Chapter Text
Genesis scowled as he placed a hand to shade his eye from the bright sun that was aggravating his headache. The throbbing in his head was making the pain in his shoulder worse and causing his temper to flare. He had forced himself to take a brief walk before he lit the Soldier 2nds on fire for their incompetence and left the group with orders to finish setting up the camp for the night.
The forests of Wutai had towering trees with long thin branches that were nothing like the thick white trees of Banora and the wind here brought a chill that cut through to Genesis bone. He was certain a part of that was because of the degradation but it did nothing to help his mood as he absolutely hated being cold, and not even the mastered Fire Materia could chase this cold away.
With the thoughts of Banora, it always brought forward the thoughts of Angeal. Genesis pulled out his PHS with a sigh and flipped it open to stare at the dark screen. He was tempted to contact Angeal but knew the signal wouldn’t reach and the communications tent back was at the camp he was avoiding at the moment.
There was a brief deep thundering sound that came from the sky and Genesis grunted as he spotted the dark grey clouds that were swiftly moving across the sky. He weighed his mood against the thought of getting rained on and swiftly turned on a heel to head back. He could attempt to get a brief nap in his tent.
Camp was in better shape that when he left and several 2nds that were in the know glanced his direction as he slightly shook his head. They were waiting for his orders to deflect and head towards Hollanders lab but the plan was to wait a few more days as they convinced a few others to join. Right now, about half the group would follow him but he needed all of them if he was to have a chance that Hollander would cure this cursed degradation.
Not that he trusted the mad scientist, but desperation calls for a decision to be made, even if it may turn to be deadly. If Angeal were to start to show signs of degradation before he could fashion a cure…
“Commander Rasphodos.” A helmeted 2nd rushed forward towards him and Genesis turned towards him as he was saluted. “You have a request from President Shinra in the communications tent, he wants an update.”
Genesis rolled his eyes and turned to head towards the tent that was in the center of the camp. “It can wait. I am in desperate need for rest.” Genesis hissed as he waved his good hand over his shoulder at the stunned 2nd. “Tell him it is War. If he wanted us to waltz to the capital like a stroll through a field of flowers as his propaganda declares, they he should have sent more Soldiers.”
Genesis left the stunned man behind just as he reached his tent and was about to push open the flap when he felt a flare of magic that caused him to snap his head back to glance over the camp.
Everything seemed the same as his walk through. Several Soldiers gathered around small pits eating or playing cards between the tents. There was the few that were on duty and patrolling around the perimeter to keep an eye out for Wutai fighters. Not that Genesis expected an attack so early in the day. Wutai Fighters tended to prefer sneak attacks in the dead of night to catch the Soldiers off guard and was the reason they had move the last camp.
None of the other Soldiers were on alert beyond what was expected of a war zone while Genesis tugged his jacket a bit closer. That chill in his bones was back and the pain tugged at his mind but he pushed it away. That was a large source of Mana that he just felt and it felt like it was directly near him. A spell was being cast and with the magic that was surging it was a spell that was greater than any one person could cast.
“Alert!” Genesis called as all the Soldiers stood up and glanced around for the attack and he pulled his own sword free just as the first drop of rain fell directly in front of him.
“Commander?” One man asked as Genesis twisted and turned trying to track the source of magic. He cast a Sence over everyone in the camp and frowned as he didn’t see anything out of the normal. Genesis winced as his shoulder tugged at the wound before snapping his head directly up at the heavy thunderclouds that were directly above them.
Deciding that was where the building magic was from his face went pale as he realized the clouds formed a perfect circle in the sky, there were spots where he could see clear bright blue sky at the edge of the circle with a swirling mass forming in the center of the circle. It was slightly off center but still covered the camp and all the Solders within.
He yanked out a green orb of Materia from his pocket just as a wall of rain fell down like a blanket over the camp and soaked everyone in seconds. “Barriers Now!” He shouted and heard the order passed along. Before he could put a barrier over the area around him his eyes spotted a bright golden speck in the sky.
With his enhanced eyes he could make out a human form falling from the sky. The golden color he spotted was a head of hair while the rest of the man was clad in a black ensemble. No person from Wutai he had seen ever had golden hair as they tended to have straight black hair but still, he couldn’t discredit an attack and rushed across the ground to where the man was falling.
Even with his Degradation he was still the strongest here and if this man was the source of the large source of magic, then they needed a first class there to stop the massacre before it began. The man crashed to the ground before he could reach the area just outside of camp and the collision sent up a wave of dust and air that pushed back the rain for a moment.
Genesis skidded to a stop a few feet away from the man who was laying back first on the ground with his arms wrapped around a dark bundle. Genesis took a moment to look over the man. He was smaller than even the newest 3rd class soldiers before they had mako treatments. His clothing had similarities to that of a Soldier uniform but only just as Genesis had never seen one with a wolf emblem like that or without the shoulder pauldrons. The man’s eyes were closed and yet Genesis could clearly see the mako glow beyond the closed lids. His arms were wrapped tightly around a black bundle that was held tightly to his chest in a way that suggested the man tried to protect it from the fall.
The bundle in the golden-haired man’s arms moved and what looked like a black blanket was push aside by small hands leaving Genesis shocked as a small head with shoulder length hair popped out of the fabric.
“I can’t breathe!” a squeaky voice shouted from the freed head before a hand pushed the head out of the way and tossed the fabric to the side.
A second small head with long hair pushed the smaller one out of the way with a fierce scowl. “Move Kadaj!” he hissed rolling out of the still unconscious mans arms and into a muddy puddle. “Egh!”
“Where are we?” a muffled voice called from the still wriggling fabric as a foot kicked out and nearly hit the first kid that was sitting on the blonde’s chest starring at the blonds face with a small frown.
“Watch it!” The first kid called with a hiss before turning away from the blond and grabbing the foot to yank the third kid free from the fabric revealing a short haired kid that was the largest of the bunch. The oldest looking kid glanced around and paused on Genesis before his eyes fell to the blond that was still on the ground.
Genesis could feel the shock of the Soldiers behind him even as his sword slowly lowered, no longer pointing at what couldn’t have been an enemy but still on alert. Genesis might not ever attack a child but all three children had a mako shine to them and if they attacked first, he would defend.
“Brother?” The smallest one asked poking the blond in the chest before poking at the blonde’s face. There was no response from the man.
“Is he dead?” The largest asked kicking the man in the side hard enough to jolt the man. The blond let out a huff of air as his eyes snapped open revealing a mako shine that would rival any 1st class Soldier.
“He’s alive” The long-haired one muttered with an even voice as if he didn’t care as he glared up at the sky and rain. The rain that was slowing to a sprinkle as the blond glanced up in wide eye shock at the three kids standing over him.
Genesis eyed the blond for a moment when it was clear the blond wasn’t going to get up before focusing on the three children. Three children with sharp features and metallic silver hair that was just like that of a certain general. Three children that all showed signs of mako in their green eyes. He himself glanced up at the sky in shock.
What in the name of the Goddess?