Chapter 11 – Return of Cloud Strife

The next morning Kadaj jerked awake at ten, flickers of a bad dream dogging his mind. Shaking them off, he rose, showered and dressed before making his way downstairs to find some food, still blinking sleepily despite the shower.

Yazoo was already up and cooking, as was customary in their household. The first one up usually made breakfast while the other two were left to do the cleaning afterward. Kadaj staggered over to the coffeepot and poured himself a mug before flopping in a kitchen chair and taking a slow sip. 'Aaaaahh… morning, 'Zoo.'

'Good morning. Did you sleep at all last night?'

'A little. Not very well though. You?'

'About the same. Do you think Al's alright?'

'I dunno… do you think we should call him?'

'Perhaps a little later… he might be sleeping…'

'…okay…'

Yazoo hid a fond smile at the concern on Kadaj's face and sat down across from him, passing over a plate of toast. But even toast could not distract Kadaj from his musing, and finally Yazoo had to reach over and snap his fingers in front of his brother's face.

'Hey, 'Daj! Your toast will get cold.'

Kadaj jumped a little and glanced down. 'Oh… right…' He absently began to pick at his toast and it was then that Yazoo realised something was truly wrong. Kadaj loved toast and usually demolished his plateful in less time than it took to make the toast.

'Alright, 'Daj, talk to me. What's the matter?'

Kadaj sighed heavily, dropping his food back onto his plate. 'Dammit, 'Zoo, I feel so helpless… especially yesterday… I mean, he was that close! I should have done something more… we should have walked back with Al… it's my fault he was injured…'

Yazoo snapped his fingers again to halt Kadaj's spiel. 'Okay, no. First of all, there is no way you could have known Sephiroth was in the area and was watching us. Second, you noticed that Al was in trouble and went back for him. I didn't even realise anything was wrong until you pointed it out. You got him out of there and he escaped with his life, which from past encounters with this creep is lucky. It is not your fault. But,' he added when Kadaj looked about to protest, 'I have an idea that will enable you to feel more prepared when dealing with this mess we're in. It's something I've been meaning to get started on anyway, because Loz is at the age where it's time to begin. So I want to take the both of you to a dojo and start your training.'

Kadaj blinked in surprised. Yazoo was not one for making long speeches, yet his brother's words made sense. It took him a moment to register Yazoo's last sentence, but when he did a wide grin slowly appeared on his face. 'Are you serious?'

'Yes. I believe you're both ready, and what with circumstances being what they are, and the fact that both of you have new weapons, I really think it would be better to start your training as soon as possible.'

Although the brothers had sparred before, Kadaj knew that this time Yazoo meant real training; mentally and physically instructing ones body to fight on command. It was customary for young people to begin training of some kind as soon as they came of age, but the Shinrovas' travels had made this impossible. Cloud and Yazoo were the only ones in their family who had so far had any sort of combat training. This knowledge cheered Kadaj immensely and he leapt from his seat to ruffle his brother's hair. 'Thank you, niisan!'

'Ack! Off the hair!' Yazoo protested, but his younger brother was already running for the stairs.

Bursting into Loz's room, Kadaj pounced on their youngest sibling. 'Hey Loz! Wake up!'

Loz mumbled something incoherent and buried his head under the pillow, but Kadaj yanked it away. 'Listen! Get up, lazybones, we're going to start our training today! 'Zoo says it's time!'

Blinking bewilderedly, Loz squinted up at Kadaj. '…'Daj, you woke me up for tha-… wait, what did you say?'

'I said get up, bro, or we won't get any doughnuts on the way to the dojo!' Kadaj laughed, running off to change into suitable training attire.

Loz was ready and waiting downstairs before Kadaj even managed to buckle Souba onto his belt.

The doughnuts were fresh at the bakery on Auron Avenue. The boys would treat themselves whenever there was something truly awesome to celebrate, since they saved up their money and purchased sensibly the rest of the time. Loz ended up eating most of them, but the other two let him. The boy was a bottomless pit when it came to food.

Kadaj polished off his last doughnut and as he did so he happened to glance out the window beside him. The glint of a silver vehicle across the street caught his eye.

'Hey, isn't that Kurry's car?'

Curious, they finished their snack and crossed the road. The building they stood before was a market, and rather than wait by the car Kadaj led the way inside.

The interior was busy but not overly so. People were milling about buying ramen, sushi and bento box. It was easy to spot Kurry in the crowd; she was almost the only blonde in the place. Kitty was with her; both were looking at traditional tea sets. Yazoo slipped past Kadaj and snuck up silently on Kurry.

'Boo.'

The girls whirled around. 'Oh, hey guys!' Kitty squeaked, laughing a little oddly. 'Ha, be careful doing that. For a minute there you might have been Sephiroth. Funny running into you here. Whatcha doing?'

'We're on our way to Cid's Dojo,' Loz replied excitedly.

'I've heard of that place,' Kurry said. She held a bento box and chopsticks, which she used to emphasize her sentences by jabbing at the air. 'It's supposed to be the best dojo in town.'

Yazoo nodded. 'The guy who runs it flies airships in his spare time. It's cool. Anyway, what are you doing today, ladies?'

Kurry had just taken another bite of sushi. 'Mmf… well, this morning we were trying to figure out this whole thing with Sephiroth, but we pretty much got nowhere. I needed food in order to think and as they say, seafood is brain food, so we came down here.'

The brothers chuckled. 'Well, that makes sense. Got any plans for the rest of the day or do you want to hang out?' Kadaj asked.

Kurry and Kitty shared a glance and both nodded. 'Sure. Why not?'

Since there was no rush, they spent a few minutes perusing the market together, oohing and aahing over some of the products from across the sea. Yazoo pinched some bento from Kurry and ducked when she swung playfully at him with her chopsticks. Loz and Kitty found a pair of swords in an old shop and pretended to be samurai warriors until the shopkeeper glared at them. In the wake of the laughter and jokes, they all felt the mood lighten considerably and the strain of the past few days slowly disappeared. Finally the five made their way toward the dojo, following Yazoo who was the only one who knew its location. Saturday traffic was surprisingly light for a change, and they found parking spots with relative ease. Not the sort of people to tempt fate, all of them made sure their vehicles were well secured – against thief or assassin – and entered the dojo.

Cid's Dojo was aptly named, as Cid himself greeted them at the door. 'Heya people, whatcha in for?' he drawled, twirling a pen idly between his fingers. Yazoo hid a grin. 'A couple hours, I think.' He glanced around for affirmation from his companions and they all nodded. 'We'll let you know if we need more time. Is it very busy today?'

'Nah,' the pilot replied, thumbing over his shoulder. 'Room's been mostly empty all day. I dunno how this place stays in business, 'cept I get a few kids in now and then to settle a score. S'long as they got money, I really don't care.' He scribbled something in his ledger and counted. 'Five of ya… that'll be thirty. I'll give ya the discount on account of this is their first time.' Cid nodded his head at Kadaj and Loz, who blinked.

'How did you know?'

'I get all kinds in here, kiddo, and I can tell the newbies from the veterans any day. It's in their eyes. Like that blonde guy who comes in here sometimes. He's been through the mill, I can tell ya. Ain't seen him for three months though… maybe he gave it up. Anyway, thirty, if ya please, and then I'll let ya in.'

Since Cid seemed quite content to talk, the others said nothing and the girls insisted on pitching in for half the cost. Cid held the door open for them and they stepped quickly into the well-lit room beyond.

Inquisitive as always, Kadaj stopped to take in his new surroundings. The floor was almost entirely comprised of thick protective mats, encircled by a ring of bare tile that shoes were to be placed upon. This ring was lined with long benches that bags and bottoms could be rested on. Mirrors covered the far wall; a boxing bag hung in one corner and sunlight streamed through the plate-glass window that faced the street. Only one other occupant was in the room; a tall fellow in a hat who was packing up a massive broadsword. The facility was large, clean and perfectly ideal for what they had planned; in a few minutes they would have the place to themselves. The Shinrovas unloaded their coats and shoes onto a bench and began to warm up.

Although Kitty and Kurry had not been prepared for a training session, they made do by tying up as many loose ends of their clothing as they could and shucking their shoes as well. Kurry stretched a little and then walked over to Kadaj, only just noticing the long sheathed weapon at his hip. 'Oooh, what's that, 'Daj?'

Eager to show off his new piece, Kadaj straightened up and pulled the double blade free. 'This is Souba. I got it yesterday.'

Kurry gently took Souba and examined it at eye level, being careful of the tips and edges. 'Wow, 'Daj… this is one heck of an impressive bit of weaponry… where on earth did you find it?'

Before he could answer, however, her brow furrowed and she added, 'Wait, don't tell me. I already know. Don't mention it in case unwanted ears are listening.' Kadaj remained silent. Although the police force in the city was almost non-existent, one could never be too cautious. Kurry finished admiring Souba and handed it back. 'Well done. I'm looking forward to seeing how you fare with that.' She smiled at him and moved on to Yazoo, deftly challenging him to a spar when he was finished teaching his brothers. Kadaj chuckled and tuned them out, shifting unconsciously until his body had enough room to really move.

Looking down at Souba glittering in his hands, Kadaj again felt that wave of power that had rushed through him at the shop. Closing his eyes, he brought Souba up into a salute position, elbows relaxed and knees slightly bent. He took a moment to get a feel for the weapon, sensing its balance and weight as he had before. He heard Yazoo approach him from the left, not drawing too close, but close enough to be heard.

'Since you're ready, 'Daj, we'll start with you. This is a test run; I just want to see how you decide to handle this without much instruction at first. The main thing you need to learn here is to focus your mind. If you react in anger, you're actually more likely to be injured. If you're attacked, especially by Sephiroth, it is okay to feel emotion, but do not let it overwhelm you. Channel your feelings into your sword and make sure your enemies remember why it is a bad idea to mess with you. However,' and here Kadaj opened his eyes at the tone in his brother's voice, 'if I ever hear of you abusing your power, I will never let you touch a blade again. Do you hear me, ototousan?'

Kadaj nodded firmly, no trace of humour or mirth in him now. The others watched, half in awe, as the artist's entire aura transformed from curious and friendly to cold and hard as the steel in his hands. Yazoo backed to the edge of the floor and said, 'Okay, show us what you can do.'

Kadaj smirked.

The next second he was a blur of silver, Souba flashing in the light from the window. He moved so fast that they could barely keep up, twisting and thrusting and parrying unseen enemies. At one point Kadaj even went flat to the ground and sprung to his feet in a matter of seconds. As Kitty and Kurry watched, both of them felt a wave of delight mingled with relief run through them. He was going to be just fine.

A few seconds later Kadaj stopped. Chest heaving, he took deep, slow breaths to calm his adrenaline and then bowed to his audience. They burst into wildly enthusiastic applause.

'Damn, bro, that was remarkable!' Loz exclaimed, clapping Kadaj on the back. Chin in hand, Yazoo looked his brother up and down and said, 'Hmm… yes, that'll do nicely for your first time. We can work on the mental aspect without having to be in a dojo and of course you'll have to face a solid opponent soon, but I'd say you have the physical aspect down pat. Well done.' Kadaj beamed in the light of such praise from his siblings.

Loz was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement. 'Can I go now, 'Zoo, please?' Yazoo chuckled. 'Sure. Did you bring everything I told you?'

Loz produced Shadow and several small bullet-shaped pellets. Kitty wrinkled her brow at them. 'I'm not much of a gun person… are those real bullets?'

Yazoo shook his head, his own fingers working to load Velvet Nightmare. 'No. These are sand encased in a special type of plastic. I had some left over from my previous weapon. To fire them and hit something is rather like paintball; you end up with sand everywhere and a bit of a bruise or dent, but nothing more. Not knowing how busy it was going to be today, I thought this would be more prudent.' He stood up from the bench, showed Loz how to load Shadow and then went to talk to Cid about procuring some targets.

The pilot had just the thing and soon two identical targets were hanging from the ceiling near the end of the room opposite the windows. Yazoo explained to Loz and the onlookers how to hold the firearm in order to maintain balance and counteract backlash. Loz caught on quickly, and before the end of the lesson had put five dents in a neat circle near the center of the target.

Kadaj watched his younger brother for a bit before moving toward a corner of the empty room. He practised a few moves with Souba, moves he had watched Yazoo perform time and again when he was going through his form. The thought got him reminiscing a little as he 'fought'. He remembered how Yazoo would come home dead tired and collapse on the couch after work… how he would train extra hard on weekends to keep up with his sensei's lessons… how he, Kadaj, and Loz would clean and make sure dinner was started for when Cloud and Yazoo came home… so much had happened since then. So much had changed… all because of one night of fear, one night of loss… what they could have had, he didn't know, but he sometimes wished dearly that he could have known.

Kadaj was broken out of his reverie by Kurry's voice saying, 'I've just had a thought. Once Sephiroth sorts out whose weapon is whose, what's to stop him switching weapons himself in order to have the advantage? He could probably get a gun and face Kadaj just as easily as with that sword of his.'

This gave them all pause for thought. After a moment though, Yazoo shrugged and said, 'I'm not too worried about it. Kadaj has more than enough skill to face him already.'

'Well, yes, but I've heard it takes months to learn to fight properly, and I really don't think Sephiroth is going to wait that long,' Kurry mentioned, looking dubious.

Yazoo's lips quirked oddly at her words.

'You wouldn't think so to look at us, but we have a… gift, if you will.'

Kitty twitched an eyebrow at him. 'A gift?'

Yazoo smirked. 'Just watch.'

Spinning abruptly on his heel, Yazoo raised Velvet Nightmare… and pointed it straight at Kadaj.

'What the…? What are you doing?!' Kurry gasped and leapt forward to stop him, not noticing that Kadaj looked completely unperturbed, but Loz caught her tight. 'Watch!'

BLAM!

Faster than the eye could follow, Kadaj flicked his arm.

CLANG!

The pellet ricocheted off of Souba and fell harmlessly to the ground.

The two women gaped.

'But… but… how did he…?!' Kitty managed to get out.

Yazoo turned back to them, entirely unaffected by his own actions. 'We found at an early age that we three are gifted with incredibly fast reflexes. Cloud is as well, if you've ever seen him train. Kadaj won't have to worry about bullets… it's that Masamune blade I'm worried about.'

Kitty looked completely torn. 'But… but you just shot at your brother…'

Yazoo coughed somewhat sheepishly. 'I told you, these aren't real bullets. The most he'd get is a bruise and we've done worse to each other during informal sparring. Trust me, it's okay. We've done this before.'

Kadaj grinned from behind Yazoo and waved. 'Yeah, they hurt like hell when they do get through, but that's never very often anymore!'

Loz let go of Kurry and reached for his own gun, but yelped and caught her again when her knees buckled. 'Please…' she murmured, '…don't ever scare me like that again…'

Guilt flickered over Yazoo's face. 'I'm sorry… I didn't mean to frighten you…'

Kadaj came dashing up behind him. 'Geez, you're white as a sheet… are you alright?' he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Kurry steadied herself against Loz, a bit of her colour returning. 'I just… hate the thought of anything happening to any of you…' she murmured, more to herself than them. She was so distracted that she completely missed the look of astonishment that crossed Kadaj's face at her words.

'Come here, hun… we'll sit down and let them finish training…' Kitty said kindly, though she looked somewhat disturbed as well.

Kurry shook her head. 'I'm sorry… I'll be alright. Please, continue.' She stood up straight and withdrew with Kitty to the bench, leaving a startled Kadaj, an ashamed Yazoo and a confused Loz.

'What just happened?'

'I'm… not sure…' Kadaj replied absently, still watching Kurry. '…but let's get on with it, shall we?'

Just then a familiar voice called to them from across the room. 'Hey, Shinrovas!'

Whirling, Kadaj gaped as Alphonse came up to them, grinning broadly as always and looking healthier than ever. 'What the…? Al, what are you doing here!? You're supposed to be resting!'

The bronze-haired young man gestured at his previously wounded arm. Kadaj could still see the faint outline of a bandage against his shirt and a ripple of guilt rolled through him. 'Nonsense, I'm fine. I told you it wasn't as bad as it looked. I slept great last night and this morning the wound was barely visible. Winry just insisted on wrapping it anyway.' He rolled his eyes fondly. 'Anyway, what are you doing here?'

'We're here to train. We don't want a repeat of yesterday,' Kadaj answered. Al beamed. 'Excellent! We should train together; we can give each other hints. Come on, my brother is over there.'

Yazoo called to the women on the bench and they all walked over to an empty corner of the dojo. Ed was there, crouched over a duffel bag. He stood as they came up and waved. 'Hey people. What's going on?'

'Not much. It's good to see you again, Edward-sama,' Kadaj replied.

'Hey Edo!' Kitty pounced the older Elric and hugged him. It was obvious the two were close friends. 'How's it going?'

Ed smiled fondly at her. 'I'm fine, except for the minor heart attack I got yesterday. You?'

'…what minor heart attack?'

Al stepped in and quickly explained. Kitty and Kurry gaped at him.

'…well, shit.'

'Yeah.'

Ed sighed and began to pull off the shirt he was wearing over his training clothes. 'I really didn't know what to do except go over our techniques one more time. I just wish I'd thought to do it earlier.' He turned back to the group.

Kadaj and his brothers went still.

Ed's eyes smiled sadly and he chuckled. 'Yeah… Al said he told you we'd been through worse…'

Kadaj tore his gaze away, remembering just in time that it was rude to stare. '…I'm sorry.'

Ed shrugged and stretched, his metallic limbs glinting in the light. 'It's alright. It happened a long time ago. Lost my right arm and left leg to it, but I'm still intact right here.' He tapped his chest and smirked wistfully.

'Can we train with them, niisan?' Al asked softly to change the subject.

'Sure. That's a great idea, actually. Chuck your stuff over there and we'll pick partners.'

It ended up being uneven, so the pairs turned out as follows; Yazoo and Kurry, Loz and Kitty and Al and Ed. Al promised to spar Kadaj once they were done and then the partners began to trade off.

Loz and Kitty were up first. Kadaj was surprised at the dexterity with which Kitty fought his brother, employing techniques to counteract their differences in size and weight. Loz actually looked hard pressed to keep up with her. For someone with such a slight frame, Kitty put up an impressively strong frontal assault. Loz finally admitted he had misjudged her ability and conceded. Kurry high-fived a smirking Kitty as she and Yazoo traded them for the floor.

Yazoo and Kurry had much the same style when it came to fighting. Although Yazoo was a few inches taller than Kurry, they were evenly matched and concise in their movements. Kadaj had always admired his eldest brother's fighting style; it was smooth and flawless, and looked effortless to those observing. The silver-haired male would block, deflect and dodge with natural grace before striking quickly in the weakest spot. It was a tactic that infuriated those who fought him, because he would make them believe they were gaining the upper hand and then flatten them without warning. Kurry did relatively well against him and he against her; they called it a draw when they ended up pinning each other to the floor. Loz chuckled at the rather flushed look on Yazoo's face as he came back to the edge of the ring. Kadaj simply grinned at his eldest brother and then turned his attention to the next set of duellists.

The Elric brothers stood opposite each other and each stretched briefly before shifting into their fighting stances. The air around them was charged with electricity, yet there was an undercurrent of relaxation, as though this were simply a routine that they were enacting yet another time. Kadaj watched Alphonse in particular; he was curious to see how well Al fought when not under the pressure he had been in the alleyway. The tension rose as the brothers stared each other down, almost as though they were already deciding who was to be the victor.

It happened faster than anyone could blink. Alphonse leapt toward Edward and kicked out, was blocked and jumped back. Both men moved with such agility that it seemed as though they were weightless. Kadaj found himself gaping a few minutes in and quickly closed his mouth, but those around him were just as shocked. Alphonse fought with the fluid elegance of a panther, while Ed was faster and fiercer than a tiger. When they broke off, both panting lightly and barely sweating, all five of the observers were staring at them in awe. Such incredible fighters as these had not been seen since the war.

'…wholey… that was amazing!' Kadaj burst out when it was apparent that they were finished. 'Where did you learn to fight like that?!'

Ed chuckled and scooped up his water bottle, tossing Al's to him. 'We had a good teacher,' he informed them between sips. 'She taught us everything she knew, and she was unbeatable.'

Al leaned against the un-mirrored wall and closed his eyes, breathing deeply to instil calm. Kadaj got up and went over to him. 'Hey… is your arm alright?'

The publicist cracked an eye at him and grinned. 'Yeah… just a little sore… I'll take some Advil once my heart rate goes back down. What did you think of the spar?'

'…in my honest opinion? Freakin' phenomenal.'

A chuckle. 'Yeah… people are usually surprised to see me fight like that. Ed too, considering his limbs. Everybody thinks we'd be easy marks, but then again, they don't know the Elric brothers.'

Kadaj laughed and leaned against the wall next to him. 'Well, I'm glad to know the Elric brothers,' he said sincerely. 'Can you teach me to fight like that? I'll figure out some way to pay you back, I promise. I just need some sort of better defence against Sephiroth right now.'

Now it was Al's turn to laugh. 'Well, I don't know if I'd be able to replicate the training our sensei gave us, but I'll be glad to help in any way I can. Guys like Sephiroth shouldn't be allowed to just do as they please.' Hazel eyes darkened abruptly into anger and he frowned. 'I can't believe he'd just come after you like that… what did you ever do to him?'

Kadaj shrugged. 'Nothing that I know of. I'm especially ticked off because he keeps coming after my family and friends when I don't even know why he started coming after me in the first place. It bugs me to be so unprepared.'

A half-smile crossed Al's face and he lightly punched Kadaj's arm in a friendly manner. 'Well, we'll get you trained up. He won't know what hit him.'

Ed chose that moment to call to them. 'Oy! Are you two going to spar or what?'

'Coming, niisan.'

Between Al's tactics and Kadaj's reflexes they found that they too were evenly matched. Kadaj had never had as much fun sparring as he did that day; Al was dynamic in both movement and banter. At one point he said something that had Kadaj rolling with laughter on the mats. 'I'll be in trouble if any of my opponents end up having your sense of humour,' he told Al once he'd caught his breath. The bronze-haired Elric grinned; he and his brother had nearly identical smiles. 'I wish I was your only opponent,' Al replied, in a suddenly serious tone of voice. Kadaj sobered somewhat at this, but then he smiled earnestly. 'Eh, if I can learn even half of what you know, I think I'll be pretty well off. Shall we start again?'

Al nodded and they resumed sparring. The only damper on the afternoon was the twinge of regret Kadaj felt every time he caught sight of the bandage through the blur of Al's attacks.

The next couple of days seemed to be a reprieve from Sephiroth's menace, and it was a welcome one. Kadaj and his friends tried to keep things as normal as possible, but there was a definite undercurrent of vigilance about it. Everyone refused to let anyone travel alone anymore; Alphonse held a couple of training sessions for Kadaj and the two quickly became fast friends. Kurry and Kitty also set up meetings and carried them out as though nothing out of the ordinary was going on, in order to minimize outside involvement as much as possible. Things were going relatively smoothly, at least on the surface.

By the third day, however, Alphonse noticed that Kadaj was slightly listless during training and wasn't responding as quickly as usual. He credited it to stress at first, but when he succeeded in tripping Kadaj and pinning him with a very basic move, Al finally pulled back and asked him what was wrong.

'Bad sleep,' Kadaj replied and shrugged it off. Al could get no more information out of him after that.

The truth was Kadaj had been having wicked nightmares. On more than one occasion he had woken with a start and barely managed to keep from screaming. They were wearing him down and the worst part was he couldn't remember any of them except for the distinct feeling of paranoia that struck him every time he awoke. Not knowing where the assassin was seemed to be taking a worse toll on his strength than actually fighting him head on. After awhile he couldn't even write. To add to his worries, he became even more exhausted from trying to hide the effects of the nightmares. Unable to keep up with Al's training because of his fatigue and rapidly losing faith in himself, Kadaj's will slowly began to disintegrate until he almost believed that he could not escape from the fate that he knew waited for him somewhere in the streets of Midgar.

Sephiroth sat sullenly staring at the crumbling wall before him. His fingers gently caressed his cheek, tracing the wound where the brat's bullet had grazed. It was going to leave a scar. The only movement he made was the slow shift of his fingers, yet within his mind seethed and roiled, like a storm front building on the horizon.

Abruptly he stood and walked toward the window. Jade eyes fiercely scrutinized the street below, as though his quarry would come into sight if he willed it hard enough. Nothing moved outside except the half-dead tree across the street, browned leaves fluttering in the summer breeze.

Whirling, Sephiroth paced the length of the floor. Twenty-two paces in either direction. The dilapidated apartment had been ideal for concealing himself, but he felt constrained in its tiny space. He longed to hunt down his prey and finish it, but like a cat that had been outwitted by a rat he was puzzled and needed to think. His prey had never stood against him the way the dove did. Usually it was over much more quickly than this, and Sephiroth knew he was running out of time. He received daily phone calls now from his employer, demanding that he move his ass on the job. The man had been infuriated to find out that the boy still lived after he had been promised rapid results. But Sephiroth knew this was not a case that could be rushed. Something about this one was different… something in those aqua eyes was familiar…

And then it came to him.

The spirit of fire that resided in the dove was the same spirit that he had seen long ago at Rocket Town, in a pair of crystal blue eyes that had heralded his first defeat.

Sephiroth halted his pacing in the middle of the floor. A malicious smile slowly grew on his face, lighting his eyes with cruelty. I know how to handle you now, dove…

One thing was for certain; that spirit of fire would be broken into a thousand pieces by the time he was finished. He would see those crystal eyes weep if it was the last thing he did.

With a swish of his long leather coat, Sephiroth left the room.

Kadaj…

The voice was female, familiar, something from bygone days. He tried to call out but his voice would not respond to his commands. Sounds and images swirled together in one chaotic mosaic… a silken voice whispering things that he couldn't quite make out… hazel eyes glazed over in a pool of blood… dark hands clutching at him, pulling him down, binding him with rusted chains… the echo of a woman screaming his name in terror…

Kadaj snapped awake with a horrified cry, bolting upright in bed. Nearly delirious, he whipped his gaze around his room wildly, searching for the source of that horribly mellifluous voice. After a moment's pause he realised it had only been another nightmare, and sank back onto his pillows in relief.

He was a little surprised to find he was drenched in sweat. Throwing off his covers, Kadaj got out of bed and slipped over to his desk, relishing the cool breeze seeping through the window. He sat there for time indeterminate, musing over his nightmare, the first that he could remember, and thinking about the future. If only… if only Sephiroth hadn't come into the picture… his new friends would be safe and his brothers would have had their chance at a life free of worries… but now he was putting them all in danger just by staying with them; the incident in the alleyway had proven that. Sephiroth is never going to give up until he's killed me… he's never going to confess why I'm his target… I'll never forgive myself if something happens to the girls… or Al… or any of them…

Dawn was breaking over the eastern horizon when Kadaj made his decision. I can't stay here anymore… I've got to draw him away. I've got to take responsibility for this… there is only so much the others can do. If it's really me he wants, he'll follow. Thus certain, he set about quietly packing up a few things and getting dressed. He finished quickly and glanced one last time around his room. As he did this, his gaze landed on the notepad on his desk. Taking his bottom lip between his teeth, Kadaj shot a look out his door to sense if his brothers were awakening yet. He then sat down and wrote out a quick note to them. His plan complete, he folded it silently and slipped out.

Halfway down the hall, Kadaj paused and peeked into Yazoo's room. The eldest was sprawled comfortably on his couch-bed, having not even bothered to pull it out. He looked serene in his sleep, which was quite different from the worry that usually creased his forehead. Kadaj pulled back swiftly before his brother could sense his aura, and went to look at Loz. The youngest Shinrova was snoring loudly and wouldn't have heard Kadaj anyway. I'm going to miss you… we've been through everything together, brothers… take care of each other…

He left the note on the kitchen table and headed out to his bike. He'd have to be fast; Yazoo was a light sleeper at the best of times and would hear the vehicle. Steeling himself, Kadaj mounted his motorbike and drove away without looking back. He didn't know where he was bound, but as long as it kept his family and friends safe, he would never stop.

Yazoo wasn't sure what pulled him from his slumber; whatever it was, it had vanished before he could be positive. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he rose and pulled on a t-shirt before heading downstairs. For some reason the house seemed eerily silent this morning; perhaps they'd cut the power for maintenance. Yazoo sincerely hoped this wasn't the case; the last time the electricians did that without warning, they ended up with melted ice cream all over the freezer.

It was purely chance that he glanced at the table as he entered the kitchen; purely chance that he noticed the piece of paper resting on it. That wasn't there last night… he thought absently as he picked it up. Shrugging, he unfolded it and read it.

Aqua eyes widened at the contents of the message. No…

Clutching the paper, Yazoo bolted for the front door. Throwing it open he leapt barefoot onto the lawn, his heart sinking as soon as he saw Kadaj's bike missing. No… please, no…

But the gods didn't answer his prayer.

'Kadaj!' he shouted down the street, as though his brother could hear him. No-one answered except the breeze as it whistled down the silent street.

'Dammit!' Yazoo kicked the grass furiously before darting back into the house.

'He's WHAT?!' Kitty gasped into the phone three hours later.

'He's left the house, taken his bike and his clothes and everything. We tried looking for him and can't find him anywhere.' Yazoo's voice was heavy with anxiety. 'His note said that he couldn't put us in danger anymore and he's going to lead Sephiroth away from here. But he didn't say where!' The frustration was evident to his concerned listener.

'Alright. I'll notify the police…'

'I already did that. They said a person has to be missing for twenty-four hours before they even start looking.'

'…well, that's the last time I support their funds…'

Kitty growled under her breath. If they didn't find Kadaj and fast, there might not be any Kadaj left to find. '…Yazoo, you and Loz get over to the bar. We'll meet you there. And we'll think of something. Keep your head on, ne?'

'Alright. Thank you.'

Just as Kitty got off the phone, Kurry came into her office. 'Hey… what's the matter?' she asked at the glower on Kitty's face.

'Kadaj has flown the coop; he seems to think he can lure Sephiroth away from us. He's a bloody fool to think that, though… that bastard will catch him before he gets ten miles from here.' Abruptly the chocolate-haired woman stood and stalked toward the door and Kurry. 'Come on, we've got to get down to the bar…'

Kurry gripped her arm. 'But we can't go just yet, Cloud's due back any minute!'

Kitty was about to release a snappish retort when she paused. '…Cloud…'

'Yes. He's just called me, they're at the airport.'

Spinning on her heel, Kitty walked back to the desk and punched in a number on her phone.

'Would Vincent please report to the Halfway Point? Urgent. Thank you.'

She then grabbed Kurry's hand and bolted from the room.

When Vincent swept in three minutes later Kitty practically pounced on him. 'Listen, don't talk, as we have very little time. You take your car, get your ass down to Seventh Heaven and tell Yazoo and Loz we'll be with them shortly. Cloud is due back any minute and we'll be following you. I can't explain it all now, but it's a matter of life and death.'

The fear hidden in Kitty's eyes was more than enough to convince Vincent. Without a word he turned and strode off, headed for the parking lot. Kitty turned to Kurry and said, 'Come on, he'll be here soon.'

Both women ran for the elevators.

Vincent nearly shattered the glass in the elevator on his way down to the parking lot. Baka! His mind screamed at him. Fool! How could you? How could you leave them to deal with it, when you KNEW it was him!? You heard the rumours, you even saw him in that church, yet you did nothing! Nothing! You were afraid of him even then, but you are stronger now than you were. There is no excuse for this!

The ex-soldier leaned heavily on the panel wall, shaking a little. I knew it was him… Sephiroth… the man who killed my colleagues… and I did nothing. Am I that much of a coward?

Almost instantly he heard Cloud's voice, the soothing sound of his friend's wisdom drowning out his own conscience.

It's never too late to correct a mistake.

The words resounded in his head. Cloud had spoken them to him when he had asked Vincent to be his vice-president; he had had enough confidence in them both to begin the process of rebuilding their broken lives. Their mistakes had caused the bombing of the city… but their contrition and faith had also helped it grow beyond what it had been before.

Vincent shot a glance at his own reflection in the mirror before him. A tremor ran through him as he saw reflected in his own eyes the same resolution that he had seen in Cloud's, that day so long ago when their journey began. Straightening his shirt, Vincent inhaled deeply and was calm. It was time to correct his mistake.

Cloud Strife whistled a lively tune as he pulled his briefcase from the satchel on his bike in the parking lot fourteen stories below. Fastening the clasp, he pocketed his keys and strode over to the elevators, missing Vincent on his way out by seconds. The blonde, blue-eyed CEO of ShinRa tried to tune out the mundane elevator music as he ascended toward the unknown surprise that was waiting for him in his office. Why do we even have this crappy elevator music?

'Heeeey ladies!' Cloud greeted Kitty and Kurry as they rushed up to him. 'Cloud! Thank goodness you're back…!' Kitty started, but Cloud chuckled. 'Missed me that much, did you?' He set his briefcase in its customary place and made his way over to the desk. Sitting down in his comfortable leather chair, he sighed contently, glad to be home. Then he turned to the women before him, who were fidgeting anxiously, knowing there was no use trying to rush Cloud Strife into anything.

'So, how goes it, my friends?'

Kurry looked entirely sheepish. 'Um… I hate to drop this on you so soon after your return, Cloud-san, but we've got issues.'

'Oh?' The CEO looked concerned. 'Has something happened to the company?'

'Well, no… but we've fallen in with your half-brother Kadaj.'

Cloud grinned. 'Oh yeah? I'm glad you finally got to meet him. He's a great guy, I've been meaning to introduce you.'

Kitty rubbed the back of her head nervously. 'Well, that's not the only thing… he's kind of in trouble.'

Cloud's face darkened instantly. 'What's happened?'

Kitty took a deep breath and spoke very quickly. 'Well, he was kidnapped this week and we got him back but we found out there's an assassin named Sephiroth after him and we're not sure why but now he's left and we're not sure where he is...'

At the mention of the name 'Sephiroth', Cloud's eyes nearly fell out of his head and he leapt out of his chair. 'WHAT??'

Kitty cringed. 'Gah… um…'

'Please, Cloud… we're not sure what else we can do… we've tried reasoning with Sephiroth, fighting him, running from him… nothing's worked… can you help us?' Kurry interjected, trying to maintain some sort of order.

Cloud ran a hand through his tousled blonde hair, looking torn between fright and confusion. '…where is Kadaj??' he asked suddenly, his voice on the brink of trembling.

An expression of intense worry flickered on Kitty's face. 'That's just the problem. We don't know. He left without telling us; all we got was a note. He said he didn't want to put us or his brothers in danger anymore.'

At her words, every muscle in Cloud's face tightened. 'Baka… baka kuso…' He moved swiftly toward a tall locked wall unit across from his desk. Whipping a set of keys from his pocket, he unlocked the case and opened it.

Kitty swore softly, her eyes going wide when she saw what lay within.

Cloud's voice carried a tone that neither female had ever heard before; sharp determination laced with worry and fear. 'This is First Tsurugi. It is the only weapon of its kind, and the only reason I survived the war.' He pulled the first gleaming blade from its casing, examining it for a moment. 'Thank kami I kept it in good condition all these years… I'm going to need it now…' He placed the blade on the desk and pulled a leather harness from the unit, strapping it onto his back.

'What does it do?' Kurry asked. 'There are so many of them but you speak as though they are one.'

Cloud explained tersely as he removed the seven swords, slipping each into its respective slot on his back. 'These blades attach to each other in a specified order to make one larger weapon, or I can use each on its own.'

'Ah.'

Kitty blinked. '…hang on, what are you planning to do with that?'

Finished with the case, Cloud turned and pulled on his leather gloves. His eyes met Kitty's, and the woman shivered at the deadly expression reflecting in them.

'If Sephiroth is the same Sephiroth as I think it is, Kadaj is in very real danger. He's probably walking right into a trap. I've got to get to him as fast as I can and I need your help. Are you up to it?'

Kitty and Kurry nodded firmly. 'Of course,' Kitty replied. 'We're worried about 'Daj too. But I'd like to know what the danger is, besides that big sword Sephiroth carries.'

Cloud twitched visibly. 'So… he did get Masamune back… dammit…'

'Cloud, tell us what's going on!'

The CEO exhaled slowly.

'Let me put it this way… First Tsurugi is the only weapon ever known to defeat Masamune. If Sephiroth finds Kadaj before we do…'

Terror swept across Kurry's face. 'Oh gods…'

Kitty's lip curled into a snarl. 'Well, let's GO then!'

All three of them bolted for the stairs without another word.

Al was passing through the lobby when they sprinted past. At their grim expressions concern flashed across his face. 'What's happened?' he called.

Kurry slowed a fraction to answer, shooting Al a significant glance. 'He's running. We're out for the rest of the day, okay?' She swiftly disappeared.

Worry and confusion flickered over Alphonse's face. Kadaj… what have you done…?

He stood for a moment more, just thinking, then something altered within and an unwavering light came into his eyes.

…I have faith in you. Do what you have to do.

The drive to Seventh Heaven was hair-raising, to say the least. As they pulled up, Tifa Lockheart came running out of the bar. 'Cloud!' she called, nearly frantic. 'Have you heard about Kadaj?!' He swiftly calmed her, then herded them all inside where Yazoo, Loz and Vincent were waiting. Stories were quickly exchanged.

'Yazoo was here when you dropped me off, Cloud,' Tifa explained in a frenzied voice. 'We tried to call you but you'd already left. Vincent showed up just a few minutes later.'

'Alright… and Kadaj didn't leave any indication at all as to where he was going?'

'No,' Yazoo answered.

Cloud took his bottom lip between his teeth. '…did he take his cell phone with him?'

Yazoo and Loz blanched at this. 'You know… I don't remember seeing it when I looked in his room…' Loz admitted.

Cloud nodded. 'Call him. Vincent, find us a map. Kurry, the locator is in my satchel. We're going on a search.'

Kadaj had managed to avoid detection so far by driving to the south end of the city and hanging out in a mechanic's shop. The man there loved his bike, so he paid for a tune-up and waited for his trail to go cold. When he was sure his brothers weren't going to find him for awhile, Kadaj headed off again, bound for the industrial district near the docks. He figured that if he was going to find Sephiroth, the place to look would be the first place he had encountered him. Giving Seventh Heaven a wide berth, he drove deep into the maze of old buildings and tried to be as conspicuous as possible, hoping the assassin would find him.

As he was driving around, Kadaj's cell phone suddenly began to jingle. He ignored it, knowing it would be one or both of his brothers.

'Try him again.'

'Cloud, what's the point of this?' Kitty asked, now so antsy she couldn't sit still.

Cloud had hooked up a strange contraption to the phone that Yazoo was trying to call Kadaj on. 'When I was in the military, they issued us standard GPS tracking devices. I put one in each of these phones, which I gave as gifts to Yazoo, Kadaj and Loz before they left three years ago. I just wanted to make sure they'd be safe and boy, am I glad I did it now. Try him again… I only need a moment of connection… we'll irritate it out of him…'

Yazoo dialled. They all held their breaths.

'Come on, 'Daj… come on…'

Why would his phone not stop ringing? Kadaj had ignored it as long as he could, but the constant noise was just so annoying! In a huff, he picked up the phone and pressed 'talk', then clicked 'end' immediately afterward and turned off his phone.

I don't want to be found, brothers… just leave me be…

'Ha! I got him!'

Cloud's shout of triumph sent a wave of relief through all of them. 'He's somewhere west of here… in the industrial district…'

'That's a pretty big district,' Vincent murmured, but Loz's glare shut him up. 'It doesn't matter. If niisan's there, we'll find him.'

'Okay, so where are we going to start?' Kurry asked, poring over a map. Yazoo blinked, suddenly realising her meaning.

'I want you two to stay here.'

Kitty's eyes narrowed stubbornly. 'Hell no. We're in this together; you're not leaving us out of all the fun.' She grinned widely, somehow reminding Yazoo of a cat about to pounce.

He sighed. 'Alright… then at least do me one favour.'

'What would that be?'

'Hold out a hand.'

They did so, and Yazoo pressed a set of keys into each. 'This is my extra set,' he said, 'and you've got Loz's, Kitty. The bike keys are the black ones. Use them if you have to get away. Since I can't convince you not to come, at least keep these for me. Please, it just makes me feel better.'

The girls exchanged a dubious look, but both nodded. 'Alright.'

Yazoo relaxed visibly. These two women were headstrong and he had been afraid they would take offence at his offer of escape. 'Thank you. Let's go find him.'

Gaaah, this one was so LONG! X.x And pretty bad too... but it's up. Thank kami. More to follow, the editing's almost finished for the rest of the chapters. Please review! Thanks.