Disclaimer: Characters in this story are copyrights of Square Enix. They are by no means mine. Only the storyline belongs to me. If by any chance I have used any ideas similar to those of existing authors, please inform me so that I may change the details. If there is no notice, I will take it that usage of the idea is permitted. Thank you.
Legend
"…" conversation
'…' thoughts
break
Chapter Four: Change
The interior of Seventh Heaven was dim, and music played softly in the background. The bar had quite a few customers tonight. Cloud was sitting at the bar counter. There was a stranger beside him.
"I know that this job is outside your work parameter but we really need your help." The elderly man looked serious.
"What do you want me to do?" asked the blond in a low voice.
"Monsters have been appearing near the factory where I work," said the man. "Usually, they leave the workers alone. But lately, they seem to be getting restless. There've already been two attacks."
"Please! We're afraid to go to work, but we can't quit either! All of us have families to feed…"
"So, you're asking for us to kill the monsters." Cloud phrased the man's intent simply. He nodded.
"…Where is the factory?" enquired the ex-SOLDIER after a slight consideration. The man's face lit up.
"You'll take the job?"
Cloud nodded. The man gave him a piece of paper with the location of the factory on it. After thanking Cloud profusely, he left the bar. Just after that, the vacated seat was taken up by a rather grumpy-looking Barret.
"Hey, Loz! Gimme a beer!" he shouted down the counter.
"Right!" Loz soon produced a bottle of beer and a glass. He set them down in front of Barret. Just then, Yazoo came over (And no, he's not in a dress.)
"A Scotch and two beers!"
"'Kay!"
Tifa, who just exited the kitchen, plopped herself down on the stool next to Cloud.
"They look like they're having fun."
Cloud said nothing, opting to watch the trio. Apparently Loz was teasing Yazoo about something, because the latter looked angry and was yelling at Loz, who then laughed. Cloud's blue eyes roamed the bar and settled on a certain silver-haired waiter at the corner table. Kadaj had a smile on his lips while taking down the orders. It was quite a sight to behold, and Cloud found himself unable to tear his eyes away.
"I hate that rat!"
Barret's grumbling jerked him out of his reverie. He didn't quite understand why, but he was annoyed by the older man's outburst.
"Grr…always bossing people 'round! Who does he think he is?"
Cloud raised him eyebrows at Tifa, who shrugged. They knew for a fact that Barret had taken up Rufus on his offer, but working together did nothing to help ease their relationship. By the looks of it, the president had just succeeded in pissing Barret off more than usual. Tifa tried to tell him not to worry too much about Rufus.
"Have you got another job?" Tifa asked.
Cloud nodded. "Monster extermination."
"Well, this means you're not going alone." Tifa stood up, hands akimbo.
"We'll be back before nightfall, so please take care of the kids and the place for the meanwhile."
Loz gave Tifa a thumbs-up.
"No problem!"
"Oh, and please buy the groceries. Get Yazoo to do it." Tifa handed Loz a list. Loz looked at Cloud who was waiting for Tifa.
"Are you sure the two of you can handle it?" asked Loz. "Not that I underestimate your strength but…"
"I need someone to take care of the place while we're gone. Besides, we can handle a few monsters."
Loz shrugged. "If you say so."
Lifestream, a strange substance once used as a source of energy. It is said that the souls of those who died return to it, flowing through the planet as a part of the river. When the substance from Lifestream crystallises, Materia is formed, allowing for those who possess it to use magic.
Lifestream was supposed to be untainted, clean…but no longer. Far away from Midgar, from civilisation, the purity of Lifestream was beginning to get contaminated. Unknown to the occupants of this planet, the river was growing black.
Yazoo was pissed. Why must he be the one to do the shopping? Doubtlessly, this must be Tifa's work.
"Stupid woman…" muttered Yazoo darkly under his breath. "She's taking every opportunity to make my life harder." Somewhere in the outskirts of Midgar, Tifa sneezed.
Giving up on griping, the long-haired youth studied the shopping list Loz had given him. It was mostly foodstuff that he had to get, but there was one unusual item on the list.
'Looks like motor parts…' mused Yazoo. 'Why would Tifa want something like that?'
As far as he could recall, the martial artist had no interest whatsoever in engineering. This meant that he would have to stop by the workshop for a while. What a bother!
Fenrir skidded to a halt, sending dust into the air. Cloud and Tifa dismounted and scanned the surroundings. The factory, a small building black with grime, was located near the edge of the forest.
"I was expecting more…noise." Tifa commented.
Cloud silently agreed. There was a lack rowdy workers loafing around the compound as one might expect. Even the chug of machinery sounded somewhat quiet. A side door opened, and a skinny man poked his head out. He looked around cautiously and after a while, stole out with a small bucket. Thick, greyish black liquid sloshed in the bucket as he ran towards a small waste disposal shed some distance away.
"Yuck…" Tifa cringed as some of the black substance spilled onto the ground. "Ew, what's that?"
A scream suddenly alerted the two; the scrawny man was running back to the factory, bucket abandoned. Cloud and Tifa looked on with a mix of awe and repulsion at an approaching monster. It was huge, but the head nestled between the shoulders was the size of a human head; small in comparison to the body. The skin looked like it was cracked and peeling, but the rough texture warned Cloud of its toughness.
Cloud drew his sword, while Tifa was already speeding towards the monster. The martial artist landed a blow onto the body, only to find that her fists had no effect on it. Cloud jumped and brought his sword down, hard.
"What!" The blade bounced back, vibrating so much he almost lost his grip. Narrowing his eyes, the blond released a series of quick strikes, while Tifa pounded continuously at the creature.
"It's no use! His skin's too hard to penetrate!"
Cloud glanced at his sword; it was nicked at a few places. He saw that Tifa's gloves were torn, her knuckles bleeding. The creature roared, obviously angered, and galloped towards them on all fours.
"The head."
Without a moment's waste, they went at the monster, aiming for the head. Just when they thought they had it, the head squeezed into a crack, successfully protecting the only spot of flesh from damage. Cloud's sword ricocheted at an angle, and Tifa was forced to do a backward flip to avoid the blade.
The headless creature now rampaged around, as though sightless. Tifa managed to jump away, but Cloud was trapped between its legs. It kicked violently at his chest, knocking Cloud a great distance back. Cloud stood up shakily; he might have broken a rib or two by the aching feeling.
He staggered back and stepped into a puddle of the black slosh. Suddenly, an idea struck him. Grabbing the half-full bucket, he flung it at the monster, emptying the contents onto it. One materia on his sword began to glow.
"Firaga!" cried the blond.
The monster's body burst into flame. Enraged shrieks escaped the living fireball, trailing smoke as it went on a trampling fury.
"What-" Tifa began.
"It's oil. Machine oil." Cloud tightened his grip on his sword.
When the flames died down, the monster stuck its head out. At this moment, Cloud jumped up and slashed at its neck. A voiceless cry issued from the severed head, and the monster fell on its side, lifeless.
"Finally…" sighed Tifa.
Cloud studied the monster's tracks carefully.
'It came from the forest.'
Yazoo looked up at the signboard, shopping bags in arms. This was where he had to get the final item on the list. After that, he would be done.
A bell tinkled when he pushed the door open.
"Welcome! How may I help you?" The shop owner was an unshaven man in his thirties. His hair looked tousled and he was presently looking at Yazoo from top to toe.
"Yes. I need a…um, spark plug and the exhaust."
The man's gaze made Yazoo feel very uncomfortable; he could almost swear that the man looked hungry. Just then, the bell tinkled again, signalling that someone else had entered the shop. Yazoo turned around to find Reno standing at the entrance.
"Hey, boss! I need some parts! Here's the list."
Yazoo felt a gush of inexplicable relief. At least he won't be stuck alone with the creepy shop owner now.
"Hold up a second." The shop owner disappeared to the back of the shop.
"Oh, what're you doing here?" asked Reno.
"None of your business…" he couldn't help retorting.
Reno shrugged. The man returned and piled the parts into a box with pieces of foam. Then, he turned his attention to Yazoo.
"I got your spark plug but the exhaust…what model do you need?"
"Er…I don't know." Yazoo glanced at the list. The man drew closer, peering over his shoulder. Yazoo pulled himself away.
"It's for a motorbike."
"Well, take a look at these few models, and tell me which one you'd like."
'What the hell is wrong with him?' thought Yazoo frantically as the shop owner gave him a mysterious and perhaps, lecherous grin. He pointed at one hastily, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible.
"Are you sure there's nothing else you'll need? Anything at all?" Feeling a little cornered, Yazoo couldn't seem to tear himself out of this sticky situation. Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his left shoulder.
"Nope, I think that'll be all he needs!" said Reno a little louder than necessary, and then proceeded to lead Yazoo out of the shop. Once outside, Yazoo squirmed out of the redhead's grip.
"You better be more careful." Reno warned the long-haired youth. "That perverted old geezer had an eye out for you."
Yazoo raised his eyebrows questioningly.
"What do you mean?"
"The slums are dangerous for someone as beautiful as you." With that, Reno walked away, leaving a stunned Yazoo to ponder his words.
A/N: Ah, I've finally managed to rush a New Year chapter (since I couldn't post it on Christmas) Um…I'm not sure if they call it Fire 3 or Firaga, can't remember. The motor thing was absolutely random, but I couldn't think of any other way to make Yazoo and Reno meet. Oh no, I think I've just turned Yazoo into an uke! He's so going to kill me! Oh, Happy New Year!