“You are part of the terrorism group AVELANCHE. You’ve never once killed honest hardworking people who can only afford to feed themselves and their families by serving Shinra.”

“Why the hell did you do that for!” The teenage ninja screamed. She stood up in a fighting stance, her Conformer in hand and a war face painted by angry brows and clenched teeth. All where in alarm except Vincent and the Turks. Even Reno who stopped his horselaugh looked at the door next to the secretary’s desk in silence and awe A tall lean woman wearing a crisp vest and striped dark blue slacks walked forward. Heads began to turn. Yuffie, Barret, and Reeve seemed not to acknowledge the intimidating woman’s presence. She was blocked out of their field of vision in the L shaped room.
 “I really don’t care about your freak woman or the rest of the Turks, we’re only together now because of Reeve.” For all of Yuffie’s loud, obnoxious yelling Rude seemed incurious of her fury, so Barret put his foot down. Yuffie might have been obnoxious, but at least she was on the right side. Everyone knew Barret was about to open his big mouth.
 “Barret”, they all whispered in warning. Their voices heeded him not to start.
 “No, I’m gonna say what I have to say!”
 “God dam Barret!” Cid yelled through clenched teeth and a suffering cigarette.
 “Barret please.” Vincent spoke in a soft, but heeding voice. He didn’t want Sephiroth’s sister to hear this because he knew it would establish AVELANCHE as an enemy, but he also didn’t want her to hear it because he was afraid Barret would get hurt. He had the same fear that she was going to be another Sephiroth and at the same time it killed him that he would hold such a prejudice against her. He too had been judged based on something other then who he really was.
 “No I’m gonna say what eva the hell I want!” His regular hand became a fist and his mouth snarled as he spoke. “ You dam Turks are the bottom of the barrel. Murderous son’s of bitches that’s what you are. Then your so touchy when you get told the truth. Well, I frankly do not give a flying fuck about your god dam feelings. Just because we’re talking truth about your little…”
 “Ah, Barret.” Yuffie and Reeve chorused nervously, finally noticing the woman. Vincent watched her, as she walked, no her steps were too graceful and patient to call it mere “walking”. Intimidation was in her glowing eyes, but it wasn’t just those features that glowed. She too, seemed to glow with strength and superiority.
 “ I’m gonna finish!” Barret yelled with his hands in the air. “Just because we’re talking truth about your little psycho friend don’t mean you got a reason to be hurting walls and my friend. You’re the Turks, we’re AVELANCHE. You’re the murderers and your friend is the daughter of a green ugly ass scientist and the sister to a psycho who calls an alien bitch “mother”! Now I think I make a pretty good conclusion about her when I say she’s a mother fucking psycho bitch who…”
 “Barret!” Cloud warned with authority.
 “…Can rot in that tube she came from, for all I care!” Nemesis now stood in everyone’s field of vision in the L room. The room screamed in dead silence. It seemed even hearts refused to beat. Barret gasped and fell back a step when noticing her. She stood with her arms crossed, but she didn’t seem mad. She was used to the comments. Instead she smiled a small crooked smile and raised one of her eyebrows. Vincent looked at the impressive woman. He tried to read her in the same way he had been reading the others, but to no avail. She shifted her glowing eyes that had been locked on Yuffie and Barret to Vincent for a mere second as if to say, “don’t even try it.” But her quarrel wasn’t with him, and she fixated on Yuffie and Barret again.
 Her voice was as calm as a gentle wind, but with an affect equal only to that of the calm before the storm. “ I know some people in this room,” she looked at Reno, who was near her, “ but I most definitely don’t know you two. Tell me, what are your names?”
 Yuffie stood straight. She tried to sound proud and defiant, but her voice quivered in Sephiroth’s sister’s gaze. “ Yuffie Kissaragi of Wutai,” she said against the will of her tighten jaw muscles.
 “Barret Wallace.” His voice was steady, strong, and with a mater-of-fact attitude. “What’s it to you?” Oh Barret don’t to this, Vincent thought, but there was nothing he could do to save him now. She’d heard it all.
 “Drop it you guys!” Came the command from Cloud. Nemesis ignored him. He wasn’t her leader.
 “Oh it’s nothing. Nothing at all.” She wore a sarcastic tone that mocked and patronized them. “ I simply wished to know the names of the greatest psychics I’ve ever seen. I mean you know me so well and I’ve never met you. Or are you my long lost friends?” Her smile grew larger still. “ Oh! I can’t believe I forgot my best pals’ names’ and who they are for that matter.” She chuckled lightly, patronizing them even more. “ Where you Turks once? No, wait your not murderers. You are only part of that terrorism group AVELANCHE.” She was ready to give them what they deserved. “ You’ve never once killed honest hardworking people who can only afford to feed themselves and their families by serving Shinra. And you’ve never blown up Shinra buildings and Mako reactors that are both the livelihood of many people and the suppliers of electricity to all Midgard.” Barret started to protest but was not allowed. “ You’ve never made a child cry because his father lost his job along with his workplace or worse because he’s dead, buried under cold cement stone just as dead as he is. No, the terrorism group of AVELANCHE would never do anything like that. While the Turks” she waved her arm from Elena to Reno, “ they are monstrous! They seek soldier candidates and once in a forgotten moon kill for what President Shinra believes is ‘the good of society.’ But isn’t that why AVELANCHE even exists? For ‘the good of society?’ So then don’t we all have the same goal?” She made her point. “ Seems we are all at the bottom of the barrel. Is that not the truth?”
She took a step closer to Yuffie and stared at her straight in the eyes. Yuffie was just scared, but Barret had become a little ashamed. He remembered causing so much pain for his own ideals and beliefs. Even though he still knew they were the right ones, he realized they were proposed the wrong way.
Sephiroth’s sister’s face turned form cockiness to emotionless, but she spoke with authority and a seriousness that had not been in her voice before. “I don’t know you Miss Kisaragi of Wutai.” Then she turned to look at Barret who had his arms crossed and pretended her word’s had no effect on him. She was neither impressed nor fooled “I don’t know you Mr. Wallace. And it’s not just you two, but there are many people in this room who don’t know the Turks or me. So please Mr. Wallace, Ms.Kissaragi don’t judge. You where never a Turk, you’ve never even seen me till now. Don’t judge.” Vincent felt a weird feeling, he felt like applauding her.
With that the tall woman turned her back to the people who didn’t much care for her, and looked straight at those who did. All was silent and still. Reno and Rude where both standing in front of her now. Control your emotions Nemesis. She gave them the same small crooked smile she had given to her accusers, but this time her eyes were filled with kindness and innocence. The trio smiled at each other. Even Rude’s lips curled at one side. Elena felt so left out, but she dared not show it. Reno lifted one of his eyebrows and laughed. He grabbed Nemesis by the arms and then spun her around in a strong embrace. She pushed him away, acting annoyed. “ Don’t go all emotional on me now!  Has he been drinking or something?” she asked Rude as she straightened her vest.
“When hasn’t he?” Rude retorted.  His smile grew wider and he gave her a short, but warm embrace that she was not prepared for. He was happy that his shades covered his watery eyes.
“ Not you too! You’ve been hanging around Reno too long.”
“Can’t I be happy to see you after six years of not seeing you?” Reno was overjoyed, he felt as if only the three of them where there together. “I mean seriously people is that so ba…” Halfway through his rhetorical question he realized that they obviously weren’t alone. Eyes of all different colors where widened in disbelief at the scene they had just witnessed. None of them expected the Turks to get emotional for anything. They all felt stupid for getting caught in the moment, but hid it. Reno scratched his head uncomfortably. “ Hey have you met Elena?”
“Oh, my replacement” Nemesis mocked without a smile, but deep inside her heart was pricked.
The small blond stood, nodded her head in recognition, and in a very business-like tone she added, “ It is a pleasure to meet you.” The taller, stronger woman nodded as well.
“It always is at first” she whispered nonchalantly under her breath. She looked around the room and saw the strangest group she’d ever seen. There was a famous pilot, a brown-eyed woman, a cat-like/wolf-like fiery red animal, a rather unique raven haired ex-Turk, an Ex- Soldier who she swore she had seen before, her two aggressors, and Reeve, the only other guy in Shinra she didn’t feel like choking.
“ Reeve” she said softly recognizing him. Then she realized she had not introduced herself. “Oh, forgive me. It seems we’ve, I’ve forgotten my manners.” She turned very serious. “I suppose you would all like to know my name if you don’t know it already. My name is Nemesis Mercious of Themiscyra.”
“Themiscyra? Isn’t that the fabled amazon fortress? But I thought your father was Hojo?” The queries came out of the jaws of a large, four-legged creature, with fire red fur, and a flame on it’s tail. Nemesis had seen a creature like him before so she wasn’t surprised.
“ He gave me his genes nothing else.” She paused. “ Not even his insanity” she added so that everyone was clear that she was not like her father. “And Yes to the first questions. Not many people, or should I say beings, know about Themiscyra.” She wanted not to mention Hojo or have to talk about herself and decided to change the subject.  “How did you ever come to know of Themiscyra? What are you called again?”
“ My name is Nanaki, but you may call me Red. I am the guardian of Cosmo Canyon. There is a vast storage of knowledge there. A few pages of epics, stories, myths and such mention of the city and it’s inhabitants. I thought they were legends though.”
“Wait, a dam minute ain’t you suppose to have one breast cut off if you’re an Amazonian?” Eyebrows began to rise. “ You know I can read!” He said agitated. “Dam bastards! By the way my name is Cid.”
“Well, Captain Cid Highwind I already knew who you were. I am an Amazon and as you can see I have every body part intact.” It was the only answer Nemesis was going to give him. Have him figure it out. Cid wasn’t sure to be proud she knew of him or be mad for correcting him. “What’s your name?” she asked the martial artist next to the dumbfounded blond man.
“The name is Tifa Lockheart.” Tifa sounded harsher then what she meant to, but she was too confused with feelings of rage and guiltiness for her to be her usually cheery self. Tifa simply lowered her head in disappointment of her first impression on Sephiroth’s sister. Stay away from that one, Nemesis thought.  She turned around and a smiling Cloud, a stoic Vincent, an inpatient Reeve, a quiet ninja, and a contemplative Gun-armed man faced her.
“No reasons for introductions from you Reeve or you two,” she looked at Barret and Yuffie who turned their faces away from her. She walked towards the last two men who sparked memories in her, but whose names and where she knew them from was not known to her. At least that was the case for Cloud. She remembered how she met the man with the crimson cloak, but not once had she heard his name. All she new was that according to Hojo he was an EX-Turk. She looked deeply into Vincent’s crimson eyes almost by accident. Those where the only features that she did not see when she first laid eyes on him sleeping in that cold old coffin. “ But I don’t know your name.” She remained with her professional tone until she added a barely audible small joke that only she and Vincent understood. “Unless your name just happens to be sleeping beauty.”
No one understood that and most didn’t even hear it. Vincent only laughed inwardly at her small tease. Out side he remained as always, dark and phlegmatic. “My name, lady, is Vincent Valentine...” His voice trailed off as he mistakenly looked deeper into her eyes and she into his, she turned her head sharply and suddenly towards the blond man who seemed to be one inch shorter then her, cutting of the weird connection. Vincent wondered why his eyes seemed to be drawn to hers almost clumsily, but he seemed to care more about why she had adverted her eyes from his so quickly. There is a lot not to like in there, he thought staring at her, as she waited for Cloud’s name.
“My name is Cloud.” The so- called “weak man” extended his hands to her and she took it. To her surprise he was stronger then he looked. The feeling of surprise was mutual. Sephiroth’s sister or not, he hadn’t expected that kind of strength. More important then Cloud’s strength was the fact that he was the first one to extend his hand to her. It was a good start that put him above the others.
“Cloud, project C” she whispered to no one, but the soft sound waves where picked up by sharp ears.
“What?” Cloud asked with a funny dumfounded looked on his face.
“Nothing” she responded all too seriously.
“ You know who I am,” the President interrupted abruptly as he looked at his watch. “Well, now that I’ve met you and I’m assured you haven’t gone crazy, I’m gonna go finish some paper work. I’ll leave the rest up to you guys.”  He reminded them that this wasn’t a casual meeting, there was work to be done. Reeve nodded to Nemesis and the others and left the room impatiently. It wasn’t the right thing to say, but he had too much work to do.
“I’ll go help him,” Elena added.
“Me too” Tifa and Yuffie echoed. Yuffie didn’t know the first thing about the paperwork Reeve dealt with; she just wanted to get out of there. Tifa left because she felt a bit uncomfortable with that woman there. Another person joined the exiting party in silence as he stroked his Gun-arm.
Cid put out the last cigarette he was smoking in the pottery next to him and searched for another. To his displeasure all he found was an empty carton. “I gotta get me a pack of cigarettes. I’m all out. See you bums later” Cid commented with a flick of the wrist. He didn’t give a dam who he was calling bums all he new was that he needed some nicotine quick or he’d blow. He wasn’t about to tell Sephiroth’s sister she was a prisoner while his lungs were breathing in pure air.
“ I need my guns, or which ever of my weapons are lying around here. Reno, were my clothes? This vest you gave me is from when I was 16.” She frowned. “Did Rufus burn my clothes after he thought I died? I was kidding when I said that.” This was the perfect start to her anxious inquiry.  “Where is he? He must be the President now because President Shinra would have never let you talk with AVELANCHE. That is unless you where shouting swears in the heat of battle. Tseng’s not here either. Is he protecting President Rufus? Guys?” The look on the Turks faces and the rather sentimental face that Nanaki made instinctively caused her to build walls against the emotional attacks she knew she was about to receive. Her stomach turned and her mind and heart prepared for any terrible news that where to come. Reno grabbed her hand gently and seated her on the red couch. She remained silent, a plain look on her face.
“A lot has happened in 6 years,” Red said. He spoke softly, slowly so as to not hurt the frail glass cup that was Nemesis’s emotions. She hated that he would think so little of her, but deep inside she appreciated his compassion. “ The most troublesome events happened in the last year.”
“O.K. So what has happened in my absence? Tell me only of last year since it is marked the ‘troublesome’ year. And keep it relevant to the situation” She spoke quickly and formally. They didn’t know that in truth she had only been sleeping one year and so needed to know only what happened in that year, but that had no relevance. They didn’t need to know that.
Nemesis showed no sings of fear at what she might hear.  She had voided herself of all emotions. Vincent knew what she was doing. The men started to re-tell the whole story. From Clouds first job with AVELANCHE, to the murder of someone she cared about by her own brother, to Sephiroth’s last breath and meteor’s effect on Midgard, up to their unlikely discovery of a woman in the wreckage of a war zone. Red and Cloud told most of it, but the Turks and Vincent (without going into it too deep) chimed in once in a while, when in seemed their words where more appropriate. When it was more personal to the respected parties.
After Vincent contributed his part he had crossed his arms and lowered his head deep in thought, remembering how he had gotten to that office and the strange sensation he felt when he’d first seen her. It was odd, he couldn’t help but worry about how the death of the people this woman loved would affect her psyche. It was probably because he could relate. He too had once awakened to a strange world. Although she had spent less years in her deep slumber them he, almost the same amount of tragic change had occurred. Her brother and co-workers were dead, her home crushed, and her world turned upside down. Vincent knew Nemesis wasn’t going to scream and cry for hours and hours, that was what worried him. She’d end up like him. He still regarded her as “Sephiroth’s sister” but he couldn’t help but be concerned. No part of the story they where telling her would bring her any type of joy, only sorrow that he knew she would hide in an antic face. He hoped to at least see her mad and enraged when they told her of her prisoner status with them.
 

Author’s Notes:
How’s Nemesis gonna take this? What’s this weird connection she and Vincent have? The guys are going to tell her the story of Meteor without breaking a sweat, but how are they gonna tell her she’s really a prisoner? Is my rhetorical question asking at the end of each chapter annoying? If you have anything to say to me E-mail me at AmazonSoul14@aol.com Please comment and criticize so I don’t make people wanna gag when they read this. Seriously, I need help and support this is my first fanfic. Oh and that “antic face” that’s just a mask. It’s in Romeo and Juliet. One other thing, in this chapter you can see that Nemesis is a very strong willed woman and she is starting to show her coldness and sarcastic ways which was what Aeris told Cloud.
 

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