Crisis Core: The Female SOLDIER

15

It has been 12 years since then. 12 years since Sephiroth had saved her and took her back to Shinra headquarters. Since then, he had chosen to raise her as his ward and had taken her in as his student, mentoring her on how to fight and use a sword, along with his friends, Angeal and Genesis. They gave him dubious looks when they had found that Sephiroth had taken Sera on as his student, but didn't question his decision, much. 

Instead, they decided to help out as well, when they're not on missions and during their spare time. Angeal had trained her on the basics of fighting and military tactics, as well as how to use a sword together with Sephiroth. Sometimes on his own as well when Sephiroth had to be deployed on missions. Whereas Genesis had taken upon himself to teach her how to use magic and guns, as he was more proficient on those compared to the other two.

For some reason, Shinra did not protest when Sephiroth had announced that Sera would be taken under his tutelage. But they did not announce it to the public, keeping her existence a secret until she reached 15, when she would be recruited into the military personnel and several months later, into SOLDIER after the incident when she was able to cast magic without the use of materia. Most of the Shinra employees remained impassive to her presence, except for the science department who gained an interest in her and her unique magic. Whereas those from the military remained skeptical about her skills, as she was currently the only female among their ranks. 

And those who had failed into getting accepted into the SOLDIER program, saw her as an insult to their skills as she was a woman, yet she had been accepted into the program instead of them.

She was very grateful to Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis. For having them mentor her and raised her somewhat and thus sees them as family, with Sephiroth being her primary caretaker. And she was polite to those who treated her kindly like those from the Turks. But because of the views and whispers about her from both the military personnel and the Science Research Division, she had developed a rather cold and professional outer personality, much like Sephiroth, as she grew up. Only letting it down when she was alone with those she could trust. With Zack being recently included on the list.

But now, everything has gone astray. Angeal and Genesis, two of her family, had defected, having been transformed into something they didn't want with no choice in the matter due to the company. And there were too many blanks pages in the story.

"My 'parents' betrayed me. They had always betrayed me, from the very beginning. Sera, she might understand. But what would you two know? Shinra lapdogs!"

Although she disagreed with Genesis's actions back at Banora, she could somewhat understand the feeling of being betrayed by her own flesh and blood. Having no memories of her family, she felt that she had been betrayed by them when she found herself alone in the forest. What happened to her family? Where did they go? Why couldn't she remember them? Were they dead? Or did they leave her behind? Having viewed her in the same manner as those who were sour upon the knowledge that she was in SOLDIER?

A burden. A deadweight. An unwanted.

It was something she did not like to think about, to be frank. So she did not bother with those thoughts, pushing them back into the darkest corner of her mind. But now the sight of the mother and child pair had brought them back up again and she found herself thinking about it once more.

What happened to her? How did she end up in the forest? Did someone leave her there? Was that why she couldn't remember anything? Did they do something to her before dumping her there? Had Sephiroth not found her in time, she would've been killed, ripped to shreds and becoming a monster's lunch.

She had secretly viewed Sephiroth as her savior since then, even if she felt that there was something about him that unnerved her sometimes.

As Sera scouted through the streets, she saw Sephiroth looking the facility that was Mako Reactor 5, one of the eight reactors built by Shinra to power up the city.

She approached her mentor. "Had there been sightings of the copies and machines inside?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No, but Angeal was."

She didn't know if that was better or worse.

The two of them made their way inside, the interior looking like a sewage with drainage pipes and Mako pooling at the bottom of the reactor, where it would be filtered through the pipes to be used as an energy source to power up the city. Sera somehow didn't like the thought of it being used in that manner, but there was nothing she could do about that.

As she and Sephiroth went deeper into the facility, Sera decided to speak up then. "Sephiroth."

Her mentor stopped at his name to look at her, seeing her eyes holding a look of worry. "About Angeal... and Genesis... are you really going to kill them?" She really hoped he wouldn't. It would not only hurt her and Zack, but himself as well.

"It was an order, Sera."

"I thought being 1st allowed us the right to refuse the orders given to us if we so choose," Sera retorted. "Otherwise, why would you deny the mission to Banora? You shouldn't have to kill them, Sephiroth. They're your friends."

"And that's why I should be the one to do it." Sephiroth's words made her stop. "It's because they're my friends that I should be the one to do it instead of the army. Not only because only I could take them head on, but because I would rather they be killed by someone who knew them, and therefore grieve over the act, than by callous infantrymen."

Sera just looked to the ground, unable to say anything back. In a way, it was honorable of him to do this, even if it were to hurt him greatly to do it.

'If only people could see him this way, instead of what the media had made him out to be.' But she knew that would never happen. Sephiroth and Shinra would never allow it.

"But don't worry. I have a plan." Sera snapped her head up at that. "What? What do you mean?" she asked.

Sephiroth just smirked, not answering the question as she saw her mentor dialed a number on his phone and brought it to his ear. "Zack," Sephiroth began, talking to him over the phone as the two of them continued walking once more. "Once Sector 8 is clear, come to Mako Reactor 5. Sera is already with me"

"Did you find something out?" Zack spoke.

"Angeal has been sighted."

Silence reigned at the other end of the line.

"So, it's search and destroy?" Zack bitterly asked.

"The army is mobilizing, but there's still time," Sephiroth did not answer his question. Then he stopped walking and Sera stopped as well a few ways behind. "You, Sera, and I will find them before they do, and..."

Sephiroth sometimes chose odd times to make dramatic pauses when he talks. Sera could tell Zack did not appreciate the gesture as she could hear him yell from the phone speaker. "And WHAT?!"

Sera winced and Sephiroth pulled the phone away from his ear at the yell, before bringing it back to his ear. "...fail to eliminate them." Sephiroth finished with a hidden smirk. At his words, Sera sighed in relief as she relaxed, now knowing what her mentor planned to do and she knew Zack felt the same from his excited and hopeful voice from the phone. "For real?"

Sephiroth let out an amused huff as he answered. "Yes, for real."

"Excellent! Uh probably!" Zack cheered from the other line. Sephiroth cut off the line after that. "He's an excitable one, isn't he?" Sera could only sigh and nod apologetically, knowing who it was her mentor was talking about. Both mentor and student continued walking once more.

"Let's go. We need to find Angeal first before the army finishes mobilizing." Sera nodded.

'Don't worry Angeal, Genesis. We won't let you die.'