Avalanche members were very nervous as they entered the Reactor. They were
silent, with Tifa silently deactivating the security system. The reactor
seemed as if no one was there. That's right, no one was supposed to be
there and no one was.
Cloud suppressed a nervous sigh and looked over at Aeris, who had a fearful look in her eyes and was trembling as she hastily stepped into the elevator.
The elevator door opened to reveal a platform, just like it was supposed to. Good, everything was going according to the plan. Barret and Cid were securing the exits. Here, Vincent would wait with Tifa, since she was the only one who could deactivate the alarms. Yuffie and Red and Aeris and Cloud kept walking. They climbed on a ladder that was supposed to lead to the control section of the reactor. There, Yuffie and Red stopped. Now, the final destination was left.
Cloud and Aeris slowly slipped into a tunnel that seemed endless. After crawling forever, Cloud saw a dim light coming from the other side and motioned Aeris to follow.
He jumped down and caught Aeris. Then they started walking toward the initial control section. . . when they realized that it was no longer there.
HUH???
It was a bad idea to bring Aeris here along with him, this was the worst part of the whole mission. But for some reason, he had felt that Aeris should be here with him, where he can protect her. Now he knew that his judgment was flawed - Aeris was in bigger danger than anyone else if someone had found out about their plans.
He tried to not to panic, and looked around. Another staircase. He followed it, which led to a steep ladder. It was a very long one. He assisted Aeris down and looked around.
There was the control room.
Maybe Barret had just messed up on the map. Cloud silently thanked his luck and stepped into the control room. Yes, he remembered. This was it.
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Meanwhile, Barret and Cid caught a glimpse of two people in blue uniforms darting across. They looked at each other and concluded that these guards will report or set alarms of some sort, thereby ruining their plans. They started running toward the two worthless Shinra guards. Damn, of all days, today they had to make an inspection.
Tifa and Vincent were surprised when they heard a gunshot, and a male voice crying out in agony. Tifa's heart dropped. Cloud!!!
Tifa started running after the sound, and Vincent tried to catch her up. He knew that it was dangerous, they shouldn't follow it, it might be a trap. However he couldn't let Tifa go out there - it would be too risky.
Yuffie and Red XIII waited nervously. Yuffie was almost in a state of frenzy when she saw Red plopping down, with a strange needle-like device on his shoulder. She panicked.
Screaming, she got ready to fight - when over twenty SOLDIERS appeared before her.
Chuckling nervously, she lowered her weapon, and both were led to a certain room. . .
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
The eight members met in the control room. Barret was surprised.
"This ain't the control room, Cloud! It's supposed to be. . ."
He didn't get to finish his sentence when he saw Yuffie and Red XIII appearing with almost twenty trained SOLDIERS by them. The members of Avalanche all let out a curse.
They were surprised when all of the SOLDIERS, after leading them into an open space, all darted out of the spot.
Before anyone could express their surprise, a wall dropped down from all four sides. Yuffie screamed.
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Rufus Shinra was watching from a monitor. As soon as the short ten minutes pass, the rebel group will be eliminated. He started looking over the members of this pathetic gathering when he saw a familiar-looking girl, wrapped around in the arms of a blond. He couldn't see her face.
Cloud felt horrible. Will they die here? God, please, this can't happen. He started apologizing to everyone, while everyone else started slamming and casting every spell they knew on the doors. Aeris was in the middle of the room, and saw the detached look on Cloud's face. She saw tears streaming down his cheeks.
Aeris walked up to him and wiped his tears away with her hands. She looked up in his eyes.
"Cloud. . . this isn't your fault. You were trying to do what's right. You can't blame yourself for this. . . please, please. . ." She didn't get to finish her sentence.
Cloud stifled an urge to cry out loud and grabbed Aeris and pressed her against him, muffling his tears in her hair.
"I'm so sorry Aeris. . . and everyone. . . Damn the Shinra!!"
"Damn the Shinra," Aeris agreed. She was crying too, fear of death finally claiming her.
Rufus closed up on the girl and saw a familiar necklace dangling on her neck. It was the silver necklace, his mother's, the one that he gave to. . .
He bolted up. There was five minute left on the clock.
If he left the door bolted up, the Avalanche was sure to die. The only successful rebel group against Shinra - the company that he will someday inherit - will be gone forever. That will show everyone, that the resistance against Shinra was futile. This was what he had to do. . .
But was that Aeris? Was that her? Could she be? But she's dead!! But that hair, that necklace. . . it has to be her! But how?!?!
He saw the pair parting away from the hug to embrace other people. He saw her face.
It was Aeris, the girl whose heart he had broken. The most beautiful angel on the planet, the one who he. . .
His fingers trembled upon the control device he had. This could open the doors. They could get away. But if he did, to save her, so would Avalanche. And the whole reactor, at least the main part of it, would be blown away to pieces. But Aeris would live, she wouldn't be hurt. But Avalanche, the group that killed her. . .
He paused.
She wasn't dead. She was WITH Avalanche. But her death - it had to be real. . . the records matched and everything. But. . .
Was it all a lie?
He closed up on her face even more, and he saw tears streaming down her beautiful face.
Rufus pressed the button.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Avalanche was utterly shocked to see that the doors went up where they came from, and that there was no one else around but them.
Without a word, they all started bolting for the exit. They ran mindlessly, thinking that somehow Shinra's plan had gone wrong, thinking somehow that they have escaped.
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Rufus arrived in his office to see a very angry President Shinra waiting for him.
"What the hell were you thinking, you spoiled brat!!" he yelled. "You opened the fucking door, the fucking Avalanche escaped, and you damn blew up practically the entire reactor!!!"
Rufus remained silent. His mind registered nothing. His mind kept repeating the same words . . 'the newspaper, the DNA sample matches. . . how?'
A light dawned upon him. The fat man who was yelling at him. . . the same man who killed his mother right before his eyes. . . the only man who could have done this.
Rufus struggled to speak with perfect calm. "Father, you are aware of the recent Avalanche bombing - of the tax office - are you not?"
President Shinra was surprised. What did this fool mean by this?
Although he kept his face motionless, the sudden silence and the look in his eyes told Rufus all.
"How could you do this, father!! You. . . what the hell happened? Did you actually kill her, or what?? I saw her today, she wasn't dead!! What the hell did you do?? Did you just fake the whole thing? But how. . . the DNA result matched!!" Rufus was in a complete frenzy.
President Shinra's anger flared. "The bitch was making you into a fool! No, I didn't kill her, you dumbass, it's evident since you saw her yourself. Hmm, so you saw her, is that right? You were so obsessed with the slut that you couldn't even put your signature on a damn piece of paper!"
Rufus stopped shouting. He stared at the man he called his father. When he spoke again, his voice of that of perfect calm.
"Sir, you have shown me what Shinra is all about. Get out of the room, father, this conversation is pointless."
The president was shocked by the tone of his voice, addressing him as if he was some commoner. His anger suddenly rose up again, but he knew that this was not the best time to disturb the young man any further. He angrily stormed out.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Tifa and Aeris was sitting on a couch, talking.
"You know, when we were in that room. . . I thought about a lot of things." Tifa was closing her eyes, getting comfortable. "I never told you this. . . but I really wanted to tell this person this today. . . I realized that there wasn't all the time in the world. . . that I might die without telling him this, ever."
Aeris giggled. Tifa stared. "What??"
Aeris stopped giggling and, with a twinkle in her eyes, replied "Is it Cloud?"
Tifa was dumbfounded. "WHAT! How did you know?"
Aeris rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows, Tifa! It's so obvious!"
Tifa swallowed. "Does. . . he?"
Aeris thought for a moment. "No. . . I don't think so. But I think it's an excellent idea to let him know, Tiff. Like you said, you don't have forever to tell him. Time's precious."
"But. . . how??"
"Just tell him straight forward. He probably feels the same way, I think. I mean you have known each other forever, and I haven't seen him ever get tired of you. And he comes to your house an awful lot, you have to say."
Tifa stifled an urge to say "It's because of you, Aeris!!" Instead she smiled and said, "You think?"
Aeris smiled back. "SURE! Absolutely. Come on, you should tell him tomorrow. Who knows if he feels the same way as you do?"
Tifa felt better after telling her. She giggled too. "You think?" She said again, hoping and hoping.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
That night, Aeris couldn't sleep. She was thinking about Rufus. How could he do that to her, to kill her? She forced herself not to cry. That bastard, trying to kill her.
She walked out to the garden. She was surprised to see Cloud standing there, leaning over her usual bunch of flowers.
"Cloud?"
He turned around to see Aeris.
He had felt that he was going to lose everyone in the world in the reactor. He had felt so horrible - but Aeris, with her touch, had made everything better. She was a saint, rescuing him out of eternal pool of guilt. His emotions had been confirmed when he embraced her. He thought they were goners for sure but when the doors opened - it was a sign.
Cloud took a step forward. Aeris remembered the conversation between Tifa and herself and tried to mention her.
"Cloud. . . didn't you realize something today? I mean, we all thought we were dead for sure. . . and I thought, if I didn't let someone know of my feelings, then I would never will."
Cloud was shocked. Did she know?
"Ur. . . Aeris, that's exactly why I came here tonight."
"Really?" Aeris beamed. Wow, how easy it was to become a matchmaker!
"Yeah.. . Cloud moved closer, taking her by the waist.
Aeris let out a surprised cry when Cloud's lips was suddenly upon hers. Cloud kissed her desperately, like she was his last chance of survival. He kissed with so much passion and Cloud kept deepening the kiss, tears forming in his eyes. Aeris was too shocked to move.
When she managed to break free, she felt a feeling creeping up. A silent warning, watch out!
The pair turned around to see Tifa, leaning against a tree and wiping her eyes.
Author's note: Yes, lots of action this chapter, no? Well, if not, I tried my best. This chapter was written in a hurry, and the quality might not be as good. But it should be entertaining, no? Ehehe, enjoy it anyhow, and please leave Reviews!!
Cloud suppressed a nervous sigh and looked over at Aeris, who had a fearful look in her eyes and was trembling as she hastily stepped into the elevator.
The elevator door opened to reveal a platform, just like it was supposed to. Good, everything was going according to the plan. Barret and Cid were securing the exits. Here, Vincent would wait with Tifa, since she was the only one who could deactivate the alarms. Yuffie and Red and Aeris and Cloud kept walking. They climbed on a ladder that was supposed to lead to the control section of the reactor. There, Yuffie and Red stopped. Now, the final destination was left.
Cloud and Aeris slowly slipped into a tunnel that seemed endless. After crawling forever, Cloud saw a dim light coming from the other side and motioned Aeris to follow.
He jumped down and caught Aeris. Then they started walking toward the initial control section. . . when they realized that it was no longer there.
HUH???
It was a bad idea to bring Aeris here along with him, this was the worst part of the whole mission. But for some reason, he had felt that Aeris should be here with him, where he can protect her. Now he knew that his judgment was flawed - Aeris was in bigger danger than anyone else if someone had found out about their plans.
He tried to not to panic, and looked around. Another staircase. He followed it, which led to a steep ladder. It was a very long one. He assisted Aeris down and looked around.
There was the control room.
Maybe Barret had just messed up on the map. Cloud silently thanked his luck and stepped into the control room. Yes, he remembered. This was it.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Meanwhile, Barret and Cid caught a glimpse of two people in blue uniforms darting across. They looked at each other and concluded that these guards will report or set alarms of some sort, thereby ruining their plans. They started running toward the two worthless Shinra guards. Damn, of all days, today they had to make an inspection.
Tifa and Vincent were surprised when they heard a gunshot, and a male voice crying out in agony. Tifa's heart dropped. Cloud!!!
Tifa started running after the sound, and Vincent tried to catch her up. He knew that it was dangerous, they shouldn't follow it, it might be a trap. However he couldn't let Tifa go out there - it would be too risky.
Yuffie and Red XIII waited nervously. Yuffie was almost in a state of frenzy when she saw Red plopping down, with a strange needle-like device on his shoulder. She panicked.
Screaming, she got ready to fight - when over twenty SOLDIERS appeared before her.
Chuckling nervously, she lowered her weapon, and both were led to a certain room. . .
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
The eight members met in the control room. Barret was surprised.
"This ain't the control room, Cloud! It's supposed to be. . ."
He didn't get to finish his sentence when he saw Yuffie and Red XIII appearing with almost twenty trained SOLDIERS by them. The members of Avalanche all let out a curse.
They were surprised when all of the SOLDIERS, after leading them into an open space, all darted out of the spot.
Before anyone could express their surprise, a wall dropped down from all four sides. Yuffie screamed.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Rufus Shinra was watching from a monitor. As soon as the short ten minutes pass, the rebel group will be eliminated. He started looking over the members of this pathetic gathering when he saw a familiar-looking girl, wrapped around in the arms of a blond. He couldn't see her face.
Cloud felt horrible. Will they die here? God, please, this can't happen. He started apologizing to everyone, while everyone else started slamming and casting every spell they knew on the doors. Aeris was in the middle of the room, and saw the detached look on Cloud's face. She saw tears streaming down his cheeks.
Aeris walked up to him and wiped his tears away with her hands. She looked up in his eyes.
"Cloud. . . this isn't your fault. You were trying to do what's right. You can't blame yourself for this. . . please, please. . ." She didn't get to finish her sentence.
Cloud stifled an urge to cry out loud and grabbed Aeris and pressed her against him, muffling his tears in her hair.
"I'm so sorry Aeris. . . and everyone. . . Damn the Shinra!!"
"Damn the Shinra," Aeris agreed. She was crying too, fear of death finally claiming her.
Rufus closed up on the girl and saw a familiar necklace dangling on her neck. It was the silver necklace, his mother's, the one that he gave to. . .
He bolted up. There was five minute left on the clock.
If he left the door bolted up, the Avalanche was sure to die. The only successful rebel group against Shinra - the company that he will someday inherit - will be gone forever. That will show everyone, that the resistance against Shinra was futile. This was what he had to do. . .
But was that Aeris? Was that her? Could she be? But she's dead!! But that hair, that necklace. . . it has to be her! But how?!?!
He saw the pair parting away from the hug to embrace other people. He saw her face.
It was Aeris, the girl whose heart he had broken. The most beautiful angel on the planet, the one who he. . .
His fingers trembled upon the control device he had. This could open the doors. They could get away. But if he did, to save her, so would Avalanche. And the whole reactor, at least the main part of it, would be blown away to pieces. But Aeris would live, she wouldn't be hurt. But Avalanche, the group that killed her. . .
He paused.
She wasn't dead. She was WITH Avalanche. But her death - it had to be real. . . the records matched and everything. But. . .
Was it all a lie?
He closed up on her face even more, and he saw tears streaming down her beautiful face.
Rufus pressed the button.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Avalanche was utterly shocked to see that the doors went up where they came from, and that there was no one else around but them.
Without a word, they all started bolting for the exit. They ran mindlessly, thinking that somehow Shinra's plan had gone wrong, thinking somehow that they have escaped.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Rufus arrived in his office to see a very angry President Shinra waiting for him.
"What the hell were you thinking, you spoiled brat!!" he yelled. "You opened the fucking door, the fucking Avalanche escaped, and you damn blew up practically the entire reactor!!!"
Rufus remained silent. His mind registered nothing. His mind kept repeating the same words . . 'the newspaper, the DNA sample matches. . . how?'
A light dawned upon him. The fat man who was yelling at him. . . the same man who killed his mother right before his eyes. . . the only man who could have done this.
Rufus struggled to speak with perfect calm. "Father, you are aware of the recent Avalanche bombing - of the tax office - are you not?"
President Shinra was surprised. What did this fool mean by this?
Although he kept his face motionless, the sudden silence and the look in his eyes told Rufus all.
"How could you do this, father!! You. . . what the hell happened? Did you actually kill her, or what?? I saw her today, she wasn't dead!! What the hell did you do?? Did you just fake the whole thing? But how. . . the DNA result matched!!" Rufus was in a complete frenzy.
President Shinra's anger flared. "The bitch was making you into a fool! No, I didn't kill her, you dumbass, it's evident since you saw her yourself. Hmm, so you saw her, is that right? You were so obsessed with the slut that you couldn't even put your signature on a damn piece of paper!"
Rufus stopped shouting. He stared at the man he called his father. When he spoke again, his voice of that of perfect calm.
"Sir, you have shown me what Shinra is all about. Get out of the room, father, this conversation is pointless."
The president was shocked by the tone of his voice, addressing him as if he was some commoner. His anger suddenly rose up again, but he knew that this was not the best time to disturb the young man any further. He angrily stormed out.
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Tifa and Aeris was sitting on a couch, talking.
"You know, when we were in that room. . . I thought about a lot of things." Tifa was closing her eyes, getting comfortable. "I never told you this. . . but I really wanted to tell this person this today. . . I realized that there wasn't all the time in the world. . . that I might die without telling him this, ever."
Aeris giggled. Tifa stared. "What??"
Aeris stopped giggling and, with a twinkle in her eyes, replied "Is it Cloud?"
Tifa was dumbfounded. "WHAT! How did you know?"
Aeris rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows, Tifa! It's so obvious!"
Tifa swallowed. "Does. . . he?"
Aeris thought for a moment. "No. . . I don't think so. But I think it's an excellent idea to let him know, Tiff. Like you said, you don't have forever to tell him. Time's precious."
"But. . . how??"
"Just tell him straight forward. He probably feels the same way, I think. I mean you have known each other forever, and I haven't seen him ever get tired of you. And he comes to your house an awful lot, you have to say."
Tifa stifled an urge to say "It's because of you, Aeris!!" Instead she smiled and said, "You think?"
Aeris smiled back. "SURE! Absolutely. Come on, you should tell him tomorrow. Who knows if he feels the same way as you do?"
Tifa felt better after telling her. She giggled too. "You think?" She said again, hoping and hoping.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
That night, Aeris couldn't sleep. She was thinking about Rufus. How could he do that to her, to kill her? She forced herself not to cry. That bastard, trying to kill her.
She walked out to the garden. She was surprised to see Cloud standing there, leaning over her usual bunch of flowers.
"Cloud?"
He turned around to see Aeris.
He had felt that he was going to lose everyone in the world in the reactor. He had felt so horrible - but Aeris, with her touch, had made everything better. She was a saint, rescuing him out of eternal pool of guilt. His emotions had been confirmed when he embraced her. He thought they were goners for sure but when the doors opened - it was a sign.
Cloud took a step forward. Aeris remembered the conversation between Tifa and herself and tried to mention her.
"Cloud. . . didn't you realize something today? I mean, we all thought we were dead for sure. . . and I thought, if I didn't let someone know of my feelings, then I would never will."
Cloud was shocked. Did she know?
"Ur. . . Aeris, that's exactly why I came here tonight."
"Really?" Aeris beamed. Wow, how easy it was to become a matchmaker!
"Yeah.. . Cloud moved closer, taking her by the waist.
Aeris let out a surprised cry when Cloud's lips was suddenly upon hers. Cloud kissed her desperately, like she was his last chance of survival. He kissed with so much passion and Cloud kept deepening the kiss, tears forming in his eyes. Aeris was too shocked to move.
When she managed to break free, she felt a feeling creeping up. A silent warning, watch out!
The pair turned around to see Tifa, leaning against a tree and wiping her eyes.
Author's note: Yes, lots of action this chapter, no? Well, if not, I tried my best. This chapter was written in a hurry, and the quality might not be as good. But it should be entertaining, no? Ehehe, enjoy it anyhow, and please leave Reviews!!
