So sorry about the delay! I've been sick for over a week and real busy. Finally got the freedom to sit at my computer and write this chapter! Hang in there! Hope you all enjoy this next one, thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis123
Chapter 7
"How?" Sephiroth chuckled in the darkness around him. "How did they do it? How!? Who knows? How the hell did anyone figure it out? How the hell did she figure it out!?"
The silver haired man rocked back and forth. He laughed gleefully as he eyed the green orbs around him. He raised a finger into the air. All orbs in the area flooded away, except one. Sephiroth went silent.
"Oh? And what's wrong with you?" he poked the orb. A small noise emitted from it. "You're sad? And why is that?"
The man stood slowly. His ears twitched at the sounds the orb made. He noticed one word it spoke of.
"Zack? You miss Zack?" Sephiroth chuckled. "Were you one of his playmates?" The orb wiggled, squealing with delight.
"Well, maybe you can tell me where he is, and I can bring him back to you." Sephiroth offered. "That's what you want isn't it? You want your friend back?"
The orb swirled around the man's hand. It snuggled between his fingers.
"Show me, tell me and I'll get you your friend. I'll send him back here for you. Okay?" Sephiroth walked through the darkness, the orb glowing in his hand. "I promise."
The orb shot through the darkness with intense speed. Sephiroth followed closely behind. A smirk crossed his features as he developed his plan. He never did like children, but they could be so useful at times.
'Stealing, cheating, bribery, hostage, lying...' Sephiroth chuckled. Yes, kids were very useful.
Zack stared at the flowing green fluid beneath his feet. Small ripples of Lifestream lapped over the side of the rock surface. The green light reflected within the man's eyes.
"Does anything look different now than when you came out?" Red XIII stuck a paw in the stream.
"You mean besides the damage cause by Vincent? No." Zack folded his arms.
"I figured as much." Red shook his head. "Maybe we came to the wrong place."
"Why did we come here?" the ex-SOLDIER sighed.
"To try an' kill ourselves..." Yuffie muttered under her breath.
"We were hoping to find some clues. This is one of the largest areas on the planet that contains this much Lifestream." Aeris ran her fingers through Red's mane.
"It just looks like green water to me." Cid spat.
"Is there anything unusual about it Aeris?" Tifa asked.
"I'm not sure. I mean, everything looks fine. Its still a bright color, it flows fine...I don't hear any unusual voices and I can't really detect any pain from the planet." the Ancient rested on a nearby boulder. She rubbed her wrists. The rescue earlier sure had done a number on them.
"Damn. You mean we came all the way here for nuthin'?" Barret kicked a rock into the stream.
"It was just a precaution. You never know. There could have been serious distress signs, or maybe signs of other beings who have been revived." Cait Sith said.
"Other beings? But who else would there have been?" Tifa cocked her head to the side.
"Sephiroth?" Yuffie suggested.
"No..." Vincent murmured.
"He didn't die here." Cloud stepped forward. His mako eyes gleamed in the light. "He died in the City of the Ancients."
"So why are we here and not there?" Zack questioned.
"Clones." Vincent turned his head.
"Clones? Why would they need to come back?" Tifa turned to the man.
"We could ask." Vincent pointed a finger towards the opposite side of the pool.
Across the way was a figure in a dark, wet cloak. It clung to his frail frame. The group quickly made their way to the other side. Cloud skidded to a halt, dust kicked up. He watched the clone shiver like a dead leaf clinging by it's final fiber onto a branch. A sickly hand reached up towards the man.
"Ugh!" Cloud stepped back. He watched as its spidery fingers wiggled.
"What's it doin'?" Zack leaned forward, wrinkling his nose. He jolted back as the clone's hand reached toward his face.
"Zzzzz--ACK!" It screeched. The clone's body convulsed and dropped to the floor.
"It's...dieing." Aeris whispered. She fell to her knees, her hand instinctively went to her hair. "Oh! My materia! I...I don't have it..."
"Maybe we can cure it." Tifa reached into one of her pockets, searching for a Cure materia.
"Why are we gonna cure it? It's evil!" Yuffie shivered.
"Not all things created by Hojo are evil." Vincent murmured. He stepped forward handing a green orb to Tifa. Yuffie swallowed hard.
"Why'd that thing say my name?" Zack stared into it's green eyes.
"Another mystery to add to the list." Cloud shook his head. "Damn Hojo..."
"It's not working!" Tifa tried another spell.
"Whad'ya mean it's not workin'?" Barret walked to Tifa and reached for the orb in her hand.
"It's just not. It's like the magic isn't helping it."
"Maybe its too far gone. Maybe its already dead." Cid stomped on his cigarette. He reached in his pocket for another but hesitated.
"I thought Shera told you to quit that?" Yuffie raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, yeah. Last pack." Cid grumbled. His hand dropped to his side.
"No, he's still breathing." Aeris had lowered her face next to the clone's.
"Ugh...don't get too close to that thing." Zack reached forward. It was too late, the clone had snagged Aeris' wrist.
"Hey!" Cloud drew his sword.
"Wait! No!" Aeris threw her free hand into the air. She frowned.
"ZzzAck." The clone shivered. "Reun...ion..."
"Reunion?" Aeris leaned forward again. "Who's reunion? Zack's?"
"Sss...S,Seph..." The clone took in a ragged breath. "iroth..."
"Sephiroth!?" Aeris sat on her knees. Slowly the clone raised itself from the ground. It's hands clung onto Aeris'. As he raised, his hood fell from his head revealing wet silver hair the length of the clone's shoulders. Aeris felt a shiver run down her spine.
"Bro, brother..." The clone glanced at Cloud. His pale face revealed sunken features. His eyes were wide and a relaxed smile crossed his face.
Cloud shivered slightly. "...Kadaj?"
"What's happened to you?" Aeris wrapped her arms around the man. "How did you get here?"
"Aeris." Zack kneeled down next to the woman. He didn't like the idea of her being so close to a clone who was proven to be a hassle in the past. He looked at the clone named Kadaj.
"Mother?" the clone smiled. His eyes rolled back in his head. Aeris felt his body go limp.
"No! Kadaj!" Aeris held onto the man, trying to give him warmth. "What do we do!?"
"We leave him...he's dieing." Vincent turned away and started heading down the path.
"Vincent. We can't leave him here." Tifa stepped forward.
"He's trouble. As soon as he gets his strength, he'll just try to kill us." his cold red eyes glared at the body in Aeris' arms. "That is if he's even still alive."
"But..." Tifa held a hand to her mouth. She knew it was probably true. Kadaj and his brothers were nothing more than tools manipulated by Jenova. Still, she felt she should do something to help.
"No buts about it...we can't help him." Cloud shook his head. His expression was unreadable as he stared at the silver haired man.
"Cloud." Tifa turned away.
"Hey, we aren't just gonna let him die...are we?" Yuffie bit her lower lip.
"Why not? You're the one who said he was evil." Vincent turned to the young woman.
"I say we leave 'em." Cid rubbed his temples.
"A'men." Barret nodded.
"Kadaj..." Aeris stared at the man's hands. They still held onto hers.
"But we could use the information. If he knows anything at all, about Sephiroth, Jenova, the other clones, Hojo, Lifestream, Meteor, resurrections..." Red XII sat next to Aeris. He eyed the man in her arms. "He'd be a very useful resource."
"We'd have to keep him in a secure area, lock him up so he can't cause any trouble." Cait Sith added.
"..." Cloud was silent. He looked back and forth between Vincent's red glare and the young man in Aeris' arms.
"He's not that bad of a guy." Zack chimed in.
"What?" Cid pushed away from the wall he was against.
"Really. Kinda like a kid." Zack smirked. He turned to Cloud. "When he was without the influence of Jenova, he was like a kid. Didn't know what to do, didn't know his purpose, didn't know a thing about himself."
"Ya sure it wasn't some game he played? Maybe he and Sephiroth have been planning this all along." Barret aimed his arm at the clone. He prepared to engage it, to shoot the man. "I say we dispose of him right here an' right now."
"Don't!" Tifa pushed the man's arm down.
"Damnit, Tifa!" Barret folded his arms.
"Besides...he thinks Aeris is his mother." Zack raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I think as long as she's around, he'll be harmless."
"..." Cloud stared at Zack. He didn't know what to do. It would be of great help to keep him alive, but it may be just as helpful to let him die.
"Come on. We'll keep a watchful eye on him. If he acts up once, we'll take care of it, alright?" the dark haired man offered to Cloud. "Now don't get me wrong. I saw what he did, he's one crazy bastard, but I also don't like to kill something without a reason, you know?"
"..." Cloud nodded slowly.
"So what're we doin' then?" Cid grumbled.
"Vincent, you said it yourself. Not all things created by Hojo are evil." the blond finally spoke up.
"You got me." Vincent sighed. He looked at Kadaj and then at Cloud. "I'm not babysitting..." With a turn the dark man strode away from the group. Aeris lifted her head.
"You think he's mad?" Yuffie twirled her hair.
"He'll get over it." Tifa sighed. She turned to Aeris. "Is he ok?"
"I, I think so." Aeris sniffled. "His breathing is very slow and weak."
"Come on, lets get outta here." Zack grabbed a hold of the silver haired man. He hoisted Kadaj and rested him over his shoulder.
"You think you can handle that all the way back up?" Cloud asked.
"Heh. Cloud, I dragged your saggy ass across a continent, I think I can handle this just fine." Zack chuckled.
"Good one..." the corners of the blond's mouth turned downward. He turned and walked away from his friend.
"What was that look for!? Aw, ya know I was just kiddin' with you!" Zack laughed. Cloud quickened his pace. "Hey!"
"So where are we going now?" Yuffie rubbed her arms.
"I think we should head to Nibelheim." Red suggested.
"To the mansion?"
"That's right."
"Maybe Hojo has some records about the behaviors of the clones." Aeris walked along side of the two.
"Do you think he knows anything about possible resurrections?" Tifa overheard the conversation. She felt the chill of the air hit her face as they neared the top of the crater. Her fingers lifted the collar of her thick coat.
"He's gotta. How'd he come back if he didn't?" Yuffie's teeth chattered. She felt something fall over her shoulders. She eyed the dark coat that Vincent had placed on her back. It was long and dragged a little on the ground.
"That's something I would like to find out as well." the man with the claw murmured.
"I'm surprised you haven't gone through the files yet." Tifa stared at the coat on Yuffie's shoulders.
"Never thought about it." the man turned his gaze to meet Tifa's. "Had other worries."
"I see." the woman stared at the toes of her boots. An awkward silence followed.
"Can we get something to eat before we go there? I'm starving." Yuffie pulled the coat around her tightly. She felt the fabric brush against her cheek. She blushed slightly as Vincent's scent invaded her senses. It was something she never smelled before. It smelled like the plains, but had a hint of a campfire. Beneath all of that was a sweet smell, did he were cologne?
"I agree." Aeris giggled.
"Alright, I guess it's dinner and then Shinra mansion." Tifa shrugged her shoulders.
Aeris sat on the edge of the bed. Her hands felt for a pulse on the cold neck before her. She swallowed hard. Was there any way to keep him alive? Was he going to die? The thought made the woman sick. Her eyes drug over the clone's form.
Underneath the wet cloak was Kadaj's leather uniform. It clung to his body like a second skin. His silver hair scattered across the pillow beneath him. His eyes were lightly shut, the appearance of death overtook him. Aeris felt as if she were staring at a ghost. None of this made since. Why had he come back? Out of all people it had to be Kadaj. Was it because everyone was coming back, or is it possible that he's a vessel for Sephiroth. The thought shocked her.
'Could this be part of Sephiroth's plan?' A knock on the door jolted her.
"Hey, you hungry?" the door opened.
"Um...yeah a little." Aeris nodded her head.
"He's not giving you any trouble is he?"
"Zack, he hasn't even woken up yet."
"Jes' makin' sure." Zack eyed the man on the bed. "Just makes me a little nervous."
"I know. I think its making everyone a little nervous." the woman rested her chin in her hand.
"The plane will be landing soon. We're going to get some dinner outside of Nibelheim and then head to the mansion." he ran a hand over his stomach. "Wonder what Cloud will think?"
"About what?" she eyed the man, giving him a curious look.
"I don't know. You think he really wants to go back there? I mean think about the last time he was there...and the time before that." Zack rubbed the back of his head. "It wasn't much of a 'Welcome Home' party. And...do you really want to go back?"
"Zack, I'll be fine. What happened last time was...it doesn't matter what happened last time. It's not gonna happen again." Aeris stood from the bed.
"Damn right it won't happen again." Zack clenched his fists. He turned towards the door.
He hated the thought, but he couldn't let it leave his mind. The possibility of Sephiroth coming back was very likely, and when that happened there was no doubt in his mind that something like that would happen again. He hated the fact that he slept through the whole thing, that he didn't know, that she couldn't even tell him about it. Sephiroth had touched her and the thought still made him sick. He could kill the man a million times over and still not be satisfied.
"Lets not talk about that." Aeris placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Attention! We'll be landin' soon, everyone get to the cabin er I'm eatin' yer share of dinner!" Cid's voice called from the intercom system.
"Better hurry, I wouldn't doubt his words." Aeris giggled. She grabbed a hold of Zack's hand, pulling him out of the room and up the stairs.
'Food's the last thing on my mind. The first thing is Sephiroth, the second is Kadaj...' Zack put on a fake smile as they headed up the stairs. For some reason, he wasn't feeling like his cheery self.
"Mother?" Kadaj's voice echoed in the darkness. "Mother, where are you!?" He frantically darted from endless corner to endless corner of the dark depths.
"Mother!" He fell to his knees, shivering. Why was it so cold? His head lifted towards the black sky. He heard a whisper.
'What's that?' Kadaj slowly got to his feet. 'Where is...'
"Loz! Yazoo!" Kadaj was scared, he didn't know what to do. "Br, brother?"
"Where are you going?" A voice called out. Kadaj spun around.
"No! I'm looking for mother! Go away!" He waved an arm in front of him.
"Mother? And where do you think she'd be?" the voice called out again. Where was it coming from?
"She's somewhere. Up there!" Kadaj pointed to the sky.
"But aren't you up there?"
"I...I don't know!" Kadaj ran through the shadows.
"You want to play a game?"
"NO! I want mother!"
"Mother's dead."
"No! No she isn't! She saved me! She helped me..." Kadaj whimpered.
"I tell you what...you find mother and I'll give you power."
"I don't want your power! I don't need your power!" Kadaj felt himself fall. He hit his knees hard, he cried out.
"Look at you. You're so weak. How do you expect to save mother when you can't even save yourself?"
"Just leave me alone. Mother warned me about you!" Kadaj spat to the darkness.
"Oh she did, did she?" the voice chuckled. "And what does she have against me?"
"She says, you're a poison." Kadaj explained. "You're soulless, you have no heart, you don't love, you want to kill everyone and everything for your own benefit, not for her. You, you're a traitor!" There was silence for a moment.
"...Me? A traitor? As far as I'm concerned...You are the traitor!" The voice grew louder.
Kadaj stumbled backwards. There was nowhere to run to. Footsteps sounded from all around. A shadow came from the darkness, how Kadaj could see it in the midst of all the others, he didn't know. He turned to run, but there before him was the same shadow. Wherever he turned, the world turned with him. It came towards him. Kadaj ran backwards. The shadow neared him, despite his desperate actions.
"No! Stay away from me!" He fell, the darkness spun, the shadow remained in the center of his vision. He landed on his back. As he lay there the shadow neared, it had wings, wings from it's shoulder. It flew towards him at an incredible speed. Kadaj sat upwards, scooting away. His eyes widened as it reached out for him and suddenly disappeared.
'Where...where is it?' Kadaj shuddered. He emitted a scream as he felt a hand pull on his shoulder.
"What the hell was that?" Cid turned his head towards his ship.
"Sounded like someone screaming..." Barret squint his eyes.
"Who the hell is screaming in my plane!?" the smoker's mouth dropped open as he saw the dreadful look on Barret's face.
"Hey you guys!" the gunman alerted his companions.
The group was inside a small cafe. Barret had stepped outside with Cid while he had a smoke break. Barret tapped on the window while Cid waved his arms toward the ship.
"What the hell are those two doing?" Yuffie held onto Cait Sith, he glanced at the menu hanging on the wall behind the counter.
"Huh?" Tifa turned her head. "Oh! Cloud!" the woman grabbed the man's shoulder and spun him around.
"Wha-?" He darted to a run, dropping his change to the floor.
"We've got to go!" Aeris grabbed Zack's arm.
"Hey! But-" He turned to the woman by the register.
"We'll be right back!" Aeris called out to the employee.
The group darted outside, following a frantic Cid and Barret towards the airship.
"Wait! But..." Zack ran into a sprint.
'What about the chicken!?' he frowned.
Cid burst through the door and ran to the security panel. The others scattered throughout the plane. Aeris and Zack made their way to the bedroom Kadaj was left to rest in.
"Kadaj!?" Aeris burst through the door. She was pulled back as an object flew past her head.
"Careful!" Zack pulled her out of the room. "Stay out here." He looked at the object on the floor. It was a book, 'Aerodynamics and Combustion'.
'The hell?' he looked back inside the room.
Kadaj was in the center of the room, stumbling and muttering to himself. He was breathing heavily.
"Hey man...cool it." Zack stepped into the room.
"Stay away from me!" Kadaj's hands balled into fists.
"No one's going to hurt you. You're safe." Zack held a hand out in front of him as he lay his sword gently onto the floor. Kadaj stared at the weapon.
'He's crazy...' Zack stared the man down.
"What's going on?" A voice called from the doorway. Kadaj's attention turned to the intruder.
"Brother?" He stumbled and leaned against the desk in the corner of the room.
"Are you the one who screamed?" Cloud walked into the room. Kadaj stepped back a step.
"Are...you gonna kill me?" Kadaj pressed against the wall. His head stared at the lights on the ceiling.
"...No." Cloud muttered.
"Depends." Zack spoke up. Cloud eyed the man.
"Zack!" Aeris walked into the room.
"Wh, who are you?" Kadaj squinted. Aeris approached the man slowly.
"We found you in the Northern Crater. Can you tell us how you got there?" Aeris ignored his question.
"I...I don't remember." Kadaj relaxed when she stood in front of him. She smelled like flowers. A small smile crossed his face. "I was looking for mother." His green eyes met hers.
"Did you find her?" Aeris leaned forward, widening her eyes.
"You're eyes are like mine..." Kadaj's mouth gaped. Cloud and Zack looked at each other. Neither one of them enjoyed Aeris being so close to the man.
"You're right. They are very similar." She giggled, lifting a hand to her lips. The golden bracelets on her wrist clinked together. Kadaj stared at the shiny jewelry. His eyes widened and he lifted his eyes to meet hers.
"M, mother?" He asked.
"Thats right." Aeris smiled.
"Mother!?" He gave an unsure smile. The two other men raised their eyebrows. "Mother!" Kadaj grabbed hold of the woman's shoulders and pulled her to him. "I found you!"
"That's...right..." Aeris giggled nervously. He had the strong scent of mako.
"I thought you were dead."
"I was, but I had to come back... to fix some things."
"Fix?" Kadaj released her. Aeris took a deep breath.
"I'll explain later." she grinned. "Right now we have some things to take care of. Do you think you'll be alright if we left you alone for a while?"
"Aeris, I don't think-" Zack started.
"But he'll get me." Kadaj stuttered.
"He?" Cloud spoke up.
"That monster..." Kadaj shook his head. "The one you warned me about. The one who took advantage of me..."
"Sephiroth." Cloud approached the man.
"Y, yeah." Kadaj nodded his head quickly. "I screamed because he was trying to get me."
"He was here?" Zack picked up his sword.
"I don't know. I'm not sure." Kadaj's hands shook.
"Or was it a dream?" Aeris suggested. The three men turned their heads towards her.
"A dream?" Kadaj murmured. "Yes. It must have been a dream."
"Are you positive?" Cloud questioned.
"You're sure he wasn't really here? Sure he wasn't using some type of materia on you?" Zack's grip tightened on his blade.
"I don't know." Kadaj felt weak. He never felt so weak in his entire life, though it was a short one.
"Let's just leave him alone for a while. He needs to rest. We'll get him some food, let him sleep and later I'll ask him questions." Aeris guided the silver haired man to the bed.
'Maybe...Sephiroth is trying to use Kadaj. Maybe he's inside Kadaj. But is it possible? Is it possible for him to come back that way? Isn't Jenova dead, completely gone?' Aeris stared at the wall.
"Hey." Zack's hand rested on the woman's shoulder. He gave her a weird look. "Let's go."
"Yeah." she nodded and headed for the door. Zack raised an eyebrow at Cloud and glanced back at Aeris. Cloud nodded. The two left the room while Cloud stayed behind.
"Why are you back?" Cloud asked.
"To protect mother, like she did for me." Kadaj answered innocently.
"She's your mother, right?" Cloud asked.
"Yes...That's mother. She took care of me after you..." Kadaj swallowed hard.
"It was Sephiroth who got you killed." Cloud said quickly as he turned to walk away.
"That's what mother said." Kadaj's words made Cloud pause.
"She did?"
"Yeah. She said you saved the planet and took care of her. Said that Sephiroth was the one who had killed her. He was using all of us for his own selfish plan." the young man explained.
"I see..." Cloud nodded.
'Why does she always stick up for me?' the blond made his way to the door.
"Mother said she protects you...so I guess my job is to protect you too..."
"You'll never hurt her?" Cloud gave the man a cold stare.
"No...why would you ask that?" Kadaj questioned. "She's...mother. You can't kill her. I can't kill her. She's in all of us."
"All of us?"
"The...clones." Kadaj whispered.
"But..." Cloud walked out the door. "Get some rest. We'll send mother in later to talk with you." He shut the door behind him.
'I'm not a clone...' Cloud ascended the stairs slowly to the upper level of the ship.
"He said he wouldn't hurt her?" Vincent asked.
"That's what he said. He said he couldn't. Almost like it was impossible to." Cloud shook his head. "I don't know what he meant."
"We'll still have to keep a watchful eye on him." Vincent pulled out his gun. He slapped a magazine into it and headed down the stairs.
"You know what the weird thing is?" Cloud whispered as he looked over his shoulder. Zack was following close behind picking at the rust on his sword.
He was glad Cloud had saved the thing, but he still wished it was put in a place where the weather hadn't gotten to it. But then again, Cloud probably never thought it would ever be used again.
"Hm?" Vincent looked back as well.
"Aeris seemed different. Like she knew something." the blond brushed away a few bangs.
"Really?" Vincent looked forward and continued descending the spiral staircase into the basement of the Shinra mansion.
"Its not like I'm saying she has anything to do with this mess, its just she was acting a little weird."
"You think it's possible it's not Aeris?" Vincent raised an eyebrow.
"No!" Cloud smirked. "It's really her. I just don't want her getting hurt because she's hiding information from us. She may have figured something out and isn't saying anything."
"Like something about Kadaj?" Zack cleared his throat.
"Um..." Cloud frowned. "Yeah."
"I know what you're talking about. I think she seemed a little different as well." Zack hopped down a couple steps to catch up with the two men. "Like she knows why Kadaj could be here. Or that he has some kind of connection to Sephiroth."
"We'll have to talk to her about it later." Vincent said.
"I don't want her to think we don't trust her." Cloud started.
"She should trust us as well..." Zack murmured.
"You think she's afraid to...because of Kadaj?" the blond asked.
"Exactly. She probably thinks that if she mentions anything that could lead to Sephiroth..." Zack stared at the gun in Vincent's hand. He was aiming it down a couple flights.
"That we'd kill him?" Vincent muttered and pulled the trigger. The sound boomed throughout the halls of the basement, echoing down the stairs.
"Yeah." Zack said after a minute. "What'd you shoot?"
"Bat..." Vincent simply replied and continued down the stairs.
"Bat...right..." Zack and Cloud met each other's gaze, a smirk crossed their faces.
"You don't like bats?" Cloud asked.
"..." Vincent was silent.
"You scared of 'em?" Zack pushed.
"..." the red eyes of Vincent Valentine stared at the two men behind him. "They're annoying. Keep you awake at night...and" He turned away from them. "They poop on everything."
The two other men snorted, trying to hold their laughter. Vincent ignored them as he stepped onto the dirty floor of the basement.
"Did you just say poop?" Zack snickered.
"...How old are we?" Vincent retorted sourly.
"Naw...it's just I never imagined you to be the one to say..." Zack looked at Cloud.
"Poop." the word popped out of Strife's mouth quickly. The two men laughed.
"...I think next time I'll choose Yuffie over you two." Vincent stared at his feet as he walked down the path to Hojo's lab.
"Doo-doo." Zack laughed.
"Number two." Cloud shrugged.
"Crap." Zack pointed in front of him.
"Shit!" Cloud pulled out his sword.
"Are we done talking about fecal matter?" Vincent grumped.
"No!" Zack placed a hand on Vincent's head pulling it upwards to face in front of him.
"What!?" Vincent cursed.
"Look!" Cloud lifted his sword. Vincent squint his eyes. Down the hall was a shrouded figure. It shook and tripped while traveling in circles.
"Another clone." Vincent slowly walked towards the body.
"S, S, Sephiroth..." It muttered to itself.
"You think it's dangerous?" Zack poked it with the handle of his sword. The clone stopped moving.
"I don't think so..." Cloud walked around the figure.
"Zzz...Ack..." the clone hissed.
"I think it likes you." Cloud mumbled.
"They all do." Vincent nodded.
"Why do they like me?" Zack walked behind Cloud. "Why don't they like you?"
"Pup...pupp..." the clone pointed a finger at Cloud.
"Don't you say it." Cloud growled. The Clone's finger poked the man in the chest.
"Puppet." It giggled.
"Damn it!" Cloud swung at the creature.
"Woah!" Zack brought his weapon up just in time to block the blow from hitting the clone.
"Damn...bastards..." Cloud grit his teeth. "I'm not a puppet!"
"Well shall we keep all of them alive, or what?" Vincent glanced at his broken claw.
"I don't know why we should keep them all, but I also don't know why we should kill them?" Zack shrugged.
"Why are there still clones?" the blond stepped into the lab. He froze by the entrance. "Damn it, I'm leaving." He turned and faced the other two.
"What's the problem?" Zack leaned to the side, getting a view of the inside of the lab. His mouth gaped open.
"Damn # are having a party in there." Cloud moved out of the way for Vincent and Zack to get inside.
"Holy..." Zack scratched his head. "How are we gonna get any research done now?"
The clones, who seemed to be very tall, were in the library tearing up all the books and records on the shelves. They frantically called out for reunion and Sephiroth. As Zack made his way into the room they all paused. One by one they all turned to face him.
"Creepy..." He held onto his sword.
"ZACK!" They all shouted and pointed their boney fingers at the man.
"That's right, #! I am Zack!" He nodded to Vincent and Cloud. The two joined his side. "And right now, you're tearing up all the evidence I need!"
The clones raised their hands in the air, glowing light blasted from their palms. Cloud, Vincent, and Zack tore down the lab towards the library.
"Damn! They have materia!?" Cloud pushed to the side as a blast of fire flew past him.
"They just keep getting' smarter, don't they?" Zack swung his sword through one of the cloaked bodies. It fell to the floor. His eyes widened at the sight. There was no blood.
'What?' he remembered the clones and monsters Hojo had created in the past. 'Why wouldn't these guys have blood?'
"Whew. Too easy!" Cloud mumbled as he took out three in one swing.
"Hey you guys notice anything different about these clones?" Zack raised his voice
"No blood." Vincent muttered. "Take them all down. Are these a new type of clone?"
"New type!? But how?" Zack cursed.
He swung his blade to the left and right, leapt over bodies and dodged books flung at his head. He dodged one clone's blow with a letter opener, falling to the chair at the desk. He kicked the thing in the head, pushing himself across the room by the wheels he sat on. The chair rolled backwards, hitting a body on the floor. Zack shouted as he fell over the back of the chair and plopped onto the floor.
"Quit playing around!" Cloud shouted over his shoulder.
"Heh..." Zack rolled his eyes as he drove his sword into the torso of another clone.
Suddenly bullets shot out all over the room. They ricocheted and blasted into the bookshelves and flew into the bodies of the remaining clones.
"Jeez!" Zack dove onto the floor. He saw Cloud doing the same.
'What the hell? Is that Barret?' Zack grit his teeth. In a second the room was silent. The two men raised their heads. They stared at the silhouette of the man in the room through the endless dust.
"Vincent?" Cloud coughed.
"What the hell was that?" Zack sat up. They stared at the man before them. Vincent stood in the center of the room. His jacket hung halfway off his shoulders. He stood with his feet apart. He held onto a large gun with his good hand. Vincent's eyes gleamed in the pale light. Was that a look of amusement?
"MP5...Barret said I should try it out." Vincent smirked. "Kinda tricky using it for the first time with only one hand..."
"Yeah, I bet." Cloud muttered.
"Can you warn us next time!?" Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Scared the shit outta me!"
"...Sorry..." Vincent straightened out his long jacket and pulled the the left side open. He slid the weapon into the straps of the garment and fixed his collar.
"Think you killed 'em." Zack kicked one. He raised an eyebrow. "Hey take a look. I don't think we were dealing with the normal clones." He removed the hood of a nearby body.
"They do look kind of familiar..." Cloud shook his head.
"Those dead ninjas we fought all those years ago..." Vincent cringed at the thought of Hojo's experiments. "But why are they still around? I thought they all were killed in the explosion...and at Shinra headquarters..."
"When we fought the underground?" Cloud asked.
"Exactly. Where else was Hojo keeping these things?" Vincent stood up.
"Well...all the files are burnt." Zack frowned at the burning pieces of paper. "Looks like they were so easy to defeat because they weren't fighting us."
"What do you mean?" Cloud asked. Zack pointed a finger at the burning books.
"They were trying to destroy evidence." Vincent growled. "You think it was Hojo's doing?"
"Either that...or Sephiroth." Zack headed for the doorway. It began raining inside. The alarm had been sounded and all the water spouts that lined the ceiling burst.
"Didn't think they'd still work." murmured Vincent. The tall man followed Zack out of the room.
"Why did you do that?" Cloud stared into the eyes of one of the dieing monsters. It gasped and scratched slowly at the floor.
"Sephi...roth..." it whispered. "He comes..."
"When?" Cloud leaned down next to the creature.
"Soon...now...later...when he comes..." it's eyes glared. He grabbed Cloud's wrist. "You will...help?"
"Help?" Cloud pulled away. "Never."
"He'll...make..." its eyes rolled into the back of its head. "death..."
Cloud stared at the dead body on the floor. He didn't notice he was soaked to the bone. He walked slowly from the room.
"You coming, Cloud?" Zack asked the man.
Zack and Vincent were standing in the middle of the dark hall. The clone from before was on its knees. Cloud stood next to it.
"What's it doing?" Cloud watched as it bowed and muttered to itself.
"I don't know. I walked by it and it started bowing." Zack rolled his eyes. "I think these things are all crazy."
"Wish we knew why they worshiped you." Vincent sighed.
"Yeah it's creeping me out. Stop it!" Zack grabbed the clone's arm, pulling him upward.
"Zz...ack!" It choked.
"What?" Zack asked.
"Sephiroth?"
"No...I'm not Sephiroth. Why do you bow to me?" Zack stared at its pale lips.
"I bow to Jenova..."
"Jenova?" Zack asked. "Then why not bow to Cloud as well? He's got Jenova inside him too."
"No...he's a puppet."
"No I'm not!" Cloud slapped the deteriorating wall next to him. He left a wet hand print.
"You have cells... you can't use them..." the clone poked Cloud. "You...like us...like us..."
"But what about me?" Zack asked.
"You use them...you control them. Jenova hates, but likes." the clone giggled.
"Gah! I don't get any of this." Zack rubbed his temples.
"You have the power to manipulate and control Jenova's cells. It's just like Sephiroth. The thing is, she can't control you. She likes you because you are so strong and capable of carrying out her mission, but she hates it because you are too strong and she cannot control you." Vincent informed.
"And I was never able to use them to their fullest potential. She was capable of taking over my mind at times, confusing me, manipulating me..." Cloud was barely audible.
"Yessss...puppet." the clone pointed to Zack and then to Cloud.
"Stop calling me that." Cloud groaned.
"Hey, clone." Zack tapped it on the shoulder. "Are you anything special?"
"No...just a sacrifice. Over and over again. Until Jenova gets what she wants." the clone mumbled. It's eyes looked sad.
"Sacrifice? Over and over again?" Zack took mental note of that comment. It was a little unusual.
"Have you been sacrificed before?" Vincent asked.
"Yesss...we all have..." the clone fell to the ground. "Maybe if I die here...I can die..."
"What?" Cloud kneeled beside him.
"Death...no sacrifice...sleeeeeep..." it fell onto its stomach.
"Hey!" Cloud shook it.
"You want to die, and stay dead?" Vincent asked.
"Hojo doesn't like that." the clone whispered. "You know..."
"Yeah, I know." Vincent snarled.
"Bye..." the clone simply said. Its eyes rolled back into its head as it convulsed.
"Wait! Don't die yet! You've got to answer our questions!" Zack tried to lift the clone, but it slumped back to the floor.
"...Its dead." Vincent walked to the staircase. "Come on, lets go tell the others what has happened."
"Then what?" Zack asked.
"We go to Shinra headquarters." Vincent stated.
"To the basement?" Cloud followed.
"To the underground." the man with the claw started up the stairs.
"We have a feast!" Yuffie cheered.
"I think the boy's eyes were larger than their stomachs..." Aeris smirked.
"Naw, whatever we don't eat, Barret will eat." Tifa giggled.
"Oh...You think we should get some more?" Yuffie questioned.
The girls walked back towards Cid's ship, carrying the buckets of food the boys had ordered. Cid, Barret, and Red XIII investigated the upstairs of the mansion, while Vincent, Zack, and Cloud took the basement. Cait Sith was standing guard on the airship.
"Chicken...chicken..and chicken. Did they order anything else!?" the ninja girl lifted a nostril. The smell of fried meat invaded her nose.
"Well, I've got mashed potatoes and biscuits." Tifa smirked.
"Leave it to Cloud and Zack to order." Aeris rolled her eyes.
"Wasn't Vincent with them?" Yuffie's mouth gaped open.
"Guess all men can be satisfied by the same things." Tifa laughed.
"At least we've got a good dessert!" Aeris beamed. She held onto a sack full of sodas, bottled water, and gravy in one hand and in the other were a couple of large apple pies.
"If they don't hurry, I'm gonna eat it all myself!" Yuffie's stomach growled.
"How much did all of this cost anyways?" Tifa felt her stomach drop.
"Doesn't matter, I used the cash Cid gave us!" Aeris giggled. "Just hope he didn't expect to get any change back."
"Aye, they told me to stay put, so that's what I'm doing!" Cait Sith talked into his PHS. He sat on the control panel facing the large window on the nose of the plane, which gave him a lovely view of the setting sun. A voice crackled through the phone.
"No, I figured I wouldn't have been of much help in the mansion. So I decided to stand guard here! At least I'd be able to call in case something happened." the cat purred.
"But what if Sephiroth happens to show up there? What if Kadaj wakes up, remembers everything and goes on a rampage? Cait you aren't very useful anymore in battle. You keep your ears and eyes open, you hear me? I suggest you go check up on him and guard that room." Reeve's voice called through the device.
"Aye, sir. I'll go check up. I'll report to you once the others get back." Cait Sith clicked the off button on the PHS. He set it down next to him and spun around. His shadow was elongated by the light of the setting sun. It connected with another next to him. He looked to his side.
"AH! What are you doin'-!?" Cait was pulled from his sitting place.
Well I'll end it here for tonight. For the delay I made a longer chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it, Don't worry I'll continue soon! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis123