Pledge
New Member
"Death brings peace only at a lack of all else. And I would gladly discard all else."
Posts: 23
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Post by Pledge on Dec 30, 2007 1:10:35 GMT -5
Pledge was actually pretty surprised that his plan had worked. It had been a wild shot in the dark, but somehow it had succeeded. Which could mean only one thing – his theory had been right.
He said nothing as the lift made its slow ascent… The tense silence was awkward, and he felt like he should say something. Something reassuring, like ‘I’m sure he’s alright’, or ‘don’t worry, everything’s going to be fine’… but he never knew whether or not those kinds of things were the right thing to say.
Aerith didn’t even wait for him as the lift opened out onto Junon main street. Striding after her, he gazed around slowly, at the rather intimidating, dark-haired men in black suits, and the neatly-groomed blonde dressed in white whom they were flanking, and who contrasted so greatly with them the effect was almost bizarre… At the third black suit who was currently cowering behind them… At the strangely empty streets… and at the two men who were the focus of the scene. So, they hadn’t made it in time. Pledge felt the bile rise in his throat at the open wound in Cloud’s chest… Sure, he may be a warrior, but he’d never been entirely at ease with the gore. And besides, he still hadn’t recovered from the violent sickness which the massacre in Fort Condor had inspired.
He hung back from following Aerith any closer than the Turks were. It wasn’t his place. Instead, he wondered if the silver-haired man was the ‘Sephiroth’ whom Nanaki and Cloud and Aerith has spoken of… and immediately discovered that he was not, when Aerith instead called him ‘Kadaj’. Sephiroth or not, he looked dangerous… and not just because he had quite clearly just torn a fragment of that ‘Black Materia’ from Cloud’s chest and driven it into his own.
Pledge heard the Materia’s whispers grow stronger as it reacted to its new host. There was something strangely… triumphant in the tone of them… and something that seemed to be encouraging… urging its host onward to recover the other shards… So dark, so intense, and so impossible to block out… He shook his head slowly, trying to focus enough to think above the almost suffocating influence of the voice of the Black Materia, and let out a short sigh.
Aerith glanced back in the direction of the Turks, and therefore of himself, and he blinked. He should be doing something, shouldn’t he, about this silver haired man… this ‘Kadaj’, who quite clearly intended to finish Cloud off… and who seemed perfectly willing to kill Aerith, too, if it was necessary… for the sake of a few shards of Materia. He had always thought there was something deeply disturbing about Materia in general. But this… This was on another level of disturbing, altogether…
He tugged Akashic Record from its ties, weighing the intricate halberd-like weapon in his hands and noting with vague surprise exactly how tired his muscles seemed to think they were. He’d gotten almost no sleep for the last two days, after all…
Kadaj had raised his weapon, and Pledge, shocked into action, took a step forwards…
((Leeeeaving it open again. xD Because I know what’s gonna happen with Tseng, but I’m STILL WAITING ON RUFUS’S POST GODDAMNIT!!! D:
And yes, another supremely rubbish post from me! *corrects all of 323754292682894762956 typos* >_____<))
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Rufus Shinra
New Member
It's a little like swimming through glass. Naked.
Posts: 19
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Post by Rufus Shinra on Dec 30, 2007 4:22:30 GMT -5
(Whine, whine, whine. Ever think about MY feelings!?)
Rufus glanced away from the soon-to-be battle as Tseng approached. He took notice of Frieden on his opposite side, but did not pay him the same mind. He sighed inwardly, however, when Tseng delivered his piece of bad news. Not that it was entirely troubling in this case. “I would not worry too much about it.” His cool gaze returned to the rising conflict. “We can worry about that when Cloud has been fully incapacitated. With any luck Kadaj will be weakened to the point where he will not-“
The President’s eyes flew wide as some sort of massive burst was released from Cloud. One arm raised up to shield his eyes, and his legs bent to brace himself for whatever may come. This reflex turned out to be unnecessary though, as whatever the blond had done was not quite powerful enough to make its way to them. Nevertheless, its strength was nothing to wave off. The power of the Black Materia, perhaps?
Rufus lowered his arm slowly, but his expression continued to be one of shock. He watched as Kadaj got to his feet, despite taking a direct hit from whatever magic Cloud had just used, and managed to approach the man. He observed as he dug into the chest of the unmoving body, reached inside and removed........something. Of course, not everyone just had “something” in some random chest cavity. All things considered, it didn’t take a genius to figure out just what Kadaj had yanked out.
“His chest.....” Rufus’ expression returned to its usual, his composure regained for the moment. He only then realized that Reno had managed to make it behind Tseng, but ignored him for the time being. His businesslike order went to all three Turks present, but the President had a feeling that only two were likely to act on them. “We have what we need. Intercept Kadaj and recover Mr. Strife’s body.”
It was then that Aerith made her entrance, running to kneel beside Cloud’s opened body. His gaze lingered upon here for a moment, then shifted to the young man who accompanied her. He did not withdraw his order though. It would be trouble if either interfered for whatever reason, but this was about as close to the Black Materia as Rufus might ever be. He would not let such a hazard escape his grasp.
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Tseng
New Member
Posts: 32
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Post by Tseng on Dec 30, 2007 5:01:14 GMT -5
Tseng had been dutifully listening to what the President had to say, as his gaze followed the beginnings of the battle between Cloud and Kadaj…
‘With any luck’, Rufus said, and Tseng, had he not been Tseng, might have smiled. Turks wasted no hopes on luck – they were prepared for the worst, whether or not the worst should happen – and if they could not deal with the worst they were not fit to be called Turks.
And the worst had quite possibly just decided to happen.
His reaction to the blast of dark energy from Cloud differed from Rufus’s only in that he stepped forwards, towards it, placing himself between it and the President. What good his body would have been to shield Rufus from it he was not certain of, if it would have done any good whatsoever, but it had become something of conditioned reaction to him. Luckily, however, the blast did not reach that far.
‘Luckily’… and this time he did smile, although it was a wry smile and so slight it was barely noticeable. Oh, there was always some irony there, somewhere.
He returned to his position beside Rufus as Kadaj was dragging himself to his feet, his expression perfectly composed but for the disconcertion and slight strain that showed in his eyes. And at almost exactly the same moment as the President spoke the words ‘his chest’, Tseng mouthed the same words, silently, almost cursing himself for his foolishness… Of course, when they had discovered Sephiroth, unconscious, near the reactor in Kalm… the wound in his chest…
It was the last place that anyone would have thought to look, and yet somehow Tseng felt that he should have know. Somehow.
But there was no time to think of that. Rufus had not even needed to vocalize the orders. The Turks objective had been to locate and retrieve the shards. That was what they would do. As for Reno… he was unimportant.
He drew his pistol from the holster, flicking the safety off as he aimed at the silver-haired man… and then, someone rushed past him, and he hesitated.
“Aerith…?”
As a Turk, his emotions should have held no sway over his actions. No, he shouldn’t have even had the capacity for emotions any more… But he did, and they did, and his hesitation almost resulted in a new casualty. As Kadaj lifted Souba to strike at the girl, he corrected his aim.
A gunshot rang out across the street…
((Trying to RP three characters in one freaking post is as hard as hell. xD
So what, there’s kind of a little bit of Kadaj in that post, too… It’s only one action… <.<’’ ))
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Post by Kadaj on Dec 30, 2007 5:38:28 GMT -5
Kadaj had straightened, lifting a booted foot to place it on Cloud’s chest, and pressing down. He felt the resistance of Cloud’s ribcage, and smirked. Such a pathetic, fragile structure to protect the very centre of one’s life… he would break every single rib, even the ones that weren’t in his way. Just for the fun of it. And then he would break every other bone in the blonde’s body, too. Although really he should wait until Cloud was conscious… It was far more fun when they were awake to scream in agony.
It wasn’t only Tseng who remembered his torture.
And then, someone ran out, and he lifted Souba, half expecting an attack… but none came. Instead, some foolish girl had thrown herself over Cloud’s lifeless form, accusing him of being heartless, demanding that he leave. At any other time, he would have laughed, and cut her down immediately, but he was struck with the indescribable sense of knowing her, and it was somehow bewildering.
He took a step back, removing the pressure from Cloud’s ribs, staring at her blankly, that childishness he possessed perfectly visible now.
But there was a new voice inside his head… a voice that said ‘kill’, ‘maim’, ‘destroy’… A voice that urged… Sever every tie to life and break the souls of those who lived with grief… An ancient voice. The voice of Meteor.
Not Magic… a Summon… Something that bore a life of its own…
And, without thinking, he complied, raising Souba to end the life of this pitiful girl who thought she could tell him what to do! But that was as far as he got, because a gunshot rang out through the silence, and suddenly there was pain once more.
Souba clattered to the ground, and at the same time, Kadaj gave an agonized cry, taking another step backwards, away from Aerith. For a moment, he stood there, cradling his left hand, his sword hand, against his body, rocking slightly for no real reason, his face obscured by his silvery hair. Straightening, he gazed down at the hand, now a mess of blood and shattered bone, and his face was contorted by rage.
Those piercing Mako eyes centred on the Turks – not just the Turk who had shot him, but all three of them. And Rufus. How dare they get in his way?
A greenish glow emanated from his left arm, and suddenly he threw the bloodied hand out, jagged shards of ice shooting towards the men… the cry that tore itself from his throat a twisted mixture of fury and agony, not quite human…
((I really should sleep more. Tired = bad posts.))
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Reno
Junior Member
[.Drunken Monkey.]
Anyone Can Forgive, But Can Anyone Forget?
Posts: 61
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Post by Reno on Dec 30, 2007 10:28:58 GMT -5
Reno was really drunk, even though he'd been slightly startled by Cloud's attack he didn't seem to care about what was going on. He could make out that Rufus and the other Turks where shocked by something, and only just heard what the blonde President said...but his hearing was pretty bad after that strange attack Cloud did, it shook him up a tiny bit. But because of the posture he was in when the attack happened, Reno wasn't as effected as his collegues by the light...but more so, the noise. Once Tseng had fired his gun, Reno sprung into a panic and lept for his boss' heels, jabbering nonsense and whining about how he didn't mess up this job and that it was all Kadaj's fault. But then he remembered something, he made a bargain with Kadaj...so in a way, this WAS his fault. And to make sure he didn't get anymore stick later about messing things up, he decided to continue whining about this all being Kadaj's fault....taking no notice of anything else. After all, he was still drunk...and couldn't even haul himself off the floor or pull himself away from Tsengs feet. The drunkard knew that if he didn't say anything, then if anyone had to be blamed for something that happened today, it'd have been him.
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Post by Aerith on Dec 30, 2007 16:26:38 GMT -5
Everything happened so quickly,as each approched towards Cloud's lifeless body.As she was waiting for her death to come again,it never did when her ears heard the gunshot that ran out towards Kadaj.All this fighting over the black materia,this was her fault all her fault.If only she had been stronger in the lifestream,if only it wasn't so tainted and the planet angry she would have kept any of this from happening.Even now Aerith could hear the planet's anger ringing in her mind,that's why all this fighting must stop.
When Rufus spoke about recovering Cloud's body,she held the lifeless man close.Rufus and his turks would have to drag her screaming away in order to do that,and what of Kadaj she couldn't let him suffer yet she knew he deserved it.Her eyes widened when she saw him attack the turks and Rufus,but he wouldn't listen to her would he.
"Kadaj.....don't hurt them,stop this foolish fighting all of you".
How much pain and blood had to be spilt,how much more people had to be sacrificed.All to destroy this planet for the sake of "mother",the white materia she needed to find Zack and ask if he had it.Why couldn't she remember anything about it,Aerith knew it was familiar to her it was that time when Sepiroth first killed her.
"The white materia is in the city of the ancients.....".
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Post by Frieden on Dec 30, 2007 23:31:33 GMT -5
Frieden’s initial reaction to the Shadow Flare was much like Tseng’s, though the Wutaian man managed to beat him to the punch. He leaned inward, hand on the hilt of Tenrai as if he could cut the oncoming spell. Whether he could or not was never tested, thankfully, as the large burst of magic dissipated long before it could reach them. Adjusting his glasses, the Turk returned to attention as if nothing had happened.
From there, he did no more than watch as Kadaj proceeded to hack his way into Cloud’s chest and remove some foreign object from the bloody mess. Ten guesses about what that could be. His eyes shifted to the President as he gave his order. Granted, the command was more than obvious, but that it was given meant he had permission to let loose. It seemed natural that Tseng went first, as there was no way Frieden could have covered the distance so quickly. Had it just been himself, there would be more problems on their hands.
It was during Kadaj’s counter-attack that the man finally found a chance to be useful. He gripped Rufus by his shoulder and quickly pulled him aside, stepping past him in that same instance and successfully swapping positions. He then shoved the blond further back, so that he was well out of the way of the oncoming projectiles, and drew his katana. What happened next could only be described as a graceful dance. The thin sword was a blur of motion, a series of flashing lights amid a storm, striking down shard after shard of icy crystal. One piece managed to cut his cheek, and another his shoulder, but for the most part he seemed to be alright.
Frieden crouched low, glancing back to share a single look with Tseng. He did not need to use words to convey what would happen next; he had just volunteered to attack Kadaj and divert his killing intent from the President, possibly allowing them to do something about Cloud’s body. He then dashed for the silver-haired revenant, the tip of Tenrai sending up sparks as it traveled. There was a slight pause when he was but a few feet away. Here he brought up his katana in an ark, aiming to strike Kadaj under the chin. Assuming the man did not dodge, he would have his vocal apparatus ripped from his throat.
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Tseng
New Member
Posts: 32
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Post by Tseng on Dec 31, 2007 12:10:20 GMT -5
Good, so he had achieved what he aimed for… Not only was Aerith unharmed, but he had successfully disarmed the remnant… or so he thought. Kadaj’s arm glowed green. Materia. When had Kadaj found Materia?
A lot of things happened then, all at once. Tseng made to move in front of the President once more, and suddenly found that he could not as a certain someone clung to his ankles, jabbering utter nonsense about things that, at this moment, were really NOT important.
There was ice, flying in his general direction – large and lethally jagged shards of ice… and he couldn’t move. Thankfully, Frieden was present, and the President was safe as long as the swordsman could guard him where Tseng now could not. Cursing the red-haired Turk under his breath, he took aim, and fired. One ice shard shattered into dust and smaller fragments that flew off in all directions. He aimed again. Two. Again. Three. Shit. He threw up an arm to shield his face as the knife-like shards tore at clothing and flesh alike…
As the Magic attack was spent, Tseng lowered his arm with a grimace, brushing off his suit as though nothing had happened more than the wind blowing dust in his eyes. Blood was trickling from several injuries caused by the ice. He glanced across, first at the President to ensure that he was uninjured. Then to Frieden. The man's intent was clear to him. But even should the swordsman successfully distract Kadaj, there wasn't much he could do about it with the red-haired imbecile clinging to his legs.
With one quick movement, he stooped, dealing a swift strike to a pressure-point at the side of Reno’s neck that would render the red-haired Turk unconscious for a good few minutes… Anything to make the idiot let go of him. Currently, Reno would be more useful unconscious than concious and drunk.
As Frieden engaged Kadaj, Tseng made his way over to where Aerith was cradling Cloud's lifeless body to her. Crouching across from her, he glanced up at the battle momentarily, considering what could be said to reassure the girl. “Aerith, I know you want nothing to do with ShinRa, but we must take Cloud to headquarters. We can remove the Black Materia without harming him. He'll receive the medical attention he needs. You must trust me...”
((I know I should stop complaining about my posts, but damnit, bad post. I could NOT think how to end this one. xD ))
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Reno
Junior Member
[.Drunken Monkey.]
Anyone Can Forgive, But Can Anyone Forget?
Posts: 61
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Post by Reno on Dec 31, 2007 13:37:48 GMT -5
Reno sensed it, the tension in the air...the sound of ice shards peircing through it...among other sounds of clothes ripping and gun-fire. The powerful smell of gunpowder, caused the red-head to release his grip and cover his nose...when you're drunk everything becomes sensative, in a BAD way. Not that good kind of sensative when you need it, more so, it's when you least want it and can't use it to your advantage. The gun-fire rang through his ears and he fought the temptation to slam his hands clean over them, just to block everything else out, but instead chose to prevent his nose from releasing irritable sneezes. And just as the situation slowly started to fit together in the red-heads mind, he was cut short by the sudden offense on Kadaj by Frieden...causing his thoughts to drift into confusion and unpredictability. When Reno's drunk, he becomes unpredictable and easily startled.
"What's goin' on, yo!?" he whined as he flung for Tsengs heels again, and instead of getting a solid answer in words...he got one to the neck-area. Not quite the answer he was hoping for. In the space of 5 seconds due to a delayed reaction (thanks to our friend, Mr.Alcohol) Reno blacked out and released his grip on Tseng, slamming face-first into the ground once again. Because of the amount of alcohol the Turk had consumed, this 'black-out' would seem to last much longer...but man, would he have a headache when he wakes up. He just hoped he wouldn't wake up somewhere he didn't want to be....like back at his desk or dead. Actually, waking up at his office sounds more frighting.
(I'll have him recover after Kadaj is gone. however that may happen!)
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Post by Aerith on Dec 31, 2007 16:04:43 GMT -5
Aerith didn't want to hand Cloud over to ShinRa,but he would die if he didn't get medical attention and soon.Giving a nod to Tseng,she let him go gently so they would be able to take them away but she spoke softly only loud enough for Tseng to hear.
"Please take care of him,also be careful with the black materia.The white materia is in the city of the ancients,but if Zack has already found it then you need to find him".
Her mind felt so fuzzy as if a rush of memories we're coming back to her,she could not let the remnants or Sephiroth have the black materia otherwise all hope will be lost.The white materia can only be used if in the right hands,but would it be strong enough again to repel the black materia's powers she didn't know.And Kadaj why couldn't he just stop all this,now he had a shard of the black materia and was injured as well.
"I'm sorry,this all wouldn't be happening if I had been strong enough".
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Post by Kadaj on Jan 1, 2008 8:19:10 GMT -5
Damn those meddling Turks to hell! He was so close… so close to all three shards, and they just had to become a problem. He lifted his arm, considering what Magic he should throw at them next…
But something Aerith said caught his attention – not her plea to stop the fighting, he couldn’t care less about that – but about the White Materia. The Planet’s answer to the deadly Materia that mother had brought with her from the sky… He would not be able to use that power, he knew that, but he could prevent others from using it. If he could destroy the White Materia, then nothing – nothing – would stand in his way. So, once the shards were his, he would go to the Lost City.
The distraction had cost him precious time, and suddenly he found a sword slicing up towards his throat. Without thinking, he flung himself backwards, flipping in the air and landing cat-like on his feet a good distance away. But Cloud’s Shadow Flare had obviously done a good deal more damage than he was willing to admit; pain seared through him at the sudden movement, and as he landed, he swayed, his stance sagging slightly.
His eyes narrowed as they fixed on Frieden. Souba still lay on the ground near Cloud and Aerith. Against a sword, he was defenceless, his only weapons the Materia in his arm… and perhaps, if he could control it, the single shard in his chest.
But as he straightened, there was a smirk on his face. Frieden would expect him to use Materia, now. Of course he would. So, Kadaj wasn’t going to. He lifted both arms slightly, palms upwards, in what at first seemed to be an arrogant gesture of a ‘bring it on’ nature.
Shadows moved from corners and alleyways, gathering in pools, and from each pool leapt a Shadow Creeper. And every one of the strange creatures leapt straight for the sword-wielding Turk.
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Rufus Shinra
New Member
It's a little like swimming through glass. Naked.
Posts: 19
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Post by Rufus Shinra on Jan 1, 2008 23:52:23 GMT -5
Rufus got to his feet, casually brushing nonexistent dust from the hem of his jacket. He would say what he wanted about his deceased father, but the man had one hell of a staff under him. How many people had a sword-wielding bodyguard who could both pull their boss out of harms way and also block the danger they had placed themselves in? Not many, said he! Either way, it looked as though the rabid revenant had been pulled away for the moment. There was never a better time to rejoin the leader of his miracle bodyguards.
Stepping over an unconscious Reno, the blond president arrived beside the body of the opened Cloud. He made it just in time to catch Aerith’s response to whatever Tseng had said. “Strong?”
Rufus did not crouch like Tseng had, but instead stood above the Cetra, so that he had to look down as he addressed her. However, unlike any other situation in which this may occur, there was nothing condescending about his actions. “If you don’t mind me saying, there are fewer words I might use to describe your character. I understand that you endured much at the hands of my company before my arrival.” It was not meant to be a poke at Tseng, but he remembered that he was present just after saying it. “And as I understand it, it was you who used the Holy Materia. That means the Planet owes you a debt of gratitude. And the rain....”
Rufus unconsciously gripped his wrist with the opposite hand, making contact with the part that had been bruised and decayed. He had showboated for Kadaj, but his Geostigma was just as deadly whether or not he was faking additional symptoms. Had that holy water not poured down from the heavens, someone else would be in charge of ShinRa right now. He looked away almost absently, his cerulean gaze directed to the point just beyond the harbor. “Just.....you are strong, Aerith. Do not convince yourself otherwise.”
(My first shit-post on this forum. Yay!)
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Sephiroth
Full Member
"Overburdened Puppet of Jenova"
Our Fate Is Not Decided By Anyone But Ourselves. It's All About Choice.
Posts: 208
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Post by Sephiroth on Jan 2, 2008 6:38:54 GMT -5
((Wow. Everyone's here now...and sincwe I couldn't do ANYTHING as Cloud right now but act...dead...I figured on having Sephiroth loiter around.))
The one advantage of his wing, flight, had proven it's worth. Sephiroth had made it to Junon after a quick visit to the City Of The Ancients, in his persuit of Cloud and Kadaj...who he felt may have turned treacherous against him. No matter, as long as Cloud was still functional as a puppet he could dispose of Kadaj if what he felt was true.
He landed atop a building at some distance from the gathering, folding his wing close to his back as he made his way to the edge of the roof to get a better look...but maintaining a low profile by keeping as low as possible. He wanted to make sense of the situation first before jumping into it, for all he knew they would be unprepaired for him to show up in thin air...but even if he did, they'd all gang up on him. Even Kadaj....the traitor.
"So you wish to cut your strings, puppet?" Sephrioth muttered to himself, as he felt the black materia within him tingle in his torso...and the anger he felt...caused a light burning sensation similar to the ones Cloud felt. The materia was seeking a new host to blind with its dark promises of power. As a form of keeping the materia under control, HIS control, Sephiroth clenched his fist and whacked himself in the chest...as if he was beating the materia into submission. The numbness in his body and the sore feeling in his chest immidiatly dissipated once his fist connected to his torso...and he resumed monitoring the gathering.
"Something feels different about Cloud..." he thought, gazing down at the bloody mess and those gathering around him...had he died? No...he'd have vanished into Lifestream if he had....but he wasn't far off. Something was keeping him in check, lingering on the edge of life and death.
"He still has some of the matetria inside of him!" Sephiroth suddenly realised...only reason why he'd still be alive after literally being cut open and beaten. He gazed at Kadaj, who was busy fighting with some Turks and using Shadow Creepers...but he noticed it alright. Kadaj implanted the shard he stole from Cloud in his OWN torso.
"Gut him later, Cloud has more than him. And he started all of this! He needs to die first!" the devil within Sephiroth thought. But the conversation he had with Zack in the City Of The Ancients caused him to shrug off that idea, that was the puppet Sephiroth talking...he had to find his OWN voice, not Jenova's pawn. Which reminded him, usually 'Mother' would tell him what to do in situations like this...but her voice was gone. Completly gone. All he heard was his own voice and the 'puppet Sephiroth' within him. And it was difficult which to trust. Then again, can you really trust anyone in such a misleading world? Blinded by what he just realised, Sephiroth opened his wing again and lept down from the building...drawing Masamune and slamming onto the concrete with a heavy thud, rising from his landing casually...before eyeing Kadaj and glacing at Cloud.
"You know what happens to puppets who cut their strings!?" he yelled, to catch the remnant by suprise was what one voice told him to do...but another cnflicted, telling him to mock him. So he chose to do both, twice the amount of fun.
"...I cut their throats."
((Sephiroth sounded really confused in that. O.o'' ))
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Tseng
New Member
Posts: 32
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Post by Tseng on Jan 2, 2008 10:44:19 GMT -5
Tseng almost breathed a sigh of relief when Aerith decided to cooperate, thankful that things wouldn't be made any more complicated than they already were. Returning his firearm to its holster, he gathered Cloud up in his arms, somewhat briskly, and paused as Aerith spoke to him, in a tone so quiet she clearly intended the words only for him.
Why had she chosen to tell him the location of the White Materia? He considered the implications. It would probably be considered breach of protocol, but for now, he would keep the information to himself, until he could decide what should be done about it.
“The Black Materia will be kept in maximum security conditions,” he returned, just as quietly. “I cannot and will not allow a repeat of Meteorfall. Too much was lost, then.” The Turk glanced up at the President as he moved to stand beside him, rising to his full height, with Cloud's body a dead weight in his arms.
Rufus's words may not have been intentionally derisive of his previous... actions, but even so, Tseng diverted his gaze from both Rufus and the Cetra, seeming to find Frieden's battle suddenly very interesting. He may well be thought of as a traitor and outcast in his home town, due to his involvement with ShinRa, but the Wutaian concepts of honour that he had grown up with were still his. Certain things in his past shamed him, no matter whether he had been acting under orders. Being reminded of them was unpleasant.
But he kept silent, respectfully, as Rufus spoke, hoping that Aerith knew he agreed with every word. The girl could never be considered weak, not in any manner.
Tseng glanced down at Cloud. The wound in his chest was a bad one – he wondered whether it was due to the fragments of Black Materia that the blonde was not already dead – but whether it was or not, Cloud would not last much longer, unless he was taken to the medical facilities of ShinRa HQ immediately. He cleared his throat politely to attract Rufus's attention.
“Sir, if I may, it may be prudent for you to leave Junon. It is not safe here.” It was also a prompt for orders. A course of action must be chosen, now, while they were still able to choose at all.
Tseng owed it to Aerith to ensure that Cloud received the medical attention he needed. Removing him from Junon immediately would also mean, if the worst came to the worst, Kadaj would not be able to claim the two shards still buried in the blonde's chest. But Frieden was currently involved in battle, and although Tseng in no way doubted to swordsman's prowess in battle – in fact Tseng considered Frieden one of his best men – even injured as he was, Kadaj was a formidable foe. Tseng was reluctant to leave the swordsman behind to hold Kadaj off.
Of course, it would also be to their advantage to bring Kadaj in – he was highly dangerous, and had one of the shards they had been looking for, after all – and he was clearly quite badly injured, making this possibly the best chance at capturing him they would get. And yet, the time it took the Turks to bring down the remnant of Sephiroth might be too long for Cloud...
Of course, what happened next depended entirely on the orders that Rufus gave.
But even as well-practised at hiding his emotions as he was, the surprise and worry showed on his face as suddenly an new player was revealed. Sephiroth.
The Turks may well be Rufus's 'miracle bodyguards', but Tseng was under no illusions of being any match at all for the one-winged angel. Secretly, he felt the only reason Kadaj had not proved as much of a problem as he might have done was because of his injuries from Cloud's Shadow Flare. Thankfully, for the moment, Sephiroth seemed more focussed on Kadaj.
“Quickly,” he muttered, nodding towards the helicopters. Things just got a lot more simple. There were two choices. Escape, or die.
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Post by Aerith on Jan 2, 2008 16:20:47 GMT -5
Aerith rose from her position on the ground,Rufus was right she was strong but those she was suppose to keep in the lifestream had escaped.She looked over to Cloud in Tseng's arms,relieved to know he would get the medical attention he needed.The black materia shards though needed to be removed,otherwise Cloud would be driven more to madness and the killing of innocent lives.It had been her rain that cured the Geostigma,but she didn't release the Holy Materia herself no Zack helped her and some other's in the lifestream that time.
She was about to say something else,but her words we're stopped when Sephiroth decided to show up.He had no interest it seemed to do them any harm,his eyes we're only on Kadaj.But where had the one winged angel come from,his previous location she just had to know but it would be foolish to ask such a question.Aerith turned her eyes to Rufus for a second,he and the other's we're in grave danger if they stayed.
"Tseng is right leave Rufus,to stay is suicide just take Cloud and leave all of you".
She then turned her body to face Sephiroth and Kadaj,her back to the turks and Rufus.If she could get one answer out of Sephiroth just one,the only thing she wanted to know is if he had seen Zack and if so where she needed to find him right away.
"Enough blood has been spilt Sephiroth,but I wish to ask if you have seen Zack".
Aerith didn't care if he answered her or not,all she wanted to know is where Zack was.If she could have that answer she would go find him,she had to know if he had found the white materia which in the first place had been left to her by her mother.
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