DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FF7 OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS
Chapter Six
"So what does this mean?" said Red. "I was under the impression that Hojo was no longer among the living."
"I dunno," said Cloud. "He must have tricked us in some way. When I was in SOLDIER, everybody said Hojo was the most brilliant mind on the Planet - more so even than Professor Gast. He must have survived somehow."
"So it's logical to assume he sent us the poisoned thorns," said Red. "And sent his soldiers here to do what exactly? To attack us?"
"I don't know that either," said Cloud. "I'm going to contact Cid and Vincent, and see how they're getting on."
He unclipped his PHS from his belt and called Cid's number.
Vincent had made his mind up what to do even before Cid's PHS began buzzing. As the huge soldier was distracted by the sound, Vincent transformed into the Chaos beast and flung himself full force at the soldier. The giant was taken by surprise, and Cid was released from his grasp. Gasping for breath, the old pilot had enough presence of mind to raise the Venus Gospel and cast Ice3 on the group of normal guards approaching him at a run. A few yards away Chaos and the super-soldier were grappling together, though it soon became obvious the latter was winning.
"Vincent! Get the ^£$& away from there!" Cid yelled. "I'm gonna summon the Highwind!"
Punching the last but one soldier, and skewering the last with the spear, Cid waited until his friend had transformed back into his usual self and rolled to safety, before yelling, "HIGHWIND!!!"
The huge airship's engines started and as its shadow fell over them, Cid and Vincent both dived for cover. The super-soldier, still a little disoriented after being slammed in the face by Chaos, could only look up and watch as the Highwind's missile batteries opened up. When the last rocket had hit, only a battered, twisted figure remained, swaying on the spot, the remains of its armour a blackened, melted mess. Vincent cocked the Death Penalty and fired, finishing off their enemy. Cid realised his PHS was still ringing. He switched it on, "Yeah?"
"Cid? It's Cloud. How are things going your end?"
"Seen better," Cid answered, passing the PHS to his left hand so he could light a cigarette with his right. "We just got attacked by some crazy buncha *£%&s."
"Were there ten or so ordinary soldiers and one huge guy?" asked Cloud apprehensively.
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Same thing happened to us," said Cloud. "Have you found anything useful, antidote-wise?"
"Nope. We were in the library when some dumb %£$* set off a bomb," Cid cursed. "It's all full of rock now, no way back in. You find anything?"
"Red thinks he might be getting somewhere," said Cloud. "If you can't do anything more there, you'd better come and meet us here. I'll get in touch with Barret and find out how things are going over there. Get here as soon as you can, OK?"
"Will do, chief."
Cloud and Red went back up to the reading room, where Red sat down and continued to read as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Cloud stood by the window and sighed deeply, "I just can't concentrate, Red. I keep thinking about Tifa."
"You have to do this, Cloud," said Red. "We can't afford to waste any time. Every moment counts. We have no idea if and when we will be attacked again."
"I know, but I just can't think! My mind's too full right now!"
"In that case, I suggest you stop talking and let me concentrate on my reading," said Red none too subtly.
Cloud went through to the other room so he wasn't disturbing Red, and dialled Barret's number on the PHS. He hoped Barret wasn't worrying himself to the point of illness over Marlene's condition. Barret's devotion to the little girl often made Cloud wonder what it would be like to start a family of his own. Several times over the last few weeks he had been considering the possibility of proposing to Tifa, but he wasn't sure. . . did he really love her? Was it more than just coming together as a natural reaction to the danger they had been through? Cloud's thoughts were interrupted as he realised Barret wasn't answering the PHS. It had rung at least twelve times already. Maybe he was asleep, or in the bathroom. Or - or could it be something more sinister? He decided to call Yuffie, who should still have been at the hospital with Barret. After several rings, it became clear she wasn't picking up either. As a last resort he tried phoning Reeve. This time the PHS was answered after a single ring.
"Reeve?" Cloud said, before the other man had a chance to speak. "Do you know where Barret is? I've tried calling him on the PHS and he doesn't - "
"Oh, it's you," interrupted a weird-sounding voice that Cloud remembered all too well. "The failure."
"Professor Hojo?!" Cloud gasped. "You're alive?"
"Yes, of course I'm alive," Hojo snapped. "Do you think I would be stupid enough to allow myself to be killed by a failure like you?"
"But - but how did you survive?"
"Don't trouble me with pointless questions, you fool," snapped Hojo. "I am far too busy to waste time with you."
"Busy with what? What have you done with Reeve?" Cloud demanded.
"He has not been harmed. Yet," said Hojo. "Clearly, my attempts to kill you have not been successful. Hopefully next time I will have more success. Good day."
Hojo hung up. Cloud ran through to the other room. Red looked up, startled at the door being slammed open so fast.
"Problem?" he asked.
Cloud ran his hand through his blond spikey hair, "Barret and Yuffie didn't answer their PHS. I tried calling Reeve, but Hojo - it was Hojo who answered."
"So he is alive," said Red solemnly. "And presumably in Midgar."
"How do you know that?"
"He had Reeve's PHS, which is specially configured to work with the signal receiver station in Midgar," said Red.
Cloud nodded, "I see. We have to get to Midgar as soon as Cid gets here with the Highwind!"
"I really should stay here and keep reading," said Red. "We're trying to find an antidote for Tifa and Marlene, REMEMBER?"
"I haven't forgotten," said Cloud. "We'll just have to take the books with us."
"I can't just take them with me. They belong to the library," Red protested.
"This is a matter of life and death!" Cloud argued. "Bend the rules for once!"
"Very well," said Red. "But I do not think there will be much opportunity for reading when we get to Midgar."
He went back to the books while Cloud hurried outside and down the stone steps to wait for the Highwind to arrive. After pacing back and forth impatiently for several minutes, he heard the familiar sound of its engines.
"Red!!" he yelled in the direction of the reading room window. "Come on!!"
Red came leaping down the steps with three or four books gripped carefully in his jaws. Cid brought the Highwind down over Cosmo Canyon and Vincent threw down the rope ladder. Cloud, carrying the books, made his way up, with Red following, climbing surprisingly easily for a four-legged creature. Cid put the engines up to full power and they were on their way to Midgar. Red stayed down on the observation deck, reading under the shade of a wing, while Cloud, Cid and Vincent conferred on the bridge.
"What's the situation, Cloud?" asked Vincent.
"Okay, here it is as far as I can work out," said Cloud. "Hojo sent each of us those poisoned barbs in the hope that they'd kill us, right? Well, he obviously found out that, apart from Tifa, nobody has been affected."
"So he sent in those %£$&*£ soldiers," Cid put in.
"Right," said Cloud. "He must still be growing them in the Nibel reactor. Shutting down that facility was supposed to be one of our priorities after destroying Meteor, but for one reason or another - mostly because we're busy helping out in Midgar - we haven't got around to it. Now, I just tried to call Barret and the others. I couldn't get an answer from him or Yuffie, so I don't know what's happened to them. But when I tried to call Reeve, Hojo answered."
"Hojo?!?" Cid yelled.
"Hojo. . ." Vincent said icily. "So my suspicion was correct. What does he want with us?"
Cloud shrugged, "Revenge, I suppose. We destroyed Jenova and Sephiroth - his life's work."
"Yeah, we also killed the dumb &%£$, don't forget," Cid added. "And how, if you two geniuses don't mind my asking, can he still be alive?!?"
"I don't know," Cloud said. "He was a geneticist, remember. Maybe he managed to clone himself?"
"That's impossible," said Vincent. "A clone would merely be a replica of his own physical form. It wouldn't have his personality, wishes or desires."
"Well, I dunno, maybe he grew some life-form to be like him," Cloud shrugged. "Whatever, I know it couldn't have been Hojo we fought on top of the Sister Ray that day. Because that person died, and Hojo is still alive."
"So what do we do?"
"We're going to Midgar to see what's happened to Barret and the others, and see if we can't find Hojo while we're at it," said Cloud. "Red is on the deck with his grandfather's biology research books, trying to find the antidote we need. Vincent, you're probably the best one to help him there. Cid, you'll obviously be piloting the ship."
"What are you gonna do?" asked Cid. "Sit on your ass and look good?"
"No," said Cloud. "There's something - something I'm trying to remember - something Aeris once said to me."
Both Cid and Vincent fell silent at the mention of Aeris. Neither of them was sure of Cloud's feelings for the dead Cetra. Neither of them felt comfortable talking about her with Cloud, for fear that they might accidentally upset him in some way.
"Does it have to do with Hojo?" asked Vincent.
"I'm not sure," said Cloud. "I just feel - I just know somehow - that it's relevant to this whole thing."
"Maybe it has to do with an antidote," Cid suggested.
"I was thinking that too," Cloud nodded. "Aeris was good with flowers. Nobody else ever managed to get any to grow in Midgar. If there IS a plant somewhere that can save Tifa, then Aeris would be the one to tell us. She'd speak with the Planet and it would tell her. If only Aeris were still alive - she'd be able to sort out this whole mess."
The other two looked at the ground uncomfortably, not wanting to interrupt Cloud's train of thought. He had hardly spoken about Aeris since Meteor, and it was obvious to everyone how much he was keeping his feelings for her bottled up inside of him. Eventually none of them was willing to break the silence, so Vincent said, "I will go to help Red."
Cid nodded, "I'll get back to - um - flyin' the ship."
He turned round to the controls and pretended to be guiding the Highwind through a tricky patch of turbulence, leaving Cloud alone with his thoughts. The party leader took a couple of steps away from Cid, and stood deep in thought. What was it Aeris had told him? How did his subconscious know that it was somehow relevant? What was it?
What?
What?!?!?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Aeris' message to Cloud isn't going to be anything that appears in the game, it will be something made up by myself. Please review this story, I need feedback to steer it in the right direction! I know where it is going eventually, but any suggestions to the route it should take would be very helpful! Thanks!!
Chapter Six
"So what does this mean?" said Red. "I was under the impression that Hojo was no longer among the living."
"I dunno," said Cloud. "He must have tricked us in some way. When I was in SOLDIER, everybody said Hojo was the most brilliant mind on the Planet - more so even than Professor Gast. He must have survived somehow."
"So it's logical to assume he sent us the poisoned thorns," said Red. "And sent his soldiers here to do what exactly? To attack us?"
"I don't know that either," said Cloud. "I'm going to contact Cid and Vincent, and see how they're getting on."
He unclipped his PHS from his belt and called Cid's number.
Vincent had made his mind up what to do even before Cid's PHS began buzzing. As the huge soldier was distracted by the sound, Vincent transformed into the Chaos beast and flung himself full force at the soldier. The giant was taken by surprise, and Cid was released from his grasp. Gasping for breath, the old pilot had enough presence of mind to raise the Venus Gospel and cast Ice3 on the group of normal guards approaching him at a run. A few yards away Chaos and the super-soldier were grappling together, though it soon became obvious the latter was winning.
"Vincent! Get the ^£$& away from there!" Cid yelled. "I'm gonna summon the Highwind!"
Punching the last but one soldier, and skewering the last with the spear, Cid waited until his friend had transformed back into his usual self and rolled to safety, before yelling, "HIGHWIND!!!"
The huge airship's engines started and as its shadow fell over them, Cid and Vincent both dived for cover. The super-soldier, still a little disoriented after being slammed in the face by Chaos, could only look up and watch as the Highwind's missile batteries opened up. When the last rocket had hit, only a battered, twisted figure remained, swaying on the spot, the remains of its armour a blackened, melted mess. Vincent cocked the Death Penalty and fired, finishing off their enemy. Cid realised his PHS was still ringing. He switched it on, "Yeah?"
"Cid? It's Cloud. How are things going your end?"
"Seen better," Cid answered, passing the PHS to his left hand so he could light a cigarette with his right. "We just got attacked by some crazy buncha *£%&s."
"Were there ten or so ordinary soldiers and one huge guy?" asked Cloud apprehensively.
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Same thing happened to us," said Cloud. "Have you found anything useful, antidote-wise?"
"Nope. We were in the library when some dumb %£$* set off a bomb," Cid cursed. "It's all full of rock now, no way back in. You find anything?"
"Red thinks he might be getting somewhere," said Cloud. "If you can't do anything more there, you'd better come and meet us here. I'll get in touch with Barret and find out how things are going over there. Get here as soon as you can, OK?"
"Will do, chief."
Cloud and Red went back up to the reading room, where Red sat down and continued to read as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Cloud stood by the window and sighed deeply, "I just can't concentrate, Red. I keep thinking about Tifa."
"You have to do this, Cloud," said Red. "We can't afford to waste any time. Every moment counts. We have no idea if and when we will be attacked again."
"I know, but I just can't think! My mind's too full right now!"
"In that case, I suggest you stop talking and let me concentrate on my reading," said Red none too subtly.
Cloud went through to the other room so he wasn't disturbing Red, and dialled Barret's number on the PHS. He hoped Barret wasn't worrying himself to the point of illness over Marlene's condition. Barret's devotion to the little girl often made Cloud wonder what it would be like to start a family of his own. Several times over the last few weeks he had been considering the possibility of proposing to Tifa, but he wasn't sure. . . did he really love her? Was it more than just coming together as a natural reaction to the danger they had been through? Cloud's thoughts were interrupted as he realised Barret wasn't answering the PHS. It had rung at least twelve times already. Maybe he was asleep, or in the bathroom. Or - or could it be something more sinister? He decided to call Yuffie, who should still have been at the hospital with Barret. After several rings, it became clear she wasn't picking up either. As a last resort he tried phoning Reeve. This time the PHS was answered after a single ring.
"Reeve?" Cloud said, before the other man had a chance to speak. "Do you know where Barret is? I've tried calling him on the PHS and he doesn't - "
"Oh, it's you," interrupted a weird-sounding voice that Cloud remembered all too well. "The failure."
"Professor Hojo?!" Cloud gasped. "You're alive?"
"Yes, of course I'm alive," Hojo snapped. "Do you think I would be stupid enough to allow myself to be killed by a failure like you?"
"But - but how did you survive?"
"Don't trouble me with pointless questions, you fool," snapped Hojo. "I am far too busy to waste time with you."
"Busy with what? What have you done with Reeve?" Cloud demanded.
"He has not been harmed. Yet," said Hojo. "Clearly, my attempts to kill you have not been successful. Hopefully next time I will have more success. Good day."
Hojo hung up. Cloud ran through to the other room. Red looked up, startled at the door being slammed open so fast.
"Problem?" he asked.
Cloud ran his hand through his blond spikey hair, "Barret and Yuffie didn't answer their PHS. I tried calling Reeve, but Hojo - it was Hojo who answered."
"So he is alive," said Red solemnly. "And presumably in Midgar."
"How do you know that?"
"He had Reeve's PHS, which is specially configured to work with the signal receiver station in Midgar," said Red.
Cloud nodded, "I see. We have to get to Midgar as soon as Cid gets here with the Highwind!"
"I really should stay here and keep reading," said Red. "We're trying to find an antidote for Tifa and Marlene, REMEMBER?"
"I haven't forgotten," said Cloud. "We'll just have to take the books with us."
"I can't just take them with me. They belong to the library," Red protested.
"This is a matter of life and death!" Cloud argued. "Bend the rules for once!"
"Very well," said Red. "But I do not think there will be much opportunity for reading when we get to Midgar."
He went back to the books while Cloud hurried outside and down the stone steps to wait for the Highwind to arrive. After pacing back and forth impatiently for several minutes, he heard the familiar sound of its engines.
"Red!!" he yelled in the direction of the reading room window. "Come on!!"
Red came leaping down the steps with three or four books gripped carefully in his jaws. Cid brought the Highwind down over Cosmo Canyon and Vincent threw down the rope ladder. Cloud, carrying the books, made his way up, with Red following, climbing surprisingly easily for a four-legged creature. Cid put the engines up to full power and they were on their way to Midgar. Red stayed down on the observation deck, reading under the shade of a wing, while Cloud, Cid and Vincent conferred on the bridge.
"What's the situation, Cloud?" asked Vincent.
"Okay, here it is as far as I can work out," said Cloud. "Hojo sent each of us those poisoned barbs in the hope that they'd kill us, right? Well, he obviously found out that, apart from Tifa, nobody has been affected."
"So he sent in those %£$&*£ soldiers," Cid put in.
"Right," said Cloud. "He must still be growing them in the Nibel reactor. Shutting down that facility was supposed to be one of our priorities after destroying Meteor, but for one reason or another - mostly because we're busy helping out in Midgar - we haven't got around to it. Now, I just tried to call Barret and the others. I couldn't get an answer from him or Yuffie, so I don't know what's happened to them. But when I tried to call Reeve, Hojo answered."
"Hojo?!?" Cid yelled.
"Hojo. . ." Vincent said icily. "So my suspicion was correct. What does he want with us?"
Cloud shrugged, "Revenge, I suppose. We destroyed Jenova and Sephiroth - his life's work."
"Yeah, we also killed the dumb &%£$, don't forget," Cid added. "And how, if you two geniuses don't mind my asking, can he still be alive?!?"
"I don't know," Cloud said. "He was a geneticist, remember. Maybe he managed to clone himself?"
"That's impossible," said Vincent. "A clone would merely be a replica of his own physical form. It wouldn't have his personality, wishes or desires."
"Well, I dunno, maybe he grew some life-form to be like him," Cloud shrugged. "Whatever, I know it couldn't have been Hojo we fought on top of the Sister Ray that day. Because that person died, and Hojo is still alive."
"So what do we do?"
"We're going to Midgar to see what's happened to Barret and the others, and see if we can't find Hojo while we're at it," said Cloud. "Red is on the deck with his grandfather's biology research books, trying to find the antidote we need. Vincent, you're probably the best one to help him there. Cid, you'll obviously be piloting the ship."
"What are you gonna do?" asked Cid. "Sit on your ass and look good?"
"No," said Cloud. "There's something - something I'm trying to remember - something Aeris once said to me."
Both Cid and Vincent fell silent at the mention of Aeris. Neither of them was sure of Cloud's feelings for the dead Cetra. Neither of them felt comfortable talking about her with Cloud, for fear that they might accidentally upset him in some way.
"Does it have to do with Hojo?" asked Vincent.
"I'm not sure," said Cloud. "I just feel - I just know somehow - that it's relevant to this whole thing."
"Maybe it has to do with an antidote," Cid suggested.
"I was thinking that too," Cloud nodded. "Aeris was good with flowers. Nobody else ever managed to get any to grow in Midgar. If there IS a plant somewhere that can save Tifa, then Aeris would be the one to tell us. She'd speak with the Planet and it would tell her. If only Aeris were still alive - she'd be able to sort out this whole mess."
The other two looked at the ground uncomfortably, not wanting to interrupt Cloud's train of thought. He had hardly spoken about Aeris since Meteor, and it was obvious to everyone how much he was keeping his feelings for her bottled up inside of him. Eventually none of them was willing to break the silence, so Vincent said, "I will go to help Red."
Cid nodded, "I'll get back to - um - flyin' the ship."
He turned round to the controls and pretended to be guiding the Highwind through a tricky patch of turbulence, leaving Cloud alone with his thoughts. The party leader took a couple of steps away from Cid, and stood deep in thought. What was it Aeris had told him? How did his subconscious know that it was somehow relevant? What was it?
What?
What?!?!?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Aeris' message to Cloud isn't going to be anything that appears in the game, it will be something made up by myself. Please review this story, I need feedback to steer it in the right direction! I know where it is going eventually, but any suggestions to the route it should take would be very helpful! Thanks!!