CHAPTER THREE

"We never think before we light the fuse"

-The Sky is Falling; Michael Bradley

(2 Years till the Nibelhiem Reactor incident, and 3 years Till Final Fantasy 7)

Several Shinra attack choppers are flying in route to the Corel Reactor, on board several heavily armed troops, under the command of Capt. Jeff "Scarlet" Rivers. He is under orders to investigate the possible sabotaging of the Shinra Corel Mako Reactor. Captain Rivers, hits the talk button on his head set.

"Alright, gentlemen, in a few minutes we will be touching down to find out what is going on here, are orders is to find out why this reactor is screwing up" said Scarlet.

"Sir, what is the squad deployment?" asked 1st Lt. McDiarmid

"Good question Lt. McDiarmid, simple I do all the talking, you take Bravo team, and scope out the reactor" said Capt. Rivers.

"Sir, I don't know what to look for?" said 1st Lt. McDiarmid.

"That's why we have a Reaction Control Specialist waiting for us" said Capt. Rivers.

"I take it I have to escort the person to the reactor, sir" said 1st Lt. McDiarmid.

"That's right, Charlie Team, I want you just to watch over the Choppers, right now, we need you guys as back-up" said Captain Rivers.

"Yes, sir" responded 2nd Lt. Fredrick's.

A villager notices the Shinra Choppers, coming towards him; he starts to wave at them as the speed over him. The choppers land around the reactor, on the platform three people are standing on the Helicopter Pad, gangway. The three choppers finishing landing on the

Chopper pads, and then the three teams disembark from the choppers Captain Rivers, and Lt's McDiarmid, and Fredrick's accompany him, as he walks towards the three people.

"Captain Jeff Rivers, commanding officer of Squad 53, we are here to investigate the possible sabotaging of this Reactor" said Captain Rivers.

"Yes, Captain Rivers we know why you are here this is Marlene Stannic the Reaction Control Specialist, Ron Highland the mayor of Corel Village, and myself Jack Burton, head of Shinra Investigations" said Jack Burton.

"Well let's, get down to business then" said Captain Rivers.

"Captain Rivers you will come with us, and who is going to accompany Ms, Stannic?" asked Burton.

"1st Lt. McDiarmid, will accompany Ms. Stannic" said Capt. Rivers.

"Excellent, and what about him?" asked Burton.

"2nd Lt. Fredrick's will be staying with the choppers" said Capt. Rivers.

"Okay, this way then, just to bring you up to speed, this Reactor, has been having trouble's Barret, and Dyne is responsible to maintain it" said the Mayor.

"Okay then why are we having problems then?" asked 1st Lt. McDiarmid.

"I think Dyne said it had to do with the Mako reaction, within the reactor" said the Mayor.

"How would they know about that could be the cause" said Marlene.

"I don't know that why they said it could be" said the Mayor.

"Are they certified Reaction Control Specialists?" asked Marlene.

"No, but they are the only ones that are doing the maintenance of the reactor" said the Mayor.

"Well, let me take a look at it, could be out of adjustment" said Marlene.

"Alright, but we should wait for, them I asked to join us at the Reactor" said the Mayor.

Meanwhile, at a small lake, Dyne, and Barret had decided to take the take off, unknown to them that Shinra had arrived.

"Dyne is it today or tomorrow that a Shinra Team is coming?" asked Barret.

"Tomorrow, I think he said, yeah I am sure it is tomorrow" said Dyne.

"Okay, so who did you get to look after Marlene?" asked Barret.

"I have got the neighbors to look after her" said Dyne.

"Alright, then he I have a bite" said Barret.

Meanwhile, at the Reactor it has been three hours, and the group is still waiting for Dyne, and Barret to show up.

"Are you sure Mayor that you told them to meet us here, because we have been waiting for three hours now" said Jack Burton.

"I am positive, that what I told them" said the Mayor.

"Well we can't wait anymore, Captain Rivers find Dyne, and Barret" said Burton.

"Yes, Sir" said Captain Rivers.

"Lt. McDiarmid, I want you to take Ms. Stannic, to the reactor, and find out what is going on" said Burton.

"Yes, Sir" said Ian.

Ian with his team, accompanying Ms. Stannic to the Reactor, Ian looks at Marlene.

"Well, I guess we can call this our second date?" asked Ian.

"Funny guy, I bet this is what you call a second date, right?" asked Marlene.

"Hey, got to take them where I can get them right?" said Ian.

"True, but let's look at the reactor first, then after we will have small talk" said Marlene

An hour passes, and Marlene stumbles onto something in the computer files, and motions Ian over to her.

"Look at this Ian" said Marlene.

"Yeah, what is it?" asked Ian.

"It seems that someone has been running a lot of bypasses, and writing illegal programs, to keep the reactor from overloading" said Marlene.

"What does that mean?" said Ian.

"It means that Dyne, and Barret are purposely sabotaging, and the mayor of this town is covering for them" said Marlene.

"I have to report this immediately, come here Corporal Banks" said Ian.

"Yes, sir" said Corporal Banks.

"Get me Mr. Burton on the horn" ordered 1st Lt. McDiarmid.

The corporal takes the mic of his back pack, and hands it to 1st Lt. McDiarmid.

After minutes, of explaining the situation to Mr. Burton, thirty minutes later Squad 53 is assembled.

"Burn the village to the ground; I can not believe that the Mayor has been protecting the two from Industrial Terrorism" said Jack Burton.

"Yes, Sir Charlie team make your way, to the west of the village, Bravo Team, secure the East, make sure no one survives" said Captain Rivers.

"Yes sir" respond both Lieutenants.

With minutes Squad 53 starts to look for Dyne, and Barret, but of course unfortunately the villages do not know where the two are, and of course accused of lying, people start to stand up making matters worst, and eventually the Village is burning to the ground. Barret, and Dyne, are approaching the village, and notice a huge black cloud coming in the direction of the Village.

"DYNE, look the village is burning down" said Barrett.

"CRAP you are right" said Dyne.

The two drop their fishing gear, and start running towards the village Dyne slips on a rock, and almost fall to his death. As Dyne starts to fall, Barret grabs him

"Not, going to die with me around, Dyne" said Barrett.

"Just pull me up" said Dyne.

"No probs, you should think about going on a diet, by the way" said Barrett.

Just as Barrett begins to pull up Dyne a Shinra Soldier sees Barret, and Dyne, Captain Rivers, there they are. As he points a Barrett, Captain Rivers, looks at them through his binoculars.

"Jones, give them, a warning shot" ordered Captain Rivers.

"Yes, sir" said Private Jones.

He look through his scope, and lines up a shot, not realizing that he is armed with a explosive tipped bullets, and that his scope is not properly aligned, he shoots, and hits both Dyne, and Barrett in the hand, which blows their hands clean off

"JESSUS TITTY FUCKING" scream Barrett, as he grabs his hand in pain, and watching Dyne fall to his presumed death.

Dyne, hits a small cliff, rolls into a cave, and knocked out, but to Barrett's perspective he fell to his death.

Barrett starts running away, from the squad, but by the time the squad get to the cliff he vanished

"FUCK, he got away, I thought I ordered a warning shot" said Captain Rivers

"Sorry, sir my scope was not properly aligned, and at the last minute I had an itch" said Private Jones.

Days Later, Shinra had left Corel Village, Barret walks into town, holding where once his right hand was, bandaged up. Everyone looks at him with a mean stare, and most people either spit at him or shout something out at him. The mayor walks up to him.

"Barrett take your things, and leave if you and Dyne where here, when I told you then this disaster could have been avoided" said the Mayor.

"Okay, I will be leaving after I collect my things and Marlene" said Barrett.

"Okay, be out of here by sundown" said the Mayor.

As the sunsets Barrett holding Marlene on his right shoulder walks out of Corel forever. Meanwhile Marlene and Ian are having dinner at the Gold Saucer.

"Ian, I forgot to tell you that I am now a certified Mako Reactor Control Specialist, and I got a job at the Midgar Reactor 6" said Marlene.

"Really, I think I should put in a request to transfer to Midgar, then so that we can end this long distance relationship" said Ian.

"Cool, I think that would be a good idea" said Marlene.

Meanwhile somewhere in Midgar, a young man by the name of Zack has been approved for the SOLDIER program, and also a Person named Sephiroth has just completed a very critical and dangerous mission for Shinra…….