Disclaimer: none of these characters or copyrighted stuff belong to me, the idea does. Don't steal my stuff or theirs.

This is…utterly insane randomness. I have no idea why I was inspired to write it. I mean, yeah, I was flipping through the channels and Scooby Doo: The Movie showed up while I was trying to continue 'A Chimera's Reaction' but still…

Yeah….that was how I thought up the first installation. This one added itself.

The insanity that is my mind.

Anyways, this will be a series; ten crossovers centering around Zelgadis looking for his cure.

At the moment I have in the works or finished: Scooby Doo, Full Metal Alchemist, Final Fantasy 7, and Stargate.

There are many more planned but I have yet to flesh out my ideas or decide which ones are most…logical. As much as any crossover or anime can be logical. .

Yeah…so…this is inspired by the 'Ten Minutes with X character' and '100 places X did X' challenges on tthfanfic. The site has nothing whatsoever to do with Slayers but I think that is one of the reasons why the idea hit me so hard; also, none of my chapters took ten minutes, they're all much too long, but that's the way they evolved.

I might continue this one on its own; it could be the kick off for a fic; but not if enough ppl don't like it.

Oh; also, it's pretty dark.

Enjoy!

Ten Places Zelgadis Didn't find his Cure

Crossover #2: FF7

Zelgadis groaned as his stone body slammed against the concrete floor and the cell door closed behind him. If he'd been a normal human, the fall would have killed him. Then again, if he were human, he wouldn't be in this place.

Well that's not entirely true. My appearance might have drawn his attention but all the normal people in the area were rounded up as well. In fact, Rezo's curse is probably the only thing that kept me from being dissected on the spot; my monstrous skin's too tough for their instruments to pierce. Those humans weren't so lucky…he actually pulled them apart for their organs and limbs…It's ironic, I suppose, that the only people I've found with the resources to help me become human are the ones that are clinically insane, interested in turning me into a science experiment, or immoral bastards.

A slight scratching sound from the shadows drew him back to the present. Emitting another groan of fatigue and pain, he pushed himself to his hands and knees and crawled drunkenly towards the nearest corner where he was able to collapse in a sitting position and study his prison.

It was, quite basically, a big box with bars for a door. There were no windows, Zel noticed unhappily. None of the others cells he could see into had windows either. I wonder why? Is this place underground? Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he took close note of the patches of blood and filth splattering the walls, the rusted chains bolted to the floor, the way the door seemed to tingle with electricity…and the glowing red eyes watching him from less than six feet away.

Vincent watched with detached interest as the stone creature tensed and narrowed its eyes at him. Had Hojo finally decided he was too much trouble to keep around and given him a 'room mate' capable of killing him? His last four had been insane, monstrous beasts too mutated to do anything but scream, roar, and attack. The former Turk was a beast as well but his deformities were on the inside, invisible to the world. Putting them out of their misery had been a mercy.

And in killing them I slaughtered even more innocents. Who is to say those creatures weren't once human? They were probably innocent bystanders drafted to be experiments because of some imagined slight or familial debt. My sins…"

"Who are you?"

He snapped back to the present in surprise, seeking out the source of the errant sound. It didn't take long for him to determine it was not one of Hojo's assistants that had spoken, notifying him of more 'lab time'…no, it was his cellmate.

"I am Vincent." The words were hoarse and clumsy from long disuse. In the beginning he'd been muzzled or gagged almost constantly. For over six months he'd fought but eventually…with enough electroshock therapy and Hojo's special brand of 'training'… he'd been forced to live with the fact that he was not allowed to address any of the humans or other specimens in the facility.

It had been two years since he'd used his voice for anything other than screaming.

He observed the stone man with renewed interest and a vague sense of sympathy. He must be new if he doesn't know the rules. Unfortunately, that means he has yet to go through Hojo's re-education program.

Zelgadis met the stranger's eyes steadily, forcing himself not to blink. What sort of creature had glowing red cat eyes? A mazuko? No…there was something off about him but he didn't feel as greedy as a monster, nor did he have the astral signature of one. He felt…sad. But that was no reason to let his guard down.

"I'm Zelgadis."

The eyes, the only fully visible part of his companion, blinked slowly. "You have not been here long." It was not a question.

"No, I haven't."

The uneasy silence returned. Normally the chimera would wait for it to be broken but he had a feeling it would never happen if he was relying on his cellmate. His aloof, melancholy aura stated quite plainly that he was used to being alone.

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Nibelheim."

"…oh." Where the hell is Nibelheim.

"Did Hojo do that to you?"

"Huh?" He followed Vincent's gaze to the stone outcroppings on his chest and scowled at the mottling in the middle. Someone up there had been damn good at throwing fireballs; enough to singe away his shirt, chip off a few shards of his skin, and bruise his chest.

"This?" he touched the bruising gently. "I don't know. It happened while they were trying to capture me. Who's Hojo?"

"He is Shinra's top scientist. I did not mean the discoloring, I meant the state of your skin."

Shinra? What's that? "No; I was cursed into this form by a powerful sorcerer several years ago."

"I see."

"Er…Vincent, what is this place?"

"Nibel-."

"No; I mean, I gathered it's some sort of lab but what is it for?"

"Hojo's experiments."

The man's monotone was beginning to grate on Zel's nerves. How do I ask if my cure is here?

"What sort of experiments?"

"I know very little. Just that many involve mako and that Hojo delights in mutations."

"You don't seem mutated."

"You have not seen me."

Well that was a waste of breath. "Do you think anything here might help me return to being human?"

"No." he thought he could detect sympathy in the tone of Vincent's voice but it was so well hidden that he wasn't sure. "Hojo's experiments are usually to combine or enhance creatures to create monsters. The only pulling apart he does is in dissection."

Zel swallowed through a suddenly dry throat. "I…see."

A bestial scream of pain echoed down the stone corridor in front of their cage. Zel cringed slightly as the sound rang in his enhanced ears but Vincent didn't even seem interested.

"Zelgadis."

"What?"

"I would suggest you not try to talk to anyone but myself. The consequences are…not something you'd voluntarily experience."

The sound of stones grinding against each created a grating undertone to the screaming as Zel rubbed his hands together nervously.

"Thank you for the warning."

Silence fell between the two as men in lab coats and others in suits (all of whom seeming to be packing weapons) ran down the hallway, shouting back and forth. The screaming did not let up until the black haired man Vincent referred to as Hojo joined the fray with a needle almost as long as Zel's forearm. Then the scream crescendoed before cutting out completely.

In the silence following, the humans passed again, this time in the opposite direction. When Hojo noticed the chimera's wide eyes and horrified interest, he sneered.

"Get used to it. That'll be you in a few weeks; just ask your new friend." He laughed at Zel's shaken glare and continued on his way.

Once they were gone, Zel turned back to Vincent.

"Is that…?"

Finally fed up with the questions, the specimen stepped into the light, cutting off the inquiry even as he answered it.

Scars and bruises marked his pale chest, running up to his neck and remaining human arm; the other limb had been replaced with a clawed golden gauntlet. His gaunt frame barely held up the tattered black pants he wore and glowing crimson eyes dominated a thin, wasted face.

"Zelgadis, I used to be human. What happened to that beast has happened to me many times."

At the newcomer's sharp intake of breath, the older man pulled back into his shadowed corner, lesson completed.

"So he was telling the truth." An affirmative silence.

Zel swallowed and huddled down into his own corner, as far away from both Vincent and the door as he could get. What have I gotten myself into this time?

TBC? Review!

Constructive criticism welcome; flames not so much

so what do you think? I figured this was the installation least likely to be flamed because FF7 is well known.