Zombies from all parts of the city

[3wingedangel]

WHO: Sephiroth and everyone
WHERE: Temba
WHAT: Zombie fights
WHEN: October
WARNINGS: Zombies, emotional distress at having to kill zombies that look like loved ones

I Don’t Give a Damn Because I’m Stone Cold Already

Sephiroth is less than thrilled when the storms increase. His powers are going haywire, just as he was warned, and so are the weapons. Bad enough he doesn’t have the Masamune. Now he doesn’t have reliable guns, either. He’s had to go searching for any non-electric weapon he can find and has probably ended up with what to him is a very short sword.

He finds one just in time to confront the first batch of zombies. These happen to be zombie Agrii. As soon as he gets over his initial shock, he makes short work of them. That . . . was not good. He’s sure there’s more where those came from. He’ll have to make sure everyone else is okay. . . .

Another zombie comes out of the mist. Sephiroth stares, falling back in horror. It’s rare to ever catch him like this, visibly shaken, but the sight of this zombie, when he’s already afraid the real person is dead back home and that it’s Sephiroth’s fault, is just too much.

Oh my God ...

“Zack ...”

The zombie comes closer. Sephiroth grips the sword tighter. He knows what he’s been told about the storms and seeing people you love in them. Is that what that is? He doesn’t have much choice but to hope and believe that’s what this is. He steels himself and strikes.

He falls to one knee, stabbing the sword into the ground as he trembles. These sadistic aliens.... Whoever it is doing this.... How can they know to make perfect images of people from back home? They’ve never seen Zack.

He pushes himself up and starts through the fog. No doubt others are going to be in trouble from this. He’ll have to find them.

One female zombie, she won’t behave

Sephiroth soon finds other residents in need of help. The hotel, the diner, the hospital ... zombies are everywhere! Who is it he’s trying to rescue? You? He lunges from behind, attacking the zombies as they reach for the unfortunate person. One tries to bite his wing, but he makes short work of it before it can do anything. He is a master swordsman and he shows it when several come at him at once. It’s a good thing he’s on your side.

“Are you alright?” he asks when they fall.

I’m headed for a breakdown

After days, weeks of this, he’s growing weary beyond belief. He can’t count the number of times he’s killed Zack. Even Cloud sometimes. It’s not really them, but ... when it looks like them, there’s only so many times he can do it before it really takes a toll on him.

Outwardly he is always the same—nerves of steel, determined, the hero of old. He kills zombies, he protects the living, and when he can, he tries to help search for a cure for those who have been bitten. He rarely sleeps.

Killing one more Zack zombie is the last straw. He finally just sinks down on a box, wherever he is, and covers his face with a hand. All his wings are drooping to the floor. There are no zombies here, so he’s safe, but perhaps you find him?

Comments

[3wingedangel]

This Sephiroth’s Cloud would very likely snort about it, yes.

“My father?” Sephiroth says vaguely. “I was adopted as a child. I don’t know who my birth parents are.”

So yes, Hojo could indeed still be his father.

[plate_builder]

Then the Clouds were hardly very different, were they?

Ah, how intriguing. To think Sephiroth might have had a more welcoming home then.

"Well, I suppose that spares you his face at least. Not me. I truly wish I had a gun to deal with when he manifested before me several hours ago."

Reeve and Hojo? Not anything resembling friends.

[3wingedangel]

In some ways they were very similar, albeit this one perhaps flew off the handle more often. And he had a very vivid imagination.

This Sephiroth had had a relatively normal childhood by comparison, definitely.

Sephiroth looked up curiously. “He’s that terrible, hmm?”

[plate_builder]

How could someone 'fly off the handle' more often than someone who tried to destroy a world three times?

"I would suggest he is even worse than that. The man was... not very respectful of human life."

[3wingedangel]

The Cloud flew off the handle more than the Cloud Reeve knew, or this Sephiroth might think so, at least.

"Like father, like son then," Sephiroth said with a dark smirk. "It doesn't get much less respectful than trying to destroy a planet."

[plate_builder]

Sadly it was not comparisons they could make between them. Their worlds were not enough alike.

Though the comment earns a deep sigh from Reeve. He doesn't need this headache. He was TRYING to be polite here.

"Destruction is one thing. What Hojo did was... another thing altogether."

[3wingedangel]

Sephiroth was just as content not to discuss the other him in depth. But this was disturbing information too.

"What was it he did?"

[plate_builder]

"He was a scientist, primarily biology and genetics."

And hopefully Sephiroth can see enough trouble in that to not need more. Then again, for all Reeve knows, that level of biology skill isn't really prevalent in the man's universe. Or perhaps just not growing up around Hojo helped him not learn just what bad things could happen.

[3wingedangel]

"... I see." Sephiroth frowned. "I've seen the damage mad scientists can cause. We unfortunately have had several prominent ones back home. Some started with good intentions that went awry the deeper they dove into matters they should have left alone. Others had selfish intentions from the start."

He considers his adoptive father his real father, but he would still be upset if his biological father was doing terrible things in his world.

[plate_builder]

Hojo had never had a good intention in his life, Reeve is certain of it. The man just wasn't put together right and had been given far too much authority to go with it. Which actually described a hell of a lot of Shinra's upper brass.

"How unfortunate that you have seen such things."

[3wingedangel]

He nodded with a frown. "The one who started with good intentions was once the ruler of my world, but his apprentices only seemed to ever have selfish motives. Many people suffered because of those apprentices' unjust experiments."

He definitely understood how good intentions could go all wrong. That was what had happened to him as well. He felt some sympathy for the former king, but little if any for the apprentices if they were still unrepentant.

[plate_builder]

Yes, it sounds like Hojo would fit in there very well.

"Many people in the shadow of truly great men are like that. Driven by what may start one way and becomes later jealousy and selfishness."

[3wingedangel]

He definitely would. The Hojo of that world very well might be doing similar experiments.

"Yes." He sighed. "I mostly wasn't there when that was happening or I would have tried to stop it."

[plate_builder]

Wouldn't that be horrible? Hojo with access to 'hearts'? One would shudder to think.

"One can only stop what they are aware of. Perhaps you could not have done anything."

[3wingedangel]

Definitely a horrifying prospect.

"Maybe not," Sephiroth consented. "It wasn't public knowledge at first." And maybe the king wouldn't have appealed to Sephiroth for help, had he been there. "It's pointless to ponder on, in any case." He started to get up.

[plate_builder]

Yes, speculation on the past rarely served anyone. Reeve sighs.

"I suppose you're not wrong on that fact. And I suppose you're ready to move out then."

[3wingedangel]

"Yes. It's better not to stay in one place for too long. I'm almost surprised more zombies haven't shown up here."

He gave his sword a rather searching look as he brought it up with him. It had been good for the time being, but he still wished he had the Masamune.

[plate_builder]

"You were clearly effective at clearing this area out," Reeve counters. It takes time for them to show up after all.

Reeve, meanwhile, pushed to his feet. He's not armed himself, except with a pipe. Because of course he has no guns. But Minerva knew he wished he had.

[3wingedangel]

"Hm. True." Sephiroth looked pleased at the compliment, at least.

"Where were you heading?"

[plate_builder]

"I agreed to rendezvous with my family again in the mines."

Something he thinks he could maybe manage. Probably. Maybe.

[3wingedangel]

"I will escort you there, then," Sephiroth offered. He tried to make sure no one traveled alone when he found them. Even though he himself was usually alone.

[plate_builder]

Really? Reeve looks... shocked by that offer. It was hardly like he was the most friendly toward Sephiroth. So yes, it's unexpected in the extreme.

"Alright then."

[3wingedangel]

If Sephiroth was only helpful to those who liked him, he ... probably wouldn't be very productive.

Sephiroth started towards the door. "You're surprised."

[plate_builder]

Would he be at all productive?

"Quite," Reeve admits. "I am not used to a face that looks like yours being so... generous. At least not for many years."

[3wingedangel]

Some, perhaps.

"I have found it difficult to gain cooperation from some of the people here. I suppose they don't like someone new actually trying to make sure they don't travel alone during the current crises when that presumably wasn't an issue before."