From Beyond

[meatbabies]

The crew will see them slinking off, disappearing around hallways--shifting shadow shapes and the backs of heads ducking around corners. They're always people they think they know. Dead loved ones, perhaps, or loved ones they're not sure are dead or alive. They lead crew members into dangerous places, sudden drops, parts of Stacy where things can

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[craaazyisland]

"You're not real."

Steve was quite sure of that-- the woman who stood before him was an illusion, part of that goddamn Nightmare King's stupid plan. He knew this was going to happen. So he had to tell himself out loud what he knew to be true.

Even if she did look very real. Strawberry blonde hair cut to her shoulders, kind blue eyes, wearing her favorite blouse and that silver bracelet she always liked that his father got her for her birthday. She smiled and looked at him sadly, even as he backed away.

"You're not real," he repeated sternly. "You're not her."

"Steve," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. "Steve, how can you say that to me?"

He let out a dry, furious sob. "My mother is dead! You're not real!And suddenly he felt his skin crawling and a rush of heat surge through him. Steve gasped and his voice came out a low half-snarl-- across the hall from him, the woman went pale and flattened back against the wall in terror

[silversouba]

Kadaj idly walked down the ship’s hallways completely bored out of his mind. He wasn’t sure if Stacy was Mother or not but she sure as heck been quiet since his arrival and his patience (the little of it there was) was drastically thinning each day.

A shattering scream grabbed the boy’s attention. Instinctively a gloved hand withdrew his sword. Oh, he wasn’t feeling particularly noble; but if there was a fight going on he wanted to be a part of it! Moving swiftly, he rounded the corner to the original source of the sound.

No woman could be seen but forget that! No, no. THIS, yes, THIS was much much better.

“You!” Kadaj said angrily, and paced in place. “You,” he repeated, this time his tone was more of surprise. The remnant tilted his head slightly and an awkward laugh lingered on his lips. The sight before him was beautiful. Cloud writhing on the ground and horrendously infected with Geostigma. “Is it really you, brother?”

[craaazyisland]

This was a dream. It had to be a dream-- it was a dream last time. Then why did it hurt so badly? Why could Steve really feel the blood burning and dripping between the fingers of his other hand, feel the skin slick and oozing with tissues infected by the Veronica virus, feel his veins tightening, almost seeming to isolate the mutation just to the horrible-looking green rash.

This was a dream... right?

If it wasn't a dream, then why was some crazy weirdo with silver hair talking to him and calling him "brother?"

"Th-the hell?!" Steve forced out between gasps of pain. "Get away! I'm not your brother-- get away from me!"

[silversouba]

An expression of hurt and confusion flashed on Kadaj’s face but it was quickly erased with a grin that was anything but sweet. Kadaj strode forward and watched the form before him suffer. “You know better than that, brother.”

The remnant crouched down closely. Catlike eyes tore directly into the other’s line of sight. “Why don’t you accept your fate? You belong to Mother. You belong to Me.” Kadaj whispered, a possessive tone in his voice. Any child of Mother was under Kadaj’s jurisdiction, or so he firmly believed. There was one exception to the rule. But that exception was worthless now

[craaazyisland]

Steve could still hear the sound of his mother screaming in terror-- echoing the same screams that haunted him in all his nightmares, the cries for help and mercy that she had managed before the Umbrella soldiers threw her to the ground and shot her in the head not yards away from where Steve had been lying on the carpet of their living room. It was a dream. He knew it was-- it was starting to flicker, the screams were becoming more distant and he could hear the silver-haired man coming closer, talking to him about... nonsense. Taunting him, telling him to let Her take him (T-Veronica

[silversouba]

“Hmph.” Cloud was being difficult… again. How troublesome. “Fine.” Kadaj gave his brother some space as he stood. “I can make the pain go away. I can make the horrible nightmares and monsters in your head disappear,” Kadaj snapped his fingers, “like that.”

He blew several stray silver strands of hair out of his face. “But, I guess if you WANT to suffer…” In one swift movement Kadaj brought his razor sharp katana down across Cloud’s shoulder, tearing the fabric and slicing through exposed skin. “I can help with that!” He chuckled as smoothed a hand over the blade to wipe it clean of blood. “Ha!” Ah, he wished Loz and Yazoo were here to enjoy this too.

[craaazyisland]

His eyes widened in horror as the man pulled out the sword. "No, DON'T-" was all he got out before he yelled out in pain and felt another hot splash of blood burst out across the front of his suit. The igniting blood seared even hotter than the blade itself had-- though as far as Steve could tell, the virus was still nice and dormant. He wasn't losing control. But getting his blood splattered all over was still not something he wanted to happen, and he needed to get to medical to get this infection taken care of, and he needed to get this psychopath away from him.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself up on one knee and for lack of anything else to do, put up his arms defensively-- one of them was currently its own source of flame and if worst came to worst he supposed he could just fling burning blood at the crazy guy. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, and I'm not your goddamn brother! Now get the hell away from me!"

[silversouba]

A growl rumbled in the back of Kadaj’s throat out of frustration. If Yazoo were here he would be able to talk some damn sense into Cloud. Sure, Kadaj was the leader and Will of Sephiroth. Yet, his brothers had their place too. Loz was the best fighter (and cry baby) and Yazoo was logic and charisma. If they were here, things would be different.

In an excellent display of swordsmanship the youngest remnant twirled his weapon and sheathed it. “You’re lucky! You’re lucky Mother has chosen you too, brother.” His voice was a low warning. “Otherwise I would kill you right now. You’re lucky that you are family.” And Family was important -- it was all Kadaj really knew. Well, that and utter destruction.

Even though Cloud was a sibling he was always so much weaker than the rest of the remnants. Kadaj blamed it on his “love” for the planet -- it was a fatal flaw. “I don’t have a heal materia, so shut up and deal.” It didn’t phase the boy that his brother was fire and in extreme pain. In Kadaj’s mind, it seemed rather normal.

[craaazyisland]

Thankfully, Steve's mother's screams were just an echo now and the nightmare had mostly faded away. The flaming infectious rash on his arm had not. That was a bad. But he still felt in control of himself and aside from the fireblood and the slash across his shoulder and all, nothing seemed to be getting worse. That was good.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?! I said I'm not your brother! Now get away from me or--" I'm gonna bleed on you? "You're gonna regret it!"

[ghost_bait]

After escaping her own messed up ghost reality, Miku had gone looking for her friends. Tess, Steve, Yuri, any of them. She wasn't sure what she'd do if something had actually happened to them, and hoped they'd be alright.

A thought which went completely out of her mind when she turned the corner of a hallway and saw Steve bleeding fire. "Wha-what's going on here!?" And it would have to be that psycho Miku (mostly) remembered from the zombie attack, she thought with a deep frown.

First things first, though, Steve was bleeding fire. Miku shouldered off her over shirt as she came running down the hallway. "Get away from him!"

[silversouba]

“Huh?” Kadaj watched as some random girl ran towards his brother. “Hey!” He shouted out after her. This wasn’t fair! This was supposed to be just him and Cloud! Who the hell was this girl? Nuisance, pain the in the ass human girl.

Maybe brother liked her. But Kadaj thought that Cloud liked Tifa.
Did Cloud liked both? Kadaj shrugged. Either way, she was potential useful leverage. She could possibly be just a “helpful” bystander. Humans were like that. There was only one way to find out.

Kadaj stormed up to the intruder, roughly grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her away. “Who are you?!” The remnant demanded. “And just who do you think you are? Get lost! This is MY brother and MY business. Not yours!” Kadaj shoved her away and created a barrier between them.

[craaazyisland]

When Steve heard Miku's voice, he at first wondered if it might not be another really cruel facet of the nightmare showing up. He felt a cold chill go down his spine. Oh god no, please, not her- not right now! Miku knew he was sick and knew it was serious, but she definitely didn't know that it cased him to literally bleed fire. Even the most accepting of girls would have a hard time with that. Steve was prepared to dub this the shortest potential relationship ever in the history of time.

He would later be disgusted with himself for thinking about that at a time like this.

"Miku, don't come over-" he yelled, but then the silver haired man grabbed her. Steve's eyes narrowed into furious slits and he stumbled up onto both feet.

"Let go of her or I'll burn you right to hell, you goddamn psycho!"

[ghost_bait]

Stupid man, grabbing her. Miku hadn't managed to narrowly escape ghosts just to let some psycho hurt her now. With a little cry of frustration, Miku lifted her camera and pressed down on the shutter. Sure, the little camera would do very little for exorcising Kadaj, that little, brilliant flash would do her a lot more good.

[silversouba]

Cloud’s threats were funny, at least to Kadaj. There was nothing he could ever do to defeat the remnant in battle. In a half smirk he happened to look down at the girl just in time to get a blinding flash to the face. Kadaj let out a mixed cry of surprise and agony.

The remnant bolted wide awake in his bed. His vision pulsated with a lingering light. Sweat beaded down the sides of forehead as a mild tremble took over his body. “Dream,” he panted. “ It was just a dream.” Kadaj was no stranger to nightmares. He had them often - too often. He flopped back down on his bed, pressing the palms of his hands against his sore eyes. “Brothers,” he sighed to himself. “Where are you?”

[craaazyisland]

Like he was a figment of bad dream himself, the silver haired man seemed to just... disappear all of a sudden. The flash of light had done well to disperse what was left of Steve's nightmare, too, leaving he and Miku alone in one of Stacy's cavernous hallways. No ghosts, no screaming.

Just Steve, stumbling to his knees and still clutching at the painful, literally burning rash on his arm, and now the cut across his shoulder leaking flame itself.

He panted for breath and stared worriedly at Miku. Time to... do some very quick talking. "Don't touch me," he murmured. "I-I'm fine, I swear, just-- just don't touch me."

[ghost_bait]

Miku pursed her lips and she shook her head, "Let me help you, you're not... you're not fine!" She offered her shirt, presumably to put the flames out. "You're on fire!"