Chapter Eleven:

Another Hole in the Head

Inside the dark, echoing stairwell we climbed. The gentle clacks of our boots as they hit each step bounced off each wall and into the upper chambers. About ten minutes passed as we trekked upwards. Finally, we came to a large door leading into a lobby.

The halfway point was upon us.

The floor number written on the door was fifty-nine.

Aeris looked at me and whispered, "Ready?"

"I suppose," I replied.

She eased open the heavy fire door and peered out into a large lobby. With the marble floors and columns, ferns and extra padded benches, one would think they were in some sort of mansion. Aeris stepped back and allowed me to see for myself. In the far distance was a set of elevators.

"That's where we need to get to," Aeris said. "It'll take us to the top."

I pushed past her.

"Wait!" she yelled in a hushed voice. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm saving the world," I said. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

I took five steps out into the area before the scattered employees turned and saw me. I brought up my Masamune and shouted, "If you do not wish to die, you'll leave now!"

A stampede broke out as the local security guards fought there way through the mad entourage of frantic employees. Aeris crept out behind me as I pushed past people to get to my opponents.

"Halt!" called one of the robotic voices. "Drop your weapon!"

I summoned my power, "Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!"

The automatic weapons in the guards' hands suddenly became enveloped with my power. I yanked them out of their hands and threw them across the room. Before they had a chance to realize what had occurred I ran forward. Leaping high into the air, I screamed bloody murder as I came down upon them. Their yells and curses were music to my ears as I tore into their flesh, anxious to bring agonizing death to those who stood in my way. Aeris grabbed my shoulder after I ran the entire blade through the stomach of the last guard. His voice gurgled through his mask as I snapped back into reality. I quickly withdrew the Masamune as he clutched the wound and fell over, bleeding to death.

"What's wrong with you?" Aeris frantically asked.

"I… I don't know," I said. "No time to dwell on it. We've got to keep moving!"

We ran into the elevator. The car itself was positioned outside of the building, allowing us to view the entire carnage below. Aeris pressed the sixty-eighth floor button as more guards scrambled from the employee stairwell. I put up a shield with my power to protect us from the barrage of bullets that began to pummel the area as they let loose. The elevator doors slid shut and the glass cylindrical-shaped car began to rise. I looked to the sky above. The clouds were coming together as nightfall began to settle into place.

I prayed for the safety of my friends.

With luck, God would hear me.

When we reached the 68th floor, I blew the elevator doors off with my powers. I'm glad I did: it took a small group of armed soldiers out with them. The doors with attached guards slammed into a counter and wall panel on the opposite side of the elevators. Aeris twirled her staff and set some other standing members on fire. Their black and blue suits burst into flames as they began to dance around, once even jumping out the window in desperation. The fire dropped down to the velvet carpet leading up opposing stairs to the presidential lounge above. Artillery gunners flew in through the glass windows and began firing upon us almost immediately. I threw up my shield around Aeris and me; the green energy circled around my pink-dressed comrade as she called upon two large chunks of rock to come out the sky and slam the flying sentries into the floor. The impact was so hard that it knocked the two hunks of metal to the level below.

"What was that?" I asked her.

Aeris smiled, "Comet materia. Thought it'd come in handy."

Aeris' smile was abruptly ended with a flying clothesline from Cloud. I turned as Slade grabbed me by the throat. I dropped my sword and choked as I was lifted off my feet and thrown back into the elevator. I slammed into the glass and landed on my ass hard. I rubbed my head and looked back at the huge shatter imprint I left. Slade was approaching fast but was quickly stopped by a small sheet of ice appearing under his feet. He slipped and fell face first into the elevator's threshold. I took my chances and jumped off of Slade's back, thrusting my arms out for my sword. Cloud intercepted me halfway, grabbing me in mid air and throwing me over a nearby secretary counter. I crashed into a computer monitor and piles of paperwork. I scrambled up, slipping on the polished floor and swivel chair in my way. I jumped back over the counter as Aeris jumped onto Cloud's back, throwing her arm around his neck and pulling his spiked blonde hair.

Cloud sneered, "GOD… DAMMIT… GET THE FUCK OFF ME!"

He twisted and jerked, trying desperately to free himself from Aeris' clutches. Slade was back on his feet and walked over, grabbed Aeris by her long brown hair, and yanked her free from his apprentice. With a searing yell he threw Aeris into the marble wall. Before she even touched the ground Slade punched her hard in the stomach. Aeris' eyes widened as the impact shattered her intestines. I shoulder-thrust Slade with as much force as my small frame could muster. He side-stepped and tripped over his own feet, releasing his press on Aeris' lower body. Aeris' arms immediately wrapped around her abdomen as she fell to her knees and then over onto her side. Cloud ran towards me carrying his grotesquely large sword. He took one hard swing – I ducked as fast as I could – his sword stuck into the wall above Aeris. He gave one hard tug, but the force he put into his failed attack had lodged his weapon in the stone wall for good. I kicked him in the crotch as hard as I could, damn determined to knock his nuts up to his throat. Cloud's eyes widened and he gritted his teeth, clutching his groin. As he leaned down in pain, I jump kicked him into the middle of next week. Blood shot out of his mouth as one of his teeth hit the ceiling above. Cloud was lifted off his feet and crashed back onto the floor.

Slade ran up the stairs to the level above. I kicked up my sword, grabbed it, and floated up to the upper level. As soon as my entire body was over the ledge, a large figure with a severe burn scar that covered the left half of his face leapt off the railing and plowed into me. We fell backwards and crashed into the wall. I fell to the floor with a loud thud while he landed with finesse. I propped myself up on my elbows and looked up at him. Like the rest, this guy also donned an outfit hand-selected by Slade. His dirty blonde hair was spiked and had spots of dried blood in it. His face, apart from the severe burned side, was cold and intent. A large scar was visible on his cheek… like a sword had been run through it.

I asked him, "Who the hell are you?"

He laughed, "You may call me Cidious. And now, I'm going to do unto others as others did unto me, bitch."

Cidious kicked away my Masamune and picked me up by the collar. His massive fist reared back and slammed into me like a brick wall. I flew back and slid on the polished floor up to one of the windows looking out over the city. I popped my jaw back into place and leapt to my feet.

"I don't have time for this, dickhead," I said. "Get the fuck out of my way or…"

"Or what?" he challenged. "Anxious to get back to fucking your little Tamaranian whore."

I looked at him funny, "What…?"

Cidious laughed, "If you only knew what secrets your Starfire held."

"What do you know about Starfire!"

"You should ask her. Or rather, you should ask yourself. If you live long enough!"

Cidious leapt high in the air and catapulted himself off one of the nearby walls. I leapt out of the way as he landed another skull-crushing punch to the floor where I once stood. The tiles where his punch made contact shattered. I kicked him in the face, knocking the hulking brute backwards.

Aeris was making her way upstairs, leaning her whole body onto the banister. I screamed her name but she kept inching her way up. I started to run but Cidious grabbed my ankle, pulling me off my feet. I hit the floor and immediately tried to scramble away. Cloud stomped on my hand, breaking it with a loud crunch. I screamed in tormented pain as he reached down and picked me up by my hair. An enraged look of madness filled his eyes as he drew his fist back and slammed it into my stomach. It felt like I was hit by a car. Tears of pain dropped to the floor below. Cloud reared his arm back and striked me again in the cheek. My jaw dislocated as I fell back into Cidious' brick chest. He immediately wrapped his steel arms around me and held tight enough to crack some of my ribs. My very breath escaped me. I tried to make a sound, any sort of noise. The only thing that passed my lips was a tired, hoarse hissing sound as air escaped my lungs. Cidious slung me over his shoulder, satisfied that I had no fight left in me. He made his way up the stairs; Cloud followed. When we reached the top, deep inside the polished, lavishly decorated executive office of the Shin-ra building, Slade commanded that I be thrown to him. Cidious obliged and hurled me. I hit the solid marble floor and rolled a few times before stopping in front of Slade's feet. I warily looked up and around, searching for Aeris. I found her lying over in front of one of the stone columns. Slade apparently choke-tossed her into it as she didn't pose much of a threat; Aeris was still breathing, though, so her life was spared.

For now.

I looked up at my sworn enemy above.

"Let's see your God save you now," Slade said, raising his Masamune high above his head like an executioner.

I closed my eyes tightly as a loud gunshot blast erupted. I quickly looked to see Slade's hands jerk back, dropping the sword in the process. His right hand now had a gaping bullet hole in it and was bleeding profusely. I rolled over to see a thin man with a goatee and dark black hair in a blue suit wielding a small semiautomatic pistol. Slade pointed in his direction, "KILL HIM!"

Cidious and Cloud turned to face their new adversary. The thin man fired a few more times, but Slade's apprentices were quick – they dodged the hailing gunfire. Instead of sticking around to fight hand-to-hand, the suit turned and ran down the stairs. Cidious and Cloud clambered after him; Slade was about to run after them holding his hand. I swung my leg around and tripped him before he could get too far away. Slade fell forward and slid on the floor.

I got to my feet and asked, "Going somewhere, asshole?"

Slade pulled himself up and replied, "Not as fast as where you're going, my dear."

We clashed hard.