A/N: Holy Canolies, it's longer, better, and filled with action. Mostly in part to Mystic 777's advice, betaing, and exasperation. You can blame me for the plot. :p All in good fun though. I'm thrilled to present this piece to you all in honor of Mystic 777. Arigato and such. Please be sure to read and review...

Chapter 26: The Day the Sky Caved In

Fear thrummed through his veins as Cloud left the security of the pilot's house. The blond's eyes locked on the gathered terrorist group. His fingers tightened on the hilt of his new sword. The child lifted his head as he had been reminded by Sephiroth and stared his foes in the eyes. His stomach rolled with the thought of what he was supposed to do. He reminded himself that he needed to get back to his mother while desperately ignoring the thought that these people had mothers too. Cloud's eyes darted to the leader of the terrorist group and he found a face locked in surprise staring back at him.

"You're just a kid." the terrorist stated. "They sent a damn kid out to fight their battles. You damned cowards. Get out here and face us like real men."

Cloud responded to the statement by bringing his sword from over his shoulder and into the starting position he had been forced to learn at the hands of Rufus Shin-Ra. A thick lump formed in his gut as he prepared himself to actually kill these people. They only thought they were doing good. Softly, he gave his first order to the terrorists. "Please, surrender. I don't want to have to hurt anyone."

Amusement met the boy's statement as the terrorists guffawed, loudly. Cloud wasn't big to begin with. His clothes were a patchwork of borrowed clothing from all over Rocket Town. With pants that hung loose on his hips, a shirt two sizes too large and golden spikes of hair falling around his face, he looked like a child playing dress-up with a toy sword.

Like the terrorists' children who played at being hero…

"Your leader tell you to do this, kid? To face an army of grown men in live combat. What's the cowards name?" The leader countered him.

"My name is Cloud Strife. They didn't tell me to do anything. I was asked if I wanted to do this… and he's not a coward. Sephiroth is a hero." He snapped, the blue of his eyes growing brighter as he shifted his feet into that hated position for the quickest assault on the enemy forces. "Just surrender."

The leader looked down at Cloud. The child was placing himself between them and their goal. Destroying that rocket would make a powerful statement to the world. To reach that goal they needed the pilot in this house. The higher-ups of Avalanche ordered them to crush any resistance.

Ruthlessly squashing the guilt beneath his obligation to do his duty, the leader raised his gun arm. Barret Wallace wondered if this was how it was supposed to be, though he didn't remember thinking he'd be killing kids. "Sorry kid, we don't have a choice here. Men, we have our orders. Try not to kill the kid and get him out of our way."

"My name isn't kid." Cloud reminded them as the heavy weight of his weapon settled into position in his palms. Sweat began to bead at his brow as the enemy began to focus one by one on him. He knew pain was not far from coming, reminding himself that he had been through worse alone.

Mako certainly hurt more, right? The time for thinking and discussion was over. The enemy moved first, firing a shot into the dirt at his feet. Cloud's brows narrowed in direct reaction as he glared at the first shooter. The man wore a red uniform, his identity obscured by a pair of sunglasses.

Remembering the last pair of sunglasses to shoot at him, thrust Cloud into instant reaction, recalling the glare of bright lights off the Turk Rude's pair. The blond boy raced forward, already bringing his sword up in a slanted arc meant to cut the weapon and his hands from his body. His attack was met with another sword as sparks flew. Slanting his eyes up towards the newest attack, Cloud twisted his blade in his hands, sheer strength forcing the other blade back as the warriors pushed for the advantage.

Instincts honed by torture and experiments took control and blanked the faces of his foes. Something feral shifted in the child as he swept his sword to the left. The attacker gasped in shock when Cloud brought his sword back around and thrust it upwards into his unprotected stomach. Wrenching his blade free, he turned to face the remaining forces of the terrorist group. Blood poured out of the downed opponents mouth as he struggled to breathe around the gut wound. Immobilized with pain, he couldn't dodge the kick that rolled him over. Pale with horror and shock at the merciless attack, the enemy re-gathered themselves to attack anew.

"I won't repeat myself again." Cloud started, his mind shying away from what he had just done. "Surrender now and no one else will get hurt."

He didn't expect to receive an answer when the enemy moved again. All Cloud could do was let out a breath and forget. Forget that they were human too and that his mother would probably hate him when this was over. Cloud rushed another opponent, a slender woman with twin daggers in her hands. This time the woman met his sword by crossing her daggers into an x and locking the blade between them as a second enemy brought a staff down across the backs of his knees. Wincing at the pain, the child sent a scathing glare at the woman.

Twisting around, Cloud kicked off the ground with a roundhouse kick and sent his foot against the last attacker's weapon. Jolting him off guard, the blond freed his locked sword and grappled with the staff bearer for his weapon. Thrusting another kick into the man's upper left thigh, Cloud grunted as he used his smaller height to spring board off the man's legs and flipped.

Something exploded and Cloud felt pain rip through his lower back. Someone had shot him, he realized, falling to the ground with his feet braced for the impact. His vision sparked with tiny orbs of color as he shook his head to clear his vision. Something brushed the side of his cheek as he barely dodged the attack by moving his head. Hot liquid spilled out from his broken skin, pouring down his chin.

Snarling with rage, Cloud Strife grabbed blindly at the sword that cut him. Wrapping his bare fingers tightly around the weapon, he jerked it from his attackers hands. Flipping the blade and gripping it in his left hand, he settled himself once more into an attack position. Power blossomed easily this time, curling up into his stomach as the world fell away.

Blue and green collided into a wave of power as Cloud brought the sword up behind him. Bringing his arms down, he brought with it that wave of power and released the burning in his belly. Only the man with the gun for an arm was able to avoid the attack, his allies taking it full blast. Surprise shook the teenager hard as the big man pushed himself upwards. Moans from his scattered men lying across the road and sidewalks let him breathe just a bit easier.

The man looked… sad. Angry and bitterness were there, but this… Cloud's head whirled with weakness and blood loss as the big man pushed himself to his full height. He strained to focus on the man's words over the roaring in his ears.

"Why are you supporting these people? Those bastards came to our town to take our kids. When we didn't hand them over like good sheep they attacked. My wife was killed and my best friend lost. We hadn't done anything… and then they blew the reactor. Our town was ruined, kid. That's why we can't let anyone stop us."

The man lowered his gun arm in Cloud's direction. Cloud's feet shifted in response, positioning himself behind the narrow width of his sword. He knew what the man was saying. He remembered what it had been like when Shin-Ra took him away from his home.

It was all his fault…

They had been looking for someone to use... like him.

"I'm sorry." he whispered.

"You know what they asked us, kid? They asked us what would we do to save the world. What kind of damned crap is that? Sacrificing our children… I doubt you'd understand though. You're just another kid who saw a chance to be famous. Now you're just another killer." Barret Wallace spat out. Sliding a cartridge from his belt, the black man ejected the one he previously used and slid the next one home. "No different than me or them. Or at least, you might end up that way if someone don't do something to stop ya."

The gun arm fired…

Cloud moved, bringing his sword up in a curving arc to block as many of the rapidly shot bullets as he could. As he swung the blade around and around, he moved ever closer to his enemy until one bullet got past his defense. He was a mere six feet away by then. Pain exploded across his chest before he stumbled. Warmth seeped from his right shoulder as the sword fell to the dirt covered road with a loud clang. The boy's blue eyes met the stranger's, no longer an enemy just another victim. His vision blurred as his tears came.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Mother…"

Barret's head dipped forward as he watched the boy collapse forward. All in the end he was just some stupid kid who wanted his mother. He ejected the cartridge from his gun arm to replace them with another, deadlier round. Barret jerked his head upward in astonishment as he heard an enraged shout and yet another teenager jumped out into the torn up battle field.

"Damn those rotten Shin-Ra. Kids don't belong in battle."

(break)

Zack shouted, watching from the window as the gunman fired on the smaller teenager. Panic blossomed in his chest as he ignored the orders for him to stop as he threw himself head first through the kitchen window and raced for Cloud's position. The sword across his back came over his shoulder in an easy swing as he leaped over the white picket fence.

Anger rushed through the SOLDIER as he came to a sliding halt between the gunman and the collapsed Cloud. Zack Fair reached a hand down to check for Cloud's pulse while meeting the startled gaze of the gunner. Finding a pulse, the SOLDIER slowly moved into a standing position with his weapon between the three of them.

"I'm going to kick your butt." He growled when he heard Cloud coughing for air. The pounding of feet chasing after him barely shifted his attention away from the hulking form of the gunman. "Shooting at a fully trained SOLDIER is one thing. Shooting a mako-ill kid is another."

"Zack, what are you doing?" Angeal demanded as he came onto the scene. He'd known his student's attachment to the younger teenager was as close to brotherhood as he'd ever seen... but this was beyond his expectations. Zack was acting as if it was much more then that.

The quieter approach of the others gave Zack's foe a reason to step back. With widening eyes, Barret's attention jumped from the crouching SOLDIER teenager to the appearance of the older SOLDIERs. Genesis, Sephiroth, and Angeal were easily the most recognized men on the Planet. The halting approach of an unfamiliar girl and a caped man hardly registered in light of such company.

The man leveled a large three-barreled gun at him. Genesis snatched her arm halting her attempt to approach the downed boy. Barret's lips curled upwards in disgust. Three SOLDIER firsts...

"Cowards." he barked. "Why'd you let that kid come out here alone?"

Sephiroth arched a brow at the comment. He smiled as he answered. "Because he would give you a chance to escape with your lives."

"Bull." Barret growled. "He's another murdering Shin-Ra scrub. Just like you guys."

Zack's eyes glittered at the insult. Shin-Ra had kidnapped, forced an innocent boy through grueling experiments, and now this guy…

He felt a burning low in his abdomen as he slowly brought his weapon up. Rage was rare in his battles. Zack existed for the thrill of equal combat, a chance to prove himself as something more than an inhuman machine capable of wiping out dozens. Yet, this was about more than just Shin-Ra's insult to his honor or this man's actions against Cloud.

He was really, truly angry. Nothing was going to stop him this time. Despite being out of practice, the sword responded easily in his hands. The mako sung with a delicious thrill and his world turned around on it's heels as he brought the blade down against the man's gun arm.

Grinding out the bitter comment, he attacked. "I'm going to cut you in half."

Flinching, Barret used his physical mass and mine-trained strength to bear up against the SOLDIER's blow. His arms burned with the pain of withstanding the SOLDIER's forceful push, his feet sliding backwards as the dark haired kid pushed him backwards. He'd felt fear before, but the sheer fury the kid was putting off brought sweat to his brow.

Was he really going to get killed by a scum-sucking Shin-Ra kid? His gut rejected the idea as he watched the grown man with black hair rush into the fray. Even as the dark haired kid slid his sword across the metal surface of his gun arm, Angeal grabbed the blade's edge, halting it's downward progress. Another hand pushed into Barret's shoulder, thrusting the man back with a powerful shove.

A cold anger existed in the man's eyes as he glared down at Barret. The man shifted his grip on the teenager's blade and ripped it from the boy's hands. "Enough, Zack. I've told you to never let anger control your blade. Did you forget everything I've taught you?"

Tensing, Zack looked up at his mentor. "He shot Cloud."

"Cloud gutted his friend." Angeal reasoned.

Dropping the blade into the dirt, the dark haired SOLDIER placed a foot over the weapon before reaching to the hilt of his Buster Sword. Drawing it, he brought it over his shoulder to stare at the sword's gleaming surface. Flipping the sword over, he held it out to the shaking youth. "My honor and my dreams, Zack. Take good care of them."

Slowly, as if a thousand pounds weighed down each arm, Zack Fair curled his fingers around Angeal Hewley's favored weapon. Distantly, he heard Cloud's gasping around the pain in his shoulder as the younger warrior pushed himself upwards.

"Angeal, why are you doing this?" Zack pleaded.

Barret huffed softly. "Shut up, kid. This is adult business."

"Take Strife and go." Angeal ordered, finding even this small trace honor in a man eaten by the desire for vengeance was a good thing. There might just be a little hope yet. Rolling his shoulders, Angeal brought his hands up into a guard position. "Stranger, the kids are seeing they're way out of this fight. We can't let you destroy that rocket. I fully realize you're not going to go unless you do."

"Finally decided to stop being cowards, huh?" Barret grinned, his gun arm clicking as he loaded the next round into the chamber.

"We had our orders to let Strife deal with this." Angeal responded. "It's an old method of burning out the mako after addiction or poisoning is suspected. He would have died if we didn't do something."

"Aren't there medicines and doctors for that sort of thing?" Barret barked. He readied his aim on the gun arm. "You're just making excuses."

"You don't know anything after all. You are running from the Army." Angeal responded. "While we merely stopped here to refuel and resupply, it would be a stain upon our honor as men and SOLDIERs to ignore your attack."

"SOLDIER Firsts, take your positions." Sephiroth ordered. "Stand your ground until I order otherwise."

"Ever the General, Sephiroth." Genesis said smoothly as the Rapier slid free of its sheath with a gentle pull. "Or perhaps you choose to protect your reputation as a hero."

"We shall see." the general answered him. He watched as Vincent urged the young Lockhart behind him, Cerberus at the ready. "These men and women are terrorists, Genesis. Show them no mercy."

"Of course." Genesis responded as he took the first steps towards the amassing soldiers of Avalanche. His head bowed a moment before he leered at the shifting mass of terrorists. A glow lit in his mako bright eyes as he turned his attention to them in complete comfort with his intentions. "I shall offer thee this silent sacrifice."

Sephiroth smirked at the red haired commanders obvious plans before he turned to the boy. Cloud Strife was nearly in his hands... He still had to deal with Fair, the gunman, and the girl. "Valentine, I believe the troops I sent to scout the hills are late getting back to us. Would you take the girl and find them?"

"What about the rest of this fight?" the ex-Turk questioned.

Sephiroth shrugged. "Three firsts should be more than enough to handle this little foray."

The first sound of sword meeting flesh punctuated his comment even further. A scream swiftly followed before Sephiroth leaned his head towards Zack. "I shall be getting the children somewhere where a full recovery can actually be managed."

"You are certain of that?" Vincent asked. Tifa's fingers clutched tightly at his cape before she pushed past him.

"I'm staying with Cloud." she insisted. "I won't abandon him like..."

Moving quickly, the general stepped up behind the girl. Using the edge of his palm, he brought it down roughly against her neck to send her sprawling forward. Her limp body hit the dust as Sephiroth turned away from her. "The girl is a hindrance. Take her with you before I end her liability."

Vincent shook off the momentary lull as he considered what the man was saying. He specifically wanted Tifa and himself out of the line of combat. But why? The more he remained in Sephiroth's presence the more he began to worry about how much the General might actually know. Chaos slithered against his conscious mind, mocking him with information just outside his reach. Red eyes narrowed as the silver haired man turned from a flash of sunlight on steel, Masamune was in hand and he entered the battle. Lives were no doubt going to end very swiftly.

Gathering the teenager into his arms, the former Turk moved towards the vehicles that were left on the sides of the road. Genesis and Angeal were distracted with their individual fights now. Zack stood helplessly in shock over a gasping Cloud, his mentor's sword heavy in his hands. That is until a reckless Avalanche terrorist opened fire in their direction. Before the bullet could even connect, a slice of Masamune stopped the bullet stopped in midair.

Barret glared up at the SOLDIER First he was going toe to toe with in frustration. The man was visibly softening his blows but they still fell with punishing strength and he didn't even seem to feel any hits Barret managed to land. They were going to lose, he realized, facing against such odds.

The man pondered, never realizing how much Angeal was able to read his doubting thoughts and how much the man was beginning to pull back. With a shout, Barret made the order. "Avalanche, prepare to retreat."

Angeal would have considered it an optimum conclusion had Sephiroth allowed them to leave. Rather, the General did otherwise. The General swiped his arm out, lightning called down from the heavens to strike all foes in its reach. Every last terrorist on ground or foot was hit with the destructive power. Barret shouted as the electricity arched from him to another poor soul in a chain reaction until his knees gave out.

Genesis frowned at his friend as he found his next kill stolen by the Demon of Wutai. Zack shuddered as the lightning arced over him and Cloud to take out the gunman that had targeted them. With the enemy down and out, the General turned to stare down Angeal as he approached him.

"What was that, Sephiroth? They were surrendering." he barked.

"They were preparing to flee." he countered. "That is what a retreat order is meant for, isn't it, Commander Hewley?"

"Don't pull that crap on me." The dark haired man argued. "You didn't have to kill so many of them."

"Just the ones that were useless. I left the leader and his little rat pack alive to face trial." He countered, eying the blood on the ground where the blond lay breathing. "Are we going to argue technique or should we get the little SOLDIER into surgery?"

"We can't afford a doctor." Genesis growled. "We should have just taken care of this from the beginning ourselves."

"Hmph. You did not argue when I asked the boy if he wanted to do this." Sephiroth stated. "I have some medical training when I assisted Hojo in the labs. That was mostly dissection though."

Zack paled, looking down at Cloud for the first time. "You can't be serious."

"Perfectly serious." The general answered leaning down to get a better look at the teenage boy's wounds. "We won't have anesthetic though."

Cloud shifted, in too much pain to really care how the bullets were removed. Jerking his head once, he fell backwards into a semi-conscious state. He fuzzily heard Zack call out his name before the world turned dark.

(break)

It was nightfall the next time he awoke. The man named Angeal leaned heavily against the wall staring out a set of double paned glass windows. A ghostly form glided up behind the man Cloud frowned, trying to make sense of what he was seeing when he saw metal gleam under the light of the moon. Before the first could respond to the threat, the blade slashed through him.

Cloud's voice strangled in his throat as he watched the man crumple, his hazy mind unable to fully grasp what had just happened. The attacker spoke to the fallen man. "You shouldn't have stood against me, Angeal."

The next thing Cloud knew, glowing mako green eyes met his from under a stray beam of moonlight. The General moved into the room as he reached into his coat's inner lapels. Gently removing a thin syringe from his pocket he poked the needle just under the skin of his wrist. Red filled the syringe swiftly as he walked. Reaching the ragged brown couch Cloud was laying on, he grasped the boy's arm. Turning it until he bared the child's inner elbow he leaned closer to whisper a few words.

"I have a present for you, Cloud."