<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="https://creativefreedomrpg.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&amp;t=40780"></a><a class="postlink" href="http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/1689/bhj3.png">[ img ]</a><br/><span style="font-size: 85%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-style: italic">(Click the banner to head to the OOC)</span></span></div><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">εуλ 0039, October 5th, <br/>Abandoned Shinra facility south of Edge</span><br/><br/>It was damp. The passing storm had soaked everything in its' wake, leaving nothing dry except that which had manage to seek sufficient shelter from the earlier downpour. Now the late afternoon sun was lazily drying up the land, leaving a wet tang in the air. Karma breathed it in deeply. It settled his nerves, for he knew of only stories told to him by Weiss, his guardian and master, of what lie in wait underneath this decaying structure. Pushing aside a rusted metal gate, he winced as it screeched in protest to his actions. But still he strode forth, every bone in his body telling him to turn back, pleading with him to abandon his mission and leave whatever is was to rot alone in the dark forever. But he would not, could not, betray Weiss. He had raised him after all, in his father's stead. Taught him how to survive and fight in a world that was not yet free from danger. His mission, his actions now, would be a step toward that vision. A vision now held by most of the inhabitants of Gaia.<br/><br/>It wasn't long before he'd entered the building, the security systems had long since shut down due to the lack of Mako Energy to power them. The place was completely deserted, papers and litter left scattered around as if a mass exodus had happened all at once. Signs of other entrants were left painted on the walls, though they too had been written long ago since the aged paint had started to flake off. Karma didn't need to look at any signs for direction, he knew the route by heart. Weiss had drilled him to remember the structural layout of the building from plans he'd had stolen soon after Shinra's demise. His legs guided him to his destination, all the while his mind suggesting that he go back.<br/><br/>He reached a small, insignificant door. On a normal day it could be mistaken for a simple janitorial cupboard but it actually lead to a set of staircases used as maintenance access for hard-to-reach places. Namely the engineering levels. Karma gripped the hilt of his sword and began to descend them at once. He recalled going down 32 flights before reaching the bottom, where he was then greeted by another single, but much larger, door. This door still had power running to it, the security access pad was still alight and flashing. He walked over to it, calmly now that he had his hand on his weapon, and punched in a code given to him by Weiss. Nothing happened at first but Karma waited, the machinery had been left for years. After a few seconds he resolved to entering the code again, but as he held out his hand to do so the large door began its' loud opening process.<br/><br/>A brilliant bluish light shone through the crack that had now formed in the door, Karma tried to peer into it but became blinded momentarily. He could hear the sounds of released pressurisation coming from inside and willed the door to hurry up. As soon as the crack was wide enough to allow him through it, he dove through, releasing his sword from it's hilt simultaneously and taking up a defensive stance. Wide eyes gazed upon what was now in front of him. A glass chamber full of a cobalt fluid and...<span style="font-style: italic">something else...</span><br/><br/>It was what he had come for. The fourth clone of the Great Sephiroth. His long, white hair flowed behind him, making him look somewhat divine-like. But Karma knew that this was no God. Though his original possessed power beyond measure, he was merely a clone and not yet a fully grown one at that. Karma straightened up, letting his sword hang at his side. He then strode confidently toward a control panel and scanned the buttons. By the wearing away of most of the letters printed on the keys, he could tell that it was well used. However, only a single button remained untouched. It was larger than the rest and had a full word imprinted on it rather than just a letter. The word read:<span style="font-style: italic">Release.</span>His finger hesitated over it for a mere second before he plunged it down and activated the release sequence.<br/><br/>Loud screeching and bangs greeted him from all around the large, sub-level hanger. They echoed off of the walls to create a cacophony of sound but Karma remained undeterred. He turned to look at the glass chamber that was now rapidly venting the fluid into pipes that lead upward. All that remained was the clone, it was just hanging there as if nothing had happened and for a time Karma could do nothing but stare.