"Living nightmare, can't you see?
You really have no choice,
Faded memories haunt you,
listen closely to my voice.
Feed me all your hatred,
empty all your thoughts to me.
I can fill your emptiness
with immortality.
Coils of the serpent unwind.
Buried beneath you will find,
deep in the halls of the damned,
spirit in black, till the end."
—Slayer, 'Spirit in Black'
Chapter 28
Spirit in Black
The Avalanchers walked down the length of the palace courtyard, inspecting the row of dead Jenova creatures lined up one after another on long, thick sheets of plastic. Most of them were scarcely recognizable, their bulky forms having been rendered into a pulpy, amorphous mass of black, oleaginous material by their stealthy counter-attack the day before. A few bodies here and there were still intact, however, and had been collected in order to allow them to categorize the different kinds of adversary that they faced.
"Starting an exhibit?" Vincent asked, looking over at Cid.
"Well, taxonomy it ain't," Cid replied, "but I thought we should get a closer look at what we're up against."
"Know thy enemy," Vincent remarked.
"So, what do you reckon?" Cid asked, turning to the rest of the group.
"These don't look like full-grown Jenova," Cloud said. "More like foot soldiers."
"Sounds about right," Reeve said.
"Yeah," Cid said, leading the group further down the courtyard. "We got a couple of those little poisonous bastards we fought down in the catacombs, too. Creepy fucks."
"They infect their victims with some sort of neurotoxin using needle-like nematocysts hidden just underneath the epidermis," Nanaki explained. "A single touch is deadly, and there is no known way to cure it."
"'Needlers', I suppose we might call them," Vincent suggested.
"Speaking of which, be careful not to touch any of these other creatures, either," Nanaki reminded his comrades. "These things are not really dead so much as inert, after all."
"Be sure to torch all of these when you're done," Cloud said, indicating the row of cadavers. "We can't risk a repeat of the incident aboard the Highwind."
"Agreed," Vincent said.
"This one looks different," Tifa said, pointing out the next specimen in their little collection. Its general features were the same as those of the other Jenova creatures, though it seemed broader than it was tall, with thinner, more numerous feelers arising from its centre, as well as some strange, bulbous growth protruding from the edges of its torso.
"It kind of looks like the one Cloud and I fought down in the catacombs," Yuffie said.
"It did something to our minds," Cloud added. "Played tricks on us. Tried to drain us of our willpower. Things like that."
"A 'Mirage Jenova'?" Reeve suggested.
"Yeah, something like that," Cloud replied.
"Interesting," Vincent said. "You know, the science team that Hojo used to work with reported having similar experiences."
"How so?" Cloud asked.
"Some of them reported hearing voices even when they knew there was no-one else around," Vincent said. "Seeing things that weren't there."
"Sounds familiar," Cloud said.
"Indeed," Vincent replied. "Hojo himself mentioned this while he was studying the Jenova creature that landed on our world. How it would... suggest things to him. Whisper ideas in his ear when he was in its presence."
"Creepy," Yuffie said, resisting the urge to shudder.
"But undeniably effective," Vincent said. "It seems that these creatures are capable of manipulating one into doing things, without one even knowing it. Admittedly, the influence that our visitor seems to have had on people was a bit more subtle than these ones."
"It's odd how differently they seem to behave," Nanaki said. "Presumably they all came from the same source."
"Perhaps they evolve in different ways," Vincent suggested. "And it would seem that they grow more powerful as they age."
"Like the one that landed on our planet?" Yuffie asked. "Wonder how old that thing was.."
"'Musta been ancient, that's for sure," Barred said.
"It seemed a lot more powerful than the ones we've faced over here," Cloud said.
"A special prototype, perhaps?" Vincent said.
"Whatever the hell it was," Cid said, "it must've been lost in space for centuries or even millennia before it found us."
"You think there are others out there?" Cloud asked.
"Gods, I hope not," Yuffie said. "One full-grown Jenova was more than enough trouble to deal with."
"I'm more worried about the sort of people who might see these creatures as an opportunity," Vincent said. "Take Hojo, for instance. There are certain to be other people like him out there. People for whom ethical considerations are not an issue. Imagine the damage that might be done should something like this fall into their hands."
"Well, I think we've already seen first-hand what can happen," Reeve said.
"True," Vincent replied.
"By the way," Cloud said, turning to Cid and Vincent, "did you find out what that thing was in the photograph?"
"I believe so, yes," Vincent said.
"It's an impact crater," Cid said. "That much is obvious."
"What it spells out for us is more troubling, however," Vincent said. "Nanaki, care to explain?"
"After the Cetran diaspora, and their exile to this planet, the Cetra and Astra fought their first real war against one another," Nanaki explained. "During the Astra's first attempt to invade this world, they used to fly 'seed ships' into the planet's orbit and bombard it with protective shells encased around Jenova seedlings. Then these infant Jenova would evolve and begin to attack and infect the population, creating more of these creatures in the process."
"They relied upon Jenova's viral spread to destroy their enemies," Vincent added.
"Biological warfare, in other words," Cloud said.
"Yes," Vincent replied. "I believe this latest batch of Jenova invaders arrived here by the same means."
"Does that mean they have a seed ship in orbit right now?" Cloud asked.
"That's what we thought, at first," Cid said. "But we've been scanning the skies using the Highwind's comms unit. So far, it's blank skies, as far as we can tell."
"These ships would have been quite big, and they'd have to be fairly close to the city, so if there were any around, we would have detected them by now," Vincent said. "It's almost like they came out of nowhere."
"Strange," Cloud said. "They couldn't just have appeared out of thin air."
"Yes, I rather doubt that," Vincent said. "So, there's something else going on."
"In any case, we've tightened security on the surface," Reeve said.
"We don't have a lot of manpower to spare," Cloud said.
"I know," Reeve said. "We've ordered some of our guards from the underground city to monitor the perimeter here. The gate inside the palace is the only other place where Comus could strike from, and that's under heavy guard."
"And they'd have to get through our defense perimeter on the Astra side, first," Vincent said. "So I'd say we're pretty well covered."
"All right. Good work, everyone," Cloud said. "Now, it's time we made our final preparations."
"Agreed," Vincent said.
"About that," Cid said, looking over at Cloud. "I need to show you something on the Astra side."
"What is it?" Cloud asked.
"I think it's best if you see it for yourself," Cid said. "The rest of you, keep up the good work. We're haulin' ass in a few hours, so let's get busy."
"You heard the man, people," Barret said, motioning a group of Cetra soldiers over. "Let's light'em up."
He led the group of soldiers over to the far side of the courtyard, where they set about disposing of the carcasses using a set of improvised flamethrowers, taking care not to let the blighted remains touch their skin. The rest of Avalanche watched them as they went about their work.
Cloud, Vincent noticed, seemed to be on pins and needles, grimacing as they scorched the Jenova creatures' bodies, as though sensing their pain.
"Something the matter?" he asked.
"No, I.."
Cloud paused. He shook his head, as if to ward off the sudden onset of dizziness. "It's nothing. Carry on."
"Fatigue then, perhaps," Vincent said.
"Yeah... that must be it," Cloud replied. "Just haven't been sleeping well.."
They both knew he was lying, but it seemed that they had developed a tacit agreement not to discuss the matter further for the time being.
"Cid, you said you had something to show me?" Cloud asked.
"This way," Cid said, gesturing for the others to follow him.
They headed back down into the underground city, leaving Barret and his crew to dispose of the last of the Jenova remains. Cid led the group on, towards the tunnels leading into the catacombs underneath the palace. Again, they were met with Sigil, who stood between them and the mouth of the tunnel, barring their path.
"Come to demand that we break off our assault?" Vincent asked.
Sigil shook his head. "The people have made their decision. If they wish to follow you to their deaths, I will not stand in their way."
The old man moved past them, granting them passage. "But do not mistake my quiescence for approval," he added. "Mark my words. This will not end well."
The Avalanchers watched as the old man departed. Despite his defiant stance, he seemed resigned to allowing them to do what they wanted from here on. The confrontation left Cloud feeling a little wary, however. Part of him was starting to wonder if the old man might be right, after all. What if he still knew something that they did not?
"Vincent, would you do me a favour?" he asked.
"Have a word with Sigil, you mean?" Vincent replied.
"Yeah," Cloud said. "I get the feeling that there's something he's not telling us."
"As do I," Vincent replied. "I'll see if I can't get some answers out of him."
"I'll join you," Reeve said.
"As will I," Nanaki said. "I'm curious to hear what he has to say."
"I'm heading back to the Highwind with Tifa to prep our gear," Yuffie said.
"All right," Cloud said. "I'll check out this thing Cid wanted to show me. We can meet up back inside the Highwind come nightfall to plan our attack."
The others indicated their assent to this arrangement, then wandered off to their respective destinations.
"Lead the way," Cloud said, following Cid as he entered the tunnel leading down to the catacombs.
As they walked through the tunnel, Cid would glance over at Cloud from time to time, noting the way he was sweating despite the tunnel's cool air. About halfway through the tunnel, he stopped, heaving and panting, leaning against one of the supporting pillars.
"Hey, you feelin' all right?" Cid asked. "You don't look too good.."
"I'm fine," Cloud replied, even though he seemed far from okay. If anything, he looked pale and fatigued.
"Are you sure?" Cid said.
He reached out to place a hand on his friend's shoulder, but before he could do so, Cloud batted it away. "I said I'm fine!" he growled. "Back off!"
"All right, man, take it easy," Cid said, raising his hands as he backed away again. As he did, he thought he could see a different look in his friend's eyes for a brief moment, one bearing a hint of menace that was alien to the Cloud he knew.
As he turned to face Cid again, Cloud shook his head once more to ward off the unpleasant sensation that had come over him. He wasn't sure where that sudden outburst of anger had come from. It wasn't like him at all, and he was certain that he hadn't meant to lash out like that. But there was something clutching at the edges of his mind, some other entity, whispering to him, suggesting things, draining him of his own will even as it continued to strengthen him. That something had prompted him to act in this manner, he suspected. Ever since their return to the Cetra homeworld, that presence had been growing stronger, and now it was beginning to manifest itself, not just in his usual, fleeting moments of being caught in unreality, but in engendering actions that were not of his own volition.
Before long, the sensation subsided, however, as he caught his breath, returning to his normal self, albeit still distempered and irate.
"Seriously, kid, you don't look so hot," Cid said, looking at his friend with concern. "Maybe you should go get some rest."
"Let's just get to the other side," Cloud said, heading on down the tunnel, with Cid following behind, looking more wary than before.
It was a little while before Vincent, accompanied by Nanaki and Reeve, caught up with Sigil. The leader of the Cetra was quite spry for his age, and he seemed to be going out of his way to avoid any further contact with the Avalanche members as he headed for the council chamber at the top of the underground city. He had with him several other Cetra in tow, elder statesmen and representatives of the people, charged with the task of presiding over the everyday affairs of the underground city, and ensuring the well-being of its citizens. Among them was a pale young man, who bore a noticeable resemblance to Sigil. His son, perhaps, Vincent mused.
"Sigil," Vincent said, stopping the old man just before he reached the entrance to the council chamber. "Might we have a word with you?"
"What is it?" Sigil replied. The tone of his voice indicated that he was in no mood for questioning. He gestured for the others to head inside, but paused in the entrance for a moment, waiting to hear what Vincent and his companions wanted.
"There are things I would know," Vincent said. " About Jenova, and about Comus."
"You've seen for yourselves what Jenova is," Sigil replied. "As for Comus, he is the usurper of our ancestors' legacy, and the destroyer of my people. There is nothing more for you to know about him."
"You didn't tell us about him before," Vincent replied. "Why not?"
"You insisted on going on your fool's errand," Sigil said. "I could not have dissuaded you then, and I see it would be yet more futile to try now."
"Is that all?" Nanaki asked. Sigil remained silent.
"You're holding something back," Vincent said.
"I have told you all you need to know," Sigil replied. "Now, go off and make your little war."
"Not until we get some answers," Reeve said.
"What else do you want to know?" Sigil asked, growing impatient. "I don't have all day."
"Tell me about the Astra," Vincent said. "What happened to them?"
"The Astra are no more," Sigil replied. "Now, there is only Jenova."
The three of them looked at each other, wondering what to make of the old man's cryptic remark.
"What is Jenova?" Vincent asked.
"Nothing," Sigil replied.
"Nothing?" Reeve asked.
"Nothingness, to put it more accurately," Sigil replied. "It is a living death. An organism bred to kill other organisms, by whatever means necessary. It replicates, infects, and destroys. That is its only purpose."
"But where did it come from?" Vincent asked. "Was it the Astra's idea to create Jenova? Or did it come from somewhere else?"
Sigil shook his head. "What does it matter? We need only concern ourselves with the present situation. What Jenova's origin was is irrelevant."
"'Ex nihilo nihil fit'," Vincent replied. "You owe us an explanation, at the very least. We need to know what we're up against."
"I don't see that I owe you anything," Sigil replied. "You've seen enough. Knowing more about your enemy won't help you defeat him."
"Even so, the information might have helped us," Nanaki pointed out. "We barely made it out alive last time, and I think it would be a grave understatement to say that we're not eager to repeat that experience any time soon."
"He's right," Reeve said. "We wouldn't have gotten into the trouble we did if you had been honest with us the first time. We might have been prepared."
"We're heading out again tomorrow," Vincent said. "That's when the real fight begins. If there's something you're not telling us.."
"What more is there to tell?" Sigil asked. "You've seen what lies on the other side. What I fail to understand is why you're so eager to return there. There is nothing out there but death and decay."
"And the people Comus has taken prisoner," Nanaki replied. "Should we abandon them to their fate?"
"You do not understand," Sigil said.
"Then help us to understand," Reeve said. "Why are you so afraid of Comus? What makes you think he's unstoppable?"
Sigil shook his head, sighing. "I cannot hope to show you the reality of the situation. You tangle with forces much greater than yourselves. Greater than any of us."
"If that's the case, I'd say we've been doing all right up till now," Reeve said.
"You think you'll ride in here like heroes of legend and make everything right again?" Sigil replied. "You're living in a childish fantasy."
"Better than to live in despair," Vincent replied.
Sigil shook his head again. "This battle was lost eons ago. You fight shadows in the shapes of men, and you will lose. I only pray you do not wipe out the last of us in the process."
With these words, the old man departed, heading inside the council chamber.
"It doesn't look like we're getting any answers out of him," Reeve said.
"Come on," Vincent said, looking at his two companions. "Let's get back to the Highwind. We need to start planning our attack."
"She's a beauty, ain't she?"
Cloud circled around the dune buggy, examining Cid's handiwork. The sturdy old desert vehicle had been outfitted with armour plating and ranged weaponry, in addition to a new coat of paint consisting of more earthen colours, to keep it from drawing so much attention in an urban environment. All in all, it looked more like a military contraption than the old transport that they had once relied upon to cross the deserts of the western continent.
"You turned our dune buggy into a tank?" he asked.
"Well, not exactly," Cid said. "But I figured we should have some added protection, so I fixed up Highwind Junior, here. Made it so it ain't just a sitting duck if we get caught in a firefight."
"'Highwind Junior'?" Cloud asked.
"Got tired of calling it 'the buggy'," Cid replied. "Figured it could use a real name."
"Smart thinking," Cloud said. "Where'd you get the guns?"
"Same place we got the rest of our hardware," Cid said, looking out over the Astra capital. "We've been leading scouting parties into the city, raiding factories and old military depots where we can. Here, check this out."
The captain led Cloud over to the far side of the compound that Avalanche and the Cetra had built around the gate leading to the Astra homeworld, where they were met with an array of jeeps, tanks and small fighter aircraft.
"You salvaged all of these from here?" Cloud asked, inspecting the collection of vehicles.
"Yup," Cid said, beaming with pride. "Got the blueprints, too. I'm telling you, these Astra people sure knew their tech."
"No kidding," Cloud said, looking over one of the fighters. There were two kinds, as far as he could tell: sleeker, more combat-oriented models, as well as larger aircraft which might be used to help with the evacuation efforts. "This is quite the assembly you've got here."
"What can I say? I always did want to command my own air fleet," Cid said.
"Nice work," Cloud said. "Maybe we have a chance to win this thing, after all."
"Right. So, that's the good news," Cid said. "Now, here's the bad," he added, handing Cloud a pair of binoculars. He walked over to the edge of the bulwark facing the inner city, pointing out a spot high on the fortress in the distance. "See those?" he asked.
Cloud peered at the shapes that Cid was pointing out. It didn't take him long to recognize them.
"Anti-aircraft guns?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's right," Cid said. "They'll rip us to shreds if we try to close in on the fortress by air."
"So, it's a ground war," Cloud said. "We can still use the fighters to assist with the battle."
"Gonna be tough to get through those blockades, though," Cid said, pointing out the debris lining the roads leading towards the fortress. "If we had the Highwind with us, we could punch right through those things. Would make the ground forces a lot easier to take out, too."
"We'll just have to make do without it," Cloud said. "There's no way we're gonna fit it through that gate."
"Yeah... It's a shame I can't bring the old girl into the fight," Cid replied. "I'm sitting on a fuckton of ordnance that's just dying to be used."
"I know what you mean," Cloud said. "If we had the time to spare, I'd suggest taking the Highwind apart and pulling it through the gate, piece by piece."
"But we don't have that kind of time, do we?" Cid asked.
Cloud shook his head. "We need to launch our attack soon. Otherwise, we lose the initiative."
"And leave ourselves vulnerable to a counter-attack, to boot," Cid added.
"Yeah.."
"One more thing," Cid said, pointing out something else, a row of pipelines leading up to a series of circular buildings surrounding the main fortress. "See those? They've been laying power lines all over the place. All hooked up to those contraptions in the centre Remind you of anything?"
"They look like mako reactors," Cloud said.
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Cid said. "Ever since we arrived, they've been powering these things up. They've been sucking up energy like crazy for the past few days. What do you suppose they're up to?"
"Can't be anything good," Cloud said. "We need to hurry."
"Yeah, I think we've seen enough here," Cid said. "Let's get back to the others."
So saying, the two of them departed, heading back through the gate leading to the catacombs underneath the old Cetra palace.
Later in the afternoon, the Avalanchers were all gathered inside the Highwind's briefing room, having concluded the last of their preparations. They encircled the long table in its centre, awaiting their final briefing.
"So... what's the plan, chief?" Cid asked, turning to Cloud.
Cloud walked over to the table, pressing a switch on its side panel, causing the lights inside the room to dim. The centre of the table sunk down a few inches as a grid of lights contained within it painted a holographic map of the battlefield in the middle of the room, pieced together from the data they had acquired on their scouting missions. The others moved in closer, studying the wireframe map of the Astra capital as he explained the plan.
"This is our target," Cloud said, pointing out the tall structure at the far end of the map. "Acheron. Comus's fortress on the Astra homeworld. Our mission parameters are as follows: We assault the fortress, breach one of its weak points, free the prisoners, then blow the foundations."
He pressed another button, causing the map to generate several triangular shapes in red and blue colours, representing the two opposing sides. The holographic image flickered ever so slightly as he reached inside of it, shifting the holographic shapes around, indicating the general course of the battle.
"After that," he continued, "we retreat to the compound, head back through the gate to the Cetra palace, and demolish the gate on our side. Then we use the star charts in the palace to find a way back home."
"Simple as that, huh?" Cid said.
"I'm not saying it'll be easy," Cloud replied, "but I'd say we have a fighting chance now."
"Those AA guns are going to make things more difficult for us, though," Reeve pointed out.
"True," Vincent said. "But we can use the gravity blocks Cid and Yuffie found to box the enemy in, and control their movements on the ground."
"Force them to play by our rules, in other words," Tifa said.
"In essence, yes," Vincent replied. "We're up against superior numbers, so the only way we're going to win is by getting creative in terms of keeping the enemy at bay."
"So the plan is to draw them out of the fortress and trap them in the city," Cloud said. "That way, we'll be facing less resistance once we're on the inside."
"What about the fortress itself?" Nanaki asked.
"As you can see, the upper half of the fortress isn't nearly as secure as the lower parts," Vincent said. "But we won't be able to approach that directly. However, there is a key weak point down near the bottom half, where the vehicle storage bay is located. That'll be our point of entry."
"Gonna be a real slugfest, though, if we're going by the ground," Barret said.
"We'll lose people," Cloud said. "But we'll lose a lot more if we keep delaying."
"No doubt," Reeve said.
"We can't make much use of materia, either," Nanaki said. "The Astra homeworld just isn't strong enough to support it. They've already sucked up most of the Lifestream out of their planet."
"And it looks like they're sucking up whatever's left right now," Yuffie said. "We really kicked the hornet's nest here, huh?"
"You can say that again," Reeve said. "Comus seems to be consolidating all of his power within this one facility."
He reached inside the hologram, and the triangles playing out the battle scenario faded away, replaced by a series of pale green lines, representing the mako pipelines, all leading up to the fortress at the centre of the city. "However, this presents us with an opportunity," he continued. "The mako that they're gathering would have to be moved to a central location to be processed," he added, pointing out a central chamber within the fortress. "Somewhere around here."
"During this process, it would be highly volatile," Nanaki added.
"So we've jury-rigged a set of explosives to be placed in the heart of the processing plant," Reeve said. "That should set off a chain reaction that'll tear the fortress apart from the inside. So, that's where we take the bomb."
"Nice," Cid said, grinning.
"Good work, everyone," Cloud said, looking over the group.
"So, last but not least, how do we deal with Comus himself?" Tifa asked.
"We know we can't kill him," Vincent said. "At least, not by conventional means."
"If we do run into him, I'll keep him at bay while the rest of you guys carry out the mission," Cloud said.
"You sure about that?" Vincent asked.
"I can't kill him," Cloud said. "But he can't kill me, either, right?"
"Kid's got a point," Cid said. "We don't need to kill him. We just need to keep him at bay long enough to blow the place. After that, we leave him in the rubble. End of story."
"What if he escapes?" Yuffie asked.
"Even if he somehow survives the attack, he won't have anywhere else to go," Nanaki said.
"How do you figure that?" Barret asked.
"The Astra planet's resources are almost depleted," Nanaki said. "If we take out their fortress, it's unlikely that they'll be able to recover. They certainly won't be able to muster the energy or the resources required to teleport off-world."
"So, they'll be stuck on that graveyard of a planet forever," Cid said. "Sounds like a fitting end to me."
"Anything else?" Vincent asked.
"I think that about wraps it up," Reeve said.
"It's nearly seven," Cloud said, checking his watch. "If you guys have any final preparations you need to make, now's the time. Everyone else, go get some rest. I'll see you on the battlefield tomorrow."
"What, no big speeches?" Cid asked.
"What was it you said about platitudes again?" Cloud replied, turning to Vincent.
"Sometimes they're a necessary evil," Vincent replied.
"Sure," Cloud said. "Anyway, we all know what we need to do. It'll be sundown in a minute. Let's make sure we're all set before then."
"All right. See you in the morning," Tifa said.
With that, the Avalanchers dispersed from the briefing room, heading back to their quarters for the night.
Cold light emanating from blue mako eyes pierced the gloom of the tiny sleeping quarters. Cloud lay awake in bed, for what seemed like the millionth night in a row. Ever since his return from the Astra homeworld, he couldn't sleep and, for whatever reason, he couldn't help the feeling that he was being watched.
He glanced down at Yuffie's sleeping form, her chest heaving slowly as she rested her head on his chest, looking peaceful and content. He tried to follow suit, relaxing in her arms for what might be their last night together, but no matter how he tried, sleep would not come to him.
As he leaned back again, he shifted his position slightly, causing her to stir. "Sorry," he said, looking down at her again. "Did I wake you up?"
Yuffie nodded, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
"It's all right," Cloud said, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Go back to sleep."
"Too late," Yuffie replied, raising herself up. "I'm wide awake, and I think I might need some help getting back to sleep," she added, with a mischievous grin.
Cloud smiled. "Is that so?" he asked, as she leaned in closer. She wrapped her arms around him, and they kissed, forgetting their troubles for a moment in each other's arms.
During their second kiss, however, she broke off as she spotted something through the bedroom window.
"What's that?" she asked, raising herself to a sitting position.
Cloud sat up as well, looking out through the window. There was a burning trail in the sky, edging ever closer to the ground, just outside the city limits.
"Is that a shooting star?" she asked.
"...No," Cloud said, observing the strange phenomenon. "It's not."
A few moments later, they were dressed and headed for the observation deck, where the other Avalanche members were already gathered, peering out at the lights in the sky. There were other trails forming, following the one they had spotted through their window, all headed for the outskirts of the city.
"...The hell is that?" Cid asked.
"It looks like a meteor shower," Tifa said.
"It's not," Vincent said, looking over at the others. "We're under attack."
"Son of a bitch.." Cid muttered. "They beat us to the punch."
"We need to get down there, see what's happening," Cloud said.
"We've already alerted the troops," Nanaki said. "Good thing we called them back from the underground city. If this is anything like the last batch, it looks like we've got a real fight on our hands."
"We'll take the buggy," Tifa said. "We can check out the first landing site."
"All right," Cloud said. "Yuffie and I will head for the second one."
"I'll head for the third point," Cid said. "I can direct the rest of our troops from the air."
As they scrambled to the storage bay, Tifa noticed that there was someone missing. "Where's Reeve?" she asked.
"Said he was headed for the underground city," Barret replied, taking the buggy's wheel. "Wanted to do a final check-up of his gear."
"He can hold the fort there while we examine this threat," Vincent said.
"Okay," Cloud said, gunning the engine of his motorcycle. "Let's move."
Moments later, they were burning across the desert in the early morning light, heading for the point in the distance where fire was raining from the sky. The team spread out from the centre, with the buggy headed one way, the Highwind another, and Cloud and Yuffie headed for the third point of contact. The meteor had already impacted the ground by the time they arrived, but to their surprise, they found the crater empty, aside from a hollow metal shell lying in its centre.
"Strange," Yuffie said, examining the crater as they drove past.
"A dud, maybe?" Cloud replied.
"Sure looks like it," Yuffie said.
"Cid, have you found anything?" Cloud asked, pressing a finger against his earpiece.
"We've reached the landing site," Cid's voice came over the radio. "Ran into a few Jenova creatures. Came crawling out of the shell that cracked open here."
"Any problems?" Cloud asked.
"No, nothing like what we fought the other day," Cid replied. "We've got'em all, I think. As an attack force, they're pretty much a joke, if you ask me."
"Vincent, anything on your end?" Cloud asked.
"Just a bunch of empty craters," Vincent said.
"Same here," Nanaki said. "I'm with one of the scouting parties. These craters are all empty. There's nothing here."
Having concluded their investigation, the Avalanchers all circled around to meet up in the middle of the desert surrounding the city. As they gathered around the largest crater, they heard several more reports coming in over the radio, all confirming the same thing. A few stragglers here and there, but no real attack.
"What the hell's going on?" Cid asked as he came marching down the Highwind's loading ramp.
"...A feint," Cloud said, as he realized what was happening.
"What?" Barret asked.
"This isn't the real attack," Cloud told the others. "It's taking place somewhere else."
"Where?" Tifa replied.
They could already guess, but before any of them could speak up, a burst of static came across their radios. Reeve's voice, by the sound of it, although it was impossible to make out what he was saying over the sheer noise flooding the channel.
"Reeve? Reeve, come in," Cloud said. "What's going on?"
"I'm in the underground city," Reeve replied, his words barely audible over the static. "We're under attack!"
They looked up at each other, realizing they had fallen for the ruse. The underground city was the real target. And with nearly all of their forces concentrated on the surface, it was open to an attack. Without any further delay, they took off again, heading back to the underground city, hoping to repel the invasion before it was too late. But time was not on their side..
