(Author's Note: Well…here's the next chapter…)

Disclaimer: FF7 and Squaresoft are not mine. Dete is. Rueh belongs to Rueh.

Chapter 8

Back to the Shinra Building We Go

                                    -2 Weeks Later-

During the 2 weeks Rueh hardly saw Dete at all. Both were kept busy with training. On the last day of their training Rueh stood in the gym twirling her sword.

"Rueh!" She spun around with her sword ready.

"It's just me," Dete said.

"Hey! How's your training?" Rueh said lowering her sword.

"Finished. Yours?" Dete said.

"As finished as it's going to be," Rueh said.

"Well…it's been 2 weeks. We should be getting back."

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"Vincent! Red! We're back!" Dete said as they entered the house.

"Good. Tomorrow you'll go to the Shinra building," Vincent said.

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"I'm very pleased with these test results," Hojo said as he watched Sephiroth defeat 7 soldiers. As the door opened again Sephiroth brought his sword up to his head in a ready position.

"That's enough for today," Hojo said. Sephiroth lowered the sword and 2 soldiers took him to the lab. 'I could easily get away from these 2,' he thought with a smirk. They entered the lab. Hojo pointed to the machine.

Sephiroth stopped and refused to move. Hojo grinned and a soldier came up behind Sephiroth. The soldier grabbed his left arm and twisted it behind his back. The soldier wrapped his other arm around Sephiroth's neck. He started to make choking sounds as he struggled to breathe. The soldier picked him up and walked to the machine.

"Let him go!" Aeris said from her cell.

"Shut up unless you want to be in his place," Hojo said. Aeris was quiet. Hojo watched her for a few minutes with a thoughtful look. He turned his attention back to Sephiroth who was strapped down under the machine.

"Shall we begin?" Hojo asked and started the machine. The 5 needles entered Sephiroth's skin in 5 different places and a glowing blue-green liquid was injected into him. He cried out in pain.

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"1,416! That's the last stair!" Rueh said.

"Finally! We'll do the same as last time but be more careful," Dete said.

"But I wanna take the stairs!"

"Fine! I'm taking the elevator!" Dete said and pushed the button.

"Fine," Rueh said as the door closed and the elevator started up. Rueh started up the stairs.

"1…2…3…4…5…"

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When the elevator doors opened Rueh stood waiting for Dete.

"I'm not even going to ask how you got here before me…wait…you didn't go through the lab did you?"

"Yeah. There were a few people in it and that one guy who yelled at us last time," Rueh said.

"You walked all the way across the lab in plain sight?" Dete asked.

"Yeah…why?"

"You did?"

"Yes."

"YOU!"

"What did I do!?"

"They know we're here now!" Dete said.

"No they don't. None of them even looked at me," Rueh said.

"Still…you walked across the lab in plain sight! You could have been caught!" Dete said.

"But I wasn't."

"Oh fine! Come on," Dete said and stormed to the lab doors. She opened the door a crack and looked in. Except for Aeris and Sephiroth the lab was empty.

"Hey! You 2 better get out of here! Hojo will be back in a few minutes," Aeris said.

"Rueh…change of plans…these 2 are leaving with us," Dete said.

"How are we getting them out of here?" Rueh asked. Dete walked over to a computer.

"Maybe if we disable the security system?" she said unsure.

"Ooo! Ooo! I'll do it! I love computers but they don't like me!" Rueh said. Before Dete could stop her Rueh pushed her back and pushed a bunch of buttons…

The computer blew up in a cloud of smoke and sparks. Dete couldn't help herself as Rueh turned around…she laughed. Rueh's eyes were wide and her face was black. Her hair was slightly singed and sticking up in places.

"Not funny," she grumbled.

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits," Sephiroth said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rueh asked. He shrugged.

"You're stupid?"

"THAT'S IT!" Rueh ran at him…SPLAT! Rueh hit the glass wall and fell backwards. She was sitting Indian style and had a big red mark on her forehead. She sniffed.

"…ouch…" Sephiroth laughed.

"Rueh! Are you okay?" Dete asked.

"I'm fine," Rueh said.

"Well since the computers gone we'll have to find another way to get them out of here," Dete said. They were quiet for about a minute.

"Rueh! Hit the glass again like you just did," Sephiroth said.

"Why? I'm not that stupid," she said.

"The glass is cracked," Dete said. It was true.  Rueh had hit the glass hard enough that it had cracked.

"I won't use my head…I'll use my sword!" Rueh said.

"Umm…Rueh…" Dete started.

"Ahhhh! Where's my sword!?" Rueh yelled feeling her back.

"Its right there," Dete said pointing at her.

"What? Where?" Rueh asked spinning around in a circle.

"Wait! Don't…" Dete said too late. The sword caught on a table leg. The hilt hit her side hard.

"…ouch…"

"Are you okay?" Dete asked.

"I'm fine," Rueh said. She turned back around and they fixed their attention on breaking the glass. Someone suddenly put a hand on Rueh's shoulder…her reaction…Rueh spun around and bit down on the soldier's hand.

"Ahhh! Lemme go! Lemme go!!" the soldier said. Rueh just bit down harder. There were 2 other soldiers by the door. One ran at Dete. She moved to the side just as he reached her. The soldier broke the glass freeing Sephiroth. Dete quickly helped him to his feet. He was still recovering from the last Mako injection.

The soldier was now begging Rueh to let go but she wouldn't. Sephiroth and Dete got to Aeris' cell as the last soldier raised his gun. He fired. Sephiroth pushed Dete down as the glass broke. Aeris got to her feet and helped Dete get him back to his feet. The soldier had missed.

"Let's go Rueh!" Dete said. Rueh released the soldier and knocked him out. She ran past the other 3 and knocked the soldier in the doorway out. Rueh pushed the button for the elevator doors. They opened. They quickly got in and she pushed the 1st floor button. Aeris found a cure materia in a first aid kit and used it on Sephiroth then on Rueh to get rid of her headache. They rode in silence to the 1st floor. When the doors opened they came face to face with Hojo and some soldiers.

"Umm…hi," Rueh said and punched him in the face. He fell backwards.

"Don't let them get away!" he yelled as they ran past. Rueh tackled a soldier.

"Go!" she yelled at Sephiroth and Aeris. They ran for the door. A few soldiers were out cold now.

"Dete go. I'll take care of the last 2," Rueh said.

"Yeah right. I know you. You'll turn your back to the door and when you're done you won't be able to find it," Dete said.

"No I won't," Rueh said.

"Whatever."

"What should we do?" Rueh asked.

"Take Sephiroth and Aeris to Elmyra's. Vincent and Red are there. I'll catch up," Dete said. Rueh shook her head.

"Go Rueh. I'll be right behind you guys," Dete said.

"Be careful," Rueh said reluctantly and ran to the door with Sephiroth and Aeris.

"Now…let's see if my training was worth it…" The last thing Rueh, Aeris, and Sephiroth heard was 2 gun shots.

"Keep going!" Sephiroth said as Rueh's step faltered.

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"Vincent! Red!" Rueh said as they burst into the house.

"Mom!" Aeris said.

"Aeris!" Elmyra said.

"You weren't supposed to come back with these 2," Vincent said as he supported Sephiroth.

"We saw our chance and took it," Rueh shrugged.

"Where's Dete?" Red asked.

"Right here," Dete said as the closed the door.

"Dete!" Rueh said.

"What happened? We heard gun shots as we left," Aeris said.

"Not much. I wasn't shot," Dete said.

"Then who was?" Sephiroth asked.

"The soldiers."

"By who?" Aeris asked.

"Me," Dete said. She smiled and revealed her weapon.

"Did you shoot Hojo?" Rueh asked.

Dete's face fell.

"No."

"Darn," Rueh said.

"Well we can't stay here. Hojo will be looking for you all," Red said.

"Then where will we go?" Aeris asked.

"I know a place," Vincent said.

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