�I think you guys should head back here as soon as possible,� Barret concluded.
Tifa nodded, although he couldn�t see her gesture on the other end of the PHS.� �We�ll hurry back.�
She hadn�t told Barret about her encounter with Rufus.� She most certainly had not mentioned the fact that he was standing next to her.� The first fact alone would give him fits of apoplexy.� The second fact would send him into orbit.
Truth be told, she wasn�t exactly sure how she herself felt about the reappearance of Rufus Shinra and his apparent desire to set right his sins of the past by helping them in their current crisis.� She didn�t think it was a good idea to tell anyone about Rufus until she had determined one way or another if he was telling the truth, or simply trying to lure them into some sort of twisted trap to exact his revenge.
Gee, Tifa, time has left you open and trusting, she thought to herself.
She smiled ruefully, and was about to speak again when the sound of helicopter blades roared overhead.� She looked up and watched as a copter with Shinra markings flew over their hiding place on the outskirts of Midgar�s ruins.
�What was that?� Barret asked.
�I�m not sure,� Tifa replied, glancing at Rufus.� Rufus shook his head in confusion.� �I need to go and check it out.� I�m sending Nanaki back to examine the recording with you guys.�
�You�re going back in alone?� Barret cried.� �No way.� I�m sending someone over to go with you.�
�No, that�s�� she cut herself off.� If she revealed that Rufus was with her�
�I�ll be fine,� she said finally.
Barret made a grumbling noise of discontent, but he knew better than to argue with his old friend. �All right, I guess, but be careful.� Cid�s on his way to get Nanaki.� Inbound in about two minutes.�
Tifa turned to tell Rufus to hide, but he was already gone.� �I�ll wait here,� a voice called out from behind a wall segment.
Tifa nodded in agreement.� She watched as the Highwind came into view, then swooped down and landed a few dozen yards away.� Nanaki sprinted for the airship as the ramp lowered.� As soon as he was aboard, the huge vessel took off again, bound for Kalm.
Tifa watched it depart, then turned and ran back through the ruins.� �What the hell was that?� she asked Rufus as he emerged from behind the wall.
�I suspect whoever it is will be headed for the secret compound Hojo and Scarlet have built for themselves.� It�s not far from here,� Rufus replied, pointing to the descending helicopter.� They advanced cautiously, staying out of sight until the copter landed and its easily recognizable passengers disembarked.
�Reno, Rude, and Elena,� Rufus muttered.� �I knew they were trouble.� I don�t know why in hell my father ever hired those vultures.�
�They�re headed for that door,� Tifa pointed out.� �There�s Scarlet.�
Rufus nodded.� �Let�s head inside�but quietly.�
Tifa nodded in agreement, and the two of them crept forward.
�So this kid actually saved your life?� Yuffie exclaimed as Vincent finished his story.
�Kid?� Thorn piped up.� �Kid?� I�m at least as old as you are!�
Yuffie smirked.� �Yeah, but you mature faster when you�ve seen the things that I have.�
Vincent fought the urge to roll his eyes.� �So, what has transpired since my disappearance?�
Yuffie quickly filled him in on everything�the search for Cloud, the Chocobo prints leading to Midgar, and the recent news that Barret had given her over the PHS.
Vincent�s eyes were wide.� �Hojo is alive?� he cried.
Yuffie nodded.� �Looks that way.�
Vincent winced as he climbed slowly to his feet.� �Yuffie, get one of your cure materia and seal up this bullet wound so that we can get moving.�
Yuffie shook her head.� �I don�t have any.�
Vincent looked at her with incredulity.� �What?�
Yuffie sighed.� �Someone broke into the palace and stole all of my materia.�
�Yuffie, stop playing around,� Vincent ordered.� He looked at the teenager with surprise as her expression became one of even greater sadness.� �You�re not kidding, are you?�
Yuffie shook her head.� �Nope.�
�Damn,� Vincent muttered.
�Don�t sweat it, sir,� Thorn piped up.� �I happen to have�obtained one for the time being.�
Yuffie stared in wonder at the proficiency of their newfound cohort as he focused on the green orb.� The sphere began to glow, and Vincent was infused in an emerald-hued mist.� When the coalescence faded, Vincent touched his shoulder blade.
�Not even a scar,� he murmured in surprise.� �Very nicely done, Thorn.�
�Thank you, Mr. Valentine,� Thorn replied.
�Where did you learn to use materia like that?� Yuffie demanded.
Thorn shrugged.� �My brother taught me.�
�Your brother, huh?� Yuffie snorted.� �Anyone we know?�
Thorn shook his head.� �No.� No one of consequence,� he answered quickly.� He turned his back to them and looked over at Seth.� His best friend, the one who had taken him in when he�d come to Junon with nothing, the one who had given him the name he now held, was seated by the unhinged door, an ice pack against his head.
�You all right?� he asked Seth.
Seth nodded.� �Yeah, man, just a pounding headache.�
�I�m really sorry about that,� Yuffie offered from behind Thorn.
Seth waved her off.� �Don�t worry about it.� How about you kiss my boo-boo, and we�ll call it even?�
Yuffie turned red and took a step toward Seth.� �How about I rip your nuts off and stuff them down your throat?�
Seth chuckled.� �I like her, Thorn.� She�s got spunk.�� He looked up at Yuffie and smiled.� �No need to get violent, sweetheart.� I was only kidding.�
Yuffie advanced another step, and Vincent put a hand on her shoulder.� �If everyone is ready, we should get moving,� he observed.
Yuffie paused a moment before nodding in agreement.� Seth got to his feet, groaning as his head shifted under the ice pack, and the four of them gathered their belongings for the trip back to Kalm.
Reno walked into the chamber and surveyed the scene with his usual collected attitude.� �Professor, I believe I have what you requested.� Hello, Cloud,� he greeted his old adversary.� �Good to see you again.�
�I�m sorry I can�t say the same,� Cloud muttered in reply.
Reno shrugged off Cloud�s answer and turned his attention back to Hojo, who was walking toward him.� He yanked his electro rod down from his shoulder and pointed it at the scientist.� �That�s quite close enough,� he admonished, pulling the green orb from his pocket and tossing it over to Hojo, who snatched it out of the air and examined it.
�Excellent,� Hojo hissed eagerly.� He waved a signal to the guards who stood behind Reno.� They advanced quickly, drawing their weapons.
Reno�s reaction time was quicker.� He grabbed the nearest of the two by the wrist, flipping him over his shoulder and relieving him of his gun.� Tossing the gun into the air, he grasped it by the butt, and then brought it to bear on the other soldier, who froze.
�Drop it,� he muttered to the soldier, who obeyed instantly.� Reno snapped his fingers, and Rude and Elena stepped into the room from the hallway.� Both had drawn their revolvers and had them aimed squarely at Hojo.
�Now, Professor,� Reno grinned.� �I believe it is time to discuss payment.�
�Yes, indeed,� Hojo replied.� �Payment.�� He pressed a button on the console, and several panels opened in the wall.� Hojo ducked and rolled under a desk as several squads of soldiers emerged from their hiding places behind the wall panels.� As they opened fire, Reno, Rude, and Elena dove for cover.
�We�ve been had!� Reno cried out to his comrades as they returned fire from over the top of computer consoles and overturned tables.
�You think?� Elena shot back was she fired twice at a soldier, dropping him.� She ripped a speed loader from beneath her suit jacket and jammed it into her revolver before taking aim at another soldier.
Yuffie and the others climbed on board the Highwind.� Cid closed the hatchway behind them, and they made their way up to the bridge.� When they arrived, Cid greeted them in his usual cheerful fashion, a cigarette from a fresh pack of smokes dangling from his lips.
�Gawd, I hate flying,� Yuffie complained, flopping down onto the deck near the railing.� �At least we�re only going to Kalm.�
Cid chuckled.� �Sorry, Yuffie.� Change of plans.� Nanaki took one look at that recording and insisted that we all head back to Cosmo Canyon.� I just dropped �em all off when you called back to let us know you had Vincent, so I had to come get you.� It�s gonna be a little longer than you thought.�
Yuffie groaned and rested her head against the railing of the Highwind.� �Why me?� she muttered.
�Why not you?� Thorn replied as he sat down beside her.
Yuffie glared at him.� �Don�t you know a rhetorical question when you hear one?� she fumed.� �Besides, who said you could sit here?�
Thorn grinned.� �It�s not your ship.� Unless he says otherwise,� Thorn added, pointing to Cid, �I�ll sit wherever I please.�
Yuffie crossed her arms and sat in silence.
�Question,� Thorn began.
Yuffie looked at him.� �What?� she huffed in annoyance.
�Why are you so bitchy whenever anyone tries to be nice to you?� Thorn asked.
Yuffie�s jaw trembled.� �Bitchy?� How dare you!� I simply happen to be a little bit selective as to the people I speak to.� Just because you happen to be a fellow thief, doesn�t mean that I have to like you.�
Thorn grinned lopsidedly.� �But you do.�
�I most certainly do not!� she protested.
Thorn�s grin became full-fledged.� �I just realized it.� I can�t believe I didn�t see it before.�
�What?� Yuffie asked cautiously.
�Men scare you.�
�Huh?� Yuffie stammered, at a loss for words.
�Whenever a man makes a comment or a compliment to you, you fly off the handle and threaten him with violence,� Thorn observed.
Yuffie shook her head.� �That�s ludicrous!� she exclaimed.
�The truth of it is,� Thorn pressed on, oblivious to the potential danger he was in, �you wouldn�t know what to do with a man if he bit you.�
Yuffie lifted her arm and swung it at Thorn�s face, outraged.� Thorn caught it in mid swing, looked her in the eye, and clamped his teeth down on her forearm.
�Ow!� Yuffie hollered.� Thorn released her, half-smiled, and stood up, leaving Yuffie to nurse her arm.
Cid shook his head and chuckled as he turned back to face the controls.� �Kids nowadays,� he muttered.
Tifa and Rufus crept down the hall toward the sound of gunfire.� They peered around the corner and saw the Turks fighting a large number of Shinra soldiers from pinned positions.� Rufus looked up at Tifa.
�It�s a tough call,� he noted.
Tifa smiled despite the situation.� �I�m tempted to kill them all and let God sort them out.�
Rufus nodded.� �An excellent idea, but what if Hojo has Cloud within as a hostage?�
Tifa sighed.� �I knew it couldn�t be that easy.�
�It never is,� a voice behind them pointed out.� They turned abruptly to face Scarlet, standing between two Shinra soldiers.� �Tifa.� Long time no see.� And Rufus.� What a surprise to find you here�alive.� Pity I can�t consider the surprise a pleasant one.�
Rufus shrugged.� �We all have our problems.�
The sound of gunfire ceased, and Scarlet smiled.� �That�s our cue.�� The soldiers shoved Tifa and Rufus, and they marched into the chamber.
Inside, the area looked like a war zone.� Bodies of Shinra soldiers were strewn everywhere, having fallen victim to the folly of underestimating the Turks.� Elena was slumped against a wall, clutching a shoulder wound.� Rude and Reno were standing in the middle of the chamber, hands behind their heads in surrender to the half-dozen soldiers still on their feet.� Hojo stood at a console, a grotesque parody of what he once was.� On the console next to him were a green sphere and a jar with a piece of flesh inside of it.� Tifa and Rufus passed through the opening between the two massive consoles, and Tifa saw�
�Cloud!� she exclaimed.
Cloud looked up, and his eyes rounded.� �Tifa!� What are you doing here?�
�I came to rescue you,� she replied, �only it didn�t work out like I�d hoped.�
Cloud spotted the other captive, and his eyes narrowed.� �Is that�?�
�Rufus Shinra,� Hojo greeted his captive.� �I was wondering when you would be coming to greet us.� I�ve watched you scurry around, spying on us periodically.� Quite rude of you, I must say.�
�What is it you want?� Rufus demanded.
�Your company, Rufus.� Your delightful companionship as you bear witness to the new era of science that dawns today.�� Hojo waved a hand at the items on the console.� �Perhaps it would help if I explain a few things to you before we begin��
��First of all,� Nanaki began once everyone had gathered in the observatory, �What we have seen is a simplistic form of communication from outer space.�
�But who could they be trying to contact?� Yuffie asked.� �There are a lot better places than the crater to try to contact intelligent life.�
Nanaki shook his head.� �They aren�t trying to contact us, Yuffie��
��They have been trying to contact the creature trapped within the caldera of the crater,� Hojo explained.� �You see, we were all wrong about the origins of Jenova��
��We assumed that Jenova was an offshoot of the Cetra, a mutation, if you will.� We couldn�t have been more wrong,� Nanaki shook his head, still disbelieving the information he had yet to impart to his friends.
�So what exactly was Jenova?� Cait pressed.
�Well, Jenova wasn�t a creature��
��It is a species,� Hojo hissed.� �The Cetra are the offshoots of the Jenova.� They are the genetic result of interbreeding between the Jenova and the primitive human race.�
�Then, the Ancients are really the Jenova?� Tifa asked breathlessly.
Hojo nodded.� �Exactly.�
�But if the Jenova are the pure race,� Reeve inquired, �Then what was their motivation for destroying the Cetra?�
Nanaki sighed.� �They were shamed by their species� weakness.� They wanted to pretend that the Cetra had never existed.� They considered the interbreeding of Jenova and humans disgraceful.�
�So,� Thorn jumped in, getting to the heart of the matter.� �Who or what is trying to contact something here?�
Nanaki turned to the video screen.� �It�s best if I showed you what we have translated.�� He switched on the screen.
The group watched as Hojo turned on the recording he had made of the lights above the crater.� �I�ve added subtitles for those of you keeping score,� Hojo chuckled.
Hail and greetings.
Your message has been received.
Rescue vessel enroute.
ETA
sixty-two hours.
Message repeats...
Hail and greetings.
Your message has been received.
Rescue vessel enroute.
ETA...
Nanaki switched off the screen.
�That�s it?� Thorn demanded.� �Rescue vessel for what?�
�Jenova,� Barret muttered.
� Nanaki nodded.� �Exactly.�
�Um, do they know that Jenova�s dead?� Yuffie inquired.
Miles to the east, Cloud asked the same question.
Hojo shrugged.� �I don�t know.� But that�s where the fun part comes in.�� His shoulders shook with mirth as he picked up the jar.� �Anyone want to guess what this is?�
�It looks like a piece of Jenova,� Rufus ventured.
Hojo nodded.� �Score one for the former boss.� Yes, it�s a piece of Jenova.� At first, I sought to create a clone from this DNA sample.� Then I did some research, and I developed a new plan�one that involved sending the Turks on a little raiding mission in Wutai.� I needed a mastered revive materia in order to complete my experiment.�
Tifa looked over at Cloud.� �He�s not serious.�
�Ah, but I am, Miss Lockheart.� Now, watch in awe as I lead this world into the new era of science!� Hojo exclaimed.� With that, he hefted the materia, focusing all his concentration upon it.� Within moments, a glow filled the room.� The green of the glow grew richer and brighter, until it infused everything it touched with its shimmering appearance.� Tifa stared in shock at the twisted, maniacal visage of Hojo, transfixed by his single-mindedness until something caught her eye.� She turned her gaze on the jar, then watched in horror as the piece of Jenova�s tail housed within twitched, then writhed.� Suddenly, the glass shattered, and the lights went out, plummeting all of them into darkness.
Aratak checked the chronometer yet again.� Forty-eight hours out.� It was time for another communications check.� He sighed as he fought back boredom for long enough to send the standard communication once again.� He had just settled back in his chair when an alarm sounded on his console.� He jerked upward in his seat and manipulated the controls to receive the incoming communication.� As fast as he could translate it, he was already sending the message to the bridge to be reviewed by Kaladar.
Received your signal.� Request immediate assistance.� Have been attacked by hostile life forms.� Await your arrival.� Long live the Jenova.
Aratak felt the jerk in his seat moments later as Kaladar ordered the navigator to increase speed to maximum.� They would be arriving within six hours.�