[IC] Monster of Nibelheim (Genesis vs Cloud)

[Solebello]

As the blond stared at the test tubes in the basement of the Shinra Manor, the library of books behind him the very sames ones that had driven Sephiroth to insanity years prior, he reflected on the monster that he had become. It all started here, shortly after the one winged angel's fall from grace, after the mind boggling upset of an infantryman vanquishing the most powerful SOLDIER to have ever graced The Planet with his presence. It was here that Professor Hojo had conducted experiments on him and Zack, and though the latter was immune to them thanks to being a member of SOLDIER Cloud hadn't been so lucky. Between the JENOVA cells and being drenched in pure Mako he suffered a terrible case of Mako Poisoning, it being a miracle that he even survived. Hell, without Zack he probably would have died due to being deemed a failure by Professor Hojo. That aside the only thing he could be grateful for was the cells passing on Zack's traits to him, turning the weak infantryman into a SOLDIER First Class in ability at least. Despite this, it'd only caused him trouble and despair.

In addition to the new body, his broken mind from the experience combined with the PTSD of losing everything and everyone he loved were aided by the cells in molding a new personality and history for the infantryman in his head. Whenever confronted with things from his past however he'd break, and become easily controlled by Sephiroth. This had nearly ruined their missions in the reactors, caused him to beat Aerith at the Temple of the Ancients and hand over the Black Materia to Sephiroth at the Northern Crater. He was a liability, a puppet to the almighty Sephiroth. With the help of his friends he had been able to overcome this, so he'd thought at least, and defeated the One Winged Angel deep within the Planet's Core. However this was only the end of the first saga of his life, the experiments of his past would return to haunt him again.

This time new JENOVA cells had infiltrated his body through his arm, exposing themselves as Geostigma. Before this he had slowly begun to rebuild his life with Tifa, helping take care of the kids (Denzel and Marlene) and with making sure her bar 7th Heaven had the supplies it needed to keep going. He was learning, slowly, to become more social and bargain for lower prices when he could. His confidence was slowly returning, but he was haunted by his failures to save Zack and Aerith. This was compounded later on by his Geostigma, which signaled to the blond that he was truly nothing but a failure and needed to accept his fate in death. He continued getting the bar what it needed at least, and in time he found himself involved with Sephiroth once more through his remnants. Through the struggle that followed he battled through his insecurities and stepped up to protect The Planet and those he loved one more time, and thanks to forgiveness from those very people he was able to return home and continue his path to redemption.

Though the new JENOVA cells had been cleansed from his body, the alterations to his genetics from the dips into the Lifestream and years of carrying the cells within his body had already taken their tole. He in a way was no longer human, at least in the way that the other members of AVALANCHE were. He was just as human as Sephiroth was, interwoven with a monster that gave him the strengths and abilities he had. After years of dormancy they finally decided to rear their ugly head, and out of his left shoulder a large leathery wing was born. Thankfully it was in the middle of the night, so Tifa and the kids were none the wiser to it. Surely they saw the blood in the bathroom after he'd fled, but there was nothing he could do to fix that now. Still, this proved he was just a monster as he'd once thought and there was no telling what would happen if he stayed around them. Maybe he'd end up like Sephiroth after all, and he wanted to keep them safe so he fled.

He should've seen it coming, he'd had nightmares for weeks alluding to such. Cloud never told Tifa of course, not wanting her to worry about him, keeping it as his own personal burden to bare. In then Sephiroth spoke to him as well, reminding the blond that he was the conduit which allowed the SOLDIER to traverse back from the Lifestream into the world of the living. What was even worse, he'd returned and was biding his time for his next ploy. This time though he would need a helper in Cloud, so he gifted him the full potential of the JENOVA cells inside him. Whether these were just a dream or premonition Cloud didn't know, but the chances of it being the latter was too real for him to ignore. The one place he thought that he could gather Sephiroth's attention the best was at the Northern Crater, so there he waited for his so called 'master' in order to end this once and for all. His plan? Not only to kill Sephiroth, but to die in the process so that he could never return again.

Whether from Sephiroth sensing this or from simple bad luck. Cloud's chosen opponent never came. Weeks went by, and slowly the combination of loneliness and thinking about the changes to his body were driving him insane. What kept him attached to his inner humanity was the thought of Tifa and the kids, knowing that they loved him despite this he just... Couldn't risk their lives by being around. The longer he was alive, the more likely something horrible would happen because of him. The longer he was alive the more times Sephiroth would be able to return... And with that thought, he finally turned his sword against himself. Vincent and the others could defeat Sephiroth, they'd been successful against Omega WEAPON and DEEPGROUND without him playing a pivotal roll. They didn't need him, so it was best for him just to end his life now and make that battle against his nemesis truly final. Unfortunately the JENOVA cells refused to let him die, and even after laying in a pool of his own blood like Sephiroth and Genesis before him he slowly recovered. This broke his spirit even worse, not only was he a failure because he couldn't protect his family or The Planet, but he couldn't even die properly. There was only one thing he could hope for, and that was for someone else to kill him. They wouldn't though, not if they knew it was him, not unless...

...Not unless Cloud became a monster, embracing what Sephiroth wanted. If he did that, then they'd had no choice but to stop him. They'd kill him, and if Sephiroth came to the rescue he could aid them in finishing the battle before he died. So with a heavy heart, he left the Northern Cave and donned a cloak to hide who he was. The only hints would be the large sword he carried, and the leathery wing protruding from his back if anyone could make the connection. Still he didn't want to completely fall to this, he wanted to only take out someone that had harmed him even if they'd earned forgiveness. Shinra himself and the Turks he couldn't, they were doing too much good for The Planet now. His home town, well, the rebuilt version of it had served as an illusion to hide the nightmare of his past. Everyone in that village belonged to Shinra and was part of the conspiracy, they were the reason what had happened was nothing but a secret. Focusing on this one reason alone, he descended upon the village and committed an act of evil that made him physically sick. It made his stomach turn to kill everyone there, and at first he didn't know if he could pull it off. His first strike had missed, the Imaginary SOLDIER a teary mess as he accepted his fate. Once the first was cut down however, it was easier to finish the job.

By morning news of the atrocity would reach Edge or Rocket Town, and AVALANCHE would be here to investigate. He left clues where to find him, breaking the door to the mansion and the front door of it. With the hidden passageway leading down to the underground open, it would be impossible for them to miss where he was. They'd find him and they'd fight, hopefully without knowing it was him, and then the nightmare would be over. It would crush them, hurt those he loved but... Well, it was better for them to be alive and hurt than dead.

So here he was, blood still wet on his weapon as he stared into the tubes with reddened eyes. He couldn't live with himself, he hated himself so much but there was no other way for this to end. He couldn't die like anyone else, he had to be cut down more than he could do to himself. If all went well Sephiroth would arrive as well, bringing an end to this sick legacy once and for all. Cloud just needed to wait, and see who would be first to come...

[Nomi Yanimura]

There was an ominous chill to the air this day, one that had not been felt for quite some time. Not ever since the fall of Weiss the Immaculate had awoken him from his slumber deep within the Flooded Cavern. Whatever could this mean? Sharp turquoise eyes looked up towards the sky, watching as thick clouds rolled in to smother the sun and cast a large shadow across the whole of The Planet. A subtle tilt of the head allowed gravity to pull some strands of auburn hair away from those glowing eyes as said orbs remained locked onto the now cloud-covered sun. A small smirk tugged at the corner of the tall man's lips, where upon he closed his piercing eyes, slowly turning his head away from the skies and glanced down to the lifeless body that lay resting upon a worn, tattered bed.
"Didn't I tell you there was no time to slumber, Brother?"
The cool, calm voice of the SOLDIER First Class asked the motionless figure of a grey-haired man, white pants on his legs and bare chested on top. Weiss was still asleep and it seemed it would be a while before he awoke. That was fine. While there was plenty of work to be done, now was not the time for Weiss the Immaculate to return to the living. He had to rest and gather his strength. The First Class SOLDIER on the other hand, well thanks to Weiss, he was perfectly happy to go out into the world and learn of what catastrophe was approaching. After all, the world needed a new Hero, and since Sephiroth was technically no more, the job now fell to him. To Genesis Rhapsodos.

The creaking of the tall male's long trench accompanied the SOLDIER as he left the leader of DEEPGROUND to rest, their location unknown. It was better that way. News of the leader of DEEPGROUND resurfacing wouldn't go down too well with the populace. Genesis' turquoise gaze once more looked up to the skies, watching the cloud-covered sun for a couple more second, determining where he should be heading to. He brought up an arm, holding out his hand to the skies as if trying to grasp the hand of one who was invisible before him.
"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end,
The goddess descends from the sky."
He waited and there was no answer. No sign. Slowly a frown appeared across the SOLDIER's face and he glanced over his shoulder from whence he came, but quickly returned his attention back towards the smothered sun. Something was definitely wrong. It wasn't Sephiroth... but it felt a lot like him.
The Northern Crater? ... No? Where?
Genesis lowered his head and snapped his attention off to his left, glancing west. His eyes narrowed and his hands clenched into fists, the leather gloves creaking tightly about his hands.
"A monster prowls Niblehiem..."

Pulling his left arm up to his forehead, the Crimson SOLDIER frowned, summoning his large black wing from his left shoulder. It was gorgeous to some, hideous to others. A large feathered wing, like an angel's but as black as the midnight sky, like a demon or monster of the night. Monsters... That's what Angeal once said. The nickname that Sephiroth had earned was much more fitting however. One Winged Angel. While Genesis was hardly an ideal role model for an angel, he knew in his heart that his actions and his reasoning was just, for the good of the planet. He was the new Hero in Sephiroth's place. A single beat of that large wing sent the SOLDIER First Class rocketing into the air, directly upwards. Once at a safe enough height, he turned west and rocketed towards the horizon with another large beat of that wing, black feathers falling from the extra appendage. Land soon turned to water and back to land again. The Coral Desert and Golden Saucer went by in the blink of an eye and within moments, the Crimson SOLDIER plummeted down towards Nibelhiem, the mountains, reactor and the town itself bringing back not the most pleasant of memories. It was here at after all, by Genesis' hand, that turned Sephiroth insane. His dear, dear friend. Like a comet falling from the heavens, Genesis descended into Niblehiem, beating his wing hard to come to a hovered a few feet from the ground, kicking up dust and throwing it all around him. It was nothing to be concerned over for there were no one left alive in this town.

"... This wasn't a monster... not a fiend of the plains at least."
The auburn-haired man said aloud as he crouched beside a corpse and took note of the clean slice that had taken their life and returned them to the Planet. Turquoise eyes peered up at the water tower and then examined the nearby tavern. There wasn't much damage to the buildings. It seemed most of the civilians here had been outside at the time of the attack, but there was no one left alive. Everyone had gone. Even if they were members of ShinRa, a company that the Crimson SOLDIER detested, they were still human beings at the end of the day and the SOLDIER First Class pitied them. No one deserved this fate. Genesis' attention was slowly drawn towards the Mansion on the far side of town. Once maneuvering past the slain townsfolk and the large water tower, Genesis walked the hill towards the mansion and gently pushed the gate open, closing it behind him. Heading down the Mansion path, turquoise eyes examined the bust open doors.
No claw marks, no sign of repeated battering. One blow cracked these doors open and it was done by a human...
A quick scout of both floors revealed nothing aside from the secret entrance to Hojo's Laboratory being left open and after descending the spiral stairs and passing the side room full of coffins, the Crimson SOLDIER emerged within the lab and library combined. Cautiously he entered, eyes scanning the shadows for movements but swiftly laying sight upon a figure standing before the large test tubes.

There was something awfully familiar about this figure, even if he couldn't see his face. No, they 'felt' familiar.
"I assume you're the one responsible for what's happened outside?"
He didn't need to ask. That large weapon on his back... Genesis' eyes widened slightly. That blade looked an awful lot like what Angeal once used, handed down to Zack at a later date. No, it couldn't be... He was dead... They were both dead...
"... Zack?"
Genesis cautiously asked.

[Solebello]

The One Winged Demon knew someone was coming long before they knew what to expect, the soft sound of boots clinking against the wood echoing down the tall passageway down towards the basement. He didn't know who it was, so the sound was both foreboding and somewhat comforting. He truly hoped, with all his heart that at least it wasn't Tifa. Cid or Barret were better candidates, more willing to put an end to his life without figuring out who was beneath the hood beforehand. She would've been more likely to try and beat him and get answers before doing something so drastic, and that fear on its own made him shudder. Cloud just... Couldn't face Tifa, anyone else in the world would be fine, but her.... Please let it be someone else... The fact he heard boots was reassuring, since she normally didn't wear them, but still until he knew exactly who this was the nervousness would persist. Tch, even as a monster he was just a weak hearted fool.

The poetic sound of the man's voice who entered, boy didn't that bring back memories. He'd personally only laid eyes on him a couple times, but anyone who was a part of Shinra would know one of the trio that Sephiroth was part of during his service. The one obsessed with LOVELESS and stories, who wanted to be the hero of his story but ultimately turned out to be nothing but a monster attacking the civilians... At least that's what Shinra wanted people to believe, all he truly did wrong was attack Shinra. However that didn't change the fact that he too was connection to the heinous JENOVA project that spawned both Sephiroth and himself, he was another one who needed to be extinguished. They'd thought he'd have gone off and died somewhere after DEEPGROUND, but apparently they'd been wrong... It didn't matter though, even if this was to be the end for him he'd make sure that this lineage was destroyed.

...That name though... Tears almost fell from his eyes at the mere mention of him... Zack... He closed his eyes to fight them back, taking a deep breath as he reached out and placed a gloved hand upon one of the tubes. Everything he was he had Zack to thank, the one man he looked up to more than anyone else. He was the one who managed to hold onto his humanity, and do what was right in the face of adversity. His body wasn't transformed like him or the trio, he was just a SOLDIER with big dreams trying to do the right thing. He was nothing like the two in this room, the only mistake in his life he was that no one else did (he couldn't fault Zack for trusting Shinra, everyone did) was letting him live. If it wasn't for him Zack wouldn't have been slowed down and would've made it to Midgar, and ultimately he'd have been able to lead AVALANCHE against Sephiroth to victory. He didn't hate the One Winged Angel like him, and wouldn't have been able to be used as a conduit to continually return to this world. Everything after that would've been fine, this wouldn't be happening and the world would be a better place. Cloud couldn't fault Zack for this either though, he was just too much of a good guy for his own good.

"Tch... In my head, once..." Cloud muttered, letting his hand drop from the tube to grasp onto the weapon on his back. Until now his wing was hidden underneath this cloak, which had a magnet within the back like the SOLDIER uniforms. It likely belonged to one of the Sephiroth clones, fashioning it as such to be able to keep their weapon on them in case they needed it. Fitting outfit for who he was, who he'd become. Instead of turning and attacking Genesis however, he swung the large blade through one of the tubes, then brought it down hard upon the other. Both shattered upon impact, spilling their mako stench throughout the room as the liquid crawled across the cold stone. Brash as the move was it was out of anger, things like this were behind all of them... The monsters, the One Winged Angels.... Him. He couldn't stand the look of them, he hated them and Shinra more than he ever had in his life... That's why he'd been able to pull off the tragedy, he was just attacking Shinra right? Swinging the sword to the side, some of the Mako and even blood from before now wet again thanks to this action were thrown off at droplets towards the wall. Genesis has to know a fight was coming, but he needed to know why.

"...Unlike us, he was a hero. We are monsters, just like Sephiroth," the former SOLDIER's name came off his tongue in a hiss, like a terrifying venom that engulfed the air around them. "...But you'd know all about that, Genesis..."

Immediately as he fell silent again, that leathery demonic wing burst from underneath the cloak, tearing a hole where it emerged before spreading its fingers and stretching to the fullnesss of its form. Though not as impossibly wrong as the Crimson SOLDIER's, it was a perfect mirror to Sephiroth's wing in its size. It relaxed, remaining only partly open as he slowly turned to face his opponent... His savior, the one who would free him from this hell. Nothing about his own attire stood out, it was simple black clothes without any markings or symbols, not even a belt similar to SOLDIER's. Only one thing besides the type of sword would stand out to Genesis, because though he couldn't see Cloud's face, there was one thing unmistakable about the Imaginary SOLDIER's eyes...

...The eerie glow of Mako.