Chapter 8 - I Fucking Hate Irony
"Are you sure, Red." Cloud asked his beastly friend. "Is it possible Yuffie is just here on her own, not with the Turks?"
"No." Red shook his head. "Her scent is mingled with theirs. They came together."
Barret stepped up alongside Cloud. "What you think, Strife? She with us, or against us." Cloud looked up to his gigantic friend.
"I really have no idea. But I've got a bad feeling about all of this." As they spoke, Vincent stepped past the two.
"It matters not. If she is a companion, we will deal with it. If she is an enemy, we will be prepared for it." The former Turk stated, and drew his gun. "We will not solve any of the day's problem's worrying over possibilities."
"The vampire's right." Tifa glared at Cid for his casual insult. "We should just head in there and get this entire mess figured out."
"Alright, let's go then." Cloud nodded his agreement to his friends and AVALANCHE ventured toward the building. Cid was the first to reach the doors when he was slammed into. Reno hit the pilot running full speed, and the two tumbled away, unsure of just what was attacking them, but trying their best to kill it anyway.
"What the fuck?"
"Ah, my fucking head."
"Go to hell asshole"
"Who do you think you are, dick. I'll fucking kill you."
The two finally separated, Reno rolling back to the Turks and Yuffie, who had just emerged from the building, and Cid rolled back to AVALANCHE. Shock registered on all faces except for Rude's and Vincent's. Reno was the next to recover.
"What. The fuck." Reno didn't yell. He didn't get mad. He didn't do anything, as he turned and fixed his gaze on Yuffie. "Why?" It was a simple question. But it scared her more than she could possibly imagine it would.
"Yuffie, are you alright?" Tifa asked, concerned about the young girl's company. Yuffie didn't even hear her. Her eyes were still locked on Reno's, a silent exchange settling between them. Reno's cold eyes flashed once more and he looked away.
"Get th' fuck away from her!" Barret commanded as he raised his arm. Yuffie's head shot up in surprise.
"Barret, no!" She yelled, but the gun-arm had already opened fire. The three Turks dove for cover and Tifa stepped forward to grab Yuffie by the arm, pulling her away, her protests going unnoticed by all but Red and Vincent. The two reserved AVALANCHE members shared a look before moving quickly to Yuffie's side. Rude had begun to return fire on Barret while Cloud, Cid and Tifa directly assaulted Reno and Elena. Reno danced away from the biting edge of Cloud's sword, as the Jenova-enhanced warrior swung mercilessly, absorbing or avoiding any blasts from the EMR.
"C'mon Strife, you were never this slow. Getting a little out of shape with all this peace?" Reno taunted. Cloud only emitted a snarl of rage and charged again. Meanwhile, Tifa's constant attack kept Elena on the defense, and prevented her from launching any kind of offence. While Barret occupied Rude's fire, Cid found himself creeping over the wreckage of Midgar to get behind the bald Turk.
Vincent and Red reached the girl standing off to the side, complete shock written on her face. Vincent's hands wrapped around her shoulders and gave Yuffie a quick shake.
"Yuffie, this is important. Were you the Turks' prisoner." Red asked from beneath the girl's line of vision.
"What?" Confusion registered in the girl's eyes.
"Yuffie, did you come voluntarily. Do you trust the Turks?" This time it was Vincent who spoke. Yuffie's eyes were trained on the battle. Cloud ducked out of the way of yet another blast from the EMR, only to find that its intended target was that of Barret. The unexpected electricity ran through the black man's body and rendered him unconscious. Reno laughed as Barret collapsed, and Cloud redoubled his efforts to bring the Turk down. Cid had just reached Rude when Barret went down, and attacked the Turk head on.
After seconds of silence, Yuffie finally seemed to understand the question. "Yes, yes I do trust them. We have to stop the others. We don't need to kill each other over this." The girl looked pleadingly at Vincent, then at Red. "Please."
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"Oh, Davis. This is positively fantastic. More than I could hope for. Two potential threats, wiping each other out. Fantastic. Davis, call Dr. Howari up here. I would love for her to see this." Corin laughed with absolute mirth as he watched the two groups of adventurers fight each other.
"I'm sorry, sir. Dr. Howari is not answering in her lab." Davis spoke as he set the receiver down again. "Perhaps she is busy preparing for the next stages?"
Corin looked disappointed for a moment. "Yes, yes, very well." His smile came back in full swing when Barret hit the ground. While the president stared at the battle intently, Davis himself was observing the three people off to the sidelines. Stepping up to a separate monitor, Davis zoomed in on the image to find Yuffie, Red and Vincent conversing.
"Now what are those three up to?" He whispered to himself. Turning his back to the screen, Davis walked up to his employer's side. "I believe that now would be the best time to give the order for Kassidy to prepare to move. I think the ninja girl is up to something."
Alexander turned his attention to the girl and question, and with a simple disappointed wave of his hand, approved the suggestion. Davis picked up the radio and got himself in touch with Kassidy's group.
"Kassidy, I have a feeling something's going to stop this fight. Be ready to move a moment's notice. And stick to the plan." If an answer came back, Davis didn't hear it. Hanging up, he turned back to the monitor's and watched Yuffie, Red and Vincent spread.
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Vincent pulled himself away from Yuffie and took control of the situation. "Yuffie, you get Tifa, Red, get Cloud. I'll take care of Cid. Calm them down, and restrain them if need be. But protect them from the Turks should they continue attacking." And with that, he was gone towards Rude and Cid.
Red risked a quick glance toward Yuffie before trying to get between Cloud and Reno. Yuffie lingered for a moment longer before spotting an irate Tifa and a battered Elena. The ninja shot off to the other two women, just in time to watch Tifa land a vicious kick to Elena's side. The Turk collapsed in a heap, holding her ribs as Yuffie arrived yelling for Tifa to stop. The martial artist lowered herself down and pulled back a fist, concentrating her energy on it, when somebody caught her arm.
"Yuffie? What are you doing?" Tifa's expression was a mixture of frustration and confusion. Yuffie looked absolutely desperate.
"Tifa, stop. Elena's not the enemy. Not yet, I don't think." Yuffie hesitated, unsure of herself. "Just stop for now. Please."
Tifa lowered her arm slowly and got back to her feet, while Yuffie pulled out a cure materia, and helped Elena get back to her feet. Tifa spoke softly behind her.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
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Vincent arrived at Rude's and Cid's fight quickly enough, but the pilot wasn't listening to reason. Vincent was certain that Rude realized what Vincent was trying to do as soon as he arrived, and the bald Turk kept himself on the defensive, refusing to attack Cid and thus ensuring his own safety.
"Cid, stop this. Rude has done nothing wrong." The ex-Turk's pleas went unnoticed, and Cid simply bit down harder on his cigarette, furiously attacking with his spear. Rude took a moment to shrug at Vincent before fending off another charge.
"Highwind, would you stop and listen for a moment?" Vincent tried again, only to be ignored one more time. Deciding that nothing was getting through to his friend, and that Rude was not a direct threat, Vincent moved quickly and wrapped his arms around Cid, his golden claw gripping the spear.
"What the fuck are you doing, Vampire? He's gonna kill us you little shit." Cid swore as Vincent lifted him off the ground.
"No, I don't think he'll be a problem." Vincent calmly replied to his irate friend. Rude stood no more than three feet away, adjusting his sunglasses calmly. "Right now, we need to all relax and figure this out." When Cid finally stopped his struggling, Vincent readily released him. Looking over at Rude, Cid tossed his cigarette to the ground, stamped it out with his foot and flipped Rude off.
"Alright." Cid said. "We'll do it the diplomatic way for now." He looked over at Vincent. "But if there's any bullshit, I'll kill them all myself." Rude simply shrugged in response.
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While the other fighters were subdued relatively easily, Red was having no such luck halting the battle raging between Reno and Cloud. Reno's suit was nearly destroyed, blood seeping through small clean cuts, lacing his upper body. Reno still smiled and laughed, even while the sword sliced another shallow gash in his forearm. Twisting away from the attack, Reno countered, the electrical blast hitting Cloud flush in the chest. The swordsman staggered back a step, his clothes seared and peeling, revealing burnt flesh over multiple spots. Looking down for a moment, Cloud inspected the damage, then was back on his assault.
"Cloud, Reno, cease in this madness. You have nothing to fight over." Red's loud barks went unheeded by the combatants. Unable to physically restrain either of them, he looked over at the group of people headed their way. "They will not listen. We must stop them now."
Again, Vincent was the one to take control. "Rude, grab Reno. Cid, get Cloud. Tifa make sure Barret is unhurt and wake him up." Tifa nodded once as Yuffie handed a cure materia to her.
Reno backed out of the way of another wild swing, only to stumble over a stray piece of metal embedded in the ground. Taking advantage of the situation, Cloud swung once again, and while Reno avoided the brunt of the attack, it cut deeply into his left arm. Reno hopped back a couple feet and looked at the injured arm hanging limply at his side, blood pouring freely from the wound. The smirk was gone from his face, and was replaced by anger as he switched hands with his nightstick.
"That fucking hurts." Reno snarled, fury lacing his words.
"It'll hurt less when you're dead, Turk." Cloud brought his sword up once more and charged. Reno stood completely still, watching the enraged hero rushing right for him. Even as the sword fell, Reno did not move. Just as the blade was about to enter Reno's neck, the Turk rushed forward, within the range of the swing for it to be effective. With a quick smirk and wink, Reno applied the EMR directly to Cloud's stomach, holding it tightly to his body. The electricity tore through Cloud's body, sending him into spasms as his muscles contracted, but before he could fall, the connection was broken as Reno was pulled away.
"What the hell?" Reno turned around, to find Rude holding him back. He struggled wildly against his friend's grip, and saw Cid holding a raging Cloud back from attacking him. "What's going on."
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"Pity. That was just getting good." Alexander turned to his assistant. "Davis, I don't think we'll be seeing the Turks or AVALANCHE destroy each other today. Guess we'll have to do it ourselves." He smiled at man to his side. "Send Kassidy in." Davis nodded once and turned away.
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"Reno, stop." Yuffie stepped out from the crowd, and addressed the Turk as he thrashed about. Stopping, he turned to her.
"Why? So you can stab us in the back again?" Reno accused her. Hurt filled the young girl's expression and she turned away and hung her head, biting back the tears that stung her eyes. Tifa brought an angry and grumbling Barret over to the group and saw her friend's condition. Giving Reno a look of pure hatred, she threw her arms around Yuffie's shoulders and tried to console her. Cloud had calmed down by now, and Cid released him.
"You just have to hurt everything don't you." Cloud gestured to Yuffie "Even the ones who might care about you."
"What the hell would you know?" Reno, still wrapped in Rude's arms shrugged his friend off. He pointed at Cloud. "How could you know who I am? You don't even know who you are." This time, it was Reno who gestured Yuffie. "And I don't take well to betrayals." Yuffie's back stiffened at the comment.
"Enough." Vincent stepped up. "Cloud, this is not the time." Cloud looked at Vincent defiantly for a moment, before meeting eyes with the rest of his friends. Realizing he was wrong, Cloud looked back to Vincent resignedly.
"Sorry." Cloud said and went to stand beside Tifa.
"As for you, Reno." Vincent continued. "You should be thanking Yuffie. She did not betray you, as we had no idea where she was until now. She is also the reason this battle has stopped. Despite this, you will talk to us civilly about the situation." Reno and Vincent locked eyes. "Or we will kill you."
Reno's eyes held Vincent's for a moment longer before turning to look at Elena and Rude. After a silent exchange between the Turks, Reno turned back to Vincent. "Fine." He smirked. "We'll talk about it all friendly-like an together."
"Actually, you can all die friendly-like and together." A voice boomed out around them and mere moments after it had finished, the two groups found themselves under heavy fire. The trained members of the group are what saved them during that first volley. Rude grabbed Elena and dove for cover behind an abandoned car, meeting Vincent holding a surprised Cid there. Cloud had protected Tifa, and met up with Barret and Red in a nearby abandoned building. Reno and Yuffie had both ducked behind fallen metal that lay strewn behind them. An explosion rocked the ground around them, and debris was thrown about the group. A small, but fast moving chunk of rock hit Yuffie in the back of the head, and she fell over unconscious. Reno quickly checked to ensure the girl was uninjured.
"Everyone alright?" Tifa's voice called out. A chorus of affirmative answers came back.
"Yuffie got hit on the head. She's out right now, but she'll be fine." Reno answered.
"Very quick. Not a single shot landed." The voice spoke out again. "But I would expect no less from such an elite group like the Turks or the world's saviors."
"And who the hell are you?" Cloud yelled out from his hiding spot, careful not to expose himself.
"My name is Captain Kassidy. But you have more important things to worry about. Such as, just how are you going to get your friends out alive?" Cloud looked over to where Vincent was crouching and got his attention.
"Where are they?" Cloud spoke loud enough for everyone but Kassidy and his men to hear.
"Everywhere except directly behind us. I believe we are meant to go that way." Vincent answered.
"Yeah, but we don't have a choice. And I think we need the Turks to help us. Truce for now?" Cloud addressed the suited individuals currently hiding among his own teammates.
"Yeah, but once this is over, you're fucked Strife." Reno answered for all three of them.
"Fine, once this is over."
"Trying to formulate an escape?" Kassidy's voice boomed out. "You're welcome to try. But you will die. The only way out is for the Turks to give up that information they're carrying."
Cloud looked over at Elena as she patted her pocket to ensure the disks still remained. In response, she looked over to Reno for an order. Reno shook his head. "Not a chance. Not till we know what's on those disks, or have no choice."
Nodding, Cloud began to think. Speaking again he began his plan. "Alright, we have to go directly behind us, into Sector 2's slums. Turks, Vincent and Barret, we'll need cover fire. Reno can you carry Yuffie?"
"Yeah, no problem." The red head answered.
"Well? Do I have to needlessly kill you? Choose quickly."
Cloud and Reno made eye contact and nodded. "You can kiss my ass!" Reno yelled and began firing where he thought Kassidy's voice was coming from. The other gunmen quickly joined him, and the group ran quickly away from the ambush, using what cover they could find, even as Kassidy's men returned fire.
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Alexander switched the monitor in front of him, keeping the fleeing Turks and AVALANCHE in view. "Perfect, Davis. Kassidy is playing his part perfectly. The fools have no idea what they are getting into."
The door to the surveillance room opened, and Dr. Howari entered. Alexander smiled broadly at his employee and motioned for her to sit in the chair next to his. Dr. Howari stood beside Davis. "When will the information be arriving Alexander."
"If you'll look at the monitors in front of us, you'll see that everything is under control. We will have what we require soon enough."
Kaylynn looked at the monitors. "Are those the Turks?" she asked softly.
"They were the Turks. They're as good as dead now my dear."
"Oh." Dr. Howari's eyes turned cold again. "Bring me the information." And with that, she left the room.
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"We need to get out of the city. There's just too many spots for them to snipe us out in here." Reno yelled ahead to Cloud as he held Yuffie in his arms.
"I know." The blond answered. "The Sector 2 gates are right over here." Cloud was cut off as gunfire sprang up in front of him, and the group slammed to a halt, everybody diving for cover once again.
"They're trying to corral us Strife." Reno called out. "Pin us down." More gunfire came from the side. Cloud led the group away from the trailing gunfire and as quickly as it came, it ceased.
"I suggest none of you move very far." Kassidy called out to them, still unseen. Cloud held up his hand and stopped the group. AVALANCE and the Turks found themselves in an open space under the last standing plate, easily assaulted from any hidden position. "Smart boy. It would be nothing to kill you now."
"What do you want?"
"I've already told you. The disk the Turks have recovered. Give it up without a fight." A single soldier appeared from the wreckage and walked towards the group. Elena looked over at Reno.
"Go ahead." Reno gave her permission. Elena nodded and pulled a single disk out of her jacket pocket. Walking over to the approaching soldier, she handed it to him, and stepped backwards to stand beside Rude.
Kassidy did not speak until the lone soldier was well out of sight. "Well done, well done. Thank you for your co-operation. Now say your good- byes." Before the group could react, three explosions rang out from above them and the sound of metal screeching filled their ears as the Sector 2 plate was nearly blown loose immediately.
"Oh my God, the plate's going to drop." Tifa's voice screamed out, laced with fear. She looked to Cloud for guidance. "What do we do?"
Cloud himself was lost, unable to think clearly. "I don't know." He looked around for help. Any eyes that met his were filled with despair. The rest were fixated on the plate as it struggled with gravity to remain suspended. Elena's voice broke out.
"What about the train maintenance tunnels?" Everybody looked at the female Turk. "They survived Meteor. They can handle this." Hope glimmered in everyone's eyes.
"They need to be opened at an outside station." Rude spoke. "By a high-ranking Shin-ra employee." Reno's eyes met Rude's through his sunglasses for a moment. Then the bald Turk took off running.
"Rude, no!" Elena screamed as she watched him go. Vincent's human hand wrapped around her waist and prevented her from chasing him. Suddenly, a flash of light spouted from within the crowd and a bolt of energy connected with Rude's back, encasing him in a golden pyramid. Reno handed Yuffie to Barret and ran off, towards his partner.
"Sorry man." Reno looked him while Rude shook his head in protest. "You and Elena have too much ahead of you to risk. See you in a bit, bro." And with that Reno was gone.
Elena batted Vincent's arm away and ran to Rude, punching the pyramid and shattering it. The two turned back to AVALANCHE who stood watching them in shock. Elena forced the tears away from her eyes and voice as she spoke. "Follow me. I'll show you where to go."
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"This is stupid. I'm stupid. Rude's stupid. Elena's stupid." Reno paused in his rambling. "Yuffie's stupid." The plate still hung precariously over his head. "Fuck."
Reno reached the maintenance building for Sector 2 and ran inside, heading straight for the Train controls. "Alright now. Let's see if I can remember these old codes." He began punching in numbers to the keypad in front of him. "This is so bloody stupid."
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AVALANCE and the Turks reached the electronically sealed entrance to the maintenance tunnels and waited. Cloud looked over at Rude and Elena, from his position beside Tifa. The female Turk looked distraught, worry lines creasing across her face while Rude himself appeared impassive with the situation.
"So what does he have to do?" Cloud spoke to Rude. Slowly, he turned to him and adjusted his sunglasses.
"In each sector there is a remote security station that powers the maintenance doors." Rude paused, and collected his thoughts.
"Only a high ranking Shin-ra employee such as Reno has access to the codes to open these doors." Elena took over.
"But how can there be power? The entire city is offline." Cid asked.
"The power supply to those stations is connected directly to the Shin- ra building power supply. It was designed so that, even if a sector shuts down completely, these doors can still be opened. If we get through this, remind me to thank Reeve. A lot" She added with a downcast smile.
"So we'll be fine, right? As long as Reno gets there before the plate drops." Even as Tifa spoke of it, the screech of metal tore through the air above them as another support snapped and the plate tilted down a little further. Falling debris scattered the group as they moved deftly to avoid it. While the dust settled, Elena spoke again.
"Actually, we don't know how much longer the generator we jump- started can hold up. If the power cuts out before then..." Elena paused. "Well, we're screwed."
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"President Alexander, Captain Kassidy is on the line for you, sir." Davis handed the receiver to his boss.
"Thank you very much." Corin brought it up to his ear. "Kassidy, outstanding job today, absolutely outstanding."
"Thank you, sir. The information has been collected and verified. It is currently being escorted to Gongaga."
"Wonderful. My cameras went out when the bombs went off Kassidy. I'll assume all my enemies were destroyed." Alexander asked. He was met with silence. "Kassidy?"
"The plate has yet to fall, sir."
"What?"
"The plate hasn't fallen yet. It's only mere moments away though." Kassidy reassured.
"Did they escape Kassidy?" Alexander's voice took on a cold, dark tone.
"No, sir. Our men are holding down the perimeter of the Sector. They can't go anywhere without us knowing."
"Kassidy the moment that plate falls, you move your men to Kalm. If they escape, they'll be there. And don't report back until you're sure they're dead." The line cut out.
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The doors to the maintenance tunnels slid open so quickly and quietly, that the Turks and AVALANCHE didn't even notice until Tifa happened to glance at it.
"Well holy shit." Cid exclaimed as the group of nine clambered under the cover of the tunnels. "The little bastard pulled it off."
As the group moved on, Cloud stopped and looked back to find the Turks standing silently at the entranceway.
"Cloud, let's go." Barret yelled back to his friend, Yuffie still in his arms.
"Hold on a second. Elena, are you sure these tunnels will survive?" Cloud asked.
"Yes, absolutely." She answered, her eyes never ceasing their search for a crumpled blue suit, or red hair coming towards them. Cloud turned back to AVALANCHE.
"We stay."
"What?" Cid looked at Cloud in disbelief. "You're bullshitting me."
"No. As much as I hate to admit it, Reno is risking his life for us. We wait until there is no doubt either way. We owe these two that at least." With that, all discussion ended, and AVALANCHE waited with the Turks, some more willingly than others.
"Can he make it?" Vincent asked.
"He will." Elena answered quickly.
"What if he doesn't return before the plate collapses." Red directed the question to Rude.
"Then we seal the doors, or we die with him." Rude responded carefully.
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Reno bolted out of the security building and dashed down the debris- covered street in front of him.
"Piece of cake." He breathed heavily. "Not a problem at all."
Turning sharply down the road, Reno's speed slowed to a walk as the plate above him gave one last groan of protest. Looking up as death descending on him, a smirk spread across his face, and Reno strolled calmly into a nearby building. Shrapnel fell all about him, smaller pieces biting into his body as he moved slowly onward.
"Well, Tseng." Reno looked around him. "Looks like we'll be seeing each other sooner than I had hoped man." His head tilted up to the dropping plate that seemed to be heading straight for him alone. "I fucking hate irony."
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The last groan rang throughout the whole of the Midgar ruins, but Rude didn't hear anything at all. His eyes darted about the fallen slums in front of him from behind his sunglasses. Beside him, he watched Elena cry out for Reno, but no sound reached him. His mind seemed to separate from his body as he watched his hand reach out, and punch in a sequence of numbers into a nearby console. The door slammed to a shut directly in front of him, and he didn't hear it. Even as he stood there in the darkness, he didn't hear a thing. Rude's mind didn't register any sound at all until the deafening crash hit is ears, crushing Sector 2, and all of his hope.
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Red's tail cast the first light about the group, and Cid's lighter joined it soon after. They stood together patiently as the roar created by the plate collapsing died away. Vincent's human hand landed on Rude's broad shoulder.
"Come. We should go. He's gone."
Rude nodded and wrapped his arms around Elena as she cried into his chest. Maneuvering her so his arm supported her, they joined AVALANCHE on their trek through the tunnels. Not a single word was said amongst them the entire time while they were lead by Red's tail and the Turk's flashlights.
Soon enough, the group reached the exit of the tunnels and found themselves out in the barren land surrounding Midgar, still sucked dry of Lifestream. The sun beat down upon them, as Cloud finished radioing Reeve's men for a pickup while Yuffie woke up from where Barret had lain her down. The confused young girl looked around at her battered and melancholy companions. She groggily got their attention. "So we made it out, eh? I'm not surprised."
Yuffie looked around again. "Hey, where's Reno?" The young girl asked innocently. Nobody would meet her eyes as she looked to each of them. "Guys?" The panic, fear and confusion slid gradually into her voice. "Where's Reno?" Off to the side, Elena began crying into Rude's chest again, and Tifa's eyes watered as Cloud held her loosely. A soft whisper hovered through the air around them all.
"Where's Reno..."
"Are you sure, Red." Cloud asked his beastly friend. "Is it possible Yuffie is just here on her own, not with the Turks?"
"No." Red shook his head. "Her scent is mingled with theirs. They came together."
Barret stepped up alongside Cloud. "What you think, Strife? She with us, or against us." Cloud looked up to his gigantic friend.
"I really have no idea. But I've got a bad feeling about all of this." As they spoke, Vincent stepped past the two.
"It matters not. If she is a companion, we will deal with it. If she is an enemy, we will be prepared for it." The former Turk stated, and drew his gun. "We will not solve any of the day's problem's worrying over possibilities."
"The vampire's right." Tifa glared at Cid for his casual insult. "We should just head in there and get this entire mess figured out."
"Alright, let's go then." Cloud nodded his agreement to his friends and AVALANCHE ventured toward the building. Cid was the first to reach the doors when he was slammed into. Reno hit the pilot running full speed, and the two tumbled away, unsure of just what was attacking them, but trying their best to kill it anyway.
"What the fuck?"
"Ah, my fucking head."
"Go to hell asshole"
"Who do you think you are, dick. I'll fucking kill you."
The two finally separated, Reno rolling back to the Turks and Yuffie, who had just emerged from the building, and Cid rolled back to AVALANCHE. Shock registered on all faces except for Rude's and Vincent's. Reno was the next to recover.
"What. The fuck." Reno didn't yell. He didn't get mad. He didn't do anything, as he turned and fixed his gaze on Yuffie. "Why?" It was a simple question. But it scared her more than she could possibly imagine it would.
"Yuffie, are you alright?" Tifa asked, concerned about the young girl's company. Yuffie didn't even hear her. Her eyes were still locked on Reno's, a silent exchange settling between them. Reno's cold eyes flashed once more and he looked away.
"Get th' fuck away from her!" Barret commanded as he raised his arm. Yuffie's head shot up in surprise.
"Barret, no!" She yelled, but the gun-arm had already opened fire. The three Turks dove for cover and Tifa stepped forward to grab Yuffie by the arm, pulling her away, her protests going unnoticed by all but Red and Vincent. The two reserved AVALANCHE members shared a look before moving quickly to Yuffie's side. Rude had begun to return fire on Barret while Cloud, Cid and Tifa directly assaulted Reno and Elena. Reno danced away from the biting edge of Cloud's sword, as the Jenova-enhanced warrior swung mercilessly, absorbing or avoiding any blasts from the EMR.
"C'mon Strife, you were never this slow. Getting a little out of shape with all this peace?" Reno taunted. Cloud only emitted a snarl of rage and charged again. Meanwhile, Tifa's constant attack kept Elena on the defense, and prevented her from launching any kind of offence. While Barret occupied Rude's fire, Cid found himself creeping over the wreckage of Midgar to get behind the bald Turk.
Vincent and Red reached the girl standing off to the side, complete shock written on her face. Vincent's hands wrapped around her shoulders and gave Yuffie a quick shake.
"Yuffie, this is important. Were you the Turks' prisoner." Red asked from beneath the girl's line of vision.
"What?" Confusion registered in the girl's eyes.
"Yuffie, did you come voluntarily. Do you trust the Turks?" This time it was Vincent who spoke. Yuffie's eyes were trained on the battle. Cloud ducked out of the way of yet another blast from the EMR, only to find that its intended target was that of Barret. The unexpected electricity ran through the black man's body and rendered him unconscious. Reno laughed as Barret collapsed, and Cloud redoubled his efforts to bring the Turk down. Cid had just reached Rude when Barret went down, and attacked the Turk head on.
After seconds of silence, Yuffie finally seemed to understand the question. "Yes, yes I do trust them. We have to stop the others. We don't need to kill each other over this." The girl looked pleadingly at Vincent, then at Red. "Please."
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"Oh, Davis. This is positively fantastic. More than I could hope for. Two potential threats, wiping each other out. Fantastic. Davis, call Dr. Howari up here. I would love for her to see this." Corin laughed with absolute mirth as he watched the two groups of adventurers fight each other.
"I'm sorry, sir. Dr. Howari is not answering in her lab." Davis spoke as he set the receiver down again. "Perhaps she is busy preparing for the next stages?"
Corin looked disappointed for a moment. "Yes, yes, very well." His smile came back in full swing when Barret hit the ground. While the president stared at the battle intently, Davis himself was observing the three people off to the sidelines. Stepping up to a separate monitor, Davis zoomed in on the image to find Yuffie, Red and Vincent conversing.
"Now what are those three up to?" He whispered to himself. Turning his back to the screen, Davis walked up to his employer's side. "I believe that now would be the best time to give the order for Kassidy to prepare to move. I think the ninja girl is up to something."
Alexander turned his attention to the girl and question, and with a simple disappointed wave of his hand, approved the suggestion. Davis picked up the radio and got himself in touch with Kassidy's group.
"Kassidy, I have a feeling something's going to stop this fight. Be ready to move a moment's notice. And stick to the plan." If an answer came back, Davis didn't hear it. Hanging up, he turned back to the monitor's and watched Yuffie, Red and Vincent spread.
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Vincent pulled himself away from Yuffie and took control of the situation. "Yuffie, you get Tifa, Red, get Cloud. I'll take care of Cid. Calm them down, and restrain them if need be. But protect them from the Turks should they continue attacking." And with that, he was gone towards Rude and Cid.
Red risked a quick glance toward Yuffie before trying to get between Cloud and Reno. Yuffie lingered for a moment longer before spotting an irate Tifa and a battered Elena. The ninja shot off to the other two women, just in time to watch Tifa land a vicious kick to Elena's side. The Turk collapsed in a heap, holding her ribs as Yuffie arrived yelling for Tifa to stop. The martial artist lowered herself down and pulled back a fist, concentrating her energy on it, when somebody caught her arm.
"Yuffie? What are you doing?" Tifa's expression was a mixture of frustration and confusion. Yuffie looked absolutely desperate.
"Tifa, stop. Elena's not the enemy. Not yet, I don't think." Yuffie hesitated, unsure of herself. "Just stop for now. Please."
Tifa lowered her arm slowly and got back to her feet, while Yuffie pulled out a cure materia, and helped Elena get back to her feet. Tifa spoke softly behind her.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
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Vincent arrived at Rude's and Cid's fight quickly enough, but the pilot wasn't listening to reason. Vincent was certain that Rude realized what Vincent was trying to do as soon as he arrived, and the bald Turk kept himself on the defensive, refusing to attack Cid and thus ensuring his own safety.
"Cid, stop this. Rude has done nothing wrong." The ex-Turk's pleas went unnoticed, and Cid simply bit down harder on his cigarette, furiously attacking with his spear. Rude took a moment to shrug at Vincent before fending off another charge.
"Highwind, would you stop and listen for a moment?" Vincent tried again, only to be ignored one more time. Deciding that nothing was getting through to his friend, and that Rude was not a direct threat, Vincent moved quickly and wrapped his arms around Cid, his golden claw gripping the spear.
"What the fuck are you doing, Vampire? He's gonna kill us you little shit." Cid swore as Vincent lifted him off the ground.
"No, I don't think he'll be a problem." Vincent calmly replied to his irate friend. Rude stood no more than three feet away, adjusting his sunglasses calmly. "Right now, we need to all relax and figure this out." When Cid finally stopped his struggling, Vincent readily released him. Looking over at Rude, Cid tossed his cigarette to the ground, stamped it out with his foot and flipped Rude off.
"Alright." Cid said. "We'll do it the diplomatic way for now." He looked over at Vincent. "But if there's any bullshit, I'll kill them all myself." Rude simply shrugged in response.
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While the other fighters were subdued relatively easily, Red was having no such luck halting the battle raging between Reno and Cloud. Reno's suit was nearly destroyed, blood seeping through small clean cuts, lacing his upper body. Reno still smiled and laughed, even while the sword sliced another shallow gash in his forearm. Twisting away from the attack, Reno countered, the electrical blast hitting Cloud flush in the chest. The swordsman staggered back a step, his clothes seared and peeling, revealing burnt flesh over multiple spots. Looking down for a moment, Cloud inspected the damage, then was back on his assault.
"Cloud, Reno, cease in this madness. You have nothing to fight over." Red's loud barks went unheeded by the combatants. Unable to physically restrain either of them, he looked over at the group of people headed their way. "They will not listen. We must stop them now."
Again, Vincent was the one to take control. "Rude, grab Reno. Cid, get Cloud. Tifa make sure Barret is unhurt and wake him up." Tifa nodded once as Yuffie handed a cure materia to her.
Reno backed out of the way of another wild swing, only to stumble over a stray piece of metal embedded in the ground. Taking advantage of the situation, Cloud swung once again, and while Reno avoided the brunt of the attack, it cut deeply into his left arm. Reno hopped back a couple feet and looked at the injured arm hanging limply at his side, blood pouring freely from the wound. The smirk was gone from his face, and was replaced by anger as he switched hands with his nightstick.
"That fucking hurts." Reno snarled, fury lacing his words.
"It'll hurt less when you're dead, Turk." Cloud brought his sword up once more and charged. Reno stood completely still, watching the enraged hero rushing right for him. Even as the sword fell, Reno did not move. Just as the blade was about to enter Reno's neck, the Turk rushed forward, within the range of the swing for it to be effective. With a quick smirk and wink, Reno applied the EMR directly to Cloud's stomach, holding it tightly to his body. The electricity tore through Cloud's body, sending him into spasms as his muscles contracted, but before he could fall, the connection was broken as Reno was pulled away.
"What the hell?" Reno turned around, to find Rude holding him back. He struggled wildly against his friend's grip, and saw Cid holding a raging Cloud back from attacking him. "What's going on."
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"Pity. That was just getting good." Alexander turned to his assistant. "Davis, I don't think we'll be seeing the Turks or AVALANCHE destroy each other today. Guess we'll have to do it ourselves." He smiled at man to his side. "Send Kassidy in." Davis nodded once and turned away.
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"Reno, stop." Yuffie stepped out from the crowd, and addressed the Turk as he thrashed about. Stopping, he turned to her.
"Why? So you can stab us in the back again?" Reno accused her. Hurt filled the young girl's expression and she turned away and hung her head, biting back the tears that stung her eyes. Tifa brought an angry and grumbling Barret over to the group and saw her friend's condition. Giving Reno a look of pure hatred, she threw her arms around Yuffie's shoulders and tried to console her. Cloud had calmed down by now, and Cid released him.
"You just have to hurt everything don't you." Cloud gestured to Yuffie "Even the ones who might care about you."
"What the hell would you know?" Reno, still wrapped in Rude's arms shrugged his friend off. He pointed at Cloud. "How could you know who I am? You don't even know who you are." This time, it was Reno who gestured Yuffie. "And I don't take well to betrayals." Yuffie's back stiffened at the comment.
"Enough." Vincent stepped up. "Cloud, this is not the time." Cloud looked at Vincent defiantly for a moment, before meeting eyes with the rest of his friends. Realizing he was wrong, Cloud looked back to Vincent resignedly.
"Sorry." Cloud said and went to stand beside Tifa.
"As for you, Reno." Vincent continued. "You should be thanking Yuffie. She did not betray you, as we had no idea where she was until now. She is also the reason this battle has stopped. Despite this, you will talk to us civilly about the situation." Reno and Vincent locked eyes. "Or we will kill you."
Reno's eyes held Vincent's for a moment longer before turning to look at Elena and Rude. After a silent exchange between the Turks, Reno turned back to Vincent. "Fine." He smirked. "We'll talk about it all friendly-like an together."
"Actually, you can all die friendly-like and together." A voice boomed out around them and mere moments after it had finished, the two groups found themselves under heavy fire. The trained members of the group are what saved them during that first volley. Rude grabbed Elena and dove for cover behind an abandoned car, meeting Vincent holding a surprised Cid there. Cloud had protected Tifa, and met up with Barret and Red in a nearby abandoned building. Reno and Yuffie had both ducked behind fallen metal that lay strewn behind them. An explosion rocked the ground around them, and debris was thrown about the group. A small, but fast moving chunk of rock hit Yuffie in the back of the head, and she fell over unconscious. Reno quickly checked to ensure the girl was uninjured.
"Everyone alright?" Tifa's voice called out. A chorus of affirmative answers came back.
"Yuffie got hit on the head. She's out right now, but she'll be fine." Reno answered.
"Very quick. Not a single shot landed." The voice spoke out again. "But I would expect no less from such an elite group like the Turks or the world's saviors."
"And who the hell are you?" Cloud yelled out from his hiding spot, careful not to expose himself.
"My name is Captain Kassidy. But you have more important things to worry about. Such as, just how are you going to get your friends out alive?" Cloud looked over to where Vincent was crouching and got his attention.
"Where are they?" Cloud spoke loud enough for everyone but Kassidy and his men to hear.
"Everywhere except directly behind us. I believe we are meant to go that way." Vincent answered.
"Yeah, but we don't have a choice. And I think we need the Turks to help us. Truce for now?" Cloud addressed the suited individuals currently hiding among his own teammates.
"Yeah, but once this is over, you're fucked Strife." Reno answered for all three of them.
"Fine, once this is over."
"Trying to formulate an escape?" Kassidy's voice boomed out. "You're welcome to try. But you will die. The only way out is for the Turks to give up that information they're carrying."
Cloud looked over at Elena as she patted her pocket to ensure the disks still remained. In response, she looked over to Reno for an order. Reno shook his head. "Not a chance. Not till we know what's on those disks, or have no choice."
Nodding, Cloud began to think. Speaking again he began his plan. "Alright, we have to go directly behind us, into Sector 2's slums. Turks, Vincent and Barret, we'll need cover fire. Reno can you carry Yuffie?"
"Yeah, no problem." The red head answered.
"Well? Do I have to needlessly kill you? Choose quickly."
Cloud and Reno made eye contact and nodded. "You can kiss my ass!" Reno yelled and began firing where he thought Kassidy's voice was coming from. The other gunmen quickly joined him, and the group ran quickly away from the ambush, using what cover they could find, even as Kassidy's men returned fire.
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Alexander switched the monitor in front of him, keeping the fleeing Turks and AVALANCHE in view. "Perfect, Davis. Kassidy is playing his part perfectly. The fools have no idea what they are getting into."
The door to the surveillance room opened, and Dr. Howari entered. Alexander smiled broadly at his employee and motioned for her to sit in the chair next to his. Dr. Howari stood beside Davis. "When will the information be arriving Alexander."
"If you'll look at the monitors in front of us, you'll see that everything is under control. We will have what we require soon enough."
Kaylynn looked at the monitors. "Are those the Turks?" she asked softly.
"They were the Turks. They're as good as dead now my dear."
"Oh." Dr. Howari's eyes turned cold again. "Bring me the information." And with that, she left the room.
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"We need to get out of the city. There's just too many spots for them to snipe us out in here." Reno yelled ahead to Cloud as he held Yuffie in his arms.
"I know." The blond answered. "The Sector 2 gates are right over here." Cloud was cut off as gunfire sprang up in front of him, and the group slammed to a halt, everybody diving for cover once again.
"They're trying to corral us Strife." Reno called out. "Pin us down." More gunfire came from the side. Cloud led the group away from the trailing gunfire and as quickly as it came, it ceased.
"I suggest none of you move very far." Kassidy called out to them, still unseen. Cloud held up his hand and stopped the group. AVALANCE and the Turks found themselves in an open space under the last standing plate, easily assaulted from any hidden position. "Smart boy. It would be nothing to kill you now."
"What do you want?"
"I've already told you. The disk the Turks have recovered. Give it up without a fight." A single soldier appeared from the wreckage and walked towards the group. Elena looked over at Reno.
"Go ahead." Reno gave her permission. Elena nodded and pulled a single disk out of her jacket pocket. Walking over to the approaching soldier, she handed it to him, and stepped backwards to stand beside Rude.
Kassidy did not speak until the lone soldier was well out of sight. "Well done, well done. Thank you for your co-operation. Now say your good- byes." Before the group could react, three explosions rang out from above them and the sound of metal screeching filled their ears as the Sector 2 plate was nearly blown loose immediately.
"Oh my God, the plate's going to drop." Tifa's voice screamed out, laced with fear. She looked to Cloud for guidance. "What do we do?"
Cloud himself was lost, unable to think clearly. "I don't know." He looked around for help. Any eyes that met his were filled with despair. The rest were fixated on the plate as it struggled with gravity to remain suspended. Elena's voice broke out.
"What about the train maintenance tunnels?" Everybody looked at the female Turk. "They survived Meteor. They can handle this." Hope glimmered in everyone's eyes.
"They need to be opened at an outside station." Rude spoke. "By a high-ranking Shin-ra employee." Reno's eyes met Rude's through his sunglasses for a moment. Then the bald Turk took off running.
"Rude, no!" Elena screamed as she watched him go. Vincent's human hand wrapped around her waist and prevented her from chasing him. Suddenly, a flash of light spouted from within the crowd and a bolt of energy connected with Rude's back, encasing him in a golden pyramid. Reno handed Yuffie to Barret and ran off, towards his partner.
"Sorry man." Reno looked him while Rude shook his head in protest. "You and Elena have too much ahead of you to risk. See you in a bit, bro." And with that Reno was gone.
Elena batted Vincent's arm away and ran to Rude, punching the pyramid and shattering it. The two turned back to AVALANCHE who stood watching them in shock. Elena forced the tears away from her eyes and voice as she spoke. "Follow me. I'll show you where to go."
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"This is stupid. I'm stupid. Rude's stupid. Elena's stupid." Reno paused in his rambling. "Yuffie's stupid." The plate still hung precariously over his head. "Fuck."
Reno reached the maintenance building for Sector 2 and ran inside, heading straight for the Train controls. "Alright now. Let's see if I can remember these old codes." He began punching in numbers to the keypad in front of him. "This is so bloody stupid."
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AVALANCE and the Turks reached the electronically sealed entrance to the maintenance tunnels and waited. Cloud looked over at Rude and Elena, from his position beside Tifa. The female Turk looked distraught, worry lines creasing across her face while Rude himself appeared impassive with the situation.
"So what does he have to do?" Cloud spoke to Rude. Slowly, he turned to him and adjusted his sunglasses.
"In each sector there is a remote security station that powers the maintenance doors." Rude paused, and collected his thoughts.
"Only a high ranking Shin-ra employee such as Reno has access to the codes to open these doors." Elena took over.
"But how can there be power? The entire city is offline." Cid asked.
"The power supply to those stations is connected directly to the Shin- ra building power supply. It was designed so that, even if a sector shuts down completely, these doors can still be opened. If we get through this, remind me to thank Reeve. A lot" She added with a downcast smile.
"So we'll be fine, right? As long as Reno gets there before the plate drops." Even as Tifa spoke of it, the screech of metal tore through the air above them as another support snapped and the plate tilted down a little further. Falling debris scattered the group as they moved deftly to avoid it. While the dust settled, Elena spoke again.
"Actually, we don't know how much longer the generator we jump- started can hold up. If the power cuts out before then..." Elena paused. "Well, we're screwed."
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"President Alexander, Captain Kassidy is on the line for you, sir." Davis handed the receiver to his boss.
"Thank you very much." Corin brought it up to his ear. "Kassidy, outstanding job today, absolutely outstanding."
"Thank you, sir. The information has been collected and verified. It is currently being escorted to Gongaga."
"Wonderful. My cameras went out when the bombs went off Kassidy. I'll assume all my enemies were destroyed." Alexander asked. He was met with silence. "Kassidy?"
"The plate has yet to fall, sir."
"What?"
"The plate hasn't fallen yet. It's only mere moments away though." Kassidy reassured.
"Did they escape Kassidy?" Alexander's voice took on a cold, dark tone.
"No, sir. Our men are holding down the perimeter of the Sector. They can't go anywhere without us knowing."
"Kassidy the moment that plate falls, you move your men to Kalm. If they escape, they'll be there. And don't report back until you're sure they're dead." The line cut out.
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The doors to the maintenance tunnels slid open so quickly and quietly, that the Turks and AVALANCHE didn't even notice until Tifa happened to glance at it.
"Well holy shit." Cid exclaimed as the group of nine clambered under the cover of the tunnels. "The little bastard pulled it off."
As the group moved on, Cloud stopped and looked back to find the Turks standing silently at the entranceway.
"Cloud, let's go." Barret yelled back to his friend, Yuffie still in his arms.
"Hold on a second. Elena, are you sure these tunnels will survive?" Cloud asked.
"Yes, absolutely." She answered, her eyes never ceasing their search for a crumpled blue suit, or red hair coming towards them. Cloud turned back to AVALANCHE.
"We stay."
"What?" Cid looked at Cloud in disbelief. "You're bullshitting me."
"No. As much as I hate to admit it, Reno is risking his life for us. We wait until there is no doubt either way. We owe these two that at least." With that, all discussion ended, and AVALANCHE waited with the Turks, some more willingly than others.
"Can he make it?" Vincent asked.
"He will." Elena answered quickly.
"What if he doesn't return before the plate collapses." Red directed the question to Rude.
"Then we seal the doors, or we die with him." Rude responded carefully.
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Reno bolted out of the security building and dashed down the debris- covered street in front of him.
"Piece of cake." He breathed heavily. "Not a problem at all."
Turning sharply down the road, Reno's speed slowed to a walk as the plate above him gave one last groan of protest. Looking up as death descending on him, a smirk spread across his face, and Reno strolled calmly into a nearby building. Shrapnel fell all about him, smaller pieces biting into his body as he moved slowly onward.
"Well, Tseng." Reno looked around him. "Looks like we'll be seeing each other sooner than I had hoped man." His head tilted up to the dropping plate that seemed to be heading straight for him alone. "I fucking hate irony."
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The last groan rang throughout the whole of the Midgar ruins, but Rude didn't hear anything at all. His eyes darted about the fallen slums in front of him from behind his sunglasses. Beside him, he watched Elena cry out for Reno, but no sound reached him. His mind seemed to separate from his body as he watched his hand reach out, and punch in a sequence of numbers into a nearby console. The door slammed to a shut directly in front of him, and he didn't hear it. Even as he stood there in the darkness, he didn't hear a thing. Rude's mind didn't register any sound at all until the deafening crash hit is ears, crushing Sector 2, and all of his hope.
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Red's tail cast the first light about the group, and Cid's lighter joined it soon after. They stood together patiently as the roar created by the plate collapsing died away. Vincent's human hand landed on Rude's broad shoulder.
"Come. We should go. He's gone."
Rude nodded and wrapped his arms around Elena as she cried into his chest. Maneuvering her so his arm supported her, they joined AVALANCHE on their trek through the tunnels. Not a single word was said amongst them the entire time while they were lead by Red's tail and the Turk's flashlights.
Soon enough, the group reached the exit of the tunnels and found themselves out in the barren land surrounding Midgar, still sucked dry of Lifestream. The sun beat down upon them, as Cloud finished radioing Reeve's men for a pickup while Yuffie woke up from where Barret had lain her down. The confused young girl looked around at her battered and melancholy companions. She groggily got their attention. "So we made it out, eh? I'm not surprised."
Yuffie looked around again. "Hey, where's Reno?" The young girl asked innocently. Nobody would meet her eyes as she looked to each of them. "Guys?" The panic, fear and confusion slid gradually into her voice. "Where's Reno?" Off to the side, Elena began crying into Rude's chest again, and Tifa's eyes watered as Cloud held her loosely. A soft whisper hovered through the air around them all.
"Where's Reno..."