Nayo, Billy Bob, and Polk salvaged a few of the cached items from the train graveyard hideout, then secured
it as best they could without making it look too suspicious or draw attention should either Shinra or
unwitting explorers stumble upon it. The situation was becoming chaotic in sector seven as word about
possibly discovering an Avalanche hideout began to spread. The trio nonchalantly took their time making their
way to sector eight.
"This place being haunted is a lie right?" Polk pestered Nayo as they were making their way out.
"Afraid not, I've encountered a couple creepy things in here myself awhile back" Billy Bob laughed.
"Seriously?" Polk said shifting his backpack.
"Seriously!" Billy Bob said surveying an area where there were ladders or a small area which he knew
led to a dead end. "We climb up this ladder"
"Knock it off you two, we got to focus on getting out of here and avoiding the shinra" Nayo scolded.
They climbed over train cars and down through tight areas until they reached an area where the fence had
a hole big enough for them to fit through.
"I think we should be fine going through the gate with all the traffic between the sectors of workers
coming and going to and from work" Billy Bob estimated seeing the train platform full of people and
groups heading deeper into sector seven.
"How long are we staying in sector eight?" Polk asked.
"Until they can get some more recruits to-you know-" Nayo said trying not to sound insensitive.
"Replacements" Polk finished.
"Um...yes, but..." Nayo shook her head not really having anything else to say.
"We've only seen these people a couple times, but Zhijie knew them better than us" Billy Bob explained.
"I've only seen Becky and Mark before, but then again, I haven't been a member as long"
"Yea, I knew Mark pretty good, it's a damn shame" Billy Bob acknowledged.
"Ok we're out so let's be careful what we talk about" Nayo said cautiously as they joined a crowd heading
deeper into sector seven.
"It shouldn't take us more than thirty minutes to arrive" Billy Bob said as they quickly and quietly
marched their way around their old hideout and avoided any area where there were shinra guards. When they
finally arrived at the sector eight cell hideout they were greeted by Becky who was armed with a rifle.
"Billy! Good to see you!" Becky smiled giving him a hug. "Nayo, Polk!" she welcomed them too.
"Did Zhijie and the others already pass through?" Nayo quickly asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid you missed them by about ten minutes" Phil said taking out a flip phone out of one of his
pockets. Becky quietly shut the door behind them securing it.
"You think it was wise of us to let Zhijie go with those Wutains to handle this matter?" Phil asked
a bit skeptical.
"That Yuffie girl and Sonon guy really know what their doing according to what Zhijie said. If they can't do it,
we're really going to have problems" Billy Bob said a bit convinced.
"Have you notified the main branch?" Nayo sat on a bucket near Phil.
"Yes, but right now, we're going to have to wait, how about that splinter cell in sector seven?"
"Barret is as wreckless as ever, and from all accounts about Jessie, it would seem her attacks would be a
bit more... subdued if you would" Nayo explained.
"They are all just making it worse for the rest of us" Phil said checking his phone.
"I heard they had an ex-soldier helping them" Becky added.
"It's true, but I've heard conflicting stories about him, but I've seen him and he exhibits very similar abilities
that soldiers have according to other witnesses" Billy Bob informed.
"If only we could all work together" Polk wished.
"Yea, I know what you mean, Biggs is very stealthy, and Wedge- you can't find anyone more loyal than him"
Becky agreed."Then there's Tifa, who bartends at Seventh Heaven, word is she is a martial artist,
and a damn good one-and a beautiful one at that" Billy Bob paused remembering her.
"My biggest concern, is that little girl they have living with them... I think her name is Marlene. They
shouldn't be involving small children in adult affairs like this" Nayo mentioned.
At that moment a phone began ringing.
"It's a coded message, I need everyone to be quiet for a moment" Phil spoke up as he answered his phone and
listened intently and began writing.
"Thank you, rain is coming today, gotcha!" Phil replied hanging up. He then turned on his radio and began
tuning into a secret channel. "Maybe we can find out what Shinra is up to" Phil adjusted the knob.
"It's going to be a long day" Polk looked to the floor taking a seat on a crate.
XXXXXXXXXXX
The trio of Wutains traversed through the residential area until they came to a path that led them through some
old abandoned factory areas. Some areas were non-traversable either because of the piles of scrap were unstable
or the access to certain areas were to small. Up to this point things had been fairly easy with the exception of
some minor climbing.
"All the sector slums are the same, old abandoned factory here, pile of scrap here, garbage there, and
sewage below..." Yuffie complained.
"Yea we get the picture Yuffie" Zhijie put up his hands. Sonon quickly reacted drawing his staff looking above.
"What's wrong?" Yuffie quickly began looking up.
"Looks like a drake" Zhijie noticed a familiar shadow.
"Don't you worry your little head, we got this" Yuffie taunted.
"What do you mean my little head?" Zhijie said taking out his handgun aiming up.
Without warning a quick rush of wind could be felt as a drake dived after the trio standing just outside the old
factory. The three tumbled in three different directions and quickly looked up after putting some distance
from where they were.
"There's at least two of them" Sonon said quickly noticing them circling above.
"I got this!" Yuffie said agily tossing her shuriken at one of them while Zhijie began firing off rounds.
Yuffie's attack grazed one near its tail while Zhijie almost got a direct hit on one of its wings. The two drakes shrugged off
the hits and continued circling them preparing to strike again.
"Here they come!" Sonon said crouched down ready to counter. Zhijie continued popping off shots at the drake
until both of them dived and attacked in sync causing Zhijie to go on the defensive and diving out of the
way. Sonons spun around dodging both of their talons and kept spinning around until he hit both drakes with his
staff causing them to temporarily retreat. Yuffie continued attacking with her shuriken motioning with her hands
causing her shuriken to glow with different types of energy putting the drakes on the defensive.
"Zhijie! Here!" Sonon took out the sais and slid them both over towards him.
"What?" he looked a little perplexed.
"Let's see your training in action, eventually you're going to run out of bullets" Sonon pointed out. Zhijie
quickly retrieved the sais trying to remember his hand positioning.
"Careful Yuffie, they're getting ready to retailliate with a spell!" Sonon recognized their drawing of energy.
Both lesser drakes summoned aero spells which produced just enough wind to scatter the trio apart from one
another.
"Wind is it?" Yuffie retrieved her shuriken in the air preparing to attack again as one drake prepared to dive
down at her.
"Damnit!" Zhijie was back up against the wall of the factory as he fired his last shot. He began fumbling around
for more bullets but didn't have time to reload.
"Zhijie!" Sonon shouted as he dashed across the way to strike at the drake. Zhijie quickly dropped his gun and
drew the sais watching the drake diving at him talons first.
"I sure hope I know what I'm doing" Zhijie mused to himself holding the sais hoping to counter.
Sonon was too far to reach the drake before it could reach him, but he was ready with his sais. Both talons clawed
at him and he easily dodged punching out with one of his sais scoring a crushing blow sending the lesser drake shrieking away.
Yuffie had the lesser drake attacking her on the ground as she launched her last series of blows finishing it off.
Sonon struck out at the retreating drake hitting it before it could get too high up in the air bringing it crashing
to the ground as Sonon delivered the final blow with his staff.
"You're not as helpless as you would like others to think" Sonon was slightly impressed.
"It's kind of weird, it's been years since I've played with these" Zhijie said holding the sais in a fighting
stance position. "I've not kept up with my training since becoming an Avalanche member"
"That looks right to me" Yuffie nodded approvingly. "Too bad I didn't get to see you use them, I was too busy with
that pain in the neck!"
"I can't completely depend on these, I'm way out of training" Zhijie said putting them away reloading his gun.
"I think you're beyond training, you just need to use them and it will all come back. You can take the Wutain
out of Wutai, but you can't take Wutain out of a Wutain" Sonon mused.
"Don't know, Yuffie's elemental abilities never cease to amaze me, and you're like a grand master"
Zhijie replied.
"I wouldn't go that far" Sonon laughed. "But I have received some training with the sais, let me see them
for a minute" Zhijie handed Sonon the weapons. Sonon gripped both of the sais remembering a dance he had learned
for a Wutain festival when he was younger.
"These are good defensive and offensive weapons in close quarters combat" Sonon commented doing a few defensive
stances and jabs with them.
"Pretty good" Zhijie watched carefully.
"You try it" Sonon finished returning the weapons.
Zhijie gripped his weapons and mimicked the defensive stance, he made a quick few jabs, and spun around as if he
were warding off a blade attack then jabbing low with the other sai.
"Ok boys, we're going to have to cut this training session short or we will never find this beast"
Yuffie reminded them.
"Yes, perhaps it is best we tarry no longer" Sonon agreed as Zhijie led them through the old factory.
Neither any member noticed the shadowy figure inside the old factory that wished to remain hidden for
the time being. "My my, what intriguing characters this hunt is bringing" he mused waiting for the trio to move
further away.