Chapter 6
The only thing I own is a copy of Final Fantasy VII, which I play frequently, and Tarae.
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Cloud peers around the corner to see Hojo and Tarae walking down the hall. They go through the door to the stairway and climb up to the 67th floor.
"Hojo …huh?" He whispers before motioning for Barret and Tifa to follow him. By the time the group got to the 67th floor, the door was left opened and no one was around. Barret walks up to the door, "I remember him. …That Hojo guy. He's in charge of Shinra's Science Department. Cloud don't you know him?"
"This is the first time I've actually ever seen him. So …that's what he looks like." he shook his head and continued to follow Hojo. They found him in front of a large glass cylinder with a red beast inside, Cloud and the others hide behind a box. Tarae seems to be talking to the beast by sign language behind Hojo as he rubs his hand across the glass. The creature responds by slowly nodding its head.
"Is this today's specimen?" asked the assistant when he walked in. Hojo rises from his position and answers, "Yes. We're starting right away. Raise it to the upper level."
The man leaves and he continues to rub the side of the chamber, "My precious specimen."
"I still don't get how this is going to work." Tarae complained.
"For a young intellectual genius, you are still naïve about many things." He begins walking away.
"Me? Naïve? Then why don't you try to explain how it's supposed work!" she called after the retreating scientist. She pauses in front of a metal container then runs to catch up with Hojo. Tifa comes out of hiding and mimics Hojo, "Precious specimen…? Is it going to be used for a biological experiment?"
Cloud looks at the metal container and his eyes widen, "Jenova…" Tifa turned away from the lion-like creature just in time to see Cloud about to collapse. Nightmarish memories flood back into his head when he fell back, only to land in Tifa's arms.
"Jenova …Sephiroth's …So …they've brought it here."
"Cloud be strong!" she encouraged while hoping that he didn't notice that she was shaking. He sits up, "Did you see it?"
"See what?" Barret answered, facing Jenova's prison.
"It's moving …still alive?"
Barret glances in the window and jumps back, "Where's its #$%@#@ head? This whole thing's stupid. Let's keep goin'!"
Tifa helps Cloud back to his feet then looks at the other end of the room, "Hey maybe that elevator will take us to the 68th floor." He noticed the frightened look on her face and gave her a worried gaze. She just smiled at him and made a motion to say that everything was okay. Barret grunts in annoyance for the hold up making Cloud sigh and say, "All right, let's use it."
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Tarae stared at Aeris with an emotionless face when she saw her. Hojo unfortunately noticed Aeris brighten up when they entered.
"It seems like the specimen knows you."
"I may have seen her once." Tarae lied. "Hurry up you guys!"
"Professor! The preparations are complete, waiting for you order." Announced the assistant.
"Good."
"Aeris!" the voice rang out from the elevator. Hojo only glanced at them, "Aeris? Oh, is that her name? What do you want?"
Cloud frowned and yelled, "We're taking Aeris back!"
"Outsiders…" he rolled his eyes like a teenager would. Barret shook his fist in Hojo's direction, "Shoulda noticed it earlier you-"
"There's so many frivolous things in this world." He watches Barret aim his gun at him, "Are you going to kill me? I don't think you should. The equipment here is extremely delicate. Without me who could operate them? Hmm?"
"Ugh."
"That's right. I recommend you think things out logically before you make any rash moves. And Miss Destine, as a lady of knowledge, you of all people would know when to draw a sword on a rabid dog." Tarae finally realized she pulled out her sword when Cloud barged in.
"Hmm, it must have been by instinct." She muttered as she sheathed her sword, resisting the urge to drive it in his back. Hojo turned towards his assistant, "Now bring in the specimen!" Soon part of Aeris's cell floor disappeared and then the red beast rose up. Immediately the creature began growling at her and she runs around him.
"Cloud, help!" she screamed out, banging against the glass.
"What do you think you're doin'!?" Cloud demanded.
"Lending a helping hand to an endangered species …Both of them on the brink of extinction… If I don't help, all these animals will disappear."
"…Animal?" Tifa steps forward and shakes her head, "That's terrible! Aeris is a human being!"
"Barret! Can't you do anything?" asked Cloud. Tarae's hand mimicked a gun and pointed it to the container. he nodded, "Awright!! Step back!"
He raises his gunarm and began shooting until the chamber started glowing. Hojo's eyes widened and his former arrogant appearance vanished, "Stop! Wh …what are you do-- Oh! My precious specimens!" He franticly opens the prison, allowing the beast to pounce on him.
"Now's our chance!" Cloud exclaimed as he ran up to Aeris.
"Thanks Cloud." She gets out but he stays in there and slowly backs out.
"Cloud, what's wrong?" asked Tifa.
"…The elevator's moving." The beast gets off of Hojo, "He's rather strong. I'll help you all out."
"Ah …so you do talk!" Tarae shouted happily.
"All right," agreed Cloud, "We'll take care of that monster. Barret, take care of Aeris!" He faces the beast, "What's your name?"
"Hojo has named me Red XIII. A name with no meaning whatsoever to me. Call me whatever you wish."
"What happened to Nanaki?" Tarae thought, frowning slightly. She watched Cloud, Tifa, and …Red XIII fight HO512 until Hojo grabbed her arm.
"Tarae, we must get out of here. It's dangerous." He begins pulling her away from the battle.
"What? You think I can't handle a battle against rabid dogs?" she sneered. She finally faced him to see that his eyes were different. Usually they were arrogant, even cold and distant, but now they were warm and caring …and oddly familiar. Reluctantly she allowed herself to be dragged off of the 68th floor. Suddenly, his eyes changed back to normal and he let go of her arm.
"Interesting. …Have you ever had the feeling that you met someone before? That blonde boy, …his name is Cloud, …isn't it? She will be delighted."
"Professor?" Tarae never called him 'professor' but then again he never called her anything but 'Miss Destine'. Come to think of it, she wasn't really sure if Hojo even knew her first name. He shook his head and walked towards the elevators, "It's too bad I have to report this to the president."
"It doesn't seem that they will be able to escape. I have a feeling Jenova will find Aeris so I'll have to get her and the others out of the building." Tarae made sure no one was around, then made her way to the security room.
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"Whew! Thank heavens the intruders were captured." The security guard sighed as he watched Cloud's team be dragged away on screen. The guard was too busy to notice the figure in the corner screen approaching the security room.
"Sleep!" the guard was instantly knocked out from the spell. Tarae typed a few codes in the command center and all the screens shut off.
"Now what was that code to erase five minutes worth of recorded information? …Oh yeah! EZ82217G… There, done!" With that, she left the security room and waited in the shadows.
Around 4:00 A.M., Tarae was walking to the jail cells on the 67th floor hiding her sleep materia behind her back so the guard in front of Aeris's cell wouldn't suspect her. One she was halfway down the hall, she heard a door open and a man scream. She pulled out her sword just as a black object was about to hit her. Metal clanged and she was knocked against the wall, unharmed. The black figure flew down the hallway and turned left, more screams were heard. Then the figure walked toward the lab, giving Tarae enough time to see the mysterious man.
"Sephiroth!!! I thought he was dead." she was about to check on the others but stopped when a loud growl emitted from the lab.
"Jenova…" she whispered in a nearly inaudible voice.
Jenova's container was broken and had blood everywhere when Tarae arrived. She held her breath as she surveyed the damage.
"The blood trail leads up. He must be after the president!" She ran past the dead bodies to ride the elevator on the 66th floor. On the 69th floor, a door had a large claw mark on it. Thankfully it was still operational so she could get into the main office. Upstairs, Tarae saw Sephiroth's masamune driven in President Shinra's back. Sephiroth was laughing manically as she stepped inside.
"Sephiroth!" Their eyes lock. Cold blue versus emerald green.
"Heh, heh, sorry little girl. I don't have time to play." He calmly walked out side with Tarae following him and flew away. She stood at the edge of the huge balcony, shocked. She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the helicopter.
"Miss Destine? What happened?" Tarae slowly faced Rufus, "I saw Sephiroth. He murdered your father. I must hunt him down …to make him stop this senseless journey to the Promised Land …before he gets killed." She then jumped off the building and landed on a motorcycle as if someone knew she was going to jump. The motorcycle sped off and out of Midgar.
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Sorceress Myst: I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review. Thanks for reading and look out for chapter 7!
