Start Date: June 16, 2022
Windwillow
Bolded and Underlined: Professor Hojo
Final Fantasy VII
The mission to save Aerith had taken on new urgency. Not only was Shinra holding her captive, the vile Professor Hojo planned to breed her to create a new generation of Ancients! Shocked and infuriated at their friend being treated like an animal, AVALANCHE has resolved to rescue her... and decimate as much of Shinra as they can along the way!
Chapter Eleven: Rescue Aerith!
Scene One
The talk of a "Promised Land" is something the party had heard from Aerith's adoptive mother Elmyra, but its nature was an enigma. Somehow it seemed related to Aerith and the Ancients, and Shinra sought it. Beyond that? No clue.
All that mattered was Aerith. And after hearing the insane professor's plan to breed her like an animal, AVALANCHE's resolve to save her was only solidified. The question was, where were they keeping her?
Still inside the air vents, the party stewed for a moment after the executives departed the conference room. Barret's rage only grew, as Tifa took in the full horror of the situation.
"Th-they're BREEDING her?!" Tifa gasped as she held a hand to her mouth. "What kind of inhuman monsters are they?!" As she noticed Barret's hand clench and rise she quickly caught it in both hands. "Quiet!" she hissed. "If they catch us-"
"The hell if they catch us!" snarled Barret, shaking off her grip. "I'm gonna put my foot up that bastard doctor's ass next time I see him!" He turned his attention to Cloud, only to see him shuffle back down the ducting. "Hey, the hell you goin'?!" Ignoring him, Cloud dropped down onto the toilet seat, leaping down to the floor below.
Professor Hojo... I'm gonna kill you, you son-of-a-bitch.
"Cloud!" Tifa dropped down from the vent, grasping Cloud's arm. "Get a hold of yourself! We're gonna save her!" As Cloud swallowed his fury and nodded, she put both feet on the bathroom floor. Barret slammed onto the toilet seat and she swiveled to meet him with her face in his. "Quiet! If they catch us-"
"You just said that!" Barret scowled. "And don't try an' cover my mouth no more! That worthless sack of crap is gonna get his face rearranged and I don't give a damn about nothin' else!" Seeing Tifa's glare intensify, he stumbled to his feet with his head down. "S-sorry..."
For a moment, Cloud's rage began to soften, though he didn't know why. Somehow, hearing that name had affected him...
That bastard Hojo again...
What about him? Do I know him or something?!
All that matters is killing the freak.
You know something! TALK!
Stop! You're scaring Tifa!
Cloud's senses snapped back into place, finding himself curled up in the fetal position on the floor. Tifa and Barret stood above him horrified, Tifa more so as she sat embracing him with a quiet terror in her eyes.
"Cloud..." Tifa gasped, holding Cloud tightly to her chest. "I know what you're feeling, but you have to get a hold of yourself!" Slowly Cloud staggered to his feet, carrying Tifa with him. With a nod, he put the voice out of his head. There was no time to fight with himself. Still...
Dammit... What's wrong with me?
Scene Two
Though most of the executives had left the floor, Hojo simply ambled towards the stairway coolly. That allowed Cloud and his friends to shadow him, see where he was headed, and follow him to the 68th Floor. Unknown to them, this was his storage room. He kept his pets sedated here, plus a SPECIAL specimen...
Hojo passed through the gates into the storage floor, flanked by two scientists he'd assigned to watch his lab rats. Not that he cared about them, but they were adequately qualified.
"I'm going to inspect my specimens," Hojo said coldly as he turned back to his associates. "You will stay behind and monitor, understood?" They nodded, and he turned back to continue on.
"The Professor seems pretty excited..." muttered one of the scientists. "He must like today's specimens." His companion nodded and laughed.
"She's a beauty... It'll be fun watching the mating experiment." He heard a commotion behind him and turned to find Tifa's hands fixed on his associate's throat. As the first scientist fell lifeless to the ground, the second found his head and neck grappled by a very angry Cloud.
"Sick freak!" Cloud snarled. With a single motion he snapped the man's neck, allowing his corpse to fall to the ground with a thud. He cautiously gestured to his friends, signalling that they proceed carefully. They nodded and silently followed him as he darted from crate to crate following Hojo. When he finally did sight the scientist, Cloud quickly shoved Tifa back behind a barricade.
What the hell is THAT?!
In a glass tube Hojo was inspecting a bizarre creature, clearly sedated as it put up no struggle. It was a muscular, quadrupedal wolf-like thing, with dark red fur and assorted tattoos etched across its body. Hojo massaged the tube with envy, taking in his work.
"Yes..." he muttered, caressing the creature's reflection. "My precious specimen will do nicely... I do so love ALL my specimens..." With that he turned to leave, but as he did a light flashed before his eyes and his ears beat with a strange voice.
These specimens seem adequate... Take them back to the mansion and sedate them.
He quickly recovered and shook off the memory, a distant voice that he remembered only faintly. Another voice in his head messing with him... nothing new. But this voice wasn't the same as usual...
Did I just hear Hojo's voice in my head...?
As Cloud came to he saw Tifa examining the strange animal, poking at the tube. Barret stood to the side as well, head tilted in confusion. Neither of them could fathom what they were looking at. Cloud moved to join them but caught a vision in the corner of his eye and turned to see a massive chamber labeled with the name "Jenova." He immediately felt a pang of anger searing through his head.
"Jenova..." He spat the word out with disgust, moving back several steps as if in a trance. "So they brought it here...?!" The vision of two green, catlike eyes pierced his sight and dropped him back to his seat. "Sephiroth... Sephiroth's..."
"Get a grip, man!" Cloud snapped back to reality as he saw Barret scowling down at him. "This got old a LONG time ago!" Tifa helped Cloud back to his feet, and as she did he stared intently at the chamber. It was almost like he was looking at the devil incarnate. "The hell's in here? ... What the flying-"
What lay inside the chamber was an abomination, what looked like a mottled human torso bearing two breasts and a series of strange features... as well as the fact that it had no head. Barret swiftly stepped back in stunned silence.
"Wh-what..." Barret swallowed hard as he stared at the chamber. "What the holy HELL is that?!" He turned to Cloud with panic in his eyes. "Where's its God damn head?!" From the resolute look in Cloud's eyes, Barret could tell he knew what that was. "Cloud, what the-"
"Jenova..." Cloud muttered, running a hand along the glass chamber. "And it's still alive..." Tifa stepped back in shock. Cloud caught her reaction and gripped her by the shoulders. "We don't have time to talk about this. Aerith needs us!"
While she felt both dread and disgust at the creature, Tifa slowly nodded her head. Her eyes turned to the elevator just to their right, which had just come back down from wherever Hojo had gone. As it clicked into place she swallowed her fear and adjusted her gloves.
"Let's raise some hell..."
Scene Three
The Sixty-Eighth Floor was Hojo's laboratory, where he conducted his biological experiments. His present project, of course, was Aerith. Also part of the program was the strange red wolf Cloud and the rest had seen above.
"All systems operational..." Hojo muttered to himself. "We can begin the project whenever we please." He turned back to the operator behind him. "Prepare to bring up Specimen XIII."
As the elevator rose up, its door burst open to reveal AVALANCHE, armed and ready. Cloud shouldered his sword as he scanned the room, and spotted a familiar face in one of the largest chambers. Unbound, but still in danger. He lifted the Buster Sword and pointed it straight at Hojo.
"Let Aerith go!" Cloud snarled. Tifa stepped up and assumed a martial arts stance, flexing her muscles.
"Touch her and you die!" Tifa snapped. Barret rushed forward, Gun-arm outstretched.
"Okay, you bastard! Just give me an excuse!" As Barret trained his weapon on Hojo, the scientist turned to the party with disinterest. Barret lifted his Gun-arm, but Hojo remained undaunted.
Hojo tilted his head. "Aerith? Is that the specimen's name? It isn't like I care, but at least now I can label her when I put her back in her tube. And before you fire," he warned, turning back to the team, "this equipment is highly sensitive. Hit the wrong button and you might fill the chamber with lethal gas. Wouldn't want that, hmm?" Cloud's fingers tensed, but he lowered his weapon.
Bastard...
"Bring in the specimen!" Hojo ordered. Nodding, the operator entered a few commands. The center of Aerith's chamber detached, barely giving her time to skitter to the side. When it returned, the red wolf rose up and the floor reattached. "Excellent! Begin the experiment in-"
Cloud's eyes narrowed, lifting the Buster Sword again. "Hang on, freak! What the hell are you going to do to Aerith?!" Hojo tilted his head again, partially irritated and partially gleeful.
"Both of these specimens are on the brink of extinction. Without my help their races would wither to dust in the sands of time. Consider it mercy: if we breed these two creatures, their races might-"
Tifa darted forward, grasping Hojo by the collar and holding him high in the air. Though he struggled, her grip didn't falter.
"Breed?!" Tifa snarled. "Aerith isn't an animal for you to experiment on! She's a human being!" Hojo continued to struggle, but gave up and laughed.
"Half of her is human," he said coldly. "The other half is Cetra, and for that reason we must take whatever actions are required." He cocked his head towards his assistant. "Release the specimen and make sure the pheromones are active. We need to be certain they will interact..." The red wolf's eyes snapped open, leering at Aerith with an unholy hunger.
As Tifa and Cloud seethed, Barret's anger exploded. "Oh, hell no! Stand back, guys! I'm blowing this sucker open!" He locked and loaded his Gun-arm, aiming it straight at the chamber. Hojo realized what he was about to do but, restrained by Tifa, all he could do was choke. "Aerith! Take cover!"
The gunfire shattered the reinforced glass on the chamber, though it took a while to penetrate it. As the bullets hit their mark various coils and pipes burst open, bathing the entire chamber in heated steam. Hojo wrestled himself free and rushed towards the chamber.
"My precious specimens!" Hojo screamed, rushing towards the steaming wreck. He was promptly pounced by the red wolf and dragged by the teeth to his feet, before being hurled into the wall with a tremendous thud.
"Aerith! Are you alright?!" Tifa shouted, diving into the chamber. She quickly emerged with an exhausted Aerith, who dashed to Cloud and embraced him tightly. Maybe too tightly. Cloud remembered Marlene's words - that Aerith "liked" him. Slowly he tightened his grip on her.
I... I don't know what to say. Or think.
As she looked on at Cloud and Aerith, Tifa felt a pang in her chest. But she quickly dismissed it and stepped back after looking at the chamber; the elevator was moving again...
"Cloud!" Tifa gasped, as Cloud pushed Aerith into her arms. He quickly drew the Buster Sword and placed himself between them and whatever was coming up. Just as quickly Barret readied his weapon to fire.
"Get her away from here, Tifa!" Cloud shouted. "You two stand back! Barret and I will-"
"I shall assist you!"
Everyone startled at hearing the voice, that confusion doubling as they realized the red wolf was the one who had spoken. Aerith gasped, hands on her mouth. "You can talk?!" she yelled.
"I'll talk all you like later, Miss," it said as the creature's foot slid back in a ready stance, its mane bristling with fire. Whatever it was, it clearly had some power behind it...
While the elevator continued to rise, Cloud came to rest next to the red wolf. From the corner of his eye he saw what looked like a hungry snarl, not one like before but true blood lust.
"What do I call you?" Cloud asked the red wolf. Its eyes turned towards him and its teeth parted in what looked like a smile, stunning Cloud.
"Hojo calls me Red XIII," it said plainly. "It doesn't matter what you call me. I'd prefer to allow my actions to speak for themselves." A wide grin broke out on Cloud's face, one mirrored by Barret as the two of them stared into the steaming abyss.
"Let's go with Red! Time to raise some hell!"
Scene Four
To summarize, the mad Professor Hojo had been neutralized by his own specimen, Red XIII, a quadrupedal red wolf who could both talk and fight. Tifa and Aerith had taken cover, while Cloud, Barret, and Red XIII prepared to face... God only knows what Hojo cooked up. It was coming up the elevator, and whatever it was, they were prepared to kill it.
Through the steam a clawed hand clapped onto the side of the tube, dragging its owner out. It was a monstrous creature with two arms and two legs; that was as close to human as it came. On its torso was a huge, gaping mouth filled with teeth. What passed as a head, looking much like its torso, gave a roar and lashed out with a long tongue. On top of that, a third mouth protruded from its right shoulder, complete with a tongue of its own.
"What the hell is that?!" Cloud gasped. "I've seen monsters before, but what the flying-" The abomination roared again, as three bulbs of muscle forced their way through its torso. The masses of flesh ripped off the main body and formed into three... things. They were short and squat, looking like three fat tongues with fangs protruding from their maws.
Barret shrugged. "Don't matter what it is if it's dead! Eat lead, suckers!" He unloaded into the living tongues, ripping off rotten flesh as the bullets struck. Regardless, they jumped forward with their fangs extended. Even shredded they kept coming. "What the frickin' hell are these things?!"
As the creatures leapt into the air, Cloud cut them into pieces while they were airborne. But as the pieces dropped they still seemed to writhe, crying in a rain of purple blood. Cloud delivered a series of slashes, finishing off two of them before Barret shredded the final one with a rain of fire.
Red XIII's mane lit up with fire like a candelabra, orbs of flame rotating around his neck before he threw his head forward and sent the fireballs at the Sample. The flames struck it and set it on fire, the flames consuming the creature.
The Sample's shoulder and torso mouths lashed their tongues and extinguished the fires, much to the shock (and disgust) of the party. Once again three smaller abominations popped out of the creature's torso and dropped down to the floor snarling and seeping with goo.
"Is the God damn thing immortal?!" roared Barret as he unloaded again, blasting the three creatures to shreds. But as they died the Sample spawned another three creatures, which snarled and leapt at Barret. "Aw, screw it! Cloud, wolf dude, back me up! I'm killing the son of a bitch right here and now!"
One of the smaller creatures nearly reached Barret as began to fire, but he ignited the barrels and swung, blowing it apart. Cloud cut the second into pieces as Red XIII's fangs ripped the third to shreds.
When the Sample tried to spit out more of its spawn, Barret unloaded on its torso's mouth. The spawn were forced back inside, distending the torso with masses of flesh. Barret turned to the shoulder and shot it until its bloody tongue dropped limply to its side. As a final target Barret shredded the head off with a rain of fire.
Its head and shoulder maimed, the Sample's torso roared with its maw full of its spawn. The entire creature shot forward with its smaller abominations slowly erupting from its torso. Barret's fire shredded the spawn but its fangs spewed saliva against his face as they surrounded his head. Barret screamed, unable to react.
A thin line slipped down the Sample's face, slowly expanding to form a gaping wound. Cloud's sword separated the abomination's body in half down the middle, leaving its remnants to wither and die on the ground, spewing out the same purple foam.
Cloud dropped to his knees, the Buster Sword embedding itself into its remains. Exhausted, he gripped the hilt like he was dragging himself up a cliff. He felt like he'd been fighting an army, not one monster.
God damn... What the hell did Hojo make?!
Barret dropped to his seat. He was certain he'd be the Sample's snack, and for all his courage the flecks of purple blood and acidic saliva on his face were soon joined by a healthy dose of sweat. One by one the fires on Red XIII's mane faded, and he slumped to the floor equally spent.
Damn you Hojo! It's bad enough you tortured me! What did you maim to make that thing?!
As Cloud fell back onto his seat, he vaguely caught sight of Hojo escaping. He didn't have the strength to chase him down, so he had to let him go.
You sniveling little weasel...
"Cloud!" His senses cleared, Cloud opened his eyes to see Aerith and Tifa standing above him. He tried to speak, but just a gurgle came out. "Hush, don't talk..." Aerith shushed as she crouched down and laid her hands on his chest. "I'll heal you..."
A shimmering blue light flowed from Aerith's fingers into Cloud's body, passing through his veins and imbuing him with a flush of strength. Aerith's curative magic was leagues beyond his own. As the final bit of energy left her hands Cloud dragged himself to his knees. He flexed his knuckles, his stamina having returned to him.
I feel good as new... Amazing...
Aerith turned her magic to Barret and Red XIII, and as she did Tifa helped Cloud to his feet. Though she smiled, Tifa still thought of when Cloud embraced Aerith. There was something in her chest that wouldn't go away, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it.
Why am I feeling this...?
Tifa and Cloud bumped their fists together, sealing the victory. Barret and Red XIII climbed to their feet, and Aerith stretched her arms out in relief. She was a little winded, but her mana was still strong. Cloud could only marvel at her stamina.
How much mana does this girl have...?
"Whatever happened..." Cloud muttered (mostly to himself), turning his eyes to his friends. "We did it. Now we have to get out of here..."
"How are we going to do that?" wondered Aerith. "We don't have clearance to use the elevator..." She turned her eye to the side and broke out in a smile. "Nope!" she giggled. "We do." Cloud pivoted to find Tifa assaulting the remaining scientist, snatching a keycard from his trembling hands. As the scientist passed out, Cloud reattached the Buster Sword and took the keycard from Tifa.
"We can use the elevator on the 66th Floor! Let's go!"
Scene Five
As it turns out, the elevator didn't work. It didn't work because they'd been caught and subdued by the Shinra's Turks, shackled, and brought up to the top floor: the President's personal office.
The only one still struggling was Barret by this point, his Gun-arm tied hard behind his back. Everyone else had stopped resisting. The party, sans Aerith, was led to the President's office in chains. As they were forced together Cloud noticed her absence.
"Where's Aerith, you bastard?!" Cloud snarled, straining against his bonds. "If you hurt her, I swear I'll-"
"Kill me, yes, yes..." President Shinra muttered, withdrawing a cigar from his jacket. "Rest assured, she's in better lodgings than when you first saw her. I've barred Hojo from touching her. That lunatic may have gone a tad too far..." He shrugged. "We need her alive and kicking. The last Cetra is in our hands and I intend to make her useful. Maybe even comfortable..."
Red XIII, who was held at gunpoint as he couldn't be tied up, narrowed his eyes. There was something President Shinra said that bothered him right away.
"Cetra?" Red XIII spoke quietly, just enough to be heard. "Are you telling me Aerith is a Cetra?!" His guard clicked his pistol, causing Red XIII to calm down. "There's no way she's a Cetra!"
"She is, indeed, an Ancient..." murmured the President, drawing out his lighter. "Cetra are those who will lead to the Promised Land." He began to flick the lighter. "The Promised Land is fertile, swelling with life. Meaning..."
"It has Mako!" Barret snarled, forcing himself forward before being pushed back by a bald, muscular man in a suit. He was Rude, a Turk, and Reno's partner.
"Precisely..." President Shinra lit his cigar and took a puff. "You have more brains than I expected. Indeed, the Promised Land is our objective. It is swimming in Mako, such that we'll barely need to do anything to extract it. Neo-Midgar, our greatest accomplishment, will be realized... And my name will forever be etched in the history of this world."
His teeth grinding, Barret struggled again but was caught by the throat by Rude and restrained in a choke hold.
God damn tool!
"And that concludes our meeting," said the President. "If you have any further questions, ask my secretary. Now get the pests out of my office..." With that the party was dragged from the room, Barret kicking and screaming against Rude's restraints. President Shinra watched with amusement, slowly seating himself in his chair.
There isn't a damn thing in the world that can't be bought, you brats. And I have the capital to do it.
Scene Six
And so it was that AVALANCHE was separated, quarantined, and put in a box. Cloud and Tifa shared a room, Barret and Red XIII did the same, and Aerith was in her own cell. Their restraints had been removed, save for Barret's.
"Why the hell am I still tied up?!" Barret roared, stomping his foot. "Frickin' bastards!" Curled up in the corner, Red XIII lazily turned an eye to Barret.
"You're the only one of us with a machine gun on his arm..." Though Barret snarled, Red XIII was unconcerned. "It's my assumption that everyone else has been segregated. The best we can do is lay low and wait for a way to escape." Though he spoke with confidence, Red XIII was wracked with his own concerns.
Grandpa... Will I ever see you again?
Life in Cloud and Tifa's cell was equally gloomy. Cloud's sword had been confiscated as one would expect, and he was now propped against the wall deep in thought. The major thought was escaping, but being confined with Tifa made him feel odd.
At least Tifa and I are together... Why does that make me feel better?
"Cloud..." Cloud was shaken from his thoughts by Aerith's voice, coming from the wall behind him. He pivoted and placed his ear to the wall, eager to hear more. And say more.
"Aerith? Are you alright?" he asked tentatively, waiting for a response. Even if she wasn't there wasn't anything he could do about it...
"I'm safe!" Aerith replied back. "After all this, my bodyguard came through and rescued me!" Cloud's face forced a small smile.
"I'm a pro. No way I'll break my contract..." Tifa breathed a soft sigh, relieved that everyone was at least safe for now. She could hear Aerith giggle from behind the wall.
"The deal was one date!" Aerith said cheerfully. "That was our agreement, right?" Tifa's relief broke into a heat in her chest that pounded like a hammer. Her eyes widened slightly, against her own conscious thought. They were just friends, right? Her and Cloud?
Then why do I feel... warm...?
Tifa shook off her emotions, gathering herself enough to return to the conversation. There were things she needed to know...
"Aerith?" Tifa asked, propping herself up on the bed. "The Promised Land... Does it really exist, or does the President have his head up his ass?" From behind the wall, Aerith's laughter ceased.
"Well..." Aerith said, trailing off in thought. "Cetra are born of the Planet, speak and walk with the Planet, and when their lives are complete... they return to the Promised Land. I hear it's a place of supreme happiness, but I don't know if it's what President Shinra is expecting..."
Tifa tilted her head. "What do you mean, speak with the Planet? What does it say?" Aerith put a finger to her mouth in thought. Was there really a way to explain it?
"I don't know..." she muttered. "It's so noisy, and there are so many voices... I can't really make anything out, but I know I hear something..." Pausing, Aerith plopped down on her bed. "Most of the time I heard it in my church... My mother didn't want me to stay in Midgar. I guess I never got to fulfill her wish..."
With a pause, Tifa dropped back in bed. "You mean Elmyra, or...?" Realizing the gig was up, Aerith gave a small giggle.
"My real Mom. Someday I'll leave Midgar, and I'll walk with the Planet, and... I don't know." She shrugged. "She used to say it, but I still don't understand what she meant..." Cloud sighed, reclining back against the wall.
"Let's give it a night's rest..." Cloud said quietly, though loud enough for both of them to hear. "We all need some time to think..." Tifa and Aerith thought for a moment, and came to agree with Cloud. There was nothing to do but regroup. "Good night," Cloud sighed as he dropped back against the wall. "Everyone..."
Time passed as did the night, bringing them all some much needed rest. Cloud was the first to awake, and the first thing he noticed was the open door to his cell.
"What...?" Cloud wondered to himself quietly. He quietly went to the door and peeked out, and saw no guards to impede them. And that was precisely the problem. "Tifa! Aerith!" he called out, frantically. "Get out here!"
Though neither knew why he asked they did so, and found the cause of their freedom. The sole guard assigned to their cell block lay dead, mutilated and bloody, face first on the ground. There was no one living left to stop them...
"What the hell... is going on...?!" Cloud gasped, gathering himself. "Barret! Red XIII! We've got a problem!"
Author's Notes
I don't have much to report. A major point I intend to explore is the relationship between Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa, and how it develops. How I do remains to be seen, but I hope I can produce something appropriate. Also, I had fun with the battle. That was a nasty S.O.B.