The Turk's placed their captives before President's ShinRa's desk and retreated to the corners of the room, watching the 'prisoners' with a keen eye. Cloud glanced around; his eyes coming to rest on his allies who were handcuffed alongside him.

"You all got caught too? Where is Aerith?" Cloud inquired, his question pointed toward Regret.

"Aerith is in a safe place." A voice sounded. Cloud's head flew in the direction of the voice, narrowing his eyes at the form the voice hailed from. President ShinRa sat before them; his elbows propped on his desk with an amused look. "She's the last surviving Ancient…" He continued, his voice rough and hoarse. "Don't you know? They called themselves the Cetra, and they lived thousands of years ago. Now they are just a forgotten page in history."

"Cetra…that girl, is she a survivor of the Cetra?" RED XIII inquired, his soft voice filled with intense inquisitiveness.

"Cetra, or the Ancients, will show us the way to the promised land. I'm expecting a lot out of her."

"The promised land? Isn't that just a legend?" RED XIII inquired again.

"Even so, it's just too appealing not to pursue. It's been said the Promised Land is very fertile. If the land is fertile…"

"Then there's gotta be Mako!" Barrett finished off.

"Exactly. That is why our money sucking Mako reactor is necessary. The abundant Mako will just come out on it's own. That is where Neo-Midgar will be built. ShinRa's new glory."

"SHIT! Quit dreamin'!" Barrett yelled, punching his fist into his hand angrily.

"Oh really, don't you know? These days all it takes for your dreams to come true is money and power. Well, that is all for our meeting." President ShinRa waved his had dismissively, yawning hugely into his other large palm. Rude waltzed forward and pushed back a fuming Barrett with force. "Come on! Outta his way." Barrett attempted to push past Rude and pointed at ShinRa accusingly.

"Hold it! I got a lot I wanna say to you!" Rude pushed Barrett backwards, with much more force the second time round. He cussed deeply and spun on his heel and began to follow his comrades who were being ushered into ShinRa's prison cells.

"I wonder how Barrett and RED XIII are doing…" Cloud mused, leaning against the wall of the prison cell, his left foot propped up against the wall behind him.

BARRETT AND RED XII'S CELL

"I only heard stories about the Promised land. I don't know if it really exists." Barrett said, his rambling directed towards the red dog lying lazily opposite him.

"Is that right? ShinRa believe that the Promised Land is full of Mako energy. Which means, if ShinRa gets there, they'll suck up all the Mako energy and the land will wither away. The planets going to get weaker." RED XIII flicked his tail, and shifted his body to get into a more comfortable position.

"I can't just leave it be. Im recruitin' new members! Me, Tifa, Cloud, Regret, Ivan, Aerith too! How 'bout you!"

RED XIII didn't respond. He merely flicked his tail again.

"Your so damn boring."

AERITH AND REGRET'S CELL

"Cloud? Are you there?" Aerith called out, her innocent voice bouncing off the walls of the cell. Cloud's ears twitched and he pressed his head against the wall of his cell.

"Aerith! Are you safe?"

"Yes. I'm all right. I have Regret with me." She said, sending a smile towards said girl.

"Oh Cloud, I knew you would come for me." She yelled out, clasping her hands against her chest happily.

"Hey, I'm your bodyguard, right?" Cloud replied, a smirk forming on his usually expressionless face.

"The deal was for one date."

"Oh…I get it…" Tifa piped up.

"Tifa! Tifa, your there too?" Aerith asked, happy to hear the voices of her friends.

"You know Aerith…I have a question." Tifa leaned against the wall where Cloud was so she could hear better.

"Does the Promised Land really exist?" Aerith cast her gaze downwards.

"I don't know. All I know is the Cetra were born from the planet, speak with the planet…they unlock the planet. The Cetra will eventually return to the Promised Land, a land that promises supreme happiness."

"What does that mean?" Regret asked, interested in Aerith's story.

"More than words…I don't know." Aerith replied earnestly. Cloud, intrigued by Aerith's words, pressed the subject further. "You speak with the planet?"

"Just what does the planet say? Tifa added.

"It's too full of people and noise." Aerith replied solemnly. "That's why I can't make out what it is saying."

"Do you hear it now?" Ivan asked, limping over to stand in-between Cloud and Tifa, who were intent on hearing Aerith's words.

"I only hear it at the Church in the Slums. My mother said that Midgar was no longer safe. That is…my real mother. Someday I'll get out of Midgar." Aerith sighed, looking up to the cell roof, her eyes glazed over and dreamy. "I'll speak with the planet and find the Promised Land. That's what my mother said…" She trailed off, growing silent. Regret watched Aerith from the corner of her eye, expressionless and stoic.

Cloud pushed a stray blonde hair out of his face, and twisted his body to find a more comfortable position on the hard metal floor beneath him. Light snoring could be heard from Tifa who was curled up against the wall in the corner of the confined room. He groaned in annoyance and sat up, a large breath of air escaping his lungs.

"You okay?" Ivan questioned, slowly pushing herself into a sitting position on the comforter she was occupying.

"I should be asking you that." Cloud whispered, sending a small smile in her direction.

"Come sit up here." Ivan said, patting the empty mattress area next to her. "I'm sure there's enough room for both of us." Cloud nodded and stood, walking over and plopping down next to Ivan with a content sigh.

"Much better than the floor." He let out a halfhearted chuckled and turned to face Ivan fully.

"So are you okay?" Cloud asked, genuine concern overtaking his voice. Ivan smiled and closed her eyes, flexing her aching fingers from her lap.

"Not so great. But I'm improving." She arched her back to stretch, then let out a silent yawn.

"You should rest. Who knows how long we'll be in here for…" Cloud said, glancing around the room.

"I don't wanna take away the bed from you. You just got comfortable." She said, a guilty look passing across her face.

"I'll endure it. Besides, you need it much more than me." Ivan shook her head, disagreeing, and her short red locks reminiscent of a lion's mane flew wildly around.

"No. You need your rest too. Look. Lay back." She said, pushing Cloud's shoulder back softly so his back hit the wall, his legs dangling off the side of the mattress. She then followed suit, resting her back against the wall. "See?" Cloud nodded nonchalantly, and then noticed Ivan's squirming to get comfortable. He patted his shoulder gently, and Ivan looked at him, a grin slowly forming on her face.

"Oh, looks like I have my own personal pillow now." She snorted back a laugh, then let her head fall onto Cloud's shoulder comfortably. On instinct, he draped an arm over her shoulders and held onto her warmly.

"You're like a big brother…so nice and protective…I always wondered what it would be like to have a brother." Ivan whispered, her eyebrows tilted upwards in a frown.

"I'll be your big brother…" Cloud whispered, his hand squeezing her shoulder as he said so. Ivan nodded and felt herself drifting off into unconsciousness, Cloud's words lingering in her mind. I'll be your big brother…

Mako coloured eyes drifted off to the side landing on a sleeping Ivan who was nestled into his side, clutching his shirt ever so gently. Cloud blinked tiredly and pried her fingers from his shirt, lifting her body up and placing her gently on the bed.

"Sleep." He whispered, ruffling her hair lightly. Cloud took a step back and spun, walking towards the door but stopped short out the sight before him. A sight he had not expected to see.

"The door's open. When did it open?" Cloud walked out of the cell, a look of shock passing his face as he did so. A ShinRa guard lay bleeding and lifeless on the cold floor, his body decapitated and ripped in every which way.

"What happened?" Cloud mumbled to no one in particular, his eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Footsteps were the only sound that filled the empty ShinRa building as Cloud ran back into the cell to wake up Ivan and Tifa.

"Ivan, wake up. Tifa!" He called, banging on the door loudly. Tifa sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Look outside." Cloud said, jutting his thumb in the direction of the corridor. Tifa jumped to her feet instantly and ran out the door. Cloud made his way to Ivan and helped her onto her feet.

"Something's wrong. Can you walk?" Ivan let go of Cloud for a moment, gaining balance and limped forward.

"I'll manage." She said, limping out the door to where Tifa was standing.

"Oh golly…" Ivan mumbled, slapping a hand to her mouth to avoid breathing in the foul stench of blood and various bodily fluids.

"He should have the key on him." Cloud said, bending down slightly so he could rummage through the guards pockets. "Here." He said, pulling out a small silver key and tossing it to Tifa. Open the cell doors. Quick." Tifa nodded and proceeded to do as she was told. Cloud then turned to Ivan, concern sweeping over his body.

"Get on my back. I'll carry you." Ivan nodded without hesitation, knowing her injuries would only slow down the group. "Hold on." He said firmly, while vaulting her upwards so she wouldn't slip.

"No ordinary human could have done this." RED XIII said, examining the body that was emanating a stench that made whoever walked past it cringe with disgust.

"I'll go ahead." He said, bounding ahead, his fiery tail disappearing around the corner.

"Let's go Cloud. I'm scared."

They met up with RED XIII who was staring at a trail of blood that seemed to originate from a familiar metal seal.

"Jenova…" Cloud whispered.

"That thing? That headless thing from before? That's what did this? Yo, that's messed up!" Barrett yelled, wiping developing sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Jenova Specimen. Looks like it went to the upper floor using that elevator for specimens." RED XIII stated pointedly.

"Follow it." Cloud ordered, ushering his comrades into the elevator with quick succession.

An eerie silence filled the air as AVALANCHE stood before President ShinRa's desk, with the President himself laying flat forward, a tall sword impaled through his body.

"I was not expecting this." Regret said, eyeing the sword suspiciously. Barrett leaned forward and squinted his eyes, not believing what he was seeing. Such a sight was too much for him to behold.

"He's dead…the leader of ShinRa Inc. is dead." Regret sent a glance in Cloud's direction, her eyes flashing dangerously as Cloud eyed the sword.

"This sword…it's Sephiroth's." Cloud stated, placing Ivan on the ground, minding her wounds as he did so. Tifa took in a sharp breath, and glanced at the sword, her eyes widening in realization.

"Only Sephiroth can use that sword." Regret mumbled, crossing her arms and averting her gaze away from Sephiroth's sword. RED XIII examined her movements curiously. He knew for a fact that she had something to hide, however it was not his place to pry.

"P…p…please don't kill me." A voice sounded, catching everyone's attention for mere seconds.

"Show yourself." Regret raised her voice, yet somehow managed to keep her cool and collected façade. Palmer, a ShinRa employee who worked closely with the president himself, crawled out from behind the President's desk, his body shaking with absolute fear.

"Did you see him? Did you see Sephiroth?" Cloud demanded an answer, his voice loud and harsh.

"I saw him with my own eyes." Palmer announced, letting out a shaky breath.

"Really? You saw him?" RED XIII asked, sceptical.

"Uh, would I lie to you at a time like this? And I heard his voice too! He was saying something about not letting us have The Promised Land." Palmer exclaimed, waving his arms around for a dramatized effect.

"Then what? Does this means the Promised Land really exists and that Sephiroth's here to save it from ShinRa?"

"Wait…" Ivan placed a finger on her chin in thought. "Does that mean this Sephiroth fella is a good guy?"

"Save the Promised Land? A good guy? No way!" Cloud shook his head vigorously. "It's not that simple. I know him! Sephiroth's mission is different…" The ending of Cloud's sentence was overtaken by the loud chopping noises of a helicopter's blades. Palmer ran to the open balcony and signalled the helicopter desperately.

"Who could that be?" Aerith asked, her curiosity taking over. Regret peered through the window, her eyes narrowing in focus.

"Damn, I forgot about him."

"Who is it?" Aerith asked again, her large green eyes blinking innocently with a lack of understanding.

"Vice President Rufus ShinRa. The president's son." Barrett answered. "Let's go!" He said, pointing to the balcony where Rufus was arriving.

The group ventured outside of the room, with Regret taking one last glance at the sword. A sword she had familiarised herself with. Sephiroth's sword.

"RUFUS SHINRA!" Cloud called out, turning to face the Vice President, his buster sword clenched tightly in his gloved hands. Rufus cast his eyes downward, a thoughtful look plastered on his fair-skinned face.

"So Sephiroth was actually here…by the way. Who are you all?"

"I'm Cloud, former SOLDIER, first class!"

"I'm from AVALANCHE." Barrett yelled, pride echoed through his voice.

"Me too." Tifa piped up, raising her fist defensively.

"A flower girl from the slums." Aerith said, averting her eyes.

"A research specimen." RED XIII said, keeping up his calm demeanour.

"Same. I was experimented on…" Ivan said, her constantly glazed eyes sending chills through Rufus' being.

"My information is irrelevant." Regret said, her voice expressing no emotion.

"What a crew." Rufus flipped his hair confidently. "I'm Rufus. The President of ShinRa Incorporated." He stated proudly, placing emphasis on the word President.

"You only President, cause yer' old man died." Barrett yelled in response.
"That's right. And because I'm President I'll let you hear my new appointment speech." Rufus placed his hands neatly behind his back and began to pace bath and forth in a repetitive manner.

"My old man tried to control the world with money. It seems to have been working. The population thought that ShinRa would protect them. If you worked at ShinRa you got your pay. If a terrorist attacked the ShinRa army would help you. It looked perfect from the outside. But, I do things differently." Rufus stopped pacing and clenched his fist. "I'll control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my old man. A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There's no reason to wast money on them." Rufus turned his back on them and remained silent.

"Get outta this building with Aerith!" Cloud said, directing his words towards Barrett.

"What?" He replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll explain later! Barrett! This is a real crisis for the planet!"

"The hell's that s'posed to mean?"

"Just take my word for it Barrett! I'll meet up with you all once I take care of him." Cloud drew his sword and used the blade to point in the direction of Rufus.

"Alright then…" Barrett asked nor more questions and began to follow orders.

"Be careful Cloud." Regret said to Cloud, her voice void of any emotion.

"Take care of Ivan and Aerith." Regret nodded and picked up Ivan, careful not to irritate her injuries, than preceded to lead Barrett and the others away from Rufus.

"Why do you want to fight me?" Rufus inquired, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"You seek the Promised Land and Sephiroth." Cloud's grip tightened on his sword.

"Hm. Did you know that Sephiroth is an Ancient?"

"A lot has happened since then…it doesn't matter! I can't let either you or Sephiroth have the Promised Land!" Cloud yelled, with determination coursing through his body.

"I see. I guess this means we won't be friends." With that said, Rufus ran to Cloud, weapons ablaze.