7.
Turnaround

Kandya looked left and right. Yuffie was gone.

"Well how about that?" she muttered to herself as she walked down the street ahead. Kandya was tired now and very, very hungry. She decided to stop into a restaurant and quickly catch a bite to eat before she recovered the hidden materia.

High up above the busy streets of Midgar a lone figure leapt from rooftop to rooftop following its target moving through the crowds below.

Kandya made her way through the masses of business suits and shoppers as she made her way towards sector 9. Shinra soldiers were out in force, only not here. They were immediately sent in to sector seven to rescue and clean up. Kandya was almost proud of them for once…but if she only knew who was really responsible for the plates she would think it only fitting that Shinra would kill those they claimed to protect. She passed through the gates into sector 9. These gates were never locked or closed for anything short of an emergency. They where wide open today as usual. This made Kandya wonder what on earth Shinra classed as an emergency these days…the sector 7 plate had just fallen for goodness sake. She had caught the news on a TV in the front of a store window. The president of Shinra had made an announcement about the plates fall. He blamed it on a group called AVALANCE. If this was true why were the gates to all sectors open. At the moment this was all to Kandya's benefit that the security was low.

Not to far behind eyes watched Kandya pass through the gate. Her silent pursuer was quickly after her. With one powerful leap the silent predator launched into the air and came down with all the grace of a professional upon the 20ft wall separating the sectors. Kandya was back in her pursuers sights again.

It took about a quarter of an hour for Kandya to reach her destination, a large empty warehouse that stood near the entrance to sector 9. Kandya looked around to see if anyone had been following her. She was feeling very un-easy. That girl Yuffie had just run off on her as soon as they had reached the plate above sector 8. Why had she just left without saying something….But then again the poor girl had just been through quite a bit of danger since she had met her and she probably wanted to get as far away from an hunted ex-solider as possible. Kandya looked around again and then up to the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. All was clear. With one leap she was up onto the fire escape and began to climb.

She was being watched however. Watched by some one who had made a living of staying out of view. As Kandya reached the rooftop of the warehouse she thought she heard a noise. She turned to look at the rooftops around her. She couldn't really tell for definite but she was fairly certain no one else was near. She wrote it off as to being another of Midgar's unusual beasts and made her way to her secret hiding place. As soon as she had stolen the crystal materia she knew she had to keep it hidden. It would have been foolish to keep such a dangerous item on her person. Especially if she was caught. She now stood at the grill at the entrance to a ventilation system. She looked about again and when she was satisfied she was still alone she began to remove the loosened screws in the grill.

She was not alone. Just a few feet behind her pursuer held onto the side of the fire escape Kandya had climbed to get to the rooftop. The time to strike was not here just yet.

Kandya slowly removed the final screw and pulled the grill from the front of the air vent. Inside a rat scuttled back further into the darkness. Kandya could make out the small cloth sack she had put the materia into. It seemed to be further in. The sack was opened too. Those damned rats must have been rooting in it for food. She reached in to try and grab at the sack. She cursed the little vermin again for interfering. The sack was just inches out of reach so she had to strain to reach it. Behind her the silent pursuer watched over the wall. The time was now right. With no sound what so ever it climbed up over the wall and advanced on Kandya. Yuffie's heart was racing. Her mind spun around. "Damn it damn it damn it" she cursed to herself. Why did she have to have a heart?

"KANDYA WATCH OUT!!!!" She shouted from the adjacent rooftop.

Kandya pulled her arm out and turned just in time to see the huge metal fist of Red X swinging down at her. She leaped out of the way just in time as the huge fist slammed down onto the ground beside her. The rooftop shook and inside the vent the cloth sack bounced opening more. Yuffie was onto the roof now and moving in on the beast. Its attention was turned completely on Kandya but its passenger had his eyes on the approaching Yuffie. Laverne leaped from his foothold on Red X's back and shouted an order to his machine. "Red X destroy the Ex-Solider" He gave Yuffie an evil smile "I'll take care of the other one"

Laverne Ran at Yuffie as Red X continued his attempts to crush Kandya. His huge fist swung down at her again as she leapt away just in time. The roof shook once more, as did the cloth sack in the air-vent. A small round crystal orb rolled from the opened sack. Although it had no colour an aura shimmered about it as it rolled slowly along the metal floor of the vent.

Red X swung again immediately at Kandya who only barely managed to roll out from under the fist this time. Yuffie grinned as she ran at Laverne…"Hee hee hee…Some guys just never learn!" She taunted as she prepared to leap into a flying kick

"Ahh But some do!!!" Laverne shouted as he held out a small green orb to the approaching Yuffie. She didn't see this in time and as she launched into the air a bright blue flash shot from the Shinra's hand and a bolt hit her right in the chest. Yuffies momentum was reversed and she shot backwards to the ground landing hard.

Red X swung angrily at Kandya. She was slowing down. His fist came down hard again scratching her arm as she rolled away. Right away Red X threw his other hand down and this time hit his target. He had her pinned down. The impact bounced the crystal material from the open vent. It hit the ground and bounced again. Laverne spun around to see the crystal materia rolling towards him. He saw Red X had Kandya pinned and ready to strike her for the final time. "Red X HALT!" He shouted the beast froze still holding down Kandya. Just feet away Yuffie lay silent. She had been knocked out cold. Kandya squirmed beneath Red X's hand but could not move. All the beast had to do was close his hand and she would be crushed.

Laverne bent over and picked up the crystal Materia.

"Ha ha ha…..I see….i see…" He laughed as he stared at the wonder of nature "So this is why your being hunted down…I've heard rumours about this….Ha ha ha….So you're the Solider who caused all that commotion two weeks ago…I should have guessed" He gave Kandya a cold stare "But why did you wait so long in Midgar? If I were you I would have been on the first chocobo outta here" He laughed to himself. Laverne turned and walked away towards the fire escape. "It looks like the day is gonna be looking up for me after all. I'm gonna get a big promotion for this. Ha ha ha might just be my ticket outta this town if I play my cards right" He continued to walk to the edge of the roof. "And well I guess you got killed when Red X short circuited…Ha Ha Ha!" Laverne kicked Yuffie who lay on the ground silent and stepped up onto the wall "RED X.." He shouted "…..DESTROY THE FEMALES AND RETURN THEIR BODIES TO DOCTOR HOJO" with that Laverne leaped onto the fire escape and descended.

Kandya stared helplessly into Red X's eyes. This was it. At least this should be it. The beast just remained there. Yuffie groaned and stirred just feet away.

Red X still did not move. Kandya squirmed again to try and free herself. Red X tightened his grip on her. Kandya screamed with the pain. At the bottom of the fire escape Laverne smiled as he heard the screams.

Kandya was in pain. "Do it do it now" She moaned at the beast. She could barely breath. She just wanted it to be over but it seemed the beast was taking pleasure in killing her slowly. She gave Red X a look of hatred. Red X squeezed again. But then suddenly loosened his grip. Yuffie pulled herself to her feet. Red X squeezed again. But then immediately released his hold a bit. Yuffie began to run towards the beast. But her run was more of a limp. Red X was about to squeeze yet again when suddenly smoke began to rise from his large mechanical fingers. A loud whirring noise filled the air. Kandya looked Red X in the eyes. Red X was at war with himself. "Red….r..red….don't…" Kandya whispered running out of breath "Fight…F..F…" She attempted to encourage the beasts soul to fight against its programming.

"Get away from her!!!" Yuffie shouted as she launched another ball of flame at the beast in vain. She knew it would only burn away off the beast. As it did.

Red X's spirit raged. His body was programmed to obey all Shinra solider commands but his soul didn't want to kill this woman who still looked at him as what he was deep inside. His grip tightened again. He was losing to himself. Yuffie was weak from the blast. She kicked at the beast but feebly. Red X swung his free hand around and knocked Yuffie backwards. He turned his attention on Kandya again. She wasn't getting enough air into her body as the huge metal hand pushed down on her chest. "R…r…r..Red…stop" Kandya whispered weakly. Behind them both a gentle sound like music filled the air. Yuffie was surrounded in an aura of green as the cure materia she had stolen from Laverne revived her weakened body. She pulled herself onto her feet and almost growled at the huge machine crushing Kandya. Yuffie roared at the top of her voice as she rushed the 8ft creature. She threw all her might into it. She clasped her hands together interlocking her fingers. As she reached the big brute she leaped into the air onto Red X's back. She bought her hands down hard on the machinery at the base of his neck. Red X swayed as yuffie grasped onto the hand holds on his back. Red X lifted both arms into the air to try and reach at the enemy on his back. Kandya was now released. Yuffie leaped upwards onto his head as Red X closed the compartments on his back in an attempt to trap Yuffie between them. She moved quickly. She grabbed the long red hair on the back of his head and threw her weight backwards. Red X swung both hands down to crush Yuffie. She released her grip and somersaulted backwards. Red X's hands came down hard on the back of his neck. The huge beast roared with anger and turned to Yuffie.

"Here use this" Yuffie shouted to Kandya as she threw the Cure materia over to her.

Red X fired up his engine again. He roared again and took a step towards her. Musical sounds filled the air as Kandya used the materia to revive herself Red X shut down his engine. He stepped toward Yuffie again and fired up the engine once more.

"What the hell is up with this thing?" Yuffie shouted as the machine battled with itself. The creature inside was still very much alive but the machine had supremacy.

"DESTROY RED X," The huge beast roared to the sky

"DESTROY RED X DESTROY" He shouted again as one hand shot out towards Yuffie and the other slammed into the engine in his stomach sending a fireball of blades and machinery out from his back.

"DESTROY RED X," He shouted once more

Yuffie ran to the healing Kandya and put her arm around her shoulder.

"We need to get out of here" Yuffie commanded as she dragged Kandya to the edge of the roof.

"No…We have to help him" Kandya protested. She removed herself from Yuffie and clumsily stepped back towards the beserking machine.

Red X's soul was winning. He gained more and more control of his body as he battled. He reached for the machinery at the base of his neck and crushed it with his huge hand. Suddenly all the life in Red X's mechanical body ceased. He slumped to the ground.

Yuffie frowned as Kandya slowly made her way to the silent creature. Red X lay motionless on the rooftop.

"Red…Red…Red X?" Kandya asked the huge machine to respond. It didn't.

"Red X!" she shouted at the beast. "Damn it!" she cursed as she knelt down beside him.

Yuffie came up from behind. "What the hell was all that?"

"He didn't want to hurt us. He had no choice. I think he chose to kill himself rather than be a Shinra slave" Kandya replied.

The sun was directly above them now. It was noon. Kandya and Yuffie both sat in silence by the huge beast. Eventually Yuffie broke the silence.

"Maybe he's not dead yet…what if he's not dead?" She asked only sounding more concerned that the monster would return and not the Friendly creature.

"He's dead….He's…..He's too quite he has to be" Kandya stated "what the hell are you doing here Yuffie?!!" She finally shouted, " What is this? You disappear without a single word and the next thing I know you're here again! What's the story eh?" She began to shout angrily

"Hey hey hey…If it wasn't for me you'd be dead right now…..In fact you'd be dead quite a few times if it wasn't for me!!" Yuffie defended herself. "It seems to me that you're the one with all the secrets…" She began "…I decided to get away from you…you're being hunted by the Shinra. But then I realised that this thing would hunt you down so decided to follow you and make sure you were ok" Yuffie lied again her story defiantly sounding rushed.

Kandya grumbled to herself " Its all the same now anyways. Its over. Shinra have the Materia. Its probably back in the Headquarters by now. So its all the same"

"What are you talking about?" Yuffie protested, "You've still got time. WE can get it back"

Kandya stared at Yuffie coldly "What are you talking about? What do you mean WE anyways?" She grumbled

"We can break in…Get it back" Yuffie suggested with energy "You're Ex-solider right? You must know a few tricks…besides half the Shinra troops are in the other sector cleaning up the mess right now…SO WHY NOT?"

Kandya just stared at Yuffie for a few moments…" So you want to help is that right?" She asked suspiciously

"Hell yes!!…I'm in this now and I have a score to settle with that big oaf …So yeah I'm gonna help" Yuffie jumped to her feet and started punching the air.

Kandya thought this over briefly. It was possible. If there was any chance they might as well take it. She could get the materia back from Hojo…..She thought about Hojo for a moment…And she could teach him to respect nature. She looked at Red X's silent body.

"Fine…Lets go" Kandya got to her feet and walked to the fire escape. Yuffie walked slowly behind a grin forming on her face. This was it she was getting into Shinra Headquarters…This was it…