Last major revision: 10/09/98 Last modified: 02/10/99 Here is the rough draft to part 6. It has not been spell-checked or extensively proofread. Expect errors. Subject to change without notice C&C always appreciated! ^_^ ====================================================================== CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: A Final Fantasy VII fanfic by Madamhydra ====================================================================== PART 6: THE JAWS OF THE BEAST ====================================================================== --------------- Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Final Fantasy VII and its characters belong to Square Co., Ltd. The characters of this series are used without permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit. All original characters are the creation of the author. All copyright privileges to these characters are reserved for the author. --------------- Author's notes: WARNING: Violence, Adult language and subject matter. This is a CONTINUATION - ALTERNATE REALITY Final Fantasy VII fanfic. It contains major SPOILERS for the game. --------------- Text Conventions ( ) are character thoughts / / and // // are mental dialogue [ ] are miscellaneous images or sound effects >----->----->-----> indicate the START of flashbacks/dreams <-----<-----<-----< indicate the END of flashbacks/dreams ********************************************************************** ------------------------------------------------------ PART 6a: RECRIMINATIONS ------------------------------------------------------ The sun was just disappearing under the horizon as a cool evening breeze swept away the last traces of the caustic black mist from the area. Tifa shook off Yuffie's supporting arm and slowly limped her way into the clearing where the Ultima Weapon stood, a third of its length buried in the soft earth. She wrapped her hand around the hilt, then slowly sagged to her knees. The blade remained dark, as it always did when not in Cloud's hands. She whispered, "Hojo, you fucking son of a bitch...." Yuffie cautiously followed Tifa, her feet raising little puffs of dust as the mist-blackened vegetation in the clearing crumbled to powder at the slightest touch. A glimmer caught her eye. She bent over and picked up Cloud's materia-laded Mystile. Instead of gloating over the fortune in materia sitting her hands, the ninja girl stared at it grimly, carefully dusted it off, and then tucked it away into a pocket. Tifa whispered, "It's all my fault...." Yuffie glanced up and said, "What?" "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been struggling... fighting him so hard... if I had only BELIEVED in him... Cloud wouldn't have been...." "Tifa, don't blame yourself for what happened! With the way Cloud freaked out back there, anyone would have assumed the same thing! And it probably wouldn't have made a difference anyway. I don't know how all those creatures managed to pop out of nowhere, but I'm willing to bet that running wouldn't have made much of a difference." Tifa didn't seem to be paying much attention to Yuffie's words. She whispered, "I wonder if that's the last thing he'll remember about me... that I was AFRAID of him...." "Don't say that. We're going to get him back, no matter what it takes. You'll see." ------------------------- Barret kicked at one of the numerous monster corpses littering the area and muttered, "Shit!" "That's hardly a constructive thing to do," growled Red. The beast was prowling around, carefully examining the slain monsters. "Okay, you want constructive? Then tell me this. You saw what that black gas stuff did to Tifa's legs. How come it didn't do nothing like that to Cloud?" Red looked at him. "This entire ambush had only one goal and one goal only... to capture Cloud AND in an undamaged condition. I suspect that creature's gas weapon was specifically engineered to react with the distinctive body chemistry of a SOLDIER in order to incapacitate him instantly. The fact that it eats away normal human flesh is probably just a happy bonus for Hojo. I shudder to think what would have happened to Tifa if Cloud hadn't thrown her clear." Barret rubbed a sore shoulder. "Damn. Here I was thinking that guy had gone totally loony and all the time, he was just trying to save Tifa's neck." "I'm afraid we all jumped to the same conclusion." Red shook his head sadly. "By the way, where's Cid?" "He's up on the Highwind checking it out." ------------------------- At that moment, Cid was cursing up a storm when he surveyed the damage to his precious airship. He glared at the crewmen and yelled, "Get your butts in gear! I want that fucking engine up and running ASAP!" Elena, her clothes still scorched and reeking of smoke, walked up to the pilot and said, "What the hell happened down there!? I'm taking a coffee break and the next thing I know there are hundreds of these slimy creatures swarming all over the ship!" Cid whirled toward her and snarled, "How come Rude didn't see any of these things, huh? What the hell was he doing? Pissing in his boots!?" In a laconic drawl, Rude spoke up. "I was doing my job, along with that unlucky crewman of yours -- the one who ended up taking a swan dive overboard. Wherever they came from, it wasn't by air." The Turk looked like he was ready to collapse from exhaustion. "So where the hell DID those damn things come from, huh?" Rude shrugged, "Damned if I know. Maybe they teleported." "You really know how to make my day, don't you?" He glared at the Turks again. "Did you guys happen to see where that big winged son-of-a-bitch headed off to?" Seeing their blank looks, he yelled, "Don't tell me you missed the fucking thing!? It's only the size of a bleedin' cargo chopper!" Elena dusted some ash off her sleeve. "Sorry, Cid. Both of us were too busy trying to keep from being chewed up, spat on, and toasted. We didn't see any big winged creature like you're describing. But if you tell us what the hell's going on, maybe we can come up with some better answers!" Cid slammed his boot against the nearest bulkhead. Without looking at the Turks, he said, "Hojo's got Cloud." "What!?" "We were searching the area when Cloud suddenly came up with the idea that Roissy woman was bullshitting us. He said that Zack wouldn't have taken the cell sample. He was actually making a lot of sense when...." "When....?" Cid ran his hand through his hair. "When things got... really strange." He shook his head sharply, then said, "Anyway, he suddenly freaks out and runs off into the woods. We go after him. Tifa finds him, then these creatures pop out of nowhere! Cloud managed to get Tifa clear just before this weird snake-tree monster gasses him. While we're fighting off all these other monsters, this tentacled dragon-thingie swoops in, grabs him, and flies off. And I don't think you need three guesses to figure out who's fucking responsible for all this." Elena scowled. "Hojo again. But what does that nutcase want with Cloud?" "Hell if I know. But that maniac went through shitloads of trouble to make sure Cloud wasn't 'damaged'. Is this starting to sound familiar?" Rude muttered, "Just like Reno...." The trio exchanged uneasy glances. ------------------------------------------------------ PART 6b: CONFIGURATIONS OF HELL ------------------------------------------------------ The disorientation and dizziness was bad enough, but by the time the creatures landed and dragged him into a large cavernous building, Cloud was starting to feel a sickening ache deep in his bones. It wasn't too bad at the moment, but he had an unhappy feeling that it would get much, much worse before it got any better. His captors came to a sudden halt and jerked him off his feet, leaving him dangling in mid-air just like a slab of meat. His vision was still blurry, but he managed to make out the horribly transformed, yet unforgettable features of a certain mad scientist. "Hojo...." "Indeed. Well, Failure, it appears that Roissy's choice of hiding places worked out better than she'd ever know. If it wasn't for that fool Stephen, I wouldn't have had any idea of the sample's location. But I do know." He cackled softly. "And soon you'll surrender what you've so zealously guarded all this time." Hojo's last few words made Cloud's skin crawl. "Guarded... what the hell... are you... babbling about?" "Yes, you should be glad that you're going to have the opportunity to make up for your earlier transgressions." Hojo started pacing back and forth, waving his tentacles for emphasis. "Transgressions? What...?" "I'm referring to your foolish attempt to destroy Sephiroth, of course." "Attempt...! We DID destroy Sephiroth!" Hojo whirled around and shouted, "NO! All your pathetic heroics were just a minor setback. And now YOU will be instrumental in his return and his emergence into true glory!" "No way... in hell... am I helping... you... or Sephiroth!" Cloud weakly snarled. Hojo prodded his prisoner with a tentacle. "Oh, but you will. What makes you think you have a choice? Don't lie to yourself, puppet. You really do want to see Sephiroth again, don't you?" "Shut up... damn you!" But Hojo's words resonated somewhere deep inside Cloud, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. A shudder ran through his body. Hojo uttered a malicious chuckle. "Oh, come now. Let's be honest here, for the sake of science...." "Honest!? HONEST!? How can YOU... of all people... fucking well... talk about HONESTY!?" The scientist stretched out a tentacle and grabbed Cloud's chin. "I imagine that you'll experience a change in attitude once Sephiroth returns." Cloud fought the urge to cringe. "Why the hell... do you want to... resurrect Sephiroth? What can you possibly... expect to get out of all this? Do you think... he's going to be grateful... for bringing him back? He despises... your guts!" Hojo gleefully rubbed a few of his tentacles together and shrugged. "That's irrelevant. Besides, who expects gratitude from a god? I just want to see the ultimate manifestation of my grand experiment!" "I'd like to hear you... say that... when Sephiroth... rips you... to pieces." The scientist shrugged again, then muttered thoughtfully, "Hmmm. I suppose I really shouldn't keep calling you a Failure. You turned out to have some surprisingly useful abilities. Perhaps Sephiroth will find some use for you... after a little attitude readjustment, of course." Cloud's eyes widened in horror. (No no no... please, not again... I can't deal with this....) The young man abruptly shuddered, then he said in a much calmer voice, "So what are you calling this round of grandiose experiments? Let me guess... Project (B2)?" Since his bulging, multi-faceted eyes no longer had eyelids, Hojo was unable to blink. However, the scientist managed to convey his surprise perfectly well. "How...?" Cloud's lips curled up into a sarcastic grin. "Then again, you never were too imaginative with project names, Hojo." The scientist slithered closer and peered closely into Cloud's face. The fear and horror that had filled the young man's eyes just a few seconds ago were now gone. Instead of panic, there was a cool, intense stare of concentration -- the stare of a hunter watching for the slightest sign of weakness in its prey. Despite the fact that Cloud was suffering from a severe case of poisoning AND was tightly gripped by several hulking monsters, the scientist edged back a bit uneasily. He muttered, "The gas should keep you out of trouble while I make a few more preparations. Do try to restrain yourself." As the creatures dragged him away, Cloud gave Hojo a contemptuous glare. "Yes, 'doctor'. I'm all too familiar with the drill." Standing alone in the lab, Hojo rubbed his chin and pondered. The cool, mocking tone of voice... the watchful, predatory stare... the quiet, tightly controlled anger.... Hojo had seen them all before, but not in Cloud Strife. The facial expression and body language belonged to someone else altogether.... "That's... very interesting." Hojo suddenly twitched, then nodded absently. "Yes, yes. I know. First things first." But there was no one on the lab to hear him. ------------------------- Reno was having a bad day... a REALLY bad day. Here he was, locked in a transparent cylindrical cell that was at most seven feet in diameter. He was buck naked, cold, and the grating that made up the cell's floor was literally a pain in the ass. (I'm developing a terrific case of waffle-butt.) Being hungry and thirsty would have completed his misery nicely, but that wasn't the case. He was being fed... unfortunately. The food meant that Hojo wanted him alive and healthy. The Turk briefly considered going on a hunger strike, but had an unhappy suspicion that Hojo would simply have him force-fed. He tensed as he heard the scuffling and scraping of approaching creatures. (Damn it! If that's Hojo again.... ) The crackpot definitely had plans for this red-haired Turk boy. Growing up in a family of dedicated scientists, Reno had no problems recognizing the fanatical gleam in Hojo's eyes -- the gleam that said 'potential experimental subject' in big letters. However, despite several close calls, something had always come up to distract Hojo's attention. (Luck don't fail me now....) It seemed that Reno was destined to escape unscathed again as Hojo's creatures dragged a familiar, blond-haired young man into the lab and tossed him into the cell next to Reno's. This was the first time the Turk had seen Cloud since their last fateful meeting in the tunnels under the Shinra Building, but he had no trouble recognizing his old enemy. The young man lay on the cold floor with his arms wrapped tightly around his middle and his legs pulled up, motionless except for the occasional shudder running through his body. Reno was all too familiar with the signs of intense pain. "You look like hell." The blond young man opened his softly glowing blue eyes and stared at Reno. An odd little smile appeared on his lips as he whispered, "I... know you." "I sure as hell hope you know me, considering all the times we nearly beat the crap out of each other!" Reno snapped. Cloud uttered a pain-choked chuckle. "Really? Can't be. The General frowns on that sort of thing. Conduct unbecoming a SOLDIER, he says...." His eyes glazed and he hissed sharply over as another spasm of pain tore through his body. In the same, eerily conversational tone, Cloud added, "I remember seeing you in the hallways... can't forget that red hair.... Tseng's new Turk...." "What the....?" Reno stared in confusion. (How can he possibly...? It's been over ten years since I joined the Turks!) "Uh... Cloud?" The young man shook his head slightly and muttered, "Cloud... I'm... Cloud...?" It sounded more like a question than a statement to Reno. (Man, the kid is definitely NOT playing with a full deck today....) "Yeah... unless you've suddenly decided to change your name or something," said Reno in a sarcastic voice. "What the hell happened to you?" "Hojo... used some chemical weapon... on me." Cloud hissed softly. "Shit, it hurts!" He felt the ache in his body slowly intensifying to a deep-seated burning. It was like being flayed alive, inch by excruciating inch. Every little movement -- even breathing -- only seemed to make the pain grow, almost like a living thing bent on devouring him whole. "Damn...." Reno watched with growing concern as Cloud gasped and curled up a bit tighter. When the latest spasm of agony eased, he managed to lift his head slightly and whispered, "Reno?" "Yeah?" "Elena and Rude... they're alive and okay. We found them... at Nibelheim." Reno leaned against the cell wall and let out a slow, audible sigh of relief. He muttered, "Thanks," then grinned sourly. "I bet Elena was whining about getting stuck in that fucking pit." Cloud smiled faintly and murmured, "Something like that...." He suddenly shuddered and closed his eyes. He slowly opened them a moment later and whispered, "Reno, this... this could get really ugly...." "What do you mean?" "I think... I think I'm starting to... see things." "Oh shit. Uh... like what?" "You really... do NOT... want to know...." Cloud said with a weak chuckle. He abruptly gasped, then clutched at his head and whimpered, "Stop it... leave me alone... why are you doing this to me... what do you want from me... no more...." Involuntary tears of agony began to seep from Cloud's eyes. "Get a grip on yourself, man!" But it was obvious to Reno that Cloud was beyond hearing. The young man went appallingly limp and still, his chest barely moving. "Oh great." It was obvious that Cloud was going to be absolutely no help. Whatever drug Hojo had used on Cloud, it must have been a doozy. From their previous encounters, Reno knew that Cloud was the most dangerous sort of opponent -- cool-headed, focused, and ready to take exploit the slightest weakness or advantage. To see the guy so confused and disoriented was pretty damn disturbing, to say the least. (And what the hell was he babbling about before? How could he have seen me over ten years ago? And what's this about 'The General'?) The emphasis on the name was unmistakable. (There's only one guy that I remember people talking about that way. he couldn't possibly be referring to Sephiroth, could he?) ------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ PART 6c: LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER ------------------------------------------------------ Cid found Yuffie sitting at her usual spot down in the Highwind's hold. However, instead of clutching at her stomach and looking green, the girl was twirling something around her finger... something covered with Materia. The pilot abruptly realized what it was. (It's Cloud's Mystile.) Aloud, Cid said quietly, "So... what are you going to do with that?" Yuffie flipped the Mystile up into the air, caught it, and said, "I'm going to return it to its rightful owner." There was a look of fierce determination on her young face. And in that moment, Cid saw beyond the familiar image of a scruffy, still awkward teenager girl and saw the foreshadowing of what promised to be a young woman of uncommon beauty and resolve in a few years. If asked, Lord Godo could have easily told Cid just where Yuffie had gotten her looks, warrior's spirit, and strength of will. She had inherited it from her mother Kinutora... the woman whose name translated in the ancient Wutai language to mean 'the silken she-tiger'... and the woman whose sudden death had all but destroyed Lord Godo's will to fight even before his defeat at the hands of Sephiroth and Shinra. Even after all these years, the dead woman's presence -- and her absence -- could be felt. For the husband and daughter, it was easier to act as if Kinutora had never existed than to dwell upon her loss and the mystery of her death... a death that had signaled the final defeat of Wutai. ------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ PART 6d: RHAPSODY IN GREEN: A LITTLE PEACE OF HEAVEN, A LITTLE SLICE OF HELL ------------------------------------------------------ Through the burning maelstrom of agony, fear, and horror that threatened to consume Cloud, a small bit of tranquillity emerged... a happy memory of years gone by.... >----->----->-----> Strolling down the street of Sector 5, he heard the unmistakable sounds of a scuffle taking place in the dirty alleyway nearby. He might have ignored it and continued on his way, but a dirty young man went flying out the mouth of the alley, nearly colliding with him. Staggering back to his feet, the young man glared at him and took a drunken swing at him out of pure frustration. He wasn't carrying his sword, but he didn't need weapons to be dangerous. A single precise punch and the scruffy young man collapsed into a limp heap which bore an uncanny resemblance to the other piles of trash littering the slum street. Curiosity aroused, he strolled into the alley to investigate. He found four young men -- all filthy, scrawny and stinking drunk -- harassing a young woman... a girl, really. She was petite and pretty, with long brown hair tied up in a ponytail and bright green eyes. Her long pink dress, topped with a red vest, didn't keep her from using a staff to beat off her attackers. (Not bad,) he noted absently as two of the attackers went down. (But she's too easy on them. She doesn't follow up like she should.) That was made painfully clear when one of the men she'd flattened earlier jumped back to his feet and sent her staff flying out of her hands with an angry swipe. He snatched the staff out of midair. It wasn't his favorite weapon, but he knew how to use it and use it well. A quick series of jabs and sweeps floored the attacking gang. However, this time, they were definitely going to stay down for a while. He gave the girl a pleasant grin and tossed the staff back to her. "Your form's pretty good, but you need to hit them harder." She blinked and said quietly, "I didn't want to hurt them." "That's sweet of you, but unfortunately, not very practical." He watched her brush off her clothes, then pick up a basket. For a moment, he couldn't figure out what the frilly yellow things were. "Hey, those are flowers! You hardly see them around here." She smiled a bit sadly and said, "Yes, I know. That's how I make my living... I sell them. Would you like one? On the house?" The girl's expression abruptly brightened. He chuckled when he saw the playful twinkle in her eyes. "Sure. I love freebies." She handed him a delicate, yellow-orange blossom. "Thanks again for helping me. My name's Aeris." He took the flower and stared down at her, admiring her gorgeous green eyes. There was such serenity and gentleness in her gaze... but also traces of unmistakable loneliness and sadness. (Why do I wish I could make your loneliness and sadness go away...? Will you let me do that, Aeris?) "The name's Zack." <-----<-----<-----< Reno watched with a mixture of relief and disgust as the look of suffering on Cloud's face eased a bit. Still unconscious, the blond young man smiled slightly. >----->----->-----> He walked into the room humming softly to himself. It was getting to be a habit, he realized. His best friend appeared in the doorway and said, "So who's the lucky woman?" "Huh?" He grinned impishly. "What makes you think that?" "When you walk around with a bemused grin on your face and twirling a flower in your fingers, I'd say that it's more than likely that there's a woman involved." "You're as perceptive as ever. Yeah." "So what's her name?" He flushed with embarrassment. "Actually, she made a promise not to tell anyone her name." His friend raised an elegant pale eyebrow. "Why?" "I don't know. She's really skittish, especially about people from Shinra. She never told me anything straight out, but I think that her family's had some past trouble with some Shinra exec. I guess she doesn't want the guy to find her." Sephiroth shook his head. "She sounds rather... helpless. Not your usual type." There was a faint expression of contempt on his face. Then again, the Shinra general had precious little tolerance for what he considered as weakness. "Helpless? No, not really. I think... 'demure' is a better word for her. She's got backbone, but she also grew up in the slums. People who live down there tend to think that anyone associated with Shinra as all-powerful. Maybe, when she trusts me more...." "You're a sentimentalist and a hopeless romantic." For a man was infamous throughout Shinra for his sharp tongue and ruthlessness, Sephiroth's tone was amazingly mild... one might almost consider it faintly wistful. He gave his friend an impish grin. "Hey, it's part of my charm. The women love it." Sephiroth shook his head ruefully. "Well, if you can't tell me her name, what CAN you tell me about her?" "She's a bit on the short side, long brown hair, very pretty. But it's her eyes that really got my attention." He chuckled. "I don't know. I guess I just have a weakness for green eyes." Sephiroth blinked his own glowing pale green eyes, then snorted and shook his head. "And she's got a real touch with plants." "Really?" Sephiroth gave him a skeptical look. "Yeah. See." He held up the flower in his hand. The general stepped away from the doorway and took the flower. After sniffing the bloom and admiring the silky yellow petals, he said "You're right. I can't imagine trying to raise something this beautiful in the slums." There was a thoughtful pause. "You really like her." "Well...." "Come on. I know you, Zack. This one's different. It's not just some passing fancy, is it?" He sighed. "No... no, it isn't. I don't know how quite to describe it. She's really a wonderful person... nice without being preachy or boring about it. But at the same time, she's such a mystery." (In a weird way, she reminds me of you, Seph. You two appear very different. She's like a quiet lake, serene and peaceful... you're like a wall of ice, cold and hard. But underneath those very different surfaces, I can sense the same kind of loneliness and isolation... maybe even sorrow... in both of you.) He abruptly shook his head. "You know, I've been seeing her on and off for over a year, but I still don't know that much about her. I really wish she'd tell me what scares her so much," he muttered. "Well, I suppose that you'll just have to wait until she gathers the courage to...." Sephiroth's face suddenly went expressionless and remote. (Oh well, back to business, I guess.) He discretely stuffed the flower out of sight behind some books even as he put on his best professional face and moved to his habitual position behind his superior officer. Sephiroth said in a sharp, icy voice, "What do you want, Hojo?" The doctor give the general his typical slimy grin. "Oh, I'm here to request a contingent of SOLDIERS for a mission. I want them to go out to the Mythril mines to the east and capture some important specimens for me." With a faint sneer, Sephiroth snapped, "Surely you have personnel trained for that sort of thing." "Yes, I do. Well, perhaps I should say, 'Yes, I did.' Unfortunately, the last three parties I've sent out never returned." Hojo shrugged carelessly. "My men are fighters, not scientists or dog catchers." "Are you saying they can't do the job?" Hojo asked slyly. Sephiroth said in an even voice, "Hardly. Capturing creatures for your pet research projects is NOT their job." The general stared at Hojo from under hooded eyes. "But, in the interests of interdepartmental cooperation and since I am under orders from President Shinra to indulge your... reasonable... requests, I'll send a squad of my men strictly as an escort. Their sole priority is to protect their own lives and the lives of your personnel. The task of actually capturing any creatures is entirely YOUR responsibility. My men will not refrain in the slightest degree if the creatures try to attack them. Is that understood?" Hojo sniffed, then shrugged. "Very well. My assistant will forward the pertinent details." Sephiroth made a dismissive gesture. "Zack, make the assignments." With those words, the general disappeared into his office. He nodded obediently, then turned back to Hojo only to find the scientist staring at him a bit too intensely for comfort. <-----<-----<-----< "What a slimy bastard...." Half asleep, Reno lifted his head and muttered, "You say something, Cloud?" but got no reply. >----->----->-----> He walked in one morning to see Sephiroth frowning at his computer screen. "What's wrong?" "I was just checking out the records on one of the troopers assigned to our mission to Nibelheim." "Who? "Someone called Cloud Strife." "So what's wrong with him?" "You better ask me what's not wrong with him." "Come on, it can't be THAT bad." "How much are you willing to bet, Zack?" He glanced at the picture on the screen. "Strife... now I remember him. Short, blond haired kid. He took it really hard when he got booted from the SOLDIER program." "Life's full of disappointments. If he can't deal with them, he certainly has no business even trying to be a SOLDIER," snapped Sephiroth. He remembered running into the kid at a bar. Cloud had been stinking drunk and on the verge of single-handedly attacking a group of SOLDIERs. Knowing his buddies like he did, he'd dragged the kid out of the bar before the youngster ended up as a bloody smear on the floor. As he hauled the trooper out to a taxi, he listened as Cloud rambled about how everyone was out to get him. Shaking his head, he had stuffed the kid into the taxi and sent him back to barracks. Sephiroth looked faintly disgusted. "How on earth did this joker get accepted into the Shinra military in the first place? Just take a look at these psychological assessments... 'insecure, hostile, resentful of authority, questionable mental stability, and a distinct tendency to paranoia....'" His lips twitched slightly. "I thought we were supposed to be paranoid." Sephiroth glared at him. "Not that type of paranoid." He peered over his friend's shoulder. "But it also says that he's got quite a bit of raw talent and potential. If he'd only lose some of that attitude of his...." "We're a military organization, not some personal development seminar," Sephiroth snapped, his green eyes flashing with annoyance. "I know, I know," he murmured mildly. Sephiroth glared at the computer monitor. "The last thing I want is to have such a troublemaker hanging around." "Well, he did grow up in Nibelheim. He probably knows the area pretty well. He could be useful." "That's true. It'll be good to have a backup, just in case we have problems with the guide." <-----<-----<-----< On the floor of his cell, Cloud stirred restlessly. Something bad was coming.... >----->----->-----> "WAKE UP." The struggle for air and the mocking, horribly familiar voice dragged him irresistibly out of his peaceful sleep. He blearily opened his eyes, then froze in shock and terror at the black-caped man effortlessly holding him by the throat above the cell floor. (Sephiroth! How can he be here in the Shinra Building!? He's dead! He's DEAD!!!) He wanted to scream in rage and hatred, but he couldn't utter a sound. Over Sephiroth's shoulder, he could see Tifa curled up on the bunk, fast asleep and totally oblivious to the malevolent presence in the small detention cell. (Tifa! Wake up! Don't just lie there! Help me!) A sinister little smile appeared on Sephiroth's lips and he lightly brushed his fingers along his victim's cheek. In a malevolent purr, Sephiroth said, "What do we have here? A little SOLDIER boy? Or a fool playing dress-up? You don't remember a thing, do you? How remarkably convenient. After all, who would want to be a failure like you, hm?" The utter scorn and contempt in Sephiroth's gaze made him cringe, but he didn't understand why. (What are you talking about? Dress-up? Failure?) Failure. That word... hurt... so badly. "Nibelheim burned and you did nothing. Pretty little Tifa lay bleeding all over the reactor floor and you did absolutely nothing. While you blubbered like an idiot... while you were moaning and wailing about your lost family and hometown... someone else was trying to DO something about it. Someone else was checking for survivors. Someone else was saving little Tifa's life. Someone else was trying to stop me... and amazingly enough, he managed to succeed... or partially, at least." (No! You're lying! There WAS no one else! I did those things! IT WAS ME!) But despite his angry mental protests, a terrible sense of fear and dread began to grow. Sephiroth cocked his head slightly, then lightly tapped his victim's forehead. "Isn't it amazing what a little self-delusion will do? All the shame... all the helplessness... gone." He shuddered and shook his head frantically. He wanted to scream his denials and drown out Sephiroth's lies.... but he was mute... a silent, captive audience to the monster's venomous words. (TIFA! HELP ME!) But she didn't do anything. She went on sleeping like she didn't have a care in the world. (....maybe she doesn't care... about me, anyway.) Sephiroth murmured, "My, don't we even look the part? Instead of being just a nobody, you're now a dashing ex-SOLDIER, complete with a suitably formidable weapon and... wardrobe." (No! I'm somebody! I am... was a SOLDIER!) The ex-Shinra general leaned closer and whispered viciously, "You can dress like a SOLDIER." Sephiroth tapped the familiar insignia on Cloud's belt. "You might even be able to trick yourself into fighting like a SOLDIER. But you'll never be anything more than a pathetic copy of a real SOLDIER... and an even poorer copy of him...." (I don't want to listen to this!) But he had no choice. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even look away. All he could do was hang there like a brainless piece of meat as Sephiroth poured his verbal poison into his ears. The words were like acid, eating away at his mind... his soul... leaving nothing but a huge, gaping void.... Almost as if he knew exactly what was going through his victim's head, Sephiroth purred, "And when I'm through with you, you'll know exactly what you are. A fake. A hollow shell. A puppet of flesh with no name and no mind of its own." He closed his eyes. It was all he could do. But that didn't help. The words kept coming and the void kept getting bigger... deeper.... Sephiroth chuckled quietly. "The truth hurts, doesn't it? But enough for now. We'll have plenty of time to talk about this later on. LOOK AT ME." He involuntarily opened his eyes and met Sephiroth's icy green gaze. Those terrible eyes filled his entire field of vision, blotting out everything else. The cold green fire seemed to sear into him, leaving nothing untouched and untainted. Like the tendrils of some cruel parasitic vine, the greenness wove its way into every corner of his mind... into his very flesh and bones.... ....the flesh and bones of a puppet. When Sephiroth released the grip on his throat, he stood attentively, awaiting Sephiroth's every word. "Cloud, you wanted so badly to become a SOLDIER." (Yes... I want to be a SOLDIER.) "So be it. Here are your superior officer's orders." (Yes sir....) A part of him was ready and eager to obey... just like a trained dog awaiting his master's slightest command. Another part of him was screaming. <-----<-----<-----< Reno glanced at the neighboring cell as Cloud abruptly twitched, then started to utter little noises of distress. (So much for the good dreams, heh? Well, misery loves company and all that crap. If I'm not getting any sleep, I don't see why you should.) But it soon became evident to the Turk that Cloud was not experiencing any ordinary bad dream. Soon the young man was thrashing from side to side, babbling incoherent denials or begging for something terrible to stop. Reno moved closer to Cloud's cell to get a better look, then nearly got the fright of his life when Cloud exploded off the floor and lunged toward at him, screaming in a berserk rage. The Turk recoiled, retreating as far away as his cell would allow as Cloud pounded and clawed mindlessly at the walls of his own cell. "Shit!" swore the Turk as a small crack suddenly appeared in the wall of Cloud's cell. At the moment, Reno was very glad that there was not just one, but TWO very solid barriers between him and this frothing maniac. "STOP IT! STOP IT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!! How can you just lie there and let him do this to me!? You're on HIS side, aren't you, you damn slut!? TIFA, YOU FUCKING BITCH!!!" In his line of work, Reno had run into plenty of angry people. He'd been yelled at, cursed, and threatened more times than he could count. It was no big deal... just a side effect of the job. But what he was seeing now was totally different. Reno had seen something like it only once before... and that time had been more than enough. It had scared him back then and it scared him now. Cloud wasn't just angry. As the young man ranted and raved, his voice contained a searing rage and a corrosive, soul-deep hatred that made Reno's skin crawl. (Oh man, oh man. This is BAD.) He was under the impression that Cloud and Tifa Lockheart were, if not a couple, a semi-item. But after THIS little display.... He wondered if Tifa had any idea what was really going on this guy's head. Even as he watched, Cloud suddenly stiffened, his glowing blue eyes wide open... and totally empty. Reno cautiously edged closer to the immobile young man, then waved his hand in front of Cloud's face. The Turk shivered at the utter lack of reaction. He'd encountered vacant stares before, but this one had to take the cake. (It's like... there's nothing there. No thoughts, no emotions.... Zip. Zilch. Nobody's home.) Cloud remained frozen for a few minutes, then without warning, he sagged to the cell floor.... ....like a puppet with its strings cut. >----->----->-----> Green eyes and smiles. That's what he would always remember about this moment... about this place of light and crystal. He would never forget Aeris' beautiful eyes and her warm smile as she knelt there in the very center of this City of the Ancients. She was so glad to see him. He wanted to touch her... hold her... he wanted to make the strain and worry on her face disappear. He never got the chance. Then there were the other green eyes... the other smile.... ....the eyes that were like shards of green ice slashing into his soul... the cruel, amused smile that promised unspeakable horrors to come.... And better than anyone else, he knew that Sephiroth certainly could -- and would -- deliver on that promise. <-----<-----<-----< Reno stared at the unconscious Cloud and the tears that slowly seeped from the young man's closed eyes. The Turk looked away. At the moment, he felt like he had been thrown in a barrel and tossed over a waterfall. Reno couldn't believe it but he was actually emotionally exhausted from just watching Cloud's raving fits. After spending over a decade doing Shinra's dirty work, there was damn few things that could really bother him, but he couldn't help feeling more than a little sorry for the young man in the neighboring cell. (Cloud, you poor bastard... you've got some serious shit going on in your head.) ------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ PART 6e: REEVE'S INTERLUDE - BITING THE HAND ------------------------------------------------------ Fed up with the lack of results and desperate to do SOMETHING, Reeve took over the job of sifting endless piles of data for any leads to Scarlet's secret weapons plant as he waited for Cid and the others to return to Midgar. An hour or so later, Max tapped Reeve on the shoulder. "What?" he asked his assistant irritably. "Uh, I found one of the guys on that list of names you gave me." For a second, Reeve couldn't figure out what Max was talking about, then he remembered. "Oh, that's right!" Around dinnertime, he'd given his assistant a list of the troopers mentioned in the very last report on Zack and Cloud... the ones involved in Zack's death. "You found only one? Where is the rest of the men on that list?" "They're all dead, sir." "How did that happen?" "Well, it appears that immediately after Zack incident, the entire squad was transferred back to Midgar and ended up stationed on the 67th through 69th floors of this building. Sephiroth wiped them out on his way to assassinate President Shinra." Reeve frowned. (Well, that's an eerie sort of poetic justice, isn't it? They killed Zack and Sephiroth killed them....) ------------------------- The Shinra trooper shuffled his feet and sweated nervously as he stood in front of the new president's desk. Reeve was in a really nasty mood and it showed. "I have some questions to ask you. Do a good job of answering them and you'll be out of here in no time. Try to screw around me and I know a certain General Claxmore who won't be so nice about asking the same questions." "Y-y-yes sir...." Reeve was not impressed with the trooper standing before him. The man looked like a coward and a bully. "About a year ago, you and your troop was sent on a mission to track down some fugitives. Am I correct?" "Yeah." Then in a self-pitying whine, the trooper said, "We were supposed to hunt down some lab escapees. They didn't tell us that one of the guys we were looking for was a SOLDIER!" (And it would have been perfectly all right with you to hunt down some poor ordinary person?) thought Reeve. "We got some reports that the guys we were looking for were in the mountains just south of Midgar, so off we go. Jeez, me and my squad are searching the area, minding our own business, then this... this dark guy drops from the trees like the wrath of god, waving this absolutely HUGE sword! The next thing I know, he takes out half my buddies and the squad commander in a couple of swipes. Boom! Like that!" (A dark guy. That had to be Zack....) "So how did you manage to survive the attack?" asked Reeve. "Uh... me and one of my friends decided that a strategic retreat...." "You mean you ran for your lives." "Um... yeah." "In that case, why on earth did the two of you keep chasing these escapees, considering what just happened to the rest of your squad?" A bead of sweat ran down the man's face. Reeve glared at him. "Actually,.. we weren't chasing them. We... sort of ran across them by accident. Near the edge of a cliff. It was weird. I mean, I know that dark guy didn't get a damn scratch when he chopped the squad to pieces, but when we ran into him again a few minutes later, he was hurt really bad. There was all this blood pouring -- and I mean POURING -- down his back. He and this blond guy were so busy fighting over a knife that they didn't even notice us. The dark guy finally managed to clobber the blond guy, then he saw us...." "So you panicked and shot him." "Yeah...." Reeve stared at them. In a neutral voice, he said, "So why didn't you shoot the other man as well?" "Oh, you mean the blond guy?" (That has to be Cloud....) "Yes," said Reeve. "Well, we would have... but he stumbled off into the brush. And... well, we sort of used up all our ammo on the other guy." Seeing Reeve's disgusted look, the trooper hastily said, "Listen. If this blond guy was strong enough to give the dark guy trouble, would YOU want to go wandering around in the woods looking for a crazed lunatic with nothing more than a pocket knife?" (I guess he has a point there.) Reeve stared at the trooper for a moment, then said, "Then what happened?" "Well, none of us wanted to stick around. So we left the dark guy lying there and took off." "Didn't you bother to check to see if he was still alive?" "C'mon! No way he could've survived, shot full of holes like he was. And if he wasn't dead, he would have died soon enough." The trooper shrugged. "When we got back to camp, we fudged a few things on the report. And that was that." "I see." The trooper shifted uneasily. "Is... is there anything else, sir?" "Just one more thing." "Yeah?" "When the... dark guy and the blond were fighting over the knife, who was the aggressor?" "The aggressor?" The trooper puzzled over the question a bit, then said, "Oh, you mean, who was doing most of the attacking?" "Yes." "Funny. Now that you mention it... it was the blond guy." "Are you sure?" "Oh, yeah. I mean, you could just tell from their faces. The blond guy was really freaked out, while the dark guy was a lot more cool-headed. He seemed more interested on getting the knife away from the blond guy than in hurting him." "I see. That will be all. Wait out in the reception area. I may need to speak to you again." "Yes sir." As the relieved trooper fled his office, Reeve leaned back into his chair and pondered the new information he'd just received. (Yes. It all begins to fit. I'd been wondering how a group of regular Shinra troopers managed to take down such a talented SOLDIER like Zack. But this version makes a lot more sense. Zack nearly wipes out the squad that's following him and Cloud. For whatever reasons -- delirium, whatever -- Cloud attacks Zack and severely wounds him. Zack manages to knock Cloud out, but by then it's too late. The troopers shoot Zack while Cloud wanders off into the bush. After the troopers run off, Cloud returns to find Zack... and then....) And then, something else had happened... something truly horrific. Reeve didn't have to be an expert to read the story told by the shattered and smashed bones on the cliff -- someone with immense physical strength and a sharp weapon had deliberately hacked Zack's body apart... and he had a sickening suspicion that Zack had probably still been alive at the time. The question of 'who' was ridiculously easy to answer. (Cloud, of course. On the cliff edge. With Zack's own two-handed broadsword.) Not the Cloud Strife he knew. It was inconceivable that his friend could possible do such a savage and crazed deed. (Not our Cloud, no. But this other Cloud Strife... the young man who arrived in Midgar eight years ago... the bitter, hostile young man who failed to became a SOLDIER... oh, with his history, I could easily picture THAT person attacking anyone -- even an apparent friend -- in a blind fit of rage. Add the trauma of being Hojo's prisoner and experimental subject for nearly five years... oh my god....) It all fit. Cloud's inability to remember exactly what happened to Zack... the fit of panic and horror at the cliff... everything. Reeve contemplated his opinions... debated temporary and final solutions. Finally, he called his assistant Max. "Where's the most isolated outpost we have?" "Uh... I believe there's a facility located on a desert island to the south, sir. Nothing but sand and walking cactus plants." "Fine. Transfer that trooper waiting in the reception area to that location." "Sir!?" "Right now. I want him out of Midgar as soon as possible. I don't care how you do it, but do it right away and make him like it." With a bitter smile, he added, "Tell him it's for his own safety and that it's in his best interests to keep his mouth shut." "Yes, sir. Right away, sir," said Max in a dubious voice. (Which is perfectly true, in a way.) Reeve sank back into his chair. (This buys me some time to figure out what to do. And if worst comes to worst... well, I suppose I could always ask one of the Turks to kill the man.) Reeve sat alone, in total silence, until a sharp buzz broke his concentration. His assistant Max said, "Sir, the Highwind II has just landed. Your friends are headed up to your office." ------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ PART 6f: ONE THING AT A TIME ------------------------------------------------------ When Cid and the others walked into the office, they were confronted by a seriously preoccupied Reeve. The pilot threw himself into a chair and muttered, "Any luck on finding Scarlet's little hiding hole?" Reeve stared out the window and said quietly, "Not yet. Scarlet covered her tracks damn well. She didn't leave any obvious traces. So we're left with the money." "The what!?" Barret yelled. Elena nodded sharply. "When all else fails, you trace the money. Salaries, equipment costs, food, transportation. All these things cost money. It has to come from somewhere and it has to go somewhere." Cid smirked. "I get it. Hit 'em with the accountants, huh?" "That's the basic idea. I've narrowed it down to three or four few likely prospects, but that's about it. Unfortunately, it takes more time...." Tifa jumped up and shouted, "But we don't HAVE time!" There was a trace of barely controlled hysteria in her voice. Before anyone else could comment, Reeve held up his hand and said wearily, "I know that. It's all taking too much time. Believe me, I'm open to any suggestions, hints, guesses you guys might have for me. Just remember, we're probably only going to get one chance at this." "So what have you got?" "There are four likely locations. The first is located in the mountains just north of Junon. The second is on an island near what used to be the Temple of the Ancients. The third is situated near the Mythril Mines to the east. The last one is on the seaside cliffs just north of Rocket Town." "Can't you do some aerial reconnaissance?" said Barret. Cid muttered, "No way. Don't forget that Hojo's got hordes of those weird flying monsters. He'd see us long before we see him." "Shit." Reeve said, "I'm hoping to narrow it down to two locations. After that... it's a coin toss." He glanced around at his friends. "Listen. Why don't you guys change, heal up, and get some rest? Standing around won't make the computers work any faster." "But...." Tifa protested. Barret gripped her shoulder. "Come on, girl. You know he's right. You're not going to do Cloud any good if you pass out on your feet. And you should see a doc about your legs. Just to be sure." "Oh hell," she muttered. "All right." Barret and Yuffie escorted Tifa out of the room, trailed by Vincent and the Turks. Cid was about to follow them when Red gave him a nudge, then jerked his head in Reeve's direction. Cid nodded and walked back to Reeve's desk. "Okay, what's up?" Reeve started in surprise. "Huh?" Red said firmly, "Something's really bothering you." The Shinra exec rubbed his hands over his face. "That obvious, huh?" Cid glanced down at Reeve's desk and saw a picture of a familiar blond-haired young man on the outside of a fat folder. Curious, he reached out to take a look inside, but Reeve quietly put his hand on the folder cover, holding it closed. He quietly said to the pilot, "Please don't. Or at least, not now." Cid blinked twice, then said, "That's Cloud's personnel file, right?" "Yes." Reeve hesitated, then said, "Cid... Red... if you insist on reading it, I won't try to stop you. But I think we should concentrate on finding and rescuing Cloud first. We can deal with what's in here later." Red and Cid stared into their friend's eyes. Reeve didn't look guilty. Instead, he looked anxious and just a bit sad. Red said evenly, "ARE there things in that file that need to be 'dealt' with?" "Yes, I think so." Reeve's answer was quiet and thoughtful. He sighed heavily and added, "Do you guys remember the talk you had in the basement of the Mansion about possible consequences of probing Cloud's memories? Red, you said that it was hard to figure out the best thing to do... allowing Cloud to face the intolerable truth or to let him keep a comforting lie." Cid muttered, "Yeah. And YOU said, 'You can say that again.' Aw hell, Reeve. You're not telling me...." (Doesn't it ever stop for this poor kid?) The pilot rubbed his neck and said, "Just how bad is it, Reeve?" "It's pretty damn bad... and ugly. And even worse, it leaves a lot more questions than answers. You can't imagine how many times I've been tempted to just shred this entire file and forget about it, but I couldn't quite bring myself to do it. There's been too many lies and omissions already...." "Shit." The pilot wondered what could be bothering Reeve so much. Cid's gaze returned to the folder, then abruptly focused on the photo of young Cloud on the folder cover. (It's Cloud, no doubt about that. You can't mistake that hair.) But then Cid noticed the expression in the young man's eyes and face. A quick glance at Red told him that the beast was probably seeing the same thing he did. Red whispered in quiet dismay, "Such bitterness and anger." Reeve's only response was a weary sigh. Cid flicked the photo. "Has this been the thing bugging you the last couple of days?" "It's just the tip of the iceberg, Cid." They all stared the apparently innocuous personnel folder, then glanced at each other. Finally Red spoke for them all. "Reeve, you probably should put that folder away and keep it out of sight for now. We don't want Tifa or the others accidentally seeing it and asking questions. As you said, we'll probably have to deal with it at some point, but this is not the time. We have more important things to worry about at the moment. Whoever he might have been... whatever he might have done in the past... Cloud is our friend NOW and he's in terrible danger." ------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ PART 6g: NO TRUER WORDS ------------------------------------------------------ Cloud awoke in bone-searing agony, but that was an all too familiar experience. He resisted opening his eyes, dreading the sight of what he was going to see... the sickening green Mako glow... the scientists in white.... (This past year... my friends... has it all been a dream...? If it is, I don't want to wake up.... Please, I can't stand this any more....) // You can't spend the rest of your life.... // // hiding in an imaginary world.... // Somewhere, he gathered up the willpower to slowly open his eyes. The first thing he was the curving clear wall of his cell. (No... not again....) Then he glanced up to see a naked, red-haired man watching him from a neighboring cell. In an barely audible voice, Cloud whispered, "I never thought that I'd be so glad to see you, Reno." The Turk had a rather peculiar combination of discomfort, nervousness, and sympathy on his face. "Uh... whatever." "What's wrong? Oh hell, I've been babbling, haven't I?" Cloud muttered in disgust. He shifted restlessly, seeking some relief, but his movements only made the pain worse. Reno said in a somber voice, "You know, I would NOT like to be you for all the gil in the world, Cloud." The young man's lips curled upward, but it really couldn't be considered a smile. "Sometimes *I* don't like being me, either." ------------------------------------------------------ PART 6h: SCARLET HITS THE ROAD ------------------------------------------------------ Reno was not the only ex-Shinra member to be have a really bad time in recent days. Actually, Scarlet's luck started turning bad a year ago -- just about the time that damned Cloud guy made his presence known in Midgar -- and it had been going downhill ever since. Getting pounded on by that slut Lockheart... nearly getting blown up in Proud Clod due to Heidegger's incompetence... having a huge meteor crashing down from the sky... all that was bad enough. But to lose control of Shinra to REEVE, of all people! Well, that was adding insult to injury. But she always had contingency plans. This weapon research facility had been one of her best-kept secrets. There was no trace of it in Shinra records and it was financed by the most convoluted and creative accounting she could manage. Contemplating her options after Meteor and losing her bid to control Shinra, she'd decided that the obvious thing to do would be to enter the weapon business herself. There was always a market for effective ways of killing other people. She had spent the following months getting her secret weapon facility retooled to become a small, but efficient production plant. In a few days, it would have been online and running. But just as things looked like there were about to turn around for her, Hojo had to show up and screw up everything. Scarlet angrily paced back in forth in the small detention cell which was part of the facility's security area. After Hojo's little invasion, she had been thrown into the cell and apparently forgotten. For over 24 hours, she'd had nothing to eat and if it hadn't been for the small sink, she wouldn't have had anything to drink either. She knew why she was still alive. Hojo wanted her around to defuse any self-destruct devices she might have built into the facility. He knew how paranoid she could be about her projects. Hojo had no real intention of letting her starve to death. The lack of food was just to make her cooperative. Scarlet snickered softly to herself. Hojo was an idiot. Oh, the crazed scientist had found a secure place to put her, a place with no computers or tools. But the chauvinist pig had made a very bad mistake. He assumed that she was just a weapon designer and computer programmer. Wrong. Her interest was not purely intellectual. Not only did she know how to construct all sorts of weapons, she knew how to use them AND she didn't mind getting her hands dirty. The fool had totally forgotten to have her searched. No, the situation wasn't totally hopeless, but it couldn't be considered good by any stretch of the imagination. She was still stuck in a 10' by 10' cell and no place to go. The locked door wasn't the problem -- she knew the codes and could get it open easily enough -- it was the pack of hulking, drooling monsters prowling around outside the cell that was the problem. Their grunting and stomping was driving her crazy. As she paced, she wondered how the hell she was going to get out of THIS mess with her precious hide intact. Suddenly, she heard the sound of approaching feet which stopped right outside her door. This could be her one and only chance. She took a deep breath and got focused as the door to her cell slid open. The monsters dragged her out of her cell, down the hallways, and carted her up several flights of stairs. She noted that the elevators did not appear to be working and stored that information away for future reference. Scarlet and her escort eventually ended up in her own office facing a softly giggling Hojo. She thought irritably, (The asshole's managed to change himself into some creepy tentacled green, bug-eyed monster and he STILL has the same stringy, dirty black hair!) Sniggering madly , he said, "I hope you haven't found your accommodations too uncomfortable." "What the hell do you want, Hojo?" "I want the codes for the safety interlocks on your little Mako reactor." "What for!?" "I need more power, of course." Scarlet scowled angrily. "Then you're going to have to find another source of power, Hojo! If you shut off the interlocks, the inflow of Mako will be uncontrollable and the reactor will blow up in your stupid face. Not that it bothers me, but since I happen to be sitting on top of the damn thing...." "That would be true... IF the Mako had no place to go. But we won't be having that problem." "Why not!?" "You don't need to know, Scarlet. Just be cooperative and give me the codes. My time is at a premium right now. I don't want to waste time torturing you." As Scarlet sighed, she counted the number of monsters in the room. (Just a handful....) She gave Hojo a quick glance. (I hope that I'm correct in assuming that Hojo's in direct mental control of these creatures. Otherwise, I'm dead meat.) Scarlet shrugged off the paws holding her back and stepped closer to Hojo. She began to haul up her sparkly, heavily sequined evening gown with one hand, exposing her long, rather attractive legs. As she kicked off her high heels, she murmured in a husky tone, "Let's not be too hasty with the threats, okay? Maybe we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement?" Edging a bit closer, she gave him a sultry smile. "Come on. I can be immensely useful to you... in lots of ways...." Hojo made a shooing gesture with a tentacle and chuckled, "Please! Credit me with some taste!" "But I've got such a nice surprise for you... HERE!" With the smoothness of many hours of practice, she grabbed the small but extremely powerful handgun strapped to her thigh, whipped it up, and emptied half the clip right into Hojo's face at point blank range. He staggered back squealing wildly in shock and pain. As she had hoped, his creatures also began flailing around mindlessly without purpose or direction. She dove through an opening between two howling monsters, rolled to her feet, and took off down the hallway at full speed on bare feet. ------------------------- Reno was pacing as best he could in his small cell when a flash of sequins caught his eye. A familiar-looking blond woman dressed in a singularly tasteless evening gown dashed into the lab, slammed the door closed, and started lavishing kisses on the gun clutched in her hands. "Oh baby, you saved my neck again! First, from Heidegger and now Hojo!" She hugged the weapon to her amply endowed breasts. "SCARLET!?" "RENO!?" Scarlet's jaw dropped open as she saw a totally naked Reno standing in a transparent cylinder. With a sour grin, he said, "I knew you were fond of your weapons, Scarlet, but don't you think you're getting a bit carried away?" She shoved her hair away from her face and smirked. "Why Reno, those suits you wear do absolutely nothing for you!" She licked her lips as her eyes scanned the Turk from head to toe before settling on a point just below his waist. "I never realized what an impressive... physique... you have." Reno suppressed the impulse to cover himself and snarled, "Will you quit admiring my attributes and get me the hell out of this fucking cell!?" "Sorry, darling, but as much as I admire that cute ass of yours, I'm more concerned with saving my own butt. I'm outta here!" With those words, she turned to leave. "Scarlet, you bitch! You can't just leave us here!" "Sure I can! You just watch me! What do you mean 'us'?" She glanced at the other cell. "Oh shit! It's that son of a bitch Cloud! If you think I'm going to risk my neck to save his...." Suddenly a calculating look crossed her face. "Hey...." At that moment, there was sounds of a rapidly approaching horde. Scarlet blanched, then bolted out the back door to the lab. Less than a minute later, a mob of Hojo's monsters smashed down the lab door. Reno blandly watched as they stampeded right back out in hot pursuit of the former head of Shinra's Weapon Development Division. Cloud lifted his head a bit and muttered, "Did I just see Scarlet go by? Or was that just another hallucination?" "Nope. She came and she went, the damn bitch." ------------------------- Scarlet grabbed a post, used it to make a sharp right turn, hit a nondescript panel in a particular pattern, jumped through the opening as the panel abruptly slid aside, then slammed it shut behind her. She took a brief second to catch her breath, then scurried down the access tunnel on hands and knees. At occasional intervals, she opened up hidden keypads and typed in codes, then hurried on her way. Finally, she ended up in the backup security room. She tapped a few final commands in the console, then collapsed into a chair, gasping for air. As the security monitors sprang to life, she saw Hojo still staggering around in her office. Scarlet scowled in disappointment and resignation. Since the crazy scientist had managed to survive getting blown to bits by Cloud and company, she hadn't expected her gun to do any permanent harm... but one could always hope. Even as she watched, the gaping wounds in Hojo's head were slowly closing up. As she flipped through the images from various security cameras scattered throughout the facility, she frowned angrily. The damned monsters were everywhere. All her escape routes to the outside were cut off. "Shit! I'll need an army to blast through all those creatures...," then she smiled wickedly. "I may not have an army, but I know a group of people that'll do just as well." Scarlet reached inside a small cooler unit and pulled out a bottle of wine. Uncorking it and taking a few chugs without the benefit of a glass, she laughed and said, "Well, Cloud, you just might be my ticket out of this hellhole, after all. Cheers!" ------------------------------------------------------ PART 6i: EXCHANGING FAVORS ------------------------------------------------------ It was just before dawn, but no one was asleep. While Elena, Reeve, Red, and Cid went over their puny bits of data one more time, the others struggled to find constructive ways to occupy their time. Both Vincent and Barret headed off to the armory to check out their weapons and gather more ammunition. Tifa paced. Strangely, it was Yuffie who was managing -- just barely -- to keep Tifa from punching holes in the walls in frustration. Reeve dragged his hand through his hair. Nothing. No clues. Hours of pouring over records trying to guess where Scarlet's secret research facility might be, but they still couldn't narrow the field any more. There were still four possible locations and no way to eliminate even one of them. (That's even assuming that Scarlet's facility is even one of the four. AND assuming that Hojo didn't change his mind and go somewhere else.) Taking a break from repairing the Highwind II, Cid finally threw up his hands. "Hell, at this point, we might as well pick our target by closing our eyes and sticking a pin in the fucking map! At least we'd be doing SOMETHING!" The intercom abruptly buzzed. Everyone froze, waiting. "Reeve here." "Sir, we have an urgent video transmission for you!" "What? From who? Never mind. Just put it through." The picture of a tired, disheveled blond woman appeared on the monitor screen. "Scarlet!?" "I want to make a deal, Reeve." "A deal!? What the hell are you up to!?" "Listen, you're looking for your spiky haired buddy, right?" Reeve suddenly sat up straight. "Go on." "I know where he is. And I know where Hojo's taken him." "So... what do you want for that information?" Reeve silently typed out a command for a trace on the call. "I want you guys to save my damn neck!" "HUH!?" everyone chorused. "Listen, I'm stuck here with hordes of Hojo's damn pets running around. If they catch me, I'm history. I want someone to get me out of here! In exchange, I'll help you rescue Cloud and Reno." Elena yelled, "Reno's there too!?" "So where the hell are they?" snapped Reeve. "Uh uh. You do this MY way. Here's the deal. You rescue me FIRST, then I'll help you find them." "Why should we do that?" "I know you're probably tracing this call this very minute. But knowing the location really won't help you. This call is coming from a remote transmitter. Besides, you need me if you want to locate your friends. This entire factory is booby-trapped and I've just put this place on maximum security alert. Now Hojo may not care how many of his creatures die wandering around this place, but I'm sure YOU don't want to run my little gauntlet." Reeve glared at her. In a more conciliatory voice, Scarlet said, "And I know this place like the back of my hand. I can get you to Cloud and Reno by the quickest and safest route." "What guarantees do we have that you'll keep your end of the bargain?" "Don't be an idiot, Reeve! I know that you guys won't leave until you rescue your buddies. So if I want to get out alive, I have to make sure you guys stay alive too. How about it?" Yuffie yelled, "We can't trust that sly, overpainted bitch!" "Hey hey hey...." Scarlet sputtered. Reeve, exhausted and worried over Cloud, lost his usual cool and yelled, "Stop that! You're starting to sound like that jackass Palmer!" There was a long silence. "There's no reason to be THAT insulting." Scarlet actually sounded like her feelings were hurt. Elena muttered, "That WAS sorta hitting below the belt, you know." Reeve said, "Cid. I think it's your call." Yuffie jumped up and down, shouting, "It's a damned trap! She's probably working with Hojo!" Scarlet retorted, "Working with Hojo!? Listen, you barbaric hellcat! How stupid do you think I am!? The freak's gone totally around the bend! There's no making deals with a person like that!" "You could be setting us up just to save your damn neck!" "You think he gives a fuck about you? If you aren't one of his experimental subjects and as long as you aren't interfering with his so-called work, it's 'out of sight, out of mind'! That's the only reason I've managed to stay alive this long! He's been too busy with his new little projects to hunt me down seriously. And his creatures are so stupid, they won't do a damn thing without Hojo's direct commands." "Come on, Scarlet! If you've managed to escape from him this long, why can't you get away from the plant? You've obviously got plenty of backup plans and escape routes. Why haven't you used them?" said Cid in an decidedly suspicious tone of voice. Scarlet snarled, "Because I got damn lucky the first time around. Hojo knows squat about security so he didn't have his creatures search me. But all bets are off now. I've got weapons but I'm just one person and this close combat shit is NOT my strong point, okay? I step outside my hiding hole and I'm going to get nailed, sooner or later. That's where you guys come in." Cid said, "Enough of this crap. We've got no choice." He looked around at his friends. "I say we go for it. Scarlet, you've got a deal. Now where the hell are you and how do we get there without having to fight through all of Hojo's monsters? We know he's got a bunch of aerial creatures...." "You're damn right. You show up in the Highwind and you wouldn't get within a mile of this place. You'll have to go underground. There's a two mile tunnel that leads directly into the middle subsurface levels of the factory. But the only way to reach the entrance of that tunnel is to hike through a cave system that comes out onto the surface about.... oh, twenty miles from the facility." "Twenty miles!" Cid sputtered. "Yes, twenty miles, you old goat. That should put you outside of their ground patrols. It isn't too difficult but it's only passable on foot. It should take you guys... oh, about 8 to 12 hours if you keep moving. Now listen carefully. Every mile in the caves, you're going to having to find the security checkpoints and type the right codes in or something really nasty is going to happen to you. The same thing in the tunnel and the plant itself but at shorter intervals. PAY ATTENTION. If you screw up, not only are you liable to get hurt but the noise is probably going blow any chance for surprise. Got it? This plant is completely off the official records so there are no blueprints." Tifa muttered, "Paranoid bitch." "I heard that, slut." Cid took a deep breath. "Yeah. Just make sure you get the damn codes right!" Reeve said, "I'm recording. Go ahead, Scarlet." She concisely rattled off security codes, locations of security checkpoints, and the path to a secure meeting point. Scarlet finished with, "I'll be waiting for you guys. From there, I'll show you the way to the lab level where they've got your friends." Cid said grimly. "We'll be there. But try to double-cross us and I will personally nail your ass to the wall. Got it?" "Yeah, yeah. You just make sure you do your part." Her eyes shifted nervously, then her painted lips tightened. "There's a small, but fully functional Mako reactor at this facility and Hojo's been messing around with it. I don't need to tell you what THAT means. There's also a lot of weird equipment being installed in the labs. It looks too damn similar to one of Hojo's old cloning setups for my liking." "Shit, Scarlet....!" She took a deep breath and said, "Listen, Reeve. One last thing. Not only is Hojo mucking around in my labs...." "Yes?" "He's got some huge project going on in the lowermost levels. His creatures have been hauling in hundreds... and I mean hundreds... of human bodies into that area. And nothing's coming out." Reeve's stomach flip-flopped queasily. "Can't you see what's going on with your security cameras?" "None of the cameras down there are working. Hojo's beasts must have damaged them. I'm not sure whether that's deliberate or accidental." Tifa barged in with an urgent, "Have you seen Cloud!? Is he all right?" "He's alive. That's all I can say. He wasn't looking too hot when I last saw him." A definite tone of malice entered Scarlet's voice. "You better not take too long getting here. I've got a feeling that Hojo's planning to have some serious fun with your friend Cloud." Tifa snarled, "You bitch! You think that's funny!?!?" Scarlet's reply was just as angry. "Listen, I think he fucking deserves to suffer, considering the trouble he's caused ME. The only reason that I'm making a deal here is to save my own neck." She paused, then glanced away from the camera, staring at something off-screen. "What the hell is he doing now?" she muttered. Scarlet's eyes abruptly widened in shock. "Oh shit...." "WHAT!?" everyone yelled. "He... well, Hojo was in the lab talking to your buddy Cloud, then he suddenly... well, he sort of... ah, cut Cloud open." She grimaced. "Without the benefit of anesthetic, either." Tifa screeched, "He did WHAT!?" Scarlet started to look a touch queasy. "Oh sick.... He's rummaging around Cloud's guts.... Ewwww! Wait, it looks like Hojo's just pulled something out of his body." She squinted. "Damn these cameras. Looks like some sort of small package." "Fuck...," muttered Cid, his cigarette falling to the floor and burning a hole in the carpet. "How big is it!?" yelled Red. "How big!?" Scarlet glanced back at them in astonishment. "What sort of goddamn question is that? Oh, it's a cylinder about the size of my hand. Why?" "What color is it!?" "Color!? C'mon! Hojo just ripped the damn thing out of someone's guts! You think I can tell you what color it is!?" "Oh fucking shit... if that's what I think it is...." Yuffie had a white-knuckled grip on the desk. "Reeve, answer me!" snapped Scarlet. Cid whispered, "It was under our noses all this goddamn time. The bitch Roissy must have known all along. Hell, she probably was the one who hid the damn thing in Cloud in the first place!" "And Roissy told her sister Montessi, who then killed her own sister to keep the sample's location a secret," babbled Tifa. "And that's why Montessi tried to kidnap Cloud!" finished Red. "REEVE!!!" shrieked Scarlet. "What the hell's so special about that damn package!?" "That's a cell sample...." "So WHAT!?" "....of Sephiroth...." There was a long pause as Scarlet absorbed this unpleasant bit of information and put it together with the other things she'd seen going on around the plant. "The cloning equipment he's been setting up... the removal of the Mako reactor safety interlocks...." Echoing Yuffie, she whispered, "Oh fucking shit...." She then took a deep breath, then shrieked, "What are you assholes waiting for! DO SOMETHING!!! GET ME THE HELL OUTTA HERE!!!" They all looked at each other, then stampeded for the Highwind. ------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ PART 6j: RENDING NIGHTMARES ------------------------------------------------------ The door to the lab abruptly opened. Hojo, accompanied by several of his creatures, walked or slithered into the room. "Have you been having pleasant dreams?" Hojo murmured nastily as he peered at Cloud, who lay still and barely conscious at the bottom of his cell. "Hojo, you're such a bastard," snapped Reno. The scientist shrugged, then waved at his minions. They roughly hauled Cloud of his cell, then held him up in front of Hojo. Cloud stared at the raw looking patches on Hojo's face and head. The young man chuckled weakly and said, "It looks like you ran into something painful. I'm SO glad." Hojo's tentacles twitched angrily. "Just a minor inconvenience called Scarlet." The scientist stared at Cloud with particular intensity. "What the hell are you up to, Hojo?" but Cloud received no reply. Suddenly, he heard a sharp, piercing whining in his skull as everything he saw acquired a blood-red tinge. The blinding stab of pain that accompanied the sound was very different from the purely physical agony in the rest of his body. It was also unpleasantly familiar. If it hadn't been for the monsters gripping his arms, he would have collapsed to the floor. Cloud gritted his teeth and snarled, "Give it up, Hojo! Hojo leaned back, breathing heavily. "Interesting. It's much harder to control a human than I thought it would be." With a shrug, the scientist said, "It was worth a try. But don't worry. You might have slipped your leash temporarily, but Sephiroth will soon bring you back to heel." The young man gasped, then said, "I'm not going to be Sephiroth's puppet and I'm sure as hell not I'm going to be YOURS! Now get the fuck out of my head!" Hojo was not impressed. "Do you really think you could ever really resist Sephiroth's influence? Every cell in your body is linked to Sephiroth. Don't forget, you didn't merely undergo the standard SOLDIER process, but rather the much more intensive treatments used to create Sephiroth Clones." Hojo leaned forward, his voice dripping with malice. "You were designed to be as close to Sephiroth as I could possibly manage. It's true that the process is not substantially different from the one used to create SOLDIERs, but it's more.... More of everything... more drugs... more Mako... more Jenova cells." Cloud went very quiet for a few minutes, then he started to snicker softly. It wasn't loud, but the eerie edge to Cloud's laughter made Reno seriously wonder if he was in the presence of not just one lunatic, but rather TWO lunatics. "Practically all of THEM are dead... Stephan, Roissy, Montessi.... That means there's only three people from THAT time left... no, sorry, make that three and two halves... oops, if two halves equal one, then I guess that makes it four...." Cloud shrugged carelessly. "Anyway, you and Sephiroth are two of them. I'll get rid of all of you, one way or another. You'll see. Just watch me." Hojo tipped his head slightly. "Now this is even more interesting... another shift. Hmmm. Unfortunately, I don't have time to study the matter further. I've come for the sample." Cloud growled in hatred as the monsters each grabbed an arm or leg, then held him spread-eagle. Hojo smirked, then lashed out with a razor-tipped tentacle, driving it deep into Cloud's abdomen. He screamed once, then choked as blood flooded his mouth. All he could manage was a strangled gurgle as Hojo poked and prodded. The pain from the initial stab was bad enough, but nothing compared to the feeling of Hojo's tentacle twisting and slithering around in his guts. Cloud was suddenly barraged with flashes of agonizing memories... memories of even more intimate violations of mind, body, and soul.... (No... NO... NO!!! GET OUT OF ME! STOP IT STOPITSTOPIT...!!!) Between the shock, the blood loss, the pain, and mental trauma, Cloud finally passed out. ------------------------- Reno could do nothing but glare furiously at Hojo. The scientist abruptly froze, then with a triumphant cry, pulled something from Cloud's belly with a loud slurping noise. Reno couldn't see what the object was, but Hojo cradled the hand-sized item in his tentacles like it was a cherished baby. Hojo positively caressed the blood-covered object and cuddled it against his cheek with a tender, loving care that made Reno absolutely nauseous. The scientist then did a grotesque jig of triumph around the lab, chortling wildly. "Hahahaha! It's really there! Intact! Yes! All my hopes... all my dreams! YES!!! Oh beautiful specimen! I can FEEL it! You're the real thing, all right! Yes, yes. It WILL work! All parts of JENOVA are interconnected so the transfer of genetic and cellular data...." Reno thought Cloud was dead. But as Hojo continued to babble, a faint movement told the Turk that the young man was still alive. How long he'd remain alive with his injuries was an open question. The scientist spared the unconscious, heavily bleeding Cloud a brief glance, then plucked an emergency medical kit off the wall. Reno watched with narrowed eyes as Hojo sloppily bandaged the deep wound in Cloud' side, then ordered his guard creatures to toss the young man back into his cell. "What the hell are you up to, Hojo?" snapped the Turk. The scientist giggled madly. "I want him around to see my moment of triumph." "Triumph? What the hell...?" "Yes! Triumph! When Sephiroth again walks this miserable Planet!" Hojo held up the cylinder in his tentacles and slyly asked the Turk, "Do you know what this is? This is your doom. My son will soon be back to complete his destiny... to become a god!" "Son!?" Then Hojo's previous words finally clicked. "You mean Sephiroth was your SON!? And you're planning to bring him back?" "Oh yes! You should be honored. You will be among the first to see his glorious return!" With those words, Hojo swept out of the lab, cackling madly. "Sephiroth? Oh shit!" Reno sank down to the floor of his cell and shook his head in rueful disbelief. "Great. Just fucking great." ------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ PART 6k: TO THE RESCUE ------------------------------------------------------ As the Highwind II headed off at top speed to the rocky region north of Rocket Town, Cid kicked one of the ship's bridge consoles and muttered, "I can't believe that I didn't think of it!" Yuffie muttered, "Gee, I wonder how Cloud's gonna feel when he realizes that he's been carting around a chunk of Sephiroth all this time." "Oh, be quiet!" snapped Tifa. "Cid, can't we go any faster!" "I'm red-lining it right now! Remember, I still haven't had the chance to overhaul the engines after that big fight last evening!" Red shook his head ruefully. "Actually, when you think about it, it makes a weird sort of sense. A hiding place that no one would think of." "But how could Hojo have possibly missed a wound like that?" Red glanced uncomfortably at Tifa, then slowly shook his head. "Just another minor incision on an experimental subject... perhaps one among many." "How would you...?" Her voice abruptly trailed off. Tifa whispered, "Sorry, Red. I forgot all about what happened to you." The beast shrugged the matter away. "That's in the past. It's not important. Anyway, why would Hojo notice? He probably had many other projects to oversee. Remember, it was Dr. Stephan, Roissy's lover and accomplice, who actually performed much of the experimentation on Cloud. Besides, Roissy was apparently using Cloud just as a temporary hiding place, except...." Cid muttered, "Except Zack and Cloud screwed things big-time up by escaping." "Exactly." Tifa stopped wringing her hands and said, "But what about Cloud!? We don't even know if he's still alive!" Cait Sith said quietly, "I'm pretty sure he is." "How do you know that?" "Scarlet says that Hojo sort of patched Cloud up before dumping back into his cell. She also managed to get some of the intercoms working so we could get some audio. It's hard to understand, but I'm pretty sure that Hojo wants Cloud alive....." "That's a relief!" Tifa said with a weak smile which rapidly faded when she saw the little robot cat slowly shaking its head. "Isn't it?" she asked desperately. "I wish I could be so optimistic, Tifa, but... just before Scarlet and I lost the audio, we heard Hojo say -- and I quote exactly -- 'When Sephiroth returns, I'm sure he won't have any problems restringing his puppet.'" Tifa frantically shook her head. "No... he can't do that! He CAN'T! Cloud broke Sephiroth's control over his mind when we were in the Lifestream!" Yuffie quickly patted Tifa's shoulder. "No way! Hojo's just being a vicious bastard." She glared at the others. Cid managed to keep a poker face and said, "Yeah. I'm sure the bastard's just trying to jerk Cloud around. And we're not going to give him OR Sephiroth the chance to screw around with Cloud." He glanced at the Turks. "Or with Reno. Right, guys?" Everyone nodded vigorously, fierce determination on all their faces. ------------------------- (end of Part 6) ------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------ In part 7, - Guess who FINALLY shows up! -------------------------------------------- madamhydra@aol.com /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/:E http://www.geocities.com/~madamhydra