A/N: Guys, the long awaited mystery man is finally going to show himself. Some of you may have already guessed who it is, and some of you may not have. Anyway, is Marlene right about who it is? Here's where you'll find out. I hope the comedy I tried to add in this chapter goes over well. Anyway... here it is.

Chapter Nine

Mysteries Revealed

Everyone except Marlene and Kadaj were gone. Rufus had called and asked if Cloud, Reno, and a couple of others would come to his office. They took Tifa, Barrett, and Vincent with them. Denzel, Yuffie, Shelk, Red XIII, and Dina were all combing the streets now trying to find clues to who the redhead was and where she might be hiding. "I hate this! Why couldn't I go?"

"Do you really want an answer or is it rhetorical?" Kadaj grinned.

He was behind the bar fooling around. "If you break something Tifa will hurt you."

"I'm not going to break anything. What is some of this stuff?"

She smiled, slyly, "Take a sip of something."

He raised an eyebrow, "Will it kill me?"

"I don't know. What proof is that you've got in your hand?"

"Fifty."

"It won't kill you, but you might feel like you were dying if you drink too much. Try it if you want. She won't mind."

He took a shot glass and poured a little of what he had in it. He turned it up, and gulped. His eyes widened, and he slammed the shot glass on the bar. "You lied! It burns!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at her.

She laughed, "It didn't say it wouldn't burn!"

"What the hell… what is it?"

She stood, walked over to the bar, and took the bottle from his hand. "Oh, it's whiskey. I wouldn't know a good brand from the other. I don't drink."

"It's going to burn a hole in my throat!" he gasped.

"Drink some water."

"It's passing… I think its passing."

He took some deep breaths, and then sighed with relief, "I'm okay. I think it's gone."

"You okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay," he glared, and then he replaced the bottle, "You tricked me."

"You were curious. It didn't take much tricking."

"You knew it was going to burn me," he narrowed his eyes.

She smiled playfully, "I wasn't sure."

He went around the bar, and sat down at a table. Marlene sat beside of him. 'Oh, God. He's pouting.'

"You know… you're pretty mean."

"I'm not mean. You're kind of a baby."

"I'm not a baby. You drink some of that stuff."

"I'm sorry, okay. I didn't know you were going to freak out. Friends?"

She held out a hand. He smiled a little, and shook it, "Okay, friends."

"Have you been guessing about that guy?"

"Have you got a crush on him or something?" he narrowed his eyes.

"No, of course not! I don't even know what he looks like! I do have some ideas, though. If my ideas are correct, it wouldn't exactly be normal for me to have a crush on him. I'm just frustrated. He helps us, and then he hides. What's the deal with that?"

"Yeah, true," Kadaj agreed, "Maybe he's got a reason for hiding. Maybe it's the same reason I hid from Cloud. Maybe he's ashamed of something he did in the past. I don't…"

Marlene smiled, "Yeah, exactly. Good job!"

"Good job for what?"

"What you just said. It makes me wonder even more if I'm right. However… he isn't going to be able to make amends like you did if he doesn't stop being a damn chicken. He's not brave like you."

Kadaj blushed a little, "You think I'm brave?"

"Of course I think you're brave. One of the bravest people I know."

He grinned, "Yeah?"

"Sure. This guy, though… no where near as brave as you."

Kadaj cleared his throat, "Are you going to tell me who you think it is?"

"Dina already tried," Marlene raised an eyebrow, "If I won't tell her, I won't tell you."

"Why not?" he frowned.

"Kadaj… I have my reasons. A couple of people might get their feelings hurt if it's who I think it is. I want him to be the one to tell us. I really wish this person would just show us who he is. It would make things a lot easier."

Just then, someone knocked on the bar doors. "We're closed," Kadaj called.

The person just stood there. "He said we're closed," Marlene said, "Sorry. Try us again tomorrow."

Still, the person didn't leave. The person made a fist and pounded on the door. With every pound, the glass cracked a little. Both Kadaj and Marlene jumped to their feet. Marlene pulled on her gloves, and Kadaj pulled out Souba. "The ice girl," Marlene told him, "Look at the door. It's freezing every time she does that."

"I won't lose to one of them this time. We aren't caught off guard, and I'm not tired."

She gave one last pound, and the bar doors gave. The walked through the rubble, and threw off her cape. "Marlene," she rasped, smiling sadistically, and threw off her cape.

"Get behind me and stay there," Kadaj demanded.

"I'm fighting with you," she argued.

"Marlene…"

"She… Marlene," the girl pointed, "Scar lady want."

"Get the hell out of here!" shouted Kadaj, "You can't have her!"

"Give… me want!" screamed the woman.

Marlene covered her ears. It was like the scream of an animal. "Marlene, call… someone!" ordered Kadaj, "While I hold her off! She may not be alone."

Marlene nodded. She ran for the bar, and jumped behind it. She grabbed the cordless phone, and dialed Yuffie. "Yeah," Yuffie's familiar voice sounded over the line.

"Yuffie… we've got trouble here!" Marlene shouted, "Hurry!"

"Denzel and I are on our way!" Yuffie shouted back, and then hung up.

Marlene hung up the phone, and jumped back over the bar. Kadaj and the woman were already fighting. The girl was throwing ice needles at him, and they were just missing him. "Marlene, stay out of the line of fire!" shouted Kadaj, "Get back behind the bar! Let me fight her!"

"Kill… silver… kill!" the woman screamed.

"Kadaj!" Marlene screamed.

"Go!" he demanded.

Ice needles passed right by Marlene's face. The girl was targeting her now. Marlene hit the floor to avoid them. 'Damn it! This one throws things!' her mind screamed.

She heard Kadaj scream in agony. "No!" she screamed.

She looked up, and saw that several had stuck in his shoulder. He'd dropped Souba, and fell to his knees. The woman made her way over to him, "I take… you die."

"You little bitch! If it's me you want, come and get me. Come on!" Marlene screamed, anger filling every ounce of her.

The woman turned on her, and began approaching her. "You… mine…"

"That's it," Marlene smirked, "Come on, you little freak."

Marlene ran at her, and gave it all her power. She hit the woman in the face. Blood splattered from her nose. "You!" she growled.

She backhanded Marlene, and sent her flying toward the bar. She hit it with a sickening thud. She sank to the floor, unconscious. Frost laughed triumphantly. "Wait… kill… silver…"

Her pupils dilated for an instant, and then a look of horror crept over her face. She howled with pain, as she stared down at her knee. The blade of Kadaj's sword protruded from her kneecap. "You're not killing anyone today, you bitch!" he shouted, jerking his sword out of her leg.

"Malice!" Frost cried, dropping to one knee.

Kadaj looked toward the destroyed doors, and saw the redhead, her eyes full of hate. "He…" Frost sobbed, "My… blood, sister!"

"I'll fix it," Malice sneered.

She approached Kadaj, both hands holding fireballs. When she reached him, she held one of her hands over her head. 'I don't know if I can fight both of them!' he thought, looking toward Marlene.

"Don't you touch him!"

It was the mystery voice, and he was furious. "Where are you?" asked Malice.

"Back away from that boy! I swear I'll blow you away!"

'Oh, my God! That voice…' Kadaj thought, and suddenly it dawned on him… he knew who it was.

"You're bluffing. You won't even show yourself," Malice smirked.

"Is that right?"

If he hadn't heard it for himself, Kadaj would never have believed the shot had been fired, it had been done so fast. The gaping hole in Malice's hand, and the blood pouring from it, however, proved that a shot had been fired. He came through the doors, still holding his gun out in front of him. "You!" Malice wailed, "You've maimed me!"

"Take your sister and go. Leave my brother and his friend alone!"

A black shirt, black leather pants, and a black trench leather trench coat… his style had certainly changed, but he hadn't aged a day… Yazoo still looked the same as he had twelve years ago. "You bastard! I'll kill you!"

"I highly doubt that," he snarled, "Go, or I'll show you no mercy."

She supported her sister on her shoulder, and then Malice ran out the door with surprising speed. Kadaj, not taking his eyes off of his brother, ran to Marlene. "She'll survive."

Slowly, Kadaj got to his feet, and turned to Yazoo. Yazoo gave his brother an apologetic look. Kadaj gave a half smile, and the kicked his brother right in the face, "You son of a bitch… literally! How dare you hide from me!"

"Ouch!" Yazoo glared at Kadaj, angrily, holding his nose, "I know you're mad, but damn it!"

"I'm not sorry," Kadaj glared back, and then knelt back down beside Marlene, taking the unconscious young woman in his arms, "Marlene, look. The jerk has made his appearance."

She stirred, and her eyes opened to slits. She looked over at Yazoo. Suddenly her eyes flew open, and she screamed. "That's not the reaction I was looking for, either," Yazoo frowned.

"That's not… that's not Dyne!"

"Who?" Kadaj asked, confused.

"Dyne! My… father."

"I thought Barrette was…"

"She's adopted, you know that," Yazoo sighed.

"I know more about Marlene than you do!" Kadaj snapped.

"Barrette… my dad by adoption… told me Dyne killed himself because he was ashamed of himself. I thought maybe… he wasn't dead. He fooled everyone once. I was angry because… if he was alive… Barrette would sure have liked to see him again. It was dumb, but… it was the only person I could think of. I thought you'd died. This is… cool… too."

"I would've put money on it. I could swear you knew it was me, kid," Yazoo grinned, "The way you were acting…"

"Hey, hold on! You… you're alive and you didn't even let your little brother know?" Marlene scolded, trying to sit up, "Ow!"

"Stay down," Kadaj told her, soothingly, "Or you'll hurt yourself more."

She listened to him. "I'm sorry. I didn't think you were ready. I don't know what came over me. When I saw her coming at my little brother… I snapped," Yazoo told them.

"She came at your little brother on the bridge," Marlene frowned.

"He had plenty of friends then. Even though I still had to step in… because you all got reckless, mind you… I knew he would be alright."

"Marlene, Kadaj!" Yuffie's voice rang through the bar.

"I'm not ready for them, yet," Yazoo said, suddenly nervous.

"Go through my bedroom window," Marlene told him.

He nodded, and they hardly saw him leave he was so fast. Yuffie and Denzel came running through the destroyed doors. They took one look around, and panicked expressions began to form on their faces. "We're okay," Kadaj told them.

"Yeah. Sore, but we're both okay. Kadaj is worse. He needs those taken out," Marlene made another attempt at sitting up, and accomplished it this time.

Kadaj touched the place where the ice needles stuck out of his skin, and winced, "I'll survive."

"Here… take a deep breath, and close your eyes," Yuffie told him, kneeling beside him.

He did what she said, and she jerked all three of them out. He hissed with pain, "Warn me next time! I didn't know you were going to take them all out at once!"

"Sorry. If I had warned you, you might not have let me," Yuffie grinned.

"Are you sure you're alright, Marlene?" Denzel asked, with a concerned look on his face.

"Fine… but I'll feel it in the morning," she replied.

"Did he show up again?" Denzel asked, "Are you right about him, Marlene?"

"I can honestly say, Denzel, that I was totally wrong. It is not who I thought it was," Marlene replied, glancing at Kadaj.

He narrowed his eyes, "It doesn't matter. It's not important."

'He's so mad,' Marlene thought, 'Will he forgive him? I hope he forgives him.'

"I'm calling the others," Yuffie told them, "They should know that even homes are getting attacked now. Elena and Tseng have two little ones. They should go somewhere safer. Rude's wife is working around the clock now, so she should be fine. I'm more worried about Nina and Kai."

"Hey, Kadaj?" Marlene said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Don't be too hard on him. He meant well."

"He's alive," Kadaj whispered, "He didn't even… if it were the other way around, I would've told him."

"I understand, but… you're different. You guys don't exactly share one mind now. You have minds of your own. I said it before, even if I was wrong about who it was. You're probably the braver one."

"I need time to think about it. I'll probably forgive him," he frowned, and then a sly expression came across his face, "but I won't let him live it down that you think I'm the brave one."

She had to hide the smile that was coming behind her hand, 'Sometimes the little boy inside likes to emerge, huh? I like that. I wouldn't change it for anything!'