The events of the meeting left a bad taste in Estu's mouth. So Deepground's coming here? One day to prepare - at least they had that much. Still, he didn't want to fight them. Things would be so much simpler if he managed to get the files without alerting them of his identity, but no – his life wasn't allowed to be simple, was it? As long as Weiss remains alive, it'll be fine. I don't care about the rest of them. But then, there would come a time when he had to beat AVALANCHE to Weiss… Best not to think about that just yet, he told himself.

Marlene stood with him, watching as Cid spoke with the other adults. "So… there's really going to be another fight tomorrow?" she asked Estu.

"It looks that way," he said.

"They'll never know what hit 'em, right Estu? Fire and Ice! All over them!"

"Marlene, what are you talking about?" he asked.

"Fighting Deepground. They've never fought me before! I'm like a secret weapon," she said.

"No!" he said, shaking his head. "Are you completely insane? You don't get to fight tomorrow."

"What?" she asked, disappointed. "But… why? You said I'm really good at magic, and that's the whole point of you teaching me how to fight, isn't it? So I can help battle?"

"The point was so you can defend yourself, just in case you needed to. A little fight isn't the same as this. This is… I've never been in a battle this big before! You aren't ready. Not even close!"

"But…" She sighed. "Okay… I don't want to just sit on the side lines though…"

"I'm sorry." Marlene stayed quiet and kicked up some dust. Estu hated to admit it, but he really didn't want her to get hurt. He didn't think he was being overly protective, though. And besides, the others would never let her fight, especially those who didn't know what she was capable of. "You'll get your chance some day. Just not tomorrow, all right?" he asked.

"Okay…"

"We'll keep working on your fighting the next few days… maybe once we get to Nibelheim, Vincent or Yuffie can finish helping you learn?"

"After you leave?"

"…Yeah. After I leave," he said.

"Hey, Estu!" Denzel called. Estu looked up briefly. "Hey, Cid and them wanna know if you're fighting tomorrow."

"Yeah. I am." Like I really have a choice! Stupid Deepground… can't these people just take over the world, but leave me out of it?

"Hey, cool!" Denzel said. "We can fight together like in Junon, huh?"

"…So they're letting you battle?"

Denzel awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Well… I haven't exactly asked yet. But Cid will let me, I'm sure. Anyway, if you need armor or equipment, or any of that, the people in the shops will loan you some. That's what Nanaki was saying, anyway."

"That's good. I need to get my sword resharpened at least." Those plants in Gongaga had really done a number to the blade.

"Denzel?" Marlene said quietly.

"Huh? Oh, hey. Didn't notice you. What's up?" he asked.

"Do you think…? Can we play some today?"

"No, I'm busy," he said.

"Well… I could just help you get ready for the fight?" she asked.

"I don't really need you getting in my way. Anyway, see you guys later," Denzel said, walking away.

"No one has time for me anymore," Marlene said. She kicked a pebble across the ground, looking both annoyed and sad. "Ever since… well, ever since we left Edge, Denzel's been all busy. After you leave, I won't have anyone even close to my age to talk to."

"…I'm sorry. Once all this is over with, I'm sure Denzel will have more spare time."

"Maybe. But, when will that be? If he's really going to be a part of AVALANCHE now… Estu, are we friends?"

The question surprised him a bit. "Um…" he said, trying to think. In truth, he had never really thought of anyone as a friend. Not that he couldn't make friends…well, maybe that was part of it – he just couldn't relate to other people. Plus, his paranoia tended to get the best of him, and people always seemed a bit put off by him… But he'd also lived most of his life on the road. Always moving, neither he nor Ami (even though she was a self-described social butterfly) had much time to make any meaningful connections. Not that it mattered too much. Estu never liked talking to people. Marlene was, in many ways, the first person outside his family that really knew him. And though she was an ally of sorts, he wasn't sure about 'friends.' They were friends because of circumstances … in a very odd way, he supposed…

"I guess," Estu said. "But you know that doesn't really mean much."

"Yeah. I know." Estu looked up at her eyes. They seemed so dull… so melancholy. It was such a contrast from what was usual for her.

"Listen… why don't we go up to the shops? I don't really know where anything is here." That wasn't true, exactly. He had a very good sense of direction, but she just seemed so depressed.

"Okay!" she said, smiling and cheerful again.

I wonder how much of that cheeriness is an act… She gets so upset sometimes, but never lets it show. Does she do that for her benefit, or everyone else's? It can't be for hers… no… she doesn't want them to worry. She's much more affected by everything that's going on than people realize. She's just too damn happy for them to know she isn't! I hate it, but… no. I don't care. All she is is some kid. She isn't like you. No one is. You need to focus. I don't care about her… Crap, I need to get away from these people. Soon.

They both walked back up to the upper floors of the structure. The heights, as always, made Estu dizzy and nervous. The only good thing about all this, he reflected, is that there's no flying today. When they reached the shops, Marlene pointed them all out. "So… the weapon shop is here, armor there."

"I hate armor," Estu muttered.

"Well, you don't wanna get hurt, right? You should at least get something for your arms… you got so cut up in that last fight. Look, see, scar, scar, scar…" She poked at his arms, finding the faint little likes left over from the fight in Costa del Sol.

"Would you stop touching me?" Estu asked, pulling his arm away.

Marlene pointed another out. "…That's a bad one."

"That one was from a cat," he said.

"Oh… well, still, it looks pretty rough. …Are you just doing that on purpose? Battle scars don't actually make you look that much tougher. It just means you lost a lot."

"What do you know about battle scars? Anyway, they're all pretty faint, they'll heal, eventually… I think…" He rubbed the one on his cheek again. That one had been pretty deep… didn't look like it was going away. "And I only got those because I was protecting your sorry self!"

"And you didn't wear armor."

"I didn't think I'd get in a fight like that!"

"Well, now you do know, so you should get some armor."

…Why is she so good at that? Estu sighed and walked over to the shops, handing over his wakizashi. "Careful with it! If you break it-"

"Estu, be nice." Why? …He better not hurt my sword.

Vincent watched as the soldiers below began preparations for the morning's siege. He didn't really have much to do. He'd get more ammo, but after that, he'd be ready to fight. For the time being, he would need to go between everyone else, getting everything ready – which meant, at least for the moment, assisting Yuffie while she got a decent magic using force together. Tifa was getting the organization details settled with Cid. Once that was done, she'd make sure the preparations ran smoothly. While Cid, with his sanguine personality, was the more leader-like of the two, he'd be pretty lost without her.

Denzel ran back from finding Estu. "He said he's fighting," Denzel said.

"Good…" Tifa said. "Now the Eastern and Southern walls are the most open, so we'll need to place more people there-"

"And I'm going to fight, too," Denzel asserted.

"Yeah… and that will give us a tactical advantage when… wait, what?" she asked. "You are not. You'll stay with the other children here."

"But!-"

"No 'buts.' You and Marlene need to stay safe, okay?"

"Estu gets to fight! Why don't I?" he asked.

"Because I'm not responsible for what he does. Besides, Estu is older than you."

"Not by much!"

"Four years?" Tifa asked. "That's a lot, Denzel."

"He's not really fourteen! Honestly, he doesn't have you fooled by that, does he?"

"Well, I haven't really paid much attention to him, to be honest. Now, you need to-"

"Tifa," Cid interjected, "he really is a decent fighter. Denzel could help us."

"Cid, that's not your call."

"Why not? Cid's the real leader here!" Denzel said.

Cid gave him a sharp look. "You need to listen to her."

"Why? She is NOT my mother! She needs to stop acting like she is!"

"Denzel, I may not be your real mother, but I do take care of you so-"

"So what?" he asked. "Your roof, your rules? Yeah, the Seventh Heaven's probably all torn up now. I don't have to listen to everything you say, I-"

"Apologize, now," Cid said, stopping him.

"Cid, I don't need your help," Tifa said. "We may not be in Edge, but the same rules apply, Denzel."

"Oh yeah? Well I'm fighting tomorrow, whether you like it or not, right Cid?"

"Kid, I just told you to apologize. I'm not sure why you think I'm switchin' sides now."

Denzel looked a bit taken aback. "…Fine! I'm sorry, Tifa. I'm sorry you're being such a-"

Vincent didn't think he'd ever seen Tifa so pissed. She drug Denzel up to the compound. Followed by Cid, who was yelling at him as well. He couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him, though he really asked for it. Yuffie watched the three of them as well, apparently more shocked than Vincent. "Wow."

"…"

"She's kinda angry, huh?"

"Just a little," Vincent said.

"…Wow. Denzel's gotten a bit… umm…"

"Tifa will probably straighten that out," Vincent noted.

"Yeah. So, while their busy with that, do you wanna start finding the best magic users? That's what Tifa put me in charge of."

"Yeah, I know. Are you actually sharing your collection with the general public for once?"

"Don't tell anyone. I've got a reputation, you know," she said, seriously.

"Of course. Couldn't have anyone think that you were being helpful."

Estu looked up from the armory to see Denzel making an odd face and sticking his tongue out. Tifa and Cid were with him as well. "You're lucky you got off as light as you did, kid."

"Cid, I still don't need your help. And I know he learned that word from you, so watch it. You're next."

"Ha… yeah…" Cid said nervously, walking away. Denzel walked up to Estu and Marlene, looking mortified.

"Have you guys ever tasted soap before?" he asked. They both shook their heads. "I don't recommend it."

"What did you say?" Marlene asked.

"Oh, I just called Tifa a… shoot! I can't even say it without tasting the soap…uck."

"So, I take it you can't fight?" Estu asked.

"No! I'm going to. …I just need to figure out how to convince them…" Denzel said.

"You should tell Tifa that you're sorry," Marlene said.

"Oh, who asked you?"

"No one."

"Yeah," Denzel said. "Maybe I can get Yuffie to put in a good word for me. Yeah! That'll work! Later!" He ran off again.

Marlene crossed her arms. "Why doesn't he listen to me? You thought that was a good idea, right?"

"I'm not really the best person to ask about this sort of stuff," Estu said. He adjusted one of the bracers on his arm. "I really hate armor."

"You should get some of those shoulder things… what are they called… pauldrons?"

"No, I really hate pauldrons."

"You'd look pretty awesome!"

"No, I'd look stupid. Do you really think I'd be able to pull that look off?"

"Pauldrons, long coat, and a giant sword," Marlene said. "You'd terrify everyone."

"Yeah, right. Like that would…" Estu suddenly realized just who she was describing. "Would you stop that? !"

"Stop what?" she asked.

"…Never mind. Let's get my sword and head to dinner, all right?"

The night air shook with the sounds of uneasy sleep. Vincent kept watch, moving around the compound, ready to raise alarm if he heard or saw any signs of Deepground. It had been five days since he'd gotten any rest at all, and he was starting to feel the ill effects. He could go longer, he knew that, but after everything that had happened, the prospect of lying down for a quick nap was growing more tempting. Just as long as the voices don't start up… Vincent thought.

The stirs of people waking up were welcomed. As the sun began to rise over the horizon, the canyon was eerily silent. It was almost as though the local wildlife knew ahead of time that something had gone wrong. The emptiness of the red canyon made it feel cold and strange, like an alien planet. Meanwhile, the compound was full of life, but there was a sense of dread in the air, now that the excitement of Cid's call to arms was, for the most part, forgotten. Vincent rubbed his eyes and instructed someone else to keep watch as he walked back towards the compound's center.

"It'll be soon," he said, looking over at Cid.

"Yeah," he replied, gripping a spear. "Nothin' yet though, right?"

"Not yet." They moved over to the Southern edge, with Denzel and Estu. "So he's fighting then?" Vincent asked, glancing back at Denzel.

"Yeah… Mostly 'cause we really need all the help we can get. Tifa and I worked it out."

"Well that's good."

Gunners, archers, and other long range fighters stood atop the surrounding rock formations, ready to fire at the sight of Deepground troops. Yuffie's dozen or so magic users stood in strategic spots all around the compound. Yuffie herself waited, along with Tifa and Nanaki, closer to the western edge of the compound. Vincent was still, preparing himself for anything. Denzel, Cid, and Estu stood near, each looking ready to spring into action. They all watched over the cliff's edge. Tension filled the air as seconds ticked by, slowly.

Vincent was the first to hear the sounds of airplanes, helicopters, and tanks. "They're coming," he said. Cid nodded and gave the signal to sound the alarms. The sound of horns echoed across the canyon's cliffs, drowning out the noise of Deepground forces, growing closer, closer.

"Barriers!" Vincent heard Yuffie shout. Glowing walls of light appeared, ready to shield the compound from the worst attacks. Vincent gripped Cerberus as the first vehicles carrying troops came into sight.

"Arite! Move out!" Cid shouted. He moved down from the elevated compound, while still staying within the protective barriers. Dozens followed, ready to fight Deepground head on. The clashing sounds of swords rang through the air as the battle began. Vincent kept his distance from the others, shooting at anyone who made it through the front lines. From his vantage point on the edge of the cliff, he could see the battle clearly, and fire at the enemy just close enough to be deadly accurate.

Denzel and Estu stood back to back, moving defensively and offensively. Denzel blocked hits with his staff and Estu struck with his sword when the enemy began to tire. They were two sides of a coin, fighting styles opposite but perfectly compatible.

Vincent saw several helmeted soldiers rushing in. Their movements were a bit stiff and unnatural, but they were fast and seemingly immune to pain and fear. Stratus. He shot at the helmets, but they were well made, the bullets did next to nothing. Denzel blocked the attacks of one while Estu desperately slashed at it, to no avail. Cid thrust his spear through one, and though the Stratus soldier was gravely injured, he kept fighting until he finally bled out.

Yuffie ran around the field, casting Regen over crowds of Whiteshirts, and throwing stars at any Deepground troops that came near her. She swiped at a few with her Shuriken, while casting Haste, letting her move across the field more quickly. Tifa fought against the few troops that approached the western edge of the compound. Moving fluidly from one stance to another, she punched and kicked at them. The poor soldiers had no idea what they had gotten themselves into before they flew back from the force of her attacks.

Still standing atop the small cliff, Vincent spotted the first Behemoth, slowly walking towards the battlefield. He slid down and ran towards it, trying to pry its protective helmet off. It flailed around, wildly swinging its arms, but this time, Vincent stayed steady and pulled at the helmet, finally getting it off. He fell back, landing on a jagged rock, but gritted his teeth and took a shot at the monster, killing it. But there were more of them approaching… along with another wave of Stratus soldiers.

A blur of red fur and fire rushed past him as Nanaki savagely clawed at the approaching troops. His coat was streaked with blood, and his teeth were bared as he bit down on one trooper's arm. In a feral trance, an adrenaline high, he probably had little idea what he was doing. In the heat of the battle Nanaki's instincts took over, rendering him a fearsome creature.

The battle went on as Cid stabbed at one of the Behemoths who had crossed the front lines with little resistance. In a moment of desperation, he pulled a stick of dynamite out of his pocket, but was thrown back by the monstrous soldier before he had a chance to light it. Vincent cast fire towards it, catching the Behemoth in the explosion right as it stepped over. It flew through the air, landing either dead or unconscious in a crumpled heap against one of the rock walls. Cid attempted to stand back up, but his leg buckled beneath him. Seeing he was injured, Vincent ran over.

"Come on," he said, "We need to get you back to the compound."

"I'm fine!" Cid said through gritted teeth. He tried standing, but collapsed again, gasping in pain. A sliver of white bone had pierced through his leg and trousers.

"You're done here," Vincent said gravely, putting Cid's arm around his shoulder.

"Just give me a #$%^ing potion! I'll be fine!"

"Not with a compound fracture…" Vincent said, dragging him back towards the medic station. When he managed to make his way inside the tent, he recoiled at the strong scent of potions and ethers mixed with blood and anesthetic. A flustered looking teenage girl helped set Cid on a cot, before using an ether and getting to work healing.

"I'll be back, right?" Cid asked, trying to watch the battle.

"I don't think so…" the girl said. "Someone help me set this!"

Vincent quickly ducked out of the tent. It made him uncomfortable. It was too much like a hospital… too much like a lab. He started to run back towards the battle still raging through the canyon, but was stopped at the sound of Yuffie's voice. "Vinnie!" she called. He walked over to her.

"Something wrong?" he asked, eyeing the field anxiously.

"Weiss," she said, out of breath. "Weiss is here."

"Here? Now?" Vincent asked, incredulously. "But he was going back to Edge… why?"

"I dunno, I'm just telling you what one of the sentries saw. So… you know what this means, right?"

"We can end this now," Vincent said, turning away.

"He's got a lot of protection… do you see where that helicopter is?" Vincent looked out at the distance and nodded. "Good luck, Vinnie," she said, looking a bit worried.

"You know that I'll be fine, right Yuffie?"

"Yeah. I know. Now go kick their asses, alright, Vince?" He nodded and turned, coat fluttering behind him as he made his way back down from the compound. Estu looked up as Vincent passed by him.

"Is it true? Weiss is here?" he asked. Vincent turned back towards him.

"Yes," he answered simply.

"Well… I mean what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to try to kill him."

"What?" Estu asked. "No! You can't!"

"And why not?" Vincent kept walking back toward the battle and Estu followed, leaving Denzel behind.

"It's … It's suicide! He's surrounded by protection. You'll die."

"I won't die," Vincent said, firing at one of the soldiers a few yard away.

"You don't know that!" Estu said.

"Actually, I do."

Estu shook his head, running to keep up. "I'm going with you then." Vincent didn't have time to protest. He and Estu fought their way through crowds of Stratus soldiers and normal troops. Vincent cast thunder, disabling one of the helicopters that was flying towards the others. Estu dodged hits, using both his sword and knife to slash and stab at the surrounding enemies. "Just listen for a minute! You know he's Deepground's leader, he isn't going to let you kill him. Just … let's go help everyone else fight!" said Estu, desperation sounding through his voice.

"You can do that if you want," Vincent replied. They had gotten through the worst of the battle field, and the helicopter wasn't much further away. A man in a white lab coat walked out of the helicopter, a slow, cruel smirk spread across his face. Weiss… So we meet again. Vincent raised his gun, aiming for the doctor's head.

"No! Don't!" But he pulled the trigger anyway, sending a trio of bullets towards the man. There was a flash of silver and Weiss still stood, unharmed as a Stratus soldier blocked the bullets with a large sword. The old man smiled again, signaling for the troops surrounding him to move forward. Estu and Vincent fought against them as they approached, but the sheer number of them left the two struggling. Vincent, surrounded by foes, lashed out with his claw, still trying to get a clear shot at Weiss.

"Kill the one in red, but leave the boy alive for now," Weiss instructed the sword wielding Stratus soldier. The soldier swung at Vincent who tried to jump back. He dodged the swings, trying to get near enough to attack, but the size of the sword prevented him from getting too close. Estu struggled against the enemies as well, getting knocked back by one of the Behemoths, dropping his sword. The giant picked him up and Estu struggled against its grip, trying to get free. Another swing from the sword-wielding foe distracted Vincent. He ran back a bit and readied his gun. Another trooper swung with a hammer, knocking Cerberus out of Vincent's hand. He eyed the Stratus soldier, dodging attacks.

"Let me go!" Estu yelled, still struggling against the large foe. He looked around wildly making eye contact with Vincent, who still dodged. Just as he thought he found the Stratus soldier's pattern of attack, he changed it, stabbing forward with the sword right into Vincent's chest.

"No!" Estu shouted, unable to do anything but watch as the stratus soldier continued to strike at Vincent. Stay up. Stay up. Vincent struggled against the onslaught of attacks, trying to defeat the foe. There was intense pain where he'd been stabbed and he struggled just to stay conscious. Keep fighting. You can end this now! But the soldier stabbed again with the sword, this time, Vincent felt as it pierced through him, an exit wound on his back. His mind grew hazy as he struggled to ignore the agony of the blow. You can end this… you can end this now. But it was too much, even for him. He fell forward into a pool of his own blood as the soldier pulled the sword back.

"No! Vincent!" Estu yelled, staring at the fallen man. No… no! I told him! No! "Vincent!" he yelled again in desperation.

"Save your breath, thief," Weiss said. "After all, you don't want to spend the last moments of your life talking to a dead man, do you?"

"Let me go!" Estu struggled against the Behemoth's firm grip. "You bastard! Let me go! Fight me like a man, you coward!"

"You aren't going to goad me into releasing you, thief. That may have worked on my idiot of a son, though… kudos for that, I suppose…" Weiss strolled over. "Lower him a bit, would you?" The Behemoth wordlessly obliged. Fear gripping him, Estu shut his eyes.

"Now then…" Weiss began. "You've stolen something. I'd like it back."

"Why? You'll just kill me either way!" Estu said, eyes still closed.

Weiss laughed before clearing his throat. "Hmmph. Very acute prediction. Yes. I plan on killing you either way… but there are much slower ways to kill someone, you know… Crueler ways… Death by a thousand tiny cuts? Or then there's starvation… of course if you cooperate, it could be much simpler. A quick bullet? Or if you'd prefer my… henchman, if you will, could simply drop you over the side of that cliff. A bit messy, but quick. Except the way down… falling, it would take a while… falling."

Estu made an involuntary noise in fear. "Don't like that idea? Haha. I suppose if you don't cooperate then I could let you dangle off of a cliff… suspend you from the helicopter and cut you so you bleed out slowly. You can avoid that though. Tell me where you've hidden my files."

"Never!"

Weiss sighed. "Oh, you hero types… always so difficult. Though you don't look like much of a hero now… quaking just in fear of my voice. Tell me, thief, do you think you're you a hero?"

"N- no," Estu answered.

"Hmmph… surprising…" Weiss said, quietly. "But then you're simply a coward… why don't you look me in the eye, thief?" Estu ignored him, taking a shaky breath and turning his head away. "I said to look me in the eye," he commanded. Estu felt cold fingers grip his chin, turning his head back towards Weiss. "…Open your eyes, thief. See your death."

"L- let me go!" Estu said again. He felt a sharp knife at his side.

"You've got determination… that's pretty apparent. Unfortunately, you and I share that quality." The point of the knife dug into his side a bit. Estu bit his lip, refusing to cry out in pain. "You think you're brave? Shutting your eyes in fear… has to be the most idiotic act of rebellion I've ever seen. Now, open your damn eyes." Estu did, slowly, if only to find some way out. He looked around… nothing. Nothing to save him - just Weiss's dark, almost black eyes. They felt as though they were piercing into his very soul. He looked off to the side, avoiding them.

"See… better, don't you think. Now I'll ask one more time, because I'm a nice guy. Where are my files?" Estu said nothing and felt the knife at his side again.

"Ack!"

"Look at me! Where are… they? …" Weiss paused giving Estu a scrutinizing look. "Your eyes…" An unreadable expression passed over Weiss's features as he stared. "…So. Some of you survived then?" Estu stayed silent, bracing himself for another stab with the knife. "…You lived… so which are you then?" When Estu said nothing, Weiss's expression went to crazed anger. "Which are you! ?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Estu said, trying to look away.

"Yes you do! Now which one are you? Two? They always liked Two… No? Are you Two?"

"What?"

"Then Five? That's who you are… No. No… I saw Five's corpse. Are you… is it possible? Are you… Four?"

"I don't-"

"ARE YOU FOUR?" Weiss shouted. Estu kicked at him, but the Behemoth simply jerked him away. "Put him down! Now." Estu fell, landing on his knee. The point of Weiss's knife pricked his throat. "If you are… tell me now. Who are you?"

"I… I don't know!" Estu said, trying to back away from the knife.

"That isn't good enough. I want to know. Are you-" A gunshot rang through the air. A bullet caught Weiss's arm, and his knife clattered to the ground. Weiss looked around, pain and rage burning in his eyes. "Damn it! I told you to kill the one in red!" He cradled his arm staring at Vincent, doubled over in pain, but aiming a shaking gun. He took another shot at Weiss, but the bullets were blocked again by the Stratus soldier body guard. "Kill him!" Weiss held his arm and made his way back to the helicopter. Estu stood, pain burning from the wound at his side, but he grabbed his sword and rushed after Weiss. Another swing from the Behemoth threw him backwards.

He stood again, jumping up and prying the helmet off of the monster before stabbing it. The Behemoth fell, along with Estu. Meanwhile, Vincent struggled again against the Stratus soldier, managing to slash at his arm with his claw. The helicopter started up and the Stratus soldier ran back to it as it rose off the ground. Vincent took aim, trying to get one last shot at Weiss. The bullets missed, and he fell from another burst of pain. Estu watched as the helicopter flew away.

"…I missed," Vincent said, still holding his chest. "Shit! He was right there! And I missed!" Estu stared at him as he threw his gun down in uncharacteristic anger. "I missed! Ow…"

"You're hurt… how are you even alive right now?" Estu asked.

"I'll be fine… worry about yourself. You're bleeding." Estu looked down at his side, and cast a restore spell. Vincent stood, still shaking. "I can't believe…" he shook his head. He tried taking a breath, but seemed to have trouble with it. "We need to get back to the others. Are you okay?"

"Are you?" Estu asked, still amazed that Vincent was standing.

"Just give me a minute…" Vincent examined the wound, surprisingly it was shallow, well shallow compared to earlier. He took another breath as it closed up on its own.

"How did you…?"

"No time. We need to go," Vincent said, running back up the where the battle took place. Estu followed behind as the ran to help finish off the remnants of the Deepground attackers.

Vincent shot a trio of bullets at one of the last Stratus soldiers standing. The few free minded Deepground troops were long gone, and the only foes remaining were those who were there unwillingly. How many? How many people has Weiss done this to? He still couldn't believe he'd missed his chance at killing him. Tifa and Yuffie took down one last Behemoth while Nanaki howled and lunged at the last Stratus soldier's throat. Vincent tiredly looked away. The defense of Cosmo Canyon had been successful… why then did he feel like such an utter failure? He stood outside while the others went back to the compound, delivering news of their already decided victory. After a few minutes, Cid hobbled out of the medic tent, leg heavily bandaged. "We won, Vince!" he said, grinning.

"Yeah… we won. Weiss is still alive, though."

"Don't beat yourself up for it. No one even expected him to show up, so nothin' lost, right?"

"I guess."'

"We're gonna have to see where we are, but I don't think there were many casualties. My leg got #$%^ed up, but other than that, everyone's alright."

"Right."

"…Vincent, it'll be fine. We'll get that sick bastard. Mark my words," Cid said. Vincent nodded, looking back at the compound. The sounds of celebration already echoing throughout the canyon as the others learned of the overwhelming victory against Deepground. It looked as though someone had found fireworks, and rockets burst into color, high above the Cosmo Canyon. "Be happy, Vince. We won."

"Yeah… we did. This is really the first time… isn't it? If you don't count Costa del Sol…"

"I'll count that. So we're two for two now," Cid said. The tide of the war was turning it seemed. And this time, Deepground gained nothing. Next time… Vincent thought, next time will be a real victory. Next time Weiss dies.

Estu stood with Marlene and Denzel, watching as the fireworks burst over the canyon. "So you really saw Weiss?" Denzel asked, looking jealous. Estu nodded. "So... what was he like?"

"Scary," Estu replied. Weiss's words were still with him... the haunting familiarity of his voice... the soul piecing eyes. Somehow, Weiss seemed much more than an evil old man. He was the stuff of nightmares. And then there was that reaction when he really looked at Estu... recognition. He knows me... how? The connection between him and Weiss was unclear, but there was no denying that it was there. He would need to find out. Next time... Estu thought, next time I figure it out. I have to know.