Comments & Criticism welcomed and appreciated.

Power of the Turks: Part Seven

PART SEVEN: Aftermath

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Disclaimer:

All rights and privileges to Final Fantasy VII and its characters

belong to Square Co., Ltd. The characters of this series are used

without permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of

fiction is not meant for sale or profit.

All original characters are the creation of the author. All

copyright privileges to these characters are reserved for the author.

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Author's notes:

WARNING: Violence, Adult language and subject matter.

This is a CONTINUATION - ALTERNATE REALITY Final Fantasy VII fanfic.

It contains major SPOILERS for the game.

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Text Conventions

( ) are character thoughts

// and /- -/ are mental dialogue

are miscellaneous effects

- - and - - are flashbacks

Aftermath

"Cloud. What the fuck was that!"

Tifa stood at the gateway in Sector 4. After Weapon had fled she went there to greet them. Vincent and Lucrecia accompanied her.

As Cloud entered the gate he looked like he may be blushing. "I don't really know what I found. But… it worked. I guess things didn't go as planned."

"Weather it was with the plan or not, it is irrelevant now," Sephiroth said as he, Zack, and Aeris walked in.

"Did you see how Weapon took off?" Zack said. "Where did you get that stuff and how do you use it?"

"Quite the question, where did you get your weapon," Sephiroth was looking through an old logbook as he asked.

"I found it near the cliff we took cover at when we planned our attack."

"You found it out there? Odd. I don't see any grenade type weapon or gas that fits the descriptions in this book. And, if I'm not mistaken, this book was published two years ago."

Lucrecia looked over at Vincent. He knew what the gas was, and knew what it could do. The creature's reaction didn't surprise him. What he didn't know was that the gas was actually used as a weapon. But was it Shinra produced?

"Good luck finding anything about the gas in any book General. It isn't in there. The gas is exclusively used by the elite of elite. One would have to be of the A-class in the Shinra Elite before we'd even think of issuing it." Rufus caught them all off guard as he came down the street leading to the gate.

"So, they do exist. I assume they are your best among special forced? Why wasn't I informed earlier that they were more then rumor, why wasn't I one of them?" The general looked at Rufus with a hint of anger.

"Frankly a SOULDER isn't on the same level as them. They may be few, but few of them aren't able to take you in combat. They are strong and brilliant, and need little unnatural help other then the weapons they are equipped with."

Before anyone could say anything else a courier came rushing down the street. As he ran the streetlights began to kick on, night had come. The courier was swift, one of the swiftest Shinra employed.

"President Shinra, I have a report from the Mideel continent, as well as a report from Cid Highwind and from Junon. Weapon has been systematically eliminated, no traces remain."

"For now," Vincent added.

"Well. I think we should return to the tower before the others return," Lucrecia suggested.

"Agreed, mother."

Rufus, Cloud, and Vincent were the last to start for the Highwind Landing Pad. They stayed behind and waited till the others were out of earshot.

"Rufus. Why was there a canister of RAGES in a box in the field?" Vincent quizzed Rufus.

"From the sound of it, RAGES C-25, and I have no clue why that was out there. I do know the box had a mask in it though."

"Rufus," Cloud started, "Why was that stuff out there? How do I know how to use it?" Cloud didn't want to say anything about the voice, the very thing that puzzled him most of all things that have occurred.

"As for the first question, I cannot really answer it. But the second one, I think there is more depth to your schizophrenia then something you gained after sitting in a test tube for a few years."

"You mean he may have been born with it? Are you saying he may have that type, the type that goes with multiple personalities?" Vincent looked over at Rufus.

"It's possible. We could talk to George to see if he noticed anything unusual with Cloud when he was with him, if he was with him."

/ Was he there when I… We were young//

/ He was, a dear father. I don't remember much, but I do think they will find the fact that I leaped off cliffs strange. /

/ I recall mother telling me I was 5 once. But that's all I recall. /

/ That was it. At age 5 is when you came out and became dominant. /

/ Sorry. /

/ Don't be. You aren't the one I loath. I didn't really find you too weak. But you still weren't good enough to be a SOLDIER. It was your grief that made we split out. /

/ Split… /

/- …out? -/

- - - -

"Why. Why can't I make it? I did everything I was supposed to. I took all the tests, and passed all but one. What did I do wrong."

"Hay kid. You were a little shy on your Mako tolerance. Now go to bed and shut the fuck up," Bernstein, a Sr. MP yelled.

As Cloud, a 14 year old with a now broken dream, lay sobbing in his temporary bunk, a SODLIER 3rd Class came in.

"So this little blond is the failure. Not much of a fighter from the looks of it." The elite bent down to look Cloud in the eye. His glowing blue eyes were eerie in the faint light. "Kid, if you want to be one of us, you can't be weak." The soldier then left.

"I failed. Tifa, mom, Nibelhem, I failed. I can't go back. I can't go back a failure. If I have to be and MP, then I will be till I become a SOLDIER. How could I have failed? Why didn't I make it?"

Halfway through the night, Cloud's eyes filled with tears for the 5th night since the SOLDIER left. Cloud was asleep, but his nightmares brought on fresh tears. In the back of Cloud's mind there was another conscience, one that was near fed up with his "roommates" complaining. He had decided it was time.

This day was the day Cloud Strife was to start his growth spurt. But something was added to the chemistry that made things different. The naturally induced chemical caused all cells to begin to divide simultaneously, in a set pattern and style that allowed a new being to grow from the sleeping figure.

By Cloud's bed stood a new, naked figure that stood slightly taller then Cloud. Taking many of the hair spikes with him this new, seemingly stronger Cloud looked around. No one knew of this incredible event. Cloud looked around and found some spare cloths that fit him.

He walked out into the hall and began towards the exit of the barracks. He would live his life away from the weaker half of Cloud Strife. Just as he was about to enter the main hall he ran into two officers baring military crest that he didn't recognize. He was baffled. One of the tests the weaker half took required knowledge of all Shinra crests and insignia, military or other.

"Cloud Strife?"

He looked at them and nodded.

"We have looked at your interesting profile. You say you leaped off a Nibelhem Mt. Cliff, specifically the one level with the Mako Reactor?" the officer asked.

Cloud nodded again, "I did. Why do you ask?"

The other officer lurched his arm forward, "We are interested in recruiting you to join the Shinra Elite. You may not have made it into SOLDIER, but your profile is still fitting, even if you can't handle a little Mako."

- - - -

/ Yes. There was a time that there were two Cloud's walking around Midgar. /

"Cloud. Lets go and join the others," Vincent shook his shoulder after seeing that he was spacing out.

The grassy fields around Mideel began to dance as the Highwind drew close to the ground. Professor Gast was the first to climb up the rope ladder onto the ship.

"So, you guys had a fight with Weapon too?" Cid asked.

"Yes. An' darn was it a big one," Barret said as he entered the bridge.

"It was an interesting specimen. Though the shier strength of it makes you wonder if the planet was disparate," Professor Gast replied.

"Well, we defeated it. That's all that we need to worry about. And you, how was your fight," Tsang asked.

"Just as tough, but we took it down." Nanaki was climbing up the stairs towards the rudder wheel. "But it seems two are still at large, and it seems one had the flight of its life."

"I heard that the one that first attacked Junon months ago was just attacking midgar. It must have been afraid of the cannon," Reeve chuckled.

"The cannon wasn't fired. We would have seen the beam." The ninja, not content to look out the window but still stronger in the fight against motion sickness, sat on an old Cait Sith Doll.

"Then what made the damn thing run," Barret asked.

"We don't know," Cid responded. "Lets get to Midgar and find out."

Three had fallen. The other had run in absolute fear.

"Father would not approve of such weakness."

Ultimate Weapon stood in the icy fields of the Great Glacier. The area had been stained red after Weapon had killed wolves. He took a carcass and bit half of it off. He swallowed whole.

Of all the Weapons, he was the only one who hadn't attacked yet. "Must I show them how to properly attack?" Ultimate Weapon flew off towards Midgar.

Before he passed Icicle he saw a strange craft flying nearby and then disappeared. He changed course in the direction of the craft. As he flew towards where he spotted the craft he saw Sapphire Weapon dragging itself towards the Northern Cave.

"Perhaps I can make use of a mass attack. Very well, I will let them heal. Shinra. The next time you see us coming for you, there will be 5 attacking one target."

A messenger walked down the East Hall of the Dartriche capital. At the end of the hallway, there were two doors. The messenger stood just inside the door that was at the very end. "Commodore Alestine. We've…" (I went to the wrong door again.) The messenger turned to the door on the left, and stepped inside. "Commodore Alestine. We've received word that Weapon has been repelled."

"Shinra dealt with them well. Weapon went after Shinra, and Shinra won. I must say from the looks of it Vincent must be back. Shinra has been standing back on their feet and walking at an incredible pace. I shall let Shinra be distracted by Weapon. This means we have more time to prepare our attack."

Alestine was a renegade Turk. He used to work for Shinra, but now led an organization that rivaled them for 40 years. Dartriche, the main city of the Dartamin, was an underwater city. The Dartamin had no choice but to hide underwater. They had to maintain the illusion to the Shinra that they no longer existed. For 5 years there hasn't been any major contact with the surface. This quietness is due to their fear of a Shinra Elite, Bloodbath Strife.

"Carry on messenger."

"Yes sir." The messenger turned back into the hall and began to head back to his post.

(He's been here for 3 months, and not once has he gotten my office right. Saddly, a few other people are beginning to be as clumsy as him. Perhaps I should jar their memory.)

Alestine pulled out his crossbow from his desk and walked out into the hall. Seeing the messenger's back was to him, he took aim and fired. The messenger fell with the bolt halfway through his head. A guard who was standing near by just looked, but didn't move.

Alestine walked over to the guard. "Have it placed in the next bulliten. From now on every person that goes to the wrong office first will have 10 removed from their pay for each time."

"Yes Commodore."

Alestine returned to his office. Just as he entered he became spooked; realization creped over him. Vincent had been with Shinra the entire time. "Damn him. His technologies have been in use. The Sister Ray, the Guard Scorpion, any damn weapon Bloodbath Strife used, all of those things Vincent developed. Damn you Vincent. Damn you to the core of hell."

As the Highwind approached Midgar, the aerial entry door on the dome over Midgar slid open to let the airship in. The protective dome was puzzling for many people. How did Shinra get the secret doors, like the one in front of the sister ray, or the one that lets in airships, to open and close with out an machinery seen. The glass dome was entirely invisible, not even the door areas could be seen. Many accepted the notion that Shinra just made the complex work. The biggest question however, was not how the dome worked, but if it would protect Midgar from a Weapon attack.

Just after the Highwind landed and many of its passengers unloaded onto the landing pad, Vincent and Rufus came out of the Shinra building to meet them. The landing pad had been placed higher then the Sister ray, next to the top floor. This too presented questions to many people. How did the Sister Ray work around the City? Knowing that all the systems that were added to Midgar didn't quench this thirst for knowledge.

"Cid, Gast, welcome back. We hear you took care of Ruby and Emerald Weapon." Rufus stepped forward as he said this. He smiled as he saw that everyone was safe. He heard Vincent chuckle.

"Solid ground! Finally," Yuffie was on her knees, kissing the landing pad. She was glad to be off the ship.

"Hay Vincent. How'd you take care of Sapphire? Sounds to me like it was going to wreak Kelm and the factories," Barret said. "Did you make up some new attack while we were gone?"

"No everyone, it isn't anything new," Rufus began, "What caused Sapphire to flee was an encounter with one of our finest soldiers, and I am not talking about Sephiroth."

"How Weapon was defeated isn't a concern. They will not bother us for some time now. Lets just get inside and get started on our reports," Tsang commanded.

As the crew walked off the landing pad and into the Shinra HQ, Yuffie looked up towards the noon sun. As she looked up she though she saw a Paran Squid. It was an ancient creature of legend from the seas near Wutai.

"Perhaps I could get you a Saplyn for your armored vehicles. They are light and produce great armor plate for whatever carries them," Gi Decepdius asked.

"For the last time, I do not need your bio-weapons. I'm not exactly at war with anyone, so I needn't borrow or purchase items of war," Alestine was adamant, very adamant about using his own arsenal. He didn't care for the weapons and armors that the 'freak' could provide.

"But dear Alestine, I could help you overthrough any opponent that you wish to crush. As Chief Gi Decepdius, I give you my word."

"That I wish to crush eh, and If I wish to crush none?"

A messenger walked into the room at that moment, not failing to salute, or going to the wrong room on accident, the messenger walked up to Alestine and silently handed him a message.

Alestine read the paper and calmly handed the paper back to the messenger. As the messenger was leaving, Alestine picked up his crossbow and shot the messenger.

"Bad news?" Gi Decepdius assumed.

"Oh, this could be worse then bad. One of my subs surfaced and was shot by Shinra. Ug, MORONS!"

"Ah, so you've fought with Shinra. Perhaps you'd like to counter this event?"

"Since they likely know of us now. Sure, I'll hit them before they can prepare. No, you'll hit them. I want to see your special equipment in action before I put any of it on my weaponry. Understand?"

"Oh, well, that I will do. I will attack Midgar tonight. You'll not only see powerful weapons in action, you'll have one less city to conquer when I'm done. Midgar will be best attacked from the air. Most of their defenses aim horizontally, and that cannon is fixated. According to my Paran Squid, an airship can easily get in from above. I'll give you Midgar on a golden platter, It might be in a few ruins, but the city will be yours."

"Good. And could you bring me Vincent's head when you come back?"

"Heh heh." Gi Decepdius turned and left.

After Gi Decepdius was gone, Alestine looked up at the ceiling. He often admired the ironic crest of Dartriche. "We shall rule from sea to sea. That was our founding fathers statement. Ironically that was a true prediction. We started as a sea power and now we hide in the sea. Oh I can't wait till that freak gets back. If he isn't humiliated, then I'll have to wonder about Shinra."

"Mr. President. It seems a report has come in from Gongaga. An unidentified sub surfaced and was shot a few hours ago. The interesting thing about the sub was that it carried the emblem of Dartriche." Reeve lazed in his chair as he relayed this.

"Dartriche? So they're still at it. Well if they're up and about again, we had better prepare for an attack," Rufus said.

"Yes, knowing them, it will be in many places. This will likely be different then Weapon. Looks like we'll have to get out the old tactics books for them," Tsang added.

/ Dartriche! Oh drool. /

/ Drool? What's there to drool over//

"Rufus, when the attack comes, could you put me where the boighs are thickest?"

/ Boighs? Only someone from Nibelhem would know what that means//

"Cloud!" Tifa was angry at the word; she never liked it.

"Battle bitches? Cloud, why would you call regular soldiers that?" Vincent was just as perplexed at the word use.

(Let another one slip. My Strife. You might be coming out again.) "Meeting adjourned. Everyone, get to where you need to go," Rufus decided to take everyone's mind off the common insult that was used by the Shinra Elite Strife.

(A/N): Well the 7/13. I'm over halfway done. Please review and send me comments if you'd like. I'm also thinking of adding a favorite character list. So tell me who your favorite character is and I'll post the tallies.

Up next is Weapon's Revenge. Bye-bye for now.