Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 7 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.
SHARDS COLLIDE
CHAPTER 19
Cloud gasped in shocked as he and Zack rounded the last corner leading them to the Sector 7 tower. The scene ahead appalled them both to no end. It was as if a war of immense proportions had taken place and still was. Gunfire rang through the air in constant blares. Screams of death and blood lust were heard at all angles. Parts of metal and other types of gadgets lay strewn about in globs of burnt mess. Bodies lay everywhere around the reactor as if they were littered trash. To both men, the scene was complete and utter madness.
Gunfire rang out once more in the air. Both men looked up to see that an intense fight was still being waged at the very top of the tower. They could both see the outlines of a burly dark skinned man fighting amongst a group of navy blue, suited people.
"Oh no…" Zack muttered, staring helplessly up at the combatants.
"Come on!" Cloud said anxiously. "We've gotta help!"
Zack nodded his head briskly. "Right! Lead the way. I'll back you up."
And with that, both men ran swiftly into the heat of battle, swords drawn and gleaming with the hunger for fresh blood.
Upon reaching the steps of the tower, once again, both men were shocked into silence. Cloud viciously fought back the pain in his heart then ran up to the body lying silently a few feet away from the second set of elevated stairs.
"Biggs!" Cloud sheathed his buster sword and kneeled down in front of the bloody man then sat him up in his arms. "Biggs! Biggs can you hear me?! Biggs answer me!"
The man's eyes slowly flickered to life and recognition soon followed in his dark irises. "Cloud…?" The man asked weakly. "Cloud is that you?"
"Yes! Yes it's me! Biggs just hold on ok? Hold on! We'll get you help real soon!"
The man chuckled softly and slowly shook his head. Cloud tensed at the action. "Cloud…don't worry about me…. I'm finished man…"
Cloud tightened his grip on the man, anxiety dancing around all too clearly in his crystal blue eyes. "No! No just hang on Biggs! Help is on the way!"
The man continued to smile and closed his eyes as if he could no longer hear the mercenary's eager words. "You gotta keep moving Cloud…" He continued in a soft whisper. "Barret… needs you… now…"
The last word came out as a soft sigh and then the man was silent. Cloud shook him again, forcefully. "NO! Biggs open your eyes! Open your eyes man! Don't do this!"
The silent figure did not reply. He merely lay there in Cloud's arms, that soft smile still embedded on his face. After a while Cloud slowly eased the man back onto the ground, his head lowered in sadness and rage.
Zack walked up to him and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I found Wedge a few yards to the left. It looked like he fell all the way from the top. I'm sorry Cloud… he was already dead when I got to him."
Cloud slowly rose his head back up, determination glowing in his eyes. "Fine… But I'm not going to let Shinra harm anyone else." He shot his head towards the dark haired mercenary with anger etched in his eyes. "Zack we're going to the top of the tower. Barret's still alive and fighting for his life up there. Jessie's probably up there too. We've got to give them all the support we can muster."
Zack gave his best friend a solemn nod. "I'm with you all the way buddy."
Cloud quickly rose to his feet, unsheathed his huge buster sword then sped up the stairs as fast as he could. Zack was momentarily surprised at his friend's speed and sudden eagerness but quickly shoved it all to the back of his mind and chased after his blonde haired partner. The two men raced up the stairs at full speed, taking on any unfortunate Shinra troopers that happened to get in their way. Cloud would either hack them down with his sword in a vertical strike or simply leap over them, letting Zack take care of business with equal speed and intensity.
Cloud could clearly see the top of the tower now and clenched his fists nervously at the sight. Barret was now on one knee, desperately fighting off the Turks and Shinra soldiers together.
"I don't get it." Zack said, running along side him. "Why doesn't he just fall back? Why is he still fighting? He could easily make a break for it and lose those guy's on these stairs."
Cloud didn't turn to face him while he answered the question. "Maybe something else is fueling his senses other then logic right now. Think about it. He just lost two of his men! He's probably blinded by rage by now."
"Probably…" Zack muttered, then suddenly his breath caught in his throat. He could hear the similar astonishment in Cloud's voice as the man gasped in alarm next to him.
"My god. No!"
Both men ran up to the still figure lying awkwardly on the stairs a few feet ahead of them. "Jessie!" Cloud called running up to the woman. "Jessie are you alright!?"
The woman shifted slightly at his voice. Zack ran up to the side then kneeled down and put a finger on her neck. "She's still got a pulse!" He said anxiously. Cloud kneeled as well and turned the woman over in his arms. "Jessie! Jessie can you hear me?! You're going to be ok! Just hold on!"
"You help her out." Zack said, turning his back towards them. "I'll keep guard and make sure no one can disturb you!"
Cloud nodded his head then looked back down at the injured woman. Looking closer he saw that she had 3 bullet wounds' two in the chest area and one in the stomach. Cloud clenched his teeth, knowing they were fatal wounds. He quickly fished around in his pocket for a cure materia. Jessie placed a gentle hand over his.
"Don't…" She said weakly with a small smile on her blood stained lips. Cloud looked at her with horrified eyes. "What are you talking about? Just hold still, I'll have you better in no time!"
Jessie tried to chuckle but coughed up blood instead. "I- It's no use…" She said softly with clearly defined pain in her voice. She sucked in another ragged breath and continued. "It's too late for me… I'm dying… nothing can change that."
"Jessie!" Cloud tightened his grip fearfully.
"Cloud… I only have one request to… make of you… Come to terms with yourself… Take care of everything… Make your choices and stick by them… before it is too late…"
Cloud was flustered by the woman's words. "What are you talking about? Make my choices?"
Jessie strained a bit more then smiled lightly. "You know what I'm talking about… or should I say… who I'm talking about… don't wait too long Cloud…. Life's too… sh…ort…*"
Cloud shook the lifeless body in his arms forcefully. "Jessie! Jessie? Jessie wake up! Please!" Tears were threatening to well up in the man's eyes now. Why did people always have to die? Why did Shinra always find some way to ruin peoples lives and cause havoc to others? Why?!
Zack firmly grasped his friend's shoulder. "She's gone Cloud… Let her go…"
Cloud snapped his eyes up towards Zack. "Ok… But now Shinra's going to pay! Big time!"
Zack nodded his head then darted up the stairs towards the top of the tower with Cloud close behind.
****
Tseng smiled wickedly as the Avalanche leader took yet another hit from Reno's deadly nightstick. The dark man was defenseless to their attacks now. He was positive the man wouldn't last much longer and couldn't possibly pose any kind of threat to them whatsoever in his current condition. He body was laced with scars and bruises and even a few bullet wounds from some of the Shinra guards. He was truly a pathetic sight to look at although Tseng had to admit he admired the man's tenacity to not give up and continue fighting against them. But was that really bravery or foolishness. Tseng couldn't decide which however it didn't really matter to him. All they needed to do was keep him alive for a little while longer until Cloud and Zack showed up. Then the real fun would begin.
Reno kicked the dark man in the gun yet again, laughing cruelly at his work.
"Reno! That's enough!" Tseng yelled out at the red haired man. "We aren't trying to kill him just yet remember?"
Reno turned from his actions to face Tseng. Glaring at the man Reno kicked Barret once more then walked away from his opponent. "Tch, you don't know how to have any fun boss! What's the point in keeping him alive anyway? Those two merc's are going to be here either way."
"We're already here!" Came a voice from the far end of the tower roof. Tseng smiled wickedly as he turned to face the new intruders. "Well well well… If it isn't my good old friend Zack!" Tseng immediately crouched low into a fighting stance but held his position. "Reno, Rude, I want both of you to hold your positions until I give you the order to fight. I want to have some fun with our new friends first."
Zack glared at the black haired man while Cloud blinked his eyes in a flustered manner. "You two know each other?"
Zack cast a side-glance at his partner then trained his eyes once more on his opponent. "It's a long story Cloud. Just focus on the objective at hand for now."
Tseng let out a loud laugh. "Oh so that's how it is huh? Still trying to protect them from the truth I see."
"Shut up!" Zack said, clenching his fists.
"Zack what is he talking about?"
"Not now Cloud… I'll tell you about it later."
Tseng continued to smirk. "Heh, you truly are pathetic Zack. You've definitely changed for the worst over the last few years."
"What is it that your trying to achieve here Tseng? Why are you doing all of this?"
"Heh, why else? Because the big boss gave me the orders, that's why. As for what I'm doing…" A sly grin formed across his face. "He wants us to bring down the sector seven tower, destroying this whole sector and eliminating the threat of Avalanche once and for all."
Zack could no longer contain his rage now. "YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD! THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT LIVES WILL BE LOST IF YOU DO THAT!"
"So what? What do I care about a few thousand bums? The way I see it, I get a steady paycheck and my mode of living still stays intact. Nothing for me to worry about."
Zack ground his teeth but refrained from attacking. "So then why do you need us here? What's so special about luring us here to this exact spot?
"Heh, that's classified information, I'm afraid."
Zack dug his fingers into the hilt of his buster sword, barely containing his anger. "I won't let you succeed in your plans!"
"Then try and stop me! Lets see how good you've become over the years!"
"Zack…" Cloud interrupted. "I don't know what's going on between you two but I'll take care of the red haired guy and the bald guy."
"Good…" A new voice suddenly said from the distance. Both mercenaries stared in shock as the man slowly rose to his feet, despite his injuries.
"Barret!" Zack said in shock. "Are you alright!?"
Barret simply turned his head towards the center of the tower. "Never mind that! I'll do my best to stop the explosion of the tower. You two just focus on taking those maniacs out."
Zack nodded. "I got ya. I'll handle this then." And with that, Zack took off towards Tseng at a speed neither Cloud or Barret ever knew the man had. Barret quickly nodded his head and took off towards the tower control panel. Meanwhile, Cloud turned his attention towards his own adversaries to see them smiling boldly at him.
"Heh, ready for another ass kicking merc?" Reno asked in a mocking tone. The other man said nothing but arched his body into a fighting position. That was all the notification Cloud needed. He positioned his buster sword and charged into an attack.
****
Zack spun in a low circle then struck low with his huge buster sword. Unfortunately, Tseng had already read the attack and back-flipped away just in time. However Zack wouldn't be deterred so easily. He followed his attack up with another swing to the mid-area. Tseng deftly blocked the attack with his prosthetic arm then spun into a roundhouse kick. Zack barely ducked in time for the attack. He sidestepped then swung in a double low arch, trying to catch Tseng from below. Tseng easily leapt over both attacks.
Enraged at this new amount of skill his opponent was exploiting, Zack charged in yet again in his attack, this time blindly. Tseng easily dodged the overhead swing then landed a solid fist directly into Zack's gut with his cybernetic arm.
The black haired mercenary crumbled from the blow but steadied himself on one knee glaring daggers at his nemesis.
Tseng merely returned a cocky grin. "Heh, looks like I was right! You really have gotten soft over the years!"
"Shut up and fight you bastard!" Zack slowly rose up to his feet once more, his eyes still trained feverishly on the dark haired Turk.
Tseng gave him an innocent look. "But how am I supposed to fight you seriously when you won't even return the favor? I must tell you Zack, its really disappointing fighting you the way you are now. You're simply not strong enough."
Zack said nothing however his eyes glimmered with a hint of something long lost over the years. Something Tseng noticed immediately, something he wanted to compound upon.
"What ever am I to do? I guess I'll have to just sate my urge for violence by killing our two female hostages I guess."
Zack's eyes narrowed even further and once more that glimmer flashed in his eyes. Tseng tried to suppress the smile rising in his lips. "Heh, yup. That's just what I'll have to do then. I'll make them suffer first of course. Nothing better then hearing them scream for a few hours until we finally decide to kill them."
The rage was now mounted beyond immense proportions now. "DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING THEM YOU BASTARD!"
Tseng chuckled. "Oh? And what are you going to do about it? You can't even defeat me!"
Zack clenched his fists in frustration. He knew what was going on. He knew all too well that Tseng was baiting him on so that he would once again tap into his true strength. The hated power with which he never wanted to even think about ever again in his life. The thought made Zack hate the man even more. He knew he had no choice. Tseng would go to all ends to exact what he wanted. He was that kind of villain.
Finally Zack closed his eyes. 'I have no choice.' He told himself mentally. He silently began to concentrate; to summon the power buried deep in his very core yet so verily ready whenever the need came around to summon it. Once again Zack heard the familiar buzzing in his ears, the burning of raw power enveloping all of his sense. It was almost as if his muscles bulged out further to the breaking point as they intensified with energy. The soft sounds of laughter could be heard from the man facing him and suddenly Zack shot his eyes open once more to look at his most hated rival.
Tseng smiled gleefully at the man's angry glare. "It's about time!" Tseng said.
Zack continued to glare at the man with new eyes. No longer where his eyes the soft hazel color they used to be, but now they were neon green, flaring with raw energy and power. "It's past time we settled this score once and for all Tseng!" Zack said in a fevered voice not his own.
Tseng grinned then once again assumed a fighting stance. "At last! Lets see if you still got it, Merc!"
Suddenly, faster then the speed of light, the two men charged towards one another and were quickly engulfed in a tornado of movements and sword thrusts. Tseng viciously attacked and parried while Zack continued to attack, not even bothering to parry as he simply let speed take control and dodge whatever attacks came his way. Tseng started to grit his teeth in nervousness and his opponent continued to increase his speed at an alarming rate. Soon Zack was moving so fast, Tseng found himself fumbling blindly in a sad attempt at retaliation. Zack spun in a swift 360 degrees turn then swung diagonally, effectively slicking down hard towards the black haired Turk. Tseng saw the attack at the last minute and pitifully raised his arm in defense. Zack's blade easily sliced through the sturdy material then imbedded itself deep in his shoulder. Tseng hollered in pain and drew back from the dance of death the two men had woven for each other.
Tseng immediately fell to one knee while Zack continued to stand rigidly in front of him, his body almost giving off strands of energy. His eyes continued to burn holes into him and Tseng found himself shaking slightly from the intensity of that glare.
"Y-you bastard! You ruined my arm!" Tseng said in anger yet he knew his words sounded completely hollow as they were mixed in together with apparent fear. Tseng looked around wildly while clutching his bleeding shoulder, desperately searching for something that would give him the upper hand. And then he found it. A wicked grin formed on his lips as he continued to watch the spectacle a few feet away from him. He trained his eyes back towards Zack and nearly laughed with glee as the single powerful word danced away from his lips. "Cloud…"
****
To be shocked was an understatement. Cloud was completely baffled by the sudden revelation that had just assaulted his senses. A few moments earlier, he was deftly holding his own against the two Turks that were challenging him. Reno had continually tried to use his nightstick against him, yet he used his own skill and maneuvered himself so that Reno tagged Rude instead. The result was enough to make Cloud laugh at how easy the fight was. Clear shock and even a slight bit of fear flashed across the red haired man's eyes when he saw what he had done. The man was in complete shock. As for rude, he couldn't help but crumble from the attack. Reno had been charging his stick throughout the whole battle, waiting for the opportunity to strike, thus Rude had taken the full brunt of Reno's pent up fury. Cloud hadn't wasted a second. He quickly attacked, driving a wound diagonally across Reno's chest, wounding the man to the point where he had fallen over through the sheer pain of the attack. Cloud had been ready to finish the two men off then and there. He was furious with all of Shinra for what they had done to his friends and he was going to exact his revenge on these two lone Turks who seemed to be the antithesis of it all. He was going to, that is, until his eye caught a glimpse of what was transpiring a few feet away. Cloud could barely believe his eyes.
"Z-Zack…?" The very word seemed foreign to Cloud as he continued to look at the fight up ahead. Had he been standing closer he would have been even more baffled at the change in eye color his best friend took yet evidently the very actions he made were more then enough to astonish the blond haired mercenary beyond any possible comprehension. Never had he seen his friend move so fast before. So fast that Cloud himself couldn't even begin to keep up with the movements he was making. Cloud could hardly believe his own eyes. 'Has Zack been hiding this power ever since? Has he always been able to fuel his abilities in such a way? What's going on with him?'
Suddenly a loud roar came from behind him and the blond mercenary noticed only too late that he had fallen into the one mistake he knew he should never make on the field of battle. He let his guard down. Cloud spun as fast as he could but it was to no avail. Reno's nightstick embedded itself securely onto his abdomen sending vicious volts of electricity blazing through his veins. Cloud screamed out in alarm and anger as he tried to pull away however Reno viciously shoved him against the railing before he had the chance. It was almost as if the injury fueled the red haired man to new levels of strength. He forced the nightstick even further against Cloud's stomach, intensifying the bursts of electricity flowing through the weapon. Cloud could barely keep conscious. Suddenly images of Tifa and Aeris swam through his mind. 'No!' He thought to himself. 'I can't give up now! Not while Tifa and Aeris are still in captivity by these maniacs! Not while Jessie and the others died by their hands! No! I WON'T GIVE UP!'
With an enraged scream, Cloud summoned all of the strength he had left then fired upon the read haired Turk with the most powerful punch he could muster. The Turk reeled blindly from the attack then trained his eyes back on his blond haired opponent and glared in anger. Cloud desperately tried to steady his, still shaking body for another attack. Fortunately, however, the Turk's eyes promptly rolled to the back of his head and the man fell hard onto the ground with a heavy thud.
Cloud lowered his head and exhaled a shaky sigh of relief and fatigue. He then felt a hand roughly grab his shoulder and heard the familiar click of a gun being cocked as it was pressed against his temple. Cloud wanted to fight back, yet he knew he had no energy left. He could only look on in fatigue as the bald man held him tightly in a death lock.
"That's far enough…" the man hissed.
****
Zack's eyes narrowed sharply as Tseng pointed towards where Rude held Cloud at gunpoint. He still felt his veins bursting with power and he continually found himself trying to regain control as every urge in his body threatened to lash out at the bald man despite the fact that he held his friend hostage.
Zack closed his eyes tightly and looked away from his dazed friend being held by one of the Turks. "What is it you want Tseng?" He said in a tight voice.
Tseng smiled once more. He rose to his feet, still clutching the deep wound on his shoulder and not even wanting to look at the prosthetic arm which was now severed at the elbow joint. It was going to take months for him to recover from this, he knew it. He let this disappointment take form as he looked once more into the eyes of his rival. "Heh, what do I want? I want nothing more then to see your dead carcass splayed across the ground below us… but like I said before, right now I'm under orders so business before pleasure right?"
Zack continued glaring at the man, his eyes still flashing in that bright hue of neon green. His eyes narrowed even further when he saw what has happening behind the dark haired Turk leader. A few Shinra guards came walking up carrying an unconscious Barret in their arms.
Tseng saw the look of disappointment in Zack's eyes and that made his grin widen even more. "Oh I see your plan failed miserably. Ha! So sorry. Looks like you're all out of options now my friend."
Zack let out a low growl of anger. "I'm not your friend!"
"No of course not. I'd like to think I have better taste then that."
"Just get to the point Tseng!" Zack was now shaking with anger. "What do you want from me!"
Tseng laughed lightly at the intensity in the man's voice. He was immensely enjoying this. His ultimate rival was completely at his mercy. He couldn't think of a better way to brighten up his day.
Suddenly the smile immediately disappeared from Tseng's face and once again he had assumed a serious expression. "Well, for starters, how about you power down? I've seen enough of that green-eyed $hit already. I'm no longer amused."
Zack glared even more at the man. He slowly closed his eyes and after a few moments he felt his body shift back to normal. Once he opened his eyes again, they were once more, the soft brown color they were before.
Tseng grinned cheekily. "Excellent. Now how about dropping that huge pig sticker of yours and raising your arms where we can see them?"
Zack complied and his sword clattered heavily on the tower surface. A Shinra soldier quickly ran up behind him and cuffed his arms in huge manacles.
"So…" Zack said in an even voice. "What happens now?"
"Now?" Tseng said, his tone still soaked in childlike glee. "Now we say good night. Rude you know what to do."
Zack's eyes widened in horrified shock as he saw the bald man lower his gun to Cloud's back and viciously fire upon the poor man.
"NO!" Zack screamed as he saw two bullets rip through clouds abdomen. Zack yanked free from the Shinra guard's grip then felt a searing pain in his head. Suddenly Zack felt his balance slip and everything began to fade to black amidst the drowning laughter ringing out all around him. "Cloud…" Zack mutter, desperately trying to get to his friend, then he stumbled to the ground as he finally fell into the void of unconsciousness.
::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::
Author's note: Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 20.