Chapter 52

Despite the lull created by the fleeing helicopter and the panic that seeing Hojo and Fuhito working together caused, the situation was still unresolved. The craft had barely disappeared behind a building before the remaining Ravens reconverged on Genesis and Angeal. Thankfully, Sephiroth was quick to jump down to assist. He paused for a half-second but continued at Alex's worried look.

Between the dwindling number of Ravens and Sephiroth's assistance, it was only a matter of a few minutes before the battle ended, and an eerie silence took its place. However, Alex quickly broke it as she jumped from where Sephiroth had left her. The action earned her a frown from both her brother and her boyfriend, but she was too focused on Angeal to care.

As soon as she reached her twin's side, she grabbed him into a quick hug before she stepped back and said, "Are you hurt?"

Worry was still evident in Angeal's eyes, but he gave her a wry smile as he answered, "That was supposed to be my question."

Alex chuckled weakly as her brother gently turned her head so he could see the side of her jaw. Between the frown growing on his face and the lancing pains his touch caused, Alex was sure she wasn't completely healed, but she was quick to reassure him. "It's probably not as bad as it looks. Sephiroth already healed me."

Unfortunately, her words seemed to have the opposite effect. Angeal looked like he had more to ask, but a new voice called out before the words left his mouth. Alex felt a twinge of guilt as they all turned to see Zack racing toward them. In all the fuss, she had forgotten that Zack and Tseng were with them. At least the young Soldier looked unhurt. Although his words came out so fast, they nearly ran together. "Tseng is with the people we evacuated. None of the civilians were injured. What about here? Are all the enemies dealt with?"

Zack's question had been aimed at Angeal, but Genesis was the one to step forward. His glare wasn't aimed at the Puppy, but it caused Zack to take a step back as Genesis said, "What you see here is the last of the forces sent against us. Though I doubt this will be the last we see of them—whatever they are."

Alex let out a troubled sigh as she supplied the answer to Genesis's questioning statement. "Ravens. They are called Ravens, and they are Fuhito's attempt to make Soldiers—or the equivalent of anyway."

Her statement earned her several questioning looks, more from Zack than the others, but even those that knew of her connection with the planet were caught off guard. Still, none of them were given a chance to ask anything before Vincent joined them. His frown was enough to make Alex's heart plummet before he even opened his mouth to say, "The boy managed to escape before I could finish him. When I returned to retrieve the girl, she was also gone."

Sephiroth's frown was pronounced as he added, "Yes, we saw him in the helicopter that left. While their escape is worrisome, it pales when compared to the fact that they fled with Hojo and that man from Cosmo Canyon—Fuhito."

By that point, the adrenaline had finally begun to fade from Alex's system. She hadn't even realized that she had started trembling with the aftereffects until her brother put his arm around her shoulder. All eyes turned to the two of them as he said, "Don't worry about them. We may not have expected this attack, but you have my word they won't get a chance like this again."

Alex loathed how useless she felt, but that didn't keep her from saying, "Geal, I know you will do what you can, and don't think I believe any of you would fail, but there is no telling what those two men might be capable of. They have both tried to kidnap me in the past, and one of them succeeded. The worst part is that I am pretty sure Hojo's end goal has something to do with all of us. None of us are safe—especially when those two madmen are working together."

Sephiroth put a comforting hand on her arm, and Genesis looked like he had plenty to say in response, but neither man was given a chance before another new voice joined in. "Did I hear that correctly? It was confirmed that Professor Hojo was with the attackers?"

Angeal let out a troubled sigh as he shrugged, "While I didn't see him, and I doubt Genesis had a chance to either, I don't doubt it. The helo opened fire as they took off, which makes sense now. Plus, I trust my sister. If she says Hojo was here, then he was here."

Sephiroth was quick to add, "I spotted him in the helicopter that was stolen before I joined the fray."

A slight furrow had formed between Tseng's brows, but that was the only indication that he was bothered as he said, "While that news does present an issue, for now, we should focus on the task at hand. If the last of the combatants have been dealt with, we need to check the civilians and assess the damage before we decide our next move."

Zack was quick to jump in. "I'll go check the civilians. If it's all clear, I'm sure most would like to go back to bed."

Angeal sighed tiredly but still nodded as he said, "Good idea. It should be fine for them to return to their homes, but meet us back here once you have finished. We need to clean up this mess, or it will cause another panic in the morning."

The exuberant Second saluted before he turned to jog back the way he came. Before he was even gone, Angeal looked over at Alex and said, "It should be safe for you to go back to bed. You can use the room I was in if you want to."

Alex barely managed to repress a shiver, but she only hesitated for a moment before she said, "I'd rather not be alone for now. Plus, I don't want to take any of you away and make this take longer for the others. Why don't you let me help?"

For a moment, Angeal's frown deepened, but he took in a deep breath and let it out before he said, "Ok, but don't push yourself."

His eyes flicked to her jaw again, but she didn't give him a chance to say anything about it. Instead, she pointed to the nearest Raven with a grimace as she said, "We should find a place so we can burn the bodies."

The question caused several sets of shocked expressions to turn her way as Sephiroth questioningly asked, "Alex, are you certain?"

Alex repressed a shiver as she turned to respond. "Yes. These men never asked for this, and I don't want there to be the slightest chance that those two sick bastards might come back and try to use them again. Just burn the bodies and let them rest in peace." Something like pain passed across Sephiroth's features, but it was gone quickly, and he gave her a curt nod.

Her brother gave her a troubled look but didn't argue. Instead, he gestured toward the shore as he said, "There was a small cove just down the beach that is out of sight. It should work well enough as long as we finish before high tide."

There was a double meaning behind Angeal's suggestion that none of them missed, but no one said anything. Instead, Genesis sneered as he added, "There is no hope, no honor remains. Let us finish this."

Typically, Alex might have rolled her eyes at her old friend's antics, but there was a haunted quality in the man's eyes that she understood all too well. When she looked around, she realized none of them were unaffected. She tried to ignore that as the group split up to gather the downed Ravens.

Alex hesitated for a moment before she followed Sephiroth. Her brother gave her a worried look, but she managed a tight smile that seemed to do the trick. He still looked concerned, but he didn't say anything before he turned to start the cleanup.

Once the others were occupied, she turned to see Sephiroth was still there with a familiar furrow between his brows. He didn't say anything before his hand hesitantly lifted to cup her cheek once again. She watched his jaw clench once before she felt another cure penetrate her skin. The last of the lancing pain died away, but he didn't remove his hand before he looked into her eyes with a frown and said, "I wish to beg your forgiveness, but I can think of no good reason why you should give it."

Alex didn't answer right away. Instead, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. Sephiroth stiffened in her grasp but didn't try to move her. He didn't respond at all until she said, "Thank you. If it weren't for you, there is no telling where I'd be right now."

His hands went to her shoulders and pushed her back far enough to look into her eyes. A pronounced frown flitted across his features as he said, "Had I not left you alone, it would not have been an issue."

Somehow Alex managed a weak smile, even if her nerves were shot. She shook her head as she said, "You can't watch me every minute of every day. I wouldn't want that for either of us. What matters is that you were there when it counted, so thank you."

Sephiroth did not look entirely convinced, but Alex stepped back and grabbed his hand as she continued, "Look, why don't we get this over with. I want to get some sleep before we have to deal with Veld tomorrow." She then chuckled dryly as she glanced down and said, "I'm not even wearing any shoes. It's a good thing sand is soft."

Alex nearly giggled when his eyes widened but didn't give him a chance to argue before she tugged on his hand. "The quicker we finish, the quicker we can get back to bed. You still owe me a good night's sleep."

Finally, her insistence seemed to do the trick. Sephiroth gave her a curt nod as he said, "Stay close to me. There is no need for you to assist, but I will ensure your safety."

Alex gave him a tight smile and nodded, which seemed to be enough. Although the expression fell as soon as he turned to pick up the nearest body. Frustration at what had nearly happened and abject terror at the thought of Hojo and Fuhito working together were still very much present for her. But she didn't want Sephiroth to know that. Everyone already had enough to deal with; she'd just have to find a way to keep it from consuming her. Although keeping it from her focus while they were gathering the dead to burn was easier said than done. At least she knew she wasn't alone.


It had been an hour from dawn when the tired group of Soldiers, plus Alex, finally made their way back to bed. Angeal had offered to take the room she had been using, which made her feel a little guilty, but she took him up on it anyway. She didn't need any more reminders of Weiss or Hojo. If she never saw either man again, it would be too soon.

As shaken as she still was once they got to bed, she was grateful that Sephiroth was willing to lay with her. With him right there, sleep had actually been achievable—even if their wake-up call came way too early for her liking. She groaned when she saw the time, not even 09:00 yet, but she kept her complaints to herself. Something in her boyfriend's expression gave her the impression that he hadn't slept at all.

They were both somber when they joined Angeal in the hall. Unfortunately, it looked like he hadn't rested well either, although it wasn't mentioned. Instead, her brother gestured toward the stairs. "Veld is here, and he brought Rufus. We also got a message that the group from Cosmo Canyon should be here before midday."

Alex let out a sigh as she nodded but paused and gave her brother a confused look as she said, "Wait, I had forgotten, but didn't Veld say Rufus would be here before us?"

Her brother gave her a half-hearted shrug as he tried to cover a yawn before he said, "Apparently, the top-secret Turk location isn't directly in Costa del Sol, so he opted to wait for Veld."

That answer served to sate Alex's curiosity, so she tried to cover her own yawn before she said, "I guess it doesn't matter. We should get going, though. I want to get this over with."

Her brother didn't say anything else before he turned to head downstairs. She was about to follow when she noticed that Sephiroth had not moved, plus he had an odd expression. It was strange enough that Alex put a hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"

He gave her a curt nod before he headed toward the stairs without another word. Alex shared a befuddled look with Angeal. "Uh, what was that?"

Much to her surprise, her brother chuckled weakly before he said, "You know, I'm pretty sure I've never seen him yawn." He then lifted one brow and gave her a tepid grin before he followed the general down.

It instantly made sense to Alex, and she felt a genuine grin pop up despite the circumstances. Although it was quickly tempered by the thought of why he would act that way. She vowed to try and help him unlearn years of habits that tried to hide his humanity. But that would have to wait until they dealt with Shinra. A sigh escaped as she followed the other two.

Angeal led them out of the hotel and to one of the nearby residences. The location piqued Alex's curiosity, but not enough for her to ask why. Especially not when they walked into a packed room.

Rufus was sitting on the far side of the room in one of the chairs and looked for all the world like he was a king on a throne. The impression wasn't helped by the fact that both Veld and Tseng flanked him, looking like nothing more than guards at attention. The sight did not inspire confidence in Alex, but she was comforted by her brother's pat on her shoulder.

Since Zack was on one couch and Genesis on the other, Alex opted to sit with the former. She might be patching things up with Genesis, but the meeting was likely to be troublesome enough that she didn't want to add the awkwardness of sitting between her former and present lovers. Zach looked slightly uncomfortable when Sephiroth joined her but didn't say anything. Not that he was given a chance to.

As soon as they were seated, Rufus looked around the room before he focused on Sephiroth. "General, I must say, your defection was unexpected. Although if half of what I have been told recently is true, I cannot say that I blame you."

A frown flashed across the general's face, but there was no trace of it when he said, "I believe we are to the point that the past should not be our focus. It has been established that we have a common interest. Everything else is irrelevant."

Veld took a threatening step forward but was stopped by Rufus's raised hand. The vice-president then looked past Sephiroth to where Alex was sitting. She stiffened under his gaze but didn't flinch away. Although she was grateful that his attention went back to Sephiroth after a few seconds. "While I agree that the past is irrelevant, there is still the question of loyalty. What reason do I have to ally with you? How can I know that you will not betray me like you have my father?"

Several people shifted at his question. The truth was that they weren't any more loyal to Rufus than to his father, but that wouldn't get them anywhere. After a few tense moments, Alex sat forward as she said, "Sir, if I may?"

Rufus lifted one brow and gestured for her to continue. Alex had to take a deep breath to steady her nerves before she said, "It would be foolish to expect any of us to trust. I have no doubt that you don't trust us either. However, you can trust that we want to get our lives back. That will never happen with your father in control. I honestly believe we can reach a compromise that would allow us all to focus on bringing the current regime down. I'm tired of being hunted."

The last line was said in a near whisper, but she had no doubt everyone heard. Sephiroth took her hand and gently squeezed her fingers but didn't say anything. Instead, all eyes were turned to Rufus as he said, "I applaud your honesty. That is a rare enough trait, yet nothing you have said is enough to convince me we should work together on this."

Zack shocked them all when he jumped to his feet. He was just shy of yelling when he said, "How can you say that! Can't you see that we shouldn't fight each other?" Ragged breathing followed his outburst while he stood there with clenched fists. Though he instantly sat back down when Sephiroth called out his name. He gave the general a sheepish look but didn't add anything else.

Instead, Sephiroth refocused on Rufus as he said, "His outburst aside, Soldier Fair does have a point. We may not become the closest allies, but we are not necessarily enemies."

Rufus glanced around the room before he answered, "I am not in the practice of negotiations. However, you mentioned compromise. What is it you want?"

Genesis was quick to answer. "There is no hope, no honor remains, yet all we ask is for our freedom."

Alex was always amazed that her friend could somehow work a Loveless quote into every conversation, but she didn't let it distract her for long. Her focus was back on Rufus before anyone else could add anything. "Yes, we do want our freedom, but that isn't a simple thing. Specifically, I would like the chance to mitigate any genetic issues we may face. To do that, I need access to the equipment and research within the science department. I would have asked to have Hojo removed, but it seems he has done that himself already."

Veld grimaced but nodded. "He left before we spoke, but we didn't realize it was a defection until he had been gone for days. When we investigated, we found that he either took or destroyed a great deal of data when he left. It is obvious he didn't plan to return."

That news caused a shiver to run down Alex's spine. She wasn't really talking to anyone when she whispered, "And now he has Weiss and Rosso." She paused and looked over at Rufus with a frown as she continued, "He could become a bigger problem than your father if we can't find him and Fuhito soon. Those two men are both insanely intelligent, with the emphasis on insane."

Rufus held up a hand to keep her from continuing before he said, "We already have a team focused on tracking him. There are more important things to discuss at the moment."

Alex gritted her teeth but didn't argue. Not only would it have been pointless, but there was nothing more they could do about the madmen until they were found. She nodded her agreement.

For the first time since they all gathered, Rufus sat forward and clasped his hands with a smirk as he said, "If we agree to an alliance, I expect you to take the reins on Hojo's abandoned project."

Those words caused an instant commotion between the Soldiers, and Alex felt her face lose all color as her stomach tried to crawl up her throat. Rufus ignored all of it as he focused on her and continued, "You will find the promised land for me."

A/N: Yes, I live! I cannot apologize enough for dropping off the face of the earth, but I had a lot of stuff going on and did not have time for writing. Things are still a little crazy, but not so much that I don't have any time. I am working on getting into a regular update schedule, but it will probably be more spread out than it used to be. Good news is that it's better than before. Anywho, I hope this chapter made up for the wait, and I can't wait to share the next chapter. I had more planned, but we didn't get there in this one. I have a surprise, and I hope you all look forward to it. Cheers!