Final Fantasy VII [3rd Instalment]

Emerald Princess of Vernea

Part Fourteen: Gene Warfare

Chapter Thirty-Five

The Highwind came to a stop. "We've reached Midgar!" the pilot announced.

Cloud turned to the window. Midgar was dead ahead. Once upon a time Midgar was a sight to behold, but now it was nothing more than a shadow of the splendour it once had. The Shinra Company was on the verge of collapse. Shinra Headquarters had been heavily damaged, and smoke was still pouring from the upper levels. Cloud tried to see through the billowing smoke, but he could see nothing.

The storm clouds he had seen coming in from the south earlier had almost fully settled over the city. They covered Midgar in shadow, making it appear dark and eerie. The clouds spanned the horizon as far as the eye could see. The wind was picking up; they could hear its howl as it blustered past the airship. The only good thing about the storm was that it blocked the sight of Meteor in the sky. Yet even the thickest clouds could not block it out completely, for its burning light tinged the clouds a dark, deep red.

Tifa joined Cloud by the window and looked out at Sector 7. It pained her to look upon her old home, and to think of all the thousands of people who had lost their lives because they had shared a sector with AVALANCHE. What pained her more was that it appeared Shinra had done nothing to clean up the damage. They had left it as it was; a cold example to anyone else who thought of going against Shinra.

Much of the city was in darkness. Four of the seven reactors were now lit and draining what was left of the mako from the city. Even from the sky they could hear the sirens howling, and the red lights that flashed around the reactors showed just how close they were to going into meltdown. The last three reactors, No. 5 through 7, were still dark. They had very little time to reach the cannon and stop Hojo.

"Even if we get there," they heard Barret say from behind them, "Midgar's under martial law! There'll be no way could slip into the slums!"

Cit had informed them of this new update on the journey back. Heidegger and Scarlet, mad with power and refusing to accept that the Shinra Company was all but done, had taken over the company and placed the entire city under martial law. Every sector had been sealed off, and every city exit had been closed and put under heavy guard. The soldiers guarding the exits and the Shinra Building were given orders to shoot anyone who tried to escape or enter the Shinra Building. Their intent was clear: they wanted the citizens kept under lock and key so they could cause no trouble. Anyone who didn't obey these laws… Well, they were only citizens… And of course, martial law meant that nobody could get into the city either.

"Looks like all transportation from the slums is cut off…" Tifa observed, as she realised that all the trains in the city had been stopped. It was as though the city had come to a complete standstill.

Cid, however, remained optimistic. "Hey, hey," he said cheerfully, grinning widely, "whaddaya think we have Highwind for? Where are we?"

"Huh?" asked Barret, confused. "Where are we…?" He scratched his head. Was this a trick question? They were in the sky, obviously, onboard the Highwind.

Reading Barret's thoughts, Cid nodded his head. His grin became wider. "If land's no good…" he said. He gave Barret a thumbs-up. "We'll go by air!"

Barret stared at the pilot and his thumbs-up in bewilderment. Was Cid serious! Was he suggesting that they should enter Midgar… by air! Barret turned to Cloud to protest, but to his horror he saw that Cloud was smiling.

"Okay then!" Cloud said, cutting Barret off. "We'll parachute into Midgar!"

Now Barret stared at Cloud, thinking that the swordsman was just as mad as Cid. He tried to protest, but stopped when Tifa touched his arm. She smiled up at him. Barret sighed heavily. If even Tifa was all for jumping into Midgar, then there was no point in arguing. And as he had pointed out: there was no other way into Midgar.

He followed Cloud as the swordsman then led the way across the bridge, heading towards the outer deck. The rest of the group fell into line behind them, and the crewmen turned and saluted them as they passed.

Word spread quickly throughout the Highwind. All of the airship's crew stopped in their work and gathered to watch as the group marched past. The looks of awe and pride touched the faces of every crewmember as they saluted this band of heroes. Cid flushed in embarrassment and rubbed his nose, while Yuffie raised her head high and marched solidly across the floor, her pride winning over her motion-sickness.

The crewman stood on either side of the steps leading to the outer deck, holding eight parachute packs. They helped the companions get suited up for their jump. It was a difficult task to suit up Red XIII, whose canine body was not properly built for backpacks. It was an even harder one getting the chute on Cait Sith's Mog, for the cat refused to leave it behind. Barret shuffled about while the crewmen adjusted the pack's straps for his larger frame. Eventually, they were all suited up, and the two crewmen saluted. Cid saluted back, and they headed up to the outer deck.

The first thing that hit them as they stepped out was the wind. It was growing in strength, and almost wrenched the door from Cloud's hand as he opened it. In the distance, there was a roll of thunder. When they were all on the deck Cloud shut the door and walked to the edge of the deck. He placed one boot against the rail and leaned over to survey the city.

The Highwind was hovering high above Midgar. The smoke that had been pouring from the damaged Shinra Building had now eased and was being blown northward by the wind, giving them a clear view. Cloud figured that their best bet was to parachute into one of the upper sectors close to the Shinra Building and then find a way to infiltrate from there.

He expected Cait already had a plan in mind for getting them inside, but they could probably help by landing as close to the centre of the city as possible. Cloud just hoped that the soldiers patrolling the city grounds would be too busy sorting out the panicked citizens to pay any attention to attacks coming in from the sky. They should be able to sneak in unnoticed… he hoped. He took a breath.

"Here we go!" he said, and then threw himself over the edge of the deck.

Not wanting to be outdone, Cid ran forward and jumped onto the rails. He pulled his goggles over his eyes and then jumped over the edge. Tifa came after him, along with Barret and all the others. They hurled themselves as far from the airship as they could before the wind caught them and they plummeted towards the ground.

The wind rushed past their faces as they fell. It drowned out all other sounds and their eyes watered with the rush. Those that could kept their arms to their sides to increase their speed as they hurtled towards the city. Red XIII pawed at the air almost like he was running, his tail whipping behind him. Cait Sith clung to his Mog for dear life as it fell towards the ground, only now realising that it had been a bad idea for only the Mog to be wearing a parachute.

Cid cried out in exhilaration. For the pilot, who lived for the sky, this was almost as thrilling as going into space. The wind whipped across his skin and through his hair. He was not the only one to find the experience thrilling: through the rushing wind he could hear Tifa also cry out in delight.

Cloud was the first to open his parachute. As they fell past the cannon and the smoking Shinra Building, Cloud yanked the release cord and opened the chute. The chute came out and caught the air. There was a sharp, breath-stealing tug as Cloud was pulled upright. Quickly the swordsman reached up grabbed hold of the cords that were attached to the chute. His descent slowed, and his breath returned.

He looked around. Following his lead the others had also opened their parachutes and were beginning to float down towards the city. Sector 6 was coming in fast below them. Cloud tugged on the chute's cords and manoeuvred himself over the sector, aiming for the inner edge about a quarter of a mile from the centre.

A particularly strong gust of wind blew as they neared the ground. The others were all right, but it caught Cloud by surprise and blew him firmly off course. The swordsman looked up in alarm as he realised that he was now heading towards Sector 7. Hurriedly the swordsman tugged on the cords and pulled the parachute firmly back away from the ruined sector. He saw the others disappear behind a building. It was too late to do anything about it now, and with the ground rushing in fast, all Cloud could do now was brace himself for the landing.

Cloud hit the ground. Immediately he dropped and rolled over to spread area of impact. Still, it hurt, and few a few moments his mind reeled with the sudden sense of being back on the ground. He recovered his senses after a few seconds and quickly rolled onto his front. He grabbed the chute's cords and began to pull the chute towards him. Once within reach he pressed down on the chute, deflating it before it had a chance to pick him up again. It deflated easily, and once Cloud was sure he would not be carried off again, he unclipped the backpack and climbed to his feet. He brushed himself off, and then looked around at his surroundings.

The swordsman was standing in the middle of an abandoned street. The buildings were all dark inside, and many had doors that had been left open—presumably the occupants left in a hurry. There was no sign of the others. In fact, Cloud realised as he looked around, there were no signs of life of any kind: no soldiers, no citizens, not even a cat. However, over the roar of the wind, he could hear the angry shouts and cries of citizens some distance away. And also, somewhere nearby, gunshots could be heard. The soldiers had resorted to using force to maintain order.

Cloud started to walk forward to search for his friends. He stopped suddenly as he heard a loud, repetitive thumping noise approaching him from the side. Cloud spun around and reached for his sword, but froze when he saw that it was just Cait Sith. The cat had seen Cloud land and had come looking for him. Cloud sighed and relaxed his grip. The others must have landed somewhere nearby.

Seeing Cloud unharmed, Cait did not waste time with questions. "Heidegger is going after you all," he warned. "That's why it's dangerous out there." The cat looked around warily, before he turned and hopped away a few steps. He looked back at Cloud. "Let's go underground!"

The cat hopped away again, and Cloud ran close behind him. Cait led him around the corner and into a dark, deserted alley. The others were gathered here, waiting impatiently. They had all landed safely, discarding their unneeded parachutes in a nearby crate. Yuffie had apparently been sick after landing, for her face was paler than normal. Cait hopped right past her and stopped next to a large sewer hatch at the end of the alley.

"This is where we go in," he told them.

The cat tapped the Mog's head, and the Mog obediently leaned over the hatch. It took hold of the handle with its large pink fists and began to heave. The hatch grated loudly and everyone looked around cagily, fearful that someone might hear. But no one with an ounce of sense was in this part of the sector. They were all either in their homes or at the exits, trying to escape the city.

Eventually the hatch cover came loose, and the Mog chucked it to one side out of the way. It landed with a loud clatter that echoed down the alley. Beneath the hatch was a ladder leading beneath the plate. Cait turned to Cloud.

"Please! Hurry and come to the Mako cannon!" he begged.

Cloud nodded in reply. The cat smiled gratefully, then turned and jumped down through the hole. For a moment Cloud feared the Mog's large, round body would get stuck (as hilarious as that would have been!) but it fit through rather easily, and both cat and Mog disappeared down the hole. Cloud climbed down the ladder after him, followed by the others.

The ladder took them down into the sewers that ran directly beneath the plate. These sewers ran beneath every sector and formed a vast maze of interrelating tunnels that were almost impossible to navigate. Only someone like Reeve, who was in charge of Urban Development in Midgar, would know where to go.

And so it was Cait who led the way, guiding the companions through the underground network. No map was needed: the cat knew these tunnels like the back of his paw. And unlike before when he would have 'accidentally' given them the wrong directions and tried to hinder their progress, he now showed them every shortcut, every hidden path, and kept back nothing. Time was of the essence now; there was no time for paltry shenanigans.

They made good progress, thanks to Cait's help. Within about ten or fifteen minutes they had traversed the quarter of a mile distance between the landing site and the centre of Midgar. Their progress was slowed only by the usual riffraff of monsters that wandered the sewers. However, at their current level of fighting, these monsters were nothing but small fry and were easily brushed aside. They wasted no time dispatching them and then hurried on.

After five more minutes of wandering, they found themselves at the foot of a long set of steps. Cait plodded right along, hopping up the steps. At the top there was a large air vent, and it was by this that Cait finally stopped. The cat turned, waiting for Cloud and the others to catch up.

"In here!" he said to them. "This vent leads directly to the rail tracks outside of Sector 6. If we follow those, they will take us right to the cannon. Hurry! We haven't much time left! Five of the reactors are now running again! Hurry! Hurry!"

The cat hopped from foot to foot, but Cloud quickly noticed that Cait was making no move to enter the tunnel and was instead looking at him expectantly. As if to make his point even more clear, the cat waved at the vent entrance. Deciding not to waste time arguing, Cloud sighed and clambered into the air vent.

He could see why Cait was reluctant to enter. Though the vent appeared to be quite large from the outside, once inside it became quite tight and cramped. After a few steps Cloud was forced to bend over, and from there onto his hands and knees, moving at a slow crawl. Behind him he heard a thud and a groan as Barret climbed in. If it was cramped for Cloud, then it was worse for Barret.

"Damn, man! How cramped is this damn vent?"

"Why don't you ask it?" Cloud heard Tifa say behind Barret. The swordsman rolled his eyes. He'd heard this argument before. Still it was a relief to hear, for it reminded Cloud that once again that even after everything they had been through on this journey, some people remained the same.

The vent curved sharply to the right. They followed it round, and Barret grunted and cursed as he squeezed his large frame around the corner. The exit was just ahead. When Cloud reached he had a quick look to make sure no one was around before he climbed out and jumped down onto the tracks.

As Cait had said, the vent had led them straight onto the underground rail tracks. For a worrying moment Cloud feared that a train might come along and crush them, until he remembered that they had seen no trains running when they were on the Highwind. Still, he did not want to let down his guard. Once everyone had climbed out of the vent Cait retook the lead and began to hop down the tracks.

"Oh no! They're here!"

The group came to a stop. They recognised that voice. Turning, they looked back down the tracks. As they expected, Elena was running towards them. Cloud sighed heavily. Of all the times to run into the Turks, it had to be now.

Elena came to a stop near them. Though she was out of breath and there was soot smeared over her face and hair she forced herself to stand upright, refusing to show any weakness. She looked round at the group. "What are we going to do!" she asked loudly. "I think it's okay for you to ignore your orders now."

Cloud tilted his head. What was she talking about? What orders?

"…Elena, don't act so weak."

Cloud sighed again. He recognised that voice, too.

Reno and Rude emerged from behind a pillar and walked up to stand beside Elena. They did not seem at all surprised to see Cloud and his friends here. And, frankly, Cloud was not at all surprised to see them, either. He had guessed that sooner or later the Turks would come after them. Yet there was no time…

Rude adjusted his shades. "We're Turks, Elena," he was saying to her.

Elena sagged. "…Yes, sir. You're right."

"Come on," said Rude, "we've got work to do." He raised his fists, ready for battle.

Reno reached behind him and unhooked his electric rod from his belt. "I'm not really up for it," he said with a sigh, "but…" He lifted the rod onto his shoulder, also ready.

Elena turned back to the rebels. The confidence was back in her eyes as she stood proudly before them. "Our orders were to seek you out and…" She paused for dramatic effect. "…KILL. Our company may be in turmoil, but an order's an order. That's the will and spirit of the Turks! Believe it!"

Cloud reached for his sword. Then he stopped and looked at the Turks. Though Elena was all up for a final showdown between the Turks and the rebels, that enthusiasm did not seem to be shared with her two comrades. Reno's grip on his electric rod was slack, and his eyes kept shifting from place to place, as though he was torn by some decision. Rude's fists were loosely clenched, and his stance did not show that same willingness. Orders were orders, Elena had said. Cloud started to wonder…

"…"

"What are you doing!" Elena demanded, growing impatient and seemingly unaware of the reluctance of her comrades. She stepped forward. "Let's go!"

Cloud took a quick glance behind him. It seemed the others too, had picked up on Reno and Rude's reluctance to enter a battle with them. Tifa clasped her hands behind her back—a show of refusing to arm herself. Vincent folded his arms across his chest, also refusing to draw a weapon. Even Barret, to Cloud's surprise, seemed just as reluctant and would not look at them.

It was strange. Although the Turks were far from being their friends, they had been through a lot together. Every time they had met, they had ended up fighting. But did it always have to be that way? The Turks were just like every other employee of Shinra: just following orders. It never even occurred to Cloud that maybe they did not want to follow them. Looking at them now, he wondered. Orders were orders… but did they have to be?

The more Cloud thought about it, the more he realised that he, too, did not want to fight them. There had been enough battles already, enough people sacrificed for a needless cause. If there should be more fighting, it should be against those that needed to be stopped. The Turks… were not them. Cloud released his sword and shook his head.

"No, let's not go."

His answer shocked Elena. She jumped about half a foot into the air. "You showing pity!" she cried. Her fists clenched angrily. "Don't take the Turks for fools!" She started to walk forward.

"Wait, Elena."

Elena stopped and turned to Reno, more surprise in her eyes. "Reno!" she protested. "You're not violating the order… are you!"

Reno looked over at Cloud. The swordsman gazed steadfastly back at him. It seemed that Cloud understood. There was no need to fight, not now. Tseng had even said as much, when he gave them their orders. The Turk leader had always been reluctant to face off against Cloud and his friends, but Reno had never understood why. Now he did understand. Tseng had seen, long ago, that this day would come. A smile touched Reno's lips, and he lowered his weapon.

"Shinra's finished," he said. "It's come down to this."

Rude nodded his head, agreeing with his partner. "…"

Elena looked from one to the other. Unable to believe what she was hearing, she shook her head. "Rude…" she said almost pleadingly, looking at him.

Rude did not respond. He simply lowered his fists and turned away from her, unable to meet her gaze. Elena stared helplessly at his back. Her fists tightened… and then relaxed. The anger left her face. She hung her head low and stared at the floor.

Reno looked at her sad face. She was not sad because they were not going to fight. She was sad because she had finally realised that this was the end of Turks, the team she had worked so hard to enter. Everything she did was to gain the acceptance of her comrades: Reno, Rude… and Tseng. Being a member of the Turks was a source of pride for her, and now the source of that pride was crumbling.

"Elena, you were a great Turk!"

The young woman did not raise her head. She continued to stare at the floor. "…" was all she could say.

Reno sighed and shook his head. She would come to understand, in time. He hooked his weapon onto his belt and turned back to Cloud and the others, who were watching the exchange in silence.

"Farewell," he told them. "If we can both survive… If we can save our lives…" He did not finish. Instead he just flashed the group a confident grin before turning and walking back down the tracks away from them.

As Reno walked away, Elena raised her head. She seemed to have come to a decision. The defiant look returned to her face and she clenched her fists, turning to face Cloud. She held his gaze firmly, and her brow creased. "Remember the spirit of the Turks…!" she said fiercely. Then the anger left her face and she smiled, briefly, before turning and running back along the tracks after Reno.

Now only Rude was left. The Turk's expression, as it always did, remained unchanged. "Our mission's finished…" was all that he said, before he too, turned and walked away.

Cloud watched as the three Turks walked away. Tifa shouted after them, telling them that they had better survive, and she would not forgive them if they died. Without turning, Reno raised his hand.

So the Turks abandoned their orders and left. Yet Cloud had the feeling that it would not be the last time he ever saw the Turks.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS

Now, for all those who wanted an epic final showdown with the Turks… In all the times I have played the game, only once have I fought the Turks at this point. The first time I got to this point and I had the option of fight or not to fight, I suddenly found that I just didn't have the heart to fight them. So I chose to have that in the fic. I hope I conveyed my feelings well enough.

Of course I sincerely regretted that one time I did fight them. Not because it broke my heart, but because Elena was tougher than she looked! DX