Hi! I'm back! I'm not sure how many people read this story but I'm glad either way if the ones that do enjoy this little modern day prison drama AU. ;)

Enjoy everyone!

Chapter 6: The Escape Plan

Barret rested a fist on his knee, sitting cross-legged on the hard floor of his cell as he regarded his best friend with a frown, "So...what's your brilliant plan? Beat all of these asses to a pulp and run?"

Cid chuckled, eager to hear Zack's answer.

The man himself was leaning his back against the wall, shooting the door a quick glance before turning his attention to his friends to elaborate, "I was thinking of a smoother exit," Zack smirked.

"There is a underground tube system located about six feet beneath this cobble stone layer. The cobble stone layer itself is about one and a half feet deep, so we will need to do some digging." Barret and Cid looked at Zack as if he were insane, then burst out laughing.

"Sorry man, but you do know this ain't like in the movies right? We can't just start digging here for gold and not get caught by those damn guards no matter how stupid they are, you are being kept under constant watch, no way it will work," Cid explained with crossed arms, shaking his head.

The smirk Zack still wore unnerved Cid and Barret, he had something else planned.

"Who said I was gonna stay here with you guys?"

Barret's eyes widened, "Wait a damn minute...ya don't mean...no way man! No way in hell! Ya can't just do shit and risk getting sent to the isolation cell!" his face was furious as he stood up and towered over his friend, trying to convince him to drop the crazy idea.

Zack smiled and patted Barret's shoulder leisurely, "Why not? I went there a couple of times anyway, what's another one? Besides, once I'm out of here, they won't monitor you two as strongly anymore, you can cover up better and think of a better way on how to escape. You know Barry right? From block C? I heard he's got some handy tools, don't ask where the hell he hid them, just make sure ya clean them nice and shiny and use them to get us outta here,"

Cid paled and rubbed his face in exasperation, "Oh kids these days...gettin' way too creative for my imagination..." he certainly did not want to know where Barry the "Tool Specialist" hid his equipment despite the thorough controls.

Zack coughed into his hand, "Right, so ladies, any questions?" he crossed his arms, waiting patiently.

Barret frowned, shooting his friend a disturbed look, "Ok...but how are we supposed to execute everything? It will take us months to even break the stone let alone crack the tube system!" Barret raised his arms in the air in exasperation, irritation all over his face at the stupid plan.

Zack sighed, "Barret...your blood pressure..." he semi-jokingly reminded his friend, the big man immediately pointing a accusing finger at him.

"Do not talk about my blood pressure right now! I don't care! I'm sayin' we are all crazy for thinkin' we can escape!" he grumpily sat down on his bed, looking like a irritated child throwing a temper tantrum.

"Alright, how about this, you guys try to strike a deal with Barry and the rest, if they want to escape too let them, the more the merrier right?" Zack grinned, shrugging when Barret offered no response.

Cid rubbed his stubbly chin, "Hm..I can't help but agree with the tin can over there... The plan is far too risky and reckless Zack...besides we are on a freaking island, even if we do manage to escape the building, how do you think will we escape the island?" grey blue eyes turned to look at electrifying blue.

"I've got friends in high places," Zack commented off handily, a small smirk covering his handsome face, "I'll figure something out,"

Another bell chime signaled the arrival of a new customer and Tifa smiled politely, "Hello, welcome to Seventh Heaven-"

She recognized the man that had strolled in silently and smiled, catching herself, "Oh, it's you,"

The man grunted as if in greeting, taking a seat in what many of the regulars, or the regulars that Tifa still managed to keep, would label as "his spot". It was in front of the bar counter but also allowed some privacy to the patron from prying eyes. A perfect spot for someone like him.

"So, you're on break?" Tifa asked conversationally, the small kind smile still on her lips.

The man's penetrating blue gaze never failed to awaken something within her that Tifa liked to call a sense of familiarity but also a sense of longing, longing to keep him safe and away from all those people that would hunt him down for those too electrifying blue eyes of his with the too bright glow.

"Just delivered my last delivery in Kalm, I've taken the day off to check on Fenrir, his engine sounded funny earlier," Tifa found it odd, considering what amount of meticulous, almost obsessed care his rider took of the monstrous motorcycle.

"I see," there was a moment of silence, before Tifa spoke again, "Would you like anything to drink? I'm not very busy now," she released a small laugh, which sounded pleasant to his ears, but he turned his head to stare outside.

"No, thanks," the small frown on her face was never seen by him as Tifa turned around to polish at the already scrubbed clean counter behind her, her fingers swift and strong against the clean wood.

She noticed the sound him standing up, noticed how his footsteps grew louder when he passed by the counter and she noticed how they faded when he opened another door leading to the garage at the back.

She noticed how her fingers started slowly but surely aching from scrubbing the squeaky clean counter top for too long, she noticed how moisture fell on the tips of her bent fingers that wasn't from the damp cloth in her hand, she noticed how the faint stinging in her eyes got stronger the harder she tried to suppress it.

She also noticed her vision becoming blurry as she tried furiously rubbing at her eyes, quickly composing herself just as the next customers entered the bar and she greeted them with a bright, "Hello, welcome to Seventh Heaven!"

"It's been years Fair...I don't think we will get outta this hellhole," Barret slumped his large shoulders, kicking a small pebble into the dusty corner.

Zack rolled his eyes and slapped the back of his head, "What was that a few hours ago about a plan hm?" he pointedly glared at both Cid and Barret, the former Shinra pilot was leaning against the wall on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, you started it porcupine, we're just being realistic," Cid commented, locking gazes with Zack.

The former SOLDIER sighed, "Realism brought me nowhere before. 'Sides, I said I had friends in high places, didn't I?" his grin was anything but friendly.

Barret rose an eyebrow, "And when are those 'friends' of yers gonna come and bust us out huh?" Zack's gaze was fierce as he smirked mysteriously at his two friends.

"We've waited all these years, we can wait just a bit more-"

"Yo!" the unfamiliar voice of a man suddenly pierced the prison halls and almost immediately, loud noises of protest rang out as some prisoners grumbled about not getting to see any women strolling through here ever since Tifa's last visit, which had been a few months ago already.

Zack rose an eyebrow in question, mildly curious to find the voice seemed just a bit familiar...

"Hey! Guards! Get that stupid door outta my way, yo!" two guards came rushing to the front, Zack craned his neck to see, but all he saw was the guard's back as they conversed with whoever was paying a visit.

"You boys got a 'Zack Fair' here?" the unknown man asked and Zack swore one of the guards rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Listen sir, if you're here for a visit, visiting hours are already-" the guard was rudely cut off.

"Oh, I'm not here to visit," there was a moment of silence and Zack's enhanced senses picked up on some sort of shuffling, cloth being pushed aside, perhaps a jacket and the suddenly rigid posture the guard's back had taken on after the sound was gone.

"E-excuse us, we did not know, sir," the guards unlocked the door to the short hallway leading to Zack's cell and Zack heard two pairs of footsteps coming closer to their cell.

He had no knowledge of someone visiting him and since it wasn't a woman, it couldn't be for some nonexistent child or marriage. Just who wanted to see him?

There was a shock of wild red hair followed by a masculine but slender frame dressed in black and white, what appeared to be a iron rod secured at the man's hip and familiar mischievous electric blue eyes nearly the same glow as his came into view and it hit Zack with a bam on who was standing in front of his cell.

"Reno...?" he hadn't seen him in years, he had thought the redhead may have not survived Shinra or simply continued on his work like nothing ever happened. If one would be counted as unpredictable, it would be him.

"Well? Release him," Reno motioned with his head towards the cell door imprisoning Zack and the others and the shorter of the guards hesitantly grabbed his keys and unlocked it, slowly opening it with a soft rattle of keys.

"New haircut?" the redhead grinned casually, the same Cheshire grin Zack remembered well during one of their encounters.

"What the...how did...?" he was incapable of forming coherent words as the taller, dark skinned male beside him spoke lowly.

"You're free now Zack," Rude nodded, gesturing to come out.

Slowly, as if falling prey to a dream, Zack took one step at a time, warily watching the nervous guards, who themselves couldn't quite believe what was happening before their very eyes.

"Hey, Zack, who the hell are these suits?" Barret clamped a hand on Zack's broad shoulder and Rude frowned behind his sunglasses.

Cid let out a venomous hiss, "Turks, shoulda known," he spat on the ground, eyes narrowing at the two men.

Reno's easy grin dropped, "Oi..." Reno took a step forward, azure eyes glowing almost ominously, "I suggest being a bit nicer to the guys who just bought your ticket to freedom," his eyes trailed over Barret and landed on Cid, "Ex- Shinra pilot," Cid growled lowly in his throat, his hands itching to curl around his staff and slam it down on the redhead.

Zack's voice interrupted their thoughts, "What do you mean we are free? How? I've got a life sentence, Reno," he glared at him suspiciously.

"Hey, let's not talk about this here yo," with a meaningful look at the stunned guards, Reno gestured towards the exit and Zack didn't hesitate this time, walking in time with Reno's casual strides as Barret and Cid followed behind him, Rude taking the rear.

There were shouts and hushes whispers about the weird two suits taking Zack somewhere, loud wails of disapproval of taking away one of their only sources of entertainment and...there were shouts of SOLDIER and how scum should go where they belong.

But Zack didn't pay any attention to any of them, his gaze was far too focused on the door in front of him, as they slowly opened to allow the lights from the other room to fall upon his face.

The second guard at the door approached him and unchained his wrists and as the heavy chain fell at his feet, so did the caged animal inside of him break free of its restraints with a roar.

Dear Prez,

I'm sure you heard of me getting caged in, huh? No surprise there, I guess, since you were the one issuing the order, after all.

Anyway, after I slaughtered your men, my men, I wanted your head next, but the bluebottles caught up to me and it seems like I've got a life sentence, you wouldn't happen to have something to do with that do you? Or maybe it's simply the number of my kills that got me here, either way the beds aren't the most comfortable and I detest the inmates here who think they can play me like an' instrument just because they're older and smellier than me.

I haven't been here long, maybe a year or two, maybe more, but there didn't go a day by where I didn't think of killing you, in any way humanly possible. I've thought of using tools, but that would seem very impersonal considering our ample history together, and I'm more comfortable with using my hands and sword anyway. By the way, where did you hide Buster, huh? Haven't seen my old companion in a long, long while. I hope you didn't get rid of him, because I would pay you back double.

Anyway, hope you have a nice day in your stuffy office. Because once I'm out of here and coming to get you, all you'll be seeing is red and black, Prez.

Red and black.

From Inmate # 19977FF Zachary Fair, letter to the esteemed President of the Electric Power Company ShinRa, 2005.

After grabbing his belongings from a small, see through plastic container and stuffing them inside a duffel bag they gave him, Zack was well on his way to freedom.

Shooting a look at the nervous-looking guards, he smiled, waving a hand as he turned his back to them, letting his words hang heavy in the air, "Don't worry, I won't cause too much trouble while I'm out," his chuckle sent shivers racing down their spines, even to the seasoned guards who worked in prisons for years and encountered all sorts of savages and psychopaths, this one was by far the most brutal one.

The older of the guards went through a list of what he knew of the inmate who has just gained his ticket to freedom, counting down in his head.

"Full name: Zackary "Zack" Fair

Occupation: First Class SOLDIER

Company: Shinra Electric Power Company, SOLDIER Division

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Height: 6'3", 1, 85cm

Eye color: Blue...mako eyes

Birthhome: Gongaga

Status: Alive

The guard closed his eyes and turned around, his younger colleague nearly tripping over his own two feet when he caught up to him, "Um but s-sir! Can we allow this? That man has a life sentence!"

He didn't bother looking at him, merely taking out the familiar sleek metal of his lighter and lightning the cigarette he retrieved from his bronze case, eyes darkening as he took a long drag and blew out the deadly smoke that gathered in his field of vision, "It's an order from the higher ups, there's nothing we can do,"

The younger officer looked apprehensive, "But who were those people? The higher ups?"

He smirked slowly, "Yeah...they call themselves Turks...if you've heard of Shinra and SOLDIER, you had to hear about the Turks..." he took in a long drag again, "Some say they're even more dangerous than those SOLDIER members..."

He didn't bother looking back, the prison would soon turn to normal after a few weeks passed with Fair's absence. Many inmates have grown accustomed to him, even the ones that feared him or hated his guts, he couldn't put his finger on it, but somehow...Fair's made an impact on these criminals here.

"Well? Let's get to work, these inmates aren't going to keep themselves in line,"

The younger man promptly followed the seasoned guard, taking note of how his once proud shoulders were now slumped.

Blue and white, those were the colors Zack saw when he looked up at the sky, closer than he felt he ever was before.

Now flying in Reno's helicopter, back to what he assumed Shinra HQ, he took the opportunity to dress himself. He hadn't bothered getting dressed within the prison, he wouldn't have survived any longer in that hellhole than was necessary.

Opening the side window and throwing the clothes that labeled him as inmate number 19977FF into the ocean beneath the flying helicopter, Reno turned his head slightly to the side, watching Zack through the rear mirror, "What? Not keeping it as a souvenir?" he rose an eyebrow, tone playful.

His expressions grew serious at Zack's uncanny silence, "Oh come on Fair-"

"I keep things from my friends as souvenirs, not my torturers," his gaze was a startling shock of blue, boring so deeply into Reno's own mako blue eyes that the pilot adjusted is shades to land on his nose, breaking the uncomfortable stare down.

"Hm...good call," Rude chose to lightly kick Reno from beside him and the redhead rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah..."

Zack buckled up his pants and adjusted his duty boots, feeling the oddly familiar cloth he used to wear so long ago feel slightly alien on his skin after wearing the prison uniform for all this time.

"You alright?" it was Barret that asked, pulling his mesh shirt over his broad shoulders, Cid behind him adjusting his belt.

Zack pulled his dark blue sleeveless sweater over his head, running a hand through his unkempt hair absentmindedly, "Mhm,"

All three former inmates chose to remain silent until Cid decided to break the silence after an hour of flight, "So, you're taking us back to Shinra HQ, huh?" he sounded dejected, as if being deployed into another hellhole after just coming out of one.

He was not far behind from the truth.

This time, Rude answered, "No," after further silence from him, Zack decided to prod a little.

"...Where are we going then?"

Reno was the one to answer that question, "A little place you guys know well," Zack's eyebrows rose questioningly, but he chose not to comment, "Look for yourself,"

At Reno's prompt, all three former inmates looked through the windows of the helicopter to look down. Instead of the vast, blue ocean greeting them, it were the familiar roofs of the Midgar, flying past them at relatively high speed.

Zack's eyes widened when he realized just where Reno was taking them.

Seventh Heaven.

See you in the next chapter! Hopefully I'll manage to update sooner! Thank you for reading and reviewing! :)