Crisis Core: The Female SOLDIER

25

"What's the meaning of this?!" Hollander demanded, backing away from Genesis who had a sword at his throat. "You need me, Genesis, remember that," He pointed at him. "If you get rid of me, who's going to stop the degradation?"

"The Jenova cells," was Genesis's answer.

The elevator carrying Sera and Zack reached and the gate opened. The two of them rushed out, only to stop at the sight before them. Their presence ignored by Hollander and Genesis. Zack gritted his teeth and drew his sword, knocking Genesis's away, holding the blade down with his own. Seeing his chance, Hollander tried to run but was stopped when Cloud grabbed him, having followed the two SOLDIERs. "Stop!"

"Cloud! Good work!" Zack told him, both Cloud and Hollander struggling before Hollander managed to free himself and knocked Cloud to the ground. Sera did nothing, just watched as Hollander tried to run past Zack but was blocked. "But... nobody knows where the Jenova cells are being kept! Not even Hojo knows. You'll never find it!"

'Jenova... Hojo mentioned that as well...' Sera thought.

"Then I shall willingly accept my fate," Sera's eyes widened in shock at Genesis's words, and she saw that parts of his hair, eyes, skin, even his clothes, have turned grey with cracks on them. Even his wing was losing its color. He was degrading! "But, I'll take the world with me!"

Genesis swung his sword at Zack only to be parried by Zack's sword. They started fighting and Hollander began to run off.

"Cloud! Go after him!" Sera ordered as she drew her sword. Cloud nodded as he chased after the scientist and she began to gather magic into her hand, sending it at Genesis and he parted from Zack, dodging the blasts sent at him.

"Stop this, Genesis!" Sera called out as she stood next to Zack, joining the battle. "You can't fight the both of us at the same time. You can't win. You taught me everything I know!" She told him.

But Genesis just smirked. "But not everything I know," Genesis rushed towards them once more, continuing the battle.

Zack and Sera were good, great even. But Genesis was better, which was expected. He wasn't known as one of the three strongest SOLDIER 1st Class for nothing. He was simply playing with them, parrying and countering their strikes almost lazily, and was growing bored fast. Sera shouldn't have expected anything different.

Genesis attacked the two SOLDIERs, using "Black Flurry" several times to blind them and shooting out sharp black feathers towards the two like bullets, forcing them to dodge before them before rushing forwards to attack.

With Zack and Sera working together, the two of them charged at him, sending a combination of powerful attacks at the degrading SOLDIER, knocking the sword from his grasp and sending him to his knees, all three of them panting slightly from the exertion of the battle.

"Enough of this, Genesis," Sera panted, staring at her former teacher with sorrow. "There's no point in doing this. Why did you need attack Midgar, and its civilians, when it was only the scientists at fault? What would you gain, from attacking the innocent and the defenseless, when it should be the culprits instead? Why the ones who have done nothing to you at all? Answer me, Genesis!" Sera cried out, pained at the sight of him.

He was always so strong, so confident to the point of arrogance, not to mention flamboyant with his silly actions. But he was kind to her, willing to teach her how to wield magic and guns. But this...

"Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul," Genesis panted as he quoted, holding himself up. "Pride is lost, Wings stripped away, the end is nigh." He tried to stand, only to fall to the ground once more, and Sera flinched at the impact made. He pushed himself up, lifting his head to the two of them. "Such is... the fate of a monster."