Hello! Thanks for reading and reviewing in the last chapters. I'm glad to see that some of you are curious about some things. Well I'm just going to get started on this chapter, hope you all enjoy! -Annubis

The Decision Between Life or Death:

A Second Chance

Chapter 9

There was a thick fog along their feet. Everywhere they walked the dust was kicked up. Shinra was just as they left it, in ruins. The air was thin and the wind chilled them all to the bone. Now that the city was destroyed there was nothing left to block the wind. There was one plus however, without all the skyscrapers the golden glow of the rising sun could be seen along with the blue-green waves of the ocean. The city was dead but there was still something beautiful about it.

Aeris stretched out her arms as if reaching for the white puffy clouds overhead. She listened to the far away roar of the crashing depths off the coast. Being devoid of all the sounds of traffic, merchants, and rushing city-folk Midgar could finally rest peacefully, any soul here could rest peacefully to the sound of the ocean and flocking seagulls. The woman let out a soft sigh. Too bad her and her company hadn't come to Midgar to relax, but to investigate. It was going to be a long day and she knew at the end of it all, she'd fight with anyone, including Barret and Cid, over the bath.

"Looks like there's about a twenty foot drop..." Cloud's voice broke the woman out of her thoughts. "Is there any other way in?"

"I don't feel like falling again any time soon." Yuffie muttered. She pulled on the collar of the long black jacket around her shoulders. She felt bad about Vincent loaning it to her, but Damn it, she was freezing! Besides her and the girls would most likely go shopping later. She'd pick up one of her own then.

"Yeah. No kiddin'." Tifa scoffed. She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling the strands out from the inside of her jacket. She loved having long hair but it sometimes felt like she was going to strangle from it.

"Why don't we circle around to the other side? It may take longer but I'd rather find a safer route." Aeris stared at the ocean.

"Sounds like a plan." The group walked carefully over the rubble around them. Anyone could fall and find themselves impaled by a piece of metal or glass.

Zack stared at the spiraling metal rebar by his side. His stomach growled loudly. The man wrinkled his nose. Was it because he was hungry or was it because his gut remembered the feeling of that same type of metal grinding through his insides? He trudged along the dust and broken pieces of dry wall.

After thirty minutes of searching the exterior of the damaged building Vincent was able to find a suitable entrance for everyone, well everyone but Barret. He just didn't like the idea of crawling through an air duct.

"Too damn tight in there! I barely fit the last time we did something like this...and I know I sure as hell din't get any smaller!" the man folded his arms.

"Fine. Then you can stay out here." Vincent grumbled.

"I ain't staying out here!" the man slammed his robotic hand into a piece of sheet metal. He huffed and puffed for a moment, trying to decide. "Fine, but I ain't goin' in first."

"I'll go first." Zack shrugged. "Can't be that bad, right?" he leapt upwards, grabbing the vent. He pressed his boots against the side of the wall and pulled on the grated metal. It popped from its place rather easily, dropping the man quickly onto the dust behind him. His eyes widened when he felt something dig into his back. He felt his back was cold and wet. The only thought in his mind was of that piece of rebar.

"Ow!" A muffled cry came from underneath him.

"Sorry!" Zack scurried to his feet. He helped the disoriented Cloud from off the ground as he rubbed the spot in his back. What had he fallen on besides Cloud?

"Where'd that ether go?" the blond stared at the ground.

"Ether?...Oh..." Zack scratched his head, eyeballing the broken glass and smeared liquid upon the debris.

"You smashed it." Cloud picked up a piece.

"Sorry. I'll buy ya a new one when we're finished here." the man laughed sheepishly.

"..." Cloud dropped the colored piece in his hand.

"Use you're PHS. I'll let you know as I go through." Zack patted Cloud's shoulder. He grabbed Vincent's PHS. "Borrowing this." he said quickly.

Zack turned back to the vent. He leapt and grabbed the inside. He effortlessly pulled himself into the metal tunnel.

"Ya sure it was a good idea to make him go in first?" Yuffie snorted.

"Rather him than me! I'd jes' get myself lost in 'ere." Cid patted his pockets. His cigarettes were MIA.

"So far so good!" Zack's voice scratched through Cloud's PHS.

"Keep going, Zack." Cloud muttered.

"Sure thing!" Zack said a cheerfully.

The men relayed information back and forth to each other as the rest stared at the rubble around them. Aeris sat on a large metal support beam. Her eyes stared at the waters a couple miles away. She wished she was there right now, instead of at the Shinra headquarters. She was alive again and instantly back to work, just like right before she died. Would she ever get to go back to her old life? Would she ever get to go back to selling flowers, gardening in her church, or go out on relaxing picnics?

"You ok?" Tifa's voice asked. The dark haired woman sat next to Aeris.

"Hm? Yeah. Just thinking." Aeris smirked.

"So quiet here." Tifa sighed. "Haven't been in a place this peaceful in a while. Though, it is just rubble now."

"Better that way." Aeris whispered.

"Better?" Tifa stared at the woman.

"Well, the quiet. No Shinra. Nothing to scare the people anymore, to hurt the people." the woman twirled her hair.

"I see." Tifa nodded. "Much better." she smiled.

"Tifa. I want to go to the beach. I want to lay out there, relax, drink something fruity with those cheesy umbrellas. I want to play volleyball with everyone, doesn't matter that I've never played before." Aeris continued on with her vacation fantasy. Tifa stared at grassy plains that flowed into ocean.

"I agree, Aeris. We need to go to Costa Del Sol. Actually stay there, and not chase Sephiroth, or run into Hojo. Have fun with everyone, live like normal people." She smiled. She would love to get everyone together for something fun rather than dangerous.

"Our times together are fun, but I don't want something bad to happen again. Not before we can ever get the chance to live comfortably." the green eyed woman rested her head on her arms.

"Live comfortably. In a nice house, in a quiet place." Tifa smirked.

"With a garden, and a little fence..."

"Have a dog or a cat."

"Get married."

"Have children."

"Birthday parties."

"School."

"Vacations..." Aeris giggled.

"Lots of long vacations!" Tifa finished.

"You think it'll ever happen?" Aeris asked.

"The vacation? Sure. After all this I'll make sure we all get together again." Tifa smiled.

"No...not that." she shook her head. Tifa gave her a quizzical look. "A family. Do you think we'll ever be able to start a family?"

"...I don't know. I suppose it takes more than one person to start a family, huh?" Tifa breathed a laugh.

"Yeah." Aeris nodded.

"But...didn't Zack-?" Tifa started. Then she realized something.

'Does Aeris not want to get married? At least...not to Zack? No that can't be it. She's just in a slump right now. Maybe she doesn't think Zack loves her anymore.' Tifa rubbed her face.

"He did...before he died." Aeris whispered.

"And?" Tifa asked.

"I don't know. He hasn't said anything else about it." she shrugged. "I'm sure it's nothing. I'm not worried about it right now."

"Have you two been fighting?" Tifa asked.

"All the time."

"Oh...Maybe you two just need a break from each other."

"That's what I've been wondering. He's been very preoccupied with Sephiroth and it just gets tiring after a while."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Tifa sighed. She set her chin in her hands. The cold wind whirled her hair about her.

"What's wrong with those two guys?" Aeris laughed.

"It's pretty sad when they pay more attention to another man..." Yuffie's voice sounded from behind the two girls.

"It is!" Aeris and Tifa cackled.

'What are they talking about?' Vincent's ears twitched at the evil laughter coming from behind him.

"Seems like everyone's more worried about the dead person, huh?" Tifa held a hand to her lips. She hoped Aeris didn't take offense to it. She didn't mean it in that way. But then again, it was true.

"What kind of world are we livin' in?" Aeris stood slowly.

"They...they all do..." Yuffie gasped, deep in thought. "Well, except Cid."

Vincent thought of Lucrecia, Zack and Cloud were worried about Sephiroth and Barret, though he rarely said anything, he never did get re-married.

"You think they've found a way in yet?" Tifa asked.

"Well..." Aeris winked at Tifa. "We did send Zack in first."

"Hey! I'm gonna need a little help here!" Zack's voice yelled over the PHS. This gripped the girl's attention.

"Ya' think he got stuck?" Yuffie smirked.

"RIGHT NOW!" he called out again.

"Come on, ladies! Chat time's over!" Cid scrambled to the wall where the vent was. Cloud and Vincent had already dove in.

"Uh oh!" Yuffie followed.

"Zack..." Aeris scampered to the wall as well.

"I'm sure he's fine." Tifa said reassuringly. The woman knew Zack was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but the thing that made her nervous was what, or who did he find.

"How we doin' Zack?" Cloud's voice echoed through the vent.

"Just peachy. Don't tell Yuffie, but I just saw a spider...Ah!" the man shook his arm quickly throwing the hairy beast off of his arm. He slammed his metal bangle onto the arachnid. "#&!" he cursed at it.

"Any turns?" Cloud asked.

"Nope, just going straight so far. I can see through the grates pretty easily. It brakes off here an' there but it's no prob'. Everyone, including Barret should be fine."

"What floor you on?"

"Hmmm...I'm in the basement right now, but not to that lab yet. That's a few feet lower. Erm!" he grunted.

"What happened?"

"This part's a little tough. The damn vent curves straight down. Surprised it's still in as good shape as it is." the man supported himself in the center of the tunnel. His boots and hands stuck to the side as he slowly slid downwards. "Should'nt have killed the spider. Could have asked his advice..."

"How far does it drop?" the blond asked.

"Um, not sure. It's pitch black right here..." Zack laughed nervously. "Kinda creepy."

"Scared of the dark?"

"Ha! Never...AH!" Zack screamed. He fell down the chute.

"What happened now!?"

"Eyes! AH! What the hell is it!? It's crawling on me!" Zack flailed his arms at the unknown intruder.

"It's the spider...it came back to haunt you." Cloud's voice was dull.

"Damn it!" Zack pushed out on the sides, halting himself. "Damn squirrel!"

"A what?" there was a hint of laughter a the end of Cloud's question.

"It was a squirrel." Zack rolled his eyes. "Damn thing's eyes were glowing. Didn't know what the hell it was. Furry...talons..."

"Are you down there yet?"

"Yeah, but you guys be careful right there...it's quite a fall. You'll have to take it slow." Zack informed. The man popped open the vent. He heard it crash onto the floor. The man began to descend but came to an abrupt halt.

"Okay. Well since you're almost there. I think we might start heading in."

"Wait. I saw something move." Zack whispered into the device.

"Another squirrel probably." he dripped of sarcasm.

"No! I'm serious, this doesn't look good."

"What is it?"

"I..." Zack felt the vent vibrating. "Oh shit."

"What!?"

The black haired man felt himself suddenly falling into the darkness of the sub-basement of the Shinra Headquarters. All around him he heard scuffling and moaning. He landed hard on the invisible floor beneath him. He could smell chemicals and something like rotten fruit. This was bad. It reminded him too much of the zombie movies he always watched.

'I'm so screwed!' Zack jumped to his feet and drew his sword. He couldn't see a thing in the dark, but there was no way he was going to let whatever it was in there with him get him.

"Zack!"

"Shh!" Zack hissed into the PHS. He walked slowly to the side in hopes of reaching the wall. Maybe if he was lucky he'd find a light switch. He bumped into something and then it moved.

"Ah! Shit!" Zack swung his sword. He cut air. He darted to the side, running, not caring where he was. He needed light. Everything was always scarier in the dark. He needed to get away from whatever it was he bumped into, before it ate his brains. He ran and ran and ran into something very hard, the wall. His hands brushed along the side of the wall. He hoped to god the basement still had electricity or some kind or backup generator.

'Click' Light flooded into the room. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust and to understand what it was he was hearing. Before him was a group of monsters. The room held at least twenty from what he could see. They had bandages over their eyes, and pale slick skin. How long had they been down there? They all were howling and scurrying about at an abnormal speed.

"Hey! I'm gonna need a little help here!" Zack called out into the PHS. As if on cue, all the bodies stopped. The turned slowly and faced the disheveled man in the corner of the room.

'Thump' They all took one step toward Zack.

"RIGHT NOW!" Zack hollered.

'Damn, it's going to take them at least five minutes to get here.' He stuffed the phone into the pocket of his black pants.

"Ok..." Zack took a deep breath. These things looked scarier in the light. He squeezed the handle of his sword. "Who's first?"

The whole group of demons lurched forward, they spread apart their clawed fingers. Their palms glowed brightly.

'Damn they have materia as well?' Zack dove to the side as a flash of blue exploded next to him. He felt a wave of cold air. The sound of tinkling glass crackled behind him. He watched the ice sickles shatter on the stone floor. Zack got to his feet and ran along side the wall. One of the zombie like creatures skittered along the floor towards him. It reminded him of a spider.

"Hate spiders!" Zack brought his sword down. It met with cement as the creature dove out of the way. Zack's mouth gaped.

'Too fast...too fast, even for me.' he grit his teeth.

"Guess I just gotta be faster!" He spun around, swinging his sword. He timed it just right, the monster behind him had covered ten feet in the amount of time it took for Zack to turn around. The blade cut deep into the being's flesh. Zack stuck a boot against it's chest, pushing him off of his blade. The monsters may be fast, but they are very soft, easy to kill if you can just hit them.

'Ok, just got to predict their movements.'

He felt bony hands through his blue long sleeved shirt. It was too late for him to react. Three more pairs of hands gripped his body. He felt energy building within their palms, they were going to pound him with their materia. Zack squirmed as he felt the blast of needle like sickles cutting through his skin. His body felt like he had fallen into the icy depths around the Northern Crater. Ice magic wasn't particularly dangerous because of the cuts and blast, at least at this level of spell it wasn't, it was the cold. Sometimes it would leave the body in shock and may, at times, stop the heart. Very deadly to enemies who lived in hot areas or were made up of fire. Zack lifted his sword and swung it down as they bombarded him with level two spells. They either were holding back or weren't very good with magic. The sword cut through the two at his feet. He elbowed the one pressing against his chest in the face and snagged the wrist of the one from behind gripping his shoulders. Zack flung the monster over his back. It curled in pain as it hit the floor. Zack kicked it in the face.

'This is going to be a pain...' He groaned as he dove behind a tank. The man checked his bangle, seeing what materia he had equipped. Zack was more physical than magical, but he was strong enough to throw out level three spells. Luckily all his materia was maxed out and he had thunder equipped. He waited for the monsters to group together. It was the first thing Zack noticed. They attacked in groups.

"How about this!?" Zack jumped out into the open and pushed out a thunder spell. He felt the energy flow down his arms and explode from his finger tips. It had been a long time since he had used magic. He watched as three of the monsters shook violently and dropped onto the floor. Two others had dove out of the way just in time.

'Lucky bastards...' Zack grit his teeth. He felt claws dig into his shoulder. The man cursed as he felt hot blood ooze from the wound. 'Just bought this shirt, too...'

Zack head butted the beast digging in his skin. He turned, kicking upwards against the monster's skull. He heard a satisfying crack upon impact. He had taken out at least half the beasts, he wondered how long it would take before they surrounded him. The man glanced around the room, they were all gone.

'The hell?' he hid behind a pile of boxes. Were they hiding as well or did they know a way out?

A groan sounded from the center of the room. Zack lifted his head. One of them was wounded. It shook and shuddered on the floor. Maybe they all did leave and they left this one behind. Zack stood slowly. He drew his sword.

'Could be a trap.' Zack looked back and forth as he slowly approached the wounded monster. The man eyed the burnt leg of the thing. He had hit it with his thunder spell. It was one of the two that had dove out of the way but this one was too slow. The monster turned its head slowly. The bandage around its eyes slid to the floor. Zack stared in disgust at the being's white, glossy eyes. A screeching noise sounded from all around. Blurs of white exploded from around the room. Zack was surrounded, it had been a trap. He lifted his sword and spun, preparing to hit every single one of the creatures. The ex-SOLDIER, however, was not quick enough. They all ducked, the blade hitting nothing but air. Zack couldn't stop, the momentum of the blade was too much to make an immediate stop unless he dropped it and that was not going to happen. The monsters wrapped their arms around the man and pulled him down. He was captured and now, they were going to eat his brains. The thought made Zack shiver.

'This is not good...' Zack gulped. Their bony fingers twitched and squeezed him. The wounded monster slowly stood from its place on the floor. It turned towards Zack and stared at him with his blank eyes. The monster's palm faced the man. It glowed a brilliant blue. Zack cringed. This zombie knew the mastered spell. An ice sickle formed, growing from its hand. The thing planned on impaling Zack. He could imagine the freezing cold invading his body as the ice spike was shoved through his torso, like the rebar had. The monsters pushed Zack down the more he fought back. There were too many, he couldn't get them off.

"Get away!" Zack kicked his foot. It crashed into one of the monster's face. The thing convulsed on the floor as it held onto the wound. Zack stared at the approaching beast's eyes. There was nothing, no emotion could be seen in those eyes. The beast launched the sickle at the man's chest. Zack froze. He was going to be impaled again and this time he wasn't sure if he'd live through it.

The ice sickle flew through the air, tiny crystals trailed behind it. The point of it sparkled in the light. Zack could hear the sound of it as it pushed through the air at a high speed, along with the sound of metal being crushed.

'What-'

The ice sickle burst into millions of pieces just as it poked the skin on his chest. Zack stared at his chest, there was a tiny hole in his shirt.

'Pecks of steal...' he smirked.

"You alright!?" Cloud's voice called out.

"Wasn't going to be." Zack replied. The monsters released the man. They stood quickly and sprinted across the room to where the vent was. Vincent's claw had dug through the metal of the tunnel. The barrel of his gun was sticking from the hole, obviously the real cause of the ice sickle being blown into millions of pieces.

"Nice shot." Zack nodded towards the dark man as he leapt from the now broken vent.

"What are we fight-?" Vincent was interrupted as on of the beasts leapt onto the man's back.

"Quick little suckers!" Zack hollered as he drove his sword through the side of the monster on Vincent's back.

"I know someone...quicker." Vincent smirked.

"Sure ya do, but do we gotta see him right now?" Zack gave a nervous chuckle.

"Wow! What are those!?" Yuffie leapt from the vent.

"Looks like Hojo's zombie clones." Red XIII replied. He bit onto one of the creature's necks. The animal scowled at the taste. "These one's seem to be a little outdated."

"How long do you think they've been here?" Tifa asked as she dropped from the vent.

"A week, maybe..." Cloud frowned.

"What's that smell?" Aeris' voice sounded. "Oh." She stood at attention, holding her staff close to her chest. She swung it hard at one of the creatures standing next to her. It slumped to the floor.

"Nice shot!" Cid muttered as he dropped next to the woman.

"How'd you hit it so easily?" Yuffie asked incredulously.

"I just did..." Aeris shrugged. "It was just sitting there staring at me."

"Staring?" Cloud and Zack looked at the zombie clones. They were slowing down. One after another, they stared at Aeris.

"Hey! You're opponent is me!" Zack yelled. He threw his sword towards the clone who had tried to kill him moments ago, it caught his blade with its claws. The monster's eyes never tore away from Aeris.

"Why are they staring?" Aeris shuddered.

The monsters approached the girl slowly.

"I'll take care of 'em" Barret thumped onto the floor. His gun-arm was loaded and ready. He blasted around the room carelessly. The monsters dodged the bullets effortlessly. The walls, ceiling, and support beams, however, received the damage. "What!?"

"Ah!" Aeris shrieked as one of the monsters grabbed her. It tugged her across the room at an incredible speed. The claws of the monster broke her skin. A trickle of blood dripped across the floor, leaving a trail.

"Where they goin'!?" Barret ran after the monsters.

"Aeris!" Zack darted across the room. The monsters clawed through a hole in the wall. Aeris' screams quickly faded.

"Shit!" Zack dove into the wall. He was quickly pulled out by Vincent.

"They left for a reason..." Vincent looked around the room. "It wasn't just to take her away from us, but it for something else as well." the man frowned. "This isn't good, Barret."

"What? Why you blamin' it on me?" Barret got face to face with Vincent.

The room rumbled.

"What was that!?" Yuffie whimpered.

"Barret, ya dumb ass! You gone an' tore up this room!" Cid headed for the elevator at the side of the room. "Ya think this thing still works?"

"It's worth a try." Vincent approached the transporter.

"But, what about Aeris!?" Zack stared at the dark hole. He looked down. The hole went out a few feet but suddenly dropped. It was an endless pit.

"This must be the lab that Reno told me about. The lab that Hojo had secretly run his experiments that even Shinra didn't know about." Tifa looked about the room at the empty tanks and chemical lined shelves. Cloud eyed the woman.

"Hojo did a lot of things he wasn't supposed to. Judging by that hole over there, there is only one place it could lead to..." Vincent forced the door of the elevator open. "The underground. Come on, we'll have to climb the cables down." With that the man leapt into the elevator shaft.

"He's crazy..." Cid shook his head. "& damn crazy."

"Come on, the quicker we get out of here, the quicker we get to Aeris." Cloud placed a hand on Zack's shoulders. The two man shared the same worried look. Why would the monsters want Aeris? The question left the men to think of too many scary solutions. The room rumbled again.

"Hurry!" Yuffie jumped down the shaft next.

"You like poker?" Cait Sith asked.

"Never played." Kadaj shook his head.

"Never played!?" the cat scattered the cards across the floor. "Well, I'll teach ya, lad."

"...I didn't know cats could play poker."

"Play poker, black jack, Ancients hold 'em, anything!" the cat shuffled the cards.

"You like to gamble..."

"That's my game! So you wanta make this interestin'?" The cat wiggled his whiskers.

"Interesting?"

"Let's make a bet! Bid something."

"But, I don't have any money." Kadaj held out his hands.

"Materia?"

"Nope."

"Well...what about the gold ring you've got there?" Cait Sith had caught a glimpse of the said item earlier while Kadaj was staring out the window.

"What ring?" Kadaj stammered.

"Ya know what I'm talkin' aboot."

"..." Kadaj stuck his finger in his pocket. "It's important to me, I don't want to use it."

"Well what're ya gonna use then?" Cait Sith sighed.

"I..." Kadaj pulled out the jewelry. Cait Sith's eyes widened.

"Say where did ya find that?" Cait Sith reached for the ring.

"In the Lifestream. At the crater. When I was trying to get out I saw it on a nearby rock." Kadaj explained. He held it out for Cait to see.

There was no doubt about it. That ring was the ring Zack had given to Aeris as he died. It had fallen over the ledge into the flowing stream below. Cait Sith watched it sparkle in the sunlight.

"Say, what'd ya do if I told ya that I know the owner of that ring?" the cat asked.

"Well...I found it. They obviously didn't want it, or care for it if it had gotten lost...there of all places." Kadaj held onto the ring. "It's mine now."

"Oh boy...just don't show that ring to anyone else, ya hear?" Cait Sith cleared his throat.

"But, I was going to give it to mother."

"Oh, especially her." Cait Sith muttered under his breath.

"You think I should wait?"

"Yeah I think you should wait. Wait till a holiday...or her birthday."Cait Sith rubbed his paws together as he dealed out the cards.

"Birthday?"

"There's a lot of things you don't understand isn't there?" Cait Sith rolled his eyes. "Listen, I'll tell ya all aboot it if you play a game with me." Kadaj nodded quickly.

"I'll bet on this!" Kadaj set a box onto the floor. Cait Sith eyed it suspiciously. It was Cid's cigarettes. He sighed.

"I'm not gonna ask. Say, have you ever had your fortune told?" Cait Sith grinned.

"So this is the underground..." Zack looked up at the pipework and support beams that seemed to stretch for miles above their head.

"This is Hojo's headquarters." Vincent murmured.

"You think this is where Hojo has been hiding all the other clones?" Tifa leaned on a railing. She overlooked the platforms and walkways.

"I have no doubt in my mind...the only question is, how have they stayed alive this long." Vincent walked down a flight of stairs towards a glass elevator. After the last battle with Vincent and the Tsviets of Deepground the underground facility had encountered severe damage. Luckily, the lower levels of the building were still in tact and safe enough to explore.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Yuffie spit over the ledge, she watched it twirl and spin as it fell down the many levels.

"Gross!" Tifa elbowed the girl.

"We're down here to find out anything about Hojo and to find Aeris." Vincent huffed. The group gathered into the elevator.

"You think this meets the weight requirements?" Cid patted his pockets. "Where the hell are my &# damn cigs!?"

"You're supposed to be quitting..." Tifa sang.

"Oh no, not you too." Cid grumped.

"It is bad for your health." Vincent mumbled.

"Shut yer traps!" the pilot leaned against the elevator wall.

The elevator dinged by each floor. The trip was slow and excruciating. Barret couldn't stop twitching, his fear of claustrophobia was beginning to be a pain in the ass. It was bad enough getting him safely through the vents earlier.

"Will you stop it! You're like a chihuahua!" Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"I ain't doin' nuthin'!" Barret raised a fist.

"Hey hey, don't rock the boat!" Cid pressed himself against the wall even more.

"Knock it off!" Tifa slapped Barret in the arm.

"Ow! Tell her to stop bitchin'." the man glared.

"Stop all of it, or I'm turning this elevator around..." Vincent murmured. Needless to say, the group was speechless at this comment.

"I wouldn't put it past him." Zack finally broke the silence. The elevator sounded the final floor and popped open its doors.

"Follow me." Vincent led the way through the halls. Their footsteps echoed on the grated metal and deep corridors. Tifa began to wonder how Vincent had even gotten past any guards the last time he was down here.

"There should be a lab around the corner. There we can access all private files from Hojo's experiments. We should also be able to find out information on these new types of clones..." Vincent stopped. He opened the glass door into the lab. He pulled out his weapon and darted around the corner. The group followed his actions.

"Hey!" Yuffie called out.

"Wait..." Vincent held up a hand.

At one of the computer desks was a young girl. She had been clicking away at the computer. She now had her hands raised in the air, a small smile crossed her lips.

"Shelke?" Vincent put away his weapon.

"Vincent Valentine." Shelke nodded.

"What are you doing here?" the dark man approached the girl.

"I've been coming here lately, researching, trying to find out more about myself and...my sister."

"I thought you were supposed to be in school." Vincent eyed the computer. She quickly pressed a button, hiding the screen from view. Vincent gave her a curious look. Was she looking up files about him?

"I...It's a weekend." She stammered.

"It's dangerous here." Vincent tried.

"You know I can take care of myself." She pointed to the corner of the room where her weapon rested against the wall.

"How'd you get down here?" Zack spoke up. He was curious about this little girl.

"You are..." She stood from her chair quickly. "Zack, correct?"

"...Um...yeah." he rubbed the back of his head. "How'd you guess?"

"I've been researching you. I found quite a few files in here."

"In these computers?" Vincent's voice raised.

"But, I thought these were only for private experiments." Tifa stared at the little girl.

"Indeed they are. Hojo had a lot more plans for this man." Shelke pointed a finger at Zack. "Looks like he never got the chance to finish his work."

"Never finished? What else did that monster plan to do to me?" Zack grit his teeth.

"Lots of things. We can discuss these things later. What brings you here?" the girl leaned back in her chair.

"We came to find out more information on Hojo." Vincent informed.

"Hojo? Well I'm afraid there isn't much about him in these computers anymore. The Tsviets had terminated a lot of the files upon Hojo's request. What questions do you have about him? Maybe I can look up something."

"We were wondering about the creatures down here." Cloud took a step forward. "They took a friend of ours and ran off into a tunnel that seemed to lead underground."

"Oh...the Wandering Clones." Shelke spun around to the computer. She quickly pulled up a file. "They are called that because they are the only type of clones that seem to wander to different locations in search of food, resources, and anything else they deem important at the moment. They obviously want your friend for a reason, hopefully not to eat."

"Eat!?" Zack looked around the room.

"Was it a male or female?" she asked.

"Female." Vincent confirmed.

"Hmm...It isn't their normal time for mating rituals..."

"Mating?" Cloud swallowed hard.

"I can't seem to find a reason why. It doesn't seem quite logical. Unless..." Shelke stared at Zack. "There's something about you. In the files it reported you as dead more than four years ago. I figured that was to keep you in secret from everyone else."

"Yes...I did die, but Hojo did something to me and brought me back." Zack glanced at her.

"Hmm... I don't quite get it. Is there anyone still alive with Jenova's cells within them?" Shelke asked.

"I am." Cloud tilted his head.

"Me." Zack raised a hand. "I also died again...about four years ago. I was only alive for a short amount of time before Sephiroth killed me. I just recently came back. Along with the woman who was taken by those clones."

"How'd you come back?" Shelke was astonished.

"We're trying to figure that out." Zack murmured. "So far we only know it has something to do with the Lifestream."

"The Lifestream..." Shelke thought hard.

"I am interested in the information you have found about these monsters. Maybe you and I can research together." Red XIII padded next to the girl.

"We can share information. I think it would be best if you share your resources with me and I will show you mine. We must figure this out... that girl." Shelke turned her attention back to Zack. "Who is she?"

"Her name is Aeris. She is the last remaining Cetra."

"The last Cetra!" Shelke gasped. "Why that's it! She had to have been taken for that reason! I think we need to research this immediately. She is the last Cetra, came back from the Lifestream and is now kidnapped by the clones. You know, I thought it was strange for them to still be alive, but now it makes since..."

"What?" Tifa asked.

"Have you noticed any other clones roaming around?" Shelke tapped on the keyboard.

"Yes, actually quite a few." Vincent stared at the screen.

"Well I think there's something going on here with the Lifestream and the events that happened in the Northern Crater. Obviously they went there to sacrifice themselves. They all died and fell into the Lifestream. Zack, when you and the woman died did you fall into the Lifestream as well?"

"Yes." he nodded.

"Great! Then that's got to be it. The Lifestream is doing something, it's trying to..." Shelke narrowed her eyes. "Rather...Hojo is trying to continue reunion."

"What!?" the group stared at the girl.

"Hojo had figured out something with the Lifestream and the events that had taken place with Jenova and the clones...and Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth?" Cloud clenched his fists.

"Is it possible for him to have already come back?" Shelke asked.

"I...I don't know. We're not sure if he has or if he will." Tifa shook her head.

"He will." Zack and Cloud stated simultaneously.

"Does he have anything against the young lady that was kidnapped?"

"Well...he killed her." Cloud spoke up.

"Oh, I'd say that's a yes. The only thing I can think of about your friend's abduction is that Jenova is influencing the clones and she wants something from Aeris..." Shelke continued clicking away at the computer. "They come down here sometimes to feed on the bats. I think you should stick around. Red and I will look up some data to try to straighten things out and make sense of all this."

"Thanks Shelke. You've been very helpful so far." Vincent patted her on the shoulder. The girl blushed slightly as she stared at her computer screen. Yuffie glared at the young woman at the desk.

"We've already found out so much more. I think you are correct so far, Shelke." Red XIII jumped onto the chair next to her. It spun slowly.

"We still have lots of files to look at. I'll pull everything I can think of. Hojo, the clones, the Lifestream, Sephiroth and..." She smiled as a new file popped up. "Looks like Hojo had a lot more plans for Aeris as well."

All this quick chatter was confusing the hell out of Zack. He decided it'd just be best to let this little girl and Red figure it out. Still he couldn't help the creeping thought in the back of his mind.

"Hojo isn't alive is he?" Zack questioned.

"That I'm not sure of." Shelke muttered. It wasn't the answer Zack wanted to hear.

"He always finds a way back." Yuffie groaned.

"I'll just send him back to hell all over again!" Vincent growled.

"What...what do you want!?" Aeris stared at the beasts in front of her. They scrambled and skittered across the floor and walls around her. Their freakish movements gave her the chills. One stopped and stared at her. It had bright white eyes that were glossy, probably the team leader.

"Please let me go..." Aeris pleaded with the monster. It growled at her, a white foam fizzled out the sides of its mouth. "What are you?" She was inside a tunnel dug through rock and metal.

"..." It walked towards her. It's movements were casual, slow, almost normal.

"You...were once humans, weren't you?" Aeris asked it. The creature sat on the floor in front of her. There was a hole in the wall behind it. Aeris had no idea where she was but she did know that they were far beneath the Shinra building. "Hojo did this to you, didn't he?"

'He's probably a commander of some sort, and this is his team.' she eyeballed the scurrying creatures.

"Long time, no see...Aeris." A cool voice called from in front of her. She gasped, staring at the monster before her. It's mouth was closed, but its head tilted from side to side as if scrutinizing her.

"Are, you talking to me?" Aeris asked the monster.

"No, I am." something walked from the dark shadows in the corner of the tunnel.

"Oh!" She covered her mouth. She was not expecting this.

I think this one is long enough for now. Oh the suspense! Lol. This is not how i planned to end this chapter, oh well. It always changes. Hope you all liked this chapter. I'll post again soon! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis