::The Last Avatar::
Gamer Edition
BOOK ONE
LEVIATHAN
1.11
Fire and Ice
Godo hadn't been lying. Sephiroth was nowhere near this particular area. Unfortunately, as he'd mentioned in his study, that did not mean that there was no SOLDIER presence in the area. If she'd known what Godo had been hinting at Rue was quite sure she would have turned him down flat.
Everything had been going fine at first. The Wutian troops hadn't even needed her help most of the time, every now and then she shot someone with an arrow when they got too close to the main group and that was about it really. She used her Materia when necessary, which, thankfully, wasn't often and over all Rue was feeling reasonably confident she could handle this shit. Even Tera was rather relaxed about the whole thing and that was rather telling on its own.
Of course it didn't take long for everything to turn to pig-shit. Rue should have known things were about to go down hill when a giant ball of fire took out half of the Wutian troops in one fell swoop. In hindsight she should have turned around and run like the fucking wind when she saw Angeal and Genesis taking a stroll down the battle field. She, stupidly, did not. And because she didn't, one of Godo's commanders had to grab her shoulder to get her attention, she'd been busy staring at the 'pretty men'. Damn her teenage hormones.
"We have to fall back, if those two are here the Silver Demon won't be far off," he shouted at her over the din of the battle raging around them. Rue nodded in agreement, there was no way regular troops could hold for long against those two. "You need to hold them off while we save as many men as we can," yes, she would hold off the two SOLDIERs while they-Wait. What?
"Um, what?" she stared at the commander blankly. He couldn't be serious, could he? This wasn't even a quest or anything!
"Just go! You're the Avatar aren't you!" the man barked at her while giving her a shove. Rue stumbled a little and then blinked as a Red exclamation point appeared next to some nearby cover and automatically hurried over to it. She recalled something about red ones being special or something. Crouching down next to the new marker Rue poked at it hesitantly as she tried to avoid getting shot at.
Single Instance Quest Discovered!
*Defeat Left and Right Hands of the General*
…
Because you chose to go along with Godo's plan you have come up against Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos on the front lines.
These two are Seconds right now and nowhere near as strong as the men you know them best as.
Of course they are still SOLDIER and you know what that means.
You need to hold of the two Commanders while the Wutian Troops fall back for as long as possible.
…
To complete this Quest with 100% completion you are required to:
1. Successfully distract both of them for five or more minutes.
And.
2. Incapacitate them so you can escape.
…
You will get a Bonus if you succeed at this Quest without relying on the Avatar State.
Rue stared at the words on the screen before her and wanted to throw up. She had to fight those two for over five minutes? Could that even be done by someone who wasn't enhanced? No time to really worry about it now, Rue decided with a sigh and dismissed the Quest screen. Resolutely she checked her equipment, only sixteen arrows left-shit-water canister was full though and she had plenty of snow-turned-slushy-brown-stuff left over from the clingy winter they'd just had to work with if she had to. Her MP was still reasonable too, thankfully. Oh and typically Tera had gone and vanished on her. Perfect. Alright. Fine. This was as ready as she was going to get.
Looking back at the commander who had caused her to get into this stupid quest she nodded and motioned for him to call the retreat. When he nodded back and gave the order, Rue sprang from behind the logs she had been using as cover and raced towards the two SOLDIERs who were cutting down Wutian Troops left and right. They made it look horrifyingly easy and Rue had to push down her own terror at seeing them in action without a screen and video game effects to make it all okay, between her and them. No. This was very real. The smell made sure of that. Sweat, sick and copper. In the words of Flynn Rider; it just smelt like the colour brown.
Rue nocked her first arrow with a resigned sigh and drew, released and nocked again, sending a number of arrows in quick succession at the pair. None of the arrows hit, she didn't expect them to really. Angeal batted them aside with his broad sword, the Buster blessedly remained on his back, while Genesis just burned every arrow she sent his way to ashes. Now she had only ten left and most definitely had their attention. Though the thoughtful look on Angeal's face and the, well, no she figured Genesis always looked half pissed off and half smug during battle, but Angeal's thoughtful-frowny-face was making her uncomfortable. She didn't want that Buster Sword anywhere near her and the look on his face didn't match with the situation really. Rue moved away from the retreating troops, firing off a few arrows as she did to make sure their attention stayed on her. Though, Rue frowned at them as they followed her hesitantly, well Angeal was anyway, it didn't really seem like they needed much coaxing. Six left.
Without warning Genesis charged, throwing a few Fires at her ahead of his blade. Rue countered his magic with her own Ice spells, deciding to stick with Materia to contend with his own, for the moment and barely dodged out of the way of Rapier.
Congratulations!
Discovered!
*Buster Sword Weapon Set*
*Rapier Weapon Set*
Popped up in front of her face as Rue dodged around Angeal as deftly as she could with a screen in her face. She dismissed it before firing off a few more arrows at the two of them, while trying like hell to stay away from them. Three.
"Rue, you don't have to do this!" Angeal called out to her as she took aim again. She frowned at him, hesitating, why did he know her name? "Whatever Godo has on you, we can help," he raised a calming hand. Rue just raised an eyebrow at him as she realised he thought Godo was manipulating her or something. Well. He kinda was. She was just letting him because what else could she do? She needed training.
"We?" she asked hesitantly. Angeal smiled at her, it was a nice smile she noted distantly.
"Sephiroth has been quite concerned about you the last few months," he admitted with a chuckle. Rue blinked at that admission. Sephiroth was worried about her? What? Lowering her bow Rue considered the young men before her. Angeal was the one who looked the most different. He didn't have any facial hair and his shoulders weren't as broad as she'd been expecting. It was obviously him, but much younger than Rue thought he'd be. How old were they? How far back in Gaia's timeline had she been thrown? She really hadn't thought much about it past the existence of Tiny Yuffie.
"Enough!" Genesis growled as he charged at Rue again. Obviously he wasn't part of the 'we' Angeal had mentioned. Rue managed to 'dance', or rather scramble, out of the way of Rapier and shot her last arrows at him as they weaved around each other. None.
"Genesis stop!" Angeal demanded of his friend. Genesis seemed to refuse to even acknowledge Angeal's words as he threw himself into the fight, sending more fireballs at Rue; who dodged some and countered others with her Ice spell.
Rue skidded to a stop a little ways away from Genesis, Angeal was racing over to his friend, she knew she had no more arrows to shoot and to keep using only Ice was just stupidity. It was time to bring out the big guns, or rather, open the small canister of water at her side and throw some 'magic water' at the damn pyromaniac. Some minor damage to right arm. No need to heal yet. Her mind catalogued her injuries sustained analytically but distantly so she could keep her main focus on the battle at hand.
"What's the matter little girl, no more arrows?" Genesis taunted her. Rue snorted and rolled her eyes, if the guy weren't such a dick he might have been likeable.
With little warning Rue's head felt like it was splitting open as she was suddenly fighting her own past lives for control, they seemed to be of the opinion that Genesis was going to try to kill her or something. She couldn't make out half of what they were all saying because they were saying it at the same time, overlapping each other with their want to protect their last incarnation.
'Rue it's too dangerous let us help!' was the only part of the din she could make out. One hand clutching her head as she bent over slightly, Rue pushed the Avatar State that was threatening to take over back through sheer force of will. No. I want to do this myself. Rue took a deep breath and straightened up slowly, they were quiet again, if grudgingly.
"Yeah," she admitted after a moment with a lopsided smile pointed at Genesis. "No more little arrows," she reached down slowly and unscrewed the cap of the canister. Frowning Rue felt something new surge within her, like a shot of adrenalin, and the words Icicle Arrow pulsed in her mind. "Of course," she looked back up at the smug little bastard in his red coat with a grin of her own. "I could always," a flick of her wrist and a twitch of her fingers had Rue activating her first real Limit Break. "Make my own," she drew the arrow back and fired on Genesis. She wasn't really aiming at anything damaging, in fact the arrow only grazed him, but she doubted the fact that she'd pulled an arrow, made of ice, out of a canister was something he'd been expecting.
Congratulations!
Limit Break Unlocked!
+Limit - Icicle Arrow lvl 1
Perhaps she should have been prepared for the angry bellow, yes, bellow, from Genesis when he realised she had damaged his precious coat. When the idiot let loose a much larger ball of fire at her Rue moved instinctively to make a shield of water from what she had in her canister. It wasn't large, by any means, but it was enough that at least half of it survived the impact and initial reaction to turn to steam. The extra cover was something she was grateful for as she dismissed the little screen and shoved her bow over her shoulder, out of the way, until, of course, Rue realised she no longer had eyes on the Pyromaniac or the Zuko-Impersonator that was Angeal. Fuck nuggets.
When the flash of metal slid through the dispersing cloud of steam Rue ducked under the furious red clad teenager and threw a Water Whip his way, smacking him across the back and throwing Genesis off balance. Angeal wasn't far behind his friend and Rue immediately drew the remaining water she'd pulled from the canister around her in a defensive stance. She didn't doubt Angeal's words, he wasn't the type to lie about wanting to help her or whatever he'd said, but Genesis was his friend and they were kind of attacking each other. Though it was rather one sided on his part, the lunatic just kept on attacking her while she'd just dodged around him and threw anything she had at him. I feel like a damn Airbender with all this dancing around him I'm doing.
When Genesis came at her again, Rue was ready for him and used her Water Bending to guide his strikes away from her, using his own momentum to her advantage. By the set of his jaw the red head was getting more agitated by his inability to hit her and it was making his movements more transparent and easier for her to predict. Most injuries on the left, leaving myself too open. Have to work on that.
It was unfortunate this didn't last long, Genesis launched another over-large fireball at her, forcing Rue to shield herself with the last of the water she'd brought into the battle with her. The resulting steam cloud did not halt the swordsman this time as he swept through it, knowing her last defence was likely gone. Rue managed to dodge the initial attack, but Genesis recovered quickly and halted all movement with Rapier pressed to her throat.
"Consider that only my respect towards Sephiroth has stopped me from running you through so far, little girl," he warned her darkly. Rue didn't move, not game enough to test the already rather unpredictable young man.
"Alright, alright, Red, you win," she assured him with a smile over her shoulder. Her only response was an undignified snort that seemed to indicate that he believed that it was a given that he would. And, well, that just got under Rue's skin a little. Sure he was SOLDIER and all, but the man needed to learn to lose. It was going to happen a lot after all. That thought made her want to snicker just a tad. Smug bastard would get his due eventually.
"Genesis that is enough! You agreed that we would help her if we found her!" Angeal stormed over to the two of them through the dispersing steam cloud. Rue raised an eyebrow, Genesis had agreed too? Then why the hell was she bleeding all over the place from the damn sword he had pressed against her neck? Not cool man. Not. Cool.
"Put your hands up," he ignored Angeal completely. Rue rolled her eyes and didn't move until he pressed Rapier a little harder against her neck, she didn't exactly put her hands up like he'd said however. Instead Rue moved them out to either side of her, not far from her sides, just enough that they could see she wasn't holding anything.
"I don't think you want me to do that," she told him lightly. She had a skeleton of a plan to get herself out of this and she was just going to roll with it.
"Genesis, let her go," Angeal tried again to be a voice of reason. He seemed to know it would fall on deaf ears though and sent Rue an apologetic look. Rue just rolled her eyes back at him with a smile, his lunatic friend was far less scary than he was. It was probably that fucking massive sword on his back that did it though.
"I said, put, your hands, up," Genesis repeated with a little more force in his words than before. Rue let out a purposely audible huff and raised her hands slowly as instructed.
"As you wish," Rue said quietly as she acquiesced to his request. Only Angeal's widening eyes and half step back gave Genesis any warning that something was amiss, a moment too late as Rue moved instinctively. Bending the snowy-slush around them as she ducked away from Rapier, Rue moved without thinking and with more ease than she had so far she directed the snow-turned-liquid to whip around the two men. Herding them together and knocking the weapons from their grip in quick, precise movements Rue was certain she would not be able to perform again later without a good deal more practice. With one final movement Rue encased the two teenage boys in a rough pillar of ice, much to their surprise.
Rue and the older Avatar's seemed to let out a collective sigh and the tension rolling through her body abated a little as she watched Genesis swear and try to wiggle his way out of the ice. She smiled a little at him, he wouldn't be getting out easily, the ice was thick and as strong as she could make it. With any luck someone would have to cut them out if he didn't have his Fire Materia equipped to his person rather than Rapier. On the other hand, looking at him now, it was probably in the sword.
With a smile that just wouldn't go away no matter how hard she tried, Rue wandered over to where Rapier lay and picked it up carefully. It was a beautiful blade, truly, now that it wasn't being pointed at her she could actually appreciate it. And there it was, Genesis' Fire Materia. With a small shake of her head and a soft laugh, Rue walked over to where Genesis was still trying to get out of the ice.
"My friend, the fates are cruel," she told him with a smile and carefully stabbed Rapier's tip into the ground in front of him. Just out of reach. Not that he idiot could move his damn arms, with him embedded up to his shoulders in frozen water. Genesis stared at her for a moment, surprise in his eyes, before returning to his default angry expression. Though it was hardly as heated as it had been. "I did warn you, you know," she told him with a laugh. His glare hardened as she tilted her head at him in amusement.
"All that awaits you is a sombre morrow, no matter where the winds may blow," he told her loftily. Rue just raised an eyebrow at him, because really? Sombre morrow?
"Genesis stop talking in LOVELESS, couldn't you for once just talk like a normal person," Angeal grumbled from where he sat in the ice.
"She started it," Genesis threw back at his friend.
"She was trying to be funny," was the exasperated reply.
"She has a name, and is right here, thank you very much," Rue reminded them huffily. It was like they were talking over her head and she hated that. When Genesis stared at her sullenly she had to let herself laugh, the entire situation was absurd. "You held back, this is what you get when you play around with an opponent you underestimated, so stop sulking Red," she poked him in the forehead for effect.
"I am not sulking," Genesis bit out through gritted teeth. Rue rolled her eyes at him and wandered around to where Angeal was positioned with one arm free and his other hand pressed against his chest, with only his fingers free. Better off than Genesis was, that was certain. He was also in a lighter mood than his friend, by the looks of him.
"Is he always like this?" she asked him with a lopsided smile. Angeal seemed to resist the urge to outright grin, trying to be good about the whole situation.
"Worse," Angeal admitted finally. Rue's smile turned into a full blown grin that made Angeal chuckle a little. "Normally he's much more smug," Genesis began swearing again.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Quest Completed!
*Defeat Left and Right Hands of the General*
…
Because you chose to go along with Godo's plan you came up against Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos on the front lines.
These two are Seconds right now and nowhere near as strong as the men you know them best as.
However, because you're a girl and they promised a certain General to help you, both dumbasses held back.
Because of this you were able to hold them back for nine minutes and earned yourself some serious goodies.
100% completion on this one.
Enjoy your spoils.
I mean it kid.
I would probably kill for that bonus of yours.
…
Here are your spoils:
2000 EXP
500 AP
3000 GIL
Positive Reputation booster
'Lady Avatar' Title
Polaroid Camera
…
Bonus Reward
A packet of Cherry Ripes.
Rue jumped and stumbled backwards as the screen exploded right in front of her nose, unable to stop the curses that fell out of her this time. She really hadn't been expecting this screen to show up until after she took off towards home base. Rue could see Angeal watching her in surprise and she grimaced apologetically at him and motioned to her ear, pretending that she had a comlink or something in it. Thankfully he seemed to buy it and nodded for her to step away and talk to whoever was on the other end. Smiling at him briefly Rue moved away from the ice pillar she'd somehow made and crouched down with her nice blue bag on the ground in front of her.
The moment the bag was in position a bag of bite sized Cherry Ripes and a boxy looking thing were tossed out of the screen at her. Thankfully Rue was better at juggling things and it only took her a moment to get a handle on the items. It wasn't until she had a piece of the delicious chocolate in her mouth that Rue actually realised what the boxy thing was. They'd given her a mother fucking camera. An instant-photo-giving camera. She had an instant camera and two, apparently, teenage boys to torment, one of whom was rather temperamental. It was like the universe was being nice to her for once and since when did that happen?
CONGRATULATIONS!
LEVEL UP!
You are now Level 09!
…
Current Stats
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 14
Vitality: 10
Magic: 11
Intelligence: 13
Luck: 8
…
Stat Points to Spend: 5
Rue had been expecting this one and mulled over her stat choices as she finished her mini chocolate bar off contently. She had chocolate, a camera and now she'd leveled up. Life was good. The two boys she had partially encased in ice were just a bonus at this point. Rue fished out another chocolate.
New Stats
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 16
Vitality: 10
Magic: 12
Intelligence: 13
Luck: 8
…
Confirm?
"Confirm," she said happily. Then picked herself up off the ground and turned back to Angeal and Genesis with a smile on her face and camera in hand. She was probably going to enjoy this far too much, but they'd given her a camera. It was like giving her permission to be a bit of a spaz. Skipping over to Angeal beamed at him and then promptly snapped a picture of him. Pulling the photo it ejected out Rue watched as it developed happily.
"What was that for?" he asked suspiciously. Rue just rolled her eyes and waved the photo at him distractedly.
"To prove I actually met you, obviously, who would believe me otherwise?" she explained flippantly. It wasn't a lie either, she just wanted to find a way to send it to one of her friends back home, if it was even possible. If not, she'd make a bloody scrap book or something. Full of photos of supposedly fictional characters that she had met. Nodding to herself absentmindedly, Rue looked back at Angeal and smiled again. "Hold out your hand," she told him seriously. He frowned at her, honestly he had a frown for everything, she swore he did, and then slowly held his free hand out. Her smile broadened and Rue deposited two Cherry Ripes in his waiting hand. "One's for Sephiroth, you know, as thanks for worrying about me," she told him warmly.
"You won't come back with us, Rue?" Angeal seemed a little surprised. He was looking at the shiny red wrappers in his hand curiously as he spoke. Rue shook her head, but her smile didn't fade.
"Nah, I got business I gotta finish back at the compound before I leave, besides I've got some important stuff back there I can't just leave behind, deep emotional significance and all that jazz," her words brought that 'nice smile' back to Angeal's face. Rue didn't like that it made her melt a little on the inside. God damned hormones.
"I see, Sephiroth will be relieved that you are unharmed at the very least, I suppose," he eyed her over carefully. "You should probably heal yourself soon," he added after some deliberation. Rue looked down at herself and realised she likely looked a mess. Genesis may have been holding his shit back, but he hadn't exactly pulled all of his punches completely.
"Hm, I will later," she waved his concern away. There was something that was bothering her and she needed an answer. "By the way, how old are you guys? Cause it's starting to bug me," she asked bluntly. Blunt like a damn mallet, that's me.
"Oh, uh, sixteen, we'll be seventeen in a few months, though," he told her awkwardly. Rue's mouth twitched. Well shit.
"I'm older than you," she told him faintly. Angeal blinked at her in surprise, clearly not having expected that response. Rue scratched her head awkwardly, it was bizarre that she was older than them, if only by a few months. It made her feel old.
She could hear Genesis mumbling something or other and nodded her head in his direction, holding up a chocolate. Angeal nodded to her with a smile and then without another word Rue wandered back over to where Genesis was brooding and muttering to himself. Probably LOVELESS again. He didn't notice her at first, his attention focused inward, until she shoved the unwrapped Cherry Ripe in his mouth to stop him talking to himself. "Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness Red," she told him sternly. Rue tried not to laugh as he fought with the want to spit the chocolate out and the fact that it was chocolate and should not be wasted. "Dude, chill, it was in a wrapper, not poison or anything, I'm just being nice and sharing," she waved the leftover wrapper from the chocolate in his face. He seemed satisfied after that. He also seemed to like her chocolate.
Rue took two photos of Genesis, just as he finished the Cherry Ripe, he was only smiling slightly in one of them. One she left on a little ice shelf next to him, for whoever happened to find it, and the other she tucked into her bag next to the one of Angeal.
"Why did you-" he began and Rue rolled her eyes.
"Proof," she supplied.
"That you beat me," he finished with a snarl.
"That I met you," she corrected him lightly, "I'm not the smug bastardly type who would lord that over someone," Rue raised an eyebrow at the red head smoothly. It was probably a good thing he was trapped in ice. The chocolate was helping too.
Packing up her things properly, Rue took a photo of herself grinning at the camera happily with the ice pillar behind her and quickly left that with the photo of Genesis in the ice. With a few brief words of 'later dudes' Rue was off like a rocket, she was not sticking around for their backup to arrive or for them to break themselves out. Angeal would have tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes she was sure. Genesis would have roasted her before that though.
Rue was halfway back to the rendezvous point when Tera appeared back at her side, looking innocent and bewildered when her mistress demanded to know where the hell she'd been while Rue was getting cut to ribbons by a lunatic in red leather. Rue had another chocolate.
!*~*~*BONUS SCENE*~*~*!
Sephiroth was certain he must have been dreaming when he walked onto an empty battlefield, and for the second time looked up at a tall, roughly formed, pillar of ice. Walking closer he realised that the arguing he could hear was actually coming from the pillar itself and then as he walked around it a little he caught sight of Angeal. Sephiroth blinked. No. Angeal was still in the ice. Continuing around the pillar Sephiroth had to hold his amusement in check at seeing Genesis stuck shoulder deep in ice. Considering the young man's pride in his magical ability, particularly with fire, this set up was highly amusing and more than a little satisfying.
Walking closer awarded him the pleasure of seeing Genesis' face when he came into the others line of sight. It wasn't often that someone outwitted any of them so this was a rare moment indeed. The glare of furious embarrassment was worth it though.
Sephiroth came to a stop in front of Genesis, taking note of Rapier sticking out of the ground in front of her master. Interesting. He raised an eyebrow at his friend in question.
"Not a word," Genesis glowered at him. Sephiroth kept his face perfectly smooth as he studied the ice. It was perfectly formed, really, but-was that a photo?
"Of course," he nodded slightly and then shifted his weight. Left hand already twitching for Masamune's hilt. "I'll just cut you out now, shall I?" he asked with a corner of his mouth twitching. Genesis growled in response as Sephiroth reached out and plucked the photos off the ice. One was of Genesis, but the other- Sephiroth blinked in surprise- was of a rather pleased looking Rue. Her dark blond hair was a mess, though it seemed to always be, and she looked harried, but she was otherwise alright it seemed.
A questioning look at Genesis rewarded him with an irritated snort and;
"She's annoying," as an answer. Although, "Angeal has some chocolate for you, but if you don't want it…" Genesis trailed off awkwardly. Sephiroth had a feeling his eyebrow would not be lowering for a while yet.
!*~*~*~*~*!
AN: So I really couldn't wait for this and stayed up almost all night to write it. Because I had to.
It didn't go entirely to plan. That is true. The main points are here though, I should have written down that bonus scene when I thought of it. On the other hand, it's very Rue, so I'm reasonably satisfied. The Camera, for example, just appeared while I was trying to think of rewards for the quest. The Cherry Ripes were also a random addition, mostly because I thought she deserved a nice surprise after Genesis being a bit of a dick during the chapter. Also, I just love Cherry Ripes.
I hope you enjoy the chapter, it was fun.
It also marks the road down to the tail end of Book One. WHOOP!
I want to draw that bonus scene so bad, you guys have no idea.
As always all reviews, faves and alerts are appreciated beyond words~
Till next time
RLK