Chapter 16: Thea Lockhart

After playing the virtual reality rpg for a while, the kids were pleasantly tired. "That was awesome, Ramiel-nii! I can't wait to grow up and do all those cool moves myself!" Cloud had a determined face and thought about the training sword that Ramiel gave him.

"Really? Then I look forward to meeting you one day as an awesome warrior. Not just in the game." Ramiel gave him a noogie and Cloud pouted at him.

"Un, that was fun! Now we can't get bored, it's like we're having an adventure for real in the game!" Aerith cheered and the other two nodded.

"Yeah, I've always wanted to see what the world looks like beyond Nibelheim. That game is super realistic." Tifa nodded in satisfaction at their play time and Alexandra smiled at them.

"Heh, you guys better keep up. Our characters are very strong already!" Alex boasted as they obviously have maxed out mage knights as their characters. With Ramiel being a specific one called a dragoon, specializing in hard hitting magic with unparalleled physical skill. While Alex was a magic swordsman that mixes the two arts for versatile combat.

"Ahhh! That's not fair! You guys probably have been playing it for far longer!" Cloud pointed a finger at them and the twins chuckled. They just uploaded their stats to the game after all to use it as a mental training ground sometimes.

"Now, now. Go back home and tell your parents how awesome I am and my game is." Ramiel patted their heads, giving them some desserts to accompany the large Tupperware they'll be taking with them.

"Oof, Ramiel-nii. This is too much food, we would probably eat these leftovers for a week at least." Tifa smiled at the heavy load she was lifting and they chuckled.

Everybody said their goodbyes except Aerith as she lived in the manor as well. "Ne, Ramiel-nii... Why does Alexandra-nee feel kinda weird?" Aerith stared at Alex and the twins were surprised.

'Hmmm, does Aerith feel the malicious cells of Jenova? That's quite something, but this means something... Jenova's seeping through the cracks that were made when we were in Wutai.' Ramiel furrowed his brows and Alex crouched in front of Aerith.

"I'm fine, honey. Just a little tired is all." Alexandra smiled at her and patted her head. "Un, then rest well. You can't get sick, alright?" Aerith smiled at her and she gingerly went back to her room.

"Even she noticed that there's something wrong with you. How are you feeling?" Ramiel held Alex on the shoulder and stared right at her eyes.

"Not too good, I've been having some impulses. Maybe that's why I am a little more violent nowadays. I'm getting scared, nii-sama..." Alex looked at him, anxious that she would lose herself to Jenova's influence.

Ramiel then put his forehead against hers. Circulating his Mako into hers in order to restrain Jenova himself. He also used the lifestream and reigned them in with difficulty. Focusing a lot on making her cells go back to normal. But there were trillions of cells in the body. And he could only do so much right now.

"Hngh~ nii-sama..." Alex nuzzled her face on his chest as she felt a calm wave of energy wash over her. Her murderous and savage impulses disappear, giving her strength.

"Hah, I'm here. As long as you don't leave by my side, you'll never lose your way. I won't let you, now go to sleep and rest. I know this has been bothering you for some time now." Ramiel patted her head and Alex nodded with a warm smile.

After she went to their room, he sighed heavily. "Good thing we managed to form that hypothesis in this timely manner. She can't have great emotional disturbances. I guess that's her price for power."

Ramiel clenched his fist, his face impassive. Taking the brunt of Hojo's experiments had a toll as well. Alexandra was able to survive their incubation when they were still in the womb because the mad scientist focused on him.

But due to the overwhelming amount of Jenova cells that was given to him at his weakest state. His body is now like a shining beacon of power. A flame that burns brightly, his full capabilities unimaginable by the human mind.

But like all bright flames that illuminate. The brighter and stronger it burns, the quicker it gets snuffed out. He could feel it, his cells are clocked into overdrive at all times since the beginning of the experiments on them. And they have been pushed to the limits more and more before he was even born.

Now, his body has irreparable damage due to it. He couldn't adapt quick enough and to keep it at bay. He went into a positive feedback loop. In which he took more and more Jenova cells and Mako to try and repair his body.

"It was the best course of action back then, but of course it had major drawbacks. Hah, sorry Alexandra. Nii-san has a secret and I can't tell you now. Not until we perfect project Minerva." He frowned heavily.

And he couldn't stop now, he was already immune to the effects of Jenova's cognitive hazards. But he has the worst cancer in history. Only keeping a fragile balance by being more destructive. Putting his body in a state of Mako poisoning and constant mutations from Jenova. Counteracting each other or he will succumb to either one. And everything has a breaking point.

Ramiel's adaptation can't keep up, he was already consuming Mako like a reactor. And it will only go higher and higher.

He went to Alexandra's room and she looked at him with a smile. He smiled back, sitting right next to her on her bed, patting her head. He then casted a sleeping spell on her so she could sleep nicely.

He kissed her forehead and looked at her for a minute. "Go on and rest, you're tired. Let's go and train tomorrow." He tucked her into bed and left for the lab below.

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After a few months, Ramiel was currently in a workshop. Trying to make a smartphone on his own. "Hehe... Guhahahaha! Finally, my masterpiece!" Ramiel wiped the sweat on his brow and put the modern looking phone in the air.

"Nii-san... You sound like you just created a weapon that would lead to world domination. It's just a stupid phone. " Alex deadpanned at him as she was watching him complete his creation.

He glared at her and caressed the phone. "Shhhh, don't listen to her. She doesn't know, it's alright. You're fine, it's not you, it's her." Ramiel cooed at it and Alexandra glared at the phone. A little jealous at it.

"Alex, you are correct about one thing. That this is the device that will lead to world domination! You fool, you do not know how powerful this device is!" Ramiel pointed a finger at her and she rolled her eyes.

"What's so wonderful about it anyways? You've been focusing on that for some time now." She puffed her cheeks, clearly jealous about it all.

"Huhun, it's about culture. You'll never understand, Alex. Because you lack culture, men and women all over the world will succumb to this device. It's like a drug, once they get their hands on this thing. They will be a slave to it, wanting more. Then Amazon prime comes into play! I will be richer than Shinra will ever be! Muahahaha!" Ramiel laughed and Alex sighed.

'Hah, nii-san is such a weird dork sometimes...' She had a wry smile on her face, seeing Ramiel be a nerd.

"Anyways, now that I have completed the blueprint for the best phone in the world. I will call my company the Chocobo inc. Why? Because they're cute. And everyone wants to imagine a Chocobo delivering their goods." Ramiel nodded sagely and Alexandra chuckled at his antics.

Ramiel sent the blueprint to Lazard and they will immediately start mass manufacturing the phone. Ramiel already checked the phone meticulously. And it was fully operational, trying to remember the features and specs in his old world with his superhuman mind due to experimentations.

While he was reveling in having a major breakthrough in one of his plans. Cloud suddenly bursted through the doors of the workshop, panting heavily. Sweat dampened his clothing.

"Ramiel-nii! We have an emergency!" Cloud shouted out after catching his breath. Ramiel and Alexandra looked at each other for a moment, taking their weapons and brandishing it.

"No! It's not an enemy. It's Tifa..." Cloud frowned heavily and they raised a brow at his words. "What? What happened to Tifa?" Alex was impatient as Cloud didn't just say it outright immediately.

"Her mom is really sick, the village doctor checked up on her. But he said that Tifa's mom won't make it." Cloud started to have tears in his eyes. Remembering his mother that raised him by herself.

"Well then, come on and let's go." Ramiel picked up Cloud and the trio went to Tifa's house. Cloud screamed from their incredible speed, but they don't have much time and the faster they get there, the better.

After just a few seconds of running like the wind, they quickly arrived at the scene. An ordinary and plain house which was the Lockhart residence.

"Mom! You're gonna be fine, right!?" Tifa cried out to a woman that looked sickly. Her eyes were sunken, her black hair a mess, her skin as pale as paper.

A man with a hard look on his face held her hand. Fighting tears in his eyes as fat globs of it welled in his orbits.

"Tifa... Dear, be strong and don't make trouble for your father, okay? I will miss you, sweetheart. I wish I could see you grow up to be a nice lady." The woman said weakly and her husband gritted his teeth.

"Thea, go on and rest. Tifa needs to see you tomorrow." The man furrowed his brows and Tifa nodded desperately.

She gave a chuckle and her breath started to quicken. "I love you, Tifa, Bryan... I wish I could've stayed with you longer." Thea smiled at them and Tifa wailed.

They then heard a clap, disrupting the forlorn mood in the room. "Okay, okay, what do we have here? Make room everyone." Ramiel went to Tifa's mother and he looked at her condition.

"Tifa, isn't this your friend? Sorry, but even though Tifa told us you are special..." Bryan looked down on the ground, losing hope already for his wife.

"Ramiel-nii! Can't you do anything? Anything at all! I know you can!" Tifa shouted out, desperate for a miracle to occur.

"Well, we don't know that yet." Ramiel patted her head and casted a sleeping spell on Tifa so he could concentrate.

"Curaga." Ramiel immediately casted the highest tier of cure on Thea in order to at least prolong her life for now. The woman's breathing softened and some complexion returned to her skin. But she was still obviously very Ill.

"Hmmm, I should check for what's happening to her for now." Ramiel put a hand on her forehead and began circulating a tiny bit of Mako inside her body so he could get a diagnosis.

After a few minutes, Ramiel sighed and Bryan looked at him with bated breath. "Has she been spitting out blood and have difficulty breathing?" Ramiel asked the man and he nodded.

"Yes, it started a year ago. She didn't have any blood when she coughed yet, but she did started to lose weight and have difficulty breathing." Bryan explained everything immediately and Ramiel gave a confident smile.

"Well, that's why it was so quick... Your wife has lung cancer, insidious disease that one. The small cell variety too, it already spread all over her body. It's basically a death sentence now." Ramiel diagnosed her and Bryan paled, losing hope entirely.

"Though you are lucky that I'm here right now. This is a piece of cake for me." Ramiel puffed his chest and began circulating Mako inside her body again. He began a complex internal surgery without cutting her open.

Frying the cancer cells with precision and accuracy. While casting healing spells that repaired the damaged parts. It was only possible due to his high reserves and processing power.

"Leave him alone for a bit. I think that will take a while." Alexandra advised everyone to leave the premise for now. As she saw Ramiel concentrate, meaning that it was a really difficult procedure.

The others went outside and could only twiddle their thumbs. Patiently waiting for Ramiel to finish his surgery on Thea.

After 2 hours, Alexandra went outside of the house and she didn't really have a reaction. Making Cloud, Bryan, and the newcomers, Ifalna, Aerith, and Claudia nervous.

"She's going to make a full recovery. As expected of my brother." Alexandra puffed her chest in pride and the others sighed in relief.

Alex gestured for them to come in and they saw a sleeping Thea that still looked gaunt and sickly. Though she was resting peacefully. Her skin having a nice pinkish hue.

"Mom!" Tifa woke up by now and went to her mother immediately. Looking at her considerably better countenance with happy tears in her eyes.

"Thank you very much... We don't have anything to offer you, but please accept our heartfelt gratitude." Bryan bowed to Ramiel who was relaxing now. As it was quite the stressful ordeal, even for him. Because he needed to dispose of billions of cancer cells that had to be eradicate completely or it will return.

"Eh, it's fine. Tifa's our friend, if her mother died and we could've done something. Then that will be quite heartless of us to not do anything." Ramiel shrugged and Bryan looked at his wife with a relieved expression.

"Ramiel-nii! Thank you very much! Uwahhh!" Tifa cried as she lunged onto him, wiping tears and snot on his clothes. Making him smile wryly at her gratitude.

"Hey, not the clothes. That's premium you know? There's no dry cleaning here." Ramiel laughed and Alex patted her head.

"Isn't it nice? Your mom is alright now, don't cry and waste your energy. She won't be going anywhere anytime soon." Alex smiled at her and Tifa nodded, wiping her tears away.

Cloud then looked at him with a determined face. Gritting his teeth, as he couldn't do anything except call for help. He decided to become just like them. Strong, kind, and awe inspiring.

Aerith hugged Tifa and Ramiel took out a can of soda from his inventory. Needing a little sugar to offset his intense concentration earlier that used up a lot of energy.

"Hah, all in a day's work." Ramiel sighed in satisfaction at Tifa who was looking at her mother with a worried gaze still.

But both his and Alexandra's phones rang and they received a message from Lazard. The war in Wutai is now at full mast. And the twins were needed to lead Shinra's troops as the vanguard.

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Thanks for reading everyone, anyways. Ciao.