Chapter - 7: Torment

Cloud's bike screeched through the rocky outcroppings surrounding the ruined city of Midgar. His refreshed resolve burned inside him as he continued on, focused on only on the road ahead of him.

He sighed briefly as he heard two engines start up and saw Yazoo and Loz speed out of their hiding spots on the side of the road and begin the chase. Without a moments notice he gave his bike gas and tried to outrun them as he opened the side compartments and drew one of his massive swords.

The chase continued as the hills and fields flew past them while they rocketed towards Midgar and amazing speeds. He could tell they were gaining on him and decided he would have to stand and fight.

He quickly slowed down as Loz's bike came screaming up beside him. Loz turned to his side and swung his left fist around to strike at Cloud. But he quickly dodged the blow as he spun his bike around in circle and over towards his right where Yazoo was. Bullets flew past him repeatedly from the silver haired man's gun blade.

Yazoo shouted something out, but it was lost on Cloud, drowned out by the roar of the motors in his ears. He raised his wide sword high and blocked another bullet from Yazoo as he sped up again.

The two silver haired men fell back and kept Cloud in sight as they sped into the city. Around him was the broken wall that had once kept people in and out of Midgar, it lay as rubble and became obstacles for him to drive around. He saw the highway ramp that had one been held up and pointed to the sky, now lay down, granting him access onto it.

He sped up and shot up and over the ramp; his bike flew awhile through the air before landing on the road with a loud thump. No more then seconds after he reoriented himself, he heard twin thumping noises and turned to see Yazoo and Loz land on the highway.

The lines on the road streaked by beneath him as he sped up again and tried to get far enough away to lose them. Yazoo gunned the engine and zoomed past him before turning to fire shot after shot at him. Cloud pulled his blade up in front of him defensively as he raced at Yazoo and their blades crashed together. The bikes spun out of control as they locked blades and glares, Cloud saw Loz coming up from behind and pushed off the other bike to race on ahead again.

As they went, he noticed a large tunnel ahead and weaved side to side as he darted in, the other two men in fast pursuit. They lost sight of Cloud in the shadows at the start of the tunnel where the lights had burned out.

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The intense hatred between the two combatants was like a roaring inferno as axe met sword in a painful looking game of wits. Kane brought his axe down the middle of Kadaj's twin bladed sword, jamming it in place as he pushed to the side and punched his foe in the chest. Kadaj heaved back hard pulling his blades loose as he lingered back a moment to wait for the next move to come to him, but it would seem his opponent had patience as they stared each other down.

"You have mother," Kadaj smirked. "And I want her back."

Kane ignored his babble and launched another attack at him. The combat continued without pause for along while until Kane got lucky and smacked the side of Kadaj's head with the butt end of his axe. Kadaj fell to his knees as blood poured from the wound on his head, he was disoriented and nearly senseless as Kane walked over to him and looked at him a moment. Kane swung his axe wide at him while he was distracted, but Kadaj lurched under the attack and shoved his twin katana at him. He dropped his axe and stepped back a few steps, the blades had ran through his chest and jammed one of his ribs in the center, blood dripped out onto the ground as he stumbled over to his knees.

The rib cracked as Kadaj pulled his sword out of his opponent and knelt before him.

A white glow came from the orb on his bracelet as he touched the wound he had just caused, it slowly started to heal. He stopped part way through and left the wound bleeding.

"You will live longer, but the pain will hurt worse as you slowly die…" he whispered into Kane's ears.

Kadaj stood and smiled at him before walking off leaving him to die.

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After a few moments they caught sight of Cloud again, this time his tires squealed as he soared towards Yazoo with two of his swords in hand. Yazoo ducked quick as the first blade flew overhead and scratched the leather on his back. He turned his waist around and fired off behind him at Cloud as he spun around and came back towards him. While Cloud raced back for his second run, Loz jumped into the air as his bike continued on past them. When he landed back on the seat he punched his fist down and pulled himself onto the ground, sending his bike up into the air and at Cloud. Yazoo saw the bike and rammed hard on his brakes, forcing him to spin out. Cloud sped up and let go of his offhand sword as he gripped his main weapon in both hands and cleaved the bike into two.

Yazoo cursed as he fell off his bike and Cloud cleared the end of the tunnel, driving far out of sight.

The sky unfolded above as Cloud weaved side to side again as he exited the tunnel, a glace back ensured him that Yazoo and Loz were off his tail. When he looked in front of him again he saw Kadaj walking out into the middle of the road. He grasped his sword tight in his hands as the distance between the two men decreased. A flash of blue light erupted from Kadaj's hand and sent multiple pulses of energy rushing toward the bike. Cloud turned fast as the bolts whistled by and exploded behind him, the fire roared up the rear of his bike, lifting him completely into the air and over an overpass. As he came back towards the road, he swung at Kadaj whom blocked the blow with his twin bladed katana and let it slide off the tip. Cloud ignored him and drove on.