The Bandits, Chapter 9 (Sorry its been taking so long, I just moved awhile ago so bear with me, ya?)

Siren's Silence

Tifa's POV

It was very scary when they took me. I was getting ready for bed when I felt something hit me in the neck. It was some kind of dart. I was out cold in seconds. When I woke up they were dragging me by the arms to this cell. A very dark and scary cell.

"This place is so scary." I said shivering from the cold. They took my jacket from me and all that was left was my usual white shirt. Of course this thing wasn't great at keeping cold air out. "I sure hope they come to rescue me soon." It had been a few hours since I managed to get on my PHS and call Yuffie. I knew they were here when a giant thud was heard.

"Must be them." I thought to myself. I hadn't looked around the area much. A long hallway with guards. The cell across from me had Barret sitting on the floor. His right arm was partially missing.

"Barret? Is that you?" I shouted across the hall. "Tifa? They took ya too?" he said sounding surprised to hear my voice. "What happened to you?" I asked. "This damn company kidnapped me after dropping Marlene off. At least she's safe and sound. If they hadn't removed my Missing Score from my right arm then I'd be raising all sorts o hell!" he said with his usual attitude.

"Perry and the others are coming." I told him. "Newcomer to the rescue? I usually thought he only looked out for that tiny chick Yuffie." He said joking a bit. "He cares Barret. For someone living in a video game he sure takes it seriously." I said. He basically forgot he was in a game. He'd only remember if you reminded him.

Aeris' POV

We were walking down a hallway after the elevator stopped. No guards yet. "I sure hope we find them easily." I told everyone. "I am sure we can find them and bring them back." Cait Sith told me. The moggle doll was slightly darker in color and the cat looked almost the same. "I'm just a bit scared that's all." I said.

"You can hold on to my hand if you want, sis." Perry offered. "Sure. It would make me feel better. He was always caring for me. Well I cared for him too. Knowing I was holding his hand made me feel like everything was fine. I actually had wanted to hold Vincent's hand but I think I bugged him enough for now. That was one thing Perry taught me.

"Remember, don't go throwing yourself at him all at once. Take it one step at a time. That way he won't notice much at first and less questions will be asked." I recalled him telling me a few years back.

I'll admit it. I have been admiring Vincent ever since Cloud went with Tifa. I mean Vincent and I were such opposites but I wanted it to work. I wanted to heal his heartache and his sin. The tricky part was getting him to let me.

"I sure hope we get there soon. Hey Reeve. How much further?" Yuffie asked with a bored look on her face. "According to my mapping system I got from hacking in the entrance point the cells are around this corner." The cat with the cape told her.

Cloud's POV

It's been days and still. Nothing. "C'mon Perry. I made the sacrifice! Now get us all out of here." I said slamming my gloved fist to the ground. I had myself captured so that he may live and get me out of here. Well me and everyone else. Then the cell I was in opened and some oddly dressed lady came in.

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded from her. "I'm the president of Siren Corporation. You must be Cloud Strife." She said. She was a woman in her thirties and she had silver hair that went down to about her knees. She wore a black jacket and carried a very large katana. She seemed very familiar to me. "Come, you are needed!" she said snapping her fingers and three guards came in and restrained me.

"What do you want with me?" I asked. "Just fulfilling a little revenge for my creator." She laughed. "Creator? Are you saying you aren't human?" I questioned. This was getting stranger by the minute. "You'll all learn eventually!" she said.

In the next room were a bunch of tubes filled with water and most of them had people inside. Tifa, Cid, and Barret were there as well.

"Guys!" I shouted as I was kicked over to them. They were staring at this one tube. We couldn't see inside it but it was labeled "PG-657". "What is this?" I asked everyone.

"No idea. She said we'd find out." Cid said jerking his head in the president's direction due to his arm being tied. "You all will. You may recognize him too." She said pressing a button.

Slowly the condensation on the tube was vanishing and a familiar figure was inside.

"Perry?" Tifa gasped. It looked like him, but different. His body had multiple scars on them and he held a serious look on his face. "That's not Perry." I said aloud. "Correct it isn't. You recall the clone Sephiroth made?" asked the president. "Yea, but I thought he was killed by Yuffie and Perry?" Barret said looking rather confused, and who the hell could blame him?

"His clone? Where did you find him?" Tifa asked. "In Upper Junon years ago. He was badly injured and I felt that it was my goal to help out Sephiroth's ally." This nameless president explained.

"Why help out Sephiroth's ally? He tried to destroy the world!" Cid shouted. "I feel it is my destiny to carry out what he was starting. For you see, I'm am a Sephiroth clone!" she told us. We were all amazed at this new fact. "Don't look so surprised. About two years after the first Sephiroth clone was made. I was created. Professor Hojo wanted to see how a female Sephiroth could handle such power. Thus I came to pass." She explained further.

Perry's POV

We had made it to the cellblock but the cells were all empty. "Gone!" I said punching the wall. "They can't be far. I'm sure they were just moved elsewhere." Vincent said still keeping that calm face he always wore. "You're right. We should get looking." I said with new resolve.

We looked around and noticed some ashes. "Are those ashes?" I asked everybody. "They appear to be so. They look as though they came from a cigarette." Vincent added. "Do you think they took everyone down this way?" Aeris asked pointing down the hall where the trail of ashes led. "It's very likely, let's sneak in and see what we find." I said pointing upwards to a large ventilation shaft. It was nice for all of us but Cait Sith had a hard time fitting. He got in fine after awhile though.

"I hear voices." I announced looking down at some odd room. Everyone was there. So was this oddly dressed lady that reminded me of Sephiroth. "She looks spooky." Yuffie observed. We waited in the ceiling to hear what they were saying.

"What makes you a Sephiroth clone? Don't look like one ta me!" Cid yelled at this woman. "Proof I see. Here." She said removing her right glove and showing a tattoo. It had the number 1 with a dash and a 1 next to the dash. "Bullshit! You could've just gotten that anywhere." Cid spat at her again. "See this sword. Only Sephiroth can use it, or at least somebody close to his power can." She said holding it out and slashing through an empty tube. It didn't seem effected at first but a few seconds later it shattered completely. "Holy $&*% she's telling the truth!" he said dropping his cigarette from his mouth. "So you see, I am a Sephiroth clone." She said laughing the standard evil villain laugh.

"Then, what do you want?" Tifa asked. "It appears this world was created by somebody outside of our own. I wanted to visit this place." She said. "You mean Perry?" Barret wondered. "Exactly. And to open the portal I needed those of you who hold this world together, at least six of you." She continued. "Who are you anyway?" Cloud asked.

"My name is SC-11. My human name is Hester." She told everyone. "Hester huh?" I said to myself in the vent. "When shall we strike?" Vincent asked me. "Now's a good time I suppose." We sprang from the vents and disabled the guards and then freed everyone. Only Tifa was capable of defending herself.

"So the interloper has come." Hester joked staring at me. "You're messed up lady." I said aiming both Exeter's are her. Vincent held out Buntline, Aeris held both Revolvers, and Yuffie held Conformer ready for throwing. "I doubt you can defeat me! Beside let us hurry, to the portal!" She screamed as she dashed out of the room.

"Um guys, we can't let her reach that place can we?" Aeris said. "Nope, I think this is the part where we save the world." I chimed in. We ran after Hester, but she was a fast one. We eventually ended up in a room with some strange ring in the center. "You've fallen into my trap!" She announced as Cid, Tifa, Cloud, Barret, Yuffie, and Aeris were all swept off their feet and strapped to six holders around the room.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. "Entering your world!" she told me. "But why?" I asked. "To conquer it. I can alter this world through yours and both shall be mine." She began to laugh again. "I won't let you!" a childish voice spoke out as Hester was hit with a large bolt of lightning. "You!" she shouted at the shadowy figure in the distance.

It was a little girl! Like about ten years old! Hester was scared of her for some reason. "Don't hurt them!" she said shocking Hester once more. The ring in the room now had a portal in it and Hester was flung into it by another bolt. Everyone else was let down as the portal closed.

"Who are you?" Vincent asked approaching this girl. She didn't seem afraid of him at all. "My name is Hazel. I can explain everything to you all once we leave this place." She said as we all got the right idea and split. This girl looked something like Hester in a way. Strange really.