I know, I know, it's short. Deal with it. Hojo and Reeve are fighting over who's going next. Zack got fend up with them both though and butted in. Cloud was rather grateful.

The bright, never-ending lights were really starting to get to Zack. A few rocks and a slingshot were now on the top of his wish list, right between his sword and a lock pick. Of course, he wasn't really picky, he'd be happy with just about anything right now just to take out the annoying artificial illuminations.

Partly to distract himself from the lights, and partly to use pent-up energy, Zack hopped on to his cot, tilted and twisted his body until he was doing a handstand, his heels lightly kicking the wall separating him and Cloud. Once he was secure in his balance, arms only slightly straining, Zack started doing pushups.

A few minutes later Cloud's voice filtered through. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, Spike… Arh… Did I wake you?"

"Kinda hard to sleep like this."

"Urh… Yeah, I gotcha."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I'm… uhh… doing pushups. Handstand… arh…style."

"Why?"

"'Cause."

Zack grinned when he heard Cloud snort in amusement. He was pleased that Cloud was starting to relax around him. He was also glad that the blonde hadn't gone into a full blown flashback during Rufus's little visit those few hours ago. Ifrit's balls, they didn't need anyone in Shinra knowing the connection between Cloud and Seph. That's a whole lot of worms they'd never be able to get back in the can.

Gritting his teeth not from the strain of holding himself up by only his palms, Zack entertained a few mental images of what he'd like to do to a certain, prissy white coated snobby blonde, none of them pleasant. Well, at least not on Rufus' end anyway. It wasn't just for the line of questioning that the man had taken – though that certainly played a part – but that fact that they were trapped here in the first place. Rufus might not be in charge of this whole little operation but he certainly was a part of it. As far as Zack was considered, the whole Shinra Company was responsible. He was torn between just getting Cloud out of here and watching the whole place burn down until it was ash and twisted metal.

Huh, guess he was in a worst mood than he thought if he was thinking like Sephiroth. Damn, he really needed to get out of here.

Something caught his eye and Zack paused in mid-push in an attempt to figure it out only to be forcefully reminded that gravity didn't stop doing its job just because you forgot about it. Mako enhanced reflexes saved his head from slamming into the metal edge of the cot but not from the hard, un-giving floor.

"Zack! What happened?!"

"Ow…" Zack stared dazedly up at the ceiling having landed on his back in his unsuccessful fight with gravity. "Stupid gravity… stupid floor…"

A relieved sigh seeped through the grate. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah."

"Good 'cause I don't think we have medical insurance here."

Zack couldn't help the snort then laugh that broke through his lips. After a minute he added, "Yeah, plus, the doctors here aren't all that pretty." That earned him a bemused snort in return and Zack grinned at the ceiling.

A faint movement from above him drew his eyes back to what had interrupted his workout session and he found that he hadn't really been seeing things. In fact, from this angle he could just make out an outline of… something in the ventilation shaft that was opposite the one he and Cloud talked through; this shaft though disappearing into the walls and surrounding building. Zack watched it for a moment, semi-feigning that he was in more pain then he really was. When it didn't move for several minutes – in fact it seemed to be watching him with those light reflecting eyes that grabbed his attention in the first place – Zack sat up, rolled his shoulders and pulled himself back to sit on the cot.

"Hey, Spike." The ex-Commander asked after a few moments of thoughtfulness.

"Yeah?"

"Are ya sure you can't fit into that ventilation shaft of yours?"

A heavy sigh. "Yes, Zack."

"I'm just saying, 'cause if you could then you could crawl around 'em and get us out of here."

"Didn't I say no to this plan a couple days ago?"

"I know, I know. I was just thinkin' that if you could get into the vents, it wouldn't be too hard crawl over to the guards lounge and grab a key card, sneak to the outside hall and open the doors to freedom."

"What's bringing this on?"

"Oh, just boredom and minor head injuries."

Cloud scoffed but Zack just let his smile grow. The watching shadow was gone.