Chapter 86
Three men were climbing a barely visible trail through the wilds of Mount Nibel. The silence was only broken by the rustling of animals as they scurried away. At least two of the men were in particularly foul moods that were not helped by the fact that it was nearly dusk. Not that they couldn't see well enough in the dark, but they knew it would put Rude at a disadvantage.
However, their disgust was not caused by the oncoming night. No, that was all due to their morning. Both Sephiroth and Vincent had spent far more time with Hojo than either of them cared to. The scientist had been surprisingly unwilling to talk, even after the realization that he could not manipulate his way out. Sephiroth grimaced once again as a memory of that morning passed through his head. Though, he had to admit he had been impressed with the ex-Turk. He had fully expected them to have to resort to torture, but the gunman shocked him by finding things left in the old lab to use to their advantage. Eventually, Hojo talked whether he wanted to or not.
Vincent did not have the disgust the General held, as any sympathy he might have once had for Hojo was destroyed years ago. That didn't mean he was any more thrilled with the way things turned out than Sephiroth was. Especially when they found out that Hojo had managed to already set off the chips with the neurotoxin that were implanted in the three Tsviets. It had been hours since then.
Once they found that out, they immediately shoved Hojo back in the empty mako tank and grabbed Rude. It wasn't that they felt the teens were not dangerous, but in some ways, they were as much victims as any of Hojo's experiments. No matter their actions and circumstances, they didn't deserve to die like that.
Hojo had three vials of the antidote with him. He had brought them in case it was necessary to force the teens' obedience. He felt he could wait until they were down and handle their recuperation afterward. However, since it had been so long since he set off the chip, they were all well aware that it was likely too late. That didn't keep them from searching for several reasons. Sephiroth and Vincent both understood better than most exactly how resilient those teens probably were. It was likely that they wouldn't go down right away. Their whereabouts needed to be confirmed, no matter what. Plus, the General felt a modicum of sympathy for them. Despite his better judgment, he still held a slight hope that given a chance, the three Tsviets would take a better path if offered.
They had been following Vincent's directions, and he had already told them they were close. It was no surprise when they rounded another corner and found all three of the teens. The silver-haired youth had the girl thrown over his shoulder while the other boy was leaning against him. Or rather, they were leaning against each other. Neither of the boys were moving as efficiently as they would have otherwise been capable of.
The three men rushed forward. When the teens saw them, Weiss put Rosso down and pulled out his swords. Despite knowing the boy should not be underestimated, Sephiroth did not summon the Masamune. Instead, he held up both hands and kept his voice calm. "We are not here to fight you. We captured Hojo, and he told us what he has done. We have the antidote, but you will need to agree to be taken into custody for now. We only want to get to the bottom of everything that is going on."
Weiss snarled at him, but one of his swords fell from fingers he could no longer control effectively. Nero had collapsed as soon as they stopped. Finally, the leader of the Tsviets tossed down his second sword with a sneer. "We are dead anyway."
As soon as both swords were on the ground, Sephiroth shot forward and grabbed them. Vincent had moved to administer the antidote to Nero, while the General handed a vial to Wiess. Rude had gone to check on Rosso. It wasn't until both boys stood with assistance that they noticed Rude had picked the girl up.
When Sephiroth gave him a questioning look, the Turk shook his head with a frown. Thankfully, neither boy noticed. The fact that the girl was already gone was not likely to make the boys any more cooperative. That could be tackled once the teens were secured, and they were all back on the way to Midgar. At least Hojo had a helicopter hidden, so they would not have to wait for retrieval.
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The two helicopters headed toward Midgar had split before the first day was even over. The one that carried Kris had to stop several times a day so that Genesis could ensure she was able to get the tea the midwife gave them down. That was a task that was difficult for even him to perform in a moving vehicle.
Rufus and the others had gone ahead. They were wasting as little time as possible. They had a couple of stops to make, and they wanted to make sure everything was lined out before they got back. The Vice-President spent many hours going over possibilities with Veld. They had much to do and little time left to make it happen. If Hojo had figured out that something was going on, it would not be long before others did as well.
It was two days before they finally stopped just outside of Gongaga. Zack knew the stop was necessary, but that didn't make him any less ready to head into the village. He already knew how his parents were going to take the news, and he wasn't looking forward to it.
Reno was the only one to accompany him this time. A few of the villagers stopped and called out greetings as the men walked through town, but they were not mobbed. It hadn't been that long since they were there last.
Zack paused outside his family's home while he worked up the nerve to face his mother. He knew it would be hard for his father too, but he had no doubt it would devastate his mom. Mostly because he knew he couldn't hide the extent of the possibilities. They deserved to know the truth.
With a sigh, he finally opened the door and walked in. Sarah turned to face the noise, and her face lit up when she saw who it was. "What a pleasant surprise! I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
She immediately went to give Zack a hug, but let him go almost as quickly. She had caught sight of his frown and had a feeling she was not going to like what he had to say. She knew she was right with his next words. "Mom, you should probably sit down. I can't stay long, but there is something you need to know."
She looked around and realized the red-head she had met when her children last visited was the only one there this time. That fact only added to her worry. She had a foreboding feeling when she finally spoke again. "Where is your sister?"
Zack sighed and gently squeezed his mom's arm. "That's why I'm here."
Sarah decided now might be the time to follow her son's advice. She moved to take a seat with him right behind her. As soon as they were at the table, he launched into the tale of all that had befallen them since they last visited.
By the time he was done, Zeke had also come in. One of the villagers had thought to let him know that Zack was there. He knew it hadn't been long since he saw his children, but that was also part of the reason he left work early. Something told him this was not just a social visit, and he had been right.
It was an understatement to say that neither of the Fair's were pleased to hear the news about their daughter and first grandchild. Still, they were both reassured slightly by Reno's continued positive attitude. Not that the Turk wasn't worried as well, but he was the one that made sure they all focused on the fact that Genesis was a stubborn bastard, and was in no way willing to let anything happen to those he loved.
It was nearly dusk when Zack and Reno headed back to the helicopter. As difficult as the visit had been, the young Soldier had a little more hope, especially given the fact that they had one more person in tow. He had to believe things would turn out for the best. To believe anything else was unthinkable. He just kept sending up prayers that the Goddess he met would not do that to Kris. Not after everything else.
A/N: We are so close to the end here, just a few more chapters! I know things have been tense for some time now, but I hope you stick around for the end. I declare lots of fluff, lol. At least in the last chapter or two. Plus a little Zerith. Thank you all for sticking around, and I hope you love the ending!
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Faithless Memories
Fanfiction"Can you really not remember your name? If that's the case, why don't I give you one for now?" Zack found a girl outside his village near dead. She had no past and an uncertain future, but somehow she became inextricably tied to his life. How will h...
