Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters! Cause if I did Zack would never have died!
Recap: Cloud, Reno, and Rude head to a hidden Hojo lab and then get attack by two dragons. Cloud gets hit but Vincent saves the day. Rufus is plotting ways to save Marlene and Denzel from Tifa. Tifa is not the best person to care for children.
C4tth3gr34t: I am super sorry about how long it has taken to update but fanfiction will not let me. there is some error message that pops up everytime I try to update. Also random info, Rufus has trained Reno no to swear in front of children. He does want Reno corrupting them.
Chapter 3: Death by cuteness and a new friend, maybe?
"Well, I think this was the lab Hojo was using before Sephorith killed him. This data looks only two years old. I can't tell what he was doing here, but I know which rooms we should check. There are only two rooms with power being used in large quantities." Rude looked up from the computer and headed to the door on the other side of the room.
"I, for one, am very unimpressed. SO far all we have found are dusty rooms and computers, not a single monster to fight." Reno followed his partner with Cloud and Vincent close behind.
"Let's count our blessings, while they last Reno. For all we know both of these two rooms have huge monsters designed to kill Soldiers." Cloud was wary of the lab. It brought up unpleasant memories of watching Zack die.
"I, too, find it strange that there have not been any Hojo-made monsters appearing to inhabit this lab. This means there was something he thought was so important that he couldn't trust monsters to guard it without causing it harm." Vincent pulled Death Penalty from its holster and watched while Rude checked the door.
"Reno, it's locked. Open it." Rude stood back and let Reno work his magic. In under a minute the door slid open and the green glow of Mako spilled into the hallway.
"Are those children?" Cloud rushed into the room putting his sword away as he neared the three Mako tubes with three silver haired children floating in them. "Reno we need to free them!" Cloud began to look around for a way to open the tubes without damaging the children.
"Cloud, calm yourself, these children carry a resemblance to Sephorith. They could be back-up clones made to take Sephorith's place should something happen to him." Vincent was in the doorway, watching as both Turks aided Cloud in his search. Cloud whirled to glare at Vincent. "I don't care if they are mini-Jenovas, they are children and no child should ever have to be left in Mako. Rude try to find some clothes for the kids."
"Rude, ya'd better listen, 'cause Cloud is in mama-chocobo mode! Hey! Watch the face, and I think I found the way to open the tubes." Reno dodged Cloud's swipe and hit a hidden button. The Mako began to drain and the children lowered to the ground in little heaps. Rude came back in with an arm-full of child-sized clothing and towels. Once the Mako drained completely the tubes opened. Cloud rushed to take the breathing masks off the children and wipe off the Mako as best he could. Reno and Rude help him put the unconscious children in the too big clothes.
"We will have to carry them even when they wake. I checked and there are no shoes for the children." Vincent slinked back into the room with an olive branch.
"Thanks, Vincent but who knows when the children will wake up. They have been in Mako for at least two years." Cloud smoothed the hair on the smallest child.
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"Shera, was Cloud here a few days ago? I can see his shitting bike in front of the fucking inn." Cid sat down at the table as Shera served him tea and lunch. "I think so, but he forgot to come say 'hello', but I think he is doing something with the red-headed and the bald Turk." Shera sat down across from Cid with her own meal.
"Humph, Cloud really needs to say 'no' to those two. The bike needs a tune up from the look of it. I will go and take it to fix it up after I drink my tea." Cid tucked into his meal.
"Cid Highwind, I would almost say you care about that boy." Shera giggled at Cid's expression.
"Lady, I know ya' crazy but that statement takes it to new levels. I care about that bike! It's the only bike I made and I won't let it get destroyed!" Cid hid the flush across his face.
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As the group walked, Rude, Reno, and Cloud carried a child each on their backs. Three small groans made the group stop and set the children down. "I can't believe that they are waking up so soon." Cloud watched as three green eyes opened and focused on him. Their eyes widened and the children threw themselves at Cloud. "Big Brother, we knew you would save us! Hojo kept saying how you wouldn't and how you hated us, but we did believe him at all!" the children wailed as one and started crying.
"Hush, it's all right. I am here now, I'm sorry that it took me so long to find you three." Cloud gathered the small bodies into his arms and comforted them.
"Heh, the only times when Cloud can show emotion is with children. I told you that he is a mama-chocobo!" The three children glared at Reno and growled. Reno backed away with his hand in the air and went to pick the lock for the other powered room.
"Hush, Reno is my friend even though he is an idiot. Now tell me, do you know who else Hojo had in this lab?" Cloud stood up and watched Reno and Rude enter the room.
"Not his name but Hojo laughed about how trusting and weak he was." The smallest one with hair to his shoulders said, while clinging to Clouds leg, the other two were quick to follow.
"I see, well then can you tell me your names? Hojo stole my memory so I don't know them if he ever told me about you three."
"Kadaj!" said the youngest with medium length hair.
"I'm Loz." Whimpered the oldest with short hair.
"I am Yahzoo." Whispered the second oldest with long hair.
"I see very good names, don't you agree, Vincent." Cloud looked over his shoulder at the dark man.
"Yes and it seems you have picked up three more strays Cloud, though they are very cute and tame." Vincent made no sound as he walked to the little group. The three children stared at him with huge eyes. "Also, their eyes are just like Sephorith's."
"So, Big Brother is better than Eldest Brother any day 'cause he is soft and warm like a mother." Yahzoo said cuddling into Cloud's leg with his brothers nodding in agreement.
"I see, I knew ya'd be a great mother Cloud! But this is not a good time to spar Cloud; we need you to see who is in this tube." Reno ducked Clouds punch and slided back into the room.
"This can't be good. Children stay with Vincent. He will watch you. I will right back out." Cloud untangled himself ignoring the complaints of the children. He walked into the room and there is a back corner was a tube of Mako with Zack floating in it. "But you died, I watched you die." Cloud walked in a daze to the tube and rested his hands against the glass.
"Well, Brat, it looks like you were too messed up to see that Zack was just barely alive and I guess once you left Hojo found him and fixed him up and continued the experiments. He rigged it so that the tube will not open, Cloud. It is going to take days to open the tube." Reno tried to approach Cloud to remove him from the room, Rude was talking quietly but quickly into his cell phone.
"No, I won't leave him here in pain!" Cloud yelled and suddenly everything but the Turks was pushed against the walls and the glass of tube was cracked.
"Idiot, if the Mako touches you, you will lose control completely!" Reno and Rude tried to move but found that they couldn't lift their arms. "Vincent, get in here! Cloud is losing it!"
Vincent followed by the children ran into the room. Kadaj was hit by a stray piece of debris and cried out in pain. Cloud was snapped out of it and ran to check on the little boy. While Cloud was comforting Kadaj and kissing away the boo-boo, Loz walked over to the tube. He looked at the man inside then at Cloud and then back at the man in the tube and punched the glass shattering it. The Mako rushed out but Loz was unaffected. The adults watched as the little boy picked up Zack's arms and walked over to the door. "Big brother, he needs clothes. Did I do a good thing?" Loz was timid as he shuffled over to Cloud's free arm. "Can I have another hug?"
Cloud laughed. "Of course you can, little brother." Cloud hugged Loz which quickly was joined by the other two. Rude once again emerged with clothes in his arms, along with boots. "Rude, are those first class Soldier uniforms?" Reno inspected the clothes and picked out the size that would fit Zack. "Yes. They were all I could find."
Reno and Rude went over to the unconscious Zack and as they were about to flip him to make it easier to put his clothes on, he groaned and said "Guys, first off I don't swing that way and second we aren't that close. I can put my own clothes on."
"Holy mother—Ouch Cloud! Too hard!" Reno doubled over in pain from the punch Cloud threw.
"Zack, how are you awake? You have been in that tube for at least three years." Rude helped Zack with the laces on the boots. Once done, Zack bounced up and saw Cloud and the three children surrounding him. "Please, I am a Soldier first class, a little Mako can't keep me down! So Cloud when were you going to tell me that you and Sephorith reproduced? Am I the godfather?"
"Zack!" Cloud threw a keyboard at Zack which was dodged and Zack pounced and gave him a bone-crushing hug, as in it would have crushed to bones of a normal human. Cloud tried to break free before giving up and returning the hug. Zack let Cloud go after a few minutes and then turned to Reno and hugged him. "Hey, hey! I don't hug!" Reno tried harder than Cloud but still gave up until Zack let him go and gave Rude a fist bump. "So who are the little guys?" Zack bent down and inspected the children and laughed when they inspected him back.
"They are related to Sephorith in same way but Hojo- Red Alert Experiment escape! Lab detonation in one minute.
"Well I vote we get out of here and continue this talk back in the inn." Vincent moved to the door and walked out.
"I agree!" Reno followed Vincent out with Rude right behind him. As Cloud and Zack herded the children in front of them, Zack asked. "Who is Mr. tall, dark, and broody?" Zack picked up Loz and Yazoo without breaking stride as Cloud picked up Kadaj, they quickened their pace to catch up with the other three.
"His name is Vincent Valentine and no he does not like nicknames. He was experimented on by Hojo and then put into status, right around the time Hojo started his Jenova experiments."
"Ah, you freed him and he joined your group." Zack exited right before Cloud and ran to the Helicopter that Reno had already started it. He and Cloud leapt onto the helicopter as it left the ground.
End of Chapter
Author's note: Hi! So I would update more often but my editor is writing 2 stories as well, so she is kinda busy! I heart the people who have reviewed and I will respond to the reviews at the end of the chapters. Yes it is an evil plan to make you keep reading my story and then "Pinky we will take-over the world!" *evil laugh* Also, Sephorith killed Hojo when he killed Shin-Ra Sr. because I think he needed to get revenge and Hojo needed to die at the hands of his greatest Experiment, Karma!
HazzaTL3: Thanks for the review! I am glad you like my story. Could you review and tell me what didn't make sense to you? I will be happy to explain it better!
Mayuko-chan: Thanks for letting me know you like my story! I heart your review! I will keep writing!
P.S. All reviewers will be getting a hypothetical Zack Hug as a reward!