Switched

The Questionable Awaken

Genesis gave the man a small but genuine smile before answering. "Yes, much has happened, though. I will tell you everything I know, but it won't be easy to accept. Can you at least promise to hear me out before deciding your course of action?"

At Genesis' request, Weiss sat back. Genesis noticed shadows seeming to leak from Weiss' skin and had to resist the urge to back up. It was apparent that Nero's power was still alive and whole within Weiss as well. The shadows finally died down, much to Genesis' relief, before Weiss finally spoke again. "I vaguely remember becoming the host for Omega. I was... I think I was being controlled by Hojo." Genesis watched him shudder at that but didn't interrupt. "I remember being defeated. What happened to the rest of the Tsviets?"

Genesis cringed at the question. He had hoped Weiss would have remembered those details, as telling him now was not likely to go over well. Not that Weiss really cared for any of them except Nero, but trying to convince him to work with Vincent and the WRO would probably become even more difficult. He wasn't going to lie to him though. "They were all defeated before you even merged completely with Omega. All except Nero. Nero merged with you to push Hojo out."

Weiss looked down at his hands where there was still a trace of the shadows dancing around his fingers. "I remember that. I thought the others had all been killed, but then again, I thought I had been as well. So, I am the only survivor from Deepground?"

Genesis started to answer affirmatively but paused. He had almost forgotten that Shelke had survived as well. She had begun helping the WRO before Omega was summoned, but she was still living, at least the last he had heard. He wasn't sure if Weiss would be happy to hear that, though. It was only the fact that he would likely run into her at some point that made Genesis decide to tell him. "As far as I know there is only one surviving member of the Tsviets beside you. Shelke was living in Edge the last I heard."

Just as he expected, Weiss grimaced at that news. "She wasn't even a proper Tsviet, how the hell was she the only one to make it!?"

Genesis decided not to reply to his outburst. They already had a long road, and he didn't want to alienate him before having a chance to explain. "We have many things to discuss, and I'd rather go somewhere more comfortable to do so. Before we leave this room, there is something you need to know. We are in the WRO headquarters. I am here willingly, so I would appreciate it if you don't have any more outbursts."

Weiss jumped up at his words, the betrayal he felt was easy to see, made even more dangerous by the fact that the shadows from earlier were floating out in large tendrils. "Why?"

That single word was like a slap in the face for Genesis. He had spent countless months nursing this man, so to have him jump to the thought of betrayal as the first possibility was irksome at best. He pushed the irritation away as he remembered the life the man he was facing had gone through. Genesis understood well the hatred a person could harbor when they believed everything they knew was a lie. He still could barely keep the irritation from his voice. "Stand down, Weiss. They are not our enemy. All I ask is that as repayment for bringing you back from the cusp of death, is for you to listen to what I have to say."

While Genesis had been talking, Weiss had finally looked around the room. When his eyes landed on the tall, silver-haired woman leaning against the door he froze. He had never seen Sephiroth in person, but he had seen enough pictures to realize she could have been his twin. He doubted she would be standing there so calmly in the stronghold of the people that had helped to destroy Sephiroth without a good reason. That more than the words he barely heard from Genesis calmed him. He didn't bother answering Genesis. Instead, he moved to stand closer to the woman. He noted she was nearly as tall as he was himself, extremely tall for a woman. She also didn't seem to be ruffled by anything that was done or said up to this point. He could feel a pull from her, like the one he felt to Genesis or previously with the Tsviets. He understood it was probably something to do with the experiments done on them all, a fact that made him wary of her, but not so much he wasn't going to speak with her. "What exactly is your part in this?"