A/N: Boy, I've been busy lately. Between baby sitting, selling on eBay, and trying to finish this werewolf book I'm writing...But don't worry, next chapter will be up sooner. ^_^
Hope you enjoy. XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.
Chapter Twenty-One
As it turned out, Enfys had taken them just outside the town of Gongaga. It wasn't hard to find the town, even in the dark hours of night. Yazoo and Reno had followed Shelke's lead all the way there, although the young woman stayed a good distance ahead of them the entire time, and did not turn to look back at them once. Yazoo and Reno were silent as they traveled together, as if no one was quite sure they wanted to break the tension in the air.
It was around 3 o'clock in the morning when they arrived at the small farm town. Shelke disappeared before Yazoo and Reno could follow her further, and the remnant and the Turk found the nearest inn. Yazoo was more than relieved that there was also a bar attached to the complex.
The two of them entered the noisy building, making their way to the counter.
"Let me buy you a drink," Reno offered.
Yazoo stared at him strangely, as he flagged down the bartender. "Alright," he replied, "but I should warn you, the last man who tried buying me a drink ended up unconscious."
The Turk chuckled at the simple, flat way the remnant spoke. "I'll keep that in mind."
He ordered them each a mug of beer, then the two of them retreated through the noisy, smoke-filled area to a table in the back.
"I'm curious," Yazoo said, watching the Turk take a big gulp. "How did you find us?"
"Find you? I've been following you for weeks."
"Really?" he raised a thin brow, taking his first drink. He was surprised, he hadn't noticed the Turk the entire time. And he was usually very perceptive about such things.
"And you knew we'd been captured? Why didn't you help us sooner?"
Reno chuckled again, "Hey, it wasn't up to me. I had to wait for orders."
Yazoo seethed in silence, deciding he hated Rufus Shinra more and more each day. He hadn't had a pleasant time while is his custody those many months ago, and the amount of time he allowed them to stay in Enfys' clutches didn't help his standing.
The remnant drank heavily from his glass, nearly downing the entire thing in one gulp. Reno watched him, amused.
"Would you like another one?" the Turk asked. The remnant stared at him blankly while letting the beer settle in his stomach.
"Yes."
Kadaj walked along the length of the table, scrutinizing it with his gaze. He listened to the silence in the room, wondering how long it had been since he had last seen his captor. At least two hours, he guessed, but it was hard to keep track of time, especially when he had spent half his waking hours trying to overcome the affects of the drugs. Luckily, they were now out of his system. He could move properly and think more clearly. Unfortunately, he still couldn't find a way out of this place.
He looked to the featureless door, then back to the table again. With a frustrated sigh, he threw all the pictures to the floor, scattering them carelessly in a mess. He took the copy of Loveless and tossed it to the other table, not caring what he knocked over in the process. He then hefted the table, and turned it over on its side. He grabbed one of the legs, bracing his foot against the rest of the table as he snapped it off.
It broke off nearly cleanly, and he tested the weight of the makeshift weapon in his hands. It was better than nothing.
As if on queue, Kadaj heard footsteps outside the room. He quickly dashed to the door, pressing himself against the wall beside it, lifting his weapon. The door slid open, and the moment Genesis entered the room, Kadaj swung his weapon. It smashed hard into the man's head, splintering to a millions pieces upon contact.
The ex-SOLDIER fell heavily to the floor, the vial he held shattering, wasting whatever it was it contained.
Kadaj wasted no time. He tossed aside what was left of the table leg and stepped over Genesis' groaning form. He dashed down the hallway, eager to get as far away from the man as possible. He had no idea where he was or where he would be once he got out, but he didn't care about that. He just had to get out of there.
He came to the end of the long, dimly lit hallway and was faced with a short flight of stairs. He ascended them quickly, shocked to find himself now in a cavern. He paused for a short second, staring in wonder at the meandering passageways and levels. He grew more unsettled at his own ignorance of his surroundings, but kept moving, taking the nearest passageway and climbing the slope to the second level. He found himself standing on the edge of a small cliff, over-looking the stairs he had just left.
He took a second to take in his surroundings again. The softly glowing crystals in the walls and floor illuminated the rock in every direction, showing just how large this place was.
Where was he?
He had no time to continue wondering. He turned back to continue his trek to the surface, only to find Genesis standing before him, his captor recovered and uninjured.
He moved quickly, before Kadaj could even react. He kicked him hard and fast, hitting him in the chest, sending him flying over the edge of the cliff. The remnant landed harshly on his back, the pain reverberating up his spine as the breath was knocked from his lungs. He groaned as he rolled over, taking a moment to recover.
Genesis leapt from the cliff, effortlessly soaring through the air and landing before him on his feet. Kadaj shot him a glare, before attempting to kick his feet out from under him. The man swerved out of the way, leaving Kadaj to roll himself to his feet. The remnant faced him unafraid, ready to fight him despite the fact that his hands were bound.
He charged the mako-eyed soldier, swinging both fists at him at once, missing as the man backed up, a smirk on his face. He tossed his next blow aside, before taking a shot at him. His fist hit Kadaj in the jaw, sending him stumbling back.
Howling in anger, Kadaj advanced on him again, swinging his leg around. Genesis ducked to avoid the blow for his head, then rose just in stop another punch from the boy.
Kadaj flipped backward, clipping the man under the chin as he revolved. The moment he was back on his feet, he charged him again, flipping over his head before he had a chance to recover. He kicked him in the back, sending his captor stumbling forward. He continued to advance, relentlessly kicking him, landing blows half the time.
Genesis turned about to face him, grabbing his foot and stopping it midair. He flashed a smile, before twisting his foot around, sending the boy spiraling to the floor.
The remnant rolled out of the way as Genesis attacked, his fist punching the ground where he once laid. He rolled back, ramming his elbow into the ex-SOLDIER's head. While he was stunned, Kadaj threw his legs forward, using the momentum to propel himself to his feet. Genesis rose back to his full height, facing Kadaj as the remnant swung both fists at him again.
He grabbed Kadaj by his bonds, stopping his next move abruptly. Kadaj pulled against him angrily, but couldn't break free as Genesis pulled him forward, slamming his knee into his gut. Kadaj convulsed, before Genesis threw him to the ground, leaving Kadaj to wallow in his pain before pulling himself back to his feet.
The remnant threw himself against him, the force of the attack knocking them both to the ground. He slammed both his fists into the soldiers head, but was thrown back when Genesis struck him in the chin. He threw the teen to the floor, the remnant turning to face him just as he bore down on him.
Genesis pinned him to the ground, holding his thrashing arms in place as he sat on his legs. The remnant cried out in frustration, struggling as best he could to get out from beneath him. Genesis remained calm, that smirk still on his face as he reached into his jacket, pulling out a syringe. Kadaj's eyes widened in fear.
"Get off me!" he yelled, thrashing about. Genesis kept him firmly in place as he lowered the syringe to his arm. "No!" He jammed the needle into his skin, pumping the fluid into his veins.
Kadaj screamed in anger, yanking his arm to the side, jarring the syringe and causing the needle to break. Genesis withdrew his hand, but it was too late. The drugs were already in his system.
Genesis grabbed both his arms firmly, pressing them to his chest and keeping him still. The remnant whined as he immediately felt the sedative taking control, dulling his mind and freezing his limbs. The cavern around him was growing darker, his thoughts and his fears dissipating. He blinked lazily, staring up at his captor's bright eyes, at his no longer smiling face.
He removed his hold from his arms, but it did Kadaj little good. He could no longer move. Incoherent words escaped his lips as his head lolled to the side, sleep coming to claim him.
He was vaguely aware of the hand on his head, of the fingers tenderly stroking his hair.
"Don't worry, my friend," he heard the words, like distant echoes, "I will redeem you."
A/N: Mwahahahahahaha!
*clears throat* Reviews are always appreciated. ^_^