Advent Children(Mature/private)

(bump)

Sephiroth raised his blade to block the incoming attack. The sounds of steel scraping against steel echoed throughout the docks. Sure enough, it had forced him back, however the former soldier was able to escape with only very minimal damage done. He stood now, his heartless cyan eyes locked onto both Van and Demetri. As Demetri approached him, Van gave her no reply. He was panting, his pupils constantly shifting between their circular orbs and slits. As her black flames poured over Highwind, Van let out another fearsome cry! He held his spear high above his head. Within the flames a rainbow aura consumed his body once more triggering his limit break. This time however, the aura was ten times more powerful then what it had been before. Van's Highwind literally 'ate' Demetri's flames causing the blade of the spear to turn jet black. When combined with the raw lightning that surged up his right arm, his power was more then tripled.

"Hmph. It seems you've gained a little power..." Sephiroth scoffed. Van's crimson orbs narrowed coldly. He pulled his arm back and continued to pour lightning into his spear. "FLAMING AEGIS SHOCK!!!" he cried as he launched his spear straight towards Sephiroth. The ex solider stood his ground, a small grin formed on his lips. Suddenly, a dark, purely sinister aura spread around his body. It was so cold that it gave Goliath visible chills. Sephiroth rushed Van's attack head on! His positioned his blade above his head and with a downward slice, clashed blades with Van's supercharged flaming spear. The clash from the attack caused an explosion that rocked the very foundation of the docks.

Suddenly, Sephiroth's body came shooting right through the dust and debris! His blade sliced right through the upper right of Van's body before flipping as he turned to cut Demetri down as well. Van let out a blood filled cry. He had lept back as he was attacked, but hadn't been able to fully dodge Sepihorth's swing. He jumped back a few feet, his eyes now resting on what was left of his spear. Sephiroth had cut his weapon in half! All that power...and the ex-soldier had simply sliced the spear in two! Van closed his eyes tightly as he fell to his knees. His hands grasped the earth beneath him as his rage entered uncharted levels. Suddenly, fangs began to form within his mouth. His nails stretched out forming claws and his eyes became full cat like slits. Dark lightning poured over his entire body as he went on all fours and released a malicious snarl. "Demetri!!!" Goliath yelled as he rushed forward. "Thats enough! We have to get Van out of here right now! This fight has gone on for two long. Its too dangerous to continue!!" the gargoyle cried. He started flying towards Van to stop him.

Suddenly, a dark lightning cloak came to form over Van's body blocking out most of his physical features. He looked more demon then human or, more like a spawn of Jenova. Just then, four long tails came sprouting from Van's rear. As Goliath came closer, Van released a sharp shriek. The attack came so fast that Goliath had missed it. One of Van's electric tails had sliced right down the middle of his stony body spilling purple shaded blood everywhere...
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
(Like this...but more...lightningy...lol))

He's changed too, Demetri thought, her attention drawn away from Sephiroth for a split second. They had after all. That punch Van landed on Sephiroth proved it! "Alright Sephiroth, things end now!" she shouted. Her whole body glowed with black flames, and for the first time, Demetri unsheathed her weapon: a long turquoise colored blade about as long as her arm. The blade pulsed beneath her palm. "Ember..." she whispered, yet as soon as the words were spoken, a huge tornado of black flames appeared before her! "It's time your burn in hell!" Racing forward, Demetri sent her blade flying in Sephiroth's direction, allowing the weapon to merge with Van's electric bolts. The attack would have sent Sephiroth back, just as Van's punch had. It was a warning, so to speak.


"Van!" she shouted. "Let's end this now." In order for this to work, both soldiers had to combine their most powerful attacks! "Ember, return." The blade bounced back into her hand and slowly she approached Van. She touched Ember to Highwind, a spiral of flame and electricity merging, flying around them. It was unlike anything ever seen before. "Let's show Sephiroth that his end is near..." Turning toward Sephiroth, she smirked. "EMBER!" Her black flames grew, spreading out wide like wings. All she needed now was Van's power and for him to sending it flying.

Sephiroth looked lazily back towards Demetri. What was this? Could be that yet another roach had crawled out from the depths to face him? Sephiroth's brow raised slightly. He watched as her dark fire created a barrier to block him from the rail gun. "I see...so your elemental powers have a slight edge over my puppet's." Sephiroth stated as he turned to fully face Demetri now. He had still yet to draw his blade though. "However, this is not impressive. Your powers are young. You have no idea how to fully utilize dark fire." he grinned as he stretched out his right hand. Massive streaks of dark fire suddenly came flying towards his palm. A nice sized ball of dark flame formed within his hand. The heat from the ball was enough to melt the flesh right off any normal human. "Now, allow me to instruct you young Soldier..." Sephiroth stated with the most sinister of grins.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Meanwhile, Van's body ached all over. His blue eyes were hazed over. He had been defeated. To make matters worse, he hadn't even put a scratch on Sephiroth! He could just vaguely hear the sounds of Maria's voice. He could also hear the sounds of Goliath's wings flapping as he raced to back up Demetri. However, those sounds were completely drowned out by the words Sephiroth had spoken. He had killed his mother simply because he wished to. He had spared his life on a whim. He was his puppet, nothing more and nothing less.

Van suddenly turned onto his stomach. His body was healed, but his mind was still gone. He slammed his fist into the ground over, over, over, over, over, over, over, over, and over again until it bled! He ground his teeth together and closed his eyes tightly. Suddenly, a dark twisted aura began to leak out from inside his body. At last, Van's hatred had physically manifested! Dark sparks of lightning began to shoot off in random directions around him. As his aura continued to grow, the sparks grew larger and larger. "I-I'm..." Van mumbled, his hair spiking back as he continued to slam his fists into the ground. His dark black locks turned a ghostly grey. "I....I'm not...." Van mumbled again.

Meanwhile, Goliath had just joined the fight and he had already been taken out by Sephiroth. The man's power was unlike anything he had ever seen. The gargoyle forced himself up to his feet and held his right arm. Sephiroth's dark flames had done a number on his body. Finally, Van let out a loud phantom like cry! He sat up, his head tilted back as he cried out. His once gorgeous blue eyes turned blood red! His natural tan faded from his body leaving his flesh looking pale. "I'M NOT YOUR FUCKING PUPPET!!!!!!" Van roared and rushed forward at a speed that even Sephiroth couldn't catch. Van suddenly appeared right in front of the silver haired assassin. He drove his fist right into Sephiroth's face forcing him to take a few steps back! Sephiroth jumped back a few feet and drew his blade. Van's body tilted backwards, and let out another fearsome roar. The clouds above parted as an uncountable number of lightning bolts came raining down over Sephiroth's head. "Hmph..." Sephiroth frowned and began to the process of dodging the incoming bolts. Van's body leaned forward, his eyes pulsing shades of crimson. He stretched out his hand to the right and with a deep voice, commanded Highwind to return to him. The spear had been jammed into the ground a few feet away. At Van's call, the pole began to shake until it was free from its earth like prison. The weapon came flying right into Van's hand.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

By the time Demetri and Goliath arrived, chaos had already ensued. The soldier could see Sephiroth's form, his smooth gait, long flowing hair...all headed toward the rail gun. However, that wasn't what caught her attention the most...it was the way Van's body was splayed out, as if he had been tossed about like some kind of rag doll. She felt an ache within her heart, something strong as she gazed down at that battered body. "Van...." When they landed, Demetri ran straight to him, leaning down to look him over. Maria joined her at his side, placing her palms on either side of Van's chest.

"Will you be able to heal him?" Demetri asked Maria. The healer glanced away, seeming uneasy. Then, in a soft voice she replied, "Physically yes...mentally, well, that's entirely up to him." A warm light began to flow freely from Maria's palm, spreading throughout his body.

"Van, please get up... You can't die now. You've gotta get up!" Demetri pleaded. She turned toward Sephiroth, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "YOU did this to him," she hissed, standing to her feet. "All you ever do is cause destruction and pain." It was sudden, but the anger fueling her actions now...well, it also fueled her hair and eyes to changed back into that slick black. Her hands ignited with black fire, the flames twisting around angrily. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to step toward that Rail Gun, Sephiroth." Alone, Demetri knew she had no chance against this fiend. She could only hope that Maria was able to heal Van's wound and that her former partner would have the strength to go on fighting, with her by his side.

Demetri inhaled sharply before creating a swarm of black fireballs to appear around them both. "I wish you'd just die," she murmured, unleashing the fire toward him, creating a large, tall barrier between Sephiroth and the Rail Gun. C'mon Van... Please don't give up!

Van couldn't hear a single word that came from Maria's mouth. To make matters worse, Sephiroth had just dumped yet another mountain of pain atop Van's shoulders. "I see..." Van whispered, his voice nearly to low to hear. The young boy hung his head. His body began to tremble while his fists tightened. "I see...so...that means I can I kill you now right? I can kill you, stomp on your grave, erase your existence, and be done with it right?!" Van grinned as his head came up, his right eye widening to the point that it appeared larger than the left. Sephiroth returned his question with a mere smug like grin. Suddenly, lightning came screaming over Van's entire body! Van had snapped. The object of all his hate was now standing right in front of him, taunting him! A wide malicious grin formed on the solider's lips All the lightning that had covered his body suddenly shifted up towards his right hand. Van raised his hand towards the heavens. The lightning was to be a lure for an even bigger spell. "THUNDAGA!!!!!" he cried as a blast of pure energy came streaming down from the heavens right over Sephiroth's head. The ex-solider simply sighed. He hadn't even bothered to try dodging. When the blast hit, harsh vibrations tore through the ground for miles and miles! Van raised his arm to shield his face from the incoming dust and debris. His eyes were still wide, his grin widening more and more.

The crater that had been left behind from Van's attack was large enough to fit several school buses inside. When the dust cleared however, Sephiroth still stood! Not only that, but the man hadn't a single scratch on his face! Van gasped, his body took a few steps back. "That wasn't bad. However, even grunts should be capable of an attack of that magnitude." Sephiroth stated as he ran his hands through his long silver hair. "Allow me to show you..." he smiled, his cat like eyes narrowing as he raised his left hand up towards the heavens. "What a real thundaga looks like..."

Van coughed hard. The iron like flavor of blood filled his mouth. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was casting a thundaga spell on Sephiroth. Slowly, he rose to his feet, but soon fell over. His body was covered in burns. It wasn't until the dust cleared that realized that Sephiroth's thundaga had been so large, that crater could have fit a small village inside. "Fuck.." Van hissed. He had lost Highwind somehow. Suddenly, he could hear the sounds of clapping coming from Sephiroth, who had still yet to move from his original spot. "I'll give you credit for surviving that. A normal human's organ would have been deep fried. However, you continue to disappoint. You need not worry however. I wont kill a pup who had yet to grow fangs. Come find me in another six years." Sephiroth stated with a small sigh before turning to walk back towards the Rail Gun. Little did Shrina know what the ex-soldier's true objective was...
----------------------
Goliath let out a demon like roar! He stretched one hand towards the chopper in front and the other towards the chopper behind them. The gargoyle unleashed duel Ultima spells which caused the choppers to fold up as if they were made of paper. The grunts jumped for their lives. Reno body spiraled into the ground. How dare she punch him! The red head wiped the blood from his lip with his sleeve. He hadn't been completely briefed on what Demetri was capable of, but at the very least she could throw a decent punch. As she dropped her guard however, a huge grin formed on his lips as he whipped out his baton and sprung to his feet. Just then, Goliath shot his tail around Demetri waist and yanked her over to her side. They didn't have time for this. In the distance Goliath could see what looked like a nuke going off. The attack was far to large to belong to Van. The gargoyle opened his massive dark wings and took the air. His tail raised to place Demetri on his back.

Seal knew Willy would likely leave, but he didn't care. His sole mission, his purpose for living was to keep Maria from harm even if it meant costing him his life. They had a powerful history together, one that had begun to rule his life...much like how Van's hatred ruled his. "Maria, you can't just run in there unprotected," Seal pointed out, frowning. He hated seeing her in so much pain. The emotions she felt from others, brought about from her empathy, had nearly cost the girl her life in the past, and the way Van and Sephiroth centered around each other... He was terrified that Maria could fall victim to such destruction once more.

"I can't just leave him to die!" Maria spat. She jerked her arm away and jumped from the helicopter the moment Willy brought it close to the ground. "Stop it!" she shouted, running toward Van. About five feet away, she stopped, her hands brought clenched to her chest. "Please... Just stop it! Fighting won't solve anything!" Deaf ears was all she could expect, yet her voice continued to plead until Seal came up behind her, moving her behind him and out of sight from Sephiroth. His rough, large hands wrapped around his beretta's and aimed them at Sephiroth, his entire aura becoming rather dark. "This ain't gonna end well..." he muttered to himself. Seal waited, watched Van and Sephiroth like a hawk, trying to map our their next movements.

-----------------------------

"Don't be foolish, Reno." This was insane. Didn't Shinra know that Van and her were the only chance anyone had against Sephiroth? Van alone would not succeed in bringing down the pillar of darkness, the man whose insanity cost many innocents their lives. Images of her sister flashed inside her mind...that sweet, innocent smile. She could still remember Inara's laughter, her pleading, her voice crying out for her to save her! Within her heart, Demetri felt something changing, something emerging. It felt incredible...strong, warm... Slowly she lifted her head, eyes remaining closed. "When will Shinra realize their errors and accept responsibility for all they have done?" When her eyes opened, they were no longer black, but blue once again! She tore the sunglasses away from her face, her palm opening and a magnificent flame emerging...burning a golden yellow, red, and orange, the darkness once swelling within it dissipating. "Things are different, Reno. Shinra doesn't have the means to control or destroy Sephiroth. We started with a mission, and our intention is to finish it." Demetri forced the fire to the ground where it spread wildly, crawling up the legs of Reno's grunts. "Goliath, take care of those canons!" she called, darting out of position so the canon's trackers lost her signal. She came close to Reno, extending an arm and swiping him across the jaw with a closed fist. "Don't fuck with me!" What shocked her then, was how her fire engulfed her, yet didn't burn her at all... When the flames disappeared, Demetri still standing in front of Reno...her hair had finally returned to his natural white. "What just...happened?" she whispered, her guard falling...leaving Reno in the perfect postion to counterattack.

"Fuck that! If that nut job wants to jump from a flying chopper let him. Besides, there's no way I'm landing this thing close to that monster! I value my life." Willy yelled back at Maria. However, after seeing the look in her eyes, he wondered pushed would she jump like Van had. "Damn morons..." he sighed and shook his head. Willy brought the helicopter down to within a few yards away from Van and Sephiroth. He didn't land though, he simply hovered low to the ground. "Alright, you two go fight till you're all bloody. I'm going to find a place to land this thing." Willy stated. It was all a lie. Willy had never had any intention of going up against Sephiorth. It was suicidal at the least. He planned to take off and leave the group the moment Seal and Maria got off. Why should he have to fight against Sephiroth? It wasn't like he served Shrina anymore. As a matter of fact, he was being hunted by Shrina because he knew too much.

Van clutched his spear within both his hands. Streaks of lightning were already running wildly up along the pole. "How disappointing..." Sephiroth mumbled, his cat like hues casting a lazy gaze upon Van. "Is this the limit of your growth? How do you intend to serve me if you're so weak?" the fallen angel asked, his body pretty relaxed considering that Van held the spirit of death within his eyes. "Before I end you...tell me why...why did you kill my mother?! She was innocent! She never harmed anyone! Everyone in the town loved her! She never stole, she helped others, she even fed the poor! Why...WHY did you kill her?! Answer me!!!!" Van roared, his sanity threatening to break in half. "Why you ask?" Sephiroth blinked before a sudden cruel grin formed on his lips. "Why not? I killed her on a whim. She meant nothing, there was no reason or thought to my actions. Satisfied?" Sephiroth chuckled darkly, clearly amused by Van's suffering. "You my dear puppet, no one is innocent. All mortals are guilty in the eyes of mother."

----------------

When they landed, Goliath rose up on his hind legs. He didn't know if he could trust the turks not to attack them or not. "Personal affairs?" Reno blinked twice before letting out a hearty laugh. "You're knee deep in personal affairs. The president has declared this a Turk Operation. Van will be punished for confronting our target without permission. Hell, he's threatened everything we've been working for! No, you're not going anywhere. From this point on you're being detained." Reno smiled and snapped his fingers. Five shrina grunts stepped forward with their guns pointed at Demetri. Not only that, but the mini cannons which were installed on the two chopers were also pointed at her...

The overwhelming anger flying off Van hit Maria hard. She could feel everything. It nearly made her sick and she quickly turned away to avoid eye contact. Sephiroth is truly...that much a monster? she thought, feeling her stomach churn. "I see..." she whispered. She followed Van onto the helicopter, taking in the unfamiliar view, captured in her thoughts until...until Van's voice ripped through the air, a pang of hatred rippling through her just before Van leapt from the helicopter. "Van!" she cried, rushing toward the copters doors, only to be pulled back by Seal.

"Maria, you'll die if you jump!"

"Van is going to get himself killed! We have to land!" Turning to Willy, Maria's gaze turned pleading. "Please, you have to land this! Van needs us!" When she turned back to the scene below, her blue eyes caught Sephiroth's for a brief second.


Demetri nodded. "We'll focus on Sephiroth, just like you said." She added a smile, crawling onto his back before the winged beast took to the air. I wonder if Van's there yet... He's going to get himself killed. Just as they neared the docks, two copters approached, stationing themselves on either side of them, making Demetri sighed. Could they ever catch a break?

"Reno, you found us," she said softly, loud enough for him to hear. She didn't appear hostile for the time being. "Goliath, you'd better land. You may be made of stone, but I'm not." As Goliath landed, Demetri jumped off, waiting for Reno to make his grand appearance. When he did, she stepped forward. "Look, I'll make it up to you...but right now Sephiroth is at the docks now and so is Van. We don't have time to meddle in personal affairs now."

"Sephiroth is a blood thirsty monster." Van stated and rather quickly too. "He's not human. He'll slaughter you if you let your guard down for even second. He'll take everything away from you and leave you with nothing but misery. He's the worst type of person..." Van stated, his right hand clutching his spear. His biceps flexed as sharp sparks of lightning began to flow down his arm. His dark black hair suddenly spiked along the back. He was close. At last, he'd be able to avenge his mother. "You just watch my back. Dont worry about anything else. I'll keep Sephiroth off you. He wont have time to think of attacking anyone else. I've dedicated most of life to this moment. I WILL crush him!" Van stated with a malicious grin. Sephiroth wasn't the only one who could be considered a monster.

Just then, the sound of the helicopter Willy and Seal had stolen could be heard from the distance. The steal bird dropped down right in front of Van kicking up a whirling of dust and debris. "All aboard the crazy train..." Willy stated with a deep sigh. They had to be crazy. Who else would try getting in the way of a Shinra operation? The Turks weren't gonna be happy by the end of the day.

When they reached the docks Willy pointed out the location of the Rail Gun. From how high they were, they could see a ship slowly entering the bay. Van grabbed some binoculars. The ship had Shinra's logo on it. "Thats prolly the ship the President is on." he stated before tossing the binoculars to the side. Just then, Van's eyes shot wide open! There, standing within a sea of blood, was Sephiroth!! It looked like he had killed several guards who were protecting the Rail Gun. "SEPHIROTH!!!!!!!!!!" Van roared. Willy looked back just in time to see the dark haired Soldier jump right out of the helicopter! "The FUCK?!!!" Willy blinked, his eyes shifting between Maria and Seal. Had Van really just jumped? The fall had to have been a 10(32 feet) meter drop at the very least. Lightning came steaming up Van's body. He hit the ground hard causing a small impact crater to form underneath him. When the dust cleared, the soldier slowly rose to his feet, his pupils now forming cat like slits. The Silver haired Soldier slowly shifted his icy gaze in Van's direction. "Ah...my puppet has grown."
-------------------------------------
"Well...I dont know your culture calls it but-" Goliath stated, but suddenly paused. Maybe telling Demetri wasn't the best thing. She needed to figure out her feeling on her own even if it meant she'd get hurt. "Alright lets go." Goliath smiled and took a knee so Demetri could jump onto his back. The gargoyle took off high and into the sky and flew straight towards the docks. Before he could get there though, a pair of Shinra helicopters appeared on both his sides. "Land or we'll shoot!" Came a booming voice from a microphone. The voice belonged to Reno! The Red head looked pissed off to boot. "You bitch! You crashed my chopper! Dont think for even a second that I've forgotten! Tell that winged...thing...to land or we'll shoot you down!"

Demetri was uncertain. What if her inner demons didn't focus on Sephiroth like she wanted to? The only thing that kept flashing through her mind was Van. She remained silent, unable to muster any words, instead she simply looked at him, frowning. Minutes passed and finally she broke the awkward silence. "Shinra put this horrible thing inside of me..." she said finally. "I want Sephiroth dead, to avenge my sister...yet why can't I get Van out of my head? What makes him enter my mind so often?" It didn't once occur to her that she may possess romantic feelings for the boy...or that those feelings may be compromised by Maria's sudden wedge between the two.

Sighing, she pushed away stray thoughts and turned to Goliath, forcing a smile. "Let's go. It's getting rather...boring." She gave coordinates of Sephiroth's basic location, gulping back her fear as the two of the headed off to meet whatever fate awaited them...


This whole ordeal had become so confusing for her. Maria never delved into such messy situations, but something about Van attracted her. She couldn't quite pinpoint what it was about him, just that it felt so right be beside him, even if they had met hours before.

"This will be very dangerous, won't it?" she asked softly, turning to Van, a sad smile creasing her lips. "What is Sephiroth like? What has this man done to become such...such a monster?"

Goliath let out a soft sigh. The gargoyle had decided to sit down on a stump as Demetri filled him in on everything. Things weren't looking up. By his judgement, now was the worst possible time to try fighting Sephiroth if he was indeed as strong as he seemed. Van wouldn't care though and to a degree, Goliath was sure that Demetri wouldn't either. If Goliath had to pick between Demetri and Van, he'd say that either one of them were a candidate to become the next Sephiroth. The only difference was that Demetri's changes were external. Perhaps she was actually farther ahead of Van in terms of going mad.

"Here is what we shall do." The old gargoyle replied strongly as he rose to his feet, his massive dark wings extending. "If these were normal situations...I'd tell you to turn back and forget about Sephiroth. Forget about Shinra and forget about the pain you've collected. However...these are not normal situations. I can honestly say that based on how you are now...you wouldn't be able to do such a thing. I can see the rage reflecting within your eyes. It threatens to spill over and consume or anyone else around you." he stated, his stone face grim. "Follow Van's example." he told her. No doubt his words would have come as a major shock. "Put all your hate and pain into killing Sephiroth. Once's he's dead...we'll go from there. For now, we can only take one step at a time."
-----------------

Willy looked at Seal with lazy eyes. Why? Why had he been the one who got stuck with Seal?? As they made their way back towards the city, Willy began to walk a few steps behind Seal. Honestly, he would have preferred to never set foot inside the alleyway where Van had gone berserk. "Van's not human... literally. I dont expect you to understand, but in a nut shell...Shinra had infused destructive cells into his body. It serves as the base for his power. However, not just anyone can use it. The operation was dubbed Project Black Box. Only two out of 150 children survived. So...there you have it." Willy stated as grabbed another cigarette along with his lighter.

When they came to the helicopter, Willy's cigarette dropped from his lips. IT didn't belong to Shinra, yet it had weapons and looked to be in pretty good shape. The former Turk jumped into the pilots seat and strapped in. As soon as Seal was seat he took off.

Meanwhile, an awkward silence had formed between Van and Maria. The soldier just didn't know what to say around her. Honestly, his head was slightly preoccupied to even bother thinking of a conversation. He was close to his life time goal, closer then what he had ever been. He could practically taste Sephiroth's blood.

"The Turks may be destructive, but if no signs of our presence is found in this town, they'll leave it alone to avoid suspicion on themselves. Demetri turned to Ian's mother, a sympathetic smile forming. "It should be safe enough for the both of you. Just pretend your travelers, blend in the best you can." The mother nodded, taking hold of Ian's hand and turned her whole body toward the small town.

"We'll take our leave now," she stated. "It is best if no one here sees us with you for the time being." As her and Ian disappeared, the small boy still carrying the bag of clothes he'd brought or Demetri, his head turning back to catch one final glimpse of the two.

Once Demetri and Goliath were alone, the female soldier crossed her arms, indicating worry. She told Goliath everything Willy had told her, about Shinra, about Sephiroth's supposed plans...and about how Shrina had placed fake matira within her, igniting the darkness lying within her heart. "They put it inside all the solider's," she explained. "Van's has been overcome with his darkness...but mine its... It's different. I feel it inside, but I can't get rid of it, can't break away from the anger...the betrayal I feel toward Van. It's like its controlling me!" Her dark eyes were filled with anger and worry, an explained pain flooding through her. "I'm scared Goliath. What if I turn into another Sephiroth? What if...I can't be controlled...."


Seal rolled his eyes and punched Willy in the arm. "Don't you joke 'bout the pink," he warned, pointing his finger at the Turk as if it would somehow make the words more fierce. "I got this covered." As they strolled back into the city, keeping to the shadows, despite the pink attire Seal sported, the two came close to where Van had initially gone out of control. In private, Maria had mentioned to him that somewhere nearby in a warehouse, a private helicopter was stored. It wasn't a Turks, and it looked relatively new. With any luck, it was unharmed still.

"Fuck that boy's outta control," Seal exclaimed, taking in the wide spread damage, mainly the black char marks crawling along the ground ad building, showing where Van's electricity had struck. "How does a boy hold that much power without exploding?" He dismissed his own comment, and with a shake of his head, he jogged toward the one building unmarked by Van's brutal attack. "It's here. The roof opens up... Start it up, I'll get the door," he ordered. As Willy went to the helicopter, Seal waited until he heard the roar of the blades slicing through air before pressing a large red button located on the left, the ceiling beginning to part ways for them. "We ain't got all day," he yelled, hopping in. "Let's get'utta here."

As Goliath landed, he bent down to allow Ian and his mother to get off. From the look of it, Ian's mother was having a hard time adjusting to flying. The group would need to find a safe place to hide both her and her son as soon as possible. As he looked up and noticed the stark change in Demetri's appearance, Goliath's face grew grim, yet he remained silent. He had hoped that Demetri would be able to save Van. By the look of things she was being devoured by him instead. "Very well..." Goliath mumbled, his cold dark eyes gazing hard upon Demetri. "First, I want to find a place for Ian and his mother to hide. We cant take them with us" he suggested, his eyes now shifting back to the young boy. Death was approaching. It wasn't right that the group drag poor Ian or his mother into the battle.
------------------------------
Van simply shrugged his shoulders. He cared very little if Demetri joined him or not. This was the day he had been waiting for and no one would bring him down! He would fight Sephiroth and get revenge for the death of his mother along with all the other innocents of his town. Once the death angel was but a breath's way from afterlife, Van would deliver the final blow and then die shortly after. Not once in the past few years had he ever imagined life after killing Sephiroth. He had centered his entire existence around Sephiroth's death. For him, nothing else mattered.

Willy shifted his gaze over to Seal. He blinked twice, his jaw hanging open slightly as he pointed to himself. "Why the fuck do I have to go? Just let the monster do what he does best!!" he cried. Van let out a soft chuckle. Seal was right. If they needed a ride Van would have killed every single guard who stood in their way, no questions asked. "God damnit!" Willy spat as he kicked a near by rock right into Maria's front door. The former Turk continued to spit curses until he and Seal arrived at the base. As expected, it was heavily guarded. "Any bright ideas? Maybe we should blind them with that shirt you're wearing..." Willy sighed as he lit another cigarette, his 5th one that day.

"It's a small town practically in the middle of no where," Demetri said. "Just go past Junon until you see it... It's impossible to miss." Meaning that it wouldn't be long before the Turks showed up. Luckily for them, from there on there were paved roads, no possible way to trace vehicle if she were to come into possession of one. Though, as much as she hated to admit it, in order to stop Sephiroth, she needed Van, Maria, and Seal's help. They all needed to stick together to complete this mission, then afterwards...they were free to go their separate ways. Her only hope now, was that Van saw it that way too. So far it appeared Maria was able to calm Van down to an extent, but she worried that the poor girl would wind up hurt, or even dead, if Van really flew off the handle...

She shook her head, sighing. Once she saw Goliath approached, she waved him down, knowing full well he'd be surprised by her sudden change in physical appearance. "Please, excuse the change," she said bluntly, getting right to the point. "I'll explain it later... Right now, we need to head back to Junon, or at the very outskirts of it. Van's alive and is located there, holed up with Willy and a young girl who I've no doubt saved him. There's a man there, goes by the name of Seal, seems to be a friend of the girls. Either way, it's become apparent that neither Van or I can face Sephiroth alone. We are not friends, we are not on good terms...but for now, we're together only for the purpose of destroying Sephiroth."


Maria's face lit-up, ignoring Willy's comment entirely. "I promise to stay close!" she chirped brightly. "We should leave a note for your former partner. Even if she doesn't return to this location, I have no doubt she will appear to face Sephiroth as well." Her face fell, smile vanishing. "She holds a powerful vengeance against him...among others." She didn't elaborate on the last part, knowing full well now wasn't the time to tell Van the truth about Demetri. She wasn't even sure he would believe her.

She went inside, Seal following behind as she went to write a note for Demetri. She had a feeling that Demetri would return, and this note was especially for her. Content with the note, she returned back outside, heading straight to Van and standing next to him, their arms brushing. It appeared she was taking his words a bit too literally.

"Former Turk... You and I, we'll grab the copter," Seal stated, the authority very evident in his tone. "If Van here goes into that town he'd probably wipe it clean, causing more attention. Him and Maria will stay here 'til we come pick'em up, got it? You lead the way," he said to Willy. He cracked his knuckles and followed the former Turk.

Goliath had taken Ian and his mother back into the woods near the cemetery. He was surprised to see that what was left of the helicopter Van and Demetri had flown in on was gone. The Turks must have swept the area thoroughly. The gargoyle was still wearing his radio when he heard the sound of Demetri's voice. It was about time! He had had been wondering what exactly was going on within the city and if Dememtri was ok. "Yes I hear you loud and clear. I've secured Ian and his mother. Demetri where are you? Is Willy still with you?" Goliath asked as he jumped down from the trees and landed near the camp he had set up for Ian and his mother.

Van stopped just inches from the door. He turned to face her, his brow raised. He could see plainly the fear she held within her eyes. She was scared of him. He couldn't blame her. Van was dangerous and he knew it. "Wh-What? You wanna follow this idiot into hell? Girly...this aint a game." Willy growled. Van's cyan tainted eyes narrowed sharply. He was about to shoot her down...hard, but after seeing that smile of hers, the soldier turned back around so his back was to her. He could feel a small, nearly insignificant warmth forming inside of him among the coldness. What was this feeling? What kind of power did Maria truly hold? The sensation made Van want to put as much distance as he could between him and her. However, he couldn't deny that with his condition he'd probably need a healer. "Do as you wish, but from this point on..." Van paused, his hand gripping the length of his spear. "You're to stay by my side. I wont be able to guarantee your safety if stray..."

"Oh my god...I'm surrounded by idiots..." Willy mumbled as he rubbed the temples of his forehead. Van turned back around to face a Turk. The a small grin formed on his lips, once which gave Willy the shivers. "We need a helicopter." he smirked. "Didn't you crash the first one you stole?" Willy blinked. "So?" Van frowned. "So, what if I refuse?" Willy asked, his hands now stuffed into his pockets. He didn't need an answer though. He knew that Van would most likely choke him if he didn't play along. "Fine, but just to be clear, I'm flying the damn thing. I drop you guys off near the docks, but after that I'm gone. You morons can tango with death if you want, but I prefer to live..."

Demetri met Van's eyes with equal ferocity. No backing down, Van, she thought bitterly. Get cocky and you will fall. As he passed her she walked ahead toward Seal, murmuring something in his ear before glancing back at everyone. She wouldn't stay here. Not with Willy, and certainly not with Van. It was time to find Goliath. She ignored Willy's request that she burn the vehicle, instead, she got into the drivers side, gave a short wave, and drove off away from Junon, away from everything...for now. She had a single desire to find Goliath and then that Turk who helped bring this entire "betrayal" ordeal about. Somehow, she had a strong belief that he purposely meant to place those thoughts of her betraying him within Van's head.

She drive for a full hour, coming to the outskirts of a city she knew nothing about. Ditching the car, Demetri pulled out the small earbud she and Van had been wearing the night everything went to shit. She didn't know if Goliath still had his, but it was worth a try at least.

"Hey Goliath," she said. "Can you hear me? I'm at a safe location. If you can hear me, respond."


The tension between Demetri and Van had been excruciating. She could feel every single emotion running wild and it nearly made her faint. "I've got...to tell him," she said to herself, finally standing. "He won't listen... He'll just push me aside." Slowly her eyes met Van's. Hers were filled with worry. Would Demetri even listen? Something told her Demetri was going to be in trouble very soon. She was being way too reckless! Why hadn't she stopped her when she had the chance?

She approached Van, though maintaining a reasonable distance. "Van, I need to speak with you," she said...almost an exact mirror to Demetri's words when she'd planned to tell Van about the mysterious Turk. "But, not now.... I don't believe you're ready to hear what I have to say just yet. For now, let's focus on the mission at hand. Your after this...Sephiroth character, right? I've come to the conclusion that without someone with you, things will go terribly wrong. I can serve as your healer," she said, her smile warm...like a carefree summer day. It had a strange effect on people. "You and I will go to the location of this Sephiroth. Seal will help as well. And no, you're not going to leave without us!" she added, pointing her finger at him. She was so innocent it was hard to take her seriously, but her tone meant business.

Maria's pleads fell on deaf ears. Van wanted, no he needed to find out where Sephiroth was. He didn't care if he had to choke the life out of Willy, he WOULD get what he wanted. When Demetri stepped in, Van's head jerked away from Willy and dropped him. She now had his full undivided attention. As she spoke however, Van remained dead silent. He seemed rather board if anything. However, when she brought up his mother, Van's pupils turned into cat like slits. In a flash, he was in Demetri's face. Black bolts of lightning ran unchecked over his entire body. "Mention my mother again..." Van paused, his lips moving within an inch of one of her ears. "And I'll cut your throat." Van hissed. Demetri could say what she wanted about him, but his mother was off limits. Hell, the only reason Van hadn't attacked her on the spot was because he needed Willy and Maria alive. Fighting Demetri would have surely resulted in their deaths.

Feeling Seal's hand, Van jerked his shoulder away, his now cat like eyes pulsing with traces of pain, sorrow, suffering, and pure rage. The jenova cells that had been implanted into his body were working overtime again. Van's body was changing. Anyone could tell from his eyes alone that he was becoming more beast like. It was said that Sephiroth had cat like cyan eyes. The elite held the eyes of one who could not be controlled. Perhaps Shrina had succeeded. Perhaps Van really was the closet thing to Sephiroth.

With a very deep sigh, Van closed his eyes. It took a while for the dark bolts flowing through his body to cease. Finally, boy's hair returned to normal as well. He looked at Maria giving her a soft nod before turning his attention to Willy. Demetri was in his way though. Rather then asking her to move, Van simply walked past her as if she no longer existed, as if her entire presence had been a lie. "Get up...you're fine." Van growled. Willy opened one of his eyes. The boy was right. With a small grin he rose to his feet and dusted himself off. "So about that fee..." He stated only to find the tip of Van's spear at his throat. "Haha...point taken..." Willy laughed nervously as he raised his hands in the air. "I'll tell you everything you wanna know kid. Lets go inside though before we're seen. Oh, Demetri be a good girl and toast that car would you?" Willy grinned back at her while winking. Van caught the glance, but said nothing. Demetri was no longer his interest. As long as she stayed out of his way she could do whatever she wanted.

After a very long and intense summery of Sephiroth's plans, Van let out a deep sigh. He sat back in his seat, his cyan eyes still pulsing. Shrina was going after Sephiroth and completely ignoring Soldier's presence. It was a good bet that no one would had even known that Van or Demetri had arrived if not for the explosion the other night. "Well? I've told you everything. You just gonna stand there lookin stupid?" Willy frowned as he pulled out another cigarette, his fourth for that day. Van's eyes shifted around the room. The gears within his mind were turning. His silence must have been proof that he was plotting something. After a long moment of silence, Van grabbed his spear and rose to his feet. "Maria take this chance to leave the city. Find a new home." He ordered, his eyes shifting between her and Seal. "This is my fight. It has nothing to do with you. I will face Sephiroth and I'll do it before he has a chance to fire that rail gun." Van stated and with that turned his back to Maria, but stopped in front of Willy. "Get out of here. You're nothing more than a coward. Go on and run with your tail between your legs. Just dont get in my way." Vam growled before finally coming to stop in front of Demetri. The boy stared her down. For just a moment, the rage he was holding back threatened to poor out. Willy reached for his gun thinking that Van would spark a fight for sure. To his surprise however, the dark haired soldier simply walked right past Demetri without a word to her. She no longer existed. She no longer held any space within his heart. She was a betrayer...nothing more...and nothing less.

When Willy shot through the door, Demetri's head snapped in Van's direction, her face concealed beneath a delicately layer mask of anger and hate. She idly wondered if he even recognized her considering the outstanding amount of physical changes she'd undergone. Maria shot forward, running toward Willy, using her own body she shield him from Van, her crystal blue eyes pleading.

"Van stop!" she urged. "Despite what this man has done to you in the past, or his sins in general, he doesn't deserve to die your become injured!"

Flashes of memory from the ally made Demetri cringe, her body instinctively moving forward to shield Maria, a black flame, quite opposite of her orange and red flame, appeared at a deadly sign within her palm. "I suggest you tone things down," she said sternly, voice practically emotionless aside from the coursing anger very evident in it. "Unless you'd like for me to call my new buddies over," she added sarcastically, maliciously. "Will you do to her what you did to me? Simply for information, no less. I can only imagine how disappointed your own mother would be if she saw you so now."

Demetri was definitely pushing buttons, a bit more than she should. Only when Maria tugged on the edge of the black clad woman did Demetri silence herself. Seal came from the house, placing a hand on Van's shoulder, completely unaffected by the electrical sparks.

"Calm yourself down," he ordered loudly. "This ain't the time to fight. Make the deal and let them go. You can figure shit out later, Van." One thing about Seal is that the man could be lethal and terrifying, despite having dressed himself in pink.

Maria slowly stepped out from behind Demetri, her palms placed together. "Please, Van... No violence here...not at my home." By now, her eyes began to well with tears. "Not...here... Don't bring darkness here, Van...."

The plan had been for Willy and Seal to go inside the cabin and talk to Van. However, once inside Willy decided to change things up. He needed to look out for himself. Hanging around soldiers would only serve to endanger his life, which was already under threat. Willy proposed to make to a deal with Van. In exchange for every single gil Van had, Willy would give him the information he wanted. The price wasn't that bad. Only Willy...and now Demetri knew what Sephiroth was planning. Naturally Willy was the only one who'd be willing to talk to Van at the moment. Willy hadn't left Van with much of a choice. He'd have to pay him. It was the logical thing to do, it was the only thing he could do. Unfortunately for Willy, he underestimated Van's distaste for following logic..

When the door opened, Willy's body came flying out! The former Turk landed on his back with a hard thud. Van stepped out from the house, his hair spiked as dark streaks of electricity ran through both his arms. He stopped, his gaze shooting up towards the jeep where Demetri was sitting. He didn't attack, no..he wouldn't make such a move. Rather, he stood like a viper coiled within the bush waiting for any signs of aggression. Van had been changing as well. The only difference between him and Demetri was that Van's change had taken place the moment his mother had died, which was prior to Shinra's experiments. The jenova cells had merely enhanced the growth of his own darkness. With the exception of Van's spiked hair and the dark bolts of lightning flowing up his arms, he physical appearance hadn't changed much.

When the young man noticed the pained expression on Demetri's face, his attention shifted away from her. Was she sorry for betraying him? Van cared little for an explanation. He'd deal with her later. For now, his cyan hues came to rest on Willy who was coughing hard. "You have information..." Van replied softly, his voice however holding a solid dark tone. "Give it to me." Van ordered as he bent down and picked Willy up by his neck. The soldier held the former Turk high above the ground. Willy should have known better. Van wasn't the type who could be reasoned with when his target was close by.

OOC: I thought so xD I looooove the one for Demetri<3

ic: Demetri ignored every word Willy spoke her to, seemingly more fixated on her weaponry. But surprisingly she turned to the Turk, smirking wide. "Relax Bed-Head. While you're out with Van, I'll be with her back there, got it?" She had her own agenda of what was going to happen. "Just don't be surprised when Van decides to step outside," she warned. Even if Van didn't currently hold a bloodlust against her this very moment, she was positive he'd want to see the state she was in. No way in hell would she give him the pleasure of seeing her beat down. At Willy's comment, Demetri's attenion remained focused on the window, her gloved hand fisted, but somehow...it didn't effect her. Maria on the other hand...her face grew bright red, her hands clenching together and she quickly put her head down.

"Leave her the fuck alone," Seal warned, voice low and dead serious. "No one messes with Maria while I'm around you here foo? Go have your lil chat." When they arrived, Seal followed Willy inside, determined to keep things civil while Maria and Demetri stayed outside.

Once they were alone, Maria timidly approached Demetri, her eyes searching through the dark sunglasses. "You look much different from when I first saw you," she said softly. "This look suits...your heartache, but not the pure fire you once displayed. Van believes you betrayed him, but I know you did no such terrible thing. You have...a very good reason to be angry."

"Why? Because he nearly murdered me?" Demetri asked calmly. "Van couldn't just walk away, figure things out for himself. He trusted the word of that Turk over mine and went out of control, killing them and nearly killing me," she explained. "Your a pure heart," she said, her voice softening. "But be careful around Van. He can be very dangerous." To emphasis her point, she showed the upper part of her scorched skin. "This is the mark he placed upon me, a mark that will be there until the day I die."

"It's worse than I...I thought," Maria stammering shaking her head. She reached out her hand and placed them on either side of Demetri's shoulders, the same soft, brilliant light she produced for Van, now seeping inside...healing the burn mark enough to slow the black clad woman down. A moment later, the door to the house opened, and Demetri turned her back. She suddenly didn't feel like seeing him...her heart aching uncontrollably. No, she didn't want to feel this!

Maria turned toward the doorway. I hope...I was able to make her humanity shine through the darkness, if only to remind her its still there, she thought.

((ooc: Nice pics. Demetri looks like a badass XD))

Willy let out a deep sigh. The day had just been plain weird even for him. The former Turk grabbed a pack of cigarettes. He needed a smoke after everything he had just been through. "Pardon?" Willy blinked, his sharp blue eyes shifting over towards Demetri. Did she really want them to steal a helicopter? Willy couldn't help but laugh at the thought though something about the glance within her eyes told him that she wasn't joking. "Even if we could get one...and thats a big if, we wouldn't get far. Those things are tracked by Shrina HQ. The moment they notice odd behavior they'll send a team in after it. I dont know about you...but I'd rather be chased on the ground rather then shot down from twenty feet up in the air..." Willy sighed as he lit his cigarette and took in a deep drag. Demetri was obsessed and Willy knew it. He had no doubts that another fight between her and Van would break out. It was only a matter of when.

When she came back, Willy nearly chocked on his cigarette! What was with her getup? Willy couldn't but stare at her with wide lustful eyes. The former Turk shot her a wicked smile as he threw his head back against his seat. "Wow...girl gets dumped and she turns into this...nice." he thought to himself before taking another drag. Willy was about to pull off when he suddenly heard the screams of a girl running towards them. Willy's purple shades slid down the bridge of his nose. The girl was cute, a little too innocent looking, but cute none the less.

Willy listened to Maria and Seal closely. From the sound of it, they seemed to at least know that of the situation that Demetri and himself were in. Willy could also tell from a single glance that neither of them were Turks in disguise. For one, no Turk would have been caught dead wearing Seal's...attire. Sighing softly, Willy signaled the two to hop in the jeep. As soon as they were inside he sped off. "So let me get this straight. You two...at some point meant Van and now he's using you as search dogs?" Willy asked, his gaze shifting up towards his rear view mirror so he could get a better look at Maria. There was something different about her...something...pure perhaps?

"Let me guess, Van wants the information I have on Sephiroth?" Willy smirked as smoke from his cigarette filled the jeep. "Not surprised. Even when injured that guy never loses sight of his target. Thats probably his best quality." Willy chuckled before shifting his gaze over towards Demetri. He could tell she was itching for a fight by the way she seemed to grip her pistol. "Alright how about this, we'll regroup? These two pups will take us to Van. I'll give him what he wants while YOU wait in the car. You can rip his balls off later. Right now we cant afford to bring any extra attention to ourselves...so when I say you'll stay in the car, I mean YOU'LL FUCKING STAY IN THE CAR!" Willy hissed. He had managed to avoid capture and wasn't about to risk falling into Shinra's hands just because Demetri and Van had issues. As his eyes shifted back and forth between Maria and the road, he couldn't but wonder if she was the young woman the crazy psychic had spoke of. "So girly, you know Van huh? Have you sucked his dick yet?" Willy grinned, his eyes shifting over towards Demetri for a moment just to see what kind of reaction she'd have.

OOC: Right! I nearly forgot! >.< I guess I'll just use this one. I originally imagined her somewhat similar to Kairi from KH2 only blonde hair and her KH1 hairstyle, but then I found this and figured it suited her better. What's Willy look like?


After Willy and Demetri left, the old woman chuckled darkly. The tides are beginning to turn. Soon Demetri will find herself with a bigger bloodlust than Van. She will complete the change very soon and not even Shinra can control her. She really got herself into quite the mess. Her only worry now was that Sephiroth didn't sense her...believing her could use her to an extent, however small.

By now, Demetri's hair had turned more black, leaving less and less white the more agitated she got. Her eyes turned to Willy, narrowing softly, head tilting to the side as if listening to something. "Aircrafts..." she murmured softly. "Turks brought in aircrafts..." Visions of the wrecked helicopter made her wonder if Reno was on one, arriving just to find out what happened to his. In that case, she definitely didn't want to stick around for his reaction.

"The Turks car is too obvious. Eventually we'll have to ditch it somewhere no one will find it. If anything, it's Van we have to worry about catching up. He's smarter than Turks, and if he's in any condition to fight, he'll be considered a danger," she said with a sly smirk. Something she counted on, from the looks of it. "Wait here. I'm going to go see if my grand--I mean, the old woman, still has her Rebel uniform." Back when the woman was younger, she chose a path against Shinra, working with a group attempting to put an end to their ignorance... But that was a long time ago...the Rebel community was scattered, if any were left. Demetri disappeared back inside the tent.

A moment later, Demetri emerged without her ripped up slave costume...looking different more than ever. Her hair had turned completely black, her perfectly toned body now clothed in a rather unique outfit...yet it suited her. Sexy and dangerous, all forced together. She holstered her pistol before tossing a shotgun over her back, its ammo hanging at easy reaching distance....her eyes shielded by a pair of sunglasses, which hid the color nicely.

"Don't get any naughty ideas now," she said with a smirk. It didn't appear her wound hurt as much, likely a result of something the woman possibly offered her inside the tent without Willy there. "Let's go. Let's just...get out of here in the vehicle. There's not enough time to leave tire tracks and then escape to a boat. Besides, I'm counting on Van to find us soon."

(SIDE NOTE: Just ignore the handcuffs, and badge... Picture shows a more cop-like appearance lol)
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

But as Demetri and Willy were about to take their leave from the village a young girl Demetri's age came running, now breathless. "Wait!" she cried, waving her hand. Behind her was a black male wearing....pink pants and...a pink shirt? Demetri made no attempt whatsoever to grab her gun.

Maria collapsed to her knees, breathless, her white dress stained with dirt and dust. "Your...the girl...who knows Van!" she spat between breaths, trying to ease herself. Seal came up beside her, glancing at Demetri and Willy.

"Van sent us out to find you two," he said bluntly. "Can't say I find it good considering the history between you two," he said. "But right now, I can't say we should be picky on who we work with. The Turks are crawling all over the place and if they find either of you, you're all fuckin' dead with your injured conditions."

Demetri shook her head, glancing at Willy. These two came out of nowhere claiming to know Van...and now they spat jibberish? "You understand what they're saying?" she asked, quirking a brow at Willy.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.][/center]

ooc: its all good. I loved reading it lol Btw, any luck finding a pic yet?

ic: Willy's gut was screaming louder then ever. His sharp eyes scanned the village. This was the kind of place where people killed their own and boiled their heads! Slowly, Willy followed Demetri inside of the tent, his body tense and ready to react to any threat. What got instead were...psychic predictions?? Willy cocked his head back, his brow raising. Where the hell had Demetri led him to? "I need a smoke..." the former Turk mumbled and turned around to leave. However, his body soon froze as the woman began to speak of certain truths that had been buried within soldier. Eyes wide, Willy spun around and pointed his gun right at the elder's head! A psychic? Yeah right, she was a spy. She had to be. The old woman knew waaaay to much information for her own good. Hell, not even Willy knew 'exactly' what Shinra's scientist had done to their lab rats. Willy had heard rumors, but they all seemed unimaginable. Then again, it was Shrina so anything was possible.

Slowly, the former Turk lowered his gun. He kept his finger within half an inch of the trigger though. His dark brown eyes constantly shifted between the older woman and Demetri. "What the hell is this. a soap opera?" he scoffed. All the talk of love and what not was making him feel ill. It didn't seem like Demetri was buying it either, yet she continued to seek answers. How did she know the woman anyway? Willy slowly began to move back towards the exit of the tent. He was way out of his comfort zone and had never taken psychics seriously before.

As demetri turned to leave, Willy was more then happy to follow. However, when the old lady stopped him, he turned back around. With his gun still gripped within his left hand he stared the old lady down. She had said some...interesting things...but this was just too much. "Is that so? Your crystal ball must be scratched up lady. Van couldn't find his way through a wet paper bag...and you say he's the only one that can save girly over there? Right...I doubt it. You've never meant that little nut job." Willy laughed before pulling his arm free. "Whether Sephiroth prevails or not is none of my concern. I'm simply waiting for the storm to pass over." Willy smirked before leaving the tent, his gun put away. He could only wonder where they'd go now.
------------------------------------
Van raised a brow, his eyes shifting over Seal's shotgun. Somehow the sight of the man with a loaded gun didn't help ease his fears. In fact, it magnified them. "Yeah...ok..." he mumbled softly. When Maria came near him, Van jerked away. What was with this girl? Hadn't she ever heard of personal space? As that warm holy light consumed his body though Van's guard dropped. Something deep inside of him...really deep inside...felt at peace. Yeah the pain had subsided, but her powers had in a way calmed his blood lust. Van stared blankly at the girl. He didn't know what to make of her. Was she a witch or maybe some kind of monster? No...that couldn't be. If anyone was the monster it was him.

"I want you to take Seal back to where you saw the girl and the guy. She's injured. She wont get far unless they highjack a car or something. I doubt they would stay within the area though so dont bother looking. Search for any near by signs that can tell which direction they went. Take note to the conditions of the streets." Van instructed. Sure enough, Willy had ran over several mail boxes and one lawn gnome on his way out of the city. Their trail could easily be picked up.

OOC: Sorry for length. I just wanted to get Demetri's explanation out of the way (:

"We'll be fine," Demetri assured coldly, taking note of his sudden silence. More than ever he didn't trust her. So be it, she thought. He'll fall where he stands should he place me at the end of his weapon. She jerked the car door open, stepping out. One woman drew her lips up into a sinister smile, drawing close to the white haired girl.

"Demetri..." she said softly, grasping her hands. "My, you've changed greatly. Something about you has changed drastically, setting you on a dangerous course." The elder turned to Willy, releasing Demeti's hands and approaching him. "You're former Turk. They're after you," she noted, losing her smile. "You'll be safe here for exactly three hours. But you must leave in one to gain significant distance. Come, follow me."

Quite the strange woman...and despite her age, her eyes were sharp among other things... Demetri followed without saying a word until they reached a hut located on the far end of the village, a billow of smoke pouring out from a small fire. The woman took a seat near the pit in the ground where a large pot containing soup sat, her withered hand motioning the two to follow.

"You've grown weak, Demetri...despite the power that flow through you now. You have been betrayed by someone who cared for, which has...activated a rather deadly weapon inside of you." She turned to Willy, eyes like steel. "I am aware of Shinra's creations and of Sephiroth, but did you know that in the new SOLDER's they attempted an unstable experiment of artificially created materia? They desired a quick method of disposal should any others result to Sephiroth's behavior...allowing them to activate a rather destructive manner that at the right time, would act as a bomb, destroying the SOLDER and any witnesses standing too close."

Demetri's eyes widened briefly before narrowing, her mind mulling over the woman's words. "They placed a bomb inside me?"

"Not exactly. The materia they created taps into your natural gifts, which for you is fire. Shrina desired complete control, so if any dark feelings arose within a SOLDIER, the artificial materia would be activated. You, however...are much different," she explained, taking a bowl and filling it with a pearl white powder. "There is a reason you and your former partner survived. Both of you were directly effected by Sephiroth, giving you a hatred so powerful it nearly annihilated the effects of the materia Shinra placed within you both."

"He has the materia too?"

"Van's has been obliterated. It does not exist anymore, which means Shinra cannot control him."

"And myself?"

The elder woman chuckled, shaking her head. "Your fire has consumed it entirely, but has severed any control it may have over you. Your mother worked for Shinra, helping to create the new line of SOLDER...and in the end, her work became so important she killed your father and gave up her own daughters. Your sister, Inara, was killed during the final stages, leaving your already blackened heart to grow further. But you suppressed it, kept it from showing unlike Van. This final betrayal has left you unable to bottle your hatred up and you've learned somehow to use the dark powers of the materia Shinra put inside you...making your natural affiliation with fire, to become deadly."

"You said I became weaker. What did you mean?" Demetri demanded, her words angry.

"Like Van, you've become blind with the need for revenge, for death which will ultimately lead you both into an unsavory end. Currently Van is traveling with a girl your age, a shining beacon that may help Van see the light again. She will keep the darkness surrounding Van at bay...until his eyes once again rest upon you and he remembers what he believes to have been a betrayal."

"Will Van and I fight?"

"Perhaps. But for now, your risk for losing Van forever is far greater now that a young maiden has entered his life. The future does not tell me who Van will choose, but deep down, his feelings for you mirror your own...both in anger and betrayal...as well as the blossoming of love. I have no doubts that he will also develop feelings for the young maiden who travels with him now and in the end, it may be a possibility you will lose Van to her. For now, you delve further into darkness..." She reached out and took the black lock inside her palm, showing it to Demetri. "Your eyes have changed...and slowly your entire physical appearance will resemble the darkness within your heart."

Demetri hissed, pulling away and standing, pushing aside the flap of the tent and leaving. She'd had enough of this! Darkness within her heart? Of course there was...and it wouldn't leave until she'd found her revenge on her betrayer!

Before Willy could follow, the elderly woman stopped him. "What she does not know...is that Van is the only one who can save her from her impending darkness," she said softly. "She mustn't know. I cannot tell whether her and the boy will come together...but should they continue down separate paths, Sephiroth will prevail."


Seal nodded, seemingly unbothered by Van's glances toward his pink apron. He certainly wasn't gay, but it amused him to keep other guessing, after all. He smirked, pulling a shotgun from the cabinet he stood beside, cocking it. "You ain't gotta worry 'bout a thing," he assured. "If trouble hits, I can blast them Turks like no tomorrow."

Maria gave a short laugh, covering her mouth, yet it seemed rather nervous than amused. She was still bothered by her realization. She went to Van, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It isn't much right now, but it should help the pain..." Her eyes closed and soft, warm light flowed from her hand into Van's body. Once it disappeared, she staggered back, gaining her composer again. "Seal and I will see what we can find... Where should we begin?" she asked softly, forcing a smile.