A/N: Kudos to Gora for realizing just WHO was helping Denzel. Congratulations!

Chapter Summary: Cait Sith explores the tunnels, getting directions from a disembodied voice. And while racing to save his son, Cloud Strife comes face to face with one of the most influential figures of his past. Can he overcome the shock in time to keep Bergstein from completing his life's mission?

The Return

Chapter Eight of the 'Denzel Chronicles'

By Ivy Tanté

Creeping carefully past yet another rock slide, Cait Sith paused to wipe the lens of the camera in his chest clean.

The little animatronic was working his way through the forgotten tunnels that snaked into the canyons surrounding the ruins of Midgar in search of Bergstein's lab. But so far he'd seen no evidence that anyone had come this way in eons. Most of the tunnel's length was choked in rubble from repeated cave-ins, and only his small size enabled him to traverse it at all.

Putting the cloth away, he resumed his climb over, under and through debris.

"Anything yet?" came the voice of his maker, Reeve Tuesti, director of the World Regenesis Organization.

Quietly as he could, Cait Sith answered, "No, laddie. If Denzel be here, this wasn't the way the brigands took him. There's no way anyone larger than meself could get by some of these tight spots."

The sigh was tinged with disappointment. "Keep trying, please. This is the best lead we've got."

"I know that, laddie. I'll not let ya down. Camera still operating right?" There had been some problems with it since they hadn't counted on Cait Sith having to climb over rocks and stones to make his way through.

"Working fine right now. Just keep periodically wiping it down - that dust builds up so fast."

"Will do. Cait out," and he cut the connection so he could concentrate on what lay ahead.

Until a voice whispered from the very air around him. "Turn left, Cait Sith."

"Huh?" Whipping around, he couldn't see anyone, and none of the sensors built into his body registered a presence. Confused, he stopped long enough to consider the left side wall. There didn't seem to be anything there until he looked closer and realized the left wall's jagged outline was concealing an opening. Hidden in the shadows was what appeared to be a shallow cleft that was in fact an entirely different tunnel. Excited, he wiggled his way to it and peered inside. The infra-red goggles on his face revealed a completely clear path that swung to the right about fifty feet further down. And on the wall by the curve were a few faint splotches of light, outlining a rectangular shape.

Cait Sith was careful to keep to the wall as he approached the obvious door and stood studying it intently. Spying a small button imbedded near, he stretched up onto his toes and pressed it. The panel slid aside, letting sunlight stream into the tunnel. Hastily yanking off the goggles in the suddenly blinding glow, he popped his head out and merrily waved at the backs of those assembled over a hundred yards further up the canyon. "I found the main entrance!"

It was almost comical how badly most of them jumped at the sound of his voice, but it was the resulting stampede that had him chuckling. Cloud Strife was in the lead, being by far the fastest runner of the bunch. Nudging Cait out of the way, he examined the clear tunnel before him and grunted in satisfaction.

"Great work, Cait Sith. We'll set up the perimeter here while you keep exploring. I know they went this way," and Cloud pointed out blood splatter on the floor and a smeared hand-print on the wall a little farther down.

"Cloud, someone -or something- told me to go left," the little robot insisted.

Brows furrowed, the swordsman knelt and asked, "What do you mean, Cait?"

"Just what I said, laddie. A voice told me to go left. And a good thing too; with the way the wall jutted out, I would have missed it entirely."

"Cait, you aren't making sense. I saw the readings while you were in there - the sensors didn't register a thing."

Straightening his crown, Cait Sith agreed with him, "I know that, Cloud. But something still spoke to me."

Nodding in goodbye, the little animatronic jogged back into the corridor and headed down it's rapidly darkening length. Just before the light disappeared entirely, he slipped the goggles back over his eyes and started working his way down carefully. All the readings indicated the tunnel was sinking deeper into the ground quickly, which made sense. If there were tunnels, then surely there were also caverns.

Within ten minutes he'd reached a junction that intersected with three yawning black openings. Studying the ground, he quickly ruled out the left-most one. There was too much debris to be used frequently. The other two were tracked up considerably with both shoe and boot prints, but the one in the middle looked the most used. He was about to enter it when that strange voice sounded again.

"Take the right tunnel."

Cait Sith jumped nearly a foot off the ground. Whirling around in a complete circle, neither he nor his built-in equipment registered the slightest noise, vibration or heat signature in the immediate area. Shaking himself, he took a moment to recalibrate all his instrumentation to make sure nothing had jogged loose during his scramble through the other tunnel.

"Cait Sith," came Reeve's dark tones.

"Aye, lad. I hear ya," he answered, pulling out the cloth to clean the camera again since the diagnostics hadn't finished.

"We all heard the voice this time."

"The microphone picked it up? Eh, that's a relief. Thought I was hearing things, and that's saying something for a mechanical being such as meself." Tucking the cloth away, he canceled the rest of the system tests and slinked into the right tunnel. After about a hundred yards light could be seen in the distance. "Got light up ahead, Reeve. Taking off the goggles and switching the sensors from infra-red to ambient light."

"Understood. Be careful, Cait. This is turning very strange."

"Aye, I know. Cait out."

The next intersection he reached had but two openings, the right one almost completely blocked by a cave-in. By accessing the records of his explorations so far, he realized it was the tunnel Kera and Cloud had found earlier. Making a note of it, he entered the one on the left and mentally started cursing, for it was just a short corridor and the end brightly lit and full of moving figures. How was he supposed go further without being seen? Bergstein knew about Reeve's robots and would recognize one of them immediately.

"Look left. See the vent?"

Although he didn't jump as badly as the first time, it was still startling. Thank the Goddess he didn't have a heart - surely all the repeated shocks would have stopped it by now. Angling himself so the camera would record the badly-rusted vent cover, Cait Sith began studying the wall for a way up to the left wall of the tunnel. The vent was roughly six feet up.

Reeve spoke again. "Sensors picked something up that time. A cold spot, just behind you. For about three seconds there was a temperature difference of almost fifteen degrees. Something is there with you."

Oh, that was enough to cause a shiver. "Are you suggesting a ghost is doing this? Isn't that a little far-fetched, lad?" There were plenty of uneven spots to climb up, he realized, since none of the tunnels walls had been smoothed. Whatever event had originally carved them had left jagged protrusions and gouges all along the sandy-looking stone.

"Do you have a better answer?" The tone was very dry.

"Nope. Climbing up and in." So saying, he scampered up the wall and wiggled his way into the duct behind the cover. It was very dusty and dark, forcing him to don the goggles once more. Inches along on his hands and knees, Cait Sith finally spied light up ahead. Discarding the infra-red lens, he moved closer and peered through the bars into the large room beyond. It was a view that had him choking back a cry, fingers gripping the bars of the vent cover. Carefully tilting the camera, he made sure Reeve could see everything within the hellish room.

–—

"Wake up, Denzel!"

The insistent voice sounded very loud in his ears, causing Denzel to jerk. He lay on his left side, facing away from the center of the room. Shrouded out of sight was the sword he'd found lying next to him when he awoke earlier. There was so much confusion in his mind, but he could recall the strange presence well enough. Feeding him an elixir, touching him gently, offering encouragement and giving strength. That brief view of him; of black and white and Mako-tainted blue. But not Cloud. The voice had been adamant on that.

In the background he could hear Bergstein roaring out orders about dismantling equipment and collecting records. Frantic footsteps raced about, and someone bumped against the exam table he lay on. The brief movement cause nausea to swirl through him; he gripped the cold metal edge of the gurney and breathed deeply.

"It's almost time. I'm so proud of you."

There was no one near him, he knew. His now-enhanced senses could detect the slightest details of his surroundings, and they told him sternly that he was alone in this corner of the room. Closing his burning eyes, Denzel took a leap of faith and whispered a name that still occasionally caused his father's face to tighten with pain. "Zack?"

"Yes, I'm here. I've been guiding Cait Sith through the tunnel network."

"How? How are you here? You're..." and he couldn't complete the sentence.

"I think the word you're looking for is 'dead', kid. And yes, I know. Gotta run now, but I'll be back. Hang in there!"

And the sense of his presence was gone. Groaning, Denzel tightened his hold on the sword and waited for his moment to escape. Muddled though his thoughts were, Kera was forefront in his mind. Memories of her washed over him, filling him with determination and resolve. So this is how Cloud feels about Tifa, he realized somewhere in the haze overlaying his thoughts. It feels... like life... and love... Oh, please, let me return to her!

–—

"Horrible, horrible," the little animatronic would have wept if he could. The lab was large and well equipped. Technicians were running around like a ripped-up anthill, totally ignoring the piteous cries of the caged creatures on both sides of the room. Some were monsters, but others... Oh, goddess, the others. Whatever they were now, they had been human once. Now they twisted and clawed at the bars of their cages like wild things, trying to reach the white-coated figures that rushed past, baring their teeth threateningly. Only madness showed in their eyes.

Huge tubes of Mako stood against the far wall, while the equipment took up the center of the room. Exam tables were scattered around the work area with its microscopes and test tubes. Computer screens showing complex diagrams were flickering in time with the fluctuation of the overhead lights. Bergstein was working frantically on one of them while talking to a colleague, but even his forceful voice was lost in the chaos.

Then he spied the figure lying on a gurney tucked into the upper right corner of the room, and his imaginary heart leaped. Denzel. It was Denzel! He lay hunched up, his back to the room. Even from this distance he could see the scars carved into the boy's back, most down his spine and some across his shoulders. Denzel looked rail-thin and malnourished, and he wasn't moving but Cait Sith could see that he was breathing. Just past him, the shadows seemed to be swirling slightly in a way that confused the little robot.

Reconnecting, Cait Sith gave his report to the waiting team. "I see him, Reeve, and he's alive. I don't know what shape the laddie be in, but tell Cloud he's alive. Bergstein's been at him, I can see the marks on his back, and from here some of the cuts are located in sites commonly used in SOLDIER enhancements."

"Understood. We have entered the tunnel system and are headed your way. Can you get out of the vent from where you are now? Or do you have to go back to the cover in the tunnel wall?"

"I think I can get out right here, Reeve. Hurry, Bergstein's doing something and I donna like his expression!" Cutting off the connection, Cait started to work at the lower right side were the stone was crumbling. To his horror, he could see the scientist heading for Denzel, and in his hand was a syringe. Were they too late after all? Concentrating, he dug harder at the loose corner.

–—

"Let's get this last injection in," Bergstein was saying to Felnor as he approached the curled up figure on the gurney. "I may not be able to see the results, but by god, I will finish this!"

All the long years of his work ended, he fumed. He was an old man now, and time had run out. There should have been months more to gather information and continue the labor of his lifetime. Instead, that blasted Cloud Strife had interfered time and time again. Bergstein was sure the ex-SOLDIER had little clue of how much his efforts to locate Denzel had hindered with this project. Vital lab personal that he counted on had fled, terrified of the single-minded goal of Strife. Why in the world would such a street rat matter to one like Cloud?

Even as he thought it he dismissed the idea. Denzel was unique - possibly the only one of his kind. He'd been cured by the water Aerith purified to heal the Geostigma as so many had, but it had been done by Cloud Strife's hands right after his return from the Lifestream. Something about that combination had granted the boy a limited access to the Ancients' connection to the world. He could heal himself without having to rely on curative Materia, and had used the power to purge the tranquilizers and poisons injected into his body during the experiments. Bergstein had tested that theory extensively and proven it to his satisfaction.

Oh, if only he could have gotten to Strife! His research indicated a 97% probability that Cloud possessed the same abilities as Denzel, and testing on him would have expanded his knowledge enormously. It was hard to believe Hojo had thought Cloud to be a failed clone of Sephiroth. As if! Cloud was anything but a failure. To have survived the procedures at all was a major accomplishment; for him to remain sane a miracle. But none of the C-cells had proved viable because they weren't stored properly, and not one of his mercenaries had been willing to take on a mission to capture the ex-SOLDIER.

Reaching Denzel, Bergstein grabbed his arm and prepared to inject the last of the Z-cells collected from the mansion in Nibelheim. Perhaps it was for the best only the Z-cells were still usable. Fair was in no way inferior to Cloud, after all, and the boy himself possessed that small bit of the power of the Ancients. Combining it with Cloud's present DNA could have made it stronger but that wasn't to be.

The boy made a half-hearted effort to stop him, but was too weak from all the testing and near starvation to be much of a challenge. Plunging in the needle, he injected the contents of the syringe into the youth's arm, ignoring the grunt at the pain caused by the penetration.

Then he stepped back and watched in great satisfaction as Denzel began to scream.

–—

At the head of the forces of the WRO, Cloud Strife suddenly tensed as screams began to echo up from the lab. Behind him, Reeve frantically reopened the connection with Cait Sith. "Cait! What's going on?!"

"The blackguard got to the lad, injected him with something. Now he's screaming like boiling acid has been poured on him!" Cait Sith might be an animatronic, but that didn't mean he couldn't feel. The little toy cat was all but crying out the words, and all could hear his panicked attempts to get out of the vent system.

"MOVE!" Cloud shouted, taking off at a run. His heart was racing, fear giving strength to his legs as he careened through the tunnels. Just before entering the lab, though, he stopped in surprise. The pause allowed the others to catch up to him, and they could see why he hadn't gone further.

The shadows in front of him were moving, undulating almost sensuously before trailing vapors of darkness began to collate, tightening into a vague outline then solidifying. Suddenly a man stepped out of the gloom, as real and as solid as those that gathered behind Cloud. No one spoke as Mako-tainted blue eyes crinkled at the corners with his smile.

Then a whisper broke the silence. "Zack." Cloud's eyes were filled with tears, but his fists were clenched in rage as Denzel's screams continued. He had to reach his son, but his heart was hurting so badly to see his old friend.

"Yeah, it's me." Zack's voice was just the same as it had ever been, but was now filled with frustration and concern. "I was hoping Bergstein wouldn't finish with the injections. It's hurting Denzel, changing him inside just like the S-cells altered us. Since the emergence of the remnants, Bergstein's goal hasn't been to recreate Sephiroth as everyone assumed. That's because he proved too weak to withstand the truth and went insane. He wants to clone us - we're the ones that succeeded where Sephiroth failed, we're the ones that survived everything and were still fully functioning. To him, we are the perfect SOLDIERs. But none of your cells survived so they had to use mine."

"But how can you...?" Cloud couldn't believe what stood in front of him. What it really Zack?

"Remember how Sephiroth could manifest through pieces of Jenova? Well, he isn't the only one. Bergstein's been injecting my cells into Denzel for weeks now, and each time he does, I can appear for longer periods of time and help him more, even touch him occasionally. But Bergstein just put the rest of my cells into that poor kid, and that's enough to let me manifest fully. Now come on, let's end this, okay?" Reaching out, he laid a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "That's one hell of a son we have, Cloud. Let's go save him."

And although he blinked at the strange phrasing, Cloud nodded. Together they charged into the laboratory.