped back. "If you think you could have done better, I'd like to see you try."
His eyes narrowed at her, giving her a strong glare. "You're pushing it, girl," he growled, sounding as if he was very close to snapping, to physically hit her. For a brief moment, Kat was extremely aware of the leather sheaths brushing against her bare skin.
Then, reality snapped back into place and she was back in her former mentor's face, butting heads. She needed him gone, out of her face and out of her rooms, now. But..
This game was far too tempting. A challenge to her strength and skills and honor.
"Let's see how far I can push it, then, shall we?"
He glared at her, stronger and more heated than before, angry nearly pulsing from him.
Kat smirked tauntingly, knowing he wouldn't hit her no matter how far she went. He had his dignity and honor. He would not hit a woman.
That could be why she continuously pushed at him, trying to see how much he could take before he snapped at her. "Let's not." He grumbled, moving back a step. There had been less than two inches between them, breath swirling in each others faces.
She turned her darkened eyes to the other men in her rooms, pointing her finger at the door once more, her other hand clenched into fists. "Out. Now. Or you can all see how aggressive I can be," she snarled, pretending that guilt didn't try to drown her when Zack flinched away from her.
Slowly, they rose. Genesis stayed in front of her, not looking at her but standing stoically. Kat could hurt him even more, make him hate her. She could make him try to kill her.
She'd do anything to keep them safe.
One by one, Angeal, Sephiroth and Zack left her rooms, each as silent as the next. The quiet was like a knife to her heart, gouging out more and more. She didn't care at this point. Anything to keep them alive, to keep them safe.
"You should go, too," Kat instructed, turning away from her former mentor. "I don't want you getting hurt."
He chuckled and she threw a glare over her shoulder at him. "I understand, Kat. You think shutting us out will help us survive. I get it," he said, moving towards the door. "But, who'll be there for you at the end of this all?"
She said nothing in reply, standing stonily. The door closed softly and her throat constricted from tears.
Who would be there for her when this ended?
xlx
Her head and heart were pounding, forehead gripped in her hands, nails biting into her face. She was talking with some of the stronger and more logical Seconds, trying to figure out what the best course of action was.
Go and end it all where it had began, or wait until she was positive, all the while more of the people she cared about died?
To her, it was painfully obvious. But, also, painfully suicidal. If Lyndsay was with the killer, then she'd have to make a complete different attack combo. Not the quick and fast movements, that were good with opponents that didn't know her weaknesses.
More defensive, more deflection and blows that could easily halt her opponent. Kat would have to go against everything she was taught.
It'd be worth it, if she killed the man and came out on top.
Even though her sister had betrayed her family, and practically killed them all, she couldn't do that. She wasn't a killer and she wasn't go to start killing her last family member. Maybe jail, or let someone else do it.
Not Kat.
"You will have to always be on the defense, Kat," one of the Seconds, some kid called Angie Clarke, repeated, stressing always. She rolled her eyes at him. As if she didn't know.
"And, possibly, have something that can deflect archery," Clarke went on. "Or even have a bow with you, or a gunblade or something."
Gunblades. Bow.
Weapons she had been trained in, briefly, and had liked very much. Then, put them away once she got her katanas.
She nodded. "A gunblade would be easiest for me. I know how to shoot and how to fight with one," Kat agreed. "Bow is for the more practised archer."
Clarke and the other Seconds nodded, quickly formalizing a battle plan, while Kat sat, barely listening to them. No one that she cared about knew what she was planning and she was glad about that. They would try to stop her or beg to let them come.
Or come anyway.
It was much easier if she just got this plan and strategy done, then left, and then, hopefully, came back to Midgar with was left of her family. If any was left of her family.
There was no doubt in her mind that Damien was dead. Which was why she wanted to leave, the sooner the better. Hopefully, she could catch the killer and Lyndsay before they left for Midgar and then..
It would all end.
Right where it began.
Unlike when it began, though, Kat was no longer a skittish fifteen year old girl who knew nothing about defensive fighting. She knew more about it, fought sometimes that way when she had no choice but to.
She would think of every possible outcome before she fought. She'd either come out on top, or go out with a bang. Either way, she was fine with it.
But, there was something that was even more different than last time. Last time, she had been afraid of death, but was fine with facing it.
This time...
Death didn't scare her.
If she died, then she could go see her family.. They would probably be like how they were before her mother and Joey died. It would be just like old times, laughing and loving each other without the constant threat of her or one of them dying.
She almost wished she could die.
Of course, that didn't mean she wouldn't fight like hell for her life.
If Kat was going to die, well... She was going to take that bastard down with her.
"When do you plan to leave, Kat?"
She glanced over to the only female Second in the year and smirked at her slyly. "As soon as I can." She answered.
A look flickered on her face; fear, Kat realized. This girl was afraid for her.
"Aren't you afraid to die?" She breathed at her.
Kat shrugged and got to her feet, stretching her stiff muscles. "When you're in SOLDIER, you realize something. Death isn't scary or bad. It's gift. An escape. Anythings better than the hell of waiting for someone you love to die, don't you think?"
xlx
I fell for something beautiful,
That turned into a lie,
I gave my everything to you,
You left me here to die.
xlx
Soo...?
What do you think?
Now, I realize there isn't much romance in it at the moment and I'll try to weave some in the next chapterr... Have faith!
REVIEW! Pleasee? :3
Until next time,
xWhiteRainx