Vincent was right. The others did get the front of the soldiers just like last time. That was why they hadn't managed to come into the sector. They were busy fighting off Deepground.

"Hey guys!" came Yuffie as Cloud and Tifa freed themselves of an onslaught of soldiers.

"What is it Yuffie?" asked Cloud turning to her.

"Look," she said holding up her scanner. "I've picked up two other life forms in sector 7."

"You think it's Vincent and Shelke?" asked Tifa through the loud explosions.

"Uh-huh," said Yuffie shaking her head. "Who else could be that skilled to get in on their own?"

"You've got a point," said Cloud trying to determine how far they were in. "Can you calculate their precise location? So I can go in there and get them before something bad happens."

"Alright," said Yuffie hitting a few buttons and then showing Cloud. "There."

"Thanks Yuffie," said Cloud running off and slicing his way through some more Deepground.

"You be careful!" shouted Tifa after him hoping he heard.

The two women then began to fight again until Reeve came near them and Tifa decided to give him the news.

"We found Vincent and Shelke, Reeve!" she said to him through the noises of battle.

"Where are they?" he asked.

"In sector 7," said Tifa giving a roundhouse kick to a soldier. "Cloud's gone after them.'

"That's good," said Reeve shooting at three Deepground. "Perhaps he can get to them before they get themselves killed."

"Hope so," said Tifa jumping away and joining Barret in battle.

"This should be it," said Shelke gazing at a door before them. "If I am correct Hojo is in here—with Gilmore."

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Vincent walking up to the door and trying to open it, but it was locked.

No matter though. Vincent kicked it open and down it came. Both prepared for an onslaught of Deepground soldiers to come, but there was only one person in the room. The person turned and saw the two.

"Hojo," came Vincent's deep voice as he looked at his possessed son.

"So you found me," he said sneering at them. "How unfortunate. I had hoped Shelke wouldn't remember this place—but I guess if a mother wants to find her child she'd go through hell and back just for him."

Shelke tightened her lips together as she took out her blades ready to do whatever it took to drive Hojo far, far from her son. Hojo gave that smile of his through Gilmore as his wings twitched behind him and looked as if he was in attack mode.

"What are you going to do . . . hurt your own child?" asked Hojo holding out his hand.

"As I recall—you did the same," said Vincent as his eyes narrowed and he readied to pull out his gun.

"Fair enough Valentine," said Hojo shaking his head. "But I will not let you have Gilmore. Not when I'm so close!"

"We will not let you use Gilmore to harbor Chaos just as I have," said Vincent now pulling his gun on Hojo.

"Oh—so you've found out," said Hojo crossing his arms and pacing a bit. "Wouldn't you agree Gilmore is a fine specimen for a 2nd try?"

"Never!" shouted Shelke.

"Never?" said Hojo tilting his head a bit. "Why not? He's shown great potential wouldn't you say?"

At that he raised his wings to signal what he meant. Hojo just smiled saying—

"He's got your transformation genes Vincent. Which is one reason why you were capable of holding Chaos. Now sit tight and watch my experiment take fold."

Once Hojo turned the sound of a loud echoing 'BANG!' rang in his ear and his left shoulder jolted forward. He stepped forward and held his shoulder. He looked at his hand and saw it covered in blood.

"Uh?" he said turning to see Vincent's gun smoking from the recent shot it took. "You shot me."

"I said I'd do anything to keep my son safe. Even if I have to shoot him to near death—at least he'll be safe," said Vincent lowering his gun a bit as if it pained him to do something like that.

Hojo then looked at Shelke and saw her expression. Her eyes were widened just a bit as if she wasn't expecting this either. He then saw something he could use against Vincent so smiled an unseen smile before turning completely and looking helpless as he said—

"What would his mother say?"

Vincent's eyes glanced at Shelke who was now turned to Hojo. She tightened her lips again and wrinkled her brow as she took out her weapons and stood in an attack stance.

"She'd do the same," she said firmly standing by Vincent and his decision.

Hojo backed away a bit just as his shoulder began to sting him. It seemed Gilmore's parents were determined to get their child back—alive or dead it seemed at the moment, and they weren't going to be blackmailed into anything.

I didn't think they'd stand so strong together, thought Hojo looking at how close they were no matter how long they've been separated before. Getting them out of the way may be harder than I thought.

He then became angry and it was clearly seen on his face. He let go of his shoulder and stood up straight saying—

"No! You won't stop me this time!!"

At that he lunged at the two and knocked them apart. None were expecting this sudden move and so both fell to the ground. Shelke quickly got back to her feet, but Vincent still wasn't at the top of his game because of his mind injury and so he was having a difficult time now acting quickly.

"Vincent!" she cried to him seeing Hojo come around to Vincent and prepare to strike with Gilmore's arm blades.

He took one slash across Vincent's chest, but Vincent rolled back to only sustain a scratch and ripped shirt. Shelke then ran up behind Hojo and stabbed him in the wing just burning through his thin membrane. Hojo threw his head back and let out a painful howl. He turned and tried to swing at Shelke, but she backed up to dodge, but ran into something in her way.

"Huh?" she said looking at the person she ran into—it was Vincent.

Vincent held his gun to Hojo and instantly shot his right arm to where none were good enough to fight with now because of his left shoulder and right arm. Hojo darted back as Vincent shot him. His left arm held the wound as he backed up.

"No, NO!" he cried backing up. "You shouldn't do this to your own child!!"

Vincent soon came up to Hojo and put away his gun to deliver a punch with his left claw splitting his lip and making him fall to the ground. Vincent looked at the aching person on the ground so stepped on his injured wing to say—

"Now . . . get out of my son!"

Instead of a response a laugh erupted from him. Vincent and Shelke looked in confusion at the mad scientist and were worried what he had planned.

"I can't you see," he giggled as the pain surged through his body and made him groan a bit. "Because each experiment that I mark as a failure always turns out perfect in the end . . . perfect. I know—this will be the same, you'll see, you'll all see!"

At that he kicked Vincent's legs and it caused him to fall back on his back. Shelke jumped forward to stop Hojo from getting up but he swung his arm around and hit her upside the jaw knocking her back against the wall. Hojo got up and looked at the two on the ground for a little while.

"Eh—ha! I win, I win," he said trying to catch his breath from the pain surging through his body.

He then began to back up towards the machine he had made that would inject Chaos into him. He limped backwards and just smiled. He shook his head to and fro saying—

"I won—it's not failed—it's not."

Vincent grasped his head as a surge of pain shot through his mind. Hojo stopped and saw this.

"A pain I see," said Hojo seeing Vincent's agony. "You've sacrificed so much for him—but now you can't do anything as Gilmore becomes Chaos!"

Hojo then stood in the way preparing for the transforming. He smiled and closed his eyes as he heard the sweet sound of the machine reading to fire into his body. Vincent looked in horror as his nightmares returned to him in full, but so much more badly because of the unbearable horror Hojo was forcing on his son.

I'm willing to sacrifice for those whom I love—but are you? Were the words that came to Vincent's mind like Gilmore had just spoke them.

"Yes," whispered Vincent as he got up.

Shelke opened her eyes just in enough time to see Hojo standing before the machine that would turn her beloved son into a monster. She gasped and her eyes widened.

"No!" she inhaled as she stood up quickly and ready to try and run to him, but stopped seeing Vincent already in the process of doing just that.

It all happened like in slow motion to Shelke. It seemed to last forever, but so quickly. She felt as if she were a statue in time not being able to say or do anything to change the outcome of the future. All her mind could say it 'no!'.

Vincent made it just in time to push Gilmore out of the way and make the ultimate sacrifice right then. The machine shot out and hit Vincent instead of Gilmore who now fell a couple of feet beside him on the ground where he was pushed.

Cloud stopped in a hallway as a force came to him and pushed him back like a large hot wind. He shielded himself but didn't know what was going on. He looked up to see where this force was coming from and found it was coming from a room. He hoped he wasn't too late.

"Oh no," he whispered.

Even the force pushed its way outside to the Deepground battle. All seemed to stop as the force came and took everyone's attention. Deepground retreated at the sight of the darkening sky and lights from the inside.

"Cloud, be careful," whispered Tifa knowing it was coming from the inside and not knowing who caused this abnormity.

"What's going on?!" asked Barret shielding his eyes from the lights that seemed to brighten.

"You got me!" said Cid trying to withstand the force pushing against them.

Just a second before everything ceased Gilmore came back to. Hojo had been forced out of him by the blast and never to be heard of again. He groaned from a pain in his body and soon found himself covered in blood. He looked around and then saw Vincent standing a couple feet from him in front of this machine that didn't look to pleasing to the eye.

"What?!" he gasped seeing Vincent's body glow a scarlet red and then cease as he hunched over and fell to his knees.

"D-dad!" he gasped struggling to sit up right.

Just as he said that Vincent fell over on his side. He hit the floor and wasn't moving. He looked so limp he could have passed for one as dead.

"Dad!" cried Gilmore trying to get up, but soon two hands were on him.

Gilmore looked up and saw his mother with worried eyes and behind the worry fear. He inhaled and then looked back at Vincent who still wasn't moving. Shelke signaled she didn't want Gilmore to move, but he wanted to—no matter how much his body ached from unknown injuries.

"Shelke, Gilmore," came a voice from the doorway.

Shelke turned to see Cloud standing there with his sword raised just in case anything were to happen. She smiled a little and shifted her position saying—

"Cloud!"

"What happened?" he asked putting his sword away and coming to them.

"Vincent," she gasped as tears began to mingle with her sweat on her face.

Shelke didn't need to say anymore. Cloud's eyes narrowed as he looked at Vincent who lay motionless only some feet from them. Cloud stood up and slowly walked over to him. Shelke and Gilmore grasp each other tightly afraid for Cloud to verify he's dead.

Cloud looked on his old friend and let his mouth drop slightly seeing him like he was. Cloud's eyes scanned him seeing how no silver strands of hair lay in his raven locks. As a matter of fact he looked just as he had 18 years ago. Like head never aged at all.

Cloud knelt down to him and checked his pulse. He couldn't really feel any and so took out a small blade up to Vincent's lips. Once he saw it fog up he sighed and let all his worries drop. He turned to Vincent's wife and son and smiled with a nod saying—

"He's still alive."

Shelke let out a heavy sigh of relief as she hugged Gilmore close. Tears formed in her eyes just so happy they were all alive. Gilmore though didn't really know what to do. His body was aching all over and his father lay unconscious because he was hit by some blast that he knew was of no good intention.