"Disfigured Lattice - 2nd Edition"
A twisted version of FFVII By HenryCH (dissfigured_lattice@yahoo.com)
Book 1 - Chapter 9- 'Reunions Of All Kinds'
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Well I haven't got much to say at the moment apart from that the glossary as you know is formed from that Shinra Archives but as we continue you'll find out a bit more about the person activating it.
P.S. As you will see I have changed the chapter a bit to make Cloud hate Hojo all the more, the reason for this will become apparent a bit later.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is copyright 1997 to Square Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. The characters and names featured in this story are (partially) property of Square Co. Ltd. No infringement was intended. (Please, do not sue me!!!)
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Glossary.Running Shinra Specimen Database:
...
Specimen ID: 5467-RED-XIII-I496
Comments: Captured by a Shinra squad this specimen has a high life expectancy and is very strong. A suspected male, he is currently in the research labs in Shinra HQ.
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Weapon Stats and Modifications:
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Key:
0 - Materia Slot
= - Materia Slot Link
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Name: Light Vulcan
Type: Gun-Arm
Attack: 25
Attack percentage: 100
Materia Growth: Single
Materia Slots: 0=0_0
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...
Logging Off.
1. Claiming A Favour
He looked over at Barret seeing him playing around with the gun-arm that Tifa had ripped off of the Mighty Grunt, replacing it for his Assault Gun.
"You can use that?" He asked seeing the leader of AVALANCHE cock the Light Vulcan and checking his sights.
"Think so." Cloud could only raise his eyebrow before the door opened.
Cloud left the elevator, Tifa and Barret following the mercenary as he moved toward the main office on what looked like to be the Library level. He took no notice of the frantic assistant as she walked straight through the door. He looked at the man who so many years ago he had saved at the end of the Wutai War. He had gained weight, obviously from the fact that for the past 7 years he had been here taking the position of mayor, a position that in Midgar meant nothing. "So you must be AVALANCHE... Strife?"
"You've gained weight 'General'." He replied, however no one expected what was to happen next.
The Mayor of Midgar took a member of the rebel movement called AVALANCHE in a healthy bear hug. "It's good to see you again. I take it that you haven't fought your way here just to say hello."
"Your right. I need authorisation to the labs." He replied.
Domino sighed obviously disappointed. "That my friend is a problem that I can't help you with. I'm unfortunately only have keycard access to floor 66th floor." Cloud silently cursed. "But, I know that there is a board meeting set in a few moments that I'm not invited to."
"How can that help us?" Tifa asked as Barret was messing with a Materia orb he had found.
"Hojo is going to be there. He's a recluse and will head back to the labs afterwards." Domino stated.
"So." Barret asked.
"He may be a genius at his field but he's very sloppy, leaving passwords written on pieces of paper by a console, forgetting meetings that he should have been at and he never closes the doors of the stairwell after him."
The next one to speak was Cloud. "So when he takes the stairs we can sneak in behind him."
"Exactly." The mayor passed cloud his keycard.
"Thanks." They left the office heading back into the lift. This time with more hope of getting to Aeris. "Maybe I'll see you again someday Mayor."
"Cloud." The Mayor called after him causing the rebel to turn back. "I don't know what the hell happened a Nibelheim, but if Hojo knows you're alive he'll stop at nothing to place you in a specimen cell."
"Trust me General. I do not intend to become Hojo's guinea pig. If he thinks he can do that to me he's a dead man."
'He's a dead man anyway.'
2. A Meeting Of Sick Minds
"The loss from cutting off number No. Seven Reactor is in total 17 million gil, the price of repairing sector six reactor and plate. The President looked out the window of the boardroom. He turned to the others in the room looking at the speaker.
"We're discontinuing repairs on no. six reactor and the plate." He stated.
"What?" Reeve replied.
"We are continuing the Neo-Midgar project."
"Then the Ancient?" The Head of Urban Development asked.
"She is in our hands." It was then Hojo entered the room. Shinra looked at the scientist before saying. "Hojo, how's the girl."
"As a specimen she is inferior to her mother. I calculated there is about a 8% difference between them."
"How long is this going to take." Shinra asked thinking of the money Neo-Midgar would bring into his pocket.
"A long time, maybe even past our lifetimes, that's why we're thinking of breading her. Making one that can withstand our research for a longer period."
"Very well." He turned back to the window. "I want Mako taxes raised by 5%."
Palmer jumped up from his chair. "Price hike! Please give the space department a cut, sir!"
"The extra profits are to be split between Peace Preservation and Weapons Research."
Palmer sank back into his chair. "Oh man."
It this point Reeve stood up. "Sir if we raise taxes, won't the public begin to lose confidence in us."
"Oh just the opposite dear Reeve, they will trust us more." Shinra replied to that before Heidegger started laughing.
"After all we are the ones who saved Sector Seven from AVALANCHE."
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"Those filthy b~#%&^ds." Barret whispered as he looked down through the grating. He noticed Cloud starting to push himself back out of the air conditioning system they had sneaked into when they got onto this level, the look of hate in his eyes to apparent to deny.
He followed the Ex-SOLDIER as they emerged in the toilet they had came into to avoid Tseng as he came up and started to check the floor. It was obvious that the Shinra knew they where here and escaping would be a lot harder than getting in had been.
"What now?" Tifa asked Cloud as he looked out of the toilet into the corridor.
"It looks clear." They left the toilet and started to rush back towards the lift. That was when he saw him leaving the boardroom.
Hojo.
He could never keep his anger for this man hidden. Cloud could barely control the urge to run up and strike him down as he watched the sadistic turn towards the steps that lead to the lab, as Domino had said, he had left the stairwell door open. They would soon be on level 67 and hopefully Hojo would lead them to Aeris.
If Cloud didn't kill him first.
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Shinra looked up from his desk as Tseng came up to it. "Yes Tseng."
"Strife is in the building." He stated.
The president looked up finally at the Turk. "How far is he up?"
"We're not sure." Tseng admitted. "He came in through the side stairwell. They had a confrontation with Security on Floor 59 and killed most of them. Strife took a keycard from the security room and we lost them."
"Set guards on the first floor and by all the entrances to the lifts. They are the only way off of floor 60 and I don't want them to go down any further."
"Got it." Tseng turned to leave.
"Tseng."
He turned back to the president. "Yes, sir."
"I want them alive." He stated. "And I want Strife brought to me."
He nodded in reply as Tseng turned and left the office.
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"This is the specimen for the test?" Hojo looked over the lion like creature inside the containment tube.
"Yes professor." The assistant replied.
"Very well lets get this started." They moved right passed the crate that Cloud and Tifa had been hiding behind, oblivious to their presence.
Tifa was the first to moved as she walked up to the specimen in the tube, tapping the glass. "Hello." It ignored her. She turned to Cloud. "They're going to use it in an experiment, that's horrible!" However, Cloud wasn't paying her any attention.
His eyes where on the containment unit he was standing next to and the thing inside in.
"Jenova." He said breathlessly as he backed away from the cell horrified.
"Cloud?" Tifa noticed him finally.
"In there." He said, pointing to the containment unit.
She looked in, it was then that she fell to her knees.
'Mother, I have come to see you.'
Cloud was instantly at her side concern in his eyes. "Jenova. Sephiroth's..." She said finally recovering.
"Be strong Tif'." Cloud told her as he helped her to her feet.
"What the hell's going on!" Barret asked.
"It's still alive in there." Cloud said unable to rip his eyes from the unit.
Barret moved over to look through the window his first reaction was. "J#~&s, where's its head! It can't be alive."
'Some things can take more than you give them credit for.'
The voice, what did it mean? He put aside as Barret spoke up again. "This is stupid com' on!"
"How do we get upstairs?" Tifa asked.
"Over there." He pointed to the service elevator that ran on the back wall.
"Lets go." Barret said as Cloud moved over to the lift to see a small piece of Materia by the lift. Poison. Cloud had to laugh slightly at the irony of the orbs position. With a new piece of Materia in his satchel he entered the lift.
3. Rescuing An Angel
They left the elevator Cloud for once behind Tifa and Barret. "Aeris?" Tifa shouted, seeing the Ancient, asleep, in a larger containment tube just above the one the lion like creature was in.
"Huh?" Hojo said only noticing the three new people in his lab. "Outsiders."
"You've got that right you..." Tifa stopped Barret before he could finish.
"Life is a frivolous thing." He murmured amused by these people.
It was then Cloud said something. "We've come to free something that isn't yours."
Hojo's eyes lit up as he looked at Cloud. "Ah, Mr. Strife. I'm glad to see that the president and the Turk haven't gone mad."
The anger in Cloud's eyes couldn't be mistaken. "They can't be anymore of a psycho than you Hojo."
Hojo smirked at the insult. "I take it you saw Jenova down stairs. How nice to have a reunion."
Cloud's hand went straight to the hilt of his blade as he looked like he would strike down the madman in front of him. Barret quickly put a hand on the mercenary to calm him down. "Calm it 'Spike'."
Hojo just laughed, turning to his assistant. "Let in the specimen."
It was then that Aeris woke up. To see a platform rising.
With the lion creature on it.
It got up and started to growl at the flower girl, her not knowing what to do ran to the glass wall and started to hit it, crying. "Cloud!"
"What are you doing!" Cloud shouted at Hojo as he quickly ran to the containment field, his hands going to the position that Aeris' were the only thing keeping their hands apart being the glass wall.
"These two are the lasts of their species. I'm just giving them a hand to survive." Hojo replied.
That's so cruel!" Tifa exclaimed. "Aeris is a human being."
Barret chose now to say something. "You're gonna pay."
Cloud turned away from Aeris for a second to ask. "Barret can't you do something?"
"Okay Spike, stand back!" Barret aimed at the glass and began to fire into the containment field.
"What are you...?" Hojo exclaimed as the field around the tube started to glow and Aeris fell to the ground. "My specimens! My precious specimens!" He ran up to the tube and put in his code. The door slid open to reveal the lion like creature, who attacked Hojo.
Cloud ran inside, seeing his chance and helped Aeris to her feet. "You okay?" Cloud asked her.
She shook her head, clearing it before answering. "Yeah. My armour and staff are in that corner." Cloud helped her over there before he saw the group of guards appear.
"Tifa get Aeris over to her stuff." He ordered as he blocked a few shots before leaping forward and taking down the closest trooper, he spun around gutting another before carving another into pieces.
'Fire' 'All'
"What the?" Barret said. As he noticed the Lion was helping them.
"Don't be too surprised now." It replied as clawed down another troop, finally finishing them off.
"It talked!" Tifa shouted as she and Aeris ran back to the group.
"Of course. Just because I am not a humanoid doesn't mean that I cannot talk your language." He replied.
"What's your name?" Cloud asked.
"My specimen name is Red XIII, but that has no meaning. Call me what you wish." The lion turned to Cloud.
"Red it is then." Cloud replied, smiling. Then he felt something in his back.
A gun.
His hand went straight to his hilt but he didn't draw.
"Drop your weapons or Strife gets it." That was Tseng, Cloud could tell that voice anywhere. He watched as his friends dropped their weapon, including Red, who he had just met. "That's better."
He felt the Executioner being removed from his sheath as he was turned to see Rude pointing a gun at him. His hands where put behind his back and were handcuffed before Tseng talked again. "You have a meeting with the president Mr. Strife, you too Aeris." With this the others were led away while Tseng and Rude led Aeris and Cloud up towards the 70th floor.
End Of Chapter 9
