Chapter 4

"Dio!" a guard screamed, running into Dio's personal suite. Dio quickly let go of his weights and looked over at the guard.

"What is it? I told you to never interrupt me! Never" Dio screamed, looking at the guard quickly. The guard closed his eyes as he gulped.

"I...I know Dio...! But you've been robbed!" the guard said, his body shaking. Dio's eyes went wide a moment, then he crossed his arms and laughed a bit.

"Trivial things mean nothing to me. Was my house robbed?" Dio said. The guard shook his head, causing Dio's smile to fade.

"No-no Dio...your collection at the Gold Saucer was robbed..." the guard said. Dio's eyes went wide as his body shook with anger.

"Impossible! My security is top notch!" Dio screamed as he stalked towards the guard. The guard gulped again.

"Sir...whoever did this knocked out all of your guards...without a single one seeing the robber..." the guard added nervously. Dio's stopped near the guard as he clenched his fists.

"This had better not be a joke! Wait, this had better be a joke! No one robs from Dio. No one!" Dio screamed, grabbing the guard by the shirt. The guard's eyes flung open as he looked at Dio.

"No...no joke..." the guard said, gasping for breathe. Dio looked him directly in the eye, grabbing more of the shirt.

"What was stolen?" Dio hissed at the guard. The guard slowly grabbed Dio's arms and lifted himself up a bit.

"One thing...one thing..." the guard gasped. Dio smirked a bit as he put the guard back on his feet.

"Oh...well, I guess that's not the..." Dio began as he kept looking in the guard's eyes. The guard was gasping for breathe hard, a look of terror on his face. Dio's eyes narrowed.

"What was taken?" Dio asked harshly. The guard clenched his eyes closed a moment, then slowly opened them.

"They...they...they took...it..." the guard muttered. Dio's eyes went wide again as the veins in his neck began to stretch.

"You do not mean..!" Dio screamed, his arms clenched tightly.


"We should have left last night" Tifa said as she yawned. She walked up to the front of the ship. Cid turned away and sighed a bit.

"Tifa, it was too late last night...it's only a few hours" Cid stated, taking a long drag from his cigarette before exhaling the smoke. Tifa crossed her arms as she looked down at the ocean below.

"Still, we wasted so much time...I mean, we could have been on our way back by now" Tifa stated as she rubbed her arms slowly. Cid looked at her and squinted a bit.

"Tifa, it's not like there is so much more we can do. I mean, it's going to take them guys awhile to get through the city. The only thing we are gonna do when we get back is try to find them and help them search in the city if they're not done. Really Tifa, nothing was so pressing that we couldn't let the pilots and ourselves get some rest over" Cid countered as he shook the ashes of his cigarette. Tifa sighed softly as she jabbed her foot onto the metal deck.

"I know...but still..I feel like we're wasting time...you know, like we could be doing something meaningful" Tifa huffed. Cid laughed a bit as he dropped his cigarette to the floor next to 10 other butts and stomped it out.

"Tifa, getting the materia, as well as getting Yuffie, is pretty meaningful you know. Just cause you're not with Cloud don't mean it's a waste of time" Cid said as he slowly turned to her. Tifa quickly glanced over at him.

"What do you mean?" Tifa said; her face turning to a tomato suddenly. Cid chuckled a bit.

"Oh, nothing" Cid muttered as he leaned on the railing and looked out at the world. Tifa blinked a few times.

"Hey, come on, tell me!" Tifa said as she walked over to him. Cid casually glanced over at her.

"Oh, it's nothing Tifa. Really" Cid said as he stretched a bit and looked back out the window. Tifa's brow bent as she grabbed his arm.

"Come on, tell me!" she said as she tugged on his arm. Cid chuckled a bit more as he held the railing with his free arm.

"Do you even know what you want to know?" Cid asked as Tifa stopped pulling his arm a moment and blinked a few times.

"Huh..." she said as she scratched her head a moment. Cid laughed a bit.

"Maybe we can go ask Cloud" Cid said snidely as he slowly pulled out a cigarette. Tifa's eyes went wide as she stopped scratching her head. She quickly grabbed the cigarette from his hand.

"Oh yeah...hey! What did you mean?" Tifa said. Cid reached out at the cigarette but Tifa yanked her arm back. Cid growled a bit.

"Give me that!" Cid screamed as he dove for the cigarette. Tifa just stepped back as Cid slammed into the ground. Tifa looked down, a sweet but sinister look on her face.

"The sooner you tell me what you meant, the sooner you can have this" she said as she waved the cigarette around. Cid lunged to his feet and tried to grab the precious cigarette, but Tifa just stepped back again. Cid sighed a bit as she shook his head.

"All I meant was that just cause you're not around Cloud doesn't make it a waste of time" Cid replied, his eyes glued on the cigarette. Tifa flicked the cigarette into the air. She watched it fly into the air, then turned and looked back out at the passing ground. Cid grabbed the cigarette as it fell and quickly put it in his mouth.

"It was just a joke Tifa" Cid remarked as he searched in his pocket for his lighter. He pulled it out and quickly set his cigarette a blaze. Tifa just sighed as she looked out as the ground went flying past them.

"I wish it was, actually" She remarked under her breathe as Cid turned and looked back out. Cid took a deep puff from his cigarette then blew it out.

"What was that Tifa?" he asked casually. Tifa took a deep breath and smiled.

"I wonder how the others are doing" She said softly. Cid grinned a bit as he looked over.

"I'm sure they're doing just fine" Cid remarked.


"Not again" Cloud screamed as he jumped down the ground and covered his head. Behind him, a building collapsed to the ground. A huge puff of smoke went up into the air. Slowly, Cloud got to his feet as he dusted himself off. Red slowly trotted up behind him.

"I am assuming that building was unsafe" Red stated. Cloud chuckled a bit as he turned around to face him.

"Yeah, you could say that" Cloud said as a small grin covered his face. Red chuckled once or twice himself.

"Well, Reeve said he was not sure if that one was still being used as a way-station or not" Red said as he sat down. Cloud shrugged his shoulders a bit.

"Has Reeve found out anything interesting yet?" Cloud asked. Red shook his head as his tag wagged in the air.

"No; this station was pretty useless to our cause, it would seem" Red replied. Cloud tapped his foot a bit as the dust began to settle all around the area.

"This may end up taking longer than thought Red" Cloud said, his face bent in frustration. Red nodded and went to speak, but in the distance they heard someone calling out, followed by the sound of someone screaming about tripping and falling. Cloud and Red looked at each other.

"Reeve" they said at the same time and walked towards the screaming. They saw Reeve running towards them, a smile on his face.

"Hey guys..guys! Guess what, I found something!" Reeve screamed, waving a paper in the air. Cloud and Red both blinked. Red's tail began to wave rapidly in the air.

"Good news?" Red called out as Reeve grew nearer. Reeve's smile got bigger.

"Well, in a sense" he said as he reached them. The moment he came to a stop, he doubled-over and began to take deep breathes. Reeve's arm hung at the sides. Cloud blinked and reached down and took the paper. He blinked as he began to look it over. A puzzled look covered Cloud's face.

"What does this mean Reeve?" Cloud asked as he turned the paper upside down. Reeve straightened himself out. His face was still covered in sweat.

"Well, it has no information the actual Project: Re-birth...but it does tell us where to look!" Reeve said as he took a deep breathe. Red looked up at Cloud and chuckled a bit.

"Well, maybe not all that long at all" Red said as his tail swung around in the air. Cloud shrugged his shoulders, then handed the paper back to Reeve.

"Lead the way Reeve" Cloud stated as Reeve took a huge breathe.

"Let me catch my breath first" he said as he doubled over again.


"Strange" Phoenix muttered. He had never thought or noticed his appearance before. He blinked his eyes slowly as he stared at his reflection, then squinted when he saw his own eyes once again.

"Very strange indeed" he remarked as he looked at his mismatched eyes closely for the very first time. He tilted his head a bit, but they remained the same.

"One blue...one green..." he muttered as he heard a loud horn suddenly. He quickly looked up as he felt the plane going slowly. He stood up and walked over to a window and glanced down. All below him he saw land. And the ground seemed to be growing larger. The boy slowly looked down at his hand. He slowly lifted the massive sword into the air and stared at it. The sunlight coming through the window caught a hold of the sword and bounced off, hitting the boy in the eyes. He squinted a bit but still looked at the sword. His mismatched eyes looked up at the tip of the sword then slowly looked down, his eyes studying the sword the whole time. He finally reached the handle. He gently removed his hand and turned the sword sideways and held it up to eye level. A faint smile covered his face.

"Masumane..." the boy muttered softly as he twisted the sword in the sun-light, the rays reflecting off the sword.

"Passengers, this is your captain speaking. We're going to be landing shortly. Could you please buckle your safety belts and remain sitting" Phoenix heard over the intercom. He slowly walked back over to the boxes he had used as he bed and sat back down. He bent down and picked up the sheath for the sword and slide it back over. He slowly rubbed it with his hands then placed it back on the ground. He looked upwards as his eyes narrowed.

"Soon..." Phoenix muttered, as he pushed himself up and grabbed his backpack. He shrugged his shoulders


"Well, well, any new shipments come in?" Yuffie breathlessly asked as she leaned onto the counter at the materia store, looking down. The old lady working behind the counter smiled weakly.

"Not today Yuffie" The old lady said softly. Yuffie stomped her foot as she looked up at the lady. She batted her eyes a few times.

"Not a single piece...?" Yuffie pleaded with her, her eyes as big as dishes. The old lady chuckled a few times as she shook her head.

"Not a single piece" The lady re-stated. Yuffie's shoulders dropped as she looked downward. She sighed deeply.

"Phooey..." she said, looking up hopefully. The old lady kept smiling as she shook her head.

"I'm serious Yuffie. Not a piece" the lady said again. Yuffie huffed as she turned around and stormed towards the exit. She stopped as she neared the door and looked back.

"Not a piece...?" Yuffie pleaded. The lady shook her head again and chuckled once more.

"I'm sorry Yuffie. You have a good day" The lady said. Yuffie sighed deeply.

"You too..." she said as she left the materia shop, her head downwards, looking at the ground. The old lady laughed as she heard the door slam shut; the chimes on the door ringing softly. She shuffled over to the side and picked up a broom. She walked out behind the counter and picked up a broom. Humming softly, she began to swept the ground. Slowly she moved along, bent over the broom, sweeping the dust on the ground, moving it into a pile. The door chimes rang softly as the door opened. The old lady turned around smiling.

"Yuffie, no...oh, hello...how can I help you?" she said softly, looking at the stranger who stood in the doorway. The figure squinted his eyes a bit.

"I'm here for the Green Materia. Project Re-birth. Codename Phoenix" the boy stated as his mismatched eyes focused on the lady. She dropped her broom slowly, grabbing at her chest. She took rapid deep breathes.


"This is the place" Reeve announced, looking up from his paper. Red wagged his tail around rapidly.

"This does not look like a Shinra way-station...I suppose that is why it is one" Red said calmly. Reeve looked down at the him and smirked a bit.

"Never suspect a thing" Reeve noted as he looked back up at the decaying building. Cloud took a few steps forwards, then suddenly jumped back. He bent downwards and looked at the ground.

"It's shaky over here guys..." Cloud said he slowly put his hands into the garbage. Red trotted forward a bit.

"Let me give you a hand" Red remarked as Cloud began to lift up on something. Before Red could help him, the piece of scrap metal Cloud had grabbed went flying into the air, causing Cloud to fall forward. Cloud went falling down into a hole in the ground, sliding down the side. He landed on his feet. Red looked down the hole quickly.

"Are you ok Cloud?" Red called out. Cloud dusted himself off as he looked upwards. He smirked a bit; his face covered in dust.

"I'm fine Red...just give me a hand out of here, would you...?" Cloud asked as he walked towards the edge of the hole. Red nodded and reached his paws downward. Reeve walked over and looked down into the hole.

"Hey guys...there is a door down there" Reeve said, pointing towards the back side of the hole. Cloud blinked and turned around.

"Hey...yeah, there is actually a door there" Cloud noted. Red looked over at Reeve.

"It's impossible for rubble to fall like this, right?" Red asked, looking up at Reeve. Reeve let out a nervous chuckle.

"Someone has been here recently, or it's the biggest coincidence I've ever seen" Reeve said, his hand rubbing the side of his head. Cloud stood before the door, looking it over. He gently reached down and turned the doorknob. He opened the door and jumped back.

"Ack..!" Cloud screamed, his face in shock. Red quickly jumped down into the hole and ran in front of Cloud, his teeth showing. He quickly stopped growling and took a step back himself. Reeve took a deep breathe and jumped down the hole as well, landing right on his butt when he landed. He slowly stood up and looked down. He began to dust his pants off.

"Hey guys, what...guys?" Reeve asked as he looked upwards at them. They still faced the door-way; the only sounds in the air was beating hearts and gasping breathe. Reeve walked over and looked at the door way himself.

"What's the big...oh my goodness!" Reeve said as he reached up and covered his mouth with his hands. He slowly took a deep breathe, his eyes wide. Red's tail twitched a bit in the air.

"Well Reeve...someone dug this out recently; I'd say" Red said as he stared down at the four former human bodies standing at the doorway, reaching for the doorway. Cloud took a deep breath and looked upwards at the garbage piled around them.

"Buried alive..." Cloud said slowly. Reeve turned around and vomited all over the ground. Cloud clenched his eyes tightly.

"Well...come on guys...let's just get this over with" Cloud said as he slowly stepped over the bodies and began to walk down the poorly-lit hallway. Reeve turned around and faced the hallway. Red gently looked up at him.

"Come on..." Red said softly as he jumped over the bodies and began to walk down the hallway. Reeve quickly jumped over the aging skeletons and followed them down the hallway.


Godo sipped his tea softly, letting the taste roll down his throat. He sighed contently as he opened his eyes and poured himself another cup of tea. He slowly picked up the newspaper and flipped to the business section. A smile enriched his face.

"Yes...the spoils of the survivors...we're getting richer and richer. Midgar's fall was our climb" Godo thought to himself. It was truly a good day. He read over the business section, glancing at numbers. All were positive. He reached down and took a sip of his tea as he slowly turned to the front page. He groaned; headlines bored him most of the time. He slowly glanced over the front page.

"Hmm....health care issues...Junon elections...Kalm burned to the ground.. Gold Saucer increasing rates.. Kalm burnt down!" Godo shouted as he stood up, still grabbing the paper. His eyes scanned the paper over quickly.

"This is nonsense...I mean, it's just a joke paper. No wonder everything was doing so well! Ha" he screamed, then laughed deeply. He looked over the top of the newspaper; his eyes scanning for people. He saw no one and took a deep breathe.

"Very funny guys..." he said as he looked back down at the paper. He read over the article again, laughing a loud a few times.

"Oh, I get it a guys...it's not all that funny...it's kinda sad..." he said as he read the article. He blinked a few times as he felt something odd, like someone was watching him.

"I won't let you fool me this time guys...haha, so funny. A kid with silver hair is wanted for questioning...may have burned an entire city down...good one guys..." Godo said, as he chuckled deeply. He sat back down slowly, setting down the paper and picking up his cup of tea.

"I am here for the Green Materia" he heard suddenly. Godo quickly looked up and saw Phoenix standing in the doorway to his office. Godo dropped the cup out of his hand, smashing it off the ground. He quickly reached over and picked up the newspaper and read the front page again. He looked back at the boy, then laughed loudly.

"Oh, this is a good trick guys...you got someone to be like..." Godo began, but the boy's eyes hardened quickly.

"I want the Green Materia....now" Phoenix snapped as his eyes focused in on Godo's eyes. Godo took a step back, dropping the newspaper. He slowly bent down into a defensive stance.

"This is not a funny joke. You shall not disrespect me" Godo replied, his body tensing. The boy tilted his head upwards a bit.

"Project Re-birth: Codename Phoenix...I am here for the Green Materia...now" Phoenix stated, his jaw clenching. Godo straightened himself out a bit and shrugged.

"I don't know what you are talking about boy. I do not keep...need materia. I am strong enough without it!" Godo stated, crossing his arms. The boy's position did not change.

"This does not answer my demand. I am here for the Green Materia" the boy restated. Godo shrugged his shoulders a bit.

"Any materia I have gotten I gave to my daughter" Godo replied calmly. The boy nodded once.

"Very well. Where is she?" Phoenix responded quickly. Godo's eyes went wide.

"What do you want with my daughter?" he snapped at the boy, as he clenched his fists and went back into a fighting stance. Phoenix took a deep breath.

"I want the Green Materia" Phoenix replied as he tapped his foot a few times, slowly crossing his arms. Godo let out a confident laugh.

"Boy, you will not disrespect me again or I shall make you pay!" Godo screamed at him. Phoenix un-crossed his arms as he smirked.

"You can not defeat me, old man. Not ten years ago. Not twenty. Certainly not now" Phoenix replied as he tilted his head to the side and sneered. Godo stomped his foot and shook a fist at him.

"That is it you little disrespectful punk! You shall now see why I am the ruler of Wutai" Godo screamed as he rushed at the boy. He quickly pulled back and punched at the boy. Before he could react, the boy rolled off to the side, throwing an elbow at Godo's face. Godo's eyes went wide as he stumbled back. He reached up to touch his face, but felt something grab his waist. Looking down, he saw the ground disappear below him, then he saw the pictures as he moved upside down. He saw the ceiling, then his head slammed down into the ground as the boy let go. Godo's eyes slowly opened as the image of the boy came to view. The image flickered a few times to Godo, then slowly he began to lean upwards. Phoenix stomped on his chest and looked down at him.

"I want the Green Materia. The old lady sold it to you. You gave it to your daughter. Where is your daughter?" Phoenix asked, his eyes focused on Godo's. Godo turned to the side.

"Hmph...why should I tell you...?" Godo screamed as he grabbed the boy's foot and tried to lift it off. Phoenix just slammed his other foot into Godo's throat.

"I need the Green Materia. I have no time to waste with you. Where is your daughter?" Phoenix said quickly, his foot digging into Godo's throat. Godo clawed at the foot with his hands, gasping for breathe. Phoenix let his foot up a bit. Godo took in some huge breathes, then looked up at him.

"You're the boy in the paper...burnt a town down..." Godo questioned, his eyes locking onto the boy's.

"Irrelevant...I need the Green Materia and your daughter has it. Tell me where she is, now!" Phoenix screamed as he jammed his foot back into Godo's throat. Godo gamely tried to push the foot away, but he could not budge it. Phoenix twisted it in deeper.

"Where is your daughter?" Phoenix asked as he pushed in as hard as he could. Godo was slowly blacking out. Then, suddenly, the Conformer slammed into Phoenix's head, knocking him to the ground. He landed face-first on the ground hard. The Conformer whipped back to Yuffie, who caught it with ease.

"Right here you jerk!" Yuffie screamed.


"Are we there yet...?" Tifa asked slowly, looking over at Cid. Cid just threw his hands up in the air as he turned in around. He took a deep breathe then looked over at her.

"Tifa...you just asked me five minutes ago. No; we're not there yet!" Cid replied. Tifa blushed a bit as she smiled. She jabbed her toe into the ground once or twice, then laughed nervously.

"Sorry...just impatient, that's all..." Tifa replied. Cid leaned back down on the railing, then glanced over at her.

"You should really take up smoking; it would calm you down" Cid replied. Tifa giggled a bit, then looked at him.

"You're not all that patient you know" Tifa replied, smirking at him. Cid just chuckled a few times.

"We're almost there Tifa, trust me" Cid replied as he let out a huge puff of smoke. Tifa smiled as she looked back down at the passing planet.

"Good..." she said softly as her brown eyes reflected the deep blue of the ocean.


"You old geezer...you put a good fight..." Yuffie said as she lifted him up a bit. Godo coughed a few times, then opened his eyes, looking at her.

"Be careful...very fast..." Godo stated slowly as he gasped for breathe. Yuffie laughed confidently.

"Not as fast as a ninja. I'll teach him not to disrespect Wutai!" Yuffie said confidently. She looked over to the floor where the boy was lying. She quickly stood up and smirked. Suddenly, the boy kipped up to his feet, looking at her.

"You must be the daughter. I need the Green Materia" Phoenix stated. Yuffie took a step back as the smirk faded from her face. A look of determination set on her face.

"I doubt you can beat me. I'm a trained ninja. Fast as lightening; furious as thunder" she said, throwing a few jabs into the air. Phoenix's eyes narrowed.

"You are as arrogant as your father. I want the Green Materia. I have no time to waste with the likes of you" the boy stated harshly. Yuffie blinked a few times, then grinned.

"Well, you did beat up Godo...so I guess you are tough...I mean, I bet you could beat me...sure, you can have the Green Materia...follow me..." she said to him, her eyes lighting up.


Cloud was staring downwards; his blue eyes fixed directly on the dead corpse. His body did move as he stared. Red slowly walked up to him and looked up at him; worry covering his face.

"What is wrong Cloud?" Red asked softly. Cloud slowly looked at Red as his body slowly began to loose its tension a bit.

"Nothing major Red...just thinking these guys suffocated because they were working on a project...I dunno, it just reminds me how horrible Shinra was..." Cloud said slowly. Red nodded a few times.

"The planet suffered a huge blow from Sephiroth and his Meteor...but in the long run, I believe it helped save the planet. It helped destroy Shinra...it saved many people's lives in the long run..." Red stated, his own eye slowly glancing down at the body. Cloud blinked as he looked at Red.

"It saved a species as well..." Cloud said softly. Red casually looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"I wanted to say that; but I did not want to come across as self-centered" Red stated as he sat back on his hind legs. Cloud nodded a bit, then looked down at the body.

"I just they knew it could be dangerous working down here" Cloud stated softly. Red shook his head a bit, his tail wagging behind him.

"Not to change the subject...but what do you think they were working on? I mean, we know this Project Re-birth has some teenage boy involved" Red stated, looking around a bit. Cloud looked around the hallway as well.

"I know...maybe something to do with bringing the Cetra race back?" Cloud asked a loud. Red blinked a few times then looked at Cloud.

"That's an interesting idea, but where did you come up with that from?" Red asked curiously. Cloud shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, that boy was about fourteen or fifteen I'd say. Well, I remember Aeris' step-mom mentioning that she found Aeris when Aeris was around four or five. Well, Aeris was around twenty-two when I meet her. So it had been seventeen years since she had escaped. Realistically, saying the boy is fifteen, you could say he may be related to Hojo and Shinra's desires to have a Cetra" Cloud stated professional. Red blinked a few times, then nodded.

"Well...I'll be honest Cloud, that sounds very logical...it is very possible that this is all connected..." Red stated as he blinked a few times. Cloud tilted his head and looked at him.

"Is something in your eye Red?" Cloud asked. Red stopped blinking then shook his head.

"No...no offense Cloud, but you're the last guy I'd expect to say something that thought out" Red replied. Cloud shrugged his shoulders then laughed a bit.

"Well, it's just a thought" Cloud replied. They both let out a laugh; the tension of the whole thing shattering around them.

"Guys...you better come down here!" Reeve called out as the tension reassembled quickly.


"It's right over there..!" Yuffie said, pointing to the back wall of the basement. The boy walked forward without delay, looking at a small box on the mantle. Yuffie started laughing as a giant cage fell from the ceiling onto of him. The boy stopped and turned around as Yuffie laughed. The boy's eyes narrowed.

"That was not smart..." the boy said as he held his hand up facing her. Slowly, his thumb crossed over the palm. Yuffie laughed at him even more, her body moving in and out rapidly with each laugh.

"Oh yeah, what you gonna do now? Make funny hand signals at me...oh, this is too much! Just you wait until we get the cops on you for beating up an old man. You're going to be in cages like that one a long time. Did you really think I was going to give you any of my materia? Dream on!" Yuffie said, smiling brightly as she straightened herself out. Slowly, a silver light formed around the boy's hand. The larger the light grew, the less Yuffie smiled. Her eyes grew bigger.

"I want the Green Materia....I will get it...Big Bang Attack!" The boy screamed suddenly as a giant silver ball of energy flew from his hand, smashing into the metal cage. Yuffie quickly jumped back onto her face, covering her head as the giant explosion flung pieces of metal back towards her. She slowly lifted her head up and looked at the cage. The entire front side was gone; the pieces of metal scattered all over the floor. The boy had not moved from his position; his hand still in front of him. Yuffie gulped hard.

"You....you...what...you broke my cage!" Yuffie screamed at him loudly. The boy stepped out of the giant hole in the cage, glaring at her. He stalked towards her, the staff suddenly appearing in his hand.

"I no longer have time to waste on you. I need the Green Materia...now!" he screamed at her, crouching into his fighting stance. Yuffie pulled out the Conformer and gritted her teeth.

"Yeah, well I don't have the time to waste on punks like you either! You will pay for the disrespect you have shown my father!" Yuffie screamed at him. Phoenix smirked at her.

"I cannot show him disrespect...for that to occur, he must be respected in the first place..." Phoenix said, a dark grin on his face. Yuffie lifted her arm up to throw the Conformer, but Phoenix ran forward and slammed his staff into her stomach, sending Yuffie into the wooden steps in the basement. The wood cracked as Yuffie groaned, slowly pushing up with her arms. She glared at the boy as she stood up, rubbing her back a few times. He was still standing in the exact position as when he hit her, until the . She saw red as she glared at him.

"You ignorant prick!" she screamed, her teeth grinding into each other. The boy slowly straightened his body but still did not turn to face Yuffie. His head turned over slightly to face her, his eyes narrow.

"This is the last warning. I want the Green Materia. Either give it to me or I will make you" he snapped at her, staring at her sharply. Yuffie took a deep breath as she clenched the Conformer.

"Never! You will have to kill me" she screamed. The boy's lips curled into a smile.

"When I get done with you; you'll wish I had killed you" he remarked as he lunged at her, jumping into the air and kicking towards her. Yuffie quickly jumped up to the top of the steps to avoid him as Phoenix's foot smashed into the wooden stairs, shattering them. Yuffie quickly turned and ran out the front door. She skidded to a stop and turned around. As she turned, her face meet Phoenix's fist, causing her to stumble back a bit and hold up the Conformer.

"Forget this crap! Fire...!" She screamed as a red glow formed around the boy. He quickly ducked and covered his hand as the flames covered his body. As the fire died down, the boy stood up and looked at her. He leaned back and cracked his back, glaring at her the whole time.

"I doubt that type of attack will work" he stated as he glared at her.Yuffie huffed as she felt sweat rolling down her forehead. She felt the humidity lying on her. She held up the Conformer to her face then lifted it back up over her head.

"Well, let's see how this one fairs!" Yuffie screamed as she flung the Conformer at him as hard as she could. The boy suddenly turned around as the staff extended in his hands. Suddenly, he gripped the end of the staff and swung hard as the Conformer neared him, sending it flying into the sky. Yuffie's eyes went wide as she looked up into the sky. Phoenix looked upwards as he saw nothing in the sky.

"It did not fair very well" Phoenix stated as he looked down from the sky at her. Yuffie looked back down and gulped as she slowly eased into a fighting stance.

"That was a dirty trick..!" Yuffie screamed, her voice catching. Phoenix glared over at her as the staff disappeared from his hands again.

"So was using the cage" the boy responded as he ran at Yuffie and slammed his forearm into her face. Yuffie's body jolted backwards, falling onto the ground with a thud. Before she could react, he jumped into the air and slammed onto her chest, knees first. Yuffie's lungs deflated like volleyballs as she groaned. Phoenix grabbed her face with one hand, lifting it up a bit, then slapping her with the other one.

"Where is the Green Materia" he said. Suddenly, Yuffie mule-kicked him in his private area. Phoenix backed off a few steps as Yuffie scrambled backwards on her hands and knees, pushing to her feet, looking around on the ground.

"Where is the Conformer...?" She cried out as she looked around. Suddenly, Phoenix grabbed her by the hair and spun her around. He finally let her go, sending her flying through the air until she smacked into a house. Yuffie slumped down against the house, her head tilted downwards. Yuffie grasped for the hot sticky air to feel her lungs, but she felt no air around her; only the heat.


"Where is the fire Reeve?" Cloud screamed as he jumped over a dead scientist. Red quickly landed at his feet, looking in.

"Reeve, what was the hurry?" Red asked as he jogged over to the computer desk. Reeve sat at the computer, typing.

"Guys...Re-birth is a real project....there is so much information here..." Reeve exclaimed as he looked back at them. Cloud took a deep breath and nodded.

"It's real...but what is it...I mean, what is going on Reeve?" Cloud asked breathlessly. Red nodded his head, his tail smacking dust up all over the place.

"Yes Reeve...what is going on" Red added, as both Cloud and Red's eyes fixed on Reeve's. Reeve nodded a bit, then turned back to the computer.

"Here is what I know...it has been an on and off project for almost sixteen years now. It was included in the science and research section of Shinra as well..." Reeve stated as the lights in the room flickered quickly. Red looked up and saw the ceiling shaking a bit.

"Perhaps we should move...?" Red asked, shaking his tail rapidly. Reeve turned back around to face him, nodding his head.

"Yeah...all we need is this CPU unit" Reeve stated as he pointed to the large computer. Cloud walked over and looked at it.

"Well Reeve, let's disconnect it and get out of here before anything happens" Cloud stated. Reeve nodded a few times as he climbed under the desk and began to pull out wires.

"I know...don't wanna lose this information...ok Cloud, you can move it now" Reeve said as he climbed back out from under the desk. Cloud slowly picked up the computer as the ceiling began to shake some more. Red looked up as dust began to fall from the ceiling.

"It's best if we moved out now" Red stated as he began to jog lightly towards the exit. Cloud nodded as he carried the computer out of the room. Reeve looked around the room, then jogged out of the room, closing the door behind him as he went.


Yuffie winced as she opened her eyes and looked up. She quickly closed them again as Phoenix came running at her, drop-kicking her right in the face. Yuffie's head slammed into the wall as blood flew out of her mouth. Phoenix rolled backwards, landing on his feet. He looked down at her.

"Where is the Green Materia?" Phoenix snapped at her. Yuffie's body slowly slumped forward. The boy sneered a bit then drop-kicked her head again, slamming it back into the wall. The boy kipped up to his feet, then looked down at her.

"I will knock this town to find it; if need be" The boy snapped at her. He slowly bent down to grab her, but suddenly Yuffie lunged forward, head-butting his chest. The boy stumbled back a bit as Yuffie leapt forward and kicked him in the face, sending him stumbling backwards. Yuffie fell to a knee as she stared at him with a fire in her eyes.

"You will not be knocking Wutai down!" Yuffie screamed as she lunged at him again; her fist flying forward. The boy quickly knee-lifted Yuffie in the face, catching her off guard. Yuffie spun herself around a bit, then lunged at him with a punch again. This time, Phoenix ducked down and upper-cut her in the face, sending Yuffie stumbling back. She blinked a few times, trying to see again. Suddenly, Phoenix forearmed her in the face, knocking her back into the wall. She slowly began to slide down the wall, her mouth bleeding, her eyes beginning to swell. The boy grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up, holding her against the wall.

"Where is the materia?" he screamed, slamming her head into the wall. Yuffie's mouth opened slightly, blood dripping out of it. Her swollen eyes forced themselves open. Yuffie glared at him, then spit blood at him.

"No...I won't tell you...you're...you're...just not...right!" Yuffie screamed, weakly putting her arms on his wrist, pulling on his wrist. The boy slammed her head into the wall again. Her eyes shut at once.

"Tell me or I will force you" the boy screamed as he slammed her head one more time. Yuffie's hands let go of his wrists as her arms dropped to her sides. He held his hand up to her face, his palm flat. Slowly, a faint silver light gathered around his hand.. Her eyes opened weakly, looking at the hand.

"Kill me...and you won't find the materia..." Yuffie hissed at him. He suddenly turned his hand towards a house. He sneered at her.

"I guess I will knock this town down" Phoenix spat at her as a silver blast flew from his hand, hitting the house. Yuffie's eyes went wide as the house caught fire. She heard people screaming inside it. She turned to him and tried to kick him, but her feet weakly hit his chest. She glared at him and spit again, the blood smacking off his check.

"Don't you dare hurt Wutai..." she began, but Phoenix quickly slapped her in the face to shut her up. He quickly put his arm back out and fired another blast, hitting a second home. Yuffie's eyes clenched closed.

"Tell me. Or I will keep going" he said as he began to charge up another blast. Yuffie gasped for breathe, her mouth acting as a fountain for blood. She looked over at the two burning houses, then closed her eyes. She felt the salty water forming in them.

"Fine!...I'll tell you...just leave Wutai alone..." Yuffie muttered. The boy looked at her, watching her. Yuffie clenched her eyes tightly as tears squeezed through. She gasped for breathe but the air was still stingy and warm. Suddenly, Phoenix kneed her in the gut as blood flew from her mouth, covering his face. Her eyes flung open.

"Where is it then?" Phoenix spat, his grip on her neck tightening. Yuffie's eyes shut closed painfully as she whimpered a bit. She vainly reached up to grab his arm, but her fingers slipped on his skin as they fell back down to her sides. She opened her eyes and looked into his again. Then, she closed them once more.

"My house...under the bed...floorboard...it lifts up..." Yuffie muttered softly. The boy tilted his head upwards a bit, the sneer glowing on his face.

"Very well" Phoenix said to her as he spit on her. He loosened his grip on her neck as she began to slide out of his grip. Suddenly, the boy slammed her head back into the wall, then turned and choke-slammed her to the ground. Yuffie's body bounced off the ground as more blood shot out of her mouth, which landed on her face as more blood trailed out of her mouth. He walked up to her and looked down.

"I hope you are not lying" he said as he stepped on her chest and pressed out, walking towards her house.


"Are we..." Tifa began to ask, but Cid turned to her quickly.

"Yes Tifa, we are almost there!" Cid said loudly, his arms out to his sides comically. Tifa giggled a bit then smiled.

"Ok, sorry..!" She exclaimed. Cid shook his head as he took a deep puff of his cigarette.

"You are so nervous...you should take up smoking; it would calm you down" Cid said as he let out a big cloud of smoke. Tifa shook her head.

"Oh yeah...along with the wonderful benefits of cancer or maybe even getting careless and catching something on fire" Tifa said, laughing a bit. Cid shook his head then looked down at the ground below. His mouth hung open as his stared down. Tifa stopped laughing as she blinked a few times. Cid looked up at her, then turned around.

"Guys, forget finding a really good spot; land anywhere safe!" Cid screamed quickly. Tifa's eyes went wide as she looked down. The distant flames reflected on her eyes, causing her emotions to catch a blaze.

"Oh no..oh no.." Tifa panted as she put her hand to her head. Cid quickly rushed up and stomped his cigarette out.

"We gotta get down there and see if everyone is ok" Cid quickly stated, as he began to run around the ship, screaming orders. Tifa kept glancing down at the city as she clenched her hands together in front of her heart.

"Please...please...please...just be a house fire..." Tifa muttered as she looked down with wide eyes as the houses went out of view.


Phoenix stared at the chest. It was sitting on the ground, surrounded by dirt; the wooden details were filled in with dirt. He slowly unlocked the latch and opened the chest. He stared at the chest; it was brimming with materia. He blinked a few times and shielded his eyes from the bright glow. Sitting near the top, in the far back corner, sat an oddly shaped square piece. He slowly reached over and picked it up, twisting it around in his hand. He slowly stood up as the chest slammed closed. He kept staring at the materia, his eyes fixed on it. Finally, his eyes blinked and he shook his head. He gently pushed the materia into his pocket and took a deep breathe.

"That is four..." he remarked to himself. He pushed the bed back over the floor panel, then turned and walked out of the house.


"Thanks Cloud for carrying that..." Reeve said breathlessly as he stared back at the building. Cloud shrugged his shoulders a bit, then sat the computer down on the ground.

"It's no big deal at all, Reeve" Cloud said softly. Red wagged his tail, looking back at where they had just come from.

"Strange that they would locate such an important building there" Red noted as he looked over at Reeve. Reeve shook his head.

"Well, certain higher-ups do this type of thing to make sure no one else steals their ideas or projects" Reeve noted as he looked back at the building. Red nodded a few times then looked at the building. He had a wry expression on his face.

"Maybe we were paranoid guys. That place seems fairly sturdy" Red stated, his tail wagging in the air. Cloud looked over at Red and nodded.

"Yeah; it seems pretty pointless now that I think about it" Cloud stated. Suddenly, they heard a bunch of commotion. They walked the whole building sink into the ground a few feet; dirt and rubble shifting all over the place. Cloud slowly looked back out at the building, then laughed nervously as he rubbed his neck. Red chuckled a few times as he looked away from them. Reeve glanced over at the both of them.

"Yeah guys; real glad we stayed there. I mean, we could be trapped now!" Reeve said as a huge grin covered his face. Red looked up at Cloud, who looked down at him. They both turned to Reeve, who was holding in laughter. Suddenly, all three of them left the tension break as their laughter filled the air like music.