Part III Chapter V

The doors opened with a faint ping, releasing their passenger in the center of Midgar. To the left, the way to the SOLDIER compound. To the right…

Towering above everything, looming in the faintly green-tinged gray sky was the ShinRa building, windows glowing brightly as the sun began to set. It was a bit of a distance from the elevator, but it wouldn't be hard at all to get there. After all, only SOLDIERs and ShinRa personnel had access to the elevator so it was inside the main security perimeter. Cloud tugged on the uniform he'd slipped on over his clothes on the way up, the best idea would be to…confiscate one of the helmets the guards in the building used, that way his burns would be covered and he wouldn't look as out of place. But…it wasn't really worth the risk. The stairs would take him up to the 60th floor; there weren't that many personnel that high up. As long as he was careful, he should be fine…

-

Zack walked up to the white picket gate—it was so out of place down here—and the cheerful, quaint piece of landscaping tried its hardest to make this seem like a normal day, a normal visit, where he'd just hover around and bug Vinny to no end, compliment Elmyra on her cooking, pester Aeris about how well she knew Cloud, and then gossip about said pointy-haired, chocobo-headed SOLDIER to whoever would listen. He almost let himself believe that, but the abnormally heavy weight of the folder under his arm shattered that delusion quite easily.

"Get a grip Zachary." The SOLDIER muttered to himself, shaking his head furiously and pushing through the gate. The lights in the windows shone warmly, invitingly, even though the simulated sunlight that served as the Slum's 'day' indicator hadn't started dimming yet. A familiar rustling and a faint squawk came from the gardens. Just like every other visit, SpitFyre, the now three-year old black chocobo stuck her head over the top of the garden's hedges upon hearing the creak of the gate, and threw a rather enthusiastic warble in Zack's direction. He smiled weakly and waved at the bird—it hadn't been too long ago when the bird would come bursting out of the hedges whenever someone came, which would wreak some of the less hardy plants, and leave the unlucky visitor (generally him) to get tackled by a few hundred pounds of chocobo.

He continued his way up the path—slowly, it seemed to stretch on and on before him, the house pulling further away from him with each step he took. Not that he minded, he really didn't want to do this now—

The gate creaked behind him. Zack flinched, but resisted the urge to turn around. Maybe it was just Aeris. He could deal with Aeris. Though he didn't want to tell her that Cloud was dea—

"What are you doing here Zack?" And it just had to be Vincent's voice that cut through the air. Why was this so hard? He was a SOLDIER for Gaea's sake, he wasn't afraid of telling the truth! Steeling his courage he turned around, pulling the heavy folder away from where it had been plastered at his side, "Well Vincent…you see…" And he stopped and stared.

"Zack…?" The confusion didn't quite manage to draw Zack's attention away from the glittering, gold, sharp, metal that covered Vincent's left hand, the hand that was usually left unused and completely covered by an over-long sleeve, sometimes even tied off at the end. That sleeve was rolled up now, golden-colored claws curled around the handles of a white plastic bag, containing what seemed to be…groceries? It wasn't even the gauntlet that seemed so incredulous, but seeing the normally intimidating man lugging around four, filled grocery bags just seemed so…weird. Was that a toothbrush sticking out of one?

Vincent followed his gaze and frowned, before giving a faint shrug, "So you now know."

Zack imitated the movement, catching on that Vinny probably didn't want to talk about it. There had to be a reason he kept the wickedly cool claw gauntlet hidden. He gestured vaguely to the bags in each hand, "Groceries?"

"Aeris asked." Ah, right. If Aeris asked, you had to have a pretty good reason in order to refuse. It was really hard to say no to her, especially if it was something as trivial as running and picking up some groceries. "I thought you said you wouldn't be able to visit."

And the bit of cheer he'd regained just plummeted right back down like a sack of weights. Really, really heavy weights. Right, he had said something like that, when he'd found out he'd have to take over Sephiroth's job for the foreseeable future. "Yeah, it's been busy. I have something I need to talk to you about. Cloud is…"

"Hold that thought." Vincent shook his head, cutting Zack off as the SOLDIER moved to hand over the folder. "I too have something I need to ask, can it wait?" He shifted the bags a little, and started heading into the house.

"I'll be out here…" Zack had to swallow down a 'No'. He just wanted to spit it out already. Running the possible conversations over and over in his head was not a pleasant way to pass time. Vinny my pal, I regret to inform you that Cloud, you know, the kid you're supposed to keep an eye on? Well, he's kinda been listed as missing, very likely dead. A turk went to investigate and the evidence points to a rather fatal dive into a mako reactor. Now, what did you want to ask?

Psh…right, like that would go over well.

How did one go about telling a good friend their little-brother type friend was probably not coming back? Maybe he should have waited the official period until he got the letters from the company, saying the deceased (insert name here) had led a good and loyal career and they'd sacrificed their lives for the Company and blah, blah, blah. He'd handed out them before, and while it was hard to watch the reactions, it had to be easier than this.

Of course, given how much Vinny disliked ShinRa, he probably wouldn't appreciate all the flowery language stating that Cloud's death had been for the good of the Company.

Or maybe…Hey Vinny! See this folder right here? Well, I want you to read it. See, there's been some trouble with Cloud.

Which reminded him, he could get in so much trouble if someone found out he'd removed company records from the compounds without permission. Especially since it was a report on a Turk investigation. That department was rather touchy about information leaks, something about compromising their methods. If it was discovered he'd actually willingly disclosed the contents…

Bah, rules be damned. He knew Vincent wouldn't believe him if he just up and said that Cloud was…gone. He'd need some kind of proof. Zack didn't have a body to go by himself, but…Grant was right. The evidence at the scene pretty much spoke for itself. No self-respecting SOLDIER would let himself go without his weapon. Nor would they go this long without a check-in with his superior officer. Even when severely injured. Every SOLDIER was outfitted with a well nigh indestructible PHS, and during a mission it was tucked into a holster, so it wouldn't fall out or get broken, just to make sure there was always a way to contact them.

The mere presence of the folder also served to catch attention. He'd seen Vinny's eyes flicker to the ShinRa logo stamped in plain view on the covering, eyebrows drawing together in a momentary confusion before the man managed to wipe it from his face with a skill that always made Zack's instincts itch. He was prepared to swear up and down that Vinny had military training in his background, or at least experience. Of course the man would never admit to anything, he was still as annoying a mystery as he was three years ago.

That's right, think of something else. Anything else.

While he was on the topic, why did Vinny hide that claw-gauntlet of his all these years? Zack had seen stranger pieces of armor on civilians, and he wasn't even going to go into military personnel. It had to have gotten annoying, not being able to use his left hand for years on end. Even a dominant right-hander used both hands to lift something, or just to touch something.

Before he realized it, Zack had begun pacing, moving nervously in a sort of half-circle, half something else through the Gainsborough "yard". It actually wasn't all that uncommon; Zack in general had difficulty standing in a single place when not in military mode. He didn't even realize he was doing it until he was distracted by a quiet "Zack?"

Ah, right. He was back. Zack straightened up, turning to face the black and red splotch of a man making his way down the porch steps, although even the SOLDIER's enhanced hearing couldn't pick up the slightest noise from the act. How to start, how to start—

"You are acting…strange tonight." Vincent stopped a few feet away, those odd red eyes watching him, and even in the light, Zack could see a faint glow from them. Not, not quite SOLDIER eyes, but close. Zack chalked it up to being from Nibelheim, just like Cloud.

"Yeah, well…" He fished for the right words, opening and closing his mouth, and then shaking his head when he threw out some of the ideas. Argh, this was too hard. Just at that moment, under the piercing gaze of the marksman, Zack cracked. The pressure that had been building all day, ever since Grant had dropped by with his news, and his mind thinking in circles about how to break the news hadn't helped with it. "Vincent…Cloud…I…" The folder fell to the ground with a plopping sound, slipping through suddenly nerveless fingers. The other hand curled into his spiked black hair, as if warding off a headache.

Cloud's picture stared up at both of them from where it had slipped out of the manila bindings. A faint shifting of gravel—he was letting himself be heard—and Vincent was kneeling down, gathering up the papers when Zack didn't make a move to stop him.

The rustle of paper, those red eyes shifting as Vincent scanned the top pages. Zack waited. Waited. Not sure what to say, or do, or anything.

At length, he looked up. "I already know."

What…?

-

He'd forgotten how busy the ShinRa building was. Last time—no, that never happened—it had been almost empty, only the night shift was still in the building. Now, it was the ending of the work day, the entry was crowded, with the day workers leaving, the night shift arriving. Sprinkled among these were the guards, guards that might notice something off.

Luckily, Cloud knew how to be sneaky. After sticking around Vincent for years, you picked up a thing or two. He skirted the edge of the crowd, the purple of his 2nd Class uniform drawing a few eyes, before they just slid away. SOLDIERs in headquarters might be uncommon, but not unheard of. The normal workers wouldn't be informed if something required them in the building. The guards however, might stop him if they could, so he made a point to avoid the Regular guards, using the ebb and flow of the civilians to block himself from view.

There, finally. The path leading around the building split off from the main walk. Half hidden by bushes on either side, Cloud made quick work of the electronic lock (funny, he didn't remember that) with his keycard. A SOLDIER of his class could technically get as high as the board room on the 60th floor. If he wanted, he could chance the elevator, but something said no to that idea.

The emergency lighting bathed the stairwell, bathing it in soft yellows. Cloud craned his neck, looking up, and up, and up. Well, nothing to do, but start.

--

"What do you mean, you know?" Zack said slowly, studying his friend's face. He hadn't known what to expect, but it sure as hell wasn't that answer. He was miffed, all that agonizing over what to say, what to do was all for nothing. There was also a bit of relief, mixed in with a healthy bout of suspicion.

How would he know? I just sent out the paperwork today and Grant said he informed me first—

Vincent didn't say anything, studying Zack with a strange expression the SOLDIER hadn't seen much from Aeris' bodyguard. He'd seen it before. Many times. From other people. That was the look Sephiroth had given him before deciding to break down his walls and tell Zack why he was as vulnerable as a kitten once a week. Can I trust you? Should I?

The prospect sent a shiver up Zack's spine. He and Vinny, they didn't trust each other much. Sure they were good friends here in the now, without thinking about work, or things left in the past. But their entire relationship was built on distrust. It was Vincent's reluctance to tell him anything that had gotten Zack interested, and Vincent didn't trust ShinRa, so if Zack was going to be around his charge…then so would he. Later, he genuinely grew to like Vinny, and he liked to think Vincent didn't mind his company, but he had no delusions about being trusted. The fact that he knew almost nothing about his friend told him that.

At length Vincent turned, waving his not-clawed hand to motion Zack forward, "Inside."

--

Lessee…was that 42? 45? Ah, 45, there was the door. Cloud had lost count somewhere in the mid thirties. But he knew there was a door every 5 or so floors, so if he kept that in mind he could guestimate where he was.

Not that I need to. The stairs stop at 60.

He couldn't hear Tifa and Barret complaining/arguing anymore. Did I leave them behind? He stopped, the echoes of his fast-paced stair climbing dying. Looking behind him, he couldn't see a trace of the martial-artist or the gunman. Not a sound either. They must have stopped to rest without telling him.

Hmph, weaklings. Well, they would have to catch up; they knew where he was going. He didn't have time to waste. The Turks took Aeri—

Wait…Aeris was fine. She was with…Vincent. Suddenly he felt dizzy. Cloud leaned against the wall, putting a hand to his head. Bandages. But he wasn't hu—

Mako, mako everywhere. It burned, it froze, but he had to hold on. Couldn't die here.

What the hell just happened? Cloud wondered, staring up the many, many more flights of stairs he had to climb. Tifa was in Nibelhiem still, working as a mountain guide, and Berret…he had no idea where Barret was.

Gotta be an after effect of the mako. He decided at last, shaking off the dizziness and starting up the stairs again. He still had a great deal of excess mako in his system; it took many days to process and breakdown. Days that most people would spend in a coma.

--

After seeing Vincent's expressionless face and Zack's bewildered one, Elmyra had excused herself to the kitchen to work on dinner. Aeris was upstairs with Cloud, so that left him and the SOLDIER alone in the living room. Vincent continued to study Zack out of the corner of his eye, watching for anything—anything that would prove his choice wrong.

The young Turk hadn't told Elmyra much before he disappeared, most of the details had been filled in by Cloud later. The most telling was the scientist mentioned in passing by Cloud, who came to survey the aftermath. It left the demons in Vincent's head clamoring for blood (not that they didn't on a weekly basis) and for once, he found himself agreeing with them. How dare that psychopathic, mad excuse for a professor! Turks were only contracted out by directors, which meant only one scientist would have the clearance to order this job. Cloud hadn't said Hojo specifically, but Vincent knew.

Oh he knew…

To ShinRa, Cloud was dead. And Cloud was going to stay dead to them if Vincent had any say to it. Cloud had tried to use the company to get what he wanted (not that he knew what that was…) and it ended up turning on him, betraying him to an inhumane scientist who wished to use him as a specimen. The mere thought had a growl building in Vincent's throat, though he was too well trained to let it out. He would not wish his worst enemy under that madman's scalpel, there was no chance he would let it happen to Cloud.

Not that you knew. A sardonic voice whispered, If it weren't for the little Turk's defection, you wouldn't have known.

With every ounce of will he could muster, Vincent shoved that voice into the metaphorical closet and locked it, throwing out the key. It didn't matter. Cloud was suffering from a light case of mako poisoning, but the boy was alive. That fact was something ShinRa was not going to know.

Which led him to this dilemma. The SOLDIER was getting twitchy, impatient. Zack was ShinRa.

But…Zack was also Zack. Cloud's teacher. Vincent's…friend. He'd watched Zack for few moments from the windows after handing off the groceries to Elmyra. He'd been impatient, nervous, worried, all mixed up with a huge knot of sorrow, and loss, and a sense of my fault that Vincent could recognize even from a distance. The man risked severe punishment as well, for sneaking this report out. Vincent could feel the ShinRa seal burning through his glove. Zack had to know how much trouble he would be in, should it be found out.

…Zack deserved to know.

"Cloud isn't dead. I saw him under an hour ago." He saw the SOLDIER go pale and doubtful, even a little angry. Vincent understood. Zack cared about his students, he'd probably had a hard time convincing himself that Cloud really was…gone. To have all that effort, that pain wasted…And if he thought Vincent was lying about it… He probably was trying to keep from raising his hopes.

Vincent cut Zack off before he could say something, fixing the younger man with a pointed sit-down-and-listen stare he'd had to use on Turk cadets before. Almost automatically the SOLDIER paled even further (if that was possible) a spark of—recognition?--sparking in those violet eyes before he automatically snapped to attention and did as he was told.

The Turks didn't react quiet that way…but close enough.

"This." Vincent waved the folder, careful not to let its contents go flying, "Is a decent example of a Turk cover up, containing mostly truth, and selective omissions. Fact, Cloud did meet a monster in the reactor. Fact, Cloud was pushed off the scaffolding."

Zack tried to interrupt again, Vincent didn't let him. He wanted to get this over as soon as possible. "The Turk was the one to incapacitate Cloud, and then push him off into the vat—"

"Grant would never—"

"You'd be surprised what a Turk can and will do, if ordered to do so." Zack was too naïve, believing the best of people. He never would have made it as a Turk. At least SOLDIER was mostly an honest organization. They may do ShinRa's dirty work, but they were open about it. "Your Turk then cast a low level float spell to slow the fall, allowing Cloud to catch a hold of one of the lower supports. After reporting the false death, the Turk retrieved Cloud and brought him here, with a minor case of mako poisoning and burns."

Vincent paused, thinking back. Cloud was lucky he wasn't comatose. That raw, unrefined mako, plus the injections he's just gotten for 2nd Class shouldn't have been processed so quickly. Most of the reported cases he remembered were out for days, weeks, before they woke up. If they woke up.

"Why did Grant report the death?"

"Think about it Zack. Grant is a Turk. Who has the authority to order a hit?" Or retrieval, as it most likely was.

"Heidegger, or the Presi…" The SOLDIER trailing off. Ah, now you realize.

"Exactly."

Zack was silent, and Vincent didn't even try to imagine what was going on in the SOLDIER's head. After all, it wasn't often you learned the company was trying to off its own employees.

I knew that years ago. The thought drifted by, a wry, almost sarcastic feel to it.

"I want to see him." It was soft, almost trembling with dare to hope, but it wasn't a request.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Aeris's voice filtered down the stairs, soon followed by the flower girl herself. There was a taste of salt on the air, and dried tracks on her face. She's been crying. Her voice and bearing was surprisingly strong. But if she'd been crying—Cloud!

"He's fine." She reassured them both, who'd jumped to the same conclusion, "It's just…he's not here anymore."

--

This place was so familiar. So familiar—but Cloud knew he'd never been here before. He'd never been this high up in the ShinRa building. Actually, he'd never been in this building period. The SOLDIER complex operated separate from the company headquarters, despite being within walking distance of each other.

Maybe not in this lifetime. But there was a part of him; the part that surged to the forefront whenever he fell asleep, that knew how to sneak into the building. It knew where to find the ventilation shaft that stretched out over the executive board room—perfect for spying. The same board room he was currently staring into. The doors were thrown wide, empty, except for a single person, washing the windows at the far edge of the room.

If Cloud looked to his right, down the hallway leading to the stairs heading up, up to the level that house Professor Hojo's lair, he would almost swear he could see a hunched, white coated figure, hear the muttering to himself about the captured Ancient, and the Promised Land.

But when he blinked, the apparition was gone, leaving nothing but the deserted hallway.

It's like I'm dreaming. The thought was rather disturbing. Cloud knew very well he wasn't asleep and dreaming Aeris' rescue. The bandages on his face proved that, the missing weight on his back proved that. He felt that missing weight keenly. It wasn't his own sword he wanted, but the Buster Sword.

At any rate, he was almost there. The lab was just a single floor up. Aside from the short, but frequent reality lapses, the trip to this point had been rather uneventful. Easy even. Security in the building was child's play compared to when AVALANCHE was running about. ShinRa was secure and confident that the threat of General Sephiroth would deter any would-be Wutaian assassin or rebel leader that they hadn't restricted the floors below 63 to ordinary building personnel.

Phft. Cloud rolled his eyes; this had been far too easy. He wondered if the professor would be absent minded enough to leave the 64th floor unlocked again.

…Yes…he was. The green light blinking above the door confirmed that.

The lab just as he expected. Specimen tube under bright flood-lights, something red curled on the floor—

But it wasn't the lion-wolf he was half-expecting. It seemed to be a monster, blobby and oozing. Cloud tore his eyes away from it, taking in more of the room. The tank that once—will--won't—house Jenova's headless body was missing.

He headed toward the back of the laboratory, toward where he remembered the cargo elevator to be. The place was deserted. Not even a lab tech wandered through the containers. This level was mostly a storage room, but Cloud found the emptiness a little unsettling as he climbed into the elevator, pressing the operation button.

The metal rattled and shook around him, winding his nerves tighter, putting every sense on high alert. He was in the middle of enemy territory—instinct whispered, punching through the faint sense of urgency that'd driven him since waking up in the Gainsborough residence. He had to be careful now, about twelve times more careful.

The elevator gate slid open with a shing, Cloud stepped out slowly, quietly, moving up toward the crates and the barrels clustered around the elevator, peering around them and into the depths of the upper level. The top floor of the specimen tube was empty, and the professor absent from the observation deck. There was a lab-tech rummaging through a container, near the front of his shield. The SOLDIER crept closer, noting that, like most scientists, the tech was muttering to himself.

"—got to find that—" Cloud didn't recognize the following term "The director will be back—no, not that piece of junk! Why does he want this now? He's far too busy with project S… The president wants that done first."

Project S…Sephiroth? He wasn't sure. The only label he remembered Hojo ever used was "Reunion". The tech gave up on his current box and closed it, moving on to the next one; closer to Cloud's hiding space. His body tensed, too close.

A swift movement, circling around a few boxes to position himself behind the unsuspecting tech, and a blow to the head, and the white-coated man crumbled to the ground, slumped over the box he'd been opening. Cloud looked over the incapacitated scientist. He could have just snuck by, but the chance of discovery would have been too high. He had to find Sephiroth.

The bunch of limp weight was heavy in his arms, but to a SOLDIER, it was nothing. Cloud positioned the unconscious man in a gap in the boxes. Out of sight. That should buy him some time. He didn't remember the professor having more than one assistant, but it would hurt to be on the safe side. It was unlikely things would be the same anyway.

There had to be another room here, somewhere. There was no way Hojo had merely one specimen containment cell. It would be squirreled away, out of sight, just in case someone not on his staff came in. He doubted Heidegger would be happy if he walked in and found Hojo taking apart his best SOLDIERs. But where…where…

It was so cluttered; only open near the specimen container. There didn't seem to be any signs of a hidden room around the giant, glass tube. Too open. A quick prowl of the walls showed there wasn't a door or concealed entrance. Aeris' once—future—prison was empty thankfully. Cloud was having enough trouble trying to convince himself that Aeris was safe, at home, and not here.

Without thinking he gently touched one of the green orbs in his bangle, the cool, glassy surface of the materia comforting. Another thing to keep him grounded in the here and now, not in what might be.

The next on the list to check was the observation booth, Cloud picked his way up the stairs, and inside the steel and glass structure. The booth itself was clean, and intact, no matter how tempted Cloud was to ram his fist through the panels of scientific instruments. Breathe in, and out. Stay calm. He had to keep that mantra in mind, or he'd probably lose himself and tear the entire place down with him. Whatever the mako was doing to his memories was becoming quite a problem. While he didn't particularly care if the lab was trashed, he was sure that tampering with the delicate equipment would raise an alarm somewhere. Since he didn't know where Sephiroth was…that would not be wise.

Despite being unguarded, the instruments were alive and humming, probably waiting for the currently unconscious tech to return. The monitor screens were essentially Wutaian for all he could understand them. All save for one, where the diagram of a human body was displayed, some sort of statistics or data being constantly updated, with more of the undecipherable code. There was some red writing blinking near the top, an alert of some sort.

His eyes narrowed onto the bottom label, Project S.

You are here.

Not that he doubted when he'd seen the General strapped to a table, along with her saying it was time. Too many coincidences by now had confirmed the truth in his dreams, and the visions. She told him that now was key. He had to get Sephiroth out. Somehow. Someway.

A small part of his mind, the part that had been growing in the now, the SOLDIER 2nd, told him he was wasting everything for some hallucination. If she knew everything, then why didn't she fix it all herself? Why did she need him? Why did he have to throw away the position he held, to do her bidding?

That voice was squashed rather vindictively. Ground into the floor. What position? A science project? Thanks to Hojo, that was all he was worth to the company.

I was expecting to sever ties with the company, Cloud thought wryly, just not this soon. Or this way. To be honest, he'd been hoping to hit 1st class first.

He didn't deny that it worked. He would have to tell Zack to thank Grant for him, after this was all worked out. The observation room didn't reveal any more answers, sending Cloud back outside again.

Where haven't I looked? It was unlikely Sephiroth would be downstairs, from appearances the 64th level was mostly specimen storage and inactive experiments and equipment. Project S was obviously active, judging by the displays in the control room. The security was lighter on the 64th level as well, which was why Cloud had decided on that level for entry.

…come to think of it, what better place for a secret project? If it was adequately hidden, most people would pass on by and turn this place upside-down instead.

Getting irritated—this was taking too much time!—Cloud stepped back into the cargo elevator, punching the down button with a little more force than he'd meant to. The control panel buckled and snapped, crumpling under the force. The elevator shuddered, before moving, rattling its way down before getting stuck about half way.

Damnit…

The display over the door flashed red. There was a mechanical failure and a maintenance worker would be by shortly. Please be patient and wait for the problem to be solved. Right, like he was going to stick around.

Not for the first time, Cloud wished he had his sword with him. The large blade and his strength would easily let him carve an opening out the bottom of the elevator and drop the rest of the way. It was only a two floor elevator anyway, easily survivable, even with his current handicap.

Cloud looked over the elevator, zeroing in on the small escape hatch on the roof. He was a bit short…missing the height that would allow him to easily access the hatch. But at least this elevator wasn't as tall as the glass ones that ran along the building's exterior. Just a jump, a flick of a latch, and a push had the SOLDIER pulling himself out on top of the metal compartment. Every movement echoed in the elevator shaft, every shift of his weight sending tremors through the car. The emergency clamps were in effect, so he didn't have to worry about it falling.

Glancing up, he could see the light shining out of the upper doorway. It was an option, but one he'd rather sit on. The elevator shaft was still the quickest and stealthiest way down, even if the actual car wasn't working. There had to be some sort of maintenance ladder somewhere. How else would they manage to fix a stalled elevator?

There, along the back wall ran a shallow groove, just deep enough to allow a person to fit and climb past the compartment. He couldn't see very well in the doom and gloom, with only the emergency lighting and the weak spillover from the open door. Perched on the edge of the car, Cloud reached into the groove searching, searching—

His fingers curled around cold metal. Perfect. A bit more tactile exploration proved that there were indeed ladder rungs, and enough room for him to use them to bypass the stopped car. There were times Cloud really liked being smaller than normal. As he slid into the groove he was keenly aware of how close the walls were the lack of room. It was almost suffocating. If he'd been any wider in the shoulder, he might not have been able to make it down.

It was child's play to jump from the ladder to the narrow ledge running along the gated door. All he had to do was reach through the crossed bars blocking the way and find the emergency release, sliding the gate out of the way and slipping through. Now this place was familiar. Hadn't he just come through here half an hour ago? It was just as dimly lit, just as spooky, and he still wanted to smash every piece of equipment he could see.

Calm down. He was getting frustrated now. He knew Sephiroth was up here. Somewhere. He couldn't afford to waste more time. Eventually that tech upstairs was going to wake up. Eventually maintenance would get the call about the broken down elevator. Eventually I need to get out of here. His head was beginning to ache. The strength keeping him going was starting to ebb. And he knew the burns all over his upper torso were going to come back to haunt him once this was all over. All this moving around was just adding stress to the already painful injuries.

Okay, do a slow sweep of the room. Don't overlook anything. He told himself, moving again through the haphazard boxes and containers. There was no evidence of any other room over along the far wall, behind the specimen container. As he moved toward the large cylinder, the red blobby thing twitched, aware of his presence, but didn't do much else. Cloud didn't spare it much attention, inspecting the walls.

Not here.

He turned, looking back toward where Jenova once—might—be stored. The huge tank was missing, and the area covered by more dusty stuff. Only…there seemed to be more room behind the dust covered containers than he'd previously expected. Poking around revealed a squareish area, about the size of the Jenova container, that wasn't used. Despite the cluttered feeling permeating the entire floor, aside from the initial row of camouflage there was nothing back here. Nothing. If he hadn't known how big the tank was supposed to be, he wouldn't have thought twice about it. Narrowing his eyes in thought, Cloud zeroed in on the walls, especially the back one. Running his fingers along the wall, they caught on something. A seam in the metal, raised slightly, running from floor the ceiling. And next to this seam was an off-colored panel, which after a few taps revealed a key-pad.

Bingo.

Now was the tough part. Cloud had no idea what the key-code would be. He felt along the wall, locating another seam where the door would be. It was no good. Too tight. He couldn't get a good grip. It didn't even take a few experimental tugs to tell Cloud that he couldn't force the door open that way.

The lab tech upstairs was an option, but there was no guarantee that he would know the code for a secret door. Not to mention with the elevator out of commission, it would take too much time to run upstairs, grab him, and then run back down. And he knew a SOLDIER carrying an unconscious technician would likely draw too much attention from Security.

Metal rattled against metal, along with a soft groan of machinery. Cloud froze, listening, it was coming from the cargo elevator. He wouldn't have heard it if he wasn't on high alert already, just waiting for some sign that he'd been found. Using the containers as a buffer, he left the hidden corner enough so that he could see the back of the room. The "out of order" light was still blinking.

Did the tech wake up and try the elevator? Unlikely. He'd hit the guy hard enough he should be out for another hour yet. He could have just been hearing things, but something told him to wait and see. Cloud didn't head back into the corner, but stayed in his current spot, hidden, but he could see both the main entrance and the elevator. Just in case.

Minutes passed, each one feeling like a wasted eternity, but Cloud waited, watching the main entrance like a hawk. It took about 5 minutes for a normal person to take the stairs at a walk, factor in another 3 or so to call maintenance about the elevator. Add another 2 to be safe…

Just as he was counting down the final minute, there was a hissing as the door slid open, the green light over head flickering briefly to red as the machinery worked. Cloud thanked his paranoia for adding in the extra time and hunkered down behind his camouflage. To be safe, he didn't risk peering around, but he heard the footsteps and angry muttering, the latter of which told him who it was.

"tell me to walk?! That buffoon Chermen broke the elevator again, and he has the gall to hide from me?" The sneering voice sent a mix of emotions through Cloud, fear, anxiety, and something very akin to hatred. He found his fist clenching, the urge to just start smashing things—preferably the professor's head—even stronger than before. Hojo. He almost forgot to breathe. He'd taken too long—he'd meant to be out by the time the professor came back.

"He probably couldn't even find what I told him to look for." The tirade continued as the professor neared, "I needed that –"Cloud didn't catch the rest of it, focusing his attention as the white lab coat drifted into his line of sight. The professor was grunting as he moved some of the heavy looking containers, forming a small path of sorts to the hidden corner. This was…unexpected luck.

Cloud waited until he heard an electronic "beep", and saw the professor disappear out of his sight. Quickly, quietly now he maneuvered through the containers, counting on the professor's usual habit when it came to doors—Yes! He didn't close it all the way!

The room was large. Larger than he'd expected. A large computer display was set against the back wall, the lit screens the current source of light, casting an eerie green glow that gave Cloud shivers. Hojo was tapping away at the computer, reading through diagrams and other notes that Cloud knew he'd probably have trouble analyzing, even if he'd been given unlimited time. Hojo had a tendency to code his things, paranoid bastard.

The professor hadn't noticed his entrance, as enraptured by the display as he was. Cloud did his best to ignore the structure along the left wall, knowing if he acknowledged it he would probably fly off the handle. He'd been keeping this disgust, this almost foreign anger in check the entire time, and it was wearing him down. He really didn't have much valid reason to hate the man. The only contact he'd ever had was during the SOLDIER injections. But lurking in the back of his mind were images seen through the green of a mako tank. Watching the failed clones crumpling from exhaustion, some tumbling from the cliffs in the Northen Crater. A detached sense of himself, begging for a number, only to be spurned.

He could reach out and grab Hojo's ponytail if he wanted to. It would be just as easy to wrap his hands around the man's neck. It was a tempting thought. Extremely tempting. But no, he didn't want to kill him. Not here. Not now. He had a job to do.

Suddenly the tapping sound stalled, the professor's head lifting up and focusing on the display screen, and more importantly the hazy reflection against the black and green screen. Cloud paused in his advance, still within arms reach, but not sure what to do yet.

After a long silence, Hojo bent his head and returned to his work, not even bothering to turn around.

"I'd suggest you leave." He grumbled, his voice sounding more annoyed at the interruption than angry or nervous that someone else was in the secret lab. Maybe it wasn't really a secret after all? "This a critical experiment—I don't have time to deal with you."

The typing stopped again when Cloud refused to move, refused to say anything. Letting out an annoyed sigh, "I told you to lea—"

And the professor turned around to find a knife in his face. Cloud wasn't exactly sure when he'd pulled out the weapon, but it was there, held tightly in his shaking hand.

Cloud got a fleeting glimpse of annoyance on the professor's face before it melted in indifferent arrogance, "That won't do you much good." There was almost a half- sneer in there, on his lips, and in his voice, "Heidegger knows that threatening me won't speed things up."

Heidegger…? The name floated through the haze that was flitting around Cloud's mind. Then he remembered the uniform he was wearing. SOLDIERs were commanded by Heidegger…Did the Head of Public Safety often send SOLDIERs on errands?

"Now go tell him he'll get his General back when I'm done. I work faster if I'm not constantly interrupted."

Cloud didn't put the knife down. If anything the shaking in his hands intensified. He had Hojo. Alone. He head was already fussing in and out of reality, torn between the warrior who experienced hell at Hojo's hands, and the young SOLDIER with a mission. Even the irrational hatred of the lab and its equipment was nothing compared to the burning desire to end it all now. Right here.

The professor noticed, even he could feel the bloodlust radiating off the SOLDIER. He began to rethink his assumption that Heidegger had sent him, and while he did tense up a little, he didn't lose his air of arrogance and authority. The hand laying on the consol twitched, moving toward a certain button. To distract the crazed looking SOLDIER, "You wouldn't dare." He chuckled, eyeing the offending knife with contempt, "The equipment in here is delicate. Who would work it, if not me? There are plenty of unsupervised projects I must attend to." His fingers were almost there, touching the security call button.

The movement caught Cloud's eye, bringing him back to the present. His free-hand snaked out and grabbed the professor's before it could depress the button. He jerked the scientist away from the console, not the slightest bit gently. Hojo hissed and tried to squirm away as his arm was yanked and twisted with more force than Cloud had meant, but it didn't really register it.

He didn't have time to play around with this snake. There was only a brief struggle before the professor went limp, crumpling into a pile of dead weight, suspended off the ground because Cloud was still holding him. There would probably be a bruise when he woke up, hopefully a big, black noticeable one too, right on his temple where Cloud's knife pommel had knocked him out. As much as he wanted to rid the world of the rat in a lab coat, killing him here just seemed…wrong. Not to mention Vincent would probably want to deal with the rat himself.

He let Hojo fall completely to the floor, scanning the rest of the room, searching for the General he knew was there. It wasn't that large of a room, and he noticed a glint of silver behind the set of mako-tubes along the left wall. The sight of them had bile rising in his throat, but he ignored them, maneuvering around to find another small chamber set back into the wall behind. Here was what he'd been looking for. A large metal table sat in the middle of the room, the limp form of the General lying on it. Asleep. Sephiroth's customary leathers were missing, replaced with grey hospital-type scrubs, washing out the already pale man even more. An IV line of some sort lay on a nearby table, and Cloud could see an angry red mark on the pale skin where it had probably been inserted. The line was attached to a mostly empty pouch, only the dregs of a mysterious yellow liquid.

Cloud eyed it distrustingly before turning back to Sephiroth. He shook the man's shoulders, "Hey. Wake up."

Given how still the SOLDIER was lying, Cloud hadn't really expected it to work. In truth, seeing the faint breathing was the only thing that told him Sephiroth was still alive. That, and the fact that Hojo probably wouldn't kill his precious pet project.

He tried again, harder now, but still no response.

Why can't things be easy for once?

A/N: No, I am not dead. I just...well...I've been writing this over the past month, little by little. It's a bit longer than usual...but that's cause I wanted to at least get to seeing Sephi. At first I wanted to go further, but...well...I got to where it ended now and just wanted to get the chapter out, so...yeah, cliffhanger.

I have a question for peoples. This chapter...I can't think of a title for. Any suggestions on one?

Thanks for all the people who reviewed the last chapter :s Reviewing does work to kick the author in gear, ya'know? Especially months after the chapter was out. Basically someone reviewed in...early July and got me thinking about this again. Which got me motivated. Which ended up with this chapter. So there ya go.

Hope ya like the chapter ~ Any comments? Leave me a review. Confused about anything? Leave me a review. Just want to speculate on what might happen? Leave me a review n.n I especially love reading the reader's (your) thoughts about what might happen/has happened. Sometimes they make me think about something I didn't think of, or something I missed, or something I should do.

So yeah, what I was trying to say was...Review~

-Katreal