Erick was not feeling very optimistic. After the Junon incident, Veld immediately released him from his Turk-assisting duties and sent him back to Sephiroth with glowing praise and recommending immediate return to duties. That very afternoon, he received a message from Cissnei:
"We'll be in touch."
Erick decided to not dwell too much on the subject for fear he would get cold feet next time the Turks decided to knock on his PHS. In any case, all his focus was needed for what was next: Dante's full recovery.
He went to the hospital wing the following morning and much to his dismay, found Reno and Rude dutifully guarding Dante's room:
"Y' can't come in. Boss' debriefing him, yo."
"Couldn't he wait until he was at least out of the hospital?" Erick asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
Reno shrugged casually, leaning against the wall. "Boss doesn't like to waste time, yo."
"He wanted to get the debriefing done as soon as possible," Rude complemented.
Erick sighed, realizing that arguing with Reno and Rude would likely be futile. "Alright. Just let me know when I can see him."
Rude nodded in acknowledgment, his expression unreadable as always behind the dark glasses. "Will do."
Erick turned to leave but paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on the closed door. He hoped Dante was holding up okay and that the debriefing wouldn't be too taxing on him. As he walked away, Erick reflected on his newfound awareness of the lengths the Turks would go to achieve their goals: secrecy, manipulation and constant tip-toeing around what was deemed acceptable seemed to be fair play. In retrospect, it now made sense how Dante's involvement with the Turks had changed him. With a hint of sadness, he acknowledged that the Dante he had now was not the same fidgety guy he had met at the cafeteria. That didn't change what Erick felt for him, but also made him deeply aware that every day he spent there would push him further into their ways.
Before Erick had finished walking out of the corridor, the door opened and Veld, followed by Tseng and Balto, walked out.
"Just how many people were needed pressuring him there?" Erick fumed internally.
"Guess you can, now," Rude said matter-of-factly.
The Turk entourage passed him in the corridor without even acknowledging him. Erick walked back to the room and pushed the door.
"Dante?" Erick said carefully.
The Turk inhaled sharply in shock, quickly removing the back of his hand from his face. His shocked face softened immediately upon seeing Erick, and a warm smile painted his face.
"Hey, you're here." As the SOLDIER walked in, Dante reached out. They instinctively took each other's hand, their fingers intertwining.
"How did it go?" Erick asked, worried about the toll the debriefing had probably taken.
Dante sighed, "It was... intense. Veld wanted to make sure he got every little detail and piece of information. He's thorough, to say the least, but I guess that's why he's the boss."
Erick squeezed Dante's hand gently.
"I know this may not be the right time, but... I want you to know that you don't have to face this alone. I'm here for you, no matter what."
Dante smiled again. Even if he had spent several days sleeping, he looked tired.
"I… Meant what I said before. If you ever want to leave the Turks, to find a different path... I'll support-"
"Thanks but… I don't think I could leave right now. Not with Avalanche wreaking havoc and Genesis…" Dante stopped at the mention of the name, his breath catching in his throat.
Erick then saw something in Dante's face, something he had seen other SOLDIERs and troopers experience: a never-ending stream of painful memories flashing before his eyes. The entirety of whatever had happened in Banora being re-lived again. Dante lowered his gaze, his hand shaking a bit in Erick's.
"Hey, hey. Calm down," Erick tried reassuringly, but it was no use: Dante had already snapped in sobs and bouts of irregular breathing.
Erick's heart sank as he witnessed Dante's emotional outburst. He climbed on the bed and wrapped his arms around, pulling him into a tight embrace, trying to provide some comfort.
"It's okay, Dante. Let it out," Erick whispered, while holding him tightly.
"He… He… He killed him… Right in front of us…" Dante clung to Erick, his body trembling with each sob that broke his sentences, classified information be dammed.
"Emma, s-she… Told me to escape, but I couldn't… I could not leave them there…" Dante breathed laboriously. "I couldn't do anything…!" He punctuated bitterly.
Erick held Dante even tighter, his own heart aching at the pain and guilt pouring out of the Turk.
"I know, Dante. I know it's hard," Erick whispered. "You did everything you could. You were there for them, and that's what mattered. It's not your fault."
Dante's sobs intensified, his body shaking. Erick continued to hold him
"You're not alone," Erick murmured.
Dante took some time to calm down. Eventually, he evened out his breathing and stopped shaking.
"Thank you," he finally said, barely audible.
"You don't have to thank me, man," Erick said with a lopsided smile.
Just a that moment, his PHS began beeping.
"Ah, dammit" Erick cussed before pulling the device out of his pocket, knowing it was probably a mission assignment. He read the text before sighing. "Sorry. I have to go to Kalm. It's supposedly a few monsters roaming too close to the town."
Dante nodded, understanding the demands of Erick's job. He wiped away his tears and mustered a faint smile, though his eyes still looked red.
"It's alright. Duty calls," he said. "I'll be okay."
Erick leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Dante's forehead, lingering for a moment.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Erick promised. Dante nodded.
"Be safe out there," Dante said.
With a final squeeze of Dante's hand, Erick reluctantly let go and made his way towards the door. He cast one last glance at Dante before stepping out of the room and into his duties as a SOLDIER.
Dante sat in silence for a moment before stepping out of the bed. While saddened to see Erick go, he was glad he had left, because he was sure the SOLDIER would've kept him from returning to duties. Dante took off the top of hospital gown and examined the round scar that now stood against the skin of his abdominals. He traced it with his fingers, feeling the different texture caused by the late magical healing. He then traced to just below the middle of his chest to feel an otherwise invisible spot: the same spot from where Genesis's sword had pierced through Chuck.
Dante opened the wardrobe door of the room, where his suit was already waiting, no doubt thanks to one of his partners. He dressed up methodically, before finally tightening the black tie round his neck. He stood in the mirror for a moment, feeling himself return to form with the familiar feel and weight of his suit, which seemed to ground him back into reality. Dante rotated his neck slowly, making it crack a bit, before downing a Remedy without any water, ignoring the soreness of his throat, courtesy of the respirator. He finally stepped out of the room and into his duties as a Turk.
Dante's gaze swept across the bustling headquarters, taking in the familiar faces. He walked through the halls, corridors and went up elevators until he reached their office, which still had a paper label that read 'the Turks' below the official nameplate. He opened the door and examined his colleagues. Reno and Rude stopped their conversation near the mission assignment board. Ruluf gave a nod to him and Alvis looked up from the pile of papers he had scattered around his desk.
Freyra stopped typing at her computer, "good, you're back. I need some coffee."
"We have Alvis for that," Dante stated in monotone. They held gaze for a few seconds, before Freyra gave him a small smile and returned to her typing. Dante walked to his desk and opened the topmost folder of his assignments to read the abstract.
"Gaia-fucking-dammit-! Chief!"
Dante stood up and walked decisively towards the frosted glass door.
"Yo, wait!" Reno pleaded.
The glass door opened and out walked Veld. "You called?"
"What is this!?" Dante said, waving the folder, unable to hide his anger.
"A mission to help you warm up back into your duties," he stated.
"This is nonsense! This is what you're giving me?"
Veld maintained his calm demeanor, his gaze steady as he met Dante's fiery gaze. "What exactly about finding Sharpe is nonsense? I ordered you to find him months ago and terminate him," he replied calmly.
"I thought-" Dante began.
"That I would assign you to search for Genesis?" Veld said coldly.
At the mention of the man's name, Dante's anger faltered for a moment, making him finally break his gaze, looking down to the side.
"What happened at Banora was a tragedy and as your superior I take full responsibility for it. But I need you to understand that neither you, Emma, Chuck, or even the three at once had any chance against a SOLDIER 1st. And beating yourself over it will not only keep you from performing, but will most likely result in your judgement being clouded again at a critical moment," Veld scolded, unfazed by doing so in front of half the department.
Dante's shoulders slumped as Veld's words sank in. The weight of guilt and self-blame threatened to overwhelm him once again. Veld's harsh words reminded him of the reality he needed to face in a way Erick's consolation's couldn't. It was a painful truth, but one that Dante needed to accept.
"I... I understand, sir," Dante finally spoke, his voice tinged with resignation.
"Good. Remember, Dante, we face challenges and losses just like any other department. What sets us apart is our ability to always complete our missions."
Dante met Veld's gaze once again, "I apologize, Sir," Dante said, his voice now more composed. "I'll deal with Sharpe."
With that, Dante turned away from Veld and walked back to his desk. The anger that had fueled his outburst had quieted down to mere embers.
"Now," Veld announced, reaching from something inside the frosted glass office, "I have decided to return your confiscated coffee maker if you swear you'll stop pouring liquor in it," Veld said, holding the device tantalizingly with his prosthetic arm.
"Please do!" Alvis said. "I don't want to have to go all the way down every time someone wants a cup!"
"Very well. But no more monkey business with it!"
Dante couldn't help but crack a smile at the playful banter. It was a brief moment of levity amidst the seriousness of their work, and he welcomed it.
"Deal, Chief," Freyra responded, her tone light. "No more brandy in the coffee machine."
Veld handed the device back to Alvis, who eagerly took it and placed it on a small table on the corner.
"Now that we've settled that, let's get back to business," Veld said, his demeanor shifting back into his professional role. "For once, I want good news walking through the door."
Right at that moment, the door to the office burst open and Balto walked in right behind Rufus Shinra, who looked as if he had not slept in days.
"Veld…. I did something bad…" He confessed.
"Oh man, I'll brew a fresh pot," Alvis muttered, knowing this was usually how chaos started.
"You did WHAT!?" Tseng exclaimed, his freshly brewed coffee cup shaking in his hand.
"I kinda got in contact with Fuhito and Avalanche again," Rufus tried to explain casually.
"How on Gaia did you-!? We wiretapped everything in your house!" Tseng said.
"Even the PHS on the oats box?" Rufus asked, pulling the device from the confines of his white suit.
At the revelation, Tseng turned accusingly at Alvis, who had been hired precisely to be in charge of the surveillance station. Alvis shrunk in his seat, "I just thought he really liked oats."
Tseng reached to snatch the PHS and then handed it to Cissnei, who plugged it in her computer and began analyzing it.
"Let me see if I get this straight," Veld said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You have been giving inside information to a terrorist organization that is hell-bent of destroying your family's company… Why?"
The tension grew thick, and the Turks leaned forward in expectation. Tseng's grip on his coffee cup tightened.
Rufus shifted uncomfortably, "I thought... I could use them, gain their trust, and dismantle Avalanche from within."
Everyone collective groaned at the revelation.
"You, idiotic brat!" Judet exclaimed, restrained by Freyra. "You thought you could outmaneuver the terrorists we've been trying to catch for years!?"
"Dude, they've been'a'non-stop pain'n our'asses!"
"You endangered yourself, our operations, and the entire company," Rude said disapprovingly.
"I know that!" Ruluf groaned. "I was supposed to meet them during the Junon event to receive information. But then they found me talking to them and began firing!" He said, pointing to Freyra and Cissnei.
"Wha-what else were we supposed to do!?" Freyra exclaimed. "We saw the vice-president cornered by terrorists! Of course we were gonna shoot first and ask later!"
"Wait! You orchestrated the Junon attack!?" Cissnei said over the computer in realization.
"Wait, what happened in Junon?" Dante asked, unaware of the latest development.
"Big terrorist attack. Civilians died. Your boy-toy saved the day," Balto abridged a bit too much, gaining a puzzled face from Dante.
"I know I made a grave mistake. I was trying to find a solution, to regain control. To 'get my shit together', like you told me all those months ago!" He said to Tseng.
"Not like that!"
Veld sighed heavily, his expression weary. "Rufus, the consequences of your actions go far beyond a simple apology. We'll need to reassess our strategies, address the compromised information and think of ways to mitigate the damage if your association with Avalanche comes to light!"
Reno, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke up. "Did you at least got any intel out of them?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. They've made advances in their cloning process."
To everyone's surprise, Reno cracked a smile. "Ha! Can't wait to tell Hojo he was wrong, yo!" He said triumphantly.
Veld raised an eyebrow, momentarily invaded by curiosity. "Advances in their cloning process? Rufus, share everything you know."
Rufus nodded, "I have compiled the info I managed to weasel out of them. It seems their original bottleneck was faulty DNA. They resolved that issue and are now focused on acquiring 'sufficient specific genetic material' to achieve their goals."
"And what could that 'specific genetic material' be?" Dante asked.
"That, they didn't share."
"The messages were sent from an encrypted device", Cissnei announced. "Cybersecurity may be able to uncover where they are hiding from triangulation. But that will take some time."
Veld nodded. "until that is completed, we can't afford to waste any time. But most importantly: we cannot let Heidegger hear of this."
Shock crossed the faces of all the Turks as they realized the terrible situation they had been put in: if Heidegger learned of this breach of security it would be their asses on the line.
Veld turned to Tseng. "I want you to coordinate with our intelligence networks and gather any additional information on Avalanche's recent activities. We need to stay one step ahead of them."
"Understood. I'll have our sources gather as much intelligence as possible."
"Wait, what about Genesis? Wasn't Sephiroth already sending pears?" Judet said.
"Genesis' latest actions have made clear he is beyond any help. And Sephiroth has finally realized that. The fugitive SOLDIERs are a distant second priority now. Besides, I've already began shifting the blame of that to Heidegger," Veld said smugly.
"What? How?" Balto asked.
"Easy, by reminding him that now I follow his orders. If something goes wrong or doesn't happen at all, it's on him. His hands are full with SOLDIER and Genesis, so we'll have some leeway for a while."
"In any case, Avalanche having cloning technology is our top priority. Rude, Balto, I want you to review our security protocols and assess any vulnerabilities. We need to ensure that our systems and facilities are safeguarded against any potential threats."
Jinxed once again by the chief, the room's lights turned off and were replaced by the orange emergency lighting.
"Odin's balls, what now?" The chief sighed.
As if to answer, the phone at the office began ringing. Tseng reached for it and answered.
"The Turks here," he said, not wanting to waste time on department-name-confusions. "What!? We are on our way!" He hanged the phone and announced: "Avalanche has infiltrated the building. It appears they're inside the Science Department."
"Go. I want some alive," Veld ordered coldly.
"Sir!" The Turks answered in unison as they scrambled to gather their equipment. After the SOLDIER mass desertion, security at HQ had been weaker than usual, so all available agents had to be deployed. Dante stood up and patted his suit only to realized he had lost his handgun at Banora. The Wutaian knife with the All and Time materia were all he had on him.
"Here, catch," Freyra said from their inventory cabinet and tossed a TMP over to Dante. He caught the weapon with a grateful nod and buckled the larger holster to his leg before checking the magazines he had to ensure they were fully loaded.
Freyra then directed her attention to Alvis: "just in case that glorified Taser of yours isn't enough," she said before giving him a standard-issue handgun and a couple magazines.
He in turn, opened the materia cabinet for everyone to get their pick. When everyone was done, he opened a metal briefcase and offered each a copy of the now formally-named 'Turk Light' materia.
Tseng, Cissnei and Balto gathered their weapons and equipment, preparing for the imminent confrontation with Avalanche. Much to Dante's surprise, even Rude and Judet holstered their issue-guns.
Veld had re-purposed the multiple monitors of the surveillance desk into a panopticon of sorts that was already receiving some security camera feeds. "Remember, your priority is to protect the scientists and Hojo."
With a nod, the Turks swiftly made their way out of the room, moving towards a special elevator opposite to their disguise closet. The elevator took them in two groups directly to the inside of the science department. They walked in tight formation, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Turning around a corridor, the sound of whispering voices reached them.
Tseng raised his hand, bringing the team to halt. He peeked through the corner and signaled for a team to flank them. He then ordered Dante to step forward. The Turk observed two Avalance members trying to pry open a computer server. Silently, he cast a Stop spell from the handle of the knife and froze the terrorists in time. Not wasting a moment, Rude and Jude prepared to lunge forward.
Right then, a long, fish-like mechanic entity that seemed to be made of nothing but swords ran over the stopped men, chopping them to pieces. The Turks collectively suppressed a gasp.
"Yo, what the fuck!?" Reno whispered.
"For the love of-! Hojo must have set his experiments loose," Judet said, scanning the room to make sure no more of those monsters were roaming about.
Tseng had already contacted Veld through the radio of his PHS to inform of this latest development.
"Chief, we've encountered an unexpected obstacle. It appears that at least one of Hojo's experiments has been set loose in here. We've encountered a strange creature that attacked and killed Avalanche members."
"Proceed with caution, and prioritize the safety of the scientists and Hojo himself. Go left towards one of the panic rooms."
"Understood," Tseng said.
"Panic rooms?" Alvis asked Balto in a whisper.
"Very frequently used," the senior answered.
The Turks regrouped and prepared to face this unexpected challenge. They now moved in a tighter formation, everyone scanning their surroundings for any signs of movement or additional creatures.
At least two Swordipedes were hovering around the laboratory, and judging by their blood-covered edges, they had run into more Avalanche members. Reno took the lead, using the Sense materia to estimate the creatures' position in order to walk around them, while Veld helped as much as he could through the remaining security cameras.
Dante followed his partners closely, as he had never been beyond the entrance of the Science Department. The place was massive, with multiple halls, corridors and laboratories to navigate.
Eventually, they reached one of their targets; Rude knocked the door and then unfolded his ID towards a small camera near the door, which after a few seconds, slid open.
"Oh thank Gaia!" An agitated technician said. Inside, another group of lab-coat-clad scientists were huddled together, visibly shaken by the chaos that had unfolded. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Hojo there.
"What happened?" Tseng asked while signaling to Freyra and Cissnei to check for wounded.
"Avalanche! They entered through one of the service elevators on the back! They somehow found a way to override their control system!"
"It's the one we use to get rid of Hojo's failed experiments, yo," Reno said.
"Where are the others? Where's Hojo?" Tseng asked.
"He went to the observation deck!"
"Said something about gathering data and refused to follow into the panic rooms!"
Tseng evaluated his options before commanding: "Alvis, Cissnei and Balto, escort the scientist out of here. Safe as these rooms are, they are designed to keep out mindless monsters, not people."
The scientists complied, but not before opening a large metal briefcase and offering a bunch of metallic bracelets: "these emit sub-sonic signals that will keep away most of the biomechanical creatures Hojo set loose. As long as you wear them, they'll ignore you."
The Turks quickly accepted the metal bracelets and put them on, knowing that their protection could be the difference between life and death. With the scientists in the hands of Alvis, Cissnei, and Balto, Tseng turned his attention to the matter of finding Hojo.
"All right everyone else, let's move," Tseng commanded. "We need to reach the observation deck and locate Hojo before things get even more out of hand."
The group made their way through the corridors of the Science Department. Along the way, they encountered more Swordipedes, but much to their delight, the metal bracelets seemed to work as advertised and the creatures showed no interest in attacking them.
Finally, they reached the observation deck, a spacious room overlooking the sprawling laboratory complex below. The large windows allowed a panoramic view of the area outside. Using his master keycard, Tseng opened the door, and the entire Turk ensemble stormed in.
Hojo stood at one end of the observation deck, hunched over a console, completely absorbed in his work. His obsession with the experiments seemed to have overridden any concern for his own safety.
"Professor Hojo!" Tseng exclaimed.
The man turned slowly is his chair, a twisted smile on his face. "Ah, the Turks. Always so punctual, so predictable. But you're too late, I'm afraid. My experiments have already exceeded my wildest expectations. You are of no use here."
Reno snorted. "Yeah, yeah, spare us the monologue, Professor Crazy. You're coming with us, one way or another, yo."
Freyra stepped forward, "there are literal terrorists here and you chose to endanger innocent lives! If it were not for your assistants, we may have not even found you!"
"Nor would I!"
Klank Klank
"Grenade!" Judet yelled, tackling Reno out of the way before the flashbang exploded, filling the room with smoke.
Dante, rolled away from the center of the room, smashing against a metal cabinet. He pointlessly aimed his gun before realizing he couldn't fire blindly. An Avalanche member emerged from the smoke and lunged at him, trying to wrestle the TMP away. Dante reacted quickly, deflecting the attacker's attempts to grab his weapon. Finally, he outmaneuvered and kicked the terrorist away.
The smoke began to dissipate, revealing the chaotic scene unfolding in the observation deck. The Turks and Avalanche members alike stopped dead on the fight, everyone aiming at someone else, when they noticed Hojo's new predicament:
"All right dear Turks, drop your weapons or the professor gets it!" Sharpe had a gun to Hojo's head, and was using him as a human shield.
"Sharpe what are you doing!?" Someone yelled from the still-open door: Fuhito entered the room, escorted by a soldier in black, his face partially covered with a red visor. "I told you we need him alive!"
"I'm just getting us a way outta here!" Sharpe said. "Now drop your weapons!" He ordered to the Turks.
Dante's mind raced at the hostage situation in their hands. His grip tightened around his weapon, his gaze fixed on Sharpe who in turn, noticed the Turk.
Sharpe addressed Fuhito with a violently crazy smile: "See? Here he is! You swore I'd have the chance to make the Turk pay for what he did to my boss. Well, here he is, unable to make a move," he said in one breath.
Fuhito's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "Sharpe, we need Hojo alive! He holds crucial information, so put the gun down," the frustration was obvious in his voice.
Sharpe's grip on his weapon tightened, his voice sounding more and more unhinged: "you don't understand, Fuhito! He needs to pay for what he did. In fact, they all do!"
Everyone made puzzled faces at the revelation.
"I'm sorry, what?" Judet asked while aiming her gun at an Avalanche member.
"I was trying to turn my life around!" Sharpe said, emoting with the gun still on his hand.
Hojo scoffed. "Is this really the time for that?"
"Shut up!" Sharpe hissed. "I tried to get into SOLDIER and be a productive member of society! I was rejected every single time! When they finally rejected me for good, you show up, give me hope and then ghost me!" Sharpe was now aiming at Tseng.
"What are you even talking about?" Dante asked, noticing they were sidetracking the conversation to stall and hopefully wait for Balto, Cissnei and Alvis to return and attack Avalanche from behind.
"Oh… Wait… You are that Sharpe!" Rude said in realization.
"Wh-yeah! Who else!?"
"What are you even talking about at this point!?" Fuhito exclaimed, his face red with anger at how his assault had been hijacked over nonsense. "Sharpe, I will not let your personal vendetta jeopardize our plans. Release Hojo now!"
"No, wait. I still don't know how you all know Sharpe, yo!" Reno asked with childlike curiosity, ignoring Fuhito.
"He is the third candidate!" Tseng finally explained. "The one we rejected in favor of Dante!"
"Wait, wait, wait," Dante said. "You said he drowned in a pool!"
"That was Tidus!" Tseng said.
"It's pronounced Tidus," Freyra corrected.
"Whatever. Sharpe was our first option, but as you can see, he's missing a few screws. I was going to hire Tidus to cover up the mix up with the papers, but then the idiot drowned and I had to bring Dante in. Happy now?"
"He didn't drown! I Killed him!" Sharpe confessed.
Everyone gasped in shock.
"Dude, this is more interesting that whatever it is we do for Fuhito!" One of the Avalanche soldiers whispered excitedly to a comrade.
"People, people. This is all very nice," Hojo said dismissively. "But now, if you'll excuse me, I want more combat data." That said, he pressed a button on a small controller hidden in his lab coat. Mechanical whirling closed in, and another Swordipede crashed through the window. Panic erupted as both Turks and Avalanche members found themselves fighting for their lives against the relentless onslaught of the biomechanical creature in the closed space. In the midst of the confusion, Fuhito ordered the black soldier to capture Hojo. With astounding speed, the man dodged everyone, took the scientist out of Sharpe's grip and swiftly retreated from the room with Fuhito running behind and another Avalanche member covering their backs on the way out.
"Stop him!" Tseng ordered from a corner while evading the trashing Swordipede.
"Go!" Reno yelled before casting from his EMR: pyramids of glowing light manifested around two Avalanche members, entrapping them. Dante, Ruluf and Judet dashed in between the captive men, who were hitting the inside helplessly.
The Turks dashed through the laboratory, listening to Fuhito and the soldiers' steps and Hojo's protests.
"What happened? Your radio went silent!" Balto said while he, Alvis and Cissnei joined in their chase.
"We'wer'ambush'd!"
"They're taking Hojo!" Dante said.
"Duck!" Judet exclaimed before reaching forward and pushing Dante and Cissnei down. A metal pipe had come flying in their direction and would've probably hit them in the head had she not intervened.
"Thanks," Dante said, looking into the corridor: the soldier in black was charging towards them. Dante raised his TMP and began firing full-auto, but much to his surprise, the soldier dodged and rolled, evading all of the shots.
"Huh?" Ruluf asked.
"How did he...!?" Dante exclaimed.
"He's... Enhanced!?" Judet realized.
The soldier in black ran towards them, swiftly kicking and punching his way through the Turk formation.
Ruluf and Judet both lunged at the enhanced soldier, attacking with their combat training and using their weapons to fend him off. However, even their coordinated efforts were struggling to keep up with his rapid assaults. His black armor and helmet obscured his face, making it difficult for the Turks to gauge his expressions or anticipate his next move.
Amidst the chaos, Cissnei began casting low-level ice spells, attempting to immobilize the enhanced soldier or at least, pin him in place. However, her efforts seemed to have little effect on the relentless soldier as he continued to press forward.
Dante rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a powerful kick aimed at his head. He quickly regained his footing and steadied his aim, determined to find a way to counter the enhanced soldier's speed. It was clear that their standard tactics and weaponry might not be enough to subdue this adversary.
"We'll hold him here! Go get Hojo!" Balto ordered while expertly maneuvering his katana in the closed space.
Alvis, Dante and Cissnei stepped back, giving the senior members ample space to face the man. Alvis readied his EMR and cast a flashbang from the Turk Light materia. He had not only discovered that the initially-dismissed materia could do that, but that also, whoever had the same materia equipped would be unaffected by the flash and noise.
To Dante and the others, the light appeared as a bluish flash and a muted 'pop', even weaker than that of a camera and a balloon popping, respectively. Nothing looked brighter, but shadows became completely black for a moment from a light source they could not fully see. The soldier's flinch was the giveaway that the casting was successful. In the split second they had where the soldier was blinded by the flash, Ruluf jumped in front of the assailant, blocking his way and allowing Dante and the others to chase Fuhito unhindered.
Further down the corridor, they eventually reached Fuhito, who was pressing the service elevator call button obsessively.
"Stop right there!" Dante yelled, pointing his weapon at the Avalanche leader at the same time Alvis rendered the other Avalanche trooper unconscious with a Lightning spell.
Fuhito turned to face the Turks, gulping down some evident frustration. He seemed momentarily caught off guard by their sudden appearance, but his determination quickly resurfaced. He straightened his posture and regarded Dante with a cold, calculating gaze.
"How many times must we do this song and dance?" He sneered.
Dante kept his weapon aimed on Fuhito while Cissnei stepped forward: "your plans end here, Fuhito. Release Hojo and surrender peacefully."
"I need no releasing, thank you very much!" The professor said before tip-toeing away from his captor and safely behind Alvis.
Fuhito chuckled darkly, as if entertained by the complete derailing of his invasion. "Fu-huhuhu. You're all so naive, aren't you? You think you can stop the course of destiny with your little rescue operation? The experiments I have set in motion cannot be stopped now."
Cissnei stepped forward with a pair of handcuffs, rolling her eyes, "why do we always get the crazy ones?"
Fuhito's smile faded, replaced by a cold intensity. "You're all fools if you believe you can comprehend the magnitude of what I'm achieving. The world is on the brink of change, and Avalanche will be the instrument of transformation. Just think about it: a world where you can have what you desire most!" Fuhito said, his eyes gleaming with a fanatical zeal.
Before anyone could react, Fuhito pressed a button on a small remote device in his hand.
"Oh, yeah. He took that from me," Hojo said from behind the Turks.
The ground beneath them began to rumble as the laboratory shook. Emergency alarms blared throughout the facility, and the walls seemed to vibrate with an undisclosed mass set into motion. Behind Fuhito, the service elevator finally opened, allowing the man to lazily step in.
"What does that remote do!?" Alvis shouted, bracing himself against the sudden tremors.
"Quite a bit. But more immediately, it releases another one of my specimens," Hojo said dismissively and, without elaborating any further, he entered one of the panic rooms of the Science department, locking the Turks outside with a hissing sound.
"Huh!?" The Turks asked in unison, puzzled.
Fuhito smiled wickedly. "A little parting gift. Time to go!"
Three other Avalanche members, Sharpe included, materialized into the elevator out of thin air, assisted by an Escape materia that Sharpe was lazily twirling in his fingers.
"This isn't over, Dante!" Sharpe threatened ominously.
Before the service elevator gate closed, they got a glimpse of Fuhito pulling a small computer from his suit and plugging it with a cable to Hojo's device. Avalanche escaped their grasp once again. Yet their problems seemed to only have begun: a large green dragon clawed its way towards their proximity.
"Oh, come on!" Cissnei exclaimed in frustration.
"Just where the hell does Hojo keep that!?" Alvis yelled, pointlessly aiming his half-empty handgun.
The massive green dragon, a creation that seemed to embody Hojo's penchant for combining mechanical monstrosities with biological horrors, let out a thunderous roar. Its scales glinted with a mix of organic and metallic textures, and its eyes glowed red.
Dante's mind raced as he assessed their situation. They were trapped in the corridor, the service elevator that Fuhito and his men had used was now closed, and the dragon blocked their path in the opposite direction. They were effectively cornered with a powerful enemy before them and no clear escape route.
"Hey! Ugly!" Judet yelled from behind the dragon, calling for its attention while Ruluf cast a pointless fire ball at the creature's head.
Just as the monster turned around, a gleam of silver flashed from above. With astounding dexterity and inhuman silence, Sephiroth himself landed in front of the dragon, Masamune at the ready.
The dragon roared in response to Sephiroth's presence, a mixture of challenge and primal instinct. Its massive head swung towards the silver-haired figure, eyes fixated on the man. The Turks watched in a mix of awe and anticipation. Sephiroth's cold gaze met the dragon's bloodshot glare. As the dragon lunged forward, the SOLDIER moved with matching speed. His blade sliced through the air, a silver streak that cut through scales and metal alike.
In a matter of moments, Sephiroth's blade found its mark, a precise strike that pierced through the dragon's armor and into its heart. The creature let out a final, agonized cry before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. The corridor was left in silence once more, broken only by the sound of the dragon's final breaths and muscle spasms. Sephiroth stood amidst the wreckage, his sword lowered.
With the immediate threat neutralized, Judet cautiously approached Sephiroth, her weapon still at the ready. "Thanks for the help," she said with professional gratitude.
Sephiroth ignored her, and in turn reached for something in the inside of his leather coat.
He pulled a small tape player, hitherto unheard above the chaos.
"…veni venias
Ne me mori facias
Veni, veni, venias-"
Sephiroth stopped the recording, and looked mournfully towards nothing in particular.
"No. I guess it's not the same…" He turned and walked away from the scene, not sparing another word or look at anyone.
The Turks gathered again, all confused by Sephiroth's unusual demeanor.
"All right professor Hojo. It is safe to-where are you going!?" Dante exclaimed, seeing that Hojo had already left the panic room and was trotting at a surprisingly brisk pace back to the observation deck.
"He took the controller!" He exclaimed without sparing a glance.
The Turks quickly caught up with Hojo and ran all the way back to the observation deck. There, Tseng was casting a healing spell on Rude's arm, which had a bullet wound.
"I'm not as good as Emma was with these, so you'll have to do," Tseng said. Once he saw Hojo was already in the room, he stood up: "Professor Hojo, chief Veld requires your presence to disc-"
"Oh no…" Hojo muttered. He had dashed towards the control panel and typed as fast as he could as soon as he walked in, and was now looking at a large list of files in red.
"What happened?" Tseng enquired.
"He downloaded data from the servers using my control! I already blocked it remotely, but-!"
"Oh no, no, no!" Tseng panicked. "What did they took!?"
"It will take some time to compile it. But at quick glance it appears they took information regarding materia-fusing and cloning." Seeing Hojo agitated and without the perfect semblance of control that he usually had only enhanced the severity of the situation.
Hojo then ordered the rest of the scientists to begin compiling whatever data was stolen and the interns to clean things up. Despite Tseng and Veld's insistence, Hojo dismissed answering any questions, stating that he would do so at a later date.
"Fine! But we need to be in the know!" Tseng finally conceded. "The only way we'll be able to help is if you cooperate."
"Yes, of course," Hojo said dismissively without turning his eyes away from the monitors.
They returned to the Turk's office via the elevator. Just as they stepped out, they met Reno, who was walking back from the corridor where the Turks had their private holding cells.
"Well, he's gonna be a tough nut to crack, yo."
"We'll deal with that later," Rude said.
Once in their office, they began a tense wait for Veld's further instructions. Given the situation was still unfolding, and without any more details regarding the compromised information, Veld dismissed everyone save for Reno and Rude, who were ordered to interrogate the single Avalanche trooper they had captured.
After everyone had left, Dante began analyzing the new bit of information he had about Sharpe. He opened a few folders, looking at old mission assignments. Finally, he found the one he was looking for: the detail that sent him and Alvis to Kalm months ago:
Former Sharpe Altodis was spotted near a warehouse in Kalm (commercial district). Corroborate if the reports are true and if possible, arrest the subject. Agent is allowed a lower-ranking member to accompany.
He saw once again the blacked out information and concluded that the censored text was 'Turk candidate'. Dante knew his own hiring had been to cover up for some messed-up paperwork. He knew that one of the candidates had died and that the other, Sharpe, had been rejected due to concerns on his mental stability. Dante had come to terms with the fact that he was hired simply because he was the least bad of the options. What he could not understand was why had Tseng and Veld kept Sharpe's identity as candidate purposely hidden from him. Especially after they had ordered Dante to track and dispose of him.
Just then, Tseng walked out of Veld's office,
"Sir, may I ask… Why was Sharpe's past as candidate hidden from me?" Dante asked as neutrally as he could, not wanting to sound too inquisitive or worse, accusing.
Tseng sighed. He looked at Dante thoughtfully for a moment before responding. "It wasn't for lack of trust, Dante. It was to protect you."
Dante's brows furrowed in confusion. "Protect me? How does hiding information about a former candidate protect me? More importantly, how does not having the full picture help in my mission to find him?"
Tseng leaned forward, his gaze unwavering. "Sharpe's situation was delicate, filled with complications that extended beyond his rejection. His mental state was a concern, and we feared that knowledge of his past could have had adverse effects on you, especially given the circumstances of his rejection."
"More specifically, we feared that you would empathize with him," Veld declared coldly from the now open frosted glass door to his office.
Dante shifted his attention to the chief, his confusion growing. "Empathize with him? But sir, my duty is to track him down. I don't see how knowing about Sharpe's past would affect that."
Veld stepped into the room. "The issue is precisely that, Dante. Empathy clouds judgment. Sympathy for a former candidate could potentially compromise your objectivity in completing your missions. Especially since you were brought in as his replacement."
"First is guilt that you took over his role; then pity at what his life turned out; then questioning your very role and finally, regret over having to complete your mission," Tseng described.
Dante scoffed. "That's quite the slippery slope."
"We call it 'experience'," Veld stated.
"Did that experience also told you to keep me in the dark about Erick?" Dante snapped back before he could help himself. To his surprise, Veld continued the conversation without a hint of anger or even annoyance, as if he had been expecting the subject to come up.
"I'm sure you understand the why of being separated from the research team, as it aligns with the current predicament. As of why so long, I must confess… I simply overestimated your resilience. Turns out, there's still much for you to learn," Veld said with a hint of disappointment.
Dante lowered his gaze. Veld was simply stating facts plainly and yet; he couldn't help but feel he was being scolded again.
"Oi, chief. I think he's ready to sing," Reno interrupted from the door. He had ditched his blazer and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. There were little drops of red sprinkled on his bare forearms.
"Excellent. You are dismissed for the day," Veld told Dante. "You are not quite ready for this part," he said darkly while he and Tseng walked out of the office.
Dante sat in silence analyzing what Veld had tacitly expressed: his own shortcomings and inadequacies laid bare. Slowly, something else began hanging heavily in the air: the weight of guilt from his fallen comrades.
Walking out of the office and towards his apartment, he thought of the late Chuck and the uneasy parallelisms he had noticed between them. The naïve blond slowly seemed more and more like an alternate version of himself. One that Dante had failed to assist during a critical moment.
Was he being a liability? Was he not measuring up to his partners? He thought of all the time they had spent training him and all the costly –now fatal– mistakes he committed in return.
Inside his apartment he found Erick sleeping, sprawled on the couch, his sword and armor carelessly tossed to the side.
He thought of Elena, unable to cope with the emotional demands of her work. How was she supposed to endure the loss of her sister? What would he have done had Erick been lost with Genesis? Was Erick a liability in his life too?
He mentally cussed at the idea.
Had he really thought that?
"Talk about slippery slopes," Dante murmured to himself.
"Uh, the slippery what-?" Erick said half-asleep, slowly waking up. His enhanced hearing made him a light sleeper.
"Slippery toads," Dante said. "I was recalling the mission to Gongaga."
"Oh yeah. The dead frogs…" He chuckled and walked to give Dante a hug. "You could've taken a day off. Being in a coma and all that," Erick said carefully.
"Yeah... I had to go help," Dante said, breaking the hug and removing his blazer, but keeping his tie.
"Just don't overexert yourself. OK?"
"Sure, don't worry," Dante said. "I was just an emergency."
Everything seemed like an emergency lately.
"Hey. I'm sorry I had to leave so fast early. Do you… Want to talk about it?" Erick asked.
"About what?"
"The… Mission in Banora?"
"Oh… Yeah. I'm… Not ready for it right now," Dante said a bit dismissively. He picked up a dirty mug and began washing it, not turning his face to Erick.
"It's just... That mission was tough, and I know how it feels to loose comrades."
"I appreciate it, really. But it's still too fresh," Dante said with an intonation Erick found terrifying: The Turk monotone. The same soft voice Cissnei and the others would use when describing some horrible, messed-up action.
Erick took a breath. "Just… Don't bottle it up, please." He walked to the room and soon, the sound of the shower running could be heard.
Dante shut off the faucet and stood for a moment in the dimly lit kitchen. The distant sound of the shower couldn't mute the sound of the battle and of Chuck's last words:
"Heh… You were right… T-Thank you…"
"Thank me? What the hell for?"
Dante couldn't change the past, but he was dead set on doing better in the future, to honor the memory of Emma and Chuck. At all costs.
Ahhh! Months without an update!
But hey! Double-length chapter!
I struggled to no end with the last bit of the chapter, adding, removing and editing it for at least two months now.
Once again I thank you all for your patience and hope that you can stick with me until the end. We are officially ¾ of the way through the planned story!
Let me know what you think! See ya later!