A/N: Added some dialogue between Aeris and Tifa, and changed some wording throughout.
The sewer stank, a cloying odor of waste and disease. Cloud set the pace at first, a pell-mell dash through empty tunnels and rusted gates. But Aeris couldn't keep up, and soon even Tifa began to flag. He set his jaw and forced himself to slow his pace. Maybe he could reach the pillar in time, maybe not. But he couldn't leave Aeris and Tifa alone in the dark.
He stopped at the next junction, partly to let the women catch up and partly to choose which way to head. Cloud stretched out his hand and tried to make out its dim outline. This junction is brighter, he decided. We must be close to an opening. At the center of the junction, waste cascaded into a large hole drilled to unknown depths. The slick stone beneath his boots was part of a walkway that ran along a constant, throbbing torrent like a sick riverbank. Tifa arrived at the junction a moment later, panting lightly but still upright. Aeris hadn't fared so well; she came spluttering into view a few minutes later.
"You…gotta…slow…" she gasped. "'m outta…outta shape…" She slumped against the tunnel wall, heedless of the grime smeared across it.
Tifa's pale face swam out of the gloom nearby. "Which way?"
"I'm not sure," Cloud admitted. "But we're close."
"Cloud…" she hesitated. "They wouldn't really drop the plate on a whole sector? I mean, that's crazy."
"Fear makes people do crazy things."
"Fear?" Tifa scoffed. "What could they possibly be so afraid of?"
"Nothing," Cloud lied. "There's no reason to drop the plate." Tifa hid her scars well, but he saw them in her every look, every step, every twist of her lip. He'd done enough damage to her already; he wouldn't open up old wounds based on a vague suspicion. Anyway, he was probably wrong. He'd seen no evidence of any threat more serious than the Shinra. Still, the anxious twist in his gut would not relax. Mother, I hope I'm wrong.
"Come on," he said at last. "This way. There's light ahead." Cloud crossed to the tunnel straight ahead and the others followed. They moved more slowly this time, but Cloud watched the light steadily grow stronger.
Tifa made a disgusted noise behind. "I appreciate the light, but I'd almost rather not see what I'm stepping in."
"Ugh, I know," said Aeris. "What happened to your shoes?"
"I took them off. Have you ever tried to run in heels?"
"I've never even worn heels. For me, it's a sturdy pair of boots or nothing. I would've worn the boots, but Cloud was all 'sexy ladies don't wear boots.' Had I known we'd be trudging through a sewer, I'd have told him to jam his sexist crap where the sun don't shine."
"Rescuing me was Cloud's plan, then?"
"Ha! I wouldn't call it a plan, exactly. Without me to distract the guards, he never would have got in the door."
"Let me guess: he wanted to go in alone."
"You don't know the half of it. 'It's too dangerous, Aeris.' 'You don't know what kind of people these are, Aeris.'"
"Oh Mother, if I had a gil for every time I've heard that…"
"I know, right? I grew up in the slums; I know better than him what kind of people they were!"
"You think that's bad? I bested the Five Sages of Da-Chao and ran the wolves at Cosmo Canyon. I even won the title match against Dio at the Gold Saucer back in '05. But to him, I'm just a damsel-in-distress."
"It's sad, really. He needs to make people helpless so he can play hero."
Cloud had enough. "Anything could be down here," he reminded them. "Keep quiet." They were nearly there, and he hoped to escape the sewer without meeting anything. There wasn't just shit down here, the reactors dumped their runoff into these tunnels. The trace mako radiation was harmless for people passing through, but generations of sightless animals had bred in the mutagenic sludge. There were rats the size of dogs in the sewers, and worse.
Another four-way junction split the path ahead, but pale light fell out of the tunnel to the right. Cloud ducked right around the corner and came face-to-face with a sahagin. In the dim ghost-light he could make out the flat, reptilian head perched atop its long scaly neck. Fish eyes stared dully at him out of an almost human face. The creature raised a rusted steel rod like a spear in webbed hands, but Cloud got in close and caught one end. There was no time to free his sword, so instead he threw his shoulder into the monster's torso, splitting its turtleshell skin with a sharp crack. The sahagin let out a dying croak and tumbled into the fetid water.
"What the hell was that?" called Aeris, and Tifa asked, "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Cloud scanned the tunnel and detached his sword from its place on his back. There was never just one sahagin; the damn things hunted in packs. Straight ahead down the tunnel was a dim shaft of light. "We need to keep moving. The light's coming from an opening ahead. Probably a manhole. Get going, I'll bring up the rear." They didn't need to be told twice. Aeris and Tifa found the energy for one more sprint, and they were soon well out of the way.
A loud croak echoed from the shadows. Another rough voice joined the first, followed by another, then another. Cloud took a step back, but his eyes were drawn to the black of the tunnel behind. The babbling howl bouncing off the walls had an almost hypnotic quality, and he didn't notice the first attack until it was already upon him. A slimy hand slapped his shoulder. It would have lost its purchase but for its nails, hooked and sharp like talons. Cloud twisted and threw himself sideways, slamming the creature between himself and the unyielding wall. The claws' grip loosened, and Cloud spun around. With a sweep of his sword, he hewed off the creature's arm. The next stroke took its head. Cloud saw a half dozen more of the things crawling out of the sewage behind, and a scream from Aeris told him there were more ahead. They were surrounded. Cloud reached for his materia, its song already ringing in his head.
A loud wet smack echoed through the tunnel, like the river of muck had heaved up something massive. Waves rose sharply to lap at the edges of the walkway and the sahagin glanced nervously at one another. Cloud looked quickly over his shoulder. The creatures menacing Tifa and Aeris had stopped as well. Their heads were cocked as if they were listening for something, although Cloud noted that pale, clammy skin stretched tight over where their ears should be. Suddenly, the sahagin closest to Cloud let out a long, low croak and turned away. The others silently followed its example, waddling to the filthy river's edge on bowed legs and slipping into the flow with surprising grace.
Tifa slowly lowered her fists. "What the—"
"Shh!" Cloud listened carefully, opening himself to all the sounds around him. He started close, hearing every noise and sketching its location, just as he'd been taught. The rhythmic rushing was the water, the quiet scrape a shifting boot. When he had a clear picture of the immediate surroundings, he stretched his senses outwards. Slow and smooth, he remembered. Fold outwards like a blooming flower. A rat squeaked around the corner. Beyond that, something that may have been a sahagin splashed quietly in the stream. Beyond that…
Cloud's grip tightened on the Buster Sword's hilt. He heard the clink and clank of dragged chains. He heard heavy knocking, two hooves clapping on stone. He heard breathing like the working of a massive bellows. The sounds grew louder as they drew closer. He listened to the noise approach, his feet rooted to the cement. Aeris and Tifa stood motionless behind him, their bodies stiff and tense. They heard it now, too. The echoing noise of the sewer challenged him, but Cloud estimated the thing was no more than forty paces down the tunnel they'd just left. It stopped. Cloud could still hear its breathing, loud and heavy, but the chains had stopped clinking. Sweat sprang out on his brow and his heart pounded wildly on his ribs. A stench worse than the sewer wafted out of the shadows behind: blood and sweat and rotting meat. Cloud's stomach turned, but his hands were still steady. Then the chains rang out loudly, followed by a splash and a terrible squeal. Cloud listened to the high, rasping screams of a sahagin fade away into the dark.
Cloud waited, but no sound came. No chains, no steps, not even any breathing. It was gone.
"Oh," sighed Aeris, her shoulders slumping. "Thank the Moth—"
A roar exploded from the shadows, carrying with it a hot wave of stinking air. Fire sprang into Cloud's hand and the materia's chorus drowned out the world. In the sudden light he saw a massive, hairy head with small beady eyes. Tusks as long as Cloud's arm and dagger-shaped fangs protruded at odd angles from a short snout. The beast threw up a heavily muscled arm to shield its eyes. Broken chains hung from shackles on its thick wrists, clattering like bones. Cloud hurled flame at the beast, sustaining the flow of energy until he thought his head would burst from the singing. He stood tall, mad with fear, drunk with power, bathing the tunnel in flame. The voices from the materia cried louder, and Cloud's thoughts were lost among them. He remembered the first snow at the foot of the Nibel mountains, early in the fall. He remembered shafts of sunlight on the dappled coat of a coeurl, and he was close enough to count the hairs. He remembered the weight of the net hauled into the boat, and the rough bite of the rope in his hands. He saw a thousand lives in the fire; which one was his?
Cloud, a little voice whispered. You are Cloud Strife from Nibelheim, and if you don't let go of that fire you'll die weak, wasted, and mako-sick. Now, wake up! Cloud cut himself off from the materia and ran.
His legs felt like lead, and his lungs ripped open with every breath. He'd put too much of himself into the fire. Tifa and Aeris were standing beneath the opening, staring up at it with dazed expressions. For an absurd moment, Cloud wondered why they'd waited for him. Then he saw the ladder lying in a heap, eaten through by rust long ago. He skidded to a halt below the hole to the surface 20 feet above. The beast roared behind him again. The light from the flames was dying. Cloud's body burned, but he thought he had just enough strength to jump to the surface. But the others…
He crouched and shouted, "Tifa!" She looked sharply at him and understood quickly. Cloud meshed his hands and she ran at him. As soon as she stepped into his hands he pulled up, tossing her up towards the surface. He watched Tifa catch the edge and turned to Aeris. "Aeris, come on!"
Her eyes flickered orange in the fading light. "But—" The monster's roar smothered her protest. The light of the fire was dead, and the shadows had stolen back into the tunnel. Chains rattled in the dark. She ran at him, but her foot missed his hands. As she stumbled into him, Cloud seized her around the waist and threw her bodily up. She screamed, but Tifa caught her and hoisted her up through the hole. Cloud's shoulders ached, his knees trembled. The tunnel floor rumbled under his feet. He'd never make it, but he had to try. The monster's rancid breath rolled over him. Summoning the last of his strength, Cloud jumped nearly 15 feet into the air and missed Tifa's out-stretched hand by an arm's length. As he fell, the massive beast appeared just below him, blinking stupidly up at the light. Cloud almost smiled. The beast was ten feet tall. He planted one boot squarely on its forehead and kicked off desperately. This time he caught her.
Cloud found himself flat on his back, panting desperately and staring up at the underside of the plate. A furious howl echoed from a nearby manhole.
"Wake up, Cloud!" Tifa shouted. "We have to go. Now! There's fighting by the support!" Cloud sat halfway up and his head swam sickeningly. Grunting, he rolled onto his front and struggled onto his hands and knees. Abruptly he felt a hand on his back, soothing as a cool summer rain.
"Cloud," said Aeris. "We need you."
Cloud stood up and straightened his back with a grimace. He realized he was still clutching his sword. The sword is your life, he thought. SOLDIER training ran deep. He swung the Buster Sword onto his back and tore his stiff fingers away.
"Where are we?" he asked. They were surrounded by rusting, dented train cars.
"Train Graveyard," Tifa replied. "Sector 7. Cloud, we have to go right now. We have to warn Barret!"
Cloud nodded. "Which way?"
Tifa turned on the spot, examining the cars and occasionally glancing nervously upwards. "This way," she said finally, and dashed off between two cars. Cloud and Aeris followed, weaving between, around, and through dissembled trains. As they reached the edge of the junkyard, Cloud heard a faint, persistent popping. Cloud cut a hole through the fence, and they slipped into the winding alleys of the slums. After a while, Tifa heard the popping, too. "Gunshots," she frowned. "Coming from the pillar."
"We're not too late," Cloud answered. The pillar stood out on the edge of the sector, bearing the main weight of the Sector 7 plate above. They drew nearer the pillar and the gunshots became louder. One distinct weapon chattered almost constantly. Tifa started to veer off to the left, but Cloud caught her arm.
"Where are you going?" he shouted.
"7th Heaven," she replied. "Barret's on the pillar, but Marlene might still be there."
"No," Cloud shook his head. "You're needed on the pillar."
"But what about Marlene!? Cloud, someone has to get her!"
Cloud gritted his teeth. "Aeris," he called. "There's a bar just down this street called 7th Heaven. Inside is a girl named Marlene. Get her out of Sector 7." He braced himself for her argument, but instead she just nodded quietly and dashed away towards the hideout. Cloud ran towards the pillar, and soon he heard Tifa following behind. The gunfire slowed as they reached the pillar, and at the foot of the stairs that wound around up to the plate they found Wedge. The young Avalanche member's body was twisted and misshapen; he'd fallen from the pillar. Halfway up the winding stairs they followed a trail of blood to Jessie. Her body was sprawled face-down across a landing. She had gun in her fist, but Cloud didn't think it'd been fired. A bit further up, Cloud killed a pair of blueskulls and Tifa threw another off the stairs. They passed a half-dozen dead Shinra men, and around the next corner came face-to-face with Barret.
His dark eyes were wild, and for a moment Cloud thought he might shoot them. Then the big man's face split open in a broad grin.
"Well, shit," Barret chuckled. "Look who come crawlin' back."
"Is this the bomb?" Cloud strode over to a small steel cylinder welded conspicuously to the pillar by Barret's head. A light on one end flashed red.
"Cold as ever, huh? Yeah, that's it. I been standin' guard. Nobody's gonna arm it with me here."
Cloud ran his hand gently over the bomb. "It's already been armed." The smile dropped off Barret's face. "Probably a remote detonator. Blinking red means it's just waiting for the trigger. We could have 5 minutes or 5 seconds."
"Shit, man," Barret groaned. "How do we disarm it?"
"We don't. Not without the remote. There's no screen, no switches, no way to interface with this thing."
"Can't you open it up? Cut the green wire or some shit?"
"Once armed, a mako bomb gets fragile. Crack the casing and it blows. Take it off the pillar, it blows. I'm a little surprised it hasn't gone off already. We need to get out of here."
"What are you saying? We should just leave it? Find the detonator, or get help, or something?"
"No," said Cloud. What's the best way to get all of Avalanche in one place? "I'm saying we took the bait, and the trap's just waiting to spring. The plate's coming down on Sector 7. The only question is whether we're here when it happens."
"You will be," said a voice from behind. "I'll make sure of it." Cloud turned around and saw her: the young SOLDIER who'd attacked him at the reactor. "Tell me where the detonator is, and I'll at least make sure the plate doesn't come down on your heads." Cloud raised his sword, and sized her up. Tall, but slender, and holding a regulation 2nd Class sword that moved like part of her arm. Her eyes were fixed on him, but he could see her watching the others. She was dangerous. He only had a few words before things went bad.
"How do we—" She swung fast at Cloud's head, almost so fast he didn't see it in time. But he'd fought faster. He turned her blade and kicked her hard in the stomach. She collapsed back and Cloud heard a sudden, sustained beep. The SOLDIER must have heard it too; she bounced up, and vaulted over the nearest railing. If she was fast, smart, and lucky, she'd make it out in one piece. Cloud was more worried about himself. He looked around the landing and spotted some high-tension cables fastened to the steel. The cables radiated outwards from the pillar to connect with the underside of the plate. He looked down, judging the distance as best he could.
"Come on, this way," Cloud said, grabbing Barret by the arm and yanking him towards the cables. Tifa threw her arms around Cloud's shoulders and Cloud dragged Barret to the railing. Cloud leaped for a cable and seized it with his free hand just as the beep stopped. He felt the explosion before he heard it, a blast of heat and light at his back followed by a spray of dust and hard rock. The cable jumped with a loud shearing noise and then swung away. The howling wind drowned out Barret's roar, and the wind slashed at Cloud's face, but he held on. The cable jerked suddenly, and a deafening groan sounded over all. Cloud looked down at the ground rushing past beneath. They were approaching Sector 6, but their momentum was slowing. If they held on much longer, they'd arc back under the falling plate. Cloud swung Barret forward beneath him like a pendulum and let go of the cable. Tifa shrieked as they cleared the Sector 6 wall, and the last thing Cloud heard before he hit the dirt was a rolling doom like thunder.