"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."
Marie Curie
"Come on..." Barret growled at his PHS. "Answer your goddamn PHS Cid..."
Barret sat on the ground, a chocobo nearby, several miles outside Cosmo Canyon. It was barely dawn. Barret had just endured a restless night, waiting for Cloud and Tifa to come. But finally, at about four a.m., Barret gave into to the anxious pit in his stomach and left Cosmo Canyon to try and contact them. They didn't pick up their PHS. Then, feeling slightly panicky, Barret decided it was time he clued the others in.
"Hello?" a gruff, but wide awake voice said through the PHS.
"Cid?" Barret said quickly. "This is Barret-"
But Cid cut him off quickly.
"Dammit Barret have you heard?" he asked, his voice low and anxious.
Dread filled Barret. "Heard what?"
"Have you turned on the TV recently?" Cid asked incredously. "Where the hell are you?"
"Cosmo Canyon. But nevermind that, wha's goin' on?"
Silence answered him and for a second, Barret was afraid that they had lost the connection.
"Those bastards have Cloud and Tifa." Cid said, his voice gravelly. "They're planning on executing them today...I saw it on TV yesterday but apparently there's been a power outtage in Junon. I haven't heard anything since last night."
"Shit!" Barret cursed loudly. "Goddammit..."
"I know, I know..." Cid said, and there was the unmistakable sound of him taking a drag on his ciggarette.
There was another silence, but then Barret spoke up again.
"Well..." he began, squishing the anxiety out of his voice. "There's on'y one thing fer us to do then."
Cid gave a grave laugh. "I was hoping you'd say that."
Barret sighed wearily.
"Start heading towards Junon." he told Cid. "I'll tell the others. We'll meet there at noon today."
As soon as the phoneline went dead, Barret quickly dialed up the rest of AVALANCHE. Yuffie sounded grumpy, but agreed immediately to come help Cloud and Tifa. It took several tries to get to Vincent, but he too agreed to come. Barret wiped a weary hand across his forehead and climbed back on his chocobo. He'd have to go back and get Red, then find someone to take care of Marlene...He sighed sadly. Barret had hoped never to leave Marlene in order to fight ever again.
He was jerked from these thoughts as he saw something approaching out of the corner of his eye. Adjusting his gun-arm, he observed that there were three people approaching on chocobos. As they came closer, an angry look filled his face.
"Shinra bastards!" he yelled pointing his gun-arm at them.
Three exhausted faces looked at him. He immediately recognized them as Elena, Rude, and Reeve. Reeve put his arms up slowly and spoke to him.
"Don't shoot Barret." he said calmly but tiredly. "It's me, it's Cai-"
"Cait Sith." Barret finished for him, lowering his arm. "But...why are you with these...Turks?"
He raised his gun-arm again.
"Barret, please." Reeve said, sounding completely drained. "Rude and Reno were prisoners too. Elena helped us escape, but Cloud, Tifa, and Reno...they got captured again."
Barret looked at them uncertainly.
"Put your damn gun down!" Elena snapped at him. "We've had enough of them pointed at us in the past 24 hours..."
Barret lowered it. "What are you all doin' here?" His voice was suspicious.
"Cloud yelled at us to come here right before he was captured." Reeve told him. "We barely made it out."
Barret swore at them. "Why the hell didn't you help them?"
There was silence. When the silence was broken, surprisingly, it was Rude who spoke.
"They have SOLDIERS." he said. "We'll need all the help we can get."
Barret cursed again. Suddenly feeling incredibly old, he motioned to the three others to follow him as he made his way back to Cosmo Canyon.
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"So Reno..." Scarlet was saying, her face ugly from lack of sleep. "You don't wish to fix your mistake, and become loyal to Shinra again."
From where he was tied to a chair, Reno rolled his blackened eyes. This woman was more stupid than he first imagined, if she thought a Turk would give into the pathetic torture session she had one of her SOLDIERS issue. It took a lot more than pain to make him betray his friends. Granted, he had quite a few painful bruises...but he figured he'd be dying later that day anyways. Blood dribbled down his face.
Scarlet gave a frusterated growl. "Fine! He can be executed with the other two! When can we begin the executions"
Heidegger looked apprenhensive as she asked this question.
"Well you see..." he said nervously. "With the electricity out...we can't use the gas chamber so..."
Scarlet let out another frusterated growl. "Then go fix it! And quick!"
Heidegger waddled out of the room. Looking for someone else to vent her frusteration out on, Scarlet turned towards the SOLDIER named Kale.
"Go interrogate one of the other prisoners." she snarled. "Get whatever information you can."
Kale gave her a smirk and left the room.Two SOLDIERS dragged Reno out of the room. Scarlet collasped in a chair and crossed her arms angrily. Things will work out my way...she thought sulkily.
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Someone in the back of her mind, Tifa heard voices. Slowly, reluctantly, she opened her eyes. Her eyes met Cloud's face. He smiled at her. She returned the smile, snuggled deep into his arms. They both sat up without letting go of one another. Tifa closed her eyes as Cloud's arms tightened around her. Who knows what this day will bring...she thought, pressing her face into his shoulder.
As the door creaked open, their heads shot up, but they held each other more tightly. Tifa felt her heart hammer faster. Two SOLDIERS stood in the doorway, and between them, bloody and battered, was Reno.
"Reno!" Tifa gasped.
They threw him into the room. He stumbled to the ground. But the door didn't close. Tifa looked back at the doorway. Another SOLDIER was standing behind the two that threw Reno in. Tifa recognized him immediately.
"Kale." Cloud said coldy, standing up.
Tifa stood with him, but Cloud forced her behind him.
Kale laughed. "Now, now none of that...Don't worry. I'm here for you not her."
He made a slight motion to the two other SOLDIERS.
Tifa touched Cloud's shoulder gently.
"Cloud..." she whispered achingly.
Cloud turned around and kissed her gently on the lips.
"It's okay Tifa..." he said pressing their foreheads together.
The two SOLDIERS forcefully pulled them apart, but neither fought. As Cloud was pulled from the room, his eyes never left Tifa's. The door slammed shut. Tifa sunk to the floor and tried to stop the tears.
"Hey...don't cry." a voice croaked as a shaking hand touched her shoulder. "They just want to ask him some questions...he'll be back."
Tifa gasped and turned around. She had forgotten about Reno.
"Oh Reno!" she said horrified. "What did they do to you?"
Reno's face was bloody and bruised, his eyes practically swollen shut. Tifa didn't even want to imagine what kind of injuries were hidden by his ragged uniform.
"Don't worry about it." he said hastily. "I've been worse."
Tifa burried her face in her hands.
"Oh God Reno...what are we going to do?" she asked desperately.
Reno sighed and leaned up against the wall.
"All we can do is wait."
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Cloud was led into a small room, where he was cuffed and placed in a chair. Kale sauntered in lazily and sat across from him. Two sets of mako eyes glared at one another. Kale laughed and broke his gaze away.
"So..." he said, with mock pleasantness. "Do you know why you're here?"
Cloud didn't answer him. Kale laughed again.
"I thought you'd be difficult..." he said, sounding darkly amused. "In that case I'll just get to the point."
Kale took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.
"You see..." he began. "Scarlet isn't too happy that you and dear Ms. Lockhart are the only ones she managed to capture...so obviously she would like to know the where-abouts of the other members of AVALANCHE."
A bubble of hope filled Cloud's chest. They don't know where the others are...he thought with relief. He looked back up at Kale's face and this time he was the one who laughed.
"You really think I'd tell you?" Cloud asked dryly.
Kale shook his head with a smirk. "Of course not...and you aren't really the type to be influenced by violence now are you?"
Cloud's dry amusement faded. He suspected what would be coming next.
"That's why..." Kale said, taking note of Cloud's suspicious face with a smile. "I thought we could make a little deal."
Kale stood and made sure the door was locked. He sat back down in front of Cloud.
"You tell me where the rest of AVALANCHE is, and I'll make sure she doesn't die." Kale said, meeting Cloud's glare unflichingly.
Cloud shook his head angrily. "Why should I trust you?"
Kale laughed. "Because Cloud...I most certainly want Ms. Lockhart...alive..."
A sick feeling bubbled in Cloud's stomach.
"And you have my word." Kale said firmly. "I won't do anything without her...consent."
Anger blinded Cloud. Even though he was handcuffed, Cloud stood. Swearing visciously at the man in front of him, he kicked over the chair.
"I don't believe you!" Cloud shouted, breathing heavily. "I don't believe a word, you goddamn liar."
Kale stood up also and stood inches away from Cloud.
"Then you condemn her to death." he said scathingly. "I hope you're ready to watch her die."
This sapped Cloud's anger. He turned away, shoulders heaving. Kale smiled.
"Just tell me where the other's are." he said slowly. "And I promise you her safety..."
Cloud closed his eyes. Faces shot through his mind...Barret with his young daughter perched happily on his shoulder, Cid smiling proudly at his airship, Red shaking his head amused at his human companions, Yuffie's young face as she tried to get Cloud to give him all the materia, Vincent gloomy voice giving out cryptic advice...and Tifa's beautiful face inches from his...Slowly her words came back to him.
"I'm afraid of Kale." she had whispered. "And...I'm afraid of losing you."
Tifa wasn't afraid to die. Cloud turned back towards Kale.
"No." he said firmly.
The SOLDIER's face quickly went from shock to anger.
"No?" he repeated. "No!"
Kale took a step towards Cloud, but he stopped as a buzzing sound filled the room. A second later, the emergency lights flickered off, and the normal lights came on full force. A loud unpleasant voice came over the intercom system.
"Prepare for the executions!" Scarlet's voice boomed, sounding gleeful.
Cloud's head shot up. Kale smirked at him.
"Well..." he said carelessly. "I supposed it's too late to change your mind now...I hope you enjoy your last moments alive."
Swiftly, Kale left the room and locked it behind him.