By Kristen Gupton-Williams

Tifa and Vincent hastened their pace in order to catch up with the others. The came around a bend in the passageway and in a moment of relief and terror they saw what they had been searching for. Porter and the others were amassed before a large vault type door adorned with just some carelessly red spray painted characters. It read simply, ‘Reactor 6’.

Once everyone was close enough, Porter looked back at them as if to let them know that this was it. He then turned to the door and flipped open a small panel in the center of it. He punched in a quick code that he had watched Hojo input into every combination lock in any lab. The scientist had never once bothered to think that anyone had ever managed to see what the code was and therefore hadn’t bothered to change it in the course of over thirty years. It was obviously something important to the madman to continue to use this particular pass code all of this time, but as to what it really meant Porter had no idea. Under his breath Porter recited the code to himself as he entered it. "Eight, two, five, three, six, eight, four, six, three."

A slight hiss followed by a loud clank rang through the passageway making everyone cringe, but soon after the former Turk was able to pull the enormous door just enough so that they could enter.

A cold sweat broke out across Vincent’s skin as he passed through the doorway at once feeling the all too familiar terror of being in another of Hojo’s labs. Without any thought given to it he drew his Death Penalty and held it firmly to his chest. There was no way that he was going to be caught unprepared again.

The others in the groups also assumed defensive postures. Reno had his night staff in his hand ready to activate it at a second’s notice. He constantly reminded himself that this time he had brought a gun and should he get in a bind where the night staff proved useless he would turn to it. Porter’s weapon was also drawn and ready. Finally, if anyone had been paying any attention to him at all, they might have noticed Jaras nervously clenching the hilt of his sword ready to draw it and put it to use if needed.

Now that access to the lab had been gained, Ericson gave them a brief signal indicating that he was now going back to the chopper. Seeing this, Vincent pulled Porter aside and addressed him. "He’s going back and I really do think that you should go with him."

Porter knitted his brows and frowned. "I haven’t come all this way just to turn back."

"You’re in agony and you’ve not been doing a good job at hiding it." Vincent lowered his voice in an attempt to keep this conversation private.

"Yes I am, but I can’t turn back now. This is too important to me. I need to see an end to that bastard. Maybe what he’s done to my life isn’t nearly as bad as what he’s done to yours but I need to do this." Porter locked Vincent into his gaze, knowing that with this many Turks involved in ASRIO and this mission that certainly Vincent had been given a very specific order. "Tseng gave you the authority to do it, didn’t he?"

"Do what?" Vincent attempted to seem confused but it failed miserably.

"You know damned well what." Porter crossed his arms for a moment. "If there is anything that will compromise the success of this mission you are to deal with and if needed eradicate such a factor, am I right?"

Vincent dropped his gaze to the ground. As bad of a Turk as Porter may have been, he wasn’t completely ignorant to their ways. "Yes."

"I’ll tell you what," Porter leaned forward just a bit, "if I do become such a threat you go right ahead and do it because I’m telling you right now that there is no way that I’m going back without seeing this through, unless it’s in a body bag, you got me?"

Vincent was slightly surprised at the former Turk’s sudden show of fortitude. He had to give him credit; Porter was a determined man who wasn’t going to be put off by anything. "Fine, but you know what’s at stake here and if I have to, I will kill you."

"I know, and it’s nothing personal." Porter forced a smile. "At least if it has to happen it will be at the hand of another former Turk, right?"

The constant and eternal bond between Turks both past and present was rearing its head. Vincent sighed and blushed slightly. "You won’t make me have to come to that decision though, will you?"

"Damned right I won’t." Porter’s smile turned sincere. "I can do this Mr. Valentine, don’t worry."

"Okay, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt." Vincent started away from Porter and back toward Tifa.

Ericson had already disappeared back into the corridor and the vault door had been shut again.

Porter started to again lead them further into the depths of the Reactor and closer to their goal. Along the path there was a rather large door in the wall with something written across it that caught Porter’s eye. How he had never noticed this before struck him as odd and he stopped before it. Upon this door was written in Hojo’s own scrawling lettering, "System D-D replaced, D-D2 installed".

Suddenly something made sense to Porter and he began to back away from the door knowing that something was inevitably going to come out from behind it. The others caught his actions and too began to respond by giving the door careful concern.

Vincent looked at Porter’s worry stricken face and asked, "What’s wrong?"

"The automated defense system, this is it…" Porter shook his head, feeling anger boil up within him against the fear that was filling him. "Dogs, he used fucking dogs!"

With that, the door began to open and from within came forth Hojo’s latest innovation in cybernetic security. Three dogs somewhat resembling D came forth, but where as Porter’s dog was still recognizable as a living creature, these were not. Except for parts of their brains and nervous systems these were completely mechanized. Their bodies were heavily armored and at once everyone knew that these were going to be difficult to kill.

They stood perfectly still for the first few moments as their computerized brains memorized those present, making certain that all of them were in fact intruders without consent to be here. Then in a flash they lunged.

Porter and Vincent simultaneously fired their guns at the robotic dogs but to no avail. The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off their armored bodies. As they continued to near, one lunged directly at Reno, knocking him to the ground. The robot’s razor sharp teeth were aimed at his throat, but just before it was too late, Reno managed to wedge the end of his night staff into the dog’s jaws. Not knowing what else to do, he hit the button that sent a lethal charge through the weapon.

The dog was thrown off him from the intensity of the shock and it hit the wall a short distance away. It’s circuits had been permanently damaged from the electrocution and it twitched and writhed where it landed as wisps of smoke emanated from it’s body.

A second animal came at Tifa. She diverted it with a firm kick and it hit the floor scrambling to its feet for another attack. With her leg still stinging from the hard impact on the metal animal the first time she struck out again, this time causing it to just barely miss her body.

Jaras, upon seeing Tifa in danger drew his sword. He ran over to her as the animal prepared for a third attack. He stabbed down into the animal’s back with the blade, and by shear luck alone he managed to hit an exposed joint between two armored plates and the sword entered its body, severing some vital wires and circuits. The dog turned its head back and snapped at Jaras as its rear quarters became unresponsive. Unable to free his blade from its back he had to let go in order to avoid being caught in its jaws. Unarmed and not knowing what to do, Jaras backed up slowly, trying to think of a way out as the injured animal continued to pull itself toward him. Finding himself cornered he put up his arms in a futile defense at least satisfied that he had called the animal off of Tifa.

When he didn’t feel the animal’s razor teeth bore into him Jaras dared to look seeing that Reno had managed to get to his feet and crack this dog with his charged night staff just as he had done the first. Already being damaged the dog spasmed violently when the charge ran through him and it ended up coming to rest just at Jaras’ feet.

Jaras, still somewhat shaken reached out to pull his sword from the animal’s now motionless body but found much to his surprise that the electrocution of the dog had left his sword too hot to handle.

The last of the dogs was in a fight with Vincent. His own mechanical body gave him the strength to hold the animal at bay as he had his hands wrapped firmly around its neck. The dog was standing on its rear legs and even though Vincent was holding it out at arm’s length, its jaws were still lashing out at him too close for comfort. When the dog had attacked him his gun had been knocked from his hand, but it wouldn’t have served him in this position anyway.

With it obvious that Reno was the only one in possession of any sort of weapon to fight these beasts Morris and Porter were hovering near Vincent not certain of what to do in order to help.

Once Reno had dispatched the other two dogs he came to Vincent’s aid. The problem was at once terribly clear. If he hit the metal animal with the staff Vincent also would be electrocuted.

Reno clutched the staff nervously in his hands. "Vinny, you got to let the fucking dog go so I can kill it!"

Vincent flashed him a glare and through his bared teeth growled. "If I could let the fucking dog go I would Reno!"

Tifa knew she had to act to save Vincent. Mustering all of her strength she ran over and kicked the dog in the side of the chest as hard as she could possibly manage causing it to careen to the side and out of Vincent’s grip.

Seeing his chance, Reno smashed the end of his staff into the dog’s back and delivered the fatal charge. Once it’s shriek and death throws stopped they were all left in complete silence, save everyone’s exhausted pants.

With the action now over and the blade having cooled, Jaras finally was able to pull the sword from the second dog’s body.

Reno flicked his staff off and smiled to himself. "And other god damned Turks always laughed at me for not using a gun. Just goes to show you."

Porter made his way over to the last of the fallen animals and knelt at its side. He reached out with a trembling hand and softly patted its metal head. Quickly so that no one would notice he managed to wipe a tear away from his eye. Human experimentation was one thing, but to Porter animals were something else entirely. The thought that had they come here just a few months earlier that it would have been his own dog stung his heart and after a few moments he got up and walked away.

***

Up in a secluded corner of the lab, Hojo sat before a monitor smiling to himself. Once his code had been punched into the control panel downstairs when the computer knew that he was up here he was alerted.

Now through one of the many hidden security cameras in the reactor Hojo had watched the landing team’s negotiation of his guard dogs. Pleasantly surprised that Vincent and the others had arrived Hojo licked his lips and grinned wickedly. He knew that Porter would eventually lead them here, but he had never suspected that it would be so soon.

The fact that Vincent was here and walking was of the greatest interest to him. Apparently ASRIO had a better understanding of his electronic systems than he had thought but then again, they did have Quigley working for them and he had noticed over the years Porter’s aptitude for repair.

Hojo finally sat back in his seat and twisted the stolen wedding ring around his finger. "I knew you would come back Mr. Valentine. You always do, don’t you?" He reached over and hit a comm button. "Rude, can you please come to the accelerator room?"

The Turk that had been almost asleep after endless hours of guard duty shuttered at the sound of the madman's voice in his ear. He got up grudgingly from the chair he had been parked in outside the room’s door and entered.

Hojo turned to greet his guard. "Come here, there is something that I want to show you."

Rude neared and then stooped over to look at the monitor the scientist was pointing at. There he spotted the ASRIO team, which as expected contained Reno but to his surprise Porter was there as well however he hid this reaction well. "What do you want me to do?"

"Take some of your men and go down there and shake things up. Kill anyone you wish but I want Mr. Valentine brought to me unharmed, do you understand?" Hojo scowled wanting the Turk to get this order clearly.

"Yes Sir." Rude said, nodding once and then heading out of the room. He touched his earpiece and spoke quickly. "Rasta, Kimo, I need you to meet me on the catwalks at once."