Chapter four
Chapter four. Strike two!

"You ok?" Jinn asked as Cloud's broken nose was treated.

"Yeah, fine… ouch!"

"Then sit still, it wouldn't hurt if you didn't move." The nurse stood up and nodded, "Well, that's all I can do, you sure you want to go on?"

Cloud looked at Jinn and grinned, "Yeah, I wanna see if the kid is better than me or not."

"I'm not a kid!" Jinn smiled and punched Cloud on his shoulder, "And if you call me that again, I'll hit you on the nose again."

"Fine, do as you wish." The nurse walked out the infirmary mumbling, "Men…!"

Cloud and Jinn gave each other a sheepish look and burst out in laughter.

"You get some more rest then, Cloud." Jinn stood up, "And Cloud…"

"Yes?"

"…See you in the ring!" Jinn left and closed the door behind him.

Cloud carefully thought his nose and lay back on the bed. I could have sworn I heard… After this fight is over I'm going to look for a phone and tell her where I am. He slowly got up and checked his nose in the mirror, Damn, should have been more careful. Cloud left the room, outside he bumped in Reno and Rude.

"…You're tougher than I imagined, see you around Cloud!" Reno smiled and turned, Rude nodded and followed Reno.

"What where you doing here, anyway?" Cloud had been curious about what had happened to the Turks after Shinra disappeared.

Reno turned and gazed at Cloud, "Why do you ask?"

"I know we weren't friends, but you only followed orders back then. I was only interested in what had become of you guy's."

Reno nodded and said; "We were sacked, as was SOLDIER. But they where taken over, and we? We were left to take care of ourselves. That's what we where doing here. Trying to get a new life started outside the gutter."

Rude pocked Reno and left. Reno turned saying; "Maybe we'll meet again, Cloud. We're traveling as mercenaries now, and good luck when you fight the boy."

SOLDIER is a private company now? Why did they want me than? Cloud shrugged and walked the arena.

"Look at the size of that thing!" The sight of WEAPON amazed Kane. "Why didn't they kill it yet?"

Valerius tried to fly the helicopter passed WEAPON, which blocked their way to the helicopter pad. "I don't know, Kane. But if the weapons are down, we're going to have our hands full with that thing."

-"Krrgg…Val…us? …erius? Are..ou there?"- The intercom produced a faint sound what seemed a voice.

"Valerius here. What's the situation there? Over."

-"Krrgg…APON atta… us .y ..prise. We've susta..ed ma.. casu..ties. Ple…"- the line got cut off.

"Damn Val. We godda do sumting!"

"Like what? What can we do against this… creature?"

WEAPON noticed the newcomers and faced them.

"I don't know, but we're gonna find out now!"

OMEGA opened his breastplate and fired a white-hot plasma beam, hitting the tail-rotor of the helicopter.

The helicopter started to toss and turn. "Hold on!" Valerius tried to keep the helicopter under control, but to no avail: the helicopter stalled and dove; nose down, to the ground. The helicopter hit the ground with a crash and after a few seconds it exploded in a great fireball, pieces of the wreckage scattered all over the ground.

OMEGA flew three more rounds around the citadel and left. A man's laughter faded as OMEGA disappeared at the horizon.

"Why won't you let me in?" Tifa stood in front of the entrance to the Gladiator's room. "A friend of mine is competing in this tournament and I want to see him."

"Lady, you have no idea how many girls use that line to get in here." A bouncer stood in front of her and refused to let her pass. "So if you'd please, ma'am. You can see your idol after the battles are over. And I'm sure young Jinn is still single so…"

"Jinn? You think I'm here for Jinn? I'm here to see Cloud."

"I'm sure he's single too, so you like the rougher ones, don't you?"

Barret got hold of Tifa before she could attack the bouncer.

"Who are you calling…"

Barret dragged Tifa away from the door and back to the tribunes. "Calm down, spiky'll kick the brat's ass and then you can see him again, okay?"

"Okay, I'll watch from up here then." She sat down with a sigh.

"Lady's and gentlemen… the moment you've all be waiting for… the championship battle. The last remaining fight… here are they, give them a big hand people… 'Blazing' Jinn Katana and Cloud 'blue eyes' Strife!"

Cloud and Jinn entered the arena, welcomed by a thunderous applause of the spectators.

"Well… you ready?"

"Yeah… you?"

"Me too, so let's dance!"

Cloud and Jinn bowed to each other and to the audience, then they took their battle positions.

"They're ready for their fight, who will win? Lets find out and start the battle! Hold on… this just came in. It seems that… the SOLDIER city, Matrilance, has been attacked by… a WEAPON!"

"What!! No, this can't be! Dad, June!!" Jinn ran out the arena.

"Jinn!" Cloud followed him, leaving the spectators without a champion.

"The hell… What's up with those guy's?" Barret tried to see where they were going.

"Come on, guys. We've got to follow them." Tifa dragged Barret and Vincent with her as she ran down the stairs.

"You coming with us?" Ramuh looked at O'Brien.

"Nah kid, I've had my adventures when I was younger. You go ahead now, or you'll lose you're friends."

"Thanks for getting us here." Ramuh ran down the stairs and at the bottom he looked up once more, after that he ran as fast as he could to catch-up with the others.

"Yeah, you go and see the world kid." O'Brien sat down and lighted a cigarette.

"Jinn! Jinn, wait up!" Cloud was yelling Jinn's name while he was running after him, "Jinn! There's nothing you can do now."

Jinn didn't react to Cloud's calls; all he wanted now was to see if his father and sister where doing all right. He jumped over a small bush, nearly tripped but managed to sty on his feet. He turned his head to shout something back to Cloud, but he couldn't see him anymore. Looks like I out run him, better wait for him here. Jinn slowed down when suddenly someone took hold of his arm. "What?"

"Huff, huff… You are fast, gotta give you that."

"Cloud? How did you get in front of me?" Jinn looked surprised; he didn't see Cloud passing him.

"That doesn't matter, what matters is, what where you planning to do once you get at Matrilance? You don't have any weapons nor do you have any means of transportation into the citadel. Or did you forget that you can't reach it by foot?"

Jinn shrugged; he hadn't thought of that nor did it matter to him, he only wanted to see his family. "…Cloud, I…" He shook his head; "I'm sorry, I just blow our chance to get some Gil, but I…"

"Hey, hey. You idiots! Now see what you have done!" A man dressed in kaki shorts, matching shirt and loaded with all kinds of weapons, stepped out one of the bushes. "I nearly got it and then you come along, making a big fuss, and scared it away." Staring at them, he sighed. "Oooh boy, should have known, SOLDIERS, never did like you're kind, showing up everywhere, making a riot, and leaving when it gets really tough." He picked one of the weapons from his back, "Then again, I never did kill a SOLDIER before… so if you would, please stand still, chaps. I believe I'll place you're heads in the dinner room, yes I can just imagine the faces of the others, they'd be green of envy of me."

Cloud and Jinn stared at the man with their mouths wide open; this was one of strangest persons they'd ever seen.

The man aimed his weapon at them, "Alright chaps, don't move, yes hold it like that please, jolly good." He pulled the trigger, nothing happened. "What? No, not again, don't worry, I'll fix this in a jiffy, happens all the time, there… that should do it." He pulled the trigger again and this time the weapon blew up in his face.

Cloud and Jinn couldn't help but laughing, the man's face was blackened as a result of the explosion.

"Better buy other weapons if you want to stay alive." Cloud grinned and turned to Jinn, "Come Jinn, lets head back to Gongaga, find a way to equip ourselves and than find a way to get to Matrilance."

Cloud looked at the man once more and turned to walk back. He stopped when he saw a man running towards them.

"Now who can that be? Hey, …mister, is that one of you're friends?"

"What are you talking about? And the name is Darien Alexis mastrimatus the third, Daralex for short."

The man in the distance came closer and shouted something.

"Blondie? What's that he's shouting? I can't make it out." Darien removed some of the dirt from his face; when he looked at the distance again, the man was gone.

"Where did he go?" He looked at Jinn and then at Cloud. "Whoa… I say, now that's a fast boy, hmmm… Hey buddy? Could I interest you in working for me, my last bait-boy got eaten by a monster last weak."

Ramuh stared at Darien for a second and focused on Cloud again.

"Huff, huff… Sorry, no time for introductions, you're friends have been captured by a horde of Iron Giants! I could escape and ran after you as fast as I could. You are friends with Tifa, Barret and Vincent, aren't you?"

Cloud grabbed Ramuh and stared at him with a worried look on his face, "What? Where did this happen? Take us to them, quickly!"

Ramuh pulled free of Cloud's grip and mumbled; "Yup, he's a friend of Barret alright." He placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath, "I can't, they took them to the SOLDIER citadel! I almost got caught myself."

"Damn, Jinn lets go, we must get there as soon as we can!"

"Cloud? What about the 'get equipped first' stuff you where talking about earlier?"

Cloud sighed and raised his hands in despair. He stared in the distance for a moment and said; "You're right, lets go back and find a way to equip ourselves."

Darien stopped them before they could move. "So, tell me chaps, are we going on an adventure, jolly good, been a while but I'm up to it."

Cloud pushed him aside, "You are not coming with us! This isn't a game, my friends are in danger!"

"You're quite right, this isn't a game, I know that. But you did have a problem with you're funding for this voyage, am I right? And I can help you with that, if you allow me to travel with you, that is."

Jinn pulled Cloud away from the rest; "Lets not waste anymore time here, if the oddball wants to give us our equipment, that's great. And whatever happens to him after that, isn't our concern."

Cloud wasn't to sure about this but agreed; he wanted to help his friends as soon as possible.

"Alright than, you can come along, and you too." He pointed at Ramuh.

Ramuh straighten his back, "You can count me in, I want to return the favor to them, they saved me a little while ago."

Cloud led the group to Gongaga, not to sure this was such a good idea.

"Looks like OMEGA just wanted to startle us. He didn't do serious damage to the main structure." A second class SOLDIER made his report at his commanding officer. "No serious damage? You call blowing up our main power supply, no serious damage? What would you call serious? Go and help clean up this place, dismissed!"

The SOLDIER saluted and walked out the room, when he closed the door behind him he sighed out of relieve; his commandant may be a woman but she could be very dangerous when she gets mad, and after what had happened to her fiancée, she was already on edge.

"No serious damage, Valerius could be dead for all we know. Come on, Dewi, get a grip on yourself." The commandant breathed deeply for a couple of times and sat down behind her desk. "First things first." She tried to read some of the reports but couldn't stay focused. "…Aaarg, I'm going to look for him!" she stood up and left the office.

"Hey, get over here! And bring some medics with ya!" A middle-aged SOLDIER was standing near a helicopter wreckage. "No buddy, ya just stay still for a minute, and don't worry, they'll fix ya up."

Two medics came running to him, "Where's the wounded?"

"There's two of 'em, I think they got hit by the helicopter when it exploded."

"Well, they sure are lucky, the helicopter could have landed on top on them."

"I'll be looking for more victims." The SOLDIER left the medics to do they're job.

"I'll call an ambulance, these are some of our own!" One of the medics stood up and called their base. "They'll be here in a minute."

"Good day, can I help you?" The shopkeeper was much friendlier now than the first time that Cloud had visited him. When he recognized Cloud, the big smile on his face disappeared, "How dare you show you're face around here again, wanna rob me again? Get out, before I call the cops!"

Hey, hey, be friendly to my guests, old man!" Darien walked in after Cloud. "They told me what happened and I must say, can't blame them for taking the blade. You must be happy they're so honest that they'd come bake and are willing to pay for it this time."

"Yeah, I'm jumpin' up and down from joy, see! Now pay and get out!"

Darien smiled and placed a bag, filled with Gil, on the counter, "As you can see, this is much to much for only the blade, so let them snoop around the shop for a while, so they can take what they need."

"You mean… you've hired these… to be you're…" The shopkeeper burst out in laughter, "Whahahaha… ya gotta be kidding me, well then, take you're time." He disappeared in the room behind the counter, still laughing.

"You heard the man, take what you want." Darien leaned against the counter and watched the rest getting their equipment. After ten minutes, everybody was armed and ready to go to the citadel. Darien said goodbye to the merchant and when they stood outside the next question rose: how to get air-transportation? They stood there, looking at each other for a moment, until Ramuh got an idea; "Shees… should have thought about it sooner, I know someone in this town that owns a helicopter! His name is O'Brien, and he lives not far from here."

Darien thought for a second and stopped Ramuh before he could walk away, "You just said, O'Brien, didn't you? I believe you did, but let me tell you sonny, I've lived in this town for a long time now, and I don't recall anybody here owns a helicopter, or goes by the name O'Brien, for that matter. But than again, who am I to question you? If you say you know someone that can take us into the citadel, lets go and meet this chap."

Ramuh looked at Darien for a moment, shrugged and mumbled; "You love to talk, eh?" He led them to O'Brien's house.

Darien glanced at the house and said, "I hate to bust you're bubble, but this house is uninhabited for as long I can remember. They build it one year ago, but no one wants to live in it, they say it's haunted. But then again, if you say so, who am I to question you?"

Ramuh shrugged and walked to the door, "I'll be right back." He knocked on the door and waited for a response. After standing there for one minute, Ramuh knocked again. "He must be taking a bath or something."

"Hey kid, what are you doing there?"

Everyone turned and saw a man standing in the doorpost of a house across the street.

"That house is abandoned for quite a while now, say where are the rest of you're friends?"

Ramuh blushed and muttered, "Darn, wrong house."

They all walked to O'Brien, and Cloud asked, "You are the man with a helicopter?"

"That's right, and you are one of this kids friends? Saw you in the arena earlier, shame you didn't finish you're fight."

"Erm… O'Brien? Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure kid, shoot."

"Well, you remember the others that where with me?"

"Yeah, who could forget that colorful bunch?"

"Erm, well, eh… it's like this…"

"I believe what the lads trying to say is, we need your helicopter to fly to Matrilance, that was what you wanted to say, right?"

Ramuh nodded and glared at Darien for a moment; this guy is getting on his nerves. "So O'Brien? Can you take us there?"

O'Brien lighted a cigarette and inhaled the smoke. He looked over the four men standing in front of him and smiled, "Alright kid, I and my helicopter are in you're service once more. I recon you want to go as soon as you can, right?"

Cloud nodded and said, "Yeah, the less time we waste the better, and thanks."

"Then let's go, the 'Dwarf's song' is waiting behind my house."

Darien hesitated for a moment and then asked O'Brien, "I say, I, Darien Alexus mastrimatus the third, have been living here for quite some time, and I can't remember anyone living here owning a helicopter. So did you move in recently? Or are you not who you say you are?"

O'Brien looked shocked for a second and than laughed, "No you're right, I moved in here recently. But I am who I say I am, I can assure you that. Now than, if that is all, can we go?"

Darien wanted to say something more, but Ramuh grabbed him and dragged him towards the helicopter.

"Let's get mossy, everyone."

Cloud looked at Ramuh and thought, Cid was right, it really sounds wimpy. "Hey Ramuh, just say 'move out' or something, alright."

Ramuh scratched his head, thinking; Why? What's wrong with 'mossy'? "Erm… let's move out."

They climbed in the helicopter and O'Brien headed towards Matrilance.

"How's Valerius doing? I heard he got attack by WEAPON when he tried to aid us."

"He's doing better now, thanks to you're help." Dewi stood in front of the commander. She had made her report on WEAPON'S attack. "But I do have one question."

The commander sat back and folded his hands, "Go ahead and ask, but if it's regarding WEAPON, no you cannot hunt it down to get revenge."

Dewi sighed, "But… as you wish, M'lord. If there's nothing more, could you excuse me?"

"Yes, get some rest, it must have been a tiring experience for you." He turned his chair and walked out the room.

Dewi watched him leave and thought, If he won't let me do it while I'm on duty, I'll take some day's off and kill the beast alone if I have too. She walked out the room and directly to the infirmary. She passed by some 1ST-klass SOLDIER'S, but not half as much as there usually would be in the citadel. Hmmm, I thought all operatives in field where called back as soon WEAPON attacked, but it doesn't seem to me that they are here. She passed by the briefing room and stopped, Huh, what is that? She looked inside the room and saw that there where at least fifty SOLDIER'S sitting there, being briefed. She snuck up to the doorpost and eavesdropped the conversation: "Well men, this is one of our biggest missions yet. This time we're not going into battle because someone pay's us too, but for ourselves! WEAPON made a big mistake when it decided too attack us! You all have you're orders, let's go get this bastard! Move out!"

Dewi turned and walked away as if noting happened, whilst thinking; So they are going to hunt down WEAPON. Why wasn't I informed about this? I'll have another meeting with the commander about this. When she reached the infirmary, she stopped and took a deep breath, after that she walked in the room and said with a big smile, "Good afternoon, darling. And how are we feeling today?"

Kane sat up in his bed and growled, "How would you feel if you're helicopter blows up right behind you? Now you have you're answer!"

"I'm sorry Kane, but I believe the lady was talking to me." Valerius took hold of one of Dewi's hands and pulled her onto his bed. "I'm doing a lot better thank you. I was lucky that they found me so fast." He kissed Dewi, and she snuggled up to him.

"Yeah, you're right Val, if they'd found us any later, we wouldn't have been recovered so fast!" Kane looked at them, cuddling together on bed, and threw a pillow at them, "Hey, if you guys wanna make out, do it some place else!" He got up out of bed, picked his stuff together and left. He stopped walking when he got at the door, turned around and said, smiling, "I'll leave you love-birds alone, shees, you guys make me wanna puke, Val… later!" He left and closed the door behind him. "Ough, still not completely recovered… shit!" Kane rushed back into the room. "Val! Dewi! Come, you gotta see this!" He stormed out the room again.

"What was that all about?"

"Don't know, better check it out. Well after you, fair lady."

Dewi stepped out of bed and threw a robe towards Valerius.

"Thanks, now let us see what that was all about."

When they got outside, there was no sight of Kane. Valerius looked around and saw Kane disappearing around a corner. He grabbed Dewi by the arm and ran after Kane. When they got at the corner, Valerius stopped and tried to find out where Kane had gone.

"Hey, come on you guys, what's the delay?" Kane's head stuck out of an open door and disappeared in the room.

"Hey, isn't that the…?" Dewi asked but Valerius had run towards the door already. "Men! Arg!" Dewi ran after him. When she entered the room she bumped into Valerius. "Alright Kane, what was so important?" All Dewi could see where three ordinary people, heavily guarded by Valerius's special Iron Giant squad. "Who are these people?"

"Lemme go, aaaarrg, ya jest wait 'till I get my hands free!" One of the male prisoners made quite a ruckus. "Whoa… I know you… yer one of the jackasses that 'napped Cloud! Hey… yer both here, what is this all about?"

Before anyone could say anything, the wall behind them disappeared into the ground and a man, sitting on a sort of throne, moved into the room.

"You are here because we need the bait."

Kane, Valerius and Dewi saluted the newcomer.

"At ease, men. Now than, let's get down to business, shall we?"

Tifa looked at the man and suddenly her yaw fell open with a snap, "No, you can't be…"

"O yes, I am. And how have you been Tifa? I've been watching you're exploits for quite some time now, sorry for not writhing you, but as you can see, I've been busy myself."

"No, this can't be… you where dead!"