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Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody	By : DarkSeraphim1 Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1315 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, Before Crisis, or Dirge of Cerberus. I do not profit from the writing and/or posting of this fic. I am just a humble fan paying tribute to another's wonderful creations.

Chapter List
- 32
- 33
- 34
Chapter 33
            ‘Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forstall my return. To become the dew that quenches the land, to spare the sands, the seas, the skies, I offer thee this silent sacrifice.’ –Loveless, Epilogue
            The sounds of carnage could be heard clearly as Sephiroth led the way through the secret underground tunnel that connected Junon’s underwater dock to Hojo’s classified research facility. Echoes of gunfire and the occasional sound of elemental materia spells were eclipsed by desperate, terrified screams, indicating that the boys had done as Kadaj had promised. They were not simply stalling the SOLDIERs and scientific staff who were supposed to guarding them. To Sephiroth’s sensitive, experienced ears, it sounded like they were slaughtering them, pure and simple.
            It didn’t help that alarms were going off all over the facility, ringing shrilly enough to hurt all of those who had been mako enhanced. Perhaps, he had been hasty in insisting that Reno, Cissnei, and Aerith remain behind to guard the entrance, he mused silently. Both Turks had received mako treatments upon their enrollment in the program, but in much smaller doses than any of their SOLDIER counterparts received upon being promoted to 1^st Class. Their hearing wouldn’t be affected so profoundly, as a consequence. Nor would The Ancient’s, as she had her pure Cetra blood to protect her.
            Of course, Reno was using his laptop in an attempt to hack into the facility’s security system, but in the meantime, the sound was quite jarring, and a potential distraction. He cast a sideways glance at Cloud, whose jaw was set as he strode determinedly through the hall. His focus was on Kadaj, and nothing else, which was why Sephiroth had asked Genesis to accompany him. As much as he hated the thought of being separated from his heart for the duration of this dangerous mission, it was best if Cloud had someone with him to guard his back while he was so distracted, and unfortunately, that someone could not be Zack.
            Angeal and Zack would be accompanying him once they reached the interior of the facility, a necessary precaution, for he had no idea how the youngest remnant would react to lively, carefree Zachary. Kadaj was very possessive when it came to Cloud, so much so that having the man who had once died to protect him at his side could be problematic. He refused to take any chances when it came to Zack’s safety, especially after what had happened in Nibelheim, and where Zack went, Angeal would always follow.
            It was better this way, he told himself even as he glanced over his shoulder to catch sight of Genesis. The other man looked both worried and resolute as he walked behind Cloud, Rapier drawn and held at the ready. Sephiroth knew that he wasn’t happy with the impending separation, but he was a good SOLDIER, and he knew how to follow orders. He’d do as Sephiroth commanded, but Sephiroth was sure he’d hear his thoughts about it afterwards, and probably in great detail. Genesis had never been one to suffer in silence, after all.
            Genesis caught his perusal and smiled tightly, reassuring him even as his eyes flashed with the force of his displeasure, and Sephiroth had to fight a sudden urge to smile. He knew his fierce kitten all too well.
“This is it.”
            Cloud’s exited murmur brought his attention back to mission at hand, and to the large set of double doors that greeted them. “Electronic locks,” Cloud said, his neutral tone not quite able to mask his frustration as he flipped his phone opened and dialed Reno’s number. “The entrance is locked electronically. Can you—“
            The sirens cut off abruptly, and Cloud made a frustrated sound. “Great,” he said sarcastically, “now how about opening the damned doors?”
            “Can’t, yo,” came the prompt, unexpected response. “They’re controlled by a separate computer, probably one inside the complex itself. You’re on your own, yo.”
            “Damn it!” Cloud snapped the PHS closed and shoved it back into his pack, his narrowed blue eyes studying the steel doors all the while. “They’re thick, reinforced. I don’t know if First Tsurugi can cut through them.”
            Sephiroth nodded absently, his mako-green eyes scrutinizing the doors closely. “Masamune has a greater reach,” he murmured, taking a step towards the door and laying a hand on it. He cocked his head to one side, listened to the very distinct sounds of battle, and drew the seven-foot odachi. “Back away, please. We have no way of knowing what—if any—security measures have been set in place here.”
            Cloud eyed the dreaded sword, remembering all the times he had found himself at the wrong end of it, and hastily backed away. He glanced at Zack, who was grinning at him with anticipation, and reluctantly smiled back. Zack had always had that effect on people, and he certainly was no exception. He wondered how Vincent would react to him, and then realized that it didn’t matter. Vincent was his friend, and he knew how important Zack had been to him. He would be accepted immediately by the stoic gunman, who was even now trying to find his own way into the facility. Vincent had always been one to go his own way, and his lack of future memories certainly hadn’t been enough to change that aspect of his personality.
            A flash of silver caught his eye and he forced himself to focus on the moment. Sephiroth had raised Masamune in his left hand and the immense odachi had caught the mako-powered lights perfectly. As the light danced across the deadly arch of the legendary weapon, Sephiroth shifted slightly and brought it down hard. It arched diagonally from the top corner of the left door, only to be switched to his right hand as he brought it back up and through the second door. Accompanying the screech of metal-on-metal was two streaks of fire, forming a slightly uneven V, just before both doors fell inwards.
            They landed on the ground with a resounding crash, and Sephiroth calmly stepped through the opening. Cloud rolled his eyes at the dramatic entrance, ignoring Zack’s, “Holy!” as he followed the general inside. It was nothing he hadn’t seen before.
            The sounds of battle were louder now, as was the evidence of it. Scientific machines were strewn about in varying degrees of disarray, bullet holes, thin gouges, and blackened smudges revealing the remnants’ passing. They weren’t here now, but they obviously had been, and that was enough to spur Sephiroth into immediate action.
            “Genesis, go with Cloud,” he ordered abruptly, making a sharp gesture to one of two doors that separated the vestibule from the rest of the building. “Take the north side. Find Kadaj and bring him here. Angeal, Zack, you are with me. Cloud, we’ll find Loz and Yazoo and met you back here. Move out.”
            “Hey!”
            Sephiroth stopped short and half-turned, only to find Genesis glaring at him, Rapier pointed straight at him. “You’d better be careful,” he snapped, and Sephiroth could only offer a faint, embarrassed smile. “You, as well,” he said before turning away once more.
            Genesis sniffed disdainfully as he forced himself to turn away and follow Cloud through the north door. He didn’t like being separated from Sephiroth, especially at the other man’s behest, but Sephiroth knew what he was doing. If he thought that Cloud needed backup, he would trust Sephiroth’s judgment and give it. Cloud had saved Sephiroth’s life, and helped him win their freedom, and that was the only reason that he had agreed to this.
            As they made their way through the facility, Genesis was surprised to find himself shocked by the sheer amount of destruction that surrounded them. Nearly every person they came across was dead, their bodies slowly returning to the Lifestream and the goddess who served it. He offered up a silent prayer for them, even as he acknowledged that they had probably gotten no more than they deserved. Still, he could tell that their deaths hadn’t been easy, and he could feel sympathy for that, if nothing else.
            Cloud had to fight a niggling sense of unease as he noted how the dome bathed everything around them in blue light, adding to the feeling of the surreal that almost seemed to permeate the place. As he made his way through the trail of bodies and equipment, he had to remind himself that he had expected this. Kadaj was violent and vengeful by nature; he always had been, and he probably always would be. And in this instance, Cloud couldn’t really blame him for his reaction. Being a prisoner his whole life had obviously affected him, and he had probably been through hell in the last couple of months, thanks to Hojo’s ‘aging therapy’.
            No, he couldn’t blame his little lover for lashing out, even as he hoped to someday help him curb his destructive tendencies. Kadaj had never been happy, and Cloud wanted to be the one to show him how good life could be by showing him that happiness. There was more to life than survival, than violence and death, and he needed Kadaj to see that.
            “Cloud, are you all right?”
            Cloud’s head came up at the soft, wary query. “I’m fine,” he said shortly, then gestured at their surroundings. “I’m just hoping that all this can be avoided in the future.”
            Genesis only nodded his understanding. “Sephiroth was only a little better when we first met,” he said with a sigh. “He had been trained to kill, but that was about it. He could tear through a simulated battle in seconds, but he didn’t know how to talk to people. Sometimes, he still doesn’t,” he added with a sudden laugh.
            A faint smile touched Cloud’s mouth. “Yeah, I’ve noticed,” he said dryly. “He tries, but. . .”
            “Exactly.” Genesis shook his head as he carefully stepped over a partially dismembered body. “Goddess, how can a nine-year-old do so much damage?”
            “Imagine Sephiroth with no self-control and your temper,” Cloud said, and then laughed at the other man’s cringe. “Yeah, that’s Kadaj, and he’s not exactly a nine-year-old.”
            “What do you mean?” Genesis asked sharply.
            The deceptively young-looking man only shrugged as he adjusted his grip on his sword. “Hojo fudged a little in their files,” he muttered, hating that he had to lie, even though it was necessary. Genesis needed to be prepared for the three grown boys who awaited them. “They’re not children, Genesis. They’re almost adults, now.”
            “Shit,” Genesis cursed soundly. “So that’s what you and Sephiroth were talking about in the helicopter!”
            “Yeah,” Cloud said with another shrug. “Sephiroth knows they’re older, but he still sees them as his children, anyway.”
            “Seph’s always wanted a family,” Genesis murmured, half to himself. “He’d accept them no matter what their ages.”
            A scream sounded up ahead, but it was different from all the others echoing through the building. This one was full of rage and frustration and caused Cloud’s heart to stutter in his chest. “Kadaj!” he whispered with excitement, breaking into a run. “Come on!”
            Genesis ran after him, putting a burst of speed to catch up to the man, who was nearly as fast as Sephiroth in full stride. As they neared the end of the corridor, a streak of lightening flashed before them, quickly followed by more. Genesis threw himself to the ground, listening to Cloud curse as he did the same, and realized that one of their boys had gotten a hold of a high-level lightning materia, most likely Electrocute.
            The smell of burning flesh came to them, and Genesis covered his nose at the stench. “A little hellion, isn’t he?” he questioned rhetorically.
            Cloud nodded his spiky head and surged to his feet, unable to control the smile stretching across his face. “You have no idea,” he answered happily. “Let’s go.”
            Genesis rolled his eyes and pushed himself to his feet, chasing Cloud with swift feet. The other man came to a sudden stop, whirling around frantically as he searched the apparently deserted area, shouting Kadaj’s name all the while. Genesis merely sighed and began a more thorough search, checking each room carefully before moving on to the next. There were more bodies, and even a few blood pools that indicated that there had been bodies there, even if they were gone now, but no sign of any silver-haired youth. Maybe, Cloud had been wrong.
            He could only frown and shake his fiery head as he moved on, glancing over his shoulder now and then to make sure that Cloud was still with him. The Puppy’s apprentice was hard at work, lifting broken machinery and tossing it aside, still calling Kadaj’s name, although with less confidence. Cloud looked like he might burst into tears at any moment, and that was enough to spur Genesis into action.
            “Kadaj?” he called out in his sternest voice. “If you’re hiding, get your ass out here! Now!”
            A blur of motion from his left caught Genesis by surprise, and he found himself lifting Rapier to ward off a series of lightning-fast blows. He caught a flash of silver hair and green eyes, and then Cloud was there, yelling as he pulled a smaller body away from Genesis’ own.
            “Enough!” Cloud shouted, wrenching Kadaj away from the unpredictable First and shoving him away. “No more, Kadaj! Stop it!”
            A slim, lightly muscled figure, clad from neck to foot in what appeared to be black leather, pointed a rather cheap-looking Jr. Buster in Genesis’ direction. Heavy silver hair, shades darker than Sephiroth’s, hung in the boy’s face, all but obscuring his features, except for one shimmering silver-green eye. Then, the boy flipped the heavy silver curtain out of his face in a gesture that was somehow familiar, and Genesis was startled by his resemblance to the man he’d been cloned from.
            “Oh, my,” he breathed with wonder. “They really do look like Sephiroth.”
            “You.”
            The boy’s vivid green eyes narrowed on him with what he could have sworn was hatred, and Cloud hastily stepped between them. “That’s enough,” he said in a quiet but firm voice. “Kadaj, he’s with me. He’s. . .a friend.”
            Kadaj’s eyes went wide as he finally realized just who it was that had restrained him. “Nii-san?” he whispered incredulously. He took one small, hesitant step towards him, the bloodied Jr. Buster clattering to the ground unheeded. “Nii-san! Nii-san!”
            The young warrior ran straight at them and hurled himself at Cloud. Cloud staggered under the impact, dropping First Tsurugi as he wrapped his arms around the boy. Kadaj was clinging to him, nearly sobbing, as he babbled incoherently. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” the boy cried thickly. “I didn’t know, I didn’t understand. Please, forgive me, Nii-san. Please. I’m sorry.”
            “I know you are,” Cloud told him, his own voice rough with emotion. “So am I, baby. So am I.”
            Kadaj shuddered visibly, Genesis’ presence all but forgotten as he drew back to gaze up at the man he had forced to kill him. “Don’t be,” he whispered urgently. “It was me, Nii-san. I’m the one who didn’t understand. I’m the one that ruined everything. If only I’d known the truth—“
            Cloud pressed his lips to Kadaj’s, effectively ending the potentially damning flow of words. “It doesn’t matter anymore,” he murmured softly. “It’s in the past, Kadaj. Leave it there, alright?”
            “But—” Kadaj broke off, biting his bottom lip in an uncharacteristic sign of uncertainty, and Cloud ran gloved hands over the sleek cap of his hair. “It doesn’t matter,” he repeated in a firm voice. “We’re together now, baby. Concentrate on that.”
            Kadaj smiled suddenly, his deceptively angelic features lighting up from within. “You came for me,” he said, as though it had just dawned on him, “just like you said you would.”
            Cloud laughed and reached behind him. “I did more than that,” he stated, drawing the cheap black sheath from First Tsurugi’s harness. “I brought you this.”
            Those dual-toned green eyes shone happily as the boy ripped the scabbard from his hands. He gripped the familiar, blue-ribboned hilt in his hand and wrenched the sword free. “Souba!”
            Genesis’ eyes widened as he took in the sharp, double-bladed katana that was eerily reminiscent of Masamune, only in the miniature. The boy backed away, swung the sword around him in flurry of strikes which made the air hum with kinetic energy, reminding Genesis that he had been created from the cells of Gaia’s strongest warrior. The katana came to an abrupt rest at the boy’s side, even as he reached out and grasped Cloud’s cowl-neck in a tight hold.
            “Thank you,” Kadaj whispered before jerking Cloud close and plastering his lips to the older man’s.
            Cloud’s answering laugh was muffled as he took Kadaj’s head in his hands and took control of the kiss. Genesis rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, wondering if they were ever going to come up for air. As they continued to make out right in front him, he was beginning to think that the answer might be no.
            “You know,” he said with studied casualness, “you’re both going to suffocate if you don’t stop doing that.”
            Kadaj ripped his mouth from Cloud’s and glared at him murderously. “Now, listen here, you son of a—“
            “Kadaj!” Cloud frowned at him, silently warning him to keep his mouth shut. “He’s right. We don’t have time for this. We’ve got to meet Sephiroth back in the lobby.”
            “Father?” Kadaj grinned again, the anger gone as though it had never been. “I can’t wait to meet him, Nii-san. I mean, the real him. I’ve been waiting for this all my life.”
            “The real him?” Genesis echoed with a frown. “Cloud, what’s he babbling about, now?”
            Silver-green eyes narrowed until they were mere slits, indicating that Kadaj was about to go on the offensive, and Cloud had had enough. He set a hand on his lover’s deceptively slender shoulder and said, “No,” in his firmest voice.
            Kadaj didn’t argue, merely tossed his silver head and looked away, and Cloud breathed a silent sigh of relief. “Call Sephiroth,” he said quietly. “Let him know that we’ve found Kadaj, and that we’re on our way to the lobby.”
            Genesis stared at the young boy he could have sworn was about to attack him, and felt the first stirrings of unease. If he didn’t know better, he’d think that the boy hated him. He looked away, disturbed as he reached into his trench and withdrew his scarlet PHS. He flipped the phone open, dialed Sephiroth’s number, and drew away in hopes of affording himself at least a modicum of privacy.
            “Sephiroth.”
            “It’s me,” Genesis said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. “We’ve found Kadaj.”
            Sephiroth let out a relieved breath, and Genesis swallowed the words that were trembling on his lips, begging to be released. “We’re on our way back to the lobby,” he said instead. “We’ll meet you there.”
            “Understood. We will meet you as soon as we can. Take care of him, Gen.”
            Genesis smiled sadly. “I will, Seph.”
            He tucked the phone away and approached the newly reunited couple. Kadaj looked up from the haven of Cloud’s arms and glared at him hotly, and Genesis quickly looked away. “Sephiroth says that they’ll meet us in the lobby as soon as they can,” he told Cloud coolly.
            The other man merely nodded and released Kadaj, and then bent down to retrieve his sword. If he was embarrassed to have forgotten his weapon in the heat of the moment, it didn’t show as he adjusted his grip and reached for Kadaj’s hand. “Let’s go, baby. Your brothers will be with us soon.”
            Kadaj smiled happily as he clung to Cloud’s hand, chattering about the battle that had begun when the scientists had tried to move him to a submarine transport. He laughed with a nearly sadistic pleasure as he described the pathetic way the SOLDIERs guarding the facility had fallen to his practice blade, then proceeded to explain how much better it would have been if he’d had his beloved Souba.
            Genesis could only listen silently, not trusting himself to speak, as he realized that the youngest clone had serious mental and emotional issues. The boy was clearly unbalanced, and he wondered how that knowledge would affect Sephiroth, who had had such high hopes for ‘their boys’.
            He also wondered if the other two brothers shared Kadaj’s apparent apathy for him. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what their life had been like, but surely, they didn’t blame him for whatever nightmare they had been forced to live through? How could they? he tried to reassure himself. They didn’t even know him. Maybe, it wasn’t personal, and Kadaj was simply hostile to all strangers.
            Genesis began to warm to the idea, realizing that it made the most sense. The boys couldn’t possibly have a personal grudge against someone they’d never met. It was the way that they’d been raised that made Kadaj so antagonistic, he reasoned. Once they were safely settled in Wutai, the boy would warm up to him. It was just going to take time, that was all, and thanks to Sephiroth’s careful planning, that was something they would have in abundance.

            “Holy shit!”
            Zack’s shocked exclamation echoed through the building as they made their way through a particularly gruesome room. Dead bodies were strewn everywhere, their necks, arms, and legs all bent at extremely awkward angles. Some even showed signs of electrocution, which was weird enough, but mostly they looked like someone had just beaten the living hell out of them.
            Angeal looked equally appalled as he took in the damage. “Sephiroth. . .”
            “I know,” he stated flatly.
            Loz, Sephiroth thought, not surprised by the amount of devastation he saw. The boy might not be the smartest of the three, but he was a juggernaut when it came to hand-to-hand combat. The Dual Hound he’d worn had added an extra flair to his attacks, but it wasn’t something he actually needed to win a fight. The boy’s natural strength was enough for that.
            Sephiroth held Masamune out and to the side, hoping that the eldest of his remnants would recognize the gesture as non-threatening, and respond accordingly. The last thing he wanted was to be forced into battle with someone who carried a piece of his soul. The consequences could be devastating for them both.
            They left the room and found themselves in another corridor, this one looking much the same as all the ones before. Painted a dull white, the walls, floors, and ceiling were all covered with blood. They heard a distant cry, accompanied by the distinctive sound of breaking bones, and dashed towards the source.
            The eldest remnant was grinning as he released the SOLDIER he’d been holding and batted him away. The SOLDIER was hurled into the dome, his skull exploding as it met dirty glass. Loz laughed a little as he watched the body fall to the floor and then turned to greet the newest threat. He was in the process of cracking his knuckles when he caught sight of Sephiroth.
            He lowered his hands, his pale green eyes filling with tears, as he choked out, “Father?”
            Sephiroth gazed at him for a long, tense moment, unsure of how he should respond to the tears. He thought of what Genesis would do, and sighed quietly. He put Masamune away, trusting Zack and Angeal to guard his back, and opened his arms wide. “Hello, Loz.”
            The muscle-bound boy threw himself at him, hugging him with all of his strength, which was considerable. Silently grateful for the mako treatments that had made him all but indestructible, Sephiroth set his hands on the boy’s back and patted him awkwardly. “I am here,” he murmured haltingly, flinching as the boy began to sob in earnest.
            He hugged the boy tentatively, and then with more confidence, hoping to halt the flow of tears before they both drowned in them. Soon enough, Loz was sniffling instead of sobbing, though his hold never loosened. Sephiroth merely held him, hoping that his silent comfort would be enough, because he still had no idea what to say to the overly sensitive young man.
            Finally, Loz raised his silver head, swiping at his damp eyes with gloved hands. “Sorry,” he muttered with embarrassment. “Kadaj is always telling me I’m a crybaby, but I just couldn’t help it.”
            Sephiroth hid a smile at that. “I believe your tears are completely understandable, considering the circumstances, Loz.”
            Loz smiled just a bit shyly as he pulled away, only then noticing the other two men in the room. “Oh, hey, Zack,” he greeted with a little wave. “How’s it goin’?”
            Zack blinked, surprised at the greeting. “Uh, I’m good,” he answered hesitantly. “How about you?”
            “I’m better, now.” Loz flashed a beaming grin at Sephiroth, then strode over to Angeal and gave him an unexpected bear hug. “Hi, ‘geal. It’s damned good to see you.”
            Sephiroth had to stifle a laugh as reserved, stoic Angeal awkwardly patted the boy’s back, much as Sephiroth himself had done. “Hello,” he returned, frowning briefly as the boy pulled away, “Loz.”
            Loz laughed as he looked over his shoulder at Sephiroth. “Boy, am I glad you found me,” he said happily. “I was running out of SOLDIERs to play with.”
             Sephiroth winced inwardly at the lighthearted description of the carnage they’d traveled through to find him. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that any longer,” he said in a gentle voice. “We’re here with you, now.”
            “I know, and it’s great!” Loz went still for a long moment, his silver-green gaze turning inward, as he focused on something only he could see. “Kadaj found Nii-san,” he stated, not sounding entirely happy about it.
            “You sound worried,” Sephiroth commented in what he hoped was an encouraging manner.
            Massive shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “Nii-san belongs to tenshi, not to us.”
            “Ah.” The boy worried that he was going to lose his beloved baby brother to Cloud. “Cloud is a good man, Loz. He’ll take excellent care of you all.”
            Loz’s face fell at his words. “What about you?” he asked, his voice wavering precariously. “You’re not gonna leave us, are you?”
           “Of course not,” Sephiroth answered with a frown. “Genesis and I are fully committed to—“
            “Gen’s here?!” Loz’s sculpted features lit up as though from within. “Where?!”
            “He is with Cloud and Kadaj,” Sephiroth replied with surprise.
            “Uh-oh.” Loz looked alarmed as he shook his gilded head. “We’d better get to them, then. ‘Daj doesn’t have good memories of Gen like I do.”
            Sephiroth went completely still as he asked, “What do you mean, Loz?”
            “He, uh, he kinda hates him,” the boy answered with a cringe.
            “Why?” Zack asked, surprised. “I mean, Genesis can be an asshole, but he’s a good guy underneath it all.”
            “Zack.” Angeal frowned at him as he stepped forward. “Are you saying that you all share memories with Sephiroth?”
            “Well, yeah,” Loz replied, “’course we do.”
            Sephiroth drew a deep, steadying breath. “He would not try to hurt him, would he?” he asked very, very carefully.
            “I dunno.” Loz shrugged again, his expression turning rueful. “Nii-san’s there, and Kadaj wouldn’t want to piss him off, again. Especially, not after what happened last time, so Gen will probably be okay.”
            Sephiroth shared a meaningful glance with Angeal, who immediately turned on his heel and began to retrace their path. “Come,” Sephiroth said shortly. “We must make sure that Kadaj does not harm Genesis.”
            “He wouldn’t mean to,” Loz explained as he hastily jogged to catch up to him. “Little Brother just has a bad temper. He can’t always control it, you know?”
            “I know,” Sephiroth acknowledged in clipped tones. “Regardless, he must not be allowed to harm Genesis.”
            “You guys are doin’ good, then?” the elder remnant asked. “You’re not fighting all the time, or anything?”
            Sephiroth slanted him a sidelong glance. “Genesis and I are quite happy, Loz, I assure you.”
            “Oh, good,” the boy said with relief. “Gen was always best when he was happy.”
            A faint smile graced Sephiroth’s lips. “I know.”
            Zack shook his head as he struggled to keep up with them. “This is too weird,” he muttered to himself. This kid, Loz, somehow had Sephiroth’s memories. He knew Angeal, Genesis, and even him, even though they’d never met. The kid seemed nice enough, but still. . .it was just plain weird.
            “Hey, Zack?”
            He focused on the muscular, overtly masculine version of Sephiroth warily. “Yeah?”
            “Are you and Angeal still. . .” Loz wagged his eyebrows meaningfully, “you know?”
            “Uh, yeah,” he answered, unable to fight a little grin. Weird or not, he thought that he was going to like to Loz. “We are.”
            “Cool.” Loz gave him a slap on the back that nearly sent him tumbling to the floor. “You guys were always good together.”
            Zack caught himself and resisted the urge to rub his shoulder. “Yeah, thanks, kid,” he said with a laugh.
            “No problem, Pup.”
            The other boy grinned again, and Zack decided that he definitely liked him. It was like Sephiroth with a personality, he joked silently. “So,” he said into the silence, “there are three of you, right?”
            “Yep,” Loz responded simply.
            “What are the other two like?” he asked curiously.
            Loz burst out laughing at that one. “Oh, we’re all real different,” he said with genuine mirth. “Wait until you meet Yazoo. Men and woman just fall at his feet. All he has to do is look at them, and they’re his. He doesn’t even have to work at it.”
            “You sound like you admire him,” Zack remarked.
            “’Course I do. He takes care of us, you see.” Loz began to gesture with his hands as he spoke, and Zack was suddenly reminded of Genesis. “He cooks for us, he cleans wherever we’re staying, and he can calm Kadaj down like nobody’s business. He’s kinda like our mother, only he’s a guy, you know?”
            “Gotcha,” Zack said with a smile. “What about Kadaj? Spike hasn’t talked about him much, but I know he’s crazy about him, so he’s got to be a good guy.”
            Loz nodded emphatically in agreement. “’Daj is strong,” he said with respect that bordered on awe. “He’s really good with magic, and can heal us when we get hurt real bad. He’s a swordsman, like Father, and he’s real good at it. He’s always got a plan, and he always knows just what to do when things go to shit. He’s got a big mouth,” the boy grinned here, “but I think he gets that from Gen, so it’s kinda okay.”
            Another Genesis? Zack thought incredulously. Gods save us all! Aloud, he only said, “Cloud really misses him. He carries around that katana of his like it’s a lifeline or something.”
            “Nii-san has Souba?” There was real relief on Loz’s face at the news. “Boy, am I glad. Tenshi has been miserable without his sword. Now, maybe he’ll be happier.”
            “Loz?”
            Loz’s head came up at Sephiroth’s tense call, all of his instincts kicking into high gear. “Yes, Father?”
            “Can you contact Kadaj and ask him why he is not here waiting for us?”
            The boy looked around him, surprised to see that they were already in the lobby, and that Kadaj was nowhere to been seen. “Uh-oh!” he exclaimed under his breath. He closed his eyes and focused, just like Yazoo had taught him to, and was relieved when Kadaj responded.
            ‘Where the fuck are you, Loz?”
            ‘I’m with Father and Zack. We’re in the lobby. Father wants to know why you’re not here. What should I tell him?’
           ‘Tell him that we’re looking for Yazoo, and ask him why Angeal is glaring at me, while you’re at it!’
            Loz winced at that. ‘They’re kinda worried that you’ll hurt Gen, little bro.’
            ‘Oh, for fuck’s sake! Tell Father that his ‘kitten’ is alive and well and talking enough shit for all of us, okay? And get your ass over here! I think we’re close.’
           ‘Yes, Brother.’
            Loz opened his eyes with a sense of relief. “Kadaj is looking for Yazoo. Nii-san, Gen, and ‘geal are with him,” he informed Sephiroth proudly. “But he says to hurry up and join him. He thinks they’re close to finding Yazoo.”
            Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed only slightly. “And how is Genesis?” he asked in a deceptively calm tone.
            “Oh, he’s okay,” Loz rushed to assure him. “Kadaj says he’s talking enough shit for all of ‘em.”
            Zack burst out laughing at that one. “Oh, I can’t wait to meet your brothers, Loz.”
            “Yeah, you’ll like them, Zack,” Loz returned with a grin.
            Sephiroth merely shook his head and sighed heavily. “Loz, do you know where your brother is?” he asked with barely leashed impatience.
            “’Course,” came the prompt, rather irritating reply. “I can feel him. Can’t you?”
            Sephiroth was ashamed to admit that the thought of attempting such a thing had not occurred to him. He focused his energies on attempting to locate Kadaj, and wasn’t surprised he felt a faint stirring somewhere in the vicinity of his solar plexus. “Yes,” he said at length, “I feel him.”
            “Well, there you go.”
            He shook his head, scattering his overlong long silver hair, and sighed again. “Let us go, then,” he said as he turned away. “I would like to leave this place before more Shinra troops arrive.”
            “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” Loz agreed solemnly as he fell into step beside him. “C’mon, Zack, I’ll tell you more about my brothers, if you want me to.”
            “Cool,” Zack said as he bounded over to them. “You got Seph’s memories, right? Tell me something I can use to blackmail Genesis.”
            “Heh-heh.” Loz grinned evilly and rubbed his hands together. “There was this one time, when he and Father were fighting, that this pretty little Second decided that he wanted to serve under Father, if you get what I mean. Gen caught him flirting, and boy, did that go badly. But what Gen did to the guy later was even worse!”
            Zack leaned closer, his blue eyes sparkling with anticipation. “Tell me more.”
            Sephiroth could only sigh, raise his eyes to the heaven’s, and hope Genesis that wouldn’t be too angry with him when he heard about this.
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            “There he is!”
            Kadaj’s excited cry reached Sephiroth’s ears, nearly drowned out by the all too distinctive sound of gunfire. He broke into a run, trusting Loz and Zack to follow, Masamune drawn and ready to kill. He rounded the nearest corner and scowled as he took in the scene before him.
            The middle remnant was boxed into a corner, his Velvet Nightmare firing at an incredibly high rate, as three enormous Death Machines closed in on him. The bullets punched small holes in the robots’ dense armor but left no exit wounds, indicating that their armored bodies were thicker than the typical Roboguards that he himself had fought in the Shinra building, and that Yazoo would be unable to use his martial arts skills to aid him in this fight.
            The boy was also forced to be very careful with the trajectory of his shots, as the dome which rose up high above them all already showed signs of damage. Web-like cracks snaked out from small caliber bullet holes, indicating that the damage had been wrought by machine gun fire, most likely originating from the dead SOLDIERs lying all around them.
            Sephiroth lifted Masamune, holding it on level with his left shoulder, and prepared to attack. Unfortunately for them all, Kadaj beat him to it. The youngest remnant ran forward, lifted his glowing arm, and yelled, “Get the fuck out the way, Yaz!”
            There was no widening of those heavy-lidded green eyes, no pause in the boy’s movements, nothing to indicate that Yazoo had been surprised by his brother’s appearance. The middle remnant simply danced away from one of the Death Machine’s strikes and dropped to the floor, rolling until he was ensconced in the relative safety of the corner. The crackling of electricity accompanied the spell that Kadaj was about to unleash, and Sephiroth’s own eyes widened as he recognized the dangerous elemental magic.
            “Little one, no!” he yelled, already activating the Underwater materia which rested in his own leather armor.
            Four bolts of sizzling electricity shot out from Kadaj’s outstretched hand, and Electrocute effectively fried two of the three robotic units. The lightning passed through both machines and hit the dome beyond them, and the world exploded in a torrent of midnight blue.
            The glass collapsed as it was struck, water pouring in through the ever-widening hole at an alarming rate. Sephiroth ran up to Kadaj, grabbed him around the waist, and yanked him back just as the water swept over them. The boy was yelling his brother’s name, struggling against Sephiroth’s hold, his voice muffled yet preserved by the water-breathing spell. Sephiroth mourned for the remnant he could not save as he began to swim, putting all of his mako-enhanced strength in the motions, as he fought to make his way to the surface.
            A glimpse of red flashed in his peripheral vision, then zoomed ahead of him in a crimson blur. Sephiroth was both appalled and relieved to realize that Vincent, or rather Chaos, had reached Yazoo and was taking him to the surface. It still remained to be seen whether or not the boy would survive the amount of water he would undoubtedly take on, but at least he had a fighting chance now.
            “Yazoo!” Kadaj screamed, enraged at the sight of the scarlet-winged demon carrying his brother away. “Father, a monster has Yazoo! We have to kill it!”
            “That’s not a monster,” he said quickly. “That’s Vincent Valentine, a friend of Cloud’s.”
            “Bullshit!” the boy exclaimed harshly, recognizing the name immediately. “I remember the gunner in the red cape, and he didn’t have wings!”
            “Vincent can change forms,” Sephiroth said, wishing the boy would be silent so that he could concentrate on saving their lives. “That’s Chaos, and I promise you, he won’t harm your brother.”
            “How can you be so sure?” Kadaj demanded.
            Sephiroth frowned darkly and snapped, “You must take my word for it, Kadaj. Now, be silent. The more you talk, the more quickly the spell wears off.”
            Blue-rimmed green eyes widened, and the boy quickly snapped his mouth shut. Small miracles, Sephiroth thought with dark humor. At least, he could concentrate on their escape, and not have to worry that Kadaj would fight him every step of the way.
            He took a quick look around him, relieved to see that the others were not far behind him. The spell had a larger range than he had been expecting, for which he was infinitely grateful. He could see Genesis as he swam, his azure eyes narrowed in concentration, his expression one of grim determination. Zack and Loz were only a few feet behind him, while Angeal brought up the rear, guarding them all in his own protective way. Now, all that remained was to reach the surface, and to find Yazoo and Vincent.
            Or Chaos, as the case would most likely be. Sephiroth remembered Cloud’s words about a ‘horny, angry demon’ and felt a surge of protective anger. Vincent Valentine might be an honorable man, but if Chaos harmed Yazoo, the demon would die. His boys had been through enough in their short lives. He would not allow anyone—or anything—to hurt them ever again.
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Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody