Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Legend of the Final Materia ❯ Chapter 53

Chapter 53

A shrieking cry spread throughout the Shin Ra headquarters, making anyone who heard it shudder in horror. Scarlet rubbed her arms and looked up. "What the hell was that??"

Reno began punching buttons on the security system. "Damn it!!!" He punched the board when the cameras wouldn't focus. "Who the hell made this shit like this??"

Sephiroth shoved Reno out the way and spat; "It's a miracle you made it into the Turks!!!" He punched a series of buttons until the camera in Hojo's Laboritory came into perfect focus. "Well, well, well, what do we have here??" He waved Seifer over, "You! Take your girlfriend to the lab and check it out."

Quistis looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes, "Her again..." She spat, clearly showing her jealousy, "What is it with you when it comes to her??" She threw her hands in the air; "You lose your mind or something when she's around!!"

Scarlet looked up a bit amused. "Better watch it honey, green is not a good color for you."

Quistis spat, "Like red suits you any better??"

Reeve spoke up, interrupting the eminent catfight. "Ladies, need I remind you that we have work to do, not to mention an execution to be carried out." He leaned against the desk and glanced between Scarlet and Quistis. "This is no time to be acting like a couple of high school girls."

"I say we execute her when Seifer returns with her. She's no use to us and has caused us so many headaches." Quistis took a few steps and stood next to Sephiroth.

Scarlet chuckled, "You would like that wouldn't you? To be rid of all obstacles that stand in the way of you getting what you want." She stood up and slinked her way towards Sephiroth and Quistis. "Why not. The public has waited long enough." She reached down towards the intercom button to Hojo's Laboritory and spoke. "Oh Seifer, be a dear and bring Shukera to me. We have decided to move her execution up."

Seifer stood in the security monitor and nodded, "Fine by me!!"

Scarlet watched as Seifer and Fujin took Shukera by each arm and escorted her out of the lab. A devious grin crept across Scarlet's face as she thought about what she had planned for the girl.

Seifer guided Shukera to the elevator where they ran into Selphie and her group.

Selphie stomped her foot as she snapped, "Where are you taking Shukera?? You let her go now or we will make you!!!"

Irvine pointed his rifle at Seifer. "I won't think twice about pulling this trigger. Let Shukera go!!"

Seifer smirked, "Well, well, well, if it isn't my old friends. It's good to see you guys, but I can't let the girl go. I have to bring her to the ones in charge. They are waiting for her. If you wish to know what's going to happen with her, come with us."

Raijin folded his arms. "We are going to stop you before you are able to bring her, ya know!" He lifted his staff and stood in battle stance, ready to attack. "This ends now Seifer, ya know!!!"

Zell followed Raijin's lead and balled his hands into fists. "That's right!! You're stupidity ends now!!" He punched the air.

Seifer laughed, "I see old habits are hard to die, Chicken Wuss!"

Yuffie swung her shrunken to her shoulder. "No one insults Zell!! I will fight you too!!"

Seifer held his arms to his side, "Now I say this is hardly fair. So many against two people." He swung his gunblade and pointed it at them. "But with your ability to fight, I say we are just about even."

"That won't be necessary." The raven-haired girl walked up, still looking as if she were in a trance and behind her stood Squall. "No one is going to be fighting anyone here. The girl, they are waiting for her."

Seifer waved his gunblade, "Yeah, but I have been delayed as you can see." He motioned to Selphie's group and smirked, "These imbeciles came to save the girl." He moved behind Shukera and held the gunblade to her throat. "If you don't back off, I'm gonna kill her."

Selphie shouted, "Shukera!!! Beat him!! I know you can!!!"

Shukera lowered her head as much as she could and whispered, "Do as he says. Let…them pass. I know what's to become of me." She moved away from Seifer and stepped into the elevator. "Do not stop the inevitable, there's nothing you can do."

Seifer stepped past Selphie and joined Shukera in the elevator along with Fujin. Squall stepped on with Rinoa and glanced at Selphie's group. "If you try to follow, we will have no choice but to kill you."

Seifer laughed, "Hey why spoil the fun?? Let them come and watch the show. They will have the best seats in the house!!" The doors slid shut and the elevator began to climb upwards.

Selphie cried, "I'm going to follow them!! Shukera has accepted her death…but I'm not going to let her do it!!! We have to stop her!!"

Yuffie nodded, "Selphie's right, we have to stop this foolishness!! I say we storm the office and take her back from them!!!"

Raijin walked to the elevator, "All we have to do is wait for the elevator to return, ya know. I have a feeling we will be welcomed, ya know."

Just as Raijin expected the elevator returned and the doors opened. Raijin pointed to it, "So what are we waiting for??"

Nanaki walked up behind them, "If we don't stop her, she won't be able to use the materia and destroy Shin Ra for good!!"

Selphie rushed to Nanaki in surprise, "Did you find Aerith?? Please tell me she's all right! Without her…Shukera doesn't have a chance. She has accepted her death already…and I fear that we may be too late!"

Nanaki shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry…we couldn't find them. Then its up to us to save Shukera and make her realized what she's doing is crazy."

Zell and Raijin boarded the elevator as Raijin spat, "So what the hell we waiting for?? Let's take Seifer up on the invitation, ya know!!"

Nanaki silently boarded the elevator, his grief shown obviously on his face. Selphie bounced up after Nanaki and patted his head. "Heyyyyyy you have given up on Aerith, haven't you?? I can't believe you would do that so easily!! Without a body, how can you be so sure she's gone??"

Yuffie joined them and smiled, "She's right you know. Aerith came back from Sephiroth's strike; I don't think she's going to go down that easily."

Selphie pressed the button after she turned from Nanaki. The doors closed and slowly the elevator rose to the president's office. A deep anxiety settled over them, making the seconds pound away with each heartbeat. Finally the elevator stopped and the doors slid open.

The group was met by a small group of soldiers that surrounded the elevator, swords pointed at them as they stepped off. Selphie glanced at Irvine and frowned. "This might be a problem."

Before Irvine could say anything, the blonde clad in her slinky red dress greeted them. "Hello, welcome to Shin Ra Headquarters. You're just in time for the show." She motioned for them to join the others. "Please do come in. As you can see you will not be alone."

The group was forced to join Harris and the other 5 Soldiers who helped Shukera. Along the opposite wall, Cloud, T-seng, and Elena were held against their will, forced to watch the events that were about to take place. They were quickly subdued after their attack on the office.

"My we have many guests today. I'm pleased that you could join us. It's so rarely that we have guests and since this is a rather special occasion, I wish to make you all feel welcomed."

Harris spat, "Yeah right, as if we believe that!! What have you done with Shukera??"

Scarlet walked up to him and smiled, "You shall find out soon enough." Her hips swayed as she took her place in the middle of the room. "Why rush the entertainment?? Are you that anxious to see her die?? And here I thought she had great friends." She casually smoothed out the wrinkles of her dress and faced her audience once again. "Now where should I begin?? Of course you all know the guest of honor." She waved her hand.

As if on cue Seifer dragged Shukera out from the shadows. Her hands were bound behind her and her feet were chained. Not wanting to face her friends, she kept her head lowered as she was forced on the floor at Scarlet's feet.

Selphie shouted, "SHUKERA!!! DON'T DO THIS!!!!"

Elena added, "Come on Shukera, get up!!! Fight them!!!"

Shukera kept her head lowered and ignored the pleas from her friends. This was the sentence she accepted for all the things she had done in her past, all in Shin Ra's name.

Scarlet laughed, "Her fight back?? Come now, she knows as well as you that she has no chance of escape, so why bother??" She glared down at Shukera as she spat, "So this is the big brave female Soldier, ex-commander. She doesn't look like much to me."

Quistis looked on, completely amused by the display of humility Scarlet was putting on. Shukera deserved every moment of it, so she believed. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Sephiroth. He shown no reaction to what was happening, but that bothered her in a way.

Seifer shouted, "She don't look like much to me either!!" He threw his head back and laughed; only to be chastised by one of Fujin's threatening looks. He shook his head and looked away from Fujin.

Rinoa remained in her trance like state, unaware of the events going on around her. Her eyes fixed upon Shukera's form on the floor. Squall stood silently as he looked on. This little show of Scarlet's had nothing to do with him so he stayed out of it. Soon it would be over and they could move on with what ever was next.

Scarlet glared at Shukera as she continued, "Well I might as well give you the list of charges against you." She held her hand out and Quistis gave her a sheet of paper. "Now, where should we begin?? First, you humiliated your commander by disregarding your orders, acting on your own regardless of what he said about it. You defiled your duty as a Soldier, betrayed Shin Ra as a whole by helping these people, and you are a threat to our existence. These acts are only punishable by death. Do you have anything to say??"

Selphie shouted, "Shukera say something!! You know those charges are bogus!! It was Sephiroth who betrayed you!!! Tell him Shukera!!!!"

Irvine added, "Come on this is bullshit!!!"

Harris shouted at Scarlet, "Shin Ra betrayed Shukera!!! You have no right pressing these insane charges against her!!!" He glared at Sephiroth and shouted. "You know Scarlet is only doing this out of jealousy!! How can you stand there and let this happen??"

Shukera remained frozen in her position as she thought, "It's too late. I have nothing to say." Everything inside her screamed for revenge against Scarlet, but she refused to show any signs of it. She hated Scarlet, now more than ever, but it didn't matter. Her heart was shattered into fragments, but it no longer mattered. She waited for Sephiroth to say something, but he never made a sound. Defeated, humiliated, and betrayed, Shukera waited for the end. "It's too late."