The Last of an Elite

Chapter Ten: The Plate Drops 2

By InterfaceLeader

-~-~-~-

"Goddamnit! How much longer do I have to wait!" Elena slammed one fist into the wall. "Ow!"

Damn. She thought, nursing her hand. Maybe this is a test of my patience and they're watching me right now... What if I've just proven how impatient I am? What if they decide not to make me a Turk? I'll get sent home in disgrace! Everyone will know what a fool I am! Tseng will laugh at me! Oh God, what have I done!?

"Y'know honey, there's certain 'perks' to being a prisoner of Shinra..." The guard leaned on the bars of the cell, one shoulder flexed.

"Like what?" Elena asked irritably, her thoughts still on Tseng.

"Well, if you're nice maybe I'll show you them". The guards face was hidden by the uniform, but Elena had little doubt of the leering expression that would be plastered beneath. She controlled her temper with difficulty.

"No thanks."

"Come on sweetheart. What have you got to lose? And I might even drop you a few good words with the President himself. Get him to think about letting you go alive for example."

"Let me go alive...?" She echoed his words.

"Yeah. And all it'll cost ya is a couple of shags. More than worth it huh?" The guard put his hand on his keys, gloved hand stroking them suggestively.

"When I'm a Turk" Elena began frostily "I'll make sure you're –"

"You!? A Turk??" The guard began laughing "Oh that's rich! You a Turk!"

He was interrupted by a slim hand coming through the bars and grabbing him by the front of his uniform, yanking him forward sharply so he was slammed up against the bars and staring into the furious face of Elena. She ground her teeth as she glared at him, eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring.

"I. Am. Going. To. Be. A. Turk. Do you have a problem with that?"

"N-no ma'am!"

-~-~-~-

Flames washed over him, enveloping him in their intense heat. When the haze cleared he found himself looking directly at Cloud. He saw a half smile curl the corner of the blond man's face, and fury raged through him.

"Neo-Turk Light!"

The electricity ball flashed across the space between them, sparks leaping from it to bury themselves in the metal floor. The ball hit Cloud in a rush of blue and white light, sharp spears of electricity branching out from it and enveloping the figure.

Barret fired again, and Reno felt more pain enter his body.

These guys are too good... the plate's going to drop in a few minutes! There's no way I can defeat them in that time – time to cut my losses.

"It's time." Reno looked briefly from face to face. Barret's square jawed, deep brown, scowling. Cloud's serious, resolute, with those burning eyes. Tifa's small, pale, exhausted looking. Then he turned and ran, vaulting easily over the railing and falling a few feet before catching onto the ladder hanging from the helicopter. He clambered up the ladder hastily and dived through the door.

He smelt her before he saw her. The rich fresh smell of flowers hung in the air of the enclosed space inside the helicopter. Looking round he saw Tseng stood next to the flower girl from the slums – the Ancient.

"So you got her then." Reno said, becoming slowly aware of a burning sensation running through his body.

"Yes."

The Ancient looked across at him, a few loose strands of hair obscuring her eyes and hiding her expression.

"You're hurt" she said. Reno wasn't sure, but he thought she sounded sympathetic.

"I'd be more worried about you than about me if I were you" he replied.

She turned her head away, looking instead towards the open door. Tseng moved away from his position beside her and glanced out as well. For a minute he watched whatever was happening at the tower. Then he spoke outwards. Reno supposed he was addressing Avalanche and listened closely.

"That's right. You'll have a hard time disarming that one. It'll blow the second some stupid jerk touches it."

That includes all three of 'em. Reno smirked to himself. He couldn't hear what the terrorists answered.

"Ha ha ha..... Only a Shinra Executive can set up or disarm the Emergency Plate Release System."

The helicopter swerved suddenly, and Reno heard gunshots. That'll be Barret. Idiot. Beside him the Ancient yelped.

"I wouldn't try that.... You just might make me injure our special guest." Tseng leaned back inside and hauled the Ancient up beside him so she was in view. This time Reno heard Avalanche's response.

"Aeris!" It was Tifa's voice, sounding frantic.

"Oh, you know each other? How nice you could see each other one last time." Tseng paused then added "You should thank me."

Yeah. Pay 'em back for what they did to Shin-Ra. Make their dying moments hell. Keep going Tseng. Tell them how everyone in Sector Seven will die because of them. Tell them about the pain, the misery, the total failure of their mission. Make them feel like shit for what they did. Reno's thoughts began to slide into one another. The burning sensation in his body had shrunk down to a dull ache in his side.

"What are you going to do with Aeris?" Cloud's voice called up to the helicopter, clear and strong. Reno shook his head, trying to clear it.

"I haven't decided. Our orders were to find and catch the last remaining Ancient. It's taken us a long time, but now I can finally report this to the President." Tseng looked down at the Ancient. Reno stared at his leader, wondering why he sounded disappointed. Tseng had been trying to catch Aeris for ages... Why would he be unhappy when he finally succeeded?

Aeris looked up at Tseng. Perhaps hearing the note of sadness in his voice as well she leaned forward and shouted down to Avalanche.

"Tifa, don't worry! She's all right!"

Crack! Tseng slammed her back into the helicopter, using the side of his hand to lay her flat. Reno winced, he had been on the wrong end of that attack more than once. Aeris scrambled back to her feet, giving Tseng a glare and shouting back out.

"Hurry and get out!"

"Heh..." Tseng glanced at his watch. "Well, it should be starting right about now. Think you can escape in time?" He signalled to the pilot, and the helicopter lifted upwards, circled the pillar and shot back towards the Shin-Ra HQ.

-~-~-~-

Rude stared out the window. Behind him the clock silently changed it's numbers, their shapes flashing briefly each second. 58 seconds. 59 seconds. Then a double naught, lasting no longer than a second but witness to the explosion that suddenly crashed through the air. Rude watched as a fountain of smoke and dust blew upwards through the ducts of Sector Seven. He watched as the entire section of plate rocked sideways, one edge lifting up above its surroundings, metal supports and girders screeching as they tore through each other.

There was a second explosion, as something else disintegrated, and then the plate section fell the other way. An enormous black cloud rose up over the scene, and for a moment Rude couldn't see anything. It didn't stop the sounds though, metal scraping against metal, great crunches and booms as concrete and brick collapsed, and people screaming as their world literally dropped out from beneath them.

"...... Tifa............. "

Rude stood unmoving, his face not changing. A thousand images of Tifa flashed through his mind, sliding like quicksilver into each other.

In front of him the smoke dissipated, it's black shapes rolling away to reveal a scene of total carnage. The plate had disappeared entirely, but huge chunks of metal still stood, debris hanging off them like macabre bunting. A twisted train track swayed gently, it's tracks caught over a great spike of broken concrete. Rude wondered if there had been a train on it when it broke. Wondered if the people had had any idea of what was happening as they had fallen into the pit below.

"........... I'm sorry........ I shouldn't have said anything......" He spoke the words aloud, desperate to make them real. To somehow get the message out, even though it was too late.

Should I have stopped it? I didn't know President Shin-Ra would do something like this.... Why can't I stop thinking about her?

It wouldn't have worked anyway. Turk's aren't supposed to have feelings. We're not supposed to feel love or guilt.... I need to stop feeling these emotions.

If I'd tried to stop it I would've ended up like that other Turk who tried to interfere because of love. Vincent Valentine. He tried to stop the Septhiroth project and look what happened to him. Turk's shouldn't interfere. We just do as we're told, we're a weapon not a controller.

This isn't helping.....

"......... I really am sorry .......... "

-~-~-~-

Reno huddled in his seat, completely unaware of the spectacle outside. Both Tseng and the Ancient were staring out the window, watching the results of his handiwork. Reno was vaguely aware that Aeris was crying, but was unable to focus on the sound as pain shot through his body, it's origin in his side. It felt as though a long spike had been hammered into him, driving further into him every time he moved. Breathing was painful. A strange green mist floated in front of his eyes.

By Odin this hurts! This is way worse than a broken rib.... I hope that bitch dies slowly!

"Reno?" It was Tseng's voice, sounding more concerned that Reno was accustomed to.

"I'm ... OK."

Silence. Punctuated by Aeris crying.

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A/N: Not so long a gap this time. I think this chapter and the last were the hardest to write so far. It's difficult to keep it accurate to the game and make it somewhat interesting and original ^^;; The plate dropping is such a major scene I wanted to do it justice. And the fight with Reno – translating HP and turn taking into a realistic battle sequence is beyond me! Still I hope you enjoyed it.

Next time around we concentrate on Elena, and possibly a couple of other Shinra characters.

And yes, I promised you cover art so here you go: http://showcasecomics.co.uk/suzie/images/fan/loae.jpg