I had quickly cut down three of their numbers before they realized what was happening. They were confused and made my attack all the more easier. They were too focused on the gunfire from my allies to pay me much attention. But I had to look out as well, not just from them, but from the bullets that my friends were firing. I was sure that they were being careful not to shoot me, but anything could happen.
It wasn't long before we had dispatched all of the soldiers. We were now taking the weapons and ammunition from the downed men.
Me: Thanks for the help, a little later and they might have had me.
Liz walked over to me as I was reloading an automatic rifle and smacked me upside the head.
Me: Ow! What the hell was that for!?
Liz: What was that stunt you pulled?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!
Chris: Hey Liz, take it easy. If it wasn't for what he did, we could have all been dead.
Me: What is it that I did exactly?
Wedge: When you took that exit off the highway, a lot of the soldiers following us split off after you, a lot more than what was necessary and because of that we got rid of the others easily.
It had been an accident, I had lost focus and had to veer away from a barricade; but I wasn't going to admit to that.
Me: Well then, guess things worked out after all.
Liz: You are so pig headed! You're not invincible you know; you could have died.
I looked up at her to see that she was really upset, there were actually tears threatening to spill over.
Theo: Hey take it easy on him; he was only trying to…
Me: No, she's right. I should have thought it through. I didn't think that many would follow. I'm sorry.
Everyone was silent for the longest time when Liz spoke. She seemed to have gained some control on her emotions.
Liz: Just don't do it again, you have a gang to command.
Liz walked away in a fit.
Me: Ok, what's her problem?
Tifa: You really are clueless aren't you?
Me: What?
Tifa simply shook her head and walked after Liz. Some of the others were now staring at me.
Me: What!?
We didn't speak for a while we continued to gather up stuff at the end of the highway. The thing just stopped at the edge of the city, giving us a great view of the land beyond. The sun was just starting to set, causing the sky to go red, orange, and violet. Pretty soon it would be dark.
Biggs: We got trouble.
Everyone followed his gaze back down the highway to see that something was on its way. It was hard to tell what, but one thing was for certain; it was BIG. The thing had six massive wheels, but the sound it gave off as it came closer was the sound of metal striking the ground. It took up part of both sides of the highway as it sped in our direction. As it got closer, I could see that the wheels had massive steel spikes erecting from them. They had to be at least four feet long and were a foot thick at the base and ended with a dangerous tip. They tore up the road as it closed the distance between us. I was really getting tired of fighting.
Me: Is it so hard to ask for a break!?
Chris: You have got to be freaking kidding me.
Jessie: Afraid not.
As it got closer it began to slow down, moving at a much slower pace.
This was no doubt another kind of drone that Shinra decided to send after us. The machine was much larger than us; the tires it was seated on were as tall as I was. In the center was the main part of this robot.
It seemed to be just a series of nozzles varying in size on an elevated platform resting in the center of the wheels. I could smell something coming from the machine; it wasn't any engine fumes or exhaust, it smelled like…
Me: !
A small flame lit at the front of the large central nozzle, and then quickly grew and expanded into a fire ball. It was gas! The thing was one giant flame thrower!
Everyone was quick enough to react and jumped away, managing to escape the range of the inferno. The thing must have let out the gas ahead of time, as soon as the flame appeared it was gone. I looked at my right arm to see that the sleeve caught fire. I quickly started to bat out the flames.
Aerith: Tyquiil!
I looked up to see a large projectile sail right at me. I jumped out of the way and looked to see that the massive spike was impaled into the ground exactly where I had been standing not even a second ago. If I had been any slower…
Chris: Tyquiil!
Me: I'm fine. Watch out!
The thing launched another one of its deadly projectiles from one of its wheels in Chris's direction. It clattered harmlessly on the ground thanks to the barrier I had summoned.
Cloud: Stay focused! Use Ice magic and melee weapons, anything else will ignite the gas!
He didn't half to tell me twice, I had enough singed hair on my body.
It was definitely easier said than done, the thing had multiple flamethrowers that could easily rotate and locate a single target. The shear heat of the flames prevented me from getting anywhere close to the thing. Ice magic wasn't cutting it either. The shards simply shattered against the things thick armor plating. Aiming at the tires were no good, they seemed to be tougher than steel.
Wedge: Nothings working.
Me: Really? I thought we were getting somewhere.
Theo: Uh guys, we have a problem.
Sure enough he was right. This thing was slowly but surely forcing us back towards the edge of the highway. There were only a couple meters left.
Liz: What now?
There was nothing left to do now. This thing had us cornered; stuck between a mechanical inferno and thin air. It was looking at it that an idea came to mind.
Me: Guys I got something.
Barret: Well tell us!
Me: That thing is too big to turn around, not fast anyway. If we can get to the other side…
Cloud: Got it, you heard him, get to on the other side!
Everyone ran straight for the machine, doing their best not to become charcoal. The flames were easy enough to dodge; more or less. The problem was that my barrier had no effect on the flames. Every time a jet of flame came my way, it would burn right through the protect spell as if it were paper. At some point I gave up on it and focused on avoiding the flames and blocking the spikes.
One by one we each made it past the robot, Wedge being the last one to make it.
Just like I had hoped, it couldn't turn around quickly; it was so big that it had to move back and forth, only turning in short distances.
Tifa: We can't just leave this thing here; it's bound to catch up with us.
Liz: She's right. Now while it's stuck is the best time to destroy it.
Jessie: But how are we supposed to do that? Ice didn't make a dent and neither did our weapons. Fire or bolt will only cause it to blow.
The machine was halfway turned around, if we were going to do something, it had to be now. My eyes caught on the sight of all the metal spikes the thing had launched at us, all impaled in the ground, littering a vast area of the highway.
It hit me.
Me: Cloud I need you to use bolt on the spikes.
Cloud: What?
Me: Just do it!
I drew out the power of some bolt materia that I had taken from the Shinra building and launched a continues stream of electricity into a single spike. After a moment the electricity jumped to the next closest spike, forming an ark between the two. It then jumped from one to the other.
Cloud didn't seem to get the method of my madness, but did as I had asked and followed my example. Just like mine, his magic jumped from one spike to another. A third ark of electricity flew past me and into another spike, catching me by surprise. It was Liz.
With all three of us using our bolt materia, we soon had every spike electrified as a web of electricity formed. The robot was now facing us.
Me: Now push it!
With a great mental push, a great surge of power flowed through the spikes causing each to discharge violently. Soon a spider web of cracks snaked their way from spike to spike. I watched with joy as the section of the highway began to fall away piece by piece.
But we weren't done; we had to continue until it fell away. The machine hadn't given up either. In a last desperate attempt, it launched what few spikes at us, along with a massive fireball. Just as it fired, the ground right under it started to fall away, causing its last attack to sail harmlessly over our heads.
With one massive groan, a large section of the highway fell at once, taking the massive machine with it. The thing had blown from its shear fall, the force of the explosion shook the very ground beneath our feet.
It was over. I dropped to my knees with exhaustion. I was considering to just faking losing consciousness just to take a break.
Liz: We did it.
Cloud: Not yet.
Everyone just stared at Cloud. I really didn't like what he just said. They may have been two little words, but they were words with a lot of meaning.
Barret: What do you mean 'not yet'?
Cloud: I'm not done yet. I have to settle the score.
Aerith: With who?
Cloud: Sephiroth.
