Chapter 2

Cloud had slipped into a strange catatonic state as they immersed him into the perfumed water in the church. They had rounded up all the children, and had gathered them into the pool in order to heal the Geostigma. Cloud was partially submerged by the healed children, and he soon awoke, a small smile curving his normally solemn mouth.

He gazed past his friends, probably at a wall, or something else boring that he always seemed to stare at intently. Yuffie and Cid encouraged the last of the infected children into the pool. Yuffie laughed to see the kids splashing about, much more care-free than they'd been for a long time. It almost made her want to join in.

Cloud soon joined his companions, who were happy to see him looking healthy once more.

"How do you feel?" Tifa asked brightly.

"Much better, like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders."

"Good," she grinned, "you should take it easy for a while."

Cloud's face grew troubled once more as he remembered the remnants, which didn't seem to be worrying his friends quite so much as it worried him.

"I need to deal with Yazoo and Loz." He frowned.

"I know..." Tifa faltered, adopting Cloud's solemn expression, though it didn't give her the same distant look. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, but I can't let them fall back into the hands of Shinra, it would be a disaster."

Tifa stared at him with a contemplative expression on her face. She beamed suddenly,seeming to find some sudden joy. "I'll come with you." She smiled.

Cloud looked reluctant, but he didn't refuse.

"Cloud...?"

"Hmm?"

Tifa seemed anxious, not so much for herself, but most likely for those around her, as often seemed to be to case with her. Yuffie thought that Tifa was too kind for her own good sometimes.

"What if they don't die from their injuries?" Tifa asked. "What if they survive? Do we...kill them?"

She uttered the last two words as if it were some kind of sin to think of it. Had the brunette already forgotten that these remnants were the ones who had tried to kill them all? Cloud stared at something or other, not willing to find an answer for her.

A strained silence fell over them, to be broken a few seconds later by a suggestion from Cid.

"I say we cut their heads off!" He exclaimed, causing a few nearby children to stare up at him in fear, before edging away rapidly. Tifa gave the pilot a reproachful expression.

"So you're definitely goining to see them?" Yuffie asked, to confirm it. Cloud nodded.

"Well, give 'em a smack from me!" She grinned cheerfully, attempting to lighten the mood, though everyone seemed determined to be miserable.

"Same here," agreed Cid, though she imagined that he was saying it in all seriousness.

"I think they'll be almost dead anyway," Tifa said vaguely. She looked almost as vacant as Cloud. Yuffie thought that if she wanted to win the blonde over, acting emotionally dead was not going to help.

"Then you should hit them, finish them off." Cid replied bluntly. Yuffie scowled at him. She might not like the remnants, and everyone might think her to be very immature and outspoken, but at least she had more tact than that.

"I wonder why Aerith didn't take them." Tifa wondered aloud, attracting the intrigued stares of the group. "She took Kadaj."

"Maybe it's cause they're butt-ugly," said Cid.

"They look the same as Kadaj, besides, they're quite hot, for remnants..." Yuffie countered, unsure of how appropriate such a comment was. Couldn't be any worse than Cid's comments.

"Shows how much you know." Retorted the blonde pilot.

"You're ageist!" Yuffie snapped.

Vincent approached them with news from Reno and Rude, as Cid sank into a slightly sullen mood. Cloud was still pondering over what Tifa had said about Aerith.

"The remnants no longer possess the materia they stole. It has been washed clean from their bodies, and they are still unconscious."

"How do you know that?" Yuffie asked, "you don't even have a phone." She had often chided him about his inability to keep up with technology. How was she supposed to keep up with him if he didn't have a phone?

"Barret does," he replied. "Cloud, you should go quickly, before the remnants wake and the Turks act."

"We'll be back soon." Tifa answered for Cloud. She took a deep breath, as though she could somehow inhale the courage to deal with the remnants once more.

"Maybe then we can celebrate properly?" Yuffie asked hopefully.

Reno stood at the end of the bed that belonged to the long-haired, slender remnant. Rude stood by the other. The remnant that Reno was guarding had several injuries, with one of his legs broken, his fingers broken, covered in cuts, bruises and plenty of internal damage. The other one had suffered fewer and less extensive injuries.

Reno eyed them with distaste. "Do you think they'll wake up?"

"I hope not," Rude answered.

"Why? I think it would be great, just think, they wake up and see us here and then they know we're the best."

Rude looked slowly down at the unconscious madmen, and then back up at his partner with a smirk.

"What if they wake up and think you're their momma?"

Reno shuddered, "yeah, well what if they wake up and think you're their da-"

He caught himself before he said it. If they thought he was their mother, and Rude was his father, then that would make them...he shivered. He just didn't feel like that about his partner, on any level. It wouldn't be the first time they'd been mistaken for a gay couple though, as once whilst investigating, a woman had asked them if they were 'together'. Reno chuckled at the memory.

So much for the days when the Turks were feared by all.

"You think the boss will want them if they wake up?" He asked, voicing one of the many questions that had been floating around his mind for the past hour.

"Maybe." Rude answered unhelpfully.

"Tseng seemed pretty pissed off about it," Reno began, "I bet it's cause they tortured him and Elena, and now we're healing the remnants up. I bet the boss will freeze them, and do some freaky experiments, and maybe he'll take their brains out. Urgh...where would he put them? They should probably die, someone's gonna kill them anyway, like Cloud Strife, or angry parents. I don't see why the parents are so bothered anyway, they didn't care when their kids were dying in the street, don't ya think?"

"Maybe..."

"Shh, man! I'm trying to think!" Reno said, though he knew that he wouldn't be able to work out the no doubt complicated plans of Shinra.

Rude gasped suddenly, though Reno couldn't see what the bald Turk was staring at for his shades. He waited expectantly as Rude gawked at something. He turned to look at the beds, but the remnants weren't doing anything more exciting than what they'd been doing for the past hour.

"What?" The redhead asked in exasperation.

"The one in the bed next to you just moved." Rude answered, his gaze fixed on the long-haired remnant. Reno stared at the immobile figure, and scratched the back of his head. He'd thought for a while that Rude might be over-working himself, but this just proved it.

"Are high or something?" He asked, gesturing at the bed, "he's unconscious."

"I saw it." Rude insisted. "Just watch, you'll see."

Reno stared at the remnant, waiting for something to happen, when he knew nothing would. These remnants were goners, Rude was just being an ass, trying to fool him. Their bomb had as good as finished the silver-haired freaks off, they weren't about to get up and walk out the door.

He glanced back at Rude, who still had his bald head facing the remnant. He gestured quickly, and Reno glanced back, noticing to remnants fingers moving. Did people do that when they're unconscious?

He leaned over the bed, trying to see if the remnant was still unconscious. The turquoise eyes snapped open.

"Mother?" It groaned.

"Holy shit!" Reno exclaimed, jumping back from the remnant as it...he began to stir. "Rude, you were right, about both things!Hey, hey! Remnant, I'm not your mother, okay?!"

The remnant ignored him, glancing blearily round the room. He waved his arms about in front of him, as though trying to grab something. Reno passed an uneasy look to Rude. Was the remnant hallucinating or something? He wasn't a doctor, he didn't know what to do with these freaks.

"Loz? Loz...where are you?" The remnant gasped, clawing at the tubes that had been inserted into his skin to help him recover. Reno moved swiftly over, pushing the remnant roughly back into bed before he could do himself an injury, or get Reno in trouble.

"Is he alive?" The remnant whispered weakly.

"Maybe." Reno answered sternly. He hadn't forgotten how much pain that remnant had put him in when they'd fought.

"Loz?!" He shrieked, clawing at the bad again. Reno held him down, with some difficulty. The remnant might be half-sedated and badly injured but he was strong.

"He's alive." Rude answered, edging towards the other bed to make sure his remnant wasn't aking too.

The long-haired remnant snatched at Reno's arm, trying to push him away.

"Let me see him, I want to see him." He whined.

"He's right there," Reno answered in exasperation, gesturing at the bed behind him.

"Loz? Are you awake? Is he alive?"

"Course he's alive." Reno replied. This remnant must be stupid, why would they be guarding a dead remnant? The redhead poked the big remnant to prove his point.

The bigger remnant groaned, opening his eyes with the same strained, confused expression that the other one had worn. Rude was stood readily beside him, in case the less wounded remnant tried something.

"Yazoo?" Asked the one called Loz, turning his head to face the slender one. "I thought we were dead."

"You should be." Reno muttered. He was sure the two silver-haired freaks had heard him, but the bigger one continued as though he and Rude weren't there. He whined away about how Jenova wasn't there, and the reunion hadn't worked.

The smaller remnant wasn't looking a him though, he had a steely gaze fixed directly on Reno, who was still holding him down, though he really didn't need to.