CHAPTER IV
Darkness faded into grey, then slowly into light. The patterns of flickering flame passed before Thorn's eyelids as they fluttered open. He moaned and stirred slowly. His nose caught the acrid whiff of smoke and he awoke with a start, scrambling to his feet.
He took in the scene around him with alarm. Mr. Strife was nowhere to be found. Fire raged in every direction--the barn, the house, the grain silos- -everything was ablaze. Duty spurring him to action, he stumbled toward the barn, hunting for any sign of life among the chocobos who had been trapped inside. He heard several alarmed warks from within, and pushed his way through the smoke.
The bodies of most of the chocobos littered the corrals. Poor little bastards. Thorn's heart went out to them. The warks sounded again, and he headed for the pen on his right, where several black-feathered chocobos ran around frantically. Thorn heaved with all his might and yanked the gate open. The chocobos bolted, nearly knocking Thorn over in the process. He grabbed for one of them, and managed to slow it down long enough to climb on its back. Running a hand along its ruffled feathers to calm it, he spurred it out of the flaming barn.
Once outside, Thorn looked around for the escaped chocobos. They had already scattered into the countryside. "At least they're alive," Thorn thought aloud.
A moan rose up from the ground several feet to his right. He turned and spotted Mr. Strife's friend--Vincent, Thorn seemed to remember--lying on his stomach. His right shoulder blade was perforated by a gunshot wound, and he was bleeding fairly heavily. Thorn dismounted and led the Chocobo over to where Vincent lay.
He ripped at his shirt until a large piece of it came off, then used the piece to fashion a makeshift bandage for the cloaked man. Looking around, he could see no alternative but to try and get Vincent out with him. There was no one around for miles in any direction. He muttered a brief apology to Vincent, then picked him up with a grunt and lifted him onto the back of the Chocobo. Vincent groaned, and the Chocobo warked with alarm at the sudden increase in weight.
"Sorry, girl," Thorn sighed. "It's not going to get any better." With that, he hauled himself up in front of Vincent. The Chocobo warked again, then began its trot to the southwest. Thorn had heard once that in times of great stress, all animals naturally return to their homes. He had never believed it, and had presumed human beings to be above such animalistic, instinctual behavior. Yet here he was, on a Chocobo with a bleeding man in a cape, headed for Junon once again.
Tifa jerked up to a sitting position in bed. She looked around, panting for breath. The dream had been so real. Cloud had been calling to her. He was in trouble. There was smoke and...
"Fire!"
Tifa heard the sound of alarm in her head and her ears simultaneously. She bolted out of bed and ran for the front door, jerking it open to see a crowd of people looking out to the southeast of the city.
A glow filled the horizon. It was the glow of a steady burning blaze off in the distance. Tifa's brow crinkled. There were no settlements to create that large a blaze to the southeast of Kalm. None except...
"Cloud!" she screamed, running back inside and yanking the door closed behind her. She grabbed her PHS from the front table.
The thump that echoed from the hall awoke Yuffie with a start. She sat up in bed and looked around, peering into the darkness for a sign of movement within her room. Seeing no shadows in the immediate vicinity, she climbed out of bed and reached for the pouch that sat on her nightstand. There was another thump, and she froze, trying to ascertain the source of the sound. Her training told her that whoever the intruder was, he had just stumbled down the stairs from the second floor. She crept out into the hallway, a shuriken in her right hand, and made her way down the stairs toward the source of the disturbance.
As she rounded the corner, an arm lashed out from beside the door. She hit the ground hard, not moving for several seconds. When she came to, the intruder was already on his way up the stairs toward her room. She got to her feet, and a wave of nausea overtook her. The punch she had taken had been a strong one, and the attacker had known just the right spot to induce the wooziness and unsettled feelings from which she now suffered. As she stumbled up the stairs, she cursed herself. She'd thought the intruder to be a clumsy oaf, after her father's valuables. It was only when the attacker turned the tables that she realized what kind of a burglar she was tracking. This was no simpleton. He had drawn her downstairs to lure her away from something valuable that was in her own room.
As she rounded the corner and entered her room, her suspicions were confirmed by several things. The first was the chest that she kept under her bed, emptied of all its materia. The second was the open window through which the intruder had departed her domicile. She ran to the window and looked out at the shadow as it climbed the outer wall of the city, several blocks away, then disappeared.
She spun around, eyes burning with fury, and then flopped onto her bed with a sigh. At length, she chuckled.
"Fuck," she muttered, still chuckling at the situation. She was startled from her reverie by a knock at the door. "Lady Kisaragi?" came the timid voice.
She sighed in frustration. Of all the times to be pestered. "Yes, Shake?"
Shake stepped into the room cautiously. His face was awash with concern and fear. "Are you all right? I thought I heard..."
"I'm fine, Shake," she returned quickly. He nodded a short bow, and then hesitated.
"Is there something else?" she asked when the servant failed to depart.
"There is a visitor awaiting you, Lady Kisaragi."
Yuffie leapt up. One of her friends? She hadn't heard from her friends in ages. Shake's somber visage didn't encourage her. She ran past him and down the hall to the main audience chamber.
Cid was waiting for her. She was surprised to see him, of all people, coming all the way to Wutai to see her. His face was stony, and his eyes grim.
"Cid? What's going on?"
Cid nodded toward the woods beyond the city. "The Highwind's waiting. I picked up Barret on the way. He's on board. We thought you might want to come with us."
"Where?" Yuffie asked.
"To Kalm." Cid sighed. "Cloud's ranch was burned to the ground tonight. Cloud is missing."
"Oh my gawd!" Yuffie gasped. Her breath caught in her throat.
Cid nodded. "Yeah. Everyone's in Kalm, or headed there--except for Tifa and Nanaki, who are headed out to the ranch to search for clues."
Yuffie backed toward the door. "Let me get my stuff. I'll be right back." She ran upstairs, gathered up some clothes and weapons--it didn't take her as long without her materia, she noted with a huff--then returned to the audience chamber. "Let's go!"
She and Cid headed out of the palace and toward the city gates.
The dark-suited figure ripped off his mask and looked around. The rustling of bushes led him in the direction of his colleague, who was waiting in the underbrush.
"Did you get what he asked for?" Reno whispered.
Rude nodded. "Had to deck that snot-nosed little princess to get it."
Reno snorted. "Bet that damn near broke your heart, didn't it?"
Rude chuckled, his stony expression unchanged. "I won't lose sleep about it."
"The only thing I don't understand is what he wants the damn thing for anyway," Reno sighed, shaking his head.
Rude shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me. What do you want to do with the rest of the materia?"
Reno blinked. "The rest? You swiped it all?"
"What?" Rude shot back. "You preferred that I pick through the chest and take my own sweet time?"
Reno shrugged again. "Screw it. We'll sell them. Materia always fetches a pretty penny on the black market."
Rude closed the sack and hefted it over his shoulder, and the two of them trudged southward.
Tifa scanned the area surrounding the farm with a grim face. The smoke was beginning to dissipate with the morning light, but there was no sign of any kind of life. Even the chocobos were gone.
Probably either dead or escaped to the countryside, Tifa thought as she spurred her own mount closer to Cloud's ranch house. Her heart sank as she grew closer. It was worse than she had expected.
What remained of the former domicile of her closest friend were a few charred beams and one lone wall segment. The window that was set into what was left of Cloud's rear wall was shattered, jagged edges left behind like the maw of some hungry dragon.
".But no Cloud," Nanaki spoke from beside Tifa, reading her thoughts.
Tifa nodded slowly, tears filling her eyes. "I suppose that's a good sign," she replied, her hoarse voice barely a whisper.
Nanaki plodded over to the entrance to the burned-out farmhouse, sniffing the ground. Tifa had asked Nanaki to join her on the search the second he had arrived in Kalm with Cid. Her reasoning was twofold. First, Nanaki had the keenest sense of smell of any creature she had met, something that would come in handy in her search for Cloud.
Second, he was rational, calm, and could help keep Tifa from falling apart during the search.
A low growl of surprise from Nanaki turned Tifa's attention away from the ashes of Cloud's home. She dismounted and hurried over to where Nanaki was sniffing the ground.
"There were several people here, and a struggle," he noted, indicating with a nod of his head the footprints scattered in many different directions. "Several different groups of people-two pairs of farmer's boots, several military issue, and another." Nanaki sniffed again. "Cloud wasn't alone last night. He had a guest staying with him. Vincent was here."
"Vincent?" Tifa echoed in surprise. "What was Vincent doing here?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Tifa," Nanaki returned. He scanned the ground again. More footprints-Chocobo. Two of them went in this direction," he observed, noting the footprints. "One of them was carrying a heavy load-more than one person."
"Cloud," Tifa deduced. "But that's back toward Kalm."
"Or Midgar," Nanaki pointed out.
"But Midgar's been abandoned since the Lifestream erupted," Tifa replied.
Nanaki shook his head. "We cannot rule out the unlikely, Tifa. Only the impossible. If someone wanted to hide their existence, where is the last place anyone would look for them?"
"Midgar," Tifa agreed.
Nanaki returned to his search. "There was another Chocobo that left in that direction," Nanaki indicated, pointing with a paw toward the southwest.
"Toward the mines?" Tifa asked.
Nanaki shook his head. "Unlikely," he advised her. "There's a feather here. It's green."
Tifa nodded, understanding. "A mountain Chocobo. Whoever took this one was headed over the top of the mines."
"Which means they weren't seeking to hide in the mines, but somewhere beyond them," Nanaki concluded.
"But where?" Tifa asked, frustrated. "Fort Condor? Junon, perhaps?"
"Or the Western Continent, if they chartered a ship out of Junon. They could be halfway to Costa Del Sol by now." Nanaki shrugged his massive haunches in a very human show of puzzlement.
Tifa sighed. The thread was unraveling.
"Tifa?" Nanaki added.
Tifa looked back at Nanaki.
"There is one other thing. This Chocobo also had two riders, which means that either one of the two directions could lead us to Cloud, or Vincent, or this mysterious third person-the one with the farmer's boots."
Tifa shook her head, looking back at the destroyed house. "One thing's for sure, Nanaki," she said finally. "We'd better track them all down, and soon. I have a feeling that whoever has Cloud doesn't plan to make his stay pleasant."
Nanaki growled in agreement as the Highwind roared through the distant western sky toward them.
CHAPTER V
The doors to the communications room opened with a swish, and Kaladar entered with his usual air of authority. "Have you located her position?" he asked of his subordinate.
Aratak nodded a salute to his captain. "Yes, sir. I have triangulated her position to be within a crater at the northern pole of the planet. She is buried beneath the caldera, but we should be able to extract her from the crater with little or no difficulty."
Kaladar nodded. "Will there be any chance of her survival?" he asked.
Aratak contemplated a moment before replying. "Unsure, sir. It is possible, but very unlikely. She has been buried for an undetermined period of time."
"But will the data that she has extracted be salvageable?" Kaladar pressed.
Aratak sighed inwardly. It was his commander's constant concern for intelligence gathering for the military over the concern of his crew that irked him more than his overbearing presence. "It should be," was his simple answer.
Kaladar grunted an approval. "Very well. Our navigator indicates an ETA of seventy-two hours. Be prepared." With that, he turned and departed the room. Aratak shook his head and returned to his work.
Cloud heard the thump of heavy military boots on tiled floor. He opened his eyes a fraction and peered through his lashes so as not to alert anyone to his conscious state. He could make out the boots of several soldiers standing nearby, all of them facing away from him. He took the risk of opening his eyes, and then lifted his head slightly in order to take in the full view of the men standing with their backs to him.
They were dressed shabbily. Whatever military prestige their uniforms once held had long departed, but there was still no mistaking the blue of the Shinra Army uniform. Cloud didn't think these were the same ones that had come to his farm and attacked him. These four weren't dressed as well as the others. That meant that there was more of the Shinra Corporation left intact than Cloud had hoped.
The attack on his farm. The thought brought Cloud around to question the whereabouts and the welfare of his companions. I hope Thorn and Vincent are all right.
His thoughts were interrupted by a new set of footsteps entering the room. "You have brought me the specimen?" The new voice inquired.
The soldiers snapped to attention, and then stepped aside. Cloud shut his eyes quickly as the new arrival walked past them and knelt beside him.
"Now, now, let's not start off our new relationship on a dishonest note."
I know that voice. But how is it possible?
A sharp jolt surged through Cloud, and he cried out as his eyelids snapped open and his body jerked upward into a sitting position.
Professor Hojo chuckled, his body quivering as he examined Cloud. "I have to say, I'm impressed. The failed experiment turned out to be stronger than the one I considered my greatest achievement."
Cloud's voice was as raw and harsh as his emotions as he sneered back at Hojo. "Never underestimate the human factor, Hojo."
Hojo grinned, mirth running through his entire frame, making it tremble with glee. "The human factor? How quaint. My dear Mr. Strife, the human factor is exactly what I'm counting on."
A gentle breeze blew across the deck of the Highwind as Tifa looked around at those assembled. Cid had brought Barret and Yuffie to aid in the search for Cloud. Cid's face was a mask of concern. She could see the tension within him, from the furrow of his brow to the tautness of his jaw as he clenched his ever-present cigarette between his teeth. Barret's great bulk and brash appearance belied his inner fear for his vanished colleague. Even the normally flippant Yuffie was quiet, lost in her own apparent contemplations of Cloud's possible whereabouts.
Nanaki stood beside her, looking up at her with a visage that betrayed both his hope and fear. Cait Sith and Reeve stood to her left. Both had volunteered to join in the search. She pondered the ridiculousness of that thought for a moment before she remembered that Reeve had rewired Cait to run independent of his control. Technically, it was Cait's decision after all. Tifa smiled at Reeve's selfless contribution of his time away from running Kalm. Even though Reeve had acknowledged that he could do little to aid in the search on the ground, he could help Cid on board the Highwind by assisting with radar sweeps.
"So," Tifa began, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "This is the situation. We're looking at two different escapes from Cloud's farm. One set of Chocobo prints headed back toward Midgar or Kalm. The other led toward the mythrill mines. That one appears to be a mountain Chocobo, so it's not likely that they went through the mine.
"It seems as though Vincent had visited Cloud last night, and he is one of the three people missing. The third is a farm hand, apparently. This farm hand could be with Vincent, or with Cloud."
"One other thing," Nanaki added. "The people who took Cloud are likely military or ex-military. Be on your guard if you find them."
"What about these lights in the sky?" Reeve asked.
Nanaki nodded. "It is possible that there may be a connection with the lights in the sky and those who abducted Cloud. We'll need for someone to investigate those locations."
"Reeve and I should do that," Cid offered. "We can cover that ground faster."
Tifa nodded. "Agreed. So, let's split up from here. Cait and Barret, head back to Kalm and see if you can find anything there. Nanaki and I will search the Midgar ruins for any sign of Cloud. Yuffie, Cid and Reeve will drop you off on the other side of the mines. See if you can track down this other Chocobo rider, and maybe find Vincent."
They all nodded their agreement. Tifa, Barret, Cait, and Nanaki all disembarked as Cid landed near Kalm, and then waved a quick salute as the Highwind took off again, bound for the Junon area.
"Something tells me we have our work cut out for us," Barret grumbled.
"You're not the only one with that feeling," Tifa assured him. "We mustn't give up, though." She straightened her shoulders. "Cloud wouldn't."
Barret nodded, and the four of them headed off.
Thorn looked over his shoulder at the man he held in a fireman's carry as he crept through Junon village. "Sorry about the rough treatment," he muttered, "but we'll soon be someplace where we can get you some help."
He made his way carefully to the elevator doors that led to the City of Junon and pulled the lever beside the doors. There was a ding as the elevator reached the ground, and the doors slid open. Thorn looked around as he jumped inside.
The streets of Junon were awash with people walking in every direction. Thorn tried to keep to the shadows of the alleyways as he made his way through the city. Finally, he arrived at his destination. He knocked three times in quick succession, and then rapped with one knuckle twice.
The door creaked open, and Thorn shoved his way in.
"Whoa," the man inside greeted him. "Long time no see, Thorn. We thought the MP's had picked you up. They've been cracking down on us pickpockets lately. I guess they're trying to bring in the tourists or something. I say, bring 'em on. Good business for us."
Thorn clamped a hand down on his friend's mouth. "Seth, shut up. You talk too much." He went to the cot in the corner of the room and set Vincent down gently.
"Hey," Seth piped up again. "Who's the vampire-looking guy?"
"His name is Vincent," Thorn replied. "He's one of my boss's friends."
"Boss?" Seth echoed. "Since when did you have a boss?"
"Since a few weeks ago," Thorn shot back, his head throbbing from the stress of his clandestine journey and the incessant nattering of his colleague. "You remember when I went to Gold Saucer to bet on those Chocobo races?"
Seth nodded. "Yeah."
"Well, I met this guy there who raised chocobos. He gave me a job as a hand on his ranch."
Seth laughed out loud. "So you dropped out of sight and worried your old pal to death to become a ranch hand? Thorn I don't know whether to deck you or laugh my damn head off."
"I'm voting for the second choice," Thorn smirked humorlessly, peering out the window. "If you laughed it off, at least it'd be a little quieter in here."
Seth was silent, unable to think up a retort.
Thorn turned around to face him. "I'll be back soon. Keep an eye on Vincent. I'm going to get us a few potions and some traveling money."
"Traveling money?" Seth repeated blankly. "For what?"
Thorn leaned back into the small dwelling through the half-open door. "Just watch him, all right?" He shut the door and headed off.
"O.K." Seth replied meekly. He sat down on the opposite side of the room and watched the dormant Vincent with a wary eye.
CHAPTER VI
Tifa looked in all directions as Nanaki sniffed the ground yet again. "Nothing?"
Nanaki shook his head. "Wherever they are, they are well hidden."
Tifa sighed. She had hoed beyond all hope that she would find Cloud here in the ruins of Midgar. Even though it seemed like a long shot, it was worth looking into, Nanaki had advised her. Yet the closer they had come to the old Shinra capital, the greater her hope had grown, until she was almost certain that Cloud would be here. She wouldn't give up hope-she couldn't give up hope-but it was growing late. The PHS didn't work in the recesses of the old Midgar slums, and Tifa was eager to hear any report from the others.
"Well, we should be heading back," she pointed out. "It's getting dark."
Nanaki nodded. "Indeed. Let's return to Kalm."
Tifa was about to reply when a rustling sound caught her attention somewhere off to her left. She peered into the darkness and spotted a figure in the dim light of a fire, turning a spit. She signaled to Nanaki, who nodded. The two of them split up to encircle the figure. Tifa crept closer, and was halfway to her quarry when a shrill sound distracted her. She spun around, looking for the source, but saw nothing. When she turned back to the fire, the figure was gone.
She looked around for Nanaki, and then a sharp blow struck her from behind. She felt claws tear into her back, pinning her down. She screamed in pain and struggled to regain her footing. Nanaki's howl ripped through the air as he attacked the creature, pouncing on it and ripping into its flesh with his teeth. It was the creature's turn to cry out as it flailed madly and knocked Nanaki loose, tossing him into a pile of rubble nearby.
Tifa managed to roll over and get onto her knees before the creature turned back on her. She pushed herself backwards, slamming against a fallen support, as she avoided the next attack. The creature recovered, and then came forward for the next attack.
A squishing sound was heard as metal pierced flesh. The creature jerked forward with a death cry the rattled in its throat, and then fell to the ground, a long, javelin-shaped pole protruding from its back.
A hand reached out of the shadows and offered itself to Tifa. She took it cautiously and got to her feet as her mysterious benefactor revealed himself. Tifa's breath caught in her throat. His face was covered with a thick beard, and his red hair had grown long and disheveled, but there was no mistaking the cold, calculating eyes that peered out from beneath that crimson mask of hair.
"Rufus?" she whispered.
Rufus nodded. "Come. We must see to your friend." With that, he turned and walked over to Nanaki's side. Nanaki stared at Rufus openly as he helped him to his feet.
"Wha.wha.?" Tifa stammered.
Rufus looked around as the howl of another creature rose over the ruins of the old tenements. "It's not safe here," he cut her off, some of his old air of authority creeping into his voice. "We must take shelter." Before waiting for them to respond, he waved a hand that beckoned them back to his makeshift cabin amid the ruins of his former city. "This way," he ordered.
Tifa and Nanaki followed, more out of curiosity than any real obedience, and within moments they were seated within a small hovel lit by the glow of several candles.
In the dim light, Rufus watched his two guests with amusement as they took in both their surroundings and the situation. Finally, he spoke.
"I suppose you're wondering what I'm still doing alive," he ventured.
Tifa nodded slowly. "That would have been one of my first questions."
Rufus chuckled. "My father insisted on only the best of everything-the best clothing, the best office equipment.and the best office furniture. When Diamond Weapon hit the Shinra Building, I dove under my father's desk. It hurt like hell, dropping through all those floors, but somehow, I came out of it in one piece.
"It occurred to me, being the savvy business type that I am, that my reappearance in the world of the living would not meet with a warm reception. As a result, I decided to remain here in the ruins of my former capital. I learned how to survive on my wits alone-something that my former position of power had not required. Room service was no longer an option. I had to forage for my own food. That was an experience in and of itself. You'd be surprised how good roasted sewer rat tastes when you haven't eaten in five days."
Tifa made a face and looked over at Nanaki, who merely shrugged. "I don't believe, given the nature of my diet, that I have any right to comment on Rufus's dining habits," he demurred.
"At any rate," Rufus chuckled, "I had time to think about things-the nature of the universe, the fickleness of fate, and the consequences of my vanity and short-sightedness. I thought, and I learned-and I watched."
"What have you been watching?" Nanaki inquired. Tifa looked over at him. She hadn't made the jump from Rufus's recollections to possible knowledge that would be pertinent to their search. She looked back over to Rufus, who sat smirking.
"I have watched members of my former army scavenge for weapons and fight among themselves. I have seen petty gang fights as would-be warlords tried to take control of blocks of refuse. I think most importantly, however, I have seen two people rise from the ashes and take control of a large number of soldiers to form a small and rather powerful army of their own. They have been plotting, and now I suspect they are on the verge of some sort of perverse victory."
"And you've just sat here, then?" Tifa asked.
Rufus shook his head sadly. "My dear Miss Lockheart, if I could have done something to regain control of my army, I would have most certainly done so by now. The simple fact of the matter is that they would have slaughtered me on sight."
"Slaughtered you?" Nanaki echoed. "Who in the world has the power over these men to order their former leader killed?"
Rufus sighed. "Scarlet and Hojo."
Aratak checked the chronometer above his console and made a mental note of the time. They would be arriving at the M-class planet in sixty-two hours. It was time for another communication attempt. So far, the only response they had received had been the standard distress call of the scout's emergency unit. Kaladar had ordered a periodic communication check until their arrival at the planet. Aratak considered the exercise useless, but Kaladar had insisted. Therefore, he would continue with his orders as planned.
He flipped a switch with one tentacle while tapping a signal into his console with a touch pad. After a few repetitions of the message, he sat back and waited for a reply that he knew would not be forthcoming.
Cid growled in frustration as he peered into the dim pre-dawn sky. "I haven't seen anything over any of these sites for hours. We've flown over each one of them what, three, four times now? Nothing!"
"It might be a good time to check in with the others," Reeve suggested.
"Yeah," Cid agreed, taking the dead butt of his cigarette out of his mouth and casting it over the side of the Highwind. "That was my last one."
"You should quit anyway," Reeve pointed out.
Cid jabbed a finger in his direction. "Not you, too. Shera's after me enough about that shit."
Reeve was about to respond when he noticed something off the starboard bow. "Look!" he cried, thrusting a finger out to point at the sight that had prized his attention away from Cid's tobacco intake.
Cid turned and stared. Had he been in possession of a cigarette, it would have fallen from his mouth and hit the deck right beside his jaw.
A beam of light was lancing down from the sky above, skewering the crater with its concentrated shaft of energy. Cid watched for a moment before snapping out of his dazed reverie. "Reeve! The recorder over there! See if you can't record this."
Reeve nodded, working the controls of the recording device located at the helm of the Highwind. After about thirty seconds, the light disappeared.
Cid turned to Reeve. "Did you get all of that?"
Reeve nodded. "What was left of it after I turned the recorder on."
Cid nodded in affirmation, pulling out his PHS and dialing. "I'll contact Nanaki and the others in Kalm. I think they should see this."
Yuffie stepped off the elevator and looked around. It wasn't as though she honestly expected to see Vincent and this mysterious farm boy strolling down the street-as a matter of fact, her entire search had been depressing thus far-but one never knew.
As she walked, she thought back on her investigation up to this point. The Chocobo tracks had led her to an area just north of Fort Condor. Thinking that perhaps the two had gone to the fort to heal their wounds, she checked with the soldiers within. Aside for a few requests for dates from some of the more lonely (and desperate, she thought ruefully) soldiers, she found nothing. She had checked out her old haunts in the forest outside Junon, to no avail. Apparently, the chocobos had been dropped as a ruse to prevent anyone else from following them.
Yuffie had then decided to check out Junon. Vincent and the farm boy may have booked passage on a freighter and left Junon for the Western Continent, but someone would have heard something-and for the right price, any amount of information could be had.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar feeling of hands reaching into pockets. Of course, for Yuffie, the role was usually reversed, so it took a split second to realize what was going on. This was still time enough, however, to apprehend the pickpocket before he absconded with her valuables.
She grabbed the would-be thief by the wrist and hauled him around to face her. "Hold it, mister!" she ordered. "No one goes in there without dinner and a movie first! Now who the hell are you?"
The thief looked her up and down, oblivious to the hold she had on his wrist. "Who the hell am I? Who the hell are you, sweetie?"
"Sweetie?" Yuffie flushed red with anger. "Who are you calling.?" Her rant was cut short as the thug kicked her in the shin, causing her to lose her grip on his wrist. He turned and bolted for the nearest alleyway.
"Hey!" she hollered, limping after him. She reached the front of the alley just in time to see the thief vault over a fence near the back of the alley and turn left. She headed part way down the alley in chase, and then looked around, spotting the thing she'd hoped to find. "Screw this," she muttered, yanking the fire escape ladder down and climbing up to the roof of the building. She ran to the edge, where she saw the little punk run down another alleyway and down a second street. She vaulted over to the next building, landing awkwardly and twisting her ankle.
"Fuck!" she cried out, gritting her teeth as she limped over to the side of the building. "When I catch this little bastard, I'm gonna.there you are, you little."
She watched as the pickpocket rapped on a door and looked around. A moment later, the door opened, and the man went inside.
"So that's how it is, huh?" she smirked, and then limped over to the fire escape. She climbed down to street and went around to the front of the building. She looked around once, and then knocked on the door.
She heard footsteps make their way to the door to peer through the eyehole. She counted to three, and then launched a vicious side kick. The door flew inward, catching the spy in the head and knocking him to the floor.
She took in the scene as she leaned against the doorframe, favoring her wounded ankle. The small, one-room apartment was a mess. Papers and clothes littered the sofa, floor, and counter. On the table sat an open toolbox with all kinds of switchblades and lock picking devices. A bloody shirt hung from one of the blades of the ceiling fan. Her eyes shifted to the corner of the room, where a shirtless and bandaged Vincent lay on a cot. The pickpocket she had attempted to apprehend was sitting on the edge of the cot, frozen in the middle of an attempt to spoon-feed a potion to Vincent. His eyes were fixed on Yuffie, and hers on him.
For a moment, neither spoke, and then a voice broke the silence.
"The spoon won't be necessary."
Both Yuffie and the pickpocket jumped and turned to face Vincent, who was lifting himself to a seated position, resting his back against the stained wall. He winced slightly as he settled into a position that kept his injury free of pressure. Having made himself somewhat comfortable, he moved his gaze back and forth between Yuffie and the pickpocket.
"Perhaps an introduction is in order," he observed.
Cloud struggled for what seemed to be the fiftieth time that hour. It was no use. Whatever it was that Hojo had used to tie him up, he wasn't getting out of it.
Hojo watched his struggles for a moment with amusement, and then went back to his calculations. "How goes the human factor, Cloud?"
Cloud said nothing. He merely glared at Hojo.
Hojo looked up again and smiled. "Don't worry. If it's my company that bothers you, take comfort in the knowledge that a few friends will be joining us shortly-and with them they bring the final piece to my puzzle."
The now-familiar click of heels on tile alerted Cloud to the presence of his second captor. Scarlet walked past Cloud, ruffling the hair on the back of his head as she did so. She stepped up beside Hojo and watched as he typed in a few more numbers.
"The reconstruction process is almost complete, Professor," she informed him after a moment.
"Excellent, my dear," Hojo replied, not looking up from his work. "Go and see if our guests have arrived, would you?"
Scarlet nodded, then turned on her heel and walked out of the chamber.
Cloud glared at Hojo, trying to peer into his mind and determine what his game plan was.
Hojo, he thought viciously, whatever you're planning, we will stop you.
CHAPTER VII
"I think you guys should head back here as soon as possible," Barret concluded.
Tifa nodded, although he couldn't see her gesture on the other end of the PHS. "We'll hurry back."
She hadn't told Barret about her encounter with Rufus. She most certainly had not mentioned the fact that he was standing next to her. The first fact alone would give him fits of apoplexy. The second fact would send him into orbit.
Truth be told, she wasn't exactly sure how she herself felt about the reappearance of Rufus Shinra and his apparent desire to set right his sins of the past by helping them in their current crisis. She didn't think it was a good idea to tell anyone about Rufus until she had determined one way or another if he was telling the truth, or simply trying to lure them into some sort of twisted trap to exact his revenge.
Gee, Tifa, time has left you open and trusting, she thought to herself.
She smiled ruefully, and was about to speak again when the sound of helicopter blades roared overhead. She looked up and watched as a copter with Shinra markings flew over their hiding place on the outskirts of Midgar's ruins.
"What was that?" Barret asked.
"I'm not sure," Tifa replied, glancing at Rufus. Rufus shook his head in confusion. "I need to go and check it out. I'm sending Nanaki back to examine the recording with you guys."
"You're going back in alone?" Barret cried. "No way. I'm sending someone over to go with you."
"No, that's." she cut herself off. If she revealed that Rufus was with her.
"I'll be fine," she said finally.
Barret made a grumbling noise of discontent, but he knew better than to argue with his old friend. "All right, I guess, but be careful. Cid's on his way to get Nanaki. Inbound in about two minutes."
Tifa turned to tell Rufus to hide, but he was already gone. "I'll wait here," a voice called out from behind a wall segment.
Tifa nodded in agreement. She watched as the Highwind came into view, then swooped down and landed a few dozen yards away. Nanaki sprinted for the airship as the ramp lowered. As soon as he was aboard, the huge vessel took off again, bound for Kalm.
Tifa watched it depart, then turned and ran back through the ruins. "What the hell was that?" she asked Rufus as he emerged from behind the wall.
"I suspect whoever it is will be headed for the secret compound Hojo and Scarlet have built for themselves. It's not far from here," Rufus replied, pointing to the descending helicopter. They advanced cautiously, staying out of sight until the copter landed and its easily recognizable passengers disembarked.
"Reno, Rude, and Elena," Rufus muttered. "I knew they were trouble. I don't know why in hell my father ever hired those vultures."
"They're headed for that door," Tifa pointed out. "There's Scarlet."
Rufus nodded. "Let's head inside-but quietly."
Tifa nodded in agreement, and the two of them crept forward.
"So this kid actually saved your life?" Yuffie exclaimed as Vincent finished his story.
"Kid?" Thorn piped up. "Kid? I'm at least as old as you are!"
Yuffie smirked. "Yeah, but you mature faster when you've seen the things that I have."
Vincent fought the urge to roll his eyes. "So, what has transpired since my disappearance?"
Yuffie quickly filled him in on everything-the search for Cloud, the Chocobo prints leading to Midgar, and the recent news that Barret had given her over the PHS.
Vincent's eyes were wide. "Hojo is alive?" he cried.
Yuffie nodded. "Looks that way."
Vincent winced as he climbed slowly to his feet. "Yuffie, get one of your cure materia and seal up this bullet wound so that we can get moving."
Yuffie shook her head. "I don't have any."
Vincent looked at her with incredulity. "What?"
Yuffie sighed. "Someone broke into the palace and stole all of my materia."
"Yuffie, stop playing around," Vincent ordered. He looked at the teenager with surprise as her expression became one of even greater sadness. "You're not kidding, are you?"
Yuffie shook her head. "Nope."
"Damn," Vincent muttered.
"Don't sweat it, sir," Thorn piped up. "I happen to have.obtained one for the time being."
Yuffie stared in wonder at the proficiency of their newfound cohort as he focused on the green orb. The sphere began to glow, and Vincent was infused in an emerald-hued mist. When the coalescence faded, Vincent touched his shoulder blade.
"Not even a scar," he murmured in surprise. "Very nicely done, Thorn."
"Thank you, Mr. Valentine," Thorn replied.
"Where did you learn to use materia like that?" Yuffie demanded.
Thorn shrugged. "My brother taught me."
"Your brother, huh?" Yuffie snorted. "Anyone we know?"
Thorn shook his head. "No. No one of consequence," he answered quickly. He turned his back to them and looked over at Seth. His best friend, the one who had taken him in when he'd come to Junon with nothing, the one who had given him the name he now held, was seated by the unhinged door, an ice pack against his head.
"You all right?" he asked Seth.
Seth nodded. "Yeah, man, just a pounding headache."
"I'm really sorry about that," Yuffie offered from behind Thorn.
Seth waved her off. "Don't worry about it. How about you kiss my boo-boo, and we'll call it even?"
Yuffie turned red and took a step toward Seth. "How about I rip your nuts off and stuff them down your throat?"
Seth chuckled. "I like her, Thorn. She's got spunk." He looked up at Yuffie and smiled. "No need to get violent, sweetheart. I was only kidding."
Yuffie advanced another step, and Vincent put a hand on her shoulder. "If everyone is ready, we should get moving," he observed.
Yuffie paused a moment before nodding in agreement. Seth got to his feet, groaning as his head shifted under the ice pack, and the four of them gathered their belongings for the trip back to Kalm.
Reno walked into the chamber and surveyed the scene with his usual collected attitude. "Professor, I believe I have what you requested. Hello, Cloud," he greeted his old adversary. "Good to see you again."
"I'm sorry I can't say the same," Cloud muttered in reply.
Reno shrugged off Cloud's answer and turned his attention back to Hojo, who was walking toward him. He yanked his electro rod down from his shoulder and pointed it at the scientist. "That's quite close enough," he admonished, pulling the green orb from his pocket and tossing it over to Hojo, who snatched it out of the air and examined it.
"Excellent," Hojo hissed eagerly. He waved a signal to the guards who stood behind Reno. They advanced quickly, drawing their weapons.
Reno's reaction time was quicker. He grabbed the nearest of the two by the wrist, flipping him over his shoulder and relieving him of his gun. Tossing the gun into the air, he grasped it by the butt, and then brought it to bear on the other soldier, who froze.
"Drop it," he muttered to the soldier, who obeyed instantly. Reno snapped his fingers, and Rude and Elena stepped into the room from the hallway. Both had drawn their revolvers and had them aimed squarely at Hojo.
"Now, Professor," Reno grinned. "I believe it is time to discuss payment."
"Yes, indeed," Hojo replied. "Payment." He pressed a button on the console, and several panels opened in the wall. Hojo ducked and rolled under a desk as several squads of soldiers emerged from their hiding places behind the wall panels. As they opened fire, Reno, Rude, and Elena dove for cover.
"We've been had!" Reno cried out to his comrades as they returned fire from over the top of computer consoles and overturned tables.
"You think?" Elena shot back was she fired twice at a soldier, dropping him. She ripped a speed loader from beneath her suit jacket and jammed it into her revolver before taking aim at another soldier.
Yuffie and the others climbed on board the Highwind. Cid closed the hatchway behind them, and they made their way up to the bridge. When they arrived, Cid greeted them in his usual cheerful fashion, a cigarette from a fresh pack of smokes dangling from his lips.
"Gawd, I hate flying," Yuffie complained, flopping down onto the deck near the railing. "At least we're only going to Kalm."
Cid chuckled. "Sorry, Yuffie. Change of plans. Nanaki took one look at that recording and insisted that we all head back to Cosmo Canyon. I just dropped 'em all off when you called back to let us know you had Vincent, so I had to come get you. It's gonna be a little longer than you thought."
Yuffie groaned and rested her head against the railing of the Highwind. "Why me?" she muttered.
"Why not you?" Thorn replied as he sat down beside her.
Yuffie glared at him. "Don't you know a rhetorical question when you hear one?" she fumed. "Besides, who said you could sit here?"
Thorn grinned. "It's not your ship. Unless he says otherwise," Thorn added, pointing to Cid, "I'll sit wherever I please."
Yuffie crossed her arms and sat in silence.
"Question," Thorn began.
Yuffie looked at him. "What?" she huffed in annoyance.
"Why are you so bitchy whenever anyone tries to be nice to you?" Thorn asked.
Yuffie's jaw trembled. "Bitchy? How dare you! I simply happen to be a little bit selective as to the people I speak to. Just because you happen to be a fellow thief, doesn't mean that I have to like you."
Thorn grinned lopsidedly. "But you do."
"I most certainly do not!" she protested.
Thorn's grin became full-fledged. "I just realized it. I can't believe I didn't see it before."
"What?" Yuffie asked cautiously.
"Men scare you."
"Huh?" Yuffie stammered, at a loss for words.
"Whenever a man makes a comment or a compliment to you, you fly off the handle and threaten him with violence," Thorn observed.
Yuffie shook her head. "That's ludicrous!" she exclaimed.
"The truth of it is," Thorn pressed on, oblivious to the potential danger he was in, "you wouldn't know what to do with a man if he bit you."
Yuffie lifted her arm and swung it at Thorn's face, outraged. Thorn caught it in mid swing, looked her in the eye, and clamped his teeth down on her forearm.
"Ow!" Yuffie hollered. Thorn released her, half-smiled, and stood up, leaving Yuffie to nurse her arm.
Cid shook his head and chuckled as he turned back to face the controls. "Kids nowadays," he muttered.
Tifa and Rufus crept down the hall toward the sound of gunfire. They peered around the corner and saw the Turks fighting a large number of Shinra soldiers from pinned positions. Rufus looked up at Tifa.
"It's a tough call," he noted.
Tifa smiled despite the situation. "I'm tempted to kill them all and let God sort them out."
Rufus nodded. "An excellent idea, but what if Hojo has Cloud within as a hostage?"
Tifa sighed. "I knew it couldn't be that easy."
"It never is," a voice behind them pointed out. They turned abruptly to face Scarlet, standing between two Shinra soldiers. "Tifa. Long time no see. And Rufus. What a surprise to find you here-alive. Pity I can't consider the surprise a pleasant one."
Rufus shrugged. "We all have our problems."
The sound of gunfire ceased, and Scarlet smiled. "That's our cue." The soldiers shoved Tifa and Rufus, and they marched into the chamber.
Inside, the area looked like a war zone. Bodies of Shinra soldiers were strewn everywhere, having fallen victim to the folly of underestimating the Turks. Elena was slumped against a wall, clutching a shoulder wound. Rude and Reno were standing in the middle of the chamber, hands behind their heads in surrender to the half-dozen soldiers still on their feet. Hojo stood at a console, a grotesque parody of what he once was. On the console next to him were a green sphere and a jar with a piece of flesh inside of it. Tifa and Rufus passed through the opening between the two massive consoles, and Tifa saw.
"Cloud!" she exclaimed.
Cloud looked up, and his eyes rounded. "Tifa! What are you doing here?"
"I came to rescue you," she replied, "only it didn't work out like I'd hoped."
Cloud spotted the other captive, and his eyes narrowed. "Is that.?"
"Rufus Shinra," Hojo greeted his captive. "I was wondering when you would be coming to greet us. I've watched you scurry around, spying on us periodically. Quite rude of you, I must say."
"What is it you want?" Rufus demanded.
"Your company, Rufus. Your delightful companionship as you bear witness to the new era of science that dawns today." Hojo waved a hand at the items on the console. "Perhaps it would help if I explain a few things to you before we begin."
".First of all," Nanaki began once everyone had gathered in the observatory, "What we have seen is a simplistic form of communication from outer space."
"But who could they be trying to contact?" Yuffie asked. "There are a lot better places than the crater to try to contact intelligent life."
Nanaki shook his head. "They aren't trying to contact us, Yuffie."
".They have been trying to contact the creature trapped within the caldera of the crater," Hojo explained. "You see, we were all wrong about the origins of Jenova."
".We assumed that Jenova was an offshoot of the Cetra, a mutation, if you will. We couldn't have been more wrong," Nanaki shook his head, still disbelieving the information he had yet to impart to his friends.
"So what exactly was Jenova?" Cait pressed.
"Well, Jenova wasn't a creature."
".It is a species," Hojo hissed. "The Cetra are the offshoots of the Jenova. They are the genetic result of interbreeding between the Jenova and the primitive human race."
"Then, the Ancients are really the Jenova?" Tifa asked breathlessly.
Hojo nodded. "Exactly."
"But if the Jenova are the pure race," Reeve inquired, "Then what was their motivation for destroying the Cetra?"
Nanaki sighed. "They were shamed by their species' weakness. They wanted to pretend that the Cetra had never existed. They considered the interbreeding of Jenova and humans disgraceful."
"So," Thorn jumped in, getting to the heart of the matter. "Who or what is trying to contact something here?"
Nanaki turned to the video screen. "It's best if I showed you what we have translated." He switched on the screen.
The group watched as Hojo turned on the recording he had made of the lights above the crater. "I've added subtitles for those of you keeping score," Hojo chuckled.
Hail and greetings. Your message has been received. Rescue vessel enroute. ETA sixty-two hours. Message repeats. Hail and greetings. Your message has been received. Rescue vessel enroute. ETA sixty-two hours. Message repeats.
. Your message has been received. Rescue vessel enroute. ETA.
Nanaki switched off the screen.
"That's it?" Thorn demanded. "Rescue vessel for what?"
"Jenova," Barret muttered.
Nanaki nodded. "Exactly."
"Um, do they know that Jenova's dead?" Yuffie inquired.
Miles to the east, Cloud asked the same question.
Hojo shrugged. "I don't know. But that's where the fun part comes in." His shoulders shook with mirth as he picked up the jar. "Anyone want to guess what this is?"
"It looks like a piece of Jenova," Rufus ventured.
Hojo nodded. "Score one for the former boss. Yes, it's a piece of Jenova. At first, I sought to create a clone from this DNA sample. Then I did some research, and I developed a new plan-one that involved sending the Turks on a little raiding mission in Wutai. I needed a mastered revive materia in order to complete my experiment."
Tifa looked over at Cloud. "He's not serious."
"Ah, but I am, Miss Lockheart. Now, watch in awe as I lead this world into the new era of science!" Hojo exclaimed. With that, he hefted the materia, focusing all his concentration upon it. Within moments, a glow filled the room. The green of the glow grew richer and brighter, until it infused everything it touched with its shimmering appearance. Tifa stared in shock at the twisted, maniacal visage of Hojo, transfixed by his single- mindedness until something caught her eye. She turned her gaze on the jar, then watched in horror as the piece of Jenova's tail housed within twitched, then writhed. Suddenly, the glass shattered, and the lights went out, plummeting all of them into darkness.
Aratak checked the chronometer yet again. Forty-eight hours out. It was time for another communications check. He sighed as he fought back boredom for long enough to send the standard communication once again. He had just settled back in his chair when an alarm sounded on his console. He jerked upward in his seat and manipulated the controls to receive the incoming communication. As fast as he could translate it, he was already sending the message to the bridge to be reviewed by Kaladar.
Received your signal. Request immediate assistance. Have been attacked by hostile life forms. Await your arrival. Long live the Jenova.
Aratak felt the jerk in his seat moments later as Kaladar ordered the navigator to increase speed to maximum. They would be arriving within six hours.
Darkness faded into grey, then slowly into light. The patterns of flickering flame passed before Thorn's eyelids as they fluttered open. He moaned and stirred slowly. His nose caught the acrid whiff of smoke and he awoke with a start, scrambling to his feet.
He took in the scene around him with alarm. Mr. Strife was nowhere to be found. Fire raged in every direction--the barn, the house, the grain silos- -everything was ablaze. Duty spurring him to action, he stumbled toward the barn, hunting for any sign of life among the chocobos who had been trapped inside. He heard several alarmed warks from within, and pushed his way through the smoke.
The bodies of most of the chocobos littered the corrals. Poor little bastards. Thorn's heart went out to them. The warks sounded again, and he headed for the pen on his right, where several black-feathered chocobos ran around frantically. Thorn heaved with all his might and yanked the gate open. The chocobos bolted, nearly knocking Thorn over in the process. He grabbed for one of them, and managed to slow it down long enough to climb on its back. Running a hand along its ruffled feathers to calm it, he spurred it out of the flaming barn.
Once outside, Thorn looked around for the escaped chocobos. They had already scattered into the countryside. "At least they're alive," Thorn thought aloud.
A moan rose up from the ground several feet to his right. He turned and spotted Mr. Strife's friend--Vincent, Thorn seemed to remember--lying on his stomach. His right shoulder blade was perforated by a gunshot wound, and he was bleeding fairly heavily. Thorn dismounted and led the Chocobo over to where Vincent lay.
He ripped at his shirt until a large piece of it came off, then used the piece to fashion a makeshift bandage for the cloaked man. Looking around, he could see no alternative but to try and get Vincent out with him. There was no one around for miles in any direction. He muttered a brief apology to Vincent, then picked him up with a grunt and lifted him onto the back of the Chocobo. Vincent groaned, and the Chocobo warked with alarm at the sudden increase in weight.
"Sorry, girl," Thorn sighed. "It's not going to get any better." With that, he hauled himself up in front of Vincent. The Chocobo warked again, then began its trot to the southwest. Thorn had heard once that in times of great stress, all animals naturally return to their homes. He had never believed it, and had presumed human beings to be above such animalistic, instinctual behavior. Yet here he was, on a Chocobo with a bleeding man in a cape, headed for Junon once again.
Tifa jerked up to a sitting position in bed. She looked around, panting for breath. The dream had been so real. Cloud had been calling to her. He was in trouble. There was smoke and...
"Fire!"
Tifa heard the sound of alarm in her head and her ears simultaneously. She bolted out of bed and ran for the front door, jerking it open to see a crowd of people looking out to the southeast of the city.
A glow filled the horizon. It was the glow of a steady burning blaze off in the distance. Tifa's brow crinkled. There were no settlements to create that large a blaze to the southeast of Kalm. None except...
"Cloud!" she screamed, running back inside and yanking the door closed behind her. She grabbed her PHS from the front table.
The thump that echoed from the hall awoke Yuffie with a start. She sat up in bed and looked around, peering into the darkness for a sign of movement within her room. Seeing no shadows in the immediate vicinity, she climbed out of bed and reached for the pouch that sat on her nightstand. There was another thump, and she froze, trying to ascertain the source of the sound. Her training told her that whoever the intruder was, he had just stumbled down the stairs from the second floor. She crept out into the hallway, a shuriken in her right hand, and made her way down the stairs toward the source of the disturbance.
As she rounded the corner, an arm lashed out from beside the door. She hit the ground hard, not moving for several seconds. When she came to, the intruder was already on his way up the stairs toward her room. She got to her feet, and a wave of nausea overtook her. The punch she had taken had been a strong one, and the attacker had known just the right spot to induce the wooziness and unsettled feelings from which she now suffered. As she stumbled up the stairs, she cursed herself. She'd thought the intruder to be a clumsy oaf, after her father's valuables. It was only when the attacker turned the tables that she realized what kind of a burglar she was tracking. This was no simpleton. He had drawn her downstairs to lure her away from something valuable that was in her own room.
As she rounded the corner and entered her room, her suspicions were confirmed by several things. The first was the chest that she kept under her bed, emptied of all its materia. The second was the open window through which the intruder had departed her domicile. She ran to the window and looked out at the shadow as it climbed the outer wall of the city, several blocks away, then disappeared.
She spun around, eyes burning with fury, and then flopped onto her bed with a sigh. At length, she chuckled.
"Fuck," she muttered, still chuckling at the situation. She was startled from her reverie by a knock at the door. "Lady Kisaragi?" came the timid voice.
She sighed in frustration. Of all the times to be pestered. "Yes, Shake?"
Shake stepped into the room cautiously. His face was awash with concern and fear. "Are you all right? I thought I heard..."
"I'm fine, Shake," she returned quickly. He nodded a short bow, and then hesitated.
"Is there something else?" she asked when the servant failed to depart.
"There is a visitor awaiting you, Lady Kisaragi."
Yuffie leapt up. One of her friends? She hadn't heard from her friends in ages. Shake's somber visage didn't encourage her. She ran past him and down the hall to the main audience chamber.
Cid was waiting for her. She was surprised to see him, of all people, coming all the way to Wutai to see her. His face was stony, and his eyes grim.
"Cid? What's going on?"
Cid nodded toward the woods beyond the city. "The Highwind's waiting. I picked up Barret on the way. He's on board. We thought you might want to come with us."
"Where?" Yuffie asked.
"To Kalm." Cid sighed. "Cloud's ranch was burned to the ground tonight. Cloud is missing."
"Oh my gawd!" Yuffie gasped. Her breath caught in her throat.
Cid nodded. "Yeah. Everyone's in Kalm, or headed there--except for Tifa and Nanaki, who are headed out to the ranch to search for clues."
Yuffie backed toward the door. "Let me get my stuff. I'll be right back." She ran upstairs, gathered up some clothes and weapons--it didn't take her as long without her materia, she noted with a huff--then returned to the audience chamber. "Let's go!"
She and Cid headed out of the palace and toward the city gates.
The dark-suited figure ripped off his mask and looked around. The rustling of bushes led him in the direction of his colleague, who was waiting in the underbrush.
"Did you get what he asked for?" Reno whispered.
Rude nodded. "Had to deck that snot-nosed little princess to get it."
Reno snorted. "Bet that damn near broke your heart, didn't it?"
Rude chuckled, his stony expression unchanged. "I won't lose sleep about it."
"The only thing I don't understand is what he wants the damn thing for anyway," Reno sighed, shaking his head.
Rude shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me. What do you want to do with the rest of the materia?"
Reno blinked. "The rest? You swiped it all?"
"What?" Rude shot back. "You preferred that I pick through the chest and take my own sweet time?"
Reno shrugged again. "Screw it. We'll sell them. Materia always fetches a pretty penny on the black market."
Rude closed the sack and hefted it over his shoulder, and the two of them trudged southward.
Tifa scanned the area surrounding the farm with a grim face. The smoke was beginning to dissipate with the morning light, but there was no sign of any kind of life. Even the chocobos were gone.
Probably either dead or escaped to the countryside, Tifa thought as she spurred her own mount closer to Cloud's ranch house. Her heart sank as she grew closer. It was worse than she had expected.
What remained of the former domicile of her closest friend were a few charred beams and one lone wall segment. The window that was set into what was left of Cloud's rear wall was shattered, jagged edges left behind like the maw of some hungry dragon.
".But no Cloud," Nanaki spoke from beside Tifa, reading her thoughts.
Tifa nodded slowly, tears filling her eyes. "I suppose that's a good sign," she replied, her hoarse voice barely a whisper.
Nanaki plodded over to the entrance to the burned-out farmhouse, sniffing the ground. Tifa had asked Nanaki to join her on the search the second he had arrived in Kalm with Cid. Her reasoning was twofold. First, Nanaki had the keenest sense of smell of any creature she had met, something that would come in handy in her search for Cloud.
Second, he was rational, calm, and could help keep Tifa from falling apart during the search.
A low growl of surprise from Nanaki turned Tifa's attention away from the ashes of Cloud's home. She dismounted and hurried over to where Nanaki was sniffing the ground.
"There were several people here, and a struggle," he noted, indicating with a nod of his head the footprints scattered in many different directions. "Several different groups of people-two pairs of farmer's boots, several military issue, and another." Nanaki sniffed again. "Cloud wasn't alone last night. He had a guest staying with him. Vincent was here."
"Vincent?" Tifa echoed in surprise. "What was Vincent doing here?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Tifa," Nanaki returned. He scanned the ground again. More footprints-Chocobo. Two of them went in this direction," he observed, noting the footprints. "One of them was carrying a heavy load-more than one person."
"Cloud," Tifa deduced. "But that's back toward Kalm."
"Or Midgar," Nanaki pointed out.
"But Midgar's been abandoned since the Lifestream erupted," Tifa replied.
Nanaki shook his head. "We cannot rule out the unlikely, Tifa. Only the impossible. If someone wanted to hide their existence, where is the last place anyone would look for them?"
"Midgar," Tifa agreed.
Nanaki returned to his search. "There was another Chocobo that left in that direction," Nanaki indicated, pointing with a paw toward the southwest.
"Toward the mines?" Tifa asked.
Nanaki shook his head. "Unlikely," he advised her. "There's a feather here. It's green."
Tifa nodded, understanding. "A mountain Chocobo. Whoever took this one was headed over the top of the mines."
"Which means they weren't seeking to hide in the mines, but somewhere beyond them," Nanaki concluded.
"But where?" Tifa asked, frustrated. "Fort Condor? Junon, perhaps?"
"Or the Western Continent, if they chartered a ship out of Junon. They could be halfway to Costa Del Sol by now." Nanaki shrugged his massive haunches in a very human show of puzzlement.
Tifa sighed. The thread was unraveling.
"Tifa?" Nanaki added.
Tifa looked back at Nanaki.
"There is one other thing. This Chocobo also had two riders, which means that either one of the two directions could lead us to Cloud, or Vincent, or this mysterious third person-the one with the farmer's boots."
Tifa shook her head, looking back at the destroyed house. "One thing's for sure, Nanaki," she said finally. "We'd better track them all down, and soon. I have a feeling that whoever has Cloud doesn't plan to make his stay pleasant."
Nanaki growled in agreement as the Highwind roared through the distant western sky toward them.
CHAPTER V
The doors to the communications room opened with a swish, and Kaladar entered with his usual air of authority. "Have you located her position?" he asked of his subordinate.
Aratak nodded a salute to his captain. "Yes, sir. I have triangulated her position to be within a crater at the northern pole of the planet. She is buried beneath the caldera, but we should be able to extract her from the crater with little or no difficulty."
Kaladar nodded. "Will there be any chance of her survival?" he asked.
Aratak contemplated a moment before replying. "Unsure, sir. It is possible, but very unlikely. She has been buried for an undetermined period of time."
"But will the data that she has extracted be salvageable?" Kaladar pressed.
Aratak sighed inwardly. It was his commander's constant concern for intelligence gathering for the military over the concern of his crew that irked him more than his overbearing presence. "It should be," was his simple answer.
Kaladar grunted an approval. "Very well. Our navigator indicates an ETA of seventy-two hours. Be prepared." With that, he turned and departed the room. Aratak shook his head and returned to his work.
Cloud heard the thump of heavy military boots on tiled floor. He opened his eyes a fraction and peered through his lashes so as not to alert anyone to his conscious state. He could make out the boots of several soldiers standing nearby, all of them facing away from him. He took the risk of opening his eyes, and then lifted his head slightly in order to take in the full view of the men standing with their backs to him.
They were dressed shabbily. Whatever military prestige their uniforms once held had long departed, but there was still no mistaking the blue of the Shinra Army uniform. Cloud didn't think these were the same ones that had come to his farm and attacked him. These four weren't dressed as well as the others. That meant that there was more of the Shinra Corporation left intact than Cloud had hoped.
The attack on his farm. The thought brought Cloud around to question the whereabouts and the welfare of his companions. I hope Thorn and Vincent are all right.
His thoughts were interrupted by a new set of footsteps entering the room. "You have brought me the specimen?" The new voice inquired.
The soldiers snapped to attention, and then stepped aside. Cloud shut his eyes quickly as the new arrival walked past them and knelt beside him.
"Now, now, let's not start off our new relationship on a dishonest note."
I know that voice. But how is it possible?
A sharp jolt surged through Cloud, and he cried out as his eyelids snapped open and his body jerked upward into a sitting position.
Professor Hojo chuckled, his body quivering as he examined Cloud. "I have to say, I'm impressed. The failed experiment turned out to be stronger than the one I considered my greatest achievement."
Cloud's voice was as raw and harsh as his emotions as he sneered back at Hojo. "Never underestimate the human factor, Hojo."
Hojo grinned, mirth running through his entire frame, making it tremble with glee. "The human factor? How quaint. My dear Mr. Strife, the human factor is exactly what I'm counting on."
A gentle breeze blew across the deck of the Highwind as Tifa looked around at those assembled. Cid had brought Barret and Yuffie to aid in the search for Cloud. Cid's face was a mask of concern. She could see the tension within him, from the furrow of his brow to the tautness of his jaw as he clenched his ever-present cigarette between his teeth. Barret's great bulk and brash appearance belied his inner fear for his vanished colleague. Even the normally flippant Yuffie was quiet, lost in her own apparent contemplations of Cloud's possible whereabouts.
Nanaki stood beside her, looking up at her with a visage that betrayed both his hope and fear. Cait Sith and Reeve stood to her left. Both had volunteered to join in the search. She pondered the ridiculousness of that thought for a moment before she remembered that Reeve had rewired Cait to run independent of his control. Technically, it was Cait's decision after all. Tifa smiled at Reeve's selfless contribution of his time away from running Kalm. Even though Reeve had acknowledged that he could do little to aid in the search on the ground, he could help Cid on board the Highwind by assisting with radar sweeps.
"So," Tifa began, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "This is the situation. We're looking at two different escapes from Cloud's farm. One set of Chocobo prints headed back toward Midgar or Kalm. The other led toward the mythrill mines. That one appears to be a mountain Chocobo, so it's not likely that they went through the mine.
"It seems as though Vincent had visited Cloud last night, and he is one of the three people missing. The third is a farm hand, apparently. This farm hand could be with Vincent, or with Cloud."
"One other thing," Nanaki added. "The people who took Cloud are likely military or ex-military. Be on your guard if you find them."
"What about these lights in the sky?" Reeve asked.
Nanaki nodded. "It is possible that there may be a connection with the lights in the sky and those who abducted Cloud. We'll need for someone to investigate those locations."
"Reeve and I should do that," Cid offered. "We can cover that ground faster."
Tifa nodded. "Agreed. So, let's split up from here. Cait and Barret, head back to Kalm and see if you can find anything there. Nanaki and I will search the Midgar ruins for any sign of Cloud. Yuffie, Cid and Reeve will drop you off on the other side of the mines. See if you can track down this other Chocobo rider, and maybe find Vincent."
They all nodded their agreement. Tifa, Barret, Cait, and Nanaki all disembarked as Cid landed near Kalm, and then waved a quick salute as the Highwind took off again, bound for the Junon area.
"Something tells me we have our work cut out for us," Barret grumbled.
"You're not the only one with that feeling," Tifa assured him. "We mustn't give up, though." She straightened her shoulders. "Cloud wouldn't."
Barret nodded, and the four of them headed off.
Thorn looked over his shoulder at the man he held in a fireman's carry as he crept through Junon village. "Sorry about the rough treatment," he muttered, "but we'll soon be someplace where we can get you some help."
He made his way carefully to the elevator doors that led to the City of Junon and pulled the lever beside the doors. There was a ding as the elevator reached the ground, and the doors slid open. Thorn looked around as he jumped inside.
The streets of Junon were awash with people walking in every direction. Thorn tried to keep to the shadows of the alleyways as he made his way through the city. Finally, he arrived at his destination. He knocked three times in quick succession, and then rapped with one knuckle twice.
The door creaked open, and Thorn shoved his way in.
"Whoa," the man inside greeted him. "Long time no see, Thorn. We thought the MP's had picked you up. They've been cracking down on us pickpockets lately. I guess they're trying to bring in the tourists or something. I say, bring 'em on. Good business for us."
Thorn clamped a hand down on his friend's mouth. "Seth, shut up. You talk too much." He went to the cot in the corner of the room and set Vincent down gently.
"Hey," Seth piped up again. "Who's the vampire-looking guy?"
"His name is Vincent," Thorn replied. "He's one of my boss's friends."
"Boss?" Seth echoed. "Since when did you have a boss?"
"Since a few weeks ago," Thorn shot back, his head throbbing from the stress of his clandestine journey and the incessant nattering of his colleague. "You remember when I went to Gold Saucer to bet on those Chocobo races?"
Seth nodded. "Yeah."
"Well, I met this guy there who raised chocobos. He gave me a job as a hand on his ranch."
Seth laughed out loud. "So you dropped out of sight and worried your old pal to death to become a ranch hand? Thorn I don't know whether to deck you or laugh my damn head off."
"I'm voting for the second choice," Thorn smirked humorlessly, peering out the window. "If you laughed it off, at least it'd be a little quieter in here."
Seth was silent, unable to think up a retort.
Thorn turned around to face him. "I'll be back soon. Keep an eye on Vincent. I'm going to get us a few potions and some traveling money."
"Traveling money?" Seth repeated blankly. "For what?"
Thorn leaned back into the small dwelling through the half-open door. "Just watch him, all right?" He shut the door and headed off.
"O.K." Seth replied meekly. He sat down on the opposite side of the room and watched the dormant Vincent with a wary eye.
CHAPTER VI
Tifa looked in all directions as Nanaki sniffed the ground yet again. "Nothing?"
Nanaki shook his head. "Wherever they are, they are well hidden."
Tifa sighed. She had hoed beyond all hope that she would find Cloud here in the ruins of Midgar. Even though it seemed like a long shot, it was worth looking into, Nanaki had advised her. Yet the closer they had come to the old Shinra capital, the greater her hope had grown, until she was almost certain that Cloud would be here. She wouldn't give up hope-she couldn't give up hope-but it was growing late. The PHS didn't work in the recesses of the old Midgar slums, and Tifa was eager to hear any report from the others.
"Well, we should be heading back," she pointed out. "It's getting dark."
Nanaki nodded. "Indeed. Let's return to Kalm."
Tifa was about to reply when a rustling sound caught her attention somewhere off to her left. She peered into the darkness and spotted a figure in the dim light of a fire, turning a spit. She signaled to Nanaki, who nodded. The two of them split up to encircle the figure. Tifa crept closer, and was halfway to her quarry when a shrill sound distracted her. She spun around, looking for the source, but saw nothing. When she turned back to the fire, the figure was gone.
She looked around for Nanaki, and then a sharp blow struck her from behind. She felt claws tear into her back, pinning her down. She screamed in pain and struggled to regain her footing. Nanaki's howl ripped through the air as he attacked the creature, pouncing on it and ripping into its flesh with his teeth. It was the creature's turn to cry out as it flailed madly and knocked Nanaki loose, tossing him into a pile of rubble nearby.
Tifa managed to roll over and get onto her knees before the creature turned back on her. She pushed herself backwards, slamming against a fallen support, as she avoided the next attack. The creature recovered, and then came forward for the next attack.
A squishing sound was heard as metal pierced flesh. The creature jerked forward with a death cry the rattled in its throat, and then fell to the ground, a long, javelin-shaped pole protruding from its back.
A hand reached out of the shadows and offered itself to Tifa. She took it cautiously and got to her feet as her mysterious benefactor revealed himself. Tifa's breath caught in her throat. His face was covered with a thick beard, and his red hair had grown long and disheveled, but there was no mistaking the cold, calculating eyes that peered out from beneath that crimson mask of hair.
"Rufus?" she whispered.
Rufus nodded. "Come. We must see to your friend." With that, he turned and walked over to Nanaki's side. Nanaki stared at Rufus openly as he helped him to his feet.
"Wha.wha.?" Tifa stammered.
Rufus looked around as the howl of another creature rose over the ruins of the old tenements. "It's not safe here," he cut her off, some of his old air of authority creeping into his voice. "We must take shelter." Before waiting for them to respond, he waved a hand that beckoned them back to his makeshift cabin amid the ruins of his former city. "This way," he ordered.
Tifa and Nanaki followed, more out of curiosity than any real obedience, and within moments they were seated within a small hovel lit by the glow of several candles.
In the dim light, Rufus watched his two guests with amusement as they took in both their surroundings and the situation. Finally, he spoke.
"I suppose you're wondering what I'm still doing alive," he ventured.
Tifa nodded slowly. "That would have been one of my first questions."
Rufus chuckled. "My father insisted on only the best of everything-the best clothing, the best office equipment.and the best office furniture. When Diamond Weapon hit the Shinra Building, I dove under my father's desk. It hurt like hell, dropping through all those floors, but somehow, I came out of it in one piece.
"It occurred to me, being the savvy business type that I am, that my reappearance in the world of the living would not meet with a warm reception. As a result, I decided to remain here in the ruins of my former capital. I learned how to survive on my wits alone-something that my former position of power had not required. Room service was no longer an option. I had to forage for my own food. That was an experience in and of itself. You'd be surprised how good roasted sewer rat tastes when you haven't eaten in five days."
Tifa made a face and looked over at Nanaki, who merely shrugged. "I don't believe, given the nature of my diet, that I have any right to comment on Rufus's dining habits," he demurred.
"At any rate," Rufus chuckled, "I had time to think about things-the nature of the universe, the fickleness of fate, and the consequences of my vanity and short-sightedness. I thought, and I learned-and I watched."
"What have you been watching?" Nanaki inquired. Tifa looked over at him. She hadn't made the jump from Rufus's recollections to possible knowledge that would be pertinent to their search. She looked back over to Rufus, who sat smirking.
"I have watched members of my former army scavenge for weapons and fight among themselves. I have seen petty gang fights as would-be warlords tried to take control of blocks of refuse. I think most importantly, however, I have seen two people rise from the ashes and take control of a large number of soldiers to form a small and rather powerful army of their own. They have been plotting, and now I suspect they are on the verge of some sort of perverse victory."
"And you've just sat here, then?" Tifa asked.
Rufus shook his head sadly. "My dear Miss Lockheart, if I could have done something to regain control of my army, I would have most certainly done so by now. The simple fact of the matter is that they would have slaughtered me on sight."
"Slaughtered you?" Nanaki echoed. "Who in the world has the power over these men to order their former leader killed?"
Rufus sighed. "Scarlet and Hojo."
Aratak checked the chronometer above his console and made a mental note of the time. They would be arriving at the M-class planet in sixty-two hours. It was time for another communication attempt. So far, the only response they had received had been the standard distress call of the scout's emergency unit. Kaladar had ordered a periodic communication check until their arrival at the planet. Aratak considered the exercise useless, but Kaladar had insisted. Therefore, he would continue with his orders as planned.
He flipped a switch with one tentacle while tapping a signal into his console with a touch pad. After a few repetitions of the message, he sat back and waited for a reply that he knew would not be forthcoming.
Cid growled in frustration as he peered into the dim pre-dawn sky. "I haven't seen anything over any of these sites for hours. We've flown over each one of them what, three, four times now? Nothing!"
"It might be a good time to check in with the others," Reeve suggested.
"Yeah," Cid agreed, taking the dead butt of his cigarette out of his mouth and casting it over the side of the Highwind. "That was my last one."
"You should quit anyway," Reeve pointed out.
Cid jabbed a finger in his direction. "Not you, too. Shera's after me enough about that shit."
Reeve was about to respond when he noticed something off the starboard bow. "Look!" he cried, thrusting a finger out to point at the sight that had prized his attention away from Cid's tobacco intake.
Cid turned and stared. Had he been in possession of a cigarette, it would have fallen from his mouth and hit the deck right beside his jaw.
A beam of light was lancing down from the sky above, skewering the crater with its concentrated shaft of energy. Cid watched for a moment before snapping out of his dazed reverie. "Reeve! The recorder over there! See if you can't record this."
Reeve nodded, working the controls of the recording device located at the helm of the Highwind. After about thirty seconds, the light disappeared.
Cid turned to Reeve. "Did you get all of that?"
Reeve nodded. "What was left of it after I turned the recorder on."
Cid nodded in affirmation, pulling out his PHS and dialing. "I'll contact Nanaki and the others in Kalm. I think they should see this."
Yuffie stepped off the elevator and looked around. It wasn't as though she honestly expected to see Vincent and this mysterious farm boy strolling down the street-as a matter of fact, her entire search had been depressing thus far-but one never knew.
As she walked, she thought back on her investigation up to this point. The Chocobo tracks had led her to an area just north of Fort Condor. Thinking that perhaps the two had gone to the fort to heal their wounds, she checked with the soldiers within. Aside for a few requests for dates from some of the more lonely (and desperate, she thought ruefully) soldiers, she found nothing. She had checked out her old haunts in the forest outside Junon, to no avail. Apparently, the chocobos had been dropped as a ruse to prevent anyone else from following them.
Yuffie had then decided to check out Junon. Vincent and the farm boy may have booked passage on a freighter and left Junon for the Western Continent, but someone would have heard something-and for the right price, any amount of information could be had.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar feeling of hands reaching into pockets. Of course, for Yuffie, the role was usually reversed, so it took a split second to realize what was going on. This was still time enough, however, to apprehend the pickpocket before he absconded with her valuables.
She grabbed the would-be thief by the wrist and hauled him around to face her. "Hold it, mister!" she ordered. "No one goes in there without dinner and a movie first! Now who the hell are you?"
The thief looked her up and down, oblivious to the hold she had on his wrist. "Who the hell am I? Who the hell are you, sweetie?"
"Sweetie?" Yuffie flushed red with anger. "Who are you calling.?" Her rant was cut short as the thug kicked her in the shin, causing her to lose her grip on his wrist. He turned and bolted for the nearest alleyway.
"Hey!" she hollered, limping after him. She reached the front of the alley just in time to see the thief vault over a fence near the back of the alley and turn left. She headed part way down the alley in chase, and then looked around, spotting the thing she'd hoped to find. "Screw this," she muttered, yanking the fire escape ladder down and climbing up to the roof of the building. She ran to the edge, where she saw the little punk run down another alleyway and down a second street. She vaulted over to the next building, landing awkwardly and twisting her ankle.
"Fuck!" she cried out, gritting her teeth as she limped over to the side of the building. "When I catch this little bastard, I'm gonna.there you are, you little."
She watched as the pickpocket rapped on a door and looked around. A moment later, the door opened, and the man went inside.
"So that's how it is, huh?" she smirked, and then limped over to the fire escape. She climbed down to street and went around to the front of the building. She looked around once, and then knocked on the door.
She heard footsteps make their way to the door to peer through the eyehole. She counted to three, and then launched a vicious side kick. The door flew inward, catching the spy in the head and knocking him to the floor.
She took in the scene as she leaned against the doorframe, favoring her wounded ankle. The small, one-room apartment was a mess. Papers and clothes littered the sofa, floor, and counter. On the table sat an open toolbox with all kinds of switchblades and lock picking devices. A bloody shirt hung from one of the blades of the ceiling fan. Her eyes shifted to the corner of the room, where a shirtless and bandaged Vincent lay on a cot. The pickpocket she had attempted to apprehend was sitting on the edge of the cot, frozen in the middle of an attempt to spoon-feed a potion to Vincent. His eyes were fixed on Yuffie, and hers on him.
For a moment, neither spoke, and then a voice broke the silence.
"The spoon won't be necessary."
Both Yuffie and the pickpocket jumped and turned to face Vincent, who was lifting himself to a seated position, resting his back against the stained wall. He winced slightly as he settled into a position that kept his injury free of pressure. Having made himself somewhat comfortable, he moved his gaze back and forth between Yuffie and the pickpocket.
"Perhaps an introduction is in order," he observed.
Cloud struggled for what seemed to be the fiftieth time that hour. It was no use. Whatever it was that Hojo had used to tie him up, he wasn't getting out of it.
Hojo watched his struggles for a moment with amusement, and then went back to his calculations. "How goes the human factor, Cloud?"
Cloud said nothing. He merely glared at Hojo.
Hojo looked up again and smiled. "Don't worry. If it's my company that bothers you, take comfort in the knowledge that a few friends will be joining us shortly-and with them they bring the final piece to my puzzle."
The now-familiar click of heels on tile alerted Cloud to the presence of his second captor. Scarlet walked past Cloud, ruffling the hair on the back of his head as she did so. She stepped up beside Hojo and watched as he typed in a few more numbers.
"The reconstruction process is almost complete, Professor," she informed him after a moment.
"Excellent, my dear," Hojo replied, not looking up from his work. "Go and see if our guests have arrived, would you?"
Scarlet nodded, then turned on her heel and walked out of the chamber.
Cloud glared at Hojo, trying to peer into his mind and determine what his game plan was.
Hojo, he thought viciously, whatever you're planning, we will stop you.
CHAPTER VII
"I think you guys should head back here as soon as possible," Barret concluded.
Tifa nodded, although he couldn't see her gesture on the other end of the PHS. "We'll hurry back."
She hadn't told Barret about her encounter with Rufus. She most certainly had not mentioned the fact that he was standing next to her. The first fact alone would give him fits of apoplexy. The second fact would send him into orbit.
Truth be told, she wasn't exactly sure how she herself felt about the reappearance of Rufus Shinra and his apparent desire to set right his sins of the past by helping them in their current crisis. She didn't think it was a good idea to tell anyone about Rufus until she had determined one way or another if he was telling the truth, or simply trying to lure them into some sort of twisted trap to exact his revenge.
Gee, Tifa, time has left you open and trusting, she thought to herself.
She smiled ruefully, and was about to speak again when the sound of helicopter blades roared overhead. She looked up and watched as a copter with Shinra markings flew over their hiding place on the outskirts of Midgar's ruins.
"What was that?" Barret asked.
"I'm not sure," Tifa replied, glancing at Rufus. Rufus shook his head in confusion. "I need to go and check it out. I'm sending Nanaki back to examine the recording with you guys."
"You're going back in alone?" Barret cried. "No way. I'm sending someone over to go with you."
"No, that's." she cut herself off. If she revealed that Rufus was with her.
"I'll be fine," she said finally.
Barret made a grumbling noise of discontent, but he knew better than to argue with his old friend. "All right, I guess, but be careful. Cid's on his way to get Nanaki. Inbound in about two minutes."
Tifa turned to tell Rufus to hide, but he was already gone. "I'll wait here," a voice called out from behind a wall segment.
Tifa nodded in agreement. She watched as the Highwind came into view, then swooped down and landed a few dozen yards away. Nanaki sprinted for the airship as the ramp lowered. As soon as he was aboard, the huge vessel took off again, bound for Kalm.
Tifa watched it depart, then turned and ran back through the ruins. "What the hell was that?" she asked Rufus as he emerged from behind the wall.
"I suspect whoever it is will be headed for the secret compound Hojo and Scarlet have built for themselves. It's not far from here," Rufus replied, pointing to the descending helicopter. They advanced cautiously, staying out of sight until the copter landed and its easily recognizable passengers disembarked.
"Reno, Rude, and Elena," Rufus muttered. "I knew they were trouble. I don't know why in hell my father ever hired those vultures."
"They're headed for that door," Tifa pointed out. "There's Scarlet."
Rufus nodded. "Let's head inside-but quietly."
Tifa nodded in agreement, and the two of them crept forward.
"So this kid actually saved your life?" Yuffie exclaimed as Vincent finished his story.
"Kid?" Thorn piped up. "Kid? I'm at least as old as you are!"
Yuffie smirked. "Yeah, but you mature faster when you've seen the things that I have."
Vincent fought the urge to roll his eyes. "So, what has transpired since my disappearance?"
Yuffie quickly filled him in on everything-the search for Cloud, the Chocobo prints leading to Midgar, and the recent news that Barret had given her over the PHS.
Vincent's eyes were wide. "Hojo is alive?" he cried.
Yuffie nodded. "Looks that way."
Vincent winced as he climbed slowly to his feet. "Yuffie, get one of your cure materia and seal up this bullet wound so that we can get moving."
Yuffie shook her head. "I don't have any."
Vincent looked at her with incredulity. "What?"
Yuffie sighed. "Someone broke into the palace and stole all of my materia."
"Yuffie, stop playing around," Vincent ordered. He looked at the teenager with surprise as her expression became one of even greater sadness. "You're not kidding, are you?"
Yuffie shook her head. "Nope."
"Damn," Vincent muttered.
"Don't sweat it, sir," Thorn piped up. "I happen to have.obtained one for the time being."
Yuffie stared in wonder at the proficiency of their newfound cohort as he focused on the green orb. The sphere began to glow, and Vincent was infused in an emerald-hued mist. When the coalescence faded, Vincent touched his shoulder blade.
"Not even a scar," he murmured in surprise. "Very nicely done, Thorn."
"Thank you, Mr. Valentine," Thorn replied.
"Where did you learn to use materia like that?" Yuffie demanded.
Thorn shrugged. "My brother taught me."
"Your brother, huh?" Yuffie snorted. "Anyone we know?"
Thorn shook his head. "No. No one of consequence," he answered quickly. He turned his back to them and looked over at Seth. His best friend, the one who had taken him in when he'd come to Junon with nothing, the one who had given him the name he now held, was seated by the unhinged door, an ice pack against his head.
"You all right?" he asked Seth.
Seth nodded. "Yeah, man, just a pounding headache."
"I'm really sorry about that," Yuffie offered from behind Thorn.
Seth waved her off. "Don't worry about it. How about you kiss my boo-boo, and we'll call it even?"
Yuffie turned red and took a step toward Seth. "How about I rip your nuts off and stuff them down your throat?"
Seth chuckled. "I like her, Thorn. She's got spunk." He looked up at Yuffie and smiled. "No need to get violent, sweetheart. I was only kidding."
Yuffie advanced another step, and Vincent put a hand on her shoulder. "If everyone is ready, we should get moving," he observed.
Yuffie paused a moment before nodding in agreement. Seth got to his feet, groaning as his head shifted under the ice pack, and the four of them gathered their belongings for the trip back to Kalm.
Reno walked into the chamber and surveyed the scene with his usual collected attitude. "Professor, I believe I have what you requested. Hello, Cloud," he greeted his old adversary. "Good to see you again."
"I'm sorry I can't say the same," Cloud muttered in reply.
Reno shrugged off Cloud's answer and turned his attention back to Hojo, who was walking toward him. He yanked his electro rod down from his shoulder and pointed it at the scientist. "That's quite close enough," he admonished, pulling the green orb from his pocket and tossing it over to Hojo, who snatched it out of the air and examined it.
"Excellent," Hojo hissed eagerly. He waved a signal to the guards who stood behind Reno. They advanced quickly, drawing their weapons.
Reno's reaction time was quicker. He grabbed the nearest of the two by the wrist, flipping him over his shoulder and relieving him of his gun. Tossing the gun into the air, he grasped it by the butt, and then brought it to bear on the other soldier, who froze.
"Drop it," he muttered to the soldier, who obeyed instantly. Reno snapped his fingers, and Rude and Elena stepped into the room from the hallway. Both had drawn their revolvers and had them aimed squarely at Hojo.
"Now, Professor," Reno grinned. "I believe it is time to discuss payment."
"Yes, indeed," Hojo replied. "Payment." He pressed a button on the console, and several panels opened in the wall. Hojo ducked and rolled under a desk as several squads of soldiers emerged from their hiding places behind the wall panels. As they opened fire, Reno, Rude, and Elena dove for cover.
"We've been had!" Reno cried out to his comrades as they returned fire from over the top of computer consoles and overturned tables.
"You think?" Elena shot back was she fired twice at a soldier, dropping him. She ripped a speed loader from beneath her suit jacket and jammed it into her revolver before taking aim at another soldier.
Yuffie and the others climbed on board the Highwind. Cid closed the hatchway behind them, and they made their way up to the bridge. When they arrived, Cid greeted them in his usual cheerful fashion, a cigarette from a fresh pack of smokes dangling from his lips.
"Gawd, I hate flying," Yuffie complained, flopping down onto the deck near the railing. "At least we're only going to Kalm."
Cid chuckled. "Sorry, Yuffie. Change of plans. Nanaki took one look at that recording and insisted that we all head back to Cosmo Canyon. I just dropped 'em all off when you called back to let us know you had Vincent, so I had to come get you. It's gonna be a little longer than you thought."
Yuffie groaned and rested her head against the railing of the Highwind. "Why me?" she muttered.
"Why not you?" Thorn replied as he sat down beside her.
Yuffie glared at him. "Don't you know a rhetorical question when you hear one?" she fumed. "Besides, who said you could sit here?"
Thorn grinned. "It's not your ship. Unless he says otherwise," Thorn added, pointing to Cid, "I'll sit wherever I please."
Yuffie crossed her arms and sat in silence.
"Question," Thorn began.
Yuffie looked at him. "What?" she huffed in annoyance.
"Why are you so bitchy whenever anyone tries to be nice to you?" Thorn asked.
Yuffie's jaw trembled. "Bitchy? How dare you! I simply happen to be a little bit selective as to the people I speak to. Just because you happen to be a fellow thief, doesn't mean that I have to like you."
Thorn grinned lopsidedly. "But you do."
"I most certainly do not!" she protested.
Thorn's grin became full-fledged. "I just realized it. I can't believe I didn't see it before."
"What?" Yuffie asked cautiously.
"Men scare you."
"Huh?" Yuffie stammered, at a loss for words.
"Whenever a man makes a comment or a compliment to you, you fly off the handle and threaten him with violence," Thorn observed.
Yuffie shook her head. "That's ludicrous!" she exclaimed.
"The truth of it is," Thorn pressed on, oblivious to the potential danger he was in, "you wouldn't know what to do with a man if he bit you."
Yuffie lifted her arm and swung it at Thorn's face, outraged. Thorn caught it in mid swing, looked her in the eye, and clamped his teeth down on her forearm.
"Ow!" Yuffie hollered. Thorn released her, half-smiled, and stood up, leaving Yuffie to nurse her arm.
Cid shook his head and chuckled as he turned back to face the controls. "Kids nowadays," he muttered.
Tifa and Rufus crept down the hall toward the sound of gunfire. They peered around the corner and saw the Turks fighting a large number of Shinra soldiers from pinned positions. Rufus looked up at Tifa.
"It's a tough call," he noted.
Tifa smiled despite the situation. "I'm tempted to kill them all and let God sort them out."
Rufus nodded. "An excellent idea, but what if Hojo has Cloud within as a hostage?"
Tifa sighed. "I knew it couldn't be that easy."
"It never is," a voice behind them pointed out. They turned abruptly to face Scarlet, standing between two Shinra soldiers. "Tifa. Long time no see. And Rufus. What a surprise to find you here-alive. Pity I can't consider the surprise a pleasant one."
Rufus shrugged. "We all have our problems."
The sound of gunfire ceased, and Scarlet smiled. "That's our cue." The soldiers shoved Tifa and Rufus, and they marched into the chamber.
Inside, the area looked like a war zone. Bodies of Shinra soldiers were strewn everywhere, having fallen victim to the folly of underestimating the Turks. Elena was slumped against a wall, clutching a shoulder wound. Rude and Reno were standing in the middle of the chamber, hands behind their heads in surrender to the half-dozen soldiers still on their feet. Hojo stood at a console, a grotesque parody of what he once was. On the console next to him were a green sphere and a jar with a piece of flesh inside of it. Tifa and Rufus passed through the opening between the two massive consoles, and Tifa saw.
"Cloud!" she exclaimed.
Cloud looked up, and his eyes rounded. "Tifa! What are you doing here?"
"I came to rescue you," she replied, "only it didn't work out like I'd hoped."
Cloud spotted the other captive, and his eyes narrowed. "Is that.?"
"Rufus Shinra," Hojo greeted his captive. "I was wondering when you would be coming to greet us. I've watched you scurry around, spying on us periodically. Quite rude of you, I must say."
"What is it you want?" Rufus demanded.
"Your company, Rufus. Your delightful companionship as you bear witness to the new era of science that dawns today." Hojo waved a hand at the items on the console. "Perhaps it would help if I explain a few things to you before we begin."
".First of all," Nanaki began once everyone had gathered in the observatory, "What we have seen is a simplistic form of communication from outer space."
"But who could they be trying to contact?" Yuffie asked. "There are a lot better places than the crater to try to contact intelligent life."
Nanaki shook his head. "They aren't trying to contact us, Yuffie."
".They have been trying to contact the creature trapped within the caldera of the crater," Hojo explained. "You see, we were all wrong about the origins of Jenova."
".We assumed that Jenova was an offshoot of the Cetra, a mutation, if you will. We couldn't have been more wrong," Nanaki shook his head, still disbelieving the information he had yet to impart to his friends.
"So what exactly was Jenova?" Cait pressed.
"Well, Jenova wasn't a creature."
".It is a species," Hojo hissed. "The Cetra are the offshoots of the Jenova. They are the genetic result of interbreeding between the Jenova and the primitive human race."
"Then, the Ancients are really the Jenova?" Tifa asked breathlessly.
Hojo nodded. "Exactly."
"But if the Jenova are the pure race," Reeve inquired, "Then what was their motivation for destroying the Cetra?"
Nanaki sighed. "They were shamed by their species' weakness. They wanted to pretend that the Cetra had never existed. They considered the interbreeding of Jenova and humans disgraceful."
"So," Thorn jumped in, getting to the heart of the matter. "Who or what is trying to contact something here?"
Nanaki turned to the video screen. "It's best if I showed you what we have translated." He switched on the screen.
The group watched as Hojo turned on the recording he had made of the lights above the crater. "I've added subtitles for those of you keeping score," Hojo chuckled.
Hail and greetings. Your message has been received. Rescue vessel enroute. ETA sixty-two hours. Message repeats. Hail and greetings. Your message has been received. Rescue vessel enroute. ETA sixty-two hours. Message repeats.
. Your message has been received. Rescue vessel enroute. ETA.
Nanaki switched off the screen.
"That's it?" Thorn demanded. "Rescue vessel for what?"
"Jenova," Barret muttered.
Nanaki nodded. "Exactly."
"Um, do they know that Jenova's dead?" Yuffie inquired.
Miles to the east, Cloud asked the same question.
Hojo shrugged. "I don't know. But that's where the fun part comes in." His shoulders shook with mirth as he picked up the jar. "Anyone want to guess what this is?"
"It looks like a piece of Jenova," Rufus ventured.
Hojo nodded. "Score one for the former boss. Yes, it's a piece of Jenova. At first, I sought to create a clone from this DNA sample. Then I did some research, and I developed a new plan-one that involved sending the Turks on a little raiding mission in Wutai. I needed a mastered revive materia in order to complete my experiment."
Tifa looked over at Cloud. "He's not serious."
"Ah, but I am, Miss Lockheart. Now, watch in awe as I lead this world into the new era of science!" Hojo exclaimed. With that, he hefted the materia, focusing all his concentration upon it. Within moments, a glow filled the room. The green of the glow grew richer and brighter, until it infused everything it touched with its shimmering appearance. Tifa stared in shock at the twisted, maniacal visage of Hojo, transfixed by his single- mindedness until something caught her eye. She turned her gaze on the jar, then watched in horror as the piece of Jenova's tail housed within twitched, then writhed. Suddenly, the glass shattered, and the lights went out, plummeting all of them into darkness.
Aratak checked the chronometer yet again. Forty-eight hours out. It was time for another communications check. He sighed as he fought back boredom for long enough to send the standard communication once again. He had just settled back in his chair when an alarm sounded on his console. He jerked upward in his seat and manipulated the controls to receive the incoming communication. As fast as he could translate it, he was already sending the message to the bridge to be reviewed by Kaladar.
Received your signal. Request immediate assistance. Have been attacked by hostile life forms. Await your arrival. Long live the Jenova.
Aratak felt the jerk in his seat moments later as Kaladar ordered the navigator to increase speed to maximum. They would be arriving within six hours.