She'd checked by Aerith's house first, only to find gamers loitering in the garden and no sign of Elmyra or Aerith herself. Right, she stopped by their ex-hide out. No sign that anyone had been there for the last few weeks either. She hurt, but a few good healing spells had finally cured her bruises to a bright yellow and it didn't hurt to breathe any more. So, they'd abandoned Midgar as it had been planned. Good old Zack, following through with things without being told to do so. He was probably chased by the Turks, but she had left that portion of the plan up to him and his initiative as events unfolded. She'd only told them that they'd meet up at the designated meeting place and if you lost someone, go there. Katy figured that she was beginning to learn from her mistakes. Her battle plans never seemed to last past the first encounter with the enemy.

Now what?

Her motto of 'Don't look down, don't look back' seemed a bit useless at the moment as it was far past time where she could falter and recover. Moving and staying in motion had become second nature to her over the past two days of being out of Hojo's clutches. She felt so dirty after spending that time with him- almost traitorous.

Offering him forgiveness if he helped her... "Lucrecia. Forgive me for putting words in your mouth," she murmured to herself, fingering the light silver chain and cross on her neck.

Finally forcing herself to stop pacing, as she was too tired, she sat down on a crate in her group's ex-hide out shack, took a breath, and tried to clear her thoughts. "Time for thinking again. No more reacting. Aggressive. Have to keep attacking. What is my goal?" it seemed the logical way to start tackling this problem. She could feel the answer on the edge of her perception, but it was just out of reach, like proper thought always seemed to be on one of her Brain Dead Days where all thought was nigh impossible. "What I need to have is that hand. Where is it? In Hojo's lab. Problem here? Hojo probably knows I want that thing and will be waiting for me."

Alright, that cleared things up, but she wanted to draw pictures, she wanted to go to sleep, she didn't want to think about this right now. She forced her eyes open again. "His weaknesses? Lucrecia- I look like her. His curiosity- I'm Cetra, and pregnant, and soon as he figures out it's Sephiroth's, he'll really want me unharmed. There's my assurance of safety from him at least. Now, for the rest of the SOLDIERS in the tower. What's their weakness? I look like a little girl and thus harmless." She hoped anyway. She could always play it up by putting her hair into pigtails and wearing something slutty and undeniably trendy. "Tourism seems to be the key. Slip in, Slip out." Good plan, now, how to enact it?

Backing up, Katy forced her mind back on track. "My strengths? I look like Lucrecia, I'm pregnant with Seph's kid, I look like a little girl..." the answer came rather suddenly, like a blow to the back of her head, "I'm Cetra. Why do I keep forgetting that? I can cast any spell I want to without Materia. Right. How to get in? I need a patsy with a high level clearance."

This stumped her. She couldn't play up Hojo again. That hadn't worked the first time and wouldn't work the second now that he was on to her. Who hadn't she tried to woo yet? Who had a reputation of being rather negligent in his moral duties, who would they not look twice at for bringing a cute little girl on a 'tour' with the last stop as his private office? Shinra? Gross. No. And he wasn't likely to fall for that anyway.

"Oh god no."

The answer hit her again- only this time it was a double whammy. "Rufus or Reno." Closing her eyes, she removed her glasses, setting them down on the crate beside her. "Who can I get to first and who will have less resistance to my spells?" They both seemed likely to resist. "One step at a time," she reminded herself. "Thinking too far ahead. Initiative now." Looking towards the dusty window, she found that it was still day. "Clothing first. And food."

Getting up, she crouched, lifting the floor board they'd hidden a small stash of Gil beneath. They'd agreed to do that, just in case someone got left behind and needed it. Katy needed it now- but it was gone. "Damn it!" she hissed. Slamming the board back down, she got to her feet. "Aerith's house then. Elmyra won't begrudge me something small to sell. I hope. She seemed to like me well enough. It's not stealing!"

Grinding her teeth at her sudden attack of morals, Katy put her glasses back on and headed out the door. The trek to Aerith's house again was just as winding and out of the way as ever and she passed more than one group of thugs who eyed her. It was flattering, but nerve wracking but at the same time, she felt confident she could handle them. What were some thugs to Jenova after all? Or to Sephiroth? She'd faced Seph down without blinking, though it was quite different from facing a total stranger who had intent to rape then kill you. The shudder that ran down her spine was nearly as creepy as the eyes following her.

"Why do I always attract the Creepies?" she asked rhetorically as she rounded the corner to meet the gang of gamers hanging around Aerith's house. She'd forgotten about them. By the looks of things, they were camping there. How creepy. "Poor Aerith, I take back my words on attracting Creepies. You've got it worse. At least you've got Zack who seems willing to be your Knight in Shining Armor." She shook her head and pattered forward, gaining the attention of more than a few of the rather overweight and pimply young men loitering in the area. Reaching up into the door jam, and sliding her fingers into the crack there, she knocked the spare key loose, unlocked the door and stepped in, locking it behind her. Now...

She headed up to Aerith's room and was surprised to find Aerith's teddy bear had been slashed open, Gil glittered in the stuffing. "Aerith..." Katy whispered, then smiled. "Thank you." Pocketing the cash, she looked around the room for something more, finally pulling out one of Aerith's coats and pulled it on. Heading downstairs again, she unlocked the door, facing the mob of vicious gamer boys as they lurked nearer the door.

"Where's Aerith?" one demanded. "And TIFA!" another added, nearly drooling.

Katy shrugged as she locked the door behind her, pocketing the key, "I really don't know. I came here looking for them myself. I guess they've moved on. You creeps probably scared them off, haven't you got any manners, mobbing a young lady's door like this." She let disgust color her voice and she stepped forward. Hands reached out to grab her. "Shell," she cast softly, the hands met resistance and she continued forward shoving them aside with her shield as she went. Lord help everyone alive if they were Cetra too...

Swallowing, she finally broke through the mob and cast haste upon herself, running as fast as she could. They made to chase her, but were in far worse shape than she was after so many months of having to exert herself. Katy was admittedly in better shape than she'd ever been before. It was the life or death circumstances... that was it.


She'd hesitated on buying her new clothes and taken to swiping food here and there. Katy couldn't believe how good she'd gotten at doing that sort of thing and wondered if she shouldn't just steal the clothes she wanted as well. Once again, she was grimy from lack of bathing and her mouth tasted rather sour from having no toothbrush. On top of that, she wanted strawberries and chocolate so bad it nearly hurt!

Her activities had included avoiding the Geeks and Gangs and spying on Rufus, having decided to go with him as the least likely to have defenses against being charmed. Now, how to handle him was the question. Katy's observations of him as he signed autographs for the fangirls that mobbed him every day he came out, at the same time, and usually took one girl off to wine and dine and probably fuck afterwards. God, he'd made it so easy! What did he like, though?

Laying on her stomach on the roof of a building across the street from the park he was currently in, stolen binoculars held to her eyes as she watched. "Damn," she muttered. She had to get closer and listen to what he was saying to figure out what he liked in a girl. They all looked alike to Katy- just as they'd always looked alike to her in high school. At least she knew what kind of clothes he liked his girls to wear: indecently revealing. She could do that. He also seemed to take the younger ones, all the better. She could do that too.

Sliding back slowly from her position, she sat up and made a quick check of Rufus's guards, then packed her binoculars away and moved off to find something to wear that would a: make her look cute as he wouldn't pick anyone dressed too badly, b: make her look young, and c: make her look like a little slut. Shit it would be so easy!

Retreating back into the building, she made her way off to get her clothes at last. It'd take more than one time of hanging around probably. She may even be able to get close enough to just observe without dressing up. Most of all, she needed a bath.


Rufus looked over his flock of little lambs, they spoke so many different languages, but they all called his name in unison. Ah, what an ego trip! His guards thought him a sick bastard, but they were just jealous. After all, he had the little starry-eyed does all to himself. And after he used them, he threw them away, but they always came back to him in the end. Little twits, giving him their virginity, no matter what he said to them, they all seemed to expect it from him. However, the majority of them seemed to be homeless rats, very few actually worth looking at. But he knew he had more lurking in the shadows. His guards had spotted at least one on the roof. She was a looker under the dirt, he could tell from the pictures he'd gotten from his own perimeter guard, so he'd made himself accessible to the strays such as her.

At long last, his patience had paid off. She'd come to him, bathed and dressed up to his liking. Was that bright intelligence or dull idiocy behind her eyes though? He wasn't sure. She lurked at the edge of the crowd, hair pulled up in pig-tails, her glasses making her eyes seem wide and innocent, corners of her lips picked toward a smile, but not quite. She seemed shy, the perfect little domestic girl. She wasn't too skinny either, for someone who perhaps lived in the slums. That was where she always disappeared to after he left.

Rufus turned his head slightly towards his close up bodyguard. "See? What did I tell you. She does clean up nice." Her shirt was tight, but not too much so, showing off her B-cup bra-less breasts, her hips were wide, thighs thick and strong, arms delicate and perfectly crafted. She caught him watching her, lifted her eyes briefly, smiled faintly, then looked down again.

"You there," he said, pointing towards her, "You're new, what's your name?" The other girls who understood him took hold of the new girl, shoving her forward. He leaned closer, lifting a hand to lift her chin. "Can you understand me?" he asked slowly, putting that note of 'kindness' in his voice. She looked like one of those people from the other world that had collided with his. It was that certain cast to her eyes, more round and on a flatter level than anyone from the Planet.

Her lips pursed slightly then she breathed in, "I- I can understand you," she said softly. Her words had an eerie quality to them, as if she weren't really listening to what she was saying- or to what anyone was saying, and what he was hearing wasn't the exact words she was using. Her lips didn't match with the sounds that came out. It was frighteningly magical.

Rufus kept his smile firm, "Then tell me, what's your name?"

She blushed prettily, setting off her red hair. He liked red hair. "Katy," this matched her lip movements. She swallowed. "Mr. Rufus," she breathed, lifting her eyes briefly, then settling her gaze back on his mouth.

Straightening, he lifted his chin slightly, "Katy," he tasted, "lovely name."

Her fingers twisted on a ribbon she'd had tied around her wrist, like the sort of ribbon one might put around the neck of a pet kitten- or perhaps a pet lamb. His hand slid down from her chin, trailing down her neck, between her breasts to her hands, taking the ribbon from her hands, which immediately relinquished it. "A gift for me?" he asked, smiling as her heart beat faster, he could see the pulse in her neck. "Ah, but it would look far lovelier on you." Lifting his hands, he carefully pulled the ribbon around her neck, tying it into place in a bow. "My little lamb," the girls breathed in envy.

"Oh-" Katy said softly, eyes wide, "But I-" she murmured. He stopped her words with a finger to her lips.

Offering his arm to her, Rufus smiled as she took it, "Here, since you are new to this world, I'll show you around the city."

Her breathing caught. "Oh but I'm not worth that much trouble!" she demurred, then lifted her face towards him, "How did you know-?" she added as an after thought.

Rufus turned up the charm all the more. Ha, what would it be like to charm a girl that hated him? The victory would probably be very sweet indeed. These children were toys. "Your eyes, my little lamb," he replied, "Very lovely eyes- they're so exotic. And your nose, native women simply don't have noses quite that cute."

On the inside, Katy was wailing with fear and revulsion. On the outside, she played along, ducking her head at his compliments as he led her away from the gaggle of Female Creepies, towards his car. She just had to play along. Play along till the right moment. He'd fallen for her trap so gracefully. Was he up to something other than a quick fuck and dump? Did he recognize her? It was maddening!

He opened the door for her and she slid into the dark vehicle, and as he climbed in after her, she continued sliding to the other side. Keeping her knees together nervously, she swallowed, eyes darting around the interior of the car. Champaign and glasses and dainties to snack on. Oh hell. She not only didn't like alcohol, but she was pregnant and couldn't even put up with drinking it just to throw him off. She'd just have to tell him or pretend.

Taking a breath and a moment to decide, she made her choice. The glasses were clear. "Oh- Mr. Rufus," she murmured. How would this new character she was playing- stupid innocent little lamb Katy- broach the subject. Well, she wasn't smart, and Rufus was out for an ego trip. Let her look the fool. "Are we going to drink this?" she asked, eyes wide, "I get so sick when I drink things like that! All over everything!"

Rufus blanched. "Of course not. This is my father's car, he likes to keep stuff like that in here." He smiled, leaning closer to her. "So what do you like?"

Heart beating faster from fear, Katy nearly paid too much attention to his words and nearly missed their meaning. It was a strange spell, this translation effect. If she wasn't paying attention, people understood her and she them. "I like strawberries... with chocolate sauce." At least that wasn't too strange, definitely had possibilities of being erotic. Rufus apparently saw them too and smiled, placing his hand on her knee. The skin on the back of her neck crawled.

"I do too," he said lazily, "I like cherries too." Katy had to fight to not burst out laughing. Smoooth Rufus. Real smooth! "You're laughing at me," he said accusingly.

Oops. She pressed her lips together, "It's just... I have older brothers... they talk. A lot." Forcing herself to move towards him was so incredibly hard, but she managed to slide in, lean against his shoulder and smile. Her mouth tasted sour even after she'd managed to brush her teeth and bleach them white again.

His brows rose, his hand moving from her thigh to around her shoulders. "Oh really. What sort of things do they talk about?"

Katy pondered... What had her guy-friends talked about in front of her. "Porn. And girls with big breasts. Masturbating, blow jobs, and eating girls out." She placed a hand on his thigh, sliding her fingers down the curve of it, then her palm up towards his crotch, but not too far. "It all sounded so interesting but my brothers were so mean to all my boyfriends and I never got to do anything but kiss their cheek before my brothers ran them away." Her voice became devious, "But they're not here now."

This Katy was a rather surprising little domestic girl! "You're a rather wicked little girl," he purred, "What makes you think that I would deflower such an innocent beauty like you?"

The reaction was just what he was hoping for as she twitched, then lifted her head to look at his face. "But the other girls said... said they had... such a nice time... I- I don't think I-" could ever screw something so horrible as you! Her eyes watered at the sentence she cut off, her anger seeming to be indignant in his eyes and tears to those of rejection.

His hand lifted to her lips, stilling her words, then brushed her tears away. "You certainly didn't come with any illusions about my intentions," he murmured. "You're very observant," for a domestic girl. Even Katy heard those unsaid words. His hand trailed down her chin to her neck, to her breast again. Katy closed her eyes, hating her reaction, wishing it were Sephiroth touching her.

Swallowing, she opened her eyes, reaching for what she wanted once again. "But- Mr. Rufus," her lips trembled. "I can't...can't do it here!" she breathed, eyes sad. "It would be so...wrong." Giving an unfeigned sniffle, Katy turned her face away from him before he could kiss her. Their driver had already gotten into the car and started it, the city passed by outside completely unseen. Rufus drew back.

"Why- of course not," he said softly with a smile. "Mustn't hurry this sort of thing." He leaned close to her ear, purring out his words, "We must take our time."

Katy's stomach flip flopped with butterflies. He was good- very good. But playing right into her hands. She hoped anyway. Closing her eyes, she sought to not betray herself- and her wish for Sephiroth instead of who she currently had. "Mr. Rufus," she said after a long pause, "What do you do all day?" she asked.

"You, if you'd let me," he replied immediately.

Blushing, Katy turned her eyes back towards him. She should have expected that. He was a teenage boy with power. "Oh, but surely you have power, what do you do with it?"

Rufus leaned back, sighing as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh the headaches of power, it simply doesn't seem right to bore you with talk of that. Even though father hardly ever lets me do anything."

Ha! Her probing had hit a vein! "Ouuhh! My father never let me go anywhere! Or do Anything fun! I bet," she leaned close to him. "I bet you'd make a better president than he would." She smiled. "I bet- I bet no one would ever disobey you. You'll always know what's right and anything that was Wrong... well... you'd send your Turks out after!"

He smiled, enjoying the ego inflation she was giving him. It was almost as good as sex. Finally, she dropped the bomb on him. "I wanna see it." He opened his eyes and looked at her, "Your office- or... the one you'll get when you're President of the world. Wouldn't it be fun to do it there?" She breathed at him, her current pose giving him a rather good view down her shirt. Hm.

"Well... if you insist." He looked towards the front, then reached over, pressing the button for the intercom. "Take us to the tower."

"Yes sir," came back. Or that's what Katy assumed it was. She could barely hear the answer and words didn't translate themselves over TVs or radio. As if her power had some weird aversion to technology. Keeping her lips in her smile, she lowered her eyes, finding, to her dismay, her hand had crept further up his leg, pushed by his shifts in position. At least his pants weren't strained across his hips from any noticeable bulge. Katy would probably have been forced to touch it if he'd had gotten aroused. She slid her hand away, back into her lap and tucked herself against his side. He smelled nice, but not like Sephiroth. Nothing like Sephiroth.

Thankfully, she was spared from speaking further except to press some button or other to make him vent and all she had to do was look enthralled with him. Stupid git that he was. She hadn't liked him in the game and even now he was every bit the pompous ass she'd imagined he was. Another bit of silver on the storm cloud was that the drive to the tower wasn't long. He got out and held his hand down for her. She exited the car, making sure to flash her breasts at him a bit as she did so. He smiled appreciatively and led her into the building, heading towards the elevator and moving towards the top floor.

"Ohh-" she breathed, "Isn't that bastard Sephiroth around here somewhere?" she asked, just to see what his reaction would be.

Rufus flipped his hair. "Oh, no, he died just a few months ago. Too bad really, he was... useful. Though I could have put him to better uses than monster cleanup crew. Bloody fool couldn't get killed by the toughest of Wutai's soldiers, but a monster ate him for breakfast! How's that for irony?" He looked down at her and obligingly, she giggled behind her hand. "Hm. You know, I can't let you into the office without checking for weapons or Materia."

Ha, good excuse, bastard, Katy thought savagely. "Of course!" she breathed aloud, glad that she hadn't brought anything along anyway. Not like she needed it.

Right there in the elevator, he slid his hands down her body, to her ankles, then unbuckled her pants and slid his hand in, "Have to check everywhere," he murmured, looking at her face. She'd expected that move and closed her eyes, tucking her face against his chest, forcing her tension out in a hot breath. She couldn't get herself fully relaxed though, but after a quick fingering, he withdrew his hand. "So tight," he muttered to himself with a smirk evident in his voice. Katy decided right there that she'd kill Rufus herself. Sephiroth wasn't going to get the chance to defend her honor in this one!

Buckling her pants back into place, she watched as Rufus licked his fingers absently and the elevator door opened on the top floor. They stepped out and Rufus walked with her at a leisurely pace up the final flight of stairs to the President's office. Shinra wasn't there. "Oh- it's so BIG!" she said appreciatively, though she'd been there once already. The glass they'd broken had already been fixed. Rufus grinned at her.

"I hope you'll save some of that enthusiasm for later," he pointed out, and though it took a moment, Katy actually got it. Huh. That one was slick. She giggled and moved around the room, looking out all the windows and finally turned towards the large red chair.

Pulling the chair out from behind the desk, she smiled at Rufus,

"Won't you sit, Mr. President of the World?" she asked coyly. Rufus smirked cockily and strutted over to the chair, having a seat, feeling her hands move to his hair, starting right at his hair line and slowly curl her fingers, dragging her nails lightly across his scalp and through his hair.

Rufus felt himself turn to putty. Wow- not only was she an ego trip domestic girl with a dirty mind, but she had some great ways of making him relax even without sex. The only magic he felt in the room was her womanly charm. "Marry me," he stated out of the blue. "You can have anything in the world!"

She pouted, tipping her head to the side. "Anything?" she asked, her hands continued to work through his hair.

"Yes. How big a rock you want, honey? It's yours." She giggled at him.

Smiling to herself, Katy thought, seriously. "Oh- I don't know about that. I'd probably lose it. How about those strawberries and chocolate sauce you promised me earlier?"

He grinned broadly, "A girl of simple tastes," he purred. "You shall have them- as many as you like." This earned him a giggle once more. Heart pounding in her throat, Katy used it as a stopper for the bile rising from her stomach. "So will you marry me?"

Leaning closer over the back of his chair, she put her nose to the back of his ear, breathing out slowly, hands resting on his shoulders as she realized she may even be able to get away with this without casting any spells at all. Before she was forced to answer, however, the President entered from the helicopter pad, looking surly, and even sourer as he found his son in his chair. "A new girlfriend?" the fat balding man asked, pulling out a new cigar and lighting up.

Rufus reached back, taking Katy's hands and pulling her around to sit in his lap. "No, I've asked her to marry me."

Shinra jerked his chin, indicating that he wanted his chair back and Katy obediently slid out of Rufus's lap, clasping her hands together with a demure smile as she looked at the floor. Rufus took a moment to follow suit, though he wrapped an arm around Katy's waist and led her away from the desk. "Well, good to see that you're looking out for the company's future, son," Shinra stated, albeit not very enthusiastically as he heaved himself into the reluctantly vacated red chair. Rufus shoved a sour smile onto his lips and turned Katy, leading her down the stairs again.

"See what I have to put up with?" he hissed under his breath, every bit the stifled spoiled brat.

Katy nodded empathically, "He's a regular tyrant!" she agreed. Her stomach lurched as they came to the last step and the door at the far end of the room opened. Hojo breezed in. "And the bottom drops out," Katy muttered under her breath as Hojo sauntered over.

"My, how kind of you, Rufus, to bring my errant little Cetra back. She's been behaving, I hope." Rufus's arm tightened around her. "Not trying to seduce you, is she?"

Rufus's eyes narrowed, "And why ever would she do that?"

Hojo's thin lips smiled. He looked unusually clean and well groomed, hair washed and tied back at the nape of his neck, close shaved, clean clothes. "Why, to get away from me, of course."

Juuust keep talkin, bastard, Katy thought, forcing her face to remain blankly stupid and eyes downcast. "Mr. Rufus," she breathed, "I don't know what he's talking about." She clung to him.

"Besides, aren't you only interested in fresh goods? She's used. By Sephiroth." Rufus's hand spasmed. "Just look at her. Obviously pregnant."

"Liar. Come, Katy. We don't have to listen to this idiot," Rufus hissed and started her past the scientist. "Lets get your strawberries and chocolate sauce."

Katy seethed in rage, tears in her eyes as she was reminded once more of Sephiroth. So Hojo had found out. Damn it all! "Are you alright?" Rufus asked at least sounding genuinely concerned as he stopped them in the hall and leaned her against the wall, hands rubbing her shoulders. "Just ignore that old fool. He doesn't know what he's talking about. You're perfect. I love you." empty words, Katy knew, Rufus knew too, but didn't know that Katy knew. Keeping her eyes closed, Katy tucked her face against his chest.

"I just- can't- can't... believe he'd say I'd ever – ever have- bed... HIM!" She ground her teeth, letting the anger she felt at Hojo color her voice though her words were as much a lie as his 'I love you'. Ha. It was amazing that he'd say that even before they got to the sex. He must want it pretty bad. Lifting her hands, she took hold of his jacket lapels, clinging to him, stretching her body against him, though it hurt, it made her sick. "It's just not right- that... that he could say that about me!" she squeaked.

His hands rubbed her back. "I know. I'd ask father to fire him, but that's never going to happen as long as he's useful."

Oh THANK you, Rufus! Katy gulped a breath and lifted her face, anger in her eyes, "What's he got that's so useful?" she asked, lips quirking at the corners.

Rufus's own lips turned into as evil a grin as she'd only hinted at. "I like the way you think, my dear."

Biting her lower lip, she flicked her eyes down, "Comes from having brothers," she murmured. YES!


Hojo's meeting with the president was taking far too long for his tastes. She was HERE! A little late, but the ingenuity involved in sneaking into the tower yet again was phenomenal! And to ride in on the president's son's ARM. Ha! He'd underestimated her, thinking they'd catch her at the door. She had no friends left, they'd all fled town, along with Aerith, but that was fine with him. He had Katy and her child to play with now. He'd have to find a way to contain her, tie her down to one place so he could observe the progress of her pregnancy and give her proper nutrients. None of that stuff about strawberries and chocolate sauce! That fool Rufus would make her obese in a heartbeat if she had the same tendency to gain weight as Lucrecia had.

He continued to ramble through his report on Naomi's successes in training and mutations. She would become something superbly awesome in only the space of a year, he theorized with great pride. Now, Sephiroth's child would be another one of those life-long projects, but well worth it in the end. "There's something more," Shinra stated, leaning back in his chair as Hojo came to a stop at last. "You've got something else you're up to."

Hojo winced. He'd known Shinra too long, "That girl Rufus had with him is pregnant with Sephiroth's child. She's the other one to the pair of Cetra we brought in, Naomi's companion."

Shinra's eyes narrowed and the large man sat forward, "Is it her goal then to screw every powerful man in this company?"

The laugh escaped him before he could moderate it, "Hardly. Rufus is simply a tool. See, I've got something she wants. Two things she wants. She's threatened my life if I don't get out of her way, but I doubt she'd do any such thing as long as I hold Naomi, and she simply doesn't have the nerve to kill someone in cold blood. Don't worry, I'll have her contained and under supervision very soon." The problem was... how to do that? She'd gotten away so many times before and every time she got better at it.


It was just disgusting how handsome Hojo was when he bothered to clean himself up. Katy felt highly ill and feared she'd have another attack of pregnancy nausea right there in the hallway as she walked with Rufus towards Hojo's lab.

Entering was like entering a war zone, boxes were scattered about haphazardly, the tank Jenova had been in was still blasted out, and the wreckage from Zack and Michelle's battle still covered the walls in dents and scratches. "Oh my- what happened here?" she asked, just to keep up her little game with Rufus.

He shrugged, "Some people broke in and destroyed stuff. Unfortunately the old goat managed to keep a piece of his prized project."

"Oh?"

Rufus shrugged again, smiling down at her idiotic look of worship. "The Jenova project," ever one 'in the know' he loved lording it over the stupid people. "She's an Ancient, or so Hojo says, he used revived cells from an old corpse he found to make monsters. Some say Sephiroth's one of them. It'd explain a lot."

She closed her eyes and forced an exaggerated shiver, "He's ugly," she stated stupidly, then lifted calculating eyes up towards Rufus, "I know! Lets steal it! He'd be really upset if it was gone, wouldn't he? That'd teach him!"

Once again, he played into her hands, was he so unused to people manipulating him that he'd fall for this or was he playing her as well? Rufus smiled, "Of course, a wonderful idea," he humored her. They split up to search the first floor, but when that turned up nothing but wreckage, they headed up to the second floor and split up. "Here it is!" he called, pointing to a box with a label Katy couldn't read, but it was on an important looking bench.

Pattering over, she rubbed the side of her neck, "Are you sure? My brothers put things in boxes sometimes, then labeled them wrong so I'd end up stealing dirty socks and toads instead of their candy collection."

"You really like sweets, don't you?" Rufus asked appraisingly and got a broad grin in return that flashed the gap between her teeth. "Alright, lets get this thing open." He worked a bit at a screen off to the side and Katy wandered the room a bit more, finally coming to stand before a specimen tank in which Michelle floated.

Taking a breath, she spoke again, "Eew. This girl's all weird looking."

Glancing over, Rufus smiled again, "Yes, another one of Hojo's little pets. He calls her Naomi. Has got to be the most vicious little bitch I've ever seen. Ha! Got it."

Katy hurried back over to look. The hand was freeze-dried once more, but it was definitely the hand she'd hacked off. "Lets take it and go before he thinks to come here!" she breathed, then smiled, "Then you can show me a good time?" she slid her hand up and down his back. "In a big bed with candles all around and strawberries..." Obediently, Rufus packed the hand away and closed the box, erasing all traces that he'd hacked the computer and they slipped into the stairs as the specimen elevator began working.

Stifling her cackling laugh behind her hands, she jogged with Rufus down several flights of steps and finally out into the staff lounge. Taking a breath, Rufus smiled down at her cunningly, "I know just the place. We'll go there now." He slid his arm around her waist again, stuffing the severed hand in its bag into his pocket. Now, how to ditch Rufus so that she could use him again if she had to? Oh hell, if she got Sephiroth back, she could have him bust into the tower and get Michelle loose. Forgive me...


Playing the idiot was making Katy feel so desperately sick that once arriving at Rufus's fuck-pad, she begged to go to the bathroom and tried to keep her dry-heaving down to a low volume, finally flushing the toilet and returning after washing her hands and splashing cold water across her face and neck. Stepping into his room, she found him clad in a silk robe, lounging on a bed every bit as big as her fantasies, candles lit everywhere. She smiled coyly and sidled close to the bed to have a seat. On top of the dresser was the bag with the hand.

Rufus sat up, sliding his hands around her waist and she turned towards him with a smile and word, "Sleep." To her surprise, he slid to the side, eyes closed. Taking a breath, Katy blew it out in a sigh, then got up, heading over to the dresser to pick the hand up, opening the bag to make sure. The triumphant grin that spread across her face was uncontrolled. "Who's laughing now, bitch?" she asked the severed appendage.

"I am," Rufus stated from where he lay on his side, hand propping his head up. "You really are quite a good actor, but not good enough." Katy felt her stomach sink and the queasiness return as Rufus sat up and slid off the bed, padding towards her. "However," he stated, "You have been rather amusing, so I'll let you go," she dared not hope. "For a quick fuck."

Katy closed her eyes, gritting her teeth, "Never," swallowing, she lifted her eyes, face set with determination. "I'd have to be dead before you ever got your dick in me. Now, get out of my way before I blast that precious member of yours to pieces."

He laughed, folding his arms, standing between her and the door. "An empty threat, you have no Materia."

Taking a breath, she steadied herself. "I'm Cetra, I don't NEED Materia." He laughed at her again. "Right." Swallowing, she first muttered to herself, then lifted her free hand, "ICE!" she cast- not on him, for he seemed far too smug about something, no she cast it on herself. The spell bounced off her reflect and shot towards him. His look of horror was proof that she'd guessed him right and the low level spell froze him up to his knees, making it impossible for him to move after her. Smiling, Katy put on a cute pose, lifting a finger as she clutched the bag near her chest, "See, I won't kill you now, but if you get in my way again, I'll just have Sephy stab you through."

"Sephiroth is DEAD!" Rufus raged, losing balance and falling back against the banister of the bed, eyes blazing with furry.

Katy waggled her finger, "I'm the all-knowing Cetra, stupid boy. I know everything. Sephiroth is not dead and I'm going to get him back. Just you hide and watch." She pointed at him as she gave him a wide berth, heading towards the door by walking across the bed.


Rufus had probably gotten himself loose from that spell by now, Katy was sure, but she was already four hours away, heading towards Kalm by a little trade wagon she'd bought her way onto. With luck, she'd find the rest of her Posse there waiting like good teammates. It would be another half a day's journey there, even riding as she was in the animal drawn wagon next to a crate of cloth. It wasn't comfortable back there, but she could have been riding with chickens or something like that. Oh god the horrors that could have occurred.

At least she had Jenova's hand again. It had occurred to her that Hojo may have switched it, but once the piece of corpse had warmed up, it had started twitching, trying to grab hold of her somehow. Katy smiled to herself triumphantly again. For once, she'd succeeded totally. No failures to report this time. If she were a drinker- and if she weren't pregnant- she'd have gotten piss drunk in celebration. No, she figured she'd have some apple juice or something like that and go to bed when she got to the inn.


"You... BLOODY FOOL!" Hojo roared at Rufus when the spoiled brat had entered and started bitching about not being told that Cetra could use magic without Materia. If he weren't so angry, he would have made further questions about how she'd done this as it was the first he'd heard of her casting spells without Materia. "Now I'll have to track her down- who KNOWS where she's gone! If you knew she was playing the fool, why did you play along!" turning towards Rufus, Hojo seethed impotently at the little Prince of Shinra.

Rufus glared in return, "She seemed a fun challenge!" he defended, though not very well.

Hojo turned away and paced around the room once more. "And you just GAVE it to her! At least I still have Naomi, but if she succeeds in reviving Sephiroth then that hardly matters!"

"Reviving me?" a cool voice stated from the other side of the room. "Now, why would that little slut want to do that?" both pairs of eyes turned towards Sephiroth where he leaned against Naomi's specimen tank, arms folded on his chest. The two men gaped. "If you want her, Hojo, I'll get her and bring her back-" he lifted a finger, "but... I want something in return."

Swallowing his frightened squeak, Hojo gave a shaky-handed gesture for Sephiroth to continue. "I want all SOLDIERS to be injected with cells from Jenova. I don't care what you do with the slut." The general gave a dismissing gesture and half turned away. "Is it a deal?"

Not trusting his voice, Hojo nodded, some of his hair getting loose from the tail at the nape of his neck, falling into his terror-widened eyes. Sephiroth smiled wickedly and faded away, as if he hadn't been there at all.