Chapter 4
I'd had a run in at North Corel, a small town decimated by Shinra several years ago. After assuring them that no, I didn't work for Shinra and that yes, I'd try and get a reconstruction team sent down there right away. But, now I was at the Gold Saucer, and I was going to have some fun, even if it killed me, or someone else.
I first headed for the Chocobo races and, after finding that Joe was a racing his Chocobo Teiho, won 20 Gil. Then I headed to where I really wanted to be, the Battle Square. The woman behind me eyed me suspiciously. My damned Shinra t-shirt was causing more problems then I cared to deal with.
"Well, you look like a fighter." She said. "There's a special contest on today, you, get to fight Dio, if you win there's a 'special' prize for you."
"Then sign me up." I stated bluntly, just before the large metal door swung open and a blonde spikey haired person flew out of it, hitting the floor and skidding to a stop.
That must be Biggs, it wasn't Cloud, he was taller than this guy.
"Come back when you learn how to fight for real!" Dio stood in the doorway, struck a pose and walked across the floor toward the counter. "Any more challengers?" He demanded. Several people shrank away and other's fled the room entirely.
"Yes Dio, this 'boy' here wants to fight you." I didn't like the emphasis she put on boy, but there wasn't much I could do about it. Dio simply laughed and walked back through the door with me following in his wake.
"So, I hope yeh are a little more of a challenge than that punk." He said, changing from a pose to a combat stance.
"So do I." I drew my tongfers, readied them and ran at him, swinging high but dropping into a sweep kick and extending my elbow, hitting Dio in the stomach, then jumping backwards as a ham sized fist whistled past my face.
"Not bad boy." Dio sounded slightly amused.
"You want not bad? I'll give you not bad!" With a shout I jumped up and forward, planting a foot in his face and kicking him in the back of the knee as I landed behind him. I spun around quickly and pummeled him with my tongfers. Suddenly I was wrapped up in a crushing embrace.
"Heheheh, foolish, you let me get a hold of you, Not. A. Good. Idea!" He emphasized his words with a powerful squeeze before tossing me across the room. I stood, looking to run forward but Dio was a blur of movement. His fists hit me twice and I was on the ground, gasping for breath. Damn! This guy knew how to throw a punch. Then a notion struck me, I rose shakily and balanced my self, focusing on the Blue materia.
Again nothing and then mass amounts of pain coursed through every fiber of my being, though not as intense as before. After the burning began to fade I was disconnected from myself, for how long I don't remember, but when I regained control I was standing over an unconscious and bruised Dio.
The after affects were not as severe either I noticed, as I was able to walk out of the small room. I saw my battle with Dio being replayed on a large screen. Saw the look on my face, a maniacal grin and wide eyes, fighting like a berserker, but with more. precision. The expression of pure exultation on my face sent a shudder down my spine. I made a mental note never to use the Blue materia again unless I needed to.
"U. umm, sir. Here's your prize." I was handed a small pendant which I almost immediately recognized as a Tetra elemental.
"Thanks." I took it and fastened it around my neck as I made a hasty exit. I had a certain someone I needed to visit in Mt. Nibel.
********
Cold, cold, dark and damp. A great description of my current surroundings. I wasn't afraid, don't' get me wrong, the only thing to fear in here was the Materia keeper, and his pet. The pet was dead, Avalanche had killed it when they passed through here four years ago, and I was looking for the Materia keeper.
There, a single, solitary light in the back of the cave.
"Hellooo." I wandered towards the light, hoping I could remember where the actual path was.
"Take two steps left, four forward and then just head left." A booming voice said. I did as I was told. Hearing rocks slip off the narrow path and fall for an eternity, finally striking a definitely solid bottom.
"Umm. okay." I hurried onward into the blinding light the Materia keeper enjoyed.
"You again." He was not as most people thought, a giant spider like monster, but a sociopathic old man.
"Got a new one for you. It's called the Blue materia." I removed it from my Imperial guard and handed it to him.
"Hmm. interesting, yes it is." I'd grown used to the old mans talking to himself. "It turns you into the perfect fight, devoid of emotion or rational thought." He paused. "Go away, now."
I was given my materia back and after replacing it I ran out the way I had come, reversing the directions and getting back to the Gold Saucer. A slight misstep nearly pitched me into the depths of the dark chasm. I stood at the edge of the precipice, wind milling my arms in an effort to regain my balance.
"This is so not professional."
********
I was in Corel yet again, trading my Shinra shirt in for a plain black one. About fifteen minutes of walking found me at the loading station for the air car. I heard familiar voices drifting from inside and found the rest of Black Ops standing inside it.
"Shit, you guys! You're ruining my vacation."
"Hey, I'm just taking a trip to the Gold Saucer dud, oh; we left our stuff at your oof." Ed had the wind knocked out of him by an innocent looking Roarke.
"Besides Adom has never been to the Gold Saucer." He explained.
"Odin save us. I suppose you've never been out of Midgar either." I muttered sarcastically.
"Actually."
"Stop, just stop. I'll give you the Grande Tour. if they let me back in."
"What?" Roarke sounded clearly interested.
"Oh, nothing I just, ahem, beat the shit out of Dio." The car lurched forward, propelled by a set of large propellers. As we traveled I recounted the epic tale of my battle with Dio. Or, as much as I could remember.
"And I don't remember anything after that, just after." The car came screeching to a halt and the roar of engines was replaced by the happy, carefree music of the Gold Saucer.
"We figured you'd be here." An all too familiar voice called out. A Blue clad man leapt down from atop one of the large displays, Tseng. The rest of the Turks followed, emerging from the shadows and cutting off our escape route. As if we would have actually ran.
Rude came from the left, cracking his knuckles. Elena from the right, with a smile and a wave, then aiming a quicksilver. Reno took a seemingly favored spot at the rear, toying with an electro mag rod.
My tongfers were nearly willed into my hands.
"Long time no see." I said, launching myself forward, only to be straight armed by Tseng almost immediately. I rubbed my jaw. "You've been hanging around Rude I see." God, I'd forgotten how fast this guy was. I was punched, kicked, elbowed and thrown more times than I could count, or block. My opponent simply wasn't human.
"Bloody Turks." I muttered, summoning Bahamut. The huge black dragon tore through the air, blasting with zeal, and then leaving as abruptly as he had come. I rolled out of Tseng's reach I caught a glimpse of his face, spotting something that wasn't normally there, a smile. Some thing was obviously and seriously wrong.
"Mr. Boekal, I'd like you to meet Jet weapon.
"Huh?"
"A secret project begun by Shinra a long time ago to combat the other weapon's after the failure of the Proud Clod's."
"An' now it's gonna smash yer ass!" Reno added his two cents worth.
"You villains are all he same, blah blah blah, explain my entire plan, blah blah blah..." A shadow covered the ground in front of me. "Oh shit."
"A very colorful, if not accurate way of putting it. Tseng turned and walked into the theme park.
Jet weapon, a massive, black monstrosity. Accented by a pair of red glowing eyes. Screams of terror, and a few other comments could be heard from the occupants of the Gold Saucer.
"Let's show this bastard why Black Ops is the most feared group on planet." A hiss akin to that of a cobra was heard as Adom drew the Ragnarok. Roarke had his rifle 'Odin' in hand. Werner removed the pistol 'Silencer' from its holster at his hip and brandished it, firing several shot's into the thing's head.
It roared loudly and slammed a taloned hand onto the ground where Werner had been seconds ago. And suddenly, there was Ed, stabbing left and right with his sai.
I hoped I had the manna left and attempted to cast a Fire 3.
A massive ball of flames erupted in Jet weapon's face; he simply roared and kept rampaging. I cursed and cast again, Jet weapon started rampaging a little more enthusiastically.
"David cut it out! Can't you see your only helping it?!" Adom shouted, performing an acrobatic leap and swinging his sword, causing him to spin in a circle.
"Cyclone Blade!" Adom seemed to be held up by strings, spinning and hitting Jet weapon with every revolution.
Damn, another one. That was his second limit breaker and I didn't have one. My thoughts were interrupted by a giant black fist slamming me into a wall. Right at that instant I knew I could do it. Deep down, somewhere inside of me, I felt it awaken.
"Alright, now I'm pissed!" I ran forward, not knowing what I was doing, and not really caring either. I just wanted to hurt that monster.
"Crimson Fury!" And there it was my first limit break. I was moving at inhuman speeds, my both my tongfers and me trailing a reddish energy. Punching, kicking, smashing. I kicked off of Jet weapons face, planting a foot between its eyes. With a psychotic grin on my face I turned, ready to renew my attack, only to of our fighters remained, and I was one of them. Roarke, Ed, Werner, the three of them were strewn haphazardly across the room, and Adom's strength was obviously failing.
"Guess I have no choice." I moved to where Adom was kneeling. "I need this." I stated, taking the Ragnarok from him. Grasping the hilt in both hands I relaxed myself, waiting for the inevitable pain that came from using the Blue materia. Again it hit, and again, severely less intense than the last time, the rest, as they say is history.
I'd had a run in at North Corel, a small town decimated by Shinra several years ago. After assuring them that no, I didn't work for Shinra and that yes, I'd try and get a reconstruction team sent down there right away. But, now I was at the Gold Saucer, and I was going to have some fun, even if it killed me, or someone else.
I first headed for the Chocobo races and, after finding that Joe was a racing his Chocobo Teiho, won 20 Gil. Then I headed to where I really wanted to be, the Battle Square. The woman behind me eyed me suspiciously. My damned Shinra t-shirt was causing more problems then I cared to deal with.
"Well, you look like a fighter." She said. "There's a special contest on today, you, get to fight Dio, if you win there's a 'special' prize for you."
"Then sign me up." I stated bluntly, just before the large metal door swung open and a blonde spikey haired person flew out of it, hitting the floor and skidding to a stop.
That must be Biggs, it wasn't Cloud, he was taller than this guy.
"Come back when you learn how to fight for real!" Dio stood in the doorway, struck a pose and walked across the floor toward the counter. "Any more challengers?" He demanded. Several people shrank away and other's fled the room entirely.
"Yes Dio, this 'boy' here wants to fight you." I didn't like the emphasis she put on boy, but there wasn't much I could do about it. Dio simply laughed and walked back through the door with me following in his wake.
"So, I hope yeh are a little more of a challenge than that punk." He said, changing from a pose to a combat stance.
"So do I." I drew my tongfers, readied them and ran at him, swinging high but dropping into a sweep kick and extending my elbow, hitting Dio in the stomach, then jumping backwards as a ham sized fist whistled past my face.
"Not bad boy." Dio sounded slightly amused.
"You want not bad? I'll give you not bad!" With a shout I jumped up and forward, planting a foot in his face and kicking him in the back of the knee as I landed behind him. I spun around quickly and pummeled him with my tongfers. Suddenly I was wrapped up in a crushing embrace.
"Heheheh, foolish, you let me get a hold of you, Not. A. Good. Idea!" He emphasized his words with a powerful squeeze before tossing me across the room. I stood, looking to run forward but Dio was a blur of movement. His fists hit me twice and I was on the ground, gasping for breath. Damn! This guy knew how to throw a punch. Then a notion struck me, I rose shakily and balanced my self, focusing on the Blue materia.
Again nothing and then mass amounts of pain coursed through every fiber of my being, though not as intense as before. After the burning began to fade I was disconnected from myself, for how long I don't remember, but when I regained control I was standing over an unconscious and bruised Dio.
The after affects were not as severe either I noticed, as I was able to walk out of the small room. I saw my battle with Dio being replayed on a large screen. Saw the look on my face, a maniacal grin and wide eyes, fighting like a berserker, but with more. precision. The expression of pure exultation on my face sent a shudder down my spine. I made a mental note never to use the Blue materia again unless I needed to.
"U. umm, sir. Here's your prize." I was handed a small pendant which I almost immediately recognized as a Tetra elemental.
"Thanks." I took it and fastened it around my neck as I made a hasty exit. I had a certain someone I needed to visit in Mt. Nibel.
********
Cold, cold, dark and damp. A great description of my current surroundings. I wasn't afraid, don't' get me wrong, the only thing to fear in here was the Materia keeper, and his pet. The pet was dead, Avalanche had killed it when they passed through here four years ago, and I was looking for the Materia keeper.
There, a single, solitary light in the back of the cave.
"Hellooo." I wandered towards the light, hoping I could remember where the actual path was.
"Take two steps left, four forward and then just head left." A booming voice said. I did as I was told. Hearing rocks slip off the narrow path and fall for an eternity, finally striking a definitely solid bottom.
"Umm. okay." I hurried onward into the blinding light the Materia keeper enjoyed.
"You again." He was not as most people thought, a giant spider like monster, but a sociopathic old man.
"Got a new one for you. It's called the Blue materia." I removed it from my Imperial guard and handed it to him.
"Hmm. interesting, yes it is." I'd grown used to the old mans talking to himself. "It turns you into the perfect fight, devoid of emotion or rational thought." He paused. "Go away, now."
I was given my materia back and after replacing it I ran out the way I had come, reversing the directions and getting back to the Gold Saucer. A slight misstep nearly pitched me into the depths of the dark chasm. I stood at the edge of the precipice, wind milling my arms in an effort to regain my balance.
"This is so not professional."
********
I was in Corel yet again, trading my Shinra shirt in for a plain black one. About fifteen minutes of walking found me at the loading station for the air car. I heard familiar voices drifting from inside and found the rest of Black Ops standing inside it.
"Shit, you guys! You're ruining my vacation."
"Hey, I'm just taking a trip to the Gold Saucer dud, oh; we left our stuff at your oof." Ed had the wind knocked out of him by an innocent looking Roarke.
"Besides Adom has never been to the Gold Saucer." He explained.
"Odin save us. I suppose you've never been out of Midgar either." I muttered sarcastically.
"Actually."
"Stop, just stop. I'll give you the Grande Tour. if they let me back in."
"What?" Roarke sounded clearly interested.
"Oh, nothing I just, ahem, beat the shit out of Dio." The car lurched forward, propelled by a set of large propellers. As we traveled I recounted the epic tale of my battle with Dio. Or, as much as I could remember.
"And I don't remember anything after that, just after." The car came screeching to a halt and the roar of engines was replaced by the happy, carefree music of the Gold Saucer.
"We figured you'd be here." An all too familiar voice called out. A Blue clad man leapt down from atop one of the large displays, Tseng. The rest of the Turks followed, emerging from the shadows and cutting off our escape route. As if we would have actually ran.
Rude came from the left, cracking his knuckles. Elena from the right, with a smile and a wave, then aiming a quicksilver. Reno took a seemingly favored spot at the rear, toying with an electro mag rod.
My tongfers were nearly willed into my hands.
"Long time no see." I said, launching myself forward, only to be straight armed by Tseng almost immediately. I rubbed my jaw. "You've been hanging around Rude I see." God, I'd forgotten how fast this guy was. I was punched, kicked, elbowed and thrown more times than I could count, or block. My opponent simply wasn't human.
"Bloody Turks." I muttered, summoning Bahamut. The huge black dragon tore through the air, blasting with zeal, and then leaving as abruptly as he had come. I rolled out of Tseng's reach I caught a glimpse of his face, spotting something that wasn't normally there, a smile. Some thing was obviously and seriously wrong.
"Mr. Boekal, I'd like you to meet Jet weapon.
"Huh?"
"A secret project begun by Shinra a long time ago to combat the other weapon's after the failure of the Proud Clod's."
"An' now it's gonna smash yer ass!" Reno added his two cents worth.
"You villains are all he same, blah blah blah, explain my entire plan, blah blah blah..." A shadow covered the ground in front of me. "Oh shit."
"A very colorful, if not accurate way of putting it. Tseng turned and walked into the theme park.
Jet weapon, a massive, black monstrosity. Accented by a pair of red glowing eyes. Screams of terror, and a few other comments could be heard from the occupants of the Gold Saucer.
"Let's show this bastard why Black Ops is the most feared group on planet." A hiss akin to that of a cobra was heard as Adom drew the Ragnarok. Roarke had his rifle 'Odin' in hand. Werner removed the pistol 'Silencer' from its holster at his hip and brandished it, firing several shot's into the thing's head.
It roared loudly and slammed a taloned hand onto the ground where Werner had been seconds ago. And suddenly, there was Ed, stabbing left and right with his sai.
I hoped I had the manna left and attempted to cast a Fire 3.
A massive ball of flames erupted in Jet weapon's face; he simply roared and kept rampaging. I cursed and cast again, Jet weapon started rampaging a little more enthusiastically.
"David cut it out! Can't you see your only helping it?!" Adom shouted, performing an acrobatic leap and swinging his sword, causing him to spin in a circle.
"Cyclone Blade!" Adom seemed to be held up by strings, spinning and hitting Jet weapon with every revolution.
Damn, another one. That was his second limit breaker and I didn't have one. My thoughts were interrupted by a giant black fist slamming me into a wall. Right at that instant I knew I could do it. Deep down, somewhere inside of me, I felt it awaken.
"Alright, now I'm pissed!" I ran forward, not knowing what I was doing, and not really caring either. I just wanted to hurt that monster.
"Crimson Fury!" And there it was my first limit break. I was moving at inhuman speeds, my both my tongfers and me trailing a reddish energy. Punching, kicking, smashing. I kicked off of Jet weapons face, planting a foot between its eyes. With a psychotic grin on my face I turned, ready to renew my attack, only to of our fighters remained, and I was one of them. Roarke, Ed, Werner, the three of them were strewn haphazardly across the room, and Adom's strength was obviously failing.
"Guess I have no choice." I moved to where Adom was kneeling. "I need this." I stated, taking the Ragnarok from him. Grasping the hilt in both hands I relaxed myself, waiting for the inevitable pain that came from using the Blue materia. Again it hit, and again, severely less intense than the last time, the rest, as they say is history.