Backseat serenade, Backseat Serenade
Little hand grenade,
Oh, aren't you sick of sleeping alone?
You're salty like a summer day
Kiss the pain away
No one says anything; we move in silence down six flights of stairs. I'm at the back, gently being ushered along by Cloud's hand in the small of my back, but I'm winded, struggling around the air.
The mechanical voice of the alarm has since been cut. Occasionally, gunfire can be heard from the concrete shell of the stairwell.
Jessie is fidgeting, swiveling her head over the railing and towards every passing floor door; expecting.
But no one enters.
"Here," Cloud whispers over the group. He motions towards the nearest door with a large "L" decaled in the center. "It'll be to the right – about forty feet."
Barret takes the point and backs next to the wall, cracking the door ajar, and peers out.
"We've lost contact with the entire floor?"
"The entire tower. Commander is grouping a party to scout our own goddamn headquarters."
"What in the hell happened up there?"
Two patrol men – grunts – fitted in the navy of the police unit. They're standing just aside the stairwell, in-front of the elevators, with their issued rifles at the ready.
The closest one shakes his visor. "Orders are code black – shoot anything that doesn't identify itself as ShinRa personnel. I'm guessing terrorist, what with those Avalanche shitheads blasting around."
"I heard it started in the Science Department though."
Barret turns to meet Cloud's gaze. He makes a vague, violent, motion with his hands that I don't understand, but causes Cloud to nod and touch the handle of his blade. Jessie audibly gulps.
Her sound is masked by the chime of the elevator.
"The hell?" The patrol officer exclaims. They inspect the metallic doors with the point of their rifles, the illuminated numbers above burn bright. "The basement? Who the fuck is down there?"
They both turn their backs to my vantage point over Barret's shoulder, stepping back from the doors and lining up their sights. "No one's supposed to be using the elevator."
"Got it," his partner responds. He takes another step back.
The door chimes again, signaling its intent to open. I can just make out the bright fluorescents of the interior from around the men's frames, but the occupant is blocked from view.
"Hands in the air!" One of the officer's commands. "Identify yourself now or we'll shoot!"
Cloud pushes me aside suddenly, making for the door before Barret quickly clutches to his shoulder, forcefully pulling him back. The two exchange a heated look; Barret's fingers flex.
"Evening, gentlemen," says a male voice in a smooth tone. My arm suddenly breaks into gooseflesh. "Might you know where I can find the president?"
"I said hands up, fucker! Now identify yourself!"
"No? That's a shame-"
Anything else that's said is cut off by the rapid spittle of bullets, the two officers immediately opening fire. Cloud makes another attempt to bolt, kicking the stairwell door open and getting two steps before the larger man tackles him to the marble.
Jessie yells something over the gun fire, but all I see is her pointed finger.
The man in the elevator is closer to seven feet than six, with long, sharp, features, and silver hair. His green eyes flash bright in the reflection of the gunfire – a curious expression dilates the pupil. The bullets begin to build up in back of the elevator, riddling the mahogany panels in holes and smoke.
The man stands attentive, unharmed and bored in the center of it all.
Eventually the rifles sputter empty, the silence more a shock to my system than the assault.
"Get the fuck off of me," Cloud shouts, incredibly loud. He tries again to wrest from Barret, the black man holding tight as they both stare across the floor at the silver-haired man.
For a moment, I feel his eyes on me, the gooseflesh on my arm prickles instantly. Sanguine green of eyes so familiar yet doused in hatred of something so foreign. General Sephiroth smiles at me from the elevator before decapitating the two infantry men in a wide sweep of his blade.
I'm not sure how I caught it, time seeming to slow before the body cavities burst in a spray of blood and collapse to the tile.
It's an impressive and controlled flick of the blade to sheath the weapon, one that Sephiroth accompanies with an exaggerated glance to his right, then left. Seemingly uninterested in us, he steps back into the elevator and presses a button.
Cloud gets free now, scrambling to his feet and bolting for the doors as they begin to close. Sephiroth merely smiles as the metal seals closed, causing Cloud to collide into the doors. He curses, immediately slamming his fist onto the call button for the elevator.
Nothing happens. The small, illuminated, dial above the doors begins to count upwards.
"FUCK!" He shouts, enraged to the point that his face is violently flushed.
"I thought he was dead," Jessie says quietly. She's standing in the pooling blood of the bodies, staring as the tobacco of her boots dye red.
I think I'm going to be sick.
Nanaki's nose touches the tips of my fingers, I turn to see him looking up at me curiously. His tail flicks.
"Are you feeling well, Aeris?"
I touch my head, my skin is tender, causing me to flinch. My intake of breath attracts Biggs and Wedge to notice. They move to touch my shoulder:
"Aeris?"
"The fuck you gonna do, Spike? Run up the stairs to catch him?" Barret makes a point to shove Cloud with the point of his gun-hand.
Cloud sizes up to the challenge, shoving Barret with enough force to have the larger man slip in the blood and crash to the floor. "You don't know anything," he spits down at the man. "So stay out of it."
My knees suddenly give out, Biggs catching me thankfully. "We have to leave," I say, choking through the pain as my vision cuts white. Again, the pressure of a white iron pressing into the back of my skull. "She's coming – someone is coming or is already here…"
It's so loud. "It's too loud."
A smaller hand touches my forehead. Jessie: "She's burning up, we need to get her out of here. Which way to those vehicles?"
I steady myself with Biggs help, brushing Jessie's hand away politely. "I'm fine, really." I fake the smile. Nanaki moves closer, his single eye scrutinizing. "But we do need to make our exit."
And on cue, the elevator hums to life again, the bright chime signaling its intent to open. Cloud springs into action, motioning to clear everyone to the side and helping Barret from the floor. The larger man says nothing of their spat, understanding Cloud's intent and taking position with the blond at the side of the doors.
Jessie yanks me backwards with the boys, putting us safely out of the line of fire. Barret readies his aim, the group silencing as the doors chime again and begin to open.
The elevator is empty.
The back wood paneling is still riddled with bullet holes, but the box opens to an empty stretch of white tile – no – from the corner, just out of view, a pool of dark blood is building. Someone is huddled against the control panel to hide.
"Please don't shoot, I come in peace," says a bright voice.
I sigh. "Don't shoot, it's a friend."
Yuffie's face peers from the top of the elevator, somehow having suspended herself from the ceiling. I can see her eyes wrinkle in the corners as the tell-tale of that grin. She drops to the floor in an agile twist.
"Ohmygosh ewwwww!" The girl instantly rights herself away from the carnage Sephiroth had left. "What is holy hell is that?"
Cloud straightens from his battle stance and rolls his eyes. "Where's Tifa?"
"Present," says a faint voice.
I don't realize I'm moving until I'm halfway into the hanging box, finding Tifa leaning against the control panel and breathing shallowly. She's flushed along her neck, her long hair dried with blood and soaked along the crown in sweat.
She smiles nonetheless.
"I think I'm a little late. Found a souvenir."
Clenched to her breast and held vertical to her position is the Masamune.
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