Author's Note: Omg I am SO excited! I now have two pages of reviews! Lol, to some of you that might not seem like a lot-but so far to me it is! And thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed! It brings a huge grin to my face and really motivates me! As I've stated before, lemme know if my story starts getting long-winded and dull, it's kinda hard to have English class analysis and essays and then switch to writing interesting stories!

Well, well then! Time for the third chapter! *squee!* There's a couple of big changes in here-which I hope go smoothly, and the plot continues! I really like this chapter and hopefully y'all will too-maybe enough so that you'll review and make my day! On to Chapter 3! Heh heh-Enjoy!

~~~GW~~~

Chapter 3: Red

The elevator doors closed around Tseng and once hidden from sight, he allowed his shoulders to droop and a sigh escaped his lips.

The elevator slid to a stop and the doors opened, allowing the two men inside to peer into the almost empty lobby.

"Damnit." Axel simply stated, ducking his head back.

"What?" Demitry prodded, taking a look for himself. "Oh no…I should've known!" He berated himself, quickly withdrawing his head from sight as one of the two security guards standing menacingly at the main doors glanced their way. "We're done for!" The blonde groaned, but Axel shoved the boy behind him and shook his head.

"No, wait-look…" He replied, a grin beginning to spread across his face. "Come on." He demanded and the two left the elevator and hid themselves behind a turn in the hallway.

"Yep, they'll most likely come towards this door." One of the men sniffed, a young soldier. "There might be a fight if they resist." He informed the younger rookie beside him. "You should go guard the back emergency exit." He ordered the nervous boy. "I can handle those two if there's trouble! Yep, best to cover all your bases!" He bragged and nudged the rookie forward.

"A-are you sure sir?" He stammered and the other man answered with an affirmative. The rookie threw a stiff salute and began heading towards where the two were hidden.

"Just our luck!" Axel laughed, a wolfish grin on his face. "He's a newbie!" Dem shuddered slightly at the predatory look on his friend's face before anxiously clutching at the redhead's arm.

"He'll see us!" He whispered furiously and Axel whipped around, dragging Demitry with him. The rookie passed by their hiding place and Axel began following silently after him. He watched the boy take up position in front of a heavily reinforced door that served as a secret exit for the President of the company or the Turks when they needed to slip unnoticed from the building.

"Are you crazy?" Dem hissed as Axel started forward in plain sight but the redhead just ignored him. The rookie gave a startled squeak as a tall redhead suddenly appeared with a devious looking grin on his face. His hand flew to the weapon holstered at his hip and his eyes flicked to Dem, who had hesitantly followed the other.

"H-halt!" The boy demanded in a tremulous voice and Axel rolled his eyes in an annoyed manner.

"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded and the boy's eyes grew round.

"I-I, there's two men that are trying to escape. I-I was told, um, not to let them, um, leave…" He trailed off as Axel glared a scornful look at him.

"And?" He demanded sharply, as a stunned Demitry came up behind him.

"Well…well, they match your description…"

"You idiot!" Axel snapped. "He said a redhead in blue clothes and a blonde in black!"

"Um, he said-"

"Don't correct me!" Axel sharply cut him off. "I should know-I was right in front of him when he ordered it! Now move, we've got places to be!" He ordered and the boy hesitated.

"May I-I ask w-who you are?" He tentatively inserted himself.

"Can't you see we're Turks?" Dem spoke up behind Axel, and the redhead fought to keep his face straight as the boy's eyes grew even rounder. Whatever a Turk was, it must've been high up there because the boy suddenly lost what little courage he'd scraped together.

"I-identification?" He meekly asked, and Axel shook his head in a falsely pitying manner.

"We're being sent undercover." He replied, suddenly reverting to an understanding appearance. "He must be new." He stated over his shoulder to Dem and the boy's face flushed from embarrassment.

"Ah, that explains it…" Dem offered up in reply, trying to keep up with the redhead's act.

"We don't carry identification on us when we go undercover." Axel continued smoothly. "Wouldn't be very good if we got caught-now would it?" He told the boy, leaning forward and lowering his voice as if he was telling a secret.

"We're gonna be late!" Demitry prodded, glancing nervously behind him.

"Yes! O-of course, that would be really bad!" The boy agreed eagerly and Axel nodded with him.

"It really would be…" He agreed with a slick grin.

Tseng stepped from the elevator, glancing quickly around him, as was habit, before turning his attention to a young guard who had jogged over to him.

"Sir!" He saluted earnestly. "We have one of them!" He excitedly informed the Turk, and Tseng nodded once in understanding.

"Good, where is he?" He demanded.

"Follow me sir." The soldier told him and led him down several back hallways. They came to a halt in front of a metal door and Tseng grabbed the door handle, hesitating for a second.

"Which one?" He suddenly asked, dreading for it to be the redhead.

"The blonde one sir." The guard replied, much to Tseng's relief. "The black clothed one."

"Very good." Tseng curtly replied, and quickly wrenched the door open-realizing too late, the mistake of the guards as he found Cloud Strife sitting at a metal table, chin on his palm.

"The ONE time I come here freely…" The blonde sighed.

Their feet pounded down heavily on the dirty and weather worn concrete as they wove their way deeper into the slums. They must've ran straight through three sectors propelled by the adrenaline fear fueled them, before Dem began to fall behind. His feet came down heavier and a sharp pain stabbed at his side as he slowed to a jog and then stopped all together. Axel came to a skidding halt a few feet down the extremely narrow alley, and slowed his breathing, quickly regaining his breath.

"T-that…w-was…crazy…m-man!" Dem panted, his hands on his knees, stooped over as he sucked in great lungfuls of air.

"Yeah, it was pretty crazy." Axel grinned, folding his arms and leaning against the grime smeared brick wall behind him. "Man Dem, you're out of shape!" He laughed as the blonde straightened.

"Yeah well, that makes me wonder what you've been doing to stay in shape!" Axel's only answer was a grin and Dem glanced down the alley they'd run down, not enjoying the grim look on his friend's face. "Well…this is gonna sound weird and all, but…I know I know you-I just can't remember your name…" Demitry sheepishly admitted, facing Axel again.

"Why Dem! I'm hurt, really!" Axel mockingly gasped, placing his hand over his chest as if it were an invisible blow to him. "Oh well-to tell you the truth, I can't seem to remember it myself."

"You can't remember your name?" Dem exclaimed, staring at him astonished.

"Nope." Axel nonchalantly confirmed, before a loud clatter echoed the narrow alley, followed by the sound of footsteps and bursts of raucous laughter. The approaching group's conversation grew louder as several shadows fell across the opposite wall from one of the many branching alleys.

"We should go! That could be the Turks!" Dem whispered fearfully and began slipping further into the maze created by the back alleys.

"Turks? Oh yeah, the suit-wearing guys?" Axel asked. "Naw, that's not them." He countered confidently, staring intently at the writhing shadows as the voices grew closer. "I doubt they'd be laughing Dem."

"It doesn't matter! There's people here almost as bad!" The blonde hissed, plucking agitatedly at Axel's sleeve. Seeing the redhead remain unmoving, he became more urgent and yanked on Axel's sleeve. "Move your ass Red!" He hissed, and hearing the near panic in the blonde's voice, he obeyed, running slightly behind Dem.

"Red?" He questioned, as they ran through the twisting brick maze, Dem in the lead. The boy managed to shrug while in mid run and threw an answer over his shoulder.

"Well, your tattoos and hair are red-I mean, I've never seen hair that red of a color here. It's the first thing you notice-which, might not be so good." He replied over his shoulder.

"Red huh?" The two took a drastic turn and stumbled out into the blinding sunlight. Red blinked, clearing his vision and looked around him warily. People hurriedly shuffled past them on the sidewalk, their shoulders hunched, head down and briskly hurrying to wherever they needed to be. Others just lounged around in the openings to alleys, loitering where the sunlight met the shadows. Ragged dressed and grime smeared children darted about in little packs and empty eyed people curled on doorsteps and between trashcans.

"What a shit hole." Red stated bluntly and Dem laughed sadly.

"Yeah, it is." He replied, starting down the sidewalk.

"Damnit, you can't even see the sun." Red sighed and quickly leveled his stride with the blonde's.

"Man, you're gonna have to get new clothes and do something with your hair!" Demitry exclaimed, watching another man lift his head from staring at his feet, and catching sight of the redhead, quickly cross the road to the other sidewalk and hurry on.

"Heh, they must not be used to black cloaked men." Red stated, with a humorous grin.

"Actually, I think it's the opposite." Dem replied and the redhead stared at his back. "Come on!" Dem called excitedly and began weaving his way through the miserable crowd.

~~~GW~~~

Author's Note: Heh heh, uh oh-they've been unleashed on the city! Lol. Yes, I changed Axel's name! Little by little he's slowly- *clamps mouth shut* Ah-AH! Nope, caught myself-although most of you seem to be figuring the plot out! Muaha ha..Ah, poor Cloud. He finally dares to walk into his enemy's lair and he gets jumped! It's funny someone mentioned Cloud in the reviews! (I had this chapter pre-written!)

Alright then, it would be much appreciated if you'd review (positively)! I see a lot of people are reading this but not reviewing, it makes me cry a little on the inside...for a second...they're gummi bear flavored tears...yes...Anyways, please REVIEW! It makes me smile! *grins hopefully*