A/N: Hey my dear readers! :) Redfox here again! Sorry for being late, my other stories keep getting in the way :/

ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:

Guest: haha Thank you so much! Reviews always make me more motivated to write! :3 I plan on writing the encounter between Cloud and Zack to be pretty soon, maybe even in the next chapter? And yeah, a shower scene is definitely planed ;)

Whitney: Thanks for your opinion, I had originally thought of writing Cloud here as the main character but thought that, well, nobody (as far as I know maybe I'm wrong) worte sweet, sunshine Zack in such a way, so I just gave it a try ^^

Alcantis: Hmm…strong Cloti…well the story itself isn't really centered around romance at all. I would say Cloud and Tifa are supporting each-other and I may hint subtly at a few things here and there, but nothing major.

Enjoy!

Chapter 8: House Visits

Zack rummaged through the closet Tifa had showed him earlier, searching for clothes he hadn't seen or worn for years since his imprisonment.

All he saw daily were stripes or black, not a very colorful stay in prison one might say.

He fished out a simple black shirt, pulling it over his head along with grey pants, searching for something to wear over his shirt, Zack opened the sliding door next to the neatly stacked clothes in the drawers and grinned.

There, in all it's former glory, was his leather jacket. Slightly tattered, slightly torn, a bit riddled with a few holes from stray bullets, but looking as good as new when he carefully inspected the well mended spots Tifa had sewn together, impressed by her handiwork.

His heavy boots clicked noisily on the stairs as he walked down, waving at his team and watching Tifa raise an eyebrow at his wardrobe, "Oh, I see you found it,"

Zack smirked, fingering the hem of his jacket, "Yeah, can't believe you kept all my stuff," he nodded at Cid and Barret, "Your clothes are up there too, go and get them," both gave him a contemplative look, not missing Zack's cue to want to talk to Tifa alone.

Reluctantly, not without a few grumbled words, the bickering pair trudged up the steps, shoving each-other all the way up to the bedrooms.

Zack shook his head, sliding smoothly into the high stool at the bar counter, "I'm going out today,"

Tifa calmly polished a glass, smirking, "Alright, do you need any pocket money? Don't talk to strangers and your curfew is until 12," she smiled at his expression.

"Very funny, mom," he shot her a look, before turning serious, "Now that I'm back and running again, I still have some unfinished business to do," Tifa didn't miss the way Zack patted his hind jean pocket, already knowing what he had hidden within the waistline of his pants: a gun.

Her expression turned mildly worried, "Just be careful, a lot has changed since your imprisonment,"

A smirk curled his lips, with his untamed spiky hair and piercing blue eyes, Zack looked a bit like a feral animal hunting for prey, "Really? Who better to ask than a barmaid?" he leaned his elbows against the polished wood of the counter, eyes glowing mischievously, "Give me a brief update and I'm ready to go,"

Tifa sighed, knowing even if she tried he was undeterred, "Do you need my help?" she gestured subtly to her waist, where she stored her fighting gloves behind her apron.

Zack shook his head calmly, "I got it handled, besides, I may not have Buster now, but I don't need him to do what I need to today,"

Tifa sighed, "The Don moved over to the slums and has taken over it entirely, I hear he's sending people to Sector 5 to take over it as well. His trafficking ring expanded, he doesn't only deal with drugs and petty criminals but people now too, specifically prostitutes." Tifa's gaze narrowed as she polished the glass, "Girls over the age of fourteen and fifteen started missing for the past few weeks, we suspect it's the Don's doing." Tifa gave Zack a once over, "They know you, or at least his top dogs know you. If you're lucky, you may get into the main hall where all the other 'guests' are, but it'll be difficult to get to his private room unless you have the goods for it,"

Zack frowned, clearly peeved, "What if I hire a prostitute and let her slit his throat?"

Tifa gave him a pointed look, "Good luck finding a prostitute that knows how to wield a knife and isn't already bound to the Don by a contract around the area. I'd recommend searching around Costa del Sol or Coral somewhere," Zack huffed at Tifa's blunt humor.

"You said you were going today?" Zack nodded at her question and Tifa stored the now clean glass in one of her cupboards before turning to him again, "I can fight, I have no problem slitting his throat and I think I have the goods for it,"

Zack snorted, "Full of yourself much, Lockhart?" he gave her a brief teasing grin before his serious expression replaced it again, "No, I'm not sending you in there. Don't worry, I'll handle it,"

The pugilist rose an eyebrow, crossing her arms, "Don't give me that crap, Fair. You know as well as I do that I can handle my own, especially against overweight, grabby perverts whose hand-eye-coordination is as good as a four-year-olds," she rolled her eyes in annoyance and Zack lifted his hands in a placating gesture.

His gaze turned cutting, "I said no, Tifa. Don Corneo's dangerous, has been even before I was sent to prison, I don't wanna think how much larger his power got in the years I wasn't there. I know you can fight and defeat guys thrice your size and weight, but I'm not taking any chances while you're outnumbered in a building full of skilled grabby perverts," he gazed imploringly into her burgundy eyes and after a while, she closed them in thought.

Bending down to retrieve something from behind the counter, Zack curiously leaned over to see what she was searching for before a device was abruptly thrown his way, catching it just in time thanks to his fast reflexes.

"My and the bar's number is on speed dial on number 2 and 3, I have a bag full of goods upstairs behind the trap door if you need anything other than a pistol to decapitate a whole building full of armed men, I have something for Cid and Barret and yes they are coming with you otherwise I'm not letting you out of this bar," her hands were on her hips and the look she was giving him could've made seasoned veterans quake in their boots.

Zack took in her words, blinking slowly when her expression softened. Gone was the strong, sassy barmaid that could snap your neck in two if you look at her the wrong way and he could see traces of the shy but caring girl he used to know before Shinra became a central power and before all the shit had happened in the past. Before all of them became a threat to the public and were forced to flee and lay low.

He smiled, grabbing and squeezing her hand, "Yeah, I get it. Thanks Tifa, we'll be back before you know it." Before he could make his way upstairs, he called out to her again, "You don't happen to have extra beds would ya?" his grin was innocent but Tifa knew better.

"You see these chairs?" she pointed at the back with her thumb, "Home sweet home,"

She grinned when the ex-SOLDIER groaned, "Cut me some slack woman, I'm outta prison in not even 24 hours and I have to go from one hard place to the next?"

Tifa rolled her eyes playfully, "I thought you got to experience plenty of 'hard places' back in prison," she smirked as his face got slightly paler.

"Low blow, Lockhart, very low blow," he shook his head, solemnly dragging his feet up the stairs.

Tifa sighed after several seconds, "There are mattresses in the guest room and extra pillows and blankets. I think Marlene would be willing to share her plushie with you if you give her chocolate as a sacrificial offering,"

She smiled when Zack's reply came in the form of a shout, "You're the best Teef!"

Well, she couldn't argue with that now could she?

"So…. this is it?" Barret discreetly watched the bustling streets, particularly the large, casino-like building just on the opposite street, with overhanging neon signs with hearts and elaborate, lavish text and shady-looking men dressed sharply in suits, smoking outside.

Zack nodded, donning his gloves, "The address sounds about right." He patted the rifle he had slung across his back, hidden by his jacket and the two dual pistols hidden within his pants and two additional ones slung over his shoulders, "You ready?" he eyed his two companions, smirking at their appearance.

To innocent passerby's, they looked like wealthy men intent to have some fun, dressed in black slacks and well fitted dress shirts and blazers sans Zack. In reality, a few smoke bombs and various firearms were well hidden beneath their clothing, how not even Zack could figure out, but he didn't even want to know.

Zack on the other hand had remained in his simple jeans and leather jacket, he would be doing a bit more fighting and it would be a pity if he ruined his suit…if he had had one in the first place.

He could smell the scent of decay, gunpowder and all sorts of illegal substances hanging thickly in the air like the smell of staleness in a prison cell.

Zack moved forward first, casually striding up to the bodyguard positioned ramrod straight in front of the flashy entrance, sliding a few hundred Gil into his breast pocket.

The tall, dark-skinned man with the shades smirked and shard a brief look with Zack, before schooling his features into a neutral scowl again.

Zack entered without much trouble.

Scantily clad women, clouds of smoke and well-dressed, intoxicated men greeted him as soon as he entered. He smirked invitingly, using all his charm not even prison beat out of him, walking over to the receptionist desk and winking at the female behind it.

Eyes the color of honey roved over him, with no small amount of appreciation, before settling on his eyes. A brief flash of confusion and suspicion clouded them, before it disappeared as soon as he started to speak, "So, what does a guy have to do to have some fun around here? Say, of a higher caliber?" he winked, flashing bright teeth and licking his upper lip.

Disappointment shone in the woman's eyes when Zack chuckled flirtingly, "I heard the Don doesn't mind much from which side his clientele comes from if you know what I mean," he grinned roguishly.

The woman giggled, voice lowering to not be heard over the bustling of the brothel, "Ah, too bad, I would have considered offering you one of our special services," her eyes racked over him again, "So that's how it is. The Don currently has…guests but allow me a moment to check with my colleagues, hun," red painted lips curled into a seductive smile and the woman sashayed her way through a door at the back and Zack smirked.

As casually and calmly as he could, Zack slipped his way passed a couple sucking each-other's faces off, probably one of the guard's, and stealthily tiptoed upstairs, the warm, exotic colors of the setting downstairs falling into a much cooler, darker tone.

Now this, Zack knew, wasn't where customers usually were allowed entry to. Doors were lined on both sides of the narrow corridor, at least twenty in total if Zack hadn't miscalculated.

The easiest way to figure out which one was the Don's room would be heading to the end of the corridor and opening that door, but he knew the Don wasn't that stupid. While the sleazy man did live in lavish luxury, he made sure he wasn't as visible to the naked public's eye as appearances made to believe. The harder it was to find him without the guidance of his 'employees'

Zack moved with frightening ease at the sound of a 'click'.

Years of serving in the military and spending his time in prison ingrained a deep-seated instinct within him, a 'clicking' sound was never a good sound. It either stood for the tell-tale signs of a set off grenade or the cocking of a gun, neither of which Zack preferred to be heading for his blind spots.

Pivoting to the left, Zack removed his gun from it's holsters at his back and aimed it straight at the forehead of a man with startled eyes, pupils reduced to little frightened dots.

The man held a lighter in his right hand, which was trembling badly and a sudden sharp smell assaulted Zack's nose.

The man had pissed himself of fear. Literally.

"Get out of here," Zack inclined his head toward the door and the man fled without a second thought, not minding his soiled dress pants one bit.

Zack sighed, hissing at the smell and shoving his gun in it's holster again.

His gaze narrowed at the loud moans echoing from the room at the far back and he moved in the opposite direction, probably one of the guards on break.

After all, when dawn fell over the city of Midgar, prostitution and any other shady activities seemed to overshadow all that was still good in a city such as Midgar. Thanks to Corneo's rise to fame, criminal gangs have doubled in size since the last few years, sex and human trafficking seemed like a second trade after becoming a food vendor. Most people turned a blind eye to it, but everyone knew of the darker workings behind the sex trafficking.

Don Corneo was connected to Shinra and Zack would find out how.

The Don was a cowardly man, a man of influence and power with his trade, but cowardly. Having any sort of dealings with Shinra would not only be unusual for him, but also cause alarm amongst the authorities. After all, military top dogs working with a mafia leader known for prostitution and sex trafficking was not common, especially during the time of peace after the war between Shinra and SOLDIER, where the President overthrew them and took Midgar as his own with the mako energy they extracted and produced in masses.

But above all else, Don Corneo was a horny asshole, who would even endanger himself if it meant getting what he wanted, which usually always involved women.

"At this rate, they must be looking for me," Zack noted the increased activity downstairs and he moved forward, pressing his ear against each and every door and carefully opening them gently but quickly, trying to locate the Corneo. He took out his phone and pressed the number zero, before pocketing it again.

A message would be sent to Barret and Cid and they would try to distract the staff, if forced, storm the place while Zack dealt with the Don.

Finally, only two rooms left.

Zack pressed his back against the wall and leaned in closer toward the door, hearing muted whispers.

One man and multiple women it seemed.

Zack took out his gun, checking the ammo before adjusting the rifle across his back.

The minute he heard laughter from the room, Zack kicked down the door and charged.

What he saw made him want to gouge his eyes out, but he tried to focus on the task at hand. Don Corneo, naked, on his lavish Wutai-inspired bed, three scantily clad women standing in front of him, almost as if he was choosing which one to devour next.

It made Zack sick.

The Don looked as pale as Zack had ever seen him and he frantically made a grab for his burgundy silk sheets, quickly covering his obese, nude state and sparing Zack from any further nightmare material.

"W-wh-what the-! N-no…" fear made him freeze in his spot, eyes wide and body trembling, "How…how…h-how did you get out?" Corneo slowly backtracked across his bed, away from the gun aiming at him, the girls were frozen in fear.

Zack shot them a sideways glance and cocked his head behind him, "I suggest you leave if you don't want his filthy blood on your pretty clothes," the girls were quick to flee the scene, obviously harboring no loyalty nor affectionate feelings for the sleazy male cowering on the bed.

A gleam entered Zack's eyes as he advanced, slow, measured steps towards his victim, "Hi there, Don, remember me? Old friend Zack?" his grin was vicious as he aimed at Corneo's foot and fired, red staining the previously pink and white sheets of the bed and the room was filled with Corneo's high pitched screams of pain that made Zack's ears ring familiarly.

"W-Whyy?! Y-you b-b-bastard!" Corneo held his foot tightly, blood slowly flowing from between the creases of his fingertips, staining the sheets further.

The bed dipped when Zack placed his foot on the edge of it, gun all the while aimed at Corneo, eyes glowing, "Why? Well, after I finally got out, I heard you've been getting friendly with Shinra," his gaze narrowed in warning when the helpless man looked like he was looking at the door behind him, "Don't even think about it," he heard the sounds of mayhem downstairs and smirked, "I think your bodyguard's are a bit busy with my friends,"

The Don's gaze was filled with fear and hatred, "You bloody dog, heh, so w-what? They released you out of your cage and you think you own this place now that you're fr-" Zack pushed the head of the gun right to Corneo's open mouth, with the safety off.

"Listen up Don, we both know there are people out there worse than me out for your fat hide," that was a lie, "So why don't ya spill the beans and tell me all ties you have with Shinra before I paint the walls a new shade of red," the half naked man started to panic, breathing heavily through his nose as his saliva rolled over the barrel of the gun, glassy eyes squeezing shut to keep the tears at bay.

Zack moved back slightly to allow the man to speak, but the gun was still aimed at his head at the ready, "P-p-p-p-lease, n-not m-m-mme, p-please Zack, p-p-"

"Talk," Zack pressed the gun harder into the fat man's skin and the man whimpered like a lost child.

After a series of whimpers and sniffles, it seemed like Don Corneo finally calmed down enough for his gibberish to make sense to Zack, "S-S-Shinra, t-they…they hired me,"

A dark eyebrow shot up to his hairline and the hair on the back of Zack's neck stood on end, "Hired you? Why the fuck would they do that? What good is a slum lord to them?"

Shinra had power, military might, high mako productions, what would they gain from hiring a god damn slum lord?

Corneo panted like a dog, shakily wiping away the saliva that dribbled down his chin, "P-People," he swallowed heavily, "My…m-my connections to people, they…t-they needed them. B-B-But I swear Zack, I don't know for what!" he whimpered pathetically, sweaty, oily hands grabbing at Zack's shirt until the man moved away and pressed the gun at his forehead.

Don Corneo's connections to people?

Zack grit his teeth, silent anger clouding his eyes, "Your connections to people? Don't make me laugh, what good would your shitty connections be to them?"

The Don suddenly laughed, a weak broken sound and he shook his head, "D-don't you know? A company can't f-function without convincing the p-p-people of the city first," something in Corneo's eyes flashed eerily, "Especially the ones in the slums,"

Even if Corneo was a sleazy asshole, it was true.

No company could make it big or survive for long without any sort of connection to the people supporting them or living in the city they operate in. The slums themselves make up a large part of Midgar, without their support, Shinra would be lost in the long run.

Zack moved away completely, gun aimed at Corneo, "What exactly did you offer them? What was your payment?" his eyes briefly scanned the lavish room, scented heavily with aromas that made Zack's head spin, aphrodisiacs, maybe light drugs to make the girls more compliant, sweat, sex and smoke. Other than that nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

His gaze turned to Corneo.

Blood ran in a small trickle down his chin from biting his lip so hard, his pants coming out harsh from his nose, "Information about the social structure in the slums, what the people thought of Shinra…c-contacts...s-s-some of my men." He gripped the bedsheets tightly, "T-they…they gave me m-money and p-protection,"

Zack snorted, "Capable partners you got there," a bloodthirsty grin stretched his handsome, sharp features, "'Protection', huh? What a laugh," he chuckled, the sound low and sending a shiver down the Don's back.

"P-P-please…I-I told you what I know, I-I don't know anything I s-swear Zack!" the Don hesitantly shuffled forward and weakly gripped at Zack's boot, "W-we've known each-other for a while, y-you wouldn't kill an old acquaintance r-r-"

The man fell back with a hole in his head, blood slowly seeping into the sheets of the bed.

Zack stared down emotionlessly at the Don's dead body, his gaze glowing, "My bad. My hand slipped," he pocketed his gun back into it's original space, going for the door.

The hallway looked clean, devoid of blood marks and corpses. Have Barret and Cid cleared everything out downstairs?

Zack's eyes narrowed and he rested a hand over his gun, carefully making his way downstairs, his feet making no sound on the polished floorboards.

When he turned the corner, he was nearly hit in the face by something black and he quickly ducked and kicked the person in the stomach, hearing a wheezing cough and a thud when the body fell to the floor.

One of Shinra's dogs as he noticed their signature insignia on the breast pocket of the suit.

Zack raced toward the lounge and frowned, bringing forth his gun, never taking his eyes off Cid and Barret, who were held at gunpoint by three bloody beaten men dressed in suits, "So, you got busted, huh?" he glared disapprovingly at his comrades, with Cid growling lowly under his throat, while Barret huffed.

"Shut the hell up spiky! They got us from behind alright?!" Barret stomped his foot angrily and one of the men nudged his rifle sharply against his ribs and Barret reluctantly quietened down.

Zack was up against three adversaries, trained by Shinra and his friends held at point blank range. If he shot one of them, there was a high chance either Cid or Barret would get shot.

Wait…

Slowly, Zack smirked and retreated, taking two large steps back.

The three suits looked at each-other in confusion, before one of them advanced upon Zack until a bone-cracking sound echoed through the room along with a buzz of electricity and the dead body fell heavily to the floor, the suit's head smashing against it.

Zack smirked, "Took ya long enough," as he aimed at the second man that held a gun to Barret's head while a large, shadowy figure sneaked up on the other Shinra grunt.

Two strong arms wrapped around the Shinra dog's throat tightly, immediately choking him, his gun dropping noisily to the ground as he clawed at the dark-skinned hands that held him in a chokehold. Only minutes passed before the crushing of bone could be heard and that man too, fell to the floor.

The third one was apprehended by another lightning rod to the balls and a gunshot to the head.

Zack winced in sympathy when the last thing the man did before dying was holding his family jewels in his hands before Zack's bullet made contact with his forehead.

Zack smiled at the two new figures, one tapping the same lightning rod against his shoulders and the other bigger man adjusting his shades, "Didn't know you were invited to the tea party too," he addressed the darker-skinned male directly next, "I saw you outside before I went in, but I wasn't sure, ya know, shades and all,"

Reno chuckled and cocked his head, "We just came by to even out the playing field," his gaze swept over the plethora of corpses on the ground and he whistled lowly, "You guys didn't become rusty in those walls, I'll give ya that,"

Barret clasped a hand on Rude's shoulder and he nodded, "Thanks, fuckers hid in a hidden room and we didn't see 'em until they put their guns to our heads," he leveled a scathing glare at Cid, "If the shithead over there had actually checked before we started cheering maybe they wouldn't have gotten us!"

Cid's gaze spelled death as he glared up at his friend, "Oi, if you're gonna act like a dick at least lemme put a condom over your head so ya look the part!"

Before their usual verbal battles turned into blows, Reno cleared his throat, "Anyone up for a drink at Tifa's? I know a good cure for a headache, yo," he grinned, all teeth as his eyes caught Zack's.

The ex-SOLDIER smiled and headed for the door, "Let's go, I think the Don's drugs made my head spin," he grinned and the group of men exited the ransacked brothel.

Zack caught a group of prostitutes cowering behind a wall of the brothel and he motioned for the others to walk ahead while he headed straight for them.

One of the women, a tall blonde with a mean scar on her cheek, picked up a metal pipe on the ground and held it between herself and Zack, all the other women shaking in fear at Zack's arrival.

True, he certainly didn't look like a nice person, with slightly torn clothes, a bit of blood here and there, and his glowing blue eyes. He sighed and reached into his back pocket, finding what he was looking for.

With slow, measured steps Zack held out his hand and waited patiently. The woman with the pipe spoke first, "W-what the hell do ya want huh?! H-haven't you done enough?"

Zack leveled her with a steady gaze, "Before you run your mouth, give me your hand," the demand made all the women freeze up and Zack's expression softened slightly.

When he looked at them more closely, most of them, he was sure, weren't for long in their twenties, some barely reaching adulthood. He gently shook his clenched hand and one of the women shakily stepped out from behind the back of the woman holding the pipe, extending her hand out.

Zack opened his hand and let the papers fall into the woman's trembling hand, all heads locked onto the wad of money Zack just casually deposited on her hand.

When the women all looked at him his back was already turned, "I got this from the Don, there's more where that came from I'm sure. Anyone that could cause you trouble is dead, so raid the place out as you like," with his hands in his pockets, Zack made to leave before the woman holding the pipe suddenly shouted.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?! Killing our boss and giving us dead money huh?! We aren't some little kids you need to keep of the streets!" she hissed and Zack turned his head slightly to them, noticing them tense up.

He studied them for a moment before answering calmly, "I'm pretty sure some of you only just got eighteen and I'm even more sure most of ya went along with the Don to make some fast cash and not get murdered on the street," his gaze fell to the money held in the trembling hand, "This ain't me saving you, I just told ya where to search for the bones, you gotta pick them up yourselves,"

With that, Zack left the group of stunned women behind, rejoining his group minutes later in the car.

Reno glanced at him from the back mirror, "Took a piss?"

Zack smirked, "Nah, just did some quick business,"

Barret rose an eyebrow but remained silent, shrugging as he leaned back against the seat, exhausted from the day's fight.

Reno pulled the car out of the parking space and drove for Seventh Heaven, not before noticing a group of the Don's prostitutes carefully re-entering the destroyed place.

He thought he saw one of the girl's holding a stack of cash against her chest, but he couldn't be sure from the distance.

"Got any money from the place?" he asked conversationally as he concentrated on the road and Zack's offhand reply made him smirk.

"Found nothing,"

It looked like even a bloodthirsty game dog could throw a bone to a pack of puppies every once and a while. For some reason, the sappy thought made Reno think even with a harsh lifestyle as Zack's, not all good died out.

Thank you for reading! See you in the next chapter! :) Suggestions for further chapters?