Disclaimer: I own nothing except my laptop and my ridiculous imagination! All else belongs to Square Enix.

Chapter 9: The Remnants' Mission

Tseng looked around the darkened streets and narrowed his eyes. Vincent picked up on his tension and turned to look at him.

"You've got a feeling, don't you?" Vincent asked quietly.

"I feel…uneasy," Tseng answered.

"We all do whenever we make a supply run after curfew," Vincent said. "It's only natural since this is when our people tend to disappear. It's more than that though, isn't it?"

Tseng nodded. "I feel as though we are being watched."

Vincent stopped moving through the shadows and closed his eyes. "You're right. We are being watched."

"SOLDIER?" Tseng asked.

Vincent nodded. "I believe so."

A bullet hit the wall between Vincent and Tseng's heads causing both men to instinctively roll to the side and draw their weapons. Another series of shots followed them as they scrambled to their feet and hid behind a couple of dumpsters.

"It appears the SOLDIERs brought the remnants," Tseng said as bullets hit the dumpsters. "And judging by the accuracy and flair, I would say it's Yazoo shooting at us."

"Huh. What makes you say Yazoo?" Vincent asked as he loaded Cerberus.

Tseng checked his clip before jamming it back into his gun. "Loz would aim for our stomachs for a more painfully slow death. He's kind of twisted that way. Yazoo is aiming for our heads…but he still wants to make it interesting."

Vincent nodded. "Good point."

Both men nodded and jumped to their feet, returning the rapid shots while ducking into an alley. They ran over to the fire escape on the side of the building and began to quickly climb the metal ladder before running up the stairs. Bullets ricocheted off the metal and soon they heard four of five pursuers making their way up the fire escape after them. Vincent reached the top first and after pulling Tseng onto the roof, they both leaned over the edge and began firing at the four SOLDIERs making their way up the stairs.

A glint of silver caught Vincent's eye and he looked to his right. He saw Yazoo and Kadaj running across an adjacent roof towards them. He pointed his gun at them and fired, barely missing Yazoo. Tseng looked up at the sound of Vincent's shot and saw the two determined remnants rushing across the roof towards the edge preparing to jump.

"I think it's time for us to go," Tseng said as he got to his feet.

Vincent nodded before firing one more shot at the remnants. "My thoughts exactly."

They both turned and ran to the opposite side of the roof they were currently on. They stepped onto the lip of the edge and leapt across the gap between the two buildings effortlessly before continuing across the other roof. Vincent looked over his shoulder and found Kadaj standing at the other end of the roof smirking. His hand began to glow before he released a blast of energy towards the two men.

"Duck!" Vincent yelled as he grabbed Tseng and pulled him down beside him. The blast of energy flew over their heads and slammed into a wall, causing the brick to collapse and crumble. "That was close."

"It's about to get closer," Tseng murmured as he looked over his shoulder and saw both Yazoo and Kadaj raise their glowing hands. "We've got to get down into the shadows again."

Vincent nodded. "Come on!"

The remnants fired at them, missing them as they ran across the roof looking for an escape. The buildings around them were taking some serious blows and some were almost completely destroyed as they pursued the two ex-Turks. Vincent and Tseng reached the end of the roof and without a second thought, Vincent jumped over the edge while Tseng holstered his gun and pulled out a different one. He aimed at the building across from him and fired. A thick metal prong pierced the brick wall with a metal line still attached to the gun. He jumped off the edge of the building and swung down into the darkness before the remnants fired one last shot at them.

Yazoo and Kadaj ran to the edge and looked over, trying to see if they could see the two fugitives. Kadaj smirked and sent a blast of energy down into the alley, trying to see if he could see either men in the light created by the blast.

"You can't run forever!" Kadaj called out with a laugh before turning and facing Yazoo. "Do you think this will be enough damage?"

Yazoo smiled and nodded. "Big brother will be pleased."

Sephiroth looked up when Reeve entered his office. "I don't believe we have a meeting scheduled today, so what brings you here, bursting into my office so rudely?"

Reeve narrowed his eyes and lifted a sheet of paper he had in his hands. "I just received your memo about the destructions your remnants did in Sector Six."

Sephiroth nodded. "Yes, I must say I was extremely surprised when they reported that they themselves had done so much damage. Normally when in pursuit of unsavory characters, they destroy so little. Unfortunately, they got a little carried away."

"Carried away? They completely destroyed two buildings and severely damaged several others!" Reeve said angrily. "Some of the destruction spilled into Sector Seven!"

Sephiroth nodded, a frown on his face. "An inquiry will be made into their destructiveness. However, that means I will need pictures of the aftermath, as well as any before pictures. Also, I'll need the blueprints for Sector Six and Seven."

Reeve stiffened slightly. "What do you need the plans for?"

"Hojo may have to adjust the mako levels my remnants are routinely injected with," Sephiroth explained impatiently. "He'll need to see the exact measurements and list of materials used in the construction of the buildings they destroyed. They may be experiencing mako rage and we need to know as soon as possible."

"Mako rage?" Reeve asked suspiciously.

"When a person is exposed to too much mako, they can experience shifts in their personalities," Sephiroth explained, sounding completely bored with the subject. "Cloud was overcome with nausea and the inability to move after he and Zack Fair escaped Hojo's secret labs in Nibelheim. But others can experience mako rage. That happens when a man's adrenaline kicks in and feeds the mako through the body at a faster rate. It can bring on bouts of temporary madness." Sephiroth paused to smirk at Reeve. "My madness led me to slaughter a town of people before burning it to the ground and I was a whole person. Just imagine what madness would do to my remnants, men who are not quite whole."

Reeve clenched his jaw. "Fine. You will have access to our records, General. But don't think I don't know what you're really looking for."

"And what is it you think I'm looking for?" Sephiroth asked with an amused smile as he leaned back in his chair.

"AVALANCHE isn't stupid enough to stay under your nose in Midgar or Edge," Reeve said with a smirk.

"AVALANCHE is stupid enough to think that I will not find them eventually," Sephiroth countered. "I wouldn't put it past them to be stupid enough to hide in plain sight, however, I made a deal with Miss Lockhart. I promised to stop my hunt for her friends and I have."

"Your remnants destroyed those buildings while in pursuit of two of AVALANCHE's key members," Reeve said.

"And they were out past curfew," Sephiroth reminded him. "If they are breaking the laws, they will be pursued just like any other man or woman in Midgar and Edge. This is well within my agreement with Miss Lockhart; though the destruction concerns me and I need to make sure mako rage is not a factor. So instead of standing here arguing with me, why don't you get started on gathering the plans and photos I need?"

Reeve worked his jaw for a few seconds before narrowing his eyes and turning on his heel. "You'll have the materials you requested within the hour."

Sephiroth smirked once the door to his office slammed shut. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Yazoo? Find Kadaj and report to my office at once. We have plans to make."

Reno stepped into Sephiroth's room and looked around. It was like the general himself…very cold. "Tifa? You ready? The kids will be here soon, yo!"

Tifa opened a door and stepped into the room. "Where's Loz?"

"Well, your general is feeling generous," Reno said with a smirk. "Since agreeing to be his roommate, he agreed to let Loz give us some space while you're in here. Something to do with all the cameras and shit he's got littering the place. He's probably watching us right now, which just confirms what I've known all along…Sephy is a major deviant! He likes to watch!"

Tifa smiled and rolled her eyes. "I would watch it if I were you or you may find yourself on one of Hojo's beds."

"Yuck! I hope not!" Reno said as he made a face.

Tifa laughed softly. "I just have to get a sweater."

Reno sat on the arm of a sofa near the entrance of the room and watched her open a closet. "So, how are things in Casa de Sephiroth anyway? He keeping his hands to himself?"

Tifa paused and looked at her friend. "The first night I was here, he didn't even acknowledge me. And then the second night, I was already in bed when he got here. He just changed into his pajamas and slid into bed next to me. Instead of staying on his side like he had the previous night, he just rolled over and pulled me against him before falling asleep. And that's how it's been for the last couple of nights."

Reno nodded and looked around the room before returning his eyes to her again. "Listen Tifa, I'm still willing to put it all on the line and…"

She turned sharply and looked at him. "Don't even say it, Reno."

"But Cloud is safe and we could…"

"Sephiroth will kill us both if try to escape and are caught," Tifa said. "And even if we do escape, he would burn this city to the ground to find us. We are only two people, Reno. Our suffering is worth sparing the lives of the residents in Midgar and Edge. I'm…sorry I dragged you into this. You and Yuffie barely had any time together. If you want to go, I'll be fine here."

"Tifa, I ain't gonna leave you alone," Reno said with a smile. "Yuffie and I have all the time in the world to screw around together. Besides, what you're doing is important. It feels good to be part of something important."

Tifa smiled and hugged Reno. "Thank you."

Reno smiled and hugged her too. After a moment she stepped back. Reno got to his feet and opened the door. "The kids are waiting."

Kadaj and Yazoo bent over the plans while Sephiroth viewed the photos of the damage they had done. He lowered them and smirked slightly.

"You two really took it to heart when I told you to cause as much damage as possible," he said. "No wonder Reeve came in here all twisted up."

"Well, you can thank Vincent and Tseng too," Kadaj said with a smile. "They're quick on their feet."

"Well, they were both Turks," Sephiroth murmured. "Are you having any luck?"

Yazoo shook his head. "Not really. It doesn't appear that any of the buildings have been altered, but…"

Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow. "But what?"

Yazoo pointed to a building in Sector Seven. "Wasn't Miss Lockhart's bar called Seventh Heaven?"

Sephiroth frowned and nodded. "Yes, it was."

"Wait, I thought her bar was in Edge," Kadaj said as he shook his head.

"It is," Sephiroth said as he looked at the plans. "I'll be damned. There's a Seventh Heaven bar in Sector Seven."

Yazoo smirked and looked up at his older brother. "And it has an unusually large basement with some sort of access tunnel connected to some sub-basement underneath the sewer system."

Sephiroth glanced up at the remnants and smiled. "Tonight, I want you to go to Seventh Heaven in Sector Seven and investigate it. The sub-basement maybe a remnant from when Tifa first became part of AVALANCHE and was storing their weapons…but it may also be more. I want you to take Loz tonight, too. If this is where AVALANCHE is indeed hiding, you'll need some muscle with you if you are caught."

"Shouldn't we bring the SOLDIERs?" Kadaj asked.

Sephiroth shook his head. "I need them to continue their patrols of the streets. This is just going to be a fact-finding mission. The battle will come later."

"It was weird Tifa," Denzel said quietly. "Vincent and Tseng are okay, but still…I thought the general wasn't going to chase us."

Tifa pursed her lips, silently cursing herself for not being more specific in her demands. "Well, technically, Vincent and Tseng were breaking the law. Sephiroth agreed not to continue his hunt for AVALANCHE, but he made it clear if they were caught breaking the law, they were fair game."

"But the shear destruction was insane!" Denzel said as he shook his head. "Especially since it wasn't just SOLDIER chasing them. They always make a mess, but it was Yazoo and Kadaj that made the mess this time."

Tifa frowned. "Really? You're right, that is strange. Normally they're too precise to damage anything."

"Vincent's suspicious," Marlene added. "He thinks they were up to something and Cloud agrees."

"How is Cloud doing?" Tifa asked, her heart dropping as she looked at the two children exchange glances. "What is it?"

"The healing water didn't work," Denzel said sadly. "He…won't last much longer."

Tifa was determined to keep on a brave face. "We knew it was unlikely he would heal. Is he in much pain?"

Marlene shook her head. "No. It's like he's falling asleep. He wanted us to tell you not to give up, no matter what."

Tifa smiled and hugged Marlene. "You tell that stubborn chocobo head that I never gave up in the past and I am not about to start doing so now."

"Sorry to interrupt, kiddos," Reno said with a smile. "But it's time to say goodbye."

Tifa got to her feet and hugged each of the children before smiling. "Take care and be careful out there."

"We will," Denzel said with a cocky smile that reminded her of Cloud.

Tifa followed them to the front gate with Reno and Loz. Once they were there, Tifa hugged each of them again, irritated by the insistent paparazzi that waited outside and were snapping pictures of what should have been a private moment. She stiffened when she heard one of them yell out, "It's the General!" She turned and looked over her shoulder to see Sephiroth approaching them, an irritated glare in his eyes, yet for once, it wasn't directed at any of them…it was aimed at the press on the other side of the tall fence that kept them safe from the rabid gossip mongers.

He lowered his gaze to Reno and Loz. "Take the children down to the garage. There is a ShinRa car ready for you there. Take them to a neutral drop off site and then leave them be. I trust you can be left to not destroy a car, Turk?"

"Uh, well, yeah, man," Reno said with a confused frown.

"Go with him," Sephiroth said to Loz before turning back towards the ShinRa building.

"Excuse me, General Sephiroth?"

He stopped and turned to face Marlene. "Yes, Miss Wallace?"

She smiled slightly. "Thank you for not making us go through them."

He returned her smile with a smirk. She was the same age Tifa had been when he had first met her and she reminded him of Tifa. She was quiet and respectful, yet he knew she had the heart of a fighter beneath her well-crafted polite exterior and it amused him to engage in her forced polite conversations. "No one should have to deal with that mess. Tifa, come with me."

Tifa nodded and followed Sephiroth after waving to the kids as they headed in the direction of the garage. She looked up at Sephiroth as they climbed the stairs leading to the front door of the building.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

"I hate the media and I hate the way they camp out in front of my building day and night and spy on us," he answered with a shrug.

Tifa nodded before turning her gaze to his profile again. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," he said dryly. "You and I need to talk about the future."

Tifa looked up at him and frowned. "What about our future?"

He sighed and pressed the button for the elevator before turning to face her. "You have promised to stay here for the rest of your life…or, more appropriately, the rest of my life."

Tifa shifted uneasily. "So?"

"So eventually, we are going to have to tell those vultures something to explain your continued presence here," Sephiroth said before stepping into the elevator. Once Tifa was beside him, he pressed the button for the floor where his room was located.

"I think I feel an ultimatum coming on," she said.

"You really only have three choices," he answered as he looked down at her. "Your first option is to brand yourself a traitor and announce a switch in sides."

"Um, yeah, not happening," Tifa said as she pursed her lips. "Next?"

"I don't think you're going to like this option," he said with a smirk.

"No, I don't think I am," she said softly.

"You can also choose to admit that you are staying on here permanently…as my consort," he said without looking at her.

Tifa's jaw dropped and she glared up at him furiously. "What? Your consort? Are you insane?"

He smirked and glanced down at her. "You of all people should know the answer to that!"

"No, I refuse to do either!" Tifa snapped, ignoring his last taunt. "I will not agree to promising that I will eventually attach myself to you through marriage, Sephiroth!"

He shrugged. "Fine, then there is option three. I can release you and Reno, follow you to your precious hideout then destroy your friends and end your pathetic rebellion…before taking you back and claiming what's mine anyway. These are your choices."

The elevator doors opened and Sephiroth walked out as though they were in the middle of a perfectly ordinary conversation. Tifa felt tears of desperation fill her eyes as she reluctantly followed Sephiroth. He turned and faced her once they were in front of the door that led to their shared room.

"This isn't fair," she whispered as she looked up at him.

"Most things in life aren't fair," Sephiroth said with a frown. "If life was fair, I would have died a long time ago like my friends. If life was fair, I wouldn't have an evil scientist who cares more his research than his son for a father. If life was fair, I wouldn't be obsessed with a woman who hates me like you do. If life was fair, I wouldn't have to threaten you…but like I said, life is not fair, Tifa."

Tifa knew she only had one choice for the moment and looked up at Sephiroth. "I'll…be your consort."

He smirked and nodded. "That's what I thought. We'll make the announcement tomorrow." He opened the door for her and stepped aside so she could enter. As Tifa passed him, Sephiroth reached out and grabbed her arm. "I will see you tonight."

Tifa nodded sadly before retreating into the room that was both her sanctuary and her soon-to-be torture chamber.