Chapter 7: Air Buster Shuffle
Cloud saw SOLDIERs blocking all entrance and Barret growled at his stupidly. Barret knew that they could find out where they were going to bomb the place. Cloud mutters something which Barret heard a little.
"…a trap…" Cloud was looking for the way out and saw that the only way out is to go back where they come through. He quietly told Barret and Tifa,
"I can see only one way out and that is to go back. I will use Bolt materia on the SOLDIER and then you two run back there. OK?" They nodded and Barret turns. Barret suddenly gasped and Cloud heard. Cloud turns and saw the reason why.
"Well, well. Look like you have fallen in our trap," said the President Shinra. Barret was pissed off and said,
"You fucking piece of shit! You're going to die today!" Then Barret put up his gun and was about to fire but gunfire shot out. One SOLDIER was holding up his gun, aiming at Barret, shaking his head. Barret growled but understood that if he shoots the President, they will die. Then the President said,
"So, you must be the leader Barret? And of course the young lady must be Tifa? But I do not know who you are. Hmm…you have mako in your eyes. That means you must be an ex-SOLDIER? Tell me traitor, what is your name?" Cloud answered,
"My name is Cloud Strife. 1st class SOLDIER." Barret and Tifa were shocked at that information. The President replied,
"Really? Interesting…very interesting. I'm sorry that I had forgotten your name. I can't be expected to remember your name unless you became another Sephiroth. Yes, Sephiroth…he was brilliant. Maybe too brilliant..." Cloud flinched at the saying Sephiroth but wondered why the President talking about Sephiroth.
"I don't give a shit about Seph-whoever. This place is going to blow up and that severe you right, you bastards!" President glared at Barret and said,
"Really? I don't care about this junk. All I care about is that you people will die today. Now, if you can excuse me, I'll have to attend a dinner. But don't worry; I had my people up all night to make a playmate for you people. I hope that you will enjoy it." Barret lost his temper and shouted,
"DINNER? Don't give me that shit! I haven't even started with you yet!" Suddenly a robot appeared from the left of the group. The robot has; a hovercraft to walk around with, a big hulking armour in it chest, two stubbly strong-looking arms, missiles stacked on it back armour, and finally two rifles on it shoulders. The President said,
"Meet 'Airbuster', a techno-soldier. Our Weapon Development Department created him. This is the playmate I had it made just for you. I'm sure he'll extract from your dead bodies will be of great use to us in future experiments. Now I must really attend to my dinner. I bid you goodbye!" A helicopter came down from the sky and the person in the helicopter threw out a ladder for the President. Cloud ran forward, shouting,
"Wait President!" But Cloud was too late and the helicopter flew away from the group. Barret yelled at Cloud,
"HEY CLOUD! We gotta do something against this junk!" Cloud turns and saw the Airbuster coming toward Barret and Tifa who was backing away from it. Then Cloud saw the SOLDIER who held the machine gun on Barret before and wondered why a SOLDIER was alone. The SOLDIER saw Cloud staring and said,
"I'll help you against the Airbuster." Then the SOLDIER threw off his helmet revealing a young man. His hair was so black, it was like the darkness. The SOLDIER also threw away his machine gun and brought out a gunblade. Cloud was amazed at the weapon but he thought nothing of it and ran at the Airbuster with his Buster Blade out. He slashed it upwards and the Airbuster said,
"COUNTER ATTACK." Then the Airbuster turns and lashed out with his arms which struck Cloud. Cloud fell back onto the floor and struggles to get up. Meanwhile Barret and Tifa began to fight back against the Airbuster. Barret shot the Airbuster while Tifa use complex moves against the Airbuster. Airbuster said,
"COUNTER ATTACK." Then he turns back to Barret and Tifa. But instead of attacking them with his arms, the missiles adjusted itself and the Airbuster said,
"BIG BOMBER." The missiles shot through the air before turning down to Barret and Tifa. It hits Barret first then Tifa. They fell on the floor and Tifa struggled to get up while Barret got up without struggling. Then Barret uses his Big Shot against the Airbuster which did not do much.
"Phoenix Sword of Death!" shouted by the SOLDIER who was running with his gunblade slicing the floor. Then the SOLDIER jumped in the air and rushed downward, his body on fire with his eyes glowing black. He brought his gunblade down across the Airbuster's back. It crackles in the back and the Airbuster said,
"63 DAMAGE TAKEN. MUST USE RAINING BIG BOMBER." Then the Airbuster's missiles all shoot itself in the air and came down like a rain. It struck mostly on the SOLDIER. Strangely it seems to hit a green barrio instead of the SOLDIER. Cloud took advantage of the Airbuster slowness and jumped in the air and slashed it downward to the Airbuster which it hit backward. It went backward to Barret and Tifa. Then Cloud saw that the Airbuster was blocking the way out for Barret and Tifa. The Airbuster said,
"92 DAMAGE TAKEN. MUST USE THE W-MACHINE RIFLES." Then the rifles came alive and began to shoot at Cloud which Cloud held up his sword to take the damage. Then Barret shot it at the back of the Airbuster and to Barret's surprise, the rifles turns to shoot at Barret. Barret cursed at his luck and tried to escape from the bullets.
"BOLT!" yelled by the SOLDIER. Lighting hit the Airbuster and the Airbuster jerked and began to stop. Cloud nodded his thanks to the SOLDIER but suddenly the Airbuster exploded taking a part of the bridge. Cloud and the SOLDIER fell backward off the bridge. Cloud caught the pole and threw his hand to the SOLDIER which he caught. Tifa screamed and ran forward to try pulling Cloud up. But they was too far away to reach Cloud and Tifa said,
"Cloud! Please don't fall! I can't lose you when we finally met. I have things I still want to tell you." Cloud nodded and tries to lift himself up but couldn't of the SOLDIER weight. Cloud shook his head and said,
"Shit! I can't do it. This person is too heavy! I don't know how much I can hold. Barret, take Tifa somewhere safe!" Barret nodded and said,
"OK. I'll see you later. And you, whoever you are, stay safe until we meet. I want to know who you are." The SOLDIER said,
"My name is Dart. Dart Angelus. Don't worry about me…" Then Cloud let go off the pole and they went down the sector underneath. Tifa screamed,
"CLOUD! DON'T DIE ON ME!" Then the sector exploded with fire roaring out of the entrance. Barret pulled Tifa back and Tifa was crying. Barret said,
"Don't worry about him. I've a feeling he will make it through. But I am curious about this person Dart. Who is he…?" Meanwhile Dart and Cloud was falling down toward a place that seems to be a church. Dart curses and adjust his body so it won't get broken. Then they struck on the roof. Cloud and Dart fell downward hitting the attic's floor and onto the flowers. A young woman heard them and turns to see two men hitting the flowers. The woman gasped and rushes over to them…