The Last of an Elite

Chapter Twenty Two: Stowaway

By InterfaceLeader

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Joanna felt fantastic. Fear and excitement surged through her in equal parts, adrenaline was pumping round her body and there was something strangely exhilarating about being crouched in a large wooden crate, with the smell of must and sawdust in her nostrils and the scratchy feel of bits of padding around her ankles.

I'm a stowaway. I'm actually stowing away on the same ship the President and the Head of the Peace Preservation Forces are on. Oh Shiva this is exciting! I never dreamed I'd end up doing something like this.

The Shinra Guard had allowed her on board, and had helped her into the crate. He warned her that if she was caught she'd probably be arrested, but that thought hadn't deterred her.

Another country. I'm going to another country. I wonder what it will be like?

She felt like a seven year old again, dreaming of the wonderful things she would do when she grew up. Except she was grown up, and she was actually doing those wonderful things she had dreamed about.

She could hear mumbled conversations through the wood, footsteps and scraping noises as the crew and the guards went about their business. She concentrated, trying to make out what they were saying, but the thick wood muffled the voices.

Curling up tighter in the box, she let the rocking motion of the boat lull her into a semi-conscious state.

-~-~-~-

Elena watched the boat sail off into the distance from her vantage point at the top of the Junon structure. She had witnessed the whole parade, admiring the Guards synchronised marching and expert drill. The further from Tseng she was the less she liked being a Turk – she would much rather have been part of the proceedings than just a spectator. Shaking her head silently she strolled back down the layers of Junon, pausing every now and then to look into a shop or stare out across the ocean.

On one of these frequent stops she stood near a group of Shinra Guards, their conversation drifting back to her. She listened in idly.

"So have we heard anything else about that man in a black cape? Now the parade's over we can get on and find him right?"

"You mean the one everyone thinks is Sephiroth?"

"Yeah! I'd love to get a crack at him, see if he's as good as the stories make out."

"You think you'd do better than Lee? He was one of the best guards. Everyone knew he was gonna be promoted to SOLDIER. And you don't want to know what he looked like when they found him."

"I applied for SOLDIER...."

"Yeah, and you didn't get in. You think you'd have a chance against the General? He can slay a dragon with a single blow!"

"Fine. But we still have to do something right? He's already killed seventeen guards in the last two days!"

"Sure, sure, the Captain's will tell us what we need to do. Quit worrying, you'll get a taste of combat soon! I dunno... Terrorists, Sephiroth... The old President murdered, Midgar under attack... I expect we'll all be sick of fighting soon enough."

Elena broke away from the rail and raced down to the bar, desperate to repeat the information she had just overheard.

-~-~-~-

"What the hell do you mean Sephiroth is here!?" Reno glared at the blond woman, as she stood panting, her eyes narrowed as she tried to convince him of what she had heard.

"I'm telling you he's here! He's been here for at least two days! He's killed seventeen guards, and he's wearing a black cape and the guards say he can kill a dragon and-"

"Ok! Fine! I believe you! Man... we're damn lucky he didn't try anything on Rufus while he was here."

Elena shut her eyes in exasperation. "He'll be on the boat! It's the only way to cross the sea – he didn't attack the President because if he had the boat wouldn't have left! He's there right now, with President Rufus and Heidegger!"

"What? You don't know that!" Reno glared at Elena.

"It makes sense doesn't it? Why would he stay at Junon?" Elena glared back.

".......... I'm calling Tseng." Rude's deep voice interrupted them suddenly.

Reno broke his gaze away from Elena, deciding to leave the argument for another time. "Fine. I'll find a chopper – we're gonna have to go after Sephiroth no matter what."

"What about me?" Elena asked.

"You stay there." Reno snapped. "I'm not letting you screw up again!"

Elena opened her mouth to reply, but Reno was already at the door. Pausing briefly he looked back at Rude.

"If Rufus is dead... who becomes President?"

".......Heidegger or Scarlet I think........" Rude pressed the call button on his PHS.

"Aw man... We're gonna be so screwed!" Reno hurried out of the bar.

-~-~-~-

Joanna was woken by the sound of a siren. A loud voice was hammering through the ship, repeating the same message over and over.

"Emergency alert! Reports of a suspicious character found! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found! I repeat. Suspicious character found on board! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found!"

She sat up, scared. The siren was drowning out all other noise, and she couldn't hear if the guards and crew were still around. The padding rustled around her as she waited, unable to do anything else.

When the siren cut out and the voice stopped it was worse. Absolute silence rolled around her, and coupled with the blackness she began to feel panic bubble up inside her.

What's going on? Why is it so quiet?

Pushing up on the planks above her, deliberately left loose by the Guard, she peeked out.

Dead and dying bodies met her frightened eyes, but the door at the front of the room was just swinging closed. Someone had clearly just passed through it. With fear clawing at her stomach she climbed out of the crate and tip-toed across the metal floor, dodging boxes and bodies. When she reached the door she pushed it back open a crack.

The large metal room, with engines and sturdy steel frameworks and ladders, contained another two bodies, one of a Guard and one of a sailor. On the level below her were three strangers, a strong young man with dark clothes and a metal shoulder plate, and two women, one wearing a pink dress and a red jacket and the other wearing a short, tight white top and black mini-skirt.

They were looking at another dead body, a captain. Joanna wondered if they had killed him and started to draw back. But a sudden voice, a voice of ice, stopped her.

"........After a long sleep..."

The three figures looked around, clearly looking for the source of the voice. Joanna watched them fearfully.

"...the time......time has....... come....."

"Look Cloud!" The pink clothed woman clutched onto the arm of the man, and Joanna blinked as a fourth figure rose from where the dead body had been. Clad entirely in black leather, with silver buckles glittering here and there, matching the straight hair that flickered slightly as he moved, he stood with his back to the three.

"Sephiroth! You're alive!" The blond man sounded confused, angry and scared. Joanna clutched the door frame for support as she heard the name. Sephiroth. The greatest soldier the Planet had seen.

"........Who are you?"

"You don't remember me!? I'm Cloud!"

"Cloud..."

"Sephiroth! What are you thinking!? What are you doing!?"

"...the time..... is now......"

Sephiroth turned, and Joanna sank to her knees. His eyes were slices of light that sucked attention towards them, making everything else seem part of a shadow world. She knelt by the door, shaking uncontrollably, unable to drag herself away from those eyes.

"What are you saying!? Be more..." Cloud started to speak, but before he could finish Sephiroth rose into the air, then suddenly flew forwards, knocking the three to the ground. For a moment Joanna felt her heart stop as he looked forwards, straight at the door, but then he shot upwards, disappearing from sight. As he went he dropped something, something that flashed and then swelled into a huge and grotesque monster.

Joanna staggered back to her feet, released from Sephiroth's hold. Her eyes scoured the scene before her, as the man and two women drew weapons and closed their hands into fists, whilst the great swaying pulsating thing shadowed over them. She released a shocked sob and took five steps back, tripping over a Guard's body in the process. Finding herself almost sitting on a corpse was the last straw. She scrambled back up, tears flooding her face, and raced from the room, up the stairs and out onto the deck of the ship, where she ran straight into a sailor.

"Here! Who are you?" He grabbed hold of her arm, stopping her from running further. She turned to him, nearly hysterical.

"Let go of me! Let go! There's a mon-monst-" She fell to her knees, clutching herself. "He shouldn't have left me! If he hadn't none of this would have happened! Oh god his eyes, his ey-eyes!" She cried harder, rocking backwards and forwards.

"Alright lady, calm down calm down" The sailor said, alarmed. "Everything's OK now see? Look, come with me, we'll get you something hot to drink yeah? And you can tell us what happened."

"Sephiroth! He's here! On the boat! We have to get off! He's ki-ki-killed everyone!"

"What?" The sailor caught her arm tightly and stared at her. "He's here?"

"Dock workers-- We will be docking in Costa del Sol in 5 minutes. Prepare for docking." The calm even voice crackled over the intercom, and the sailor shook his head.

Pulling Joanna to her feet, supporting her with one arm as he led her into the main part of the ship, he murmured comfort phrases under his breath. He looked worried.

-~-~-~-

"Yes sir." Tseng held the PHS about five inches away from his ear, face expressionless as Heidegger berated him.

"Yes sir.... Yes...... We are working on capturing both him and the terrorists now sir."

He winced slightly as the voice raised in volume and moved the PHS further away. "Yes sir, my apologies... No, we shouldn't have let you get in that much danger... but sir, the Junon Guards had been aware of Sephiroth's presence in Junon for at least two days. I don't see that it's our fault that- yes sir."

He closed the PHS, and let out an exasperated sigh. Okay Reeve. This spy of yours better live up to its promise.

-~-~-~-

Reno, Rude and Elena landed at Costa del Sol. Rufus and Heidegger had already flown on, leaving behind a division of Guards, and giving the Turks strict orders to meet with the Captain before going anywhere else.

It was hot, the sun boiling down on them. Rude remained stoic, putting up with the heat as he marched towards the Shinra building on the dock of Costa del Sol. Elena unzipped her blazer, and undid her sleeve buttons, wondering how the taller older Turk coped with the heat and hoping the Captain wouldn't think too badly of her. Reno simply stripped off both his blazer and shirt, having little concern with making a good impression on the Captain.

They entered the building, the short walk in the sun leaving both Reno and Elena panting and thirsty. Rude seemed unaffected by the heat, and opened the door that led into the Captain's office, it clattering slightly as it met the wall.

Joanna looked up at the sound, face white and streaked with tears. Rude stood in the doorway, staring at the woman, words deserting him completely.

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A/N: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story ^_^ Getting positive reviews really encourages me. I especially want to thank the people who review it on a regular basis, proving that at least some people like it enough to keep coming back! You guys rock!