Payback and The Collapse

Tifa's eyes fluttered open. She felt his arms around her and a warm feeling all around her. The cave was eerily beautiful as the light came through the crystal ice wall Chase erected. Tifa smiled, if only they could stay like this forever. If only, but as long as ShinRa is still around, Chase will never allow himself to be caught in a moment of weakness. Tifa knew that from the times they shared together.

She closed her eyes again. Today could be the last day she would ever see Chase again. Tifa knew he was a swordsman with unsurpassed materia abilities. Even still, that wouldn't be enough to bring down ShinRa. Not by a long run. She was going to help him, no matter what he said.

She felt him stir, "Did I wake you?" She turned around to face him.

"Not at all," Chase said. "Kind of hard to sleep longer when a day like this is about to happen."

"Chase, I'm going with you," Tifa said.

"Tifa it's much to dangerous. I cannot allow…"

"Chase, I fought against Sephiroth. Are you telling me that whatever is inside that facility is stronger than Sephiroth? Besides, I'm going to have you to protect me."

Chase found himself defeated, "No matter what I'll say, your going to come right?"

She smiled, "Yeah."

Chase got up and stretched. Tifa shivered a little as the temperature became colder.

"Sorry about that Tifa. I should've told you I manipulated the fire materia so that it would keep us warm through the night," Chase said.

"It's ok," Tifa answered. "I take it your going now."

Chase nodded. Tifa couldn't help but feel saddened. She wanted more time with him. It meant everything to her if he could just stay a little longer. As far as she could see, this could be their last moments together.

"Tifa, you look worried," Chase said, kneeling down next to her.

She wrapped his jacket around her tightly, "Chase, I know that you really want to go and save your sister. You're going to do everything in your power to get her out of there and bring down ShinRa once and for all. It's also going to be really hard, even with the two of us doing so."

"I see what you're getting at," Chase said. "Don't worry, if anything goes sour, we'll get out of there."

A scratching noise came from the wall. Chase picked up his crimson sword and held it up. A few moments later and Yuffie came through a neatly cut circle within the wall. She looked inside and spotted Tifa and Chase. She ran over to them.

"Guys, I found you!" Yuffie declared.

"Yeah, good for you Yuffie. Look, I have to tell you something," Tifa said.

Yuffie held up a finger, signaling for silence, "It has to wait. Barret's planning to go back into the headquarters and mess up ShinRa for good."

Chase looked away surprised.

"Meaning all of you are going."

"And we need you Tifa. Like old times, yeah but we got to do this. Barret wont have ShinRa keep doing the stuff they're doing. Barret's waiting," Yuffie said.

Tifa looked over to Chase. She thought this was the best thing to happen to them so far. Chase and her were going up there anyways and now the old gang would be there to help. Chase on the other hand looked a little like he was taking everything to personal. Looks like he still blamed himself.

"Chase?" Tifa asked. "Really its, alright. We done this before and…"

"It's not that Tifa," Chase smiled slightly. "Its just that this is the first time I ever had anyone to help me."

Tifa smiled. They got up together and followed Yuffie out of the cave. After a little walk, the trio came to the location just below their exit. The others waited there patiently as they walked up. Cid kept spouting profanities since the wind wouldn't let him light his cigarette and Barret simply hated being cold.

"Looks like we're together for one last mission," Barret said as soon as the trio reached them. He turned to Chase, "You aint gonna double cross us again right Slick?"

"No," Chase answered. "Not again."

"We can trust him know. He and Tif got a thing together," Yuffie pointed out.

Barret ignored Yuffie, "Good. You've been in there so you know the layout of the place right? We're gonna use that knowledge so we can finally put an end to ShinRa once and for all."

"The best thing to do would be to activate the self destruct sequence that's accessible any monitor," Chase said. "Problem is that now since security has tightened and my codes are no good, it's going to be a tough-y."

"What do you mean Slick?"

"I can get past all that but it wont be easy. I may not have my password but ShinRa should remember the times when I hacked into their bank accounts. If I have to hack in though, there's only one mainframe I could do it out of," Chase looked down and rubbed his chin.

"You know what Tifa, I'm sooo jealous right now. You snagged the greatest man alive. Smart, sexy, strong, and handsome," Yuffie whispered in Tifa's ear.

"Barret, I think that you and the others should go in and cause as much trouble as you want. I sneak past all that and head into the central hub where the only computer that I can hack into is located. I'll activate the self-destruct. My friend and I designed it ourselves, I know exactly that it will be easy to change the ten second warning into a sufficient ten minutes, right?"

"Sounds good to me Slick. How long will it take for you to get in there?" Barret asked.

"I'm not sure. I have something to do before anything," Chase said. "Just try to not get too outnumbered. Careful with the last SOLDIERs," Chase looked up at the icy ledge. "I ought to go in first."

Chase found himself alone as he reached the ledge. He looked at the sterile hallway through the doorway. ShinRa must've thought they were dead by now. Not even replacing the door, they were arrogant for their own good. Chase quickly moved through the hallways. How he hated the building hidden within the mountain.

He thought about the little chat that Barret pulled him to the side for before he had climbed up.

"Listen here Slick, Tif's been giving her heart to a certain guy and he never even gave her a thought," Barret said as he held Chase by the collar of his shirt. "You toyed with it once and you should've never even did that if you like her. One more screw up like that and another shattering of her heart and I'll do the same thing to your body."

"Trust me, I hate myself for doing so. I'm sorry about before but that was then. I love her and I'll make sure she'll always be safe. Including from me," Chase said.

Barret let him go, "Can I count on it?"

Chase simply nodded his head.

"I just wonder what will happen after we get through this," Chase said under his breath. "I never loved a girl like I do Tifa. It's really all new to me."

He found himself on the holding cells floor, the same floor where the others were kept. Chase looked at each of the rooms, counting them off. He stopped and stood in front of a steel door. It opened up to show an almost carbon copy of the room Tifa was in. On the other side of the cell was a girl, just a little younger that Yuffie. She sat with her knees to her chin and twirling her red hair.

"Sis!" Chase yelled as he ran forward.

She looked up to see her brother press his hand on the cell door. She quickly stood up, "Chase, I'm so glad you came. Some ShinRa guy came and said you died."

"I'm sorry Valerie. I should've never agreed to any of this," Chase said as he started to fiddle with the lock. "I wont do it again."

"It's alright Chase. I know that it was really the only way that you could help me. I'm just so glad that you're alive. I assume that you had enough now," Valerie said as Chase continued with the lock.

"I knew you'd come back," came a voice from behind Chase.

Chase turned around and no one was there. Stephen walked through the doorway with a gun pointed at him. Chase stared at his friend, "So you're going to shoot me now? This is how it is? Et tu Stephen?"

"Sorry Chase. Can't really say no to the guys who have all the cards. Just step away from the cell and come with me," he demanded.

Chase smirked, "You think a gun could really hurt me? Stephen, just come along with me. ShinRa is going to fall today and there is nothing anyone could do about it."

Stephen switched the gun to his other hand. Chase sighed and the gun became frozen in ice. Stephen dropped it onto the floor. Chase walked over to him. Stephen looked away from Chase's steal gaze. He couldn't handle the guilt that those eyes brought him.

"Stephen, your like a brother to me," Chase said. "Don't be a pawn like I was."

"Your right Chase," Stephen said. He looked up, "Do you need help?"

Chase smiled, "The lock on the door is giving me a bit of trouble. You still got your password right?"

Stephen walked over and unlocked the door. Valerie came out and hugged Chase. His delicate ears heard running footsteps and turned around to see Tifa come through the door.

"Tifa? What happened?" Chase asked.

"I was worried about you," she answered. She looked at Valerie, "So you saved your sister?"

Chase nodded. He turned to Valerie, "Val, I want you to go with Tifa here outside. I still have one thing left to do."

Valerie nodded but looked confused, "What are you going to do now?"

"Chase, you're not planning to…" Stephen started.

He nodded again, "Only way. Stephen, could you go get Pancakes and take the bottom southern exit out of here?" He turned to Tifa, "You know what to do right?"

"Yeah. Be careful Chase."

"Don't worry, I will," Chase let go of his sister and walked out of the room. Before he ran down the hall, he felt himself being grabbed. He turned around to a worried Tifa. She smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. He smiled and then took off down the hall. Red lights on the ceiling suddenly went off. The plan was in motion.

Chase took the elevator down. Cheap music played on the speakers and the numbers lit up slowly. Sixty floors and he was only on number 15, good thing that the central hub is located on floor 30. Chase thumbed the swords on his belt. They've been with him a long time. The Mastered Materia set in the blades looked like precious stones. He didn't want to use them ever again. They were a mark of his blind servitude and alliance. But, they were still his.

The number 30 lit up and the doors slip opened. Chase stepped out to find a very large room that looked like it took up three floors by itself. He walked into the middle and there it was, the computer he needed. He hated the small quest he had to take to even reach where he was but no other computer, even his at his office, could grant him access to the self destruct program.

He started typing feverishly at the keyboard. "Why is it that these places all have some self destruct thing to them? Isn't it safer not to have these?" he asked himself.

"Not so fast Chase," said a voice from above.

Chase turned around to find Jonathan on the second floor of the room. He leaned against the rail with a smile on his face.

"Might as well get out of here," Chase said. "Unless you like being blown to oblivion."

Jonathan chuckled, "Activate the damn thing. See if I care."

Chase moved a finger over to the keyboard. He pressed a key and the lights went red. A voice came over the speaker.

"Evacuate immediately! Ten minutes and counting to self destruction!"

"What are you going to do now?" Chase asked.

"Like the voice says, evacuate. Of course, you're not going to escape," he snapped his finger and the computer slid down into the floor. A steel lid soon covered it. Behind Chase, doors slid open and gargantuan beasts came out. Saliva dripped down their jaws and fangs. "Your aren't my only success."

"Jonathan, you know I can take out each and every monster that's coming at me," Chase declared. "What are you really intending?"

"This," he answered with a smirk. All the lights suddenly changed from the warning red into bright light. Chase covered his eyes in a feeble attempt to shield his eyes from the light. He fell onto his knees, "I know your weakness all too well Chase. I know that you could easily defeat my beasts but only if you weren't blinded."

Chase held his eyes tightly closed. His photosensitive eyes felt like they were burning from the hottest flame imaginable. All that he could see was the reddened insides of his eyelids.

"Chase!" came a voice.

Tifa ran into the room and kicked a monster as it approached Chase. The bright light made it hard to see much but she could imagine what Chase was going through. She drove her fist into another beast as it came nearer. She looked down again to find Chase slowly getting to his feet. He drew both of his swords.

"Chase, you can't fight," Tifa said.

Chase took two red orbs off of the swords. He put them into his pant's pocket and then muttered something under his breath.

"Oh, how sweet. Death do you part right?" Jonathan mocked.

Chase held his swords firmly and through both of his swords toward Jonathan's position. Stunned Chase's actions, Jonathan simply stood still as both swords impaled him and drove him into the wall. They pierced through the steel wall and held him there. He coughed up blood as he looked down to see the two hilts sticking from his chest.

"Five minutes left till self destruct!"

Chase collapsed back onto the floor. Tifa was couldn't help him. They were stranded as monstrosities of science closed the gap. He couldn't fight and she was outnumbered. Tifa heard gunshots as the lights above her shattered. The room darkened and then she heard yelling. Cid came from above and, with his Venus Gospel, hacked away at the monsters.

She looked over to Chase who was rubbing his eyes and slowly getting to his feet. Cid finished off the last fiend and looked over at them, "Get your asses in gear. We got to move out!"

Tifa picked up Chase and together they followed Cid through the elevator door. He quickly pressed the number one, "This is going to be really close."

"The base won't explode first," Chase said as regained his composure. "I designed it to start from the top first."

"What about once we get outside?" Cid asked. "I know something about explosives and I known that a big ass explosion like the one that's coming will cause something to happen outside. You know, a real avalanche."

"That's already thought of. I told you this place was built with everything in mind. An explosion will happen but it will be controlled. Nothing will happen on the outside, only the inside of the base will be totally destroyed."

"Cid, Barret and Vincent shot out the lights. What will happen to them?" Tifa asked.

"They should be alright. They'll take another elevator down. Besides, they left before us. Really though, Chase was it, the employees have all gotten out. What's no top stop them from rebuilding ShinRa?"

"Jonathan is more evil than he looks. Nobody wants to be in ShinRa no more. He rebuilt it himself and had something on everybody. Essentially he forced everyone to work again."

"Good," Cid responded.

The door opened and they ran into the hallway. They rounded corners until they came upon the blown doorway. They ran out of the base as soon as the first explosion was heard. They hastily climbed down the icy mountain to where the group of employees was gathered. A little bit of snow fell from the top as the explosion kept going lower.

"Guess that's that," Chase said with a sigh.

He felt a slap on the back and turned to see Barret, "You did good Slick, except the part when they exploited that little weak point of yours. But you managed to stop ShinRa using their defense system against them. Good job."

Tifa came and embraced him, "I'm glad we got out of there ok." She kissed him on the cheek, "Now we could actually do…"Stuff"."

"Hey Barret, do you hear wedding bells?" Cid asked.

"Wait, wedding bells?" Chase looked at both Cid and Barret. "That means marriage. Aw, no way."

Barret, Cid, and Tifa started laughing. Chase found himself lost.

A/N: Epilogue next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this story as mush as I enjoyed writing it.