Disclaimer: Final Fantasy is the main driving force here and that title is completely owned by the Square. However, there are other influences in this story, so I should note them. I've never read it, but I've heard ofa story about a guy who is falling and is whole life flashes before him and that is how the story is read. The Matrix is also an influence, but there will be no crossover stuff in this story.

Author Notes: This short story has been biting at my hip (hip?) for quite some time. I thought about making it a one-shot, but I think I'll just keep it to about 8 or 9 short chapters. I've been working on grammar and style so hopefully this'll be my best story yet. This is also my first FF7 fic so hello all FF7 readers, please review for me. Hope you enjoy.

One more thing... I've made Wedge kind of a swearer, but there are certain words that I couldn't find myself to write. So, I simply bleeped them. Fortunately, that is kind of the style of FF7 anyway.....

Jan. 10, 2005

Forever Fallen and Forgotten

Chapter One: A Bullet for You and Me

"Wedge! Watch Jessie! I gotta cover Barret's ass."

Whatever, Biggs, she's toast anyway…just like the rest of us. Poor thing, though. She was never much for combat. Hell, what am I saying? I was never meant for combat either. Damn, here comes another one. It's too bad I never went on that diet; I'll have to die fat. This stupid gun's too much for me, rippling my untightened skin and I'm 'bout outta ammo as well. Oh well, that f#$ won't ever budge again.

Let's see…seven on the base, eight movin' up the fire escape, I'd say twenty to twenty-five on the high pier and a good thirty guarding Reno. Along with the weapons and Barret's enormously overweight body, this tower might collapse on its own. I wish I had a drink from the good ole Seventh Heaven right now, that'd go well with the crusted blood in my mouth. Ah, yes and some old fashion lemon pie like mother use to make. Better than bullets.

"Move, move, move! We got 'em covered! Let's move!"

That'd be the eight. How was I supposed to take eight Shinra guards with a quarter-filled gun? Answer: I wasn't. They'll be filing in on floor 7, two floors below us and then they'll move straight up the steps. Finding a sniper position would be easy to take out a few, but to be precise enough to hit each one dead-on simply wasn't going to happen. Nonetheless, I'm gonna move and kill who I can. I'm going to die, but maybe Barret can keep them from tearin' this hunk of metal down.

My question was 'where is the music'? Why am I not hearing some kind of over-adrenalized techno beat or head snapping rock song? Okay, Wedge, too many movies for you…

"Wedge…"

I wish she'd stop trying to get my attention. I can't stand to look at her. She's all bent up and gushing like some broken red-wine fountain. It's just too much for me to bare! One look and I won't even be able to take a single one of these bastards!

Ah, they're on the floor below…their bronze boots clanking on the metal steps. Too bad for the one in front, he's going to have a bad taste in his mouth until he hits the floor. Alright…here they come.

Bam!

Ha! I couldn't even help from chuckling. Got 'im straight in the side of the mouth. Prolly blew his face right open. Poor chum. What am I sayin'? Where's the next unlucky contestant?

Oh, s$#! Problem with this stupid metallically wired structure is there are too many holes for bullets to squeeze through. Got some shrapnel pinged off into my arm. Son of a b$##! Steady Wedge, don't waste your ammo. There…right between those poles, looks like somebody's arm. Take this, you piece of s$#! Ahahaha!

"Stay down, stay down! Someone pick off that f#$ing shooter!"

"Don't you bastards know what you are doing!? Innocent people are gonna die!" I yelled, holding my wounded arm.

I had to make a move before I had six men spraying ammunition at me. Problem was... the only way I could go was up…up to where Jessie was. No choice. I made sure not to look at her as I quickly dashed up the steps, repositioning myself on the small platform. I had another good shot where they'd have to bottle-neck through.

"Wedge…"

Damn it, lady! Can't you see we're at war here? Why'd you put your hand on me?

"Why won't you look at me?" She said faintly.

I squinted my eyes trying to focus, but could feel the blood rushing to my face. "I…I can't, Jessie."

Then, she pulled her head up onto my lap. What in the world is she thinking? I gotta keep watchin' for the enemy…

"Wedge…I'm glad you joined us. We would've never made it this far without you."

"This? This is not what I was fightin' for."

"You're a great person…"

Suddenly, like every time she ever giggled, I froze, my eyes turning to her. Her hair was all undone, sweaty and stained. Her big, brown eyes bloodshot, acting as a source for the dried streams of salt that ran down her face. Her lips quivered, cut and swollen as she managed a smile. She gazed up at me in pain like a small child stares at the sun. I was fighting for her now and no one else. She was going to die; there was no doubt in that. Too many stomach wounds and broken bones for her to see another day. Bless her little dying heart.

"Wedge, you've always been my friend. I'm sorry I never kissed you."

There was not enough fat in my face to contain the smile that activated when she said those unexpected words. For all I know at this point, the other guards were already a few steps away, pointing their killing machines right at my head… or hers.

"But… I do lo-"

Ping! Ping! Snap! Splat!

Noooo! There was no hiding from my fury of bullets that flew up the tower towards the sneaky bastard who just popped two bullets into my only love's leg. Needless to say, enough bullets made contact and the b$## went ping-ponging down the rafters to the ground.

"Jessie! Jessie, are you okay!?"

She spat a mouthful of blood onto my legs and looked back up to me. "By Zero."

"Got 'im!"

Wham! Right into my shoulder. That's fantastic. These guys' timing is wonderfully annoying. I managed to start shooting back before my arm gave out and another sneak from above tackled me, separating me from Jessie. I threw my lifeless arms at him, but he easily ceased my pointless counters. Of course, he had to send one jab to the face for no apparent reason. Then, he pushed me up against the side bar, threatening to throw me over.

"Is she alive?"

"Yeah…but she ain't gonna make it. What should we do, sir?"

"Let the b$## die slowly, we have to go up and help boss."

I spit my own mouthful of blood all over my captor's face, which would've been pleasurable if I weren't so enraged! "You piece of s$#!"

"Captain, sir! What should I do with this overgrown turd?"

The captain's cold stare burned every wound on my body as he walked up to me, recognizing that I was the one taking out his men. "Throw him over."

"Yes sir!"

Before I could say anything, the f#$er clutched a chunk of fat on my belly and lunged me over the side. A flash along with a bang from bullets ricocheting above was my big band outro. And a glimpse of Jessie's horrified look was the last thing I saw before I became airborne, falling to my death.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down! Rewind! What the heck is going on here? '…falling to my death'? There's so much more than that to this fat 'turd'. Why…I use to be a child, laughing at the mere sight of butterflies flying. I use to run free across the lush fields next to Junon. Well, 'run' isn't exactly the right word… or 'use to'…but I sure could have had I wanted to! I'm not some merciless mercenary slaughtering law enforcers or some avid lover loving beyond the sense of sanity. No, I'm just me, Wedge, helpless geek counting irrelevant data.

Somehow I got mixed with a rebellious group of freedom fighters against the world-leading Shinra Company. Obviously that didn't pan out too well. Fortunately, with dangerous amounts of adrenaline, the mind explodes in a ridiculous amount of increased speed, freeing the mind and pain from the body. Important, don't try at home kids, may cause diarrhea, nostalgia, and/or extreme headaches and today's stunts are performed by unimportant characters without leaving a trace of care in your minds. Introducing me, the victim of such heinous crimes.

So, the world has stopped around me and postpones the inevitable like the painful amount of time elapsed to get to that perfect cake. Ooh, chocolate cake even! That'd be fantastic mother, and make some more of that lemon pie. Maybe some sedatives for the upcoming pain? That'd be great!

Well, why I'm waiting for the ground to make its way to me, I might as well tell you about myself. Let's take a deep look into my freed mind and go back to where all this started. Let's go back to the butterflies and the bullies who squashed them. Let's go back to the fields I never traversed.

Let us go back…

Replies to Reviewers

To All: All that know me, know that I do this for each of my stories. It's a chance for me to answer any questions you have or to simply comment on your comments. Don't fear, I take advice from all and I'm not going to be mean back no matter how mean you want to be to me. I put this on the public domain so I have to be prepared for public responses. By the way, I'm sure you are all wandering what 'By Zero' means. Don't worry, I will explain it in due time…;)