A Promise Long Overdue
The entire group ran out to see the new president. Rufus was getting out of the Helicopter.
"So, Sephiroth was really here."
He then noticed the entire group.
"Who are you guys?"
Cloud was the first to Answer:
"I'm Cloud, ex-Soldier 1st class."
That is not true, Zack thought to himself, but for now ignored it.
"I'm from Avalanche, Barrett stated."
"Same here, Tifa answered as well."
Aerith said, "A flower girl from the slums."
Then the creature spoke again yet again amazing Zack.
"A research specimen."
Rufus then looked at Zack.
"I used to be with Soldier as well."
Rufus just shrugged.
"Wow what a crew... Well, I am Rufus President of Shinra."
Barrett glared at him harshly.
"You only president cause yer old man died."
Rufus again shrugged, obviously it meant little to him that his dad was dead.
"Exactly... and I will let you hear my inauguration speech.
"Old man tried to control the world with power, it seemed to be working.
Work at Shinra, earn your fee, if a terrorist attacks, Shinra will send Soldier.
It looks perfect on the outside... But I do things different...
I will control the world with fear!
It takes to much to do it like my dad."
Tifa, broke the pause at the end of the speech, "He likes to make speeches just like his dad.:
"Get out of this building with Aerith, Cloud told Barrett."
The whole group looked at Cloud.
"The Hell's that sposed to mean?" Barrett asked.
"I'll explain later, Cloud responded, Barrett this is the real crisis for the planet... Zack and I can take care of him."
Barrett just nodded and along with Tifa, Red and Aerith they all approached the exit.
"Why do you want to fight me," Rufus suddenly said as he was getting his shotgun out.
"You seek the promised land, and Sephiroth," Cloud Stated.
"Exactly... did you know he was an Ancient?" Rufus asked.
"Well a lot has happened, in any case I can't let you or Sephiroth have the promised land," Cloud answered him.
"President, I said, there are two of us you can't win."
"Winning is not my objective, it is more to stall you, he replied."
He then jumped in the air and a guard hound jumped out and cast a barrier on Rufus. Rufus started firing all over the place laughing.
"Cloud, I will take out the guard hound, you get rufus."
Cloud nodded and charged at Rufus.
This should be an easy fight, Zack thought. He drew the mythrial sword and performed in Octoslash on it. This quickly killed the guard dog.
Meanwhile Cloud was busy blocking all kinds of shots from Rufus. He just could not get close to him. Zack charged toward Rufus.
Rufus realizing that he was now outnumbered leapt off the building onto he nearby helicopter's landing platform.
Zack and Cloud rushed down to the floor where they noticed Tifa was waiting for them.
"Where is Aeirth?" Zack asked.
"She went on ahead with Barrett, with Red and Barrett... What about Rufus?" She answered and asked.
"We couldn't finish him, it's going to get complicated to get out, Cloud said."
"Well that is true, Zack responded, he probably has the Shinra army around the building."
"I do have one idea, Cloud said, they have two bikes and a truck on display."
"Well that is good to know," Zack said.
The three got on an elevator and took it down to the third floor where one bike was. Cloud got off on this elevator. Zack and Cloud then took the elevator to the display room to get the third bike.
"You might run ahead seeing as how it will take a minute to hot-wire this bike. The always leave the key in the truck."
Tifa nodded in response to go and get the other three. It took Zack a minute to hot wire the bike. He throttled forward and saw Cloud heading down the stairs on the right stair case so he went down the left. Tifa was getting in her vehicle with Aerith s her co-pilot. Barrett and Red jumped in the back of the truck.
Zack and Cloud drove the Bike to the third floor with Tifa behind them.
"Tifa, Cloud shouted, your going to want to ramp off after we go, just go as fast as you can, we should all easily make the jump onto the nearby road, and avoid the army."
"Yeah, Zack shouted in response, They would be caught off guard and we would have only the local groups to cater to."
Tifa nodded that she was ready. Both Zack and Cloud revved the engine and shot out the window. As soon as they landed, they both drew their swords. Cloud drew his buster sword that Zack had given him, and Zack pulled out his mythrial sword. they were easily able to steer one handed.
"Cloud you handle any search bikes on the right side, I got the left," Zack yelled, while the whole group was traveling at about 144 km/hr.
The first couple patrol bikes came. Zack easily knocked the guy off his bike and it toppled onto the guy who was paces behind him. They then turned onto the highway that they were currently building where Sector Six would be. Cloud had knocked off several other bikers. Zack had noticed that Cloud seemed more confident, and quicker than he remembered him. Not to bad for someone who a week ago had a huge amount of Mako poisoning.
Zack noticed another biker guard quickly approaching. Zack cut the engine in half. They rounded another corner and were forced into the off ramp that the sign said out of order. Three more bikers approached and Cloud quickly leaped off and slashed one of the bikers and the bike that the bike patrolman was using toppled onto the other guy causing him to crash. Cloud then used the bike that was now rolling on the ground to land on and then he leaped back onto his bike.
This stunned Zack as he had never seen anyone do this, except for Sephiroth. He then had to ask himself, "What did Hojo do to Cloud?" This worried him to, because Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth also had something done to them by the same man, and they all went mad. Of course he had to admit that Angeal had come to his senses long ago, and Genesis seemed to near the end. The whole group had to now slam on their brakes as if they went any further.
The good news was that there were no patrol men, the bad news was there was a machine originally meant for the Wutai war behind them.
"Cloud, you help everyone off the plate, I will take care of this," Zack said.
Zack got off his bike and performed a lucky star technique to boost his attack power. He then rolled out of the way to avoid an attack from the twin burner.
Zack then jumped on the back of it and started hacking away. It was then that Cloud approached, having gotten the group to safety. Cloud jumped into the air performing a braver technique that he saw Angeal use only once.
After this move the machine shut down. Cloud then led Zack to the escape cable that he used to get the rest of the group down. Once they were down, Cloud looked around.
"All right, let's go."
Suddenly Barrett spoke up.
"We needs a group leader for our journey, course only me could be leader.
Tifa shook her head.
"I think that it should be Zack," Aerith said.
"Nonsense, Cloud is a natural leader," Tifa told her.
"Barrett looked down.
"Well maybe both of them, as we cannot have 6 people strolling down the fields, it's askin for trouble."
Aeirth said, "that is a good idea, we have two 1st class Soldiers, two strong attackers and two of us who are good with Materia. Since we can form two groups with one of each, it should be grouped like this."
Cloud, Tifa, and Barrett all formed one group. Zack, Red and Aerith formed the second group.
"Where should we go from here?" Tifa asked.
Zack checked the clock knowing that they had spent the whole night awake.
"Well I think we could all use some rest for about a day."
"But Sephiroth..." Cloud replied.
"Cloud, what good would it be to follow him when all of us are exhausted... we can chase him after we are all rested."
"Barrett suddenly cut in, "There is a town to the north east of here about 1.5 km away."
"That is good," Zack said.
Zack Aerith and Red took off and they climbed up a hill that led away from the plate they were under of Midgar.
Zack suddenly broke the long silence as they were now under the sun as it was rising and in the sky.
"Sorry," he said to Aerith.
"For what? she asked.
"Well, I made a promise about 5 years ago, and I finally was able to show you the sky."
"Thats right, she replied... it is so beautiful she said. You are right."
"I told you, but I find you more beautiful, Aeirth, and this sky represents a new beginning for both of us."
He then embraced Aerith in their very first kiss.