For three months, Yuffie, Marlene, and Denzel helped Cloud train his legs. The first month was spent making sure Cloud could stand and regain his balance. The second was spent helping him walk. Cid had built a station for Cloud to practice. Cloud would place each hand on one pole and try to walk to the other end. The final month was used to keep Cloud's muscles string and his fighting techniques active. Reid even joined in with the training and talked Cloud into a search and destroy type of exercise.
Cloud crouched under a few bushes. Reid was nearby, he could sense it. '\He heard rustling in front of him Cloud carefully moved a few branches out of the way, he found Reid crouching to the ground. His eyes were up, listening. Cloud let go of the branches and moved away from his spot. He reached a tree and climbed up.
Reid heard the branches and pounced, but nothing was there. He listened carefully, but heard nothing. Reid looked around him. He only saw trees and bushes. Cloud slowly lowered himself from the tree, behind Reid. He grabbed a stick and touched Reid with it.
"Done." Cloud said.
"Very interesting technique." Reid said.
"Just hope I won't need to use it." Cloud replied. The wind began to blow strongly. Reid and Cloud looked into the air, Highwind was landing nearby. Cloud and Reid raced to the landing platform to meet Cid and Barret.
Cid and Barret walked off the platform. They were met with Marlene, Denzel, Reid, Cloud, and Artemis. Marlene rushed to Barret and hugged him. Barret lifted her up and set her on his shoulders.
"What did you find out?" Cloud asked.
"Sephiroth was there alright. Left countless bodies behind, but the only living witness swore it was him." Cid replied.
"Gave a few more leads too. Sephiroth left in a shuttle. A few other witnesses saw the shuttle head towards the mountains. They had been there, but they'd left. Ran into a few old friends, but we lost everything after that." Barret finished.
"So we just have to hope Vincent comes back with news as well." Cloud replied.
"I see you're finally walking again." everyone turned to see Vincent walked off of Highwind's platform.
"Picked him up on our way back." Cid stated.
Vincent walked right up to Cloud, "I found this." He handed Cloud a small disk. "It's probably from Sephiroth."
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Cloud entered the disk into Cid's computer. Everyone was crowded around the screen waiting. Sephiroth's face appeared on the screen. He smiled evilly.
"For those of you who find this, be sure to deliver this to the scum from AVALANCHE. This is a message for them. Cloud and Zack are dead. And the girl is mine. Don't try to look for her. You'll waste your search, she'll die soon enough.
"I'll leave the body where you can easily find it. If Cloud did manage to survive for a brief time, be sure to tell him something from me. You failed! I have won." Sephiroth began laughing menacingly. The screen went black an the message ended.
"The bastard." Barret said. Yuffie hit him, due to the fact that there were children present.
"That wasn't very helpful." Cid said.
"Are you so sure?" Vincent asked.
"What are you talking about?" Barret asked. "Did you notice anything in particular about it?"
"I did." Cloud answered. He began typing on the keypad. He paused the message at one point and enhanced an image. Cloud looked closely at the image.
"What is it?" Yuffie asked.
"There's something in there that I remember seeing before." Cloud answered, "I've seen that symbol somewhere before." He pointed to a reverse image.
"Isn't that from ShinRa?" Marlene asked.
Cloud slammed his fist onto the computer, "She's right. That's the damn symbol from SOLDIER!"
"We searched the entire complex. There's no way They could be-"
"There must be an underground lab." Cloud said.
"Well, we've got a month left. We need to come up with a plan now." Cid pointed out.
"Let's just hope Tifa doesn't have a premature birth." Cloud said.
"Well, gather your thing everyone. We've got to drop those three somewhere." Barret stated.
"We're coming too!" Denzel cried.
"Hell no!" Barret yelled.
"You are too young to be involved in this!" Yuffie replied.
"Denzel, I need you to look after Marlene and Artemis. It's not a big job, but someone has to." Cloud said.
"Alright." Denzel answered.
"Great, now we just need to find a place to drop them off at." Cid stated.
"7th Heaven. They'll be safe there until we return." Cloud said.
"Alright. Saddle up! We're on the move!" Cid called.
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Cloud boarded Highwind only three hours later. Cloud activated the landing platform and headed towards the bridge. Marlene, Denzel, and Artemis had been sent to stayed in one of the rooms onboard Highwind. Cloud entered the bridge where everyone else had gathered to figure out a plan.
"So, how do we get Tifa out of there?" Cid asked.
"We need to be able to get into the complex without being seen. If Sephiroth gets word we're inside, he'll get out with Tifa." Cloud replied.
"So we need someone who can get us in without getting noticed easily. The only people who could possibly do that are staying at the bar." Yuffie said.
"Oh., I think there's someone else who can slip in unnoticed." Vincent replied. Everyone stared at Yuffie. Yuffie, who was oblivious, and wasn't looking at anyone, was surprised.
"Who?" Yuffie turned and noticed everyone's eyes on her. It was very unsettling. Yuffie's face immediately changed, "Oh you're not serious!"
"Like you said, you're the only one who can slip in undetected." Vincent answered.
"But how do we know Yuffie'll be able to do what we tell her?" Barret asked.
"Hey!"
"We'll all have a communicator. That way we'll know what her status is. Once Yuffie's opened the doors for us, we split up and search for Tifa." Cloud explained.
"Do we have a way of making sure Yuffie stays unnoticed?" Cid asked.
"Yeah, we'll have someone keeping an I on her as she heads to the control room." Cloud answered.
"Do we have any plans so we can prepare?" Barret asked.
Cloud shook his head, "The lab was a secret. So there's no way we could ever find any plans. We can, however, keep in contact, making sure Yuffie stays on track."
"So who's her bodyguard?" Vincent asked.
"You. Just be sure to keep the body count low enough to get us inside and find Tifa. Once we've found her, it's only a matter of time before Sephiroth knows we're there." Cloud explained.
"So in other words, get in, get Tifa, and get the hell out fast." Cid stated. The navigator began beeping loudly. Cid turned to it, "We're coming up on Edge. Someone get the kids to the bar."
"I'll do it." Cloud volunteered.
"Thought you might. We'll meet you in Midgar." Cid said. Began their decent. The ship rocked to the side, causing everyone's balance to shift. Cid stirred the craft right above the bar. Cloud lowered the platform above the roof. They were only five feet off the roof. Marlene, Artemis, and Denzel met Cloud in the landing platform.
"We're jumping on three." Cloud said.
"Jump?" Marlene asked.
"This is as close as Cid could get. You'll be alright, I'm jumping with you." Cloud explained.
"Maybe you should take Artemis, Cloud." Marlene said.
Cloud nodded and took Artemis from Marlene. "One…Two…Three!" They jumped from the landing platform. Each one landed on the roof easily.
"Yo Spiky!" Barret called.
Cloud turned to him, "When you've got the kids settled, head straight to Midgar. There's also something you might want behind the bar!" Cloud nodded. The platform closed and Highwind took off.
Cloud opened the roof's door and walked down into the bar. He set a bag down and look around. The bar hadn't changed at all. Seats were scattered a throughout the bar. The bar itself sat near the door. Stools and chairs sat on the tables and bar. It looked like it hadn't been opened in at least a year.
"Tifa closed when we started packing." Denzel explained.
"Looks like it." Cloud replied. He set Artemis on the floor. "I'm trusting you Denzel. You're in charge of these two." Cloud turned towards the back door.
"Cloud!" Marlene called. Cloud turned to see Artemis walking after him. Cloud lifted Artemis and hugged him tightly.
"You need to stay here. I'll come back." Cloud said. He kissed Artemis's cheek and set him back down. Cloud turned and walked out the back door. He looked around and smiled. In the corner sat a tarp draped over some vehicle. Cloud removed the tarp and smirked. Fenir was parked under the tarp, along with an old pair of Cloud's clothes. Cloud quickly changed and mounted Fenir.
Cloud wore his uniform from his SOLDIER days. His lion broach hung on his shirt and his earring shinned in the sun. Cloud revved Fenir and took off towards Midgar.
"Be careful Cloud." Marlene whispered as she watched Cloud disappear.
TBC
here we go!
i own nothing!!