Disclaimer- I claim no rights to Final Fantasy VII

Chapter Fifteen: Sacrifice

Zack Fair was Lord and Alpha of Midgar. He worked hard to earn the right to say those titles with pride and he was proud that he was powerful enough to defend himself, titles and his lands, but staring up at Azul's massive form, Zack felt his confidence drain into almost nothing. He had always faced his opponents with a certain bravado that Angeal outright despised, telling him that same confidence would get him killed one day. He never realized that his mentor and uncle's words could come back and bite him in the ass. Never in all his days did he thought he would be staring down a Bloodhound who could easily tear him limb from limb with little to no effort.

"Lord Fair," Kunsel uttered, voice weak and by the shuffling of his boots, Zack knew full well that his Beta was ready to turn tail and run. "Your orders...?"

"Lord Angeal Hewely is dead." Zack intoned uselessly, his eyes drifting to the cooling body of his uncle whom he loved-still loved-with all that he had. "One of the instigators to these outlandish deeds is dead and I lost a fucking family member to this inane builshit. I want Azul the Cerulean's body cooling next to his own Kunsel. I want both him and Hojo dead."

"Zack." Cloud's weak voice brought him out of his rage for an instant before he was seeing red again. "We-we can't fight him. He's too powerful-"

"Then run," Zack snarled, his heartbreaking in his chest as his eyes strayed to Angeal again. It was an image that would never leave his mind. He would close his eyes and see it for the remainder of his days, but he would make sure that Hojo and his Bloodhounds deaths would haunt his dreams as well. "He's not leaving alive, Cloud."

"And neither will you if you don't calm down, Zack." Cloud countered, drawing his own blade. "I'm going after Hojo. Keep him distracted." Cloud turned on his heel, ducking when Azul swung in his direction, knocking over countless bottles and books and scattering them to the floor.

"He has some spunk-for an Omega." Azul turned his attention back to Zack and Kunsel, a maniac grin stretching across his blue lips. "Alpha Zachary Fair, eh? It's an honor to meet you at long last."

"I'm sorry that I can't say the same, Azul." Zack returned coldly. "I don't have much love to Bloodhounds, not after the atrocities that you've committed."

Azul snorted, his thin lips stretching and revealing a set of sharp teeth that reminded Zack of a rabid dog. "The atrocities that we've committed? You speak of atrocities when you should be staring down at your own bloodline."

Zack raised an eyebrow at the comment, tilting his head. "Of my own bloodline? What do you mean? Speak, beast."

"You don't realize that all experimentations must be sanctioned." Azul chest rumbled with a sadistic chuckle as he watched Zack's face pale from shock and realization. "And it was sanctioned by you, Alpha Fair, but of your sires."

"You lie." Zack snarled, charging with his blade, despite Kunsel's loud protest. "They would never do such despicable things to their own people. Never."

"I speak the truth and my heart beats steady and as sure as your intention to kill me, Lord Alpha." Azul stepped back, swinging his massive fist to knock Zack back and off his feet. '"Listen with your ears and you know that I speak the truth - my words resound."

"You lie." Zack echoed, rising to his feet. "They would never do such atrocious things to their people for the sake of power."

For a second, too short for Zack to decipher, Azul's eyes softened with pity before the mania returned. "You do not believe my words and I have no desire to convince you of it but know that the Midgar that you were born and raised in wasn't always the powerful and fertile lands that you are privileged to rule."

Zack thinned his lips and said nothing in response to Azul's words as his mind warred with heart. It wasn't true, was it? His parents would never do - but, didn't he say the same thing about Angeal? About Sephiroth and Genesis? Yet, they went behind his back and consorted with Hojo and mutilated countless innocent people and for what?

"Why?" Zack asked, the fight all but leaving him as questions rose and tightened his throat. "Why would they do this? Those people did nothing wrong."

Azul huffed, looking down at his massive form, the blue blood, the stretched skin, and the horns and smiled. "People are casualties in the face of progression and to protect the lands and make them stronger, those innocent people are used as cattle for such progression." Azul turned his head, staring at Angeal's stiff body on the table - to be used for Hojo's experiments such this battle rise in their favor. "We are all sacrificial lambs, in the end, Lord Fair."

"You-"

"You don't have to worry." Azul rumbled, stepping closer, the floor shuddering underneath his massive weight. "Once I've smashed your skull in, the last thing you'll be worrying about is the sins of your mother and father. Lift your sword and make your death worth it."

Zack pushed the new information to the back of his mind once Azul charged, his fists swinging at a speed that Zack would have trouble keeping up with, if not for the fact that Kunsel was quick on his feet and attacked from the left, knocking Azul off balance and allowing Zack to regain his footing and push Azul back with a number of strikes that would have cut down a normal enemy, but Azul merely sent him a massive grin as his arm shot out and grabbed Kunsel around the waist and tossed him towards the table where Angeal lay eliciting a roar of outrage from Zack as he watched his friend and dead uncle fall to floor as if they were nothing more than dolls.

Azul charged, slamming his fist towards Zack who jumped back and swung his blade upwards, catching Azul's arm and leaving the man nearly amputated and Zack was lucky to strike again and leave a stump in the place of the massive arm that was enough to decapitate a normal man.

"Bastard of an Alpha." Azul sneered, grasping his arm as dark red blood trickled to the ground. "Think you can chop me up in little tiny pieces, eh?"

"I intend to do just that, Azul." Zack grinned, swinging again, stopping as he watched Azul squeeze his arm, release enough blood on the ground to make a large puddle.

"I have a surprise." Azul purred reaching out with his whole arm as his tattoos glowed a bright blue. "A gift from our fellow Alchemist."

"A gift...?" Zack watched, raptured, as the blood on the floor erupted into flame and spreading to the papers that were scattered about along with the weak wood that they stood on. How did-?

"You've heard of the Cetra, correct? Wanderers of the Land or Ancients is what Archivists call them. It is said that they have a connection with Minerva and Gaia and it was with this connection that gave them access to elemental magic."

Elemental magic.

Magic

Fire

Azul had cast a magic spell and Zack could only watch in horror as Azul's tattoos glowed an ominous blue before literal fire erupted from his hand and set the columns alight.

"Lord Fair!" Kunsel cried out, appeared at his side with Angeal slung over his shoulders. "We have to leave or we'll be burned alive."

"But Azul-"

"Gone," Kunsel uttered out, turning his head towards the place where only a pool of blood lie. The giant had vanished amongst the flames and smoke. "Come on, we have to find Cloud and leave before the Bloodhounds find us and outnumber us."

Cloud. Right. They still had to find Cloud.

"Get Angeal to the surface." Zack turned to stare at his Uncle, his body long gone cold and stiff and bile fought its way up to his throat and fought back it down. All of the cruel words he uttered to the deceased man rose to his mind and he forced them down. There would be time for regrets once they were safe. "I'll find Cloud."

"Yes, My Lord." Kunsel turned on his heel and shuffled out of the roaring flames with Zack hot on his trail. He didn't notice, however, when Zack turned to acknowledge the flames and what created them before moving upstairs to find Cloud and Hojo. He might have lost Angeal to this madness, but he couldn't lose Cloud to it.

"Magnificent."

Cloud's hands shook as shards of ice and blood trickled off and to the wet ground. Before him stood a frozen Azul, forever trapped in an enraged expression with his one remaining arm raising to strike Cloud down to the ground. He didn't-

What was going on?

"It is said during the Age of the Cetra that Omegas were primed to not only give life but also primed to do battle and to heal those who marched for the Cetra. Never in all my years did I expect to stumble upon a Cetran Omega." Hojo stepped from behind Azul to approach Cloud, who scooted backward, unable to rise to his feet. "I wonder what lies underneath that tender skin."

"Get back!" Cloud snarled, his fists clenching as ice gathered around it. "Monster!"

"Oh?" Hojo chuckled, halting his footsteps at the accusation. "I'm the monster, am I? Am I the one who froze this wonderous creature as if it was nothing? Am I the one who attacked this sanctuary-?"

"Sanctuary?" Cloud repeated, incredulous, his hands gathering to fists tight enough to turn his knuckles white and the air around them growing colder. "You have murdered, experimented upon and burned hundreds upon hundreds of people including my parents and you have the gall to call this fucking place a sanctuary?"

"We were creating a cure for those who tossed away for those who are blessed enough to live without hunger or fear." Hojo's tone turned vicious as he approached Cloud again, his steps heavy and ominous against the wooden floor. "What do you know of despair? Of desperation?"

"You sacrificed countless lives for a cure that couldn't and wouldn't be found." Cloud stood on unsteady legs and uncurled his hands, the ice dripping to the floor and cracking by his feet. "I know of despair and desperation. I know of the horror you unleashed when you traded lives for those who have no respect for it."

"You think you can use those powers now boy?" Hojo snickered, stepping ever closer to Cloud with a wild smirk on his cracked lips. "You can try-" Hojo choked when a blade was pressed against his neck and a low growl echoed in his ear. At the corner of his eye, he met a pair of dark, violet eyes and the wild smirk he bore dropped and a trickle of sweat slid down his cheek and to the bloodstained blade at his neck.

"Zachary Fair."

"Lord Zachary Fair." Zack corrected with a low snarl, his eyes turning darker. "You will remember that not only status separates us, but strength and valor. I won't tolerate cowards in my land." Zack tipped blade back, earning a choked whimper. "Cloud? Are you alright?"

"I-" Cloud swallowed back his surprise at the Alpha's sudden appearance. He didn't expect Zack to catch up so quickly, but that only spoke of Zack's skill. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"Did he hurt you?" Zack's eyes scanned the room, quickly finding a frozen Azul. "What happened to him? More of your handy work, Hojo?"

"Ah." Hojo let out a strained chuckle. "He didn't tell you? Your little Omega has magic. He's no ordinary Omega. I dubbed him a Cetran Omega - Blessed by Minerva."

"I didn't mean to do it," Cloud screamed, his own eyes growing wild with fear of Zack wanting nothing to do with him. Of being scared of him. "Zack-"

"It's alright." Zack soothed before turning back to Hojo with a wicked smile. "It looks like your guard dog is taken care of and my guards are on the way. You know that means don't you, Hojo?"

"You-"

"It would be an excellent idea to slit your throat." Zack continued sweetly. "However, you have a lot to answer for and I prefer it if you were brought before my people - experiments and all." Zack chuckled when Cloud joined him at his side - always by his side. "It's over, Hojo."

Hojo said nothing, watching with dull eyes as guards flooded the room to grab him and wrap in chains. He turned to Cloud and his lips twitched when he was met with a wary gaze.

"It felt good didn't it? To use that special power of yours?" Hojo chuckled as he was dragged out, but he wasn't done. "It'll come to light! All of this will come to light! Your precious Zachary Fair and his House are nothing but insignificant monsters! I did this for the people-"

Zack turned his back on the struggling alchemist and to Cloud who was staring at the frozen statue of Azul and it forced him to wonder how the beast managed to find Cloud so quickly, but he supposed that it didn't matter. All that did was Cloud was safe despite the new powers.

"It's over, sweetheart." Zack murmured, turning to grin at Cloud when he was met with a solemn stare that forced the grin off his lips. "Cloud?"

"It's over." Cloud turned back to the door where Hojo had been dragged away screaming and deprived. "For now."