~Cloud's POV~

"I haven't seen anyone," I shake my head, speaking quietly into my phone.

"Well Hope and I saw some creepy hunched over guy, so get over to the town square pronto," Light snaps in my ear before hanging up. I groan and roll my eyes, checking another alleyway before running through the shadows of the small town. Kalm has always been a calm place, its name taking after it quite nicely.

I insisted on taking the east side of town by myself, much to Light's annoyance. She and Hope apparently have seen someone resembling Hojo. The new information drives me on to move faster. But I have to stick to the shadows; a stranger sneaking through the dark is obviously considered suspicious activity.

"Finally," Light rolls her eyes when I find them.

"Where'd you see him?" I ask straight away.

"Right over there. He just left that potion store maybe ten minutes ago," Hope nods up to the stores on the city shelf.

"And you're positive it was Hojo or a clone?"

"Greasy black hair pulled into a pony tail, white lab coat, and a hunched over walk doesn't sound like him?" The boy raises an eyebrow.

"Fair enough," I nod. Lightning turns and glares at the town square.

"There he is."

"Should we go kill him or something?" Hope looks at me expectantly. I shake my head.

"Even if it is a clone, we might be able to get some information out of him."

"I don't think he'd give it up easily," Light eyes me suspiciously.

"No," is all I say before creeping along the dark once again, following the figure out of the city. He passes along the ground in silence, following the path. Three. Two. One. I jump out of the shadows, grabbing his arms and twisting them behind his back, sword forgotten on the ground. Hojo chuckles darkly and turns his smelly head to sneer at me.

"Why hello experiment." I narrow my.eyes at him at the name. "Oh, I'm sorry I never gave you a name. You were a failure after all." He laughs again. "Though it was satisfying to see you down on your knees and begging me for a name or number."

"Why are you back?" I growl.

"So the galore wants answers," he shakes his head. "That I'm afraid I cannot give."

"You're a clone," I glare at him. "But you still share the knowledge of your creator."

"I'm afraid my creator was not..."

"Answer my question."

"No can do. Hey, did you still want a number label, because..."

"Answer him now, or you're going to be in serious pain," Lightning snaps behind me.

"Oh look. Experiment number twenty one," his beady eyes light up. "Yes, it worked! The world... Has your home vanished? Number twenty dead?"

"Number twenty?" Lightning frowns. Keep acting Light, and we'll get loads out of him.

"Yes. Your sister, I believe. Oh yes... Meddling with Sephiroth and with Valentine's body and soul were only the start. Now I've reached planets.... Yes!" He cackles.

"Let's get him back to Reeve," I nod toward Lightning.

"What did he mean by meddling with Valentine's..." She starts hesitantly.

"I'll tell you later," I cut her off. "Restrain him, I'll call Cid. Hope, can you run back to the inn and get our things?"

"You got it," he grins, sprinting off in that direction. Lightning takes Hojo's arms from me, her grip a lot more forgiving than mine was, and I pull put my PHS.

"Is he really going to answer at three in the morning?" Lightning raises an eyebrow. Hojo mumbles crazy sentences to himself while his head randomly twitches, making her grimace.

"No, but I know someone who would." Please pick up...

"Hello?" I hear a yawn on the other side and smile.

"Hey Shera. Sorry for calling you so early. Or late. Whatever."

"It's fine, Jenny wouldn't let me sleep anyway," she explains, referring to the Highwinds' second child, only about two months old. "What did you need?"

"Can you get Cid to come pick us up? I think we've found a clone."

"Really?! I'll go get him up, though he probably won't be very happy. If you'll wait just a moment, I can get him on the line."

"Thanks Sher," I laugh. I can hear her jogging up the stairs and swinging open the bedroom door and strain to hear Cid's grouchy voice. Please tell me he's gonna get up this time.

"Cidney Highwind, get up right now!"

"Go away, woman!"

"Cloud's on the phone, he needs you to come pick him up."

"And frikin three in the mornin? Tell the kid to wait!"

"Cid, just take the PHS."

"What?" The pilot snaps in my ear. I grin. Good job, Shera.

"We found a clone or something, and I think he knows what happened to Pulse..."

"How does this concern me?"

"I need you to fly us back to the WRO asap."

"Kid, do ya know what time it is?"

"Three. Why?"

"I ain't flyin all the way out to Kalm..."

"Don't make me call Sher again." He swears loudly and at a ridiculously loud volume before speaking again.

"Cloud, ya owe me for this. And it's Shera to you." Then he hangs up. I chuckle and shove it back in my pocket before looking at a flustered Light.

"What did he say?"

"He's coming."

"Good," she scoffs. "That guy's really loud by the way. I could here him from over here."

"Eh, he gets defensive when it comes to Shera."

"Why doesn't he want you to call her?"

"She hardly gets enough sleep with their new baby, and she can kick his butt," I laugh. "You should see how scared of her he gets. It's hilarious."

"Are you sure he's just not jealous of your awesome looks?" She teases.

"You never know," I give her a cheeky grin. "You want me to take him?"

"I've got it. Why don't you go check on Hope?"

"Because he's right there," I nod toward the teenager running toward us with his hands full of backpacks.

"Of course you sent the smallest of us to get everything," she rolls her eyes with a slight smile. "He looks like a bellhop."

"He's nice enough for it," I point out as he roughly throws my bag at me. "Ow! Or not!"

"Guess what I found," Hope holds up a chain. Lightning's eyes widen and she takes the necklace into her hands.

"Isn't that Snow's?"

"No," she says quietly. "Serah's. But how?"

"Maybe more than humans can be crossed over," Hojo rambles. "Maybe the beasts... Fal'cei might be able.."

"Shut your trap," Lightning snaps at him. He rolls his eyes behind his thick glasses and keeps muttering to himself.

"Is Cid coming to get us?" Hope looks up at me.

"Yeah, he's not too happy about it though, I laugh and shake my head. "If he actually got up, then he should be here in half an hour tops. His ships are always the fastest."

Sure enough, Cid's landing his ship nearby twenty five minutes from when I spoke those words.

"Get in, I ain't got all day!" He calls. I chuckle and offer to take Hojo from Light, but she refuses and drags him along behind her. Shrugging at Hope, we follow her into the airship. The silver haired boy next to me struggles to remain standing as we take off, making Cid laugh.

"Never been in an airship, boy?"

"I have a couple times," he wobbles, grabbing my arm before he falls. "But none like this."

"Bet you haven't!" He chuckles. "Designed and built it myself!"

"Here we go again," I mutter.

"You built this?" Hope takes at him in disbelief.

"Me and Sher," he nods with a grin, cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth. "I got three of em now. Oh, and I'm almost done fixin' the Highwind from when the crater busted it up, Cloud."

"Nice," I smile. Lightning looks around in complete disinterest, struggling to keep a squirming Hojo under control. Cid looks at one of his crew member and mutters something before stumbling over.

"So what's up with creepy here? Thought he was dead."

"So did we," I shake my head. "He's either alive, there's more clones running around than we thought, or both."

"Just wonderful," he mutters. "So 're we lookin at another Sephiroth here?"

"I didn't even think about that," I groan. "But I don't think so."

That's all it takes to get to Midgar, where we load off with a very smug looking Hojo clone. Or maybe the real deal. No way to tell. Reeve looks surprised when we enter headquarters. Why is he even awake this early?

"You found him?"

"Or a clone. I don't know," I shake my head as Lightning silently hands him over. Reeve looks over at the lone Turk standing in the corner, and probably the only one awake.

"Elena, take him to the cells. He is to have two guards at all times standing outside, and video surveillance twenty-four-seven. Keep him shackled and make sure you know anyone that is coming down there fairly well. Can he speak actual sentences?"

"Yeah, accidentally gave us a little info too," I nod.

"Good. We have three others locked up too, but I'm guessing they're failures. They can't say anything intelligible, and I'm wondering if I should just put them out of their misery," he shakes his head sadly. "Lightning, Hope, look at Cloud's eyes." I suddenly feel awkward with everyone staring at me. "Hojo uses mako in all of his experiments. When near mako, his eyes glow brighter because of the chemical reaction. That's how we know this one is a clone."

"But the real Hojo was injected with Jenova," I frown. "That wouldn't make my eyes glow, would it?"

"No," he shake this head. "But you'd be hearing those voices again, and getting those extreme head pains." Just the thought of Jenova's voice inside my head again makes me shudder visibly. Lightning and Hope eye me with concern, but ignore their looks of pity and glare at the clone.

"So he's expected to give more information?" Hope asks Reeve.

"Yes. If he can speak English fluently, he's going to be questioned, that's all there is to it."

"And if he won't give answers?" Lightning finally speaks up, crossing her thin but strong arms. Reeve sighs.

"If it comes to that, torture can be arranged, though I try not to be too... Violent in means of getting information."

"Sometimes all they need is a shove," she mumbles, staring at the chain in her hand. What is it with that thing? Does it hypnotize them or something? Snow's always staring at his and now Light... What on earth is going on?

"Elena," Reeve raises his eyebrows and the blonde Turk clenches her hand around the clone's arm.

"Let's go, creepo." Hope laughs quietly at her wording.

"So do we go back to Kalm?" I look back at Reeve.

"Why don't you stay here for tonight? The other groups haven't gotten anything, though there have been robberies from the materia and potion stores in Nibelheim. Vincent's group is coming back tomorrow morning anyway."

"I wonder how Fang's doing..." Lightning thinks aloud.

"What do you mean?" I cock my head to the side as we follow the person leading us to the WRO bunk rooms.

"She has a little... Crush on your vampire friend."

"He's not a vampire," I roll my eyes. Then I chuckle at the thought of Fang and Vincent together. That's just ridiculous, Cloud.

"I knew it!" Hope exclaims. "Is that just like how Tifa has a crush on Snow?" Lightning grins and nods. I laugh and shake my head. And how I'm falling in love with Light. "And how you like Cloud?" This time Light turns bright red and glares at him.

"Shut up."

"Why?"

"Hope Estheim, don't make me kill you."

"Aw, are you embarrassed?" I coo, bumping my shoulder against hers. She rolls her eyes and bumps me back.

"In your dreams, Strife."

"Yes you are, Farron." She turns even redder and Hope laughs harder.

"Here is your room," the woman leading us opens a door to reveal three beds in a room with an attached bathroom. "Enjoy your night."

"It's four now though," Hope whines.

"Then enjoy sleeping in," I grin, making my way into the bathroom. "I've gotta take a dump."

"TMI, Cloud," Lightning crinkles her nose.

~|~|~|~|~

Hope sleeps in until seven while Lightning fiddles with both hers and my swords. I just sit and stare out the window for a sign of anything unusual. Nothing. Reeve knocks twice before entering and looks at us with a grim expression.

"The clone refuses to tell us anything. I've tried everything. I just... I don't know what to do anymore."

"Sounds like torture is your last resort," Lightning states boredly.

"Would you be willing to do it?" Reeve narrows his eyes at her. "Didn't think so. Who would?"

"Vincent might do it," I sit up. "He used to be a Turk. It might take some convincing but..." I trail off.

"Reno and Rude are out on a job until next week. Elena and Tseng... They're busy today.. I guess so," the goateed man sighs. "Fine. I'll ask."

"Great. Now is there any food? I'm hungry," I pat my stomach.

"You're so needy," Lightning rolls her eyes playfully and wakes Hope up. Hmph. Fang and Vince..