Glossary.
Shinra
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Name: Jessie
Hughes
Age: 20
Profession:
Technician
Height:
5' 6"
Weapon:
Rifle (N.B. When she does fight)
Birthplace:
Midgar
Birthday:
14th December
Parents/Guardians:
Father: Edmond Hughes. Mother: Angelica Hughes
Blood-Type:
O
Current
Situation: Bartender at Seventh Heaven Bar in Sector Seven.
Details:
Believed member of AVALANCHE, suspected support member of the team who is only
ever with them in person when her hacking skills or mechanical skill are
required, specialist in electronics, hacking, bomb making and mechanics.
1. Yuk! Of All The Places, Why A Sewer?
'Ouch.' He quickly stood up getting used to
his surroundings. He saw Tifa in the distance on her beck and Aeris near him
also on the ground. "Are you alright?" He helped her to her feet.
"Yea. I guess." He watched as Tifa
pulled herself to her feet. Cloud moved away from Aeris to the shining piece of
yellow Materia he had knocked out of position on the way down. Double Cut,
he quickly placed in a Materia slot in the Executioner before turning to
where Tifa was picking herself up. "This is terrible." She was right
with the main support of Sector 7 gone the upper plate would collapse onto the
slums not only wiping out AVALANCHE but also the population of both the slums and
the upper plate. The death count would be catastrophic if they didn't do
something to stop Shinra.
"Don't worry it could be worse."
With that a large growl was heard.
"Who are you anyway?" She was about
to answer her when the growl came again this time a lot closer.
'Move, quickly.'
'Tsunami'
Cloud lunged to the side drawing his blade as
the beast's wave attack missed him but knocked the girls off their feet. Aeris
quickly picked herself up and began to cast.
'Cure' 'All'
He saw Tifa recover as he quickly lunged in delivering
two blows quickly before retreating back to the others. Tifa began to cast
concentrating on the best with obvious hate.
'Fire'
The beast backed away from the damaging fire
attack, but quickly readied itself for it's returning attack.
'Tsunami'
This time it hit all of them knocking the
party off their feet.
"Cloud!" Aeris called picking her Mythril
Staff from the floor and casting again.
'Cure' 'All'
"I think that attack it does injured him
as well as us." Tifa replied as she ran forward and hit the beast with her
fists.
"Leave this to me." Cloud said as
the flash orangey-red light surrounded him again, revealing that the beast had
pushed him to the Limit.
'Cross-Slash'
He delivered several powerful slashes to this
creature in front of his causing major wounds in his belly as Cloud backed away
this beast fell, obviously killed by Cloud's attacks.
"Nice going Cloud." He heard Tifa
say as he turned.
"Oh by the way Tifa Lockheart meet Aeris
Gainsbrough, Aeris meet Tifa." He introduced the two woman to each other.
"Nice to met you." Aeris said
happily as she held out her hand to Tifa.
Tifa took the hand slightly reluctantly,
unsure about this new woman to enter Cloud's life. "Er.. Sure, nice to met
you."
"I wish he had time for this but there's
a pillar that we have to keep up." Cloud said from the sidewalk that he
had climbed up to. "Tifa what's the quickest way out of here and to Sector
Seven?"
"I'm not too sure where we are but I
think that this sewer should lead out to the area behind the train station."
She said.
"Good." Cloud threw down a new
piece of armour and a Steal Materia. "Equip yourself we've got a
long run ahead of us." The girls caught up with Cloud and he then carried
on through the sewers taking down any enemies that they met on the way. They
finally managed to reach the surface they found themselves in the Train
Graveyard.
The graveyard was an area of complete
carnage, this was the area that all the old trains were dispatched to, most off
the tracks and rusted. He knew that there was bound to be Mako enhanced
monsters around here as there was everywhere else. Tifa looked around getting
her bearings. "Well there's the pillar over there." Aeris pointed out
the large pillar in the distance. "Now how do we get to it?"
"If I'm right. There's a large catwalk
at the top of this area that goes straight to the station." Tifa said
finally as she watched Cloud who was looking upwards.
"I'm going to climb up here." Cloud
said as he found his footing. "After I'm up, I'll see if there's a rope or
something to pull you two up."
Aeris nodded as he began his climb, pulling
out her staff just in case.
"So?" Tifa said trying to start a
conversation with this new woman. "How did you meet Cloud?"
"Well… I guess you could say he dropped
in." She started laughing.
"What?"
"Sorry, it's a bit of a joke. I met
Cloud when I was selling flowers two days ago, then I met him ago yesterday
when he feel through the roof of my local church and landed in my flower
bed."
"Oh."
He found his way up easily thanks to his
training as a SOLDIER, using broken windows door handles and tidied holes made
by the Executioner in the framework. He made it to the top looking for
something that he could use to pull up the girls. It was then he saw it.
It was slightly rusted, but still useable. He
moved over to that carriage before dropping the old fire ladder down the side
allowing the girls to start climbing up as he waited looking along to the
catwalk. "We should be fine from here."
They carried on through the sector into the
train station Tifa talking to Aeris most of the time. Cloud couldn't help but
smile about how the two got on with each other but at the moment that wasn't
the problem, the problem was the keeping the pillar standing.
2. Assault On
Sector Seven Pillar
"Well it's still here." Aeris
pointed out as they moved closer.
"Can you hear that?" Tifa asked as
she looked up the pillar.
"Gunfire." Cloud stated as he
looked up to the main platform on the pillar, quickly making a decision. "Where's
there's gunfire there's bound to be Barret."
Then that's when it happened. Wedge fell from
the platform plummeting to the ground. Aeris was the first to him, Cloud
kneeled down beside the chubby rebel felling for a pulse.
"Cloud?" The weak voice replied as
the Wedge opened his eyes. "Barret's up top… Help… him…" He stopped
talking, stopped breathing, stopped living. Cloud felt the pulse go as he
slowly removed his hand, wishing him well in the Lifestream before looking up
and drawing the Executioner.
"I'm going up there." He turned to
Tifa. "Tif' your coming with me to back me up," He then turned to
Aeris. "Aeris you remember the Seventh Heaven, don't you?"
She nodded, saying. "The bar?"
Cloud nodded. "Why?"
Tifa quickly cut in. "In there there's a
girl called Marlene, she's Barret's daughter."
"You want me to put her somewhere
safe." Aeris finished for her.
"Exactly." Aeris turned to Cloud.
"Also." Cloud carried on. "Get
a sheet to cover Wedge."
She nodded as he again turned to head up the
pillar. "Cloud…" He turned back towards her. "Good luck."
A true smile lit his features, the first she
could make out as genuine. "Thanks." With that she watched Cloud
Strife run through the open gated and start to ascend the pillar, with Tifa
following him.
---
The instant they began the climb there was
resistance from the Shinra soldiers, Cloud instantly brought the Executioner
around to an angle where the broadside of the weapon stopped the barrage,
causing not a scratch on the crystalline blade, before it was swung a wide
horizontal angle while Cloud lunged forward, taking down the three soldiers in
an instant. He carried on as Tifa searched the bodies taking the gil pouches
from the carcasses and checking for useful items, as she did she found the
weapon on the third soldier. It was a combat glove with a small mechanism on
the top. She placed it on, strapping it over her old Leather Glove. She
tapped the button to activate the mechanism, causing a set of three Mythril
Claws to slide out of their Mythril casing. Allowing her claws to retract she
moved forward, as she did she noticed Cloud had stopped.
On the floor in front of him, holding a rifle
was Biggs, a bullet obviously in his right leg as he was leaning on the railing
to ease the pain. Cloud moved up to him silently unable to find something to
say. "Cloud?" The injured man asked obviously in more pain than it
seemed.
"Biggs, your hurt." He replied
kneeling down beside him.
"It's good to know you care." Biggs
joked as he noticed Cloud was chanting.
'Cure'
The damage to his leg cured, through the
Materia induced magic, leading to Biggs pulling himself back onto his feet,
even though his injuries where not fully healed. "Thanks Cloud. Barret's
on the top level, you'll need to help him." He said as he moved himself
into a guarding position. "I'll hold of any troops if they decide to come
up after you."
"Alright but at the first sign that this
pillar is going to fall, get out the station exit, it's still
operational." Tifa said as she moved up beside Cloud.
"Got ya, boss." With this Cloud and
Tifa began running up the stairwell again. The Executioner once again in
Cloud's hand.
---
Aeris ran into the bar, frantically looking
around until she saw they young girl behind the bar. "Marlene?" She
asked as she watched the small girl come out from where she stood, looking
slightly scared. "I'm Aeris, the flower girl, your auntie Tifa asked me to
get you out of the sector."
She moved over the table quickly picking up
her flower and he small bag before Aeris took her hand and led he out of the
bar. "So you're Barret's daughter?" She asked sparking up a
conversation as they headed towards the active exit into Sector six.
"Yes." Aeris noted that she held a
flower in her hands. "Are you the lady, who gave Cloud this flower?"
"Yes, well he brought it from me."
She said.
"I have never seen flowers around here.
I glad Cloud gave it to me instead of Tifa." She smiled as she and Aeris
moved into the station grounds.
"I'll have to show you my patch
someday." Aeris suggested giving her one of her heart warming smiles.
"I hope you don't mid me asking but are Cloud and Tifa… umm… girlfriend
and boyfriend?"
"No. I don't think so." She noted
the smile that appeared on Aeris face. "Why?"
"I'm just wondering, that's all."
Aeris told her, well it wasn't 100% a lie. "Why don't you tell me about
yourself?" She instantly changed the subject.
"Okay, but only if you tell me all 'bout
yourself, first!" She small girl replied excitedly.
"All right, all right. I'll start."
And that was what she did telling Barret's daughter all about her past, neither
noticing the smartly dressed female following them from a distance.
---
Cloud, Tifa and Jessie all headed onto the
main platform to see Barret shot down the final Shinra troop on the platform.
"Cloud, Tifa, glad ya made an appearance!" He greeted sarcastically.
"They're attacking front that chopper, It 'as to be the F#~&$%g
Turks."
Cloud quickly pulled out another Mythril
Armlet from his bag before Barret interrupted him. "Already got one from
those damn Shinra troops Spike."
"It's not for you." He passed
Jessie the piece of armour with a Cure Materia. "Take these just in
case we need any help. But I'm trusting you to try your best to stop that bomb
going off if they do activate it.
"Got ya." It was then, when they
where all prepared that the next load of Shinra soldiers boarded the platform
with Reno of the Turks.
"Keep them off me." He ordered as
they attacked with a full burst of machine gun fire, which Cloud instantly
blocked the barrage with the Executioner, defending his friends as Barret and
Jessie instantly fired in return. After taking down two of their opponents Tifa
and Cloud lunged forward straight into a melee. Cloud swung his trusty blade
horizontally at the first Shinra troop slicing him in half, before twisting and
slamming his hit into the chin of another in time to watch Tifa take out
another of the soldiers with her gloves claws before they retracted back into
their casing. Barret and Jessie's gunfire took out the rest of the troops
quickly however that was when Cloud heard it.
'He's at the controls'
It was the voice he turned to find that he
was to late, Reno of the Turks had already activated the timing mechanism.
3. The Essence Of Time
Tseng, listened as the two girls came towards
him. "So you like Cloud don't you." The small child asked as they
moved towards him.
"Well… Yes I do." She answered.
"I think I.." She stopped and colour drained from her face as she saw
Tseng and two Shinra soldier's with machine guns come out from where they had
been hiding. She instantly gripped the child's hand tighter and she turned
towards the other passage into the town to see Rude and two other troops appear
from there.
"Oh no." She whispers as she moved
the child behind her, protecting the child with her body and drawing her staff,
for the first time there was no fear showing on her face.
"Miss Gainsbrough I think it's time you
came with us." Tseng stated. "You're trapped."
"Never." Obviously her time away
from her home with Strife had affected her slightly as she was able to hide her
fear but also showed a powerful new determination.
"I think you should reconsider before
someone gets hurt." He replied to that.
"I don't think that Hojo or your
overseers are going to be happy with you if you hurt me." She knew her
position well, she would rather die than allow them to take her alive.
"I wasn't talking about you."
Her eyes narrowed emotion showing through.
"You'll have to kill me first before I allow you anywhere near
Marlene."
That was when Elena made her timely entrance.
"I don't think you'll be able to." Her rifle pointing at Marlene.
Her emotions finally broke through her
barrier. "No. Don't hurt her, she's only a child."
"If you come with us peacefully, Aeris.
I'll give you my word that I'll make sure that she's not hurt." Tseng
replied. He may have done many things in the past he should never have done but
when he gave his word he stuck to it.
Defeat flashed in Aeris' eyes as the flower
girl lowered her staff. "Alright I'll come with you."
---
Cloud blocked the nightstick, making sure
that it didn't gat close to his body, knowing full well of it's dark secret,
before moving it to the side as he thrust a kick into Reno causing him to
back-pedal slightly. "Jessie?" He asked.
"I'm working on it!" She replied.
"He's tried to hide the about program, not very well either may I
add."
Reno turned to see Tifa charge him, quickly
twisting to face her before grabbing her fist with his free arm and slamming
his nightstick into her stomach winding her, before he jumped out of the way of
Barret's next barrage of gunfire, however this led to him being hit around the
face by a roundhouse by Tifa.
"Cloud I've got it!" Jessie
exclaimed tapping some more buttons on the console. "Hold on…" She
didn't finish what she was saying as the tip of Reno's nightstick split into
two sections before it slammed into her delivering a 3000 Volts of electricity
through his victim.
"Jessie!" Tifa exclaimed as she
found herself reaching the limit.
'Beat Rush'
Tifa ran towards Reno before realising a
small combo finally finishing it with her claws causing a slight series of cuts
on his torso however this wasn't the end of it as Cloud had also reached his
limit.
'Cross-Slash'
Reno managed to block the first two slashes
however the third sliced his nightstick in half and the final caused another
cut into the other side of his torso.
"Don't think this is over Strife."
With this Reno with the rest of his strength forced himself over the rail. It
was then Cloud looked over towards the console where Barret was now helping
Jessie and Tifa was at the control panel trying to disarm the bomb.
"This doesn't look all to difficult, I
should be able to disarm it." Tifa said as she was about to press the
disarm button.
"No!" Screamed Jessie now having
regained consciousness. "That's no ordinary bomb mechanism."
It was then another voice came from under the
platform. "I would listen to her if I was you." The sound of
helicopter blades became louder as a Shinra helicopter with a side platform
appeared, on the platform was Tseng of the Turks. "The about system is set
up to work for Shinra executives only, if you try to deactivate it without the
proper authorisation then you'll just set off the other trigger."
"You f#~&$%g b~#%&^d!" Barret shouted as he
started to fire at the copter.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I
wouldn't want you to hurt our guest." The four rebels watched as Elena led
Aeris onto the platform her hands cuffed behind her back. Barret stopped and
turned to Cloud who face darkened with anger at Aeris captors.
"Aeris? Are you okay?" Tifa asked
as she moved up to the railing.
"Don't worry Tifa she's safe…" This
led to Aeris being slapped in the face by Tseng, Cloud's eyes darkened further.
"Guys what are we gonna do about
this?" Jessie asked now back at the console.
'Use your access code'
The voice, it had never been wrong. "Let
me have a look at it." He moved to the console and started the abort
program before entering his old access code for the Shinra computer systems and
waited.
Accessing…
Reading from archives…
Please wait…
…
…
Authorisation authentic,
Aborting pillar release program …
Aborted.
He let out a sigh of relief before turning to
Tseng and asking. "You never removed my authorisation codes?" He
asked slightly bemused at the look on Tseng's face. However Tseng just pulled
out a radio from his suit pocket.
"This is Turk leader to Omega squad.
AVALANCHE is on the pillar platform, capture Strife and kill the rest."
With that the helicopter flew off.
"What the f#~&$%g hell is going
on?" Barret shouted.
"We don't have the time." He looked
over the edge to see the squad of SOLDIER members moving up the stairwell,
Biggs machine gun now silenced. He looked around thinking quickly this time it
was his own mind that got him out of this instead of the voice. "Everyone
grab onto that steel rope." They did so, Cloud moved up behind them
drawing his blade as he climbed onto the railing before he cut that section
from the platform leading to the four swinging down into Sector six.
End Of Chapter 6
