Advent Children(Mature/private)

Van gripped the piece of scrap tightly within his hands. When Demetri came running from the forest his face lightened. However, after seeing her fire go out he slumped forward. To make matters worse, it looked like she was trying to talk reason to the beast. "What the hell are you doing?! That thing doesn't understand us! It's got rocks in it's head!!" Van yelled. Suddenly, the gargoyle rushed towards Van and with a single arm grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up into the air. "Abomination..." the gargoyle hissed before turning and throwing Van right into Demetri! The gargoyle let out a fear roar as he now faced both Van and Demetri.

Van let out a sharp gasp of pain. He had been throne as he were a sack of potatoes. He rubbed his head and slowly sat up. He had landed right ontop of Demetri. For a moment, his mind drifted. This was kinda the first time he had ever been so close to a girl without having to kill her. His mind quickly snapped back into reality though. The gargoyle let out a low hiss as he slowly began to circle them. Van froze, his body bracing for the attack. However, to Van's surprise it never came. "Leave this place. You do not belong here." The gargoyle snarled and stood up on his hind legs. Van blinked twice. Now wasn't the time to question the beast's reasons for letting them go. However, Van wouldn't have been himself if he didn't. "You're letting us go...why?" he frowned, his eyes narrowing sharply.

"You are mere carriers of the seed, yet not the seed itself..." the gargoyle replied softly, his eyes casting a gaze of hate upon the two of them. "In english please?" Van frowned again. The gargoyle let out a deep sigh and tilted his head back towards the ruins of what once was a great temple. "Long ago...back when the planet was healthy. My kind were created by the Cetra to serve and protect them during the night. My master...was an elderly woman who lived within the temple alongside her three grandsons and granddaughter. We lived in peace...however it was not to last. It was on the sixth night, of the sixth month, of the sixth year...we all looked up towards the sky and watched as the goddess of chaos & destruction descended from the skies above. The planet...Gaia was never the same." The gargoyle replied softly. Suddenly, his gaze shifted over towards Van in particular. "You." he snarled, his fangs and claws bared. "You carry the essence of the dark seed. You carry the destruction which killed off my master's people!" he roared. Van blinked and looked over at Demetri. He didn't have a clue what was going on. "Wait...I dont know anything about some goddess or seeds..."

Demetri heard the curdling scream from the forest, causing her entire body to whip around toward the graveyard. It's alive? So much for legends, she thought angrily. Yet another thing her mother had lied to her about. How was she supposed to know? It wasn't as if she had come up against a creature like this before. Not even remotely close. She began running back toward Van, her face contorted in concentration. Neither one of them had the proper strength for round two against this thing... Great, they'd be dead long before they had a chance to even look Sephiroth in the eye.

When she came to the clearing, she was about ten feet behind the gargoyle. She mustered up a ball of flame, but it sputtered out almost immediately. Great, she didn't even have enough strength to conjure up fire! But at this point, if she didn't do something quick, Van would be dead within a matter of seconds! "Hey, you!" she shouted, cupping her hands over her mouth to make herself louder. "Step away from him!" Her tone was firm, her eyes bearing into the gargoyles when he turned his attention toward her. She didn't know if this beast would listen to reason... But she had to try. It was the only option left.

"You said last night something about a dark seed inside us... What...did you mean?" Demetri kept her distance, her body tense. "I would very much like to know what we have done that has made you so angry, what it is you protect here." Her voice softened toward the end, her eyes revealing compassion. "Please, we mean you no harm... It's unfortunate that we landed her, but you must believe that our intentions are not to defile anything."

Van stared at Demetri's back. She made several good points, but Van wasn't one to simply back down. "I know we both want revenge...but..." he sighed and paused as he watched her get up. His eyes scanned over the frame of her body before shifting to the side once more. "Just because you're a soldier doesn't mean you're not a girl..." he mumbled and let out an exhausted yawn. He'd never understand Demetri, that much he was knew for certain.

As Van continued to rest his mind kept drifting back to the night before. It had all happened so fast that it seemed like a dream, a very bad dream. "Gargoyles huh? Next thing you know I'll be fighting pixies..." he scoffed and slowly shook his head. Suddenly, a low growl like groan caused Van's eyes to snap open! He lifted his body the best he could, his cyan hues wide as he watched the beast he had fought rising up from the ground. "I thought she said they turned back into stone during the day! God, is that useless woman ever right?" he growled and quickly began to search for his spear, the Highwind. Unfortunately, it was located just a few feet from where the gargoyle laid and way out of reach.

"Cursed murders..." the beast groaned and slowly rose to his feet, his wings extending. His head turned to the right, his cold grey eyes locking onto Van's position. Van ground his teeth together. He could hardly move, yet alone fight off the gargoyle a second time. Using any of his materia was out of the question too since his body was still recovering from the use of his Limit Break. The gargoyle stood tall, his head titled back as he released a phantom like scream! He bared his fangs straight at Van, but paused after a strong ray of sunlight hit his face. The creature seemed...confused. Never before had he seen the sun, never before had he felt its warmth. The gargoyle turned back towards Van. He spotted the spear and kicked it so that there was no hope of Van reaching it. "What did you do to me?" he asked, his voice powerful, yet surprisingly calm. "What have you defilers of Holy ground done to it's keeper?" he asked again and this time took a few more steps towards Van. "I dont know what your talking about. I'm no defiler..." Van growled, his eyes darting around for anything he could use as a weapon. "YOU LIE!" The gargoyle bellowed, his fists smashing deep into the ground as he roared. "You carry the dark seed. I not only can smell it, but I can see it within your eyes. As protector of this temple, I shall not allow you to live." The gargoyle hissed and began to advance closer and closer towards Van. "Temple? Wha-What are you talking about? We're in the middle of a grave yard you retarded pile of rubble!!!" he yelled and grabbed hold of a piece of scrap sitting close by. IT would make a pitiful weapon, but it was all he had

Demetri was tired, but not exhausted. Her training had taught her body to remain awake for approximately three days and two nights, conserving energy to do so. However, it wasn't likely that she'd last that long considering the massive effort used when she'd used her hidden materia. It was Van she was worried about. He'd used his Limit Break, and no doubt that even a night of rest he would still have to rest... But whether he'd allow himself to was a whole other story.

When Van began to stir awake, she turned her attention toward him, but didn't make it obvious at first, looking at him from the corner of her eye. He was awake sooner than she thought he'd be. She sighed when he spoke, relieved to hear that determined glimmer in his tone. "He's right where you pummeled him," she answered simply. "The legend of a gargoyle is that they come alive at night. They'e harmless so long as the sun comes up, unable to break from their stone form. Who knows if it's true or not. She changed positions so that she was kneeling in front of him, only two feet of space between the two. She ignored his comment "I've told you before, haven't I?" Her crystal eyes, sharp and glorious in the morning light, watched him carefully as a faint smile lifted the corners of her lips. "We both want our revenge on Sephiroth...and as much as we wish to do it alone, we stand no chance without each other. If you die, I can consider myself dead already," she said. Despite that smile of hers, her tone was serious.

She turned her body away from him so she could see outside the shelter. She seemed at peace, relaxed...happy. But when Van whispered those two simple, yet powerful words, her head snapped in his direction, eyes wide... Her smile grew, but she remained silent.

When Van commented on the status of her clothing, a thin blush appeared on Demetri's cheeks and she turned so her back was facing him. "It's not like I was going to strip down and leave myself vulnerable during the night if that beast was still alive..." she retorted. "Besides, we're soldiers.... There shouldn't be emotion between us, so it shouldn't matter if my clothes are wet." She crawled out of the shelter, still keeping her back to him to hide the embarrassment, and stood outside. "Rest up a bit. I'm going to look around and make sure everything is in the clear..." Before Van could argue, she was already off and running into the shallow end of the forest... Boy's are such jerks, she thought with a soft laugh.

ooc: Its all good. I left a message that I'd be gone for a few days & your post was fine lol

ic: It was a beautiful morning. The birds were singing and the forest seemed to have come alive. Aside from the war zone like condition the grave yard had been turned into, you couldn't even tell that there had been a major battle just the night before. Van's body slowly began to stir as the songs of morning bird's grew louder. His bright cyan eyes slowly peeled opened, his vision blurry. He felt like someone had just driven a huge sledgehammer right into his head which might have explained the ringing going on inside his ears. As Van's vision cleared, he noticed what appeared to be Demetri sitting down right in front of him. He let out a low groan as he placed his hand to his head and noticed that it had been bandaged. Not only that, but his arm and back had been bandaged as well. Van's eyes came to rest on Demetri for must have been hours. Had she really treated his wounds? Had she pulled him out of the rain? The last thing Van remembered was...being dragged around like a rag doll. After that, he had a faint memory of seeing his mother's face, but everything had gone black after that.

"Where is he?" Van coughed hard, his throat nearly bone dry. He tried sitting up, but quickly had to lay back down as a sharp streak of pain tore through his body. The gargoyle had done a number on him. A regular human would have died from the injures. Sighing deeply, Van closed his eyes for a moment. The forest was actually peaceful, which made Van feel out of place. He could feel his headache growing by the second as the birds continued to sing.

"Let me ask you one thing...did you...ya know?" Van mumbled while gesturing up at the makeshift shelter. "You wasted your time. You should have left me to die and went into town to find clues about Sephiroth..." he mumbled, his eyes still shut. He couldn't believe what she had done. If the roles had been reversed Van was sure that he would have left her...or...at least thats what he believed he'd do. "Thank you." Van whispered, his voice nearly mouse like. It would probably be the one and only time Demetri would hear those two important words come from Van's lips. "Oh...and one more thing..." Van whispered, his eyes opening to rest on her before quickly darting off to the side. "Your clothes are soaked through and...I can see everything..." he stated and rather flatly too.

OOC: I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to reply... This week has been tremendously stressful. Sorry about the quality of my post =/

IC: Demetri couldn't believe her own eyes. Not long ago Van had been lying unconscious and now... Now he radiated with power, something she'd never seen before. When Van awoke, it was as though he was an entirely different person. "That must have been some blow to the head..." she muttered, rising to her feet as Van did, except instinct told her to step back. She was absolutely mesmerized by the green glow that consumed Van, the aura radiating a power so pure it even frightened her. She didn't know what to expect.

"Is this...his Limit Break?" she said aloud, her voice barely above a whisper. "Van..." When the massive beast centered itself, it's dark eyes focused on Van, Demetri backed up further, completely drained of energy. But then, Van's spear shot forward through the air, lightening propelling it forward, as if it were a deadly bolt coming from the heavens.... The weapon pierced the gargoyles chest, sending him flying into the mud, now unconscious.

Demetri stood in awe, nearly speechless. "Van, that was-- Ah! Van!" Just as quickly as the powerful attack had been delivered, her partner collapsed. Quickly she ran to him, kneeling beside him and shaking him gently. "Van?" He was out cold. Demetri didn't know if the beast was dead or not, but she couldn't take any chances. She prompted Van's body up against a nearby tree trunk and ran back toward the helicopter. There was scrap metal lying everywhere, slabs big enough to prompt up to create a temporary shelter. There was no way Demetri could carry Van into town with her injured arm... Tonight, they would have to remain here.

Bringing over three large metal slabs, likely from the top, bottom, and front of the copter, Demetri prompted the pieces against a nearby tree, while using medium tree branches to help steady her makeshift shelter. At this rate she wouldn't be surprised if she froze to death since her clothing was now completely soaked through and through. When the shelter was finished, she moved Van to it, resting him at the far back while she worked to start a fire...barely managing too since the amount of moisture on the wood. Sighing, she rested at the opening of her shelter, her eyes frequently eyeing the beast, her guard up.

Morning came...the sky now a beautiful crystal blue.

ooc: ITs all good. I liked it lol. Btw, I noticed that guests are allowed to make posts. You might wanna fix that to avoid future spammers and what not

ic: As Van was sent flying through the last tombstone he felt his body go limp. Everything got dark as blood continued to run down the back of his head. He laid there in the mud, his eyes staring up towards the darkened rainy sky. Was this it? Would he really die so soon?" Slowly, Van's eyes began to close. His breaths became shorter and shorter as his heartbeat faded. Meanwhile, the gargoyle had been knocked right onto his back and through several trees. Lightning tore through the sky once more as the beast let out an ear piercing scream! He rose up to his feet. A dark pearl like orb came bulging out from the center of his chest. The gargoyle stretched his hand out towards the rubble, his body pulsing with a dim shade of black as he did so. "Ultima! he roared causing a large void like sphere to form in front of him. The sphere literally sucked in everything it touched clearing the path. The gargoyle rose once more, his eyes scanning through the darkness from his target. It wasn't until lightning flashed again that he saw them and let out a loud roar of rage! The beat suddenly went on all fours and charged the soldiers, his hind legs quickly propelling his massive body forward.

"Van...sweetie get up..." Came a soft, yet foreign voice to Van's ears. "Ok Mr. seriously...I want you out of bed, washed, and ready to eat breakfast!" came the voice again. Van slowly opened his eyes. He was in a bed...his old bed. His eyes darted from side to side. This was his room, his old house! All the smells, sights, and sounds he had forgotten were present! This couldn't be however. Something was wrong. This world...it couldn't have been real right? Van's body suddenly shot forward! He ran down the steps and into the kitchen, his heart racing as he did so. Suddenly he came to a hard stop right in front of the kitchen table nearly knocking it over. "M-Mom?" Van blinked, his cyan eyes wide as tears threatened to release. The beautiful young woman slowly turned around and extended her hand to Van, but just as quickly drew it back. "Van I want you to do something for me ok?" she asked, her voice as sweet as an angel's. "Yes...I-I'll do anything! I swear just name it and I'll do it!" Van exclaimed as he ran up to his mother. His mother smiled softly ran her hands along Van's cheeks as he head came rest against his own. "Live Van. I want you to live..."

Just than, Van's eyes shot wide open! He let out several hard coughs as he rolled onto his side. He looked up, his vision blurry at first. He stared at Demetri for the longest before he realized that it was her hovering over him. It was than that his eyes shifting towards the thundering sound of the gargoyle's footsteps. Inside of Van's head he could still hear the soft requests of his mother. Suddenly, Van's eyes turned bright green! A similar color consumed his entire body! The boy grabbed his spear and began to channel uncharted levels of lightning into the weapon. This was his Limit Break, his Aegis Shock, a gift passed on through his family! Van gripped Highwind tightly within his hand. Shocks spat off in every direction as he leveled it with the direction the gargoyle was coming in. His arm cocked before throwing the spear forward like a javelin. The moment the weapon left his hands a small shockwave went off behind it propelling the weapon forward. With the added speed of the lightning behind it, the spear struck the gargoyle right in the center of his chest! The beast let out a blood filled cry as he toppled over and sunk deep into the mud. Unfortunately, shortly after Van passed out once more the moment his limit break had faded. Now, both the boy and monster lay unconscious...

Demetri's mind raced a mile a minute. She listened carefully to the gargoyles words, trying desperately to decipher them. They sounded so damn familiar! She began to slowly back up as Van had instructed, believing now more than ever than despite being SOLIDER...they would likely die tonight. What was the point of making powerful warriors if they couldn't handle something like this? When a single tree fell at the strength of the gargoyles tail, she yelped, turning away and toward the helicopter. No way would that crushed thing provide any form of protection... But, because of the crash all the oil spilled out. Even through the rain, the oil would provide fuel for a fire. Still, this beast was made of a stone...would it even harm him?

"Carriers...of the dark seed... Seed, where have I heard it before?" she said aloud, turning back toward the beast just in time to see a large tombstone headed their way. Before she could react, Van pushed her aside before dodging narrowly himself. Both landed on the muddy ground with an omph! Demetri quickly began crawling toward the wrecked helicopter, eager to find a small pouch she'd brought with her. If she was lucky, it may still be there, unharmed.

But, just as she reached the wreckage, the gargoyle grabbed Van, sending him flying into several tombstones. "Van!" she cried, forcing herself up onto her feet and making a mad dash toward the copter, her hands prying away pieces of metal and debris. "It's gotta be here!"

After run Van into a nearby tree, one still standing, the gargoyle proceeded towards Demetri, a deep growl emitting from its throat. In panic, th white haired girl crawled on top the wrecked helicopter and maneuvered toward the left toward a tree, where she then began to rapidly climb, But luck was fortunately on her side that very moment, because hanging from one of the branches was her missing pouch. "There!" The beast was fast approaching, his claws already dug into the base of the tree, ready to rip it straight from the ground. "Just a little further..." Demetri's arm was too short. She wouldn't be able to get it in time! With a powerful thrust, the gargoyle ripped the tree from the ground, sending it and Demetri flying, where she fell, cracking a rib on the way down.

"Argh!" she cried, holding her side. She could feel fresh blood coming from her nostrils...but, in her left hand, was the pouch. Inside was materia, something she had been saving for an emergency such as this. The small glowing ball melted into her unarmed hand and as Demetri struggled onto her knees, she sent out a powerful telekinetic wave that sent the gargoyle back a whole meter...giving her plenty of time to reach Van's side.

"Van! Van! Can you hear me? Van!" She gently shook him, her eyes darting quickly back and forth from him to the beast...

OOC: Heh...sorry the length! xD I got a bit carried away

Van stared at Demetri. He was shocked to learn that her mother had been taught the language of the ancients. He didn't think there was anyone left who had such knowledge since the language had been declared dead just like it's people. Van's attention however quickly shifted back up to the awakening gargoyle. The creature stretched out his muscular arms and chest. Van's heart beat was racing now. He didn't know what to expect from such a creature. He told Demetri before that true soldiers never retreated. However, under the circumstances he was beginning to think that such a policy should have loop holes. "Demetri...slowly...start backing up..." he whispered against her ear. The gargoyle's eyes flashed a bright shade of white as he jumped down from the tombstone. His claws sunk into the earth as his long tail began to sway slowly back and forth. "Carriers of the dark seed..." he growled again and let out a fearsome roar. "Messengers for the goddess of calamity..." he hissed out a low hate filled voice.

Van stared at the beast. If they broke into a run there was a chance at least one of them would make it. However, he was sure that sooner or later the creature would catch up. His brain began to process the words coming out from the gargoyle's mouth. "W-Wait...what are you talking about? We are SOLDIER! You have no right to disrupt our-" Van yelled, but quickly fell silent after the gargoyle knocked down a near by tree with a mere flick of his tail. "You trespass on the land of my master. I shall protect it!" he roared and sunk his claws around a near by tombstone. The slab had to weigh at least 500lbs, yet the gargoyle picked it up as if it were a child's toy. "Damnit..." Van spat as he pushed Demetri out of the way of the slab and jumped out of the way just in time. He was soon caught by the foot by the gargoyle and dragged right through several tombstones...

"Are you sure you're going to be alright, Van?" Demetri asked, furrowing her brows, a habit she seemed to do often. "You look terrible...." When she glanced away, her eyes landed on a single tombstone before her. She froze in place, eyes wide. "We landed...in a graveyard?" What luck they had... "Great. If we broke any, we'll have endless luck," she announced. But then, the thunder roared overhead, making Demetri jump in surprise. "Rain?" It was coming down in sleets, making it difficult to see, but not impossible.

A shiver raced down her spine, and Demetri found herself glancing behind her as if paranoia had suddenly grabbed hold. "I heard something," she confirmed, replying to Van. "I just don't know what." When Van slowly crept toward the tombstone with a large gargoyle, Demetri attentively followed. The closer the got, the more she could hear the heavy breathing....

"Cetra?" she exclaimed, leaning down to take a closer look. "My mother knew the language well... She had learned it from my grandmother while growing up. But why's it here?" But before any answer could be given a loud cracking noise came from the gargoyle and both soldiers lept backwards. Demetri was too busy looking at the once lifeless statue with fear of her own to notice the expression Van held.

"Enemy of my master...carrier of the dark seed...you defile holy ground..."

Instinctively, Demetri stepped forward, shielding Van with her good arm, just as she would have if her younger sister had been there. But despite such a bold action, it was clear she was afraid. "We didn't come here to make trouble..." she said softly. "Our plane...it...it crashed."

Van tried to stand up straight. He may have been in one piece, but his vision was blurry and the added blood running down his face didn't help. He sunk back down to his knees, his body nearly topping over as he fell. Van let out a few hard coughs. That would be the last time he ever flew a helicopter. He lifted his head and shifted his eyes to the right upon hearing the sound of Demetri's voice. "I dont know...I'm soon we'll find if when get back to HQ...assuming they dont shoot us on sight." Van laughed softly. His laughter was soon replaced by groans of pain though.

As he slowly rose to his feet, he made note of their location. They couldn't be too far from the city. As Van looked around he noticed that they had more or less crashed right into a cemetery. The soldier let out a deep a sigh and ran his bloody right hand through his hair. He had never been very lucky growing up, but this was just too much. "Hey...what kind of co-pilot are you by the way? Aren't you suppose to keep the pilot from doing stupid stuff?" Van sighed as he searched for his spear. When he found it, he used it as a crutch to walk with. "Well I guess we'll just have to walk to the city. It should be maybe a miles at the least. Come on, lets-" Van stated before it suddenly began to pour. This was great! First, they crashed into the middle of a cemetery and now it was raining! Van stared up at the sky. The only good thing about the rain was that it washed away the blood and oil. "Someone must really hate me..." Van thought to himself before his body suddenly jerked into an attack stance. Van's eyes quickly darted from left to right. He held his breath to magnify the noises around him. "Did you hear that? It sounded like...deep breathing..." Van whispered. His eyes continued to scan the area until they fell on a very tall tombstone covered in ivy. At the top sat a stone gargoyle. Van squinted at first. His senses must have been playing tricks on him. Slowly, he walked up to the tombstone and cleared some of the ivy away. "This...this is the old Cetra language right?" Van blinked. He hadn't a clue what the words meant, but he knew what the characters looked like.
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Suddenly, the sound of low breathing entered Van's ears again! He jumped back from the tombstone for the first time in years fear made a visual appearance within his eyes. It was crystal clear. The gargoyle was breathing! As the rain continued to pour harder and harder lightning tore across the sky! The sounds of thunder boomed throughout the cemetery! Slowly, Van noticed cracks running up alongside the gargoyle's face and down his body. It...It was like the creature was awakening from a long slumber. It was than that Van's heart began to race as the heavy breathing turned into groans, and the groans turned into words. "Enemy of my master...carrier of the dark seed...you defile holy ground..." came a dark growl from the gargoyles' lips. Suddenly, the stone casing surrounding the gargoyle shattered! The mighty beast rose up on his hind legs and let out a phantom light cry! Van gripped the handle of his spear as tightly as he could., He had thought he'd seen it all...he was wrong...
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Demetri was speechless. She didn't know what to make of Van's tone, nor did she want to. At this point she'd shared a brief glimpse of her past to him, which was more than enough to cross her comfort zone. Still, it needed to be done in order to gain some sort of 'trust' that would allow them to work together without issues.

When the helicopter began beeping, she scanned the small screen in front of Van for any indicators, but found none. Quirking an eyebrow she stared at him as his fingers flew over every possible button. "Have you actually driven one of these things before?" she asked, shaking her head nervously. "Van!" she cried seconds after her punched through two of the gauges. But just as quickly as the beeping stopped suddenly, the copter began to spiral downward, taking with it several large tree branches.

When Van emerged from the wreckage, Demetri was already on the other side trying to removed a medium sized piece of metal from her shoulder. It didn't appear she was quite as strong as Van, but her pain tolerance was most effective. Cringing, she finally removed the metal and let out a breath, holding her shoulder as blood ran down it. The good news was it was heal, the bad news was it would take at least a day...meaning if they ran into Sephiroth before it had time to heal, it could mean bad new for Demetri.

"Are you alright?" she asked suddenly, ripping a piece of cloth from her shirt and using it to wrap it around her wound. "Think Reno's got warranty on that thing?"

Van's face was completely blank. He stared at Demetri in disbelief. He had expected some kind of lecture about how what he was doing was wrong and such. Instead, it looked he actually had her support! She had even made a joke! A hard laugh came from Van's lips as he through his head back. He wouldn't admit it verbally, but maybe Demetri really was ok. When she turned serious however, so did Van. He listened to her story closely even though he had told her that he held no interest. From the sounds of it, she had never actually meant Sephiroth. However, he had impacted her life just the same. It was relief to know that she wouldn't hold back when the time came to fight Sephiroth, but Van was still worried. He was concerned if she had the ability to become a heartless monster.

For the next hour Van was dead silent. It wasn't until that the city lights of Junon appeared that he spoke. "I think that..." He whispered softly at first before clearing his throat. "Well...even though part of believes...and desperately wants to do this on my own...I cant. Even though admitting that to you disturbs me deeply....very deeply...I guess there's nothing I can do, but embrace the truth. To be perfectly honest with you...I dont give a damn who you show mercy to as long as it doesn't cause problems. Fight how you wish...just make sure that it doesn't get in my way." Van stated and in a surprisingly sincere tone of voice. There wasn't even a trace of harshness in his words which was a pretty big deal considering the type of person Van was. There just might have been hope for the two of them. Unfortunately, fate had no such plans. Only a few seconds after Van had finished speaking a loud siren like beeping went off. Van, who had never flown a helicopter until now, pushed every single button he could to make the beeping stop. Unfortunately, as his temper rose things quickly went from bad to worse.

"SHUT UP!!!!" Van screamed as he cocked his fist back and drove it right between two gauges on the helicopter. The good news was the beeping stopped. The bad news was that the rotor controlling the helicopter's lift slowly began to stop spinning. "Oh shit..." Van blinked and looked over at Demetri. "Um...hehe...I think that beeping sound meant we were low on fuel...and...I think I may have broke the chopper..." Van smiled nervously. Suddenly, the helicopter dropped! Van did his best to give them a 'smooth' crashing landing, but ended up hitting several trees on their way down. When the dust cleared the helicopter was laying on upside down on its back. The scent of oil and gas filled the air as Van very slowly climbed out. Blood was running freely down the left side of his face and both his arms. It was a good thing that the shirna scientist had built his body like tank. He'd be dead if not for their experiments...

Demetri looked Van straight in the eye as he spoke, her expression unreadable. True as it was that she came off more as a humanitarian but beneath the kinder surface, people were meaningless to her. It was pointless, unreasonable death that bothered her. After being betrayed so many times in the past, Demetri had learned to shield herself, to fake caring for others only to survive. After all, why would she have a reason to trust after her own parents had allowed Shinra to take her and her sister? Still, even with Van's words, she remained silent for the time being.

Upon the arrival at HQ, Demetri's guard went up, those piercing eyes of hers glancing every which way, her tongue lightly clicking against the roof of her mouth. Somehow, despite her odd quirks, she still seemed so professional...if not rather annoying with her clicking noises. But, it was hardly a quirk, but rather a tactic she learned from another SOLIDER right before they perished during the last set of experiments. By clicking her tongue, she sent out sound waves, which then bounced back allowing her to gather a feel for whether anyone was up ahead. It was much how a bat uses sonar.

When they approached the entrance, two guards confronted them... She stepped aside, allowing Van to dispose of them before heading toward a helicopter she recalled being Reno's. Smirking, she climbed aboard, looking over Van's shoulder as he scribbled down his message and tossed it overboard. "Carrotop?" she quested. "I'd say he looks more like a radish, personally!" she said with a sarcastic laugh. "Well, we'd better leave before Reno discovers we've taken his copter."

As they took to the air, leaving the Turk guards behind, Demetri leaned back, allowing the wind coming in from the left to blow through her hair. But, once out of site, she turned to Van. her expression turning serious.

"Van...make no mistake of underestimating me," she said softly. "You may not care to hear my life story...so I'll keep out minor details and tell you only what's important. Because of Sephiroth, my own parents gave me and my younger sister to Shinra. My parents were killed off, to keep their silence...my younger sister, dead due to the experiments. Because of Shinra, to Sephiroth, I have no one left that means anything to me. I may not have chosen this life and I may spare others due to my beliefs, but the only way to gain my sense of freedom, is to destroy Sephiroth and end this madness." She turned toward the window and gazed out, becoming silent for a moment. "You do not have to worry about me holding you back when Sephiroth is involved, Van. Friends or not, I value you as a partner because without you, this mission might as well be a failure."

Demetri had made the right choice. Had she not acted when she did Van would have cast a lightning spell to fry all of the outlaws. His eyes moved between the trapped outlaws and Demetri. The only reason he wasn't cursing her for getting in his way was because this was her action would save them some time. With a small sigh, Van continued on behind Demetri at first but soon found himself walking beside her. "Listen...I get the feeling that you're one of those 'justice is the path to pure life' type people...but let me give you some advice. Out here...whether its Midgar or the god forsaken north...its dog eat dog. You need to be aware of that because as you are now...I can honestly say that you wont last two seconds against Sephiroth." Van stated, his tone rough even though it wasn't his intention to insult her. He began walking ahead of her now. He had just told her the honest truth. Sephiroth was brutal. Having compassion would make one an easy target. To slay the beast you would have to become one, or at least thats how Van saw it.

When they reached HQ, Van walked straight up to elevator number 6. He entered and signaled Demetri to do the same. When they got the 15th floor however they found themselves greeted by two Turk guards. "You two lost?" one of the blinked. "What are you soldier pussies doing here?" another one grinned. "I'm here to pick something up." Van smirked before thrusting his fist right into one of the guard's face! Before the other guard could scream for help Van grabbed him, but him in a choke hold, and kept him there until he passed out. "Lets go." Van smiled. He took out every single guard on their way through the halls and up the stairs just like some kind of freaky one man army. When they finally reached the top Van opened the door and there sitting before them was a helicopter that was in the process of being refueled by a few robots. Van jumped into the drivers seat. On the dash was a paper note that read, 'property of Reno'. "Do you think carrot top will mind if we jack his ride?" Van grinned before taking out a pin. He wrote IOU on the back of the note before tossing it outside.

"HEY YOU! Get out of there!!!!" Came the screams of several guards carry rifles. It didn't matter if Van was a member of soldier, he couldn't just steal a helicopter...let alone Reno's helicopter! As the soldiers began to fire Van strapped on his helmet and turned on his radio. With a hard jerk of the controls, the helicopter rose from the ground and flew off into the night. Van looked like he was having the time of his life. He didn't look the least bit worried about the backlash that would come from stealing Shinra property...

OOC: I'm not entirely sure why I bounce back and forth from two accounts XD I know a few people who do it too, but mainly I think I get bored with a single account and having two just makes me less tempted to continuously (and annoyingly) change my username constantly haaaa.

IC: Why would Sephiroth go to Junon? Sighing, she rubbed her temples, trying to fight the eager headache that approached. "Van...what exactly does this mean?" she asked. "What's in Junon that would interest Sephiroth? It's size? A particular person?" Slowly she turned away, moving toward the right to avoid a dead rat, cringing as her eyes laid eyes on the tiny corpse. Such filth. Despite being trained as a SOLDIER, Demetri knew nothing of their target's motives. Van on the other hand, he seemed hellbent on finding him, going as far as senseless killing. Did Van have a personal vendetta against Sephiroth? It made sense, but she wasn't about to pry into the subject.

She paused when they reached the entrance of the pub, her brow making a delicate arch as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Back to HQ...? For what?" But, just as her words entered the air, a group of outlaws. She stepped back, fists at her hips, slightly raised.

Unfortunately, Demetri agreed with the outlaws viewpoint on SOLDIER. As a child growing up, she absolutely hated anything concerning Shinra. But now, she worked for them, whether by choice or not, she wasn't certain if she should fight these outlaws. It didn't feel right to her. Maybe a distraction, she thought. Van would likely kill these men then simply injure and move on...

Demetri had no time to think. Quickly she stepped in front of Van and her hands, for a third time that night, ignited with raging flames. She attempted to be careful, but making a barrier of fire was more difficult than she thought considering the amount of liquor and oil stains that soaked the street. Still, a wall of flame emerged, cutting off any route the outlaws had toward them.

"C'mon. They aren't worth it," Demetri said cooly, tossing her hair back, acting as though it weren't a big deal. "It's probably more aggravating to know their target got away rather than being dead," she said softly. "That fire will last a good while. They'll all be wallowing in their own anger."

ooc: Ok thats cool, but why do you have 2 accounts?

ic: Van's eyes widened! He stared at Demetri in disbelief. So she DID have a cruel side. Maybe they would make better partners than what he thought. After being threatened the man finally caved in and told them everything he knew. It turned out that he had in fact personally seen Sephiroth heading towards Junon, the second largest city next to Midgar. It seemed that Sephiroth planned to catch a boat heading towards the eastern continent. "See, now was that hard?" Van smiled as he gave the man a very hard pat on the back that nearly knocked him over. "Lets go." he smirked and quickly rose from his seat. As they walked Van was already formulating plans on how to get to Junon. "Walking will take too long and I dont own any vehicles so..." he thought to himself, his smirk growing ever so wider. "We're going to head back to HQ. There's something I wanna pick up." Van smiled back at Demetri. Once they came out of the pub though they found themselves surround by a group of outlaws. "Soldier has no business in these parts." one of the men stated as he spat at Van's feet. Van hung his head and let out a deep sigh. "Why me? Why every time something goes right distractions just pop up???" he groaned. The outlaws began to slowly close in on them, one of which had a large gatling gun mounted on his right arm. He took aim ready to tear both Demetri and Van apart.

OOC: Oh, and this account is my second one, just fyi (:

For a moment, Demetri almost felt pity for the man. But she knew better than to trust the words of a liar, to assume that simply because you help them, they will help you out.

Sighing softly, she shook her head, putting her hands up in defense. “Sorry. No can do.” When the panic rose in the man’s eyes, his throat leaking small whimpers…she quirked a brow, seemingly unamused by the display before her. “If you wish to avoid pain or suffering of any kind, you would do best to answer the questions directed toward you…or,” as if to force her point across, her hands lit up with fire and instantly the man’s eyes grew wide, “you face consequence for lying.”

Still, the man remained a pile of stuttering words, likely due to severe fear.

“Listen,” she began, moving in close and pushing Van aside, gripping the man by the throat. “Do you realize how dangerous Sephiroth is? Our mission is to find and eliminate him…and if you hinder us any further we will create a world very similar to hell for you.”

It was strange to see Demetri go from irritated to straight up lethal, and yet she was effective. No wonder she survived those brutal experiments. She was a fighter, and quite a vicious one at that.

“So, will you cooperate now?” she asked, a soft whimsical laugh escaping her, yet her cerulean hues remained deadly. “Or shall Van demonstrate what kind of pain we can inflict on you?”

ooc: nice one =D

ic: Van had turned to watch Demetri deal with drunk, but only for a moment. When she called out to him he continued to make his way through the crowded hallway. When they finally reached the bar, Van paused and turned to her. This life is filled with scum like that. Its how people live. WE dont have time to save every single poor soul. Life is what you make it. If that girl was so desperate to escape...she should have ended it. Only in death are you free from what torments you." Van replied softly. The sad part was he actually believed every word that came out from his mouth. The violence of his past had turned an upbeat into the man he was now. There wasn't much of a chance that Van's views on life would change either. Sephiroth was to be thanked for that.

Sighing softly, Van looked around. His eyes scanned the crowded bar until he found his contact sitting at a lone table. Once Van found him he moved in like a lion approaching a wounded baby animal. "Mr. Smith its been some time." he smirked while placing a firm grip on the man's shoulder. The man face turned white as he spat out his beer. "V-Van...hehe I thought...you were out of town..." he smiled. A twisted grin formed on Van's lips as he slowly shook his head. "Tsk tsk...now you know we have business. Why would I leave hm?" Van smiled before grabbing a seat for himself. He stared Mr Smith right in the eyes. The old man was starting to sweat. His eyes shifted from left to right looking for a way out. "Mr. Smith. You look troubled. Something wrong?" Van asked as he signaled a waitress to bring him a beer. "Oh...yeah this is my partner too." he stated with a shurg of shoulders.

"Please...I dont know anything, I swear! Just...Just let me go please?" The old man whispered. What he got in return was silence while Van chugged his beer. Once he was done, he licked his lips and ordered another. "I'm telling you! I dont know where Sephiroth is! Why would I know?" Smith cried, his body shaking. Once again, Van didn't say a single word, at least not until his second beer came. "Mr. Smith...do you enjoy hockey?" Van asked. The old man stared at him in disbelief. "Um...no...not really..." he mumbled. "Well thats a shame. You see...I'm not the one you need to be afraid of. You see..." Van smirked and took a moment to sip his beer. "If it were up to me, I would have cut an arm off for the first lie you told me. Mr Smith...you know how I feel about lying dont you?" Van asked as he sat back in his seat. The poor old man looked like he was going to have a heart attack. He looked over towards Demetri for any help. "Y-Young lady...please...I really...I really dont know anything!"

OOC: I finally found a picture I thought suited Demetri quite well (cause I had envisioned her with white hair... I was just worried I wouldn't be able to find one lol)

IC: Demetri followed, maintaining her distance from Van. She made no effort to decipher his emotions, his reasoning behind such a cold layout, mainly because she believed he was just a terrorized inside as she was. It was how he dealt with it that made their personalities so different. Prostitutes whined and begged, flashing everyone and anything that passed by. Demetri kept her gaze forward, eyeing the signs on older buildings, memorizing the layout and storing it within her brain. Anything to distract herself from the terrible display around her.

When Van entered a pub, she hesitated, quirking a brow before following. How had Midgar become so tainted? It saddened her to see such filth crawling around, children scrounging for scraps, this life the only thing they’ve ever known. Following Van further down into the deep, darker corridors, Demetri practically held her breath from the retching stench that assaulted her nostrils. Still, she remained silent…until a young woman came spilling out of a room, disheveled. For a moment, all she could do was stare, surprised…but quickly anger turned a foot the second Van snarled, pushing the pitiful woman aside…

Slurred, angry words echoed out, calling toward the woman…two, meaty hands roughly pulling and prodding at the woman’s thin frame. Some people chose this lifestyle…while others were forced. Demetri could see no signs that this woman believed this life could provide anything for her, regret that often pooled from their drug filled eyes… No, this woman was terrified…confused…desperate to get out. She glanced at Van, his back facing her, and she took an opportunity to glare before her right hand ignited with fire.

“Hey, you…” she called. The drunken man looked at her, his eyes glazed over from god-knows what. “Release her. Now.”

“An…and w-whs ifi don’t?” he slurred. Demetri could barely make out his words; meaning arguing was hardly worth the effort. Instead, she flicked a small mound of fire at his wrist, making him cry out and release the woman upon the instinct of pain. Quickly the woman flew forward, scrambling to take cover behind Demetri.

“This woman is not worth your time,” she spoke. “Leave her be.” Slowly, angrily, the man sauntered back into the darkened room. Before she could turn, the woman was already scrambling for the exit, too terrified even for simple thanks. Either way, Demetri felt better knowing she managed to help at least one lost soul…but whether the effort was worth it…well, the woman’s future actions would provide the answer.

“Van,” she hissed suddenly. “Why didn’t you help that woman?” Even with this hellish nightmare of becoming apart of SOLDIER, Demetri swore to herself that no matter how much anger filled her heart, she would not abandoned her love and hope she had toward humanity… If only Van felt the same way.

Van's eyes shot towards the sound of the shot. He rolled and quickly took cover within the shadows of the alleyway. "From that angel...he could be anywhere within a mile radios. If he wanted us dead, we would be." he mumbled and slowly came out of hiding. Before leaving though, he decided to search the dead man's body for any information. It would have been normal had the man had money, id, or papers of some sort, but the man had none of these things. Van slowly rose to his feet, his eyes narrowed slightly. There weren't many who would dare to interrupt official soldier business which meant that there only a few possibilities. "Either...command is watching to make sure that their experiment goes well...or" he mumbled and turned back towards where the shot had come from once more. There was a certain stench in the air that only came from one group of people.

"Well...whatever. Lets just hurry and get to the pub." Van sighed before grabbing his spear and leading the way. He placed the concerned of the sniper within the back of his head. They were already late and for all he knew his contact had left. When they reached the pup, at first it looked just like any normal bar. The scent of booze and cigar smoke filled the building. Van walked right up to the barkeep and slammed a small sack of gil onto the table. "Monkeys to Ashes, Lemurs to Dawn." he stated. The barkeep simply stared at him before shaking his head and holding out his hand. "What...you want more?" Van blinked. Suddenly, his right eye began to twitch. Van had half a mind to take out the entire building. As he ground his teeth together, he slid another sack of gil onto the counter. The barkeep grinned and pulled a lever behind the counter. A pathway leading downstairs suddenly opened up and Van quickly headed down the stairs. "Remind me to kill him once we're done here." Van growled, his fists tightening as he walked.

When they reached the lower level they entered a world even darker than the one before. The real cutthroats of the slums could be found here. All eyes seemed to follow the two soldiers as they walked down a long hallway that led to another bar area. On each side of the hall were several doors. The sounds of moans and screams of pleasure could be heard coming from inside. Suddenly, one of the doors came flying open! Out from the door came a half dressed young girl, no older than Van. She ended up running right into him and collapsed by his feet. "Please...save me..." she begged. "Yer get...yer...ass...back...yer..." came the grumbles of a very fat man. His breath reeked so badly of booze that it seemed toxic. The girl clung to Van's feet. He now had a choice. He could either save her or ignore her. To the girl's horror, she was kicked aside by Van! He continued to walk as if he hadn't even noticed her! The drunk took the opportunity to grab the girl by the arm and began yanking her back into the room. Demetri now had the same choice. She could save the girl or leave her to her fate...

OOC: Gotcha ;D

IC: The man struggled to free himself, but suddenly forced himself to remain still when Demetri ignited the flames once more. Her eyes narrowed, examining his face carefully...mesmerizing it, trying hard to remember if she'd even seen this man before. Somehow he looked familiar, but no matter how she tried, she just couldn't bring up why.

"Who...do you work for?" she inquired, tilting her head to the side. "What purpose did you have following me...to record my every move."

"I-I..." The man couldn't get a single sentence out. His eyes kept flickering back to the electricity emitting from Van's hand. "I-I..."

"Spit it out!" she demanded, making the circle of fire become smaller around him. "You aren't in any--" But, just as Demetri began speaking, a gunshot of some sort went off and the man in their presence went limp....a bullet running straight through his head, killing him instantly. Demetri backed off and turned on her heels, trying to catch any sight of another person, but found none. A sniper of some sort? "I don't like the looks of this..." she said, mainly to herself. "C'mon, let's get out of here. Lead the way."

The sooner they got out of there, the better....

ooc: No no thats just "Van's" interpretation. He's not what you call social lol

ic: "Poor baby." Van smiled as the materia retreated back into his hand. He cared very little for her life story or anyone else's for that matter. She'd soon learn that Van was not above killing who he deemed to be a threat. He had sold his soul to the devil so why not get some use from the deal? He could tell that working with Demetri wasn't going to be easy by any means. He only hoped that her fighting ability showed some promise.

Shortly after frying the first victim those who had been hiding fled. Demetri was right about one thing, they had been small fry. Sighing softly, he followed her while looking down at his watch. His contact wouldn't be available for very long. Van crossed his arms as he walked up towards Demetri's side. His eyes scanned the man who she held pinned to the wall. "Lets wrap this up. We have places to be." he grunted before shifting his eyes down to the ground. He picked up the camera and hit the rewind button. "Hmm this guy's been watching since you got to the park. Could he be a former lover of yours?" Van chuckled and cracked his knuckles. He found that often the best way to get information was the beat the living daylights out of the person being interrogated. "You better start talking. Unlike her...I dont play nice." he smirked and cracked his knuckles again. This time, sparks of electricity shot out and flowed around his left hand.

OOC: She's not panicking, btw lol

IC: "These aren't locals I'm talking about," Demetri said dryly. "These are professional; those hired to kill." She hardly enjoyed his comment about cowering, but remained steady and eased her temper. "There's a different between cowering and gaining the upper hand." Why did she expect him to listen? This boy was...so foolish, so...irritating, she decided. He spoke about staying to fight, that a SOLDIER did not run. This was not a world she wished to live in, she would not bend herself to the way of a warrior like they wanted.

"Unlike you," she began. "I did not choose this life. I will do what I must to survive...you however, may die for whatever reason you'd like." Demetri had no intention of letting herself get killed off so easily... She still had an unfinished score to settle with the bastards that made her into such a monster! But, as Demetri turned to leave...to locate the real problem...Van's body lit up with an electrical current, sending bolts every which way...one hitting a man and destroying him entirely. Gritting her teeth, she could feel her anger rise. "Killing without cause is by far one of the more foolish things I've seen since becoming a SOLDIER. Our quarrel is with Sephiroth, not petty lowlifes!"

She turned on her heels and began down the darkened ally. her fists curled tightly. It would be quite a task to work with Van, something she did not look forward to in the least bit. As she neared the end of the ally, she stopped and pressed herself against the left wall, listening carefully. She could hear a small clicking...like a camera of some sort... Quickly she darted from the ally, a burst of flame erupting from her hands and nailing a figure hidden, clothed in a special uniform. She had no intention of killing him just yet...

"Tell me... Why were you watching us?" she asked, smirking. "Did you truly believe you could get by without either noticing you?"

The man grunted, glaring at Demetri. The small camera he had been using was lying on the ground, a small red light blinking....

Van blinked twice as she began to move. He followed slowly, but stopped all together as she began to panic. "My god...look around you. We're in the middle of the slums...of coarse we're being watched." He growled and slowly shook his head from side to side. How the hell had such a girl survived the experiments? She must had gotten by on luck. Than again, Van doubted that was the case. No one could be that lucky.

Van's eyes slowly shifted from side to side. He was on a very tight schedule. They needed to get to the pub to meet his contact as soon as possible. "SOLDIERS dont run...regardless of the numbers. There is one way, but to fight." he stated and twirled his spear around a few times. "You cower like a frightened lamb if you wish." he smirked as he clutched the pole of his spear with his left hand. His right hand tightened forming a fist and forcing a dark glowing orb to to appear within his palm. "If you want to exterminate a rat colony...you must first give them reason to surface..." Van grinned maliciously. Suddenly, his body jerked towards the shadows where one of their followers were hiding. Without a second of hesitation, Van unleashed a wicked bolt of lightning from his palm! The bolt tore through the man frying his inner organs till smoke bellowed out from his mouth, nose, and eye sockets. The man fell to his knees, his body limp. The few people that were causally walking by said nothing. Death was common in the slums. Besides, Van and Demetri were on official Shinra business. They both held a license to kill. Like all 1st class SOLDIER's, Van carried three Materia. He had one located within the palm of his right hand, another in his left, and one implanted into his right shoulder. Besides Lightning, he also carried HP-Plus, and Slash-All