Chapter 5: Jenova, Sisters, and their Children
 

 “Yea! We captured the Ancient!”  Natalia said happily, while Chris grinned along with her, both celebrating while James eyed them in disgust.
 “You forget that our work isn’t finished.” James stated sourly, and both of them glanced at each other then settled down.
 “So what are you saying? That we go out and captured the rest of Avalanche?” Malanda said coldly, now one of the rare times she actually spoke.
 “Koji has discovered another form of Jenova, and he believes this one is older, thus stronger. We should go down right now for an injection.” James stated, and everyone flinched, remembering how that happened when they had agreed to join ‘Jenova’s Children’. To tell the truth, they didn’t believe in Jenova, just in Shinra, and if they were fit to be on a special team, well, no one was complaining. So, they warily followed James down to the lab, which was littered with notes, vials, and strange looking instruments that looked straight out of an evil scientist’s lab.
 “Ah, my favorite specimens.” Koji stated happily, and everyone but James shuddered to themselves. They had worked for Shinra one time or another, and all had met Hojo, all unwillingly. It wasn’t hard to believe Koji was the brother of the deceased mad scientist. “So, who wants to go first?” Koji cackled, rubbing his hands together, an evil glint in his eyes. Jenova’s Children looked at each other uneasily, not sure who would be Koji’s first victim.

 After a last blast of power, Jenova was free! She smiled evilly to herself, turning to look at the stars. Her sisters would be here soon, she could feel it. Then she’d finally be able to put an end to the stupid Cetra race! Another smug smile appeared on her lips. It was too bad that the pesky group Avalanche had sealed her away before she knew the full extent of her powers. Then she surely would have destroyed them!
 “First things first,” Jenova said out loud to no one in particular, “time to greet my sisters.” Jenova cackled before disappearing in a thick cloud of mist.

 Nanaki looked up from his books on the Cetra. After Avalanche had devised their plans, he had headed straight back to the Canyon, intent on finding out everything about the Cetra and the Saquri. A tremor had passed through the planet, and Nanaki was certain that Jenova was behind all of this. The problem was, how would they defeat more Jenova? Sure, there was the Cetra limit break, but would it work with the Saquri? In the books he head been engrossed in, they often mentioned that the Saquri and Cetra had some things in common, but that didn’t apply to limit breaks, did it? From what Nanaki could gather, the Cetra were the science and planting people, while the Saquri were the warriors. It would definitely explain how Cloud had been able to survive being impaled by Sephiroth. Nanaki looked out the window again, his good eye probing the sky. Grandfather, he thought solemnly, please help me understand all of this.

 “Okay, here we are again. The happy Shinra building.” Yuffie said sourly. She really didn’t feel like kicking a** when Tifa was in a cell somewhere, being injected with things. Dumb emotion guilt. After Elena had confirmed their suspicions, they set off for a rescue/destroy mission. Destroy as in the Jenova things and rescue as in Tifa. Yuffie crept silently, following the blonde Turk, trying hard not to glare too much at her. Even though Elena had been helpful, Yuffie still didn’t trust her.
 “Jus’ shut ya’ mouth. We don’ need ya’ to complain all the way.” Barret mumbled, and Yuffie glared at him. Let’s just say their personalities didn’t mix well when under strain.
 “Here we are.” Elena stated, in front of a locked cell, with no guards. Yuffie thanked whoever was watching over them they hadn’t been attacked by guards, even if they were push-overs. The door swung open as soon as Elena punched in the right numbers, and sure enough, there was Tifa, looking up at the expectantly.
 “What took you so long?” Tifa asked with mock exasperation, and Christy grinned. Someone was pretty calm taking the current situation. Obviously Koji and Rufus had been too busy to come and pay their worst enemy a visit.
 “The guys were hungry, and you know how long that takes.” Christy joked, and was glared at by the opposite gender. “Geez, can’t you take a joke?” Christy asked defensively.
 “Now is not the time for humor.” Sephiroth stated, walking down the hall, Christy flushed, but turned to rush after him.
 “Talk about tense.” Reno commented, looking at Sephiroth’s retreating back.
“C’mon! I wanna get back to my warm bed as soon as possible.” Yuffie whispered, following the rest of the gang, back to her normal, non guilt ridden self now that Tifa was safe and sound.
“Tell me that you have a password for this.” Christy mumbled, a complicated keypad settled in by the side of an inch thick steel door, a sign marked, ‘Jenova2’ was plastered on it.
“Don’t need one.” Tifa said cheerfully, putting a hand on the electronic keypad, zapping the thing to pieces. They stepped into a freezer cold room, and capsules lined the walls,
“I-I-It’s could in here. C-C-Can’t we go b-b-b-back?” Yuffie complained, and Barret looked at her with a disgusted expression.
“A little cold is good for ya’.” He stated, following Tifa as she walked up and down the room, examining the capsules that held forms that they couldn’t distinguish.
“Why would Koji want to keep creatures like this?” Cloud wondered aloud, and Tifa plopped down in a practically frozen chair and began hacking away.
Sephiroth looked over her shoulder and said, “To do experiments. It seems he injected people with Jenova2’s cells so that they would be stronger than the Jenova we know.” Reno whistled, and walked over to a capsule to peer at the person floating around in it more clearly. Yuffie looked up at one and grinned. Leaning over so that she could see the glass, she began tapping on it.
“Wake up sleepy head.” She said cheerfully, and as if it heard her, the thing opened its eyes, which were blood red.
“Holy s***!” Yuffie and Reno exclaimed together, and the creature began to bang against its prison.
Elena said, “I think it would be a good time to retreat.” The others began a hasty ran, but a security door slammed shut on the ground.
“Security breech! Security breech!” the alarm screamed, and a red light began blinking.
“Good job kid, now we might die thanks to you!” Reno exclaimed, as he and the others were trying to break down the door. But, of course it didn’t work. The door was solid steel, and at least 3 feet thick.
“Well sorry! I didn’t know the thing would wake up!” Yuffie complained, and the capsule broke open, dumping the demonic creature on the floor. It gave an ear splitting howl, and the glass to most of the other containers broke open too, dumping out the rest of his demonic friends. With growls, they stood up, and to Avalanche’s surprise, one spoke.
“Mesh muc apo iehja?” one growled in a deep, raspy voice, and it made Elena cringe inwardly.
“What did it say?” Yuffie whispered, and to her surprise, Tifa talked to it in the same deep and raspy voice.
“Mio auht iahte eia.” She said, and the creature growled angrily, eyes flashing and claws stretching with strain.
“Tifa, I hope what you said was a greeting.” Reno said nervously, looking at the vicious looking creatures, but Sephiroth shook his head.
“These creatures are Jenova, and they want to complete the task the were sent to do.” Sephiroth said, and Cloud looked a little nauseous.
“They want to eliminate the Saquri and the Cetra, right?” Cloud asked, and Sephiroth nodded, making Cloud, Yuffie, and Christy pale considerably.

 “Mother!” James exclaimed, seeing his mother pop out of nowhere, an evil smile on her face. He almost didn’t recognize her, but then again, he could feel the aura she radiated. Pure evil.
 “My child, I see you have been faithful to me. Your rewards will be great.” Jenova said, her voice sweet yet full of malevolence. James smiled slightly, remembering Annita. That would surely be his reward. “Now child, my sisters will certainly be here soon. That stupid Cetra and her friends have found her children.” Jenova said, and James looked at her startled.
 “Sisters?” He asked, along with the rest of ‘Jenova’s Children’, who were looking at each other uneasily. There were more of these crazy aliens? As if reading their minds, Jenova turned to them, her eyes flashing.
 “As flattering as it is to think that I am one of a kind, there are more. I’m not ‘crazy’ as you would say it. You do best to remember that.” Jenova hissed, starring straight at Malanda, who glared back. Obviously there was already bad blood between them.
 “Ladies, ladies. Fight later. Now is the time to attack Avalanche, am I right?” Blade asked, cocking his head, his blue eyes wide and mischievous.  Jenova smiled kindly at him, a smile that didn’t reach her cold black eyes.
 “Yes my child, you are right. Now is the ideal time for revenge.” Jenova said, cackling evilly while Lucy glared at Blade angrily, like she knew something horrible was going to happen.

Elena gritted her teeth as sweat rolled down her forehead. Geez! These guys were though! It took about 55 bullets to put one away, and at the rate that they were coming, Elena was pretty sure that they’d die. Yuffie had somehow figured out how to use little energy balls, the colored wind was whipping her shoulder length brown hair in front of her eyes. Cloud also seemed to have unlocked the secret, and was using the little balls as best as he could, but Yuffie and him were quickly sapping their energy dry. Tifa seemed to be following the Saquri’s example, and she seemed not to be tired at all. Seemed the planet favored the last full Cetra more than the two Saquri. Christy, like her and Barret, was shooting away at the roaring demons, her face expressionless as she shot one right between the eyes. Barret, of course, was also shooting at the creatures, cursing loudly when they got too close to him for comfort. Reno was frying the beasts with his nightstick, and it looked like the voltage in it was going down, the energy he had to use to do away with one was astounding. Sephiroth was slicing at the things. It seemed to take a lot of strength to take cut through their heavily armored skin, but he still fought valiantly. Elena groaned and began to plug away at the creatures. Soon, all the monsters were dead, littering the floor and stinking up the room, and Yuffie wrinkled her nose.
“Gawd! This stuff smells worse than the sewers!” She declared, trying to daintily stepping over a creature and trying hard not to step in a blood puddle, which was pointless, seeing that blood was everywhere.
“Let’s get out of here before more show up.” Christy suggested, her face showing pity as she looked at the heavily armored creatures that used to be ordinary humans.
“Yea, let’s go.” Tifa agreed, tugging at Reno’s arm, as he stood still, looking at the fallen figures blankly, as if he didn’t remember helping defeat them. Elena certainly hoped that her friend would be all right. She didn’t want to think about losing Reno too, even if he was a pain, he was the only other ex-Turk left she knew.

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