Tifa, Barret and Vincent where walking for a few days now
Chapter two New friends, new enemies.

"Is this him?"

"Yes… he didn't put up much of a fight though. I expected more from him."

"And… his friends?"

"They'll be eliminated soon."

"By you're Iron Giants, right."

"You shouldn't worry about that… He's waking up, I'm gone."

"Okay… ah Cloud. I heard so many things about you."

Cloud slowly opened his eyes. He tried to move his arms; they were tied to the metal bed he was laying on. Cloud glared at the man that stood next to his bed.

"Now, now… there's no need to become hostile, you'll get of that bed soon enough."

The man reached out for an injection needle. "I'm sorry, but you have to sleep for some more time."

Cloud tried to get away but couldn't; the ropes were too tight.

He felt the needle entering his arm; a hot fluid was injected. Cloud's eyes were getting heavy, his arms and legs felt numb.

"Who are you...?" Cloud's voice slowly faded as he fell asleep again. "Consider me as a… a friend."

The man lowered Cloud in a glass cylinder. Another cylinder stood right next to it. Various pipes and cables connected the cylinders. The man walked to a computer and sighed. What he was supposed to do wasn't something he wanted to do; he didn't become a scientist for this purpose.

He sighed again and mumbled; "C'mon Katana let's do this." He entered the password and opened the main screen.

He checked Cloud vital signs and started the program. He watched the process starting and walked out the room.

"You did it?" Kane was waiting for him outside the door. "Ramuell… I asked did you do it?" The scientist sighed. "Yes Kane… I did what I was ordered to do." "Okay than Ramuell, I'll see you later." Kane turned and walked towards the bridge. Ramuell shook his head and went to his room.

Tifa, Barret and Vincent where walking for a few days now. No one knew which way to go. All they knew was that someone had abducted Cloud and they where going to get him back. They where halfway between Kalm and the mythril mines.

"We must get a chocobo." Vincent said.

"Why? We can cross the swamp by foot." Tifa replied.

"Yeah, but with a chocobo it'll go faster."

Tifa shrugged, she knew Vincent was right but she didn't want to waste any time now. The men who'd captured Cloud had a head start, and they didn't even know which way to go. Tifa looked at Barret; he hadn't spoken since they left Kalm.

"You worried about Marlene?" She asked him.

"No… well a little, but I know she's in good hands with Elmyra. I'm more worried 'bout us."

"About us? Why?"

"Well… Those guys back there… didn't seem to have any trouble with us. They played with us and when they got bored, they threw us away."

They walked further, thinking about the men they eventually will face. Tifa shivered by the thought Cloud was in their hands. They were falling behind Vincent, whom noticed something in the distance.

"Tifa, Barret… Can you see that?" Barret stopped walking and tried to see what Vincent was looking at.

"Wait… do you hear that?" Tifa was looking at the horizon and saw a Midgar Zolom Circling around a dead tree stump. When they looked closer they could see a man sitting in the tree.

Vincent sighed; "…Looks like our messenger boy."

Barret grinned and started to walk towards the Zolom. "Hey, eat this." He fired his gun-arm; the Zolom raised itself to full height, ready to attack. Tifa jumped forward and used a sleepel spell.

"Barret! …O never mind." She turned to Ramuh; he hadn't even noticed them, he still hold on to the branch as if his life depended on it.

"Someone must hate me, why do I have to be the one that always attracts this kind of trouble?"

Vincent climbed up and tapped him on the back. "Whoa… who gooooeeees…" Ramuh had loosened his grip on the branch, and fell face first in the mud.

"You awright?" Barret helped him back on his feet.

"Yes thank whoa…" Ramuh saw Barret's face and stumbled backwards. Tifa giggled as she walked to Ramuh.

"Don't be afraid, we mean you no harm. Climbing in a tree isn't the best way to get rid of monsters tough, you where lucky we came along."

Ramuh's face turned red as he muttered a thank you. He cleared his throat; "Erm… Can I Erm… Well you know…"

Vincent nodded. "… Yes, you can travel with us."

"Hey hold on a sec." Barret wasn't too happy with the thought of him joining them.

"Barret, it's only until we reach Cosmo Canyon." Tifa hushed him.

"O awright then…"

"O jolly good, well then, lets get a move on." Ramuh leaded the way.

"Ramuh?"

"Yes?"

"The other way."

Ramuh stopped and looked around him. "O… okay, this way then." And he was off again. Barret grabbed Tifa by the arm.

"You sure 'bout this?"

"Look at him, I don't think he'll survive without us and we were heading there anyway."

"Guess you right."

They followed Ramuh, who was talking loudly to Vincent.

A teenage boy entered the room Cloud was in. He was looking for something or someone. He rummaged through some of the documents that where spread all over the office-desk.

"What are you doing dad?"

The boy asked himself. He walked to the cylinders in the back of the room. "What's this?"

He tried to look inside one of them; it was filled with a green fluid. The boy didn't know what it was his father was doing or what these cylinders were.

"O… I recognize this."

He picked up a purple materia. It looked different from any materia he'd ever seen.

'Why does he have materia here?" He wondered. "Huh?"

The boy quickly turned; he'd heard a thud coming from behind. Nothing was there.

"I could have sworn…"

He heard another thud; it was coming from the cylinders.

"What the?"

There was another thud, and another, and another. Suddenly the glass shattered, spilling the green fluid over the boy.

"Cough, cough… What happened?"

Suddenly a siren begun to howl and the door shut with a loud smack.

"Hey lemme out of here!"

The boy ran to the door and started banging on it. He stopped when he heard a moan behind him. The boy turned slowly; he saw a man lying on the floor.

"Nice hair… you alright?"

The man didn't answer; all he did was moan.

"Alright, I'm in trouble now. If my dad finds out…" He slowly moved towards the man.

Who am I? What am I? …I'm Cloud… from Nibelheim, I am Cloud!

The man stood up, shacking his head. When Cloud looked up he saw a young man, approximately 20 years. His hair was blond with the exception of some locks of his hair, they where black.

"Well you're hair's nice too." Cloud looked around him; he was still in the room he first woke up. He turned and saw the other cylinder was still in one piece. He tried to look inside but couldn't see anything. He kicked the cylinder; it fell down, shattered and spilled it's containing over the floor.

"O… For a minute I thought I was… never mind." Cloud turned to the boy, who was staring at him.

"I'm Cloud. Could you tell me where I am?" The boy didn't say anything; he just stood there staring. Cloud moved a bit closer to him.

"I asked if you could tell me where I am… please?"

The boy screamed; "In deep shit, haven't you got a clue how much that stuff costs? And you just kick it to smithereens! Are you insane!"

Cloud saw the anger on his face but there was something else; it was fear. He slowly answered; "No not insane, abducted is more what I'll call it." The boy's yaw fell open.

"My father…" A loud explosion echoed through the room. "What the…!?"

"The building is under attack, do you know a way out?" Cloud asked.

"No… you see…" A second explosion ripped the floor away under their feet, causing them to plunge them into the ocean.

Kane ran to the bridge, where he found Valerius.

"What's going on?" He asked bewildered.

"It seems one WEAPON had survived, it's attacking us now." Valerius was very calm, like a SOLDIER supposed to be in this situation.

"We're ready to fire the support artillery, sir." A private informed them.

"Okay captain, do what you must do, if it gets out of control… I'll be in my quarters." Valerius left the bridge.

"Always trying to be cool." Kane loathed that part of his partner.

"Fire at will!" The captain ordered.

The guns of the gunship fired white-hot laser-flames. Rocket-launchers fired their projectiles towards their target. The main-artillery warmed up for its fatal shot. OMEGA WEAPON took several hits head on; it reacted by firing its plasma-lasers. The gunship got damaged heavily.

"Main-artillery ready for firing, sir."

"FIRE."

The main-artillery fired its deadly mako-laser; it hit OMEGA dead-on.

It got wounded badly. The gunship continued to fire its support-artillery. OMEGA dove under the waves.

"It's disappeared, sir"

"Keep looking, it must be out there!"

Kane could breath normally now; he was a strong warrior but standing face to face with such a monster, even he feared for his life.

"All seems clear."

"Proceed at previous course." The captain sighed, he was glad to be alive. "Damage report."

"Decks one and two are badly damaged, sir."

"Casualties."

"Sick-bay reports…" The door closed with a whoosh behind Kane. He walked trough the hall towards Valerius quarters. On the way there he passed the lab where Cloud was.

"Kane, come help me." Kane saw Ramuell trying to open the lab doors.

"Why should I?"

"I believe the lab was damaged in the attack, I'm trying to get in and make sure nothing happened to our experiment."

"You help him Kane."

"Valerius?"

"Just do it, the commander will be most unpleased if something happened to our test-subject."

Kane growled; he didn't want to displease his commander.

"Get out o' my way."

Ramuell quickly made way; he knew better than standing in any SOLDIER'S way and especially in Kane's way.

Kane grabbed hold of the handle with both hands and gave it a pull; nothing. He tried again; the door moved an inch.

"Aaarg… damn door!" Kane let go and grabbed his axe from his back.

"Doc. Katana, please stand back." Valerius warned Ramuell.

Kane started whacking on the door. The door couldn't withstand this onslaught for long and plunged into the depths.

"The floor… it's gone!" Kane scratched his head. "Seems we got some bad news for the commander."

"Daddy, daddy…" Ramuell turned his head.

"Jinn… Jinn's missing!" Ramuell ran to his 17-year-old daughter.

"What do you mean missing?" He asked her.

"He went to see you just before the attack and didn't return."

Ramuell looked at the ruined lab with a panicking look on his face. "June, did he say where he went?"

June saw the remains of her father's lab. "…He said…in you're lab." She started to cry.

"Hmm looks like it's getting a bit problematic." Valerius turned and walked towards the bridge. Kane looked puzzled then he followed Valerius. They left father and daughter mourning for they're lost son and brother.

"If he doesn't stop, I'll kill him."

"I have to agree with Barret, it's getting annoying." Barret and Vincent couldn't stand the humming Ramuh was doing.

"Well at least he stopped singing." Tifa said with a slight trace of irritation in her voice.

Ramuh didn't notice that his companions didn't enjoy his vocal skills. He raised his voice again and started singing; "Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time. I feel alihihive and the world turn it inside out Yeah I'm floating around on ecstasy so don't stop me now, I'm havin' a good time, don't stop me 'couse I'm having a good time I'm having ghhlll…"

"Shut ya mouth." Barret had jumped Ramuh and was chocking him. "Erm…Barret?"

"Not now Tif!"

"Barret!"

"WHAT?"

"We have company." Barret looked up to see whom Tifa was talking about.

"The hell…"

Only ten feet away stood five Iron Giants, ready to attack.

"Giants… here?"

"No time to think they're coming!"

Three of them come storming towards them, the other two moved to attack them from both sides. Vincent noticed this and warned the others. Tifa used a thunder spell on the oncoming three; it didn't seem effective.

"Look out!"

Barret shot one of them; it fell down and stayed there for two seconds, then it got up and stormed at them again.

Vincent ran in the direction of one of the Giants. He took aim and fired a bullet directly in it's head. The Giant stopped and fell down with a thud; it didn't move anymore.

The other Giants saw this happen and stopped running. They seem to find a weak spot in their opponent's defence.

"What are they waiting for?" Barret looked puzzled. "I never seen monsters do that!"

"Look out here they come again!"

Vincent couldn't evade the sword of the first one; the second Giant hit him straight on. Vincent fell to the earth and didn't move anymore.

"Vincent!" Tifa stormed to him, giving him a phoenix down.

Barret saw what happened and fired at the Giants in fury; two of them fell in the bullet-shower. The remaining two gathered five feet away from their fallen comrades.

"WE WILL BE BACK."

One of them said and they vanished in thin air.

"Vincent you awright?" Barret kneeled next to Tifa and Vincent.

"…I'm fine."

Tifa looked puzzled. "What is going on here? First someone takes Cloud and now we're dealing with intelligent Giants?"

Vincent got up and glanced around him. "…Where's Ramuh?"

They all looked around now but couldn't see him.

"Seems weasel-boy disappeared when the fight started."

"I did not!"

They heard his voice but couldn't see him.

"And I say, I am disappointed in you Barret, thinking I have left you."

Barret felt a bit ashamed.

"Where are ya… Ramuh?"

"So it's not weasel-boy anymore, is it."

"Sorry."

"What?"

"I said…"

"That's enough, Ramuh where are you!"

"Erm… I'm underneath this Giant, Tifa."

"Which one?"

"How should I know which one, I'm one the wrong side so I can't give an accurate description."

Vincent couldn't help himself and chuckled; Ramuh really did have the ability to get in the worst position in each incident.

Tifa noticed that Vincent chuckled and smiled; this Ramuh guy helped him loosen up.

"I see his feet." Barret hadn't noticed what Vincent just did and walked towards the Giant where Ramuh was under.

"C'mon lets get him out of there and get going again." They pulled the Giant from Ramuh.

"Hi… how are you doing? I'm Ramuh you're guide for today, well follow me and I'll show you how a Iron Giant looks like from underneath."

Tifa chuckled. "You're a strange one, you know."

Ramuh straitened his robe. "Yes, some people told me that secret a long time ago." He looked at Barret and massaged his throat. "I recon you don't want me to sing no more."

Barret nodded.

"Okay, lets get going then." Ramuh started walking and looked over his shoulder.

"He's right, we can stand here thinking about what happened or… find out where Cloud could be." Vincent followed Ramuh's footsteps.

"Let's go, Tif." Barret shrugged, nodded at Tifa and they followed Ramuh and Vincent.

Cloud woke up on a beach. He carefully stood up and tried to remember what had happened. He faint fully remembered being inside a tank or something, than a lot of water and finally waking up here.

"You okay?"

Cloud looked around him; there was a boy standing on the beach.

"Fine I guess…" Cloud looked puzzled, there was something familiar about the boy.

"Looks like we washed ashore here… wherever here is." The boy walked towards Cloud. "You sure you alright? You don't look so good."

Cloud tried to say something but fell to the ground. All the sounds around him faded as he sank into darkness. In the darkness he saw a light.

Holy…?

The light shined brighter and brighter.

Aeris… is that… you…?

The light embraced him, providing him a warm, safe place to heal. His thoughts focused again and he remembered what had happened. The light slowly faded and Cloud was standing on the beach again.

"What happened? You where here one moment and then you disappeared, only to reappear again… looking a hell of a lot better than before though."

Cloud looked at the boy and took a battle stance.

"Wait… no need to get aggressive!"

"Get down, now!"

Cloud jumped over the boy, kicking an Iron Giant down.

"Come… we must get out of here! We can't do him anything without weapons or materia!" Cloud ran towards the boy.

"Wait! I've got some materia!" The boy showed him a purple materia.

"What does it do, boy?"

"I don't know… its Jinn!"

"What!?"

"It's not boy…the name is Jinn."

The Giant slowly come closer.

"Okay… here goes!"

Jinn used the materia; a blue light emerged from within Jinn, then the light turned into a flaming red.

"AAAAARRRRGGG…"

Jinn cried out in pain, his body was showered in some sort blue, purple flame. "Throw the materia away!"

Cloud tried to get near Jinn but got thrown away by the flame.

"HELP ME! AAARG…"

Jinn's body fell down, shaking all over.

The Giant was observing this all from a distance.

Jinn's body stopped moving as the flame disappeared.

Cloud crawled towards him. "Jinn…" Cloud checked his pulse; nothing.

"CLOUD! MY MASTER AWAITS YOU." The Iron Giant stormed at Cloud and swung a net towards him. Cloud got entangled in the net, unable to move.

"Let me go!"

"UNABLE TO COMPLY… YOUR PRESENCE IS NEEDED IN THE CITADEL." The Giant glanced at Jinn once and started walking.

"You're master? The citadel? What are you talking about?" The Giant didn't react. Cloud tried to move but the net was too tight and the mazes to narrow.

I must find a way to… Before Cloud could finish his thoughts he and the Giant got slammed against the ground.

"Cloud, stay there… I'll take care of this one!"

Someone grabbed hold of the Giant and started spinning it in the air.

"Let's see if can fly."

The Giant got thrown through the air and with a big splash fell into the ocean. "Guess it can't. Wait I'll get you out of that." The net got ripped in two.

"Jinn… What happened to you?"

Jinn grinned. "I don't know… but I like it."

Cloud studied Jinn's face; his eyes were glowing. And his hair; it had turned in a purple colour.

"I think it has something to do with my father's experiments."

Cloud frowned; he had more than enough of experiments. "Right… more experiments."

Jinn froze for a second. "Wait, that giant talked, didn't it?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"On the C1R5A we had such giant's. They are part of master Valerius's defense squad."

"You mean aboard the ship we where on?"

"Yes… father!" Jinn started running.

"Where are you going?" Cloud shouted when he started running too.

"I need to find out if my father and sister survived the attack!" Jinn shouted back. Cloud caught up with Jinn.

"Where are you going then?"

Jinn stopped and had a blank expression on his face. "I…I don't know." He sighed and stared over the plains they where on. "I don't even know where we are."

Cloud took his cocky stand and frowned. "Hmm, what where you doing on the ship anyway?"

"Why, what does it matter."

Cloud closed his eyes. "It does to me, I was abducted and brought there against my will, you know. So I'm wondering what you where doing there."

Jinn frowned and sighed. "Would you believe me if I said that I don't know why I was there?"

"…No."

"I thought so… all I know is that SOLDIER needed my fathers help with something. My sister and me went with him 'couse we didn't want to be alone in Icicle inn. That's all I know and that's why I was onboard." Jinn took the same stance as Cloud.

Cloud nodded and started walking again.

"Wait, where are you going?"

Cloud stopped and waved a hand through the air. "To find my friends."

Jinn looked behind him once and than made up his mind. "I'm coming with you." Cloud stopped and shrugged. "Do as you want."

They moved towards a hillside.

"Do you know where we could be?" Jinn sat down on a rock.

"Gongaga."

"What?"

"We're near Gongaga."

"A yes…what's Gongaga."

"An small village that was destroyed be an exploding Mako-reactor."

Jinn looked puzzled. "They did restore it, didn't they? Shinra I mean."

Cloud stared in the distance. "No… They left the village in ruins."

Jinn jumped up. "They'll never do something like that, Shinra would never leave a village in turmoil."

Cloud walked in the direction of the village. "Come and find out."