Up in the Shinra corporation building, a slim man sat behind his desk busy with paperwork, and comparing data on his computer. The dark high ceiling office gave a relaxing yet forboding appearance with its tall windows giving a breathtaking view of Midgar. He continued typing and reading reports until the phone disturbed his work rhythm.
"Tseng here" he answered in a mellow voice.
"No, I'm sorry, I haven't heard anything..."
"My people haven't made any such reports" Tseng paused to listen to a barrage of complaints.
"Yes sir, I'll let you know... good day" Tseng finished appeasing Heidegger.
"Who was that?" another suited man with a long red ponytail and an improperly worn sports coat barged.
"Heidegger trying to find a scapegoat for his future failures... where's Rude?"
"He hasn't returned yet from assignment" Reno said adjusting his bandages. "Couldn't we just recall our old gang to help us with these new developments?"
"Absolutely not, it would be unwise for them to come out at the moment and rouse the suspicion of the president and those in his inner circle that would do away with our services" Tsneg explained cooly as a secretary came in with a folder full of reports.
"Would you require anything else sir?" the slender secretary asked before excusing herself.
"No thank you, that would be all" Tseng dismissed her. Reno took a seat on the guest couch in a relaxful position until he smiled wickedly figuring out exactly what the call was about.
"Let me guess, it's about that troublesome rogue third class soldier, what's his name again?"
"Third class soldier Roche" Tseng said evenly not missing a beat. "Heideggar wants us to babysit but that isn't our problem; and then he wants to whine about Avalanche"
"This company is full of double dealing- oh well, guess I better make a stop at the infirmary before I head back out" Reno said slowly rising and exiting.
"Hmph..." Tseng smiled ironically comparing Reno and Roche and how there were similarities between the two.
As Reno walked down the hall to the elevator he began remembering the old gang, Gun, Rod, Katana, Double Gun, and Knife.
"Yeah, those were the days" he sighed as he entered the elevator.
Down in the sewers of sector eight slums, the Wutain trio slowly made their way deeper into the underground sanitation network. The sounds that came from deep within the sewers could cause alarm with any person wandering through. Loud shrieks, growls, vibrating and banging pipes, and low humming were all part of the cacophony of ambience. The dim light on the upper walls gave a very eerie feel and also the smell was not pleasant.
"I wish this creature would just show itself already, I want to get out of this oversized toilet" Yuffie complained.
"All in due time boss, this thing could show up at any time" Sonon said in a low voice.
"I think I agree with Yuffie, the sooner we take care of this thing, the sooner we get out of this ses-pool" Zhijie said shaking his leg to get some of the sludge off his left shoe.
After about another thirty minutes of walking down the same drain path, it opened up into a huge chamber with a high ceiling and multiple other drains leading to this central location. A couple of pipes from above were draining sewer fluids into the pools on the side of the chamber below while there were two bigger paths the continued ahead going right and the other going towards the left. As they began to enter they suddenly realized they were not alone.
"What are they?!" Yuffie looked a bit surprised trying to keep her voice to a whisper.
"Shhh! They are sahagin" Zhijie said quietly taking out his gun. The sewer lights gave the chamber and eerie green glow all over.
"There's at least six of them" Yuffie counted.
"We've faced worse odds before" Sonon reminded drawing his staff.
The group of reptilian creatures carried long spears and seemed to be pointing down a direction when one of them began tasting the air and immediately turned their way shrieking and pointing its spear toward the trio as the others turned around and joined in its chant and then quickly charged their way.
"I think they are welcoming us" Zhijie joked taking aim with his drawn gun and firing.
Yuffie and Sonon bolted forward weapons drawn. Zhijie began firing a barrage of bullets slightly slowing down the sahagins' charge. Sonon began twirling his staff in a cyclonic movement propelling himself forward while Yuffie stopped and threw her huge shuriken invoking Wutain elemental spirits to charge her weapon with electricity. Her weapon whacked three sahagins as they threw up their spears blocking the shuriken attack but were unable to prevent the electrifying shock that flowed through their spears stunning them in place. Three other sahagin continued advancing toward Sonon as Zhijie's shots staggered the time they would each be upon Sonon.
Yuffie continued shouting invocations in the ancient Wutain tongue invoking elemental powers that were native to the elite ninjas of Wutai. She advance several paces and caught her returning shuriken firmly as Zhijie began reloading his gun. One of the sahagin regained its senses and quickly dashed toward Yuffie spear in hand. Yuffie nimbly charged at him unexpectedly causing it to hesitate giving Yuffie all the time she needed to land a couple blows climbing on top of it and launching herself high into the air.
Sonon staff twirled furiously knocking the first sahagin back several feet but the second sahagin blocked the swing and countered barely missing Sonon. The third sahagan attacked only to have his spear knocked away by Sonon's offensive twirling. After that brief clash, the sahagan decided to go after the third target taking pot shots at its kin. Sonon quickly reversed his offensive twirls spinning around catching the other two sahagan with a solid strike stunning them. Sonon dived into a sommersault with both hands on his staff sweeping their legs out from under them.
Zhijie fired his remaining bullets hitting the sahagan making a bee-line to him. The strong hyde of the creature made it able to withstand the shots with minimal damage allowing it to continue forward. Zhijie realized he didn't have time to load his gun again and drew his sais quickly assuming a defensive stance. The sahagan came in with a strong stab of his spear, but Zhijie reversed his sais position dodging to the side while effectively blocking the spear with the sai protecting his arm. He then twirled back the opposite way raising his other arm and stabbing the creature now behind him. The sahagan stumbled back a few steps trying to recover from the fast and vicious blow.
Yuffie saw Zhijie and began invoking more elemental powers toward him as he suddenly felt a slight jolt of power surge into his body. Yuffie soared through the air like a hawk as the sahagan raised their spears trying to stab up, but she was too high and then landed several feet behind them.
"This way fellas!" Yuffie taunted keeping their attention.
"Zhijie!" Sonon shouted noticing more sahagan's coming in from the left path ahead. Zhijie began rapidly jabbing the sahagan with light but shocking jabs electrocuting it until it fell to the ground. He saw the two sahagan that Sonon had left lying on the ground beginning to get back up to return to the fight.
"Oh no you don't!" Zhijie sommersaulted quickly between them quickly jabbing both of them in the sides with enough force and electrical shock to keep them out of the fight. When Zhijie stood up to see the new threats he counted almost seven more entering the chamber.
"Shit!" Zhijie cursed as he ran to join Yuffie and Sonon until they stood back to back while the remaining sahagan regrouped with their reinforcements surrounding them with their spears drawn.
"We blitz on the count of three" Sonon said fearlessly as they circled counter-clockwise to their attackers until an unearthly deafening growl drew everyone's attention. Some of the sahagan dropped their spears looking to the other path to the right and began screeching among themselves as they could hear thunderous pounding getting stronger and louder.
"What the hell?!" Zhijie said facing in that direction. Within a couple of moments a huge looking behemoth of a creature came stomping into view as it made its way to the entrance of the chamber. The sahagan quickly began fleeing back down the opposite side, but the behemoth reached out with its clawed paw and slapped three of them back slinging the against the far wall knocking them out unconscious.
"This is the creature that's been plaguing sector eight?!" Yuffie exclaimed still unable to believe her eyes.
"It's like a demon from the far reaches of hell!" Sonon said as they retreated to the other side. Zhijie eyed the huge creature speechless and put his sais back and reloaded his gun.
"A lot of good that will do..." Sonon said as the silverish hyde with stripes of blue shimmered in the dim light. It's huge horns portruded out of his big wolfish bull like head with a huge blue main of thick fur running all they way from the top of its head all the way down its back. It snorted loudly while eying the Wutain trio now that the sahagans had fled.
"This is way beyond the training I received in Wutai as a teen" Zhijie admitted.
"This will be our biggest test yet, steal yourselves!" Sonon braced.
"I never liked tests!" Yuffie said a bit frazzled. The creature began recoiling preparing to charge as it snorted again.
"Yuffie, go for the top and Zhijie and I will take opposite sides!" Sonon said as the trio began to separate, and at that point the beast bolted ahead.
The trio ran ahead separating forcing the beast to choose a target. Yuffie dashed straight ahead with her shuriken invoking an aero materia, "Calling Aero!"
A funnel of wind focused on the beast's head began twirling violently distracting it just enough for Yuffie to leap into the wind and ride it above the beast while extended its neck taking a bite towards her, but she was already too high above it as she launched her shuriken slashing it multiple times in the mouth landing on its back.
Sonon sprinted to the left of the beast, as the beast threw both of its enormous claws to the side trying to hit the other two scattering away. Sonon used his staff to vault over its clawed paw landing a double kick on its side.
Zhijie ran and jump kicked the claw while running on top and leaping over it while firing his gun multiple times while in the air hitting the side of the beast.
The beast instinctually responded by flailing madly with its clawed paws catching both Sonon and Zhijie with a back swing sending them both flying across opposite sides of the chamber knocking them into the pools. Yuffie struggled on top to keep her balance until the spasmic movements of the beast caused her to slip backwards, luckily she was able to catch herself on its hind leg and leap off putting a little bit of distance between her and the creature.
Sonon and Zhijie both had to take a moment to regain their composure after being launched so far having to catch themselves and swim out of the foul sewer pools. The creature began to circle around to Yuffie as she was the closest now.
She dodged a kick from one of the creatures hind legs as it turned to meet her. She began backing away towards Sonon who was now rushing to Yuffie's side now facing the creature as it continue turning towards Yuffie now noticing Sonon spinning his staff so fast he was being propelled forward by the momentum of his weapon. Sonon's staff slammed into the creature's claws while Yuffie went on the defensive blocking with her shuriken while nimbly dodging attacks.
Once Zhijie recovered he loaded the last cache of ammunition in his gun and began unloading everything he had slowly trying to make his way to rejoin Yuffie and Sonon. The creature hollered out in anger feeling the stinging attacks on its behind but focused biting and swinging its claws at the pair now infront of him.
Zhijie quickly put his gun up and drew out his sais, he took a deep breath as the center of his body began to emit a warm glow. He darted across the huge chamber fastidiously and dodged a swipe from the creature's huge claw than he squatted down and sprung up in the air with his sai pointed to the monster's chin.
"Dragon of our ancestors! Dragon Rise Leviathan!" Zhijie suddenly shot up into the air with his whole body aglow with blue flame striking out multiple times scoring multiple jabs all over the creatures head.
The gigantic monster took two steps back blasting them with a deafening sonic roar in pain so forceful it sent all three flying back into the air crashing against the wall. The creature had had enough, it backed up several steps and planned to charge and finish the trio off in one fell swoop. All three were struggling to regain their bearings as they stood up coughing wiping sludge off of themselves. Sonon recovered first and saw exactly what this creature was planning to do.
"Yuffie! Zhijie! Pull yourselves together!" Sonon shouted as Yuffie was trying to only see one of everything. Zhijie was regaining his equilibrium as well. Sonon knew they had a matter of seconds before the creature would be upon them again.
"Listen all of you, we're going to have to try a Delta attack" Sonon didn't mince words.
"I've only succeeded once in a Delta attack with two partners!" Yuffie exclaimed.
"I've never done one, I've only witnessed one" Zhijie shook his head coming to his senses.
"It's going to have to succeed, we've got to hit this thing with everything we got...or our mission ends here" Sonon said deathly serious gripping his staff. Sonon was trying to keep a brave face, but he knew this would be a longshot, but it was the only chance they had to slow this thing down once and for all. Luckily Zhijie's training was awakening. That special move he'd only seen an advanced ninja with a pair of sai perform once. Could all three synchronize their moves and fight in harmony harnessing their power combined?
"We've never done this before... but hey, I think it will be fun!" Yuffie said hesitantly at first, then gripped her shuriken smiling boldly facing her fate.
"We can try, I'm not a fan of the other option" Zhijie said flipping his sais around. The creature roared loudly and began it's charge from across the chamber.
"Channel and share your chi and then we can move as one! Focus!" Sonon yelled.
Sonon, Yuffie, and Zhijie stood in a triangle formation quickly meditating as each of their chi began to become visible at first with just a slight golden glow, then the intensity of the glow quickly became brighter with only five seconds until the creature reached them, their energy level began to plateau to a brighter white glow.
"Three, two, one... ATTACK!" Sonon yelled.
In unison, they charged with their chi, and Yuffie's elemental invoking Wutai runes, they sprang into the air and were able to cut each of the monster's horns from its head while breaking one of its sharp teeth. Yuffie landed back on the ground on top off one of its claws slashing while Zhijie dodged and struck the creatures razor claws. Sonon began spinning his staff like a fast moving pinwheel slapping the creature's head over and over. The creature countered wildly but ineffectively until it decided it had enough punishment quickly backing away limping until it too began to illuminate with a dark flame.
"I can't believe we pulled it off!" Zhijie said in amazement.
"We are Wutai, of course we can!" Yuffie replied without a doubt.
"Don't go patting yourselves on the back yet!" Sonon warned seeing the creatures eyes beginning to glow as a dark aura began to radiate.
"This creature has got to be a demon!" Yuffie exclaimed.
"Now it's time to take it to the redline!" without warning, another player revealed himself. He was a tall man who stood with long brown hair and blue eyes that seem to glow in the dark.
"Who are you?!" Sonon demanded.
"Your ally... for now" he smirked wickedly.
"You're with Shinra" Zhijie quickly pointed out.
"Hey! I beat you in that Fort Condor game!" Yuffie suddenly recognized him.
"Don't be telling everyone that!" the third class soldier scolded as he drew his sword focusing his attack on the creature about to make its last desperate assault on them.
"What is that thing?" Sonon questioned.
"Another failed experiment it would seem- get ready, this party isn't over yet!" was all the third class soldier warned.
"Strike!" At that moment, the creature blasted at them as if being propelled by an otherworldly force. Roche raced dead ahead as the creature's renewed vigour gave it one last bit of energy to try to capture its prey. Roche's movement was incredibly fast as he lept into the air striking the beast in the mouth as his sword lit up then brought his radiant weapon down on one of its huge claws shattering two of them. The creature struck angrily at him as Roche blocked with his sword but also knocking him back several yards.
"We have to help him!" Yuffie yelled not caring who presently was their ally. She threw her shuriken at the monster's face holding her hands up invoking the Wutai runes again inflaming her weapon slashing and burning the creature's hyde.
"Let's go Zhijie!" Sonon led as both ran meeting the creature head on dodging its clawed swipes and began striking it on its side.
Out of nowhere it seemed Roche glided as if a ghost at such an accelerated speed and sliced it's hine leg causing the creature's leg to buckle. Roche ran up the creatures hyde through its blue main and plunged his sword into the back of the creature causing it to let out one last strong roar knocking everyone back several feet until its energy waned and it dropped to the ground. For a few moments no one moved as the whole chamber went silent and one by one, everyone recovered and examined the thing that had taken so many lives.
"I thought we were done for" Sonon admitted.
"Are you crazy?! We're Wutai..." Yuffie started to brag.
"Shhh!" Sonon nodded to Roche now approaching the group.
"Ironic that Shinra had to help us" Zhijie laughed.
"All of you did most of the work, I just sealed the deal" Roche said wiping off his blade putting it away. "I respect fearless warriors, you gave me what I wanted"
"What was it you wanted?" Sonon said warily.
"A good hunt with a grand battle... but all of you should go now. I will finish up here" Roche said evenly.
"You just want to claim the victory" Yuffie accused.
"You can claim it too when the rest of Shinra arrives, or you can leave now- your choice" Roche shrugged taking out a flip phone.
"I see... very well, thank you" Sonon replied a little grudgingly.
"Right, let's go" Zhijie didn't argue as they began walking away.
"Yes sir, I need reinforcements in central sanitation sewer eight below" Roche said haughtily. "Oh it's big and important, might want to alert the science administration..."
The trio of Wutains quickly made their way back out to sector eight slums just in time as they witnessed a truck full of shinra grunts accompanied by a couple of better armored men with a similar blade that Roche weilded, park not too far from the main drainage pipe. They quickly made their way back to the hideout of the sector eight group bringing a moment of optimism to their normally not so exciting cell.
"A failed experiment he said?" Phil asked a bit intrigued.
"Yes, but it seemed very unearthly" Zhijie echoed Sonon's sentiment.
"It doesn't matter, at least our comrades have been avenged!" Becky cut in.
"Yes, I knew they wouldn't fail" Nayo smiled.
"I think they have unfinished business they need to do" Billy Bob chimed in.
"Yes, I want to get in and get out, although I admit I am a little nervous" Yuffie admitted.
"We'll be in and out before we know it" Sonon laughed.
"But we'll escort you to the train, and we'll be rooting for you!" Polk beamed.
"So your cell is fine now? Is the main branch sending help for all of you?" Yuffie asked before they left.
"Oh yes, we have some help coming all the way from Kalm, I think we'll be fine from here on out. Just make sure you take care of yourselves" Phil winked.
The sector seven cell said their farewells to their associates of sector eight accompanying their new found allies to the train station back in sector seven. It wasn't long until the train arrived with the deck full of people waiting. Sonon and Yuffie each heard one last bit of encouragement from their new found allies: "good luck!", "we'll be rooting for you", "Come back safe!" from the sector seven cell as they melted back into the crowd and disappeared. Yuffie and Sonon entered the train with the gaggle of citizens and the doors soon shut behind them as they made their way to the upper plate.