A/N: I know it's been a very long time since I updated this story. But when my computer crashed last year, it took all -and I do mean all- my research, notes, plots and plans with its demise. I've been working to recreate what little I had backed up on flash drives and such, but the more recent stories were the easiest to reconstruct. Finally got around to attempting this again. *Laughs* Had to read it through first, and it's kinda humbling to see how much my writing style has changed in the process.
Chapter Summary: With Zack and Kunsel at his side, Cloud races to save his son from the scientist Bergstein. But one of the terrified lab techs does the unthinkable, leaving Denzel with no choice but to act in a manner he never thought possible…
Redemption
Chapter Nine the 'Denzel Chronicles'
By Ivy Tanté
Charging into the cavern housing the laboratory, Cloud didn't even bother pulling his sword as he waded into the screaming, shrieking lab rats employed by Bergstein. A fist, when wielded by an irate and pushed to the limits ex-SOLDIER, was just as formidable a weapon as the one strapped to his back. He left them crumpled in unconscious heaps behind him as he headed for the far corner of the room where Denzel's shrieks still reverberated.
He kept getting glimpses of his son writhing on a gurney, flanked by the skeletal figure of the scientist and an aide.
Cloud was halfway across the huge room when one of Bergstein's people did something so monumentally stupid, so ill-thought through, it would leave him shaking his head in confusion for months. Yelling out his hatred, the young man lunged forward and jerked down a lever on the wall near the tubes of mako. And on both sides of the room, all the cage doors snapped open, releasing the trapped inhabitants.
There was a single second of absolute silence as everyone froze in place, friend and foe alike. Then with a deafening roar, Bergstein's experiments darted out of their prisons and leaped onto the white-coated figure closest to them. And what had been simple brawl became a desperate attempt to keep the enraged creatures from tearing the staff limb from limb.
There was no finesse to their attack. With fingers crooked like claws and maddened eyes wheeling, they latched hold and ripped into the man with teeth and bare hands. Strengthened by the mako coursing through their veins and the insanity that leached all rational thought, they mindlessly lashed out - and they didn't just kill. The first tech they caught was instantly torn to shreds and… devoured.
Sick to his stomach, Cloud yanked the Fusion Sword from his harness while shoving two techs behind him as the ravening horde finished with the first and hungrily looked for more. "Get them out of here!" he hollered the order as he snagged a third and tossed him into Zack's arms. "All of you techs, get out of those lab coats! They're targeting them - get them off!"
The creatures paid no attention to the SOLDIERs or the infantrymen as they went for another that hadn't shed that hated white garment quickly enough. His dying shriek was cut off abruptly when he was decapitated by brute force.
The only way to stop the maddened beings was to kill them. With Zack and Kunsel right beside him, he waded further into the mêlée, tears in his eyes, teeth gritted in revulsion. Cloud tried his best to stem the tide as those behind him scrambled to pull all the unconscious figures sprawled across the floor to safety. But he knew they couldn't save them all. His only consolation was they didn't know what happened to them after he knocked them out.
And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get any closer to Denzel.
-‚¬ƒ-
In shock over the sudden change in the situation, Bergstein could only watch helplessly as his team was rounded up - either taken into custody or torn to pieces. And in the middle of bedlam stood a figure with spiky blonde hair and an over-sized sword, desperately trying to keep the feral creatures at bay while the rest attempted to save as many of his people as possible.
And beside him…
Fighting in disconcerting concert with the shorter blonde was a tall man dressed in the navy uniform of a 1st Class SOLDIER. Black hair fluttering, Buster Sword slashing, he kept guard on Cloud's right side while another man in a khaki jumpsuit wielded a gunblade on the left. Incredibly, considering the sheer volume they were fighting, the trio held their ground against the blood smeared horde howling in outrage as more and more of the hated white-coats were taken beyond their deadly grasp.
"And this is why," Bergstein muttered to Felnor in a reverent tone. "Just look at them fight. The ultimate warriors." His eyes watched their every movement with admiration shimmering in his gaze. "My life may be over, but I lived long enough to see the fruits of Hojo's work with my own eyes. It's a pity he died without ever realizing what he called failures were in fact his greatest achievements."
Felnor, however, was cringing in horror at the scene before him. His voice was a croak as he gasped out, "But that's Zack Fair! He's dead, Bergstein, DEAD! Has been for years now!" Eyes wheeling nearly as madly as the creatures released from their cages, he backed up further and clutched the guardrail on the gurney with bloodlessly white hands.
Still playing more attention to the battle than their immediate vicinity, neither noticed that Denzel had stopped screaming and lay panting, his mako-stained eyes just starting to focus again. "What you're seeing is something I never took into consideration. Sephiroth could manifest through the surviving pieces of Jenova. Apparently Fair is using the cells injected into the street rat to do the same. Ingenious!" Smiling, he turned toward his assistant and froze, face turning dead white.
Because Denzel was off the gurney, standing unsteadily behind Felnor. Death was in his eyes as he held a standard-issue SOLDIER sword menacingly close to the aide's neck. "Move and die," Denzel gritted out. His hands might be shaking, but he was hardly likely to miss his target at such close range, especially considering the size of the weapon.
Instinctively taking a step backwards, Bergstein studied the teen closely. He found the effects of that last boost of Z-cells were more pronounced than he expected. The glowing, mako-infused eyes were a darker blue than before, a curious mixture between Cloud's tropical ocean and Zack's nearly violet. His brown hair was now sprinkled with blonde and black, giving it the look of deer hide with the way the different colors blended. And he was taller, his gaunt frame corded with wiry muscles that gave his body a sleekness that hinted at incredible strength and speed.
"You're alive," he stated rather stupidly. "I really didn't expect you to survive that last injection."
Snarling, the teen snapped out, "Surprise." Then the glowing blue eyes went wide, and Denzel shoved Felnor aside, darting forward with alarming agility as one of the creatures managed to escape Zack's attack and swung toward them. There was no time to consider his actions as he dived between it and Bergstein.
He hated the scientist with all the mindless fury of the other experiments, but no one -absolutely no one- deserved to die in such a manner.
The creature -Denzel thought the smell of it was human despite its hideous appearance- hesitated, a puzzled noise rumbling up from it's chest. It wanted to tear the two white-coats apart, but standing before them was one of it's own. There was no hatred for the skinny, trembling figure whose glowing eyes proclaimed it kindred. Devoid of rational thought, the only thing it could do was retreat, returning to the madness in search of other flutters of white in a rapidly growing pool of red.
Releasing a breath, Denzel carefully angled himself so he was still between the maddened test subjects and Bergstein, but more able to counter an attack should any other avoid the killing ground in the middle of the cavern.
Still shaking from his narrow escape, Bergstein backed closer to the gurney and nearly tripped over Felnor where he knelt on the stained concrete. "He saved us," Felnor babbled, tears streaking down his face as his hands latched onto the scientist's leg. "Even after all we did to him, he still saved us."
Bergstein couldn't provide a reason for the action any more than Felnor and just looked in apprehension at the teen.
"Dad," Denzel gritted out, sword still gripped in hands that wouldn't stop shaking, "values life. Nothing you do can make me forget that."
-‚¬ƒ-
The fight was finally winding down. Very few of the creatures still lived, and the ones that did smelled more human than monster. Perhaps some part of them remained sane enough to understand the situation. Or maybe the fact they were once people meant their killing instinct was weaker. Whatever the reason, Cloud, Zack and Kunsel were able to knock some of them out instead of slaughtering them outright.
A quiet death through calming drugs would be a far better end than a slash of their swords.
As the insane shrieks and growls diminished, Cloud was free to focus on the upper right corner of the cavern. There stood Denzel, sword in hand, both protecting and menacing Bergstein and one of his aides. The scientist stood erect, wild white hair haloing his face as he spoke to Denzel, his manner strained and shaken. His assistant was crouched at his side, arms wrapped around his leg and still gibbering in terror.
As Zack and Kunsel dealt with the last of the experiments, Cloud cautiously approached his adopted son. It was easy to see, despite the fact he was hunched over, that Denzel was now taller than he was. Thrusting his bloodstained sword back into the harness on his back, Cloud reached out and put a gentle hand on the teen's shoulder.
"Denzel?" he asked quietly. He breathed a sigh of relief when Denzel turned his head. His eyes, in spite of the mako glow, were calm and rational.
A sob escaped before he could stop it, and the blade was tossed to the side as Denzel all but leaped into his arms. "DAD!"
And Cloud hugged his son so tightly the teen was forced to gasp out, "The ribs! The ribs, Dad!"
When Bergstein made an ill-advised move toward the weapon only a couple of meters away from him, the tip of the Buster Sword brushed his chest. "Don't even think about it," Zack gritted out. Behind him, gunblade at the ready, stood Kunsel. All three of the ex-SOLDIERs were spattered with gore and worse, their faces stony with resolve.
Knowing there was no way to get passed them, Bergstein settled for raising his hands in surrender.
"Smart man," Kunsel muttered, and none missed the sarcasm of the remark.
-‚¬ƒ-
Wrapped in a blanket, a mug of chicken bouillon gripped in his shaky hands, Denzel breathed in the fragrant steam and braced himself for another taste. He wanted to bolt the entire cup in one gulp, even knowing the hot liquid would burn the entire way down. But he forced himself to take a single sip, rolling it around in his mouth before letting it trickle down his parched throat.
The arm around his shoulders tightened, and instinct had him leaning into the figure beside him. Cloud hadn't let go of him, not once, since he'd leaped into the SOLDIER's arms nearly an hour ago. Marlene sat on his other side, both hands wrapped around his upper arm, head laying heavily on his shoulder. Denzel could tell by her quiet breathing that she had finally cried herself asleep.
And even though his hands still weren't steady yet, he reached down to where Kera's head rested on his knee. Tangling his grimy fingers in her hair, Denzel watched as she looked up at him. The beautiful gray eyes were red-rimmed from all the tears, but her smile was as radiant as the sun. When she touched his hand with hers, he could see his wolf ring flashing in the sunlight.
There was a slight movement behind him, and he turned his head to feel Tifa press a kiss against his temple. She was leaning into him, her arms wrapped around his waist. Several others hovered nearby, staying close but not interrupting the family reunion.
Smiling in much the same manner as Kera, Zack and Kunsel both crouched near Cloud. With his violet-blue eyes glimmering faintly in the sunlight, Zack told the teen, "What you did in there? That was beyond brave. It was just, and you'll remember it all your life."
The irony of the situation struck Denzel hard. "You had to kill your mentor Angeal. I had to protect my own tormentor. It all seems so wrong somehow." Taking a moment to organize his thoughts, he asked Zack, "So what comes now? Are you going to stay?"
Zack blew out a breath and settled down on the ledge, sitting cross-legged with his shoulder resting against Cloud's leg. "Don't really have much choice now, it seems. Once I said goodbye to Cloud and the rest of the crew, I tried to fade back into the Lifestream like I've done countless times before." Lifting his gloved hands, he said ruefully, "Either Aerith is really, really pissed off at me, or something Bergstein did made the transference permanent. I think I'm stuck." He glanced at Kunsel and asked, "Think Reeve could use someone else to help with some of those odd jobs you do?"
Laughing, Kunsel shook his head and warned, "If you think either Cloud or I are letting you out of our sights for the foreseeable future, you're as whacked as ever."
With his head resting on Tifa's shoulder, leaning into the warmth and solid comfort of Cloud, Denzel smiled and closed his eyes. "It'll be okay, Zack."
He drifted off so quickly only Zack's lightning-fast reflexes enabled him to catch the still-steaming mug of bouillon before it fell out of Denzel's suddenly lax grip.
On the afternoon of the following day…
Walking into one of the waiting rooms in his clinic in Mideel, Dr. Dellasega had to smile. He cleared his throat, causing Cloud and Tifa to awake from their inadvertent nap. Though he was a doctor, he couldn't for the life of him figure out how both of them managed to fit into that less-than-spacious armchair. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I thought you'd like to hear the results as soon as I received them."
Blinking furiously to clear his gritty eyes, Cloud sat up and carefully maneuvered Tifa around until he was standing. And while his wife rubbed wearily at her aching back, he faced the doctor and demanded quietly, "Tell us." When Tifa made a soft scolding sound, Cloud grudgingly added, "Please."
"First off, Tifa and the twins are just fine. All this stress has caused her blood pressure to fluctuate a bit, but not enough to cause any worry." He watched both relax and smiled gently. It was so important to keep their spirits high right now, because the rest of his report wasn't as encouraging. "Secondly, Denzel has entered a coma."
Cloud froze, his eyes suddenly flashing in the dim lighting of the room. Never before had Dr. Dellasega seen anyone go so hard, so cold quite so quickly. Tifa jolted, both hands flying to rest on her abdomen where the twins slept peacefully.
Holding out a hand to stop their anxious questions, the doctor continued. "I think it's a defense mechanism. Reeve told me there were physical changes in Denzel that were very noticeable, his sudden increase in height being one of them. His body is trying to adjust to what was done to it, Cloud. The easiest way is to shut down all unnecessary functions and concentrate on healing."
Trying to relax under the unbearable tension, Cloud closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he sat down on the arm of the chair and slipped an arm around Tifa's shoulders. United, they turned back to Dr. Dellasega and waited for him to continue.
Sitting down in a convenient chair, he flipped open the chart he carried and quickly read through the findings. "Dehydration, malnutrition, some minor infections in the surgical sites, very low calcium readings. He's now seriously under-weight for his height, which has increased by three inches." Closing the folder, he folded his hands over it and leaned forward. "For all that, his pulse and blood pressure are steady and sure. His oxygen saturation is right on target. On the other hand, there are indications of massive doses of mako in him - nearly as high as your own, Cloud. The pure Jenova cell count doesn't amount to much, but if you add what he received through those Z-cells, the number is pretty impressive."
"Mako poisoning?" Cloud asked, his voice bleak.
And Dellasega smiled and answered firmly, "No." His grin grew wider at Cloud and Tifa's obvious shock. Picking up the chart again, he waved it in their direction and explained, "I read through the copy of Bergstein's notes that Reeve provided. After bolting to the bathroom a few times, I finally figured out a few of his theories. The main reason he wanted Denzel -when he couldn't get to you- is his belief that you were given a small bit of the Cetra's ability to heal, particularly when dealing with poisons. He tested Denzel extensively, and even I have to admit there seems to be some validity to his claim."
Tifa sat up, face confused, "But… you said he thought Cloud was given that. Then why Denzel…?"
"Because," and he held up a hand again so they would let him continue, "Denzel was healed by Cloud right after his return from the Lifestream. Bergstein proved -at least to his satisfaction- that act transferred the ability to Denzel as well." Adjusting his glasses again, he assured, "I believe that's why he's in a coma now. And I think once his body has healed enough of the damage meted out by that madman, he'll be just fine."
"Shiva," Cloud muttered, rubbing right between his eyes.
"You found him, Cloud," Tifa said softly, stroking a hand down his arm. "You and Kera. And you never lost the faith that you would bring him home. But this is his fight now. And we have to believe he'll win."
Looking down at his hands, Cloud clenched them into fists so tightly the leather of his gloves squeaked. "If only I could fight this for him."
Dellasega stood and rested a hand on his shoulder, "We're all behind him, Cloud. The entire staff of this clinic will do whatever is necessary to see that young man returns to sound health."
Cloud finally nodded, but Tifa and the doctor didn't like the bleakness of his gaze.
-‚¬ƒ-
Outside the clinic, Cloud found Zack practicing with the Buster Sword against Kunsel's gunblade. Sunlight glinted off the weapons as they slashed and parried, sparks flying along with grunts when the blades impacted.
"You'd better stop while you're ahead," Cloud told Kunsel quietly, seeing just how winded the 2nd class was becoming. "He's just as enhanced as I am, if not more. There weren't many indications of change in him after the experiments, but even in this short amount of time, I can how much stronger and faster he is."
Zack pulled up short with a grimace. "Spoilsport." He rolled his shoulders and offered, "Want to take his place?"
"Denzel's in a coma."
Both men jerked in reaction. Zack gave a sigh as he twirled the Buster Sword in a tight arc and slapped it onto the magnetic stud on his back with a clang. "Well, hell."
Avoiding their eyes, Cloud said, "The doctor seems to think it's a defensive measure. Just shut everything down until his system can adjust to what Bergstein did to him." He didn't know how to explain the possibility that Aerith might be the only reason his son was still alive. Then he looked at his friend more closely. Could he possibly know anything…?
Surprised at the speculative look cast his way, Zack raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is it, Cloud?"
Kunsel could see that Cloud was having some difficulty phrasing his thoughts, so he slapped Zack on the shoulder and offered, "Why don't I let the two of you work this out in private? I would like to report this to Reeve, if you don't have any objections. He's got a personal interest in this, after all." Kunsel added that when Cloud turned to him, curiosity on his face. "And Dellasega won't tell him anything without express permission."
"Sure. And tell him that all Tifa's tests came out fine, as well."
Happy to have some good news to report, Kunsel strode into the trees bordering the town.
There was concern on Zack's face when Cloud sank to the ground and buried his face in his hands. Again, he asked, "What is it?"
"Bergstein seems to think that Denzel and I were… given some of the healing ability of the Cetra by Aerith." Looking up, glowing blue eyes hopeful, he pleaded, "Do you know anything about that, Zack?"
Zack plopped onto the ground beside Cloud and blew out a breath. "I suspect you're right." Resting his arms on his knees, he stared off into the distance and mused quietly, "A lot the knowledge I gained from the Lifestream is fading pretty rapidly right now. But I know Aerith, and how determined she was to preserve something of the Cetra. So it wouldn't surprise me to find out she slipped you an ability you might find helpful." He pulled up a handful of grass and began tossing leaves into the wind. "Don't give up hope now. You beat all the odds and found the lab."
After a moment of hesitation, Cloud finally asked what he'd been wondered ever since Zack first appeared out of those swirling shadows. "What did you mean by that 'our son' crack?"
Zack grinned. "I might not know exactly what Aerith's up to, but I know she enabled you to transfer some of your genetics onto Denzel when you healed him. I do know about that gift." At Cloud's shocked look, he tried to explain, "He wanted to be yours so badly. And there was a part of you that was desperate to make him so."
"I didn't realize…" Cloud muttered.
"No. But she knew. And it was so important to give you a reason to keep going, to not give up."
Silence descended for some time before Cloud found the courage to say, "Thank you."
And Zack gave a strangled laugh and winced, "Oh no! You're not blaming me for any of that! It was all Aerith's fault." Some of the light in his eyes dimmed as he stared into the forest around them. "I miss her. Miss that sense of being wrapped in her spirit." He turned to Cloud and said quietly, "I don't know how much you remember from the year we were on the run."
Rubbing at his eyes, Cloud admitted, "Just a few images, bits and pieces of conversation. Nothing I could ever put together rationally. What I can remember best is the way your voice changed when you talked about her." Suddenly he gave a soft laugh, rueful and human. "I hear that tone every time I say something to Tifa."
"Yeah," Zack agreed. "You seem pretty hooked."
Cloud shot Zack a look and mused, "What did Kera say to me during the search? Something like 'Pot, kettle, Strife?' Yeah, right back at you."
The shrug had the handle of the Buster Sword bobbing between his shoulders, "You're so different now. Relaxed and easy, even comfortable with yourself."
"I'm older than you now, you know."
"And that's a kicker," Zack snorted.
"You died for me."
Closing his eyes, Zack took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He had known the subject would come up at some point. And even though he thought he'd prepared for it, that quiet statement uttered in the even quieter voice still sucker punched him. "I died for a lot of reasons, Cloud." Taking another deep breath, he turned and said quietly, "You were one of them. And I thought it would be the end of me." The amused laugh bubbled up, "Aerith had other ideas, of course." He waved a hand, indicating their surroundings. "Yet here I am again. Don't know why I can't go back, don't even know what's going to happen next. I'm getting tired of this flying by the seat of my pants."
Cloud rose, offering a hand to Zack. "Denzel said everything will be okay. I'm going to hold on to that right now." Once Zack was standing, Cloud smiled up at him, "He'll be your height soon. That's even more of a kicker."
The laugh came easier this time. "Backwoods hick."
"Ditto. Cid will be here soon."
Confused, Zack rubbed the back of his neck as he trailed behind Cloud, "Um, why?"
"The church, Zack. You and Aerith spoke to me there more than once." Glowing blue eyes looked solemnly over his shoulder as he said, "It's time to find out why you can't go back." Continuing down the trail, Cloud muttered almost to himself, "I can't leave Tifa and Denzel. But you can try to find out what's going on."
Zack's voice sounded aggrieved, "That's assuming she's even speaking to me, you know. Bergstein might not have anything to do with why I'm still here."
The tiny smile on Cloud's face was impish as he replied, "Better you than me. Besides, you'll tell her about the twins. She'll probably be so excited at the news she'll forgive you." Pausing, he turned and asked, "Will you ask her about Denzel? See if she knows exactly what all this experimenting has done to him?"
Moving forward quickly, Zack put his hands on Cloud's shoulders and told him firmly, "I'll go. I'll get some answers for you. Just hold on, okay?" He could see what he hadn't before in those too-blue eyes; the fear, the guilt, the nearly crushing despair. "Promise me, Cloud. Promise me that you'll hold on."
Cloud swallowed hard, but he still nodded. "I'll hold on, Zack. I have more than just myself to worry about. Tifa, Marlene and Kera need me right now. I'll be alright."
"I'm going to hold you to that." Hearing the approaching airship, Zack nodded toward the airfield, "I'll be on board in just a few minutes. Call me if you hear anything, okay?"
Another second and he was gone, running at incredible speed to meet Cid…
