Chapter Ten. Rosebud. Enjoy!

A man stood leaning against the alleyway with three companions, taking a long drag of cigarette. They all stared up at the moon, watching it with curious stares. The silence was broken

with the shrill scream of a PHS, and he flipped it open with a smooth flick of his wrist. "Yeah, what do you want yo?" There was a silence. "Yeah, whatever boss-man."

The man flipped the phone closed, stepping into the light to reveal a spiky head

of dark cerulean hair, held back by goggles. A long ponytail trailing down his back. His crimson eyes flashed. "C'mon, we got a mission, let's go."

~o~o~o~o~

"Flint." "Mmm?" Flint muttered, pulling the blanket over his head. "Get up Flint, it's time to go." Zack's voice sounded from beside his cot.

He grunted, pulling off his blankets, grabbing his jacket off the pile, and wrapping it around him. The encampment was freezing, probably owing to the fact it was below ground, and made

solely of hardened ice.

Fenrir gave a playful nudge from where he stood, Zack kneeling by his legs, healing them with materia. A soft green glow enveloped his hands. The Chocobo sighed, giving a

soft wark of thanks as the SOLDIER stood and patted the bird on his head. "Ready?" Flint nodded, grabbing his pack and slinging it over his shoulders purely out of instinct, completely

unaware that he had not removed the Black Mako that resided within the chest inside.

Flint led Fenrir outside, thankful to the pair of gloves Zack had given him. Zack emerged shortly after, leading a stark white Chocobo that blended in with the snow around it. He mounted

swiftly, adjusting his sword so it wouldn't harm his mount, and led the way out into the plains.

The sky was still a dark hue, stars fading within its depths as the birds jogged through the snow. "What time?" Flint asked, clicking his bird into a steady run, Zack's right behind. "It's 2:00

am." He replied. No wonder the skies are still dark. It's barely morning. "We should arrive at dusk then." Flint informed, checking a small compass on the chain around his neck. The trip, was

for the most part, uneventful. They ran into few monsters on the way, and were forced to swim across the swollen rivers, clothes tied to the Chocobo's heads in order to stay dry. Never,

had Flint experienced this level of cold. Such cold that would numb your body to the point of forgetfulness, but still they persevered, Zack encouraging him the entire way. Flint could now

see why Zack had been so respected among the younger SOLDIERS, and even those superior to him. He treated pain as a minor annoyance, submerging himself in it until he could no

longer feel, as if he left his body entirely. He was encouraging, even when Flint felt he was to drop from exhaustion, and his motivation was incomprehensible.

It was dark when they arrived on the outskirts of Nibelheim. Zack slowed his Chocobo to a walk, coming up beside Fenrir and Flint. "He's in the Shinra mansion, the basement." Zack

nodded, handing his Chocobo's reins to Flint. "Run. As far away as you possibly can from here. You'll only be arrested if you return back to the encampment. You need to find a quiet place

and keep hidden until all of this blows over. If both Hojo and the President are after you, it's best to keep a low profile." Zack warned. "How did you know Hojo-?" "I know what he wants

the Black Mako for, and I know what he did to Cloud to make him so strong- the exact same thing he did to me and Sephiroth." Flint's eyes widened- "Couldn't you tell it was him?" Zack

shook his head. "I thought he was dead, and the mask he was wearing hid his face. I should've recognized it as soon as he knew my name without asking. I know exactly what he plans

to do with Cloud." He put his hands on Flint's shoulders. "Take that Black Mako as far away as you can from here. Destroy it. It's the only amount on the whole of Gaia, and we can't risk it

falling into Hojo's hands." Flint nodded. "Good luck- And thank you." Zack said, turning towards the mansion at an inhumanly swift run.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Zack looked up at the mansion looming over him, ghostly in the moon's glow. He entered the doors that swung loosely on their hinges; the winter wind's howls went silent as he closed

them behind him. He entered the door he had broken off the hinges from his previous visit and crept down the spiralling staircase, hearing the horribly familiar beep of a heart monitor, and

speeding up. He entered the main room, his boots clanking on the metal floor, and there, lying motionless atop a flat metal platform, lay Cloud.

Okay, first of all, the reason I called this chapter 'Rosebud' was because my brother and I were talking about Ghostbusters... Don't ask :) Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, thanks for reading, and thankyou to everyone who reviewed, much appreciated!!!

By the way, you still wondering who the mystery man is at the beginning of the chapter? I guess you'll have to wait to find out! MWHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

Lucifer