Final Fantasy 7: The Hojo Clone
By Co V Schuler
Part 1: The Recovery
Chapter 1
The old man watched the group of people walk through the streets. He had seen them before; somewhere…he couldn't remember. But they were definitely familiar. He walked on his cane, his right leg permanently injured from the Wutai/Shinra war years ago. The group consisted of six people, three females and three males. The male's heights ranged from 5' 8" to 6' 5", the tallest man very muscular. The girls were much shorter, the old man thought, ranging from 5' 2" to 5' 7". They were all armed.
The group of people passed him, not even glancing at him. The old man noticed that one man had a gun arm on his left hand. Another man was wearing a lab-coat and the other blue jeans and a T-shirt. They kept walking toward the Shinra guard at the elevator. The ladies, all but one, wore dresses, the two shorter women wearing blue and white satin, and the tallest girl a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a black cloak over her head. The men had swords and machineguns wrapped behind their backs and the girls had staffs and the tallest female wasn't armed.
The group walked on without a word. All their eyes were locked on the Shinra guard at the elevator. When they reached him, the shortest man stepped in front of the others; his purplish colored hair blowing in the wind. The old man watched from behind his home as the man who stepped forward, probably their leader, hit the guard with a jab. No warning, no hesitation. Just a quick jab. The old man gasped and one of the females turned and saw him watching. Before he knew it, the white man with the gun-arm shot him in the stomach once and another in the left shoulder.
The two shots echoed through the air and several more villagers came out. The man with the gun arm shot them all. Then all was silent. The death casualty was higher than the leader wanted, but no one could be traced. As long as there were no witnesses. He opened the elevator and the others stepped in and went up, leaving the polluted beach behind and going up to the Junon Harbor.
When she heard the elevator noise go away, the scared girl named Pricilla came out of her home and saw her dead Grandpa on the deck. Her eyes filled with tears…her hero didn't come and save them. Where was the man named Cloud?
Barret was running down the field when the helicopter flew over him again, the co-pilot looking through binoculars for Barret. Barret stopped running as the Shinra helicopter kept going, its engines growing distant. Barret sighed, and continued walking down the field. The Highwind couldn't be far now, only another mile or two. His white cloak fluttered in the relentless wind. As he walked, he turned his head to look behind him, where the crater stood. Where a huge battle once happened.
The frigid wind attacked him again and he raised his hood over his face. A hill rose in front of him, the Highwind must be on the other side, he thought. He winced and stopped walking. His wound wasn't healing as well as he had thought. A large gash still remained to his leg, the hard blood covering the wound. Sephiroth had given it to him. During the last fight.
Barret reached the top of the hill and looked down at the Highwind. It was hovering off the ground; the rest of the crew were probably inside drinking hot chocolate, thought Barret with jealousy. Barret ran down to the Highwind, climbed up the ladder and went inside, the warmth immediately comforting him. As he walked through the main area, he heard voices coming from the Bridge. Barret went inside, muttering about how cold it was outside.
Cloud sat in a chair, facing everyone that was still around. He had his left arm in a sling and bandages wrapped around his ribs. Souvenirs from a fight that only Cloud and Sephiroth fought.
Cloud was saying, "Look, just because Sephiroth is defeated doesn't make the world a safe place. We have to be ready for anything."
Cid shook his head and left the room in frustration. Barret watched him go and then said, "What's happenin?"
Cloud replied, "We are trying to consider our next move." Barret snorted and said, "Meteor is gone and so is Sephiroth. What do you mean, 'our next move'?"
"He hasn't heard the news," said Tifa quietly. Barret raised an eyebrow. "What news?"
Before anyone could reply, Red XIII said, "I want to go home to Bugenhagen." Barret snorted again and was about to say something when Vincent Valentine cut in. "Shinra thought quickly. They have elected a new President and he has already taken action."
Cloud continued. "His name is Tanner, and he has the crowds cheering already." Cloud started to get up but he grimaced in pain and sat back down. "He had declared to continue with the Neo-Midgar plan. Since Midgar was destroyed by Meteor, he wants build a new Midgar. Neo-Midgar will be built close to that Chocobo Farm. Remember the Chocobo Farm where we got that summon? That is where and chances are, it is not good."
"Well DUH, it's not good, they are just going to suck up more Mako and keep on killing the damn planet. Shit," Barret yelled.
"So what are we going to do," asked Tifa. Cloud answered with a firm voice. "We wait awhile, see how Tanner plans to build Neo-Midgar. Until then, lets go see Bugenhagen and rest at Cosmo Canyon. We fought Sephiroth three days ago. I think everybody could use a break. If you want to go home, go ahead after we get to Cosmo Canyon. You all have done more than you had to. If you are done fighting, I am not against that."
Yuffie cheered. "Hooray, now I don't have to stick with all these bimbos anymore!"
Barret sighed. He had to agree; everyone had done more than they had to. Barret just wa-
Red alert bells turned on and started flashing. "What is happening," Cloud yelled. One of the pilots answered, "Six Shinra helicopters are coming are way! They all have missiles and are locked onto us!"
Cloud started giving orders. "Pilots, you use those new artillery guns we put on the Highwind yesterday. Barret, get on the deck and see if you can shoot them down. Vincent, Yuffie, you are with Barret." They all nodded, and went to obey.
"AAA! Cloud," shrieked a pilot. "They have paratroopers!"
Cloud shook his head. "Tifa you are with me. Let's go take them out. Red XIII, you are with me too." They all ran outside and hurried down the ladder, Cloud and Tifa were a lot slower. The fight with Sephiroth had seriously weakened them. Cloud in particular.
They ran on the deck where Vincent and Barret were trying to shoot down the helicopters. Yuffie trying to get her weapon into the engines. Cloud ran past them and jumped over the side of the deck. He fell down the forty feet and landed in the snow. His ribs screamed in pain. He slowly got up and looked around. Only then did he see the Shinra troops. Hundreds of troops were pouring out of the mountains around them and running toward the Highwind. A helicopter crashed into the snow not more than twenty feet away from Cloud. Then it exploded, sending him flying through the air. More helicopters appeared coming over the hills and mountains. Thousands of troops surrounded them.
Cloud pulled out his PHS. He called the pilots when Cid answered, Cloud told him what to do. "There are thousands of troops around us Cid. No way can we get out of here alive." Cid cussed and Cloud continued. "We have to surrender. Stop shooting the helicopters." A few seconds later, the gunfire ceased and the helicopters stopped firing at the Highwind. Cloud wondered how Shinra found them. And how did Shinra get so many people here so fast? Troops ran up to Cloud and started beating him. He pulled out his sword and started fighting but his wounds from Sephiroth were still to…a soldier hit him in the head and Cloud conked out.
Barret stopped firing. Dammit! The Shinra had them. How did this…oh no. The helicopter that flew over me thought Barret. I should have shot it down. It was looking for us! It is all my fault realized Barret, as troops climbed up the ladder and started to arrest him.