Glossary.
Entering
Shinra Information Registry:
...
Loading...
...
Registry
File Found...
Accessing...
Authorisation
Restricted...
...
Override
Accepted - Loading...
...
...
Shinra
HQ Labs:
Head
Of Scientific Research: Professor Hojo
Comments:
Officially setup by Professor Ivan Gast, this lab has become the main working place
for Professor Hojo during Experiment Program e328.52. The lads are also home to
some of the more special specimens of Hojo's and the organism known as... ...
...
Advanced
Security Protocols Initiated...
Initiating
Primary Lock Down...
...
...
...
Program
Terminated - Unexpected Security Protocol.
1. Interlude And You're Going In
The Front? Are You Mad!!! ... Oh You're Not Going In The Front... Good.
'Next'
/I moved onto the
training platform, my new Butterfly Edge in his hand, but I wasn't allowed to
use any Materia, which made me feel venerable. After all I was trained as magic
support./
'Start.'
/Sephiroth started to
circle me, looking as if he was a hunter closing on his prey. And I was that
pray. After what seemed like hours he made his attack, a light thrust that I
parried easily, deflecting it away from my body. He attacked again, this time I
ducked the attack and swung in return, however he was fast as Sephiroth jumped
away from my attack. I quickly recovered swing my blade to try and block the
sweep that he had initiated, but found that he was too slow as his feet left
the floor, sending me onto my back./
'Promising. But you
mustn't just swing in the heat of the moment.'
/He never noticed that
my right foot had hooked around or that my faked struggling putting my other
foot into a position where I could trip him. I put all my power into that leg,
pulling his feet from the ground like he had for me. I flicked my other foot
causing my blade to come off the floor and into my hand before I swung down,
hitting the Murasame but using the gravity to pin him to the ground. While the
others looked in shock./
'Very Promising. What's your name?'
'Strife. Cloud
Strife.'
'So you're the one who
saved Domino. Very good.'
/I let him stand up
and he dismissed the rest of the First-Class members who were in this training
session./
'That yours?'
/He pointed to my
small box of Materia that carried all the Materia they had given me over the
years./
'Yes. I was brought in
as magic support so I was issued a bit of curative Materia.'
'The power you can put
behind a blow, will mean that you will barely use those.'
/I replied by raising
my eyebrows looking at him, wondering what he meant./
'I'll lookout for you
in the future, Strife.'
/With that he left through
the furthest door towards Junon sea docks. I took the other door to find one of
the other members in the training session waiting for me./
'How ya doing!'
/His chirpy attitude
and the tone of his voice made me instantly like the guy./
'Fine. I'm sorry but
you are?'
'Zack. Zack Riley.
Please to you meet you...?'
/I had to smile at the
way he asked that./
'Cloud. Cloud Strife.'
'You're new aren't ya
Cloud.'
'Yes. I was promoted
two weeks ago. You?'
'Three months. Hey let
me show you around.'
/I that was how I met
Zack. He never asked me about that sparring match with Sephiroth but it was one
of many as we both discovered./
---
They moved out of the derelict
Sector Six Train Station straight into the main courtyard of Shinra HQ Cloud in
the lead his hand of the Executioner as they headed through the main
gateway towards the entrance. It was then that Tifa came to a stand still.
"Hold on."
They both stopped and looked at the
female revolutionary. "What?" Barret replied to her annoyed.
"Cloud you're not even
considering going straight in the front door, are you?" She asked amused.
He turned to the building again
looking up as memories flew back.
'Wow, this place is
so cool! Do we really have apartments here?'
'Yes, on the 64th
Floor no less.'
'Cool!'
/FLASH/
'It has been once said
that Shinra HQ is a impenetrable fortress.'
'Do you believe it
is?'
'Never.'
With that final thought in his head
and the technical knowledge he had of the place he answered. "You're right.
If we sneak in then we might get to Aeris without causing any commotion.
There's a stairwell over there." He pointed down the side alley near the
entrance. "It's not well guarded and the locking mechanism is feeble. We
can get up to the security room on floor 59 that way and from there we can
start climbing up further."
"Good that's better!" Tifa
replied as she saw Barret cursing under his breath.
"Come on." Cloud called as
he started running to the door in the alley. Stopping for a second he slammed
the Executioner through the locking mechanism causing the wreaked door
to fly open. Sheathing his blade he started running up the stairwell with his
friends in tow.
2. Into The Domain Of Complete
Nutters and Sadistics
She sat in her cell waiting for Hojo
to play is next move and the torment of waiting was trying her patience. She
had been left with little in the way of comforts, just her clothing and boots,
some food which was good considering the conditions she was used too in her
earlier life, before she escaped and was taken in by her step mom, before her
mom died. She tried not to dwell on the memories that was bringing that last
comment was bringing, the fact that Tseng's organisation had killed her mother.
She felt the first tears running
down her cheeks as she finally forced her mind to something else.
Cloud.
Had she fallen for the warrior? She
wasn't sure but she had a gut feeling that she indeed had feelings for him. He
was kind, sweet and caring, she could tell from the way he fought and how he took
over when situations became dire that he was a trained leader, she also
wondered if he knew Zack. She hovered over the thought of her first love for a
few moments before he died back down in the recesses of her mind.
With all this thinking she knew that
there was one thing that was stopping her from giving up hope and she knew it
was true, she heard the planet say it under the waves of noise this city
created.
Cloud was coming for her.
The thought made her heart miss a
beat as she thought the question again. 'Had she fallen for the warrior?' and
'Why so fast?'
---
"If you ask, 'Are we there
yet?' one more time, I'll kill you Barret!" Tifa shouted at the leader of
AVALANCHE as he asked the dreaded question again. She was starting to regret
stopping Cloud earlier on but she knew that she was right to do so.
"This is it." She heard
Cloud call from ahead and silently thought to herself 'Thank God' before Barret behind her let out a large whoop as his
way of celebration. "Cut it down Barret." Clouds called in reply as
he drew his blade and kicked open the door.
To be met by two Mighty Grunt
security droids.
They fired, instantly blocked by
Cloud's fast reflexes as he used the Executioner to block the weapons
fire as usual. Barret returned fire taking down one of the opponents gun-arms.
Tifa then leaped forward as her claws extracted leading her to shove it
straight into the breastplate of the same enemy, taking it down. Cloud followed
suit as he lunged at the other Grunt, the Executioner ripping through
the armour like a knife through butter, carving the body into three sections.
He moved forward into the security room smashing down the door and quickly
knocking out the security guard on duty, he looked over the desk quickly taking
the 65th floor security card, the highest available.
He exited the room and watched
Barret gun down the few other soldiers that had appeared, while Tifa took down
another down from close range. He sheathed the Executioner before he began to
concentrate.
'Thunder' 'All'
The rest of the soldiers fell
leaving the path to the glass elevator clear. "Get in!" Cloud shouted
as another group rounded the corner firing as he dived into the elevator.
Passing the keycard to Barret who instantly placed it in the console and hit
the level 65 button. The door of the elevator closing before the Shinra troop
could get there.
---
"You don't look happy,
Cloud." Tifa noted as she looked at her Childhood friend.
"I was hoping that the fighting
wouldn't start until we got Aeris. I guess we aren't that lucky." He
replied leaning on the glass wall.
She started to wonder what really
was going on between Cloud and Aeris and felt the jealousy of the situation
pulling on her heart. She was going to say something before the PHS started to
ring.
Cloud answered tugging on the mic
before saying. "Cloud here."
"Cloud, it's Jessie. I thought
you might want some useful that can help you get further." She told him.
"I'm listening, Jessie."
Cloud replied as he stooped leaning on the wall listening intently.
"It seems that someone in this
building with a high level keycard owes you big time." She stated.
"Really?" He heard Tifa
join in.
Jessie instantly replied. "Yes.
Cloud you do remember Mayor Domino."
End Of Chapter 8
