Chapter 6

Cloud followed Rude through the many twists and turns of the inner tunnels which lay beneath the Shinra building. He hated being back here, but being up against new weapons in his foreseeable future was probably something he should prepare himself for. This also meant that Shinra was heading back to their old ways, and Cloud couldn't allow that to happen.

"If you head straight down there and climb up the stairs to level 60, you'll find yourself in the rafters above the arena." Cloud nodded, and thanked Rude for the information. "It's not a problem." Cloud went to leave when he felt Rude pull at his arm. "You can't get involved in this meeting, this is just a way for you to see what you're up against so you can prepare yourself. That way, Rufus will just think you are dynamic. If you interrupt then Reno and I will be found out. Tseng can only keep so much hidden from the boss." Cloud huffed in annoyance as he could see killing Rufus would be the easiest option here. "And I know you hate Reno, but he's really not that bad when you get over his brash nature. Plus, I can't imagine Tifa would be too happy..." Cloud looked up at the pleading Rude and nodded his understanding.

"No interfering." Rude smiled broadly.

"No matter what." Cloud nodded again as he turned and ran ahead. Rude headed back the way he had come, wanting to get to the arena as soon as possible. This whole expedition was far too dangerous for his liking.

Cloud charged down the corridor, his back giving him a bit of bother. He really needed to sort that bench out and make it a little more comfortable, its chiselled edges proving to be quite damaging. The stairs that Rude had mentioned were just round the next corner, though he had at least another ten minutes of climbing to do. He sighed as he counted the floors as he passed them, a little annoyed that he had to climb the whole way. But staying hidden was the whole point of the mission, so he would just have to make do.

He reached level 60 only slightly out of breath, his sward not helping very much with it weighing practically the same as himself. He approached the rafters of the ceiling above the conference room, and quietly slinked along until he was in the middle. Here he found a small perch that allowed him to see the whole room as well as him being out of sight of Rufus and his gang of fat, money grabbing, arseholes that he called colleagues. And there, he waited for the weapons' show to begin.

...

The group were filed into a large conference room that had been converted into some kind of battle arena. Kotetsu felt her hair stand on end as her minder leant into her, his breath thick with hatred and probably dinner from the last three weeks...

"You better fucking get picked, because if I have to be with you for one more day, I think I might have to accidentally kill you... starvation is a horrible way to go, don't you think?" Kotetsu stared ahead, keeping her face straight as she pretended she hadn't heard a thing. A man in a white suit stood up from his chair and signalled for the master to enter the large fighting area.

"I am Rufus Shinra, and I welcome you all with open arms." Rufus raised his arms in a welcoming way, though a little over the top she couldn't help but think. "Please come closer." Rufus began to walk down the stairs into the middle of the arena, his arms still out stretched like a god. The master gestured for the six teenagers to line up in formation. Kotetsu's minder tugged her hair lightly, indicating that he was not about to let her go back home. "Such small creatures. I was under the impression we were about to embark on one of the greatest weapons experiments in the world, yet I see only children before me." Rufus seemed unconvinced of the value of the amount he was about to pay for what he thought he was getting, but he would give them a chance to prove themselves nevertheless.

"Ah! But looks can often be deceiving. I hope you have the very best of your machinery that you are not too attached to." Rufus raised an eyebrow at the master's confidence, but then smiled in excitement.

"I have prepared what you asked for. Now let us set the table, and let the game begin!" Rufus made an exaggerated gesture as he spun round on one foot, and ascended back up the stairs again. "Reno, send in the machinery and have them ready at the right side. Anonymous,' Rufus sneered, "would you care to set up your own weaponry at the other side? I trust you also have a presentation ready?" The master nodded and clicked his fingers. Kotetsu and her group lined up on the left side as the master pointed at his helpers to hold up sheets of paper with his prepared speech. He sighed as he readied himself, his eyes cruel and calculating.

"Gentlemen," The master opened his speech with his booming voice echoing throughout the arena. "I would like to represent to you the awesome power of the newest in biological weapons." He scoffed at his own joke. "These weapons were born and bred for one purpose." He gave a pregnant pause to add to the effect. "To obey." He studied the expressions of the others in the room, a mix of amazement and scepticism. "They have been bred and experimented on to receive the best in all abilities; fighting, tracking, disappearing, surviving, and most of all, they come with a set of trigger words that will override any emotions or human defects that could occur. We of course have treated them so that this will not happen, but nothing is ever 100% efficient. The words can also act as a boost, or an increase in power and fury on a battle field. They also have a sleep word that will stop them at any point, again encase of malfunction. But I assure you that this will not happen. The group also comes with a female, who is useful for infiltration missions. Her perfect physique and unique features make her a catch for any man, enough to cause a distraction and overturn your enemies." The master turned and stared at Kotetsu who was doing her best not to look back at him. "Step forward experiment A part 28." Kotetsu walked towards her master, stopping about a meter in front of him. "She has been practiced in the art of sexual intercourse, her skills being above average in the boudoir." Rufus lifted an eyebrow at this point. "This can also be good for general stress relief." The master had his cruel smile in place as he took Kotetsu's arm, and walked her to the foot of the stairs. "You can have a closer look if you would like?" Rufus shuffled in his chair a little, obviously not wanting to exploit the young girl in such a way.

Well in public anyway.

"I don't think I shall be using her for myself in such a way, but this is a useful trait that may come in handy with persuasion and infiltration missions." A certain meddling blonde 'saviour' will be getting his work cut out for him that was for sure. Rufus couldn't help but smile at his newly forming plans. Rufus descended the stairs and circled the girl, his analysing and calculating eyes taking in every inch of her. "I say..." he muttered. "Quite a fine specimen I must admit, despite the bruising and scars..." Rufus rubbed his chin as he continued to look at her as if she were some kind of thing. He then returned to his seat and gestured for the master to continue. Kotetsu stayed where she was as the master continued to big up herself and her colleagues.

...

Cloud tried his best to stay completely still, wanting to catch every word this mystery man was saying. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. No wonder Kotetsu was in such a state, she was a freaking weapon. And not only that! She didn't even look of age, yet she was an expert on sex? He forced himself to calm down again, his hatred for the potential seller making him shake with rage. Rude's words echoed in his head, but did he really care if the two Turks got caught out? It was of course them that had helped him find Kotetsu again, and they had been useful over the year, but he could end Kotetsu's suffering in one swift motion! But he was far too emotional... he was just going to get himself and others hurt or even killed. He had no idea what the sweet girl was capable of, and if this psycho was serious, he could be in some real trouble.

He could see Reno standing at the side, his eyes looking straight ahead, right at Kotesu. He must have put 2 and 2 together, quite a step up for the stupid fool. Cloud again tried to relax himself. Taking it out on Reno was not going to do any good.

He shifted his stance carefully, trying to get a better look at the fragile girl he knew nothing about. Her skin looked bruised still, though most of her cuts were clearing up. This was a good sign, though her being in a battle arena didn't bode well...

...

"A demonstration is really the only way to sell such an item, and if you would like, we can begin now?" the master gestured for Kotetsu to return to her position in formation, and she did so without hesitation. She looked over at the weapons ahead of her, not really looking forward to the task at hand.

"Yes. I suppose that would be the best thing wouldn't it." Rufus clapped his hands, and the metallic monsters came to life. The master turned to the group of biological weapons, his eyes filled with excitement and greed.

"Experiment A part 3! You will go first." Kotetsu let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been keeping in. 3 was the 6th best in the group. It had taken him a little while to pull through the training without a beating, though he had survived, making him a lot better than the other 44 who didn't... But then again, being the worst of the six meant he was tortured more often, so it could even be said that those who were dead were probably the best off...

The boy stepped forward, his eyes as dead as his soul. He stared ahead at his opponent, a huge machine with chainsaw bits and guns in all sorts of places. He waited patiently for his orders, and the master gave them quickly. The boy jumped into action, his thin but solid muscles contracting and relaxing visibly through his skin. His fight was a little messy, but he quickly gained the upper hand, confusing the machine into shooting it own leg, which then resulted in it falling over where it was prey to the wild experiment A part 3. Kotetsu sighed quietly as she recognised the guilt and remorse that the boy held in his eyes, a slight limp showing that he had been injured.

"That was of course the worst of the team." Rufus's eyes shot open as he heard this, obviously very impressed with the whole thing.

"And who is your best?" the master smirked as he looked over at the group.

"There are two. Experiment A part 28, the female, and Experiment A part 37." He gestured for them both to step forward. "They hold such grace in their moves, their calculating minds most useful in tactical fights." Rufus nodded his understanding, and requested a demonstration. The master nodded before asking Kotetsu to step forward.

Rufus also introduced his strongest weapon, a much bigger metal monster, its guns and sharp weapons swinging, slashing and targeting. But this wasn't something that Kotetsu wasn't used to. Her master called out some formations, and she was off, her mind judging distances, and calculating probabilities. She raced to and fro, throwing off the targeting systems of the mechanical abomination. She reached the metal clump and jumped into the air, narrowly avoiding any sharp edged weapons. Once on top of the machinery she located the back panel which she ripped off, pulling out cables and motherboards, disabling the killing machine. It fell to the ground with a deafening thud, and Kotetsu walked off its back, unharmed.

"Impressive. So they are trained against machinery, but what about people?" Rufus was enjoying this demonstration very much, and had decided that he was definitely going to be purchasing a couple...

Maybe even them all...

"Each of them has been taught the skills necessary to disable an entire army. This is where the trigger words come in handy." Rufus gestured to one of the men sitting with him who then called out for the troops to enter.

"There are at least a hundred troops here, are you telling me one of your weapons can destroy the whole lot." The master nodded, his smile wide and his eyes excited. Rufus clapped his hands together as he waited for the last of afore mentioned team to enter the arena. The master gestured for Kotetsu to stay out, obviously needing her reliability to sell his product. She closed her eyes in preparation, knowing that she would be spilling more blood.

"Aranii Soli" Kotetsu felt her mind close coldly as her body kicked into action.

...

Cloud watched as Kotetsu burst into a flurry of movements, her elegant stride and calculated attacks proving that she was not a force to be reckoned with. He flinched as a bullet grazed her arm, but she remained un-phased by the pain as she tore through the crowd surrounding her, kicking and punching with bare knuckles and feet. Each strike was clean and precise, the Shinra troops falling back as she broke legs, arms and sometimes necks. Cloud glowered down at Rufus as he cheered her on, his excitement pissing him off beyond belief. He was finding it very hard to settle himself, to stay up in his safe perch. Another bullet grazed Kotetsu, this time on her cheek, causing blood to trickle down her neck, but she pressed on as if nothing had happened, like she were some kind of mindless drone. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sward, waiting for any opportunity to save the girl he had been recently dedicating his life to. But soon the battle was over, and the anonymous client spoke another set of wards that had Kotetsu collapsing to a heap on the floor, unconscious.

...

"Aoosa Narii" the master yelled the words out, and smiled as his precious girl hit the floor, blood staining her rags. Rufus was now standing, his hands clapping as he looked down on the carnage caused.

"Excellent. I will take all six." The master almost yelped in excitement, his plans finally coming to fruition. "In fact, how about we take on your business, you keep your position and everything will be the same, but all of your product will be mine. Of course I will pay for each one, but I will be your only buyer. And I assure you, you will not find a better offer than I have to give." The master nodded his head furiously, his eyes gleaming with greed. "Then it's settled. I will take these six just now, Reno, Tseng show them to their rooms, and we shall step into my office for your payment and to construct a contract for our partnership?" The master agreed, ordering the remaining five newly sold weapons to follow the two men in charge of their relocation.

Reno walked towards the sleeping girl, his hair standing on end. He wasn't sure if Cloud had known what he was getting himself in for when he had come in contact with the girl, but he was eternally grateful that he remained in his post. He glanced up at his hiding place to see that he had already gone, probably waiting to kick the shit out of him when he left the building.

He pushed his arms underneath Kotetsu's limp body, surprised at how pointed she was. Hopefully Rufus would feed them better than this lot had been, but then again, maybe this was the point of the experiment. Either way, it was a sick idea and he couldn't wait to get them out.

The walk to the rooms was extremely quiet, with none of the boys talking or making any noise of any sort. Even when Reno had tried to make conversation, none of them even looked him in the eye, just stared ahead, like cyborgs... But he knew the girl in his arms was real, her heart pounding slowly and rhythmically, the bruising on her body that was now forming and the blood that leaked from her was still warm. Though they could have just been very advanced cyborgs...

He allowed Tseng to show the boys to their own rooms while he entered the first, gently placing the sleeping girl in the not so comfortable bed provided. He sat next to her, brushing her unkempt hair back behind her ear, revealing her surprisingly beautiful face.

"No wonder the blonde fell for you." Reno muttered quietly, disappointment in the human race growing in him. He couldn't imagine the things the group had gone through to ensure that they were the weapons they were today, but he didn't think it would have been very pleasant. He sighed softly as he recounted the client's words, indicating that the girl was no stranger to the intimate touch of a male, which made him shiver slightly. "You don't look older than 14..." his heart broke as the girl shuffled in her slumber, her eyes screwing tightly shut when she leant on a particularly sore rib.

"Reno?" Tseng had appeared again, his expression concerned. "We have to go back now. Rufus won't be happy if you screw this up with your feelings." Tseng was always so straight forward; no diplomacy in his bones what so ever.

"Yeah thanks for that." Reno stroked the girl's cheek sympathetically before rising from his sitting position and leaving the room.

"Now you have tonnes of paper work to get through, and we meet at Rude's tonight at 8, got it?" Reno nodded looking over his shoulder for any listeners. "I checked already, idiot, you think I would say something like that for other's to hear?" Reno shrugged as they continued to walk towards their offices.

"It's fine, we're just playing poker!" Reno winked as he spun on his heel, disappearing off towards his office.

...

Cloud waited patiently in the red heads office, playing with things here and there. He cursed at his lack of action, annoyed that the asshole was making him wait, like he was avoiding him. Cloud jumped to attention as he heard the door knob turning, dashing over to hide behind the small cupboard that stood next to the door. To his relief the red head entered the room, shutting his door behind him.

"Talk!" Cloud held back his smile as Reno practically jumped out of his skin.

"Jesus man! I'm too old for this shit! What the fuck are you doing in here?" He hissed, quite annoyed that the blonde was potentially ruining everything.

"The girl. Where is she?" Reno felt his stomach drop.

"No! Not today. Do you realise how much of a health hazard you are?" Reno placed his hand on his heart, referring to his current heart attack.

"Reno, I have no time for your games. I will kill you if I have to." Reno didn't like the blondes demanding tone, but he did have his sward to hand.

"Look, I'll be over within the next couple of nights and we can sort this out. Just... you need to give me time. If you start bargin' about, thrusting that monstrosity of a sward in people's business, you're going to get a lot of people in trouble. Remember this isn't just about you!" Reno's temper had him almost shouting, but he stopped himself, afraid others could hear the commotion. The last thing he needed was to be caught conversing with the dumbass blonde...

"It's not just about you either!" Cloud wasn't taking the same consideration, his voice loud and uncaring.

"Look, if we're being honest here, what's one more day? She spent years that way, one more day of captivity isn't going to kill her." Reno's words lacked the confidence he had wanted them to convey, knowing full well that she was probably on the brink of death as it was...

"Did you see the same demonstration as me? She's going to be used as a weapon, and those other boys! What is wrong with you?" Reno bumped against the edge of the table as he shuffled away from the raging blonde.

"I promise you, we will get them out soon, but if we get caught 'cause you can't keep your voice down, no one's going to help her, do you understand?" Cloud snorted, obviously insulted.

"You guys have never stopped me before, what makes this so different?" Reno narrowed his eyes warningly.

"Tomorrow night. I'll be at the inn not long after 10." Cloud slammed his hands on the table Reno was trying to scuttle around, his eyes ablaze.

"You misunderstand me. I wasn't asking for your permission to take her, I was merely trying to make it easier to find the girl. But I guess I can wander down the corridors, whistling along my merry way until someone else turns up for me to beat answers out of." Cloud swiftly walked to the door, Reno's hand slamming on top of his as he reached the handle.

"Tonight then! Jesus!" Reno ran his hand through his hair, his firm grip on the blondes hand still in place. "We'll come up with a plan tonight..."

"You really don't get it, I'm not leaving without her." Cloud stared at the red head, all the hatred he held oozing out of him in waves. Reno found it difficult to breathe as he continued to hold Cloud in place.

"Please! There could be more to this than we know! I'm gonna search everything I can: where this happens, why and how. This is vital information if we're going to help these kids get their lives back. But I can't do any of that if I'm out looking for one of the missing and very expensive weapons that Rufus has been pining over for months now can I?" Cloud frowned as he began to see the situation in a new light, annoyed that not only did he sit through an entire attack on Kotetsu, but now he was having to go home and leave her behind for god knows what to happen to her.

"9, or I come here myself." Reno nodded, annoyed that the blonde somehow still seemed to be in control. Stupid Cloud...

Herro! How's everyone doing? Hope your still liking this wee story XD. Now the excitement is really beginning, Kotetsu's background now finally coming together.

Though i have to admit, i am loving making the banter between Reno and Cloud so violent and colourful. I just don't ever see them getting on and its quite fun making them argue all the time XD

But anyhooooo! Hope you are all still enjoying the story and the directions I'm taking. would love to hear what you guys think, and thanks ever so much to those who have already commented XD loving it! XD

cya!