*Chapter 5: A Toxic Visitor*
The Shinra Building was always quiet during curfew. Employees went home after their day shifts are done, and the night shifts are in. Each floor of the building is crawling with security troopers. A blonde Turk, Gun, is in the restroom, washing her face. While she is drying her face with a paper towel, a faint hiss is heard. Gun looked around herself. No one else is in the restroom but her. She shrugged it off and turned to the mirror. But there is a man staring back at her! Gun let out a cry of shock. The man in the mirror let out a yell, his fork tongue sticking out, causing a mirror to break. Gun shrieked and stumbled backwards. The man chuckled before vanishing in the broken mirror. Gun got on her feet and hurried out of the restroom.
Gun is holding herself against the wall while her other hand is over her chest. She knew she wasn't dreaming this. There is a man in the mirror, not her reflection.
"Hey, Gun-" The young woman let out a cry and turned around to see Reno there. He held his hands up in defense. "Whoa! What's gotten into you? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."
"...I think I did." Gun said.
"Huh?"
"Reno, what if I told you that I saw a man in the mirror in the restroom and scared the shit out of me?" Gun asked. Reno blinked at her.
"What, you doing the thing where you say the guy's name a few times-"
"Reno! I'm serious!" Gun barked.
"What's going on here?" Tseng asked as he approached the Turks.
"No clue." Reno said with a shrug.
"Tseng, there's a man behind the mirror in the ladies' room and he disappeared before I could even blink." Gun exclaimed. "I'm not kidding! Look!" She dragged Tseng in the restroom and showed him the broken mirror. "See?" Gun pointed at the broken mirror.
"What does this man look like?" Tseng asked, looking at the shattered glass.
"Well, he has black hair, some scars on his face... And he has a fork tongue. Like a snake's tongue." Gun replied. "That's all I remember." Tseng turned to the female Turk with a serious look.
"Gun, gather the Turks. I'll warn the president and the SOLDIERs." He said, dragging her out of the restroom. Gun wanted to ask what was going on, but Tseng ordered her to call the other Turks. Tseng got his phone out.
XX
Cyrus is resting on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the music box. The alarms went off in the Shinra Building, the red lights flashed in her room. There's an intruder. But who would be stupid enough to break in? Unless it's the anti-Shinra terrorists that Cyrus had been hearing about. She got up and opened the door. She has to find her brother. Cyrus remembered her training if there are situations like this. Capture the intruder, interrogate them, and kill them. But that is not her thing. It was mostly the Turks' job. She'd fight the intruder and ask the questions.
"Cyrus! Are you okay?" Zack's voice called from behind. Cyrus turned to see him catching up to her. "Angeal said there's an intruder somewhere in the building."
"But where is the intruder?" Cyrus asked. Zack's phone rang and he quickly answered it.
"Zack, be at standby. The intruder is too dangerous. Let me handle him." Angeal's voice said on the line.
"What? Where are you?" Sounds of Angeal's voice is turning into yells and sounds of rustling are heard in the background. He's fighting someone. "Angeal? Angeal!"
"Where is he?" Cyrus asked. Zack hung up the phone and took off. "Hey! Zack! Wait up!" Cyrus began to follow him.
Genesis silently walked through the aisles of the library, holding his sword. He was having a peaceful evening reading Loveless until he got a call from Lazard that there's an intruder somewhere. Unknown to him, a figure is slowly following him from above the bookshelves. Green eyes watched Genesis. A hand gripped on the whip, and it glows light green...
Genesis lets out a yell as he quickly turned and lunged towards the shadowy figure. His sword nearly hit him, but the man climbed on Genesis and wrapped his legs around his neck and throw him down to the ground. The man is flexible. Genesis grunted.
"You...you are him. The warlock." He spoke as he got on his feet. The man smirked at him. He walked into the light. He has black hair with green highlights on his bangs. Green eyes. His body is thin with pale skin. His face has some scars. He is wearing a black leather jacket with a dark gray top, showing a bit of his stomach. Black pants with boots with silver spikes. On his jacket, there is a pin of a dagger with a white snake around it. On his hands, there are dark tattoos of snakes that reached up to his arms. On each finger, he is wearing a claw finger ring.
"You must be Genesis. A fan of Loveless." The mysterious man spoke. His voice is soothing and menacing. "The other one was Angeal. You two are from Banora. Loved their Dumbapples. I'm from there too before I joined Shinra-"
"You know too much." Genesis said with a snarl.
"Too much? Shinra is filled with vultures."
"More like lapdogs." Genesis corrected him. "Before I succeed to kill you myself, what do you call yourself?"
"Hiedra." The man responded. He gripped on his whip. "Hate to do this, but I'd rather find someone else to play with." Before Genesis could react, Hiedra lets out a purple breath. Genesis covered his mouth and nose, coughing. "Not into Loveless that much, my friend. Enjoy your toxic dreams." Hiedra chuckled as he disappeared. Genesis collapsed on the floor, coughing as he inhaled the purple poison aura.
XX
Hiedra knocked out half of the security as he waltzes down the hallway on the floor where the science lab is held. Green poisonous aura fills the hallways as the Shinra troopers coughed and couldn't heal themselves with their materia. Hiedra whipped one SOLDIER in the face, causing him to have a mark on the cheek.
"Foolish humans. Think you could take me down? Now, where is the big man himself?" Hiedra chuckled as he continued on. "Top floor, is it?" He opened the elevator and there is Reno and Rude.
"Going up?" Reno asked with a smirk. Rude cracked his knuckles. Hiedra scoffed.
"Better make it quick then. My poison will slow you down." He said.
"You want quick? I'll be quick." Reno chuckled as he pressed a button of his rod. Hiedra smirked and powered his whip.
XX
"Who's Hiedra?" Cyrus asked Tseng that she and Zack ran into on Floor 50. "Is he part of the terrorist group or something?"
"No. He works for no one." Tseng told her. "He's a warlock. Ten years ago, he was a Turk in training. Veld once caught him reading a book that involves witchcraft. Hiedra is obsessed with the powers he was given. He learns the ability of poison of different kinds. Veld tried to stop him, but Hiedra was already too strong and tried to kill Veld himself. Sephiroth showed up and stabbed Hiedra, thinking he should put him down. But Hiedra escaped. No one has seen him since...until now."
"So why return now?" Zack asked.
"Not sure the reason. But he must be stopped." Tseng said.
"Where is he now? Zack and I can stop him." Cyrus spoke. Before Tseng could reply, his phone rang. He answered it, expecting to hear updates from Reno, but he hears a different voice. A chill ran down Tseng's spine.
"Hello, Tseng. Miss me?"
"Hiedra. What have you done with the Turks?" Tseng asked.
"They're not dead. Yet. Now, where is the big man? I want to watch the president die slowly with my venom running down his veins." Hiedra replied on the line. Cyrus could almost hear him. She took off to get to the top floor.
"Cyrus! Wait!" Zack called, chasing after her. Tseng cursed under his breath and hang up on the warlock. He made sure his gun is loaded before following Zack and Cyrus.
The elevator dinged and the door opened. Hiedra has a smirk on his face and the green mist of poison pours out of the elevator. He is walking towards the desk of President Shinra's and started to move his whip around. He inhales the scent of the room.
"I smell you, Mr. Shinra. I know you're in here. You can't avoid me." Hiedra spoke as he slowly approached the desk like a predator. President Shinra came out from the corner, aiming his gold pistol at the warlock. When he clicked the gun, Hiedra made a swift move with his whip, hitting the man's hand, forcing him to drop the gun. "Too slow."
"You...you were banished, Hiedra!" The president growled, holding his injured hand. "How did you pass security?" Hiedra chuckled as he walked around him, his whip dragging behind him.
"Such a foolish old man. You were a dumbass then, and you're a dumbass now. You call yourself the president of the company?" Hiedra said.
"You...you were part of the anti-Shinra terrorist group, aren't you?" The president growled.
"You mean AVALANCHE? Ha! I work for no one. I come here on my own free will. I wanted to kill you myself. And maybe...your loyal SOLDIERs and the Turks. I've grown powerful, Mr. Shinra." Hiedra replied as he gathered his whip to put away. "You don't want to mess with a warlock. My poison will kill you slowly." He quickly grabbed President Shinra by the neck, lifting him up from the floor. The man choked, grabbing the warlock's arm, trying to get free from his grasp. He could feel the tip of the finger ring pricking his skin. Hiedra opened his mouth to let out the Poison Breath, but something hot hit him from behind. Hiedra turned to see Cyrus there, flames in her hands. But she is not alone. There is Zack with his sword, and Tseng aimming his gun at Hiedra. The warlock growled and dropped the president.
Your cruel device.
Your blood like ice.
One look could kill.
My pain, your thrill.
"You three aren't invited to this meeting." Hiedra told the trio. His green eyes moved over to Cyrus. He blinked. "Wait... You...you're that phoenix girl."
"We've never met." Cyrus said.
"Not in person, but I've heard of you. You do look like your brother. The silver hair, the eye color..."
"If you want to live, then leave quietly." Tseng said.
"We can handle him." Zack said as he gripped on his sword. Cyrus got in her fighting stance. Hiedra got out his whip and powered it up. A vile shade of purple begins to glow on his whip. He swings the whip around, snapping it in front of Zack and Tseng, but Cyrus quickly moves out of the way and uses Firaga. Hiedra hisses and moved to the side and used his whip to hit Cyrus, but he missed her.
"Back off you freak!" Zack swung his sword at Hiedra, but the whip caught the sword, pulling it away from Zack's hands. "What?!"
"Zack, get down!" Tseng yelled as he shoots at Hiedra's shoulders. Cyrus found her chance and ran towards the warlock.
I wanna love you, but I better not touch (don't touch).
I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop.
I wanna kiss you, but I want it too much (too much).
I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison.
Your poison running through my veins.
You're poison.
I don't wanna break these chains.
Hiedra swung his whip around and hit Cyrus in the face, causing her to cry out and fall towards the floor. A line of blood appeared on her cheek. Hiedra chuckled. He walked towards her, but Cyrus let out a Flame Shriek. Hiedra flew back towards the wall. Tseng and Zack covered their ears as soon as Cyrus screamed. President Shinra covered his ears as he stumbled towards his desk to hide behind it to call backup. When the attack ended, Hiedra lands on the floor. He looked up at Cyrus in shock, but he smirked. He recalled when he was a teenager that Sephiroth's sister has the power of the phoenix. He didn't believe it then, and now here he is. This will be a welcoming challenge.
"Now I'm interested. Show me more." Hiedra said, picking up his whip.
"Cyrus, don't do this alone!" Zack said.
"I can handle this." Cyrus told him. "Just stay out of the way." Hiedra's smirked grew wide. Cyrus could see his fangs. "I'm not going easy on you."
"Neither am I." Hiedra swings his whip around to try to get Cyrus to flinch but no avail. Cyrus charged at him and tried to punch and kick him, but Hiedra blocked her attacks. He grabbed her wrist, rolled onto her back to get to the other side of her and kicked her towards the desk. Cyrus grunted, holding her stomach, looking up at the warlock. He is fast. Cyrus got on her feet and began to use her martial arts with fire in her hands. Hiedra moves his head to avoid her punches.
"Stay still!" Cyrus growled.
"Feisty. I like it."
Your mouth, so hot.
Your web, I'm caught.
Your skin, so wet.
Black lace on sweat.
"There's gotta be a way to slow him down." Zack said as he helplessly watched. "Tseng, do something!"
"Zack, do you have any materia on you?" Tseng asked.
"A few. I have water, fire, cure, wind, thunder-"
"Wind. Zack, use Aero on Hiedra. It should slow him down for a bit. I'm going to try to get the president out of here." Tseng told the young SOLDIER. Zack nodded. He brought out his wind materia and began to cast Aeroga.
Hiedra felt a breeze beneath his feet and a strong gust hits him, nearly knocking him towards the wall. Tseng rushed over to the desk to see President Shinra holding onto his injured hand that now has purple veins. Hiedra's whip has sharp thorns, and they poisoned him.
"Sir! We need to get you to safety!" Tseng said.
"The other Turks...were poisoned too... Call Sephiroth!" President Shinra grunted. Hiedra snapped his whip towards Zack's ankle and pulled onto him. Zack yelped and fell on his back. Cyrus made a flying kick towards Hiedra's back to knock him down. She then picked him up by the jacket and threw him towards the window, breaking it. Hiedra grunted a bit, shaking the glass off of him. He hears Cyrus walking towards him.
"A strong girl. They weren't kidding about you being a phoenix." He said.
"You give up?" Cyrus asked.
"After this? Not quite." Hiedra swifts his head towards her and let out a purple breath. Cyrus gasped and backed away from him. She began to cough.
I hear you calling and its needles and pins (and pins).
I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name.
Don't wanna touch you, but you're under my skin (deep in).
I wanna kiss you, but your lips are venomous poison.
Your poison running through my veins.
You're poison.
I don't wanna break these chains.
Poison.
"Intoxicating, isn't it?" Hiedra asked, walking around her. Cyrus held her throat. She looked up at Hiedra, but she is starting to see more of him. Like clones of him. They all spoke to her at once. Which one is the real Hiedra?
"What...what did you do?" Cyrus coughed.
"Nothing. This poison I'm giving you is giving you hallucinations." Hiedra spoke along with his clones in her head. Purple mist is around them. Cyrus punched one of the clones, causing it to vanish in thin air. "Sometimes it will give you dreams...or nightmares. Whatever your heart desires." Hiedra said. Cyrus turned around and kicked the other clone. "What do you desire, little phoenix? Tell me. I'd like to know."
"Shut up!" Cyrus uses her Fire Tornado on the Hiedra clones. They all let out a cry of agony. A whip wrapped around her ankle causing her to fall backwards as Hiedra pulled onto her leg.
"What are you most afraid of? You have fears, don't you?" Hiedra taunted, placing his boot down on Cyrus's upper chest. "Funny that we've never met in person ten years ago. Does your big brother keep you in hiding? Is Shinra keeping you a secret? So many possibilities." Cyrus shot Firaga at Hiedra's face, making him yell and got his foot off of her. Cyrus's eyes glow yellow.
"There's nothing you need to know about me, Hiedra." She said. "You were banished years ago. You were practicing witchcraft." Hiedra disappeared in the purple mist of poison. Cyrus looked around for him, keeping her guard up. "Hey! Come out! We're not done!"
"But you are." Hiedra whispered by her ear. He opened his mouth and bite down Cyrus's neck. Cyrus let out a cry.
One look, (one look) could kill (could kill).
My pain, your thrill.
Venom is in her veins. Cyrus felt lightheaded. Hiedra pulled away as Cyrus collapsed on the ground, but she caught herself by getting on her hands and knees. She could hear her heart beating through her ears. Is she dying? Hiedra's laugh is heard behind her. It sounds like an echo.
"Feel the toxic running through your veins, Cyrus. Soon enough, your brother will join you." He said.
"Not...today." Cyrus spoke.
"Hm?"
"In case you don't know..." Cyrus got on her feet. The bitemarks on her neck were gone. Even the scratch on her cheek was gone too. Hiedra blinked in shock. "I'm immune to poison." Cyrus said, forming a large fireball. She threw it at Hiedra. He let out a yell as he flew back. Cyrus coughed a bit and got on one knee. The purple poison is still slowing her down. She needs to cure herself from this type of poison. Hiedra grunted and grabbed his whip, powering it up once more. He is angry. How could Cyrus be immune to poison? His poison? That is impossible. He let out a yell as he charged towards her. Cyrus was ready for the strike. But Sephiroth came down with his Masamune and blocked Hiedra's attack. Hiedra's eyes went wide and backed away from the silver haired man. Cyrus opened her eyes to see her brother there.
"Stand down." Sephiroth told her, not facing her.
"No way. I got this!" Cyrus tried to get on her feet but collapsed. She coughed. Sephiroth readied his sword as he glared at Hiedra.
"Sephiroth. About time you showed up. Been a long time since we last saw each other." Hiedra said. He unzipped his gray top to show him the scar from ten years earlier. "You almost had me that time."
"Scars never fade." Sephiroth told him. "Shall I finish you off?"
I want to love you, but I better not touch (don't touch).
I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop.
I wanna kiss you, but I want it too much (too much).
I wanna taste you, but your lips are venomous poison.
Your poison running through my veins.
You're poison.
I don't wanna break these chains.
Poison.
Cyrus tried to focus on what was happening, but her vision is getting blurry. She held her head. She tried to call out Sephiroth but her voice is nothing but a whisper. Sephiroth and Hiedra began to fight. Cyrus felt her eyelids getting heavy. Sephiroth was ready to do Octaslash, and Hiedra used his whip to wrap himself with to defend himself. And everything went black...
"...rus."
"Hm?"
"Cyrus. Wake up." A soft voice spoke. Cyrus opened her eyes to see a beautiful woman standing there, giving her a smile. Cyrus blinked. It couldn't be... "Good morning. How are you feeling?" Cyrus sat up from the bed.
"...Mother?"
"You were asleep for a long time. I was worried." The woman spoke. Cyrus stared at the woman. There is no mistaken it. Jenova. The mother of Sephiroth and Cyrus. She looked exactly how she looked in the picture in the locket. The brown hair, the brown eyes, everything.
"Mother..."
"Yes, Cyrus? Are you hungry? Do you need anything?" Jenova asked, tilting her head to the side.
"I...uh... No. Thank you." Cyrus replied. "I...I can't believe you're here. I've always wanted to see you." Jenova brushed the hair out of Cyrus's eyes.
"But I've always been here. You and Sephiroth mean so much to me." Jenova said.
"But...I thought you wouldn't know about me. I was...created." Cyrus said, lowering her head. Jenova lifted her head.
"You are a part of me, Cyrus. You're my daughter." Before Cyrus could respond, Jenova started to fade away. And the room started to fade away along with her.
"Mother?"
Cyrus woke up to find herself in the medic. Her vision became clear as she sat up to see some doctors around her. She groaned a bit and held her head.
"She's awake." One doctor spoke. He walked over to her. "How are you feeling?"
"What...what happened? Where did Hiedra go? Where's Sephiroth?" Cyrus asked.
"We'll call him right now. You were sleeping all night. Do you want breakfast?" The other doctor asked. Cyrus nodded.
After she ate some breakfast, Sephiroth came in. Cyrus looked up at him. He didn't even have a scratch on him. Did he finish off Hiedra?
"How are you feeling?" Sephiroth asked.
"Better. But what happened to Hiedra?" Cyrus wondered.
"He escaped. But he won't return to the building." Sephiroth replied. "The president will recover. He was given an antidote." Cyrus is silent. Even the president wouldn't give her a thank you or come in to see her. "If you need more rest, you can take a day off training." Sephiroth told her.
"No. I'm fine. The poison is gone." Cyrus said. She got out of bed and gathered her clothes. "I just need to shower." Sephiroth moved to the side to let Cyrus walk by him to leave the medic. Sephiroth is relieved that his sister is alright. But Hiedra is still out there. He could be hiding in Midgar after their fight. Cyrus tried to defeat him herself, but Hiedra's poison slows her down. Cyrus is approving her skills though. One day she will be ready to go out to the world with Sephiroth.
A blonde-haired man in his early 20s is pouring himself some coffee while wearing a white robe. He had a meeting with a leader of AVALANCHE last night in his apartment and things get a little intense. After their activity, the man had a phone call. Rufus never felt annoyed, but he was surprised to hear that a former Rookie Turk tried to kill his father.
"Are you sure there isn't anyone else in the group? If so, you should've told me." Rufus asked as Elfe walked out of his bedroom in her clothes.
"I promise you, no. And you said it was Hiedra. One of the Turks told you it was him. I don't have anyone in AVALANCHE with that name." She said. Rufus turned to her. "And remember our deal after the work is done. I would kill you if I slept with you for nothing."
"I keep my word. And keep your guard up since that Hiedra is out there. If you see him, kill him." Rufus said as he took a sip of coffee. Elfe left the apartment without saying a word. Rufus is not going to lie, he thinks that Hiedra is close of getting the president killed. But Rufus wouldn't dare approach him and offered him money. Hiedra works solo and he will easily kill Rufus and possibly the whole AVALANCHE group. Rufus slammed his fist down in anger. "That damn warlock."
Cyrus got dressed after her shower. She is putting on her boots and walked over to the desk. She opened her drawer to see a keycard is still inside. She smiled to herself. Maybe she could go out again. She really liked the owners from the delivery service. They could be good friends to her. Still, she had to look out for Hiedra. She doesn't know if he is hiding somewhere in Midgar.
"After I'm done with training, I'm heading out. Sephiroth won't know for a while." Cyrus said to herself. She closes her drawer and walks out of her room.