Chapter 4

[Part 10]

"What the hell is taking her so long?" Irvine said through his teeth. He was impatient and wanted to hear some news from Selphie. He glanced up at a sound glad to finally be able to get some news from Selphie.

The doorbell rang as a dark figure stepped in. The lights went back on as if on cue blinding the robbers. Cloud kept his gun pointed at the two men while his dominant right hand was prepared to throw the dagger. "Eh, eh, eh," he shook his head. "You move you're dead. He moves you're dead. Both ways I win, so what's it gonna be?"

"Think you're smart little man?" Irvine stepped forward.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Cloud threatened as he flipped the dagger with the handle pointing upward holding it by the tip. "Who wants to go first?" Something dropped onto the ground shattering on the floor stealing Cloud's attention for just a second.

"Too slow junior."

A hard thud shoved against Cloud's abdomen knocking the air out of his lungs. He flew backwards crashing through the glass door onto the rough pavement scraping tender skin off his bare arms. He cleared his face of broken bits of glass and saw Vincent begin walking towards him. Cloud held up his hand to stop him from entering a danger zone. No way this guy's human...he thought as he watched the grinning Irvine stepped through the doorframe.

"So, I guess you're the first that's going to go."

"I don't think so." Where's my gun? Cloud searched the ground as Irvine approached him. My dagger! He yelped in his mind as he somersaulted towards the knife and threw it expertly at Irvine's stomach. He fell down on one knee as Cloud ran towards him. He jump-kicked him right in the jaw as he brought back his arm gathering as much energy as he could to put into a punch in the face. Irvine's head bashed against the hard ground rendering him unconscious while Cloud pulled out his dagger.

Taking a cloth, he wiped the blood off and dropped it onto his face as a souvenir when he awakens. "Who's next?" The two others weren't as powerful as Irvine, he could tell, and they shook in their boots dropping all weapons and the duffel bag containing all the money. "Still here!" The two jumped at his stern voice and fled the crime scene. Cloud found his gun at last and placed it back in its leather pouch when he heard a woman cry out with terror.

"Oh my god!" she ran towards him checking his pulse. "Is he dead?"

"No, just knocked out. He's got a small wound right there." Cloud pointed to where his dagger had pierced Irvine's skin. She took the cloth and held it over the wound heavily.

"This...this is all my fault isn't it?" tears streamed from her eyes with her words blurred through hiccups. "I can't...I can't do anything right!"

"What are you talking about?" Vincent questioned with confusion.

Cloud caught Selphie's flaw just in time and stepped in again. "Hey man, could you check on the cashier guy? His head's pretty busted…"

"Oh yeah," the dark haired young man replied quickly. Forgetting his puzzlement, he sprinted back into the diner to check on the injured worker.

Cloud heaved a sigh as he walked into the diner also. "Hey you two." The couple still lay on the bare ground inside the diner with their hands on their heads. They looked up at him with frightened stares. "It's over, you can go home now. Go on, get out of here." They ran out to their car driving away. "Cid?"

"Good show," he motioned at Irvine. "Knocked him out cold." He walked to the back of the counter where the cashier laid. Vincent was busy taking care of what he could for the head wound, and Cloud took advantage of the opportunity to go speak to the young woman.

"You," he said pointing to Cid. "Stay here."

"Yeesh, don't gotta be so damn haughty 'bout it ya know," the old man spat grumpily.

Cloud made his way out of the diner and towards the young woman. "What's your name?" The woman turned her head. He saw the bruises on her neck were more swelled than the ones on her cheek.

"Selphie."

"Selphie?" Cloud repeated. "Listen, the rest of us have to leave. We need you to stay here and watch him."

"What? Why? Where are you going?" she bombarded them with questions.

"It's cause of that," he pointed to the red wolf symbol on Irvine's arm. "You're in that gang right?" She nodded. "That means those two idiots that ran off are bound to tell your people. More are going to come, you should know that." She nodded again.

With nothing more to say, he walked towards the garage. "Thank you!" He turned to see a surprise. Selphie smiled at him.

"Thanks, for what? I nearly murdered your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend... it's just that what we were doing tonight..." she began. "Someone could've been killed or hurt..."

"Let me ask you this. Why are you working for them?"

"I..." She stopped. "It's a long story..." She rubbed her neck flinching at the soreness.

We definitely don't have time for it. With an exasperated sigh, Cloud approached her. "Let me make this short and simple. You're dealing with the wrong people, and you're going to get killed for it one day. Those gang bitches don't know from right and wrong, they don't take shit from good people. Good people like you." She looked up in fear. "You're clean, you don't belong in a place like that, so get out while you can."

"But how?" she blurted out. "The Reds are everywhere! They have spotters on the border lines so that none of us will escape without letting our Master know!"

Cloud sighed even more. "You gotta be kidding me… Look, we don't got much time left, you're people are coming and we need to get out of here."

Vincent came out of the diner carrying the cashier outside and laid him on the ground beside the unconscious robber, followed by a muted Cid.

"Vincent? You got a place?" Cloud yelled to him.

"Yeah, just down the corner off Briardale Boulevard. Need a place to crash?" Vincent offered.

"Not me, her." Selphie's mouth hung open. Cloud approached her and whispered loud enough so that only she could hear, "You're still the victim, understand?" He looked at her with an intense gaze and Selphie stared back with teary eyes. "Don't let Vincent know who you're associated with. I need him to protect you until I get back."

"Get back…?" she whispered.

Cloud cringed. Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this? "If… damn it… If you're still alive when I get back, I'll get you out of here. They wouldn't try anything."

Selphie opened her mouth but shut it, not knowing how to take the news. Vincent walked up to them, and Cloud gave her a look that made her contain her hopeful happiness.

"What are we going to do with these guys?" Vincent asked.

" We can leave him here." He nodded towards the still body that still lay asleep. "But take that cashier with you, chicken wuss is bound to get himself kidnapped once they get here."

"What about you and Cid?" Cloud caught Cid's eye.

"We got some things to talk about. We'll be fine. You guys should head off, they'll be back soon."

"All right, but if you need a place you know where to find me."

"Yeah."

Vincent turned to Selphie. "I guess you're coming with me then?" She nodded. The young man smiled. "Ok, let's go." Vincent pulled the cashier from the ground and carried him on his back as Selphie walked with them down the dark street.

Cloud and Cid stood in silence until they were out of sight. "You sure he'll live?"

"Who cares?" Cloud shrugged.

"He's a human being you know!"

"Oh, sorry," he replied sarcastically. "I don't remember the part where that's my problem."

"Still cold like an icicle..."

"Whatever, old man," Cloud walked away. "I got a bike to ride."

"I thought you said you wanted to talk."

"I didn't say I wanted to. I said we have to."

"Same thing," Cid stalked him to the garage.

Cloud inspected his Bike as he dragged it towards the door.

"We need to discuss this issue, not let it go."

"Well don't you sound attorney like. No interrogations, I'm through here." Cloud pulled up to a gas pump and pressed the multicolored keypad to select his options.

"At least tell me why you're here."

No answer.

"How do you know Edea Matron?" Ah, struck a nerve, Cid thought slyly when Cloud stiffened.

"I don't."

"You really lost it boy," he chuckled sarcastically. "You realize by now you got some amnesia in your head."

"Sure thing pop, I just woke up one morning and decided to drive sixty thousand miles to Trion to impersonate some loser name Cloud. Nothing to it," he said putting the pump into the bike. He watched the meter to see when he must stop. Good thing that cashier dumb ass is gone, Cloud thought as he watched the meter increase with unpaid gas.

"Quit playing games, it's time to get serious," he told the teen. "Either you've been lying right under my nose or you really do have amnesia. You wouldn't be so confused if you didn't."

Cloud pulled out the pump before the gas tank overflowed. He places it back onto the pump stand as he screwed back on the tank's cap. "And if I do? What about it?" He didn't feel like going into his past history. He knew what it was, and it never took place here.

"Now you're talking," Cid grinned half-heartedly. "I've got something I want to show you."

"What?"

"Edea's home."

[Part 11]

"Are we there yet?" Cloud whined for the millionth time. He'd been traveling all day, had to drag his Black Ninja XRV for hours, and fought with gang robbers. He was in no mood to be out in the freezing cold with a psychotic man.

"Quite the complainer," Cid cackled. "She was too you know."

"Who?"

"Who else?"

They walked on down Tapioca Avenue passed a rusted bicycle rack when Cid stopped to look at a wrecked apartment building. "We're here." Cloud parked his bike on the side of the road. His headache had returned, and the sight of the building wasn't helping either. "Another one? You see, it's the amnesia, you can't deny it."

"Are we going in or not?" Cloud asked annoyed.

He climbed off his bike with tired muscles as he stepped onto the curb. The building looked awful. It was only seven stories tall, but the upper floor looked torn down. There wasn't a roof, just jagged poles of wood stuck out sharp towards the night sky. Almost all the windows were smashed and only torn pieces of curtain that hung on to the glass were all that were left of them. An abandoned kitten sat with its rubbish meal atop an open window frame while a dog wandered in and out of the basement's underground door. The brick walls were scuffed black with burnt coal with evidence of a fire from long ago. Trash was littered around the building's surroundings with a stench that tickled Cloud's nose. He cringed in disgust aside from his body's nuisances towards the building.

Cid led the way as two dark figures made their way up the stone steps to a toppled door that stood before them blocking the main entrance to the building. With a weak attempt, Cid pried the door that screeched like a baby's cry for milk to reveal a swallowing hole of darkness. Cloud stepped in, seeing soft glows of light coming from the far corners of the apartment's first floor. He looked around sensing hidden life forms all around him. Besides the hallway lamps that had not yet been shattered, it was almost pitch black inside the building's interior. Cloud dug for a mini flashlight that he fortunately found in his pack using it as their guide through the maze of wrecked hallways.

Cid walked ahead nearly tripping over a chair that was missing a leg as he headed for the staircase located to the left of the entrance. Each of the stairway's steps groaned faintly except for the ones that weren't there. "Careful, you might hurt your self," Cid called down to the teen.

"Please, this is nothing," he replied. He leaned against the wall for support accidentally grazing something slimy on the way.

"Hmm, I believe it was the fourth floor..." the old man murmured.

Cloud stopped in his tracks. "You don't even know which floor it's on!"

The building came to life at that moment. Cloud sensed the life forms nearby stir in their corners. "What's wrong with you?" Cid spat on a low volume. "You want to just wake up the whole neighborhood?" With the shake of his head, he walked on with each step squeaking unstably. They climbed at the speed of a snail for safety measures until they reached the apartment's fourth floor. On the way, they accidentally kicked a mysterious stranger lying face down on the floor. He stunk of smoke and alcohol from his filmy clothing. He grumbled something that was too muffled to be understood.

"So...this is where Edea lives?" Cloud eyed the stairway peaking into hallways as he was shown another dirty hallway. Unknown homeless people were scattered about the hallways while most of the families were hiding in the rooms. There were so many, yet it was quiet.

"Used to. She lived here for a while until she went to live with a friend," Cid stuck the flashlight into his pocket as he grabbed onto the railing to jump long in order to avoid falling into another hole. "She had to move out when this place got trashed... when you disappeared." He pulled out his flashlight and began moving again.

"What?" Cloud nearly fell over when he regained control and got back on balance. His mouth opened but a pleased Cid cut off his words.

"Ah, this should be it," Cid told Cloud over his shoulder that had stayed quiet. Through the unlit stairway, not even Cid could see that Cloud's face was dripping in sweat. He didn't have asthma, but it sure felt like it at that moment. Something was happening to him, he figured, but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind until everything settled down first.

Cid stopped, checking out the hallway with the flashlight. It was small and stuffy from the dust floating in the air. The cracks in the walls and missing fragments from the floor made the building unwelcoming. "Watch out now," Cid grunted as he hopped over the sixth hole they'd jumped in the passed five minutes. Cloud jumped over easily but the ground vibrated under his feet. He looked down puzzled as Cid shone the light on the floor beneath the teen to see the cracks surrounding him expanded. "Shit! Move!" Cloud ordered the plump old man as he unsuccessfully leaped out of harm's way.

The ground fell below his body that did not move quick enough to avoid falling. Cid grabbed the teenager's hand while he grasped a pipe bar sticking out from underneath the floor's surface. "Pull me up! Hurry!" Cloud cried as his hand slipped from the bar causing Cid's grip to loosen.

"Cloud! I can't hold on much longer!" Cid said through his gritted teeth. He bit his lip as he struggled to pull up the heavy body.

"No! Cloud!" Cid could feel the teen's hand slipping when finally it slid out of his grasp completely, causing him to watch a body crash through the third story beneath him. The old man was paralyzed in shock as he tried to search for the body that fell through two stories into a threatening emptiness.

[Part 12]

She finally stopped weeping. Mother earth's skies were blue again; it was a sunny afternoon and the first that they had in days. Streams of dripping water left white streaks upon his windows while puddles seem to melt into the pavements of Tapioca Avenue. Rays of warmth shone through beaded curtains burning into his ice blue eyes. Closing them, he could see spots of blue and purple run in a shadowed darkness behind his eyelids. He opened them again looking through the strings of plastic multicolored beads to see a group of teenagers wandering about in a small group. Money was traded for drugs as dealers distributed them to zombie-like beings that wobbled away with retarded smiles.

He sighed heavily unaware of her presence. "Hey you." He turned to see her. She had just gotten up from bed and climbed onto the couch sleepily next to him. He noticed that she hadn't washed off the black mascara left on her eyelashes or smeared blush on the apples of her cheeks from the night before. Her clothes were awfully ruffled and her head was slopped with a tangled nest of brownish black silk strands of hair.

"You look yucky," he said sadly.

"Why, thank you," she laughed weakly. "You're looking pretty fine yourself. Now stop sitting here, you're turning into mush." He stared back out the window, the teens were now scattered about going their ways. They passed Miss Helena who was making her way down Tapioca Avenue in her usual moth eaten winter coat and wool hat unaware of the rising temperatures outside. She was pushing along her cart full of Trion's wondrous junk from all over the city's streets, or what she also calls her most valued possessions. He glanced at the clock. She was right on time, same as yesterday, the day before, and the day before that. There was only one day that he hadn't seen her come, and that was when she fell down the stairs one rainy night and received a sprain for a few weeks.

"Well, isn't Miss Helena looking fine today?" she said with a small grin. She looked at him disappointingly. "You know, the Jerboa twins should be out soon, why don't you fix yourself up a little bit and go out and play later?" She was referring to the twins, Yuffie and Zell, from the fourth floor. They weren't identical, but they were definitely related. Both had the same eyes, grayish brown that often changes color depending on the weather along with a rambunctious attitude that screamed for action and adventure.

"But they're grounded," he said. Unlike the other kids around Trion, those two were one of the good ones. Of course, that came into question when they nearly chopped off the head of a passerby from Carbora. They'd been playing agents on a mission to save the great "Mount Tapioca" from evil invaders of the bordering "countries," Carbora Boulevard and Havana Lane.

"By those parents?" she said unbelieving. "Not a chance in hell. Now go, you've got a tan to last you a decade." She pushed him off the couch and shooed him away with her waving hands. She flopped her feet onto the couch and laid back to recover from her restless night.

He left her in peace to catch up on some sleep when he stopped in front of a bathroom. The door was left wide open, and in front of him was a portrait unfamiliar to him. He stretched his neck forward squinting with his ice blue eyes as he stepped lightly onto the bare floors to stare at a little boy gleaming with sweat. His eyes were rimmed with red; its white surface was plagued with crimson veins pulsating towards his beating temples. He was a monster. A child deprived of innocence was standing before him with a sinister gaze of pure malevolence. He was terrified of the live portrait hanging against the wall before him. He screamed. A deafening silence discharged from his hoarse throat.

A wave of aching soreness swept throughout his body vibrating in his bones. Boulders from within began crushing his skull as his heart began to slow down. His hand twitched uncontrollably as he gripped his shirt digging his fingers into his chest. An emerging pain expanded in his lungs as he fought for a breath of air. He fell down onto his knees, his scuffed shins burning with scraped skin, coughing out stomach acid melting away his esophagus. He felt the need to throw up just then, with an empty stomach. In place of its emptiness were sickening spots of deep red that was spitting out, sliding down his tongue making way for his lips. He screamed, but not a single soul could hear.
His screams were hushed in blood.

Cid jumped at the broken silence falling back against a decrepit oak table knocking over a glass lamp. It's smooth surface shattered into pieces with a cracked bell ringing in his ears. He gasped horrendously at the teenager that screamed to a wake. He rolled onto the edge of his heel with his eyes traveling over Cloud.

The endless pit of blackness had been far too quiet after the death-defying fall taken by the young teen. Cid was drained of all sense and laid by the edge petrified of reality. Suddenly he snapped out of his dream state when he realized that Cloud could be hanging on thinly to his life. Cid had gotten up, his back throbbing with pain even worse than when he first woke up earlier that night. He ignored the sharp pangs thrashing his spine as he immediately ran down the numerous flights of steps.

The staircase on the third floor was more dilapidated than he thought, which he realized when he had slammed down too roughly on a weak step causing his leg to fall through and slash open right below his left thigh. He finally came down to the second floor where Cloud laid unconscious. Searching the rooms, he spotted the teen atop a pile of rubble covered in sawdust and debris from the floors above him.

Cid waited leaning back against the oak table. "Cloud...? You ok, sonny?" He watched as Cloud, wide eyed and staring up the pit he had fallen through, get a hold of his body's state of shock. He sat up slowly flabbergasted. He flinched harshly though, for on his shoulder, a large wooden splinter was engraved through his shoulder blades with a deep shade of red gushing through the torn flesh. "Jesus..." Cid was too shocked at the sharp spike sticking out from the teen's slit skin.

"What...what h-happened..."? Cloud moaned as he placed his hand on top of the piece of wood. "Ah!" his horrific pain was shouted through his lungs.

"Now, now, don't touch it," Cid told him. "I'll try to pull it out..." He placed his chubby fingers slightly on the spike; its moving vibration caused a shriek even more terrifying to sound in the plump man's ears. He sat back not knowing what he must do. "Somebody help! Is there a doctor 'round here?" he yelled. He looked to see that the door was barricaded with residents of the building wanting to see what was causing all the commotion. "Well! What are y'all standing around for? Somebody get you're as in here and help me!"

Cloud lay on the ground with his teeth grinding. The pain was immense as it thundered through his pulsating veins. Each breath took him closer to insanity. He squeezed his eyes shut as he was hit with déjà vu. "No..." He finally opened his eyes to see a deserted apartment room. "No, it can't be..." Cloud shook his head slightly as he sensed familiarity through the burnt charcoal smothered against the torn wallpaper.

"What?" Cid asked. "Something wrong?"

"This place..." Cloud looked around the room.

Most of the furniture was taken out, but what was left was fallen all over the place. The place was burnt crisp with a fire revealed to have taken place long ago, but its damage aided in aging the room's health far worse than all the other apartment rooms he'd seen earlier that night. Cid couldn't figure out the problem. Unless this room is...he dismissed the thought when a weak glimmer of light stole his attention from the ground. He walked over to the sparkle and bent down to pick it up. It was an old picture frame he noticed with smashed glass. The glass had too many cracks covered with dust to get a clear image beneath the photo's cover. Through the rough exterior shielding the picture, a blurred portrait of a teenager and a child could be made out. Well I'll be damned... He suddenly thought. He landed right in Edea's room!

Cloud was eyeing the room inch by inch. This place...that dream...could it be...? He thought to himself. He was in denial as he tried to make sense of his confusion. The people were crowding in now. They held their lamps and candles standing close enough to see what was going on, but they stood too far for him to understand their whispered murmurs. Their image began to blur.

"Not again!" Cloud scolded his headache. His skull ached with the sledgehammer that refused to stand down. He tried to massage his temples, but his hand was soaked. He looked down to see a sickening scarlet hand gleaming with fresh blood, his blood. He felt the acid stir in his stomach as he threw up all over the pile of rubble.

"Cloud!" Cid ran over to the teen's side dropping the picture frame beside him. He put his flabby arms lightly on the teenager's shoulders. Cloud was coughing blood, but with each cough the spike seemed to dig deeper into his wound. "Hey kid, you're going to be okay, all right?" Cid patted his cheeks roughly to get his attention. "Hey, you hear me? Listen to me! No, don't pass out! Listen to me! Cloud!"

The residents began to be frightened for the body lying before them seemed to go limp. A child's cry shot through his migraine, causing Cloud to snap back into consciousness and the crowd to cry out in shock. Cid sat silently as Cloud's eyes wandered and fell on top of the picture frame. The broken glass lay out of its wooden edges revealing a picture of a young girl and child. Suddenly, he nearly fainted again.

"No... No!" Cloud screamed through his tears. He pushed Cid by the chest but couldn't ignore the roaring flame burning in his shoulder blades.

"Jeez, what the hell's the matter with you!" the old man spat. Cloud took a deep breath before lunging for the picture frame. "Ah, son of a bitch, fuck!" he yelled after his agonizing fall. The picture frame was right next to his hand. He had it in his grasp brushing away the pieces of crystal gems with a clinking sound of raindrops on the floor only to wail in disbelief. The residents gasped at the stranger, the children ran behind the adults hiding beside their legs. He threw the picture frame at them causing them to back off as they watched him tug with much force on his blonde hair.

"Cloud, what's wrong with you!" Cid tried to crawl over to the teen, but he backed towards the windowsill. "Be careful, now, you're making that bust of yours worse!" he pointed towards his shoulder blade that was hidden beneath his blood soaked clothing.

"Stay away from me..." he muttered vengefully at the man. "Don't fucking mess with me! I said stay away goddamn it!" He found an empty bottle covered in dust, its contents dried with a sticky layer filling its walls, and flung it at the plump man who ducked in time to avoid the crashing bottle cut through his face. He couldn't say anything to the boy. He had gone mad.

He watched as Cloud backed all the way until his arm graced the wall behind him. He placed his hand on the windowsill using it as support as he pushed himself upward while coughing out more blood. He toppled over hurtling through what's left of the glass on the burnt window. His hand roughly tugged him back because it was tangled in something hanging on the windowsill. Cid inched forward blocking out the cries of the people who wouldn't leave the scene. He had the urge to throw something at them also, but couldn't leave Cloud out of his sight.

Cloud pulled the tangled mess off his hand and looked closely at it. Realizing what it was, his eyes widened as his gripping fingers dug into his palm. His knuckles turned white under his gloves from his tight fist as he punched the wall beside him unleashing his confused rage. Plucking it off the window, he tied it to his wrist as he stumbled across the room letting Cid carry him this time. He wasn't sure if he was ready for it, but he had to see it.

The crowd shrunk out of the door with the passing teen. "Wait, stop...here..." Cloud whispered faintly. Cid held his waist locking the teen's arm over his neck. The boy leaned against him as he weakly pushed the door open. Cid picked out a mini flashlight from his pocket and turned it on. Something shone brightly into their eyes, but Cloud's vision cleared to be revealed to a nightmare. "It's... here," he said feebly.

"What is?" Cid asked. He was at the boy's side while he fell to his knees. "Is it that headache of yours acting up again? That fall must've made it worse or something."

"It's... he was here..." Cloud spat out a gulp of blood putting a look of disgust on Cid's face. He looked up into the bathroom only to see a reflection of himself. He scratched his head lost with puzzlement.

"Kiddo, it's just a mirror, nobody's in there," Cid told him. "Now come on, I got to take you to the doc's office soon or you're one hell of a goner, got it? Get up, come on, get your stinking as up." The teen was struggling and gave up. "Let's go damn it! Do you wanna die here?" He pulled Cloud from the ground and froze. He was horrified to see someone familiar in his eyes.

"Stay away from the boy," the voice was rough and harsh. "It draws near." He shoved him off forcefully and walked off. Cid was planted on his bottom petrified once again of the cruel reality he must face.

"You're...still alive?" Cloud's possessor didn't turn around, but stopped in his tracks. "Answer me you sorry bastard, what the hell are you doing—

He was cut off as Cloud faced him his hands glowing faintly. "We will be one." He held his palms at Cid that glowed brightly with a sparkling concentration of energy. The light glazed through the air as it shot out from Cloud's life force draining through his palms out at the old man. Cid flew through the air and crashed through two walls rendering him unconscious. The unknown figure grinned at the crowd that cried out in panic as they ran to safety. He circled once more and ran towards the window. His body punched through the window's outer frames as he leaped down two stories onto the rough pavement. Blood splattered through the wound without a flinch from the teen as he stood up slowly.

"It draws near."