Disclaimer: I do not now or before and most likely not in the future, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix or any of the characters.

A/N: Hey guys! I took the advice of one of my reviewers and changed the settings on my profile that don't allow any guest reviews without me moderating them first. If they are from the guest reviewer that has been gifting my review pages with the trolling reviews, I will no longer allow them on the review pages. Likewise, if they are not about the story or are an attack on another reviewer, I will not allow them on the review pages.

[*Readers booo loudly and begin throwing brightly-colored bejeweled troll dolls*]

Wait! Wait! Before you riot, you should know that this person continues to send them in to make me laugh. While I appreciate them wanting to keep me in a good mood, I'm not going to allow them up for you to enjoy any more. They are my flaming troll reviews - not yours! I would continue to share them with you, but I won't, they're mine! I don't want to share anymore! Mine I tell you! Mine! But if you ask, I might share... Maybe XD

Reviews, critiques and flames are welcome. I absolutely love all reviews about the story as it gives me motivation, I use good constructive criticism to help my writing improve and I feed the flames to the fires of my imagination.

Thanks to my before posting beta Queen of Jokers and my after posting beta SubZeroChimera!

"You cannot find peace by avoiding life." –Virginia Woolf

Chapter 57

Vincent couldn't help but watch Sephiroth. He was not the monster that Hojo was seemingly trying to create. He thought about Lucrecia and how much she would enjoy seeing her son, since she never got to hold him. He looked a lot like her or Vincent thought so anyway. He still had Jenova's hair, but with all the injections of alien cells he received while still in the womb he couldn't be surprised.

The way he moved, he was full of grace. Vincent watched Sephiroth with great interest as he dispatched a monster on their way back to the inn. Vincent felt as though he were watching angelic refinement in slow motion. Sephiroth was elegant in form, his balance was perfection; his body flowed like crystal clear water flowing down a mountain stream. His arms would arch in unison with his feet finding the right footing in a tight elegant turn. His follow through was as though his agility were an enchantment sent to seduce his enemies to their death. The sword became a glistening extension of his hand when he made the blade sing while swiftly beheading the beast. It was like a celestial gift; the dance that Sephiroth created in battle was beautifully macabre.

When Cloud emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered, he held out his pair of soiled pants and added them to the dirty clothes while he announced, "Okay, Harding has information and he thinks that maybe he knows what's going on." Sephiroth and Vincent walked in and Vincent stayed next to the wall and the silver-haired warrior went with Aerith to sit down. Surprisingly, the ancient sat in his lap.

"Thanks Cloud for that rousin' introduction," Barret smirked. Cloud smirked back.

Harding started, "Cloud is right, I have looked over the papers and there are some interesting things here." The group shifted and some sat and watched the man explain, "First, the link between the guys is what Hojo was after to begin with. He noted that a possible side effect could be transferring several things to one of them, resulting in possible insanity," A wave of his hand towards Zack brought the attention to him for a short time.

"So that's what happened to Zack?" Tifa quizzed.

Harding shifted his weight, "I believe so."

Cloud spurted out, "Can he be helped?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry. There just isn't anything in the notes about curing, fixing or reversing it," Harding switched the papers around in his hands. Cloud was noticeably shaken at the thought of Zack staying the way he was at this moment, "Now, this right here, points out that Jade is just following in what Sephiroth had started here in Nibelheim. She basically wants to suck it dry of resources by getting to the Promised Land."

Vincent was leaning against the wall closest to the door, "Hojo would know any information that is not on your papers, correct?" He rhetorically asked.

Barret slammed his fist on the bed post, "How do we kill the bitch and fix the princess?" Harding cut a harsh look at him.

"Would you shush?" Harding shuffled the papers again and found a different one that he read from, "This is the bad news."

Under his breath, Cloud was shocked, "It gets worse?"

"Jade has to have all three of you, kind of like the reunion that Hojo started with Sephiroth. The more Jenova cells that are together, the stronger she gets. However you three are stronger too." Harding pointed to a paragraph on yet another page, "This is what I don't understand, Hojo has more notes here, but it doesn't make any sense to me."

A knock on the door startled Yuffie and she went to open it. A short balding guy stood there holding a large sealed yellow envelope, "This letter just arrived for a… Jacob Harding."

Harding stepped forward, "That's me." He took the envelope and before Yuffie shut the door, he had dug the contents out.

Barret rolled his eyes, "Great, more papers…" His sarcasm was not lost to the others in the room as a few quiet giggles were heard.

Harding was quiet while he read through the papers. Everyone in the room became restless and Cloud sat down on the bed next to Zack. He was still mumbling quietly to himself, while his eyes rolled under his eyelids. His hands lay at his sides and they twitched along with the words he said and Cloud picked up one of his hands and held it. Tifa came up behind him and put her hands around Cloud's shoulders. She said nothing, just held him in the loose embrace.

Zack's eyes suddenly opened and moved rapidly around the room almost as if he were reading something. A loud cry turned into a long distressing scream. Rolling to his side, his hands went to his head and he squeezed his eyes shut. As his scream subsided, he yelled out to no one in particular, "Seph likes getting beat instead… Yeah, beat!"

Sephiroth tensed and stood, almost dumping Aerith to the floor. Cloud looked at Sephiroth's face when he saw his movement, the former General's face hardened and he looked about ready to kill someone. Zack's eyes opened again and he looked around the room nervously, "The Master, that's who… Who?!" Aerith reached out and gently placed her hand on Sephiroth's fist as Zack continued to rant, his voice pitched loudly at first, "Cloud and Zack can't hear it… nope…! Don't tell Hojo! Oh, no, no, no…" He tapped his fingers nervously at his lips, "Shhh… it's a secret." The brunette's face saddened even more.

"Strife. Shut him up! Now!" Cloud saw Sephiroth standing stiffly and his fists were tight, knuckles white, jaws clenched taut. His face lined with stress, anger and depression. He shook Aerith's hand from his and she took careful step backward.

Cloud stood in alarm, "Everyone out! Now! Harding read your papers somewhere else," He pushed gently at Tifa and Harding as they went to the door.

Cloud heard Yuffie in the hallway, "What the heck was that all about? Seph didn't need to grab my arm so hard."

Everyone looked over at Tifa and Aerith. Seeming to know that Zack was fixing to tell something personal they got everyone downstairs. Sephiroth slammed the door shut.

In a voice that strained and was full of sadness, Zack declared, "It's a secret… Why? Who?"

With his teeth together he yelled without moving his stance, "Shut him up!" His face flushed red and the tightness of his muscles caused him to shake.

"Seph, I don't think he hears me," Cloud leaned over him and shook him gently, "Zack. Look at me, shhh, just calm down."

Tears remained welled as he sadly recounted the new information, "How long? The walls are so cold. What about tonight? Pictures, I don't like when they take pictures. Just a beating?" Zack's face went from sad to self-reproach. "Spiders jump from the ceiling in my house. Not a beating, what then? Oh… please… don't!" Tears began to flow.

Sephiroth took long strides to Zack's bedside across from Cloud and slapped him across the face, "Shut Up!" Zack's face instantly turned red from the contact and his head lolled to the side.

"Sephiroth! What are you doing?" Cloud jumped up and grabbed his wrist, "What is your problem?"

Sephiroth flinched and made eye contact with Cloud. Without a change in his stance, his face relaxed a small amount, "I don't, I just… I cannot hear this."

Cloud held his wrist firmly, "Does this have something to do with your reaction down in the basement?" Sephiroth's entire body cringed, he lowered his eyes as Cloud finished, "I'm not going to ask details, but if he didn't know before, he does now." Moving his eyes from Sephiroth back to Zack, "Why now?"

Quietly Sephiroth spoke, "Because I just remembered it myself."

Cloud's eyes went back to Sephiroth, "So you're linked with him?"

Sephiroth nodded slowly and relaxed his stance, "Apparently, but I am not getting anything from him though," Cloud finally released his wrist with a small but firm push.

He sat back down next to Zack. He straightened him back up and gave him a drink of water, "I suppose we can turn it off and on, we just need to learn how." Cloud rose quickly, "Wait a minute! We were linked while we were in the lab, but Zack wasn't because he didn't have the Jenova implants."

Seeing that Cloud didn't get any of the memories, he relaxed more. He sat next to Zack on the other side of the bed from Cloud. Sephiroth raised Zack's shirt and examined his stomach, running his fingers across two scars under his ribs. "Harding implied that Hojo did implant some in him before we escaped, and possibly while we thought he was dead, so this is what we have now."

Zack lurched up and grabbed Cloud's face and pulled it toward him. Zack's eyes were intense, a bright glow began to show and they were full of anguish, they pleaded with Cloud, he whispered, "Don't tell Seph, but I know. I know. I know… Cloud, he needs you. He just needs a friend. That's why he did it." Cloud looked over at Sephiroth. Zack continued, "Have you ever ridden a chocobo? They bite." Sephiroth turned away from them and faced the window. Zack dropped his hands from Cloud's head and clenched his fists and he yelled out, "Take it! Please… Help me! You promised!" Zack's eyes returned to Cloud's and he pleaded very adamantly, "Take it, please… Please…"

The moment Zack seemed to relax slightly, Cloud grabbed his head and dropped off the bed to the floor. Sephiroth turned quickly and whispered, "No."

"Ahh… Zack stop… I -Stop it!" Cloud kept his hands at his head and then looked up at Sephiroth. Pain covered his face and Sephiroth suddenly knew what was happening and he turned back to the window and tensed once again and waited until it was over.

Cloud's hands covered his face. Falling to his knees, his head went forward and rested his forehead on the floor. He screamed out in misery. Sitting up a little, he began to rock and put his arms around himself as his cries became more desperate. His breathing became a pant and with every exhale, a groan would go with it. It took several minutes for Cloud to suffer through it and then process the new information. His heart pounded hard and rapidly under his ribs. Just when he thought it was endless, he was finally able to look up and lift himself to the side of the bed. Taking some time to catch his breath and get himself back together, he cut his eyes over at Sephiroth who was still facing the window, he just stared out as he waited.

In a more than angry tone, Cloud ground out through gritted teeth, "What the hell was all that about Seph?!" Lines of stress displayed and accentuated the total amount of pain that Cloud just suffered through. Sephiroth's hands went to his own face in shame.

Cloud jumped up, grabbing the other's upper arm, yanking him up and shoving him backward, "What the fuck was that?! What? How could you do that?" Sephiroth backed himself into the corner and refused to look up while Cloud had his tirade, "What were you thinking you son of a bitch! Did you not think that we wouldn't understand or help you, help ourselves?!" Zack pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around his head as he rocked back and forth. Cloud remained in front of Sephiroth, waiting for him to explain.

The entire ordeal played again in his mind. The fury that he felt toward the man who called himself Master boiled his blood. It agitated his emotions like picking at a scab. When it worked itself off, he reacted.

He shoved Cloud back and took a step forward, and spat out his feelings as they churned, "What? Like how you took such good care of yourself? You were defenseless against him and you know it. You were weak. We were weak. Just fish in a barrel. They had us," He shoved him again and Cloud caught himself from falling on the wall next to the bed as Sephiroth continued to advance, "They could do whatever they wanted and they knew it!" He took another step and shoved Cloud again, "They did what they wanted!" Another shove had Cloud backed across the room against the table, "We aren't men anymore! Not since then; we are things, objects, toys, just mindless specimens and failed experiments!"

Cloud stepped into him, "Is that what you think? I don't think so, not anymore! Figure it out Seph! They were the monsters, not us!"

Sephiroth paused and his face fell. He pulled a chair out and sat down. His shoulders sunk and his head hung down. He rubbed at his forehead and let his frustration out in a groan. A fist went down on the table and a glass of water wobbled, "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to get hurt all over again. I had taken enough from you. Both of you. The thought of my refusal resulting in more pain for you, it just wasn't an option for me."

Cloud pulled the other chair out and sat across from him, "Yeah, well, that place was nothing but pain. No matter what, the pain was there." Cloud leaned his elbows to his knees and quietly said, "I appreciate your motives, but I hate that you went through that for me and Zack." His voice was calm, and soothing and as an afterthought he added, "That made Davis and the beating I received from him seem like a cake walk."

Sephiroth scoffed, "Davis was worse; you were younger. You hadn't lived yet, experienced life, its joys and disappointments. It was your innocence that had been taken. I accepted what mine was and it was my choice to consent." Taking a deep breath he slowly let it out, "I'm not saying it was the best judgment, but it was my choice none the less. You didn't have a say in the matter."

"It still doesn't make it right. Now what are you going to do?" His stare grazed over Sephiroth's face.

Looking up briefly, Sephiroth sighed, "I guess I will use some of that rage and take it out on Jade." He smiled to himself. For some odd reason he felt okay about all of it at that moment. Sephiroth felt like it just washed away with the few tears that spilled down his cheeks. He thought for a second that it was a little weird, but didn't question it any farther.

Cloud stood up and walked toward Zack and looked at Sephiroth, "Thank you… Now, let's go get some information out of Harding."

Three weeks after the break-in, Tseng returned to work and was on desk duty. He busily got to work on finding out as much as he could, while trying to find the culprits of the break-in. Reno temporarily taking over his duties made him feel bad for the fun-loving red-head. Had he known that the president would put anyone else in Tseng's place, he would have done things a little different. Reno had changed. He wasn't his jovial self any more. Everyone in the office, including Elena, said that Reno had been like that for over a week.

The president would call him to his office and after the meeting, Reno would leave and wouldn't look at anyone. Sometimes the president's meetings would last for 30 minutes, sometimes 2 hours. Tseng was subjected to the president's severe mood swings and abuse for so long; it had become second nature to him. He used his Turk training to keep up the façade required to keep the President's secret just that, a secret.

When he saw Reno exit, Tseng rose from his desk, adjusted his sling and slowly made his way to the elder Shinra's office. Knocking and entering, Tseng bowed in respect, "Sir."

The president looked up from his paper work and a look of surprise met his gaze, "Tseng, it is a pleasure to see you." Putting his elbows on the desk and leaning over them, "What can I do for you today?"

"Sir, respectively, I would like to resume my duties as soon as possible," Tseng stood straight.

He rose and made his way around the desk, "Well Reno has filled in quite nicely." The grin he displayed was one he knew very well.

Knowing what he meant, he internally cringed "I understand, however, Reno is needed somewhere else now. It is of the utmost importance."

"Oh, secret black ops stuff," He nodded with a smile then ran his tongue over his top lip. He walked over to him and circled the head Turk. Putting his mouth up close to the side of Tseng's jaw, "Well I suppose that tomorrow you can consider yourself back on duty." He circled back in front of him and his nose almost touched Tseng's nose, "I trust your arm won't be a problem completing your duties?"

Tseng shivered inside, "No sir."

Shinra returned to his desk and without looking back at him, "I will see you at the morning meeting at 9 a.m."

With another bow, he exited and shut the door. He breathed deep and began his quest to find Reno. He has an important job for him, Reno was an ass, but he was good at his job and he hated seeing his Turks in that condition. Seeing Tseng nearing his office and desk, Rude abruptly stood, "Sir. How are you feeling?"

"I am feeling fine Rude, thank you. Have you seen Reno, I need to speak with him."

Rude shifted his weight, "He's up on the roof as usual, smoking."

"Both of you have a mission and I will brief you when I return with Reno," He turned and left as quickly as he arrived.

Pushing the button in the elevator for the roof-top, Tseng broke out in a sweat and when the doors opened, a gust of wind hit him and he braced himself with a grimace. He stepped out to the large granite slabs that covered the roof and scanned the area. A form of a man stood on the other side of the helipad, next to a bench. Tseng walked briskly toward him and tried to get his words in order for the upcoming conversation, "Reno."

The red-head didn't turn. The Turk leader watched as he took a long drag of his cigarette and blew it out slowly and loudly, "Yeah?"

"I am reinstated into my regular duties as of this moment," Tseng grimaced at another gust.

Reno gazed out at the horizon and inhaled another puff of smoke, "How long have you been the boss?"

Tseng hung his head and paused, "A very long time."

"I've done your job for a few days and I can't stand it. Why do you do it?" Reno still stared at the horizon.

Tseng inhaled, "So no one else has to."

A long awkward silence for Tseng was broken when Reno scoffed, "That's very noble of you, but I think its bullshit." Finally turning and facing him, he cleared his throat, "I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of all in the name of the job." He shook his head without breaking eye contact, "This though. It ranks right up there real close to the top of my fucked up shit meter."

"I am sorry Reno. I had no idea he would put someone else in charge."

Rolling his eyes, he sighed, "Yeah, I know, things would be different," Reno threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stamped it out.

Reno started walking back to the elevator and he had a noticeable limp. Tseng said nothing until he reached out to push the button to call the elevator back to the roof. The young Turk hissed and grabbed his ribs on his left side.

"Reno, do you need to see the medic?" Tseng couldn't make eye contact with him.

They got on the elevator and Tseng pushed the button to go back to the Turk offices. Reno shifted his weight off of his left leg, "Nah, I think I'll be okay. Now therapy… quite possibly," An unsure smile hid the hurt from Reno's face.

Without looking at him, Tseng asked, "Leg or hip?" Tseng was thankful internally that the president hadn't gone any further in the abuse to Reno than just physical.

Reno shifted again, "Hip." The elevator ride down was long and awkward, "I certainly hope that dumb, dumber, and dumbest don't fuck around and just get the job done. Otherwise, I'm liable to kill them myself." When the elevator opened on their floor, Reno straightened himself and walked and tried not to limp. Rounding the corner, Rude was at his desk and looked up as they approached. Reno reached out carefully and sat down while avoiding putting weight on his hip. Tseng hung his head as he knew firsthand what Shinra's derangement was capable of.

Tseng stood proud and cleared his throat, "As I mentioned before, there is a mission." He closed the door and stepped back in front of them, "There has been some new information that has surfaced. He took a small stack of papers out of his sling.

"Damn, what else you got in there?" Reno quipped stiffly. Tseng was actually glad to hear his smart ass remarks, strained though they were. It was a start.

In a very serious tone and making eye contact with each of them several times, "Copies of these pages that were leaked out and professor Hojo is adamant that no more information is leaked out." He laid the papers down on the desk and both Reno and Rude leaned in, "What you are seeing is the most recent research that Hojo is doing. We must find the source of the leak before any more information gets out," Tseng punctuated his point by raising his eyebrows, but just a little.

Reno looked at Tseng and with a wink he got the clues, "You got it boss."

Pulling a large yellow envelope out from the drawer in his desk, Rude slid the envelope across the desk toward Reno so he could put the papers in the envelope, "After we complete the paperwork from the break-in, we will take care of this issue." Reno finished his point when he wrote the name "Jacob Harding c/o Nibelheim Inn" on the front of the envelope.

Twirling her shuriken expertly in her fingers, Vincent took notice. Discretely, he watched while his back firmly leaned on the wall, until she came up to him and began talking. She never seemed short on conversation material.

"So, you're Vincent?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, you don't look half bad for a zombie," She smiled coyly and slightly leaned forward.

"I am not a zombie."

"Vampire then?" Her smile widened. Her soft delicate features appeared to light up in the dimly lit room.

"No."

She turned to lean on the wall beside him, "Why were you in a coffin? What's your story? I heard Barret talking and he said you used to be a Turk. Is that true? How old are you anyway? You don't talk much do you?"

Finally she paused and he attempted to answer, "It's comfortable. I don't want to get into it. Yes I was a Turk. I am older than you. No, I don't talk much because you seem to talk enough for everyone." His small smile was hidden behind his collar but showed in his crimson eyes.

Her mouth flung open, "Huh? I don't talk that much. Do I?" He just adjusted his eyes to look her over, "I can't believe you would say that." She couldn't form any more words at that moment.

He rose up from the wall, "Speechless? I didn't think it was possible."

She stood back up, with her hands on her hips, dropped her shuriken on the floor with a clang and turned red at her fumble, "Listen… you… vampire, zombie Turk, or whatever, I… Oh, forget it!" She bent over to retrieve her weapon.

Vincent stood face to face with her when she stood back up, "Why don't we go get something to eat and you can fume over dinner."

She didn't know what to make of this guy. He was cute, mysterious and had a big gun… she giggled to herself. She wouldn't mind getting to know him a little better, "Sure, but you're buying."

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