Raid #83

Angeal [Leader]

It had been a short time since his trek through the Deep Jungle, and the moment when Angeal decided he needed to go things alone for a while. He needed to find out some answers for himself, and with this war now in it's peak of intensity, he could not allow anyone to be kept from their destines by accompanying him. Where he was going, Angeal would want no one to follow. His travels eventually brought him to Traverse Town by way of a gummi ship, which was owned by a kind man in his forties by the name of Bernan; an individual who seemed very curious about why Angeal was traveling to Traverse Town given the state of things. Their conversation still echoed inside his mind as he approached the main gates of the tall walled city.

"Son, now I know you seem like a respectable individual and you have a perfectly dignified reason as to why you're carrying that sword around, but don't you know what's been happening?" asked the pilot as he eased back in his seat, and throttled back into a steady cruising speed. He raised a thumb to the brim of his hat to slightly tip it up so he could see Angeal's face. The former SOLDIER looked over to the space cowboy with a solemn expression, but decided to act curious to learn the man's perspective on the war. "What do you mean?" he had asked politely to the older man with the dark stubble on his jaw. He had taken a brief moment then to glance out the front glass to see his destination off in the starry distance. Bernan grinned underneath the shade of his hat as he removed the toothpick in his mouth, and narrowed an eye at the raven haired youth as he leaned in closer to his passenger. "Well you are aware there's something up with the worlds, aren't you?" asked Bernan, which received no reply but a rather odd glance from the other man. The cowboy reached over and slapped Angeal's shoulder before pointing at him, which got Angeal's attention long enough to see he was looking into his blue mako eyes. "Now don't treat me like ye think I'm stupid boy. I was there when Agrabah fell! We were on a delivery to Twlight Town, and we could all see the Dark consuming the world from our ship!"

The elderly man had then retreated into a sunken posture in his seat, into a solitude of temporary silence as Angeal observed him with a bewildered look. As his expression softened, the former SOLIDER brushed his shoulder off while looking at the console to notice a flashing red light. The auto pilot had been turned on. After he had cleared his throat, he spoke to Bernan softly. "I believe what you are saying, but could you tell me what you saw? What it looked like?" he asked as he leaned forward slightly to peer underneath the now lowered hat of the pilot. After a few more moments of silence, Angeal got his answer after he figured Bernan wasn't going to talk to him again. "It was a sight. Black tendrils stretched up and around the world, like a black octopus eating it's prey er' somethin' ya know. Then more of em' started to erupt from the world's surface until the whole thing was taken over by the Dark."

Angeal remained silent as he pushed his weight onto the doors, and as they opened he entered slowly into the First District. The sight that met him was of nothing extravagant, but rather a plain open courtyard of a small, seemingly quiet town. A skeptical look grasped Angeal's features as he slowly made his way up a small flight of stairs to the front of the item shop. It's light began to cast a warm haze of orange upon his skin through the windows while he passed by, taking the path to the right up more stairs. As his black boots reach the final step, his blue, mako infused eyes glanced over towards a door on the back of the Item Shop, then over to the much larger wooden pair that led to the second district. If anything that was probably where the main portion of the town was located, and probably where he could find some food and a warm place to stay for the night.

The former SOLDIER had not received a good night's rest since he had left Balamb Garden, with a promise to Squall for his return. Deep Jungle had been nothing but a few hours every other night as they made their week long search of the Dark party, only to find out that there was never one to begin with. However it had been worthwhile for him to go, for another world resting in the safety of the Light, which was according to Zack and Squall the utmost important thing right now. With a solemn expression Angeal placed his hands upon the thick, oaken doors and pushed forward to ease him open. As he raised his head and opened his eyes, their gaze met mako blue in red. Once he was through the door, Angeal stood there transfixed upon the sight of his childhood friend sitting upon the stone banister. "Genesis...what are you doing here?"

Angeal remained firm in his position as Genesis descended from the stone wall, and began making his usual pace back and forth as he normally would. The crimson haired youth's answer came in a riddle, which was something Angeal should have predicted having known the man so long. There was usually never a time when Genesis' words didn't reflect LOVELESS in some way; if not by direct quote then with some other quizzical yet poetic substitute. However Angeal was used to this type of talk from him, and understood the former First Class more than anybody. More so even than Sephiroth could. It was Angeal who came to Genesis' side when he needed friends during the war with Shinra, where as Sephiroth hunted him down as the suits ordered him to. They were not the ones who went insane and murdered an entire village upon learning their origin, although it was safe to say that Angeal had been a bit disturbed about Project G to begin with. He was still coming to terms with what he was, and the revelations about what that knowledge allowed him to do if he chose so.

When his friend spoke about the Goddess again, Angeal began to think it was yet another relation to LOVELESS, however when he had finished his sentence there were second thoughts. A quizzical look briefly took hold of Angeal's expression at the crimson warrior's mention of his 'influence shaping worlds', but the former SOLIDER continued to watch Genesis in silence. Something about what he said put the raven haired warrior off a bit, and now Angeal began to suspect that Genesis knew something he didn't about what was going on. A quick glance past the conversation of focus revealed an empty courtyard of stone. From what Angeal could tell, it seemed to branch off to the right, and divided the shops from what appeared to be a bell tower. To the left, bright blue mako eyes found a decently laid out hotel.

Eventually he brought his gaze back to Genesis, who was now looking quizzically over Angeal's shoulder at the oaken doors behind him. A mere "What?" was answered with a response that Angeal took a bit humorous. Somehow he knew Zack was bound to be brought into this conversation, though Angeal would have to admit that Genesis had all the right to be curious about him. "Back then, he would have been. However I know nothing of Zack or Sephiroth, where they are, or what they're up to." he spoke up, stepping forward to stand at the man's left. He stared forward at the bell tower for a moment more in silence before he spoke up again with closed eyes. "I just recently came from the Deep Jungle. There were reports of a group aligned with the Dark slaughtering civilians of a local camp, but they proved to be nothing more than false rumors." added Angeal as he opened his eyes to look over to Genesis.

"You met a Goddess?"

Angeal felt a slight sense of peace in the world and himself as the two friends stood there momentarily, staring at the Gizmo Shop as Genesis continued the conversation. The former First Class spoke about his last clash with Zack, which Angeal figured to have been some time after his own duel with The Puppy. However he remained unaware of his friend's duel in Radiant Garden as Hojo's name was brought up, which broke Angeal's attention on Zack. The scientist did hold a big responsibility in everything involving Shinra's science department, and had directly changed the lives of three individuals plus more. The Ex-SOLIDER merely shook his head at the thought of the arrogant worm, and the following thoughts of Hollander. Angeal would not even begin to address the memories of that man and all he put himself and Genesis through. Sure he had helped in a way near the end of their war with Shinra, but in the end he was just like Hojo. No respect for life, only experiments and the results of their thesis.

'Now that's pitiful'

As Genesis made his acrobatic move to the open stone courtyard, Angeal slightly urged forward with a slight motion of his hand, accompanied by a barely audible noise in his throat. As the Rapier erupted from the fire in Genesis' hand, Angeal propelled himself upwards with a gliding step, and now stood upon the stone wall. He looked down upon his old friend with a stern brow as he was asked some very deep and complexing questions in regards to his opinion on the war. What were his beliefs? He often asked that himself these days, as did many that he was sure of. He had been in the grey area for far too long though, and he could feel that inertia feeling of ultimatum approaching. Angeal would have to make a decision on which side in this war he chose, and as Genesis finished his plead of information, some things became more clear than before. His friend was speaking about the Light as if it had done him and the Goddess, whoever that was, a great deal of harm.; as if he despised it.

In truth there were a good many things about life that Angeal never found pleasant, among them being their origin. Yet hardships were something that made life an intriguing challenge, for if not for obstacles then how would one gain any honor in their journey? This talk that Genesis spoke now, seemed like the war with Shinra all over again. Perhaps he was the Dark presence the rumors were speaking of, and if that was the case, he would have to take down his best friend, much to his dismay. "So what are you going to do Genesis, spread Darkness throughout this world? Can you even live with yourself by letting harm come to these innocent people!?" he asked defiantly to his friend as he gestured around to the stores and other buildings. Blue mako eyes pierced the back of the red coat with a gaze that spoke of nothing shorter than sincerity.

Angeal jumped forward over the running fountain, to land just in front of it in a crouch. As he slowly stood up, he drew the SOLDIER sword from the magnetic grip on the back of his leather brace between his shoulders. With the sound of a fierce snap, several white feathers shot out into the air from his right shoulder, and his two white wings followed to extend several feet in a wide spread. "We can go find Hojo and Sephiroth together, right now. This world doesn't have to suffer your wrath when we can make him find a way to restore the balance, and in return we can repay him with a warrior's death." spoke Angeal as he took two steps forward before stopping completely. His leather gloves creaked as his right hand tightened it's grip on the sword's hilt. "My oath is to protect the innocent. My enemy is all that creates suffering."

A look of disappointment crossed Angeal's face, as Genesis took a battle stance with Rapier in hand. Naturally, as if it were a habit before any conflict, Angeal readied himself by bringing up his blade so that the hilt was right before his forehead. "If I must." he merely uttered in response, just loud enough so that the stone caught it in a faint echo. The former First Class closed his eyes and said a quick vow under his breath, then he flexed his sword arm and brought the weapon down with a quick slash to his side. He lowered himself as he pivoted to the right, so that he stared down Genesis over his left shoulder pauldron. Bringing his weapon up to his left hand and readying the standard SOLDIER stance, he pointed the sword in the direction of his friend in the red coat.

Out of all the things Angeal could have looked forward to after getting off that ship, this was the least pleasant in his own opinion. A brief reunion with his childhood friend, only to find out he was aligned with the enemy to help restore a balance. Whoever this Goddess was, she was no friend of the Light to betray Genesis with these lies. He didn't understand how the Light could hurt anyone by simply holding control over a world. The Planet had been fine before Shinra, and it would be fine again once The Light saw an end to their evil. The only thing Angeal could think of as balance tipper was the Dark. The Darkness was more than it had been some fifteen years ago, and something or someone was releasing more into the Worlds, that was the only possible explanation. However out of all the styles he had faced, and observed, Genesis' was one that he would never need a quick refresh for, having known the crimson haired youth so long. As far as he knew, there was nothing new to expect from the former First Class, however he was still a lethal threat nonetheless and Angeal had to keep his guard up despite the relationship between the two.

There was a brief silence in everything. The feeling of this silence seemed to last forever as heartbeats would hasten, however it was only but two, maybe three, seconds at most. A gust of wind between the two warriors, however, would expire this last moment of peace before the battle.

Small, loose gravel ground against the stone of the courtyard as Angeal's left foot flexed and bent, then pushed the former Shinra Op forward into a full out run at Genesis. The raven haired man dropped the SOLDIER sword down to his right side as he made his four step dash forward, using his white wings to sort of glide over the spaces between. Angeal neared Genesis and met his blue mako stare with his own, accompanied with a fierce yell that would provoke others to lend a battle cry as well. He brought the longsword up in a diagonal fashion for his first draw, bringing the blade up and to the left, then brought it around for a horizontal slash to the right. In a fluid motion he brought the blade around by twisting it, to briefly parry one potential counter attack, then took a jump back away from Genesis. Angeal merely stared down his old friend for several seconds before making his next move, wondering just what was going through his head after hearing whatever this Goddess had told him.

As Genesis stood there before him with a raised hand, Angeal watched in momentary silence while the man in crimson activated a spell. He listened to his friend's words as he watched the spell grow brighter, only to implode and have it's light go out with no trace of it left in Genesis' gloved palm. The words Angeal's old friend might have been true in the way he spoke them, however what if he was wrong? What if the Darkness only needed enough worlds to hold a solidified counter to the Light, and that losing control over a majority of them was only part of a bigger plan, one that he and Genesis had failed to overlook? Blue mako infused eyes continued to watch the gloved hand of the former SOLDIER as it made it's change in movement. Angeal couldn't help but wonder if the gesture was a metaphorical reference to their conflict here and now. Would the Light of Traverse Town go out like the Flash spell had just moments before? Leather creaked as Angeal tightened the grip on his weapon more, and brought himself back into the SOLDIER stance as Genesis took on his own.

As the two friends took both of their stances, an explosion rang out from one of the shops to Angeal's right at the top of the steps. The sudden fireball that erupted from the shattering glass caught the former Shinra Operative by surprise, and he lowered his blade but for a moment as he overlooked the new sight with concern. He wondered firstly what could have caused the explosion, but he was more worried about any people who might have been inside and caught in the blast. What Angeal didn't know was that there had been numerous Heartless spawning around the town since his run in with Genesis had begun, including a nice sized group of nine Soldiers, who had used the back entrances to gain access to the shop and it's hearted inhabitants. They gained the upper hand at first, taking the heart of the shop owner's second wife, however these Heartless did not account for the man's grudge for the loss of his first love to their kind. In a raged combination of gasoline, matches and a nearby heater with it's supply of propane tanks, the man created the fireball in an attempt to join his wife without the help of the Heartless. He hoped that he would take them with him, and much to his satisfaction in the mere seconds of his last moment, he did.

The result was the timely distraction that anyone or thing spying upon the two combatants with hungry eyes would need to possibly gain positive ground. That couldn't have been more true, as a well sized Stealth Sneak had been brooding in the Darkness above the bell in the bell tower. With crazed eyes it had descended from it's well secluded area of shelter to investigate the disturbance provoked by it's lesser brethren, only to lay those same crazed spheres upon two hearted individuals that bore lines of steel at each other. How fitting considering the world was coming to Darkness once more. It took upon a cloak of invisibility to further descend the tower to it's unsuspecting prey below.

Meanwhile, Angeal had grown even more concerned about the safety of the civilians. Soon there were more Soldiers, now joined by Shadows, roaming the walkway by the building that was now aflame, which worried the raven haired man as he set sights upon them. He turned a worried glance of blue back to his old friend, and realized that he was now faced with a bit of a dilemma. He could stop the Heartless and possibly save the lives of several, or he could ignore the creatures and fight Genesis, which would result in the saving of the world at the cost of those few lives. "So you're willing to sacrifice the lives of this town, to save everyone else from a possible world ending experience that hasn't happened yet, and you think the Light are the ones responsible for doing this?" he asked, pointing his sword's tip towards the burning shop and the nearby Heartless who had snatched another poor, defenseless woman to snatch the heart out of her chest.

"I really hope that whatever the Goddess has you believing is really consoling Genesis, because standing by while this happens isn't, and neither is fighting you for control of this world that we don't belong in!" he yelled over the sound of cries, burning structure and more sounds of Heartless spawning around the Second District. "Where is your honor, SOLDIER!?" demanded Angeal as he widened his footing, then returned his sword to it's place upon his back before he dashed up the stairs and into the burning shop to look for survivors. However after searching for several minutes, Angeal found nothing but the scorched remains of those who used to occupy the building. He had to vacate the structure before it collapsed on top of him, and only barely managed to avoid being crushed with a timely roll across the hardened stone. As he made to stand to look for Genesis, Angeal was confronted by a Shadow near his feet. He merely greeted the creature of Darkness with a look of disgust and anger, with an accompanying punt to the First District doors. Hopping over the stone wall and landing in a crouch, Angeal looked over to where Genesis had been to see about continuing this ultimatum.