Chapter 8 - Hollow
The stone floor was cold as I awoke. It was thrilling, finally having brought her to my level. Finally having brought her to... this state of fallen. I knew that Lockheart would be the perfect catalyst for her... I had noticed the touch between them as the fighter had said goodbye.
It would have been a really good morning if two things hadn't assaulted me. The first being that my back was really, really sore, and the second... well, a gun to the head is never pleasant.
"Where is she?" Oh, Valentine is always so serious about things, isn't he? Not even a hello, or a "why Sephiroth, so glad to see you" or the like. People just don't have manners anymore.
And so focused too. Didn't even noticed that Flower lay under his cloak next to me. Wait... ah, the triad works fast. I'd have to thank them later.
"You certainly are pleasant in the morning," I responded, feeling like baiting corpses this morning. I wonder if this made Lockheart a necrophiliac...
"Show me. Now." Dear Gaea, with that tone, he sounded like one of those stuffy old Turks. I never did like them that much... them with their sneaky and nonflashy tactics. Not to mention I owed that Tseng money. But he's dead now, and my debt is paid... well, in my mind at least.
"Wouldn't your morality dictate that patience is a virtue?" I answered. He doesn't want to respond with words anymore, as he presses the gun closer to my temple. I'd have to wake up Flower now and deal with her crankiness as well as this entirely too humorless walking corpse of destruction.
I should kidnap boring women more often.
"I suppose that you will not move until I do or judgment day or some drivel like that," I finally conceded, for it will be more fun when Flower wakes up anyway. I wondered what sort of things they'll have to say to each other.
I should arrange reunions more often too.
"What are you chattering about..." Flower's drowsy voice drifts up from underneath my new coat. I wonder if Valentine even notices what it is, with the alterations and all. His hand stayed steady, as did his face... damn stoics. Though, he did look a bit more frail without his wide shouldered cloak. Whatever did that woman feed him?
Flower's eyes are so wide and green when she sees our little tete a tete that I cannot help a slight chuckle. Little girl afraid of an angry Valentine? Well, I suppose that's quite a thing to wake up to first thing in the morning. How delightful.
"It's not what it looks like," she said nervously, like her father just caught her in her room with a boy. It's a rather illogical response, really. And judging by the reaction, or rather nonreaction on Valentine's face, he seemed to think so too.
"Get out of here, girl. You are not involved in this matter." Her wide Gaia blessed eyes narrowed at that statement. Stubbornness, Flower, stubbornness. No wonder you were so easy to catch.
"I'm not involved? From self-absorbed deprecation to this? Geez, Vincent, this is Tifa we're talking about!" with a huff she stood up, her state of half undress apparent now, "You think I don't care? What does it matter to you, grouch!" I understood how these two got along then. And I laughed as little Flower stood as tall as she could, glaring up at Valentine's height. One of the few men I know to be around my own height... he would make a good lieutenant, if I could get rid of that conscience.
He narrowed his eyes down at her and looked over at me. "Interesting choice, Sephiroth. Restrain her, and tell me where Tifa is before I lose my temper." I felt gleeful. Lose your temper, please! I would love to grapple with your demons!
Or maybe have Flower grapple with one... as she now was understanding the full value of her strength and... immortality.
But Flower made the move. Valentine was far too focused on me, the fool. Did he not see that the weapon was before him? Besides, she was never the type to put up with being ignored.
"You... insufferable men! Both of you!" she jumped up to catch Valentine by the ear, "Come with me, we'll both go find her! And you... stay there. No crazy weird stuff while I'm gone!" Yes, ma'am. But of course. Oh, the absolute amusement I found in her inability to be led... delicious. It's no wonder that I followed Jenova for all that time... I'm far too taken with powerful women to be natural.
Especially if I know that I'm the one with all the power.
Valentine looked shocked. Not pained, for even if Flower put her entire weight on his ear, it wouldn't exceed that man's threshold for pain. Though, I began to wonder what the limit for his pain was... maybe if I worked on him a bit too, I would find out.
Oh, killing Strife was going to be so much fun!
"Unhand me," he finally said and gripped her wrist. She gritted her teeth. "Now." She complied, but not without a good glare.
"Why do you not recognize me?" she said, with a whisper, "Especially Tifa... she didn't either." Oh, here came her human weakness. Maybe I would pit her against Valentine for a match. She really needed to get over that tendency for blubbering.
Valentine sighed tiredly. Getting worn out already? I hadn't even had my fun yet... stupid moralistic fools. Did he not realize that I, Azrael the risen, was holding all the power even as he held me at gunpoint? Even with his clawed hand gripping Flower's wrist tightly?
"What if I struck a deal," I finally said, shifting my weight to a comforable position, "If you fight with Flower here... I will not only show you were your Lockheart is, but I will give her back. But you must not hold back on her. She is not as weak as she appears." Another scowl, Flower? Be careful, your face might stick that way.
"Sephiroth! I will not fight him!" Defiance. Always such defiance... but did she not realize that for all my power, I was following her commands? Her desire to be seen by them... they would not recognize her if she stood still. That this... all of this... was arranged for her?
Did she not see what she had become?
"That will not be necessary," Valentine said, and if my eyes did not deceive me... he smirked. The smirk of a man who has pulled the ace from his sleeve in the last few minutes of a card game.
"How is that?" I asked, genuinely curious as to what he was smirking about.
"Do you think I was stupid enough not to bring back up?" Turks. I always hated them, sneaky little things. Valentine was never a spectacular one, only reason that no one noticed when he disappeared. Oh yes, I read that file. Married woman, Valentine? You must have been quite the player, back in the day.
But he had vanished from my vision... for all I saw was him. The puppet. Back up, indeed.
He did not say anything. He did not need to. We never really had anything to say to each other, the puppet and I. My sword through his enhanced gut would certainly tell him what I thought of him still. He was a copy not a person at all. A bad copy at that. Did not even have his graceful looks.
The puppet was glaring.
"Oh Holy! Vince wasn't kidding!" a woman's voice... right, there was always women involved with the puppet. They clung to him like dolls without owners. This voice grated me. Grown up, no less?
"Yuff, quiet." So he does speak. Have you gotten soft like Lockheart did? Or have you grown humorless and sneaky like Valentine? Do you really think you are going to fight me, or will you go quietly like a good puppet.
Flower's mouth was agape. Strife had not even seen her. Do you like being ignored, little one? Of course you don't... you are vain, just like I am... isn't it a delicious sin?
He drew his blade. Much improved, over the years, it was. Still so ridiculously large... bulk instead of elegance. But he was the sword, as I had so foolishly learned. So I studied it carefully, taking in every detail of it. There were surprises hidden within it, if one could see the way they were latched in there. Magnificent in its efficiency... terrible in its bulk. Why couldn't he use simple weapons?
Fool.
"Cloud, hold on." Flower. Do you still hold onto him like all the other pathetic and grasping women? Do you not realize he has forgotten you as a person... that you only remain as a symbol? That you are mine because that is what you always have been?
"Nice trick, Sephiroth, she looks just like her. I didn't know you were so... decadent." Flower's eyes were nearly aqua with such a statement. So much anger, so much anger... would you like to kill him for me, little one?
"Did I mean nothing to you Cloud?" Whispers instead of shouts. Cold blue glares... why yes, her eyes were simply livid with her anger. It was then that she tossed the coat to me... Valentine didn't even flinch. Focus, Flower, focus.
This would make for such a nice dramatic battle. I would have to thank her later.
"Sephiroth. Do you concede, now? Or will we have to beat it out of you?" Strife had gained such a steady edge to his voice... maybe not so bad a copy after all. Not that I would tell him that.
"Psycho! You listening?" The female again. Short little thing, long hair bunned up in a Wutain fashion. Ugh, Wutes. Such pathetic creatures... they would run themselves through with their own swords far more than we ever did.
"Please, shut it up. It gives me a headache," coat, hair looks nice, now where was that sword, "And I will take Strife, if you do not mind. I'll leave you others to my triad." Right on cue. I really liked these kids... they were ever so useful. It was a good day to be God.
Flower handed me the sword. Good little consort. She armed herself and with a feral growl, started it, launching at Valentine. They did have an agreement.
When my sword found Strife's... I suddenly remembered what I wanted to do once I had properly punished him. Once he was gone.
I was going to leave this Planet.
AN: This has been sitting on my harddrive for a while. Getting married and running this massive RP hath made me forget. I'm gonna end this soon... because I can. Sephiroth is such a little punk. Messes with my head.