Pictures of You, Chapter 16

Usual disclaimer: I do not own anything except my OC's. Any lyrics quoted within are properly attributed to the artist.

In this chapter: The confrontation in Modeoheim comes to a head.

OC's used in this chapter include: Zane, Solveig, Weingarten, and Flanard.

The sadness
How it brings me down
I know I have no choice
Is it wise? Taking a life?

"Prayer" - Hyde

Zack frowned at the utterance of the 'puppy' nickname; once upon a time this had been said to him in a joking, teasing manner by Genesis. Now, it was clearly meant as a cruel taunt by the Banoran General.

"Genesis, what are you doing!" Zack sputtered indignantly. "You're better than this, you're SOLDIER! Have you lost your damned mind?" He raised his sword again, meaning to show Genesis that he was serious, but the redhead merely chuckled, not feeling threatened in the least.

"Lost my mind..." Genesis echoed, looking thoughtfully down at Hollander's flushed face. Genesis had his rapier pointed at Hollander's throat. "I suppose I have lost my mind, Zack...just a bit! Then again, I think we're all quite mad here," he added, grinning maniacally at Hollander.

"Release him," Zack growled. "NOW." He heard the movements of the other troopers and Sargent Flanard nearby, and Genesis sensed their presence as well, despite their best attempts to conceal themselves.

"Who's going to make me?" Genesis taunted, sneering at Zack. "You and what army? Oh...you mean this pathetic bunch? Surely you can do better than that, Zackary. Cloud is here, is he not? Oh Cloouuuud!" Genesis called out in a mocking, derisive tone. "I heard about your little mishap in Hojo's lab. Congratulations on being a 'failed experiment' just as I am! You are part of a very special club now." Zack glared at Genesis upon hearing the jibe.

Cloud's head jerked up at the mention of his name, and Zane, still covered in his best friend's blood, hissed at the trooper, warning him to stay back. "Don't let him get to you, Cloud. He's trying to flush us out, don't give into it!"

"Cover Zack...I'm going around back to take out Rhapsodos," Flanard whispered to the troopers as he broke away from the group, doubling back around the warehouse, intending upon sneaking in through the loading dock area and ambushing Genesis. Flanard's plan was a sound one - or would have been, had Genesis's keen, enhanced hearing picked up on the sergeant's stealthy movements.

Hollander wriggled in Genesis's grip; he had an arm around the scientist's throat in a head-lock, dragging him further into the warehouse, toward the edge of a railing. Zack advanced as Genesis backed up, hoping to corner him - and hoping to make him surrender.

"There's no way out, Genesis," Zack said evenly, raising his sword to shoulder level. "Now let Hollander go," he commanded. While Zack didn't exactly care for the man either, he had a duty to protect him from Genesis, who had clearly gone mad.

Genesis laughed again, though the sound was a bit weaker this time. Zack began to wonder if the SOLDIER's strength was leaving him. He certainly didn't look well; signs of degradation were now apparent, Genesis' hair, once a deep auburn, was now streaked through with silvery strands, and his face had taken on an ashen, sickly color. "If only you knew what the dear doctor has done to me...and to Angeal! Oh, he's made your best friend into a monster, Zack. Isn't that right, professor?" Genesis demanded of Hollander in a mocking tone.

Zack narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "What the hell are you talking about?" he snapped. Nothing was making any sense anymore, though Zack knew that both Genesis and Angeal had been altered, somehow, he didn't yet know the details.

"Only the great Sephiroth can be the hero, hmm?" Genesis said scornfully, pushing Hollander down onto his knees on the floor. "The world needs another hero!" He raised his rapier over his head, when suddenly Zack spotted Flanard coming around behind Genesis.

"You are not a hero, not yet...not like the others!" Hollander cried out, raising his arm over his head to protect himself, cowering as he pleaded with Genesis. "Let me help you, Genesis, you could be so much more...please! Have mercy!" He looked and sounded so pathetic, Zack realized, then cried out a warning to Flanard as Genesis sensed the man's presence there, and spun around, slashing out with the rapier.

"Flanard! Watch out!" Zack shouted, but a moment too late. A bolt of lightning shot out in a zigzag pattern from the end of Genesis's blade, carving a "Z" into Flanard's chest plate, burning through the metal. The SOLDIER fell to the ground instantly, mouth hanging open in shock.

"Z is for Zack!" Genesis chortled, seemingly amused with himself. "Shall I make my mark on your lover as well, Zackary?" C is for - "

"No!" Zack fairly screamed, lunging at Genesis, his blade raised in the air, wintry sunlight gleaming off of the metal edge. "Ballard, Strife, Weingarten, anyone who's left, get out of here now!" Zack shouted, not even looking back toward the troopers. He hoped that Cloud would listen and not try to do anything foolish like jump in between himself and Genesis.

"But sir - Sergeant Flanard - " Zane began, looking toward the body on the ground of their commanding officer.

"Forget him, he's gone!" Zack shouted, knowing he might sound utterly heartless, but the fact was that Flanard was dead; his body was already breaking down into iridescent points of light as he was taken up into the Lifestream. Cloud stopped and gaped at the sight, thinking of Dill and wondering what had become of his body. Had he already passed into the Lifestream as well? The last time Cloud had seen Dill's body was when Reno had dragged it away, cradling it almost protectively.

"He's dead…Flanard's dead...Zack's right, we gotta go, come on!" Trooper Weingarten shouted at Zane, grabbing his sleeve to pull him away as tears smarted in his eyes. He saw the same emotions reflected in the eyes of his comrades. "Come on guys, it's not like not leaving Zack completely, we're going to cover him from a distance...Zane, how are you with a revolver?" Weingarten asked as he removed his duty weapon from its holster, turning the grip toward the trooper as he handed it over.

"I'm a decent shot, I guess," Zane said, shaking his head. "I'll…try my best, though." Zane bit his lip, his thoughts, like Cloud's, were with Dill. A boy much like them who had come to Midgar to join the ShinRa military, lured by promises of fame and glory, like the great Sephiroth. Where is Sephiroth, anyway? Zane wondered, frowning. Shouldn't he be here? Or...had he defected as well, just like Genesis and Angeal did? Zane shook his head, pushing these thoughts out of his mind in order to concentrate on the mission.

"Good man, Zane," Weingarten replied, pulling a shotgun from his pack, pumping the chamber as he locked and loaded. "I was thinking, Zane...you could fire some warning shots to distract him, maybe, and then I'll plug him between the eyes," the trooper added grimly. "I don't even know if that'll do anything...Genesis...I don't think he's exactly human," Weingarten went on, nodding toward the huge wing now extending from Genesis's left shoulder. A flurry of black feathers flew about the room as Genesis beat the single wing rapidly, the feathers swirling around Zack, blinding him temporarily and knocking him backward.

Cloud's heart sank as the group backed away from the duel, part of him wondering if this was the last time he'd ever see Zack alive again. Of course this was a thing always at the back of his mind; it was part and parcel of being in love with a soldier. The day could come when one or both of them might not come back from a mission. His gloved hand wrapped tightly around the grip of Weingarten's pistol, Cloud's thoughts shifted to Dill. His friend, likely his best friend he'd met at the academy outside of Zack. Dead, just like that.

My fault...all my fault. Cloud saw Reno's grief-stricken face in his mind once again; the Turk had been so hurt, so angry. So damned raw. Cloud's throat hurt from the hard lump that was in it; he swallowed, a few hot tears falling down his cheeks, hidden behind the hood-scarf that was part of the trooper uniform. Someone was talking - Solveig? When had the other commander arrived here? Cloud's head felt hollow, as if he were watching everything unfold from a great distance, as if he was not a part of this.

"Wake up, Strife!" Lieutenant Solveig had, in fact, just arrived. Another platoon had been called in for backup had just landed outside Modeoheim. Tseng had piloted himself and Lazard and another wave of SOLDIERS and troopers to the deserted, snow-laden town; they were calling in everyone they could in the effort to capture Genesis.

"Come on, troops…let's fall back...I need two lookouts here - " Solveig pointed behind some barrels - " and here," he continued, pointing to the building opposite them.

The sudden flurry of activity made Cloud snap back to the present; he saluted Solveig quickly, as the SOLDIER began signaling the troopers to get into ready position. Zack, meanwhile, was still holding his ground , trying to get Hollander to safety. He wasn't sure of Genesis's intentions toward the scientist; was he going to kill Hollander? Or was he simply toying with the scientist, much like a saucy cat batting about a mouse it had pounced upon.

"Oh, Zack, such anger! Such power!" Genesis chortled, openly laughing in Zack's face as the two faced off, Zack standing his ground with his sword poised over his head, ready to strike if Genesis made any sudden moves. Hollander still lay cowering on the floor, his hand held up to his face in a warding gesture.

"You need me, Genesis!" Hollander roared, now fearing for his life so much that he decided to try and bargain with the failed experiment. "Project G…yes, you know what Project G is, don't you? You've read the files…"

"Indeed I have," Genesis said dryly, ignoring Zack for the moment, though he still had an eye on him – as well as his rapier. "Playing god, you and Hojo? Like demented little children running amok, building toy soldiers! Well, I've got some news for you my friend...we are not toys!" Genesis spat angrily, the fire of Ifrit himself seemed to be in his eyes as he turned all of his vitriol toward Hollander. Genesis lunged toward the scientist, and in a single swoop wrapped his arm tightly around Hollander's neck, placing him in a choke-hold.

"And that's the bitter irony of it all, isn't it?" Genesis said darkly. "That I might need one such as you. My demented creator." He laughed without mirth, his grip around Hollander's neck tightening, though he staggered backwards slightly. The degradation was slowly but surely causing some very real effects on Genesis, weakening him. He would not give in at this point, however – not yet. There was still enough fight left in him, and the smirk he leveled at Zack would drive that point home.

Cloud, Zane, Weingarten and the other Shinra infantry who were there monitoring the situation could barely hear the heated exchange, though it was clear to all by reading the body language between Zack and Genesis that things had escalated and were at a very precarious point. One wrong move – by any one of them – could spell death for Zack, or for them all. Cloud's pupils narrowed into little points, his fear had transcended into rage; the thought that either of these two quarreling idiots could cost Zack his life angered him more than the cadet even knew was possible.

"Someone needs to do something, get Hollander out of there," Cloud whispered to Zane, feeling oddly calm and decisive all of a sudden. He could hear Zack's voice in his head: "Cloud, you can do anything you set your mind to. I have faith in you….and I won't let you fall. I promise you that."

"And I won't let you down either, Zack," Cloud murmured, half to himself, clapping Zane on the shoulder. "Cover me. I'll get Hollander out of there, create a diversion – "

"What the hell are you thinking, Cloud!" Zane hissed, glaring at the cadet. "Don't do anything stupid, we already lost Dill!" The words, the reminder that Dill was dead, felt like a physical stab to Cloud's heart; he winced, but nodded and moved on.

"I won't get hurt," Cloud said firmly, surprising him with this sudden surge of calm decisiveness. It wasn't in his normal nature . "Listen – they're distracted right now. I can do this. I need to do this – for Zack," he added, turning an eye toward his lover. Cloud felt his gut clench; he had every bit of faith in Zack, but he also felt he couldn't stand there and do nothing.

Me doing nothing cost Dill his life, Cloud thought grimly, quietly going round the side and hoping to grab Hollander and get him to safety. I won't fail anyone like that again.

"Strife!" Lieutenant Solveig hissed, but Cloud did not hear his commanding officer calling him. "Strife, get back here – gods, what in the hell does he think he's doing?" the lieutenant demanded of Weingarten and Zane, who had no answer but simply shrugged their shoulders. Other troopers that had arrived took flanking positions nearby; Sergeant Flanard's body, which had fallen nearby after receiving the fatal blow from Genesis, was already beginning to dissolve into small points of bright green light as the Lifestream called the SOLDIER home once again.

"Godspeed, my brother," Solveig whispered, giving a quick salute to his fallen comrade. He shook his head, eyes narrowing angrily. Genesis had to be stopped, and though the orders from President ShinRa had been to capture the deserter, Lazard had advised his men to 'use their best judgment.'

"Shoot to kill," Solveig gave the order to the others as Cloud crept forward; the lieutenant prayed that the cadet wouldn't end up in the crossfire himself. There had been enough bloodshed already, too many lives lost since Genesis went mad. It was time to put an end to it.

"Genesis must be stopped, at any cost," Solveig added firmly. Zane swallowed hard, and nodded. He was pissed at Cloud for inserting himself into the middle of things, though he certainly understood why. The troopers were getting antsy, wanting to do something other than to stand around waiting for something to happen.

Stealthily, Cloud crept around, keeping to the shadows and ducking behind walls as he approached Genesis from the side. Neither Zack nor Genesis had taken notice of the trooper yet, which gave Cloud his chance to make his move. He grabbed Hollander from behind in a bear hug, wresting him away from Genesis, who really hadn't intended on harming the scientist. Though Genesis hardly wanted to admit it, he did need Hollander if he had any hope of battling the degradation that was taking a very real toll on his body. Hollander was the only one who knew where the rest of the Jenova cells were, or so the scientist had claimed. Not even Hojo was privy to their location; Hollander had stolen the samples out of his rival's lab and secreted them away. It was Hollander's last trump card with Genesis, and he planned on holding onto it for as long as he could.

"Nice, work, Cloud!" Zack called over to the cadet as he pulled Hollander out of harm's way. Genesis snapped his head around, glowering at Cloud.

"Quite the little hero, isn't he?" Genesis quipped. He turned and pointed the tip of his rapier into Zack's shoulder armor. The wing furled out once again, fully extended, another spray of feathers hitting Zack in the face. He growled, shaking his head, spitting feathers out as Genesis laughed in his face.

"What's the matter, puppy?" Genesis said mockingly, drawing his hand back as he summoned a fire spell. Zack instinctively ducked and rolled, avoiding the attack, while Cloud got the scientist away from the dueling soldiers.

"Shove off, ya little grunt!" Hollander growled angrily, pushing Cloud away roughly; the cadet scuttled back slightly, then quickly regained his balance.

"Hey!" Cloud sputtered indignantly. Hollander stumbled awkwardly to his feet and gave Cloud a smirk and a wave - then ran off, but tripped over his sandals, roaring as he did so. Cloud grabbed Hollander and helped him up, dragging him away. Lieutenant Solveig and the others, meanwhile, had arrived at the perimeter, and Cloud's commanding officer was waving him over.

"Strife, get over here, now," the lieutenant said firmly, training his weapon on Genesis, though Zack kept moving around and was within his sights. "Fall back with the others."

"But I – " Cloud began to protest, looking back and forth helplessly from Solveig to Zack and Genesis. But I can't just leave him there, what if….what if he dies? Just like Dill did?

"Angeal…I wish you were here," Zack muttered, wielding his sword and drawing back into a defensive stance.

Genesis laughed. "Ah, yes….the other monster. He's just like me, you know. Oh…wait….so you didn't know, eh, Zack?" Genesis said upon seeing Zack's look of surprise. "It's true…..wings of an angel, soul of a monster."

"Angeal is not a monster!" Zack cried out. "And – and neither are you, Genesis! You're SOLDIER! What about honor?!"

"Honor!" Genesis repeated with a barking laugh. "Ha. Honor, he says….you have no idea what a false ideal that is, Zack. But…you will learn, the hard way." Snarling, he drew his arm and wing back and sent yet another torrent of stinging feathers Zack's way.

"Damn it!" Zack shouted, the barbs tearing at the skin of his forearms, though he deflected them quickly and shrugged it off. Genesis staggered; he was weakening even more, the degradation progressing more rapidly than even Hollander had anticipated.

"If I die so be it," Genesis quipped, falling to his knees, gasping. Zack lowered his sword and stood down, eyeing Genesis with a mixture of curiosity, and pity. It was beginning to dawn on Zack that this was not something Genesis had asked for, this twisted birthright that was visited upon him by Hollander. He thought back to Hojo, and his indifferent manner when Cloud had gotten so sick from the Mako injections. He didn't care about any of them, neither did Hollander. All of them….all of SOLDIER, all of the ShinRa cadets and infantrymen…they were all pawns. Expendable pawns to those who wanted to play god.

"Genesis, wait – maybe there's a cure!" Zack protested, reaching a hand out to help the fallen ginger. Limbs trembling, Genesis got to his feet, and shook his head.

"Zack," Genesis said softly. "Ah, Zack…forever the optimist. Always remember…there is no love, only hate; no joy, only sorrow. I understand what that means, now," he added, stepping backwards toward the metal railing behind him; he unfurled his wing again and flapped it, flying up to stand upon the rail. Zack looked on in horror as he realized what Genesis intended to do.

"Genesis, don't!" Zack cried out. "Don't do this to yourself…to Angeal!"

At that, Genesis threw his head back and laughed bitterly. "Angeal is in the same boat as I, am Zack. Oh, you'll see soon enough, I am sure. I will seek the gift of the goddess…though I may die trying, and if I do….the world will die with me." Genesis tilted his head back, looking up to the heavens before closing his eyes; then he stretched out his arms and his wing, leaning backwards as he let gravity take him down, down into the abyss.

"Genesis…." Zack said sadly, shaking his head. He whipped around suddenly, hearing Hollander's raucous laughter coming from behind him.

"The hell are you laughing about!" Zack snapped at the scientist. "This isn't funny!" Cloud was standing just behind Hollander – mainly to make sure he didn't try to bolt again. He eyed him with contemptuous disbelief. Genesis was in all likelihood dead, and here was Hollander, laughing about it.

"Genesis was imperfect," Hollander replied, shrugging his shoulders. "A failed experiment. Injected with cells from Gillian Hewley, who had been implanted with the cells from Jenova – "

"Wait, what?" Zack interrupted. "Angeal's mother? What has she got to do with this?"

"One such as you wouldn't understand the great pains I went through, in trying to breed the perfect SOLDIER," Hollander scoffed dismissively. "But despite the failure with Genesis, I learned from it, you see. And I went on to find perfection." Hollander smiled, sounding almost like a proud parent as he went on to speak about his 'creation.'

"I did it, me – Professor Hollander, not Hojo!" the scientist shouted angrily, pacing back and forth on the platform. Zack and Cloud exchanged a glance, and Zack shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to make of this. "Project S be damned, Project G is the true success story of ShinRa! You see…the latter half of Project G is where I achieved my greatest work. I created the greatest SOLDIER the world has ever seen!" Hollander beamed, nodding behind Zack. "And there he is….my son…my perfect, beautiful son."

"Son?" Zack blurted as he spun around to face none other than Angeal. "Who - Angeal! You're alive!"

"Yes, I'm alive, Zack. For all the good that's worth," Angeal muttered, glaring at Hollander. A well-muscled arm flew out and backhanded the scientist, sending him flying. "I'm sorry about Genesis," Angeal said apologetically to Zack, turning and raising the buster sword over his head as he faced Zack. "I should have been the one to do it. He's at peace now, at least…I pray he is. But now, Zack…you have to do the right thing."

"Do the right thing?" Zack echoed dumbly. "What are you talking about, Angeal?"

"Remember, Zack…" Angeal intoned, as a host of creatures appeared on either side of him – did he just summon those? Zack wondered, bewildered. Angeal reared back and roared, Zack looking on in horror as Angeal fused with the monsters. "Now you see, don't you, Zack," Angeal hissed, slashing the SOLDIER's face with a trident. "I am them…and they are me. Monsters, all of us. You know what to do, Zack…now do it!" Angeal advanced toward Zack, waving his trident in the air.

"No! I won't hurt you, Angeal!" Zack protested, as the other troopers looked on in horror.

"Sir, we need to do something!" Zane hissed to Solveig, who shook his head. "They're going to kill each other!"

"Stand down, cadet," Solveig said firmly. "And that's an order. Director Lazard has orders for us not to interfere."

"Then why the hell are we even here?" Cloud snapped; he shrank as Solveig glared at him. He stammered and turned red but went on. "Sir…with all due respect…what's our purpose here?"

Solveig shook his head and sighed. He didn't like this either, but Lazard had been rather firm in his directive. The lieutenant wondered why, but also knew to question those orders would be seen as insubordination, punishable by stripping of his rank or worse. "I don't know, Strife, but I have my orders," the lieutenant said wearily. "If Hollander tries to get away again, just…shoot him in the leg."

Angeal – or, the creature he'd become - had charged at Zack, swinging the trident, snarling. "Remember what I told you, Zack," the monster roared. "Do the right thing. Remember…your honor."

"Angeal, don't make me do this!" Zack protested once again, but he did not back down this time. Hoisting his sword over his head, he yelled as he ran toward Angeal, sick with the knowledge that he was ready to kill his mentor - and one of the best friends he'd ever had.