Crisis Core: The Female SOLDIER

26

Sera and Zack made their way up towards the 2nd floor, across the boiler room, to the room at the other side of the building. Angeal was there, just gazing ahead of him with his back to them, his Buster Sword in his hand.

Zack and Sera walked towards him.

Angeal glanced behind. "It should have been me..." He stated, looking back in front again, his voice coated with sorrow. "I should have dealt with Genesis."

"Yeah..." Zack sighed. "Then why did you send us?"

"To prepare you. To prepare you both," Angeal suddenly turned around and pointed his sword at the two of them. "For your next fight."

Sera's breath hitched and Zack looked surprised, then confused. "Have you lost it?" Zack demanded but then Angeal swung his sword at them, forcing them to dodge. "Stop it!" Zack cried out.

"Someone's waiting for you, no?" Angeal asked.

'He knows about Aerith,' Sera thought, dodging another swipe sent at her as she took out her sword, feeling the blade becoming heavy in her hands. "Please, Angeal... don't do this... you don't have to do this," Sera pleaded. She didn't know if she could fight against her other former teacher. One who was closer to her than any other. Angeal swung his sword at her, forcing her to dodge and block as she fought back. Zack joined is as well.

"Very good, Angeal!" Hollander's voice spoke out and the three of them turned to face him as he walked in. "It is time to exact revenge for our family's suffering!"

"Family?!" Zack and Sera turned to Angeal in surprise.

"No! My father is dead!" Angeal shouted as he knocked Zack and Sera's sword away. Zack and Sera watched in confusion.

"Fine," Hollander just shrugged. "Then do it for your mother."

"My mother's shame made her take her own life." Angeal scowled.

Zack looked to his mentor in surprise while Sera just looked confused. Zack recalled what happened back at Banora, how he tried to get his mentor's mother out before the air strike commenced only to find her dead on the floor in her own home. And he assumed it was Angeal who killed his own mother, as he was just standing there with his Buster Sword in his grip. 'So he didn't kill her?' Zack thought.

"Shame?" Hollander asked. "How terribly misguided! She should have been proud... Proud that she was the namesake of our experiment. "Project G" or should I say. "Project Gillian.""

Angeal rushed forward and made to grab Hollander's shirt. "Don't say her name!" Angeal growled.

"Gillian, the woman implanted with Jenova cells," Hollander continued, pulling Angeal's hand away from his shirt. "Genesis, who had her genes mapped onto him during the fetal stage. Yes, Genesis was a failure, I'll admit." Sera's anger grew at his words. "But you, Angeal... you were actually bred inside Gillian's body. You... you are perfection."

Angeal shoved the man away. "Zack, Sera, I am perfect. A perfect... monster," He faced his students. "My cells can absorb genetic traits, and pass them along to others."

"A two-way conduit," Hollander said as he got up from the ground. "Jenova's powers has passed on to you completely."

Angeal glared at the scientist, then glanced away at Zack and Sera. "Zack, do you remember what I said?" They both watched as he walked past them. "About our enemy being all that creates suffering?" Sera had no idea what he was talking about, so it must've been when she wasn't around, as Zack had a look of remembrance on his face.

"Yeah... but you're not one of them," Zack told his mentor.

"But I created my own suffering," Angeal argued.