Final Fantasy 7: The Hojo Clone
By Co V Schuler
Part 3: The Lifestream's Fate
Chapter 28 (Continued a few minutes after the end of Chapter 27)
Tifa yanked Hojo in front of her, still holding onto his flea-ridden hair. "Eww," she said, "Don't you ever take a shower?!"
"May Jenova bring life and death," Hojo said. "May Meteor teamed with Jenova choose who will live and who will stay!" Hojo's voice was rising.
"Shut up," Tifa said, grunting in frustration as Hojo tried to resist.
"And may the Planet burn with Jenova's blood."
"What did I just tell you," Tifa screamed, then kicked him in the back. She didn't mean to, but she broke a few vertebrae. Hojo screamed in pain. "I CAN'T MOVE! AAHH!"
Tifa realized what she had done. "Shit," she muttered.
Hojo was still yelling, "SOMEBODY HELP ME! THE BITCH BROKE MY BACK!"
Tifa kicked him in the head and he was silent. Unfortunately, Aeris had decided to wake up to Hojo's screaming, and Zack just had to arrive at the moment she knocked Hojo out. Great, she thought.
The two charged her. Tifa ducked and attempted to sweep both of them; Aeris blocked it with her staff and Zack fell on the ground, hitting his head hard. "Ooh!"
Tifa then jumped back, awaiting Aeris attack. Aeris attacked, giving Tifa such a hard hit that even when Tifa blocked it with her arm, the staff broke some bones and popped one out of joint. Tifa yelled in pain and counter attacked.
Her kick hit Aeris in the stomach and Aeris 'oofed'. Tifa glanced at her arm; a bone was sticking out of it. Damn.
Tifa ran up to the defenseless Aeris and kicked her in the head. Aeris rolled back, her head and hands bleeding. Tifa then jump-kicked her in the neck, and Aeris fell back. She hit her head on the ground hard. And Tifa turned around just in time to see a sword coming down on her.
She shrieked and started to dodge it but it came down, the blade's gash starting at the right shoulder and going down her chest, slicing up her cleavage.
Tifa cried out and fell to the ground. Zack laughed and raised his sword in a 'killing finish'. She started to plunge his sword into Tifa when there was a sudden shout and pain in his left side. Zack looked at his ribs.
A sword was in them. A Ragnarok sword.
Zack's eyes followed the sword's blade to the owner…Cloud. How did a rookie SOLDIER wannabe stab me? Zack saw anger in Cloud's eyes and he plunged his sword deeper into Tifa's chest. Tifa choked up blood.
Cloud did the same to Zack and Zack saw stars just before he fell to the floor…dead.
Cloud rushed over to Tifa and focused on magic. "Come on…work! Come on, come on, come on…" But it didn't. Cloud, for some reason, couldn't use magic. A laugh came from behind him.
Cloud turned and saw Hojo, laughing deliriously. "The price of being a clone Cloud. You can't use…magic." Hojo laughed for a few more seconds, then felt sudden pressure in his chest, followed by warm liquid running down the middle of his torso; the more liquid that fell, the more the pressure eased off.
Hojo opened his eyes and looked down. The Ragnarok sword was in him, as it was in Zack. Hojo looked up at Cloud's face and said, "Just remember Cloud. You are a failure." Hojo coughed up blood…and died. Hopefully for the last time, thought Cloud.
Cloud ran back to Tifa, sadness filling his face. Just as he reached her, he saw her eyes close, her smile fade…and her face start to pale. Tears came to Cloud's eyes and slowly but surely, he cried, holding Tifa's pale, cold body.
He felt the pain, the emotion, and the horror all over again. It was as if his last Aeris had died. His last joy of life.
Cloud heard footsteps coming down the hallway. His hand shaking from trauma, he picked up his sword and stood right next to the doorway. If someone bad walked in…
The footsteps neared and motion entered the doorway. Cloud ducked, tripped the enemy, then pinned him or her on the floor, the tip if his sword at the back of…his neck.
Then he talked. "Sorry Cloud. It's me, Vincent."
Cloud blinked and actually looked at the person. It was Vincent. "How do I know you're not a clone?"
Vincent Valentine slowly pulled his left arm, revealing his claws. Cloud had a vague memory of Hojo saying that scars or any kind of mark or condition couldn't be duplicated with the clone. The only flaw.
Cloud got up, saying, "Sorry." His voice was stone cold. He was still…hurt.
Vincent turned and saw Tifa's limp body, then Zack's, then Hojo's…and Aeris unconscious body. "Looks like you've had all the fun."
Cloud grimaced and said, "We don't have time. We need to destroy Jenova before she bonds with her other parts. If she does…she'll be a lot harder to destroy." Cloud paused and looked at Vincent. "For Tifa and Aeris," he said, his voice a hoarse, emotional whisper.
"For Lucrecia," Vincent replied, "and Yuffie."
Then they ran down the hallway, Cloud giving Vincent all his Materia and Vincent giving Cloud all the physical attack and defense weapons (and armor). They were going to war.
*
The cameraman watched as the group of SOLDIER reached the biggest thing. They attacked with flame-throwers but a sudden hand came out of the flesh and slapped the group of soldiers away, as if rag-dolls. The other parts were getting closer to the biggest one.
The reporter was at a loss for words. The phenomenon was…phenomenal.
The cameraman watched through the camera as the 'hand' picked up the soldier's dead bodies and sucked them inside. "Oh shiiiit," he said, finally losing his courage. He dropped his camera and ran.
*
Cloud and Vincent emerged from the secret entrance to Hojo's hideout. They had heard yells and fire a few seconds ago, so they were careful coming out. Cloud didn't see anything strange. Yet.
Vincent closed his eyes and said, "I'll be right back." And did something Cloud never guessed he could do. Vincent suddenly disappeared in the blink of an eye, and in his place was a bat.
"No way," Cloud said.
The bat didn't reply, but a voice suddenly popped inside Cloud's head. Yes way. Cloud smiled and nodded his head. This was…cool.
The bat suddenly flew off and a voice in his head said, I am going to see what's goin' on. Be right back.
Cloud nodded and thought, he's going to have good camouflage; the dark skies with a dark bat. The perfect spy.
*
Jenova felt herself begin to bond with the nearest part. She suddenly grew eyes and a left arm spurred from her. Soon.
*
Cloud's eyes widened. "Oh shit! We're late for the date!"
We are in trouble.
"No shit," Cloud yelled back. He didn't know where Vincent was, but knew he could hear him.
Echolocation sucks. Anyway, she's bonded with her left arm, and at the rate the other limbs are traveling, she is full Jenova in less than ten minutes.
Cloud's head sagged. "In that case, lets kick some ASS!"
Cloud pulled out his Ragnarok and the Sniper CR in the other hand. And he charged the freak of nature.
*
What's this, Jenova asked herself. Oh, the puny man from before. The one that took control. That's okay. He can't hurt me, but I can hurt him in a few more seconds…
The dead SOLDIER members were pushed up into Jenova's chest. They were dead so they couldn't take control of her. She then squeezed the bodies so tight that they burst and blood, human blood, splattered around inside her.
The Mako filled her veins and she had sudden energy. Her growth rate doubled.
Good she thought. Once I bond with the others, I go to the Lifestream and finish this puny Planet.
*
Cloud shot bullets and stabbed until he ran out of bullets and strength.
*
Jenova felt little pricks at the bottom of her leg but paid no attention.
*
"DAMMIT," Cloud yelled.
I'm on my way back.
"Hurry up," Cloud yelled into the vast skies. Suddenly he saw a bird…no; it was a bat, flying down to him. About twenty-feet up, the bat turned into Vincent and in mid-air, Vincent flew… and hit the ground hard.
"Ooh," he grunted and rolled up to his feet. "Takes a lot of strength to do the transformation. I had to get out of it as soon as I could."
Cloud nodded and said, "So how do we kill it? I shot it and stabbed it but it didn't even feel anything. And if it did, I must be lucky."
Green magic swirled around Vincent and suddenly, off in the distance, Ifrit popped out of the ground and started bombarding Jenova with fire. Vincent did the same with Shiva, the Bahamuts, Alexander, Knights of Round, and all the other summons.
A moan, or something like that, came from Jenova. She had bonded with another part and now she was standing on one large pillar with a left arm. She swiped at the summons but they were fast and maneuverable. Jenova only roared in frustration.
Vincent felt drained, weak. Cloud was trying to motivate him but… Vincent blacked out. He had used too much, too fast. Damn, Cloud thought.
Cloud then had an idea. Just like the Ruby Weapon.
Cloud pulled out his spare dagger and jabbed it into Jenova's slippery flesh. Then Cloud jabbed in his Ragnarok. He was going to mountain-climb his way up to her head and try to cut it off. It was a huge neck but if he just used his time, he could do it.
He pulled out the dagger and raised his arm up, to jab it into Jenova a few feet above his head. Using brute strength he pulled himself up more. It would be a long climb.
*
The reporter had picked up the camera and was now focused in on this strange, brave man climbing up Jenova. "It seems we have a hero in our mists," she said to the camera, knowing that thousands of people were watching the live footage.
She tried to zoom in on his when she thought she heard a noise in the distance. Without moving the camera, she looked up and saw a fighter plan flying by overhead. "It seems SOLDIER sent more reinforcements. Let's hope for the best."
*
Back in the Highwind, which was about twenty miles from the incident, the head pilot was cheering. "Those ain't no SOLDIER reinforcements! I bet my nards that Barret and Yuffie and Cid are in that damn plane!" The pilot laughed with joy as he watched what was happening on the TV.
"And that's Cloud you stupid bee-yatch."
*
Cloud dropped back down to the ground. He needed Vincent.
Cloud used two fingers and cut off the oxygen to Vincent's nose and covered his mouth with his other his hand. In a few seconds, Vincent snapped awake and nearly broke a few of Cloud's fingers.
"Whoa! What, huh, what…what's goin' on?"
Cloud grinned. "We're in trouble. She's bonded with both arms and her other leg will be here real soon."
Vincent looked into the dark sky; he could see Ifrit, Shiva and the other summons all pounding on Jenova. "I bet she's not to happy about the summons," Vincent said, laughing.
"Quit messin' around," Cloud replied with frustration on his face. "We have to kill her quick. If we don't, this whole damn planet dies and she becomes ruler of the universe."
"…So?"
Cloud groaned. Vincent was 'magic-lost'. It happens when someone uses too much magic to fast. "In that case," Cloud started, then hit Vincent on the forehead with a solid punch. Vincent rocked back from the blow, slowly realizing where he was and what was going on.
"Damn, that hurt," he complained.
"SO," Cloud yelled. "Start casting Ultima and Comet and all that shit. Hurry up!"
"Right," Vincent replied, giving himself a few Ethers, then beginning to focus on the magic of Ultima. Slowly, bolts of lighting and streaks of green started hitting Jenova.
Back in business, Cloud thought. Then he threw himself at Jenova and started climbing up her.
*
PAIN!
Jenova let out another roar in anger. These humans were stronger than she thought. She had underestimated them…but there was nothing wrong. Hojo had…back up you might say. Slowly, she used her left arm and grabbed some trees, ripping them from the ground. Then she swung at a summon, knocking Neo-Bahamut away.
Neo crashed into the ground. Then got back up. This would be hard fight, it thought.
Jenova tried swiping at a few more until Ifrit burned them right out of her hands. Then Jenova reached over to where she had pulled out the trees and smashed her purplish, squishy fist into the ground. The ground gave way, revealing part of Hojo's secret underground area.
Jenova reached in, feeling for the power. Then she felt it and grabbed the Materia. Then pulled it to her, ignoring all the pain from the summons and humans. She pushed the Materia into her chest and continued attacking the summons.
Energy! A sudden rush of energy hit her and her height suddenly increased. YES, she thought. Let the world shake with fear, for I am one, she thought.
Her last part had bonded with her. Now she would kill the humans.
*
"Uh oh," said Vincent.
This is bad, he thought.
Cloud hadn't noticed. His thoughts on nothing but revenge for Tifa and Aeris.
*
The reporter watched in horror as the last part bonded with the main body of the creature, making the creature fully agile and quick. She started slapping away the creatures flying around her, then stomping them into the ground. All hell was about to break loose. Overcome with fear, the reporter screamed, "RUN," and turned and ran for her life. All the people standing around watching the incident panicked and started running. Mideel's citizens began evacuating.
The reporter's thoughts were right; all hell was about to break loose.