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Darkened Skies	By : Cynthia Category: Final Fantasy VII > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 952 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all characters are the property of Square Enix. I do not profit from this fanfiction, it’s for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter List
- 20
- 21
- 22
"Darkened Skies"
Chapter twenty-one: Conscience
A Final Fantasy 7 AU fanfiction
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Author's note: I didn't want a three chapter battle so I made the decision to describe the fights that I felt were most significant to the plot and to leave the others up to the reader's imagination.

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.

~**************************************~

            "This is just a suggestion," Genesis remarked as they all crowded to the windows, "but you may not want to put Valentine under arrest, just yet."
            "Why not?" demanded Rufus.
            "Because if the enemy gets past us and makes it into this tower, Mr. Valentine may be your last significant defense," answered Sephiroth with a glance at the former Turk.
            "I'm just as capable of shooting a firearm as he is," Rufus said dismissively. "And I doubt that creature inside of him will rise up and defend us, if bullets fail to work."
            "Vincent has other talents at his disposal," Reeve said. "Trust me, Chaos isn't the only card he could play if our attackers turn out to be lead-proof."
            Rufus looked to Vincent warily. The gunman nodded reassuringly and he looked at Reeve as he rested his hand over his formidable weapon, sheathed at his thigh. "I'll defend the council and if I feel the threat of intrusion, I'll lock myself into a cell."
Sephiroth was satisfied with that and he looked out over the city. It was difficult to tell how big of a force they were dealing with, from their vantage point. The buildings were in the way of a clear view, and Junon wasn't a small city.
            "Valentine will do more good outside a cell than in one, right now," said Sephiroth. "President, please open these windows so that Lt. Rhapsodos and I can fly out and investigate. You and the others are to seal off this floor and stay here until we know what we're dealing with. Once I have a visual on the enemy, I'll contact you with coordinates. Is the canon operational?"
            Rufus nodded. "Yes. Scarlet should be maintaining it now. We intended to use it as a defensive mechanism if the strike failed and Deepground retaliated. It seems we'll be using it sooner than we thought."
            Lazard went to the control panel against the back wall and used his keycard to activate the mechanized, sliding windows. The reinforced glass panels began to slide up, opening the board room up to the evening air. Sephiroth and Genesis both manifested their wing and they prepared to take off and survey the situation from the air. Reno and Rude were already heading out the door, communicating with Tseng, Elena and Cissnei on their department frequency as they went.
            "Wait," Zack called to his fellow SOLDIER officers, "What about me? Can one of you give me a lift?"
            "Use the stairs," suggested Genesis with a smirk over his shoulder at him. "Your added weight would slow us down, puppy."
            Zack muttered something rude under his breath.
~*******************************~

            Angeal was in the Junon SOLDIER barracks when the first explosion went off. He was just finishing up with inspections on Sephiroth's unit's weapons, having volunteered to finish up in there while the others attended the meeting. The floor vibrated subtly from the blast and his first thought was that someone else in ShinRa had activated another self-destruct mechanism to cover up or destroy yet more conspiracies. Other SOLDIER operatives nearby stopped what they were doing and looked around for a moment, understandably confused.
            Then there was a second explosion, and the alarms began to go off. President Shinra's voice spoke over the intercom system, advising civilians to head for the nearest emergency shelters or lock themselves into their homes until authorities dealt with the situation. Lazard's voice came over the SOLDIER broadcast next, speaking over Rufus' citizen advisory.
            "All SOLDIER units, mobilize for defensive action and protect the city," Lazard ordered. "Top priorities are the underwater reactor, the harbor, the airport and the ShinRa tower. Do not allow the enemy to gain control of any of these facilities. The Turks will assist you in this and the army will defend the civilians. General Sephiroth and his officers will give further instructions as needed."
            Angeal went into action immediately, ushering the lower ranking operatives along and bolstering their morale with his confidence. He checked his Buster Sword and upon finding that he only had an Enemy Skill materia equipped in it, he made the decision to head for his locker and procure his issued bangle. He dug out his transmitter headgear as he ran, dodging other operatives and staff as he went.
            "This is Lt. Hewley," Angeal said as he turned the transmitter on and adjusted it. "Does anyone copy?"
            "I copy you, Hewley," Genesis' voice responded almost immediately—hinting that he'd been trying to reach him. "What is your status?"
            "All units are armed and moving out," answered Angeal. "I'm in the process of equipping myself with materia and I'm prepared to lead my regiment to wherever I'm needed most."
            Sephiroth's voice broke into the transmission, then. "Hewley, take your regiment to the reactor and guard the entrance. Send my units to Upper Junon's main entrance to rendezvous with me. We'll take point."
            "Of course you will," groused Genesis, "right in the vanguard, basking in the glory."
            "Not now, Genesis," Angeal warned. "General, what about the harbor, the airport and the tower?"
            "Tseng and the Turks have the airport covered," answered Sephiroth. "Send Rhapsodos' men to join him at the tower. He'll be protecting the president and the others, along with Hojo. Don't make me regret this, Genesis."
            Genesis sounded pacified by Sephiroth's apparent trust in him to defend the company heads and their most important prisoner. "Those Deepground insurgents will be the only ones regretting it, should they cross me."
            Angeal could practically hear Sephiroth rolling his eyes as he responded. "See to it that you make good on your boasts. Fair, your regiment will meet with you at the harbor. If naval opposition arrives, you report it immediately and hold the harbor until help arrives."
            There was no immediate answer.
            "Lt. Fair?"
            "Yeah, I've got it," Zack promised finally. "Sorry…my mic was flaking out on me. I'm heading outside now. Must be nice to be able to jump out a window instead of taking the elevator or stairs."
~**********************************~

            Zack heard the air units coming as soon as he set foot outside, and he looked up as he drew his sword. There were squads of enemy troops coming down on jet packs and some manner of flying motorbikes. They appeared to be heading for the SOLDIER barracks, where operatives of varying ranks were hurrying out to deploy to their designated posts. Some of them had noticed the threat and they joined the regular MP's in firing at them. Defensive steel panels were already shutting over some of the tower windows on the lower level, as added protection from any invaders attempting to break in. Some of Zack's regiment had already made it to the tower to meet up with him, and he heard Kunsel call out to him from the left.
            "What are your orders, Zack?"
            "Get everyone rounded up and head for the harbor," instructed Zack. "Our mission is to keep it secure. Don't let anyone lag behind; we've got to move fast."
"Right on," agreed Kunsel. He hastened to act on Zack's orders.
While Kunsel relayed the instructions, Zack looked up at the invaders coming in and he wondered where in the hell Deepground got their hands on airships. ShinRa helicopters had started to engage them, attempting to stop them from dropping more troops into the heart of the city.
Sephiroth's voice came through the SOLDIER channel. "SOLDIER officers, tune into the main ShinRa frequency," he ordered, "So that we can monitor everyone's status and coordinate with our allies. Keep this channel open for our private exchanges, though."
            Zack adjusted his transmitter accordingly and he smiled a little when he heard Cissnei's voice announce that her chopper successfully brought down several Deepground operatives as they left their aircrafts, before they could touch down. Reno confirmed that the airport was still secure and Tseng ordered them all to get in formation around it. Captain Highwind announced that his airship was ready to take off and join the rest of the air teams in defense of the city.
As he started to move out with his regiment, Zack spotted Genesis leading some operatives to the tower and he impulsively waved at him, but the redhead was too busy instructing his people to notice. He felt a hand pat his arm to get his attention and he turned to regard his friend.
            "Uh, Zack?" Kunsel hollered next to him, pitching his voice over the sound of yells and gunfire, "What the hell is that?"
            Zack looked where his friend pointed and his jaw dropped at the sight of the huge figure dropping down out of a hovering airship with a group of regular-sized Deepground operatives. The guy had to be over nine feet tall and he was falling toward the street without any sort of parachute or jet pack to slow his descent. He was armed with what looked like a small cannon to Zack from his vantage point, and he didn't seem to be the least bit concerned about the rate at which he was falling. The impact of the hulking agent's landing cracked the street, but he hardly paused. He knocked ShinRa MP's out of the way like he was swatting flies and he barreled into the SOLDIER barracks like a bulldozer. Not even the SOLDIER operatives still coming out of the building seemed to be able to stop him. Zack recognized him as a Tsviet from the files and he cursed.
            "Angeal's still in there," muttered Zack to himself. Obviously it would take more than the average SOLDIER had to deal with the threat, and Zack stood torn for a moment. He had a job to do…but he wasn't sure even his powerful mentor could face this new threat alone. None of them had faced Deepground members before now, and Zack had no idea how their skills and abilities would measure up to the Tsviets'. They'd been subjected to a more concentrated form of Mako treatment than even First Class SOLDIER operatives, after all.
            "Kunsel, listen to me," Zack called, "I'm leaving you in charge of the harbor defense for now, okay?"
            The Second's hazel eyes went wide behind the protective visor shading them under his helmet. "What? Why?"
            Zack looked to the barracks again. "I just want to check on something. I'll be right behind you guys."
            Kunsel looked at the barracks too. The sound of crashing, explosions and gunfire could be heard within, mingling with the noise of battle in the streets. "Okay, but I want it put on record that I think this is a bad idea!"
            Zack forced a grin and patted him on the shoulder, before running full-speed for the barracks.
~**************************************~

"Get ten operatives up to the cannon's control room, to help protect it," Genesis ordered. "Thirds are fine, but I want some Seconds in the mix. Some of you other Seconds move up to the executive level and a handful down to the holding level to defend them if these invaders get past us on the ground. The rest of you stay here with me and defend the main entrance."
            Unlike Zack's men, these operatives didn't address their leader as common. They saluted Genesis sharply and hastened to comply with his orders in a timely manner. Genesis checked his materia and his sword as he oversaw their formations, and he silently hoped Angeal wouldn't have trouble securing the underwater reactor, and he wondered if he'd made it out of the barracks, yet. According to reports so far, lower Junon was under enemy control and the civilians living there had already been rounded up.
            Genesis adjusted his ear peace and prepared to contact his lover to check on his status, telling himself that he wasn't being a ninny by doing so.
~*********************************~

Meanwhile, up in the Junon HQ tower:
            "Damn, it isn't working."
            Reeve came up beside Lazard and regarded the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the city. "The lower level security panels activated without a problem. There must be a glitch in the system on this floor."
            "Perfect," sighed the director. "Well, if we can't bring down the shutters, we may be best off retiring to another room—preferably one of the inner rooms without windows."
            "Let me try," Reeve suggested with a gesture at the control panel.
            Lazard stepped aside and as the others watched, Reeve opened up the box and had a look inside. "I think there's a short," he announced after assessing the situation. "I can try to fix it, but maybe the rest of you should take Lazard's suggestion and migrate to one of the inner board rooms."
            Rufus was listening to the communications and he turned his transmitter down to answer. "There's no need for that. Rhapsodos has people coming up to guard this level. The glass in these windows are shatter resistant and our forces are keeping the enemy too occupied to try and reach us that way."
            "That could change," Vincent pointed out. "Don't underestimate these people, President Shinra. They obviously know the layout of Junon well enough to have taken the lower part of it before your people knew they were there."
            "I'm uncomfortable enough using the satellite network to organize this," Reeve said, his dark eyes on the control panel as he began making adjustments, "I really think you should reconsider, Rufus."
            The president narrowed his eyes at him. "How else would you suggest our people coordinate the defense of this city, Tuesti? With bullhorns, perhaps? If they know the city as Mr. Valentine suggests, than they already know which key areas to attack and listening in on our frequency isn't likely to give them an outstanding advantage. I trust our military leaders to adjust their tactics accordingly and push these invaders back."
            Whatever else he would have said got interrupted by someone addressing him over the frequency. "Yes, Scarlet? What is the status of the cannon? I see. Keep working on it. There should be some SOLDIER operatives there soon to assist with additional security."
            "What is going on?" Hollander demanded, being the only one in the room other than Vincent without a communication transmitter.
            "The Mako cannon is going to take time to power up," answered Rufus, "and they're having some technical difficulties with the targeting system."
            "How long will it take to power up?" Vincent inquired.
            "Thirty minutes, at least," Reeve grunted before the president could answer, having been listening to the communications channel himself at a low volume. "Longer if we're forced to employ the tower's other automated defenses."
            "I've ordered them to delay use of the defense artillery until told otherwise by myself, Lazard or Sephiroth," explained Rufus. "That will come as a last resort, should the situation require it. Premature activation would mean the risk of hitting our own people."
            "I can lend a hand with the targeting system, if they can't get it sorted out themselves," offered Reeve.
One of the defense panels slid down over a window and he looked over his shoulder at it with a raised brow. "Well, that's one at least—but that still leaves nine for this room and however many there are left for this floor after that."
"Just do your best," encouraged Lazard. "Frankly, I'm beginning to wonder if the failure of the security panels on this level was deliberately orchestrated."
Reeve paused for a second, before frowning grimly. "The thought has crossed my mind, too. Why do you think I want to revise our communication methods?"
"If someone hacked the tower security system," Hollander reasoned, "then they could have conceivably sabotaged the Mako cannon as well."
"You're all being paranoid," Rufus insisted with irritation. "Small glitches occur all the time—especially when events force us to neglect proper maintenance on some things. What we have here is nothing more than a few hiccups in the system. If we were hacked, we wouldn't be able to power up the cannon and the defense system would go offline entirely. Otherwise what is the point?"
Reeve sucked his teeth and nodded. "I have to admit he's right. Unless this is just the beginning of a larger hacking effort, the panels and the glitchy targeting function are fairly minor."
Lazard took his glasses off and wiped the lenses with a soft cloth he kept in his suit pocket. "Then let's just concentrate on getting everything working properly, and hope our people in the city can beat these enemies back."
~********************************~

            Angeal was just coming out of the locker room with his newly equipped materia bangle, when a young recruit came running at him in a panic. The boy waved his arms frantically to get his attention, though he was standing right in front of him.

"Lt. Hewley, Sir! There's been a breech in the facility!"
The crash that followed his announcement made the floor shake, and Angeal braced himself and steadied the recruit. He listened with a frown to the sounds of shouts, screams and combat coming from the exit wing. Whatever was attacking must be powerful, to put SOLDIER operatives on the defensive like this. He looked at the frightened young man and he gestured behind him.
"Go into the locker room and stay there until told otherwise," he instructed. "I'll deal with this."
The recruit nodded and did as he was told while Angeal readied his Buster Sword and jogged to the sound of combat. "This is Hewley," he reported over the SOLDIER frequency, "The barracks are under attack. I'm moving in to determine the severity of the situation now."
"I'm on my way in there now," Zack announced. "I got a pretty good look at the opposition and you've got one hell of a big dude in there, Ange. A few regular looking Deepground guys followed him in but I’m more worried about the big guy."
"Zack, why did you abandon your post?" Angeal said, his tone giving way to frustration.
"Lt. Fair, return to your post," ordered Sephiroth, "Hewley will call for backup if he needs it."
Zack didn't respond and Angeal imagined him sulking as he did as directed.
~*******************************~

            "Rosso was right," snarled Azul as he smashed the face in of another SOLDIER operative, "you wouldn't last a day in Deepground. So weak!"
            He was enjoying the carnage, though. The ShinRa people thought they knew what to expect of them, but they couldn't be more wrong. Weiss was a genius, and so far his predictions of what their prey would do in response to the attack were dead on.
            "They'll try to protect their civilians, of course, but they'll concentrate their strongest forces to the protection of that cannon on the tower, the reactor that powers it and their air and naval units. This will give us the opportunity to collect more sacrifices, while they are distracted. Azul, I want you to strike where it will draw their attention, as soon as you're able. Hunt their SOLDIER operatives. Slaughter them. When they realize their strongest fighters are under direct attack, they'll rush to respond and leave themselves open. Do enough damage to get their attention and then get out to rejoin the main fighting forces."
            It was so simple, yet so devious. These pathetic humans were playing right into their hands, dividing their strongest fighters and leaving their weakest to the defend the civilian population. Nero should have no trouble rounding them up, with Shelke's tracking aid.
            The Soldiers tried to put up a good fight against him, but most of them had been on their way out to comply with their orders and they were taken by surprise. Azul blasted a hole through one of them before his desperate charge could get anywhere near him. He caught the sword of another with his bare hand and grinned when the startled fighter realized he was impervious to the blade. He picked the sword up—with the SOLDIER operative still hanging onto it—and he threw the weapon and its owner down the corridor disdainfully. The hapless fighter crashed into a group of his companions and they all went down in a heap.
            "Defend your honor," shouted another operative, saluting Azul with his sword.   "As SOLDIER!"
            This one's attacks actually managed to put Azul on the defensive. As he blocked the flurry of sword thrusts with his cannon and hands, he grudgingly admitted there was skill behind them. Sadly for the SOLDIER operative, there was no strength to go with it—not enough to break through Azul's protective barrier, anyway. Azul eventually caught the young man by the head and before he could retaliate, he ripped it right off of his shoulders. The other Soldiers yelled in protest when their companion's head rolled to their feet, helmet and all. Azul's bloodthirsty smile broadened as they began to fall back, evidently realizing they were no match for him. He advanced on them and they started firing their ranged weapons at him—to no avail.
            He was looking forward to ripping them all into little pieces, but his plans were interrupted by the arrival of a powerfully built man in First Class garb. The sliding door to a separate sector opened and the First stepped through them, wielding a huge, bulky sword that no ordinary man could have possibly used in combat.
            "Why don't you try that with me?" challenged the first grimly, his chiseled features cold with the promise of vengeance.
            Azul bore his teeth at him in an excited smile. "Maybe I finally face a worthy opponent. Fight me, if you dare."
~********************************~

            "Lt. Hewley, we're right behind you!"
            Angeal glanced at the remaining group of operatives, taking note of their youth, their nervous but determined features and their uniforms. Three of them hadn't even earned a rank yet, lacking the telling glow in their eyes that would have marked them as fully Mako enhanced. They were just kids…barely into the program and probably only endowed with a couple of treatments. The rest were Thirds…little more than kids, themselves. Angeal looked at the bloody remains scattered throughout the corridor—pieces of the unfortunates who had already attempted to engage this monstrosity in combat. The Tsviet stood waiting for him to make the first move. How this encounter began was entirely up to Angeal. It wouldn't be honorable to gang up on him with others, when he'd presented a challenge to him.
            He made the only choice that made sense to him. Angeal turned to his young charges, cowering at the security door behind him, and he gave them a grim, stern order.
            "Make for the emergency exit to the sewers and meet up with your designated regiments. Seal all sectors behind you."
            "But sir—"
            "That's an order, Soldier!"
Angeal accentuated his point by punching the control panel to shut the sliding door. He drew the pistol he kept holstered at his thigh and shot the device, causing it to short-circuit and jam. Now the operatives on the other side couldn't interfere with the fight unless they blew the door open with an explosive. Satisfied that he'd done what he could to protect his young students from the threat, Angeal turned to face Azul and he gave him the SOLDIER salute—an outdated courtesy that only his personal trainees ever bothered with, anymore. He murmured his oath under his breath and prepared himself.
"I'm ready when you are, Tsviet."
~******************************~

            "That's five down," Zack panted after skewering another attacker with his sword.
He grimaced as he pulled his blade free of the body and nudged the Deepground soldier with his boot. This one had been running on all fours like a beast, and it had a sword grafted into its spine. The mouth was abnormally huge in the masked face, and full of uneven rows of fangs. Despite the dire situation and his anger at these people for daring to attack helpless civilians and inexperienced newbies, Zack felt a moment of pity for this creature. It may have been one of the unwilling abductees, for all he knew. Not all of the Deepground forces were volunteers. Some were born into it and others were taken against their will.
"What the hell did they do to you guys down there, buddy?"
            A small group of Seconds came running toward him, and one of them stopped and saluted. "Lt. Fair, are we regrouping to drive the invaders from the barracks?"
            "No," answered Zack. "You guys keep going to your posts and do what you're told when you get there. I'm going in by myself to help Lt. Hewley, if he needs it. How many more are in there?"
            "We took care of the last of them, as far as I know," answered the Second, and his companions nodded. "There are reports of a really big one deeper inside, but Lt. Hewley has ordered all units to get out of the barracks and leave it to him."
            "All right, thanks. Get out of here and leave it to us, man."
            The Second-class operatives hesitated briefly, before nodding and saluting him. "Good luck, Zack!"
            He smirked. "I make my own luck. You guys know that by now. Go kick some ass."
~*****************************~

            Angeal quickly learned that his opponent was impervious to his physical attacks—which left him no other choice but to use his materia against him. He activated a Regen spell as he rolled away from the huge fist punching out at him, all too aware of the damage a single hit from this man could do to him. He followed up by casting an Ice spell from a fully-grown materia, testing Azul's resistance. The Tsviet howled in discomfort when the freezing shards assaulted him, but he shattered them quickly and he charged at Angeal.
            Angeal wasn't quite fast enough to avoid him and he gagged as the heavy body drove him against the side of the wall. The force of the impact was enough to cause cracks to spread out, and a piece of the ceiling came down to strike the oblivious Tsviet on his massive shoulder. Azule gripped Angeal's throat and began to squeeze, cutting off his air supply. The Regen spell was already healing the damage from the initial strike, but it couldn't provide the oxygen essential to his survival.
            Angeal's Buster Sword clattered to the floor as he struggled against the brutal grip, muscles bulging with effort. He actually managed to pry some of Azul's fingers free and he kicked out at the snarling face with his boots. While the hit didn't damage the Tsviet, it provided enough of a distraction for Angeal to draw a ragged breath and clear his head. The Matra Magic spell he activated from his Enemy Skill materia provided a more solid distraction. Not even Azul the Cerulean could ignore a blast of mini rockets directly to the face, and though the attack was physical in nature and didn't cause any real damage, it made him drop Angeal and stagger away, rubbing at his eyes.
            Thankful that he'd switched that materia from his sword to his bangle and aware that he only had moments to act, Angeal retrieved his sword and he made use of the Fire materia he had socketed in it. The explosion of heat evidently didn't cotton well with Azul, because he roared in fury and lifted his cannon to shoot the bothersome SOLDIER operative. Angeal dove away just as the weapon fired and a section of the wall behind him was obliterated by the blast. Azule moved with astonishing speed for a person of his size, charging at Angeal again while he was off balance. Angeal found himself picked up and tossed like he weighed nothing, and the only thing he could do was let his body go limp to avoid further damage as he collided with the steel reinforced security door.
            Angeal groaned as he hit the floor, fighting to stay conscious. In hindsight, he should have grabbed his barrier materia when he was arranging it all, but he hadn't had the time to think it through very thoroughly. His opponent was closing in on him and he'd lost his grip on the Buster Sword. Blood trickled into his eye from a cut on his scalp as he struggled to get back to his feet, and he almost made it before a huge fist struck him in the ribs and knocked him backwards into the door again. Angeal instinctively struck back, and the punch he delivered would have surely knocked a normal man out—if it weren't absorbed by Azul's shield.
            "You made me bleed," grunted the Tsviet, smearing a finger over the cut on his arm—caused by a shard of ice from Angeal's earlier elemental attack. "And you burned me." He touched the blistered flesh on the side of his face. "I'm almost impressed."
            Angeal saw the next hit coming and he tried to dodge, but his legs weren't working right and the blow landed solidly. He fell to the floor, groaning. A huge boot planted down on the small of his back and it began to put crushing pressure on it. He struggled, knowing that his spine would soon crack under the weight if he didn't stop it. The effects of his Regen spell wore off and his injuries were severe.
            "Too bad," Azul lamented. "I'll bet you would have made a good Deepground agent."
            Angeal was sure he was going to die, but then an unexpected voice reached his ears.
            "Get the hell off my mentor, you oversized freak."
            The pressure stopped and Angeal lifted his head with difficulty, looking through matted, bloody hair at the man standing at the end of the hallway. He'd never seen Zack look so furious before, and despite the agony he was in, Angeal was touched. Feelings of brotherly love could wait, however.
            "Zack, get out of here," he coughed. "Call for backup…he's too strong."
            "I'm not going anywhere without you," insisted Zack stubbornly. He saluted Azul with his broadsword. "So I guess that means we're fighting." He activated his transmitter and spoke into it as he started to close in on the hulking Tsviet, keeping a wary eye out for openings.
            "Gen, Seph, you might want to put someone else in charge for a little while and get to the barracks. Angeal and I have a situation and we need your help."
            He frowned a second later. "Guys…do you copy?"
            Azul gave him one of those predatory smiles and he left Angeal's side, closing in on the suddenly flustered young man. Zack started to back up, looking up at the yellow-eyed fiend as he tried to communicate with his comrades.
            "Can anyone copy me?" Zack demanded. "Dude, we're about to get sqashed!"
            "Zackary," Angeal said, realizing the transmitter wasn't working. His own was lying broken on the floor, useless. "Just get…out of here. Run."
            Zack compressed his lips and shook his head. "No way."
He yelled and charged at Azul then, ignoring Angeal's pleas. The big Tsviet started to swing out at him as he closed in, but Zack surprised him by diving and rolling between his legs, coming up behind him.
"He's impervious to physical attacks," yelled Angeal. He coughed up blood a second later.
"Yeah, I just figured that out," grunted Zack as the rapid blows of his sword threw sparks along Azul's back, but didn't penetrate. "Guess I'll have to improvise."
Angeal struggled for breath, intending to tell him not to waste time trying to take Azul out. If he could just wound him enough to slow him down, they could make it outside and seek out backup. Zack apparently had similar thoughts, because instead of using a harmful spell on his opponent, he opted for a hindrance instead. A black cloud settled over Azul's face and it wouldn't dissipate no matter how he swatted at it. Zack lunged past him and hurried to Angeal's side as the Deepground operative lumbered around, yelling in frustration.
"This won't stop me," promised Azul, "I can still smell you!"
"We can smell you too, pal," grunted Zack as he draped Angeal's arm around his shoulder, grabbed the Buster Sword and helped him to his feet. "I guess they don't have showers in Deepground. Come on, Angeal…now's our chance!"
~****************************~

            "General, you may want to send someone to the SOLDIER barracks," Tseng's voice said over the transmission. "We have a good view from here and we've spotted agents Fair and Hewley stumbling out of there. Hewley looks badly injured."
            Sephiroth frowned and he dispatched an attacker with startling ease and grace before responding. "Are they in combat?"
            "Not that we can see," answered the Turk director, "It seems the SOLDIER forces have cleared all the opposition outside of the building."
            "I'm on my way," Genesis' voice said, evidently having heard the situation.
            "Negative," Sephiroth said. "Stay at your post, Lieutenant. I'll order a team to retrieve them and take them to—"
            "If you expect me to comply with that order, you don't know me very well. I'll return to my post after I've seen our companions to the medical unit, and not before."
            Sephiroth's mouth tensed—the only sign of his irritation. He knew it would do no good to argue with Genesis…not when the only person he admitted to giving a damn about was reportedly badly injured.
            "Report their status immediately when you find them, and I expect you to return to your post the minute they're secure."
            "Of course," came the answer.
            Whether Genesis would make good on his promise or not was up for debate. Sephiroth took to the air and surveyed the situation, hastily swooping to the left when a missile came his way. He could see the Tsviet in charge of the ground forces pushing their way in and he narrowed his eyes on her. Taking out Rosso might tip the scales in their favor.
~**********************************~

            "He's stable," the medic assured Genesis and Zack some time later, after they got Angeal to the med level of the tower. "We have to set his ribs and check for any imbedded, foreign material before we make use of any potions or Cure materia. Healing his injuries won't avail us anything, if there's a piece of shrapnel close to a major organ."
            Genesis nodded. "Do whatever you need to do. Failure isn't an option."
            "Gen," admonished Zack in a whisper as the doctor paled. "You don’t need to threaten the guy. Chill."
            The doctor swallowed and gave Zack a thankful look. "We're doing everything we can for Lt. Hewley. Please excuse me while I oversee his care."
            Zack nodded and watched the balding man go. He sighed and looked at his redheaded companion. The stillness of Genesis' features worried him. The sound of an explosion from somewhere outside in the city made Zack grimace, and he braced himself against the wall as the ground trembled.
            "Hey, if you need to hit something, hit me. Don't take it out on the staff. We need them in one piece to fix Angeal."
            Genesis kept staring at the door leading to the operating room, where they were working over Angeal. "Don't worry, I intend to save my wrath for the one that put him in there. Azul the Cerulean, wasn't it?"
            "Uh, I'm pretty sure it was," answered Zack uncomfortably. "He matched the file description, anyhow. I haven't heard of any other nine-foot tall Tsviets."
            Genesis nodded, apparently satisfied. "Stay here with him, Zack."
            "Sure thing," agreed the brunet. "Kunsel has everything under control at the harbor and it doesn't look like they're interested in attacking there, anyhow. Are you going back to your post outside?" The last was said hopefully.
            The hard heels of Genesis' combat boots tapped the floor with his measured steps as he walked away without looking back, drawing his crimson-bladed sword. "As far as you're concerned, yes."
            Zack frowned at the puzzling response. "That's…not really an answer."
            Genesis didn't stop or offer further commentary. He walked down the hall and through the double doors leading out of the medical ward, while Zack stood uncertain of what to do or say.
~*************************************~

            The blindness spell finally wore off, and Azul made his way out of the now abandoned SOLDIER barracks. He stepped over the bodies of lesser Deepground operatives and SOLDIER operatives alike, intending to meet up with his companions and prepare for the withdrawal. They hadn't reacted exactly the way Weiss expected them to, after all. Only two of the strong ones came to defend the barracks. Maybe his efforts helped the cause and maybe it didn't make much of a difference, but he'd enjoyed every minute of his part in this harvest. He regretted losing the opportunity to finish off the big Soldier and his smart-mouthed friend, but he knew he'd have another chance later, once their work paid off. The humans weren't going to go down without a fight, after all.
            When he stepped outside to look around and plan his route, Azul found himself facing a very attractive young man with collar-length, layered auburn hair, Mako-bright aqua blue eyes and a lean, athletic build. He was dressed in black and red leather and he held an ornate red longsword in his right hand. The blade of the weapon glowed crimson and the man's other gloved hand was clenched into a fist. The aura of power around him told Azul that he was a First Class SOLDIER operative, and he mentally reviewed the information he'd been given and made a guess.
            Genesis Rhapsodos was the only SOLDIER operative whose description matched this young man's appearance. That made him one of the only targets off-limits for killing. Weiss had plans to try and recruit him, eventually. His genetics were important to Deepground.
            "Stay out of my way," advised Azul. "I'm not interested in killing you." He started to walk away to prove it.
            "You aren't going anywhere," announced Genesis. Azul heard the flap of a huge wing and suddenly, the red-clad Soldier landed in front of him. The raven wing tucked back in and Genesis held his sword ready, his gaze challenging on the Tsviet.
            Azul was annoyed, but not particularly worried. He'd already faced one First Class operative, and he wasn't that impressed. "What are you going to do to stop me, pretty boy?"
He started to shove Genesis out of the way, and the redhead attacked with lightning speed. Azul barely got the chance to register the attack before the Soldier's weapon struck his arm. The scintillating barrier flickered as the deadly sword scraped over the surface, and Azul was completely and utterly surprised when it penetrated. He felt the blade cut his skin as he drew back and he stared at Genesis with a fierce frown, lifting his cannon. That glow…maybe the sword had some magical properties that allowed it to penetrate his barrier.
"You nearly killed my conscience," Genesis informed him, advancing with easy grace and confidence. "I would not be you for all the world."
~*************************************~

            Sephiroth looked a bit worse for the wear as he walked into the boardroom. The right sleeve of his jacket had a big gash in it and there was blood seeping from the cut in his arm. He had another cut on his forehead and he limped slightly, favoring his left leg. He held something in his right hand and as the corporate heads watched, he dropped it on the table before Rufus.
Rufus stared at the object. Trying to ignore the blood pooling around it, he looked up at the general with all the calm he could muster. "And what is this?"
            "The head of the Tsviet leading the charge at the upper city entrance," answered Sephiroth calmly. "You did say you wanted it."
            Rufus swallowed and beside him, Lazard put a hand over his mouth and looked away. Yes, he'd told Sephiroth he wanted the heads of the Deepground leaders, but he certainly hadn't expected to see Rosso the Crimson's dropped on his table.
            "I…see. In the future, General, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from dropping body parts on my table like a cat bringing home a trophy kill."
            Sephiroth smirked dryly and looked to the window, where the darkening sky could be seen. "Why haven’t the rest of those panels dropped?"
            "They've malfunctioned," answered Reeve with a sigh. "I've worked on the control panel but there seems to be a short circuit, and I can't do much with dead wires."
            "What is the status on the cannon?" Sephiroth asked, turning to Rufus again.
            "Power generation is at ninety-five percent," answered the president. "It should be ready to fire within the next ten minutes."
            "And the targeting function?"
            "That I did manage to fix," answered Reeve. "She's good to go."
            Sephiroth nodded. "You have the coordinates. The upper city entrance is now secure and I've stationed troops to guard it until Deepground has fully retreated."
            "What's Hewley's status?" asked Lazard.
            "He's stable, and according to Lt. Fair, they'll be using Cure magic on him soon. The doctors are confident that his injuries weren't severe enough to cause disability, and they say he should recover his full strength with enough rest."
            Rufus propped his elbows on the table and threaded his fingers together. "The Turks and Captain Highwind have reported that they've driven back the Deepground air attackers, but reports from the ground troops aren't as positive. Hundreds of civilians have been lost during this attack."
            "'Lost' how?" queried the general. "Was it friendly fire, or did the enemy get past your militia to take them?"
            "We don't know," answered Lazard. "There were reports of the same phenomenon that occurred when people began to disappear from Junon before. According to the witnesses, people seemed to get swallowed up by blackness."
            "One of the Tsviets reportedly has the ability to create trans-dimensional portals," Hollander said.
            "Nero the Sable," Rufus said, recognizing the information. "He's Weiss' brother, isn't he?"
            "Yes," agreed Hollander, "and it's possible that he's teleporting these civilians directly to Midgar, if he's responsible for these instances."
            "But there haven't been any sightings of him," Lazard pointed out, "and given our description, I’m sure someone would have noticed him."
            "The man has powers over darkness," Rufus said in irritated tones. "I'm sure he has ways of hiding himself from view."
            "Whatever the case may be," Reeve said, "it appears that most of the Deepground forces are withdrawing. Am I the only one that finds that disturbing?"
            "You want them to keep attacking?" Rufus lifted a brow.
            "No, but I expected a lot more fight out of them," Reeve snapped back. "These people are super enhanced Soldiers with a giant chip on their shoulder against humanity. Why would they mount a full-scale attack on the only ShinRa city as powerful as Midgar, if they didn't intend to level the place? The harbor, the tower, the reactor…none of it got touched and they could have taken the city if they had gained control of two or more of those. They didn't even make it far into the city, except to attack the SOLDIER barracks. Something doesn't add up. They're giving up too easily."
            "Maybe capturing the city wasn't their goal," reasoned Vincent. He walked over to the window and gazed down at the city. "They came for sacrifices. They have the protomateria. They're close to fulfilling their ultimate goal."
            "And they've already culled the other towns close to Midgar," sighed Lazard. His gaze went to the bloody trophy still sitting on the table and he shuddered involuntarily. "This is just going to happen again, until they raise Omega or we stop them for good."
            "When the cannon is powered up, fire on their forces outside the city," suggested Sephiroth. "The blast should take out a significant number of them and they'll need to recover from their losses, before attempting anything like this again."
            "Wait." Reeve frowned as a thought occurred to him. "If we fire on the retreating Deepground forces, won't we also be firing on the civilians they rounded up in Lower Junon?"
            Rufus and Lazard looked at each other. The president spoke in a calm tone. "They'll be unfortunate casualties. Perhaps this is a better death than what awaits them at Midgar."
            Reeve's jaw dropped. "You're talking about firing on your own citizens! I can't believe I'm hearing this!"
            Vincent walked over to him and put a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Without rescue, they'll die anyway. If that happens by Deepground's hands, Omega may rise."
            "So we sacrifice them before Deepground can?" Reeve pushed his fingers through his hair and shook his head. "It's madness."
            "Their forces are too great for our army to take them on out in the open," Sephiroth reasoned. "Otherwise I would coordinate a rescue attempt. We're lucky they didn't push harder to overtake this city."
            "The fact that we're having this debate explains why they never tried to at least take this tower," Lazard said thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm sure they're counting on us being unwilling to use the Mako cannon on them if we could hit our own people in the process."
            "Tuesti, we have to choose between the lives of a few hundred people, or the lives of millions," Rufus said sternly. "As Valentine said; if they get those people back to Midgar and sacrifice them, it could be enough to make the planet release Omega. Morals won't mean a damned thing if the end of the world comes."
            Reeve sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes. "I can't believe this…I don't think I'm ever going to sleep again, if we go through with this plan."
            "It's out of your hands," Sephiroth told him. "Take some comfort in that. What you should be doing is working on getting those security panels to activate, just in case. We have to assume they could regroup for another attack. That's how sieges typically work."
            Reeve nodded in agreement and he went over to the control panel on the wall to give it another try. Sephiroth watched him for a moment before giving a nod to Rufus and Lazard. "I'll go and assist with any cleanups in progress. Notify me when you're ready to fire the cannon."
            He started to walk to the door, but Rufus stopped him. "General, would you mind taking that with you?" He nodded meaningfully at the woman's head lying sideways on the table.
Sephiroth turned, looked at it, and shrugged. He approached the table and he picked up the head by the blood-matted auburn hair. Rosso the Crimson had died as she'd lived: bathed in blood.
~************************************~

            "Just stop fooling with that," Rufus demanded of Reeve once the general was gone. He walked over to one of the windows and looked out for a moment, before turning his back on it. "As I've said before; this glass is shatter resistant."
            Reeve looked up from his task and prepared to remind the man that they weren't dealing with ordinary troops. His words lodged in his throat and his brows drew down as he stared out the window beyond the president's shoulder.
            "What?" snapped Rufus. "Your dramatics are starting to annoy me."
            Reeve had no words for what he saw, and the way the others froze when they looked too was proof that he wasn't the only one. Outside in the air, with the setting sun back-dropping him, was Genesis Rhapsodos…and he was carrying a gigantic Deepground operative by the straps on his body armor. He was closing in on the tower with alarming speed, and he appeared to be exchanging words with his passenger.
            "I'd move, if I were you," Reeve said, finally locating his tongue.
~****************************~

            "Threatening to drop me because I beat up your boyfriend?" Azul taunted the infuriated SOLDIER operative carrying him. "Go ahead. I've fallen from bigger heights without a scratch!"
            "Actually, I have a different plan in mind," explained Genesis. He grunted with effort and nodded at the Junon cannon, high above the city. "You see it up there? It's nearly at full power. Let's see how you survive being shot out of a Mako cannon."
            Azul began to struggle, then. Genesis smirked at him. "Not so eager to try it? You certainly look the part of a circus freak. Why not participate in a time honored tradition?"
            "You're one of us," Azul shouted. "You should be fighting with us, not defending them!"
            "I am nothing like you," promised Genesis, "and I'll thank you to remember that, when you're shooting through the air at your fellows. I—"
            Genesis' grip on the hulking man suddenly slipped, and he forgot what he was going to say as Azul went hurtling directly toward the uncovered windows of the upper floors of the Junon tower.
            "Shit."
~*******************************~

            Rufus turned to see what everyone was staring at and it took his brain a second to register what his eyes saw. There was a very big man flying through the air on a collision course with the window, but he didn't appear to have a jet pack or wings. His unexplained flight didn't seem to be of his own doing, either. The expression on his face said so. Time seemed to slow down and all Rufus could think of was that he recognized the man from the phone recording Sephiroth showed to them after the cleanup crew went missing.
            Someone plowed into Rufus and knocked him to the floor, just as the hapless Tsviet struck the glass. Despite Rufus' earlier insistence that the windows were highly unlikely to break, they did. The Tsviet smashed through two of them and landed on the table, knocking it over to fall on its side. Rufus looked up warily, grunting at the weight on top of him. He twisted and discovered that his unexpected benefactor was his own half-brother. He pushed Lazard off of him roughly and reached for his gun as their uninvited guest groaned and began to get to his feet.
            Vincent fired a round of bullets at Azul, calling out and advisory to the rest of them that they should leave while they could. Reeve of course refused and he started to shoot at the Tsviet as well. Hollander was out the door and in the hallway before Azul even finished getting to his feet.
            Angered by the bullets striking his shield, Azul closed in on Vincent and knocked him across the room before he could dodge. Rufus winced as the gunman hit the wall hard enough to leave a cracked impression in it, and he expected Valentine to die very soon as the Tsviet followed him with a murderous look on his face. He began to fire at Azul, and so did Lazard. The Deepground operative turned to look at them with a snarl, and then something happened that had Rufus dumbstruck.
            Vincent Valentine transformed into a demon, right before everyone's eyes. What happened next made Sephiroth's beheading of the female Tsviet pale in comparison. Azul went still and made a gurgling sound. There was a rending sound, and the demon's golden-gauntlet punched through the back of Azul's uniform, tearing the fabric of it. The Tsviet staggered on his feet as the demon withdrew the gauntlet, and a pool of blood spread on the floor beneath his feet. Azul fell to the floor and Chaos stood over him, holding his still beating heart in his bloodied gauntlet.
            Genesis Rhapsodos flew in from the window at that moment and upon seeing what Chaos had done, he looked at him and sputtered a protest, not seeming to care that he was addressing the harbinger of the apocalypse.
"You stole my kill."
~*****************************~

-To be continued
- 20
- 21
- 22
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Darkened Skies