Here is the VERY rough draft to part 6 of my Final Fantasy 
VII fanfic "Conflicts of Interest".  The others parts of this 
story are available on my website at:

    http://www.geocities.com/~madamhydra/COI.html

C&C always appreciated!   ^_^

======================================================================
    CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:  
        A Final Fantasy VII fanfic by Madamhydra
======================================================================
        PART 6:  THE JAWS OF THE BEAST
======================================================================

---------------
Disclaimer:
    All rights and privileges to Final Fantasy VII and its characters
belong to Square Co., Ltd.  The characters of this series are used
without permission for the purpose of entertainment only.  This work
of fiction is not meant for sale or profit.                
    All original characters are the creation of the author.  All
copyright privileges to these characters are reserved for the author. 

---------------
Author's notes:

    WARNING: Violence, Adult language.

    This is primarily a CONTINUATION fanfic and contains major
SPOILERS for the game.  However, since I've taken some liberties with
the official storyline, this story also qualifies as an ALTERNATE
REALITY fanfic.

---------------
Text Conventions
    (  ) are character thoughts
    /  / and //  // are mental dialogue
    [   ] are miscellaneous images or sound effects
    
    >----->----->-----> indicate the START of flashbacks/dreams
    <-----<-----<-----< indicate the END of flashbacks/dreams

======================================================================

------------------------------------------------------
PART 6#:  RECRIMINATIONS
------------------------------------------------------

    The sun was just disappearing under the horizon as a cool evening
breeze swept away the last traces of the caustic black mist from the
area.  Tifa shook off Yuffie's supporting arm and slowly limped her
way into the clearing where the Ultima Weapon stood, a third of its
length buried in the soft earth.  She wrapped her hand around the
hilt, then slowly sagged to her knees.  The blade remained dark, as it
always did when not in Cloud's hands.  She whispered, "Hojo, you
fucking son of a bitch...."

    Yuffie cautiously followed Tifa, her feet raising little puffs of
dust as the mist-blackened vegetation in the clearing crumbled to
powder at the slightest touch.  A glimmer caught her eye.  She bent
over and picked up Cloud's materia-laded Mystile.  Instead of gloating
over the fortune in materia sitting her hands, the ninja girl stared
at it grimly, carefully dusted it off, and then tucked it away into a
pocket.

    Tifa whispered, "It's all my fault...."

    Yuffie glanced up and said, "What?"

    "It's all my fault.  If I hadn't been struggling... fighting him
so hard... if I had only BELIEVED in him... Cloud wouldn't have
been...."

    "Tifa, don't blame yourself for what happened!  With the way Cloud
freaked out back there, anyone would have assumed the same thing!  And
it probably wouldn't have made a difference anyway.  I don't know how
all those creatures managed to pop out of nowhere, but I'm willing to
bet that running wouldn't have made much of a difference."

    Tifa didn't seem to be paying much attention to Yuffie's words. 
She whispered, "I wonder if that's the last thing he'll remember about
me... that I was AFRAID of him...."

    "Don't say that.  We're going to get him back, no matter what it
takes.  You'll see."

-------------------------

    Barret kicked at one of the numerous monster corpses littering the
area and muttered, "Shit!"

    "That's hardly a constructive thing to do," growled Red.  The
beast was prowling around, carefully examining the slain monsters.

    "Okay, you want constructive?  Then tell me this.  You saw what
that black gas stuff did to Tifa's legs.  How come it didn't do
nothing like that to Cloud?"

    Red looked at him.  "This entire ambush had only one goal and one
goal only... to capture Cloud AND in an undamaged condition.  I
suspect that creature's gas weapon was specifically engineered to
react with the distinctive body chemistry of a SOLDIER in order to
incapacitate him instantly.  The fact that it eats away normal human
flesh is probably just a happy bonus for Hojo.  I shudder to think
what would have happened to Tifa if Cloud hadn't thrown her clear."

    Barret rubbed a sore shoulder.  "Damn.  Here I was thinking that
guy had gone totally loony and all the time, he was just trying to
save Tifa's neck."

    "I'm afraid we all jumped to the same conclusion."  Red shook his
head sadly.  "By the way, where's Cid?"

    "He's up on the Highwind checking it out."
    
-------------------------

    At that moment, Cid was cursing up a storm when he surveyed the
damage to his precious airship.  He glared at the crewmen and yelled,
"Get your butts in gear!  I want that fucking engine up and running
ASAP!"

    Elena, her clothes still scorched and reeking of smoke, walked up
to the pilot and said, "What the hell happened down there!?  I'm
taking a coffee break and the next thing I know there are hundreds of
these slimy creatures swarming all over the ship!"

    Cid whirled toward her and snarled, "How come Rude didn't see any
of these things, huh?  What the hell was he doing?  Pissing in his
boots!?"

    In a laconic drawl, Rude spoke up.  "I was doing my job, along
with that unlucky crewman of yours -- the one who ended up taking a
swan dive overboard.  Wherever they came from, it wasn't by air."  The
Turk looked like he was ready to collapse from exhaustion.

    "So where the hell DID those damn things come from, huh?"
    
    Rude shrugged, "Damned if I know.  Maybe they teleported."
    
    "You really know how to make my day, don't you?"  He glared at the
Turks again.  "Did you guys happen to see where that big winged
son-of-a-bitch headed off to?"  Seeing their blank looks, he yelled,
"Don't tell me you missed the fucking thing!?  It's only the size of a
bleedin' cargo chopper!"

    Elena dusted some ash off her sleeve.  "Sorry, Cid.  Both of us
were too busy trying to keep from being chewed up, spat on, and
toasted.  We didn't see any big winged creature like you're
describing.  But if you tell us what the hell's going on, maybe we can
come up with some better answers!"

    Cid slammed his boot against the nearest bulkhead.  Without
looking at the Turks, he said, "Hojo's got Cloud."

    "What!?"

    "We were searching the area when Cloud suddenly came up with the
idea that Roissy woman was bullshitting us.  He said that Zack
wouldn't have taken the cell sample.  He was actually making a lot of
sense when...."

    "When....?"
    
    Cid ran his hand through his hair.  "When things got... really
strange."  He shook his head sharply, then said, "Anyway, he suddenly
freaks out and runs off into the woods.  We go after him.  Tifa finds
him, then these creatures pop out of nowhere!  Cloud managed to get
Tifa clear just before this weird snake-tree monster gasses him. 
While we're fighting off all these other monsters, this tentacled
dragon-thingie swoops in, grabs him, and flies off.  And I don't think
you need three guesses to figure out who's fucking responsible for all
this."

    Elena scowled.  "Hojo again.  But what does that nutcase want with
Cloud?"

    "Hell if I know.  But that maniac went through shitloads of
trouble to make sure Cloud wasn't 'damaged'.  Is this starting to
sound familiar?"

    Rude muttered, "Just like Reno...."
    
    The trio exchanged uneasy glances.

------------------------------------------------------
PART 6#:  CONFIGURATIONS OF HELL
------------------------------------------------------

    The disorientation and dizziness was bad enough, but by the time
the creatures landed and dragged him into a large cavernous building,
Cloud was starting to feel a sickening ache deep in his bones.  It
wasn't too bad at the moment, but he had an unhappy feeling that it
would get much, much worse before it got any better.

    His captors came to a sudden halt and jerked him off his feet,
leaving him dangling in mid-air just like a slab of meat.  His vision
was still blurry, but he managed to make out the horribly transformed,
yet unforgettable features of a certain mad scientist.

    "Hojo...."

    "Indeed.  Well, Failure, it appears that Roissy's choice of hiding
places worked out better than she'd ever know.  If it wasn't for that
fool Stephen, I wouldn't have had any idea of the sample's location. 
But I do know."  He cackled softly.  "And soon you'll surrender what
you've so zealously guarded all this time."

    Hojo's last few words made Cloud's skin crawl.  "Guarded... what
the hell... are you... babbling about?"

    "Yes, you should be glad that you're going to have the opportunity
to make up for your earlier transgressions."  Hojo started pacing back
and forth, waving his tentacles for emphasis.

    "Transgressions?  What...?"
    
    "I'm referring to your foolish attempt to destroy Sephiroth, of
course."

    "Attempt...!  We DID destroy Sephiroth!"
    
    Hojo whirled around and shouted, "NO!  All your pathetic heroics
were just a minor setback.  And now YOU will be instrumental in his
return and his emergence into true glory!"

    "No way... in hell... am I helping... you... or Sephiroth!" Cloud
weakly snarled.

    Hojo prodded his prisoner with a tentacle.  "Oh, but you will. 
What makes you think you have a choice?  Don't lie to yourself,
puppet.  You really do want to see Sephiroth again, don't you?"

    "Shut up,... damn you!"  But Hojo's words resonated somewhere deep
inside Cloud, no matter how much he wanted to deny it.  A shudder ran
through his body.  

    Hojo uttered a malicious chuckle.  "Oh, come now.  Let's be honest
here, for the sake of science...."

    "Honest!?  HONEST!?  How can YOU... of all people... fucking
well... talk about HONESTY!?"
    
    The scientist stretched out a tentacle and grabbed Cloud's chin. 
"I imagine that you'll experience a change in attitude once Sephiroth
returns."

    Cloud fought the urge to cringe.  "Why the hell... do you want
to... resurrect Sephiroth?  What can you possibly... expect to get out
of all this?  Do you think... he's going to be grateful... for
bringing him back?  He despises... your guts!"

    Hojo gleefully rubbed a few of his tentacles together and
shrugged.  "That's irrelevant.  Besides, who expects gratitude from a
god?  I just want to see the ultimate manifestation of my grand
experiment!"

    "I'd like to hear you... say that... when Sephiroth... rips you...
to pieces."

    The scientist shrugged again, then muttered thoughtfully, "Hmmm. 
I suppose I really shouldn't keep calling you a Failure.  You turned
out to have some surprisingly useful abilities.  Perhaps Sephiroth
will find some use for you... after a little attitude readjustment, of
course."

    Cloud's eyes widened in horror.  (No no no... please, not again...
I can't deal with this....)  

    The young man abruptly shuddered, then he said in a much calmer
voice, "So what are you calling this round of grandiose experiments? 
Let me guess... Project (B2)?"

    Since his bulging, multi-faceted eyes no longer had eyelids, Hojo
was unable to blink.  However, the scientist managed to convey his
surprise perfectly well.

    "How...?"

    Cloud's lips curled up into a sarcastic grin.  "Then again, you
never were too imaginative with project names, Hojo."

    The scientist slithered closer and peered closely into Cloud's
face.  The fear and horror that had filled the young man's eyes just a
few seconds ago were now gone.  Instead of panic, there was a cool,
intense stare of concentration -- the stare of a hunter watching for
the slightest sign of weakness in its prey.  Despite the fact that
Cloud was suffering from a severe case of poisoning AND was tightly
gripped by several hulking monsters, the scientist edged back a bit
uneasily.  He muttered, "The gas should keep you out of trouble while
I make a few more preparations.  Do try to restrain yourself."

    As the creatures dragged him away, Cloud gave Hojo a contemptuous
glare.  "Yes, 'doctor'.  I'm all too familiar with the drill."

    Standing alone in the lab, Hojo rubbed his chin and pondered.  The
cool, mocking tone of voice,... the watchful, predatory stare,... the
quiet, tightly controlled anger....  Hojo had seen them all before,
but not in Cloud Strife.  The facial expression and body language
belonged to someone else altogether.... 

    "That's... very interesting."  Hojo suddenly twitched, then nodded
absently.  "Yes, yes.  I know.  First things first."  

    But there was no one on the lab to hear him.

-------------------------

    Reno was having a bad day... a REALLY bad day.  Here he was,
locked in a transparent cylindrical cell that was at most seven feet
in diameter.  He was buck naked, cold, and the grating that made up
the cell's floor was literally a pain in the ass.

    (I'm developing a terrific case of waffle-butt.)

    Being hungry and thirsty would have completed his misery nicely,
but that wasn't the case.  He was being fed... unfortunately.  The
food meant that Hojo wanted him alive and healthy.  The Turk briefly
considered going on a hunger strike, but had an unhappy suspicion that
Hojo would simply have him force-fed.  

    He tensed as he heard the scuffling and scraping of approaching
creatures.

    (Damn it!  If that's Hojo again.... )  

    The crackpot definitely had plans for this red-haired Turk boy. 
Growing up in a family of dedicated scientists, Reno had no problems
recognizing the fanatical gleam in Hojo's eyes -- the gleam that said
'potential experimental subject' in big letters.  However, despite
several close calls, something had always come up to distract Hojo's
attention.  

    (Luck don't fail me now....)

    It seemed that Reno was destined to escape unscathed again as
Hojo's creatures dragged a familiar, blond-haired young man into the
lab and tossed him into the cell next to Reno's.  This was the first
time the Turk had seen Cloud since their last fateful meeting in the
tunnels under the Shinra Building, but he had no trouble recognizing
his old enemy.  The young man lay on the cold floor with his arms
wrapped tightly around his middle and his legs pulled up, motionless
except for the occasional shudder running through his body.  Reno was
all too familiar with the signs of intense pain.  

    "You look like hell."
    
    The blond young man opened his softly glowing blue eyes and stared
at Reno.  An odd little smile appeared on his lips as he whispered,
"I... know you."

    "I sure as hell hope you know me, considering all the times we
nearly beat the crap out of each other!" Reno snapped.

    Cloud uttered a pain-choked chuckle.  "Really?  Can't be.  The
General frowns on that sort of thing.  Conduct unbecoming a SOLDIER,
he says...."  His eyes glazed and he hissed sharply over as another
spasm of pain tore through his body.

    In the same, eerily conversational tone, Cloud added, "I remember
seeing you in the hallways,... can't forget that red hair....  Tseng's
new Turk...."

    "What the....?"  Reno stared in confusion.  (How can he
possibly...?  It's been over ten years since I joined the Turks!)  

    "Uh... Cloud?"
    
    The young man shook his head slightly and muttered, "Cloud... 
I'm... Cloud...?"
    
    It sounded more like a question than a statement to Reno.  (Man,
the kid is definitely NOT playing with a full deck today....)
    
    "Yeah... unless you've suddenly decided to change your name or
something," said Reno in a sarcastic voice.  "What the hell happened
to you?"

    "Hojo... used some chemical weapon... on me."  Cloud hissed
softly.  "Shit, it hurts!"  He felt the ache in his body slowly
intensifying to a deep-seated burning.  It was like being flayed
alive, inch by excruciating inch.  Every little movement -- even
breathing -- only seemed to make the pain grow, almost like a living
thing bent on devouring him whole.

    "Damn...."  

    Reno watched with growing concern as Cloud gasped and curled up a
bit tighter.  When the latest spasm of agony eased, he managed to lift
his head slightly and whispered, "Reno?"
    
    "Yeah?"
    
    "Elena and Rude... they're alive and okay.  We found them... at
Nibelheim."
    
    Reno leaned against the cell wall and let out a slow, audible sigh
of relief.  He muttered, "Thanks," then grinned sourly.  "I bet Elena
was whining about getting stuck in that fucking pit."

    Cloud smiled faintly and murmured, "Something like that...."  He
suddenly shuddered and closed his eyes.  He slowly opened them a
moment later and whispered, "Reno, this... this could get really
ugly...."

    "What do you mean?"

    "I think... I think I'm starting to... see things."

    "Oh shit.  Uh... like what?"

    "You really... do NOT... want to know...." Cloud said with a weak
chuckle.  He abruptly gasped, then clutched at his head and whimpered,
"Stop it... leave me alone... why are you doing this to me... what do
you want from me... no more...."  Involuntary tears of agony began to
seep from Cloud's eyes.

    "Get a grip on yourself, man!"  But it was obvious to Reno that
Cloud was beyond hearing.  The young man went appallingly limp and
still, his chest barely moving.
    
    "Oh great."  It was obvious that Cloud was going to be absolutely
no help.  Whatever drug Hojo had used on Cloud, it must have been a
doozy.  From their previous encounters, Reno knew that Cloud was the
most dangerous sort of opponent -- cool-headed, focused, and ready to
take exploit the slightest weakness or advantage.  To see the guy so
confused and disoriented was pretty damn disturbing, to say the least.

    (And what the hell was he babbling about before?  How could he
have seen me over ten years ago?  And what's this about 'The
General'?)  The emphasis on the name was unmistakable.  (There's only
one guy that I remember people talking about that way.  he couldn't
possibly be referring to Sephiroth, could he?)
  
-------------------------

------------------------------------------------------
PART 6#:
------------------------------------------------------

    Cid found Yuffie sitting at her usual spot down in the Highwind's
hold.  However, instead of clutching at her stomach and looking green,
the girl was twirling something around her finger... something covered
with Materia.  The pilot abruptly realized what it was.  

    (It's Cloud's Mystile.)  Aloud, Cid said quietly, "So... what are
you going to do with that?"
    
    Yuffie flipped the Mystile up into the air, caught it, and said,
"I'm going to return it to its rightful owner."  There was a look of
fierce determination on her young face.  And in that moment, Cid saw
beyond the familiar image of a scruffy, still awkward teenager girl
and saw the foreshadowing of what promised to be a young woman of
uncommon beauty and resolve in a few years.

    If asked, Lord Godo could have easily told Cid just where Yuffie
had gotten her looks, warrior's spirit, and strength of will.  She had
inherited it from her mother Kinutora... the woman whose name
translated in the ancient Wutai language to mean 'the silken
she-tiger'... and the woman whose sudden death had all but destroyed
Lord Godo's will to fight even before his defeat at the hands of
Sephiroth and Shinra.  

    Even after all these years, the dead woman's presence -- and her
absence -- could be felt.  For the husband and daughter, it was easier
to act as if Kinutora had never existed than to dwell upon her loss
and the mystery of her death... a death that had signaled the final
defeat of Wutai.

-------------------------

------------------------------------------------------
PART 6#:  RHAPSODY IN GREEN:
            A LITTLE PEACE OF HEAVEN, A LITTLE SLICE OF HELL
------------------------------------------------------

    Through the burning maelstrom of agony, fear, and horror that
threatened to consume Cloud, a small bit of tranquillity emerged... a
happy memory of years gone by....

    >----->----->----->

    Strolling down the street of Sector 5, he heard the unmistakable
sounds of a scuffle taking place in the dirty alleyway nearby.  He
might have ignored it and continued on his way, but a dirty young man
went flying out the mouth of the alley, nearly colliding with him. 
Staggering back to his feet, the young man glared at him and took a
drunken swing at him out of pure frustration.

    He wasn't carrying his sword, but he didn't need weapons to be
dangerous.  A single precise punch and the scruffy young man collapsed
into a limp heap which bore an uncanny resemblance to the other piles
of trash littering the slum street.

    Curiosity aroused, he strolled into the alley to investigate.  He
found four young men -- all filthy, scrawny and stinking drunk --
harassing a young woman... a girl, really.  She was petite and pretty,
with long brown hair tied up in a ponytail and bright green eyes.  Her
long pink dress, topped with a red vest, didn't keep her from using a
staff to beat off her attackers.

    (Not bad,) he noted absently as two of the attackers went down. 
(But she's too easy on them.  She doesn't follow up like she should.)

    That was made painfully clear when one of the men she'd flattened 
earlier jumped back to his feet and sent her staff flying out of her
hands with an angry swipe.

    He snatched the staff out of midair.  It wasn't his favorite
weapon, but he knew how to use it and use it well.  A quick series of
jabs and sweeps floored the attacking gang.  However, this time, they
were definitely going to stay down for a while.  He gave the girl a
pleasant grin and tossed the staff back to her.

    "Your form's pretty good, but you need to hit them harder."

    She blinked and said quietly, "I didn't want to hurt them."

    "That's sweet of you, but unfortunately, not very practical."  He
watched her brush off her clothes, then pick up a basket.  For a
moment, he couldn't figure out what the frilly yellow things were.  

    "Hey, those are flowers!  You hardly see them around here."

    She smiled a bit sadly and said, "Yes, I know.  That's how I make
my living... I sell them.  Would you like one?  On the house?"  The
girl's expression abruptly brightened.

    He chuckled when he saw the playful twinkle in her eyes.  "Sure. 
I love freebies."

    She handed him a delicate, yellow-orange blossom.

    "Thanks again for helping me.  My name's Aeris."

    He took the flower and stared down at her, admiring her gorgeous
green eyes.  There was such serenity and gentleness in her gaze... but
also traces of unmistakable loneliness and sadness.  

    (Why do I wish I could make your loneliness and sadness go
away...?  Will you let me do that, Aeris?)

    "The name's Zack."

    <-----<-----<-----<

    Reno watched with a mixture of relief and disgust as the look of
suffering on Cloud's face eased a bit.  Still unconscious, the blond
young man smiled slightly.

    >----->----->----->

    He walked into the room humming softly to himself.  It was getting
to be a habit, he realized.  His best friend appeared in the doorway
and said, "So who's the lucky woman?"

    "Huh?"  He grinned impishly.  "What makes you think that?"

    "When you walk around with a bemused grin on your face and
twirling a flower in your fingers, I'd say that it's more than likely
that there's a woman involved."

    "You're as perceptive as ever.  Yeah."

    "So what's her name?"
    
    He flushed with embarrassment.  "Actually, she made a promise not
to tell anyone her name."

    His friend raised an elegant pale eyebrow.  "Why?"
    
    "I don't know.  She's really skittish, especially about people
from Shinra.  She never told me anything straight out, but I think
that her family's had some past trouble with some Shinra exec.  I
guess she doesn't want the guy to find her."

    Sephiroth shook his head.  "She sounds rather... helpless.  Not
your usual type."  There was a faint expression of contempt on his
face.  Then again, the Shinra general had precious little tolerance
for what he considered as weakness.
    
    "Helpless?  No, not really.  I think... 'demure' is a better word
for her.  She's got backbone, but she also grew up in the slums. 
People who live down there tend to think that anyone associated with
Shinra as all-powerful.  Maybe, when she trusts me more...." 

    "You're a sentimentalist and a hopeless romantic."  For a man was
infamous throughout Shinra for his sharp tongue and ruthlessness,
Sephiroth's tone was amazingly mild... one might almost consider it
faintly wistful. 

    He gave his friend an impish grin.  "Hey, it's part of my charm. 
The women love it."

    Sephiroth shook his head ruefully.  "Well, if you can't tell me
her name, what CAN you tell me about her?"

    "She's a bit on the short side, long brown hair, very pretty.  But
it's her eyes that really got my attention."  He chuckled.  "I don't
know.  I guess I just have a weakness for green eyes."

    Sephiroth blinked his own glowing pale green eyes, then snorted
and shook his head.

    "And she's got a real touch with plants."

    "Really?"  Sephiroth gave him a skeptical look.
    
    "Yeah.  See."  He held up the flower in his hand.

    The general stepped away from the doorway and took the flower. 
After sniffing the bloom and admiring the silky yellow petals, he said
 "You're right.  I can't imagine trying to raise something this
beautiful in the slums."  There was a thoughtful pause.  "You really
like her."

    "Well...."
    
    "Come on.  I know you, Zack.  This one's different.  It's not just
some a passing fancy, is it?"
    
    He sighed.  "No,... no, it isn't.  I don't know how quite to
describe it.  She's really a wonderful person... nice without being
preachy or boring about it.  But at the same time, she's such a
mystery."

    (In a weird way, she reminds me of you, Seph.  You two appear very
different.  She's like a quiet lake, serene and peaceful... you're
like a wall of ice, cold and hard.  But underneath those very
different surfaces, I can sense the loneliness and isolation... maybe
even sorrow... in both of you.)

    He abruptly shook his head.  "You know, I've been seeing her on
and off for over a year, but I still don't know that much about her. 
I really wish she'd tell me about what's got her so scared," he
muttered.

    "Well, I suppose that you'll just have to wait until she gathers
the courage to...."  Sephiroth's face suddenly went expressionless and
remote.  

    (Oh well, back to business, I guess.)  He discretely stuffed the
flower out of sight behind some books even as he put on his best
professional face and moved to his habitual position behind his
superior officer.  

    Sephiroth said in a sharp, icy voice, "What do you want, Hojo?"

    The doctor give the general his typical slimy grin.  "Oh, I'm here
to request a contingent of SOLDIERS for a mission.  I want them to go
out to the Mythril mines to the east and capture some important
specimens for me."

    With a faint sneer, Sephiroth snapped, "Surely you have personnel
trained for that sort of thing."

    "Yes, I do.  Well, perhaps I should say, 'Yes, I did.' 
Unfortunately, the last three parties I've sent out never returned." 
Hojo shrugged carelessly.
    
    "My men are fighters, not scientists or dog catchers."

    "Are you saying they can't do the job?"  Hojo asked slyly.
    
    Sephiroth said in an even voice, "Hardly.  Capturing creatures for
your pet research projects is NOT their job."

    The general stared at Hojo from under hooded eyes.  "But, in the
interests of interdepartmental cooperation and since I am under orders
from President Shinra to indulge your... reasonable... requests, I'll
send a squad of my men strictly as an escort.  Their sole priority is
to protect their own lives and the lives of your personnel.  The task
of actually capturing any creatures is entirely YOUR responsibility. 
My men will not refrain in the slightest degree if the creatures try
to attack them.  Is that understood?"

    Hojo sniffed, then shrugged.  "Very well.  My assistant will
forward the pertinent details."  

    Sephiroth made a dismissive gesture.  "Zack, make the
assignments."  With those words, the general disappeared into his
office.

    He nodded obediently, then turned back to Hojo only to find the
scientist staring at him a bit too intensely for comfort.

    <-----<-----<-----<

    "What a slimeball...."

    Half asleep, Reno lifted his head and muttered, "You say
something, Cloud?" but got no reply.

    >----->----->----->

    He walked in one morning to see Sephiroth frowning at his computer
screen.
    
    "What's wrong?"

    "I was just checking out the records on one of the troopers
assigned to our mission to Nibelheim."

    "Who?
    
    "Someone called Cloud Strife."
    
    "So what's wrong with him?"
    
    "You better ask me what's not wrong with him."
    
    "Come on, it can't be THAT bad."
    
    "How much are you willing to bet, Zack?"
    
    He glanced at the picture on the screen.  "Strife... now I
remember him.  Short, blond haired kid.  He took it really hard when
he got booted from the SOLDIER program."

    "Life's full of disappointments.  If he can't deal with them, he
certainly has no business even trying to be a SOLDIER," snapped
Sephiroth.

    He remembered running into the kid at a bar.  Cloud had been
stinking drunk and on the verge of single-handedly attacking a group
of SOLDIERs.  Knowing his buddies like he did, he dragged the kid out
of the bar before the youngster ended up as a bloody smear on the
floor.  As he hauled the trooper out to a taxi, he listened as Cloud
rambled about how everyone was out to get him.  Shaking his head, he
had stuffed the kid into the taxi and sent him back to barracks.

    Sephiroth looked faintly disgusted.  "How on earth did this joker
get accepted into the Shinra military in the first place?  Just take a
look at these psychological assessments... 'insecure, hostile,
resentful of authority, questionable mental stability, and a distinct
tendency to paranoia....'"  

    His lips twitched slightly.  "I thought we were supposed to be
paranoid."
    
    Sephiroth glared at him.  "Not that type of paranoid."
    
    He peered over his friend's shoulder.  "But it also says that he's
got quite a bit of raw talent and potential.  If he'd only lose some
of that attitude of his...."

    "We're a military organization, not some personal development
seminar," Sephiroth snapped, his green eyes flashing with annoyance

    "I know, I know," he murmured mildly.  
    
    Sephiroth glared at the computer monitor.  "The last thing I want
is to have such a troublemaker hanging around."

    "Well, he did grow up in Nibelheim.  He probably knows the area
pretty well.  He could be useful."

    "That's true.  It'll be good to have a backup, just in case we
have problems with the guide."
    
    <-----<-----<-----<

    On the floor of his cell, Cloud stirred restlessly.  Something bad
was coming....

    >----->----->----->

    "WAKE UP."

    The struggle for air and the mocking, horribly familiar voice
dragged him irresistibly out of his peaceful sleep.  He blearily
opened his eyes, then froze in shock and terror at the black-caped man
effortlessly holding him by the throat above the cell floor.

    (Sephiroth!  How can he be here in the Shinra Building!?  He's
dead!  He's DEAD!!!)  

    He wanted to scream in rage and hatred, but he couldn't utter a
sound.  Over Sephiroth's shoulder, he could see Tifa curled up on the
bunk, fast asleep and totally oblivious to the malevolent presence in
the small detention cell.

    (Tifa!  Wake up!  Don't just lie there!  Help me!)  

    A sinister little smile appeared on Sephiroth's lips and he
lightly brushed his fingers along his victim's cheek.    In a
malevolent purr, Sephiroth said, "What do we have here?  A little
SOLDIER boy?  Or a fool playing dress-up?  You don't remember a thing,
do you?  How remarkably convenient.  After all, who would want to be a
failure like you, hm?"

    The utter scorn and contempt in Sephiroth's gaze made him cringe,
but he didn't understand why.  

    (What are you talking about?  Dress-up?  Failure?)  

    Failure.  That word... hurt... so badly.

    "Nibelheim burned and you did nothing.  Pretty little Tifa lay
bleeding all over the reactor floor and you did absolutely nothing. 
While you blubbered like an idiot... while you were moaning and
wailing about your lost family and hometown... someone else was trying
to DO something about it.  Someone else was checking for survivors. 
Someone else was saving little Tifa's life.  Someone else was trying
to stop me... and amazingly enough, he managed to succeed... or
partially, at least."

    (No!  You're lying!  There WAS no one else!  I did those things! 
IT WAS ME!)  But despite his angry mental protests, a terrible sense
of fear and dread began to grow.

    Sephiroth cocked his head slightly, then lightly tapped his
victim's forehead.  "Isn't it amazing what a little self-delusion will
do?  All the shame,... all the helplessness,... gone."

    He shuddered and shook his head frantically.  He wanted to scream
his denials and drown out Sephiroth's lies.... but he was mute... a
silent, captive audience to Sephiroth's venomous words.

    (TIFA!  HELP ME!)  

    But she didn't do anything.  She went on sleeping like she didn't
have a care in the world.

    Sephiroth murmured, "My, don't we even look the part?  Instead of
being just a nobody, you're now a dashing ex-SOLDIER, complete with a
suitably formidable weapon and... wardrobe."  

    (No!  I'm somebody!  I am... was a SOLDIER!)

    The ex-Shinra general leaned closer and whispered viciously, "You
can dress like a SOLDIER."  Sephiroth tapped the familiar insignia on
Cloud's belt.  "You might even be able to trick yourself into fighting
like a SOLDIER.  But you'll never be anything more than a pathetic
copy of a real SOLDIER... and an even poorer copy of him...."

    (I don't want to listen to this!)

    But he had no choice.  He couldn't move.  He couldn't speak.  He
couldn't even look away.  All he could do was hang there like a
brainless piece of meat as Sephiroth poured his verbal poison into his
ears.  The words were like acid, eating away at his mind... his
soul... leaving nothing but a huge, gaping void....

    Almost as if he knew exactly what was going through his victim's
head, Sephiroth purred, "And when I'm through with you, you'll know
exactly what you are.  A fake.  A hollow shell.  A puppet of flesh
with no name and no mind of its own."

    He closed his eyes.  It was all he could do.  But that didn't
help.  The words kept coming and the void kept getting bigger...
deeper....

     Sephiroth chuckled quietly.  "The truth hurts, doesn't it?  But
enough for now.  We'll have plenty of time to talk about this later
on.  LOOK AT ME."

    He involuntarily opened his eyes and met Sephiroth's icy green
gaze. Those terrible eyes filled his entire field of vision, blotting
out everything else.  The cold green fire seemed to sear into him,
leaving nothing untouched and untainted.  Like the tendrils of some
cruel parasitic vine, the greenness wove its way into every corner of
his mind... into his very flesh and bones....

    ....the flesh and bones of a puppet.

    When Sephiroth released the grip on his throat, he stood
attentively, awaiting Sephiroth's every word.

    "Cloud, you wanted so badly to become a SOLDIER."

    (Yes... I want to be a SOLDIER.)

    "So be it.  Here are your superior officer's orders."  

    (Yes sir....)  

    A part of him was ready and eager to obey... just like a trained
dog awaiting his master's slightest command.

    Another part of him was screaming.

    <-----<-----<-----<

    Reno glanced at the neighboring cell as Cloud abruptly twitched,
then started to utter little noises of distress.

    (So much for the good dreams, heh?  Well, misery loves company and
all that crap.  If I'm not getting any sleep, I don't see why you
should.)

    But it soon became evident to the Turk that Cloud was not
experiencing any ordinary bad dream.  Soon the young man was thrashing
from side to side, babbling incoherent denials or begging for
something to stop.

    Reno moved closer to Cloud's cell to get a better look, then
nearly got the fright of his life when Cloud exploded off the floor
and lunged toward at him, screaming in a berserk rage.  The Turk
recoiled, retreating as far away as his cell would allow as Cloud
clawed and pounded futilely at the walls of his own cell.

    "Shit!"  The Turk was really glad that there was not one, but two
very solid barriers between him and this frothing maniac.

    "STOP IT!  STOP IT!  GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!  How can you just lie
there and let him do this to me!?  You're on HIS side, aren't you, you
damn slut!?  TIFA, YOU FUCKING BITCH!!!"

    In his line of work, Reno had run into plenty of angry people. 
He'd been yelled at, cursed, and threatened more times than he could
count.  It was no big deal... just a side effect of the job.  But what
he was seeing now was totally different.  Reno had heard something
like it only once or twice before.  It had scared him back then and it
scared him now.  Cloud wasn't merely angry.  As the young man ranted
and raved, his voice contained a searing rage and a corrosive,
soul-deep hatred that made Reno's skin crawl.  

    (Oh man, oh man.  This is BAD.)  He was under the impression that
Cloud and Tifa Lockheart were, if not a couple, a semi-item.  But
after THIS little display....  He wondered if Tifa had any idea what
was really going on this guy's head.

    Even as he watched, Cloud suddenly stiffened, his glowing blue
eyes wide open... and totally empty.  

    Reno cautiously edged closer to the immobile young man, then waved
his hand in front of Cloud's face.  The Turk shivered at the utter
lack of reaction.  He'd encountered vacant stares before, but this one
had to take the cake.

    (It's like... there's nothing there.  No thoughts, no emotions....
 Zip.  Zilch.  Nobody's home.)

    Cloud remained frozen for a few minutes, then without warning, he
sagged to the cell floor... like a puppet with its strings cut.

    >----->----->----->

    Green eyes and smiles.  That's what he would always remember about
this moment... about this place.  

    He would never forget Aeris' beautiful eyes and her warm smile as
she knelt there in this City of the Ancients.  She was so glad to see
him.  He wanted to touch her... hold her... he wanted to make the
strain and worry on her face disappear.

    He never got the chance.

    Then there was the other green eyes and smile... the eyes that
were like shards of green ice slashing into his soul... the cruel,
amused smile that promised unspeakable horrors to come.  

    And better than anyone else, he knew that Sephiroth could
certainly deliver on that promise.

    <-----<-----<-----<

    Reno stared at the unconscious Cloud and the tears that slowly
seeped from the young man's closed eyes.  

    The Turk looked away.  At the moment, he felt like he'd thrown in
a barrel and tossed over a waterfall.  He felt emotionally exhausted
and that was just from watching Cloud's ravings.  After spending over
a decade doing Shinra's dirty work, there was damn few things that
could really bother him, but he couldn't help feeling more than a
little sorry for the young man in the neighboring cell.  

    (Cloud, you poor bastard... you've got some serious shit going on
in your head.)

-------------------------
    
------------------------------------------------------
PART 6#:  REEVE'S INTERLUDE - BITING THE HAND
------------------------------------------------------

    Fed up with the lack of results and desperate to do SOMETHING,
Reeve took over the job of sifting endless piles of data for any leads
to Scarlet's secret weapons plant as he waited for Cid and the others
to return to Midgar.  An hour or so later, Max tapped Reeve on the
shoulder.
    
    "What?" he asked his assistant irritably.

    "Uh, I found one of the guys on that list of names you gave me."
    
    For a second, Reeve couldn't figure out what Max was talking
about, then he remembered.  "Oh, that's right!"  Around dinnertime,
he'd given his assistant a list of the troopers mentioned in the very
last report on Zack and Cloud... the ones involved in Zack's death.

    "You found only one?  Where is the rest of the men on that list?"

    "They're all dead, sir."

    "How did that happen?"

    "Well, it appears that immediately after Zack incident, the entire
squad was transferred back to Midgar and ended up stationed on the
67th through 69th floors of this building.  Sephiroth wiped them out
on his way to assassinate President Shinra."
    
    Reeve frowned.  (Well, that's an eerie sort of poetic justice,
isn't it?  They killed Zack and Sephiroth killed them....)

-------------------------
        
    The Shinra trooper shuffled his feet and sweated nervously as he
stood in front of the new president's desk.  Reeve was in a really
nasty mood and it showed.

    "I have some questions to ask you.  Do a good job of answering
them and you'll be out of here in no time.  Try to screw around me and
I know a certain General Claxmore who won't be so nice about asking
the same questions."

    "Y-y-yes sir...."

    Reeve was not impressed with the trooper standing before him.  The
man looked like a coward and a bully.  

    "About a year ago, you and your troop was sent on a mission to
track down some fugitives.  Am I correct?"  

    "Yeah."  Then in a self-pitying whine, the trooper said, "We were
supposed to hunt down some lab escapees.  They didn't tell us that one
of the guys we were looking for was a SOLDIER!"

    (And it would have been perfectly all right with you to hunt down
some poor ordinary person?) thought Reeve.

    "We got some reports that the guys we were looking for were in the
mountains just south of Midgar, so off we go.  Jeez, me and my squad
are searching the area, minding our own business, then this... this
dark guy drops from the trees like the wrath of god, waving this
absolutely HUGE sword!  The next thing I know, he takes out half my
buddies and the squad commander in a couple of swipes.  Boom!  Like
that!"

    (Dark guy.  That had to be Zack....)

    "So how did you survive?" asked Reeve.

    "Uh... me and one of my friends decided that a strategic
retreat...."

    "You mean you ran for your lives."

    "Um... yeah."

    "In that case, why on earth did the two of you keep chasing these
escapees, considering what happened to the rest of your squad?"

    A bead of sweat ran down the man's face.  Reeve glared at him.

    "Actually,.. we weren't chasing them.  We... sort of ran across
them by accident.  Near the edge of a cliff.  It was weird.  I mean, I
know that dark guy didn't get a damn scratch when he chopped the squad
to pieces, but when we ran into him again a few minutes later, he was
hurt really bad.  I mean, there was all this blood pouring -- and I
mean POURING -- down his back.  He and this blond guy were so busy
fighting over a knife, they didn't even notice us.  The dark guy
finally managed to clobber the blond guy, then he saw us...."

    "So you panicked and shot him."

    "Yeah...."

    Reeve stared at them.  In a neutral voice, he said, "So why didn't
you shoot the other man as well?"

    "Oh, you mean the blond guy?"

    (That has to be Cloud....)

    "Yes," said Reeve.

    "Well, we would have... but he stumbled off into the brush. 
And... well, we sort of used up all our ammo on the other guy." 
Seeing Reeve's disgusted look, the trooper hastily said, "Listen.  If
this blond guy was strong enough to give the dark guy trouble, would
YOU want to go wandering around in the woods looking for a crazed
lunatic with nothing more than a pocket knife?"

    (I guess he has a point there.)  Reeve stared at the trooper for a
moment, then said, "Then what happened?"

    "Well, none of us wanted to stick around.  So we left the dark guy
lying there and took off."

    "Didn't you bother to check to see if he was still alive?"

    "C'mon!  No way he could've survived shot full of holes like he
was.   And if he wasn't dead, he would have died soon enough."  The
trooper shrugged.  "When we got back to camp, we fudged a few things
on the report.  And that was that."

    "I see."

    The trooper shifted uneasily.  "Is... is there anything else,
sir?"

    "Just one more thing."

    "Yeah?"

    "When the... dark guy and the blond were fighting over the knife,
who was the aggressor?"

    "The aggressor?"  The trooper puzzled over the question a bit,
then said, "Oh, you mean, who was doing most of the attacking?"

    "Yes."

    "Funny.  Now that you mention it... it was the blond guy."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Oh, yeah.  I mean, you could just tell from their faces.  The
blond guy was really freaked out, while the dark guy was a lot more
cool-headed.  He seemed more interested on getting the knife away from
the blond guy than in hurting him."

    "I see.  That will be all.  Wait out in the reception area.  I may
need to speak to you again."

    "Yes sir."  

    As the relieved trooper fled his office, Reeve leaned back into
his chair and pondered the new information he'd just received.

    (Yes.  It fits.  I'd been wondering how a group of regular Shinra
troopers managed to take down such a talented SOLDIER like Zack.  But
this version makes a lot more sense.  Zack nearly wipes out the squad
that's following him and Cloud.  For whatever reasons -- delirium,
whatever -- Cloud attacks Zack and severely wounds him.  Zack manages
to knock Cloud out, but by then it's too late.  The troopers shoot
Zack while Cloud wanders off into the bush.  After the troopers run
off, Cloud returns to find Zack... and then....)

    And then, something else had happened... something truly horrific.
 Reeve didn't have to be an expert to read the story told by the
shattered and smashed bones on the cliff -- someone with immense
physical strength and a sharp weapon had deliberately hacked Zack's
body apart... and he had a sickening suspicion that Zack could have
still been alive at the time.

    The question of 'who' was ridiculously easy to answer.

    (Cloud, of course.  On the cliff edge.  With Zack's own two-handed
broadsword.)

    Not the Cloud Strife he knew.  It was inconceivable that his
friend could possible do such a savage and crazed deed.

    (Not our Cloud, no.  But this other Cloud Strife... the young man
who arrived in Midgar eight years ago... the bitter, hostile young man
who failed to became a SOLDIER... oh, with his history, I could easily
picture THAT person attacking anyone -- even an apparent friend -- in
a blind fit of rage.  Add the trauma of being Hojo's prisoner and
experimental subject for nearly five years... oh my god....)

    It all fit.  Cloud's inability to remember exactly what happened
to Zack... the fit of panic and horror at the cliff... everything.

    Reeve contemplated his opinions... debated temporary and final
solutions.  Finally, he called his assistant Max.  

    "Where's the most isolated outpost we have?"

    "Uh... I believe there's a facility located on a desert island to
the south, sir.  Nothing but sand and walking cactus plants."

    "Fine.  Transfer that trooper I just spoke to that location."
    
    "Sir!?"
    
    "Right now.  I want him out of Midgar as soon as possible.  I
don't care how you do it, but do it right away and make him like it." 
With a bitter smile, he added, "Tell him it's for his own safety and
that it's in his best interests to keep his mouth shut."

    "Yes, sir.  Right away, sir," said Max in a dubious voice.

    (Which is perfectly true, in a way.)  Reeve sank back into his
chair.  (This buys me some time to figure out what to do.  And if
worse comes to worse... well, I suppose I could always ask Rude to
kill the man.)

    Reeve sat alone, in total silence, until a sharp buzz broke his
concentration.  His assistant Max said, "Sir, the Highwind II has just
landed.  Your friends are headed up to your office."

-------------------------       

(continued)