Myself, Thy Evil

Chapter VII-(I) Part-I

Enter The Investigator; Friend of Foe!


3:08am glared the LCD lit alarm clock that was resting on the night stand beside her bed. She had just turned over, settling down into the covers comfortably. She was tired when she laid down from the long day she had. The morning had horrible traffic, she got up late. Her boss was mad at her, and not only that she had to work with this jerk named Reno. Who the hell names their kid Reno? She thought it was a joke when he introduced himself to her, in his self-centered-egotistical-badassary that he thought he had. But she already read his card. He was one of those type. Cocky, witty. He thought he could get away with anything. But oh no. Not with this girl. No way in hell.

She had walked into the front office. She nodded to the secretary at the desk respectively. Then she headed towards where her boss's office was located at. She had no idea that she'd have a partner. She NEVER had partners. She always worked alone. She preferred it that way. She works better alone. And she was glad that she worked like that all along. Never again would she work with this pompous wind bag. A pompous wind bag who .UP.

Then she saw him. Her "partner". His smirk. His attitude. It agitated the crap out of her! She had no IDEA how he always got away with murder. This is a profession. A job. All jobs are to be taken seriously.

Reno had green eyes, pale skin. Crimson hair caressed his face, following a long pony tail from behind him. He was dressed in his Turk uniform, but it was not properly buttoned, and most of the shirt hung out of his pants. This disgusted her ever so much. Grotty. Just gross.

But this wasn't the first time she had to partner with this perfect piece of work. How his dancing flames, his sparkling stature got them in hot water once before. She had to save them that time. But even so, a part of her was slightly, slightly grateful that Reno was there. Why? She couldn't figure it out. It was feelings that she wasn't used to. Working alone was all that she knew.

She sat across from Reno, her hair neater than the bush that Reno called hair. Her lips pressed together, clear irritation showing on her face. Reno knew it. He didn't mind. He found it quite amusing to tease the only Turk who hadn't had to rise the ranks to get to the top. Solaria. That's what her name was. Ever since he met her, she was nothing my a big mystery to him. Reno couldn't figure Solaria out, even if she were the last woman on earth. She was stubborn than any of the girls in Avalanche.

Tsung sat at the head of the table. The table was long, and the two employees were sitting across from each other at the center of the table. The two employees avoided each others gaze, much to Reno's dismay. He really did want to get to know Solaria better. Tsung didn't give any worries to how his workers looked at each other, just as long as they got the job done, which normally happened when these two got the job.

Solaria sunk in her chair. Why is Tsung taking so long? She wasn't about to start the conversation. She just wanted to get the job done and over with. Then finally, Tsung looked about ready to start the briefing.

The Wutaian shifted in his seat, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. He looked sternly at Reno, then looking to Solaria. His face didn't change as he closed his eyes for a minute, then reopened them and looked down at the paper work that glared up at him with its thickness. This mission was big. How big, no one knew except Tsung.

"Well." Tsung began, "I am glad the two of you could come at such short notice." he nodded mainly at Solaria, as Reno yawned loudly, being rude as usual.

"Yeah yeah," Reno said lamely, "It's no big." he said waving his hand lazily at Tsung.

Solaria twitched with irritation as she stared bullets at Reno's demeanor. She couldn't stand Reno when he was being more rude than usual. But this is Reno we're talking about. Being rude was his usual.

Solaria turned her gaze over to Tsung. "What's our target?" she asked.

Tsung looked at her and responded. "It's something that Shin Ra has had it's sights on for some time." Tsung started, reaching over to the stack of papers, opening the file and spreading the work a cross the table before him.

"Demon's." was Reno said, his eyes widening with excitement.

"Yes," Tsung replied. "They have been spotted mostly in this section of the world." Tsung pointed at the map beneath the paper and pictures.

"Near Midgar?" Solaria inquired, her head tilted to the side. Her gaze was fixed on one of the pictures of the demons.

"Hey...isn't that the one guy who used to be one of the old Turks?" Reno said, standing from his seat and walking over to get a better look at the pictures.

"Yes. He was one of the first experimented on by Hojo." Tsung explained.

The moment the name was spoken, Solaria flinched. Him. She forgot about him. She buried the memory deep within her. She didn't want to remember the horrible nightmare that Hojo had left her to. Now know that Hojo had spread his poison to other people, she wanted to quickly do anything it took to stop what ever was going on because of the mad scientist.

Holding herself back from jumping on Tsung to read the reports for herself, Solaria stood and walked calmly behind Reno, and though Reno was a little taller than her, Solaria could still see. The man with the raven black hair spoke to her silently through the picture. It was a portrait of a man with blood red eyes, dressed to the tee in an original Turks uniform. The man looked beautiful. Solaria stopped herself. That's something that she never says about anyone.

Why she was feeling that way she didn't know. But something in the next pictured pulled on her hard enough for her jaw to actually drop open. The man who was once a Turk was laid on what looked like a cold rusted table, with all kinds of tubes and cords hooked up to his body. His skin had paled to a almost ghostly pale. His eyes were open, but the life that was once there was gone. She knew that look. She once had that look too. They were the same. Something deep inside her told her so. Something inside her told her that they would meet soon.

Tsung and Reno had actually stopped what they were talking about, just to stare at the reaction of Solaria. That woman never gives a response that way ever. Just seeing her face with a surprised expression was just about as uncommon as Reno taking a shower every week, if that.

"Are you alright, Solaria?" Tsung asked quickly, trying to act like he didn't get caught up in the gawking that Reno was continuing like an idiot.

Solaria blinked, but seemed a little shaken up. "Yes. Tell me the mission. Now." was the only response from the woman.

Reno and Tsung glanced at each other, before Tsung handed the entire folder, minus a few papers to Solaria.

"It's yours. Find out why there are so many sightings, and report back to me as soon as possible." Tsung ordered. The two nodded, and both walked away, Solaria distancing herself from Reno as much as possible. She had some hard thinking to do. She was about to see her past again. Her past was something she didn't quite like venturing into, but now she has no choice. If that evil man is still alive, she will be sure make sure that Hojo will feel the pain of all of his victims. She promised herself as she sat down inside the passenger side of the car that Reno was revving to drive.


The phone call to Tifa didn't really go well. First, Tifa thought it was a practical joke. Then she thought that someone had killed Cloud, and she was about to rush down and beat Zack's ass. But then finally after explaining that he'd been there for Cloud for some of his suffering, and that Cloud was resting semi peacefully, and that he needed to get Cloud to a doctor as soon as possible. Tifa had hung up the phone and eventually, the Highwind was hovering about Zack's camp. With half surprised, half thankful eyes, Tifa came and greeted Zack with a giant hug. Something that the man wasn't expecting at all. Zack helped Cloud aboard the ship. The team was currently awaiting for Cloud to wake up, while Cid was looking at his map trying to find a doctor that wouldn't poke Cloud like a new side of experiment.

Zack grunted as he sat down in a chair that was beside Cloud's bed. It'd been a about two hours since they took off from the Midgar Area. Zack still didn't know why he was back on this earth. It was something that Zack didn't really have time to try and figure out, nonetheless understand. The fact that he was sitting beside his once lover was a miracle. He missed the blond. But he didn't quite remember when he missed him. He knew that he had something to do. Maybe Cloud was his something to do. Maybe that's why he was gifted the chance to be with Cloud again. Maybe Cloud needed him, because it certainly looked like it.

'Why Aeris? Why am I here?' Zack's mind thought, moving his gaze to look upon on the sleeping blond, who now looked calm and just like an angel. To Zack that is. He didn't want Cloud to feel pain anymore. No matter what, how or why, Zack would not let that happen again.

What ever was going on inside Cloud was Zack's battle too. He didn't care if everyone in avalanche tried to stop him. He will never leave Cloud's side again.

A light knock on the door. Zack's eyes was on the door in a heart beat. He waited, then answered.

"Yeah come in."

Tifa entered, with still a look of bewilderment stuck on her pretty face.

"It's okay, Tifa. I know it's a bit hard to believe. But I am here." Zack explained, trying to get Tifa out of her weird mojo.

Tifa just nodded, not really knowing how to respond to the dead man that was talking to her.

"Come out here. There's something going on, and I think you should know about it. " Tifa told Zack, turning away from him a little too coldly, and walking right back out of the room. Zack took one last look at Cloud, then stood and walked out of the room.

Zack proceeded to follow Tifa back onto the main deck of the Highwind. All of the faces looked at Zack like he was a spawn of Jenova. Zack ignored the strange stares, and sat down at an empty seat. He waited for Tifa to sit down, before he spoke.

"So what's the deal?" Zack asked, his voice unchanging. He didn't want his worry to be seen or heard.

No one answered, and everyone looked to Tifa. Cid puffed on his cigarette, while Yuffie looked at Tifa, then looked back down. Barrett just looked away, and Tifa looked around hoping someone would answer for her. This awkwardness was becoming a pain. It was hard for Tifa to try and talk to someone who she hadn't seen in almost ten years.

Tifa sighed, and then did nothing but turned on the TV.

The reported on the television was in mid sentence when the TV flickered on.

"- Yes, there are more deaths occurring near the Midgar region, Hans. "

"And we're back, thank you Jane. That was a report on the out skirts of Midgar where strange beasts have been sighted attacking travelers, and some of the residents on the outside of Midgar. More details will come. But some are speculating that this is remnants of some of Professor Hojo's experiments. And some are saying that it is the workings of AVALANCHE.-"

The TV was turned off.

No one said a word, and all eyes looked to Zack who awkwardly smiled, with no explanation to give them.

Zack then sighed, and scratched the back of his neck. He didn't know what to tell them.

Zack then proceeded to try and explain his sudden appearance in this world, and what he knew about Cloud.

That was everything that he knew, Zack just hoped that the group accepted what he was about to tell them.

Gaia help him.


Author's Note's:

That's all for now. This is going to be three parter. Whew. Part two will be here soon.