Chapter 27. To the other side.

Sephiroth's POV

The shock wave was massive, powerful and carried several things on the way.

Trees, pieces of metal and concrete flew all over and I even felt my form slip a little while the blast lasted.

I growled as I fought to keep balanced, my Masamune up all the time. With one eye closed and other open I cut through chaotic steel, bricks and scattered walls.

Solid fell from the sky, spraying us all with heavy rain.

When finally all of it calmed down, I got up, to find a maze of destruction around me. Dusty air, covering the sun, forming a cloud of powder and fire.

The air was hot and choked us all.

I narrowed my eyes as I searched for the elements of my team, realizing that most of the beasts we were fighting previously and the ones coming for us were mostly deceased. The blast had done the deed.

"Here!"

Tseng's voice made me turn, as I saw the Turk covered in dust, exiting a conglomerate of broken branches.

"You okay?" I asked, but concluding he was in fact pretty okay, so I went straight to the point. "The reactor, Tseng."

Tseng eyed me with a sad look.

"It's shredded to pieces, I don't think we're going to fix a thing now."

My stare met his, hard and I decided to open the game to him.

"Zack was responsible for this. I saw him flying right before the explosion." I declared, my frown worried. "And he's headed to Midgar now."

Tseng's attention spiked for moments.

"To do what?"

"Nothing nice, I'm sure."

I was being vague, I knew it, but I had to be more careful when I displayed my suspicions.

"Gather the men." I ordered, walking away from Tseng. "We're going to check the ruins and see what we can find."

I dived in the thick vegetation, making my way with my precious sword. Really, what would I do without it? The thought of me without my sword was basically… unthinkable.

"Need help, General?"

A female voice interrupted my assault on the chaos that consisted in consecutive piles of branches, dead bodies and concrete. I eyed the woman, focusing on Lockhart and her smiley face, genuinely considering that I needed her help. Really?

"With directions, I wouldn't mind." I answered, and she nodded at me, answering me with a professional gesture.

"Right on, Sir."

So, towards the destroyed reactor we went, and I took the chance to make a very important phone call. My mind travelled to Zack and his sudden departure towards Midgar.

I didn't know what he intended to do there… but thing was, there were few significant things there that might interest Zack Fair.

For instance, the Ancient. And Stevens.

I didn't know why, but my guts were telling me he would be looking out for them. Something - whatever madness or crazyness that lingered inside Zack's head would inevitably relate to them. Both of them were important. The Ancient, because she was the last one. And Stevens, because she knew classified stuff about us all.

That made them targets. So I had to worry - and fast. I stopped for a moment, eyeing Lockhart seriously.

"Go on, I'll catch you up."

She returned the stare, puzzled, but didn't interfere. Smart girl. It was actually highly unlikely to find someone that knew its place. Amazing feature for a woman.

"Fine."

I grasped my phone and hit speed dial. The number was recorded and I knew it by heart. And that voice I remembered from days ago answered pretty fast.

"Yes?"

"Medina?"

"Yeah?"

I took a deep breath and focused, wanting full attention on this.

"Listen to me very carefully."

The line was silent and I could hear his breathing, waiting for me to say the words. Needless to say I didn't need introductions. He already knew I was the one speaking.

"I'm listening." His tone was wary and curious.

"Take them out of there."

A pause. The good Doctor couldn't do the math.

"Who?"

"The Ancient and Stevens." I declared. "I suspect they're in danger, and you must take them out of the labs."

I sensed him breathing, clearly stressed out with my request.

"B-but… where should I take them to?"

Funny, the where's before the why's. Now, we were getting somewhere.

"Out of the labs, Medina, anywhere but there!"

There was a constricting sigh on the other side of the line and I realized Medina was hesitating.

"What is happening, General?"

"This is Hell, doctor." I whispered, looking around me. "Just do what I say, keep them hid in a place only you know about. We'll talk later."

I killed the line, not letting Medina say a thing against. He now had the greatest of responsibilities.

Keep them alive.

John's POV

I stared at my phone's screen, appalled and at a total loss of what to do. I just swore that, every time he talked to me like that, the little hairs of my neck rose.

Man, I was just a scientist, I didn't care about their little game of wars! But then again, I was constantly being thrown into it, like a damned ping-pong ball.

What the hell!?

I hadn't enjoyed at all the tone and the hidden message in his words. Something bad was going to happen and it involved my girls. The ones living in my department and the ones who happened to random around the labs right now. I considered what I should do, who should I take first.

And why? Uh, I didn't even ask the man why he was asking me to do such thing out of the blue!

I put my hand in my face, massaging my temples, trying to think of the best strategy to engage in. Where? My apartment - really?

It was a fact I didn't have much choice but that. I wasn't rich and… hell, I spent much more time in the labs, so, my official address would be a good place to take them considering few people actually knew where I lived.

In fact, everyone thought I lived here.

"What's the matter?"

My eyes met Aerith's, who smiled at me openly. A smile that faded a little when she took a good look at my face.

Man, I must look like shit.

"What?"

Her tone was weary, now.

"We need to leave." I said, as I took her by the arm, both of us heading to my office. I needed my car keys if I wanted to get somewhere.

"But where to, and… why?"

Her question was genuine but truth was, I didn't know the reason. I was just following orders and listening to my gut, who warned me something serious was about to happen.

"Safety protocol." I declared, as I urged her to the main door of the lab.

"Did something go wrong in the mission?"

Her tone was worried and I understood why - her love interest was there and she was clearly in love with him and… uh man, I so got that. Liking someone.

"I don't know the details." I admitted, as we took the elevator ride, down to the garage. "We need to take you out of here just out of precaution."

Her green, bright eyes met mine with apprehension on her face.

"What about Elie?"

"I'll come back for her as soon as I hide you." I declared, as the doors opened and I searched for my car. It was a sports vehicle with only two seats. Hence the drama of taking one at a time.

"I'm scared, John." She admitted, and I totally got her.

"Me too, Aerith." I whispered, as I opened the door and urged her to sit. I needed to hurry to get back here at once and retrieve Elie. My heart constricted at leaving her alone for five minutes or so.

So, I would make this fast.

Jenova's POV

I landed on the roof top of the building that included the Science Division.

According to this specimen's memories, this was the place where the Ancient the other alien remained concealed.

I scanned the surroundings, concluding it was safe - not that I feared a thing in this Planet. I had advantages at all levels and was mentally and physically superior. So, this would go along fine, without staggering.

Kill the Ancient, squeeze the Alien. And who knew what I might find in that little, beautiful mind of hers?

The sun was now high in the sky.

And all I had to do was search inside the mind I was in to find the floor where they remained.

Five minutes was the time necessary to reach said place - where a coded, steel door was a physical barrier.

Allright. Enough stalling.

I lifted my arm and summoned energy enough to blast the door. The effect was simple and effective, the metallic door smashing against the opposite wall. With it, a couple of humans flew as well, the result quite splashy.

There was red all over the wall, bones, flesh and viscera scattered on the ground. Screams followed in an instant, and I took my time removing the sword and positioning myself.

So. The action would begin.

I guessed people would try to stop me - to no avail. Heads, body parts flew as I made way through that hall, towards the room where the Ancient's smell lingered.

My footsteps sounded like I was walking on water and, easily I reached and opened the door of her room.

However… she wasn't there. Which confused me, for a moment.

Where could she be?

I blinked and turned, considering the odds. I checked the mind, random memories of the specimen I lived in right now - only to conclude I didn't find a thing worthy of interest.

There was no place where she could be at but here. She couldn't be in that abandoned church, considering she had been transported from there… over here.

Hum.

Change of priorities, then.

I would find the Ancient - it was only a matter of time. So, it was time for me to go for the Alien with the shiny brownish eyes and wavy hair.

As I walked through the corridor, someone whimpered against the wall. Splattered with red graffiti, the ground decorated with quartered bodies, it was quite a sight.

I smirk, content with my actions. And, in a quiet and definite movement, I beheaded the woman by the wall - that annoying noise finally ceasing.

I walked calmly towards the coded doors.

Another one?

I was getting bored with this. I opened the door with an energy blast, and in a moment I met the eyes of the woman who stood in the middle of the room - with a surprised look in her face.

Interesting specimen…

"Zack?"

I heard her calling the name of the one I lived in. She tried to reach him - thing was, she didn't know he wasn't here anymore. His will, his soul had been erased.

Sensing confidence flowing from her I approach the woman, my hand touching her forearm. I needed to sense her, realize what she was made of.

It was all very basic but made with harmony - and the result worked, quite gratifying in fact. Genetically different from the ones populating this planet, she was average in strenght… but her energy was unusual. Her consistency was unique, her soul smelled, shone in a way I had never seen. The energy flowing inside the thousands, millions of cells that made up what she was… peaked my interest.

I wondered how could I manipulate her - her kind, and how I could get them to serve me. Would they have afterlife, lifestreamy like in here?

The questions were too much and few answers - which meant I would have to sate my curiosity.

"We're going."

I squeezed a little, feeling the warmth and tingling sensation of her skin. Oh, the possibilities.

"Where?" She asked, a little hesitant.

And that couldn't do.

"To the other side."

Words left my mouth and I summoned a small amount of magic - the necessary to put her asleep. Her brain was weak, and under the right amount of energy, trained accordingly, maybe I would be able of finding the balance I wanted to.

She closed her eyes, her body failing, and I caught her mid-air, carrying her out of this place.

It was time for us to travel - and I meant it literally.

Sephiroth's POV

Me and Lockhart were the first ones reaching the place.

30 minutes of silent shortcut travel, no path available thanks to Zack's doings. I eyed Lockhart warily, as I sensed Strife's eyes on her meters away. He was very protective of her, for some reason I didn't quite understand.

The team joined us by groups, and I realized few of us were missing. Tseng had informed me some had returned to Nibelheim to tend for the wounded, and that he would join us by the reactor via air.

Great.

We reached the area slowly, the crying geography giving us hints of the tremendous explosion that had occurred an hour ago - give or take. The fire was still active and the area looked like an apocalyptic war zone.

"What a sight." I declared, speaking my mind.

"Depressing."

Lockhart was right. My eyes met hers for a moment, as she and some SOLDIER started checking the place. Right. There was no chance someone might have survived this. It had been the closest thing to nuclear I had ever seen.

"Indeed." I whispered, as I tried to grasp something, something to hold on to.

What was the next step? In 12 hours Nibelheim had suffered two tragedies - the mansion and the reactor… was there a point in all this?

My thoughts flew to Stevens once again. What might she have told Zack for this to happen, for him to behave so strangely? I didn't know what to think - what was supposed to be right… or wrong.

All I knew was… I felt something was very, very wrong. And I didn't know what on the Planet was that.

"There's nothing left of it."

Strife's voice came out of nothing and my eyes landed on his. We had to be professional, even in a havoc of sorts.

"Let's leave the scene to the experts." I stated. "I'm pretty sure that-"

I suddenly turned my head, my eyes facing the void… towards the direction of the sandy landscape far from Midgar.

The PORTAL.

The sensation was discreet, soft and velvety, like an inner shiver. I knew it, recognized it - for I had sensed it once. When Stevens had crossed the Portal in first place - the sensation had been the same.

A rush, a windy kiss inside the gut.

Oh-uh. The worst came to mind at once. Zack Fair, crazed out of his mind, crossing the damn thing and going inside Steven's world prepared for who knew what.

SHIT!

The faces of Stevens and the Ancient filled my mind for a moment. Would they be okay? Had John made it? Or not?

I walked fast towards the opposite direction, ready to reach the place where Tseng was - and where the helicopter would be as well.

"Sir?"

I passed by my men and didn't pay them attention. My heartbeat peaked at the implications of what I had felt, what I had sensed and how things had gotten out of control so fast.

Damn it, pick it up, Tseng! The phone beeped and I heard the muffled round of the heli pads far away.

They had to hurry and fast. This was serious enough.

"Tseng?" I screamed as I sensed the line was clean now. I didn't let him answer me. "Tseng! I need your ride, pick me up, NOW!"

Now I ran, searching for a high point in the irregular geography of the area, so that they could pick me easily.

I saw the helicopter arriving, making their way down and, in an elegant shift, allow my entrance. Once I was inside, the one driving it - that red-headed joker Turk smirked at me, saluting me with a nod.

"What's up, General?"

"Take me to Headquarters, Science Division." I ordered, and he made a face at my urgency. Certainly, he wasn't used to see me stressed up. "Right fucking now."

Tseng nodded at him and the Turk took us out of there swiftly, as he answered me.

"Yes, Sir."

-/-

I sensed impending disaster as the helicopter approached the HD's roof.

The red-headed Turk was a good pilot, but the impatience I felt didn't allow me to focus properly.

Something very wrong was happening down there.

The first thing my eyes grasped was the bloodied footprints. There were several, on the ground, all of the same person. I recognized that pattern - those were SOLDIER's boots.

Zack's.

Once we were close to the ground I jumped off the heli, Tseng following me in a swift move. He also stared at the pattern the marks did, doing the math as well as I. Zack had been here, had done something terrible and he had left.

Flying.

"This can't be nice."

Tseng's voice was low and serious and I couldn't agree more.

"No, it can't."

My eyes met his and we dived inside the building, prepared to witness a catastrophe of sorts. Thing was, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't have any idea of what Zack could have done, but when the elevator doors opened by the Science Division floor… I thought the worst.

Blood scattered the granite floor, and as my stare traveled right, words escaped me.

Red, black and chaos - it all resumed to that.

A blast had destroyed the main entrance, and the metal door was shoved in the opposite wall, yards away. Limbs, heads and body parts mingled in the ground, and I stepped carefully, trying to make way along such slaughter.

My heart leaped as I looked left and found Steven's premises empty. Strangely, the door was open, only partially destroyed and there was nothing but bloody footprints there.

I stared at the hall once again, as only a living person stared at the ground with despair on his face.

John. Clearly, he was in shock.

I approached him, slowly and making a sign at Tseng to check the area for threats, as I tried to come near the man who seemed completely destroyed.

When I finally remained by his side, I realized John wasn't staring only at the ground. His watery eyes were fixed in the dead, lost gaze of his former assistant. She had been beheaded. The cuts - sharp and unique, were proof enough a sword had done most of the damage. There wasn't a person in one piece here… but us.

"Medina…"

I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. Nothing seemed proper right now. We were in the middle of a carnage scene but my concerns were directed to Stevens… and the Ancient. So, how could I bring this subject?

"Are they safe?"

By 'they', it was obvious who I meant.

John took his time searching for my eyes. And what I found there worried me seriously.

"I couldn't take Elie back…" He declared, guilt all over his face. "I only had time to take the Ancient and when I got back…"

I felt a pang in my heart, at the thought Stevens might be scattered along the floor just like the lab staff was. I didn't know why, the idea actually made me ache on the inside. What a terrible sensation.

Stevens. Dead? No, it cannot be.

I refused to believe so.

"Is the Ancient safe?" I asked, waiting for John's answers.

John nodded.

"So let's see Stevens' premises."

I walked towards her room as, deep inside my mind, I wished I would find traces of her being alive. I gulped dry as I walked inside, seeing how her bed was half-made, the books she was reading by the nightstand and the one 'Dark Realms' resting in a chair. The window was closed, blinds wide open and Zack's footprints were circular.

I stared attentively at the pattern, trying to grasp what on the Planet had happened here. My eyes scanned the door, the bathroom, everything… and I concluded - finally-, that Zack hadn't killed her. At least, in here, he hadn't killed her.

Which didn't mean he hadn't done it someplace else.

I shook my head at the though - a thought that constricted my chest.

I focused at once, realizing that the bloody smell didn't belong to Stevens. She smelled differently from us - at all levels.

So, no matter what had happened in here… he had taken her somewhere.

And, considering what I had sensed before… the Portal was a very likely hypothesis. I turned, finding John by the door, his face a mask of sadness and despair.

All my mind could think was… Why would Zack take Stevens with him and cross the damn Portal? To do what?

The absence of answers was frustrating.

"He was here." I declared. "And… he took her. Alive."

"But why?"

I didn't answer John directly.

"I sense it."

Silence invaded us for a moment as I took my time scanning the room - again. I had to be sure nothing would escape my scrutiny. Someone's life depended on that. Stevens's life.

"Everybody's dead. No threats." Tseng had joined us, and I felt his stare on me, as he took his time scanning the surroundings as well. "I'll be on the roof." He eventually declared and I nodded, agreeing with him. Turks were very discreet and didn't interfere when SOLDIER was on action.

Which was exactly the case.

"You do that." I declared and Tseng left, leaving me alone with John again, who looked like a statue, standing right there by the door. He was pale as plaster.

"Did they talk?"

My question echoed in the emptiness of Stevens' room, the lab dead silent. John's stare met mine and he seemed to wake up from a trance.

"Who." He asked, a little off.

"Stevens and Zack."

John took his time considering my question. Minutes passed as John seemed to put his mind in a slow rewind, making a consistent effort to remember… whatever had happened.

I took a deep breath, summoning patience.

"A month ago she told me she needed to speak with him. 'It is very important, and the General cannot know.'"

His words startled me and I grasped at once he was referring to something that had happened some time ago. Way before all this tragedy come to us.

"Did she say that?"

John nodded and described the facts as he remembered.

"I brought Fair in, and allowed them to talk here. Where the walls don't have ears, I assured her." Then, his eyes met mine with seriousness. "I lied."

I blinked, hope growing inside me. Actually I was glad he had lied and had recorded the damn thing. Maybe it would help us to understand what was happening.

"I need to see it, Medina. This is serious. Zack… snapped completely, burned Shinra mansion and blew up the Nibelheim reactor in a matter of hours."

John closed his eyes as he processed my words. I could see he didn't expect to hear that from me - which meant Stevens had kept the whole thing secret.

Not even John knew about it. Apparently she had been carefully enough to mention it only to Zack. Which meant she trusted him enough to-

"He became a troubled man."

John's words took me out of my reverie - and I decided to be very blunt, even if the context was miserable and John was almost in shock. Hell, he need to man up no matter what - the situation needed him wide awake right now.

"I need the recording." I said, as I approached him. "It may be the only thing standing between Stevens' life and..."

I didn't end the sentence but sensed John's panic as his stare met mine. His breath became audible and the man in front of me almost broke apart.

"My God."

He had whispered the words as he decided to turn and walk towards his office. I followed him, realizing the place wasn't bloody. In fact, it had few red footprints, which meant the place had been spared to the slaughter.

John cleaned his bloody hands using his white uniform. He went towards the wall of blank LCD's and typed something in a virtual keyboard.

And out of nothing, the image of Zack and Stevens talking in a conference room of sorts came up. The sound was clear and the first thing I heard was Zack saying 'hit it', while Stevens handled a file on her hands as they sat.

I crossed my arms and resumed to listen, my eyes and ears devouring the images and the content of that footage.

-/-

When it was finally over I couldn't help but to blink at the empty monitor.

I couldn't just believe what Stevens had told Zack. It was all too inhumane, too… out of everything I could have ever consider she might be hiding from me.

Now I understood her renitence in talking it out with me.

She was afraid I would go insane.

I took a deep breath, as my fingers rested on the bridge of my nose. Man, it was… too much. Even for a freak like me. I was used to everything, thought that I had seen most of everything in this Planet… but what Stevens had disclosed to Zack in this footage had the ability of surprising me. Big time.

"For the Planet's sake…" I had said the words, for a moment empty of ideas of what to do. Okay, I had to summon energy to focus on what to do to prevent a disaster of sorts.

Thankfully, my mind was fast enough for me to react in moments.

"The PORTAL."

"What?"

John sat by his desk, completely taken aback.

"He… Jenova, sent her back."

"But why?"

I rested my palms on his desk and our eyes met.

"If… if what Stevens describes is true, which I believe it is, than Zack… is probably possessed by Jenova, instead of me. And now, that She is corporeal… maybe she got curious about Stevens and her world. But I don't think Jenova wants to leave any witness. And much less the one who delivered her the wrong guy."

There was a moment of thick silence as John did the math, measured the consequences. Right, this was serious enough, wasn't it?

So, I would have to worry. And now.

"I have to go."

Words hadn't exited my mouth and I was already walking out the door.

"I'll go with you!"

John's insistence annoyed me a little.

"I have to do this alone." I declared, as I waited for the elevator to reach the floor. My stare met John's as he lingered by the destroyed entrance of his lab. "Back me up at the PORTAL, then."

"Wha-"

We both entered the metallic box and hit the last floor. I opened my phone and hit dial.

"Tseng? Change of plans." I stated. "We'll go to the PORTAL. Zack crossed the damned thing with Stevens and he must have left a bloodshed behind, which means the place has been unguarded since then and we don't know who or what else may be there."

"We'll start the engines right now."

"John is coming with us."

And with that particular information I closed the phone, sensing the elevator slow as we reached the upper floor.

John's POV

It looked like I was living inside a nightmare.

Everything was so wrong and awful that I couldn't come to terms with what had happened. My lab was destroyed, all my staff had been murdered and now… it seemed that Zack had taken Stevens to the other side to do whatever he was thinking of doing.

Atrocities, most likely.

The air travel towards the Portal had been bumpy but fast - in twenty minutes we reached the destination, where a rather decadent scenery awaited us.

Dead bodies decorated the ground, the walls and red was the prominent color - again. Zack had left a path of destruction, murder and death behind him… and it was pretty clear to all of us right now he had crossed the damned thing with Stevens.

The possibilities scared us - namely because we didn't know what on Earth he was thinking about. And Stevens was clearly in danger.

Two Turks and the General cleared the area rather rapidly - in fifteen minutes they established a safety perimeter and called in the cavalry. Not that more men were needed right now, in this specific circumstance, but the General was thinking way ahead.

I crossed the structure built around the PORTAL in silence, the General right next to me, stoic as ever. Tseng had left our company, busied himself with other things.

As I traveled along those corridors the marks of death were obvious. Zack had killed everyone in this place as well. NO living soul had survived to describe what had happened. There were no witnesses. Nothing.

Just death.

The massacre in my lab hadn't been unique. Not that it comforted me - on the contrary. The Planet would mourn this day for many years to come.

When we finally reached the pre-chamber, the General took his time focusing. I noticed the area where the Portal remained was resumed to a spacey chamber, with special lights and containment. I could perfectly see the wavy, transparent frontier that united both worlds.

The sight gave me shivers.

"Give me a couple of hours." The General declared, as he arranged his suit. He grasped his sword, eyeing the Portal for a moment. Then, his eyes met mine as he spoke the words. "If I don't make it, just blow up the damn thing."

I jaw almost dropped.

"What?"

"I won't take chances, Jonh." He declared, and I saw something on his face that reminded me of… emotions. "I believe her. Every word. She said Jenova can immiscuate in the lifestream if her carrier dies. That means I can't let Her leave Zack's body, which also means… Zack won't return here."

The implications of he was saying made me shiver with fright. My God, what was he going to do? What did he mean with that, Zack not returning here?

The possibility of death crossed my mind. And it freaked me out to find that exactly lingering in those alien eyes of him.

"But you don't know what Jenova will do to there, to the other Planet. What if she can exist in some other way, worse than-"

"I have to take the chance." He interrupted me, and opened the door to the Portal chamber. "I hope I'll have answers before striking."

That calmed me a little. So, he would take his time considering what to do, right? No… random killing. We had enough of that in the last few hours.

"Bring her back." I declared, not knowing what else to say. I meant Elie and he knew it.

"I'll try and do my best." His eyes were serious and his stare genuine when he finally closed the door and walked towards the Portal.

"Good luck." I whispered, despair invading me for moments.

I saw the General reaching that undulating veil of watery matter, touching it and locking his jaw.

It was time. He was going to cross it.

But before he dived inside it, he turned and spoke directly to me.

"See you later, Medina."

And in a blink, the General disappeared inside that transparent mass of unknown.

A/N- The adrenaline is killing me. lol.

Hope you liked it guys - you know the drill, read&review and see you in the next chapter… which is the most stressful thing I've written in ages.