Chapter 20

Step twenty: jigsaw puzzle

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Final Fantasy.

A/N: ok, hopefully things are going to start happening again! It was a truly horrible last half of 2015 with both my father and my younger brother hospitalized in August and September. Nearly lost my brother three times between then and December my dad is still in now in January. I'm not saying this for sympathy or anything, just letting you know that I haven't abandoned my story, just dealing with family trauma.

I don't know when the next chapter will be out but I think I'm slowly starting to get my muses back.

P.S. before anyone asks, Tifa is not Cloud's girlfriend. They're just close.

,…,

Sephiroth entered the upper "Shinra approved" labs for his latest mako treatment right on time, never a minute early or late. Hojo watched from his console as his son came towards him with pride and arrogance in his every step. His movements were as graceful as a dancer's with his silver hair flowing like a banner. His power could be felt from across the room. There wasn't a single flaw to be found anywhere on his body. He was perfect. He had made him perfect.

Well…almost.

Thanks to one Cloud Strife, that one fault in his precious boy would be fixed.

"You know the drill." Hojo told him as he readied the instruments.

Sephiroth didn't say anything as he unhooked his coat and hung it in its place. He didn't have his sword with him, possibly because it would be too much temptation. Hojo didn't let it bother him, he knew what Sephiroth thought of him. Once he was ready he moved to the table and stretched out on it as Hojo walked over to him and started attaching the probes for his records. He wanted new statistics to compare against the new treatment. He wanted to know what (if any) changes occur with Strife's cure when it's applied to Sephiroth.

It was only one small drop of the new mako mixed with the old batch. If Strife was to be believed, any more risked alerting Jenova and start a doomsday clock for the planet. Hojo didn't care about the planet, but he didn't want his precious son used and warped into the weapon that destroys it. Strife already claimed to have killed Sephiroth in order to protect it and if pushed he would do so again. So he'll play by Strife's rules, for now.

"Where's Strife?" Sephiroth suddenly asked, breaking his traditional silence.

"He's where he's supposed to be." Hojo said caustically.

"He's not in the tower." Sephiroth said distantly.

"why do you think that?"

"I am…unsure. I only know." His very uncertainty seemed to disturb him greatly as Hojo could detect the barest trace of emotion on Sephiroth's normally fixed mask.

Hojo really didn't know what to think about Sephiroth's new obsession with the time traveler. Yes the boy was meant to be Sephiroth's clone, but logically the connection should only be on Strife's end. It shouldn't affect Sephiroth and yet it does. If the connection kept up, he would need to research a way to brake it. It could prove disastrous otherwise.

"It's not important." Hojo told him briskly "I'm experimenting with a new mixture, tell me immediately if you feel any different afterward."

"Understood."

Once the baseline readings were taken, Hojo disconnected him and readied the mako canisters as Sephiroth stripped completely and entered the shower chamber. He waited just long enough for Sephiroth to settle then started the process.

Vibrant green mako shot out of multiple jets coating Sephiroth completely. He stood perfectly still with an almost bored expression although Hojo knew it had to be excruciating. Sephiroth never revealed his pain. He was strong from the moment he was born.

It was a relatively short process, taking less than a quarter of an hour. It was always fascinating to Hojo watching the green substance mist out from the shower heads then gather to form into a thick syrup that clung to the flesh. He could almost see it burrow into Sephiroth as it was absorbed until there was nothing left. Not even a hint of mako shine on left on his hair.

Sephiroth stepped out of the chamber once all the mako had been absorbed and returned to the table without bothering to redress. Hojo replaced the probes for the new readings. Already he could detect slight variations from just moments before. Hojo looked up from the monitors to notice Sephiroth staring off onto the corner of the floor with a puzzled expression on his face. He glanced over himself but there was nothing there.

"What are you looking at?" Hojo finally asked in irritation.

"I found him."

Hojo glanced back to the spot Sephiroth was focused on. He wasn't a betting man but if he was, he would put everything he owned on the fact that if he followed Sephiroth's gaze, it would lead directly to where Strife was. Apparently the connection grew.

Fascinating

Aerith cheerfully entered her church to tend the flowers for the morning and decide which ones were ready to sell. The planet was buzzing excitedly today and she let herself get swept along with it dancing to the tune only she could hear. It's been happening a lot lately. She didn't know what happened to cause it, but it must have been big. Everything seemed so much bigger since Zack fell into her life.

Thoughts of Zack and how he made her feel safe flittered through her head as she pushed the heavy door open enough to slide through. She had barely managed a step when she caught sight of a stranger standing in the middle of the flower bed. Aerith stared at him with some trepidation. People didn't come to her church unless they were there to cause trouble, or Zack. But as she watched him from the doorway she decided he didn't feel like trouble, he felt…lost.

Aerith gradually crept forward until she reached the outer edge of the flower bed careful to keep enough distance to get away if she had to. She got a good look at the man standing among the flowers. He was rather short, only a little taller than herself and very skinny. With messy blonde bed hair and a whipcord muscular frame that was covered in vicious scars. He stood there with his back to her in only a pair of loose black hospital pants. He didn't seem to realize where he was. It was almost like he was in some sort of trance. He was just gazing at nothing as far as she could tell.

"Um…Hello." Aerith called out to him from the edge.

The stranger tilted his head slightly at her but not enough for her to see his face.

"Hello Aerith." He said distantly.

Aerith stumbled back with a slight gasp the young man either didn't hear or ignored. Very few people knew her real name. Tseng said it was dangerous to do so with people hunting her. For years she'd gone by Aeris, similar but with a distinct difference that can't be missed. The only person she'd told her real name to was Zack, and she refused to believe he would tell anyone else. Zack would never betray her.

"Um, can I…help you? Are you lost?" she stuttered out.

The young man flinched when she spoke. He remained silent but she knew he was aware of her. She watched him carefully but he didn't move or say anything else. With a hard swallow she lightly stepped forward into the flowers. As she moved closer he seemed to relax further. It was almost as if her presence calmed and comforted him but she couldn't imagine why.

"It's just like I remember it." The stranger suddenly said as Aerith got close enough to touch him.

"Remember what?"

"The church, the light" he crouched down before her to gently caress one of the petals "the flowers."

The planet's excitement grew. It felt like it was trying to tell her all about the young man in front of her but everything was all jumbled up into chaos. Nothing made sense. Aerith may have lived a rather sheltered life but she wasn't a fool. There was obviously something very special about this man. Special, and very…wrong. Anything that could stir up the planet like that was something to be left alone.

Aerith slowly backed out of her garden and away from the potentially dangerous man. The flowers would be fine without her for one day.

"I'll leave you to your reminiscing. Just… please be careful with the flowers, they're delicate."

"I think flowers are far stronger than they appear. They might look fragile on the surface, but their roots run deep. They're capable of surviving the harshest of winters to bloom next spring."

Shivers danced down her spine as he spoke. His voice sounded hallow and vacant as though he was simply an empty vessel echoing something else. There was definitely something not quite…there about him. Aerith didn't know what had happened to him but her first guess would be…a lot. It just a little too much for her, she couldn't handle anything this big. She was just a simple flower girl in the slums.

Aerith turned to make a quick escape. As soon as she got outside she would call Zack or maybe Tseng. They would know what to do. She took no more than a half a dozen steps when she heard the floorboards creak behind her. She swiftly turned around to warn him off but he was already gone.

"I'm sorry."

Aerith gasped and froze. She slowly turned around and there he was, standing between her and the door, the only way out. He was now facing her although his eyes were focused somewhere off to the side as though he didn't want to see her. Glowing blue just like Zack's only somehow brighter, less like the sky and more like…deep water. She saw a picture of it once, water so deep and blue and…violent. Was he a Soldier too? He was scarier than Zack, even when fighting monsters. Yet, somewhere in a part of her mind that wasn't in shock of his sudden movement, she thought he was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

"I scared you and that was never my intent." He bowed slightly before her "I'll leave you be."

Without another word he turned and silently walked to the door. His bare feet gracefully avoiding the debris and broken planks that littered the church floor. The planet was still whispering franticly but she still had no idea what it was saying, what it wanted from her. Either way, he was just at the door and he would soon be out of her life and no longer her concern.

"Wait!" Aerith suddenly cried out.

What was she doing?

He paused with his hand pressed against the door "Why?"

"Because…" Aerith searched franticly for a reason. She didn't know why she impulsively called out to him. But she thought if she let him leave, she would be making a horrible mistake.

"Because it's dangerous out there and…and you're…uh not…dressed." She finally said.

He half turned around though he still wouldn't look at her. "I'll be fine." He promised her with a painful rictus smile stretched across his flawless face.

He was lying.

"Please," she called out before he could try to leave again "I have a…friend who can take you wherever you need to go. Please just…stay."

Aerith didn't know what was going on with her, but he wasn't trying to leave anymore and that made her…happy? Satisfied? Content? It was all so confusing. Why did the planet want her near him?

"What's your name?"

"Cloud."

"Hello Cloud."

Cloud's smile lost some of its painful edge and though he still wouldn't look at her, he seemed a little more…present. Aerith gathered her courage and approached him slowly. She hesitantly took his arm and pulled him back towards the garden. He silently followed, allowing her to direct him where she wanted him. When they reached the first pew Cloud flopped down on it without being told then stretched out to lay along its length.

"Why did you come here?" Aerith wondered out loud as she perched near his head.

"It's always here." Cloud answered, surprising her a little. He'd closed his eyes and rolled over so he was now facing the back of the pew. She knew from personal experience that it wasn't very comfortable but he acted like the hard wood was nothing. Maybe to him it was.

Aerith didn't know what he meant by that statement. She'd been coming to this abandoned church for as long as she could remember and she'd never seen him before nor had she heard of him. Someone who looked like he did and with the scars he had would have been the talk of the sector. Don Corneo alone would have been after him…for any number of purposes. There was a reason she never ventured near Wall Market. Instead he was a complete mystery to her, though she realized she was no longer afraid of him.

"Why won't you look at me?" Aerith asked him curiously.

"You'll disappear again."

Again? She really wanted to ask what he meant by that but she figured she wouldn't get a response she could understand. Whatever was going on inside his head, he was lost to it. Aerith doubted she would be getting a normal answer any time soon. Maybe Zack would have better luck than her.

Aerith pulled out the PHS Zack gave her shortly after he engineered a date out of her and selected his number. It really was the only number in her PHS. It rang a couple of times then she heard Zack eternally cheerful voice.

"Hey Aerith."

,…,

"Well?"

"Nothing new to report Sir. His vitals are still steadily improving, but he's showing no signs of regaining consciousness."

The Soldier Third Genesis bribed into being his mole inside Shinra was less than useful most of the time. He had access to some basic information when it came to Angeal which was why he still kept the fool, but he was unable to find any kind of real intel on Hojo's new pet. The only thing he was able to glean about the Delivery Man was the name Strife. Any record surrounding the blonde was either destroyed or secured for Hojo's eyes only. Genesis was strongly considering retiring the Third from service…permanently.

"What of Strife?" Genesis asked without expecting anything.

"Still locked up in the lab as far as I know."

As he thought. Goddess give him strength!

"I do have one piece of news for you." The Third said.

"What is it?" Genesis snapped into the PHS.

"I located Dr. Hollander. He's been imprisoned in Junon under Turk guard."

This could be promising.

"Where in Junon?"

"Somewhere in the Shinra complex. That's all I could find out."

Perhaps not after all. Still it was more than he had before.

"Keep digging and report to me when you have something of substance."

Genesis flipped the PHS closed with a dramatic huff. The Third would definitely need to go. No news on Strife and no news on Angeal. Barely a generalized location for Hollander. What he wouldn't give for a Second, or even better a Turk!

Unfortunately, when he defected he took all the Soldiers who were loyal to him with him and turned them into copies. The only reason he was wasting his time with that worthless boy was he could be bought for the right price. Any Seconds either knew better or were already on someone else's payroll. As for the Turks, in their own corrupt way they were incorruptible. Their loyalty ran to Shinra first and their own second. There was no room for a third and anyone caught trying, well no one outside of the Turks knew what happened to those.

The degradation was getting worse. He could feel himself fading away. He needed to know if the damn cure worked! Genesis glanced over to the desk where he kept the vial Strife had tossed at him. Its faint glowing blue liquid a constant temptation and torment. He was stronger than that though. He wouldn't touch the stuff until he knew what he was getting into. That meant getting Hollander to analyze it or wait for Angeal to wake up.

Since it didn't look like Angeal was waking up any time soon, he would need to plan the doctor's rescue.

,…,

It took Zack two hours to gather everything he needed, find Cloud's girlfriend, and get down through the slums to the church. While a good chunk of that time was spent braving Hojo's lab for Cloud's clothes and his scary-big sword, the majority was spent fighting monsters in the slums. Zack certainly gain new respect for his friend. The blonde was a skinny little thing but he was strong! That sword of his must weigh a ton. It was easily bigger and quite a bit heavier than Angeal's Buster sword. Zack didn't understand how he could wield it, but he did.

Tifa was another surprise. He knew through the grapevine that she'd been spending all of her free time with the Turks in their training salle, but he didn't know she had any real prior training. The first time they came across a pack of Whole Eaters Zack worried for her safety, but that quickly proved to be unnecessary. That girl could kick ass!

"Where'd you learn to fight like that? Not from the Turks, not that fast." Zack asked as they approached the church.

"It's a long story."

"Oh come on!" Zack whined "Tell me! We're bonding here!"

Tifa stopped dead in her tracks forcing Zack to stop too. She marched up to him with an evil glint in her eyes and poked him on the chest…hard.

"Listen! You may have finagled your way into Cloud's trust, but that doesn't mean you have mine! So why don't we go into this church of yours, get Cloud and get back to the tower in SILENCE! Is that ok with you?" she said harshly and was all but yelled in his face.

Zack stared in shock. When he first saw this slip of a girl in Nibelheim dressed like a slutty cowgirl and flirting with Rude and Reno, he'll admit he didn't have the kindest thoughts directed towards her. When Cloud insisted she come along regardless of the mission he assumed she was his main squeeze from back home. He really paid no notice of her beyond that. But now Zack wasn't so sure what to think anymore. Vincent insisted she come along and she clearly had far more combat training than she was willing to divulge. Now she was talking about trust, like he wasn't worth it. Like maybe she thought he didn't deserve Cloud's trust, that he had tricked Cloud in some way. Zack didn't know what he did or didn't do to earn her animosity but it was definitely something he would have to correct in the future.

"Yes ma'am." Zack said meekly.

"Good." She all but growled at him.

Then as though a switch was flipped, Tifa went from scary and serious back to her former vapid perky demeanor.

"Let's go get him then, OK?" she said airily and flounced off through the church doors.

Zack stared after her with one of the worst cases of whiplash he'd had in a while. She was obviously a very accomplished actress, but which extreme was the act? Or was it all fake.

'That is one crazy chick.' Zack thought with a shudder as he followed her through the door.