Chapter Six
'The Secret of the Ultimate Sphere'
On the other side of Midgar …
Rane walked up towards the two tall, lean figures, shadowed by the palm trees. The sea breeze lightly fluttered her chestnut hair as she walked. She stopped, turned to face them, and said quietly, "Tell me."
Sephiroth and Cloud smiled at her.
"Hello, Rane," they said in unison. Standing side by side next to each other, Rane never noticed how identical they looked, how similar.
"What do you guys have in mind?" she asked.
"We gotta get Rynn back, of course," Sephiroth said, half-smiling. "But …" his expression turned serious.
"In order to do that …we need the six of us here. You gotta get Lynx and Seifer to get down here as quick as possible," Cloud finished for him.
Rane looked at them both, then she gazed out into the open sea. "It's too risky," she said softly. "With the six of us here …the chances of them getting the full sphere are higher."
"Also with all our powers, we're more likely to defeat them," Sephiroth pointed out. He nodded at her arm where one of the silver-haired guys had slashed her. "You feeling better now?"
Rane took a deep, shaky breath and nodded. "I was …so freaked out. Why didn't you tell me?" she asked accusingly.
"Because that would have freaked you out even more, and you wouldn't even have accepted it," Sephiroth explained with a smile.
"It's better if you found out yourself," Cloud said.
Rane shook her head. "I felt nauseated. It's like I'm transforming into some kind of alien." She paused. "Tell me about the Ultimate Sphere." She still couldn't believe she had accepted the portion of the Ultimate Sphere that Sephiroth had offered her and her friends without knowing the first thing about it.
"Remember Professor Gast?" Cloud asked her, tapping the tip of his sword on the soft sand.
Rane nodded. "Aeris' father," she said, remembering.
"Yeah," Sephiroth replied. "The Ultimate Sphere was created by Gast. That was during the old war between Wutai and Midgar, even before Hojo had his brainstorm idea to create me."
"Gast thought if he couldn't make a powerful human, he might as well invent something that could make a human powerful," Cloud continued in a quiet voice, the breeze carrying his words away. "And he did. He invented the Ultimate Sphere. With the birth of the Ultimate Sphere came the existence of the three grants."
"The first grant; the person who possesses the Ultimate Sphere will have a dose of immortality," Sephiroth said.
"The second grant; the person who possesses the Ultimate Sphere will be susceptible to unimaginable power and strength beyond human's ability," Cloud went on.
"And the third grant …" Sephiroth paused. "Says that the person who possesses the Ultimate Sphere will be transformed …and no longer be human. So to speak, that explains why your wound healed right in front of your eyes. And that's only one of the features."
Rane's mouth fell open in shock. For a moment, she couldn't speak. "Oh my God …" she breathed in disbelief, stunned. "You …you're saying that …we're …not humans?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Cloud smiled a little at her reaction. "Yes. That's what we're trying to tell you. Rynn, Lynx, Seifer, you, Sephiroth, and me …we're all bonded forever by the powers of this sphere."
"You want to know more?" Sephiroth asked Rane, who looked as pale as a ghost. Despite her shock, she nodded. He went on. "After Gast invented the Ultimate Sphere, Hojo created me. I was his most successful experiment – after all, more powerful than he could ever imagine, more dangerous that he could ever expect, more menacing than he could ever unleash. They both decided that with someone like me on the planet, they didn't need me finding out about the Ultimate Sphere. It was risky; they couldn't imagine what happen if I got hold of the sphere. So they buried it in Mount Gaea on Spira."
"But Hojo was stupid," Cloud continued quietly. "He went out of control, and experimented on me what he experimented with Sephiroth. Of course …that was a mistake."
"Either of us could destroy the entire planet if we had wanted to, as easily as that," Sephiroth said, smiling mysteriously. "As a matter of fact …I almost did."
Rane shook her head. "That was history, Sephy."
"Anyway, the point is, we think Hojo knew one of us got hold of the Ultimate Sphere. What he doesn't know though, is that the Ultimate Sphere could be separated. So he's pretty much clueless. He thinks I have it, but he thinks Cloud may also have it. He couldn't be sure. So, instead, he pinpoints on you and Rynn. The thing is …" Sephiroth hesitated.
"After today, he now knows that you have the Ultimate Sphere," Cloud went on quietly. "And possibly Rynn too, since they've got her now."
"Wait a minute. Earlier today, right before those two guys left, one of them asked the other to 'test me', and he slashed my arm. What does that mean?" Rane asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"They've got your blood on the sword, didn't they? I'm guessing he meant to test if you have the immunity of the sphere in your blood. They'll know by now already," Sephiroth explained.
Rane fell silent. "Then again, if they have Rynn and if they tested her …wouldn't they find out that she also has the sphere's powers?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.
"In a sense, yes. That would baffle Hojo, which in the meantime, gives us the opportunity to get into action," Cloud replied.
"So …do you know their names?" Rane asked.
Sephiroth paused for a moment. "The oldest one …is Loz. He's the one with short crew-style cut. Then the younger one, Yazoo, is the one with the longest hairstyle. The last and youngest one is Kadaj. Not surprisingly, he's the leader."
"He is? What do you mean, not surprisingly?" Rane echoed.
"You could say …that he's the strongest of them. And that makes him twice as malicious," Cloud added quietly.
Rane closed her eyes briefly, then sighed as she reopened them. "Do you guys know where they are?"
They both shook their heads. Then Sephiroth said, "But don't worry. We'll find them. When Hojo created me and Cloud …he also gave us a sixth sense."
Later …
"I can't believe I never bothered to find out about the Ultimate Sphere," Rane said quietly. She was sitting on the beach next to Cloud after Sephiroth left them alone. The sun had long set over the horizon, and she was grateful that the day was over. Night seemed to comfort her for some reasons.
"Sephiroth knew if he told you about the secrets of the sphere, you would never accept it. And he needed you to accept it as a peace offering," Cloud replied.
Rane managed a faint smile as she turned to look at him. "How come you know him so well, Cloud?"
Cloud chuckled and leaned back on his elbows, gazing at her. "Because …in a way, we're like the same person. He knows what I'm thinking, and I know what he's thinking. It's scary."
"It must be scary for him. Who knows what kind of thoughts you have in your mind," Rane teased lightly.
Cloud glanced at her and slowly smiled. "I know. Sometimes I pity him. But I guess it compromises with the fact that I also have to know what he thinks."
Rane laughed. "You're mean. Hey, you think I should call Lynx now?"
"Sure. If you have your cell phone with you," Cloud said.
Rane nodded. She withdrew her cell phone and dialed a long-distant number. She spoke quietly to Lynx for a few moments, then closed her phone. "She says she'll be here as soon as she can, but she'll probably have to drag Seifer along," Rane proclaimed. The breeze lightly fluttered her hair across her face, and before she could pull the loose strands away, Cloud reached out and tenderly brushed the strands back, tucking them behind her ear.
"Your hair is much longer now," he said softly, staring into her eyes.
Rane gazed back at him, hesitating, not sure of how to react. "Well, um, I haven't got around to getting a haircut," she told him, pushing her hair back.
"You don't have to," Cloud said, gently running his fingers through her long, chestnut hair. "I like it the way it is. It's you."
Rane turned away. "I …" she couldn't think of what to say.
Cloud lowered his eyes to the sand, in the meantime withdrawing his hand as if he understood that she felt uncomfortable. "Rane ...I was just wondering …even if you eventually decide that our relationship is really over …" he looked at her, pausing. " …can we still be friends like we used to be?"
Rane turned and as she gazed into his eyes, she felt her heart twisting painfully. "We'll always be best friends, Cloud," she told him softly, her eyes filling with tears. "No matter what happens …whether we're in a relationship …or not."
"Just …for the time being, I don't want to know your decision yet, Rane. If that's okay with you." Cloud stared out at the dark nothingness. "I just want to enjoy whatever little time I have left with you, before …" He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to. They both knew that eventually, she would have to choose between him, and Reno.
A lone tear rolled down her cheek. "Can I tell you something, Cloud?"
Cloud looked at her. "Of course."
"I just want to say …that it hurts me to have to do this," Rane whispered. "Figuratively …you're my weakness, Cloud – and Reno's my strength. You make me want to give up the world and just be with you …but Reno …he makes me want to stay strong and fight for what's best for me. Ironically, I can't live without both my weakness and my strength. So tell me …which do you expect me to choose?"
Cloud gazed at her, then smiled sadly, touching her cheek gently. "You're silly, you know that, Rane Lockhart? Of course I'd want you to choose your weakness," he said softly, his intense aqua eyes brimming with tears. "Because then …I can just be your world instead."
Rane gazed back at him, oblivious to the tears that were now flowing freely down her cheeks. There was nothing in her heart that she could say to him without betraying herself. Cloud reached over and gently smudged the tears with his thumb, then he leaned over and pulled her into his arms, closing his eyes as he rested his cheek on her head.
"I've missed you so much, Rane," he whispered, relishing the feel of her body against his again.
Rane didn't resist. Instead, she let herself relax into his strong arms, feeling the exhaustion washing over her like tidal waves. "I've missed you too," she said softly. She lifted her head and gazed into his familiar aqua eyes. Then, as gently as he could, Cloud leaned forward slowly, covering his mouth over hers in a soft, poignant kiss.
The familiar feeling of his mouth on hers brought tears to her eyes, and she pulled away as if she had been burned. Rane stared at him wordlessly, the touch of his lips leaving a tingling sensation on her own lips.
"Rane, I'm sorry –" Cloud began, but she leapt to her feet and started walking away. He got up and went after her.
"Cloud, please," Rane pleaded. "Let's just forget about tonight, okay? I can't do this. I …I need to be alone for a while." Then she turned around, not wanting to look at his heartbreaking expression, and ran away into the darkness.
"What did you guys find?" Kadaj asked as he walked into the laboratory where Loz and Yazoo had a drugged Rynn strapped to a chair.
Loz turned away from a sterile steel cart with instruments on it, and said, "She has it. But …" he trailed off.
"But what?" Kadaj repeated, frowning as he walked closer.
"She only has a portion of it. Not the whole thing," Loz told him. "See, according to Gast's report, the Ultimate Sphere initially has a concentration of 168.3 parts per million of the radioactive promethium in it. Promethium is the main compound in the sphere, the one that gives it the unbelievable power. We only found approximately 28 ppm in her blood cells. That's one sixth of the original concentration." He looked at Kadaj, waiting.
"So we were right," Yazoo added. "The Ultimate Sphere must have been separated and given to six different people."
Kadaj stood silently as he stared at Rynn, who was lying unconscious. Then he slowly said, "Six of them. Sephiroth …he definitely has it. Rynn also has it. Who else does?"
Monday afternoon …
"You gotta come and pick me up, 'cos I'm standing in the middle of nowhere with no idea where I am," Lynx Almasy complained over the phone. "And Seifer isn't helping at all. Seif, don't do that, there's fragile stuff in my bag!" she shouted in the background.
Rane yawned and glanced at the digital clock on the night table as she sat up on the bed. "Alright, alright. Tell me where you are, or at least, describe it."
"I'm pretty sure we're in Midgar already; just where exactly, I don't know. It looks like I'm on the outskirts, or maybe somewhere close by," Lynx replied.
"Okay …you see any signs, anything that says what street you're on?"
"Um …I'm not sure. There's a huge mega complex …wait, let me see." There was a pause, and Rane could hear Lynx and Seifer's voices in the background. She was saying, " …no, you doofus, I want you to go get a closer look of the name of the complex! I can't see from where I'm standing …just do it, Seifer!" She was back on the phone. "I don't know why I have to bring my moronic brother along, but this better be good, Rane. I mean, if Rynn is missing it would just take the two of us to find her. We don't need that idiot."
"Hey, who are you calling an idiot?" Rane heard Seifer's voice shouted in the background.
"Shush," Lynx told her brother. "Rane, we're close to Cosmic Two; does that give you an idea of where we are?"
Despite the glum circumstances, Rane managed a smile at Lynx and her brother's antics. "Yeah, that's good enough. Just stay put, I'll come and pick you guys up, okay?"
"Hurry up. I don't think I can stand being around Seif any longer."
After Rane hung up, she walked into the hotel bathroom and took a shower. After last night's confusing events, she didn't think she could return to the Turks' mansion so soon. Instead, she took the overnighter she had kept in the trunk of her car, and spent the night in a hotel close by.
About fifteen minutes later, Rane walked out of the hotel with her overnighter, dumped it in the backseat of her car, and drove off to find Lynx before she killed her brother.
Meanwhile, at the Turks' mansion …
"I can't believe you guys." Rufus was pacing back and forth in the Oval Office, shaking his head. "There are four of you guys, three of them. You had them right in front of you, and none of you made even so much as an attempt to try to stop them from getting away?"
"They moved fast, Rufus. They were gone before we even got close enough to take a look at any of them," Tseng said defensively, sounding a little annoyed. "Besides, what the hell happened to your so-called security team? At the rate they're responding to this situation we'll be celebrating Christmas tomorrow."
"They did respond. But those guys were fast," Rufus snapped.
"That's exactly what I meant," Tseng said dryly.
Rufus shook his head. "You guys could've attacked them, stall them a little longer before they disappeared."
Tseng threw his hands up in the air. "I just told you they were gone before we even had a chance to attack them!"
Everyone fell silent. Rude, Reno, and Elena were all staring at the table. They had been quiet the whole time since the start of the meeting.
"Look, why don't you two just calm down and we'll talk over this in a civilized way," Reno said finally, breaking the silence.
"I want to know why they attacked Cosmic One," Rufus said angrily. "I want you guys to find them."
"I know how to find them," Tseng said, his expression serious.
Everyone turned and looked at him.
"You do?" Elena asked in surprise.
Tseng turned and looked at Reno directly. "Yes. I bet Rane knows where they are," he said.
Reno stared at him, stunned. "Rane? How would she know?" he asked, equally surprised as the others.
Tseng leaned back, rubbing his jaw with one hand.
"Remember yesterday, before those guys left, one of them yelled for the other to 'test her'?" he asked the Turks, who glanced at each other, then nodded. He went on, "Those guys must have thought she's got something they're looking for. What it is, we don't know. The key here is to find Rane first; I'll bet she knows more than we think she does. And also, Reno, didn't she say she was going to look for Cloud yesterday?"
At the mention of Cloud's name, Reno's expression darkened. "Yeah," he muttered, shifting in his seat. "Whatever."
"You think Cloud and Rane both have something to do with these three guys and the attack on Cosmic One?" Rude asked.
"I don't think. I know," Tseng said smoothly. "Plus Sephiroth and Rynn. First Sephiroth disappears, then Rynn, and now Rane has gone to look for Cloud. There's gotta be something going on here that they didn't tell us. So …I say we go find them, and we'll get those three guys."
Rufus thought for a moment. "I'm at a point where I don't know what else we can do. So I guess you can try finding Rane first." He exhaled wearily. "Call her."
And the Turks were dismissed.
"Thank God you're finally here," Lynx exclaimed as Rane got out of the car to help them with the luggage. "If you'd been a second later you would've find Seifer's remains under my feet."
Rane laughed as she grabbed a luggage. "I'm sorry. I was caught up in the traffic." She turned and smiled at Seifer. "Hey, Seifer."
"Hi," Seifer said sourly. "I don't like this slum."
"Seifer!" Lynx snapped, hitting him in the arm. "Don't be rude. You'll realize soon that people like you belong in the slums anyway."
Rane grinned. "Don't worry; it was the slums." She put the luggage into the backseat of her car. Then they all got into the Merc; Rane driving, Lynx in the passenger seat, and Seifer squashed between all the baggages.
"I love your car. It's absolutely gorgeous," Lynx gushed. "I can't believe you won this year's Grand Prix."
Rane grinned. "I know, I'm still having a hard time believing it. What's even harder to believe is that I finally have my own car." She glanced at Lynx. "How's Zell? I haven't seen him in a while."
"There's nothing interesting to see of him anyway," Seifer muttered from the backseat.
Lynx turned around in her seat and glowered at her brother before turning back to Rane. "Zell's good. He signed up for this fighting competition in Balamb – I can't remember what it's called – and so he's training hard for it."
"Yeah, he's got a long way to go, see. Also, I'll bet he'll come in last in the competition," Seifer interrupted.
"Seifer, shut up!" Lynx snapped at Seifer, who was guffawing as if he had just made the joke of the year. She rolled her eyes at him and turned forward. "So tell me. What's going on here?" she asked Rane.
Rane paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "You remember the Ultimate Sphere?" she asked them as she stopped at a red light.
"Of course. Does this have anything to do with the Ultimate Sphere that we have?" Lynx questioned.
"It has everything to do with the sphere," Rane replied softly. "A couple of days ago, there was an attack on Cosmic One in First District."
"First District? Was that originally Sector One?" Lynx asked.
Rane nodded. "They changed the names of the eight cities after Rufus resurrected the Shin-Ra Corporation. Anyway, Cosmic One which was once First District's biggest attraction is now nothing but mere wreckage. And the three guys who did it look so much like Sephiroth, it's uncanny."
"Oh my God. Are they …Sephiroth's clones or something?" Lynx asked.
Rane shrugged, exhaling. "I'm not sure, Lynx. But they're all looking for one thing; the sphere that all six of us shared."
"Great news. Now my question is; how could they possibly get the sphere now that it's infused in us already?" Seifer asked sardonically.
"I'm sure they've already thought of that before they come looking for it," Rane told him.
"Okay, let me get this straight. These three guys who look like Sephiroth, according to you, want the Ultimate Sphere which the six of us have. So you got Lynx and me to come down here all the way from Balamb – for what? To make their search for the sphere easier?"
"Look, that's what I thought at first too, okay? But Sephiroth thinks it's better if there are six of us here, because then together we'll be able to fight against these guys." Rane glanced over her shoulder at Seifer. "And trust me, Seif; I've fought with them before. They're not that easily defeated."
"They've still got Rynn," Seifer pointed out. "If they somehow managed to get the sphere from the rest of us, then we're dead because I'm sure they won't have any problem getting it from Rynn since she's been taken hostage by them."
"That's why we need to go get her back, idiot," Lynx chimed in, rolling her eyes at her brother as if she couldn't understand why she had such a moronic brother. "And besides, the odds are stacked against them. We outnumber them."
"But before we do that, we've gotta –" Rane didn't finish her sentence. An earsplitting, earth shattering explosion thundered through the streets of Second District. Gripped with terror and urgency, Rane swerved to the side lanes to avoid being hit by the cars behind her and floored the brakes. She could feel as if the earth was tearing apart.
"Oh my God! Was that an earthquake?" Lynx cried, her eyes wide with terror.
"No, someone just blew up that building we were standing nearby before!" Seifer said as he turned around in his seat.
He was right.
Rane stared in horror as she watched, numbed with shock, the mega complex known as Cosmic Two collapsing into bits and pieces. It looked as if an invisible hand was crushing the mall, tearing it apart, setting it aflame. She was so stunned she could hear the roaring in her ears, not the deafening noises as the building collapsed. Her heart was pounding faster by each second. This cannot be happening …
Meanwhile, at the Shin-Ra's headquarters …
The Turks' beepers all went off at the exact same time whilst they were having lunch in the cafeteria. They exchanged glances at each other, then as the other employees watched in curiosity, all four of them got up and sprinted out of the cafeteria.
Rufus was speaking urgently to someone on the phone when they burst into his office. He hung up as soon as he saw them and said immediately,
"There's been another attack. It's Cosmic Two. I want you guys to get down there now! Find the bastards!"
"Who are you calling?" Lynx asked as Rane pulled out her cell phone.
"Cloud," Rane replied as she pressed a quick-dialing number and held the phone to her ear. She waited for a moment as it rang once, twice, but it felt like forever. From where they were sitting in the midst of the cluster of cars who had stopped in the middle of the freeway to observe the horrific explosion, she could almost feel the heat emitting from the explosion.
"Rane. Where are you?" Cloud's concerned voice came over the other end of the line. He must have had caller ID on his cell phone. Then again, what kind of cell phones doesn't have a caller ID?
"Cloud!" Rane said in relief. "I'm about ten blocks from Cosmic Two. Cloud, the whole place is a mess. They – they've attacked again." She thought about all those innocent lives caught up in the debris, and her throat welled up. She inhaled sharply. "Listen, I'm with Lynx and Seifer, I need you to come and get them to somewhere safe before they find us."
"Where are you going?" Cloud asked, sounding alarmed.
"I'm going to Cosmic Two, and I can't bring them with me because what if those guys are –"
"You're going where? Rane, listen to me. Don't go there. The reason they blew up that building is because they know it'll draw one of us out. We can't go there; it's too dangerous. We can't afford for another one of us to get captured by them," Cloud told her urgently. "They've already got Rynn, we can't let them get another one of us."
"Cloud, there're innocent people trapped underneath the rubble who're probably still alive. I can't leave them there and besides, if those guys are there, I want to know where my sister is," Rane protested worriedly.
She could hear Cloud inhaling sharply over the phone. "Rane, listen. You can't go there. Look, stay where you are and I'll come get you guys, alright? I'm close enough so I won't be long. Just don't go anywhere first. I'll be there in five," he said.
"But Cloud –"
"Stay there, Rane, please. If anything happens to you, I'll never forgive myself." Cloud hung up after that, leaving Rane sitting in the car with her head throbbing.
"Is he coming?" Lynx asked, knitting her eyebrows worriedly.
Rane exhaled tiredly and nodded. "Yeah, but …" she glanced at the direction of Cosmic Two.
"Hey, even if you want to go there, you'll have to walk ten blocks because there's no way we can get this car out of this jam," Seifer pointed out, indicating at the roadblock caused by the hundreds of cars stopping in the middle of the freeway.
"True," Lynx agreed, for the first time in her life agreeing with her brother.
Rane shook her head, but before she could reply, her cell phone rang in her hand. She looked down at it, and saw that it was Reno. She hesitated for a moment as it rang relentlessly. Lynx and Seifer both stared at her.
"Aren't you going to answer it?" Lynx asked.
"It's Reno. He'll want to know where I am," Rane replied, biting her lower lip as she pondered. Then she sighed as she decided to answer his call. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's me. Where are you?" He sounded so concerned that she felt bad for actually considering not answering the call before.
"Um, stuck on the freeway between Second District and the main harbor," Rane replied, glancing around dejectedly. "I can't go anywhere."
"Second District? You saw what happened, then?"
"I felt the explosion," Rane told him, closing her eyes momentarily. "It was horrible. All those people in there …"
"Listen, I – hold on." Rane could hear Reno speaking in low voices in the background. He was back on in a few seconds. "Rane, I need to talk to you. Something very serious is happening right here in Midgar and I think you know what I'm talking about."
Rane felt her blood running cold as she sat up straight. "What do you mean?" she asked slowly.
Reno hesitated. "Look, uh, I don't want to talk about this over the phone. Those three guys …they're looking for something that you may have, am I right?"
Rane felt her jaw slacking, stunned. How did he know?"How …"
"You don't have to answer that now," Reno went on quickly. "We're at the site now, and I just want to know where I can meet you. But if you're going to be at home, then I'll see you later …I hope. This is important, Rane. We have to talk."
Rane paused. "I …I'll be at home," she replied. "Later. I promise."
There was a short silence as the noises in the background filled the line. "Okay. I hope to see you then," Reno replied quietly.
When she hung up, she felt a heaviness in her heart that she had never felt before. But Rane knew this wasn't the time to deal with her heart; she had more important things to do.
Seifer was sprawled over the tiny backseat, rested against the baggage, one arm flung over his eyes. "How much longer are we going to be stuck in here?" he groaned.
Rane glanced at him, knowing how exactly he feels. She leaned her head against the headrest and sighed wearily. "I can't believe this is happening," she told Lynx as she sat up restlessly. She felt as if she couldn't sit still while Cosmic Two is in such shambles. She had to do something.
"You're not going anywhere," Lynx said. "I don't think it's a good idea for us to separate right now."
"Great, so we're just going to sit here and wait until someone clears out this roadblock?" Seifer asked sardonically.
Lynx was craning her neck side to side as she looked beyond the line of cars. "Not really. I think some of the cars are starting to move, slowly."
Rane shook her head and got out of the car. "That's it. I'm not staying here. If those guys are still at Cosmic Two, I want to beat the crap out of them until they let me see my sister," she said heatedly.
"Rane!" Lynx cried, alarmed. "You are not leaving us here by ourselves!"
A deafening noise of screeching motorcycle wheels on the asphalt road interrupted them, causing all three of them to turn towards the source of noise.
"Oh my God," Rane gasped when she saw, about fifteen yards away, Cloud's Fenrir motorcycle was flocked by three other mysterious black motorcycles mounted by none other than the three silver-haired guys. From where she was standing she could scarcely see swords slashing so swift at one another that all she could see was lightning-fast blurry movements and sparks shooting out everywhere.
"Come on, what are you still standing there for?" Seifer shouted, jumping out of the car as if it were on fire. "Let's go get them!" He practically grabbed her and Lynx, and the three of them ran towards Cloud and their enemies.
Before they even got there, two of them, Rane recognized as Loz and Kadaj, turned around and focused their attacks on Lynx, Seifer, and herself. They were almost caught off guard, initially only capable of defending themselves, but then they regained their leverage and fought back relentlessly.
Lynx and Seifer both attacked Loz, and Rane was left to fight Kadaj herself. It was a bad alternative because she had fought with them before and she knew Kadaj was the strongest and most dangerous opponent she had ever encountered.
At one point, Kadaj swung around and slashed his sword down at her so quickly; she almost didn't have time to defend herself with her own weapon. He leaned hard on his sword, applying more pressure on her, his green eyes blazing. "Where is it?" he shouted at her. "I know you have it!"
Rane swiftly yanked her laser blade away and kicked him sideways. He did a back flip but as he regained his balance, she lunged forward and pressed the edge of the blade against his neck, forcing him to stumble backward against one of the motorcycles. She glared at him angrily.
"Where's my sister?" she snapped, gripping the laser blade so hard she thought she would break it.
Kadaj smiled as if he weren't in danger of his life at all. "You know that even if you slit my throat, there's no point."
"Yes, I do know that. Then again …would you like to give me the pleasure to do that?"
In a quick motion, he reached up with his left hand and gripped her wrist which was holding the weapon against his neck. He squeezed her wrist, his green eyes burning into hers. "I have your sister. But if you kill me now, you'll never see her again," he told her, a discreet smile playing on his lips.
His grip was hurting her, but she didn't want to show it and satisfy him. Instead, she pressed harder, until a thin line of blood formed beneath the edge of her weapon and on the smooth skin of his neck.
"I want to know where she is," Rane snapped. "Let her go, you bastard. You've done enough damage."
"No, the damage isn't enough. But …I'm not letting her go." In the speed of lightning, Kadaj yanked her wrist away, rolled over to straighten up, and jumped on the motorcycle. Before she knew it, the three of them were already speeding away, as suddenly as they had appeared. Lynx, Seifer, and Cloud rushed over to where she was standing, still staring at the disappearing figures.
"Shit. Why didn't you just kill that one?" Seifer asked her, slamming his fist angrily on Cloud's Fenrir.
Rane sighed wearily and shook her head. "He knows where Rynn is. If I had killed him then, he'll still be revived and I'll never see Rynn again."
"Don't worry about that. Are you okay?" Cloud asked her.
She nodded, and looked at them. "Yeah, I am. What about you guys?"
"We're fine," Lynx replied, out of breath. Her face was pale and drained. "Where did they go? They left so suddenly."
"I don't know," Rane admitted.
The roadblock was finally beginning to clear out, and they all stood watching as the cars drove past with passengers inside staring back out at them.
"Listen, we gotta get out of here," Cloud said. "We gotta meet Sephiroth."