VII
CHAPTER VII
THE WRATH OF SHINRA
"…And that concludes my report, sir."
President Shinra nodded in acknowledgement, studying his reflection in the long windows of the Great Hall. Evening was upon the city, and the darkening silhouette of the Midgar Mountains was forming on the western horizon beneath the gathering rain clouds. Before him, the broad streets of Sector7 were ablaze with the glow of lampposts, the orange light illuminating the bustle of traffic as the Shinra employees made their way home for the night. He allowed his eyes to pass over the residential district in the suburbs of the sector, feeling no emotion as he thought of the people's fate.
"Very well, Reeve," said the President, turning from the window.
Ambling leisurely across the polished silver floor, he returned to his grand desk. Director Reeve had already placed the files of his investigation at the side of the computer monitor, conveniently hiding the classified Deepground material that had lain there, and was now waiting patiently for his next command. He enjoyed Reeve's participation as part of the Executive, finding him to be more focused and genuine than any of the other Department Heads.
"What is our current situation with the…um…plan, sir?" his subordinate asked quietly, his voice laden with dread. President Shinra looked up at him from his workplace to see the colour draining from Reeve's face, his cheeks growing white against his sleek black hair and goatee. From behind, there came the booming sound of footsteps, the dull thumping echoing throughout the vast Presidential Office.
"Ah, here's Heidegger now…"
Reeve glanced around to see the obese shape of Director Heidegger approach them from the western stairwell, his hulking body swaying as he strode between the tall columns of marble. As he neared the desk, he made an attempt to mat his thick beard to his chest, the strands of bushy hair unfurling across his emerald green suit. The President stood to greet him, making his way to the centre of the hall.
"Mr. President," Heidegger announced himself hoarsely. "Director Reeve."
"How are the preparations coming along, General?" enquired President Shinra.
"Smoothly, sir, very smoothly," he guffawed, holding his bulging gut. "As you asked, I have assigned the Turks to this."
"Sir, are we really going to go through with it?" protested Reeve, his troubled gaze flitting between the two. "Simply destroy an entire sector because of a group with only a few members?"
"You know exactly why we can't afford to allow any remnants of AVALANCHE to linger," replied President Shinra coldly. "What's wrong? You want out?"
"No, sir, it's just…" mumbled Reeve. "Sir, I'm sure you're aware that I was one of the architects of this city, and it feels very personal to me. Now, as Head of the Urban Development Department, I'm involved in the running of Midgar. That's why…"
"Reeve, you should flush your personal problems in the morning," scoffed Heidegger, his sneering eyes narrowing beneath the long scar that marred the right side of his face.
"The Mayor's against this, anyway," Reeve retorted, glaring furiously at his counterpart.
"Domino?" snorted Heidegger. "He just sits in this building all day, reading in the library and feeding his face. You call that a Mayor? You know fine well the city council don't have any authority in these matters…"
"That's enough," interrupted the President, his tone assertive.
"Then, if you'll excuse me, sir," said Heidegger, stuffing the folder he carried into the arms of Reeve, and saluting his superior, "I must finish making the final arrangements."
"Very well, dismissed."
"That man…" growled Reeve through clenched teeth, watching Heidegger as he disappeared from sight.
"You're tired," sighed the President, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you take a couple of days off and go somewhere? I can organise a flight to Costa del Sol for you if you'd like? My wife tells me the weather is great at the moment."
"I'll think about it…" he muttered, trudging towards the eastern stairwell. Saying nothing further, President Shinra walked slowly back to his desk, unable to stop the thin smile spreading over his lips.
We'll tear down Sector7 and report that AVALANCHE did it, he mused, slumping into his padded throne. Then, we'll send in the rescue operation courtesy of Shinra, Inc. and declare that our war against terrorism is finally over…this is perfect…
Cloud gagged, spitting the sewage water from his mouth as he struggled to find his footing in the stream. He grimaced as he felt the cold slime trickle down his back, his eyes adjusting to the cloud of dust that had fallen with them into the tunnels from Don Corneo's old garbage chute. Seething with hatred for the gangster, he swore under his breath, picking a soggy strip of newspaper from his hair. He heard Tifa groan behind him, splashing around in the filth as she pulled herself up against the high stone wall of the walkways that ran alongside the shallow waters.
"You guys alright?" Cloud asked, helping Aerith to her feet.
"Yeah," Aerith spluttered, wiping a clump of damp fringe from her face. Her dress was dripping with brown water, clinging to her figure, causing her to shiver.
"This is terrible…" said Tifa frantically, her expression consumed by fear. "What're we going to do?"
"We have to get to Sector7," answered Aerith. "We have to warn them."
"But, we don't know where we are," Tifa moaned despairingly, glancing around the passageway. A low curved ceiling of redbrick spread in both directions, lit only by a small number of flickering filament bulbs. There were no signs, no directions; the Slums sewers were the last place anyone wanted to be. "It may already be too late…"
"Don't give up," encouraged Aerith, her optimism resolute even in such dire circumstances. "Never give up hope."
"But…"
"C'mon, Tifa, it can't be that easy to destroy the Pillar, right?" she smiled warmly.
"Yeah, you're right," Tifa agreed thoughtfully, a glimmer of positivity creeping into her tone. "Let's get going. We still have time."
"Aerith," murmured Cloud, "it's my fault you got mixed up in this…"
"Oh, don't start that again," she snapped, wading past him. "It was my decision not to go home. Stop feeling sorry for yourself…there's other things we need to worry about now. We need to hurry!"
Stunned into silence by Aerith's severity, he started after her and Tifa. They were able to move quicker than he had anticipated in the knee-deep scum, the flow of water travelling in the same northerly direction as the three. Cloud grew frustrated at the height at which the sewer walkways had been set above the stream, leaving them unable to heave themselves out of the slime. Even with his superior agility, the compact walls proved too challenging to mount. Negotiating their way through the empty bottles and cans that drifted aimlessly alongside them, the party came to a tall iron barrier in the centre of their path, the rusting stakes filtering the garbage so that the water may continue beyond.
The foul stink of waste seeped unpleasantly into their nostrils as they paused to contemplate their next move. With Aerith's insistence that they were going the right way, Cloud was volunteered to help the girls clamber over the top of the railings before climbing the barrier himself. Once successfully on the other side, they quickly discovered a steel ladder that led to the overlooking pathway.
Navigating the tunnels, they continued to follow the northerly route, the trio racing through the sewage system as they became increasingly oblivious to the weight of their sodden clothing. The dank sewer walls arced around them, their bricks oozing with accumulated grime. As they sprinted under the failing lights of the passages, Cloud could see a number of rats and red caesar crabs scuttle from the walkway and into their hiding places within the channels.
For over an hour they sped towards Sector7, constantly expecting to hear the sounds of its demise. They knew that their own lives would be sacrificed if they did not make it on time, and this fear drove them on, giving strength to weary legs, and desire to heavy hearts. When at last they came to the end of the tunnel, all of them gasping for clean air amid the putrid fumes, they found an access ladder ascending to the outside world. Scaling the reluctant steps, Cloud was able to push aside the cumbersome manhole cover, peering out over the surroundings through the light haze of burning oil.
The sewer opening was located between a series of abandoned railway lines, upon most of which rested the remains of train carriages. Disused locomotives from years gone by had been left to rot in the junkyard, the models of the once-famous MK100-70, MK100-90 and MK93 IIs deemed obsolete by the existence of Shinra's current Mako-efficient MK600. Engine parts and other valuable segments of the cars had been torn from their holdings and piled haphazardly along the tracks, their ghostly shapes casting eerie shadows over the broken ground. In the distance, beyond the shattered glass windows of the wagons, he could make out the lights of the Sector7 station, its platform deserted. Cloud hurriedly yanked himself up the last few rungs of the ladder, and was promptly accompanied by the girls.
"This is the Train Graveyard," gasped Tifa as she took in the landscape, her teeth chattering as the chill of the evening met her damp frock. "Seventh Heaven is not far from here. We have to get to the others. Barret…Marlene…"
"We've made it this far…" nodded Cloud.
"Yeah, let's go."
Together, they took off once more, heading west through the Train Graveyard in the direction of the village. Tifa led them between the overturned cars and mounds of neglected machinery, quickly finding her way to the edge of the junkyard and cargo depot. She screamed wildly at a group of beggars a short way from their path, startling the grubby men and women as they sat around their blazing oil drum, unheeding of her instructions for them to escape the sector. They met no villagers wandering the trails of the Slums, Aerith praying aloud that the alarm had already been raised, and arrived little more than ten minutes later at the Seventh Heaven bar.
"Barret?" yelled Tifa as she burst through the swing doors, anxiously searching the lounge for any signs of life. "Jessie? Biggs? Anyone…?"
"Tifa?" squeaked a voice from beneath the counter. "Tifa, is that you?"
"Marlene!" cried Tifa, rushing to the bar, embracing the shaken child. "Marlene, where's your papa?"
"He said he was goin' to fight the Shinra," she whimpered, burying her head into Tifa's shoulder. "They're at the Pillar. Tifa, I'm scared…"
"It's okay, honey," Tifa comforted her, stroking her hair as she turned to Aerith, a pleading gaze in her eyes. "Aerith, Cloud and I are gonna go help our friends. I need you to get Marlene out of Sector7."
"Don't worry," Aerith said with determination. "She'll be alright."
"Thanks," said Tifa gratefully, passing Marlene to her, "it means a lot."
"Tifa…" sobbed the child.
"Don't worry, sweety, we'll see each other very soon," Tifa whispered reassuringly. "You have to go with Aerith now, okay? I'll come get you, I promise."
"Good luck," said Aerith, taking Marlene's hand in hers as she began towards the exit. She stopped momentarily in the doorway, glancing back to Cloud, offering him a faint nod before they disappeared into the night. "Be careful…"
Hastily changing into dry clothes, the two equipped themselves with their respective weapons; Cloud was thankful to retrieve the Buster Sword as Tifa donned her studded red gloves. Abandoning the bar, they sprinted the short way to the Pillar, scrambling across the mounds of debris as a shortcut through the trails. Even from the distance, they could tell something was not right atop the Pillar's skeletal support structure. Spontaneous flashes of light had broken out on the circular platform at its height, indicating a gunfight had already begun.
They quickened their pace as much as their aching legs would allow, adrenaline pumping through their veins. As Cloud and Tifa approached the tower, they were shocked to discover a small crowd had gathered around the fenced perimeter of its base. The mob watched in entertainment as the events above unfolded, some having even brought their children, oblivious to the severity of the situation.
"All of you, listen to me," roared Tifa, barging through the group. "It's dangerous here…"
"Young lady, if you don't stop pushing…"
"Everyone…get away from the Pillar now! Forget everything and get out of Sector7!"
"But…"
"Now!" Tifa demanded. "Your lives are at risk…"
"Do as she says," ordered Cloud.
As a silver-haired man at the head of the crowd opened his mouth to retaliate, Cloud drew the Buster Sword from its magnetic holder on his back. He held it aloft threateningly, the weapon commanding them to evacuate the area. Slowly, their arms raised in defence, the mob slipped around Cloud and began to hurry off along the trail. Tifa thanked him appreciatively, adjusting her gloves as she glanced up at the tower.
A sharp twang of metal rang out from high above them as bullets ricocheted off the steel frame of the structure, the noise reaching their ears for the first time. A narrow staircase climbed the circumference of the erection, the limp bodies of Shinra soldiers lying bent and broken at regular intervals. As Cloud clambered through the hole in the fence and into the enclosure, dashing towards the steps, the sound of thunder continued to reverberate all around.
"What the hell is that?" shouted Tifa as she fought to keep up with him.
"Rifle shots…" answered Cloud, starting up the stairwell, taking two at a time. "I'd know the sound of the Army's guns anywhere. C'mon, the others need our help."
The battle grew louder as they gained in height, the shrieking rotation of Barret's gun-arm adding to the chorus of bullets. The faster Cloud ran, the more difficult he found it to avoid the corpses of the infantrymen, once misjudging his jump over a woman and stumbling on the stairs in his frantic attempt to reach the summit. As he veered around a corner of the staircase, galloping up the tenth flight, he heard Tifa call out from behind him. Twisting his body as he moved, he saw her kneel over the figure of a young boy, the bandana around his forehead unmistakable.
Biggs…
"Keep going," yelled Tifa. "I'll help him."
Without replying, he hastily continued to climb, the roar of gunfire ascending to a deafening level. As he passed the thirteenth storey, one of the wounded soldiers snatched out at his ankle, aiming his automatic rifle at him in an effort to halt his progress. Dodging the line of sight with great agility, Cloud kicked the gun from his hand, stomping on the man's face as he leapt past.
Nearing the top of the tower, he looked up to see a thick electrical cable attached to the central structure on the level above, and noticed that the line extended all the way to the now-widened Sector7 Wall gate. Returning his attention to the grated steps, he suddenly stopped, the bloodied body before him halting him in his tracks. Jessie lay awkwardly across his path, her auburn hair matted to her freckled face, almost hiding the thin trickle of blood that had escaped her mouth. She smiled weakly as she saw him, grimacing in pain as she clutched her chest.
"Cloud…"
"Jessie…what happened?"
"We weren't warned fast enough…" she coughed, the words hurting her as she spoke. "Cloud…I thought…I thought you didn't care about what happens…to AVALANCHE…"
"Jessie, try not to speak…"
"Because…of our actions…many people have died," she wheezed. "This is our…our punishment…"
"Jessie, please…"
"We fought for…the Planet, but…all we did was murder…in the name…of justice. Are we…really any better…than Shinra…?"
"I don't know…" he exhaled, lowering his head.
"Barret and Wedge are up top…go help them."
"I will," said Cloud, bounding over her legs. "We'll be back for you."
"And, Cloud…?"
"Yeah?"
"Sorry I…wasn't much…help…"
With her last words, her entire body seemed to sink, slumping against the railings. Bending down to close her eyelids over, Cloud lifted his gaze, the distant sound of fluttering reaching his ears. From the south, he could see the image of a black B09 Shinra helicopter emerging on the horizon, rapidly approaching the Pillar. He wrapped his fingers firmly around the leather handle of the Buster Sword, an uncontrollable fury taking him. Spotting Tifa on the level below, he waited for her to join him, her blank expression suggesting Biggs had not made it, and together they made the final ascent to the height of the support structure.
They came to a wide platform of grilled steel that encircled a chunky stone column, one face of which was lined by a series of computer stations and monitors. Panels with switches and diodes were situated alongside the stations, the control circuits strangely active with timers and pressure meters. Almost a dozen lifeless forms of Shinra troops lay scattered across the platform, their shining blue armour pierced with several bullet holes, an enraged Barret standing giant amongst them. They spotted Wedge near the barrier opposite them, scouting the helicopter's movement as it soared around the enormous granite Pillar before them.
"Tifa…Cloud…you came!" cried Barret, rushing to meet them. "What the fuck's goin' on?"
"The Shinra are…trying to destroy the Pillar…" spluttered Tifa, struggling to catch her breath.
"What?" he spat, his face riddled with puzzlement. "Those bastards! Why?"
"No time to explain. What's been happening here?"
"We've managed to stop most o' the soldiers," Barret replied, gesturing towards the bodies, "but this chopper has us surrounded. We've got to be ready for an attack any…"
"Sir!" called Wedge suddenly, retreating from his post. "Sir, they're coming back!"
Barret raised his gatling-gun, tracking the craft as it arced across the sky. Without warning, the nose of the helicopter dropped, accelerating towards the support structure. In an instant, the barrels of Barret's gun-arm began to spin, the whirring motion growing faster with each second. Charging forward, he unleashed a barrage of bullets at the aircraft as it closed in above them, screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs. Each piece of shrapnel rebounded ineffectively off its target, the impenetrable windshield unflinching under the assault. As if possessed by an unseen entity, Barret spun mid-step, thundering back towards Cloud and Tifa, his boots pounding heavily against the metal grid.
"Get down!" he bellowed, hauling them to the ground as a twin trail of bullets tore up the platform a few feet away.
Cloud followed the carnage with his eyes as if everything had turned to slow motion, watching in horror as Wedge's torso was ripped apart. Time seemed almost at standstill as his body was forced farther backwards with each unstoppable bullet that passed through him, bringing him closer to the ledge with every unwilling step. The piercing rattle of gunfire felt like it had now faded to nothing more than a numbed echo, as if it was all a dream. With one last attempt to cling onto life, Wedge snatched clumsily out at the low barrier as the machine-gun fire ceased. Cloud tried in vain to find his feet, his legs unable to react as his comrade collapsed, disappearing from the platform.
"Wedge!" Tifa's scream cut through the air like a knife. Looking up, Cloud saw the helicopter circle overhead, the blonde male pilot swooping dangerously close to the Pillar. His senses sharpened once more, reality taking hold. "No!"
He glanced around at Tifa, a tear escaping down her cheek as she sank to her knees, and saw a flash of red from the corner of his eye. There came a bleep from the control panel, and Reno stepped back from the computer station, a wide smirk on the Turk's lean face. His fiery ponytail hovered momentarily behind his head in the harsh generated wind as the helicopter swept past again, his black suit uniform flailing about his scrawny limbs.
"That's all, folks," he jeered cockily. "Mission accomplished, yo."
"What have you done?" wailed Tifa.
"The Emergency Plate Release System has been activated," he answered with a casual shrug. "And there's nothing you punks can do about it."
His teeth clenched, Mako eyes flaring, Cloud slowly reached over his spiked shoulder pauldron, seizing the handle of the Buster Sword. Reno's grin faltered briefly as he saw Cloud draw the huge blade, his bare biceps flexing as he lifted it towards the Turk. Raising a single arrogant eyebrow, Reno slipped his hand into his jacket, retrieving his electromagnetic rod from its inside pocket. For a few seconds, the two stared at one another, focusing their battle-hardened minds.
The agent moved first, hurling himself into the air with tremendous speed, his EMR poised to strike. Cloud swung the Buster Sword, parrying the attack with the blunt edge, the strength of the block causing Reno to stumble backwards. He came at Cloud again, his footwork a blur as he danced around him, but he had not anticipated the ex-SOLDIER's own speed. With a powerful thrust, Cloud's fist connected hard with Reno's chin, leaving him stunned. Defenceless and blinded by the sudden blow, he was unable to prevent Cloud's boot crunching against his unguarded stomach.
As his opponent staggered back, Cloud felt an anger take hold of him: a rage he had not known since waking in Midgar. Releasing his strength, he brought his sword crashing down on the Turk. Reno dodged once, twice; his agility was impressive even in his dazed state. Cloud swung hard and fast, the blade slashing effortlessly through the grilled floor as Reno used all his techniques to evade the onslaught. Struggling under the force of the strikes, the agent raised his rod to deflect, yelping as the Buster Sword sliced cleanly through it.
Reno fell against the wall of the central column, crying out pitifully as he held up his hands in surrender, still clutching the hilt of his weapon. Cloud loomed over him, his expression unforgiving, the blade hovering above his head like an executioner. His hatred for Shinra pulsed inside him, urging him to exact his revenge, but he knew he needed the Turk alive to stop the destruction of Sector7. Reaching down to grab Reno, he saw a jade green haze form suddenly around the man's forearm, but could do nothing as the Thunder magic struck his chest.
Cloud howled in pain as the electricity ripped through his muscles, causing him to drop his sword as he began to spasm uncontrollably. Jumping to his feet, Reno pushed Cloud away, springing against the stone column. In a single motion, he kicked himself off the thick wall and cracked the butt of the EMR against the back of Cloud's head. As Cloud tumbled to his knees, Reno mockingly saluted Barret and Tifa.
"You little shit…" roared Barret, his gun-arm again beginning to rotate.
"No one gets in the way of the Turks, yo," he sneered, grinning as he saw the helicopter draw level with the platform. "It's time…"
As Cloud tried to grab him, Reno leapt over his head, dashing towards the craft. With the last few steps before the edge, he launched himself over the barrier and, in the split second he was airborne, Barret's gun exploded into life. Reno shrieked in agony as the bullets ripped through his right leg, landing awkwardly on the floor of the helicopter, clutching at his thigh. Barret kept firing long after it had rose above them, following the aircraft as it disappeared over Sector6.
"We have to do something!" Tifa said desperately, pounding on the keyboards of the computer stations with her fists. A slur of binary had taken over the screen, jamming the system as she recklessly slammed the control panels.
"Tifa, get a hold of yourself," shushed Cloud, groggily pulling himself up and dragging her away from the column.
"Why aren't you helping?" she screeched hysterically. "Cloud, you have to help me stop this…"
"I can't."
"What?"
"It's not a normal time bomb…" he said.
"But, you have to do something…"
"Stay here!" he commanded, allowing her to break free of his grasp. "Don't touch anything."
He stepped forward, his blood pumping hard, transfixed by the incomprehensible data on the monitors before him. Tossing his greatsword to the ground again, he began to scan the switches and buttons in front of him for a means to negate Reno's actions. From somewhere around the tower, the horrendous fluttering of a helicopter's propellers reached his ears, the sound breaking his concentration as he realised how close it seemed. Perplexed, he turned slowly to see Barret and Tifa edging towards him, shielding their eyes from the vicious blast of air.
Beyond the platform, a second helicopter rose to a position a short way above theirs, its metallic black body glimmering under the searchlights of the Pillar. Cloud could make out the dark-haired female Turk pilot through the windscreen as she flicked an overhead control, her uniform blouse and jacket unbuttoned above her chest, recognising her immediately from their mission at Mako Reactor1. In an instant, the side door of the craft slid open, revealing a suited man in the space.
Tseng, the Chief of the Turks, glared in disgust upon the party with a manner of superiority, only for his brows to furrow as his eyes met Cloud's; the momentary flash of confusion was barely detectable. The two had participated in an assignment together many years earlier to the remote Modeo region in the north, but they had not interacted before or since then.
His lengthy black hair wavered around his spine in the strong gusts, blown back from the unmistakeable forehead that bore his birthmark spot above his nose. Although only in his late twenties, Tseng was widely known throughout the Shinra Corporation as the brains behind the Turks. Within his cool exterior lurked an uncompromising and ruthless personality, and a fierce loyalty to the Company. Having learned his trade through his mentor, the great Veld, Tseng was now the unwilling lapdog of the Head of Public Safety Maintenance, Director Heidegger, but still commanded much respect from all those whom he worked with.
"I wouldn't play around with that if I were you," he called, nodding towards the computer panels on the column.
"Shu'up jackass!" retorted Barret. "Tell us how to stop the bomb!"
"You'll have a hard time disarming that one," said Tseng without care. "It'll blow the second some stupid jerk presses the wrong button."
"Stop it!" pleaded Tifa. "Think about what you're about to do. What about all those innocent people in the Slums? Why can't you just call this whole thing off and arrest us?"
"AVALANCHE should have thought of that before it came to this," Tseng scowled accusingly. "Now, you're too late. Only a Shinra Executive can disarm the Release System."
"Shut yer hole!" snapped Barret, aiming his gun-arm at Tseng.
"I wouldn't try that," Tseng wagged his finger, unflinching with the threat, "you might just make me hurt my special guest."
With the sharpest of movements, he hauled a young woman from an area of the hold hidden by the shadows, throwing her to her knees for all to see. The girl cried out as she hit the floor, her body slumping against the frame of the doorway. Her face was concealed by her dark hair, falling to the side as Tseng pulled her to her feet, dragging her by her sodden pink dress.
Pink dress…
"Aerith!" bawled Tifa.
"Oh, so you know each other?" Tseng chuckled with surprise. "How nice it is that you could see each other one last time. You should thank me."
"What're you gonna do with her?" snarled Cloud.
"I haven't decided," said Tseng pensively, frowning once more as he glanced at Cloud. "Our orders were to retrieve the last remaining Ancient. It's taken us a long time, but now I can finally report this to the President."
"Aerith…" yelled Tifa.
"Tifa, don't worry," she answered, temporarily attempting to wriggle free of Tseng's arms. "I took her somewhere safe. Get out of here, this thing's about to…"
"I told you not to speak!" spat Tseng, slapping Aerith hard across the cheek. As Cloud opened his mouth to curse him, a siren atop the computers burst into an alarming wail, the monitors blinking with warnings in deep red.
"Looks like it should be starting right about now. Think you'll get out in time?" shouted Tseng over the din, fixing his suit tie beneath his collar. "Violet, get us out of here."
As the door to the helicopter closed over, Tseng gave them a mocking wave, forcing Aerith back into the hold. The aircraft lifted off in the direction of Sector8, fading from sight as the first of the explosions could be seen at the height of the Pillar. Seconds later, the inevitable sound of rumbling reached them as shards of granite fell like concrete hail onto the platform. Diving away from the plummeting rock, Cloud felt the structure tilt as chunks of the Pillar ground their way through the metal surface. A second blast saw an entire section plunge to the earth below, shaking the tower at its foundations. Glancing up, he caught sight of Tifa and Barret darting for the stairwell, keeping their heads low, beckoning him to hurry.
The three sprinted down the stairs as fast as their legs would carry them, taking most flights in only two bounds. The entire support swayed around them, jerking violently as the limbs of the frame were torn from its body. In his hurried descent, Cloud made out the trails winding their way through the sector in the distance, the paths cutting through the derelict land with great ease. He saw the gateway to Sector6 a short way off, and longed to pass through its gaping doors. He stopped suddenly, still two-hundred feet from the ground, an idea forming in his mind.
"Wait!" he instructed, losing his balance as Barret crashed into him from behind.
"What're you doin'?" roared Barret. "We're runnin' outta time!"
"Look!" said Cloud, pointing to the electrical cable jutting out from the level above where Jessie's body lay. It was the same line he had seen on his way to the platform and now, as he studied it more closely, it appeared sturdy enough to bear their weight. "We can use that wire to slide outta here. It's our only chance."
"Are you fuckin' insane?" Barret stammered in disbelief.
"We won't make it if we don't," Cloud responded, leaping onto the railing. Careful to retain his stability, he swung the Buster Sword across the encased wire, gripping the enormous weapon by the handle with one hand, and its blunt face with the other.
"Cloud…" gasped Tifa.
"C'mon," he urged, facing them. "We have to go now!"
"You better hope this works," Barret shook his head as he clambered onto the barrier beside Cloud. Holding the line, he bent down to allow Tifa to toss her arms around his broad neck, straining to stand as the tower trembled once more. With her securely clinging to his back, he clamped his gun-arm onto the cable. "Let's do it…"
Without waiting for Cloud's signal, Barret jumped from the ledge, lurching forward as he and Tifa began gliding along the steep wire. Cloud watched for a moment as they rocketed towards the sector gate, gaining in speed with each passing second. Taking a deep breath, he threw himself from the support structure, clasping his sword with all his might, sparks shooting into the air about him as the blade scraped through the wire casing.
As the earth raced towards him, he caught glimpses of people running wildly to escape the horror, while others admired the explosions on the Pillar in an entranced state, unaware of the fate with which they would soon be met. His flight became even more rapid, the surrounding landscape merging to form a blur of grey and brown. In the instant he saw the end of the cable, its bulging casing penetrating the Wall to Sector6, there came a sound unlike any Cloud had experienced before. With an unexpected jolt from the line as its tension was disabled, he was hurled to the ground. He landed hard on the worn trail, skidding to a halt against one of the few lampposts.
"Cloud!" cried Tifa anxiously from somewhere nearby.
Clutching his ribs, he tried unsuccessfully to stand, his world a daze. The frightened screams of women and children pierced his thoughts, his ears detecting them even over what was now a thunderous groan of rock and steel. As he felt a strong hand pull at him from behind, there was a tremor of the sector beneath his legs. He heard Barret calling his name amongst his clouded mind, stumbling through the tall gateway, the underside of the Plate seeming closer than it had done before.
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