Another chapter is here!
Reaper2908 : True but who knows.
Seta88 : Thanks for the comment.
Enjoy!
Heidegger's mouth was fixed in a frown as he observed the battlefield from the monitor in the control room, having no intention of placing himself in the line of fire. Shinra's military might had been unparalleled since he had taken the reins back when the former President had been around. And the Deepground SOLDIERs were among the most elite and skilled in history.
However, even the strongest force alive could be taken down with sheer numbers. He could only relate their current situation to watching mice swarming over a herd of elephants. The ordinary troops were mere men wielding guns against his genetically modified super-soldiers, but for every one they killed another three took their place.
The entitled brat must've pulled in troops from just about every corner of the globe. His teeth gnashed behind his pursed lips at the thought of what the fighting would cost them in the end. At this rate, even if he managed to have them defend the city, they wouldn't have the manpower or resources to continue as they were.
His day was only made worse when the door slid open and revealed Hojo. The scientist entered the room, his expression impassive despite the fact that the source of their problems could be traced back to the fool's experiments that he let loose. A snarl bubbled up in Heidegger's throat as he demanded, "I told you to stay in your lab and finish the damn weapon you promised me you'd make with that materia!"
Despite the fact that Heidegger towered over him, casting a menacing shadow over the hunchback scientist that exuded the promise of violence, Hojo showed no signs of concern or fear. He merely pushed his glasses up and stated, "The Ancient and her companions are arriving through the main elevators, and the systems have been compromised by Shelke the Transparent."
"What!?" He turned to the computer system and went over the log of the elevator's activity. It showed no sign of use since the last time. Just to be safe, he tried to remotely disable it and switch over to the camera, only to find that his ability to do so had been cut off. "Those… damn… rats!"
With a wordless shout of pure rage, he slammed both his fists into the console in frustration. The blow was hard enough that keyboard shattered into pieces and sparks shot out of the underlying circuitry. Not that he cared—it was all useless the moment that his system was compromised.
"Deploy the remaining troops throughout Deepground and above," Hojo said—no, ordered—after watching that display of rage with distaste. "Have the remaining Tsviets you've left to cower behind stand in their way. The Ancient must die."
Heidegger's already rampant temper flared at the very notion that Hojo could order him around when everything went wrong because of him. He stormed over with a fist raised, anger bleeding over his common sense. Then he swung it around like a sledgehammer, intending to sink every ounce of rage and frustration into the scrawny scientist…
Yet, the meaty fist never reached his face. It was stopped midway by what used to be Hojo's arm. Only it wasn't that of a human's anymore.
It had changed. Warped entirely into a smooth and grey alien appendage that came down to a single point. A trio of blue stripes circled what used to be the forearm, and what had been the sleeve of his lab coat turned into the same meat with a dark-blue pad over the shoulder.
"The charade has gone on long enough," Hojo said, his voice taking on a strange timber before a sickeningly moist sound came from his flesh that rippled. His lab coat and glasses seemingly melted into his skin that was becoming duller and polished at the same time. His eyes were sucked into his skull as his head bulged into what looked like a helmet with an orange dome, separated from his torso that expanded by a blue collar. And his figure gradually narrowed down until there was only a single point where his feet had been, hovering off the floor.
Anger and rage were replaced with fear as he asked, "W-What the hell did you do to yourself?"
"I've become the ultimate lifeform," he answered. "I have managed to successfully incorporate the Jenova cells into my body. Now there is only the awakening of Omega left."
"You turned yourself into a damn monster is what you did!" Heidegger tried to pull back his arm only for the alien appendage that was cool to the touch and slimy like a slug to coil around his arm and hold fast. He reached behind his back and pulled out his firearm, pointing it towards the domed head and pulling the trigger. The sound of the gunfire stung his ears as the bullet smashed against Hojo's head…
Only for hole punched into it to simply close as the bullet was forced out by the alien tissue. Then there was flash of hot pain and Heidegger cried out in agony. The tail-like appendage with a bladed-tip attached to Hojo's head had come around and severed his gun-wielding hand, leaving the firearm to drop the floor with it still attached as blood poured from both the hand and the arm.
"From the beginning Shinra was nothing more than a means to an end for me," Hojo said as he raised his arm that gripped Heidegger and floated further off the floor until they were both in midair. "At this point, it is no longer necessary beyond stopping the Ancient from interfering further as I awaken Omega and attain the knowledge of the cosmos."
Then he flicked his arm to the side with as much effort as one would to swat a slow-moving fly. A pained cry was forced from the depths of Heidegger's throat as he hit the wall near the exit. It felt like something had broken from the impact, but his fear dulled the pain in lieu of getting to his feet and fleeing from the monster in front of him.
"Guards!" he shouted as he hobbled out of the door, only to see that the Deepground Troopers that he had stationed to guard the command room were on the ground, writhing. Their flesh was bulging at certain points, meat swelling and growing misshapen. Heidegger only had the briefest of seconds to realize the extent of Hojo's madness before an appendage curled around his throat and tightened as it dragged him back into the room.
"Your incompetence will no longer be a factor," the transformed scientist continued over the choking sounds Heidegger made as he flailed his feet and tried to use his remaining hand to free himself. Raising one of his appendages that sharpened further until it became a piecing point, Hojo then thrust it into Heidegger's body. "I shall implant you with the Jenova cells I've propagated within my body. I doubt someone as unsuitable as yourself will be able to retain your ego, but as long as you survive long enough to carry out our purpose, that will be enough."
Heidegger fell to the ground as Hojo pulled his arm free, only to start writhing himself as something began to eat him from the inside out. It was invading him, violating his body and mind. Taking over his flesh, destroying his ego, melding his memories, shifting his form, and assimilating everything that made him what he was, it would leave behind a shell that would only serve the whole. Unable to stop it, unable to scream, the last sight Heidegger's eyes registered after Hojo drifted out of the room was that of a black cat doll emerging from behind the console and staring at him.
Then Heidegger as an individual ceased to exist.
[-oOo-]
The President's office was in a state of mid-repair, showing signs of an explosion having gone off previously. The console was fully-functional though, having been replaced on Heidegger's orders according to Shelke. It seemed as though he had intended to move into the office after he solidified his rule, a throne upon which he intended to sit and overlook his kingdom of steel.
But, other than that, there was nothing of interest. So once Cait Sith had connected the transceiver into it and Shelke began to hack her way through the system, they boarded the elevator again and began to descend into the lower levels of the headquarters. It was no sooner than they'd passed what would have been the Main Lobby that the cat doll, which had been lying limply on Nanaki's back the moment its manipulator shifted his attention elsewhere, abruptly came to life and jumped up with a yelp of, "Hojo's turned himself into some kind of monster!"
Needless to say, he grabbed all of their attention as he went on about everything that was heard from below through the doll still there from his initial infiltration with Kunsel. Hojo had decided to simply move along his own plans and had infected Heidegger with Jenova cells. The process seemingly left him acting more akin to the Sephiroth Clones from the sound of it.
"If he's turned himself into a creature that can propagate Jenova cells and infect others, he probably intends to use that ability with the Protomateria to take control of Omega," Aerith said, her fingers clutching her staff tightly as she shook her head.
Then the elevator came to a stop and she held it forward. A wall of crystalized light sprung up in front of them and intercepted the welcoming gift bestowed upon them by the unit of Deepground Soldiers stationed by the entrance, a hail of gunfire. She then thrust it out and used it as a battering ram to knock them down before the spell wove around her companions to protect them.
Electricity crackled in Crimson's palm as she held it out and let loose a Bolt 2 spell that struck the closest one. The lightly-armored woman was blown backwards with a pained shout, her back breaking against the wall as Cloud rushed forward and swung his sword to knocked away the others in their way. Breathing room secured, Nanaki and Tifa let loose Fire 2 spells that encompassed the unit and left smolder corpses behind.
"So I'm guessing the first thing Heidegger did was send out a warning about us." Crimson scoffed as she moved her hand over her earpiece. "Where are they now?"
"Hojo has boarded the rail system in the company of guards who appear to have started mutating," Shelke answered. "Heidegger has meanwhile gone to release Weiss the Immaculate, after sending out an alert within Deepground to prepare for your arrival. He appears to be carrying a Huge Materia bomb similar to the one to be used in Junon."
"He has the Protomateria as well," Aerith added. "Midgar is the most populated city in the world, and Heidegger's been making everyone miserable. If that bomb goes off and they all die in that state, it'll start up Omega and Chaos for certain. We have to hurry."
Taking those words to heart, the group began to move with haste through the underground lobby of the Shinra Headquarters and out the corridor to find a bridge that was gave them a view of the underground city. The size was impressive, despite having been told ahead of time what it would look like. There was even a false sky above and they could see the Rector in the distance.
"Open fire!" Of course, almost immediately they came under fire again. This time by Paratroopers that were equipped with rocket-launchers.
Aerith's Shield spell protected them from the brunt of the impact. But it still knocked them backwards from the sheer force as the smoke obscured everything in front of them. The Paratroopers above were circling around to line up another shot when Nanaki tapped into the Enemy Skill Materia and then let loose the Laser spell within.
The red beams speared through the air towards the aerial units. They quickly tried to accelerate out of the way, only to find that the beams curved around then gave chase no matter how hard they tried to escape. The moment they connected, the beams ruptured into explosions that sent them spiraling down to the ground.
"Everyone okay?" Cloud asked. He was met with varying agreements. They'd been shaken, but largely unharmed. "They took out the bridge with that one."
"That's fine. We don't have time to try navigating the entire maze of corridors," Crimson said as she got back to her feet. "Yuffie, Cid. We need Leviathan and Phoenix to carry us."
Cid reached into his pocket and grasped Phoenix's Summoning Materia while Yuffie held out Leviathan's on her bangle. Golden fire and a burst of grey waters accompanied the arrival of the two summonings. Atop the Lord of the Seas and Vermillion Bird, they sailed through the air, navigating between the towering buildings and until they broke through the skyline and the Reactor that loomed over the city, aglow with the teal light, grew closer.
That was when there was a blur that passed by the corner of Crimson's eyes. She turned her head to see that more Paratroopers were circling around and getting ready to fire to the right and left. She activated Sense and prepared to shoot them down as Barret and Vincent also took aim when Leviathan abruptly dipped as the screaming sound of an artillery shell cutting through the air gave birth to a deep rumble that rattled her teeth as an explosion went off where they'd been.
"That's Azul!" Tifa's shout reached over the ringing in her ears.
So he's the one who killed Kunsel? Crimson traced the shot to a hulking man standing on top of a building as he lined up another shot and forced Leviathan to swerve to the side. The Paratroopers then began their assault, only for Aerith to hold out her staff and produce another barrier to guard the larger summoning against their shots to avoid having it disperse and leave them falling to their deaths.
"We need to deal with the Beast-man!" Nanaki shouted with a snarl as he let loose another Laser spell that sought out four of them, while Vincent and Barret laid down support fire and blasted those they could. Another artillery shell slammed into the barrier and it buckled with cracks forming into it. "He's going to shoot us down eventually."
"Cid!" Cloud shouted, using his arm to beckon the pilot flying separately closer. "Give me a lift and I'll go deal with him!"
A jolt ran through Crimson when she heard that and she wheeled around towards him. "You can't go alone. Wait to we get closer and we'll attack as a group."
He turned to her, eyes narrowed with a calculated determination as he rose into a crouch. "We can't waste time dealing with him together. I'll manage. Just make sure that you stop Heidegger and Hojo."
"But…" She trailed off when she realized she was letting her feelings interfere with her mission again. Cloud was the only one who could reasonably take him in a fight without delaying them when they still had other opposition to deal with. Even so, she pulled her Thunder Materia free and then handed it over to him. "Take this then. Fight at range if you can help it."
He took it with a nod, their fingers overlaying one another for a moment and silently passing on everything that had to be said. Then he jumped off Leviathan's back. Phoenix grabbed hold of his shoulders, sharp talons digging into but not penetrating his mako-tempered and spell-covered skin, and they sped towards the Tsviet.
[-oOo-]
It's better this way, Cloud thought to himself as the wind rushed against him and gravity hammered at his body as the summoning dodged the shots being sent their way by the Cerulean Tsviet with as much speed as it could manage. If the others came with him, they could die fighting against this one.
"We're going in hot!" Cid shouted over the rumble of the explosions and rushing air. "Make sure you stick the landing and try not to die!"
"Got it!" he shouted back, his hands balling into fists as Azul's face came into view. The man was grinning in anticipation, having stopped his shooting. He wanted this, a fight between who he viewed as the strongest.
Phoenix let loose a shrill, guttural cry of rage before it scattered embers and reddish motes that were driven forward by a mighty beat of its wings towards the Cerulean Tsviet. The motes blossomed into a billowing wave of fire that crashed down on the rooftop and its surroundings, shattering glass with a roar as it engulfed it utterly. Then it picked up speed and threw Cloud forward towards where the man had been.
Cloud reached for his sword, knowing that wouldn't be enough. Grasping it firmly, he spun as he used the additional momentum to come crashing down with his blade. It smashed into the shaft of the hammer that served as the barrel of the cannon, and the stone building itself buckled under the blow while the Cerulean Tsviet smirked.
Then Cloud triggered his Earth Materia attached to the blade. It sent the force of an earth-shattering Quake 3 spell through his sword and into the man. The building ruptured as the force transferred through Azul and into it, collapsing in a wave of stone dust that smothered the surrounding flames and blocked all sight.
Cloud landed on the street unharmed even as the curtain of dust continued to blanket the area. He couldn't breathe in it, but unlike a normal person's vision he could still see. So when he made out the hulking silhouette rushing towards him, he wasted no time in putting all his strength into a mighty swing. The hammer and the sword met, and the force of the impact sent out a shockwave that dispersed the stone dust to reveal the still-grinning face of the Cerulean Tsviet.
"It looks like you'll have more fight in you… than the last one!" Azul shouted that last part as he put more strength into his arms and overpowered Cloud, knocking him away.
Cloud got himself under control and skidded back on the dust-covered ground, holding his stance with his sword in front of him. "You're going to pay for killing him!"
"Is that so?" The Cerulean Tsviet merely smiled in a way that bared his teeth as he rolled his neck with an audible crack. He then gestured for Cloud to bring it on. "If you're capable of that, then come!"
Cloud charged and the battle began.