Chapter 9

The black suit had walked closer to the group. Zack had squeezed his sword so tightly he though the handle would break at any second. The man put his hand up in a calming gesture. "Please put you weapon down. I'm not here on Shinra business. I'm here as a friend… Zack it's important. " Zack motioned his hand to tell his allies to put their weapons down. Zack put his sword in the ground. He took very long strides toward the man. He started to gain speed, with a flash he had punched the man, who was now on his back. "I trusted you Tseng!!! I trusted you!! Don't tell me that you didn't have to do with me and Cloud ending up in a fucking test tube!! You were my friend! What kind of friend would do that to someone he called a friend!?" Zack said enraged. Tseng wiped the blood from his lip, and stood up. "A friend who put his loyalties in the wrong people, a mistake I will not make again."

"Then what are you doing here Tseng? Come here to do what… help me now? What makes you think I want your help now?" Zack said with a great amount of fury. Cloud walked up behind Zack. He stood behind him, "Zack we should hear him out. He came here for a reason. He has to be risking a lot to come all the way out here, when Shinra is on high alert." Zack nodded his head in agreement. "Go ahead Tseng," Cloud said to him with an inviting voice. "Thank you. I don't have much time, so I'll get straight to the point. Zack Shinra is a mess… Tseng said before he was interrupted by Zack. "Yeah it's great!!! Now that Shinra has their hands full. Now we got a leg up on them!!" Zack said as though he had already taken down Shinra. "Zack… Shinra… isn't ignoring you. You are the top priority. In fact they have appointed a SOLDIER I have never heard of to lead the army. This information is above my pay grade. But I have my own way of finding things out let's say. Scarlet had been steaming from a talk with the President, she left mumbling about a SOLDIER named Weiss. I took the library of taking a look at the President's files. It's only a matter of time until the camera's show I was there. I will not be able to return to Shinra Zack, but before I left I took the pass codes for the next 3 months. I am sure you recall the codes change every day to get into the Shinra headquarters."

Everyone stared for a little while until everything sunk in. Genesis was the first to speak up "This Weiss, who is he? Is he any good?"

"From what I have read, he's great… his power is only out matched by Sephiroth. Everything about him is top secret. You guys must hurry if you want to stay ahead of the army. " Tseng reached into his pocket and pulled out some money and the list of codes. "Here take this, you will need it. And Zack, theses are for you." Tseng handed Zack a news paper and magazine. Zack looked down at them just to see himself all over them. He smiled at first. He had been on the cover of a magazine!! Only Sephiroth had ever been on them when he was in SOLDIER. His fun was short lived when he read the headlines. Shinra was telling the people he was a murderer. This made Zack swell with anger. He threw the papers on the ground and stepped on them. He was going to be a hero, now he's a murderer!? Zack was fuming, when it hit him. These magazines are all over Midgar!!! Aerith had to have seen it!!! "Tseng has… Aerith seen this?"

Tseng looked up and saw the heartbreak in Zack's eyes. "Yes she has, but I told her myself that they were no longer true. She told me she already knew that they weren't. "

"Thanks Tseng" Zack said wanting nothing more than to ask him about Aerith. Tseng had begun to shift as if he was getting ready to leave. He took off his coat and folded it neatly. He took off his tie and layed both his coat and tie on the ground. "Consider this my resignation Shinra." Tseng said looking up into the air. "I need to be going. I am heading to the slums, to hide out at Aerith's house. I would love to give you a ride, but I need to hide this helicopter. We also cannot afford to travel together. It would take one rocket to kill us all. You continue on foot and I'll meet you outside of Kalm once I set up in the slums. We will sneak into Midgar that night. I'll see you in a week". Tseng turned towards the helicopter. As he was leaving he stop for just a second, "Zack, she's still waiting for you". The chopper had started up, the power of the propellers created a powerful gust. In seconds, the helicopter faded into the distance.

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Tseng was just flying over the mountains, as he looked down. He stared in fear and awe. Weiss had moved the army over the mountains, and had flanked Zack and company. The army was grouping in a large mass in front of the marsh outside the Chocobo farm. Tseng looked in horror; they were walking straight into a trap! There was no way that they would survive an onslaught like this. He had to turn around and get them; Tseng turned the helicopter to go back to the group. There was a faint explosion; Tseng looked to see what it was… It was a heat seeking rocket!!!Tseng violently turned the chopper to avoid the incoming missile. There was little he could do. The rocket had hit the rear of the helicopter causing it to spin violently out of control. There was nothing but a very faint pop as the chopper exploded into the side of the snowy mountain.

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"We'll Cloud we're almost to Midgar. All we gotta do is cut through those mountains over there. Then it's straight shootin' to Midgar bud. When we get there I was wondering if you'd like to become a mercenary with me!? It be great!!! We would fight side by side!! Make lots of dough, and maybe Spikey we could find you a lady!! Chicks dig guys with big arms and big swords man!" Zack said with a huge grin on his face. It be great to fight side by side with his best friend.

"After we take down Shinra you mean. That's most important Zack." Cloud tightened his fist, a tear ran down the side of his face. "We have to Zack (sniffle) they took everything from me!" Cloud burst out in anger, "I HATE THEM!!! They took my family!! My town!!! And… and my lov… my friend!"

"Cloud we all lost something from Shinra. I lost my village and my grandfather." Nanaki said.

"We all have lost something that we cannot get back… for that we will make Shinra bleed mako by the time we are finished. There will be justice Cloud." Zack said in a saddened voice.

"We will…we will…" Zack said looking intently at the sky.

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They had finally reached the mountain after a 3 day walk. They walked along the side of the mountain searching for the cave that would allow them to cross over without having to climb the mountain. Genesis had pointed to an opening. The group had hurried into the small opening. They could feel it, they were getting that much closer to freedom. They had walked through the mountain, and had very little resistance from any cave dwelling monsters. They saw the opening to the other side!! They had made it with everyone ok, and no injuries. Smiles were across everyone's faces, but they were short lived. Zack and Genesis had felt something, but they were not sure what it was. They had walked out the cave, everyone stood still at the sight ahead of them. They were truly outnumbered, at least 200 to one. Zack had gripped his sword he looked back at Cloud and Nanaki. Zack looked at Genesis who gave a slight nod. The foursome had walked into the middle of the marsh. Zack had taken out his sword, he put it to his head, "Angeal… guide us… protect us." Zack had put the sword in both hands ready for battle. Zack smirked, he took three steps forward. He sprinted toward the massive army, and everyone had followed….