Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Price for a Memory ❯ I Need You ( Chapter 10 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
10.

“Zack? Zack wake up.”

Zack grumbled something inaudible at the pestering voice. Covers pulled over his head he shut out the nuisance.

“Get up.”

The voice hissed at the raven haired male. The covers were pulled from his body. Deep blue eyes struggled to open. Oh such a good dream he was having.

“What?….Sephiroth!”

“Shhh hh you idiot. Now….I need your help.”

“You need my help? Why? What for?”

“I need you to help me break into the ShinRa basement. I need your….lock picking skills should we say.”

Zack nodded slightly. How Sephiroth needed him he would never know. Surely the great General could pick a lock or two? Oh well, his skills as a small time criminal finally come in handy here.

Zack and Sephiroth silently made their way through the dank corridors of the barracks making their way down floor after miserable floor.

“Hey Sephiroth? You think there’s ghosts down here?”

“Yours will be if you don’t shut the hell up.”

The dark haired male thought it best if he simply nodded his reply. He could tell Sephiroth was wound up about getting into the basement. After all, rumours had spread through the barracks for years about some of the weird goings on down there. Test subjects going down and never coming back. Those who did come back went mad and killed themselves. Word also got around that Hojo had been seen going down there on more than one occasion however no concrete evidence was ever found.

Zack was too busy thinking to himself he failed to notice they had stopped. BANG! Straight into a heavy cast iron door.

“Ah hell! Why didn’t you say we were there!” He whined at the older male whilst rubbing his sore temple.

“Quiet. I will stand guard. You get that door open. I want to find out whats in there. I know for a fact its much more than case studies and archives. Hurry up.”

“I don’t know why you need me. I don’t see why you cant pick one….simple….ohhhhhh….”

Infront of him lay the computer locking device complete with finger print analysis and facial recognition sensors.

“Now do you see? I need your hacking skills.”

“Hope you’re a patient man. This is gonna be a looooooooong night.”

“Oh I am very patient. I’m used to waiting for things I want that seem unattainable.”

“What?”

The general eye balled the shorter male and strode off to the T junction in the corridors. Although this place was out of bounds for everyone without the appropriate pass there would always be security milling about. Namely those under the command of ShinRa’s own evil genius Hojo. He always had his rats sniffing about the new recruits looking for another to snatch away. Sephiroth couldn’t shake the feeling that Cloud was next.

“No….I wont let that happen.”

“Wont let what happen Sephiroth?”

“Nothing Zack. What are you doing? Stop staring at me and get on with hacking into that computer system….now!”

Hours passed. Both males had lost track of what time it was. Sephiroth guessed around 3am. He had came for Zack just after midnight. The sound of the General’s soft footfalls on the concrete floor was the only sound to be heard besides Zack tinkering with the computer.

Deep blue eyes unblinking stared at the millions of numbers floating about the screen infront of him. He scratched his head over and over. Remembering back to his days as a criminal. He tried to remember everything his mentor taught him about hacking. Which routes to follow so as to not get caught. The easiest ways to implant a hydra virus into multiple systems.

“That’s it! If I can put a virus into the system then crash it, the whole thing will malfunction letting us in undetected! Genius!”

Sephiroth whipped his head round at the sound of Zack’s glee. He stared at him wondering if Zack was “all there”. He highly doubted it. Anyone that happy had to be on something. Something much more than Pro Plus anyway. The sound of the raven haired male typing away was beginning to drive him nuts. The constant click click click of the keys bore through his brain like a jack hammer.

“Are you done yet Zack?”

“Almost. I’m gonna put a virus into the system then crash it. I think then we can get in….I think anyway.”

“That sounds reassuring.” Sephiroth smirked sarcastically.

------

Cloud tossed and turned in his sleep. Sweat tricked down his face. Beads formed on his chest. His eyes flickered open and shut rapidly.

He opened them to find himself standing in a barren wasteland. Nothing but darkness surrounded him. He spun on his heels and faced the other way. Still nothing.

“Where am I?”

He began to panic. He was unprepared for combat. Hell, he was unprepared for anything. Shuffling sounds from behind him shifted him from his thoughts. He spun round only to come face to face with a man. About 6ft in height. Slim built. He wore a uniform similar to Sephiroth’s. His hair, jet black swayed gently in the breeze Cloud was not even aware of. However it was those eyes. So strikingly blue yet so white at the same time. Those eyes rendered the blond speechless.

“W-who are y-y-you?”

The man said nothing. All he did was smile.

Cloud watched as he shut his eyes. Slowly a feathered black wing began to appear from his left shoulder. The appendage flexed and swayed as it grew. The male smiled at Cloud again. He held out his hand.

Common sense leaving him, Cloud stepped forwards. After all he could sense no threat or malice from this man. Slowly he reached out his own hand.

“I know you….”

As soon as their fingers touched, bright light shot from the dark haired man and into Cloud. Pain seared through his body, blinding him. Pain tore at his limbs. He heard screams. He heard shouting. He saw flashes of images. The same man being dragged away. Strapped to a table. Sadistic laughter surrounding him. A huge machine came towards him. Pain tore through Cloud’s left shoulder. Blood spattered over the cracked sun baked ground.

“AHHHH!”

------

Sephiroth 217;s eyes snapped open. He was sure he heard someone screaming for him. No, he must have been dreaming. He rubbed his tired eyes and glanced round at Zack. He was standing triumphantly over the computer system. Every light was out in the building. No sounds could be heard.

“Were in Seph!”

“Good. Lets hurry up. No doubt they will find the source of the virus and come here.”

The two shot into the basement. The lunatic laboratory all the rumours came from. The forbidden basement only a few enter but never come back out of.

The two stood in silence just waiting on the lights going back on. If Sephiroth knew the ShinRa technicians the lights would be on in a matter of minutes. He was right.

Slowly the lighting buzzed to life. Everything in shining light for the two males to see.

“What the fuck is this!”

“Holy hell….”