A/N: Recognitions to all that reviewed! Thanks ya'll!

BabyGurl278: I take it you're not a total Yuffie fan, eh? Lol
Karaoke Risa: And you're not a total Cloud fan either, eh? Lmao, bout your story, you shouldn't take it down, if people are sayin it's good, then it has to be worth something! I'll read it when I learn enough about FF8, but I find it very frustrating to fight Ultimate Weapon. He is a pain in the ass. Royaly.
Tirnam'Bas: I'm glad you like my story! Thank you all for reviewing!

Alright, I know I promised some fighting action here, but I decided to explain some things about Vincent's past (in this story, hopefully not true) and that took some space. Not only that, but I'm gonna switch back and forth from different scenes later, so I decided not to confuse you by switching real quick and ending it. Be warned, this starts off with Cid's little profanity tantrum :)

Chapter 14

The members of Avalanche gathered in the Highwind, disgruntled and irritated. No one had found any sign of this 'client' anywhere throughout the mountain. They had all agreed that Lartsa must have reached here first and forewarned whoever it was that had been here.

"Damnit all to mother-fuckin' hell!" cried Cid angrily, slamming his fist into the wall. "We drag out fucking asses to this freezin' shit-hole just to find out no one's here! Fuck!"

"Calm down, Cid," started Cloud. He looked out from the bridge, gazing at the mountain top. "We've searched most of the area, but there are still some small caves that we need to check out. Then we'll hit the summit and if we can't find anything we'll check the crater, alright?" He turned his head slightly to see everyone nod wordlessly except for Vincent, who remained grave and silent.

He spun about to face his team. "Alright, we're switching up groups! Barret, you take Tifa and Yuffie with you and check the western half. Cid will take Cait Sith and Red and explore the eastern one. Report back in two hours! Let's mosey people!" They gathered in their groups and left quietly, leaving only Vincent and Cloud in the airship.

Vincent could feel Cloud's eyes on him, staring at him hard, but he merely looked up at the ceiling with a distant and thoughtful expression. He shouldn't worry about Cloud now, but on these new questions about Lartsa and this 'client'…

"Vincent," called Cloud. The dark man merely rolled his head slightly on the wall, just enough to return Cloud's gaze out of the corner of his eye.

"Hm?" he asked, keeping his mouth shut and covered behind his blood-red cloak. He knew what was coming.

"I wanted to talk to you about…that Lartsa guy." Vincent's eyebrows shot up in surprise as Cloud inwardly cursed himself. He shrugged to himself and continued. He still had questions about him anyway.

"Did you know this Lartsa before we met him in the hospital? It seems like you knew something you didn't let on." Vincent nodded.

"Lartsa…he was one of the strongest Turks, in my time, of course. He was in melee combat as I was in firearms: Elite and undefeated. He was called the Silver Sword for his odd hair color and uncanny swordsmanship, or the Astral Slayer, for his unusual materia. He was the one who subdued me when I first transformed into Galian Beast in after Hojo's experiment."

Cloud was taken back by this sudden rush of information. "So what happened to him afterwards? Did Hojo force him to become an experiment, too?" he asked uncertainly.

Vincent shook his head slightly. "It is not possible."

Cloud shifted his weight from one foot to another and scratched the back of his head. "What do you mean?"

"I killed him."

Those three words seemed to hang in the air painfully. Cloud's mouth gaped open in surprise; that was what he least expected.

"You mean…wait, when did this happen? Why don't you just explain the story and make it easier to understand?"

Vincent sighed deeply. "After I was experimented on and they discovered I was immortal, they had me bound and transported to Nebilheim where they believed they could store me amongst the Mako created monsters. The ones entrusted to this were three of the top Turks: Batsu, nicknamed Golem, Ryo, and, of course, Lartsa. When they drove into town, they saw a creature walking down from the mountain trail, presumably from the Jenova chamber in the reactor. He seemed like a normal human, but all he had was a black cloth wrapped around his waist."

"Sephiroth."

Vincent nodded. "Before his enhancements in Jenova cells and condensed Mako samples. He appeared as a human, yet even then he still had great strength. He attacked the vehicle I was being transported in and I broke free of my binding. I singled out Lartsa while Sephiroth dealt with the other two. I managed to kill Lartsa as the other two were able to restrain Sephiroth in a similar device as mine. By the time they looked for me, I had fled to the mansion closest to us."

Cloud remembered Shinra Mansion, a haunting, morose place where more secrets lie than they could count. Cetra, Jenova, Sephiroth, Vincent…and possibly many others they did not dare to look into.

"What happened afterwards?" he questioned, now completely into the story.

"I suddenly came to my senses, realizing I had killed one of my own comrades because he was doing his job. I remembered Lucrecia, the demon, Lartsa…so I sealed myself into one of the coffins the late owner made before his death, vowing never to leave, hoping to die from starvation or dehydration. I was not so lucky."

Cloud started scratching his head again, confusion on his face. "But when we found you, there were notes written by Hojo, leading to the safe combination and the key to the basement room."

"Yes," he replied, started to remember Hojo's little 'game.' "About two years later he found me, sealed away in my coffin. He knew he could not kill me then and there. So, instead, he destroyed my arm and placed this claw on me. It was a mechanism that he planned to use to control my actions. I remember his little speech he gave to me."

Vincent took a deep breath before continuing. "You are just a failed project. My next one shall be a success, I shall see to that. You will help him. In thirty years, my creation will walk these halls, and you will show him the secrets of Jenova and the Cetra." Vincent smiled slightly, though it was hidden in his cloak. "He was off by five years."

"You mean…you were supposed to show him the library containing that crap about the 'crisis from the sky' and all? Why didn't you?"

"Hojo was unsuccessful yet again. Though the claw would have controlled my human form, Galian did not take lightly to being told what to do. He transformed and sat in the coffin, unaffected by the pulses sent to his mind by the claw. After Hojo realized this, he shut the machine down, so now it is dormant, merely covering my left arm."

"I see…" Cloud mumbled, bowing his head in thought. He had learned so much about Vincent in this short time when he had expected a heated argument about Tifa. Speaking of which…"How serious are you and Tifa?"

Tactless.

Vincent stared at Cloud silently for a minute, then bowed his head and chuckled softly. "Why do you ask, Strife?"

Cloud gritted his teeth slightly. He hadn't meant to say anything about it, at least not so bluntly, but he knew he was stuck and decided to be the reluctant bastard he was.

"I just don't want anyone hurting her. I did before and I was heart-broken when she ran from that inn crying. I just…" He turned away from Vincent's surveying gaze. "I don't know how I feel about her. She has been there always…like a comforting sister. Yet, she still loved me in a way I couldn't return. It just felt so…unnatural." Vincent shook his head, then straightened up and walked to the large glass overview.

In the furious white snow he could make out three distinct shapes standing in front of the Highwind. They can't be back already. It's hardly been half an hour.

Those aren't human, foolish creature. They're those clones.

Damn! he thought, rushing back from the window and charging out the doors. Cloud stood stunned for a moment, then rushed out after him. He followed Vincent down the hall and out the latch and almost fell in surprise.

At the foot of the ramp leading into the Highwind, three men stood, each with silver and black armor. The leader in the center was recognizably Lartsa, yet the other two were unfamiliar to Cloud.

The one to Lartsa's left was a tall, muscular man. He wore loose fitted clothing and had several earrings in his left ear. His short black hair was styled up, and he had writing tattooed on his arms in different languages.

The one to the right was a red-haired man that reminded Cloud of Reno. He had his hair kept up in a headband, not different from Vincent's, and kept his hands in his black pockets, complimenting his tuxedo-like attire. He shot a lazy and bored glance at the two from the corner of his eye.

He's a lot like Vincent, he thought, comparing the two mentally in his mind. But he doesn't have any weapon I can see. The big one's got his spear and Lartsa has his swords…what does this guy do, just regular martial arts? Before he could figure it out, Lartsa spoke up.

"Ex-Turk Vincent Valentine and Ex-Soldier Cloud Strife. Two bygone dogs of the military who try to defy fate." He spat on the ground as the large man cracked his knuckles and grinned malevolently. "Our Master wishes it that you are dead, so if those Turks we hired were not enough, we shall have to do this ourselves." Cloud braced himself as Lartsa withdrew his katanas and the large one brandished his spear. The rather bored looking man simply took his hands out of his pockets and kept still, the left side of his body the only visible part in his stance.

"Lartsa," Vincent whispered, and they all turned to him. He surveyed them for a moment, then continued. "How is it all of you still live? Golem, Ryo…what happened to you after you returned with Sephiroth?"

Golem smirked, twirling his spear. "You mean that silver-haired punk? Heh, he wasn't much of a challenge. When we brought him back to Hojo, he was angry with us for losing you…" Golem shuddered slightly at the memories running through his head. "So he decided to experiment on us and discover what went wrong with you."

Vincent was stunned at Hojo's inhumanity, but covered it carefully. "Then you all became immortal, Jenova celled humans with the Mako branding."

"Actually," Lartsa interrupted, smiling as he cocked his head. "Only I was injected with Mako. These two were injected with different essences from materia, taken in the Nebilheim Mountains near the Materia Fountain. Quite a unique procedure, compared with the others. After Hojo failed to rid the effects of immortality, he switched to different samples."

Vincent could feel the cold starting to affect his body, and he knew Cloud must be half frozen, though he was staring around in surprise. Vincent could not blame him; he was learning much in a short amount of time. However, he knew that he would have to act quickly to avoid freezing. Ignoring a small buzzing sound in his ear, he asked "How were you restored to life?" It was cold…

Another smile. "When you defeated that swordsman Sephiroth, the Lifestream reversed in order to function properly with Holy. As a result, a small tear was made between the fixtures of the Lifestream and the living realm. Though a human soul could not pass, another presence passed; a god. He gave me my life back in exchange for my servitude to him, and I accepted."

Lartsa examined his blade and breathed on it, cleaning it with his sleeve. "Any other questions you wish to stall us with, Valentine, or shall we end this now?" Lartsa grinned and launched himself at Vincent while the giant Golem rocketed toward a stunned Cloud.

Vincent reached for his gun as Cloud drew his sword, bracing themselves for the battle…

A/N: More answers next chapter, plus some more chat time with Yuffie and Tifa. The conclusion of the two-on-two battle and some secrets about the mysterious 'Ryo' character included. Check it out, and don't forget to review!