A/N1: Just a quick note. I have changed the rating for this due to the nature of this chapter and a couple of the ones yet to come. Mostly to be on the safe side. You'll see what I mean, though nothing is graphic. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 19 – Terms

Clarissa was lost in a sea of broken images and thoughts that slipped away before she could grasp them. Even so, she knew there was something else she needed to be doing. Vaguely, she realized she must be dreaming, but that didn't help her. No matter how hard she tried to focus, things wouldn't coalesce. It wasn't until she started hearing voices that she was able to make any sense at all.

They were fuzzy and far away at first, but when they became clear enough to understand, she suddenly realized it wasn't a dream. Not all of it anyway. She was having difficulties comprehending what was said, but she recognized one of the voices, and she knew she needed to listen. To do that, she needed them to believe she was still out of it. At least long enough for her to try and understand what was going on.

She somehow managed to steady her breathing and turned all her focus to the words. The voice she didn't recognize was the next to speak. "Will you submit her to the same treatment you have the rest of the Soldiers then? Will she become a Raven?"

The voice she recognized as Fuhito's made a disgusted noise. "Of course not, idiot. Do you not realize the potential she represents? Not only is she the single example of a woman that can handle mako, but I have seen proof that she assimilated with the Jenova cells she was subjected to. She has already mutated, but there are no signs that she will ever degrade. And that is only the beginning. Imagine what we could do with a new generation of enhanced Soldiers that are all that way from birth."

The other voice huffed and seemed to get a little farther away before he responded. "Of course, you can breed her, but she's only one person."

Fuhito scoffed. "You think too small. There is no need for her to carry the children. We can harvest her eggs and either use surrogates or insemination tanks. The possibilities are endless. Plus, I have plans for her that do not include children. Not for now."

The unfamiliar voice didn't respond right away. Clarissa nearly lost it when he was much closer when he spoke again. "You want her to fight for you, but that isn't going to happen. Not without breaking her."

Fuhito's voice was also much nearer when he answered. "I have some ideas. Nothing will happen right away, but we have time. No one knows where we are, and even if they looked in this area, they wouldn't find us. I will be able to find the right combination to make her the weapon we need."

Clarissa heard the sound of shuffling papers for several seconds before the unfamiliar voice finally responded. "You said the same thing about Elfe and see where she is now."

It was hard to miss the note of rage in Fuhito's voice when he spoke next. "I miscalculated when I decided not to take more drastic measures with her. I thought we could rely on her memory loss and gratitude. That is a mistake I will not repeat."

The other voice sighed gustily before he spoke as he seemed to be walking away. "Well, you are right that we are well hidden. You know where you can find me if you need help. I'll leave this to you."

There was a disgusted scoff from Fuhito after the sound of a door closing rang through the room. After that, the only things Clarissa could hear were muffled footsteps and shuffling papers. That didn't mean she relaxed. She was just waiting for Fuhito to leave as well, so she could try to figure out how to get the hell out of the bindings across her body.

After several minutes she was finally awake enough to try to coordinate movements without tipping the man off. She tried to minutely move her limbs. Just enough to see if there was any give for her to work with. She wanted to scream when she realized she could hardly move more than her fingers. Still, she wasn't ready to give up. She wasn't without resources, as long as she was awake.

She was so concentrated on her ruse that she hadn't heard when Fuhito moved closer. Her eyes jerked open, and she had to bite back a scream when she felt a hand on her face and a voice next to her head. "I know you have been awake since before Hollander left. You can stop pretending."

Her heart was still racing, but she jerked her head away from his touch before she gave him a glare. "Don't touch me."

He chuckled and stood up. "I'm afraid I can't comply with that request. You see, the two of us are going to get to know each other very well over the next few months. There so many things to do, after all."

While he spoke, he had gone to a control panel. At the touch of a button, the table Clarissa was strapped to tilted so that she was almost in a standing position. If it were not for the multiple bars and straps across her midriff and limbs, she might have slid off. She almost despaired as she realized just how well he had her trussed up. Even so, she didn't let him see it as she answered. "The only thing you need to know about me is that I plan to make you regret this. That is if Genesis doesn't get to you first."

He tsked at her as he walked back to face her. "Don't worry. I do have plans to reunite you with your husband, but there is much to do first."

Clarissa wished he would get a little closer so she could just headbutt him. Unfortunately, he only came as close as the machine she was hooked to before he continued. "Unfortunately, there is still much to prepare before we can get started. For now, it would be best that you sleep. Don't worry. We are making sure you have all that you need to survive."

When he pressed a button on the vertical panel, Clarissa felt a familiar rush of cold enter her arm, and she snarled at him. "You have no idea what you are unleashing. You are a dead man."

Her words had already started to slur by then, and she barely heard his response. "That attitude is unfortunate, but I'm sure we can come to some compromise."

Clarissa wanted to snarl, to scream, to thrash around and try to break the bonds that kept her tied to the table. She was able to do none of it as a wave of blackness drowned her once more.

Clarissa had been missing for twenty-eight hours when Genesis stormed into Sephiroth's office. The General was far from the only one there. Both Angeal and Zack were also there, along with a couple of other Seconds. Those two nearly bolted for the door as soon as Genesis was through it. They all knew what had happened, and none of them wanted to stick around to see how the Commander would react.

As soon as the door shut, Zack shocked them all when he stepped forward with a frown. He barely managed to look Genesis in the eye before he spoke. "Commander Rhapsodos, I want to apologize. I was the one on guard duty last night, and I failed Clarissa."

Fire flashed through Genesis's eyes, and he lunged forward with his fist up before anyone else could speak. Zack cringed and shut his eyes, but otherwise didn't move. He had fully expected to be hit when he gave his apology. However, his eyes jerked open in the next second when he heard a loud thud without any pain. He stared in shock as the General held Genesis's fist.

It was several tense seconds before the Commander stepped back with a snarl, though Sephiroth preempted his accusations. "Don't blame Zack. He did his job and managed to hold them back long enough for Clarissa to wake and take care of things. There were just too many of them. No one thought they would try something so bold inside the city."

Genesis glared at them all before he turned and paced several feet away. They all watched as his fists clenched, and fire licked up around his wrists. It was several moments before the flame covered fist slammed into the wall. Sephiroth glared at the blackened impact mark on his office wall but didn't reprimand his Commander. Not this time.

Although he did preempt Genesis from speaking when the man turned back around. "We have resources searching around the clock. We do not yet know where to look, but we have already sent out an alert to all operatives outside the city. They are combing each place from here to the sea for any sight of a pair of unmarked helos."

Genesis looked like he was about to start yelling, but his attention was grabbed when three little heads popped up from the other side of the desk. He hadn't realized the boys had been sleeping on a pallet back there, as none of them wanted to be out of Sephiroth's sight. Not with Clarissa gone.

Genesis's glare had transferred to the three boys. If not for them, his wife would not have been forced to make the sacrifice that got her captured. Though his anger at them faded quickly when he saw the pain and rage reflected back at him. He sighed and roughly ran a gloved hand down his face as he realized those three probably missed their 'Sister' as much as any of them.

He finally took a calming breath and turned to Sephiroth with a frown this time instead of a death-glare. "What is the next step?"

Sephiroth relaxed a little when he realized Genesis was at least willing to stay calmish so they could find the missing First. Though, he wished he had better news. "Right now, the only thing we can do is wait. We can't leave the city unprotected, but we did send out as many helos and troops as we could spare to tighten the net. Once we secure a direction, we will move out. Until then, it would be counterproductive for us to try and leave when it could be a false lead."

Genesis looked like he was about to start yelling again. It was only the sight of the frowning boys that made him bite his tongue. He managed to keep an even tone when he answered. "Where was she seen last?"

Sephiroth gave him a warning look, but he brushed it aside as he continued. "I won't leave the city, but you can't expect me to be idle. My wife-" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

It was worse when Sephiroth and Angeal both gave him sympathetic looks. Sephiroth's voice was low when he spoke. "She was staying in the apartment on Loveless. All of your things are still there as well. The only things that have been brought back here were the boy's clothes."

Genesis gave him a tired nod before he turned to leave. The only reason any of the others heard him as he walked away was that they were enhanced. "Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost, dreams stripped away, the end is nigh."

Genesis had not slept since he had received the news about Clarissa. He had been so impatient to get back to Midgar that he even took a turn driving to make better time. Still, now that he had arrived and there were no new updates, he was restless. He could go for days without sleep if it were necessary, but it wasn't physical exhaustion that was bothering him. He felt lost, something he had only experienced once before. At that time, it wasn't long before he had a course to direct his energy into, even if he hadn't known the way things would turn out. It was better than giving up. Now, he had no idea what to do.

He couldn't argue with Sephiroth's logic. It would be pointless to leave on a wild goose chase only to find out later that she was on the other side of the world. Midgar was the best place to wait until they had any clues. Not that he was sure he could wait long. He was ready to let the world burn until he got what he wanted.

When he finally made it to the apartment, he glared at the boarded-up windows. It was a temporary solution until they could be fixed, but they were also a blatant reminder of the events that had gone on barely more than a day ago. He picked his way through the broken furniture and scattered books. The sight of them made his ire rise, but it was a candle next to the sustained rage at the idea of having his wife taken.

When he made it to the bedroom, he froze at the sight of the rumpled sheets. It took no effort for him to picture her curled up in them. He could even see the boys sleeping next to her. It brought a twisted smile to his lips.

He tried to banish those thoughts and find something else to focus on. It was a lost cause as he moved to sit on the side of the bed. He grabbed the pillow without thought. As he brought it closer, he could still smell her scent faintly. He pulled his hand back as though he were going to throw it across the room, but a moment later, instead of throwing it, he had his face buried in it. Her scent washed over him as he breathed it in. The one connection that he still had with her—the last reminder of what should have been waiting for him when he got home.

He lost track of time as he sat there like that. When he finally sat up, the fire he was known for was clear in his eyes. He wasn't sure what he could do, but he planned to do something. Anything. Despite his resolve, he still took the pillow with him into the living room. He refused to sleep in that bed without his wife, but he did need rest. That didn't keep him from curling around the pillow as he finally fell asleep against the arm of the couch.

Clarissa had been semi-conscious several times since her conversation with Fuhito, but she was never allowed to wake. Each time she had the sense that she was alone in the room, so it confused her further. Not that her thoughts were very coherent anyway. The only time she even got close to waking, it felt like she was being moved. Despite her drugged state, when she was lucid enough to think, she knew she needed to take the first break she could get. Otherwise, there was no telling what would happen.

She was currently in that half-waking state, but it was different this time. Her mind was still fogged, but her senses were telling her something was off. She wasn't sure how long she stayed in that state, but a sharp pain served to yank her the rest of the way awake. Not that being lucid helped. If anything, it made her realize that she hurt—all over.

She couldn't hold back a groan of pain as she struggled to open her eyes. When the sound came out, she heard a soft giggle and a feminine voice. "Oh, so you're awake finally. As much as I was enjoying adding a little color here and there, it was getting boring with no reaction from you. That idiot really has you drugged up, doesn't he."

Clarissa had to blink a few times before she could focus. When she did, she nearly groaned again. Rosso was standing a short distance away with a thin blade in one hand and balanced on her shoulder. The girl smirked at her when their eyes met. Rosso seemed to be full of self-satisfaction when she reached out with the blade once more and made a quick stroke across Clarissa's abdomen. She stifled a scream at the action and glared over at Rosso.

The girl ignored her for a moment as she concentrated on the mark she had just left. "It still seems like something isn't quite right. Maybe-" She cut off as she made another small cut. "Ah, that's better. Though, I still don't think it's done."

The girl turned as if she were looking for something. It was at that point that Clarissa realized the blade was one of her kōdachi. She nearly screamed at the girl for that alone but was brought up short when Rosso spun around with a mirror in hand. "What do you think? What should I add?"

Clarissa couldn't make her voice work. She was horrified by the reflection. She had known she was hurting but had not expected what she saw. It took her drugged brain several moments to understand that the shallow slices that covered her from chest to hips were not random. Rosso had made an image that was slowly dripping blood. It was a crude if recognizable rose.

She finally tore her gaze away and tried not to get sick at the knowledge that she was looking at herself. The pain she felt was nothing more than entertainment for the demented teen. She managed to swallow the bile that came up so she could finally speak. "You bitch. Let me out of this, and we'll see which one of us walks away."

Rosso chuckled as she leaned in, though not close enough for Clarissa to reach her. "Not that it would do you any good right now."

She then put the mirror down and put a hand on her chin as if she were contemplating something as she stared at Clarissa's middle. She then raised her eyes and gave Clarissa a menacing grin. "I know what we need. What goes better with a bloody rose than bloody tears."

She lifted the blade once more, and Clarissa felt terror grip her for the first time. There was no way she could get away, and the sword was already headed toward her face. She felt nothing but relief when a voice called out the girl's name sharply before the tip touched her, though she felt shame for it.

Rosso huffed and let her arm fall before she turned to see a man standing in the doorway. It took a moment for Clarissa to recognize him as Shears. He looked pale as he walked over, but his voice was stern as he talked to the girl. "Why are you in here? You know if Fuhito found out, he wouldn't hesitate to use that chip."

Rosso rolled her eyes as she responded. "Like you are going to tell him."

Shears could not look at Clarissa and turned even paler when the silence intensified the sound of blood dripping. He finally shook his head and glared. "No, but I will if I catch you in here again. As a matter of fact, I think I'll have it set up to signal that chip if you come back in this room."

"Tch." Rosso glared at him but turned to leave anyway.

Before she got to the door, Shears called out again. "Leave the sword."

Rosso glared back over her shoulder but dropped it where she stood. "Like I need a child's toy like that anyway."

As soon as she was gone, Shears got as close to Clarissa as he dared and had to swallow before he could speak. "Let me heal you."

Clarissa was already feeling woozy due to the drugs in her system, but she realized the lightheadedness was likely due to blood loss. That didn't keep her from glaring. "Let me go."

Shears must have realized the state she was in, as he finally moved closer and put a hand on her outstretched arm so he could heal her. He pushed the spell out before he spoke again. "I can't do that." He finally looked in her eyes. She could see he was troubled, but that was not what his words reflected. "Fuhito has big plans that you could really help with. I'm sure he would let you go if you agreed."

Clarissa already felt better, and her pain had nearly vanished, but she was still weak. She shook her head before she let it loll back and closed her eyes as she spoke. "I've already told you what his end goal is. You know as well as I do that I will never help him accomplish it."

Shears made a frustrated noise. "You have to know this is only the beginning. He won't stop until he gets what he wants. Please."

She opened her eyes and glared at him. "If you can't stand to see this, then let me go."

For a split second, he looked as though he were considering it. Finally, he shook his head and turned to the panel. He gave her a conflicted look as he hit a button. Clarissa felt a familiar cold creep through her veins as he laid the table back. She barely heard his voice before the darkness claimed her again. "I'm sorry."

A/N2: I know this took a dark turn, but have faith in me. We are finally nearing the end of this epic, so look forward to the final showdown. I can't predict the number of chapters (we all know I suck at it), but I think it may be five or six. We'll see. Anyway, despite the nature of the chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks for reading and cheers!