Yes I admit it, guard hawk is a tad more OP compared to guard scorpion, but what can I say? I'm finally getting to the fighting scenes and wanted to go all out.
As you can tell I love Jessie, if you go on my profile page you will see she is my cover image :D, I absolutely adored the character. Many say Aerith's death was hard for them because it was their first childhood experience of dealing with loss. Sorry did I play the FF7 disks in a different order to you? Jessie was my first loss and the 11 year old me took it pretty hard :(.
As always let me guys know what you think, sorry about the last chapter, I had some weird posting issues and the chapter kept deleting itself some how. Anyway I hope you're enjoying the story as much as me!
I'm just a gruel begging pauper guys and don't own any FF7 material belonging to Square Enix.
On with the fic!
Chapter 7 Part 1- A hero born
Guard hawk turned its attention to the last satellite dish and despite the futile attempts from Barret, Cissnei and Aerith to damage it, nothing they did could stop it.
With troops at their backs, an unstoppable monstrosity above and no hope for escape, the reality that they had failed seemed inevitable.
Transmission progress: 80%
Staring numbly at the others Jessie found herself awe-struck. Even now when all was lost, her family were looking skyward, weapons drawn with determined and resolute faces, refusing to lie down and give up.
Drawing strength from them her hands clenched into tight fists, if they weren't willing to give up than neither was she!, she was not going to let them fail!. She was tired of feeling useless and incompetent.
Guard hawk beat its mechanical wings and made for the final satellite dish, as it flew close enough to the platform Jessie saw her opportunity. Moving as fast as her legs could go she sprinted for the edge, heart thundering in her chest.
"JESSIE!"
A chorus of voices screamed her name.
She could hear Zack in pursuit to stop her but she was too far ahead. With one last final sprint Jessie connected her boot with the platforms edge and pushed off as hard as she could. Sharp winds whipped at her face as she fell through empty air. Passing beneath her just in time she landed hard against hawk guards back. Slamming against the large metal plate she had the wind knocked clean out of her, suppressing her shout of pain as a jagged edge slashed her across the top of her leg.
The high pitched scream of the wind combined with the roar of the incredible power fueling the metal hawk was defeaning. Gritting her teeth she felt the plate bite into her fingers as she held on as hard as possible when the flight trajectory began to hitch. She would have less than half a minute now before it destroyed the last satellite dish.
Her mind worked furiously, what made this machine tick? how could it be stopped?. It was obviously taking programmed emergency measures to prevent a rogue transmission from being sent. But how did it know that one was being sent?
A signal!
It must be linked to the network and receiving a signal from the monitor that it had been hijacked. Pulling out the signal jammer she had used to block the security signal on the train network she frantically looked around for a receiver. If it was receiving a signal there had to be an external receiver somewhere, somewhere it would take extra special care to protect.
The head!
Waiting until it came to a stop Jessie clawed her way up the hawks back, ignoring the hot sting running down her leg. The entire machine began to reverberate and rumble as it began to channel the final laser attack. She felt her hair stand on end from the static in the air as the raw energy began to build, the fumes made her gag violently.
Transmission progress: 93%
Trying to stay focused, her streaming eyes found the small blinking red light typical to that of a receiver. Reaching her arm through the tight joint of the plate she strained as hard as possible to connect the jammer. Screaming with exertion she felt her shoulder sharply impinge as the device finally connected.
The exceptional amount of power that had been mere seconds from being catastrophically released died down immediately. Jessie collapsed on her back completely exhausted with relief, breathing heavily as every inch of her body screamed with pain.
Transmission complete.
Chapter 7 Part 2- A hero born
My name is Zack Fair, previous first class SOLDIER and second general in command to the Shinra army. There was once a time that just like you I trusted in Shinra, believed they were making the world a better place, a safer place. The Shinra I joined used its power to help people, where SOLDIER believed in honor and we were the heroes. After four years of imprisonment and torture, I see that that Shinra I believed in was a lie. They are responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent lives including the massacre's at Mt. Corel and Nibelheim. They are killing the planet for their own selfish greed while you suffer in poverty and fear. SOLDIER has become nothing more than their band of hired thugs, a shadow of what we once were, what we could have been.
But now, those things are going to change and AVALANCHE will be the ones to change them. If you want the Shinra that I once believed in to become a reality then stand with us. Anyone who doesn't get in our way will not be harmed by us and no lives will be lost... except for four. For your unforgivable crimes, Scarlett, Heideggar, Hojo and President Shinra, I suggest you run and run far because...
I'm coming for you.
The screen went blank and the board room deadly silent. The drained and pale faces of the executives glanced at one another stricken with fear.
"Ho.."
The president's shaky voice caught in his throat.
"How is he still alive?"
Scarlett catapulted out of her chair hysterically
"HOW DID THEY HACK OUR NETWORK!?"
In the corner of the room Reeve Tuetsi turned to stare out of the window, concealing a hidden smile across his face.
How indeed
Chapter 7 Part 3- A hero born
The sound of gunfire and crashing blades reminded her they were still not out of the woods yet. Shakily climbing to her feet still atop the hawk guard which was now hovering in the air she looked to see the others still down on the platform. They were furiously fighting off hordes of Shinra units, further back Jessie could see they were bringing up heavy artillery guns. There was no possible way they could fight off that many of them. While scrambling for an escape plan Jessie felt her PHS vibrate in her pocket.
My PHS!
Hit with an idea she grabbed for the device, flicking it open her eyes quickly glanced over the text message that was open.
Sexy and a terrorist. Can't wait for our date to find out what other little secrets your hiding. -R
Despite herself she couldn't help a small smile cross her lips or the flutter in her stomach at being called sexy. Shaking of the distraction she connected her PHS to the jammer device and configured her gps to signal a target point nearer to the platform. She could have cried for joy when the hawk machine lurched forward towards the destination.
"GET ON!" she screamed above the noise
Wide eyed in disbelief the group disengaged from the fight and climbed on to the guard hawk. No time to think she quickly re-signalled the target on the gps to any random spot outside of Midgar, anywhere but here.
As the hawk took off the Shinra troops open fired on them with heavy artillery and explosives. They were violently thrown around as even the hawks impressive resilience and ability to repair could not hold against the sheer fire power being used against it. It would not withstand much more before they were blown out of the sky. Waiting just a few more seconds to gain a bit more distance from the tower Jessie took out the detonation switch of the octanitrocubane bomb that was planted on the tower. They were still considerably closer than comfortable but left with no other choice she hit the switch.
The sheer magnitude of the explosion would have been breath-taking if it weren't for the ear splitting blast and incinerating heat that barraged them. The Shinra News Network studio was swallowed in a blinding orange mushroom cloud and what little power was left in the damaged guard hawk disappeared as they rapidly began to descend.
Jessie realized they weren't going to make it out of the city, clinging on tightly the guard hawk coasted at an alarming speed for several minutes across the city. She just about heard Zack's voice cry out above the screaming wind.
"HOLD ON!"
The impact violently rattled her body and she almost blacked out as the violent ride of twisiting and scrapping metal across the earth pummeled her. Crashing into something and grinding them to an abrubt halt the final impact sent her flying a short distance on to her back. Hitting the floor reminded her of the injuries to her shoulder and leg, right now though she was just grateful to be back on the earth.
A cloud of smoke and dust swirled around her as she laid there on the hard floor staring up at the plate above, too exhausted to move. As it settled her blurred and smoke irritated eyes looked around, they had landed in what she recognised as the sector 7 train graveyard. A hand appeared in her vision, Zack was standing above her with a big grin on his soot covered face.
"So how does it feel to be a hero?", he pulled her painfully to her feet, all the others were standing around with the same pleased looks on their faces. They all looked terrible, covered in black and dirt with another impressive round of fresh injuries. No one seemed too badly injured from the collision except Wedge who looked like he'd twisted his ankle pretty badly. And yet they were all staring at her with happy smiles.
"A hero? me?"
The group broke into cheers.
"Hell yeah you are" Wedge cheered
"That was so cool Jess, like action movie cool!" Biggs whooped, slapping her across the shoulder, making her hiss in pain.
"Wuh I tell ya' foo's?!, ma' girl Jessie heres a genius"
Aerith took her hand and gave her infamous heart warming smile "thankyou Jessie"
Cissnei nodded to her with an impressed look on her face "you'd make an amazing Turk"
She blushed at the rain of praise and affection they gave her. At the same time she couldn't resist the feeling of elation, was she really a hero like Zack? she'd always dreamed of being one but never believed she was strong enough.
Then she saw Tifa, standing with her hands on her hips, not looking too pleased.
"Do you realize you could have got yourself killed?" she snapped angrily, "do you realize how scared you made me?", her stern voice began to waver as her expression began to soften.
Finally Tifa's resolve dropped, she let a short whimper that was a mix between a cry, a laugh and relief as she ran at Jessie and grabbed her in a strong loving hug.
"Don't you ever do something like that to me again Jessie"
"I'm sorry Teef... Teef... Teef your boobs are crushing me now"
There was a round of laughter among the group before they fell into more ecstatic celebration.
"I can't believe we really did it!"
"That was totally insane! Zack you gotta teach some of those moves to me man"
"D'ya feel tha' ya' Shinra rats?! tha's jus' a taster o' whats ta' come!"
Zack had taken Aerith in an intimate embrace, "I'm really proud of you Aerith" he gently whispered in her ear. Jessie oversaw the scene and almost weld up, they were beautiful together and a part of her envied the thought of having someone that close.
She hadn't even realised she had pulled out her phs and stared at the message she had been sent from Reno. She firmly flipped her phone closed in annoyance, he had hurt Tifa and she hated Turks... well accept for Cissnei... she didn't know what she felt anymore.
The sound of a guns safety catch being audibly taken off made the entire group jump alert. The pistol was pointed at Zack, Barret made to raise his gun arm at the wielder but in the blink of an eye a second gun was skillfully unholstered, warning him not to try it. Such a simple movement had the power to tell them this guy was not to be messed with.
Zack took one step forward towards the man.
"It's good to see you again Tseng."
Chapter 7 Part 4- A hero born
Tseng had been walking back from Aerith's house through sector 7 when he saw the flaming machine careening across the sky. He had been gently interrogating Elmyra Gainsborough on Aerith's whereabouts, the women was surprisingly tactful at not giving any information away. He had seen Zack Fair's broadcast and now with Aerith being missing he began to feel panicked, a feeling exceptionally rare to him and he found it disturbing.
Not only was she now involved with terrorism, the call had also come in that they were to apprehend the ancient. He had feared this day for a long time, Tseng had spent years making excuses and throwing the president off about bringing her in but now that time was up. With professor Hojo demanding his specimen, the mako crisis at its peak and Zack's reappearance he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't.
Watching the machine fall across the sky he tracked its crash site to the train graveyard not far from him. He now had two pistols drawn at Fair and Wallace as he desperately tried to keep his turmoil of emotions from showing.
"It's good to see you again Tseng"
"You've caused more problems than you care to realise Zack"
"And you've ignored more of Shinra's crimes over the years than the man I thought you were would. How could you let this happen Tseng? how could you bury you head in the sand like this?".
Zack's words made the corner of his mouth twitch.
You don't realise just how much I've done.
His eyes flicked over the rest of the party, when his eyes met with Cissnei's he had to check to see that someone had not snuck up on him and drove a knife through his chest.
They didn't need to exchange words, holding one another's gaze they spoke more than a thousand words could. Cissnei was the first to drop her eyes, staring at her downcast form he could once more see the small vunerable girl he had raised like a daughter.
If things weren't yet difficult enough Aerith approached him, unfazed by the weapons he had pointed at them. As she drew close he knew he couldn't lose face and let her near, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to point the gun at her.
"Tseng please, come with us, I know you know what Shinra are doing is wrong"
When her hands gently closed around his holding the pistols it was if his arms lost all strength as they lowered to the ground. She held his hands in hers, his last line of defense was the emotionless mask he still managed to maintain as he stared down at her.
"I know you, you're a good person Tseng, please help us stop this.", the raw un-masked emotion in the gentle girls words and face took down his last barrier.
His entire life had been spent surrounded by people hiding and disguising their true feelings including his own. Seeing this honesty made him realise he was tired, tired of always hiding and for the briefest of moments he considered her proposal.
Zack stepped close behind Aerith and placed a hand on her shoulder, Tseng's eyes flicked to Zack's hand which was discreetly grasping the hilt of his sword. He felt a pit of rage boil up inside of him at the notion of Zack trying to protect Aerith against him. Zack had not been the one to protect Aerith since she was a child. Zack had not been the one to put his neck on the line for years to keep her from Shinra. Zack had not been there to pick up the pieces when he disappeared. It was him, it was always him and now this guy planned to take that from him as well as Cissnei.
Jerking his hands out of Aerith's grasp he stepped back and snapped his weapons back up.
"Tseng! please, please don't do this" Aerith pleaded.
He struggled to keep the pistols level as he shook with anger.
"Your coming with me" he aimed at Zack.
"No Tseng! please!" tears were beginning to roll down Aerith's face, he felt another stab of pain at the sight. He had always been the one to dry them, not to cause them.
"Ta' hell he is!" Barret growled raising his gun at him stepping forward.
Zack put his hand up to stop the man.
"It's ok, I want to meet with Rufus"
So Cissnei told them about Rufus.
"Zack are you crazy!" Tifa exclaimed
"It's alright he won't try anything, our interests are the same, for now at least anyway", Zack turned back towards him, "Tomorrow, meet me back here at mid-day and then take me to him".
Tseng swung his other gun that had been aimed at Wallace to point them both at Zack. An action to tell him that things were not going to be done on his terms.
"Stop playing games Tseng, we both know your not going to shoot me"
Tseng instantly fired a shot, the bullet past barely a centimetre by Zack's head. The rest of his team jumped in alarm but Zack didn't even flinch in the slightest.
"Tomorrow at mid-day" Tseng confirmed dryly.
Turning he made to leave before Aerith's tearful voice spoke once more making him pause.
"Please don't go Tseng... I don't want to lose you"
He wanted to turn back, but a tormenting voice in his head kept telling him she didn't need him anymore.
Pulling out the small box from his jacket pocket he held the 89 letters that Aerith had given him for Zack.
"These won't be needed anymore", his voice was colder than even he thought it would be.
Dropping the box on the floor he strode away, blocking out the quiet sob that came from Aerith.
