Cloud: We need to leave now.

He didn't have to tell anyone that. We were all aware of what was at stake. Tens, if not hundreds of thousands of innocent lives were at stake. We needed to get to the support pillar and fast. As we made our way out of the room, Corneo started to talk.

Corneo: You won't make it in time, especially if you mess with a person like me.

Before he was even finished talking I could feel myself free falling. There were a few screams as we all fell into the darkness. Some of the foulest tasting water had managed to enter my mouth.

I picked myself up after falling hard on my back. I was glad to see that everyone else was generally ok.

We seemed to be in some kind of water way. It was damp, cold, and smelled terribly. Walkways made of grey stone bricks, now covered in moss, made elevated pathways through a maze of tunnels; keeping people from the foul smelling water that rushed and flowed.

Liz: I'm going to kill that son of a bitch!

Chris: Let's worry about getting out of here first. Where are we anyway?

Cloud: The city's sewer system.

Knowing that I was in sewer water made my skin crawl.

Me: Now what? We can't climb back up.

Tifa: We'll just have to find an exit.

Me: Then we need to move fast. We only have a few hours, according to what Corneo said.

Aerith: What are we supposed to do?

Cloud: We need to get to the pillar. Chances are that Shinra has a bomb.

We made our way through the many tunnels with no success of finding any means of escape. We had already lost a half hour and couldn't afford to lose any more time. The whole time Cloud had been leading the way; as we approached another corner he stopped abruptly.

Theo: What now?

Cloud: Shh!

He poked his head around the corner slowly and quickly drew his head back. He was speaking in a low whisper.

Cloud: There's a staircase up ahead, but we have a problem. There's a fiend guarding the exit.

Tifa: How bad is it?

Cloud: It takes up about half the tunnel. It won't be able to move easily so we should be able to take it.

Liz: I was hoping to get a fight in.

Me: Hold on, I don't think you're knifes are going to work if the thing is that big. Do you guys have any materia?

Liz, Theo, and Chris all shook their heads negatively.

Me: Fine, you can use mine.

I focused on all of my attack materia and summoned it to surface. I handed Liz the bolt, Theo got ice, and Chris had the fire materia.

Me: Aerith, you should provide support for us. Stay a good distance away and use your cure materia to help out.

Tifa: That means the rest of us face the thing. Can't have this take long, it's already been an hour.

With that, Liz, Theo, and Chris jumped from the corner first, flinging magic at the thing. Then the rest of us came out and charged. I had expected it to be big like Cloud had said but I wasn't completely prepared for the thing. I was huge alright; its skin seemed to be toughened like a natural armor. That would make things worse.

Tifa was the first to reach it and had leaped into the air and kicked the thing across the face. Despite the things size, Tifa had caused it some pain and had even knocked out one of its sharp yellowed fangs. I brought up the next strike with a slash at its leg. My sword had only bounced off the thing.

Me: What the hell!?

Cloud came in an instant later and pelted it with a blast of fire materia point blank to its chest. The thing writhed in pain but was far from defeated. I took a swipe at me and knocked me into a wall causing me to see stars. I was seeing double, but I still managed to witness Tifa being smacked by the things tail, flinging her at Chris taking them both down.

Staggering to my feet I made my way up to higher ground by using some stone steps close by. At this point I was level, if not higher, with the monster's head. Taking a leap of faith, I landed squarely on its back. Its skin was soft to the touch; I had found its weak spot!

I now had the advantage. Taking my sword and knife, I drove both through the creatures flesh with ease. The creature gave off a thunderous roar and began to kick and buck; doing its best to knock me off. It was only hurting itself, the wound got bigger every time it tried to shake me loose as I held on for my life.

Me: Up here! The back is weaker here!

The others got the message. They all moved in as the creature was distracted. I had lost my focus for a second and it cost me. With one big move, the thing threw me off. Not even a second after hitting, the beast was now standing over me with its face only inches from my own. I tried to swing at it but found that my body wouldn't move; and even if I could my weapons were still embedded in the things back. Bloody drool escaped its mouth, dripping onto my face as it reared its head and showed its giant yellowed fangs, readying to strike.

Suddenly without warning a massive blade, Cloud's sword, erupted from its chest and struck the ground next to my head. I was aware of a stinging sensation on my left cheek. The beast soon slumped over dead on top of me. If it wasn't going to kill me by biting my head off, it was sure going to suffocate me to death.

I found myself being pulled out from under the monster.

Liz: Are you ok boss?

Me: I can hardly move and I feel pain in my left leg. Other than that, I'm just great.

She gave a small laugh as she took out a potion.

Cloud: What's wrong?

Me: Can't feel my body, I can't move.

I spoke between sips of the curative liquid.

Cloud: Must have some kind of paralyzing affect. Aerith!

She came over right away and used a spell. Slowly I regained the use of my body. I stood and walked over to the massive carcass and retrieved my weapons; cleaning them as best as I could before returning them to their homes.

Cloud: Let's not waste any more time, we have a sector to save.