Chapter 17

Zack tried to open the cell door but it wouldn't budge. "Fuck it's locked! Cloud! I can't just knock it down, you guys could be hurt. Hold on, I'll be right back." Zack turned and ran down the hall to find keys to the door. He looked down at a dead Shinra guard, he must have been guarding them! Zack went through his pockets, looking for the keys. "Keys, keys, keys, where are the fucking keys. A piece of gum, sweet! Key keys, where are they fucker!?" as Zack kicked the corpse. He looked down at the man, the keys were in his hand. "Ooo sorry about that bud, thanks for the gum though!" Zack sprinted down to the doors; he unlocked Cloud and Tifa first. Cloud walked out closely followed by Tifa. Cloud gave his best friend a quick hug, he was glad to see him alive, but his joy was short lived. He looked around and saw blood everywhere; the place was also very hot.

Zack ignored Cloud's questions as he went to open the other cell door. The door swung open and he was greeted by a flying hug and a kiss. Aerith had kissed him as if she wasn't ever going to see him again. She finally let go of Zack, as she pulled away she was horrified. Her dress was covered in blood, Zack's blood.

"ZACK!! Are you alright? What happened?" Aerith asked in fear.

"Look I'm fine, I'll explain all of this later. We need to finish this mission now. But first, I need to tell you something, Sephiroth is alive, I don't know how or what the fuck is going on. All you need to know is that he is here. Keep your guard up, let's get moving now!" Zack said as he turned and started running. The group followed him closely, trying not to lose him in the maze of the Shinra science department. Zack stood outside the burning lab, he knew this lab, and he had been in there before… it was his lab…Hojo. Zack felt and odd feeling of satisfaction in his stomach, he hoped the evil man had burned alive. But he knew he wasn't that lucky.

"Everyone stay close, this fire is outta control, and this is our only route up to the president's office. Aerith you come with me, Cloud and Nanaki protect Tifa. Let's go." Zack picked up Aerith and held her tightly. He tucked her in as tight as he could, and sprinted throught the fire. His SOLDIER speed made the flames spread like Moses did with the sea. Cloud followed running as fast as her could, dragging Tifa along by her hand. The fire Zack had spread was already starting to collapse, they had to hurry. Nanaki Jumped over Cloud and Tifa and turned as soon as he landed. Nanaki case an ice spell in the center of the room. A large cube of ice dropped and shattered into pieces. The small shards of ice helped hold the flames back. Cloud and Tifa joined Zack and Aerith in the elevator. Nanaki cast one more ice spell and turned and ran to join them. Zack clicked the up arrow in the elevator.

"Zack are you sure this elevator is going to work? We could die." Cloud said with a bit of worry in his voice.

"Well Spikey, if we're going to die in this elevator, at least we hit the up arrow, we know where we're going" Zack laughed making a joke about heaven and hell.

"This is defenitly not the time to joke Zack" the ever so quite Nanaki said.

"Fine. Sigh… you guys need to lighten up a bit. It wouldn't…KILL you!!" Zack said as he stuck his tongue out.

The elevator pinged as it reached its destination. "I told you we wouldn't die." Zack said as he crossed his arms pretending to be hurt and offended by their doubt. Zack looked around as the doors opened and everyone looked around. Zack's smile disappeared instantly, blood was everywhere, and everyone was dead. Shinra personnel's lifeless corpse laid everywhere. Zack, took a few steps out, "No, he couldn't have… shit…" Zack said as he sprinted up the stair to the president's office. Everyone reacted slowly to the sudden movements of Zack, they all realized he ran by them. They followed him as fast as they could. The group finally caught up to Zack, who was on his knees almost crying.

The group looked around the room, as they saw the carnage before them. The President laid dead on his desk with a huge sword in his back, to the left of his desk was a half naked Scarlet. She must have been giving the President her "important files". Her head lay several feet from her body, blood filling the space in between. Cloud and Aerith walked up to Zack and asked him almost at the same time "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?"

"No!!!" Zack said in a very winey voice. "Sephiroth killed him, he took all the fun!!!" Zack said letting out a great big wine.

"I guess you were right about Sephiroth huh Zack?" Tifa said as she ran her fingers across the blade in the fat mans back. Tifa looked blank; she was remembering the pain he caused her. Tears started to flow from her eyes. Cloud knew what she was feeling; he walked over to her to console her.

"Don't worry Tifa; we will make him pay for what he has done. This time we will bury his dead body ourselves." Cloud said sticking a fist out into the air.

"Tifa we will get him, don't worry, for what he did to you, Cloud and your families. But we have other reasons to hunt him down and kill him. When we first came here, after the battle against the Shinra army… I think I died, or something." Zack said as Aerith intruepted.

"You did die, I felt it."

"Ok, so I died right, and well I woke up in this field with a tree. I saw my friend Angeal, he told me that I had a lot more that I had to do before I could rest. I needed to make sure Shinra fell, and he wanted me to save the world from a great evil." Zack said as he was deep in thought.

"Sephiroth." Cloud chimed in.

"My thoughts exactly buddy." Zack answered.

"So maybe he was that darkness you felt Aerith. Maybe you felt Sephiroth in the building." Nanaki said as he looked at the group listening intently.

"Mhm. That must be it then. Sephiroth must be endangering the world. It's worth looking into. Let's get outta here, and go rest in Kalm, Barret and Tseng are waiting for us." Zack said putting the last piece of the puzzle in place.

"We did it guys! We took down Shinra!!! Sorta…" Cloud said as he hugged Tifa.

They cheered a little too soon. A noise of a chopper flew over head. It was landing on the side helipad outside. Fuck, Zack knew exactly who it was. It was Rufus Shinra, and his lapdogs… the Turks. "Aerith, Tifa, go with Nanaki. Take the emergency elevator behind the President's desk. Get out of the building fast. No Aerith, no buts. Go. Call me once you are in the safe zone Tseng marked out. " Zack said in a stone vice quieting Aerith before she spoke up.

Nanaki led the girls to the elevator, he was responsible for getting them to safety, and take them to Kalm if they didn't show in an hour. Once the girls were gone, and outta sight, Zack motioned to Cloud to follow him. Zack walked out a door on the left hand side of the ex President's office. He had to get rid of Rufus or Shinra would just be rebuilt, it was time to end it, end it now. Zack stood at the edge of the Helipad, waiting with Cloud for the new President to come out of his helicopter. The door opened, two men in black suits came out first, clearly to protect the president. Zack knew them instantly, it was Reno and Rude. If the duo was here, that meant that Cissnei was nearby. Zack looked to see who was piloting the machine, fuck, it had to be her. She was his good friend; he would be forced to kill her if she laid her loyalties with Shinra. She put them aside once for him, maybe she would do it again.

The President stepped out of the helicopter to face the two men who stood there in defiance. The man stepped toward them, at the same time his body guards stepped forward as well. The President started to clap for them clearly to mock them. "Wow, it takes two men to bring down an empire! You two are truly skilled. In fact, I will forgive you for your transgressions and hire you both to be my personal body guards. So Reno and Rude, they are over qualified. I will pay the two of you 10 billion Gil a year each. That is amazing money. So what do you think of my offer? Please lay down your swords, and just join us hahaha" Rufus said.

Zack was ready to turned down the offer but Cloud spoke up before him. 'You think you can buy me off? Fuck you!!! You spoiled rich nancy boy! I will not let you live, Shinra is going to fall, and today is that day. I hope you have your bags packed Rufus; your plane to hell takes off…. NOW!!!!" Cloud said in rage as he charged at him. Zack quickly jumped into action to back up his friend. This was Cloud's fight, he was here mainly to make sure nothing happened to him. Cloud's charge was interrupted by the two Turks. Reno swung at him with his tazer night stick. He missed as if he was swinging at air. Rude quickly threw a fast punch he missed by inches. But Rude found himself in a very favorable position. Cloud had his back turned to him. Rude jumped up and grabbed Cloud, Zack had moved into to help his friend. Reno went to jab Cloud with his night stick. But Cloud had jumped and kicked Reno in the face knocking him to the ground and disarming him. Rude was still on his back, Zack walked over and grabbed Rude's jacket, lifting him off of Cloud with one hand.

The President looked stunned that the duo had such strength; they had beaten his best Turks as if they were children. Rufus turned to run. Cloud looked at Zack, Zack gave him a nod. Cloud started to run at the man, he grabbed his sword, and leaned it in his back arm. He was throwing it. The sword sailed through the air and hit the President. The president was pinned against the wall of his future company. Blood was running down the his legs staining his suit red. He had begun to spit up blood; he wasn't going to make it. He was nearly cut in two. Zack ruffled Cloud's hair, he was proud of his friend, he didn't hesitate, he took control and beaten his opponents. Zack saw movement in the corner of his eye, Cissnei had left the helicopter and was sprinting towards Rufus. She had ripped out Cloud's sword and threw it to the side. "Come on sir we gotta get you to a hospital!!!"

"Leave him Cissnei. Let him die for his treason against the planet. You are no longer part of Shinra. Shinra is dead. Just let him go, join us!" Zack said with fear in his voice. He wanted her to join, but if she didn't he would have to take her out.

"Look Zack he's dying he needs my help. I'm saving him wither u want me to or not. Look at you know Zack, you're a monster. You will kill anyone who gets in your way… for what.? To think I used to be in love with you." Cissnei said as she was strapping Rufus into the helicopter.

"Cissnei, you don't understand, it's for the planet…" Zack said as Cissnei hopped on board the chopper. The engine had started up and the propellers had started to go faster and faster. It had begun to take off.

"Cissnei don't please don't…" Zack whispered to himself. The helicopter was airborne and ready to take off. She had chosen her side, she had sealed her fate. Zack pulled out his sword and put it on his forehead once more. "Angeal, take good care of her…" Zack turned a motioned toward the plane. A bolt of lightning came from the sky hitting the chopper in the tail. It begun to spin around and round. She had lost all control, she was going down. The chopper spun straight into the Shinra building, the explosion had created great waves of heat. Zack and Cloud watched the entire thing, behind them was a sadden Reno and Rude. Cissnei was gone, and Shinra was defeated once and for all.