Chapter 2: Training with Zack
Four years later…
A rogue train went speeding through a signal bar flashing red, breaking it to pieces while a helicopter flew above it, keeping up with its pace.
"Wutai troops have hijacked Shinra Express MK93ll," The pilot who's flewing the helicopter told the 3 soldier operatives at the back of the chopper through his radio. "The train is now heading towards Midgar Sector 8." continued the pilot. "2 soldier operatives will be inserted to neutralize the situation. We are to proceed as scheduled. Commence mission in 3,2,1, mark. Begin mission." 2 of the figures slowly stood up. "Operatives is now ready for insertions."
The side door of the chopper unfolded and one of the two soldiers took a look outside and downward at the speeding train while the other soldier stay close behind, ready to grab hold of the soldier in front of her in case he fell off as a rushing wind blew into the chopper, whipping their faces and hairs.
The soldier named Zack Fair who's looking down is now 21 years old with the same spiky black hair and bangs framing the side of his face for 4 years, same "Mako Eyes" that all soldier operatives have and wearing the same 2nd class soldier uniform with black gloves, boots and a standard soldier sword strapped to his back.
Behind him, his partner Laina Donovan is now 18 years old with wavy waist-length chestnut brown hair that went down her back while her brown bangs also framed her oval face. She's also wearing the same soldier outfit like Zack did and had the same "Mako Eyes".
Another voice spoke from behind them, belonging to the soldier named Angeal Hewley who's now 25 years old, a tall man with broad muscles and slicked back black hair with 2 bangs framing his face. He's wearing a black 1st class soldier uniform with his "Buster Sword" strapped to his broad back.
"The train has been overrun by Wutai troops," Angeal reported to them both. "Eliminate them and regain control of the train."
Zack look back at Angeal before giving him a salute with his 2 fingers and a wink at Laina. "Oh, yeah!" he said.
"Get serious!" Angeal scolded Zack as he jumped out of the chopper.
"Since when have he ever get serious, Angeal?" Laina told Angeal as she's about to jump out after him.
"Valid point, Laina. Now let's go!"
"Yes, sir!" She told him before they both jumped out of the chopper and landed behind Zack who stood up while looking forward.
"Zack!" Angeal called from behind him. Zack turned around. "Zack, focus." Angeal told him and he frowned before grunted. "There are no Shinra troops on this train, understood?"
"What about Laina, Angeal?" Zack asked, gesturing at Laina who's now next to him. "Shouldn't you told her too?"
"I don't have to because she already know." said Angeal and Laina gave him a grateful smile.
Zack nodded as he turned back to the front of the train and slammed his fist into his palm before he and Laina run forward. Angeal watched them go with keen eyes and arms across his chest.
Seconds later, gunshots began firing at them from within the train, forcing them to cease running. Zack lose his balance and fell to his knees, Laina pulled him up just in time to avoid the bullet that shot pass the roof where his left hand is seconds ago.
"Thanks, Laina. And hello to you too!" Zack remarked as they continue running while dodging the bullets.
"No problem, Zacky." Laina answer him.
"Stop calling me that…" Zack began as he looked back at her after they leaped through a gap.
"Zack, incoming!" Laina told him as she pointed at many Shinra troops running towards them down the train. Zack's jaw dropped in shock.
"I thought Angeal said that there's no Shinra troops on this train!" Zack thought to himself. Both he and Laina reach for their swords behind them and drew it out. "Come and get it!" Zack shouted in challenge and they both charged forward, cutting and slashing down at the troops attacking/firing at them both (while dodging the bullets at the same time).
"Too easy." Zack thought with a smirk which vanished when he and Laina saw another group of Shinra troops coming towards them, this time armed with rocket launchers. Zack look up, noticed a rafter tunnel and quickly grab Laina's hand as he crouch down before they jumped through it, both of them sailed over the enemies. Zack grinned at Laina who rolled her eyes back at him.
"SOLDIER 2nd class Zack-" said Zack.
"And Laina-" Laina added.
"On the job!" Zack shouted as they broke through the end of the rafter tunnel. He let go of her hand as they landed and thrust his sword into the connectors that connects the train together, breaking them apart. Laina, who's landed on the roof of the train above him, pulled him up and they watched as the other parts of the train fall behind. Zack smiled with satisfaction as he sees the Shinra troops glaring angrily at him and Laina before they turned to the front, both of them sheathing their swords to their backs.
"Train MK93ll has been re-routed to Sector 1 station near Mako Reactor 1. Proceed to mission phase 2 and change surveillance rank…" the pilot's voice on their radios turn quiet as the train finally came to a halt and both Zack and Laina jumped off the train easily.
They slowly stood up from the platform and Zack started to walk forward while Laina glance around for any signs of the enemies. Zack's phone then starts ringing and he pulled it out to answer it.
"Zack speaking," he said.
"Making progress, Zack?" asked Angeal's voice.
"You know we are, Angeal!" Laina said over Zack's shoulder. Zack gave her an "Let me do the talking" look before putting a hand on his hip.
"What's going on, Angeal?" he asked. "Why the hell are we fighting Shinra troops?"
"They are Wutai troops in disguises," Angeal explained to them. "Now both of you head to open area above."
"Towards Sector 8, you mean?"
"Yes, but first, you two have to clear a path."
"Clear a path?" Laina asked. No sooner after she spoke, a number of Wutai men in Shinra disguises came running towards them with assault rifles in their arms.
"You'll see what I mean, be careful." said Angeal.
Hearing footsteps behind him and Laina, he turned to face them. Laina gave him an "Finally you noticed" look before the troops opened fire on them both. Most of the bullets missed them.
"Geez, they have really bad aim despite being this close to us." Laina mutter sarcastically.
"So this means Laina and I can cut loose, right?" Zack asked Angeal.
The voice on the other end sighed. "Just try to use some discretion, Zack."
Angeal's voice gone silent on the other end of the phone and Zack flipped it shut, putting it back into his pocket before grinning. "It's showtime! Let's do this, Laina!" he said to her.
"Yeah, let's do this, Zacky!" Laina answer back, both of them drew their swords out again and charged towards the troops.
Zack met the troops head on and with a few swings of his sword he knocked aside the first 4 troops, their assault rifles fell onto the platform floor. One trooper threw a grenade at Laina who swing her sword like a golf club and send it flying back at the trooper who threw it, it exploded within the Wutai troops midst and sent chunks flying out of the platform.
"That'll show you all not to threw grenades at me." Laina said to them as she thrust her sword through a Wutai troop stomach who cried out before she pulled it out. He collapsed and she swung her sword at another troop coming towards her.
A Wutai troop opened fire on Zack and the bullets whizzed past his ear. Acting on instinct, Zack turned around and swung his sword in an upward thrust, forcing the assault rifle out of the Wutai troop hands before punching him in the face. He fell to the platform floor, unconscious.
Pretty soon the both of them finishes the Wutai troops off. Laina look around for any more leftover troops, finding none and sheathed her sword back. Zack meanwhile stood amidst the fallen Wutai troops with his phone against his ear.
"Not too bad, the both of you." Angeal remarked.
Zack beamed proudly. "Piece of cake!" he said. "We'll make first in no time!"
"How enthusiastic you are, Zacky." Laina thought with a smile.
Angeal chuckled before saying, "Now you two go up the stairs at the end of the platform."
Zack gestured to Laina with a tilt of his head at the platform stairs leading up and they began to walk forward. "You got it, Angeal!" he said and hung up the phone.
As they headed up, civilians from Sector 8 began running down the stairs in fear, they tore past Zack and Laina without noticing them. Confused now, Zack and Laina weaved and dodged through them, making their way up the stairs and heard a loud roar coming from the Sector 8 reactor.
"What kind of creature do you think capable of making a roar like that, Zack?" Laina asked him.
"We'll find out soon enough, Laina." Zack answer her.
As they drew near to the reactor, they skidded to a stop as they saw the reason why Sector 8 civilians run away in fear. It was a Behemoth, one of the myriad of monsters roaming outside the barren plains of Midgar. The behemoth noticed them both and roared at them in anger, it raised its clawed feet and slammed it to the ground, causing the ground to tremble under Zack and Laina.
"Whoa, mini tremor." said Laina as both she and Zack drew out their swords again.
"Oh yeah!" Zack said happily before they both charged at the behemoth.
The behemoth thrust its head forward, intending to ram Zack through with its sharp horns but Zack managed to dodged and rolled out of the way in time. Zack leapt back onto his feet and swung his sword, cutting a deep graze on its hind leg. The monster roared in pain and stagger back.
Zack watched the behemoth with a smirk. "Not so tough now, are you?" he said.
Laina then noticed the behemoth suddenly raised its hind leg up (uninjured one) and ready to crash it down on Zack. She run to him and pushed him out of the way with her body just as the behemoth's hind leg came down hard on the ground where Zack was moments ago.
Laina get up and pulled him to his feet. "Next time, Zack, don't be this cocky again." she said.
"Yeah, I know." said Zack.
A shadow fell over them, they look up and jumped out of the way as the behemoth's hind leg came crashing down on them again. When it landed, Laina run forward, jumped onto its back and thrust her sword downward on its back deeply. It reared up in pain, trying to shake her off its back. She jumped off.
The behemoth then start thrashing its tail around, causing them both to jumped and ducked as it swung above and under them. The third time it came at them, Laina didn't ducked in time and its tail hit her left side body and flung her across the street. She crashed into a nearby building and fell to the floor in a dazed.
"Ow, that really hurts." Laina said with a grimace.
"Laina!" Zack cried out before turning his angry gaze at the behemoth, who also turned its gaze at him, snarling before charging towards him with its horns pointing at him.
"You're going to pay for that, you monster!" Zack shouted as he too charged toward the behemoth. When he's near enough, he rolled underneath it, thrust his sword upward and slash its soft belly hard. Blood came pouring out and Zack rolled out from underneath it as it roared it pain.
The behemoth starts flailing wildly with its legs stomping the ground continuously, but that only increases the amount of blood its losing from the wound Zack inflicted on it. Without hesitation, Zack drew back his fist and flames start forming on his fist. With a cry, he send the flame flying towards the wounded behemoth.
The flames struck home and began engulfing the behemoth in flames. It gave a loud roar of pain as it stomped the ground, its body thrashed around in agony as it try to put out the flames on its body. Zack then approaches it and with the sword in his hand, he thrust the sword deep between its eyes and it fell dead to the ground. The flames swept over the dead monster body until its nothing but ashes.
Zack sheathed his sword and was about to go and help Laina when the tip of a long, slender blade was thrust over his shoulder. Zack froze and raised his hands while Laina saw the person behind Zack with shock.
"Showing your back to the enemy…" said a man's voice. "Overconfidence will destroy you."
Zack turned around just as the blade move to point at his face and he gasped in surprise when he saw Sephiroth standing there, with his trademark weapon- Masmune -pointing at him.
"W-What is this?" Zack asked in surprise.
"Hmph." Sephiroth response before thrusting his blade forward. Zack drew his sword out just in time to deflect the attack.
"Zack!" Laina called out to him as she shake off the last of her daze. Intend to step in to help, she slowly stood up and drew out her sword. But before she could help him, Sephiroth brought his Masamune down on Zack with all his strength. Zack raised his sword to prevent the Masamune from cutting him in two. He grunted as he try to push the blade back.
"Damn it, you're not the only hero." Zack cursed out.
"It's over." Sephiroth said with a smile.
Zack gritted his teeth as Sephiroth push his Masamune down harder on him before catching Zack off-guard when he withdrew suddenly, knocking/slashing the sword out of Zack's hands. Zack fell to the ground while his sword which have been cut in half by Sephiroth's blade, skidded a good distance away from him. Laina then charge toward Sephiroth with her blade raised and met the same fate as Zack, falling next to him with her blade cut in half and fell out of her reach.
XXX
Angeal, who was monitoring Zack and Laina's progress in the mission from a safe point nearby, stared at his phone in disbelief. "Impossible!" he said before flipping his phone shut. Grasping his huge sword, he ran in the direction of the reactor.
XXX
Sephiroth walk over to Zack and stood over him, looking down at him with a cold gaze in his green, cat-like eyes. Lifting his Masamune, Sephiroth raised it before stabbing it down. Zack close his eyes for the killing blow.
"Sephiroth, stop!" Laina cry out as she's about to put her body in its killing part when something else stops it. She turned and saw Angeal kneeling while holding Zack's broken blade in his hands. Angeal look at her before turning his gaze to Zack, who open his eyes and looked up. Relieved to see both of them are fine, Angeal withdrew the blade. Sephiroth, in turn, withdrew his as well.
Zack sat up. "Thanks, Angeal." he said.
"Yeah, thanks for your help." said Laina as she stood up.
Without saying anything, Angeal rose to his feet. He stared at Sephiroth who's looking lifeless now before flipping his phone open, selecting the "Abort mission" button and confirmed it. All at once, their surroundings, the buildings, roads, reactor tower and even Sephiroth himself dissolved, leaving just Angeal, Zack and Laina in the training room on floor 49.
"Training's over." Angeal told them both.
Zack jumped to his feet. Both he and Laina wore hologram projection helmets over their heads and eyes which projected the image of their training session seconds ago.
"What? Why?" Zack demanded as Laina took off the helmet. Angeal respond by pointing the broken blade at him, he stepped back.
"You serious?" he asked before removing his helmet and threw it to the floor. "I was just getting warm up!" he protested to Angeal.
"You nearly got yourself killed just now, Zack." Laina said to him.
He ignored her words and Angeal turned the blade over in his hand so the hilt is facing Zack. Zack took the sword and examined its broken state with a sigh.
"Zack, embrace your dreams." Angeal said to Zack as he walk pass the both of them to the door.
Zack tilted his head. "Huh?"
Angeal paused without looking back. "If you want to be a hero, you need to have dreams… and honor." He then glanced at Laina. "And you, focus more on protecting yourself so that Zack don't have to worry about you like he did just now."
Angeal left the room, leaving Zack in confusion and Laina look down, disappointed at herself. She gave a kick to the floor before going to the door.
"Hey, where are you going, Laina?" Zack asked her.
"To see my sister, Phemie in Sector 7, Zack. Goodbye." she said to him.
"Alright, then. I'll see you later." Zack told her. She nodded without turning around and left the training room. She then rode the elevator down to the ground floor of Shinra company and left the building towards the train station.
