Final Fantasy VII Novel

by puddles123

A thorough novelization of the majority of the game's first 'Act', which takes place entirely in Midgar.

1. Chapter 1: Resistance

Chapter 1 – Resistance

Sparks flew, and light cascaded in the dark. Wedge turned his head away as the glittering fire filled his vision. He gazed down the tracks as they sped by below. The train surged through the tunnel, orange lights intermixing with patches of darkness. He tried to swallow his sick feeling. Why did he agree to go on this mission? Why was he even here? He looked down and patted his belly, the touch comfortable but his inner self forlorn. He did not belong in the action, where heroes were made and people earned the deep respect of friends and comrades. Yet it was this very thought that made him steel himself. After today, Biggs would look at him with his accepting half-smile, rather than a roll of the eyes. After today, Jessie would treat him not with pity, but with admiration. And after today, Barret would stop treating him and the others like unthinking punching bags that had to respond to his every deeply voiced command. At that thought, Wedge smiled unseen in the flickering dark and light of the tunnel. He looked over his shoulder.

Barret grumbled and cursed, wrenching levers and doing his best to coax every measure of speed from the train. Wedge walked over to his side, hesitantly reaching out to touch the big man's shoulder. Barret twitched, turning to Wedge with a fierce glare. His dark beard sat closely on his black skin, the tip of the short goatee mere inches from Wedge's eyes. Wedge shied away, jumping back against the wall of the cockpit. Barret roared in his face.

"What now?"

Wedge's voice came out in a stammer.

"Are we almost there?"

Barret growled, shaking his head as he turned back to the console.

"No, damn it. And stop asking. We're late enough as is!"

Wedge's face turned red, and he made himself look away. Barret had been like this since they began the mission: surly, focused, and, above all, enraged about one thing or another. It was hard to avoid the impression that, to Barret, conducting this mission against the Shinra Corporation was very personal to him. But Wedge smiled as he looked back out the window to the passing lights outside. Maybe it was the way Barret burst onto the train in the first place, his face alight with fury as he slammed into the Shinra guards onboard as if they were bowling pins. Despite the bruises their dark nightsticks must have inflicted, he roared through it all like some ferocious bear out of a distant wilderness. Yet he had not been alone in the fight to secure the train. Their companions, Biggs and Jessie had helped. Biggs in his red bandana had distracted the train's conductor long enough for the others to execute their assault. His exaggerated lampooning of Shinra had risen those eyebrows and hackles high enough that Biggs had attracted not only the conductor, but a number of the guards nearby. Jessie had slipped around the side, her lithe figure moving from crate to crate as if she were one of the shadows that danced in the flickering light of the train station. Together, his three companions had helped distract and fight their way through to this train, which they had commandeered as their own. But Wedge did not forget the main element that had allowed them to do this, the one who made this all possible. Without him, AVALANCHE would not have been able to get this far.

Wedge looked out the window and down the train cars trailing behind them, his eyes scanning the roof of each. His gaze passed Biggs, who clung tight to the roof, giving Wedge a quick wink. His gaze passed Jessie next to him, who looked off into the distance as if reliving an old memory. He squinted as he tried to pierce the shadows of the roof behind them. There he was, the ex-SOLDIER. The man's spiky blond hair whipped to and fro from the wind, and even from where he was standing Wedge could see a shine within light blue eyes. In the darkness behind the man, Wedge could briefly see a glint, a quick flash of light that drew his attention to the massive sword the man held strapped to his back.

Wedge had overheard Barret speaking to Tifa about the ex-SOLDIER as Tifa had explained why he was a good man, and how he would be able to advance the goals of AVALANCHE in ways Barret had never dreamed. Wedge remembered the name they used for the man. Cloud. Biggs and Jessie, all they knew was that this man had dashed from shadow to shadow on the rooftops, eliminating sentries and covering their tracks without a sound. They had not yet had the chance to even see him face to face, to learn his name. Wedge smiled. But he knew the man's name. Cloud. And through this link that the others did not have, he felt a rapport, a connection that drew him to the man, this mysterious ex-SOLDIER who followed in their wake, enabling their mission and watching their backs like a dark silent guardian.

Barret tapped Wedge's shoulder, which felt more like an aggressive push. Wedge turned around in a hurry, almost hitting the side of the window with his forehead as he turned. Barret pointed ahead, his dark brows furrowed into one with concentration and determination. The station lay ahead of them, and they were mere seconds away from arriving. Wedge nodded hurriedly, and sat down next to the console to conceal himself. As he sat in the dark and watched Barret do the same on the other side, he thought about their companion, Cloud. As the brakes screeched and the train slowed, Wedge did his best to distract himself from panicking. With Cloud at their side, they could do this. He could do this. The train slowed to a stop, and Wedge gulped as he watched Barret's gaze go to the roofs of the cars behind them. As Wedge watched his companions drop down to the platform and charge at guards out of view, as he watched Barret rise and bellow, he forced himself to rise, to come face to face with what he had come there to do with his comrades, his friends.

Time to blow up the Mako reactor.

Concealed in darkness, Cloud gripped the side of the roof firmly as he touched two fingers to the hilt of his sword. The feel of leather against them kept him calm, focused, a blank slate from which to impose any number or variety of actions or movements. The train car rumbled beneath him, He watched coldly from the shadows above as the train pulled into station. Time to see how his companions measured up. Time to see if they had what it took to fight when their lives were at stake.

Upon the dark concrete platform two guards stood lazily at attention. Their red uniforms and darker russet coats rustled slightly as the hot gusts of smoke passed by, the train slowing to a stop before them. Cloud's eyes narrowed as he inspected them with a closer eye. Stitched upon their arms were smoke stained insignia, marking them as security hired by the Shinra Company. His companions were lucky, Cloud thought to himself. If they were Shinra army then this would be far more difficult. And exponentially more dangerous. Yawning, the guards readjusted their coats and walked slowly over to the front of the train.

Without warning, a young man dressed in brown combat fatigues launched out from between two of the cars. His red bandana fluttered like chain lightning in the wind as Biggs quickly sprinted towards the guard closest to the front of the train, dashing through one plume of smoke after another. The guard yelled in surprise, fumbling for the weapon at his side. Further down the platform, his companion pulled free his police baton and made to charge. But he was simply too slow, too unlucky. Cloud's eyes darted to a sudden source of movement, emerging from the roof of the train nearby.

Jessie leapt from the shadows above. She landed powerfully on top of the armed guard, slamming him down into the pavement with unrestrained force. She rolled to one side, her eyes fixed on the guard as she rose into a combat-ready crouch. A tight grunt pierced the air as the Shinra guard rose to one knee and made to backhand her with his gleaming dark nightstick. With a tight grin, she ducked underneath the blow, only strands of her brown hair caught behind. She wheeled around to kick him in the head. The guard did not rise again.

Nearer to the front of the train, the roguish young man danced nimbly aside as the guard tried vainly to swipe at him. The hard baton clanked, rebounding off of the side of the car nearby. The young man played with his foe, constantly moving about as he laughed, parried, and kicked the Shinra officer around. With a roar of anger, the guard lashed out. He became more and more incensed as, each time he swung at the assailant, the man moved just slightly out of reach. Overwhelmed, and furious at his own inability to strike the youth, the guard flailed about in a fury. Despite this, he could not keep up, only hitting air or the occasional wisp of red cloth. A deep voice roared out from the train's cockpit.

"Quit toying with the man and finish it, Biggs!"

The man with the red bandana froze with surprise, giving a sharp glance to the front of the train. Biggs then turned back to his opponent. The guard looked on, panting with exhaustion, baton weaving unsteadily near to the ground with fatigue. Shrugging, Biggs sketched a fanciful bow to his opponent. His fist was a blur as he slammed the guard to the ground with a smile.

As Biggs and his ally mopped up the platform's defenses, Cloud decided that he had waited long enough. He placed a black fingerless gloved hand to one side, and then neatly flipped down to the dusty station platform below, going to one knee as he did. Brushing himself off, he ran at a fast but easy pace to his companions. His navy blue sleeveless sweater and dark combat pants hugged his form tightly, sacrificing none of his speed to the drag of baggier clothing. A single metal pauldron adorned his left shoulder, moving in time with the command of his muscles. Jessie turned and gave him a short smile as she joined him to run to the front of the train.

Barret emerged from the cockpit and motioned for them to follow, stopping only momentarily to reach back and smash the train's controls inside. The giant man's visage of concentrated anger gave him an intimidating appearance. A full black beard lay on his obsidian skin, and his tightly cropped dark hair hung motionless in the cool twilight air. Immense muscles flexed as he launched his form forward to lead the way, his open brown vest and dark green pants rustling slightly as he ran. Large black gloves covered equally powerful hands clenched tight in concentration. Cloud observed all this without comment, stopping only momentarily as he noticed the short man behind Barret.

A nervous and rotund looking fellow followed as fast as he could in the larger man's wake, wincing at the shower of sparks created by the larger man's fury. As Wedge jumped down to the station platform, he gave Cloud a sheepish smile, shooting a glance toward Barret and then back at Cloud. Cloud simply stared back. Wedge seemed to wilt before him, as if Cloud had threatened his life. Wedge turned away, sweating profusely in embarrassment and with the stress of the mission. As they ran, Cloud considered the little man for a moment, and just as quickly dismissed him. What did he care? He was just here for the money, and he had no inclination to create relationships with these people. And it gave him something to do. Mentally dispelling his thoughts, he threw himself back into the action. With the others, Cloud ran quickly to the nearby security entrance into the reactor, underneath an arch of corroded steel.

When they all reached the entrance, they stopped and let the short man up to the front. The rusty brown gate was secured by an electronics panel forbidding entrance to those without passcodes. Swiftly, the man in the white sweat-stained shirt got to work, plugging a mechanical hacking device into one of the panel's outlets. As he scanned the segments of red code flashing across the small viewscreen he muttered under his breath.

"This is the dumbest idea I have ever gone along with."

Barret smacked him on the back of the head.

"Shut up, Wedge, and keep scanning for the code! We don't have time for your bitching."

Wedge recoiled and then looked up angrily at the big man.

"Damn it, Barret! Don't hit the hacker while he's working! We have to hurry before security figures out what's happening."

Barret scowled and looked at the others. Biggs was grinning openly, amused by Barret's treatment of the new guy. Cloud took this in, measuring the response. Wedge was new. And the others acted as if Barret was simply lots of talk. All bark and no bite. Then Cloud considered the big man's actions back at the station before, and furrowed his brow. No bite, that is, unless you belonged to Shinra.

As Wedge typed in commands on his keypad, Cloud inspected the area. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jessie watching him, in the back of the group. Cloud was also a newcomer. She seemed astonished by the size of his sword, his military appearance, his calm approach to what was, for them, a dangerous foray deep into enemy territory.

"You used to be in SOLDIER, right?"

Cloud turned, gazing at Jessie. Her short brown hair curled and enshrined a face that was plain, but sincere and honest. Smile lines adorned the side of her lips, showing both her age and her demeanor. She was fairly pretty, although she did not seem to know or care. Yet, unlike Wedge, she seemed at ease, though alert. But despite her obvious experience with dangerous situations such as these, this did not stop her from gaping at the ex-SOLDIER.

Biggs turned and confirmed it.

"Yeah Jessie, he's from SOLDIER alright. Pretty rare to find an ex-SOLDIER in a group like AVALANCHE."

Jessie shook her head.

"But SOLDIER is the enemy. SOLDIER is Shinra's creation."

Biggs laughed, and moved to stand directly in front of Cloud. He looked at Biggs coolly, straight in the eyes. Biggs stared for a moment, and then looked away, unable to hold his gaze. After a moment of hesitation, Biggs turned back and smiled at Jessie as if nothing had happened.

"Jessie, he was from SOLDIER. He quit and now he is with us. While I don't trust him yet, Tifa said he is completely dependable. And that counts for something."

Biggs turned back to the ex-SOLDIER.

"What was your name again?"

He considered Biggs for a moment before answering.

"Cloud."

Biggs whipped out another charming smile.

"Cloud, eh? Pleased to meet you. My name is…"

"I don't care what your names are. Once this job is done, I'm gone."

Biggs raised his eyebrows in surprise and then pointed a finger at Cloud's face.

"Hey, now…"

Barret stormed over to interrupt. Wedge had finished deciphering the code and the gate stood wide open beside him.

"Quiet, you two! Now look…"

Barret pointed up in the sky. Cloud gazed upward. Above them loomed the energy reactor. The giant cylindrical metal tube emitted greenish white fumes as they watched, filling the night sky with a teeming cloud.

"Our target is that Mako Reactor, the first of eight. We need to be as quick and silent as possible as we approach. Now move it!"

Without argument, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie moved past him into the industrial complex. Their feet made not a sound as they broke into a run atop the stark concrete. As Cloud made to follow, Barret stopped him cold with a glare.

"Ex-SOLDIER… I don't trust you. You mess up and there'll be hell to pay."

Cloud stared at him. After a moment, Barret grimaced, and sprinted into the complex after the others. Left alone, Cloud looked up. The reactor dominated the area, the Shinra insignia stamped bold across its side. The grey metal looked lifeless, unfriendly. Cloud brought his gaze downward and then jogged into the complex. Upon his sword shone a reflection of the industrial might of the Shinra Company, towering above the ants below.

Inside the main building, Cloud appraised the situation. The room they were in was sizable, but largely empty aside from an abandoned guard desk. Bulky grey piping ran along the sides of the walls, thrumming loudly as something moved within. The guards that had occupied the desk must have been the ones sent to greet and direct the train's shipment. Cloud considered the lack of further guards up to this point. It was peculiar that Wedge's hacking had not been further noticed. His gaze idly trailed across the room. Stale white lights sputtered overhead. Papers moved softly on the desk under the slow movement of the fan above. Barret and Wedge had run on ahead and were dismantling the final panel that would allow them further in. The door itself was old steel inches thick, adorned by a dull red light placed in the center. Biggs and Jessie roamed throughout the room, checking carefully for valuable information and any sign of cameras. As they looked, Jessie gave Cloud a small smile. Cloud did not fail to notice that Biggs simply rolled his eyes.

With a beep of acknowledgment, the panel clicked, and the secured doorway to the next area turned its light diode from red to green. Wedge smiled, looking back at Barret for a moment, who nodded firmly. Quickly, Wedge withdrew his hacking device and waited for someone else to take the lead. Barret waved Cloud over as the door stood ready to be opened.

"Yo, SOLDIER boy! You ever been in a Shinra reactor?"

Cloud gave a short nod.

"Yes. I did work for Shinra, you know."

Barret gestured.

"Then you lead."

So be it. Cloud drew his sword with one arm, keeping its bulk close to the floor. With his other hand he grasped the door's handle.

"Quiet."

Silently he moved into the next area, the steel door opening as quietly as he could persuade it. A hallway opened up into the outside after a couple feet. Cloud moved quickly and silently to the other side and then looked around. Catwalks and rails lay ahead. Below them lay a great chasm.

Swallowing his misgivings, Wedge leaned over the gap to see the extent of the reactor's roots. His fingers and knuckles turned white as he gripped the railing as firmly as he could. The metal sides shifted to hard brown earth as his gaze went steadily downwards. The reactor went deep underground, its reach so unfathomable that he could not see the bottom. Why would they build it so deep? Sickly green smoke gathered in the depths, appearing to swirl about slowly, but with purpose. Shuddering, Wedge stood back from the edge and then looked about, seeking where they were to go next.

From their building emerged a catwalk over the chasm that ran straight ahead to connect to the building across the way. Halfway across, an extension grew out of the side to connect it to the main reactor entrance to their right. Wedge forced himself to smile, and then made to walk forward past Cloud. The catwalk to the right was where they needed to go, and if he took the lead then the others would respect him more for it. But Cloud's gloved hand pressed firmly against his chest, halting him in his tracks. Wedge looked down at Cloud's hand, not understanding. One finger pointed ahead, across the catwalk in front of them.

Straight ahead, a few guards in scarlet coats were walking away from them into the building across the way. Wedge felt the blood drain from his face as he made himself stand stock still. The guards strode casually with their backs facing him, their conversation lively but unable to be heard clearly over the loud pumping sounds of the reactor nearby. Large black automatic guns were strapped tightly to their back. Wedge stared in awe. They had not noticed his presence.

Motioning calmly for Wedge and the rest of AVALANCHE to crouch down, Cloud watched the guards closely as Wedge gladly shrank back to the middle of the group. A few tense moments passed. Finally, the guards turned down a hallway far ahead of them and vanished out of sight. Cloud motioned Barret forward. Grumbling, Barret moved up the line. Wedge watched as Barret reluctantly went to a crouch beside the ex-SOLDIER. The big man clearly did not trust Cloud or value his assistance.

"What's up?"

Cloud pointed to where the guards were just ahead of them. Wedge followed the motion. The corridor into the other building appeared a sickly green as seen through the fumes rising from the deep.

"They didn't know about us. How could the hacking not have set off any alarms?"

Barret gave Cloud a toothy smile.

"That's why we're bombing this reactor. Their maintenance has gone downhill, which is why they needed the mechanical supplies in that train we stole."

Barret gave Cloud a nudge on the shoulder, the force of it pushing the ex-SOLDIER up against the side rail of the catwalk. Wedge's heart leapt in his chest as he watched the exchange. Cloud reassumed his footing with an icy glare. Shrugging, Barret backed off, but not without a parting remark.

"Learn your stuff, SOLDIER boy."

Without a word, Cloud looked away and gave the sign for all clear. Quietly, but with as much speed as he could muster, Wedge and the others ran across the side bridge and into the jaws of the reactor.

Jessie fingered the trigger of the small pistol concealed in her pocket, keeping one hand on it reassuringly as she followed Cloud and the others into the entrance of the reactor. As she walked in, she drew back with some unease as she saw what lay ahead. Within was a solitary elevator painted black, within a room barely lit. The stainless steel walls seemed to isolate and reinforce the fact that they were unwelcome. Jessie moved up to the front, pausing only momentarily to inspect the elevator's down button closely. She quickly pushed it. A hazy red light appeared in its place. Silent as a shadow, she moved back to the main opening, watching the green smoke rise over the catwalk behind them. After a few minutes passed, the doors opened and they squeezed inside. The elevator was lit with a dull and dark blue light, the walls industrial and metallic. Upon pressing the button to go to the lowest floor, silence reigned.

Wedge cleared his throat.

Everyone looked at him.

He twitched awkwardly.

"So, why are we blowing a reactor up again?"

Barret's loud whisper appeared to cause Wedge to momentarily lose his hearing.

"I told you already! Pay attention, damn it! Biggs, you tell him."

Jessie watched with amusement as Biggs quickly pretended to be busy inspecting his fingernails. Barret leaned over and smacked him. Both Wedge and Biggs gave Barret a wounded look, and Jessie did her best to stifle a giggle. She was happy to see Biggs and Wedge bonding like this. When they had first taken the train, Wedge had looked like he was going to faint or lose his dinner from all the excitement. Yet here he was, beginning to see that Barret was a softie underneath that rough exterior. Jessie's smile gradually disappeared, though, as she considered the real outsider, the true curiosity. In front of them all, Cloud continued looking straight at the door, not acknowledging any of the talk going on around him. Finally, Barret acquiesced to Biggs and Wedge's pretended ignorance.

"Alright, I'll tell you again, Wedge," Barret said as he folded his arms. "Pardon me if I sound like I'm talking to an idiot. Now see here. The planet is full of energy. The Shinra Company calls this Mako energy. The Shinra Company used their knowledge of harvesting this energy to become the primary power of the world, shunting aside those who did not know how or chose not to use the Mako. And their capital city is where we are now, the city of Midgar..."

Biggs interrupted with a roll of the eyes, "All right, Barret, cut the stupid act. We know where we live."

Barret continued, pretending not to hear.

"Shinra harvests this energy, and everyone in Midgar uses it every day. It powers our electricity, our heating, and the vehicles that people use above the plate that separates us poor people who live below from the rich people who reside above." Barret slammed the side of the elevator with one fist, "But this energy isn't limitless. It is the lifeblood of the planet. But Shinra keeps suckin' it all out with their damned machines. Little by little the reactors will drain the planet dry."

The elevator continued descending as they digested the information. Jessie noticed Barret looking at Cloud, who was still staring straight forward.

"What do you think of that, SOLDIER boy?"

"It's not my problem."

Barret gaped.

"But the planet is dyin', man!"

"The only thing I care about is finishing this job before Shinra gets wind of our presence."

Barret fumed behind Cloud. Jessie stared at the back of Cloud's head. She couldn't understand his indifference to what they were doing. Didn't he have any interest in what he was getting paid to do, what he was risking his life to accomplish?

Soon, they reached the bottom level. The exit lobby was empty, and steel adorned the ceiling, walls, and floor. Jessie swallowed back a quick burst of panic as she stepped out of the elevator. She tried not to fathom how many tons of solid, dark earth hung between them and the sky. To one side, Barret swallowed his anger and began to shoot off instructions.

"Alright, let's split up and move quickly and quietly through the area to make sure we can deal with any Shinra who could call the alarms. Everyone should know their routes based on the maps we went over before we left. Once we get through, we meet up at the main reactor controls so we can set this baby to blow! Now, everyone get into pairs. Cloud and Wedge; Biggs and Jessie; and I'll go alone. Now move!"

They split off into groups and were soon stepping quietly throughout the network of tunnels and halls, the machinery and pumps echoing all around them as if they were in the gullet of a giant mechanical monster.

Cloud moved silently through the rooms as Wedge trailed behind. They encountered little resistance. Wedge looked around curiously as Cloud led the way. As they descended further and further underground, the size and frequency of the piping seemed to increase with every step, weaving and tucking as if within an ongoing web of dull grey metal. As they worked their way deeper into the belly of the Mako reactor, they found themselves walking along railings that held them far above deeper pits below. The discomforting green glow became ever present. Yet despite the unsettling surroundings, Wedge became increasingly more interested in his companion. Cloud moved with a natural stride that reminded him of a stalking panther. Even though his massive sword must be exceedingly difficult to carry, the SOLDIER moved as if it he hardly even knew it was there. Every inch of him seemed ready to commit to an action at any moment, even though they had not yet seen a soul.

"Cloud, hold up a sec."

Cloud turned and stared at Wedge. His pale blue eyes fixed Wedge into place. He moved uncomfortably under Cloud's gaze.

"Er... I just wanted to ask what it is like being in SOLDIER."

Wordlessly, Cloud turned and started walking ahead again. Wedge watched in shock for a moment, and then ran to catch up. All around them machinery hissed and whined.

"No, seriously. Ever since I was a child I wanted to be in SOLDIER. Who wouldn't? The stories were remarkable… A SOLDIER was one who traveled to distant continents, traversing vast wildernesses. I heard of such men fighting giant beasts single handedly. Certainly, they did it for the Shinra Company, who aren't the greatest fellas on earth, but still... In your travels a SOLDIER could dine with royalty, dance with the local girls, and become brothers for life with one another. By being SOLDIER you could earn the world's respect and could be part of one of the most highly trained combat units in the world."

Cloud gave a short dry laugh. Undeterred, Wedge continued.

"Well, that's the way Shinra tells it at least. Working this job, it does make one ready to doubt what they say. That's why I want to know, Cloud. What is it like? Truly?"

Cloud came to a stop. Wedge skidded his feet on the steel as he also stopped in surprise. Cloud turned and looked powerfully into Wedge's eyes. Spellbound, Wedge froze. It seemed to Wedge that, at that moment, Cloud's deep blue eyes reflected a sea of flickering green flames. With a whisper like the distant rumbling of a thundercloud, Cloud said,

"You have no idea."

And then he walked on.

Shortly afterward, Cloud and Wedge met up with the others in a wide hallway. Right before them stood the massive steel door separating them from the room with the reactor's controls. Two semi-conscious guards in red were sprawled before the entryway, groaning slightly as they fought to rise. Above them, Biggs stood victoriously, snapping a fist downward to finish sending a guard into unconsciousness. He smiled over at the approaching duo. Next to Cloud, Wedge looked miserable. Shaking his head, Biggs walked over to him, launching a foot out as he did to knock out the other guard.

"Is the big bad SOLDIER scaring the newbie?"

Wedge snapped.

"Shove off, Biggs."

After moving the unconscious guards to one side, Barret strode over and told them both predictably to shut up. He snapped his gaze towards Cloud.

"Alright now, SOLDIER boy. You lead the way."

Without a word, Cloud walked forward and hit the pulsing green button in the center of the door. Clanking and groaning, the steel door lifted slowly, spilling an ethereal green light into the hallway. Ahead of them lay a massive circular room dominated by a coruscating green glow. The emerald luminescence shifted and flowed against the metal walls. A lone catwalk stretched out from the hallway to a tiny platform at the other end of the room. Yawning gaps on both sides sank into green mist. Biggs whistled.

"Damn. This does not look like a nice place to spend the night in."

Jessie shivered.

"Quiet, Biggs. This room doesn't feel right."

Ignoring them, Cloud stepped out onto the bridge. Without warning, an intense feeling of vertigo overwhelmed him as he moved forward. His senses seemed to shudder, disturbed. Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud thought he could see something that could not be. It seemed almost as if the bridge was moving along with him, making the platform at the end seem further and further away. The pale green light flickered wildly against the walls as he walked, surrounding him with the shadow of dancing flames. The expanse of bridge ahead of him seemed to split into two, then three, and then began to spin. He stopped. His senses spiraling out of control, he tried desperately to find some anchor, some defense against the onset of sudden madness. Then all he saw was darkness.

"Watch out," a voice whispered in his head, "This isn't just a reactor…"

He opened his eyes. Blinking, he looked ahead. The bridge wasn't moving, the dizziness had passed, and the green glow shone steady on the walls and in the pits below him. He was on one knee, but hadn't actually fallen over unconscious. Confused, he shook his head as if to shake away inner demons. What had happened? What was that all about?

"Yo, Cloud!"

Cloud looked back. Behind him, Barret was impatiently gesturing for him to keep moving forward. The others were following, looking over the side of the rail at him. Biggs gave him an irritated look. But Wedge and Jessie looked concerned.

"What's wrong?" Jessie asked.

"Keep moving!" Barret scowled.

Cloud grimaced and shook his head again. He could feel beads of sweat on his forehead. He grasped the side rails next to him firmly. The cold steel felt stiff against his hands, and he welcomed it. This was real. This was reality. Angry with himself and his momentary weakness, he pushed down on the rails and thrust himself back up again, walking forward briskly. Each footfall clanked loudly against the catwalk. After a few moments, he reached the end of the long bridge and beheld the controls to the Mako Reactor.

His eyes trailed the length of the console. Sliding levers, buttons flashing yellow one moment and then blank the next. He looked back at the others. Barret handed him a timed explosive from one of his pockets and then looked at Cloud expectantly. Cloud stared at the device then at Barret.

"Shouldn't you do it?"

Barret shook his head and then glared at Cloud.

"Just do it. I've gotta watch and make sure you don't pull anything."

"Fine."

Cloud spent a few minutes rigging it to the reactor controls and attaching it to the piping underneath, out of plain sight. As he did this, he looked back at the others when he could. the other members of the group fidgeted nervously. The cavernous room was profoundly unsettling. Despite being able to see the entirety of the room except for the depths, each one of them felt the eerie sense of being watched from shifting shadows. It was as if the darkness and the mist contained some life of its own. In the back of the group, Cloud could see Wedge moving closer to the others. For once, he could empathize. This place did not feel right.

Finally, he finished.

"Done."

Cloud made eye contact with Barret, and the big man nodded. Barret turned back to the rest of the group.

"All right, we have twenty minutes everyone. Now let's get out of here before this sucker blows us all to high heaven!"

Without needing any more encouragement, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie walked speedily from the room, Barret in close pursuit. Cloud followed, his discolored brown boots clanging firmly against the metal grates. As he reached the gateway he looked back over his shoulder. The eldritch green illumination wavered on the sides, almost as if it were sad to see him go. With a shudder, he turned away, slamming the door shut behind him.

With no more regard for stealth, the group sprinted as fast as they could back to the black elevator. As they ran through winding hallways of tubes and pipes, Barret thought he could hear distant echoes of their physical efforts, except the long corridors seemed to return a sound that was more like screams. Finally, frustrated and spooked by the sounds, Barret stopped and motioned for the rest of them to do the same as he arched his head to listen. He inspected the others, trying to gauge how long they should wait before pressing onward. Wedge gasped for air with both hands on his knees, overwhelmed from the long exertion. Jessie patted him on the back, comforting him quietly for making the run with no complaint. Biggs nervously looked about. Barret thought as furiously and speedily a he could. The sounds and nature of the reactor were disturbing, and they had to keep moving. Despite this need, Cloud walked back to Barret and listened with him for further sounds. Barret looked around. The room that they stopped in appeared to be a giant storeroom for various large gears, pipes and sheets of metal. Tidy stacks of such objects were scattered across the room.

A heavy clanking sound suddenly emerged, overwhelming the typical background noise of whirrs and whistles. This was a new sound, not too far off. The sound was like one that would seem to accompany the rising and falling of some sizable chunk of metal on the ground, over and over. Listening for a moment, Barret stood considering. He looked down at his wrist. Next to the giant black glove that covered his right arm, a watch with red text ticked slowly away. Twelve minutes left. Jessie rubbed her arms as if a sudden chill had entered the room.

"Guys, wasn't it strange that there were barely any guards guarding this facility? Why would they have so few sentries guarding an entire reactor?"

Cloud stood tall, a motionless sentinel against the onset of fear. Wedge walked over next to Jessie.

"Maybe they bring out the big guns when someone like us tampers with the reactor."

Jessie looked anxiously at Wedge as he spoke. The metallic clamor was coming closer. Barret started pacing furiously in indecision, looking over his shoulder every so often down the corridor the sound was coming from. The others looked on worriedly. Then, the clanging stopped. Cloud's voice was a low rumble.

"It's here."

A sinister green and red light emerged from the exit they had come from, scanning the room slowly but completely from one side to the other. The interplaying colors began to near the group. Silently, Cloud motioned everyone behind a large stack of gears. Carefully, Barret peeked out around the side. In the entrance, a massive dark machine held still. Barret swore under his breath. What the hell was that? It had the appearance of a robotic scorpion, multiplied in size to be five times the mass of a man. Where normal eyes would be, rays of pale emerald and scarlet danced as they moved across the room. An enormous tail stretched out behind it, waving slightly in the shadows. Six powerful legs sprouted from both sides of its black steel carapace, holding it resolutely in the air. Suddenly, the scan turned from the opposite corner of the room to shine directly on Barret's face. He cursed, ducking back behind the gears.

"Shit, I think it saw me."

Biggs slapped his arm.

"Damn it, Barret! What the hell were you doing stickin' your big head out?"

"Shut up, Biggs! Alright, now I want you, Wedge and Jessie to go on ahead and get the hell out of here. Me and SOLDIER boy will stay for a minute and take care of this robotic scorpion thing."

The skeptical looks the crew gave him spoke volumes. Cloud merely looked on, accepting the command. Finally, the renewed clanking of the scorpion's legs moved them into action. The scorpion came into the room, each leg moving in tandem with the others. With one wickedly shaped mechanical pincer, it swept aside a pile of scrap metal nearby, pushing it away as if searching for something behind it. Without any further argument, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie moved quietly from stack to stack of parts as they left the room, managing to just stay out of the scorpion's roving gaze. After he watched them leave, he gave a firm nod. Time to bring out the big guns. Barret started rummaging through his giant pockets. Cloud watched silently. After a moment, the ex-SOLDIER spoke.

"You do realize you're unarmed."

Barret looked up, and gave him a big toothy smile.

"Well, that's one way to put it."

Time to show this worthless ex-scrub how to do things. Barret took off his right glove. He had no right hand. Halfway down his forearm was a flat steel plate. With his other hand, he found what he was looking for in his sizable front pant pocket. From it emerged a prosthetic Gatling gun. Cloud raised an eyebrow. With a grin, Barret snapped it onto the magnetic metal plate. Its weight was firm, as comforting as it was formidable. He let his satisfaction show. Immediately after it snapped into place, it started whirring and turning. Expertly, he placed his left arm underneath it and pushed something below, causing it to stop. Just as quickly, he grabbed a cartridge of ammo from one of his other pant pockets and clicked it satisfyingly into a slot on the side. Prepared, he nodded to Cloud, hefting his gun arm at the ready.

"Now let's see what you're made of, SOLDIER b…"

Before he could finish, the stack of gears they were crouching behind exploded. Barret's world flew dizzyingly about as shiny metal equipment sprayed everywhere, sparking off the floor and bouncing off the walls. One particularly large gear dug a jagged furrow deep into the steel floor nearby, sending a sheet of sparks up into the air. Under the sudden onslaught, Cloud nimbly jumped aside. Barret had less luck. A number of small gears bounced off his skull and back as he desperately scrambled to get out of the way. He cursed the monster behind him as he ran. The monstrous robotic scorpion advanced quickly, shoving aside stacks of metal as it came in all directions. Barret moved as fast as he could. He leapt over one silver gear, then skidded across another metal sheet. As he did, he turned, spraying a hail of bullets at the pursuing monstrosity. The bullets sparked off the scorpion's blackened armor plates and ricocheted wildly around the room, creating a chaotic rain of flashes and sparking metal fragments. The scorpion ignored it, slamming one leg through the metal sheets before it, and slamming a stack of equipment out of the way with one giant pincer. Barret gritted his teeth as an old computer slammed against his back, causing him to trip to the cold metal floor. He looked around for Cloud in a panic.

"Cloud! Get the hell over here!"

To one side, Cloud rose silently, bits of metal falling off his shoulders. In both hands, the massive sword was drawn, shining powerfully with the reflected lights of the monster's scanner. Without a word, he dashed over. Barret unloaded on the robot, backing up fast. With a leap, Cloud lifted the blade and sent it crashing downward on the scorpion's pincer. Instantly, the monster recoiled, skittering to one side with astonishing speed. The left pincer sat to one side, askew and unresponsive. An enormous gouge was visible where the joint connecting it to the body used to be, sparks flying from the revealed machinery. Clanking, the scorpion skimmed away over the metal, its scanning colors now shining only on Cloud. Barret grinned for a moment, and then spouted angrily as Cloud positioned himself between the monster and him. He wasn't about to get stood up by this impudent whelp! Moving forward, Barret pushed Cloud out of the way, kicking metal sheets out of the way as he did.

"I can take care of myself!"

Cloud glanced at him for a moment, then reached into his pocket. A perfect globe emerged, a deep yellow stone streaked with jagged white lines woven across the surface. It nestled snugly in the palm of Cloud's hand. He tossed the globe to Barret. He caught it with his left hand and looked at it quizzically for a moment. What use was this? He lobbed it back.

"The hell is this?" Barret said in an irritated tone.

Cloud gave him a look devoid of emotion then gestured to his sword with one hand, demonstrating. As he did, the scorpion began to move again, creating a deafening metal clang with each step of its six legs; puncturing metal sheets as it came closer. It was then that Barret noticed that the ex-SOLDIER's sword had two open spherical holes near the base of the blade. It was into one of these that Cloud inserted the stone. He then turned to face the robotic monstrosity. The scorpion stinger began to rise. As if in challenge, Cloud raised the flat of his sword to his forehead. His golden hair began to rustle slightly, as if struck by a sudden soft wind. The robot clanked forward.

Suddenly, Cloud whipped his blade forward in a blur. A crackling bolt of blue and white energy coruscated and danced on the blade, shooting off to crash directly into the scorpion. The robot recoiled once more, the electrical discharge sparking wildly on the monster's armor plates. Rolling balls of fire and sparks shot off of the scorpion all over the room. Immediately, the scorpion lost control of itself and slammed into the wall nearby; sending a nearby stack of gears shooting all over the floor.

Barret gaped for a moment, astonished. He had never seen anything like that before in his life. That must be one of the "Materia" he had heard of before, but dismissed as a baseless rumor. Just as quickly, he caught himself. This was no time to think about it, or where it came from. Time to turn this robot back into metal. He opened fire, aiming at the robot's abdomen and hitting it with a wave of bullets. With a horrendous squeal of metal on metal, the scorpion fell to the ground, stunned. Cloud charged, lifting his sword with both hands to finish the monstrosity while it was down.

But the battle was not yet over.

As Cloud leapt to finish the monster, the scorpion moved with insane speed. With its working claw it slammed into Cloud's midriff with incredible force, sending Cloud shooting across the room. Grunting in pain, he crashed into a pile of gears. It skittered forward with astonishing speed, preparing to finish the dangerous warrior. Growling, Barret followed, clicking another hidden button on his prosthetic weapon. Instantly, the chain gun whirred into a higher gear, spitting out hundreds of bullets at an unbelievable rate. The intense torrent of shells seemed to give the creature pause as some slugs managed their way through gaps in the armor plates, ripping into vital machinery as they went. As if enraged, the scorpion turned about and charged at Barret without warning, causing him to yell in surprise and to start backtracking fast so as to avoid being trampled. After a few more hasty steps backward Barret tripped over a fallen gear, landing on his back. The scorpion skittered menacingly closer and raised its stinger. Barret winced and shut his eyes as the stinger surged forward at his face.

With a resounding clang, time seemed to stop.

Barret opened his eyes.

A gigantic sword filled his vision. In between the one remaining open slot in Cloud's blade, the stinger quivered, surging forward again and again as it tried to reach its target. Cloud stood rock steady to one side, quivering as he held the scorpion's strength back with his own. Sweat rolled down his face as he moved in front of Barret, the stinger still lodged within his sword. With a grunt, Cloud let go of the sword's haft with his left hand for an instant to move it to the flat of the sword on the other side. With his center of gravity strengthened, he seemed to relax for a moment. Beyond him, Barret could see the machine trembling from the exertion of trying to thrust the stinger into Cloud's eyes. Then with one swift motion, everything changed.

Cloud pushed forward with a yell, twisting his sword to one side. With an unholy squeal of ripping metal, the entire tail of the scorpion separated from its body, the length of it still stuck in Cloud's blade. Sparks shot from the stump across the room like bolts of lightning. Quick as a blink, Cloud ripped the tail clear with one hand and leaped atop the stunned monster's carapace. With a loud ripping sound, he plunged his massive sword into the center of the creature. The robot's crimson green eyes dimmed and the machinery inside fell silent. Panting with the exertion of battle, Cloud rested atop it for a moment, his hands holding still on the hilt of his blade. Barret stood, gaping. Cloud drew the sword clear and hopped down in front of Barret. He gestured to the exit.

"Shall we?"

As Cloud and Barret met up with the others in an adjoining, Jessie noticed a slight change in Barret's demeanor. If she wasn't mistaken, Barret was treating Cloud with what looked to be grudging respect. He continued to bemoan Cloud's uncaring attitude, but did it with less gusto and frequency than he did earlier. Most telling, no longer was Cloud 'SOLDIER boy'.

Barret glanced at his watch and started bellowing.

"We've got just five minutes left! We have to move!"

Caught up in the frenzy of movement, Jessie made to run with the rest. Biggs and Wedge both tripped all over the place trying to sprint out in the lead with Barret right behind them. With easy lopes, Cloud followed with Jessie in the back. Running through the hallways and tunnels, they frantically tried to make up for lost time. Down one winding corridor of piping after another, time seemed to mix into a blur as their escape became the sole meaning for existence. Finally, they reached the black elevator, its sable doors seeming to suck in all light like some dark vortex. Desperately, Biggs pushed the call button again and again. The entry opened, and they all shuffled quickly inside. The ride up was a crawl, every member of the group anxiously looking at Barret's watch tick slowly away.

The doors opened. Two minutes left.

"Run!" Barret bellowed.

Biggs and Wedge took the lead once more, looking ridiculous as they tried simultaneously to outrun the other. Barret growled as he ran, sweat running in rivulets down his fiery and determined face. Cloud was like a shadow given wings. As they reached the catwalk, the footway shook with a rumble, causing Barret to roar as he lost his footing. Jessie caught her own fall with a hand on the rail. She stared at Barret, fear dawning on her. Horrified, Barret looked down at his watch as he rose. Biggs shouted at him.

"Barret! You just had to set your watch late, didn't you?"

The rumbling of the complex caused the catwalk to warp and move beneath them. The grates in the bridges ahead now seemed to yawn openly. Cloud nimbly skipped and leaped over the worst of the gaps. Jessie made to follow his lead, but she was not so lucky. With incredible agility, she dived over a large hole, but was betrayed by fate as she landed. The solid grate that had been there one moment before stretched with the unstable shaking of the earth and swallowed her leg whole. Stuck with one leg in the hole, she cried out with pain and fear. The chasm below seemed to shake along with the complex, the green mists writhing as if in pain. She looked up desperately. Biggs and Wedge were beyond hearing. Barret turned back and gave her a look of anguish. Her heart fell, and she turned ashen. She understood. There was no time to come back for her.

But where was Cloud?

With a metallic slam, he landed next to her, balancing his boots between the gaping metal grates nearby. As she watched with astonishment, he reached out his hand to her. Over his shoulder, twinkling lights from the muddied stars above seemed to shake together in groups as the tremors reached their massive climax. Blazing flames whipped out of the Mako Reactor behind Cloud as it exploded. With a cry, Jessie hurled her right arm to him. Grasping it firmly, he pulled her out of the hole, lifting her and carrying her as he did, sparks and small flares bounced off his neck and back. Half mad with relief, she held him tightly as he ran. He held her just as firmly. Behind them, the catwalk collapsed, sending shards of metal fading into the dark emerald depths below. Looking over Cloud's shoulder, Jessie's eyes reflected a world enveloped in flame as the grey lifeless reactor belched jade smoke no longer. Instead, a gigantic sparking fireball rose ominously into the sky; appearing to envelop the world in its dark orange light. Seeking to be free of the Shinra complex, they dashed from building to building, down hallway after hallway. After turning one more corner, they saw the end of the final hallway. They had finally found their way out of the reactor grounds.

Outside at last in a night as dark as the chasms beneath the reactor, Jessie looked back with the others, casting her gaze over the buildings to see a gigantic plume of black smoke emerge where once there was green. Her eyes followed the pillar of darkness upwards. After a moment, she noticed Barret grinned with dark satisfaction as he saw the light wind wrap the smoke around the massive tower that was Shinra Headquarters in the middle of the city. Let them suffer, his smile seemed to say. To one side, she saw Wedge notice the big man's smile, causing him to shiver and look away. Surrounding them was a junkyard of sorts, a place where the reactor employees must have consolidated their garbage. A number of pathways and alleys led out into the night and the commercial district nearby.

Jessie thanked Cloud with a shy smile as he put her down. Cloud simply looked away. Biggs and Wedge poked and pushed each other around, joking about the closeness of their escape. Barret scowled at them, then heaved a sigh of relief.

"That should keep the planet going… at least a little longer."

Jessie nodded somberly.

"Yeah."

They viewed their victory in silence for a moment. Helicopters moved like distant vultures in the murky night sky, slowly flying towards the reactor's smoking corpse. Barret sighed inwardly. The night was not yet over. He turned to the others.

"Alright, now let's get out here. Everyone rendezvous over at the Sector 8 Station! Split up and then get onto the train. We'll meet up on it."

They split off individually. Wedge gave Barret a mock salute and ran into a nearby alleyway. The big man snorted. To his side, Biggs sank into the shadows nearby. Jessie watched them leave. Then she turned to the man who had saved her life. She gazed at him, trying to draw him out, to thank him with a smile. He did not acknowledge her attention. Finally, she turned away, unable to reconcile what had happened. She jogged into an abandoned street nearby, immersed quickly into darkness. Yet, once within the dark, she turned back to watch. Barret wordlessly made to follow, but then halted momentarily as Cloud motioned for him to stop.

"Hold on."

Barret glowered at Cloud.

"If it's about your money, shove it! I don't want to hear about it until we're back at the hideout."

Jessie looked down at the ground sadly. Why would this mercenary man save her life? She walked away into the murky shadows. Then Cloud was alone.

Cloud walked slowly through the city. Despite the night, the city seemed to chug onward. Midgar was alive, although to Cloud it seemed a sham, a mockery of life. Framed against the dark sky and on the side of buildings nearby, glowing billboards and televisions obliviously advertised a shifting sequence of entertainments, sensationalist news stories, and movies. Cloud furrowed his brow as he watched the electronic figures scurry about. This was how the President of Shinra kept the whole city, the whole world in the palm of his hand. Games and entertainment. Distractions and escape from the menial activities of the day to day, the drudge of everyday existence. It kept his kind in power. In the distance, the Shinra tower loomed over it all – the central point of the city. It jut out of the earth like a flag, a sign of domination. Spotlights weaved a path around it, a towering blight in the center of the city.

Yet as he walked, he could see the consequences of their mission. All around him, the sector was in chaos. Neighbors talked in the doorways to their homes, whispering and wondering. Down roads far off, he could see scarlet and sapphire lights buzz and shoot from side to side. The Shinra police sped towards the reactor. As they whizzed by, people pointed and watched before rushing hurriedly inside. No one wanted to provoke the wrath the Shinra. Especially not tonight.

Cloud traveled on, heading in the direction of the public train station. His boots crunched bits of trash and glass with each step. The explosion from the reactor had broken windows all down the street. Or perhaps it was the vagrants that the detonation and chaos had awoken and enabled. Ahead of him, he saw two bare-chested young men with features covered by black cloth tied to conceal their faces. They ran out of a store's wrecked front window pane, carrying computers under each arm. As disappeared into the shadows of an alley nearby, Cloud passed by the broken window and gazed inward. Inside, the shop was a mess, shards of broken glass everywhere within. The place was almost completely ransacked, only a number of tangled cords and empty brown shelves remaining. Cloud's eyes turned to the counter. A wrinkled old man lay dead and bloodied behind it. A spent and broken shotgun lay next to one aged hand, emitting a steady wisp of smoke. Cloud looked away. Was this the real cost of their actions? Crunching with each stride, he paused and then walked on.

Another band of ruffians approached, demanding wallets at gunpoint from those unlucky enough to be outside and on the street. They encountered no resistance. But when they got to Cloud, he simply looked at them, daring them to try. They would get more than they bargained for if they challenged him now. The raiders looked over his shoulder, seeing the titanic sword shining on his back. Recognizing him as beyond their average game, they immediately gave him a wide berth, leaving the street quickly with their loot. Cloud looked on, feeling a sense of disappointment that he did not quite understand. Would combat have changed this sense of drift, of uselessness? The danger passed, Cloud looked around him. The street was now empty, all people having gone inside or fled from those who would take advantage of the disorder. Checking the sword's straps on his back, he continued walking down the concrete. Sheets of abandoned newspapers swung idly by as he strode, giving brief glimpses of Shinra controlled headlines as they folded and fluttered away. A lamp flickered nearby, not reacting well with the loss of power from the Mako Reactor.

It was at the end of the street that he saw her. Knocked over from all the chaos, a slender wisp of a girl stayed down next to some trash around her on one side of the sidewalk. Cloud smiled inwardly. That was wise. With the wavering light of another lamp overhead, she managed to do a fair job of remaining unseen and thus unmolested from the hubbub created by AVALANCHE's mission. But even camouflaged as she was, she could not escape his awareness. He walked to her, the girl's eyes staring at him uncertainly.

Cloud bent over, giving her a hand as he did. With an embarrassed grin, she took it. Her ivory white skin was very soft, and she blushed as Cloud gently lifted her to his level. She seemed to barely weigh a thing. Her dark brown hair was drawn back in a thick plait with a single pink ribbon tied around it. Cupping her face were two segmented bangs, bringing out her startling bright green eyes. He gazed at her strangely for a moment. Cloud felt like he knew her, even though he could have sworn he had never laid eyes upon her before.

From behind her, she pulled out a delicate scarlet rose. In the grey surroundings of the city and concrete nearby, it seemed to almost shine with color.

"Would you like one of my flowers? Only one gil."

Without thought, Cloud reached into a pocket and out emerged a single golden coin. Wordlessly, he passed it to her. He could not explain why he did so, yet it seemed the most important thing in the world. It felt right. She flushed shyly again, passed him the rose, and then prepared to say something else. Cloud noticed that her pink satin dress was blackened in one corner from the dirt she had been laying in. Once more, Cloud found himself acting without thinking, rubbing the material gently clean. The flower girl smiled tenderly.

"Thank you. Do you know what's going on?"

Cloud shook his head. The stars glowed luminously overhead.

"No. But you have to go now. It isn't safe here."

"I know," she said. Her voice rang out musically, lyrically. "Thank you for buying one of my flowers."

With one more smile she turned and walked away, the night gently embracing her and her basket of scarlet roses. Cloud gazed on. It was like encountering a myth, like encountering a last vestige of good in a world of dark and madness.

Cloud wandered through the city streets. He continued heading in the direction of the Sector 8 Station, but did it at his own pace. Preoccupied, he thought about the flower girl as he walked, trying to place her within his scattered memories. So distracted was Cloud that he didn't notice as the surroundings changed. Streetlights shone brighter, fueled with energy from Mako reactors far off. New spotlights radiated up into the sky from nearby. He had entered a Shinra quarantined zone. Clad in sturdy blue cloth and dark helmets, the Shinra soldiers operated efficiently, clearing people from the streets and returning the area to order as they continued their march from sector to sector. Armed with pitch black sub-machine guns, they maintained control by shouted command and occasional gunfire. Down the street, three soldiers ushered a large bearded man into his house, his angry complaints ignored. After pushing him inside, they slammed the door shut, waiting for the lock to click before moving on. Cloud walked forward oblivious and uncaring. The soldiers turned their attention to him, their features hidden by the darkness of their helmets.

"You there! Halt and stay where you are!"

How could he have been so stupid?

Chastising himself, Cloud retreated down the nearest dark alleyway, the Shinra soldiers in quick pursuit. One pulled out a flashlight, spilling light onto walls, only catching glimpses of the running ex-SOLDIER as he tried vainly to escape their notice. The sound of his boots hitting concrete was muffled by garbage underfoot as he turned down into the next alleyway. He prayed that he could find some way to escape the Shinra soldiers before they could notice his sword. Once they did, they would know just what he was. And then he would be in real trouble.

No luck. The alleyway was a dead end, his path obstructed by a concrete wall scored with holes, scratches and graffiti. Paper and trash ripped beneath his boots as he swung around. There was a chance there might be some door into a neighboring building at the end of the alleyway. The dark shadows at the end of the alleyway concealed that possibility from him. He had to try. Determined, Cloud ran down into the dead end, but was again denied. There was nothing there but ashes and dust.

Behind him, the three Shinra soldiers caught up, shining three beams of light on his back. Dust particles rose all around him as he stood stock still, his back facing the soldiers.

"Stay right where you are! You are trapped in here with us and there is nowhere else to run. Put your hands on your head!"

One of the beams from the flashlights started to trail down Cloud's back. His massive sword reflected a slicing light, blinding them all for a moment until one of the Shinra soldiers gasped with comprehension.

"Oh shit. SOLDIER…"

Cloud lifted his hands slowly behind his head, following their instructions, but also putting his hands in a prime position to grasp the hilt of his enormous blade. His fingers brushed against the handle. Turning his head slightly so they could see the side of his face, Cloud gave a dark smile.

"Trapped in here with you? You're trapped in here with me."

In one swift movement, Cloud swung the sword free and wheeled around, hurling the titanic blade across the alleyway. The wind of the sword's passage caused the Shinra soldiers' eyes to wince shut, and they looked visibly panicked as the blade smashed hard into the brick wall behind them. Surprised that it had missed them all, the soldiers looked at each other in disbelief. It was then that they realized that they should probably start firing.

With a burst of speed, Cloud hurled himself forward in a blur, slamming his fist into the nearest guard's helmeted face as he came. With shattering force, the helmet and a few teeth fell loose in shards. The guard fell to the ground hard, completely unconscious. He moved quickly, before any of the others could react. Cloud shot a fist to his left, burying it in another guard's armored stomach. With a horrible wheeze, the man dropped to his knees, completely unable to respond as he tried desperately to breathe. The final guard brought his gun forward as quickly as he could, but was just not fast enough. Cloud's leg blazed forth to smash him to the pavement.

Without another look, Cloud wrenched his sword free from the wall in a cascade of pebbles and dust, sprinting away as quickly as possible. No time. He had to get out of there before word spread. An ex-SOLDIER would surely be hunted, not permitted to exist. Another street opened up in front of him, and he took the path without thought as he ran, desperate to escape Shinra's eye. But luck was simply not with him. His heart turned to ice as he skidded to a stop in the middle of the street.

All around him were Shinra soldiers. They were gathered in lines, a roll call. What a fool. He had just run into the Shinra army's assembly area. With hostile intent, they noticed his sword and moved to surround him. A few soldiers hung back and started to call in Cloud's description to faceless voices on the other side of their radios. Encircled, Cloud backed up as he looked around, holding his blade at the ready between him and them. The street was empty except for all the soldiers. Armed with fully automatic weapons and covered head to toe in dark blue body armor and helmets, the Shinra soldiers advanced on him like dark specters of the night.

Suddenly, Cloud's back ran up against a rail behind him. His heart hardened, his muscles tensed. So this was the end, he thought. The end of uncertainty, the vanishing of doubt. His hand tightened on the sword as he began to help it rise...

A train sounded in the distance.

He stole a quick glance over his shoulder and saw that a track ran just behind him and below, going off into the gloom. As he searched with his eyes he saw two beacons of light start to pierce the murkiness. He took a quick glance downward. A tunnel lay underneath him. A second chance? Cloud winced inwardly, gazing back at the advancing troops as he considered. This was going to hurt.

"That's as far as you go, SOLDIER!"

Cloud looked to the haughty voice. One of the Shinra soldiers stood forward, grasping a dark red orb in each hand. This one was clad in armor black as tar. Cloud shook his head and spread his legs to both sides, preparing himself for their attack.

"I really don't have time for you guys."

Raising his arms in Cloud's direction, the leader tensed. The crimson spheres in his hands radiated an unearthly glow as the man prepared their energies. Shinra soldiers to all sides stepped back. Cloud glanced downward. Pebbles on the concrete began to dance as the train behind him approached. The leader snarled.

But before the soldier could do anything, Cloud made his choice. With one smooth leap, he turned and jumped to the top of the rail. Below him the train was rushing past, blowing its horn loudly as it came. Without a thought or glance backward, Cloud committed himself.

All sound seemed to stop as he fell through the air. A massive wave of heat and light passed overhead. He moved his hands and legs to control the fall...

With a slam he landed atop the moving train, rolling expertly to a crouched position. One hand shot forward to grasp the side of the train to hold himself steady. A sheet of fire shot out overhead, landing harmlessly on the tracks just behind the train as it fell. Holding tightly to the top of the roof, Cloud sped into the black abyss of the open tunnel, a lake of flames dancing in the dark behind him.

Within the cramped confines of one of the train's cargo cars, the members of AVALANCHE sat and waited. They sat in a silence pierced only by the clicking sound of the train moving over the rails, over and over. Wedge propped himself up uncomfortably against the side of a box, watching the others as their train traveled on its way to Sector 7. Cloud had not shown up. They had waited at the station as long as they could, but it had not helped. It was not clear whether he had been snatched by one of the roving Shinra squads or whether he had just decided that AVALANCHE was no longer worth his time.

By the door, Biggs stood quietly with his arms crossed, looking sternly at the floor in contemplation. Barret had set himself to one side, his face tight with anger. Wedge watched him, curious. What had happened back in the room with the robot? Ever since then their giant leader had seemed more trusting of Cloud. Where previously he had said over and over again Cloud was a traitor, now he appeared to actually be worried about him. Wedge had learned enough of Barret in his time with the group now to realize that just because Barret looked mad didn't mean he was. Barret hid his emotions through outwardly manifested rage.

But it was Jessie that truly surprised Wedge as he watched the group. Just like with the scorpion, Wedge had not been present when Cloud had saved her life as the reactor fell. But it was surprising to all of them that Cloud had gone back for Jessie. She had moved as far back into the cargo car as she could, torn with conflicting emotions as she mused over the paradox of their ex-SOLDIER Cloud. Wedge considered. Why would someone who appeared so uncaring save both her life and Barret's?

"I wonder if he was killed."

Biggs voiced what they were all thinking. Barret snorted.

"Hah. I doubt it. That boy can fight, I'll give him that."

Despite this, they worried in silence. Wedge gave voice to his fears.

"But with all those Shinra soldiers out there, he could have been overwhelmed."

Barret slammed his metal plated arm down on the crate next to him.

"Why the hell do you think I know? Do I look like a goddamn mind reader?"

Something loud thumped on the ceiling above them. Everyone looked up for a moment, and then ignored it. Worrying in silence, the members of AVALANCHE gave in to despair for their lost companion.

Suddenly, the door into the cargo car slid open. Golden lights surged by one after the other. Biggs shouted as he tripped backwards away from the opening.

"What the hell?"

A navy blue form dropped into the room from above the train car. A golden shock of spiky hair adorned a blackened soot-covered face. It wore a grim smile.

Wedge yelled in surprise, "Cloud!"

"Looks like I'm a little late."

Barret gaped in shock for a moment, then aggressively moved forward and pointed one big finger in Cloud's face.

"You're goddamn right you're late! Come waltzin' in here making a big scene! What the hell's the matter with you?"

Cloud shrugged and then looked around at them all. A trio of grinning faces met his, along with one big angry one. He looked back at Barret.

"What, did you miss me?"

Barret turned dark red with fury.

"Shut your blasted mouth! Everyone, wake up and let's move out! We can't sit here forever."

Without another word, the leader of AVALANCHE stormed out of the car, opening the door to the next car up and then sending it right back with a resounding slam behind him.

Wedge stood and then beamed at Cloud. The man with the golden hair simply stared right back at him. Unfazed, Wedge gave him a wink.

"Hey, Cloud. You were great back there! Keep it up!"

He followed Barret. Cloud had made it. He let himself smile as he entered the next car. Everything was right in the world once more.

Biggs punched Cloud lightly on the shoulder as he walked by.

"Thought you were dead, SOLDIER. Welcome back."

After the rest of them had left, Jessie walked slowly up to the still open door to the outside. Beams of shining light from the tunnel whirred past, covering her hands in a yellow hue. She slid it closed. She turned and walked up right in front of Cloud, taking a piece of cloth out of one pocket.

"Your face is pitch black. Let me help you with that."

Gently, she wiped his face clean. Underneath that grimy exterior, his creamy white skin was free once more. He looked at her in silence, unmoving, his blue eyes dark in the now barely lit car. Once she finished, she held his shoulder firmly for one moment.

"There you go. And thank you for helping me back at the reactor. It means a lot to me."

Without waiting for a response, she walked into the shadows, leaving without a sound.

The next car was a passenger car, yet one virtually devoid of passengers. Jessie shook her head with a sigh. Barret had scared everyone away. Overhead, ropes held for stability swung lazily from side to side in time with the train's movement. All around them, dozens of pale green plastic seats were worn with use. Half of them were concealed, covered by trash and abandoned newspapers. Ignoring the detritus, Barret parked himself squarely on three of the seats, determined to take a moment of relaxation. Golden lights continued to soar past as they sped through the tunnels beneath Midgar's plate. With a crackle of static, the train's intercom sputtered into life.

"Last train out of Sector 8 Station. Next stop: Sector 7. Train graveyard. Expected time of arrival: 12:23am, Midgar Standard Time."

Jessie moved over the other end of the car, shifting aside cans with one foot as she walked. Next to the door to the next car a computer monitor shone from the side of the wall. On it, a simplistic map of various grids and lines came into life, shining soft green light on her face. Moving a few stray russet hairs off her forehead, she considered it for a moment, then looked back down the car to where they had come from.

Cloud entered the car. Once again, Jessie found herself watching him. Inwardly, she chastised herself, her own interest. But curiosity prevailed. Cloud moved with the slow but certain steps of a man totally sure of himself, unconcerned of what others might think of him. Yet there was something more. He always seemed so withdrawn, like one who had seen terrible things and been irrevocably changed by them. Or was this simply an image? Halfway down the car, he turned and looked out the windows. Yellow lights continued to speed past, immersing Cloud in gold one moment, then fading the next. Did he know that all of this – the train, the lights, everything – were connected? All of it derived from Mako Energy, the energy of the planet. How would Cloud react when confronted with the future of a decaying world? What would his reaction be if his hometown became a brown desiccated husk on a planet without the natural energy to sustain itself, all of its life flow disrupted by the corporate greed of Shinra?

Up above, the lights shifted suddenly from their stale white light to an illumination of deepest red. The lights began to flash rapidly. Barret leaned back against the side of one seat and began to snore loudly. Biggs and Wedge ignored it. But Cloud crouched down and reached behind him for his blade, gripping the haft tightly with one hand. He did not know what this was.

"Cloud!"

His eyes met hers with a flash of blue, responding sharply, like a cornered animal.

"Cloud, it's okay! Come on over here. I can explain it to you."

For a moment, it seemed almost as if her entreaties would fail to budge him. Yet, after a moment, he returned to his relaxed position and walked over to her, although he continued to look about cautiously. Finally, he stood before her, looking at her closely. She turned and gestured to the computer screen with one hand. On the black display, a green line shone with a bright red pip upon it flashing on and off.

"This is a security checkpoint we are passing through. There are ID sensor devices adjoining each of the eight main stations around Midgar that check the identities of those who use the train system. They check our identification cards and send the information back to the central data bank at Shinra Headquarters to be cross examined."

Cloud tensed up and began to reach for his sword again. This time Jessie reached out and held his arm gently before it could reach the blade. He looked at her questioningly.

"Cloud, you don't have to worry. We all have fake IDs prepared. That's why we gave you that one card earlier back at our first rendezvous. Don't you remember?"

Cloud's eyes narrowed in thought as he looked down. After a moment, he gazed back up at her. Softly, but firmly, he removed his hand from her grip.

"Yeah."

"Good. Now look here again."

She pressed a button below the computer screen. Instantly a wider grid popped up, illustrating the city as a whole. It was represented by a three-dimensional latticework of shining green lines rendering each separate tower, station, and railway in the metropolis.

"This is a complete model of the city of Midgar. The top plate is about 50 meters from the ground. It is supported by both a central pillar and a system of smaller columns, one such structure in each sector. The No. 1 Reactor we blew up was in the northern section. Thankfully, the explosion did not affect the support structure underneath the plate, or else the entire sector would have collapsed, killing untold thousands below."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He did not appear outwardly concerned by the revelation. He didn't care about the fate of thousands but still came back for her?

On the screen the grid shifted from its three-dimensional view to a two-dimensional flat topographical map, viewed from above the city, as if from the eye of a bird. Upon it, the format of the city could be seen more easily. In each of the eight corners was a large green circle. Jessie pointed at them.

"These are the Mako Reactors. There are eight of them, now seven, and all of them collectively provide Midgar with its electricity. In each slice of the city, separate towns exist, both above and below the plate. These towns used to have names, but nobody in Midgar can remember them now. Instead of names, they are referred to as numbered sectors."

She looked into his eyes.

"This is the kind of world we live in."

She gestured back towards the console, indicating the red pip on the green line.

"We were just in Sector 8, and are now on our way to Sector 7."

She pointed to the short line encircling the main support structure in the middle. Cloud watched attentively, although it was unclear whether he knew all of this already or not.

"This is our train route. It spirals around the middle, which is the hub, and then splits off down the lines to the various stations. We were above the plate, but now the train is taking us below it."

She clicked a different button. An orange rectangle shone from the monitor, zooming in and showing their position in the city. They were still a few minutes away from Sector 7 Station. Suddenly, the red flashing that accompanied the ID check finally stopped, and the sour white light was restored. Outside the windows, Jessie could see that they had finally left the tunnel. With a nod of appreciation to Jessie, Cloud walked to the side of the train and gazed outward, out into the depths below Midgar.

Up above the train and all around, the dark sky was gone. In its place, he could see the underbelly of the plate. Sparking lights, fizzing sparks, and protruding metal projections emerged from underneath it. Its width was immense, and from their angle he couldn't see the plate's end and the sky's beginning. The metal construct was never ending. Cloud shivered slightly, involuntarily. Not being able to see the sky anymore was disturbing.

"And that's the plate for you."

Cloud turned to the side. Barret was looking out as well, his face for once not revealing anger, annoyance or hostility. Instead, his face showed resignation and even a hint of sadness.

"The slums don't have any day or night. If the plate weren't there, we could see the sky."

Cloud nodded and looked out once more. The angle of the train did not reveal any support structures in sight. He murmured under his breath.

"A floating city… Pretty unsettling scenery."

Barret looked at him askance.

"Never expected to hear that out of someone like you. Aren't you just full of surprises."

Cloud chose not to reply. Barret continued, staring out the window once more. He sniffed loudly.

"The upper world is a city on a plate. And it is because of that damned plate that people underneath it are suffering. It traps all the pollution down with the slums and keeps the sunshine away. The air we breath is overused and stale."

"Then why doesn't everyone move up onto the plate?"

Barret lowered his gaze.

"Don't know. Probably because they ain't got the money."

Then he turned to look powerfully at Cloud, his dark brown eyes aflame.

"Or maybe because they love their home, no matter how messed up it gets."