Okay...I know it took some time but I got it done. I'm not really proud of this chapter but I didn't want to leave it till it was too later or anything. More sadism I guess in this chapter…

Chapter 7

Kadaj didn't bother to lift his head from the cold stone floor as he heard the solid door of the room he was trapped in slide open and heavy footsteps came up behind him. His body ached even though all he was doing was breathing. He heard that cruel laughter from the man standing behind him, towering over his small frame and laughing at the pitiful sight. Anger flooded through Kadajs' body, his form tensing, and his hands that were chained behind his back knotting into fists while he bit his bottom lip to stop himself from saying anything. He wouldn't give Sephiroth that satisfaction; he had already shown enough weakness. He'd endure this torment to the very end, waiting for his brothers to come to his aid like they always had or die waiting if the chance for escape never arose. He knew that in his state he would never win against the powerful being that crouched down and roughly grabbed his shoulder and pulled Kadaj onto his back, his weight pressing on the already tight chains, cutting his skin further.

"I'll break you, Kadaj. I'll break that arrogance and that pride which holds you together. Tell me your desires so I can crush them." Kadaj frowned at the forwardness of the way Sephiroth spoke. He refused to cave in, the power and strength emanating from him like a void sucking him in. He longed for that power for himself but that would never happen. Mother had chosen Sephiroth over him and Sephiroth was the one with the power now but Kadaj longed to change that. He just wasn't prepared enough though it could be possible.

Sephiroth grabbed Kadaj roughly by his shoulders, pushing him down. Kadaj yelped as his hands were crushed beneath him against the cold floor, his back arching up but Sephiroth leaned forward so his knee pressed down on Kadaj's stomach to keep him down. Kadaj abruptly twisted, catching Sephiroth off guard. Kadaj hadn't truly fought back because when he first awoke, he had already been beaten and his body was weaker but now he had some strength, though not much, to fight back with. His legs came up, one knocking against Sephiroths' head while the other hit his shoulder. Sephiroth made an attempt to catch his legs but got kicked instead. Kadaj swung his legs up then down, propelling himself into a crouching position. Sephiroth grabbed his sword, his face contorted in anger and he swung. Kadaj easily dodged though his legs felt weak beneath him. He stumbled and the blade cut a long gash up the center of his chest, fresh blood slowly dripping out of the cut flesh. Again the blade swooped down towards the young clone but this time Kadaj twisted around and the blade cut the binds on his hands with a loud snapping noise. Kadaj spun, narrowly avoiding the next blow and lunged at the man but Sephiroths' knee came up and knocking the wind out of Kadaj as it hit hard into his stomach. Kadaj crumpled to ground, gasping for air but he wouldn't give up, his pride wouldn't let him and again he rose and Sephiroth laughed in amusement.

"Don't laugh at me. Will you laugh when you're dead!" Kadaj snarled as he charged forward in another attempt to get close enough to cause damage and this time Sephiroth merely took a step aside and caught Kadaj around the waist with one strong arm when Kadaj tried to stop his momentum and the blade came up to rest against Kadajs' neck. Kadaj sighed, letting his body go limp suddenly. Sephiroth seemed to stiffen, unsure of what just happened. He knew Kadaj was awake and well aware that he still had a chance to fight back but why did he just let himself go limp? Sephiroth threw Kadaj to the ground then as Kadaj abruptly rose, pushing off the ground he got past Sephiroth, and out the door though his side got gashed when he slipped by the taller male. He didn't plan on escaping because he wouldn't last long in his condition. He only planned on buying time while his brothers came for him. He could feel it in his bones and as much as he longed for rescue, he longed to frustrate the hell out of Sephiroth and it seemed to be working. Kadaj slipped over the railing, falling to the floor below and quickly darted down the hall and into the next doorway. The room was just as gloomy as the rest of the house and Kadaj made a note to burn it when he had the chance. He crouched down behind the couch as he heard heavy footsteps approaching the room. Kadaj lay on his stomach, looking below the couch as he saw Sephiroth walk by, unnoticing the slight gap that Kadaj had created when moving the couch for his body to fit.

Sephiroth paused, remaining silent, listening, before leaving the room. Slowly Kadaj released the breath he barely knew he had been holding but remained where he was. He continued to listen to the footsteps until they faded away. Kadaj slowly slipped around the couch and maneuvered over to the fireplace where he quickly turned it one (gas fireplace). The fire came ablaze, the wood sparking and smoke rising out of the large chimney. Quickly he darted out of the room, and found the kitchen. He body ached in protest to his sudden movements, his skin stretching and tearing at the flesh that was trying to heal. He dug through the drawers, not trying to conceal his location anymore and suddenly a fist slammed down on his shoulder making him topple sideways. But he already had what he had wanted. A long bladed knife was held tight in his grip and as he fell he swung it backwards, cutting Sephiroths' leg. Kadaj rolled against Sephiroths' legs, one arm wrapping around both legs and pulling tight enough to cause the tall man to loose balance. Sephiroth fell backwards and Kadaj was kicked off in the process, back slamming against the wall from the force of the kick.

Sephiroth rose as did Kadaj and the two glared at the other before their attention was averted to the sudden onslaught of gunfire. Sephiroth twisted away, dropping behind the counter while Kadaj was able to remain in position due to the shots not being aimed at him. Yazoo and Loz stood at the entrance to the kitchen on the far side, each holding a gun directed at Sephiroth.

"About time." Kadaj snarled as he hurried over to them. Yazoos' eyes turned and looked at Kadaj skeptically, glancing over his beating exposed skin and the red of dried blood and from the reopened cuts caused by the treatment Kadaj put his body through when escaping the room he'd been held captive in.

Yazoo shrugged with a little 'humph' and turned his attention away from his younger brother. Loz shot forward and blasted the counter where Sephiroth had disappeared behind and through the dust and rubble Sephiroth rose out, his sword somehow coming between the two eldest silver haired men and gashing Loz across the stomach before Loz had the chance to shield himself. Sephiroth backed off, however, when Yazoos' gun took up firing again. Loz turned, almost knocking himself back into the cupboards.

"Go get your Souba. We'll hold off Sephiroth until then."

"Yeah, just great." Kadaj murmured before darting off, doubting that they'd be able to do so for long without caving in the old house. He ran up the stares, wincing at his bones ached and protested when he lifted them. He'd been beaten too roughly to ask so much of his weakened body. "Just great…I'd love to get my sword…if only I knew where it was."

Pouting, he went down the hall and entered the first room. A quick, yet somewhat thorough look and he was out and on to the next room. The sounds from bellow kept him moving as he knew that they were probably struggling against Sephiroths' strength and experience over them and he craved to fight along side his brothers and kill Sephiroth, the man who's caused them so much pain unnecessarily…well, not in Sephiroths' mind since it was for his pleasure. The fourth room Kadaj entered was partially empty except for the bed, the mirror and his sword that was on the only chair. Kadaj grinned and quickly went to it, picking it up and holding it like a lost item that he'd never thought he'd ever loose. He quickly left the room, hurrying down the stairs, Souba draw and held out before him.

It didn't take long to run into the fighters as they were practically moving everywhere throughout the place and destroying anything and everything to come across their paths. They all looked horribly exhausted, even Sephiroth seemed to be wearing down. It gave Kadaj a sort of relief feeling and suddenly he was in the fight again, sword swooping forward to catch Sephiroth off guard and the man's arm was gashed lengthily due to his inability to avoid the blow. Kadaj felt a fluttery feeling bubbling within his stomach and spreading like hot fire through out his body. They were so close…

Abruptly Sephiroth retreated, a grin on his face as he did so, causing the three others to pause slightly. Before Kadaj and Loz moved Yazoo shouted for them to stop.

"Let him go. We can barely move as it is and it wouldn't do us much good." Yazoo said, leaning heavily against the wall as Kadaj realized how badly his legs were gashed and how his body was trembling. Kadaj looked down at himself as well, seeing his cut open chest, bruising from the beatings Sephiroth made him endure and how frail he actually felt. Abruptly his legs gave way and he crumpled to the ground. He braced himself with his arms, head fallen forward while he gasped for air. He felt Loz and Yazoo both on either side of him, asking questions that kept getting fainter in his ears as he began to see double and soon nothing at all.

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"I don't know if we can keep this up. It's like no matter how hard we try, the best we can do is make a draw, if you can call it that." Yazoo said his voice distant yet surprisingly clear.

"I feel as if we've gained nothing…"

"But that's not true. We were so close yesterday." Loz said, voice trying to sound certain on convincing. A small little noise came from Yazoo and it was silent again. Kadaj wondered where they were but feeling a slight breeze cross over his face he knew they were outside. He began to take in what he could feel. He was laying on a layer or two of sleeping bags and though they were soft he could feel a hardness beneath them that was the ground. A third blanket was over his body, stopping just as it reached his shoulders. He felt heat, sunlight, on his face but as comfortable as it was on his skin he still ached. He tried to open his eyes but they were too heavy and all he could do was listen. But it didn't last long because he fell into darkness again once the throbbing in his head took over.

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He awoke next when he felt himself being lifted into a sitting position. He managed to open his eyes though they were still heavy. He recognized the firm grip holding him by the shoulders and knew Loz held him up. He saw Yazoo come in front of him and he knelt down, their first aid in his hands. He smiled softly as he noticed his younger brother was awake. He reached one hand up and lightly ran his fingers over Kadaj's soft cheek. "Hey, glad you're awake. We're just changing your bandages."

Kadaj nodded though he felt dizzy at the motion. He took a deep breath, liking the feel of the cool air in his lungs, and spoke, "Wh-where are we? Wh-what's…?"

"Quiet, it's not good for you to strain yourself." Loz said from behind and Kadaj felt the gentle squeeze of Loz' hand's on his shoulders. Yazoo leaned forward, arms coming around him and he began undoing the bandages. Kadaj winced as he felt the fabric pulling off and he looked down to see how his wounds were healing. Most were going away due to their abnormal abilities to heal faster on their own but his bruises were just as dark and sensitive.

"You had a fever and were out for a few days. We were worried that if we kept near that place that you wouldn't get better and Sephiroth would return and you'd be defenseless. It was also too cold in that place. We're sorry but we had to keep moving and your condition didn't start getting better until a few days ago." Yazoo said, his voice low and slightly more emotional then he probably intended.

"What about…you two?" Yazoo looked up and smiled.

"We're fine. Loz wasn't as bad as you or I so he took care of us both since I could barely walk. We only stayed at that cold place for about 6 hours so I could take care of my legs and Loz could clean up and do some initial bandaging. We moved out then, careful with you being so badly injured."

"I wasn't that bad." Kadaj said, feeling irritated at how they made him appear so weak. He felt strong enough now and attempted to push Loz' hands away but immediately regretted it. Yazoo scowled and leaned close so his face was almost too close for comfort to Kadajs'.

"Stop being so stubborn. You are not strong enough on your own yet so let us take care of you."

"I am not a child!" Kadaj hissed but let himself be pushed slightly forward so Yazoo could bandage him again after applying some ointment that stung like hell. Once that was done Kadaj leaned back against Loz before Loz could move and looked up at their eldest brother. "Stay here, you're comfortable."

Loz rolled his eyes but didn't move. Yazoo returned the kit to their bikes, the only two they had, before coming back to sit with his brothers. "Tell me about my condition."

Yazoo looked up, watching Kadaj as the youngest waited for an answer. Sighing Yazoo nodded and gave a full report. Kadaj scowled. Due to his imprisonment in such a cold and damp place he had already caught the fever but it was in its mild stages and probably due to the pain inflicted on his body, was unaware of it until he stopped worrying. When Sephiroth retreated off to whereabouts unknown, Kadaj relaxed and it was at that moment that his body became completely undertaken by what it was fighting off and he lost complete consciousness for about a week. At some points his body would go into small spasms and get incredibly cold so they had to constantly stop traveling so Kadaj would not fall off the bike from his spot in front of Yazoo or Loz, depending on who he was riding with. At all times he was wrapped in a thick blanket, despite the awkwardness of riding with it. Yazoo and Loz had gotten better meanwhile, only lasting wounds being bruises and the deepest cuts that were now almost gone due to the special ointment that they used when out of Healing potions and such.

Food was bought with the remains of what money they had when they came across other travelers who were willing to sell some food to them and they came across only one town but there was no room for them to spend a night there so they were forced to move on. Kadaj apparently had troubles accepting the food in his system but finally managed to keep a few things down that weren't so heavy. Kadaj took notice of how thin his body had gotten and scowled.

"You guys are horrible." He remarked, hands running down his bandaged torso and not feeling too much besides a slight hunger and a small ache in his stiffened joints.

"We did our best!" Loz wined behind him and Kadaj simply shrugged as if he didn't care but then he couldn't do anything about it.

"Hopefully you can eat something now, right?" Yazoo suggested as he fetched a small bag from their bikes and tossed it into Kadaj's lap. Kadaj took it, opened it up and brought out the hand size bun and orange along with a small bottle of water. Kadaj glared at Yazoo and the guy just shrugged.

"All we have. A small city is about a 2 hours ride in that direction so we'll go in about 15 minutes." Yazoo said, pointing to his left before flopping on his stomach to rest his head on his arms. Loz shifted then relaxed again, leaning back on his arms while Kadaj ate, glad to be able to be awake and capable of doing something himself again.

"What about Sephiroth?" Kadaj said.

"Don't speak with your mouth full." Yazoo said, turning his head so he didn't have to look at his brothers. "Haven't seen him nor heard about anything that could involve him. He's probably recuperating somewhere and devising some evil and cruel plot involving little pink bunnies and Kadaj as a female.

"Hah ha!" Kadaj snapped sarcastically before finishing off the water and crumpling up the now empty bag in his hands. He made an attempt to kick at Yazoo but the blanket tangled at his feet and the best he did was hitting Yazoo was a corner of the blanket. Yazoo's head shot up and he glared at Kadaj but then suddenly he grinned. He crawled over to Kadaj, picking up the blanket and wrapped it around the teenagers head. Kadaj panicked but as soon as he got the blanket off Yazoo was already up and picking up whatever was theirs and returning it to their bikes. Loz shifted again before getting up and helping Kadaj. Kadaj was still too weak to do much more then stand on the spot as his head felt light and he easily lost balance when he attempted to walk.

He cursed as he stood there, waiting for his brothers to finish cleaning up before Yazoo helped Kadaj over to his bike and helped Kadaj get onto the seat without falling off. Yazoo couldn't help but laugh as Kadaj cursed his weakness and then fell off but Yazoo caught him before he hit the dirt.

"You'll feel better when you get more food in you and get a proper sleep in an actual bed." Yazoo said while Loz geared up his bike following Yazoo as they departed for the city.

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Okay I think that's it and I'll leave it from there since after posting it I found more mistakes in a matter of 10 seconds and had to reload it 3 times . I'll attempt to leave Sephiroth out of the next chapter or so because I'm tired (Yawns) and this chapter was painful.

I thank all those who've reviewed and all those that have just read this.

finalfantasyswordsman77- Thank you for your reviews and here's another update with more cruelness.

Pikan- Not a cliff hanger this time. Thanks for the review and I'm sorry to you and everyone else that this update took so long.

Velvet Nightmare and Souba- Please don't die. Thanks for the review.

Uchihablood- Thank you and I hope to finish the next chapter for everyone in less time than it took me to update this chapter.

Arcwoshipper- I do plan on adding another lemon in but not sure when it'll be next…Maybe next chapter…maybe not…dunno. Thanks for the review.

The Vampire Sephy-I'm glad you liked it.

Okay I'm so tired and I'll do more thanks and call outs next chapter because if I keep this up then I'll never update so here you go…