Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Where the lost ones go ❯ The Darkest Hour ( Chapter 32 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

32. The Darkest Hour

Aeris had been watching him sleep for almost an entire hour before Sephiroth stirred. Sighing softly, he shifted slightly as he unknowingly tugged at his restraints. It cut her heart to see him like this, but she knew she was lucky to allowed to see him at all. The doctors were hovering over her like guards to make sure she rested, and it took her some time to convince them that she would only get more agitated arguing with them to see him than if they'd simply let her go. However, it had cost her a sacred vow of not straining herself and that she would return to her bed the second she felt tired!
Sephiroth's eyelashes fluttered, and his vision swam briefly before he managed to focus. Seeing Aeris smiling at him made Sephiroth awake in an instant. Forcing his eyes open, he smiled faintly. "Hey you..."
"Hello, Sephiroth," Aeris whispered, reaching over to take his hand. "How are you feeling?" At least his hand was warm and real as his fingers gently wrapped around her hand.
Chuckling silently, Sephiroth shrugged. "Like someone shot me..." He moved his index finger to lightly brush over her rounded stomach. "How's the baby?"
Aeris gazed down and placed her other hand over his hand as well. "Just fine," she lied. "We're more worried about you, you know."
A flicker of guilt was seen in his eyes, and Sephiroth swallowed hard. "I messed up again. I always mess up, don't I?" He sighed and shook his head weakly. "It seems like every time I think I'm trying to take control of my life, I always end up playing into someone's hands."
"I know it's not easy," Aeris soothed, drawing light fingertips over his slender fingers. "But I have faith in you. I will always have faith in you, Sephiroth. I know your soul, like you know mine. Nothing can change that." She reached over and tugged affectionately at a silver bang. "You're not getting rid of me this easily, you know!"
"Good," Sephiroth smiled, allowing himself to relax a little. "I don't think I can do this without you." He then gave a faint, but resigned laugh. "Actually, I know I can't do this without you. I need you as much as I love you, Aeris."
The last months of unease was suddenly lifted abruptly from her shoulders, and tears welled up in Aeris' eyes as she forced herself not to cry. "Yeah? Well, ditto, Mr General. Just so you know it!"
Sephiroth wanted to reach out and caress away the tear he saw threatening to slide down her cheek, but the restraints kept him from raising his hand more than a few inches. Grumbling frustrated, he tugged annoyed. "Are these really necessary?"
"You know they are," Aeris whispered, the affection in her eyes now tainted with worry. "You tried to kill Vincent. Then you aimed for Rufus. You're not yourself, Sephiroth."
Giving up the fight, Sephiroth turned his face away. "I nearly killed Cloud as well. You forget about that."
"But you didn't." Aeris absently corrected the sheet. "He told me what happened. But you didn't kill him, Sephiroth, and that is what matters. Right now, everyone just wants to see you well again, ok?"
A short silence followed, then Sephiroth turned to to stare up at the ceiling. "I don't know what I find most hard to believe; Rufus being alive or that the little terrorist is with him!" A giggle from Aeris encouraged him to continue. "I mean, what if he comes in here with his tea? I have no way to defend myself!"
Aeris did keep her promise to take things easy, but she spent most of her time by Sephiroth's side. As they passed, there were days when he was the man she loved so dearly, and then there was the days when Jenova was tearing at his brain until his entire body was convulsing with agony. The fascinating part was how, despite the fact that Sephiroth and Cid were kept at two different locations with no chance of seeing or hearing each other, Sephiroth's attacks were always simultaneous with Cid's. Like Hojo had predicted, the Jenova cells had exterminated the virus in the pilot's body, but the alien wasted no time in reaching for Cid's mind. The only sleep Sephiroth and Cid ever had was due to the drugs given to them.
It wasn't easy, but at least it was possible to keep her courage up as Aeris helped Sephiroth through the worst fits. The moments when he'd look at her with clear eyes and spoke to her was worth the times when he'd scream for Jenova to leave him alone. Little by little, she saw both general and pilot win the fight against the alien. As the attacks got rarer, she also received the news of her child's improved health. One doctor was amazed that it was still a little over a month until the official term, but Aeris wasn't surprised as she knew the child's father had also been delivered before term. Children infused with Jenova cells, as well as Mako influenced, were often stronger and faster developed than the average child, not to mention there were also Cetra cells involved. She did not like the thought.

With a final word and a nod, Jinrei dismissed the soldier as he saw Joy approach. "A status report, if you will, General Joy?"
"It appears that the base beneath Goblin Island was completely destroyed by Sephiroth, sir," Joy grumbled, giving a half-hearted salute to the scientist. Glancing around, he studied the somewhat organized soldiers milling around the forrest they were currently making into a make-shift base. Jinrei had predicted that ShinRa would prioritize shutting down the underground tunnels, and by the smaller number of soldiers than expected; Joy knew Jinrei had been right. Then again, when did the man ever get anything wrong? Sephiroth. By his obsession with Jenova, the scientist had failed to see the threat of her puppet.
Nodding again, Jinrei turned back to stare at the maps covering the table. "I see..." Silence followed, even as two lieutenants approached, no one interrupted the dark haired man's thinking. They all knew better than that! Jinrei realised that losing most of his creations were a set-back worthy of a minor frown, but it only bought the enemy a few more days. He was far from beaten yet.
Joy straightened slightly as Jinrei glanced over at him, and he felt a little relieved to see the resolve in the other man's eyes. These last few weeks spent waiting and hiding in this damn forrest was starting to get to him. He was built for battle, not hide and seek! It was of course understandable that they had to regroup after losing their main base, but Joy hated waiting.
"I think it's time we ended our little game," Jinrei declared softly, his eyes deadly calm behind the glasses. "General Joy, you will bring troops and whatever you find necessary to here." He pointed at a certain location on the map. "Whatever means needed, I expect you will secure it. Understood?"
Saluting before nodding, Joy grinned widely. "It will be my pleasure, sir. Then I may bring the Soldier Girl?"
Sighing, Jinrei glanced over at the tent containing the creature in question. "I fear you may have ruined her."
"She's a weapon. I have used her accordingly," Joy replied tersely, starting into action to follow when Jinrei walked towards the tent. "If there had only been some way to incapacitate her vocal chords in some way that wouldn't jeopardize her powers, Soldier Girl might actually be the ultimate weapon!"
Jinrei glanced into the tent, seeing the immobile figure on the ground and his eyes narrowed slightly. "General Joy... I used almost an entire year to infuse mako into her... Countless specimens failed before her. And you treat her like a toy." He turned to face the flaxen haired man. "Soldier Girl isn't just a 'weapon'. She is materia personified! Imagen what can be achieved with living materias!" Shaking his head, Jinrei gazed back into the tent. It was foolish to expect a brute like Joy to understand. "Like common materia, Soldier Girl grows stronger by each use as well. However, I fear that her frail human cells will not be able to survive a mastered state of materia cells within them. The Ultima materia is the fiercest materia there is, I did not chose it randomly. Once Soldier Girl reaches her full capacity, it will kill her."
Joy clenched his jaw annoyed, gazing into the tent as well. "Does it really matter, sir? You're perfectly capable of creating a new one, aren't you?"
Snorting amused, Jinrei glanced over at the general. "Indeed I am, Joy. Indeed I am."
Suddenly Joy felt a chill run down his spine at the look behind Jinrei's glasses, and he was unable to move while the scientist wandered back to his table where the two officers were waiting. What had those words and that look meant? The injections Jinrei had been giving him all this time... It couldn't be? No, he wouldn't risk his finest strategist! Right? But, the man said he could easily create a new weapon like Soldier Girl. Hadn't he also once asked if Joy wouldn't want such powers?
"I take it you will leave as soon as possible?" Jinrei's voice snapped Joy out of his thoughts and the scientist gave a false smile. "Right?"
Joy gave a numb nod, clearing his throat. "Certainly, sir." He forced himself to focus on the assignment in front of him, and not worry over things that were too late to do anything about anyway! "If I may, sir, what will the rest of the troops be doing?"
Tapping a finger on the map, Jinrei sneered. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself..." He straightened to meet Joy's eyes. "I'm going to destroy Midgar, return a bullet to Vincent Valentine and then rip the heart out of Cid Highwind's chest. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Not at all, sir," Joy replied hastily, giving a salute once again. "I will gather my troops and leave within the break of dawn."
Jinrei waved him off, and turned back to stare at the map while he heard the orders shouted to gather Joy's troops. Yes, he was tired of waiting. Enough was enough. He was getting his hands on that last materia, and no one was going to stand in his way! Absently tapping a finger to his forhead, Jinrei gave a sneering smile. That damn Valentine had ruined everything when Cid Highwind had been within Jinrei's reach the last time. Now, it would only be fair if Jinrei got to ram a bullet into Vincent's head, right? The only question would be if he was to wait and let the former Turk see Jinrei tear the heart out of his friend, or he really should mix pleasure with business. A tricky choice indeed...

Rufus slowly let the hand holding up his head slide behind his neck, while leaning forward until his forhead met the piles of papers he'd been staring at for the last hours with a thump. He was so dead tired. His neck was a center of agony each time he moved, his back was probably frozen into his half-bent position he'd spent hours in, and his eyes were stinging painfully from countless reports and forms. The brat prince had returned from the dead with a silent vow of never being parted from Tifa again, and yet he'd seen so little of her lately. It was easy telling himself the facts, that he was really trying to make sure she and their children was going to actually have a future, the hard part was to ignore the dull ache inside his heart that told him how much he missed her. Rufus had to get up before the sun in the mornings, and Tifa was asleep when he came back late at night. And he was so tired.
Closing his eyes, Rufus moved slightly to fold his arms over his desk and rest his head on them, giving a silent sigh of discomfort. Okay, how about a recap of the last month's incidents? He squirmed briefly to make himself as comfortable as his tensed up body would allow him. Alright, he'd returned to Midgar four weeks ago and had foolishly thought that he would set things straight within days. Unfortunately, the damage done to ShinRa and the loss of the other towns were worse than he thought. Rufus basically had to begin from the start again. He'd have to pick up the pieces of his army, organize and adjust it to function without Sephiroth. Ah, yes, Sephiroth. The brat prince had sworn he was going to kill that odd little man if Sephiroth actually bled to death, but he should have known that the Jenova cells had rendered the silver haired man almost immortal. Still, it was only a few days ago that the doctors were considering to drop the restraints. Sephiroth had proven to be quite unstable those first weeks, calm one moment and incoherent the next. Aeris had stayed by Sephiroth's side through it all.
Now, Vincent Valentine, on the other hand. The man had always been strange and something of a loner, but lately it had gotten even worse. Even Yuffie was cut out of the renegade missions now. Ever since that conversation with Sephiroth, the former Turk kept staring into the distance as he was waiting for something... For someone...
Cid Highwind... If Vincent had turned deeper into the flaws of his character, Cid had turned completely away from his old self. There was nothing left of the usually so self-confident pilot. He barely spoke anymore, and didn't seem comfortable in his own skin. Not that Rufus could blame him. Hojo's reports told of Jenova toying with the blonde's mind, and the brat prince didn't want to wonder what the alien made Cid hear and see. Shera was the only person Cid allowed close, but that didn't prevent him from asking her to leave. Leave Midgar and him behind. Shera refused. And she obviously thought no one saw her cry, but Rufus had heard her when he passed her room.
The long stay at Jinrei's base had clearly damaged Cloud, but the blonde still insisted on doing his share. Leading the drilling of the new troops and participating at the strategic meetings. Rufus wondered how long Cloud was going to manage to keep up that pace. Not for very much longer, he feared. Whatever Jinrei had done to him, Cloud tried to act like it was nothing. Nothing was ever nothing when it involved Jinrei and his science!
Young Yuffie fretted over her friend that still had yet to wake up, Barret was actually proving to be a good leader despite his constant yelling, Seto was lurking the shadows and Reeve was developing ulcers. Scarlet seemed to be the only one who remained stable through it all. And then... there was this odd little man that Aeris claimed to be called the Chocobo Sage. The little pest that seem to appear and disappear as he saw it fit. Dropping of little titbits of information that no man should know unless he was allied with Jinrei, and with no good explanation as to how he got it! The little bugger!
A sharp knock on the door snapped Rufus out of his thoughts, but he didn't bother to move. "Yeah?"
The door opened and someone entered the office. "Sir?" Reeve sounded even more nervous than usual. That could only mean bad news. Great...
Forcing himself to straighten and gaze at the dark haired man, Rufus sighed wearily at the pale face that met him. "Now what, Reeve? We're out of hair gel?"
Reeve shook his head and held out a paper for Rufus to take. "No, sir, I'm afraid it's a bit worse than that... We're out of water. The drought has gone on for so long now that the water supplies have all dried up. Midgar is entirely dry."
Frowning, Rufus reached out to snatch the sheet from Reeve. "How is that possible?"
"It hasn't rained for ten months, sir," Reeve declared meekly, shifting nervously as he stared at his feet. "The other towns have the same problem, only Junon is the exception due to it's purifying plant that allows them to make freshwater out of sea water."
Slamming the paper on top of the others, Rufus drew a hand through his firey hair. "Great... Just frigging great... What's next?"

The sun had set and outside the sky was clear with a full moon and countless stars. It could almost seem peaceful. Almost.
Bare feet did not make a single sound as steps brought her closer to her destination, and she only halted to pause outside the door. Gazing through the window in the door, she raised a hand as if she wanted to touch him. She knew something had gone wrong when he didn't return, knew he needed her help. The sight of Sephiroth tied to that hospital bed cut at her heart, and Lucrecia reached out to open the door.
"Don't." The voice sounded deadly calm, and there was the sound of a gun being cocked. "I don't want to shoot you, but if you force me... I will."
Lucrecia smiled slightly, letting her hand fall. "Vincent..." It had been quite some time since she'd heard that voice. Turning to face him, she had to force her eyes to focus in the dark hall to make out his form. The dark haired man held a gun on a straight arm, aiming straight between her eyes. It made her smile widen. "You will shoot me?" Tilting her head, Lucrecia laughed softly as it didn't even take an effort to see the pain in the crimson eyes. He always looked at her with that gaze. That wounded look. Like someone had just killed his puppy. "You're keeping my son captive, the son you told me were dead, and you will shoot me for helping him?"
Swallowing hard, Vincent took a step backwards as Lucrecia took a step towards him and the gun trembled slightly. "He doesn't need you help, Lucrecia... You and Jenova are ruining him..."
Lucrecia sneered a smile, taking another step towards Vincent. "You are keeping him here against his will, Vincent. Are you not?" She saw the former Turk struggle to form words, and it amused her endlessly. "He's my son, Vincent. And you kept him from me."
"No," Vincent whispered, backing up against the wall as she kept approaching and was unable to resist when she placed a hand on his wrist, making him lower the gun. "I failed you... I had to protect him..."
Walking up real close, Lucrecia leaned up to whisper in his ear. "I never needed you to protect me anyway, Vincent." She heard him gasp, and could imagen the shock in his eyes as she rammed her knife into his stomach. Jenova had advised her to keep the small, but deadly, knife within the sleeve of her white dress. It had been a good advice. Pulling back to see his face, Lucrecia tilted her head in mock pity. "You never did understand, did you? All those times you declared your love for me, and I never returned the words..." A quick motion allowed her to withdraw the small knife before ramming it into Vincent's stomach again, and this time Lucrecia was free to see the agony in Vincent's eyes. The physical pain nothing compared to the emotional torture she gave him with her words. Her free hand moved up to gently caress his cheekbone, admiring the porcelain skin. "Such a pretty face... The only reason why I ever bothered with you, Vincent..."
Suddenly the lights came on, and a third voice broke in. "That's enough, Lucrecia." His hand still resting by the light switch, Hojo was watching them with a cold gaze.
Lucrecia took a step away from Vincent and stared at the scientist in obvious shock. "Hojo..." Suddenly the confidence was gone, and she appeared almost afraid.
"I said it was enough!" Hojo snapped annoyed, but gave a faint nod when Lucrecia started at his tone and dropped her knife. Swallowing hard, he walked towards her while firmly ignoring how Vincent slowly slid down to sit and clutch his bleeding wounds. "What's this foolishness, Lucrecia? You're more clever than this!"
Gazing down at her feet, Lucrecia hesitated. She didn't move or reply until Hojo was standing in front of her, and only then did she slowly raise her face enough to stare at his chest. "Hojo... I'm so sorry..." For so many years she had dwelled over the things she had done and said to hurt the man standing in front of her, and she cried so many tears in vain for a second chance to at least apologize. "So sorry for everything... For what I said... For Vincent..."
Forcing himself not to flinch, Hojo managed something reminding of a shrug. "I'm not without fault myself, Luc. Jenova made us her puppets, but it's time it stopped now."
Tears finally running freely, Lucrecia wrapped her arms around Hojo's neck and she trembled with relief as she felt his arms wrap around her waist as well. For a moment, he even allowed himself to hug her tight and press a light kiss to her temple. Strange how clear everything suddenly seemed. Like a veil had been pulled from her eyes. "I'm so tired, Hojo..." All these years, Jenova forced her body to live, but Lucrecia was so tired. All these years haunted by her past, all she wanted to was sleep. Rest. Be free.
"Give me your hand," Hojo whispered, refusing to acknowledge how unsteady his voice sounded. He felt one of her hands slide down, and the wide sleeve of her dress was easily pushed up to reveal the delicate skin by her wrist. Hojo didn't even have to look or use both his hands as he expertly handled the syringe, the needle painlessly piercing her skin and the deadly potion stealthily entering her bloodstream. The sound of the empty syringe hitting the ground as he let it go was almost deafening, and Hojo suddenly found himself fighting against some hopeless thought that if he just didn't let her go; Lucrecia wouldn't die.
Humming softly, Lucrecia lifted her numb hand up and slowly undid Hojo's pony tail. "You always were the softie, Hojo..." The voices in her head were growing faint now. She drew a hand through the black locks and leaned back to study him, smiling affectionately. "And didn't I tell you to wear your hair loose sometimes, you old grouch?"
Hojo snorted a smile through sorrow. "And I vividly remember telling you that you have no taste, Luc!" He let her rest against his chest again, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "But it's alright now... You just rest, and I'll handle everything. You don't have to worry anymore, Lucrecia."
Eyelashes growing heavy, Lucrecia vaguely noticed Hojo lifting her up in his arms as her legs were weakening. "Love you, Hojo... Always... Just you..."
"I know," Hojo whispered, and he closed his eyes hard as he felt a faint tremor going through Lucrecia. It was over. Just like that. So silently. A second later, he gazed over at Vincent. The former Turk still hadn't moved, still gazing agonized at Lucrecia. "I told you before, Valentine, and I'll tell you again; Lucrecia is none of your concern. She never was, she never will be. You meant nothing to her, and your little affair was a mistake she regretted intensely. It's time you started listening to what I tell you." It was getting harder and harder to talk as his throat was tightening, and his eyes were burning with dry tears. "What I did to you... It was wrong of me... But nothing I can do or say will change that. I suggest you see your own faults, Valentine, and learn from them. I did." Hojo gazed down at Lucrecia's face, finally peaceful at last. "There is a woman who loves you too, Valentine, though heaven knows why... It's time to let go of the past..."

Cloud slowly pulled on his shirt again and glanced over at the doctor. "So...? What's the verdict?"
"It's like we feared," the elderly man muttered, putting down his patient's medical charts on the desk. "The results came back this morning, and they confirmed it."
Silence followed the statement for a while, then Cloud finished buttoning up his shirt and got up on his feet again. "How long?"
The doctor shrugged. "That depends. Without treatment, I say you have six to eight months left. If you decide to accept help, you should at least have ten to twelve months!"
Considering it, Cloud managed a faint smile. "That bad, huh?" He absently brushed away a lock of golden hair from his face and gazed out of the window. "I'll think about it, ok? Now, remember that this does not leave this room!"
Huffing with offence, the doctor waved a finger at his patient. "I'm a doctor, young man! Patient-doctor confidentially is not foreign to me!"
Smirking, Cloud picked up his sword and shrugged in return. "But first of all, you're hired by the ShinRa." The smile faded and he held the other man's eyes calmly. "It's not leaving this room, right? Right." The blonde didn't really wait for an answer, as he got it in the startled look on the doctor, and so he sauntered out of the room. He'd said he'd think about it, but there really wasn't much to think about. The difference was basically minimal, and at least he could have those months spent in freedom and not in some hospital room with tubes and drugs. No, Cloud Strife did not want that again.
Pausing, he leaned against the wall as he gazed into Sephiroth's room where Aeris was threatening to put a flower crown on Sephiroth while his hands were still restrained and she was able to. The bickering brought a smile on Cloud's face and a pang of hurt in his heart. A part of him still thought that should have been him by Aeris' side, but that faded to the guilt he felt about not finding Jessie. He'd failed her, hadn't he?
Closing his eyes, he pushed himself from the wall and continued down the hall. Cloud knew he'd never rest until he found Jessie again. She was still alive, he could feel that, but for how long? She needed him, and time was running out!
A quick glance at his watch revealed that he was late for the meeting as well. Great. Cloud began a light trot down the hall, knowing Rufus was going to love having an excuse to yank Cloud's chain. The blonde wondered wryly if the brat prince would cut him some slack if he told him what the doctor had just told him, but quickly dismissed the idea. No, Cloud didn't want anyone to know.
"You're late." Rufus stated the second Cloud entered the conference room and the blonde nodded to acknowledge his guilt as he moved over to find his seat.
The next hour was spent arguing over how to deal with the lack of water, which tunnels to blow up next and Scarlet's new weapon invention. No one really noticed that Reeve's PHS rang, or bothered to listen as he replied, but the arguing quickly ended when the dark haired man called for their attention.
"I just received a rapport," Reeve stated mechanically, a disbelieving look in his eyes. "Junon just fell to the enemy."
Rufus jumped up and slammed his hands down on the table. "What? That's impossible!" He shook his head before flinging and accusing finger towards Reeve. "There is no way they could breech those walls! It's no damn way! It's not possible!"
Cloud stared at the table, trying to digest what had just been said. Junon had been occupied? They'd lost every town, even Junon? To enter Junon, they'd have to break through tons of cement walls. The only way that could be achieved...
"Let me go." Cloud's voice made everyone fall silent, and every gaze was turned to the blonde that had just gotten up from his seat.
Rufus closed his eyes briefly before focusing on Cloud again. "Have you just lost whatever little sense you have left?"
Cloud smiled faintly. "Let me bring a small troop, and let me go to Junon. I can do this!"
Hesitating, Rufus raised a dry eyebrow. "I still think you're insane."
"Think about it," Cloud insisted silently. "There is only one way they could have broken into Junon... Only one thing, one person, strong enough to do that..." There was no doubt in his mind that Jessie was in Junon at that very moment. This was probably his last chance!
Barret gazed worried at his friend. "Jinrei probably got his entire army there, you foo!"
"I doubt that," Cloud replied, not taking his eyes of Rufus. "I have to do this. Alone, or with your blessing, ShinRa. What's it gonna be?"
Knowing Tifa would never forgive him for sending the moron into his death alone, Rufus gave a faint nod. "Take what you need, Strife. And hurry back."

"You're sad," Cid stated absently, sitting on his bed and leaning against the wall as he watched Hojo gather up his papers. "I've never seen you look like this... What's happened?"
"Nothing," Hojo snapped tersely, holding the papers firmly to his chest while avoiding to look at the pilot. "It seems like the Jenova cells have stabilized, so it doesn't look like we have to restrain you anymore for now."
Moving his gaze to his own hands fidgeting with a pice of paper, Cid frowned slightly. "Must have been something horrible to shake up the icy Hojo..."
"Just drop it!" Hojo suddenly snapped angrily, before closing his eyes and clearing his throat. "I don't want to talk about it, ok? So, just drop it. Listen, I'll talk to you later. I'm going down stairs to the lab to check on a new mixture I'm cooking up that'll hopefully sedate the Jenova cells."
The pilot heard the door close after the scientist, but he gazed up curiously when he heard it re-open. His surprise didn't lessen when he saw Aeris smiling insecurely to him.
"I was looking for Hojo," Aeris explained sheepishly. "He's not here?"
"Nope," Cid gave a dismissive wave. "He went below to the labs. Just missed him."
Hesitating, the flower girl studied her weary friend. "Cid... How are you doing?" She knew he hardly left the room anymore.
Cid shrugged, returning to fidget with his scrap of paper. "If you hurry, you should be able to catch Hojo before he locks the door." He then managed a faint smile as he gazed over at her. "I'm fine, Aeris. Just go, ok?"
Aeris gave a faint nod, but pointed a threatening finger at him. "But later today, you're coming with me to water my flowers! I can hardly wobble about now, so I need a strong man to help me out!"
Snorting, Cid nodded as well. "Sure."
He heard the door close again, and this time silence followed. There were days when he desperately needed the silence, and there was days when he hated it. Now that there wasn't a Jenova voice whispering at the back of his mind, Cid Highwind was enjoying the silence. Everything seemed almost peaceful.
That was when the alarm went off.
Getting up, he hesitated before walking over to the door. Cid was almost nervous about leaving the room, but the blaring noise told him it might be a good idea to figure out what the hell was going on! He'd hardly taken a few steps up the hall before Yuffie and Vincent came running.
"Cid! Come on, we gotta get you out of here!" Yuffie latched on to his arm and started yanking him along.
Stumbling along, the pilot gazed confused from one to the other, especially as soldiers came running pass them as well. "What is going on? Why is the alarm going haywire? What's happening?"
"We're meeting up in the conference room," Vincent replied, checking the Death Penalty before glancing behind them to where the soldiers were running. "It appears that the virus is spreading..."
"What?" Cid dug his heels in and forced them to stop. "Spreading? What do you mean?"
Vincent hesitated, glanced around once more, but decided it would take less time to explain than just to force Cid along. "Someone attacked the guards at the town's entrance, and all hell broke lose out there. It seems like all the commotion also affected the zombie soldiers in captivity. They went berserk and some of them actually managed to break free. Now, we gotta get you out of here!"
Freed when the alarm went off, Sephiroth suddenly came running towards them, giving them a faint nod as a greeting. "Hawk is being brought up now, so you guys are the last ones!" Then he frowned and shook his head confused. "Wait a minute. Where's Aeris?"
Cid paled. "She... She came looking for Hojo, but he'd just left. For the labs. She went to find him."
Sephiroth felt a sudden surge of suffocating panic and he forced himself to draw a gulp of air. "No... Dammit, no!"
Gazing over at Yuffie, Vincent shook his head when she took a step after Sephiroth as the silver haired man sprinted towards the doors that would lead him to the laboratories below, where danger and Aeris awaited him. "Sephiroth can handle himself. Cid is our priority. Let's get going."

"Knock, knock!" Aeris declared as she opened the door and stuck her head into the lab. "Having a heavily pregnant woman chase you around! Have you no shame?"
Smiling faintly, Hojo adjusted a switch on some expensive looking piece of lab equipment. "According to rumours, I have no redeeming qualities."
Aeris rolled her eyes before walking inside and closing the door behind her. "Good thing I never listen to rumours then!" She then got a worried look at all the thingamajigs that was in vials, petri dishes and whatnots. "I'm not going to catch anything here, or expose my baby to something dangerous?"
"Some would call me dangerous," Hojo muttered as he turned to face her. "But you're safe from any bio-chemical harm, yes."
Moving over to sink down on a chair, Aeris absently stroke a hand over her stomach as if to reassure the child of her protection. "I heard. About Lucrecia."
Hojo flinched and closed his eyes briefly before clearing his throat and forcing himself to look at Aeris again. "Yes?"
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for your loss," Aeris offered quietly. "It must have been awful for you."
Once again the flower girl caught Hojo completely off his guard, and he was unable to reply. He deserved to suffer, didn't he? So why bother with any concern for his feelings? Feelings... Did he even have those anymore? The seething pain at the mere thought of Lucrecia's name tried to tell him otherwise...
Aeris drew a breath to tell Hojo that everyone had the right to mourn, when suddenly the alarm started howling. Automatically covering her ears with her hands, she gazed confused and frightened at Hojo. What was wrong?
Signaling for Aeris to remain seated, Hojo stalked over to the door and yanked it open. Glancing around, he saw the other scientist bolting from their places and running for the stairs. Slipping back into the room, he walked over to Aeris. "Don't ask me what's going on, but you should get out of here. Just in case."
Aeris got up and took a hold of his left sleeve. "You have to come with me! What if it's something dangerous? You can't stay behind."
"Of course he can!" Sephiroth's voice snapped and the silver haired man glared furiously at Hojo from where he was standing in the doorway. "Come on, Aeris!"
Gazing confused from the angry Sephiroth to the slightly smirking Hojo, Aeris then shook her head. "No." She wandered over to stand behind Hojo, not releasing her grip on his sleeve. "Not without Hojo. We can't leave him behind!"
Sephiroth took a step towards Hojo, though his words were meant for Aeris. "Don't be foolish! We have to go now! The zombies are breaking out of their cells! They'll be here soon! We have to hurry!"
Gazing back at Aeris, Hojo tugged weakly to free himself. "You heard him. Go on."
Aeris shook her head defiantly. "I'm not like you two! I don't leave anyone behind!"
Sephiroth snapped for air, like she had just slapped him. Did she compare him to Hojo? He was nothing like that man! Just because he wanted to leave the man who'd tortured him as zombie snack, that didn't mean... The silver haired man suddenly glared at Hojo. "This is all YOUR fault!"
Hojo chuckled humorlessly. "Yes, what else is new? Everything is always my fault, isn't it?"
"This isn't funny!" Sephiroth exclaimed furiously, taking a threatening step towards the scientist. "What have you said to her?"
Behind the scientist, Aeris frowned and gasped softly, releasing Hojo to gingerly press a hand to her side. "Hey, you guys...?"
Hojo snorted, crossing his arms as he met his son's glare. "I told her to leave! You heard me yourself!"
Sephiroth shook his head, placing a hand on the hilt of the Masamune. "You must have tricked her somehow! Why else would she want to save your sorry carcass?"
"Listen, you guys," Aeris tried again, frowning deeper as the pain was growing. "Listen..."
"I don't care what you think," Hojo scoffed. "But even you should know that it's simply impossible to make that girl do anything she doesn't want to!"
"GUYS!" Aeris suddenly exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, and the two men's gazes snapped back to focus on her. Panting for air, Aeris forced herself to gaze over at them in turn as she felt her skin turn damp. "I think... it's time..."
Sephiroth shook his head, this time unable to stop the panic from spreading. "Oh, hell no..." He didn't even react at the sound of a door shattering out in the hall as the zombies drew even closer. "Aeris, no!"
Sinking to her knees, Aeris tried to keep a keening sound of pain as quiet as possible before she managed to speak. "I can't... The baby..."
Hojo closed his eyes briefly, gathering himself, then suddenly kneeled beside Aeris to support her while gazing over at Sephiroth. "If you want your child and girl friend to survive this, we're going to have to work together. You and me. Think you can do that?"
Sephiroth hesitated, then saw Aeris tense with pain as she hid her face to Hojo's shirt, and he returned his gaze to his father's golden-brown eyes. "Yeah... Yeah, I think I can. For Aeris. Tell me what to do."