Disclaimer: This is the only disclaimer that will appear in this story so pay attention. I don't own any of the characters, places, or anything else that appears in this story. Those are the property of SQUARE-ENIX and have been used without permission. No ownership is stated or implied.
With that said, let's move on to the story.
Chapter One: Start Me Up
Cid Highwind was a former member of both the Shin-ra Air Force and the Space Committee. About a week ago, he met up with a group of yahoos that called themselves AVALANCHE. Together they stole off in Tiny Bronco, a small plane of Cid's that the Shin-ra had also wanted.
Cid had gradually started to fit in with the group. It wasn't easy for him to put up with most people, let alone make friends. Still, for the most part they seemed like good people, who knew what they were doing, so he had decided to tag along for the ride. Besides, he was sick and tired of the Shin-ra's empty promises to restart the space program.
Prior to him hooking up with AVALANCHE, the Shin-ra had all but severed contact with him, only calling him when they needed something. He couldn't even get funds to keep the Space Shuttle in shape. Everything that he did was pulled out of the towns funds or his own pocket. Even thinking about them right now, made his blood boil.
He stared at the fuel pumps to the Tiny Bronco. They were shot. Literally. Cid didn't even have enough parts to rig it, much less fix the thing.
"Shit-fuckin' stupid piece of junk!" he yelled, flinging his tools to the ground. He left the plane and started walking from the beaches of Costa del Sol back to the rooms that his companions had rented, cussing not so silently to himself and wiping the grease from his hands on the old pilot jacket he wore.
He'd already spent most of the night trying to fix the damage to the plane. The bullets had punched holes in quite a few important parts. If it had gone either a half an inch to the right or left, they would have been fine. But the punctured on of the main valves in the fuel pumps. It was futile even working on it. Since the Tiny Bronco was mostly custom built by hand, their weren't even any replacement parts.
"Some fuckin' mechanic I am" he cursed to himself. "Can't fix a damned plane that I put together myself in the first place. Some good I do here. That made Cid even madder thinking it. The whole reason AVALANCHE had sought him out was for the plane and now it was little more than a glorified boat.
"Shit."
Impatiently he stomped through the building and threw open the door to Cloud's room. "Got good news and bad news," he announced reaching into his pocket for a smoke. It took him a few seconds to realize that there was a possibility Cloud may not have been alone in his room, or decent, or possibly both. When his eyes caught up with his brain, he just barely caught Cloud, alone, starring intently at his hand. It was too dark inside the room for Cid to tell why. Cloud shoved his hand into his pants pocket as soon as he noticed Cid standing there.
"What the...?" Cid muttered to himself noticing Cloud's glove laying on the bed. Cid had never seen him without it. Even the bandages that normally peeked out from under them lay curled on the bed. There was no blood on them to indicate a wound. Cloud looked up at Cid with cold eyes.
"You didn't see this," Cloud said bluntly. At first the pilot was speechless, then his hardened attitude kicked back in. He didn't much care for anyone trying to intimidate him. Still, he knew it would be better to play the part of the pal than to get brash, at least this time it would.
"Mind telling me how that happened?" Cid plucked a cigarette from his pocket. Thinking a minute he pulled another out and offered it to Cloud. Worth a shot, he figured.
"No thanks," Cloud replied turning his head back to look at his bandages. "I heard those things aren't good for you". After a brief moment of silence he continued to talk about what he believed Cid had seen. "I'm not sure how it happened," Cloud paused. "No, That's not exactly right. What I mean is I can't remember. I just had it one day." Cid gave him a clueless look.
With his free hand, Cloud picked up the glove and soon it and the hand holding it went into the pocket as well. "Excuse me for a minute here." Cloud apologized. Cid watched as Cloud's hands both wriggled around his pocket before they emerged gloved. He then put the arm guard back in place and clenched and unclenched his hand a few times. "Much better."
"Nobody else here knows about this. I prefer they didn't. Now what were you about to say?" By now, Cid had completely forgotten what he came in there for.
"How's the Bronco?" Cloud asked him noticing the blank expression.
"Ah yeah, yeah, the Bronco. Tiny Bronco." Cid inhaled deeply and blew smoke across the room, "Well in words of one syllable, it's shit. I mean, we can still use it fer getting around in the water like we do, and I'm not sure how long it can hold there either, but it ain't gonna fly. 'sides, even if it did, then what? I mean, it was built for two people, I could squeeze four o' us in 'em but we got a good deal more than that." Cloud's shoulders slumped as Cid continued ranting.
"Listen, we don't have the slightest clue where the Temple of Ancients is. We could spend months searching for it. We need an aerial view."
Cid tried to smile mischievously. "That's the good news. I know where we can get an actual airship, not just this stupid glider." Cloud jumped up of his bed and slapped his Buster Sword to the sheath on his back.
"Then let's get going," Cloud exclaimed. Cid hated to ruin his enthusiasm. He so rarely saw the young man express himself this way.
"What? Ya' figure it's just buried under the sand somewhere? Shin-ra's got it. That's the bad news. We go blastin' inta' there they'll tear us ta' bloody fuckin' pieces. Just might anyway. Probably best if we make the run with half the team. I figure, and stop me if I'm wrong on this one, but me, Vincent, and the stuffed toy got the best got the best chances of getting in there. Since at one point or another all o' us worked there."
"Cait Sith was Shin-ra?" Cloud puzzled. He couldn't picture that talking cat working for a no-nonsense organization like that.
"Yeah, he ain't said nothing, might be ashamed or some such, but I saw quite a few company labels on some of his junk." Cid waved his arms a bit, "You know, weapons and crap. Anyway, It'll be a help even if he knows next at' nothing."
"Seems like you've planned this all out already. But you did say you could get four in the Bronco. Take Yuffie, too." Cid almost spit his cigarette out when Cloud gave the suggestion.
"Yer kiddin' right?" Cid coughed at him. Cloud sighed.
"She is good at what she does. Don't let her attitude or personality fool you."
Cid rested his arm on Clouds shoulder as if talking to an old pal. "If you're worried about us not having enough man power, I'll take Barret."
"Why him? I mean I can understand not wanting Red XIII and myself, but Barret? Why not Aeris or Tifa?" Cid had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Everyone but Cloud had noticed how the two women fawned over him.
Cid had his reasons. He wanted say, "I picked Barret so that you and those two chicks that are always after you can maybe finally sort things out with each other. This is a beach resort, ya' know. At the very least, maybe seeing either one of them in one o' them skimpy little swimsuits the girls nowadays like to wear will be enough to jar through even your thick brain-dead skull!"
What he actually said was "I got my reasons. Just figured I'd run it by you first. You bein' boss and all."
"Go for it."
"Thanks, I'll go tell 'em." Cid turned to leave.
"Cid"
"Whut?"
"It's only five in the morning. Let them sleep a bit longer."
Cid flushed. "Yeah, alright." He took one more look at Cloud's gloved hand. Probably lookin' at one o' them scars he got or something'. No biggie, Cid half heartily whispered to himself. Not that he believed it.
Coming Next Chapter: Another Day in Paradise
