Crisis Core: The Female SOLDIER

31

When Zack and Sera got back on the street again, they saw Hollander headed towards another gate at the other end of the street.

"That way is the airbase!" Zack said.

"He has a plan to get away by air?! We need to get to him before he does!" The two ran after Hollander once more, only to be stopped by robots coming down towards them. But they weren't aiming at them.

They were aiming at the gate hiding the civilians.

Sera's eyes widened. "They're going to attack the civilians! That underhanded snake!" Sera snarled as she took out her gun. "To hell with keeping the bastard in one piece, I'm going to cut his limbs off when I get him!"

It took longer than they had hoped to destroy all the machines heading towards the gate, but they were successfully able to destroy all them before they could breach the perimeter and they soon making their way towards Hollander once again, controlling the lift that would move them up to the airbase.

Sera caught sight of Hollander first. "Hollander!" Sera shouted as she was about to run towards him.

"S-Sera, look out!" Zack's yell made her stop and she turned back only to move out of the way when a red scorpion tank leaped to where she was standing just moments ago, separating Zack and her. "Now it's scorpion mechs?!" Zack shouted across her.

It was a Guard Scorpion. A red, six-legged machine with a long, spearheaded tail at the back, hence the name 'scorpion.' Sera recognized it when she had to take one down as her SOLDIER 2nd Class promotion test so she knew the tail would be the main problem, so she took it down first. The rest was easy to deal with once the tail was destroyed.

The Guard Scorpion was destroyed at last as Zack swung down his sword at it, using an attack that Angeal had taught him before, and he straightened up as he landed. Sera shook her head lightly, smirking. "Always the hero, are you Zack?"

"Heh, you know me. It's my dream to be a hero, you know?" Zack answered as he walked towards her with a grin.

"So I've heard," Sera gave a small grin back before she became serious once again. "Let's go, we need to catch Hollander before he gets away."

They finally caught up to Hollander who was at the edge of the airbase, having nowhere left to run.

"That's far enough, Hollander," Sera growled as she aimed her gun at the man, her finger ready to pull the trigger but orders held her back from killing the man. "You are going to pay for what you've done to Genesis and Angeal. Now come with us, before I shoot both your legs this time."

Hollander flinched, glancing back over the edge, but then he suddenly smirked, and Sera's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure about that?" He backed up a bit more, and to Sera and Zack's shock and confusion, he spread his arms out and fell back.

"What is he..?" They could not believe this. Did Hollander just take his own life?

Their questions were soon answered, as Hollander suddenly appeared from over the edge, carried by two winged Genesis copies as the two flew away.

"Tch! Should've known," Zack growled and Sera aimed the gun at them only to be stopped by Zack. "Forget it," Zack told her. "You can't reach them from here. And we still need him alive."

Sera glared at the reminder for a moment, before she sighed and strapped back her gun, turning her glare to where Hollander had just flown off.

Tseng and Cissnei jogged past them and they heard a deep voice spoke out.

"Mission failed. This goes on your permanent records, Zack, Sera."

The two SOLDIER 1st Class turned to see Sephiroth walking towards them and Sera shared a brief nod with her mentor in greeting.

"Sephiroth!" Zack greeted. "Long time no see!"

"Let the Turks take care of the rest," Sephiroth informed as he moved past them. "I was on my way to Modeoheim, but I heard you were in the area."

"Lucky me," Sera shook her head at Zack's snarky response before turning back to her mentor. "What now?" she asked.

"The situation has not resolved," Sephiroth told her. "Genesis copies have been sighted around the world."

"That's not possible!" Sera retorted.

"We wiped out those Genesis copies," Zack added.

"Did Genesis really die?" Sephiroth asked, and Sera's eyes widened as she and Zack froze, recalling Genesis falling off the railing.

"Uh..."

The silver-haired man turned. "They've been sighted in Midgar as well."

"I see..." Zack replied.

"The Slums, too," Aerith came to both of their minds at Sephiroth's words and Zack looked down while Sera looked to Zack in concern. Zack wanted to ask, but the mission...

"Permission to return... granted."

Zack quickly looked up at Sephiroth's words, surprised. "Uh, yeah..."

"You too as well, Sera," Sera turned to her mentor as he said this and Sephiroth nodded in confirmation.

"Take care," Sephiroth waved at the two.

"You too," Zack replied.

"Wait, what's been happening at Modeoheim?" Sera decided to ask before the two left.

Sephiroth turned back to his student. "The device Hollander was using has been stolen."

"Genesis?" Sephiroth nodded. "Probably."

Zack and Sera looked like they wanted to ask more but couldn't find the words. Sera wanted to ask what Hojo meant, about the truth behind Sephiroth's origin and if he knew about it but she wasn't sure if she should bring it out in the open like this when Zack and the Turks were still around. But she didn't know when she would be able to meet her mentor like this again.

Sephiroth noticed the two's hesitation and gave a small smile. "We'll meet again soon," he assured them, to Sera most of all.

After a moment's hesitation, Sera and Zack nodded, slightly appeased. "I'll hold you to that," Zack pointed to him as he said this.

Sera gave a departing nod to her mentor before they left and Sephiroth watched them walk away.

......

"My friend, your desire

Is the bringer of life, the gift of the Goddess,"

Genesis, the original one, lifted a dumbapple up as he looked at it. "Legend shall speak," he quoted, "Of sacrifice at world's end." He brought the purple apple to his chest. "The wind sails over the water's surface, Quietly, but surely." He dropped his arm down as he looked towards the horizon, standing on the Mako Cannon at Junon Harbor before he took off to the sky.