Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A Hearts Second Chance ❯ Chapter 29 ( Chapter 29 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
Hojo marveled in the feel of the powerful body that he now inhabited; looking around the room, he noted the vast difference in their vision. His had always been blurry and dull, but Weiss saw everything in vibrant detail.
“Sir, we have dropped the plate as you instructed. However, the Avalanche forces are recovering and continue to advance on the building.” A man said kneeling at Hojo’s feet.
“Really.” Hojo said. Standing he smirked, “Then it is time to great our guests.”
A red haired woman stepped away from the wall joined by a large man in blue. Picking up Weiss’s favorite weapons, he signaled the two to enter the elevator.

Weiss could feel every evil thing Hojo had planned and began struggling to regain control over his body. The harder he fought the more Hojo began to lose his grip on his stolen body. Hojo gave Weiss’s mind a vicious push, forcing Weiss deeper into the black hole in the far recesses of his mind. Watching helplessly as Hojo walked over to his brother’s prone body, Weiss began to scream his denial as Hojo lifted his own weapon. Bringing the blade down, Hojo severed Nero’s head from his body.

Hojo laughed as he felt Weiss sucked deep into the dark chasm of his mind. Looking down at the growing puddle on the floor, he cocked his head to the side. Killing the man had been so easy, almost natural. Turning he stepped onto the elevator wondering what it would feel like to finally be rid of the Avalanche bastards now spreading like a disease over the broken city.

Lilly had not been surprised when the army dropped the plate to slow them down. She was just grateful the city had been evacuated, allowing their army to fight without worrying about protecting the innocent as they fought in their skirmishes all over the city. Leaning back, she dodged an attack by one of the soldiers whom had remained loyal to Shin-Ra. With a swing of her sword, she easily knocked him unconscious. Where was Hojo?
She looked up to see Sephiroth and Vincent fighting close to each other. It still surprised her to know they were father and son. Smiling she dodged another attack, those two being related made their relationship a little weird, after all Mrs. Strife considered Lilly to be her daughter making Cloud her brother of sorts. Snickering she could still remember Clouds shudder when she had pointed it out to him that she would be his sister and step mom.
She wondered briefly how Cloud was doing. He had been given the task of assassinating the Shin-Ra president with the help of Tifa, Yuffie, and the Turks, Reno and Rude. Knocking another soldier through a barely standing wall, Lilly frowned as her cell phone began ringing, with everyone wearing radio headsets there was no need for the phones. Stepping behind a pile of debris she pulled out her phone, “I’m kinda busy.”
“Lilly.” A familiar female voice practically screamed.
“Tifa? What’s wrong?” Lilly asked after turning off her headset.
“Lilly the mission was successful, the president is dead but Cloud was seriously injured. I called you because I was afraid of Sephiroth’s reaction.”
“You did the right thing. How is he?” Lilly asked holding her breath.
“He is in surgery now. The doctor thinks he will be fine, but…” Tifa said sobbing lightly. “I couldn’t stop him, a soldier was going to kill me and Cloud jumped in the way. It’s all my fault.” Tifa practically wailed.
“It’s okay Tifa. I’m positive Cloud will be fine, he is too stubborn to die.” Lilly said reassuringly.
“I know.” Tifa said sniffling with Yuffie chattering nervously in the background.
“Let me know when he is out of surgery. Gotto go.” Lilly said as she dropped to the ground narrowly avoiding a sword that was swung at her neck. Looking up at the red-haired woman, Lilly prayed for Cloud to make it through alive.

Sephiroth stood in the wreckage of the old training grounds watching the rest of the men around him fighting.
“Hello General.” A smug male voice said from behind Sephiroth. Turning he faced a tall man with long spiky white hair; he wore loose fitting white pants and no shirt. He was obviously a man who was a trained soldier.
“I’m sure you already realize I survived your attacks on my lab and have since gained a new body.” The man said with an eerily familiar smirk.
“Hojo.” Sephiroth said, bringing his sword up and dropping into his battle stance. Hojo turned slightly bringing one of his swords up in time to block Vincent’s gunshot. Sephiroth launched at Hojo hoping the mans battle skills had not been transferred to mad scientist.
Hojo brought his sword up blocking Sephiroth’s attack. His speed was on the level with theirs but his stance gave away his lack of understanding of fighting. Smiling Sephiroth realized this would be a much easier fight than he had figured.

Lilly sent the redhead flying into a pile of twisted metal. Looking around quickly she saw Zack engaging a behemoth of a man and up higher Sephiroth and Vincent were fighting with a pale-haired man. Could he be Hojo’s new host body? If so Lilly wanted to be finished with this woman and aid Sephiroth with the death of Hojo.
The redhead burst from the pile, their weapons met in a spray of sparks that threatened to blind both women. The redhead looked pissed as she looked into Lilly’s green/blue eyes. Than pain shot through Lilly’s leg, looking down she saw a dart sticking out of her thigh. Raising her eyes, she spotted a man sitting not far away holding a rifle. Roaring in anger, Lilly gave a hard push against her sword causing the woman to stumble back, turning she buried her sword in the woman’s heart. Pulling free the redhead slid to the ground with a sigh. Another sharp pain burst from Lilly’s shoulder, turning she jumped at the man as he tried to reload the gun, panic coloring his face a moment before Lilly removed his head from his shoulders.
Gasping, Lilly pulled the darts from her body and looked down at the offending objects. Breaking the needles off, she placed the tubes in her pocket. Not knowing what was in the vials, she thought it would be a good idea to hold onto them.

Hojo was becoming frustrated, why could he not beat these two? Weiss’s body was more than strong enough to destroy these two men, but he could not get the upper hand. Sephiroth would come in close slicing at his body as Vincent fired at him from a distance, working together as if they had known each other for a lifetime.

Sephiroth could see Hojo’s anger building with every swing of his sword or shot fired by Vincent. The reflexes ingrained into the body Hojo had stolen was the only thing keeping him alive at the moment, but Sephiroth knew if he angered the man bad enough Hojo would give him an opening.
Hojo swung his sword at Sephiroth, aiming for his body. Sephiroth twisted, knocking the gun/sword from Hojo’s hand. Taking advantage of the opening, Sephiroth drove his sword deep into Hojo’s new heart. Hojo’s eyes shifted from surprise to acceptance then back as Sephiroth realized the man who owned this body was fighting to regain control.

When the General’s sword pierced his chest, Weiss felt Hojo’s mind traveling down the pathway he had created for this moment. Weiss wrapped his mind around the retreating doctor, holding him there with the intention of taking the doctor with him into death. Hojo struggled, screaming in his anger.
Weiss blinked his eyes slowly, looking into the cyan eyes of the general. Gasping as the sword was pulled from his body, Weiss’s legs gave out. Strong arms wrapped around him, easing him to the ground. Weiss wrapped his hand weakly around Sephiroth’s wrist. “General, I am sorry.”
The cyan eyes of the general softened slightly as he nodded. A dark-haired man in red walked up behind the general, watching him with his dark suspicious eyes.
“My brother is inside the complex, Hojo killed him with my own hand. Please would you find him and bury us together?” He requested as his vision began to blur.
“You have my word.” Sephiroth whispered to the dying man.
“Thank you.” He sighed, his body relaxing as his hand fell to the ground. Vincent placed his hand on Sephiroth’s shoulder then turned and rushed away as men began to celebrate all around him. The announcement through the headsets confirmed Cloud’s group had succeeded in their mission, and the remaining enemy forces were now surrendering. Sighing, Sephiroth gently laid the white-haired man on the rubble beneath his feet and stood. Leaning his head back, Sephiroth closed his eyes and smiled. The battle was over and he would seen be in Cloud’s presence.
“General, General.” a man shouted as he struggled through the debris to get to him.
“What is it?” Sephiroth asked the gasping man.
“Sir there has been a casualty.”
“Who?” Sephiroth asked as the color began to leach out of the soldiers face.
“Cloud sir.” The man whispered. Sephiroth felt the blood seep from his body as a cold fear began to hollow out his chest. Cloud is gone. Reaching up he placed his hand over his stuttering heart.  He could hear the man talking but it was like listening to a conversation while you were under water. Cloud dead. His breathing became ragged as the edges of his vision darkened. Cloud’s mission was not that dangerous. GONE FOREVER. Throwing his head back, he roared in pain, tears escaping his closed eyes. Then came the sound of feminine laughter from the being buried in his body.

Lilly felt like fire was burning through her body radiating from the two places she had been shot. Lilly knew that they had held some kind of substance Hojo had cooked up. What could it be? Poison? Vincent dropped to the ground beside her as she heard the men begin their celebrations of victory. Smiling she reached up and placed her hand on Vincent’s cheek.
A pain-filled roar followed by a concussive blast interrupted them. Stumbling back Lilly saw the body of a man fly in their direction then land with a shower of metal and concrete. Rushing over she saw a man gasping as blood seeped from his mouth. She did not recognize him, which meant he was from the enemy’s army.
“Good luck stopping him now.” The man chuckled, turning into a coughing fit as the mans final breath left him with a gasp.
Standing Lilly turned towards Sephiroth’s direction. “Sephiroth.” She barked into the headset, when he did not answer she called his name again.
Zack dropped beside her, “The men evacuating the area said some dumbass told him Cloud is dead.”
Lilly’s eyes snapped to Zack’s as terror chilled her body, grabbing her phone she dialed. When the line was picked up Lilly shouted. “Tifa is Cloud out of surgery?”
She heard Zack gasp, but she did not have time to explain what was going on.
“Yes. He is in recovery, and the doctor said he will be good as new in a couple of days.”
“Is he awake?” Lilly asked looking up at Vincent and Zack.
“No, what’s going on?” Tifa asked panic causing her voice to tremble.
“Some jackass told Sephiroth that Cloud is dead. I need you to get him awake.” Lilly demanded.
“Why can’t you tell Sephiroth Cloud is okay?” Tifa nearly screeched.
“Because I think his headset was damaged when he lost control of his power.” Lilly growled.
“Got it. I’ll get the doctor.” Tifa said.
“Have a headset ready, I’m going to try to get close enough to knock some sense into his highness.” Lilly growled as she shut off her phone.
Lilly, Zack, and Vincent looked up as Sephiroth landed lightly on an I beam above them.
Taking a deep breath, Lilly pushed back at the pain coursing through her body. “Are you ready to do this?”
“Yes.” Both men answered as Sephiroth raised his sword.
Hissing from protesting muscles, Lilly launched at Sephiroth.