Final Fantasy 7: The Hojo Clone
By Co V Schuler
Part 2: The Second Cetra
Authors Note
This chapter is mostly just talk between the group of Avalanche. This chapter should prove interesting for those of you that are keeping up with the series. Basically, there will be two meetings of talk in it, but I promise that part of it will surprise you if you are keeping up with the series.
Chapter 18 (Continued two days after the end of Chapter 17)
Barret sat up, blinking his eyes awake. Two days of searching and no Cloud and no other sign of life. Two days and Ms. Hatch, the nurse, still doesn't know if Marlene would live. Same with Red XIII. Everyone was hurt, just depended on which person you were talking about.
Barret had pretty much healed up the first day after the bombardment. Thanks to Tifa curing him; Tifa was hurt a little more and the nurse advised her to walk a little and get a lotta' sun.
Vincent was still in Nibelhiem, searching for something that the rest of Avalanche didn't know about.
Cloud was gone; he had taken out the Proud Clod 2, in order to save the rest of Avalanche. The Shinra armies that bombarded Kalm were now heading over to the beaches north of Old Midgar. One of the pilots of the Highwind scouted it out to figure out what they were doing and it looks like they are going by water to the other west continent.
Cid was still gone; Yuffie had made it back but without Cid. Barret had no clue as to where Cid was. Neither did anybody else. Cait-Sith was killed when we fought Lee…Barret winced. Lee. Lee was vicious and somehow…somehow had stronger powers than Sephiroth.
But when Ruby Weapon popped out of the water and came to fight them…it all got crazy.
Barret got up and left his quarters and went down to the infirmary. Marlene was still there, unconscious but still breathing. Barret swore that if she died he would destroy Junon, and every Mako reactor. And every Shinra soldier.
Barret kissed Marlene's bloodstained forehead and left the room, heading for the bridge. All the pilots were there, drinking hot chocolate and coffee; Tifa, Yuffie, Red XIII, and Ms. Hatch were there too.
Barret looked at Nanaki. He was in a modified wheelchair. Ms. Hatch had a wheelchair… Barret stared. It looked like she tore off the back of it so Red XIII could lie down on it and still be rolled around. He was awake and obviously in a lot of pain.
Barret looked at Tifa; she seemed all right, but wasn't the optimistic Tifa she usually was. Because Cloud was gone.
One of the pilots looked at Barret and asked, "You all right?"
Barret nodded and asked, "You?" The pilot shrugged, "I'm hangin' in there." Barret nodded an understanding look.
"We need a plan. Bugenhagen said that we need to destroy the first Mako reactor that they are modifying and then continue with Avalanches first main mission: destroy all Mako reactors." Barret stopped for a few seconds, then sighed and said, "Not to mention whoever is dumping the Jenova cells into the Lifestream."
Tifa looked at the floor. Red XIII spoke up, not loud but he did speak. "We could bomb the Mako reactor from the Highwind. All those cannons that are equipped on it would surely do the job. Don't you think Barret?"
Barret started to say yes but the head pilot jumped in. "No," he looked like he was about to laugh. "They will have lots of air and ground defense. Probably water too."
"Good point," Tifa said. They all looked at her. "What? We do need to get our jobs going again. We have been sitting around for nothing. Just because some of us are hurt doesn't mean we have to stop now."
Reluctantly, they all nodded. That's true, thought Barret. But what if Marlene dies. What will I do then? Will I avenge her? Will I die?
Barret went over to a counter, poured some coffee into a mug and said, "Yeah well guess what. I want to go blow somethin' up soon, and I am jes' getting restless not doing anything. So lets go do somethin'."
One of the co-pilots laughed. "Where will we get the bombs?"
"Same place I got them at the beginning of Avalanche," Barret replied dryly. "Wutai; they make those fireworks that make big explosions. What I did before when…when Biggs, Wedge, and Jesse were with us, was order some of those fireworks from Wutai and Jesse would make them a couple more times stronger and then we would have bombs.
"Jesse taught Tifa how to do the really big stuff just in case Jesse wasn't available. So we can fly to Wutai, get some fireworks and Tifa makes big stuff." Barret made it sound simple.
Tifa looked back at the floor when a few people looked at her in surprise. Ms. Hatch exclaimed, "Tifa makes bombs?!"
Tifa looked at her angrily and said, "I didn't choose to know, Jesse just told me one night." But Ms. Hatch replied, "That's not what I meant. What I mean is wow! I learned when I was little too. My dad taught me because I had to make bombs for his work. He was a miner."
Everyone looked at her, including Barret. Barret raised his eyebrows. But she was always so calm and…he shrugged. You can never completely know someone.
Red XIII spoke again, this time his voice becoming a hoarse whisper. "I think that we could destroy the Underwater Mako Reactor that's under Junon. That way we could get another sub back and then we could-," Ms. Hatch cut him off. Barret looked at her face and thought she had a worried look on it.
"You've spoken enough Nanaki. You should be resting." She walked over to Red XIII and wheeled him out of the bridge to the infirmary.
"Nanaki had a good idea," said the engine pilot. The others nodded. Barret figured out what Nanaki was going to say. "Oh…after we get another sub back, we could also search for whoever is dumping Jenova cells into the Planet. They would never see a sub coming."
The others nodded again. Tifa said, "We need to get our priorities straight. Its obvious that-," her voice choked but she kept going, "-that Cloud isn't coming back." No one moved; a silence filled the group. "So we must get on with the mission. We should keep the Highwind out of danger so Marlene and Red XIII can recover better."
She's beginning to become the old Tifa again, thought Barret. He broke the thought and tried to pay attention. "Then we blow up the atmosphere reactor, while searching for the dumper."
Barret clapped his hands and said, "All right then, you heard the lady lets get this baby goin'. Get the Highwind off the ground and head to Nibelhiem. It's been more than a week since Vincent left so lets go."
"You don't need to waste time going there," a voice from the doorway said. Everyone spun around and saw Vincent dropping out from the ceiling and landing in front of the door. "I've been here for a day-and-a-half. I just wanted to see how things were going without me." He eyed Yuffie, who looked away.
He knows I found his secret room, she thought.
Vincent also eyed Barret and signaled him with his head that they needed to meet. Barret nodded slightly and Vincent went on to saying hi to the pilots.
Barret left, knowing that Vincent would be at his room in a couple of minutes.
Tifa watched the two of them give each other signals and raised an eyebrow. After a few minutes, the pilots went to work on gathering the other pilots outside the Highwind and starting the engines.
Vincent left the room and she caught up with him. "What's going on," she whispered. Vincent, being wise, knew she meant him and Barret. "Something is wrong," he said simply. "Go to Barret's room, I'll be there in a minute."
Tifa went up there and knocked on the door. Barret opened the door and stuck his head out. "What do you want?"
"Vincent."
"Oh, come on in." He opened the door all the way and she walked in. There was a small table in the middle, a deck of cards spread out on it. Clothes were all over the floor and dumped on the chairs. Barret made no move to clean up.
Tifa picked up some of the clothes on a chair and then tossed them on the floor. She sat down and he cleared the other two chairs. "So what is he talkin' about," Tifa asked.
Barret shrugged. "I don't know, but last time he did this, it was very important."
They stopped talking and there was a knock on the door a few minutes later. "Come in," Barret bellowed. Ms. Hatch stepped in and said, "I believe that Marlene is going to make it Barret. Unless she forms a blood clot at the heart or an artery."
Barret jumped up, accidentally knocking over the chair he was sitting on. "Is she awake?"
Ms. Hatch nodded and Barret ran down to the infirmary. Ms. Hatch shut the door, leaving herself and Tifa in the room. Tifa suddenly realized she didn't know Ms. Hatch's last name.
"Ms. Hatch, what's your first name, if I may ask?"
She hesitated for a second, as if thinking. "It's…Betsy. Betsy Hatch."
Tifa nodded. "Betsy…nice name." Betsy said a quiet 'thank you' in reply and then asked, "So you really like Cloud, huh? I wouldn't blame you. He is so strong and so…serious at times."
Tifa stared at her. "You…liked Cloud?"
Betsy nodded, "Oh yes. He was cute for a young man. And the way he talked was…his voice was wonderful. I still like him though…even if he's…"
Tifa's eyes glistened with unshed tears for a few seconds. "Well, uh, I think I need to go watch Marlene, in case she does something while she's awake." Ms. Hatch jumped up and left Tifa, who was trying not to cry.
Cloud is gone; he couldn't have survived that blast. He-her thoughts were interrupted by Vincent coming in. Followed by Barret.
Vincent saw her wet eyes and immediately had concern on his face. "What did she say to you? Tell me now." His voice sounded demanding and Tifa knew she had never seen him like this. Hell, he hardly ever talked.
"None of your business," she replied curtly.
"It is too my business. Ms. Hatch is not…is not a friend. She is the enemy; she is with whoever is dumping Jenova's cells into the Lifestream."
Tifa gasped and asked, "But how do you know, how did you find out?"
"I came back yesterday and overheard her talking to someone on a PHS. She was asking if she should let Marlene and Red XIII live."
Barret got up and started for the door. "I am going to go kick that little girls ass right now," but Vincent jumped in front of the door. "I have a better idea."
"Oh really? Tell me and then I will decide whether or not I kick her delicate ass."
"I am more likely to be an enemy than a friend to you all. At least that's what she thinks; I overheard that too. She thinks I am working for someone else, probably Shinra. Let me approach her and then I will tell you what's goin' on. Deal?"
Barret hesitated. "If she kills Marlene, I swear she will pay."
Vincent stopped and then said, "Deal. But she can lead us to the guy that is going to cause our planet to transform…we can use her…think about it Barret."
"We have a deal…but if she kills…" Barret stopped, his eyes piercing through Vincent. Vincent nodded and replied with energy, "I'll go right now." Barret gave a slight nod and Vincent left.
Tifa exhaled; she thought Barret was about to explode with emotion.
"Sit down Barret," she said. Barret mumbled but complied. He started reloading his gun-arm and looked as if he were going to war. "We are going to war Tifa. We are going to go hit the Mako reactor that Shinra is modifying. We are going to hit it hard and then head for Junon, where Cid might be."
Tifa looked at the floor and sighed. Cloud was dead. Why did he leave when we are about to go pull off the most dangerous thing we have ever done yet?
You dumb ass. Why now?