Reno: Booyaka!
Reeve: What the hell did you just say?
Reno: 'Booyaka'. All the cool kids are saying it these days.
Reeve: Godammit, no they're not! Only Selphie does! You're picking up FF8 habits!
Reno: Well, it's only fair. We are doing the disclaimer in Tyramir's other fic, Fallen Knight, and it's only natural that I'd pick up the lingo they use there.
Reeve: ...
Reno: Seriously. And they got these neat things over there, called GFs...
Reeve: We have summons.
Reno: Yes, but they have GFs. They're so totally different.
Reeve: Arg! No they're not! They're the same!
Reno: Fine, be ignorant.
Reeve: Whatever.
Reno: Oh my god, you're Squall in disguise!
Reeve: Okay, that's it. Tyramir doesn't own the rights to Final Fantasy. You know, you're lucky he took my god-like abilities to drop things from the heavens on people. Otherwise...
Reno: I'd be dead?
Reeve: Faster than you could Junction Shiva and Siren on to yourself for some hot, GF lovin'.
Rallying Cry
But still they advanced.
"Can we go home now?" Reno asked.
"Like I said before, there ain't no gettin' off this train we on. Keep firing!"
Reno grunted and pressed down the red buttom on his staff. A low hum sounded, followed by a soft whirl. He pressed again, and once more the same noise issued with no fire coming out the end.
"Uh, Barret?"
"What?"
"I'm out of energy. How you doing for bullets?"
"Just peachy. Don't worry 'bout me. I got reloads to spare. You just find another way to hit 'em."
Reno fumbled with his staff, checking the gauge. Empty. He swore. He really was out of ammo for his staff. He checked the power supply for the shocking mechanism. Three quarters full. Pity he couldn't re-route that into the launcher to give himself more range.
He didn't have any Materia on him, either. He gave himself a quick pat down, wincing when he put a hand on his side. That wound wasn't feeling too good, and it was starting to make him feel a little weak. Why wasn't it clotting at all?
Remembering something at last, Reno reached into his breast holster and drew his gun. He clicked off the safety and pulled back the hammer, taking careful aim. Each shot would have to count. He only had two spare clips.
The Turk began firing, ignoring the lives he took or how he took them. He would squeeze the trigger, aiming for someone who looked important, in command, and killed. While Barret devastated the front ranks with aimless destruction, Reno found targets that mattered, men wearing First Class uniforms, or with rank pins, and made sure they fell and didn't get up.
But they still advanced.
"Avalanche!" Barret called as he fired, managing to make more noise than the weapon, more noise than the incoming army. "Avalanche! TO ME!"
The large man called, bellowing into the night, his wave echoing off the walls of the ruins of Midgar. And then, in response, there was a large thud. Followed by another. Then another.
A large red shape came into view, followed by a voice over a very loud speaker phone. "Hey! Clod Sith to the rescue!"
The gigantic shape reached down and swept at the ranks of Soldier with its one massive fist, toppling them aside like so many toys. He kicked and stomped and punched, killing the enemy mercilessly, laughing all the while.
"Reeve, dammit!" Barret yelled. "I don't care if you're with Shinra, but if you can hear me, call Avalanche!"
And in response, Proud Clod echoed, louder than ever before, "Avalanche! To me! To Barret! Rally!"
And the call was answered. Alongside the enemy flanks fire and lightning raced, striking from both sides. Materia attacks struck from above and below, from the skies and from the earth. Summoned monsters appeared and roared their challenge, striking into thr fray, then retreating to the safety of their Materia.
How Reno envied them.
And in the distance, above all the din, Reno could hear another gun firing into the enemy ranks. So, Elena was still alive. Good for her.
The enemy was being hit from all sides, out-matched, out-flanked, and out-gunned. All they were armed with were those over-grown swords.
But they still advanced.
Despite Avalanche's best efforts, the Soldiers stood up, shrugging off near fatal wounds, and kept moving. Their stamina and endurance were unparalleled, their ability to ignore wounds and move ever closer to Jenova's call unbelievable.
"We're not gonna win, are we?" Reno asked in a hushed voice.
Barret hesitated before answering, "No."
The Turk fired his last bullet and tossed his gun away. Useless now, not even a good melee weapon. The 'mag rod would do now. If only they had some way to break the enemy, shatter their center and disperse them...
Reno's eyes widened. There were days that he could be such a genius. And he always wanted to be a hero, too. Had always fantasized about it deep down.
"Barret, looks like you're buying drinks tonight."
The large man looked over at the Turk, a confused look on his face. "The hell you talkin' about? I'm way ahead of you."
"Not for long. Cover me!"
This is insane. This is insane. This is insane. The words kept repeating in his head as he ran at the enemy, charging to meet them in some sort of mighty collision. His fingers raced along the controls of his electro-mag rod, doing quick reprogramming. There. All he had to do was hook the doohickey into the whatchamacallit and... bingo. He was rather proud of himself for this work of genius.
"Cover Reno!" the words came from Barret, and were repeated by Proud Clod. Instantly the Materia attacks focused around Reno as he charged into the enemy, sending Soldiers hurtling away from him. His staff began to hum, and he gulped. Maybe this wasn't such a brilliant idea after all.
Soldiers he ran by swiped at him with swords, trying to kill him as he passed by without trying to kill their own comrades with the massive strokes. He easily dodged the clumsy attacks, and gave the few Soldiers who were able to attack him the middle finger.
He wasn't sure how far he ran into the enemy ranks, but when he judged to be in about the center, he dropped the staff and began running back to the relative safety of Barret. Maybe he wouldn't get killed. Yeah. That'd be nice.
But a voice nagged at him. You don't deserve to make it. Remember Sector Seven? Yeah, you did that. You might be a hero now, but when all's said and done, you're just trying to make up for one big mistake. You think it balances? You think you've 'redeemed' yourself now? You're nowhere close.
Reno really wished that voice would shut up.
Dammit, I can do this! I am a hero! I am! I have to be, just this once!
The world exploded in a blast of blinding pain, sweeping Reno with it.
I don't want to die.