Now the last chap I posted probably put a few of you at ease. However I intend to be a master of suspense and mush all at once. For all of the cloti fans I'm sorry but I'm gona let the two love birds rest for a while and focus on something that basically counts as filler. This will delve in on Zack's pov. A character I found a liking to over the course of making this story. Before you shut it down though it's a key factor in the story so if ya don't pay attention you may not know what's going on later.

Anyway we left with Zack having memories and not exactly a good handle on the situation. Cloud and Tifa are down and out as of the point and so is Koty. Yuffie is also unnerved by the current events and the rest of the team is for lack of a better word restless. Shelke has been noted as a lookalike to the girl in Koty's soul possession 'the photo' and now Vincent is displaying even more suspicion than usual. What will happen? Time to figure out.

All is 'Fair' in love and war:

"Man. I wish Aer was here….. She was always better at these kina things." Zack thought out loud as he made his way to the stairs. He noted the rest of the crew eyeing Koty suspiciously and wandered why they were so interested.

'What in leviathans' name' he was glowing. Not in the in love sense but literally illuminating the area. A cool white aura pervaded him and shelve seemed to be the only one who was not adversely frightened by the phenomena.

"Shelke. Get away from him. He's dangerous." Vincent was being unusually worried as a nervous hand cautiously gripped Cerberus.

"he's harmless. He is healing." She said omnipotently "he has been doing this for well over an hour. If he were going to harm me he would have attempted so long ago."

Vincent grudgingly gritted his teeth and moved to sit at a bar stool in the other room. The situation was obviously affecting him.

"So is he alive" Zack inquired for the hope of formalities. Though he was fairly sure the answer.

"Nah dumbass he's fadin into the life stream." cid mocked him with 'duh' reply.

"Right." Zack tried not to insult the older gentlemen.

"How are spike and Tifa man. I gota know. Little Marlene's worried and I'm sure Denzel aint exactly thrilled about the situation eitha." Barret was next to assault his ears.

"They're fine. Just resting. Say. Where's Vincent."

"Ahh. Vampiya boy is sulkin it ova in the bar. He doesn't like Shelke hangin around this dude. I don't know who he is but he got a rude awakinin comin to him when he gets up. No one man handles my girl like that. Not even spike." Barret was being serious.

"I don't think you want to test him much besides Tifa was being a bit stubborn." Yuffie butted in "even if he had hurt her I don't know as if it would be a good idea to attack him. Still though he wouldn't do that. I think he's gota crush on her."

"I doubt it." Zack intervened "the way he talks is more like a brother or father than a crush. Same way with cloud. I don't know about him…. He gets under my skin though."

"Well even if he did I don't blame him. Hell if cloud wasn't such a damn threat I think half of the bar patrons would cop a feel of Tifa. Though I think she would be more of a threat then he would at that point."

"So true."

"Sublime." A loud shout came from the couch and all of the team were startled as Koty was seen darting upstairs seemingly unaffected by the events previous.

"What, in, the, hell." cid scratched his head at the man's sudden burst of energy.

"Guess he heals quickly." Yuffie stood slack jawed "what did you do to him" she whispered to Shelke who simply shrugged with a quizzical look plastered to her face.

"Sublime? Is that a good thing… maybe we should check on him." Zack stated.

A gunshot from the next room startled the team.

"What the. Vincent" Yuffie screamed before running into the bar.

"Yuffie stay out." He sounded nervous. "Stay in there all of you."

Seconds later a wash of white and gold blurred past them. It was Koty. He had apparently heard the shot.

"You come for a devil and now you see your monster and run. Cowards. If you return expect fate to be your companion in hell."

Screams of pain fear and slight panic filled the room and the surrounding outside world. Whatever had just happened it left someone in a lot of pain.

"What the hell." Zack rushed in to see a body on the floor and Vincent reloading Cerberus while Koty shut the door.

"Lithium" Vincent responded.

"li-what"

"the mercs." He sounded impatient and agitated. "they're getting braver"

"that was a recon squad. Poorly armed and no biotech." Koty inferred his bass tone voice shaking Zack's very core with its chilling promise of things to come. "it's good that we didn't kill them all. They'll avoid coming if they suspect we are more of a threat. However this means they will keep scouting until they find a weak spot to exploit. Let's hope they don't discover the children."

"children…." Zack was confused. He had noticed Denzel and Marlene but had yet to be acquainted with them "you mean they live here…. Man clouds been busy."

"they're not his children." Vincent voiced as he holstered his gun and Koty moved quickly back to his room upstairs.

"man he's an odd one… is he some sort of mental patient? Cause he acts a little…. Tipsy" Zack waved his hands dramatically.

"yes he's odd but Tifa is convinced he is harmless. I'm not so convinced that he is but for her sake, leviathan knows she has enough problems; i'll refrain from voicing my opinion. She seems to think he is safe. And I doubt his true intentions but I also believe if he had intended harm he would have inflicted it far sooner."

"any way. So what about the kids. They don't live here or they do, you said they weren't spike's so who's are they?"

"Denzel is clouds foster son. Marlene is more or less Barret's. But she stays here due to his business requiring extensive travel." He added "Tifa has that motherly quality though I feel sometimes too much. I really don't understand why she is so fixated on caring for others."

"because it's the right thing to do. Why else. Besides she needs something to keep cloud from drivin her nuts with the silence. I mean honestly he rarely talks at all." He received silence as an answer to his reply "for that matter neither do you."

Vincent left the room without another word. To Zack he had no idea whether to blow it off as a lack of speech or take it as an insult, but being that Vincent had the gun he wouldn't push it if it was.

"wait. Who are these lithium guys? And why are we shooting them." Zack stated still staring at the body on the floor which immediately erupted in a violent light and evaporated "what in the name a…?"

"they do that." Koty had returned "it's a result of the high amount of SPR, SPIRITUAL PSYCOSIS RESIDUE, in them. They are destroyed after their body's cease function."

"spiri….. ah never mind. So what does that mean?"

"it simply means that they are far from human, but it doesn't mean indestructible. SPR is the power of spiritual essence from the ethereal plain turned into a 'liquid' base. When infused….."

"okay. So they aren't normal that's all I need. Anyways what about you I never did catch your story. Why the hell are you here?"

It took a while but Koty explained to Zack the current situation. Zack felt that he'd missed a lot in his absence.

"wow…. That's a bit…. Sad." He slumped onto a stool "I just don't know what to say…."

"words are often overrated….."

"that's the plainest thing you've said as of yet." He scoffed. "so what about this thing you have with Tifa…… you two…?"

"not hardly" his tone was now far lighter. "I find her intriguing but not... how do you say this….. she's not my type."

"first how do you do that?"

"do what?"

"change your voice like that"

"it happens when I use my spiritual prowess…. Just one of the many things that evades even my knowledge"

"in other words you don't know. Kay. Now that we've got that outa the way. On to number two" he sighed.

"which is?"

"since you don't find Tifa to be your type… does that make Shelke your type."

Koty winced at the sentence which brought a sinister grin to Zack's features.

"she catches your eye huh. Don't blame you she's cute. But ya know Vincent seems to…" he was cut short.

"there is nothing there" Koty's voice became dark once again and Zack momentarily felt threatened "there can be nothing there. All that is there is gone…. With her."

"with who?" his interest was piqued.

"Kara……"

He left the room quickly and with it he left questions in Zack's mind. 'I wander who Kara is. Or more rather why she's so important'

"you brought her up didn't you…?" Shelke's voice slipped through the quiet.

"yeah… but he won't talk about it."

"he wouldn't discuss it with me either. Whatever happened must have been very traumatic."

"he seems to have the hots for ya though"

"umm" blush slightly invaded her face "don't say that. Please."

"sorry didn't know it was such a sore subject. You like'em though."

"I barely know him."

"but that doesn't mean there can't be anything. Just give it some time I bet he'll warm up a bit. Unless you and Vince are going easy or something."

"no….." she quickly jabbed trying to silence his onslaught of embarrassing antics "we're just close friends. That's all. He's just protective."

"you mean hostile as hell. He was gona cap him. But when you said he was harmless he laid off. Ya know I bet he's upstairs right now…" she put her hand over his mouth.

"don't. please no more. Just stop." She chuckled knowing there was no ill intent behind his jokes but also being serious.

She left the room and Zack felt a slight pride in himself for being so assertive. 'someone's gona get laid this week I can tell. Wonder if its gona be spike or Shelke. Hell maybe both.'

He lifted himself from his stool and walked back to the stairs not bothering to pay attention to the random conversation going on. However even though he ignored the banter of the group he payed attention to the clattering and banging coming from a room somewhere upstairs. 'wonder what the ruckus is.' He found the door easily by following a periodic slamming sound. 'is that Koty? What the hell is he doing?' He went to turn the handle and his heightened senses picked up a hostile presence coming from clouds room.

"spikes." He darted for the door and threw it open to reveal a set of glowing goggles attached to a shadowed figure. "hey what the hell are you doing?"

The figure presumably male was gliding a shimmering blade dangerously close to Tifa's left breast but before he could make his strike Zack startled him. Without a sound he dashed at Zack who with relative ease took him to the floor.

"drop it." He twisted the man's arm brutally until the knife fell from his hand. "why are you here? Cloud get up we've got a problem!" it was useless. Cloud was unresponsive "Tifa! Cloud! Jeez you guys sleep heavy…. Who are you? What do you want." Zack twisted again receiving no answer.

"what's going on up here" Yuffie pushed the door open "what are you doing!"

"this bastard was gona knife Tifa…"

"move!!!" Yuffie cut Zack short as a second assailant leapt at Zack who barely dodged the knife aimed at his throat. "that's it you're goin down." She tackled one of the men with surprising force and Zack took that moment to rebound and assault the other.

They were winning. The assailants were stealthy but fortunately unskilled in physical combat. With Zack's enhanced abilities and Yuffies extensive training they seemed to easily overpower the men. The entire time Tifa and cloud disturbingly slept through the loud racket of breaking bones and floorboards.

"damn they won't even wake up with all of this…. Screw it. Since you're not gona gimme info I guess that makes you guys are pretty useless huh." He raised the man in his clutches and readied to finish him "you know what that means"

"don't. he is one of them." Koty broke the tension as he shoved Zack away violently "they can be useful." They at first stood but then they seemed to freeze in place. After a few moments they began to levitate and then were slammed together. "bind them I will deal with them later. For now we will check on them."

They were asleep from the looks of things. 'why is he bothering I got here close but their fine?' Zack thought to himself.

"as I thought they weren't assassins. They're collectors." Koty spoke slightly irritatedly.

"collectors of what." Yuffie after helping Zack tie off the men questioned the sentences.

"samples. They think that they have something. Quaint. But I will see to it personally that they don't succeed"

"samples hey man what the hell kina samples are they collecting." Zack was panicked. "that knife wasn't meant for pieces."

"soul samples. They hoped to harvest them and would have succeeded should you have been seconds behind what you were." He pointed to Tifa's chest which was bare from her shoulder down and a small cut adorned upon her left breast.

"why there." Yuffie was puzzled "fuckin perves."

"its close to her heart. Could've done a lot of damage. But still I'm curious." Zack lied he was sure they meant to kill.

"a fatal wound is necessary to release the soul. The heart would be an easy organ to exploit. Much quicker than bleeding out. Causes shock and blood loss. An easy kill. Textbook boys." Koty commented aggravated and under his breath as he looked at clouds hand placed delicately over her heart. "so he desires you so. Then I shall spare no expense. You shall have that which you desire. Because I….." he trailed off.

"so they were going to kill them. Just to….. ugh. That's awful. Don't they care that they were going to die." Yuffie was appalled at their lack of respect for life.

"all's fair in love and war kid." Zack shrugged.

The trio left the room. And Zack followed Koty back to his confines. He didn't think Koty noticed as he cracked the door watching him interrogate the men.

They didn't appear too shaken by his brutality when he struck one of them across the face. Nor when he broke the leg of one. They were either really strong or they couldn't speak. That amount of pain almost made Zack hurt. 'Jesus. This guys brutal.' When Zack thought that the worst was over Koty surprised him by executing them. They began to glow and then dissipated.

"son of a." he continued to watch as the man went to the desk and removed a small flower from a basket on the floor.

He said some words and then a mist formed around the flowers. It swirled up and around in a circular pattern. It was wispy yet thick like smoke but less heavy. It flowed and ebbed easily with no wind notable in the room.

In the mist a silhouette formed. It looked to be a female apparition. And Koty oddly spoke to it.

"he misses you. So does Zack. Did you know him…. I see……" he spoke as if the mist could react with him. "sublime…… I have realized my failures….. no………… I understand. But if I should you must understand cloud he has…….. so you knew……… I see…….. until next time……….. farewell."

'who… what was he doing. What did he say…..? alright now I'm confused I could have sworn he used my name.' Zack was puzzled by the event. 'this is insane. But then again I'm use to being dead…. So I guess the whole worlds gone crazy huh….. great……. No rest for the wicked huh….' He thought over the matter before returning to cloud and Tifa's room to stand watch. 'well I can't leave you two stumps alone. Gota keep an eye peeled.' With that he drifted into an alert but dormant state ready to spring into action the moment trouble reared its ugly head. 'I won't lose you too spike. I've already been pulled away and stolen from once. You aren't gona bail on me here.'