Being met with blinding white light was never pleasant after having been unconscious for over three days and when one added severe pain into the mix the overall affect was agonizing. Despite all of the pain felt, tired emerald irises seemed to blaze in anxiousness as they scanned over the unfamiliar surroundings. The rather frightening eyes belonged to the remnant named Yazoo.

He took a moment to adjust to the pain and think things over. All he could remember was one final explosion before all thoughts had left him. Perhaps he was in a hospital bed? He didn't know. Though the bigger question on his mind was how he could have possibly survived that explosion and of course the whereabouts of his brothers was mandatory.

The crisp bed sheets felt weightless against his bare chest. He examined his ribs and noted that they were obviously broken as they were wrapped. A fine line of cuts and bruises littered his hairless arms and his face felt swollen all over. The wise thing would have been to rest but the ego in him would not allow him to simply lie there and wait for answers to come.

Attempting to rise, he was immediately met with excruciating pressure all over and was forced to cry out in pain and lie back miserably.

The sound of steady footsteps approaching filled his ears and his eyes wandered to the open door, halting there until he spotted a familiar figure.

All at once the light seemed to fade from his usually intense green eyes. The Turk he had spent his time fighting with was here. That only meant one thing. He was in the hands of the enemy. Oh but how the days continued to grow darker.

The redheaded Turk named Reno turned his head and called down the hallway, explaining that the remnant was awake. Not really waiting for a reply, he put on a straight face and approached the bed in an almost fearful manner. Injured or not, this guy was dangerous. The scowl he was favouring him with only added to his nervousness. Pushing that aside, he coughed softly and forced himself to speak.

"So uh…you're awake. Finally. How are you feeling?"

Yazoo only glared in response. He was not about to forget about their differences and ignore the fact that they indeed were enemies.

"Spare me the pleasantries and tell me where my brothers are, Turk."

Reno frowned, the familiar dull anger arising in the pit of his stomach. Of course the remnant would react this way. What else could he have expected from a Jenova worshipping freak? Keeping his anger in check, he reminded himself to remain calm and calm he would have to be because he didn't know how Yazoo would react to the news he was about to deliver.

He bit his lower lip and eyed the broken body of the remnant. It was remarkable how even despite all of that pain he clung to his consciousness and anger. The resilience of these remnants was amazing. He cleared his throat and swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling quite dry.

"Your brothers uh…um…your brothers are dead."

A long period of silence seemed to take the room and swallow it whole.

Yazoo could only hear his own heartbeat, as it sounded unbearably loud in his eardrums. He dropped his gaze down to his lap, trying to take it all in. His brothers, the ones he had spent his life with were gone, never to return. His youngest brother and leader would lead again. His childish, giant Loz would never cry to him again. They had gone onto the lifestream without him. If ever he had felt hollow or alone, it was now.

He shook his head and fought back the tears, telling himself not to cry in front of this Turk stranger. He was not exactly the type of man who cried but even one as cold and deadly as him could feel pain and nothing could possibly have hurt him more.

Reno's face went from slightly irritated to somewhat confused. He had expected a swarm of accusations or possibly some violence but all he detected was pain. His neat little brows furrowed in thought as he watched the silver haired male rather awkwardly. He didn't know whether to comfort him or to just shut up and wait until he was questioned. But no. He was not exactly the type to shut up.

"I'm sorry, yo. The way I hear it, Kadaj chose to go back into the lifestream and uh…well…the other dude didn't survive the blast."

Yazoo closed his eyes for a brief moment and tried to compose himself. Only when he was certain that he would not allow his emotion to slip through he reopened his eyes and resumed glaring at the Turk.

"So why exactly am I here, then? Why wasn't I left to die?"

Reno narrowed his eyes; the sneaking suspicion that the remnant already knew the answer to the question asked creeping over him.

"Cause. We couldn't take the chance of you healing on your own. Shinra needed to make sure that if you did wind up surviving, you'd be under our control."

A wave of fury washed over Yazoo as soon as the words left the Turk's mouth.

"Cowards!" he hissed, "Holding me captive when I'm unable to defend myself. No one controls me. NO ONE."

"Jenova did," Reno replied a little more sarcastically than he had intended. This in term landed him a rather pathetic fwap to the arm. He shook his head, slight pity showing through in his mako blue eyes. "Rest up, man. You can talk more when you're stronger."

And with that said, he walked off, ignoring the angry cries of protest on his way out.

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Rufus Shinra sat at his desk, absently signing whatever papers came his way. He didn't quite have it in him today to thoroughly go through his paperwork. He was quite on edge. Having the enemy in his hands was both exciting and terribly frightening. He feared not for his life because protection was all around. What else were his Turks for? It would be nice to seek some sort of vengeance upon this clone for all the suffering he and his late brothers had caused. Ah yes, he would certainly enjoy himself here.

Upon hearing a knock at his door, he straightened up rather quickly in his spot, immediately assuming the air of the boss.

"Come in."

The door promptly opened, revealing the figure of one who was second in command in his elite league of Turks. He nodded his handsome head some, offering the usual formal greeting.

"And how may I help you, Reno?"

The redhead stepped inside and walked over in his usual laidback manner, plopping down in the seat in front of the desk. He reached up to scratch at his mess of hair, scanning the office with no real interest.

"Yo, boss. Uh, that uh, the remnant's awake. I got 'lena to stay put near him juuuust in case but from the looks of it, he ain't doing damage any time soon. He was in pain."

"Really now…?" Rufus asked, eyes widening as he listened, "What exactly did he say?"

Reno shrugged his slender shoulders, growing lazier and lazier by the minute. "Ehhh, he went kinda silent when I told him his brothers had died and then he got all pissed when I told him the reason for keeping him alive."

Rufus frowned with displeasure. "Perhaps you should have left that bit of information out for someone else to reveal. But, what's done is done. He's no threat to us now."

Reno squinted, his urge to light up quickly growing. Though he would never say it out loud, he felt kind of bad for the remnant being in the hands of Shinra and whatnot. He had worked for the company long enough to know how cruel Rufus could be. He shuddered to think of the crap they would put the guy through but hey. Fate worked in odd ways. Wasn't always kind. He couldn't help but want to know exactly what they had in store for the Sephiroth clone.

"So uh, what exactly are you gonna do to this guy, eh?"

Rufus only smiled in response, his eyes practically twinkling with a mad kind of passion. "I'm not sure. He could be of use but then, his returned strength could prove to be a fatal error. Perhaps it would be best to simply eliminate him for good and allow him to join his brothers in the lifestream, after making him suffer of course."

The redhead winced a bit, hoping that it had gone unnoticed. "Yeah…? Can't we just kill him quickly and easily, or reason with him? Yeah. I'll bet after the anger fades and he sees the options presented to him, he'll become valued member here at Shinra. Uh-huh. He ain't a dumbass, yo. Like, he could do a lot of shit for us. Just gotta convince him is all."

Rufus, who had barely been listening, now rested his uninterested eyes upon the younger man. "Oh? And who exactly is going to do such a thing, Reno? You?"

Reno swallowed, immediately having regretted saying anything at all. He didn't want to have to deal with any more Jenova spawn. Not in this lifetime. Sometimes he really did stick his foot too far up his mouth to the point where he couldn't get it out anymore. He opened his mouth to protest but was silenced instantly by an order.

"Actually, that's exactly what I want for you to do. See that the clone is well rested and when he's willing to speak, work your skills of persuasion on him and don't leave until you have him on our side. Understand, Reno?"

Reno frowned, giving a stiff nod of his head. "Yes, sir."

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Speaking to the enemy was not something Reno was used to. He usually did his quick assassination and was done with it and now here he was, pacing about in front of the Sephiroth clone's hospital room like some nervous schoolgirl. If he could, he would have dealt himself a good kick for not keeping his mouth shut but he had to go and speak his mind, like always. People always did say that his flippant tongue would be his undoing and that particular prophecy just may have come true now.

"Careful, red. You may just drill a hole in the ground with that incessant pacing."

The Turk almost jumped with surprise at the sudden but familiar voice. He turned around and offered his fellow, female Turk a sour look that seemed to say 'I'm not in the mood for this shit' though he remained silent.

Elena smirked faintly, always one to enjoy Reno's squirming, for such incidents came so rarely. "Aww, what's the matter? Afraid of a wounded clone, are we?"

"Shut up. I ain't afraid of no one," Reno snarled.

Elena rolled her eyes, debating on whether to keep at the griping but she chose against it. This obviously was a serious matter and she was not about to be held responsible if something was to go wrong. She gave a simple shrug of her shoulders and continued on without another word.

Reno watched her leave, his tired eyes rolling at the back of his head as he resisted the urge to bang it against a wall, repeatedly. Regardless of how much he dreaded this, it had to be done.

He glanced down at the table beside him and the tray of food that had been set there. Shinra had been awfully kind so far and he knew all too well the reasons behind it. He swallowed the growing lump in his throat, carefully lifting the tray up and making his way into the room.

If pain had a scent, then he was certain that that was exactly what he smelled. He glanced over at the silver haired being who slept so soundly but a few feet away.

Being careful not too make too much noise, he crept over and gently placed the tray beside the bed and brought a chair over, taking a seat beside the injured clone. It seemed like forever though he had only been observing him for a few moments.

His face held a peaceful look though one could tell by the way the bruised chest rose and fell that this was a troubled young man. Somehow, Yazoo's hair had managed to remain as silky and straight as ever. If it weren't completely inappropriate at the time then Reno surely would have grabbed a handful and tugged.

Instead, he lowered his gaze to the bandaged ribs, a visible wince stealing his face. That sure looked painful. Sure, he himself had been through his fair share of injuries but to be in a self-inflicted explosion and then to survive it? It was mind boggling how much strength this remnant had.

He licked his drying lips and debated on what to do. It seemed rather rude to wake the slumbering man up but it had to be done. He swallowed once again and reached out, gently tapping the remnant's forearm.

His skin felt like silk and for a moment Reno didn't move. He simply eyed his fingertips and reminded himself of his task. He tapped him a bit more insistently, keeping an eye on the feminine, doll like face.

"Yo…Yazoo… Come on, man. Wake up. We got food for you. I'll let you sleep later, I swear. Wake up."

Almost instantly the remnant reacted to the touch but perhaps more so to Reno's voice. His eyes twitched a few times while closed before slowly opening and squinting due to the bright fluorescent light. Soon enough he regained focus. He glanced first at the tray of food as he sensed it and then back at the redhead, the peaceful look on his face immediately changed to utter loathing.

He attempted to sit up, wincing with the effort.

Reno blinked, shaking his head. "Nah, yo. Just leave it. You don't have to sit up."

Yazoo scowled, almost tossing his spare pillow at his head. "Don't tell me what to do, Turk."

"Fine," Reno replied amiably enough, "Just trying to help."

"Well don't," Yazoo shot angrily, "I never needed your help."

Reno frowned, biting his tongue. The arguing could go on forever but this time he would have to bite back his ego. He motioned towards the tray, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

"Yeah. Your food."

Yazoo didn't bother to look back at it. He simply stared at the Turk, green eyes blazing. "I'm not blind and I don't want your pity food."

"Look, man. This will go by a lot quicker and it'll be easier on us all if you just fuckin' cooperate." He didn't want to come off as so irritable but the clone truly was testing his patience, which he didn't really have a lot of.

The remnant arched his feminine brow curiously though the frown seemed imprinted on his otherwise handsome face. "I would rather starve to death than cooperate with you and your kind. So why don't you just leave and I'll make my way out of this dreadful hellhole and you'll never see my face again. Wouldn't that be nice? I'd say so."

Reno cleared his throat, trying to figure out a way to get this clone to listen. It seemed impossible though he knew Rufus would be on his ass day and night till he got the job done.

He sighed, running a hand through his mess of hair. "Alright, man. I'll be honest with you whether you choose to listen or not. The president won't hesitate to kill you unless you uh…well, join us and work for Shinra."

Reno had expected the silver haired male to blow his top and yet, he was met with a calm, knowing stare, which was somehow more unnerving than an outburst. He squinted under that eerie stare, looking away.

"So, what do you say? You're weak. He'll torture you and have you killed. Better to just forget about the past and start anew. So think about it."

Yazoo brought a hand up to rest on his ribs. He cringed, biting his lower lip at the dull pain. In the past, he would have laughed and shot the Turk right there. How could they expect him to just forget? His brothers, everything he had ever known was now gone and he was alone. All he had left were the bitter memories and visible scars. And when it came to torture, he had endured enough of that in his short years? Was he willing to face all of that again? His body was broken and he was at his most vulnerable state. Shinra knew that and they were using that to their advantage. He gritted his even teeth angrily. Heartless or not, they sure knew what they were doing. But perhaps, perhaps this was the only way. He had nothing now and would have to build a new life. Somehow, suicide did not seem as appealing as it had before. No. Nothing was the same and so, he would make an effort at life and if that meant tying in with the former enemy then so be it.

He turned his head ever so slightly in the anxious looking redhead's direction, giving a slow nod of his tired head. "Fine. I'll do as I'm asked."

Reno blinked, certain that he had misheard. "Wait…what?"

"Did I stutter?" the clone asked as sarcastically as ever, "I said fine. I agree. May we move on now?"

It took all of his willpower to keep himself from jumping for joy. This had been a lot easier than he thought. Perhaps the remnant wasn't as crazy as they thought he was. He almost grinned, motioning towards the food again.

"Good. Better for you and the company. Your food's gettin' cold."

Yazoo shifted a bit in his spot, his movements slow and careful. His eyes darted around in search of someone.

Reno noticed, frowning in confusion. "Uh, do you usually get a nurse for this kinda stuff?"

He nodded.

Reno looked around, scratching at his tattooed cheekbone, noting that orders for everyone to go home had been strict. Even Elena wasn't around. He might have foreseen such a thing. He knew for a fact that Yazoo was not capable of feeding himself. This was not in the job description.

Nevertheless, he reached for the tray and carefully set in as it was meant to be set, noting that the soup remained warm.

Yazoo sensed what was about to happen and tried to reach above and touch his own face but that proved to be a most painful task and he cried out softly, whimpering in his misery.

Reno shot him somewhat of a sympathetic look, mixed with awkwardness. He raised the spoon to the clone's soft looking lips, watching him expectantly.

Yazoo's face burned with shame. These really were the dark days if it had come to this, being fed by a Turk. He opened his mouth nonetheless and accepted the soup.

Little by little, Reno fed the remnant, eternally grateful for the silence that stole the both of them as the minutes passed into darkness.

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