TWENTY

We was halfway down when that giant flyin' metal mosquito from the plate showed up again. Valkyrie. It flew in fast, firin' right at us. We ducked down, an' I covered Aerith best I could as the glass walls of the elevator suddenly shattered to pieces an' flew everywhere. She shrieked an' put her arms over her head while Red hunkered down an' growled, his eye on that flyin' scrap heap circlin' 'round us.

I whipped up my gun-arm. "Knew you'd show your ass again! Not lettin' you get away this time, though!"

"You've encountered it before?" Red asked.

"While climbin' up the plate with Cloud," I nodded. "Nearly had it, too. Ran away before we could finish it off, but it's gonna be a different story now. I guarantee it!"

Aerith stood up, staff ready. "Yeah! Let's trash it!"

While I fired at the Valkyrie with my gun-arm, she an' Red flung a buncha spells at it, fire an' lightnin' slammin' into it one after the other. It tried to dodge, but it was still banged up from last time—lotsa scorch marks across its hull. An' we left even more as we kept poundin' on it. I kept on firin' an' knew it wouldn't be long before I'd be ready to unload another big shot—heat gauge was risin' nice an' steady. Jus' had to keep that flyin' mech busy for another minute or two.

Then it fired two rockets at us, an' I flattened Aerith under me jus' as they passed over us. Red shot back with more lightnin' magic before it could get outta the way, an' it shuddered, sparks flyin' from it. Aerith an' I got back up an' got back to work. Didn't have much room to move around here in the lift, but we still managed to keep from gettin' hit too much as we fought that mech.

It was a skittish little son of a bitch, constantly dartin' all 'round us with its guns blazin', but I knew we was wearin' it down. As we kept on fightin', Aerith used that magic flower shield of hers to deflect some of the Valkyrie's attacks, includin' another missile salvo. The barrier came down after absorbin' all'a that punishment, but it did its job an' kept us all in one piece. I blasted the mech again, drivin' it back, an' jus' as I did that, the heat gauge finally turned red.

"Guys!" I called. "Get down!"

Aerith crouched down beside me. "Get him, Barret!"

While Red got low as well, hurlin' another lightnin' spell as he did, I took aim at the Valkyrie, leadin' my target an' mindin' the way the lift was still descendin'. Almost there… had to wait for the mech to get into range again. Then, jus' a couple seconds later, I had it dead in my sights as the heat from my gun-arm swirled together to form a blazin' orange fireball right in fronta the barrel.

"Ain't no escape this time, asshole," I swore.

With a grin, I let fly, releasin' the fireball, an' it flew straight for the Valkyrie fast as could be, as if I'd fired it from a slingshot, an' slammed square into the middle of its metal body. The mech exploded, flame an' thunder fillin' the air as charred pieces of it flew in all directions an' fell outta the sky, still burnin' as they went.

Aerith cheered. "Bullseye!"

"Got it for ya, Jessie…" I murmured, slowly lowerin' my arm as the others stood back up. "Nailed the bastard."

"She'll be so glad you did," Aerith assured me.

I nodded. "That she will. An' I'm gonna get you back to her. Better get ready, girl. I got a feelin' we ain't done fightin' yet. Shinra's probably got us a welcomin' party downstairs."

"Indeed," Red agreed. "And we're nearly there."

He was right. We was at about the tenth floor now, by my guess, so we hurried up and did what we could, Aerith an' Red replenishin' their energy with a few ethers while I reloaded my ammo. Wasn't much else we could do, so we waited an' rode the lift the resta the way downstairs an' kept well away from the broken glass walls. The breeze was stronger than I'd expected, an' it didn't do my stomach no favors, but we all held onto the control panel an' each other an' didn't fall.

When we finally made it to the lobby, it was deserted. That got me good an' wary, an' I led the others across the room. But when we got to the middle, jus' in fronta the reception booth an' that big glass sign the mayor had told us 'bout, we froze as we suddenly heard boots trompin' everywhere. A whole squad of Shinra soldiers came pourin' outta every doorway, includin' the way out an' down the stairs.

Musta been twenty of 'em at least, all lined up in a semicircle facin' us, their guns aimed an' ready. I swore but didn't raise my gun-arm yet. Might still be a way outta this, I jus' had to buy time for Cloud an' Tifa to show up an' crash the party. So I moved to stand in fronta Aerith an' Red, glarin' at the soldiers the whole time.

"Surrounded, huh?" I snorted. "Hell, I've seen worse. If I was all by myself, this would be nothin', but I got a reputation to protect. A leader always looks after his own. So bring it, punks!"

Aerith touched my arm. "All of you can still get out, Barret. I'm the one they really want. I can make a deal, like I did with Marlene. If they let you go and let me save Jessie, I'll stay."

I shook my head. "Ain't happenin'. You got caught up in all this for savin' my Marlene, an' I ain't never gonna forget what you done for me, Aerith. So now it's my turn to save you."

"Thank you!" she smiled.

"If you two are finished," Red said, "might I suggest figuring a way out of this? We're still surrounded."

Aerith nodded. "We are in pretty a tight spot…"

I grunted. "Huh? Oh, right. You pretty cold, ain'tcha, Red? Jus' like someone else 'round here I know…"

"What was that?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Nothin'. Got any bright ideas?"

But before he could answer, the ol' warmonger himself strode right in through the front door, two more soldiers flankin' him. Officers, if I read their rank insignias right. General Heidegger looked at us as if we was insects, his arms folded behind his back, an' I felt my fist tighten as I thought of what he'd done to Jessie an' Sector 7.

"We have them surrounded, sir," one of the officers said.

Heidegger eyed us coldly. "Hmph. Yes, I can see that. It was only a matter of time. And he were are. Such a ragged group of misfits. This is Avalanche? I can't say I'm impressed."

I narrowed my eyes. "Like I give a shit."

"And where are the rest of you?" he asked. "There are two more of you miserable sewer rats, aren't there?"

"Up your ass!" I said, flippin' him the bird.

Heidegger snorted. "Charming. Not the last words I'd have chosen, though. You slum dwellers are all alike."

Aerith hefted her staff. "Happy to disappoint you."

"Secure the Ancient," he ordered the soldiers. "As for the idiot and the dog, feel free to kill them."

Now I did bring up my gun-arm. I figured if I could put up a good fight it might give Aerith an' Red a chance to get out. They'd surely find a way back down to the slums from there. Knew I wouldn't last against this many soldiers for long by myself, but if it meant my friends would be able to escape, then I didn't mind.

"Aerith," I said softly. "Best get yourself ready to run. You an' Red. I can buy you time, 'cause a ruckus to give ya some cover an' get on outta here in all the confusion. Jus'… when you see Marlene… tell her I love her. Think you can you do that for me?"

She didn't budge. "You can do it yourself, Barret."

I sighed. "It's your only chance—"

"We're not leaving," she insisted. "Get used to it."

A little smile crept across my face as Aerith stood by me. "I guess I don't got much of a choice, do I?"

Red flattened his ears. "None whatsoever."

"Then let's bust on outta here!" I said, readyin' myself for a fight as the others did the same.

Wasn't gonna be easy, but I knew if we could get past Heidegger an' those two officers, we might jus' have a chance of escapin'. It was a slim one, to be sure, but it was all we had. Them front doors was close, only about thirty feet away. Glass with the Shinra logo on each one. Easy to break through if need be. I heard the clickin' of triggers as the soldiers took aim at me an' Red, an' I knew it was time.

But then another sound suddenly ripped across the room, one that I recognized right away. The unmistakable roarin' of the Hardy, Cloud an' Jessie's bike. It was comin' from the topa the stairs to my right, an' I looked up there to see him sittin' on it, his glowin' blue eyes like knives as he took in what was goin' on. He was holdin' that bigass sword of his in his right hand an' drivin' with his left. Then he saw Mr. Warmonger, an' I didn't think I'd ever seen him so pissed before.

Cloud's eyes narrowed. "Heidegger!"

My blood was like magma as I stared at Heidegger. Jessie's father. I sat on the Hardy, the motorcycle that she and I had built together over the past two months, and couldn't quite keep the rage from showing on my face. All I could see in that moment was Jessie, terribly wounded in the pillar when she'd been caught in that grenade blast that had almost led to her being crushed by a Shinra chopper.

I saw how she had tried desperately to shut down the console again after her father had reactivated it. The terrible trap he had set that had flooded her body with current before exploding right in front of her. It had hurled her clear across the platform. The flaming plate fragment as it had crashed through where she was, tearing the platform section free and taking her with it into the heart of the inferno. How battered, hurt, and bleeding she was when we'd finally found her in the ruins later on. And I saw how she was dying, even now.

Heidegger scratched his chin. "Ah, yes. The mercenary. Those eyes, though… you're a SOLDIER, correct?"

"Was," I corrected him.

"Well, you wouldn't be the first one to defect," he said. "But enough about that. You'll die with your friends."

I flashed him an icy smile. "Try it, asshole."

Heidegger returned it with one of his own. "Oh, I intend to. But if I may, you seem particularly put out with me. Might I ask why? I'd enjoy knowing how to make you suffer more."

"Aside from murdering fifty thousand people?" I glared.

He shrugged. "Casualties of war."

"Like your daughter!?" I snapped, my eyes blazing.

"Ah… now I see," Heidegger stroked his beard. "It seems you know her, then. Rather closely, by my guess. Hmph. It seems Jessica's taste in men certainly leaves something to be desired."

My grip on Buster tightened. "Blow it out your ass."

"Just as charming as your friends," he muttered. "So tell me, former SOLDIER… what's your name?"

"Cloud. Cloud Strife," I answered.

Heidegger sneered. "I see. Well, no matter. You'll join my daughter soon enough. I could even have your body buried in the ruin she once called home. Now it's her grave, of course."

Fury filled me at his words, at the thought of what he'd done and of how callously indifferent he was about it, that his blood ties with Jessie and even her own life meant less to him than his own power. I couldn't understand it, and it made me hate him even more. As I thought about Jessie, I knew I couldn't waste any more time talking. We had to move, and fast. Hers was almost gone now.

I hit the gas, and the Hardy shot down the stairs. My eyes fixed on Heidegger, I used the bike as a weapon, sweeping the soldiers aside as I drove by. I was tempted to kill Heidegger for what he'd done, but then I reminded myself that he was Jessie's father. And I knew then that it was her place to bring him down, not mine.

I wasn't gonna leave him unmarked, though. So as I passed by him, I sliced him across the face with the tip of Buster's blade, then swerved around and lifted the Hardy's back wheel as I made the turn, sending it to within inches of him and the officers as they choked on the exhaust. Then I raced onward and knocked down the rest of the soldiers on the other side of the room one by one on my way up the other set of stairs before looking back the way I'd come.

"Strife!" Heidegger yelled, clutching his bleeding face. "I'm going to carve your heart out with a spoon!"

I pointed at him with Buster. "Then it begins."

Right on cue, Tifa smashed through the glass Shinra sign with that light blue pickup truck Mayor Domino had secured for us, skidding to a halt next to Barret and the others. She rolled down the passenger side window and beckoned to them while I used my materia to throw a few lightning bolts at the soldiers, who'd begun picking themselves up. The ones who still could, that was.

"Get in, everyone!" Tifa called. "Hurry!"

Heidegger motioned to the soldiers, his face twisted in rage. "Stop them, you idiots! Don't let them escape!"

But the others were already moving. While Aerith sat up front with Tifa, Barret and Red jumped into the truck bed. Once they were all in, Tifa drove up the stairs behind me to the second floor, bullets flying as the soldiers opened fire. Then, sitting atop the Hardy, I noticed a small, familiar shape flitting quickly amongst the handlebars suspended from the ceiling. Our little friend, whoever he was. I couldn't see much from where I was as I led the others further up to the third floor, just a bit of a red cape and the tip of a furred black tail.

A moment later, a section of the handlebars tore free from its place in the ceiling, taking the lamps attached to it with it as Tifa and I spun our vehicles around to face the tall glass windows along the front of the building. The steel handlebars creaked in protest as they hung there for a moment, and then the other end of the broken section fell away from the ceiling as well. The whole thing collapsed onto the Shinra soldiers, knocking them down again and barely missing Heidegger. He punched the officer next to him in the face.

"Useless fools!" he snarled. "They're getting away!"

Giving him a jaunty, mocking little wave, I gunned the engine, and the Hardy shot across the lobby to smash through the glass windows. I landed on the road outside, Tifa and her truck right behind me, and we sped away from the Shinra Building as fast as we could. No doubt we'd be followed before long, but for the moment at least, we were safe. The expressway wasn't far, and after making our way through the streets of the city core, we found it and raced into the night.

I leaned back an' put my arms behind my head as Red an' I rode in the back of the truck. We was speedin' along the expressway, an' so far, there wasn't no sign of pursuit. Looked like we'd made ourselves a clean getaway. Sky was dark an' ominous, clouds an' mako smog swirlin' over our heads an' all but blockin' out the stars. Still, we'd made it. Wouldn't be long before we got to the road's end. Then all that was left was takin' that old cargo elevator back down to the slums.

"Home free, Red!" I grinned.

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet," he warned.

I snorted. "Man, you really need to lighten up. Hell, might even try smilin'. Even the merc does it now an' then."

Cloud was drivin' along jus' ahead of us, sword in hand as we sped down the road. Red glanced at him for a moment, then looked back at me again. An' then he did smile, or try to, anyway. It was kinda creepy to be honest, what with all'a them big teeth showin' in that furry grin. I didn't know whether to laugh or shudder.

"Uh, on second thought…" I grimaced, scratchin' my head, "maybe frownin' suits you better, Red."

He sniffed. "Can't make up your mind?"

I shrugged. "Nah, jus' sayin. No need to go an' pout."

"I wasn't," he insisted.

"Well, whatever," I said. Then I glanced at the open window behind me. "Hey, Tifa. How long 'till we hit the end?"

She kept drivin' as she answered. "About ten minutes or so. I called Marissa to let her know we're on the way. She and Elmyra will be ready for us as soon as we get back."

Aerith looked at her. "How's Jessie holding up?"

"Not good," Tifa sighed. "Heart rate and blood pressure way below normal. Her vitals are barely registering."

"Damn… we'll get to her in time, right?" I asked.

She floored the gas pedal. "Believe it."

Aerith nodded. "Don't worry, we'll make it. And so will she. Jessie's not gone yet, and I won't let her die."

"I hear ya," I said, giving her a thumbs up.

"Look!" Red called. "We have company, and a lot of it."

I did, gazin' back behind us again, my eyes widenin'. Shinra troops on motorcycles speedin' toward us in the distance, closin' fast. An' they wasn't alone. There was an armored truck with 'em, too, bristlin' with a buncha soldiers an' guns. Thought I saw a few mechs along for the ride as well, them moth slashers, rollin' along amidst the bikes. Flyin' above an' behind it all was a Shinra chopper, its headlights sweepin' across the expressway 'till they found us.

Red stood up an' growled. "They're coming."

I swore. "Shit! Now this we don't need. Tifa! Can't this thing go any faster? They're gainin' on us! C'mon, step on it!"

"I am stepping on it!" Tifa yelled.

"I could get out an' run faster than this!" I muttered. "How the hell did we get saddled with this junker!?"

Cloud fell in beside us. "Save it for later! Incoming!"

The first of the motorcycle troops caught up to us a minute later as I whipped up my gun-arm an' took aim while Red flattened his ears an' braced himself, his materia glowin' brightly. Next to us, Cloud readied his sword an' revved the Hardy's engine while glarin' back at the troops ridin' on our tail, rifles in their hands.

"Give up!" one of 'em ordered. "There's nowhere to run!"

I snorted. "Like hell, assholes!"

With that, I opened up, firin' at the nearest soldier while Red threw a lightnin' bolt at another an' Cloud sliced at two more. First wave went down quick, but they had plentya backup. More bike troopers shootin' their rifles, but Tifa swerved the truck to keep us outta the line of fire. I returned the favor, blowin' another soldier off his bike while Cloud fell behind us to clear out the rest. More followed only seconds later, racin' up alongside us while others kept Cloud busy.

One of 'em pointed at us. "Pull over now! That's an order!"

"Sorry, no can do!" Aerith waved.

I punctuated that with a bursta gunfire past his shoulder. "Back off, ya Shinra mutt! Unless you wanna be roadkill!"

He scoffed. "Okay, you asked for it!"

Grippin' his handlebars, he rammed his bike into the truck, shakin' us an' throwin' off my aim. Another soldier came on in from the other side a second later an' slammed into us from there. My teeth rattled, an' I felt like a goddamn pinball caught in the bumpers. The girls shrieked in surprise, but Tifa didn't slow down.

Then the merc came back, cuttin' down the soldier on our right as Red an' I took down the one on the left, bullets an' magic throwin' him off his bike with a yell. We barely had time to catch our breath, though. Three moth slashers pulled up next, rollin' up the road and rammin' us again with their blades and jabbin' at us with the drills on their heads. I barely managed to avoid gettin' skewered.

I fired at the nearest one, feedin' bullets into its metal hide as I did what I could to stay in one piece. Meanwhile, Cloud an' Red blew apart another, each of 'em hurlin' more lightnin' at it. The two bolts struck at the same time, one from each side, an' the mech jus' exploded. Bits of it tumbled along the road behind us an' smashed into another soldier. He crashed an' burned, slammin' straight into the guard wall on our left, a bigass fireball bloomin' there when he did.

I took mine down next with another big shot, lettin' it loose jus' as the heat gauge on my gun-arm turned red again. The last one jabbed at me with its drill head, but I drove it back, shootin' it right in the face as Cloud drove up an' chopped it damn near in half in a single stroke, his sword cuttin' right through the metal as if it was butter. Sparks flew all over the damn place, an' I coughed on the smoke as the mech fell apart an' collapsed behind us. We outran it soon enough, but we wasn't outta trouble jus' yet. Not by a long shot.

"Cloud!" I called. "Watch out for the truck!"

He nodded. "I see it!"

That armored truck had caught up to us. There was a buncha them soldiers hangin' on the side, an' another was on top with a turret gun. I narrowed my eyes, knowin' I'd have to take him out first. The truck got up close, pullin' in alongside us an' nudgin' us toward the other wall on the right. There was a jolt as we bumped into it.

"Pull over right now!" the officer in the turret demanded. "We will use lethal force to make you comply!"

"Suck it, punk!" I retorted.

He fired, shatterin' the glass window next to me an' jus' missin' the girls. They both gasped an' ducked their heads for a second as shards'a broken glass spilled over them from behind. Cloud an' I roared, strikin' at the soldiers on the truck an' sendin' a few of 'em flyin' down the road to crash into the concrete like rag dolls.

Another of the soldiers glared at the officer. "What the hell are you doing? You'll hit the Ancient!"

"Just shut up an' board that truck!" he ordered.

"Fine, but if she dies, it's your ass," the other soldier grimaced. "You know what'll happen if she gets killed?"

Cloud cut at their truck. "You'll be next!"

"I'm outta here!" the soldier gulped.

Then he jumped off the truck an' rolled away. Helluva smart move. Three others leaped across the gap toward us. Not so smart. I shot one of 'em outta the air, but the other two made it into the truck bed. While I filled the first one fulla holes, Red greeted the other with a slash of his claws. Both guys fell off a moment later.

Machine gun fire from the turret forced us to drop down low for a moment, an' I saw Cloud hackin' at the truck an' the remainin' soldiers. Had to be a way to take it down, but how? I fired at it, but my shots just bounced off the thing's thick metal chassis, sparks flyin' with each shot. An' more bikes were comin' at us from behind.

One of the soldiers still hangin' on looked up at the officer. "Go for the wheels! You can stop 'em that way!"

"Good idea!" I grinned.

"Wha—?" he sputtered, his eyes wide.

I shifted my aim. "Cloud, Red—the wheels! Take 'em out!"

The merc hefted his sword. "Copy!"

While he an' Red blew 'em out with more lightnin', I went after the officer in the turret, shootin' the thing apart before he could fire again. As soon as the tires came apart, the armored truck lurched an' fell onto its side, crashin' into the road. We pulled ahead of it jus' as it exploded behind us in a blazin' orange fireball.

I laughed as we entered a tunnel. "An' let that be a lesson to ya! Try catchin' us now, ya Shinra bastards!"

"Unfortunately… there's more," Red said.

"Stubborn assholes!" I swore.

He was right. Three more motorcycle troops was closin' in fast, an' I caught sighta that Shinra chopper flyin' up above the tunnel entrance. It'd be waitin' for us for sure by the time we got out, an' from what I saw lookin' ahead of us, that wasn't gonna be long. The exit wasn't far away. As we came to it a minute later, I glanced over at Cloud, who was next to us on my left as we sped down the road.

"We got incoming!" I said. "I'll take the chopper. You an' Red see to the bikes. They're all yours, guys!"

He nodded. "Heads up! Here they come!"

We raced outta the tunnel jus' a moment later, an' that chopper was right there to meet us. I greeted it with my gun-arm, blastin' at the hull as much as I could while the headlights swept over us. The chopper let loose with a few warnin' shots of its own, but I didn't let up. An' while I kept tryin' to bring it down, Cloud an' Red tangled with the bike troops with their skills an' magic. Even Aerith got into it, tossin' an occasional fire spell at 'em through the passenger window.

Finally got the chopper squarely in my sights, an' as soon as I did, I grinned an' let loose with a steady streama gunfire that tore into its tail, rippin' into the fuel line. The chopper spun outta control, its aft section on fire, an' crashed into the road a short way behind us, takin' out one'a them bike troopers as it did. Cloud an' Red was still fightin' the others, an' after pumpin' my fist, I took aim to help out.

"Fall back!" one of them told the other. "SOLDIER en route! Also a surprise for these terrorists! Go!"

But before they could, another biker suddenly came roarin' behind 'em on a shiny red motorcycle, his blond mullet flyin' out behind him. I jus' gaped as he quickly swerved around, laughin' like a loon the whole time, an' used his bike to knock the other troopers outta the way. They careened into the walls, blowin' right up, an' the crazyass biker jumped right through the flames from atop his motorcycle, a sword gripped in his right hand. And not too far behind him was a huge mech with two thick, clawed arms, six spiked wheels, a lower body built like a tank, an' a paira flame jets on its shoulders.

"Oh, c'mon now! You can't be serious!" I growled, motionin' to the truck. "You see the piece'a shit we're drivin'!?"

"Says the three hundred pound sack of it," Red quipped.

I frowned. "Hey!"

"Focus!" Tifa reminded me.

"Who's the crazy guy?" Aerith asked.

Cloud grimaced. "A SOLDIER. Leave him to me."

"Hoo, boy…" she whistled.

I hefted my gun-arm. "You watch yourself, merc. We'll take on the mech an' bring its ass down. Any idea what it is?"

Red glanced at it. "Motorball. The name's on its chest."

"Fittin', I guess," I grunted. "Let's torch it!"

As the mech closed in, I got myself ready, bringin' up my gun-arm while Cloud an' that SOLDIER raced ahead of us, swords clashin' again an' again. The guy didn't seem interested in us at all, jus' Cloud. I could hear him tauntin' the merc as they fought, but I blocked it out and kept my eyes behind us as Motorball closed in.