A/N: I woke up rediculously early and had some time to kill, so I figured I'd put this up now. :) The chapter's a bit short, but it didn't seem like putting anything else in it would fit. So, I hope you enjoy. And sorry it took so long for the poor remnant to get back in the story. Dang, that was like...5 chapters ago. Haha...
Anyhoo...enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.
Chapter Eighteen
His head throbbed. He wasn't sure why, but he knew something was wrong about the pain. It wasn't natural, and it didn't foretell of anything pleasant. He was awake, and he wanted to open his eyes, but he feared it would only make the pain that much worse. So he moved, squirming around in the blankets in an attempt to wake himself further, and to get pulled from the half-conscious state he was in.
He forced his eyes open, unsure of what he would see. He was facing the wall, on a bed, tangled in light blue blankets. His hands, resting just before his face on the pillow, were bound.
Struggling against the heaviness in his limbs, he rolled over, taking in his surroundings. It was a room, plain and simple. Besides the bed, there were two tables, a number of different things on top of them.
Kadaj sat up, his head spinning and forcing him to close his eyes again. He groaned softly as he moved out of the covers and out of the bed. Immediately upon standing, he crumbled to the floor, his weak legs giving out beneath him.
What was wrong with him? Why did he hurt so much? And why was he so tired? He felt like laying back down on the bed, despite the fact that he didn't know whose bed it was. He longed to sleep, to forget about his abduction, or whatever this was. All he had to do was lay down, and his fears and worries would get lost in another series of incoherent dreams.
He opened his eyes again, staring down at his stinging arm. There was a bandage over it, and he wondered what had been done to him while he slept.
His stomach sank, growling loudly in the silence, telling of his hunger.
He groaned in anger and frustration. Fighting against his fatigue, he pushed himself back to his feet, moving slowly. He found enough strength to keep himself upright, though he wasn't very steady. He staggered to the closest table, catching himself on it before he fell again. He stared at the simple oak wood, then at the disorderly pile of pictures before him. He gaped at his own face staring back at him, wondering when the picture had been taken, and how he been caught unawares. Clearly, he was in Nibelheim, but he still couldn't figure out when it was taken.
He swept his hand over the pile, revealing the pictures beneath. Yazoo, Loz, Cloud, Vincent...they were all there, in shots candidly taken.
He had a mixture of anger and fear, wondering why they were taken, and what it inevitably meant for all of them.
He looked deeper in the pile, finding the picture of another familiar face: Sephiroth. He kept going, seeing many others of people he didn't recognize-men in soldier uniforms, people in lab coats, people in uniforms he didn't recognize. He stopped when he found a picture of Lucrecia.
He sighed heavily, wondering what all of it was for. He pulled himself along the table, to the only other thing set on it-a book. "Loveless", it said. He scoffed at the coincidence, grabbing it and flipping to the first page.
When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, the goddess descends from the sky...
The sound of the door opening startled him. He looked up and took a step back, as the man Loveless stepped into the room. A soft smile was on his dark lips, a red coat over his shoulders, and a plate in his hands.
"You," Kadaj hissed.
"Good morning," he casually replied, a hint of mockery in his sly voice.
Kadaj took another step back at the man came toward him, circling around the table. He stopped and glanced at the book left open, the tone of his smile changing slightly. He closed the book, before turning his attention back to the remnant. He offered the plate to him.
"Where am I?" Kadaj demanded, ignoring the food.
Loveless didn't answer, only took a step closer. Kadaj backed up, forced to release the table supporting him. His fatigue caused him to stumble, and he fell to the floor again.
"You need to eat," Loveless said, crouching at his side even as Kadaj backed himself away from him. He set the plate down on the floor, "You've been out for three days, you need to eat something."
"Answer my question. Where am I? And what the hell do you want with me?"
"You'll know soon enough," he replied. He stood back to his full height and walked to the other table, absently running his fingers along it.
He pushed himself to an upright position, watching the man leisurely stalk through the room. "Who are you, Loveless?"
He chuckled shortly, his mako eyes turning back to him. "I am Genesis."
Kadaj didn't know why, but that name filled him with dread.
"Eat your food," Genesis continued, before he gestured to the bowl of fruit on the other table. "And try the apples. You won't find a better kind."
"You're going to regret this," he called after him, as the man turned for the door. "Once my brothers find me, I'll make you pay!"
Genesis only stopped briefly to smirk at him. The door slid shut once more as he left, leaving the remnant locked inside. He remained on the floor, breathing heavily, angered at everything. His stomach growled once more, the discomfort only adding to the pain racking his muscles.
He reluctantly reached for the plate, knowing there was no sense in ignoring the food. After all, he would need his strength in order to get out of there-wherever there was. And he would find out who this Genesis man was, and why he had to disturb his almost-pleasant life.
A/N: Please review. ^_^