A/N: Thanks for your patience guys but exams suck up a lot of time.  Enjoy Chapter 20!

Chapter Twenty: Highway to Freedom

With Cloud back around her shoulder, Akira and Zack continued anywhere but where they were. The Shinra manor was long left behind.

"Zack, wait! I can't run anymore!" Akira cried.

Akira stopped, setting Cloud down against a fence post. They had been running for almost half the day. Zack stopped as well and ran back to Akira. She was sitting tiredly next to Cloud.

"Akira, we can't stop," Zack replied, holding out his hand. "Come on. Get up."

Akira didn't move.

"Do you want to get caught?" Zack asked with a hint of frustration.

Akira shook her head, still not moving, too tired to even answer.

"They catch us and we die! Understand!?" Zack grabbed Cloud and put him over his shoulder. "Get up."

Akira struggled to her feet, her aching legs trembling. Zack helped her get the rest of the way up and began to move forward. Cloud was on one arm and Akira was being held up on the other. Although moving slower, at least they were moving. Soon, a body of water was in sight. A lighthouse being the only sign of civilization. Zack set Cloud near a big rock and stretched out his tired arms. Akira sat against the rock as well, her gaze lifting up to Zack.

"What now?" she mumbled.

"Wait here," Zack ordered, heading to the beach.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be back. Just wait here."

Akira watched Zack walk away, but decided not to follow. She heard Cloud groan and spun his way. She rolled her eyes at herself and ran a hand through her hair.

"I've got to stop getting my hopes up so high," she told herself.

Akira reminded herself again that he was probably just having another nightmare. It had been occurring quite constantly for the past day. She pulled Cloud closer to her comfortingly and let him lay on her lap. She sighed, leaning against the rock and trying to relax.

xxx

"Damnit. Where do I go from here?" Zack groaned.

Whilst mumbling to himself, Zack didn't notice a small red-headed Turk coming his way. At least, he made it seem that way. He stopped his mumbling and grinned.

"Hey Cissnei. Been a while," Zack exclaimed suddenly.

The girl was startled and stopped in her tracks. She looked away, realization kicking in.

"Zack…The fugitive sample, is it you?" she asked.

"It would appear so," Zack answered.

"What…did they do to you in that place?"

Zack sadly stared out at the sea. He turned his head with a small smile.

"Well, this and that," he answered, smile slowly fading.

Cissnei lowered her gaze, the leather of her gloves stretching against her fists. Zack turned around, not even trying to smile anymore.

"So, Cissnei. You're here to take us back, right?" he asked.

Cissnei's eyes glazed over with tears.

"Please, just walk away!" Zack cried. "I thought we could outrun the army.

But the Turks are a different story."

"Zack, I'm sorry…" Cissnei started, pulling out a giant, red shuriken. "This is my job. If you want to escapes, you have to…"

Cissnei hesitated before pulling back her arm and throwing it. Zack pulled out his sword and block the blow. Cissnei's weapon whizzed back toward her and landed upright in the sand. She took a quick glance at the weapon and turned back to Zack, taking a few steps forward. Zack held out his sword defensively and she stopped.

"Step back," he ordered. "Next time, I'll really have to…"

Zack sighed and ran off, heading back to where he left Akira and Cloud.

xxx

Akira had almost fallen asleep when Zack returned. She leaned Cloud back against the rock and stood up.

"Zack, what's going on!? Are you okay?" Akira questioned frantically.

"I'm fine. I just ran into an old friend," Zack said as confidently as he could.

He stepped forward and sat down next to the two.

"So, can we move on?" Akira asked.

"I noticed the Turks were here. It's too dangerous to move now. We'll rest here until morning," Zack explained. "Then we'll leave at dawn."

Akira looked away unsurely and Zack smiled.

"Eh, we'll be alright," he said, pulling Akira closer to him.

Before they could get too comfortable, Cissnei came back. Zack sprung to his feet and pulled out his sword. Akira stayed behind him, hovering over Cloud.

"Cissnei…" Zack growled.

"Cissnei?" Akira questioned, watching the two carefully.

"Wait. They're the other samples collected at Nibelheim?" Cissnei exclaimed.

Zack stepped further in front of Akira and Cloud.

"Why did you come here? I told you to go away!" Zack spat back.

"That boy doesn't look well Zack. Is he alright?"

Akira instinctively held onto Cloud tighter, her arms trembling.

"Mako addiction. Severe case," Zack replied.

"The experiments, isn't it?"

"Yeah…"

Everything grew silent, only Akira's shaky breaths being heard. In the silence, Cissnei reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell-phone. Akira stood up and ran to Zack.

"Hey!" Zack hollered.

Cissnei held out a hand for silence. Akira and Zack stopped and listened.

"Tseng, I've lost the target," she lied.

Zack and Akira were taken aback. They stared at Cissnei with wide eyes as she closed her phone and placed it back in her pocket.

"That's how it is…so get away safely," she said simply.

She began to walk away with a small smile. Zack walked toward her, telling Akira to stay back.

"Cissnei!" he called after her. She turned back around. "…Thank-you."

Cissnei grinned and walked back to him.

"Here's a present," she said, holding out her hand.

Zack took it but Akira couldn't see what it was.

"If you trust me, then use it," she said as she began to walk away again.

Zack smiled and put the item in his pocket. Akira slowly walked to Zack and gently grabbed his arm. Zack looked away from where Cissnei was and to Akira.

"What'd she give you?" Akira asked, looking at the hand in his pocket.

Zack smirked and pulled out two identical silver keys. The Shinra logo was imprinted on each.

"Those look the keys to your…" Akira began.

Zack smiled brightly and jingled the keys.

"Sweet!" Akira exclaimed. "We're so out of here!"

xxx

A wild storm still raged through current day Midgar. It had grown so dark that at a distance, the sparks of swordplay were all that could be seen. The mysterious rain had long washed away Cloud's geostigma, but his arm still ached. The fight had gone on for far too long. He and Sephiroth had been on top of, inside of, and on the edge of almost every building in the area. Half way through it, Cloud just found himself running. Running away as fast as he could, trying to avoid a confrontation at all costs. After stopping a stinging blow from Sephiroth, Cloud escaped to a rooftop. Feeling somewhat safe and completely exhausted, he collapsed to his hands and knees. Without more than a few second to rest, Sephiroth reappeared. Cloud quickly rolled out of the way and brought his sword up to block.

"I hope Akira's faring better than this," Cloud groaned quietly, trying to keep his arm steady.

xxx

"Shinra makes good stuff!" Zack explained over the roar of the Shinra motorcycle.

Akira nodded from behind him, keeping a hand on Cloud's shoulder. His eyes

were glazed over, his skin more pale than usual.

"How much longer?" Akira asked.

"Don't know," Zack answered.

Akira scowled and let go of Cloud for a minute to put a hand on Zacks.

"Do you even know where we're going?"

"Anywhere but here…"

Akira rolled her eyes and put her hand back on Cloud's shoulder. A highway stretched out before them. The Turks were nowhere to be seen and but the sun was slowly rising above the horizon.

xxx

Still on the roof, Cloud and Sephiroth were still trying to gain the upper hand of each other. With one powerful kick, Sephiroth sent Cloud crashing into a wall. Just as Cloud began to stand, Sephiroth plunged his sword through Cloud's shoulder and into the wall behind him. Cloud muffled a cry and instantly brought up his other hand to try and pull it out. Sephiroth watched with a grin as Cloud struggled to get free. Cloud began to calm down and Sephiroth glared at him seriously.

"Where's the girl?" Sephiroth asked.

Cloud said nothing. He stayed silent even as Sephiroth twisted the sword in his shoulder. Sephiroth grinned again.

"You don't know?"

Cloud looked down and shook his head.

"You ran away?" Sephiroth chuckled. "Is that all you know how to do?"

Cloud still said nothing.

"Hard to believe that you left your little girl with the guys who killed your best friend."

Cloud steadily grew angrier, still keeping a hand on the sword in his shoulder.

"Just look at you. What do you have left to live for Cloud?"

Cloud stopped. Maybe Sephiroth was right. What did he have to live for? Before now, Akira was all he had and he didn't even know if she was still alive. A small laugh interrupted Cloud's thoughts. He saw Marlene and Denzel, smiling, looming over a little pink bundle. Cloud shot Sephiroth and angry glare and ripped the sword from his shoulder. He grabbed his own sword and made a swing at Sephiroth. Sephiroth jumped out of the way, holding his sword whose tip dripped crimson blood.

"I pity you. You just don't get it at all," Cloud growled.

He lunged at Sephiroth and the two were quickly airborne. Cloud swung his sword behind him and it began to glow a bright blue.

"There's not a thing I don't live for," he exclaimed.

Cloud threw out his sword, ready to finish what he started.

xxx

After an hour with no signs of life, it figures a Shinra copter would be the first to show. Zack pulled over quickly and turned off the bike's headlights. The copter was heading toward Midgar and it looked like it had come from the same direction as they had. Zack waited for it to leave there sight before continuing down the road.

"I wonder what they're up to…" Akira thought out loud.

A loud explosion stopped them again. Upon turning around, they saw the Nibelheim reactor go up in flames.

xxx

It didn't take long for Akira to fall asleep after the highway was behind them. She had one arm wrapped tightly around Zack's waist and the other still on Cloud shoulder. The bike drifted to a stop. Zack looked at the fuel gauge and groaned. Akira slowly woke up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Zack stood up and went around to the front of the bike.

"Shit…" he grumbled.

"What's wrong?" Akira asked.

"We're out of fuel…" he answered, running a hand down his face.

A large horn startled them both. A huge flatbed truck was beside them. A grubby, middle-aged man leaned out the window.

"Need a lift?" he asked.

"Thank God," Akira mumbled.

"Yeah, thanks…" Zack replied.

Zack went to Cloud and carefully lifted him from the bike. He set him down in the bed of the truck, leaning him against the edge. He turned back to Akira and helped her up. The two sat by the window to the truck, facing Cloud. The driver grinned, telling them to hold on, and sped off down the road.

Akira stared blankly at Cloud, fear starting to make her shudder. Zack watched her stare, eventually pulling her close.

"You look nervous…" he started.

"A little," Akira replied, still staring at Cloud.

"You'll be fine. You weren't in there as long as Cloud."

"I guess…"

Akira finally took her eyes off Cloud and tried to relax. Zack leaned his head back, ready to sleep.

"Hey Zack?" Akira questioned, almost too quietly to hear.

"What?" Zack answered, sleepily.

"If I never went back in time…do you think…would any of this have

happened?"

Zack looked down at her suddenly in confusion. But Akira's face was serious, and a little upset.

End of Chapter Twenty

A/N: School is finally over so I'll have a lot more time for writing. Even though this story only has a couple of chapters left, you can be sure to see more stories in the future.