Leaning on You(FF7)

29

~Cloud's POV~

The mansion looks plainer than ever, still standing out in my chilly hometown. Sometimes I wish November wasn't so cold around Mt. Nibel. But only sometimes. Not seeing snow for almost three years is killing me. I love snow. Why am I talking about weather? I'm about to save some freaking lives!

"Great, another day spent in the Shinra basement," I mutter as we quietly walk through the large house. There's no way I want to alert Casper of my presence. Even if he sucks as a family member, a sneak attack would provide a quick death that he doesn't deserve. He'd better be grateful that I plan on some type of mercy.

"This reminds me of Hojo," Red growls. "And the thought of him makes my hair stand on end."

"Don't worry, it's doing the same to Cloud," Tifa teases. I send back a forced and very small smile before peering down into the dark basement.

"Could it only be those two here?" The animal beside me wonders.

"You're the one with a good nose," I shrug.

"I smell... Many things." Red seems to be on the verge of a cringe.

"Like what?" I cock my head to the side impatiently. He hesitates but then shakes his thoughts away.

"Blood. Pain. Lots of both." Thanks for that, Red. Now I'm even more worried.

"What about people?" Tifa says quickly. Poor girl.

"One is sweating, another writing something," he closes his eye and listens. "I can hear the scratch of his pen."

"Let's get going then."

"But they're only two doors down," an amber eye opens again. "So let us hurry."

I nod and start down the wooden steps. Cringing at every creak, we finally reach the bottom, rushing quietly for the secret "jail" we found last time. Pulling on the trigger lever, the bookshelf scrapes away and I station Red at the entrance of the passageway to keep Casper and his coworker out while we get Vincent and Yuffie. No one else is being half captive this time around, thank goodness. I can't swallow the guilt that rises when I think of how we didn't save any of the strangers here last time. Just Denzel, Marlene, and the Turks.

Speaking of Turks, I can't believe what kind of shape Vince is in when we reach the door. He looks like he went through a cave full of bears unarmed and then jumped off a cliff into a rock pit. Tifa gasps and rushes forward, holding the iron bars in her hands as she peers in. I almost kill someone right then and there at the sight of Yuffie. She's cut up, bloody and darkly bruised, boney and broken. The smell of vomit, blood, and pee makes me almost lose my previous meal, whenever it was that I last ate. Days ago, maybe. I haven't eaten really anything since she went missing... Just enough to keep me on my feet.

"Vincent," Tifa whimpers, trying the lock on the door. Locked tight. I curse my stupidity and look back down the hall toward Red.

"Teef, I'm gonna go find Casper. He's got to have the keys, right?"

"What about his accomplice?"

"Don't worry," I pat her back lightly before hurrying out of the area. Please don't let her wake up before I get there. It's selfish, I know, but I want to be the first person she sees if we get her out of here. No, not if. When.