Cid groaned and opened his eyes.

"What the...fuck?"

Glancing around at his surroundings he fought the dizziness and disorientation wondering how he'd gotten to his room after the ass kicking he'd received at the hands of his attackers.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Highwind"

Cid nearly jumped when he saw the pair of red glowing eyes right next to the bed, Vincent had watched over him for most of the night.

"Jesus fucking Christ Valentine you're a spooky fuck! Shouldn't you be under the bed?"

He was rewarded by a dry chuckle from the direction of his companion, Cid cracked a smile until he realized something he'd forgotten

"Shit! Shera!"

"I found no trace of her...I'm sorry...I can only assume they took her to the same place they took Tifa"

Cid grimaced as he moved to the edge of the bed, he flicked on the light, Vincent looked just the same as Cid had remembered him at a glance, but as he looked closer he thought he could see Anxiety in those twin red orbs.

"Bunch of scruffy looking bastards?" he asked his friend

Vincent nodded

"And a woman, I couldn't see her face but she moved quite fast"

"Yeah..." Cid said "I saw her too, got a good look at her face...was that blond bitch that ran with the Turks" he growled "I don't know what team she's playing for now but if she's hurt Shera I'm going to turn that bitch inside out before I kill her!"

"Elena...yes...the woman fits her profile...but the question that alludes us now is...why?" Vincent said pondering aloud "I can't help but think she might be a small piece of a much larger puzzle"

Cid grit his teeth as he tried to stand up, pain shot down his back and he sat back down on the bed

"Fuck...so they came after you in Nibelheim? Took Tifa?"

Vincent shook his head and explained to his friend how the mysterious forces had attacked he and Tifa in their home town, Vincent told him their first plan had been to come to Rocket Town and then perhaps to Wutai or Midgar.

"Strength in numbers" Vincent said

"I don't know where these bastards came from, they jumped me on the Deck of the Highwind" Cid explained "I killed one of them but they had this big fucker with them...I think Elena called him Lotus...I gave it all I had Valentine but this bastard handed me my ass like I was some punk kid who'd never been in a scrap before...I unloaded two Barrels of buckshot into his chest and it hardly fazed him"

"Another enemy then, these two and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of soldiers...we have quite a fight on our hands" Vincent said out loud, he watched as Cid stood up and winced in pain "Are you alright? I can use the Materia again..." Vincent said

"Naw...fuck it...this is my bodies way of saying I gotta stop getting my ass kicked" Cid said pushing Vincents concern away "But Shera's in trouble and I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit on the sidelines and let her sit there alone and afraid" Cid looked up at Vincent "I love her man..." he said allowing emotion to slip into his voice for a single moment.

"I know..." Vincent said "We'll get her back

"So it's time for plan B" Cid said as he limped over to a small room off to the side of his bedroom, opening it up he led Vincent into the room and the former Turks eyes widened in surprise...there were guns hanging from the walls, just about every shape, make, and model he could have imagined

"This...is plan B?" Vincent asked in amazement, he'd never pictured Cid as the type to wield weapons like this.

"A part of it yes...don't look so god damn surprised Valentine, I worked for Shinra...I had military training...I aint gonna shoot myself in the fucking foot!" he growled as he moved slowly over to a drawer and withdrew a small bottle of pills, opening the bottle he popped one into his mouth and swallowed it, noticing Vincents curious stare he tossed the bottle to him.

"Morphine?"

"Damn right" Cid replied "That'll cure what the Materia doesn't..."

"Cid these are addictive..." Vincent said handing the bottle back to the pilot

"No shit Doc...what are you gonna tell me next? Smoking kills?" Cid shook his head throwing the bottle into a duffle bag "I've already got one addiction, there's plenty of room for more!"

Vincent watched Cid move about the room grabbing various guns and ammo, the precision and knowledge the pilot chose his weapons with surprised Vincent, it was a side of his friend he'd never seen before, Vincent was even more surprised when Cid unveiled what looked like some sort of experimental suit of armor, stripping off his shirt he put in on, once all the pieces were connected he slid his shirt back on, the only thing visible were the gloves, reaching down to his waist, he flicked on a switch Vincents well trained eyes and ears could see and hear power flowing through the suit.

"Shinra technology at it's finest...Stole the fucker from the weapons department while you guys were dealing with that Psycho Hojo" Cid grinned.

"Is it effective?" Vincent asked

" I could bench press your skinny ass Valentine..." Cid said

An hour later and two dufflebags stuffed with all manner of weapons Cid and Vincent emerged from the Pilots home and out into the backyard, Vincent was shocked to see that the Highwind had suffered a great deal of damage.

"Yeah..." Cid said following his gaze "Fuckers messed my baby up pretty bad...that's another strike they got against em, the pilot stalked across his backyard and pulled a tarp off something he'd been working on, Vincent immediately recognized the Tiny Bronco, Cid had obviously made improvements upon it and it looked a great deal sleeker and faster then it had looked before.

"So we go to Wutai first and pick up the brat and then onto Midgar?" Cid asked

Vincent nodded

"I was thinking first thing in the morning...we both need rest and..."

He was cut off as the sounds of a distant explosion from the direction of Wutai filled the air, he and Cid looked in the direction of Wutai and saw a dark Cloud could be seen in the sky loosening thunderbolts, small explosions lit up the night sky.

"Well I was thinking right fucking now!" Cid said hurriedly climbing up into the front

Vincent said nothing, his mind was in turmoil, more of his friends were being hurt and he was still no closer to getting Tifa back, he climbed into the plane and buckled his seat belt, Cid soon had the small plane up into the air.

"I'm coming Tifa..." Vincent said to himself "Hang in there..."

AN: Yup I turned Cid into a pill popping gun nut...god help us all!