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My FF7 story
08.19.02, 13:31:34
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Post #1 (permalink) |
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What happen well here it is:
Final Fantasy VII
Prologue
The Streets of Midgar
11:44 P.M.
"Excuse me sir, would you like to buy a flower?" asked the girl. The man walking past hesitated for a brief second.
"Eh?" he asked, apparently distracted.
"A flower sir," the girl repeated, "They're only one gil each." The man shook his head, and wordlessly continued walking down the street. The girl sighed.
"Flowers like these can't be found anywhere else in the city," she said more to herself than to anyone who might overhear, "Don't they realize what a bargain this is?" She took a flower out of the basket she was holding.
"I'll show this to the next customer," she thought to herself, "Once they see the beauty of it¡¦¡± The flower was suddenly snatched out of her hand by a teenager running by.
"Thanks for the flower, miss!" jeered the boy as he ran by. The girl didn't react.
"You're welcome," she said quietly, long after the boy was out of sight.
It was not unusual for people to be walking around at hour. The lower living sections of the giant city of Midgar were dark at all times of the day, the sun obstructed by giant metal plates hundreds of feet above the residences. This was where the lower class of people lived and worked, in the slums of Midgar. The city was famous around the world as a marvel of technology and comfort, but though the new modern conveniences of television, vehicles, and electric lighting were quite impressive, the living conditions were barely acceptable. People had flocked to the great city when it was built, and as a result of the overpopulation, the slums had formed. Giant smokestacks were commonplace in these sections of the city, as were piles of garbage. The smell was bearable only because, after living there so long, one would cease to notice it.
But there was one place in the city where sunlight did manage to sneak in. That was where the girl planted and grew her flowers. It was her secret place, where she spent most of her days. It was for this reason alone that she believed she had been able to keep her sanity all these years.
What still bothered her, however, was that she couldn't see the stars¡¦ |
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Chapter One
Mako Reactor #1
11:48 P.M.
The Shinra guard on duty yawned.
"What time is it?" he asked his partner. The other guard checked his watch.
"It's after two," he said, "The train must be running late tonight." The guards were awaiting the train that would bring supplies, as well as their replacements.
"If it doesn't get here soon, I'm walkin' out," said the first guard, "They don't pay me extra for this, you know."
"Don't get caught leaving," the second guard warned, "I hear they'll do worse than fire you." The first guard shook his head.
"Security's light tonight," he pointed out, "They'll never even see me leave." The sound of a train whistle made the conversation a non-issue. The train was pulling in.
"It's about time!" shouted the same guard to the train as it approached, though it was obvious that nobody inside could hear him. The train squealed to a halt, and the guards approached it. They waited impatiently for it to open up. They didn't see the dark figures crouched on top of the train.
"Move out!" yelled a voice from above. The first guard glanced up, only to feel something smash into his face. He was out cold before he knew what had hit him. The second guard went for his Mako gun, but steel flashed in the dim light, and the guard felt that steel pierce him through the side.
The two men quickly went about their task. One, a huge, muscular dark-skinned man, and the other was a younger man with blonde, spiked hair who was retrieving his sword from the body in front of him. His sword was a foot wide and 5 feet long. It was a single bladed sword that was holstered on his shoulder.
"It's clear!!" yelled Barret, waving in the rest of the group. 'The rest' was actually three other people. Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie were the three that worked for Barret previously. They were only kids - fifteen and sixteen years old. They obeyed without question. Barret's gaze shifted to the man who he had hired as a mercenary to help them on this mission. He had not questioned his motives either, though the task before them would have a huge effect on the entire city of Midgar.
"Hey, who is this guy?" asked Wedge, referring to the newcomer. Barret had no need to answer the question.
"Cloud Strife," answered the man as he holsters his sword, "An Ex-SOLDIER."
"SOLDIER?" Jessie raised her eyebrows, "Aren't they the enemy?"
"He was a member of SOLDIER, Jessie." asked Biggs.
¡°The names Big-¡± Biggs was cut off by Cloud.
¡°I don¡¯t care about your names! I just want to get this job done before the roboguards come.¡± Cloud yelled.
¡°Ex-SOLDIER or SOLDIER," growled Barret, "if he tries anything funny he'll be answering to me!"
"Let's just get this over with," said Cloud. His strange, glowing blue eyes were darting back and forth, surveying his surroundings. He knew they were vulnerable; that those two guards weren't the only threat in this area.
The group moved into a nearby building, which housed Mako Reactor #1.
"The first reactor is our main target," said Barret, "Once we get to the reactor, we'll set the bomb for ten minutes and run like hell."
"Is that the whole plan?" asked Cloud with an edge to his voice. Barret grunted in the affirmative.
"Let's just do what we came for and get out."
The five of them silently made their way through the winding hallways that made up the building. Cloud was the only one paying full attention to his surroundings--the other four seemed to be content with believing that the two guards outside had been the only ones guarding the reactor. Soon the group ran into what seemed to be a wall. A complex set of nearby keypads and video screens suggested that this was actually a door.
"It's all yours," said Barret to his three companions. Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie quickly set to work on the systems in a methodical and, much to Cloud's surprise, professional process. Barret, realizing that it would be awhile before they would be through this obstacle, leaned against the wall and relaxed.
"Keep your guard up," warned Cloud. Barret didn't pay any attention to him. Cloud's gaze shifted to the man's right arm. On it was grafted a gun that was undoubtedly used to replace an arm he had lost. Cloud hadn't asked about what had driven him to attach a gun to his arm, and outwardly pretended not to even notice. But actually the gun interested him greatly, since he considered the man attached to it to be reckless and dull.
"Why'd you leave SOLDIER, anyway?" asked Barret of the newcomer, "I suppose it's unlikely that you left for moral reasons." Cloud ignored the last statement.
"Mako poisoning," he answered, "Few people can remain members of SOLDIER for more than a few years before going mad. I was stronger than most--I lasted for five." This statement agitated Barret.
"Damn it!" he yelled suddenly, "The more I hear about this Mako crap the more I want to destroy everything Shinra has ever created! Mako wasn't meant to be drawn out and used like this! It's killing the planet, and it's killing the people who live here!"
"I'm not here to listen to your idealistic preaching," retorted Cloud, "I'm here because you hired me." Barret glowered at him for a moment.
"If all you're interested in is the money, don't worry," he growled, "You'll get what you deserve." The opening of the door broke the tension between the two fighters. Jessie ran to the other door. She unlocked in quick timing. Jessie then headed towards the elevator.
¡°Stick with me.¡± Said Barret. Cloud and Barret followed. They all entered.
¡° Can you press that button over there?¡± Jessie asked Cloud. She pointed to the triangle button that pointed down. Cloud walked up to and pressed it. The elevator jolted and started to lower.
¡° Listen the whole objective is to destroy these life-suckers before they kill the earth.¡± Barret started to preach again.
¡° Its not my problem.¡± Cloud said with no feeling.
¡° If all the Mako is drawn up, the Earth will die and you won¡¯t have anywhere else to live.¡± Said Barret, getting angered by Cloud¡¯s nonsense.
¡°Its still not my problem.¡± Said Cloud, getting louder.
¡°Do you care about anything? Really?¡± asked Barret. The elevator stop and Jessie ran out.
¡°Lets go grumpy.¡± Cloud teased.
¡°Grrrrr¡¦¡± Barret throated. They all climbed down the stairs. A door was at the end of the stairs.
"You're on your own from here," said Jessie, "It's just a straight shot through that door." Barret and Cloud walked through the door, which opened to a huge chamber in which the Mako Reactor was housed. They jumped across the big hole on the floor and went down the ladder at the end of the room. They climbed down and walked on the thick pipes that lead to a large ladder that led downward to the bottom of the chamber. Cloud and Barret descended to the lower level, and then approached the center of the room, where the reactor was located. Barret handed a small device to Cloud. |
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"Here," he said, "Set it for ten minutes." Cloud eyed the bomb with amusement.
"This is a high-tech bomb," he mused, "Mako-powered, isn't it?" Barret turned red.
"You callin' me a hypocrite?" he asked angrily, "This is the only kind of bomb powerful enough to do the damage necessary! Besides, I think it's fitting that Shinra would go down in flames because of its own technology." Cloud shrugged, and did as he was told. Cloud walked closer to the reactor and picked up a green orb.
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Barret asked.
¡°Matieria, you can find them all over the place. Made by the Earth¡¯s mako.¡± Cloud explained.
¡°Bahh¡¦ I had enough of the mako stuff, just plant the bomb.¡± Barret commanded.
¡° Alright.¡± Cloud being a little annoyed.
¡°Watch out¡± a voice called.
¡°Hey what¡¯s wrong¡± Barret getting worried. ¡°Don¡¯t you give up now, Spike Ass!¡±
¡°Nothing.¡± Cloud shook it off and positioned the bomb on the reactor and activated the countdown.
"Alright, let's get out of here," said Barret. A loud, mechanical squeal stopped the two of them dead in their tracks. The strange voice warned Cloud about it. He recognized it instantly.
"It's a Guard Scorpion," he warned, "We don't stand a chance. You make a run for it, I'll hold it off."
"Forget that!" he argued, "I'm not running away!" A large, robotic machine was released from its shackles on the ceiling, crashing in front of Cloud and Barret. Had Barret attempted to run, he may well have been crushed. Barret knew this, and cast a suspicious glance at Cloud, though it was unlikely that even an ex-SOLDIER could predict where the machine would have fallen. The Guard Scorpion was just as its name implied--it was a large machine that resembled a scorpion, with gun turrets resting where the claws should have been. Cloud drew his sword while Barret immediately let loose with a full blast from his gun. The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off the machine. It immediately retaliated by swinging a mechanical pincer at the two men. Cloud managed to evade the attack, but Barret was slower to react. The blow glanced off his arm, leaving a large gash. Had he hesitated a moment longer, he would have lost that arm as well. An angered Barret once again fired his gun at the machine, and as before it was unfazed.
"Damn it, where's its weak spot??" he asked Cloud.
"It doesn't have one," said Cloud grimly, "I told you, we don't stand a chance." Barret glanced at the nearby bomb. Eight minutes were left on the countdown. The Guard Scorpion made another swipe with its pincer, but this time they were both able to dodge the blow.
"I dunno how much longer I can keep this up," grunted Barret, breathing heavily. Blood was flowing freely from his wound, as he had no other hand with which to clutch his arm. Cloud knew he had no time to help him. A Shinra guard had run up behind the Scorpion, evidently believing that the intruders were no longer a threat. He's going to diffuse the bomb, realized Cloud.
"Barret, can you hit that guard from this distance?" asked Cloud. Barret, who was now on the verge of passing out, nodded groggily and attempted to aim his gun. Shots rang out, and the surprised guard fell to the ground. Then Cloud realized that there was a chance--a small chance--that the dead guard may offer an opportunity to escape. The giant pincer came down once again, and Cloud took that moment to sprint toward the downed guard. The machine reversed the attack that had been aimed for Barret, and instead made a swipe at what appeared to it as prey that was escaping. Cloud felt the rush of air behind him as the pincer once again narrowly missed him. He dashed underneath the Guard Scorpion, and dove for the fallen guard, searching his weapon frantically. Finally, a glimmer of light caught his eye, and he knew he had found what he was searching for. Frantically, Cloud tore the green orb loose from its slot in the guard's armor. The Guard Scorpion's gun turrets suddenly whirred and turned to face him. A humming sound indicated that Cloud had only seconds before the guns would be fully primed. He desperately shoved the orb into a slot on the hilt of his sword, and channeled its energy through him. In the next moment, bolts of lightning surged out of Cloud¡¯s body and fried the giant machine. Within seconds, it shorted out, and the Guard Scorpion fell the ground with a crash. Cloud, breathing heavily, ran to Barret's side.
"Barret, we've got to move out," said Cloud, knowing that five minutes remained on the bomb's timer. Cloud ran back to the dead guard. He found 3 potions. He threw one to Barret and put the rest in his pocket. Barret gave a groan, grabbed the potion, drank it, and struggled to stand. The wound healed a little and the bleeding slowed down. Cloud knew that the wound would not be fatal. However, Barret lacked the luxury of being able to clutch the injured arm, as he had to right hand. It was driving him crazy.
¡°Wait!¡± yelled Barret. He walked to the scorpion and yanked out the scorpion¡¯s gun. Barret removed his gun and placed the other one on. ¡°Assault Gun, this is better than buying one.¡± He was happy.
"Hurry up!" Cloud was becoming impatient. The two of them began to walk as fast as Barret could keep up toward the room's exit. No longer within sight of the bomb, it seemed as if full minutes had passed--that the bomb could explode at any moment. After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the ladder that led back outside. Cloud climbed up easily, and then waited impatiently as Barret struggled to lift himself up the ladder with his one good arm.
"Go on ahead," grunted Barret, noting Cloud's look of irritation. Cloud nodded once, and then ran away, much to Barret's surprise.
"Didn't think he'd take me seriously," he mumbled to himself as he hoisted himself onto the platform. Cloud found Jessie foot stuck on the platform.
¡°I¡¯m stuck!¡± She yelled. Cloud ran up and freed her. ¡°Thanks¡± She ran. Cloud ran after her. Cloud then stop and waited for Barret to catch up. With an image of a bomb displaying three minutes remaining etched into his mind, Barret found the strength to run after Cloud. Driven by fear, he did not even slow down until he had caught up with him.
"You were supposed to be heroic and refuse to leave me behind!" he yelled as he ran.
"You gave me an order! I followed it!" answered Cloud angrily. Barret dropped the subject, as he lacked the breath to talk. They all ran up the stairs and went into the elevator. Cloud quickly pressed the button to go up. Barret crouch and tried to catch his breath. The elevator stop and the three of them ran. Finally, they emerged from the building, meeting up with Biggs and Wedge.
"Whew. I was afraid you guys wouldn't make it!" said Biggs.
"Let's just get out of here!" yelled Cloud. The sound of an explosion behind him added emphasis to his words. The entire building would go up in flames soon.
¡°Split up and meet in the Trains¡± The five dashed in different directions while the flames engulfed the place. |
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Chapter Two
Success
12:09A.M.
Cloud walked the streets of Midgar. The explosion had caused a big mess. A girl walked up to Cloud. ¡°What happened?¡± the girl asked.
¡°Umm¡¦you should go home. Its not safe here.¡± Said Cloud. The girl was wearing a pink dress and red jacket that is cut off at the chest with a basket of flowers.
¡°OK¡± the girl started run.
¡°Wait, are those flowers you have there?¡± Cloud asked.
¡°Yes it is. I grew these. Their 1 gil each, want one?¡± She offered.
¡°Sure, here you go.¡± Cloud gave her the money.
¡°Thank you.¡± She handed Cloud the flowers.
¡°No problem. But how on Earth can you grow flowers in this place?¡±
¡°I grew them in my special place where the sun sneaks in.¡± She explained.
¡°Right¡¦¡± Cloud wondered.
¡°Good bye, I hope we meet again.¡± She then ran off. Cloud continued to walk to the station.
¡°**** I'm gonna be late.¡± Cloud cussed.
¡°Hey you, stop!¡± A MP soldier with his partner was running after Cloud.
¡°Ahh¡¦ great, now I got to fight them.¡± Cloud said to himself.
¡°Turn around.¡± The second one said. Cloud stop walking. The MP soldiers then walked up. Cloud grabbed and drew out his sword. He quickly turned around and swigged at the one who was near him. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± the soldier yelled in pain as the metal blade sliced through his stomach. Blood spilled out of the cut. He dropped down and lay there motionless. The other one was frighten and stumbled with his Mako gun. He finally got is finger on the trigger. ¡°Die!¡± he yelled. In a split second, Cloud made a sudden motion and the cold steal blade pierced the soldier¡¯s chest before he fired the gun. The gun shot out of control, missing Cloud entirely, till it ran out. Cloud removed the blade out of the dead body. The blood was stained on his sword. The blade, which was special, all the blood dripped off.
¡°What the hell is going on down there?¡± Another two Soldiers where across the street.
¡°Ahh¡¦comon. I have no time for this ****.¡± Cloud holstered his sword and ran towards the station. He was then cut off by another group of MP soldiers and was forced to walk back. Cloud ran to the bridge with the train tracks on the bottom. He was also cut off, again, by another group of soldiers. Cloud tried to walk back but the soldiers caught up and sealed him on the bridge.
¡°Surrender now!¡± a soldier yelled.
¡°I have no time to deal with you guys.¡± Cloud heard the train whistle. The train was approaching the bridge. ¡°Seeya guys.¡± He jumped off of the bridge and landed on the train. The soldiers crowded on the edge and watch the train vanish into the tunnels.
Cloud carefully walked to the end of the train where the crew was supposes to meet.
¡°He didn¡¯t make it.¡± Wedge said in sorrow.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about him he¡¯s strong.¡± Barret replied.
¡°You think he was killed?¡± Biggs asked.
¡° Cloud¡¦¡± said Jessie with a sigh.
¡°Barret, how about our pay?¡± Wedge asked. Barret slammed the box next to him.
¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have it.¡± Said Barret. He slammed it again. Everybody gave a sigh. ¡°If we weren¡¯t such screw ups!¡± Creek creek. The noise made everyone look up were it came from. They looked back down. Thump Thump. They look up again. The door of the car swung open and everybody jumped. Cloud went flying in, into the car.
¡°Cloud!¡± everybody shouted.
¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a little late.¡± Said Cloud
¡°A little late. We thought you got caught or something. And you come in and make a big scene.¡± Barret frustrated.
¡°I didn¡¯t make a big scene. This is what I always do.¡± Cloud replied.
¡°****ing ****, we were worried about you. We thought you were killed.¡± Barret said in a calm tone.
¡°You guys were worried about me?¡± Cloud was surprised about that.
¡°Alright, lets get a move on. Ah¡¦ damn it.¡± Barret tried to cluck the injury but failed. He then left and went into the passenger cars. Cloud stand there thinking about what Barret said.
¡°You were great Cloud¡± Said Wedge. He then went and left the car.
¡°We¡¯ll do better next time.¡± Biggs said in a cheery mood. Biggs followed after Wedge.
¡° I better shut the door before someone gets hurt.¡± Jessie walked up to the door and shut it. ¡°Thanks for helping me.¡± Cloud nodded. Jessie walked and left the car.
¡°No problem.¡± Cloud whispered. He left the car.
¡°Last train out of sector 8 and last stop is sector 7, train graveyard. Expected arrival 12:23 AM Midgar standard time.¡± The speaker announced
Berret immediately sat down and tried to clutch his injured arm again with no success. Cloud looked a Berret. He threw his last two potions at Berret. Berret caught one with his injured arm with struggle and the other fell to the seat next to him. He drank every single drop. Berret watch his injury heal rapidly.
¡°Sigh. That feels so much better. Thanks¡± said Berret.
¡°Its funny that you were the only one injured in this mission.¡± Cloud chuckled.
¡°Shut up!¡± said Berret irritated. Cloud laughed.
¡°Well, I¡¯m relived that it¡¯s over.¡± Said Cloud. Falling into the seat next to him.
¡°Don¡¯t get ****y. You never know what kind of **** happens in these trains.¡± Barret warned.
¡°So how about my pay?¡± Cloud asked Barret boastfully.
¡°Umm. Eh don¡¯t worry. Not right now. We¡¯ll talk when we get back.¡± Said Barret, waiting for agknolgegment.
¡° Fine!¡± said Cloud disappointed. The red lights on the train flashed and an awful screeching noise blared. Cloud jumped out of his seat, frightened by the noise.
¡° What the **** is going on?!¡± Cloud said, demanding an answer.
¡°We¡¯re passing the security point. The points check out who is in the trains. We have fake I.Ds. So we can only use them once.¡± Explained Jessie. Everything went back to normal.
¡°For a second there I thought we were caught.¡± Chuckled cloud. Jesse giggled.
¡°I thought you were in SOLDIER. You should know about this stuff.¡± Barret said confentdently.
¡°SHUT UP YOU *******!¡± said Cloud in anger.
¡°Make me **** face! Barret answered back. How much GEL did you put on your head anyways. Berret laughed. I think you were never in SOLDIER but I still don¡¯t trust you.¡±
¡° I don¡¯t care about you and this planet, I just want my money and get out of here.¡± Cloud said in rage.
¡°Stop it you guys. We¡¯re drawing attention.¡± Jesse whispered.
¡°Ahg¡¦ let them look?¡± said Berret calmly. Berret walked away and looked though the window. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that plate, I could be looking at the stars.¡± Cloud walked over.
¡°A flouting city. How unpleasant.¡± Said Cloud.
¡°Huh, I never expected to hear that from you. You¡¯re just full of surprises.¡± Barret said in shock. ¡°Well because of that ****ing pizza, people are sufferin on the bottom. And the air is bad down there. Also the life of the planet is being sucked out.¡± Barret preached. |
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¡°Well if its bad down there, why don¡¯t they just move to the top?¡± Cloud questioned.
¡° I dunno, maybe they got no money or they just stay cause they love their land no matter how polluted it gets.¡± Barret continued.
¡°I know¡¦ people don¡¯t live in the slum cause they want to, like this train, it can¡¯t go anywhere except where the rails leads.¡± Said Cloud.
¡° Hey Cloud, come over here.¡± Jessie called Cloud. Cloud walked over to where she was standing. There was a monitor. It was flashing a miniature size Midgar.
¡°This is Midgar railing system. These green dots show where the train is going. These bigger ones are the checkpoints and each one has a ID sensor device.¡± Jessie pointed on the monitor. ¡°Right now we are going down Section 7¡¯s main pillar. This big pillar holds the plate on top. There are 8 of these. There called Reactor 1 and so on. They used to have names for them a long time ago but they are forgotten. Now they are referred as numbers. Here you should look a little more to know more about Midgar.¡± Jessie lectured. The train halted.
¡°Alright, head to base. And watch your backs.¡± Barret jumped out of the train door. ¡°Don¡¯t get lazy cause the next one is gonna be bigger.¡± Then the rest got out. The voice calling Cloud back at the reactor made Cloud think.
¡°Who was that voice?¡± he thought. He realizes the train had stopped. He walked out of the train.
He headed towards to the bar. ¡°Tifa¡¯s 7th heaven¡±. He then heard some gunshots. Then a second later, the costumers ran out of the bar. Cloud ran. He went up the steps and saw Barret waiting outside. ¡°C¡¯mon get in,¡± said Berret. Cloud opened the swinging doors and saw a familiar face. It was Tifa.
¡°Hey Cloud. How was it? Did you fight again?¡± She said. She walked up to Cloud. A little girl ran up to Cloud and ran back looking embarrassed. ¡°Marlin, say hello to Cloud.¡± Said Tifa. She didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Are those flowers for me?¡± Tifa asked.
¡°Uhh¡¦yeah, here you go.¡± Cloud gave Tifa the flowers.
¡°Thank you, I haven¡¯t seen flowers ever since I moved into this city. Where on earth did you get these?¡± Tifa asked. Barret came in running.
¡°Daddy!¡± the girl jumped to life.
¡°Hello my sweetie. Hey! We¡¯re havin a meeting.¡± Barret yelled at his crew. He then put marlin on his shoulder and walked to the pinball machine. He pulled a lever and the machine lowered, revealing a hidden hideout. The others jumped in with him. The machine went back up.
¡°Cloud come here and take a seat.¡± Tifa said. Cloud walked up and sat in the stool. ¡°What do you want? You know I make the best.¡± Tifa offered.
¡°Give me a hard one.¡± Cloud said accepting the offer. ¡°Coming right up.¡± She then poured a mix of liquor in a container. She shook it and poured it in a glass. ¡°Here.¡± She then slides the cup on the counter. Cloud caught it with his hand and drank it.
¡°Are you alright?¡± Tifa asked.
¡°I¡¯m fine, why?¡± Cloud confused.
¡°Oh nothing, its just that¡¦you better go to Barret and get your pay.¡± Tifa said.
¡°Yeah.¡± Cloud replied. He put down his glass and walked to the pinball machine. He pulled the lever that Barret pulled earlier. The machine lowered. The hideout was composed of a large monitor and a couple of smaller ones next to it, bunch of box full of junk, and a punching bag. Cloud heard the sound of the punching bag being strike. He walked up to Barret.
¡°I¡¯m here for my money!¡± Could shout over the commotion.
"Hey Cloud were there any¡¦you know, were any members of SOLDIER in the mission?" asked Barret. Cloud shook his head.
¡°Nope. I¡¯m positive.¡±
"How can you be so sure?" asked Barret suspiciously.
"If there were any, you be dead by now.¡± answered Cloud. Barret burst out a laugh and scowled at that answer.
"Look hotshot, just cause you used to be one of them, doesn't mean you need to act all high and mighty." Cloud shrugged. He ignored Barret.
¡°How about my pay? Cloud said changing the subject.
¡°Err¡¦ I don¡¯t have it. Hehehehe¡¦¡± Barret said nervously.
¡°What?! And I finished the mission too. Damn it!¡± Cloud was yelling. Everybody was staring at him.
¡°Well I¡¯m outta here!¡± Cloud walked to the Pinball machine and left the hideout. When he was on ground floor, Tifa ran after him.
¡°Where you going?¡± she asked.
¡°Well, your group of idiots couldn¡¯t pay me. So I¡¯m leavin.¡± He said in sorrow.
¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± Tifa said sharply. ¡°What about the promise we made?¡±
¡°What promise?¡± Cloud said without a thought.
¡°You forgot didn¡¯t you. We made it before you left to join SOLDIER. Remember now?¡±
¡°Oh that promise. But that was a long time ago. And I¡¯m not famous and you don¡¯t need to be saved.¡±
¡°But you got to fulfill you long time dream. Right?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡° So just stay, for me. Please?¡±
¡°Sigh. Alr-¡± Thump thump. Barret climbed up the wall and jumped out.
¡°Here catch. A promise is a promise.¡± Barret threw a bag at Cloud. Cloud grabbed it and opened it to see its contents. It was 1500 gill.
¡° Hey if this is my pay, I¡¯ll do the next mission but double the cost.¡± Cloud said excitedly.
¡°WHAT! You crazy I ain¡¯t gonna pay that much.¡± Barret burst out loud.
¡°Barret¡± Tifa whispered. ¡°Just do it, we need him badly.¡±
¡°But the money is for Marline¡¯s schoolin.¡±
¡°Come on Barret.¡±
¡°Argg.. .Ok.¡± ¡°Alright but for 2500 gill and that¡¯s it.¡± Whined Barret.
¡°Fine with me.¡± Cloud said in agreement. Barret jumped down into the hideout. Tifa went up to Cloud.
¡°You better get some rest.¡± She said.
¡°Ok. See ya in the morning.¡± Tifa gave Cloud a kiss in the cheek. Cloud flushed. He went down to the hideout. He saw that everybody was sleeping. He sat down next to some of the boxes. Away, from the rest of the crew. The snoring of Barret kept Cloud awake. Cloud finally dosed off and went to sleep. |
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Chapter Three
Mako Reactor #5
6:15AM
Cloud woke up by a chatter that was coming from upstairs. Cloud got up, stretched, yawned, and walked up to the pinball machine. He noticed that everybody was already up and had left the hideout. The machine elevated him up to the floor above. He saw Barret and Tifa talking and the rest of the crew eating.
¡°Good morning Cloud, did you sleep well?¡± Tifa came up to Cloud.
¡°With Barret snoring like a horn, NO.¡± Cloud joked.
¡°Hey!¡± Barret shouted. Tifa giggled.
¡°Cloud, can I ask you a question?¡± Said Barret.
¡°Go ahead.¡± Cloud replied. Wondering what would he ask.
¡°How did you cast lighting?¡± Barret looked awed.
¡°Well the dead guard had the Materia ¡°lighting¡± and I equpied it on my sword. All of the weapons and armor has slots where Materia can be placed. Some of them don¡¯t, but most of them do. When the Materia is place, it gives the user that ability. Each Materia only has one ability. That¡¯s why some weapons and armor has more than 1 slot. Depending on the equipment, the Materia has different growths. If we fight more and get more skill, our Materia will also get better.¡± Cloud explained.
¡°So if I equip the Materia on my gun, I will be able to cast lighting just like you?¡± Barret said.
¡°Yeah.¡± Cloud said back.
¡°Then we better go to the store and get some more.¡± Barret told.
¡°Ok, you do that.¡± Said Cloud.
¡°I will.¡± Replied Barret. ¡°Well when you¡¯re ready go to the station, ok?¡±
¡°Affirmative.¡± Said Cloud. Barret walked and left.
¡°Cloud, I¡¯ll be going on this mission.¡± Said Tifa.
¡°No, your not.¡± Cloud said in disagreement. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯m a grown woman and I know how to defend myself.¡± Tifa talked back.
¡°Sigh¡¦I can¡¯t stop you. Go ahead, but don¡¯t get hurt.¡± Cloud feeling that he lost.
¡°Are you alright?¡± Tifa asked.
¡°I¡¯m fine, lets go.¡± Cloud ordered.
¡°Alright, Marlin take care of the of the bar while I¡¯m gone. Alright?¡± Tifa shouted
¡°Ok, come back.¡± Marlin replied.
¡°Lets go.¡± Tifa went out the door. Cloud followed. Tifa and Cloud walked to the station. They saw everybody except Barret.
¡°Barret better hurry up.¡± Cloud murmured.
¡°All aboard!¡± the train operator yelled. The train whistled and the train started to move.
¡°Wait up!¡± Barret screamed. Cloud saw him running. He opened the car door for Barret to get in. Barret was able to catch up but the train was going faster and faster.
¡°Here grab my arm!¡± Cloud shouted. Barret jumped and hoped he would reach Cloud¡¯s arm. Barret and Cloud made contact and Cloud pulled Barret in.
¡°Whoo¡¦Thanks.¡± Said Barret, struggling to talk. He took a moment to catch his breath.
¡°No problem. Just making sure that my boss is able to pay me.¡± Cloud winked.
¡°Whatever.¡± Said Barret, still struggling to breath. He sat down.
¡°Why do I always end up in this train?¡± murmured a small man with a suit. He sat away from Barret.
¡°What you say.¡± Barret said, trying to sound nice. He repeated. He got up and walked up to the man. ¡°WHAT YOU SAY!¡± Barret shouted.
¡°AHH¡¦Uhh¡¦nothing¡¦sir.¡± said the little man, frighten by Barret.
¡°Barret leave him alone.¡± said Tifa.
¡°Alright, but next time, she won¡¯t be here to stop me. YOU GOT THAT!¡± Barret slammed the wall.
¡°AHHH!¡± the little man screamed. Barret laughed and walked up to Cloud.
¡°Here I got some Materia. The store didn¡¯t have lighting.¡± He handed cloud the Materia. ¡°I also got some new armor here.¡± Barret threw it at Cloud. ¡°Give some to Tifa alright. I have Ice, Fire, and Restore.¡± He sat into the seat next to him. Cloud put on the armor, which gave him an extra Material slot. He equipped Ice and Restore. Cloud walked over to where Tifa was standing.
¡°Here Tifa.¡± Cloud handed Tifa the stuff. She put on the armor and placed Restore on it and placed Ice on her glove.
¡°Cloud lets look at the screen together.¡± Tifa suggested. Cloud walked over to the monitor. Cloud just stared at it. ¡°Look like you already watched it.¡± Tifa said. ¡°Comon get closer.¡± The red light started to flash with the awful screeching noise. ¡°The Checkpoint should of been further down.¡± The overhead started to buzz.
¡°Unidentified personal in the last car.¡± The speaker shouted. Barret got up in an instant.
¡°Whats goin on?¡± he shouted. The door of the other car swung open. Jessie came running from the other car to Barret.
¡°Something went wrong. No time to explain, they gonna shut the cars.¡± Jessie ran back.
¡°Shutting car in 15 seconds.¡± The speaker blared.
¡°You heard her, lets go!¡± Barret yelled a Cloud and Tifa. The three ran and went to the next.
¡°Shutting next car in 15 seconds.¡± The speaker shouted. Barret, Cloud, and Tifa kept running till they were at the end of the train. They saw Wedge, Biggs, and Jessie in disguises. Barret opened the side door of the car.
¡°We gotta jump out.¡± Barret commanded. Cloud stared at him.
¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go first?¡± Cloud said, sounding suspicious.
¡°The leader always stays behind.¡± Barret said, boasting himself.
¡°Suit yourself.¡± Said Cloud. Tifa jumped out of the train. Cloud walked to the door and prepared to jump.
¡°Don¡¯t get you spiky ass hurt, alright? Its only the beginning of the mission.¡± Barret shouted at Cloud. Cloud nodded and jumped out.
Cloud landed and rolled on the floor. ¡°Owww!¡± Cloud yelled in pain. He hit his head on the tracks. Cloud heard footsteps approaching him.
¡°Are you OK?¡± Tifa asked. She offered a hand. Cloud grabbed her hand and pulled himself up.
¡°Got hurt a little. Just got hit on the head, no big deal.¡± Cloud said while rubbing the bump on this head. It was swelled into a size of a rock.
¡°You sure? Let me take a look.¡± Tifa turned Cloud¡¯s head and saw the red bump swelling.
¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Cloud turned away.
¡°Ok whatever.¡± Tifa said in dislike. Footsteps approached them.
¡°That must be Barret.¡± Said Tifa.
¡°No, it can¡¯t, cause I hear two of them.¡± Said Cloud in disagreement. When the figures finally reveal themselves from the darkness, Cloud and Tifa noticed they were Shinra guards.
¡°Put your hands in the air so I can see them.¡± One of them said. Cloud and Tifa did as they were told. The two guards approach them with their guns pointing at their heads. One of them pulled of the radio out of his pocket.
¡°Hey you guys!¡± A voice yelled. Cloud knew it was Barret. Both the guards turned around. Barret immediately shot a couple of rounds on guard with the radio, in the head. He stood there, with no life in him and fell down. Blood splattered everywhere.
¡°You bastard!¡± the other guard screamed. He aimed his gun at Barret. Cloud pulled out his sword and sliced off the guard arm. He yelled in pain. Cloud moved out of the way while Barret shot the crap out of the guard. His body became a bloody pulp.
¡°Damn! I think you went to far.¡± Cloud yelled at Barret. ¡°Well anyways thanks for saving our skin.¡±
¡°Comon let get going. We gotta go that way.¡± Barret pointed. Then three of them walked. A Shinra ID sensor device cut them off.
¡°Damn where do we go now?¡± Barret murmured. Cloud looked around and saw a vent. He pointed at it. |
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