Splintered Dreams
Chapter 7
"Plan in Motion"

It wasn't exactly the way he had imagined spending his evening, Zack thought as he shifted against the bed liner of the truck. He'd expected the night to proceed the same as many others: talk to his Mom, get grilled about his eating habits, general health and Tifa, then pass the phone off and watch Tifa squirm under the same barrage of questions, then sit at the corner table-- the one well in the back of the bar-- and keep an eye out for any handsy customers or trouble.

But instead, he'd ended up crammed in the back of a truck, with four other people, heading for the train depot. At the station the plan was for the teams to split up. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie would take the number 17 into the Sector Six slums, and from there make their way toward Wall Market. At the juncture point-- about four miles from the slums and a mile and a half before the entrance to the market-- they would find access to the underground tunnels via the sewer.

Meanwhile, Zack, Tifa and Barret would take the truck away from the slums and into the desert, where they would strike the pipeline that Barret and Tifa had scoped out the weeks prior.

Each team was equipped with a back-pack sized drill and several packets of explosives. Timing was critical to the operation, but since Shin-Ra security prevented the use of two-ways or other communicators on the trains they would have to rely blindly on each other. It wasn't the best scenario, Zack mused, but it would have to do.

If Jessie's intel was correct, then they didn't have much time. If the mako supply in the pipelines doubled, then their bombs would be ineffectual at best—at worst they would cause mako to spill out in torrents. Either option was unpleasant and to be avoided. As it was now, he and Jessie had calibrated the explosives based on the cubic feet and current supply running through the lines. Any deviations could screw things up royally.

"What are you thinking about?" Tifa's voice, close to his ear, was muted over the rumble of the truck engine.

Zack turned his head and their noses brushed. "Nothing important," he replied.

She inclined her head, face skeptical. "You look awfully serious for nothing important." But she let it drop. She rose up on one knee and banged on the cab of the roof to ask Barret how much longer. Zack jerked back at the sound, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was inevitable, he assumed, that traveling in the back of a pick-up would stir up the memories of his and Cloud's escape, he just hadn't expected them to be so acute.

"Zack?" Wedge this time.

He opened one eye.

"Are you scared?"

Zack shook his head. Not of anything they were about to face..."No."

"Yeah, me neither." Wedge nodded, but his face remained pale. Then with an awkward sigh and a chubby hand through wavy hair. "No, that's a lie. I'm scared. I'm always scared." He laughed, self-deprecating and short. "Guess that's why Barret's always callin' me a coward..."

"The truest form of bravery is doing the right thing, even when you're scared." Zack stated, matter-of-fact. "A man without fear isn't a man." His head dropped back against the cab and his steady gaze found the dark, ominous ring of the plate overhead. "He's a monster."

They divided at the train station as planned with solemn faces and brief exchanges of "Good Luck". Tifa watched her teammates—her friends—board with a mixture of pride and trepidation. No matter how many times, no matter how well prepared, there was always the chance one—or all—wouldn't be coming back.

With a final look at the departing train, Tifa turned and resolutely walked back to the truck where Zack and Barret were already waiting.

"Good to go?" Barret asked as she approached.

Tifa nodded and swung herself up into the bed of the truck. "Good to go."

His dark eyes lingered on her a moment longer before he opened the driver's side door and slid behind the wheel. Immediately she heard a barrage of curses as his gun-arm snagged and grinded the gear-shift. Tifa smiled slightly. She'd offered to drive, but Barret—being Barret—refused, saying that he could manage "just fuckin' fine" without help.

Truth be told, he could. He was an excellent driver, even with only one good hand. Tifa firmly believed the grousing was more for show than any real frustration. If Barret wasn't blustering about something he'd be at a complete loss.

"Get in the truck, Princess, or I'm leaving your scrawny ass behind!" Barret grumbled, leaning out the window.

Zack obligingly hopped into the back. "What's so funny?" he asked Tifa.

She inclined her head, taking in blue eyes and a quirked set of lips. "Barret."

"Hm." He lowered himself down beside her. "Funny isn't exactly the first adjective that pops to my mind when I think about Barret."

She shrugged, not failing to notice how her shoulder grazed his with the motion. "You just don't know him well enough."

Zack propped one arm across a bent knee and regarded her. "Maybe."

"I know he seems like a hard-ass, but he's been through a lot."

"We all have," he reminded her gently.

His blue eyes felt heavy on her and she looked away, pretending to watch the scenery slip by. The thrum of wheels on gravel and the occasional bump was the only sound between them.

"That's a hell of a wall you have there." The comment was soft, deceptively casual.

Tifa slanted him a look. "What?"

He made a vague gesture between them with his hand. "You'll only let me so close--only so far in, and then... shut out."

Although his voice remained neutral, his eyes—to her—were accusing. She shifted and crossed her arms in front of herself, her chin tilted up defiantly. "What do you expect, Zack? We barely know each other."

"Bullshit." Now his voice matched his eyes. "Don't hide like that."

"I'm not hiding."

She felt the brush of his fingers against the back of her hand. "Yes you are. I just don't know if it's from me or yourself."

His touch sent a shiver along her arm. She snatched her hand away. "Please just drop it, okay?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, reluctant, but he relented. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

She nodded once, accepting the apology. He meant well, she knew. But she had never been the type to open herself up and expose her inner-most feelings. In fact, she envied the easy way Zack seemed able to express himself. He smiled, he frowned, he swore and he laughed despite everything he'd endured. His heart was on his sleeve, and truthfully, she felt a bit protective of it.

"Now what's on your mind?" he asked with a half-smirk.

And with that cocked smile the tension melted away as if it never had been. "You."

His eyes widened. "Oh?" He leaned in closer, voice conspiratorial. "Anything naughty?"

She laughed and swatted his arm, welcoming back the easy banter between them. "No. Pervert."

He leaned back with a shrug. "A guy can dream."

"Yeah, well keep dreamin', lover-boy." Both heads spun toward the cab. Barret was half leaned out the window, giving them an odd—borderline hostile—look.

"What?" Tifa asked, confused.

"We're here," he stated.

When she blinked, surprised, his scowl deepened. "Keep your head in the game, Teef."

Feeling properly chastised, she pushed herself to her feet. "I'm ready."

"Good. Let's go."

They piled out of the truck and made their way along the previously marked trail that Tifa and Barret had scouted. The grounds had changed, Tifa thought, since their previous trip. Tracks, fresh ones, marred the gravel, and some areas were even slick with mud.

She placed her hand to her side, fingers curling around the soft leather bumping her hip. She hadn't donned them yet, but it was comforting to feel her gloves.

Zack gave her a pointed look. "You ok?"

"Yeah." She let go of the gloves. "Just on edge."

"Understandable."

"Hurry it up," Barret called over his shoulder, adjusting the drill pack he was carrying.

"We'd better get moving." She jogged after Barret.

Zack followed at a slower pace, watching their surroundings with a look on his face that Tifa had never seen before. It was cautious...and hostile.

He didn't like it.

Something in the air felt off and every nerve-ending in his body screamed for him to be on the ready. He caught Tifa's worried glance a dozen times, but he couldn't bring himself to flash her a reassuring smile.

Something bad was coming.

He could feel it.

"I think we should turn back." He hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud until the other two stopped.

Tifa looked skeptical, Barret looked disbelieving.

"Don't go all chicken shit on me, Soldier boy."

Zack narrowed his eyes, irritated. "The tracks here are fresh and the ground is wet. Someone transported through here recently. This tunnel was supposed to be abandoned," he pointed out.

"So what if Shin-Ra took some fuckin' supplies through? We ain't got time to baby foot this. We act now or we sit with our thumbs up our asses while the planet is sucked dry. See, Teef, I told you," Barret pointed at her. "He's one of them, and if his loyalty is to Shin-Ra then we can't afford to keep him around."

"Whoa," Zack shook his head. "I never said abort the plan. I just think that right now isn't the best time. Why do you have to be so damn pig-headed about everything."

Barret glowered. "She may trust you. I don't. You ain't proved shit to me. You could be a damn spy for all I know, or an assassin."

"Barret!" Tifa snapped her head up.

Zack's smile was dangerous. "If I wanted you dead, big guy, you would be."

"Oh yeah?" Barret took a threatening step forward.

"Yeah." Zack didn't budge.

"Enough!" Tifa stepped between them, her eyes accusing. "This isn't the time for your pissing contest. We have a schedule to keep. The others are counting on us." She turned toward Zack. "They are relying on us to do our part. We're going ahead."

At least she didn't say she didn't believe him, or didn't trust him. She waited for his acknowledgment with impatient foot tapping. Finally, he nodded. "All right."

"Pansy." Barret muttered and marched on.

Twenty minutes later, hole successfully drilled and bomb securely in place, Zack began to doubt his inner warning system. It had never let him down before, but maybe all the shit Hojo had put him through had somehow crossed his wires. Or maybe he was just a paranoid-delusional now. Anyway he looked at it, he felt a bit like a fool.

"See? Nothing to worry about." Barret was smug when they got back to the truck. "All that bitchin' over noth--"

The blast shook the ground. It knocked Zack off his feet and slammed him into Tifa, with her taking the brunt of his weight as they went down. Head ringing, Zack turned to see the truck engulfed in flames, flipped onto its side. Fire snaked through the roof and out the broken windshield and a blooming cloud of black smoke rolled from the hood.

"Barret!" Tifa was up, running toward the truck, toward the blistering wall of heat with no regard for the spitting flames or her own safety.

Zack tackled her, brought her down hard.

"Barret!" she swung out in blind fury and Zack had to lock his arms around her middle to keep from being pummeled.

"Tifa, stop!" he shouted over the roar of the fire.

She gripped his shoulders like an anchor and her eyes were stark. "Barret!"

"I'll get him," he said, gently setting her aside. "I'll get him."

She nodded once.

Zack approached the flaming vehicle, wincing as the heat scorched against him and smoke burned his throat and stung his eyes. "Barret!" he shouted. He thought he heard a low groan followed by a few foul words. He lifted his arm to shield his face as sparks hissed past him and the engine sputtered out another belch of flame and smoke.

Beneath the rear of the overturned hulk of metal Barret was slowly being crushed into the ground. His gun-arm was the only thing preventing the flames from eating away at skin and bone. He grimaced, swore and tried unsuccessfully to maneuverer his way out of the slick mud and from beneath the flames.

Zack wasted little time. He unsheathed his Buster Sword and moved to stand beside Barret's left shoulder, ignoring the pain as flames blistered the skin on his shoulder. He dipped the front of his sword beneath the axle, angled it and pressed the handle down. Down...down... Fuck it was heavy...

He felt the truck shift.

Barret yowled.

Zack pressed harder.

"Move!" he ground out between clenched teeth. His eyes burned and he was sure he probably had no eyebrows anymore.

Barret wiggled, his metal gun arm glowing red and blood oozing from his forehead and shoulder. "Got no...room..." he panted.

Using the full weight of his upper body Zack pushed down on the handle, using his blade as a lever and raising the rear. Barret swore, squirmed, and finally managed to get free. Once he was clear Zack ripped the sword free and stumbled back.

Barret dusted off the front of his vest as he rose slowly to his feet. He glowered at the flaming wreckage and swung that angry gaze back on Zack. "I coulda managed."

Zack shrugged and housed his Buster Sword behind his back. "Well, now you don't have to."

"Fuckin' show off." Barret shouldered past.

Zack shook his head in disbelief. "You're welcome!" he called after him.

Barret flung up his hand and gave Zack the middle finger.

"Ungrateful mother--"

"Thank you."

Tifa's soft hand on his arm stopped him mid-rant. He looked down into warm, grateful eyes, and suddenly Barret's bad attitude was worth a few scrapes and bruises. He glanced at her fingers, stroking his reddened skin. "You're welcome," he answered.

And he knew then, quite suddenly, that for her, he would have rushed into the fire itself.

When had she come to mean so much to him?

"Heads up!" Barret's shout pulled Zack from his thoughts. When he reached their sides again he motioned in the direction he had come. "We got company!"

Sure enough a truckload of Shin-Ra troopers was coming down over the hill toward the tunnel.

"You think they knew we were coming?" Tifa asked as she slipped her gloves on. The shift in her expression was subtle, a hardening of soft features.

"No," Barret answered. "But they know we're here now."

"But the truck...?"

Zack glanced at the smoldering metal heap. "No doubt about it that Shin-Ra blew it up, but I'm thinking it was that." He pointed.

Tifa followed the direction and noticed a missile turret rising up on the military vehicle heading their way.

"So they probably don't know of the plan." She sounded relieved. "And if we keep them focused here, maybe they won't discover it."

"You're worried about the others," Zack stated. Not herself.

"Of course."

"Of course," he repeated with a small shake of his head. That big heart of hers was dangerous.

Gravel and metal exploded from the remains of the truck, showering down on them.

"Thorough fucks, aren't they?" Barret snarled, covering his head.

From the back of the approaching vehicle soldiers, dressed in blue and gray fatigues, poured out— opened fire.

Tifa jerked back, hit. Zack instinctively covered Tifa, pulling her into the protective shelter of his arms.

"Tifa!" Barret roared.

"Where?" Zack demanded, surprised by the well of panic he felt.

"Shoulder," she breathed against his neck. "Just my shoulder."

Zack unsheathed his sword again and one-arm shoved Tifa towards Barret. "Get her outta here."

"Zack!" Tifa cried out as he took off towards the soldiers. Was he insane? There were at least twenty men!

"I got this," he told her—almost casually—over his shoulder. But there was dark retribution in his eyes.

Tifa could only stare as he ran through the smoke, and proceeded to tear through soldier after soldier with alarming ease. He was a killing machine. His weapon found purchase through protective vests, shredding tender organs, slicing through bone. She had never seen anything like him. The soldiers screamed in terrified agony and Tifa was forced to turn her head away.

So that's what it was to be SOLDIER. She shuddered.

Barret gripped her arm. "Let's go!"

"We can't leave him."

"We ain't." Barret assured her. "They got a vehicle. We don't."

She nodded. "Let's go."

Taking the truck was easy. The men had abandoned it. Seeing their comrades cut down was apparently enough to shatter their Shin-Ra devotion.

"They don't make lackey's like they used to," Barret commented dryly as he hefted himself up into the cab.

Tifa shot him a narrow look.

"What?"

"Let's get Zack."

Barret shrugged, leaned back in the seat. "Don't need to. Captain Bad-ass is headin' right for us."

Tifa peered out the windshield and there he was. Walking calmly, steadily towards them with his sword trailing beside him, leaving a line of blood in the sand. "Oh, Zack..." she whispered. Behind him, bodies littered the ground.

When the driver's side door opened and Zack stated, "I'm driving." Barret shrugged and slid over.

Ten minutes later, as the army truck crossed the desert, the ground rumbled and behind them their bomb sent a stream of phosphorous green Mako straight into the air.

"Yeah!" Barret pumped his fist outside the window. He flashed Tifa a satisfied smile. "Feels good."

She sat silent, contemplating her boot laces.

"That was some cold killin' back there, Princess. You did good."

Zack was also silent.

Barret swore, shifted in his seat and crossed his arms. "Damn downers. I wonder how the others made out."

They had, it turned out, made off without a hitch. There was an unexpected train switch just outside of Sector 6 but otherwise, all went well. Two of Shin-Ra's largest supply lines were now out of commission.

Celebration was called for.

As shot glasses were passed around and triumphs toasted Zack quietly made his way up the stairs to his room. There he stripped down, removed his blood stained clothes, and crawled onto his bed.

His fingers curled into a fist and he beat the pillow beneath his head—once; twice—and flopped over onto his back. "Hello again, ceiling."

Silence.

"Yeah, I don't feel much like talking either..." He closed his eyes and inhaled a nasal breath. It had been so easy... so damn easy...

Fuck.

A soft knock on his door turned his head, but didn't prompt any further action.

"Zack?"

Tifa.

"Zack, are you okay?"

No.

"...I'm sorry."

For what? Not your fault I'm a monster.

"I...I'm here...if you need me."

He closed his eyes. Don't tempt me, Tifa.

"You're not alone."

The door opened in one smooth swing.

He didn't look at her.

"Zack..." She stopped; swallowed. "Thank you."

This did bring his head up. "For what?"

"For doing what needed to be done. For fighting when I know it hurts you."

That's just it, Tifa. It doesn't hurt me.

"For saving Barret. Me." She continued and gestured with an open palm toward her wrapped shoulder. "Thank you."

His voice was rough, low, strained. "Please, stop."

Without a word she approached him, uncertainly put her arms around him. The hug was awkward, as if she was unfamiliar with the act.

At her touch Zack shuddered, his breath catching. He should tell her to go. Tell her to stay away.

His arms folded around her.

"I'm here," she whispered reassuringly. "It's okay."

"What am I?" he asked raggedly into her hair.

She pulled him closer.

They sank to the floor.

The remainder of the night passed with neither one saying another word.

AN: This chapter went in a completely different direction than I had planned on, but in the end I let the characters decide for me, and this is what came out. I hope you enjoyed. Thank you for all of the encouraging reviews, they certainly do keep me motivated. The next chapter is already started, and for those that remember the game, a trip to the Honey Bee Inn is in order. ;) Thank you again, for reading and taking the time to review!