“ So,” Started Barrett.“ How the hell are we gonna pull this one off?”
Cloud turned his head to face his old friend.
“ To be honest Barrett, I really don’t know. On one hand he’s my only son who I love and care for and on the other he is this monster who put everyone through hell with the whole meteor thing.”
 Cloud laid back down on the hotel bed and rested, this whole Sephiroth deal was really taking it’s toll, not only could it mean the death of his son but the rise of other dead souls.
 People like Shrina and Rufus could rise from the dead, but people like Aeris could too. God it would be great to hear from Aeris again, just like before, before Sephiroth.
“ Cloud,”
“ Yeah?”
“ Open you’re eyes.”
“ Who is it?”
“ It’s me.”
“ Tifa.”
“ Yeah,”
“ What happened?”
“ You fell asleep earlier, Barrett came down to tell me, He said you were starting to scream.”
“ I was? I never remember screaming or anything, I can’t even remember falling asleep.”
“ Barrett said you were screaming, he said you were screaming Sephiroth’s name.” Quoted Tifa with a concerned look.
“ Seriously? Wow, I really don’t remember that. It must have been a nightmare. But I haven’t been worried about Sephiroth since,,,” Started Cloud
“ Since Aeris died, I know.” Finished Tifa.
“ It’s probably just because of Liol. I thought I’d be able to save him at first, but now as I really think about it the more impossible it seems.”
“ Come on, don’t feel so down. Five years ago didn’t saving the world seem a little ambitious?”
“ Yeah, I suppose so. But I’m just worried, if anything should happen to Liol,”
“ Yes, I know you’ll kill Sephiroth. But nothing has happened to Liol, at least as far as we know nothing has. So don’t worry okay?”
“ Yes Daddy, so don’t worry okay?” Copied Cherrie.
“ Thanks Cher. Daddy’s all better now.” Smiled Cloud.
“ Am I a good girl Daddy?”
“ Of cause you are.”
“ I’m not bad like Liol am I?”
“ What do you mean darling?” Asked Tifa as she entered the kitchen and pulled out an orange juice out of the fridge walked back and passed the cool drink into the three-year-old’s tiny hands.
“ What do you say?”
“ Thank you Mummy.”
“ Why is Liol bad Cherrie?”
“ Liol said horrid things to me Daddy.”
“ What did he say to you?”
“ He said he was going to kill you and Mummy and he said he didn’t like you.”
“ Did he say anything else to you?”
“ Yes, he said he would come back to get me. What does that mean daddy?”
“ It just means Liol has been bad and he’ll be told off.” Said Cloud, anger spread over his face.”
“ Daddy?”
“ Yes?”
“ Can I play with Auntie Yuffie? She was pulling funny faces earlier.”
“ Yeah, okay play with Yuffie.” The little girl skipped off happily unaware of the danger that possibly lay ahead.
“ I can’t tell her can I?” Asked Cloud.
“ Tell her what?”
“ About Liol, I can’t tell her about Liol, it could break her heart, I can’t do that.”
“ I know what you’re feeling Cloud and to be honest I think it’s best to tell her, the worst that will happen is she’ll be upset. But she probably won’t understand, I mean we hardly understand and she’s just three.”
“ You’re right I’ll tell her, but only when it’s over. If it’s ever over.”
 
 

*
 

Rocket Town, city of prosper and space voyage, a place where dreams come true.
At least that’s what Kole thought it was, before he got there that is. He arrived at Rocket Town two days ago to start the latest space program under the leadership of some guy called Cid Highwind. Unfortunately Cid wasn’t there anymore when he arrived and neither were any of the starship crew. The whole city was in confusion; no one seemed to know about any space program, which seemed weird as in Kalm it was treated as the biggest thing yet in space exploration.
 Since he and Brent had left the space centre a man with bright red hair and jet black suit started to follow them, and he wasn’t being discreet about it either which frightened Kole, if he don’t need to be discreet he obviously isn’t too worried about them getting away.
“ Who is that man following us?” Whispered Brent as the follower got closer to the two men.
“ I don’t know, pretend you haven’t seen him and follow me.”
“ Okay, what are we gonna do?”
“ I’ll try to lose him.” Kole turned the corner and began to run. “ Brent run with me!”
“ Sure,”
“ Computer.”
YES KOLE.
“ Pistol.”
EXECUTING PISTOLS.
Out of Kole’s cybernetic arm came a 9MM Handgun, it moved into place and Kole held onto it.
“ Execute targeting sensor.”
EXECUTING TARGETING SENSOR.
The suit-wearing follower ran faster then the two astronauts and had almost caught up; Kole turned round, raised his arm and aimed.
“ No!” Shouted the man. “ Behind you!”
Kole turned round to face what turned out to be his real attacker.
“ Going somewhere?”
“ Yeah,”
“ Where?”
“ Here!” Kole shot his pistol in the direction of the man in front of him. His targeting sensor would never miss a man six-foot away and there was no chance of the man surviving.
“ That you’re best shot?” Laughed the man as he held up his hand to stop the bullet.
“ What the hell are you?”
“ You’re worst nightmare. Actually the name’s Murphy but,” The green mist reached out from Murphy and into Brent, the lifestream had him now.
“ No!” Screamed Kole as he saw his friend knocked to the floor.
“ Yes!” Said the Murphy, a devilish look on his face.
“ What have you done to Brent?”
“ Killed him, well at least not completely. He won’t be his old self though.” Brent lethargically got of the floor.
“ What a rush.” He said.
“ Brent?” Wondered Kole
“ Who?” Asked Brent.
“ You’re body, his name was Brent.” Told Murphy.
“ Right,”
“ Kole, Duck!” Screamed Reno.
“ What!” Shouted back Kole before recognising the command.
Both Vincent and Reno shot their personal bolt rifles from both sides; the beams hit Murphy and Brent respectively and left them motionless on the street floor.
Four more people in black suits appeared at the scene.
“ Electricity, the only thing that seems to kill ‘em, at a maximum performance of 20,000 volts these babies rarely fail to destroy the target.” Stated Reno “ Thanks for the lecture Reno. Elena what do you think?” Asked Vincent
“ I think it’s a lost cause, the whole damn city’s been overrun with these creatures. So far we’ve found one way to kill them and for every one we kill two more are taken from our own side!”
“ I know what you mean, one green bolt from one of them and they get you.” Added Lucrecia.
“ Does anyone know what that green stuff is? Or even what it does.” Asked Rude.
“ As far as we can tell the green mist seems to be the lifestream and the effect it has is bizzare, after the lifestream makes contact with the target the person’s soul is almost overtaken by another soul. As you all saw Brent, after he was infected with the lifestream didn’t even know who Brent was.” Said Vincent.
“ What happened to Brent?” Asked Kole timidly.
“ Your friend? Dead.” Said Elena bluntly.
“ Are You Kole?” Asked Rude.
“ Yeah.”
“ Yeah you’re gun’s still out.”
“ Oh right, Computer disengage pistol.”
DISENGAGING PISTOL
The pistol smoothly slid back into position and into Kole’s bionic arm.
“ So are you an android?” Asked Vincent.
“ Oh no, I’ve just had a few upgrades since I was born. Easier to work up in space this way.”
“ Okay, enough of the stories lets get out of here before it’s too late.” Said Elena.
“ But what about Brent? Are we just gonna leave him here?” Screamed Kole.
“ What do you think? This whole place is swarming with the enemy.” Shouted Yuffie as she held onto Kole and dragged him to follow the others.
“ Who are you guys?” Asked Kole as the team began to run into full sprint.
“ Who us? We’re the Turks.”
 

*
 

The campfire was burning in the village of Genosha when it happened, she was there when it happened, the end, the disaster whatever you want to call it. It started with a scream, a high-pitched deafening scream.
It was her who heard it first. It was coming from the woods; not the deepest part of the woods, but deep enough. She got to the screaming girl in what she thought was time.
“ What’s happening to me Galen?” Cried the girl, God she was really terrified.
“ I don’t know, just stand still.” Comforted Galen.
 A green mist had encircled the young girl almost taunting her as it circled round. The mist seemed almost alive, what the hell was it?
“ Oh God!” Cried the girl, the mist had entered her terrified body. “ Help me Galen.”
“ Jinni No!”  Shouted Galen. The girl’s body went limp before collapsing and getting up again.
“ Hello.”
“ Jinni?” Questioned Galen, the girl’s pupils had gone a distinct red colour.
“ No.”
“ Who then?”
“ Your worst nightmare.” The green mist had appeared again and had clutched
Galen’s throat.
“ Lord give me the strength to fight and I will fight for you.” She gasped under the
chokehold. “For you O lord have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, My feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” The prayer to God gave her the strength, the strength to fight.
“ What the hell are you?”
“ Not hell, heaven.” She cried as the ball of white fire darted from her parted hands. It hit the girl full in the chest, killing her.
 She couldn’t believe it; after all they went through together she had killed her. She don’t even know what had happened to Jinni before she died, all she knew was that whatever had changed her was big and that she was ready to stop it.
 

*
 

“ Computer engage hologram display.”
ENGAGING HOLOGRAM DISPLAY
The hologram display unit slid from under Kole’s left leg and unfolded.
“ Play recording of Tuesday 26 May at 1:06:pm.”
PLAYING RECORDING
The projection displayed a beautiful young woman from the shoulders upwards, from the viewpoint Cloud could tell the recording was of Kole’s sight.
“ How can I help you?” The lady asked.
“ I’m Dean Kole and this is my co-pilot Brent McCollock.” The eyesight switched to Brent and Tifa saw what she thought was a tear in Kole’s eye. “ We’re here for the start of the space program.”
“ Space program?” The lady held a confused expression.
“ Yes, the flight to Mars. The leader of the program is Cid Highwind he sent for us what, only four days ago.” Stated Kole, a tone of confusion in his voice.
“ Sorry we know of no such thing.”
“ What?” Cried Kole, this time angrier.
The eyesight moved again to what looked like a little boy in the background of the room before fading out.
END OF RECORDING
“ Kole?” Asked Cloud.
“ Yes,”
“ Can you rewind just before the end of the recording.”
“ Sure,”
Cloud’s and the rest of Avalanche’s meeting with Kole had not been long ago,
The Turks had found Kole while searching Rocket Town for signs of the possession.
Unfortunately they had found extreme cases throughout the city, it seems that from
Liol’s first possession the situation had spread throughout the city and the present
Rate of increase the whole continent could be taken over in two months.
“ The tape’s ready Cloud,” Started Kole.
“ Okay run it.” He replied.
Again the projector showed the lady with a small child in the background.
“ Kole, freeze it!” Shouted Cloud.
“ Computer freeze recording.”
RECORDING FROZEN
“ Computer zoom into small child.”
ZOOMING
The picture zoomed into the small child, a grin on his face.
“ That’s Liol,” Screamed Cloud. “ Everyone get down to the facility, he may still be
there!”
The team of nine had burst out of the Turks main headquarters and started to run
Down the street to where they suspected Liol and his possessor Sephiroth to be, the team including three members of Avalanche and six members of the Turks.
“ Thanks for helping us save Liol, Elena.” Panted Tifa.
“ It’s alright, you’ve helped us before and anyway if you manage to get Liol back we could find out this possession is working.” Answered Elena.
The facility was nearing after one minute of hard running.
“ God, why do we have to run this fast? He’s only a kid he can’t of gone far.” Complained Reno.
“ He’s also possessed, you know how strong they are.” Reminded Lucrecia.
They got to the door next to it was a small intercom.
“ Hello,” Said Barrett while pressing the small button.
“ Hello,” Came the voice. “ Who are you?”
“ We’re Avalanche and the Turks and we’re here to kill some possessed people.”
“ Sorry I don’t think we can let you in.” Replied the voice.
“ To hell you won’t!” Cried Barrett as he blew a few rounds into the intercom piece.
“ Way to be discreet Barrett, next time try it without giving us away completely, hmmm?” Said Reno almost condescendingly.
“ Okay so they know we’re here, but let’s go in prepared. Everyone equip electricity materia to their weapons including guns. My son is in there and I want to do my best to save him.” Instructed Cloud.
The Turks, using guns equiped materia to their ammunition while Cloud equiped his to his sword.
“ Okay everyone let’s go in.”
Vincent kicked the door down and then the silence started. Vincent went in first and noticed many bad things; first the lights were off. Not a good sign, it made it harder to see things in the dark especially when they were attacking you at a high speed. Second bad thing was that the receptionist who answered the intercom was standing next to him, but a swift kick to the chest and a shot of electricity to the head and she was down. Third thing bad there was a dead body in front of him which apart from unsettling meant something around here was killing things. The forth-bad thing was the fact that the body looked around the same age as Liol.
“ Cloud!” Shouted Vincent. “ I think it’s Liol!”
Cloud and Tifa came rushing over to Vincent and the body.
“ We need a flashlight!” Screamed Tifa.
“ Here,” Said Vincent as he passed her his one.
The light slowly slid down the dead body and onto a piece of paper around the neck the paper had writing on. It had been written in blood, the victim’s blood, it read:
Gotcha!
“ Damn him!” Screamed Cloud.
“ And to kill an innocent child!” Said Tifa, almost in tears.
“ That’s Sephiroth’s mentality though, well whatever he gets a kick out of.” Cloud mentioned.
The whole team had now entered the building and Cloud and Vincent were leading them, they reached an elevator and a flight of stairs.
“ Right, me Vincent, Yuffie and Lucrecia will take the elevator and the rest of you take the stairs.” Ordered Cloud.
“ Okay,” Responded Tifa.
Cloud and his team entered the elevator; Yuffie pressed the button for the top floor.
“ Do you think we’ll find him?” Asked Lucrecia.
“ I don’t know.” Said Cloud solemnly.
The elevator stopped and the team walked out. The room was full of technology and equipment; it must have been where they held simulations of some kind. Vincent noticed something; he seemed to have a habit of spotting bad things tonight. About ten feet ahead of him was another body, this time it was a lot more familiar.
“ Cloud, over here, it’s Cid!”
 

To Chapter 4