DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FF7 OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS

Chapter Fifteen

The entire party, minus Cloud, were gathered in the Highwind's operations room while the ship was en route to Junon. Cid had taken temporary command since Reno and Tifa were still feeling a little sickly after the effects of the poison. Antidote had been administered to both of them plus Barret, and all three seemed to be safely on course for a full recovery. Right now the party was discussing the best way to get into Junon to rescue Cloud.

"Obviously taking the Highwind in isn't a great idea," Cid was saying. "Hojo has too many anti-aircraft defences. It's possible we could make a quick raid if we take him by surprise…"

"I don't think we can count on taking him by surprise," said Vincent. "He has managed to fool us successfully up until now. We can't make any assumptions or take any chances."

"I agree," Red added. "I think our best – if not only – option is to land the Highwind somewhere in the mountains and approach Junon on foot. We must attack by stealth."

"…and what if he threatens to kill Cloud if we get too close to him?" Rude asked.

Cid sighed, "That's the real crux of the problem, isn't it? We can only guess what his plans are regarding Cloud. To be honest, I think our only option is to go in and try to get him out. What happens after that will depend on Hojo's response. Our best hope is to move swiftly enough that we can back him into a corner so the only responses he has are ones that work in our favour."

"I hope Cloud is okay," said Yuffie.

Tifa frowned, "I don't think we ought to go rushing in. I know speed is important, but I think we ought to do at least a preliminary reconnaissance of the area first. If there are any super soldiers around, I'd rather know about them beforehand."

"I'd agree with that," said Reno. "The way I see it, we need three groups: first, a scouting party; second, an attacking force made up of our strongest fighters; and third, and a group of long-range fighters to provide support and look out for attacks."

Barret looked as if he wanted to argue, but he couldn't see anything wrong with the suggestion, so he kept his dislike of Reno to himself and didn't raise a complaint. Cid was having similar feelings, but he knew they had to work together with the Turks if they were going to have any chance of success.

"Sounds about right," he said grudgingly. "All right, here's how we'll split up. There's nine of us, which is pretty handy for three groups. Our scouts will be Red XIII – obviously – and Reno and Rude, since you two have a lot of experience with police work."

The two male Turks nodded their agreement. Cid continued, "Our three strongest fighters: well, that's obviously Barret, Tifa and me. We'll make up the main invasion force. Vincent, Yuffie and Elena can provide the long-range backup. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I got one," said Barret. "Wha' about Marlene? I wasn' exactly happy 'bout you leavin' her alone on the ship last time, and I don' wanna do the same thing again."

"Not to worry," Cid told him. "I already contacted Reeve. Hojo seems to have abandoned Midgar for the moment, so Reeve has got his people bringing the city back into working order. He says he'll be free for a day or two until the city needs its mayor again. He agreed to look after Marlene; he'll be with us within the hour."

"If Hojo's abandoned Midgar, that means he's on the run!" Elena exclaimed. "That means we're winning, doesn't it?"

Barret was less happy, "An hour? Can we afford to waste tha' much time?"

Cid shrugged, "Not much choice; that's how long it's going to take us to get to Junon anyway. There's a strong wind blowing north-east, and even with the new engine, the ship's having difficulty making any headway."

Red sighed mournfully, "It would seem even the elements are against us."

* * *

About an hour later…

Leaving Reeve on the ship with Marlene (he'd brought the Cait Sith doll to try and keep her amused) the nine party members travelled the rest of the way to Junon on foot. Tifa, Reno and Barret were feeling almost as good as new by this point, and felt more than ready to take part in a battle if necessary. On the outskirts of the town, they paused and considered how they might approach the airbase.

"Walking in via the main road clearly isn't conducive to our survival," said Cid dryly. "Any ideas?"

"We could also do what we did the first time we came here," said Tifa.

Cid, Vincent and the Turks gave her blank looks.

"Would you mind explaining that for those of us who weren't in the party at the time?" asked Vincent.

"Sure, sorry," said Tifa. "At the time we were only able to enter Junon from the ground. The airbase was on a level above us, and the elevator up was guarded so we couldn't use it."

"So how did you get up?" asked Cid.

"There's an electricity pylon standing in the shallow water by the shore. We suggested Cloud climb up there and take a first look around before the rest of us tried to follow."

"As I recall, that electricity pylon held live wires and was extremely dangerous," Red pointed out. "It would be extremely risky to try that route again."

Reno shook his head, "No, it'll be all right. That pylon would have been part of a line that stretched all the way to one of the Midgar reactors. Now that the Junon airbase is run using solar power and hydro-electric generators, the pylon won't be use in any more. It should be completely safe."

"That's our way in, then," Cid said confidently. "Let's go!"

With their three scouts moving a few hundred yards ahead of the rest to check for danger, the party approached the small fishing village which had been renamed Old Junon since the Shinra had moved out. They got to the edge of the village without encountering any enemies, but before they could go any further, Red's fur stood on end and he waved his paw to tell the others to stop.

As they had expected, the elevator entrance was heavily guarded. Three super soldiers were patrolling the area surrounding the elevator, following overlapping patterns that ensured none of the three was ever out of sight of both of the others.

"This ain't gonna be easy," Cid whispered to the rest as they crouched behind a low wall and watched the soldiers.

"Let's take them on. It's only three!" Yuffie suggested, unstrapping the Conformer from its place on her back.

"I would not recommend that course of action," Red growled.

"I dunno," said Reno. "Anyone got a Limit Break ready?"

"…me."

"My Catastrophe's ready to go, too."

"Anyone else?"

There was silence. Cid shook his head, "Two's not enough."

"Can we get down to the beach unnoticed?" asked Vincent.

"Not all at once. We'll need to go in groups. Scouts, fighters, then shooters."

They watched the enemies for a few more minutes until it became clear that the soldiers were sticking fairly rigidly to a predefined patrol route. It meant that there was a window of opportunity of a good few second when none of the guards was looking at the path that led down to the beach. Red timed the soldiers' marching carefully, then, when the moment was right, he leapt from their hiding place and ran at top speed towards the beach. The two Turks were right behind him, and they managed to pelt down the stairs on to the beach, passing out of sight just before the guards could spot them.

"Close," Barret whispered.

"Too close," Cid grimaced. "It's going to be even closer for us. Neither of us is as fast on our feet as those three."

Tifa slotted a materia into the wrist band of her Premium Heart and looked at them, "Yes, but that's what a Time materia is for. Hold still while I cast Haste."

She cast the spell on the six remaining party members, then they hunkered down and waited for their next chance to make a break for the beach. The three soldiers followed the same patrol routes almost religiously, without a pause, not even stopping to yawn or stretch their arms for a moment. This led Tifa to wonder whether they weren't more like mindless robots than humans. They certainly weren't a natural life-form, instead they were yet another product of Hojo's madness. The fact that the scientist was using the transmitter in his brain to dictate their actions meant they were little more than drones with no choices or control over their lives. Just more helpless beings suffering because of Hojo.

"Five seconds to go," Cid broke into her thoughts as he watched the guards intently. "Four, three, two, one – go!"

He vaulted the wall and ran as fast as he could towards the beach steps. Even with the Haste spell, he still felt as if he was going far too slowly. He was convinced he wouldn't make it in time, that the guards would turn, see him, and attack, but then his feet hit the stone staircase and he was running down towards the shore. Tifa was in front of him, Barret behind, and there had been no shout from the soldiers, nothing to indicate that they'd been spotted. Cid sank on to his hands and knees in the sand and coughed, "I really need to quit smokin'!"

"Well, you haven't had one in the last 48 hours," said Tifa. "See if you can keep it going. Wait, here come the others."

Vincent, Yuffie and Elena were sprinting down the steps easily, the Haste spell only making it look more effortless.

"Huh. All right for them youngsters," Cid grunted.

Once the party had gathered on the sand, he said, "All right, we're down. We'll go up one at a time. Tifa or Barret had better go first since you've done it before."

"As have I," Red pointed out. "And in my experience, creatures with four legs usually climb better than creatures with two. I suggest that I go first."

"Be my guest," said Barret. "I'll go second."

They approached the pylon, and Tifa said, "The last time we did this, climbing all the way from the bottom would have been much too dangerous because of the power lines. But now that they're no longer running, it's not a problem."

"So how did you get to the top last time?" asked Elena.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Go on."

"All right – there was a dolphin in the water that had learned to jump out of the water, over the power lines. Cloud sat on its back and had it bounce him up there. You wouldn't believe how many tries it took him to get it right, but he did eventually, and once he was up he threw down a rope for the rest of us to use."

Elena scoured the pylon, perhaps in the hope that the rope might still be there and save them a climb, but it was nowhere in sight. Red made his way out to the pylon, gripped it with his front and hind legs, and began to climb to the top. The others watched, trying to memorise his route, noting how he got past difficult sections, then he was at the top and Barret began on his way up. Cid followed after him, sweating and swearing all the way, alternately cursing his age or lack of a cigarette, but he reached the top without any real problems, and Barret gave him a hand up. He found himself standing at the edge of the runway where the Shinra had kept the Highwind. Red was prowling around, sniffing the tarmac floor, keeping a close eye out for any enemies.

"It seems safe," he said.

They waited until the rest of the party had joined them, then quickly made their way to the door that led inside the airbase complex. Red and the two Turks took the lead, pushing the door open slowly, taking a cautious look through to see if anyone stood on guard.

"…nobody."
"So it seems. Keep your eyes and ears open all the same."

They passed through the door and ventured further into the complex, treading as carefully as they could, sticking to the shadows whenever possible. Red lifted his head and sniffed the air. Good, there were no humans in the area. In fact it seemed nobody had passed this place in the last one or two hours.

"Where is the research facility in this base?" he asked.

"…"

"Underground," Reno replied. "Take the path that leads to the underwater reactor, and there's a secret passage that gives access to the labs. You didn't find them last time you were here, I take it?"

"We did not," Red admitted. "We were in too much of a hurry trying to stop you taking away the Huge Materia."

Reno wasn't sure whether or not there was a veiled accusation in the lion's statement, so he replied simply, "All in the past now. I'm concentrating on the present."

"As am I! I think it is safe to proceed."

They signalled to the others through the open doorway that it was clear for them to follow, then Red led the two Turks along the corridor, pausing to sniff the air every few moments to check for danger. It seemed that this part of the base had also been devoid of any human presence for the last couple of hours. This was a good sign, since it surely meant Hojo was weakened. Otherwise, Red reasoned, the base would have been much more heavily defended. He hadn't expected to get this far without having to get into a fight so far, and was pleasantly surprised that they'd managed to proceed this far undetected. He wondered how long it would continue.

They left the small corridor and found themselves on the Junon path. The wide street, on which they would have expected to have seen one or two people at the very least, was completely deserted. The shops at the side of the path appeared to be shut, the doors closed and sturdily barred.

"I don't like this," Reno said uncomfortably.

"…it feels like a trap."

"My feelings also," Red agreed. "We must proceed with extreme caution. Watch out for ambushes. Hojo may not be as unprepared for our assault as we would have liked to believe."

By this time the other six members of the party had joined them as they surveyed the silent emptiness that was the Junon path.

"Too damn quiet," Barret muttered. "Something's not right."

"Hey, Vincent!" said Cid, facing the raven-haired man. "You getting any of your feelings of impending doom?"

"I'm afraid not. Chaos lies dormant just now."

"Some %&^$ing timing! Well, we can keep on going, or we can turn back and maybe lose our only chance at damaging Hojo. I say we press on."

Nobody argued, so they continued on their way. They turned left at the corridor that led to the elevator which would take them down to the underwater levels. There was still nobody in sight and the party were feeling seriously edgy.

"Maybe we're imagining it," Tifa said hopefully. "Maybe we've weakened Hojo so badly that he hasn't got any troops left to defend him. He must have left those three super soldiers guarding the town elevator since he thought it was the only way to get up here."

"Could be…" said Cid. "If that's the case, I'd bet he isn't even here. He probably got word that we were coming and ducked into a hole somewhere."

"He won't give up or run that easily," Vincent disagreed. "He's invested too much into his campaign of terror. If we do manage to stop him, it won't be as easy as this."

No-one responded, and the party continued in a morose silence until they reached the elevator. Cid punched the button and the nine of them crammed inside the small elevator car as soon as the lift doors had opened. Their descent was smooth and silent, and when they reached the bottom the lift doors slid open and they saw immediately that the corridor beyond was empty.

"Where is the location of this secret passage you mentioned?" Red asked of Reno.

"Right over here," said the senior Turk.

He walked over to a large red pipe and reached behind it to pull a hidden lever. A section of the wall slid inside, showing a darkened passage leading inwards.

"That leads to Hojo's lab?" Cid asked.

"Right," said Reno. "Red, you go first."

With Red in the lead, the party moved in single file down the narrow passageway. Red sniffed the ground as he went, and suddenly his head jerked up, "I am picking up Hojo's scent. He is here."

He turned a corner, and found the door to Hojo's lab standing before him. Putting one ear to the door, Red listened out for any indication that Hojo was inside.

"I hear nothing," he said eventually. "I will assume it is safe to proceed."

Taking a deep breath, Red sat on his hind legs and pushed the door open with his front paws. The room inside was brightly lit, and their eyes took a moment or two to adjust after having been in the dark passageway. Vincent was the first to recover.

"Hojo is not here," he muttered.

"He's gotta be here somewhere!" Barret said impatiently.

"Search the room," said Cid. "There must be another exit."

Tifa scoured the room with her eyes, "There isn't."

"Dammit! Where the hell is he?"

"Hey, hey!" Yuffie exclaimed. "I found Cloud! Cloud's here!"

The others hurried towards the excited ninja. As they got there, they saw Cloud, lying motionless beside a wooden chair with some scraps of rope scattered around him. Tifa knelt by his side and cradled his head, "Cloud? Can you hear me?"

"Is he – dead?" asked Elena.

"No – he's unconscious. Cloud, can you hear me?"

Cloud stirred and he uttered a low groan, putting his hands to his head. Immediately a series of voices began barraging him with questions.

"He's awake!"

"Cloud, you all right?"

"Where's Hojo?"

"Can you stand? We've got to get out of here."

Cloud's only response was another groan, holding his head in his hands, his body beginning to shake.

"Cloud! Are you OK?" Tifa asked him, starting to feel a little concerned.

He looked up at her, "Uhh – uhh – Tifa?"

"Yes! Where's Hojo?"

"Hojo…" Cloud whispered. "No…I can't…I must resist…"

"What da hell's goin' on?" Barret demanded.

Suddenly a change came over Cloud. He stopped shaking and sat up of his own accord, no longer needing Tifa's support.

"Fools," he hissed. "All of you."

"What?"

He jumped to his feet and placed his hands on his hips, "I no longer need you. I am the world's most powerful warrior! I do not need the rest of you."

"Hey, your spikey head better not be gettin' too big for your own good!" Barret retorted. "Quit actin' like a moron and let's get da hell outta here!"

Cloud laughed – a low, unpleasant-sounding laugh that they had never heard from him before – and countered, "It is already too late for you to run. Look behind you."

Barret and the others glanced round.

"Hojo!" Vincent snapped.

The scientist stood in the doorway, his hands clasped at the small of his back, a small, beatific smile on his cruel, pointed face.

"You are fools," Hojo laughed. "You walked straight into my trap without even thinking about it."

"You think we're fools?" Barret yelled. "We ain't da ones who are outnumbered nine to one here!"

"Oh, I think I can redress the balance," Hojo smirked.

He snapped his fingers, and six of the genetic super soldiers appeared from the darkened corridor behind him.

"^%$&," Cid gasped.

"Indeed," Hojo smiled. "If anyone one of you makes an attacking move, my soldiers will tear you apart. Your Limit Breaks may be of some use against them, but in this enclosed space you will not have a chance."

He walked across the lab, past a shellshocked Yuffie and Reno, and patted Cloud on the shoulder, "Well done. You have betrayed your friends, just as I knew you would. You have served me well."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Cloud?!" Tifa shouted. "How could you do this to us? How could you betray us to our worst enemy?"

"Shut up," said Hojo. "I don't have time to answer all of your stupid questions. Cloud, let us leave your former friends to their fate."

Hojo turned and walked to the exit. Without a word, Cloud followed him, shrugging off Tifa's hand as she grabbed hold of his arm.

"Cloud…please…" she called as he walked past her. "What has Hojo done to you?"

"He has opened my eyes."

"Opened your eyes?"

"Yes. I see now that I do not need you or any of these others. There is only one person I need, and the Professor will bring her back to me."

"Who? Do you mean Aeris? What are you talking about? Cloud!"

But it was too late. He had already left the room, oblivious to her voice. Tifa sank to her knees in despair, "No…Cloud…don't do this to us!"

The door slammed shut behind Cloud, leaving the nine heroes and the six soldiers. The silver giants stood silent and still, barring the room's only exit.

"What do we do?!" asked Yuffie desperately.

"Wish I knew, kid," Cid said morosely, lighting what he thought might be his last ever cigarette. "We're out of aces."

Barret kicked one of the tables over, sending glass vials and other laboratory equipment crashing to the floor, while he shouted angrily, "There's gotta be another way outta here! We got in here from a secret passage, right? Maybe there's another secret passage leadin' outta here!"

Before they could begin a search, however, the six super soldiers suddenly came to life. They raised their weapons and cast their eyes over each member of the party, as if they were deciding on targets. There were six identical clicks as the weapons were checked and primed.

"What do we do?!" Tifa yelled. "Cid! Reno! You've got to think of something!"

She looked horrified as the two party leaders cast blank, helpless expressions in her direction. The six super soldiers took aim.

"Noooo!!" Yuffie screamed.