Cid wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of one grimy hand. The cigarette hanging loosely from one side of his mouth sent a tendril of mist upwards, causing him to squint and his eyes to water as they battled both the stinging smoke and the gushing wind that whipped around him. He heaved once again at the apparently immobile body before him.
"Dammit Barrett! You great lazy lump of chocobo droppings…..What'd you have to go and get yourself stuck under some wall for?….." Cid's hands twisted tightly around the big mans clothing, his fingers locking and clamping onto the mans shirt, as he bent his legs and pulled with all the strength he could muster.
"I leave you…….guys alone……….for just two minutes………" he panted, trying to haul the uncooperative body free. "And…..look at the…..mess I have to come back to." Barrett's unconscious bulk moved slightly under the exertion. Cid took another small step backwards, and pulled again. "Come on, you freakin' tub of lard….Move yourself why don't you?" he gasped in exasperation, sweat running off his face once again.
"Need a hand there, old man?" came a voice behind him.
Cid spun around, spitting the spent cigarette butt from his lips. "What the hell……" His eyes opened wide as he took in the sight of the stuff bodied mog before him. Relief diluted his words when he next spoke. "Damn, and here I was thinking I'd have to search and rescue your fat over-stuffed body too!"
Cait Sith gave a small laugh, as he waddled forwards and looked down at Barrett, taking note of the pallor of his skin, the blueness of his lips. "Is he still alive?" he asked, uneasily.
"Do you think I'd be fucking well wasting my energy on him if he wasn't?" Cid exploded.
"Okay…okay! I'm sorry….stupid thing to say," Cait Sith said quickly, trying to ease down the ruffled feathers of the other. The last thing needed now was animosity.
"Yeah well, being sorry is all well and good….But right now, I need a hand. Think you're up to it?" Cid asked, accepting the mog's apology. Cait Sith nodded. He would do anything to stay in his good books.
Cid motioned towards the man upon the ground. "Come on…..take a hold. You can help me drag him."
Each grabbing an ankle of Barrett's, they pulled him free of the remaining rubble. His body was a mess. Blood had seeped through the numerous cuts, and deep dark bruises were forming on the skin that could be seen through the ripped clothing. Cid stooped and wiped away the dust that covered Barrett's nose and mouth, lowering his head to listen for the sounds of breathing. When he detected the soft sound, he sat back, and lit up another much needed cigarette, drawing deeply and inhaling the soothing smoke into his lungs.
"Those things will kill you one day," Cait Sith warned, as he watched the other enjoying his sinful pleasure.
"Not a chance. Not while I have friends like you doing your best to take care of that for me," Cid laughed. Cait Sith looked down at the still unconscious Barrett.
"What shall we do with him?" he asked.
"I guess we're gonna have to haul him to the lake. That's where I've left Red," Cid answered.
"Red? Is he alright?" Cait Sith asked, concern in his voice.
"Well, he's alive, if that's what you mean" Cid replied. "He was the first one I found when I raced back here. I knew, as soon as those dark bloody storm clouds closed over….. I knew that something bad had happened. I found Red lying on the path. Blood was pouring from his nose, his mouth, his ears. I didn't know what to do with him, so I dragged him to the lake, and came looking for the others."
Cait Sith looked around him. There was nothing to see but desecration and destruction everywhere. It saddened him to see the fall of the once beautiful city. "Vincent?….Tifa?" he ventured.
Cid shook his head. "Haven't found them yet. It's taken me forever to get this great big lug free." He looked down affectionately at Barrett. "Let's drag him over with Red….and then we can both search for the others together," he said, taking a final puff on his cigarette, before tossing the spent stub to the wind.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Cait Sith agreed, taking a firm hold of Barrett's ankle once again.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cid spotted a dark shape, moving quickly within the swirling, wind driven dust. Sephiroth! His long silver hair flying around him, his black leather coat flapping open around his legs, he strode purposely past them. He didn't stop to speak. He didn't stop to help. It was as if he didn't even see them. He was headed towards the tunnels that led to the underground chambers, his stride purposeful and determined.
He was a man on a mission….and nothing, or no-one, was going to stop him.