Something was buzzing in my ear. I leaned over and looked eye-to-eye with the alarm clock. It read "6:46." I sat up, rubbing my eyes. I looked down at my legs. No change, the horrendous scar was still on my left leg. It looked faintly like a snake. It felt like a snake - a symbolism of evil I was forced to bear forever...well, when my skin rots off once I get to the grave that should do it. Or maybe not?

"Get up, you fuckhead."

Cid walked in the room in nothing but jogging pants, smoking a cigarette.

"What the hell do you want?" I got out of bed, still in my boxers. I ran my hand through my hair, which when not spiked up just hangs everyfuckingwhere.

"7 AM, up and at 'em. We gotta be in South Nibelheim."

Ah, South Nibelheim. You probably need an explanation, don't you? Of course. After Midgar went boom-boom, or in other words the Lifestream and Meteor crushed it, Nibelheim became a very large city. It was split into two domed sections, South and North Nibelheim. The original town was never changed, as the new city was built a few kilometers south. The two domed sections were to prevent catastrophes such as what happened three years ago. The dome opens and closes with the flick of a switch. There are five tunnels connecting the two domes, although only two are open to the public. The third is an underground secret only known by the closest of NSI.

Who are NSI? I'm glad you asked. New Shin-Ra Industries, basically picking up where Shinra left off.The only difference is that now it takes much less Mako, so we haven't really been concerned with them. Their president should be familar to you: Reeve. His full name, Rueben David Reeve. He stuck with Reeve because he wasn't a deli sandwich. That's what he said, anyway. Anyways, as he tries to make life easier for everyone while not destroying the Lifestream, a few Shinra employees who were lucky enough to not die got together and now are a band of criminals. Their leader: Dale, younger brother of Rufus. These guys terrorize a lot of places: Kalm, Junon, Cosmo Canyon, and last but not least, their headquarters...South Nibelheim.

So, why am I going to South Nibelheim with Cid? Simple. To kick these guys' asses.

"Come on, we don't have all god damn day!"

Barret was sitting on the couch downstairs in the hotel we had on the tunnel. "I'm up, he's up, we're all up. Red's on his way, and Reeve's sending down Cait Sith."

"Then where the hell are Tifa and Yuffie?"

"Right here." Tifa and Yuffie came out behind Cid from the ladies' restroom. Damn, Yuffie dresses like she was going to get laid instead of fight. Tifa, on the other hand, just looks good no matter what she's wearing.

"So let's all get the strategy talk and bullshit through." Cid sat everyone down and I pulled out a couple of stones from my pocket. There was already a map of South Nibelheim on the table.

"All right. we're right here at the motel on the West Tunnel. Shinra HQ is right here on Gainsborough Street." God, that name makes me cringe and want to cry. I don't want to even go into it...

"Nice name." Tifa swung her hair back.

"Here's what we do. Cid and I go to the park with the stuff. We've already called them and set up the drop. Cait Sith and Barret go up the old cargo elevator on the building across the street and provide cover fire. Tifa and Yuffie pretend to be strolling through the park, when we walk by. Then it's all on."

"What about me?" Red came in through the doorway. "I've been listening in for baout ten seconds. Good plan, but please don't tell me you're putting me on a leash."

"Yuffie and I are going undercover...if we were walking a pet, we could do the job much easier..."

"Fuck me, COME ON! Just because I look like a feline on speed does NOT MEAN I have the ability to pose as a domesticated pet! Besides, you ever try and fight a gangster with a leash on?"

"Chew it off." I petter Red lightly just to piss him off.

"Strife, do it again and you pull back a bloody stump." Red looked at me with his most angry look.

"You know you like it."

"It's a reflex."

"Any questions?" Everyone shook thier heads.

"Let's roll. Remember, this is what we've waited for. Years in the making, to finally finish off the enemy. Fight until you're dead."