DECEMBER 10TH, [ ν ] - εγλ 0007

SEVENTH HEAVEN BAR, SECTOR SEVEN SLUMS

The others stared at Barret, brains still making sense of what they'd just heard. Wedge coughed. "Barret, buddy? Are you okay? Only it sounded like you just said we're attacking again tonight."

"That's right. You got a problem with that?"

Jessie stepped forward, eyes blazing. "You're damn right we've got a problem! It's insane! We need more time, we need to properly prepare-"

"We're as ready as we're ever gonna be. We were ready last night so we're ready now."

"That's not true!" Jessie was shaking. "Don't you get it?! I'm not just putting together a model plane downstairs, these are bombs we're talking about! Each one requires a lot of patience, a lot of slow, slow work, and most of all a lot of time!"

Barret cursed loudly. "You've had all the damn time in the world, now you tell me you need even more? Do you want Shinra to find us before we're done?"

"I don't know, do you want me to do their job for them? 'Cause if I rush this and mess it up I blow this entire building and everyone in it to smithereens!"

"Then you don't mess it up!"

"Then give me more time! Tell him, Tifa. He'll listen to you!"

"He's right."

All eyes turned to Tifa. She gazed back at them, heart pounding in her chest. Even she couldn't quite believe what she'd just said. Somehow she knew it was true.

"What the Hell do you mean he's right," Jessie yelled. "Do you hear yourself?"

Tifa felt her fists clench, instincts kicking in. She locked eyes with Jessie. She didn't want to fight but if that was what it was going to take for her to listen she was ready.

Biggs stepped between them, hands raised placatingly. "Woah! Everybody ease up! We start fighting like this and Shinra have already won. Last night was a success! We should be celebrating! Right?" He glanced over at Jessie. She looked away, face flushing.

Barret sneered. "Let's save the streamers 'til the job's done. We can have a Goddamn carnival once Shinra are gone for good."

"True, but we can at least take some time for ourselves-"

"Don'tchu get it? We ain't got no time to take! We gotta keep going!"

It was Wedge's turn. He rushed to Biggs' side, ready to defend his friend. "Alright, alright, come on. Even if we're not partying we need time to be ready. Tifa, you said it yourself, we got lucky last night. From now they're going to be waiting for an attack! Surely we can at least get a few days training in, right? Just to make sure we're all a hundred percent?"

From the sweat that had soaked his shirt Tifa could tell he was right, they could all probably be in better shape for what they were trying to do. But Barret was right too. They didn't have the time. It was now or never. She caught Wedge's eye, caught his silent pleading for some kind of respite… But Tifa knew she couldn't offer any. "Sorry Wedge, but the longer we wait the closer Shinra get to finding us." She steeled herself, standing a little taller. Time for some hard truths. "We all knew coming into this just who we were going up against. You think they're gonna stop? You think maybe they'll let us get away if we keep hiding long enough? That's not ever happening. You can be sure that right now they're hunting us with everything they've got and they will destroy us if we give them the chance."

Silence fell for a moment. Biggs spoke. "So what do we do?"

"We do like Barret says. We keep fighting. We keep up the pressure. We show the whole world that they can hurt just like everybody else. And that means we attack again tonight."

Barret nodded, an almost imperceptible smile on his face. Wedge just looked away, fear clear on his face. "Crap…"

"So we tonight we attack Reactor Five. Keep the pressure goin'."

"Why Reactor Five?"

"No obvious pattern. We don't want 'em starting to guess where we're hitting next too early."

Tifa nodded. "Smart move."

"Gotta have a coupla good ideas up here eventually," Barret grinned, tapping his forehead.

Jessie stood for a moment, her face unreadable. Then, without a word turned and walked over to the battered pinball machine, its lights blinking invitingly in the dust-edged gloom. Reaching underneath she pressed an unseen button, setting the entire metal and glass box descending on the screeching gears of a hidden lift. Barret sighed exasperatedly. "Where you goin' now?"

"The workshop. Looks like I've got a bomb to finish."

Time passed. A strange feeling had fallen over the bar since the argument, a silent relaxation that vanished with every creak of a floorboard, every rattle of a window, before slowly returning by inches, just waiting to be unsettled all over again. Barret had consoled Marlene. She hadn't been happy about him going out again, but she understood, in her way. She was a bright kid, definitely was gonna grow up a damn sight smarter than him; she could tell what they were doing was important, even if she didn't quite get why. At least she still hadn't let this dark place get to her. Would he still fight if he couldn't come home to that smile? He doubted it. She was what kept him strong, what made him strong, though she was too young to ever see that. Barret knew he'd give anything to give her the life she'd always deserved. Even if he wouldn't be there to see it.

If we run there's no way we get outta this, he thought, making his own way over to the pinball machine. It was time he talked to Jessie, see if he could patch it up. Even if we run forever they'd find us. So we have to stop 'em now. He cleared his throat as he spotted Jessie, crouched over her workstation, a mass of electronic wiring and blocks of explosive before her. "So, uh, how's it goin' down here?"

"This is bomb-building, not mining," Jessie replied, not looking up. She teased out a fine strand of wire, beads of sweat trickling down the side of her face as she soldered it into place. "It requires… A degree… Of delicacy. So keep those big ol' fingers away from my work station."

"I jus'… I wanted to say… I mean…. I'm sorry. Didn't mean to jus' drop all this on y'all.

"It's okay. I was just scared for a second there. Hell, I still am. We're either the bravest or dumbest bunch of crazies in this hole."

"You sure you get this done in time? I don't want you hurtin' yerself.."

"Barret. I got this. Trust me." She grinned, her usual confidence starting to shine through the nerves. That was the Jessie he knew; smart, brave, ready to take on the world if it'd help her friends. She wiped the sweat from her eyes, still grinning. "Hey, it's a bomb anyway. If it blows up on me I guess it's just fulfilling its manifest destiny. Where did the others get to?"

"Tifa's upstairs with Marlene. As for the boys, well, let's jus' say Wedge is off puttin' his money where his mouth is…"

If we don't have it, it doesn't exist. That was the Wall Market. For every legitimate business there were three illicit ones running out the back room. Black marketeers provided every criminal service you could want. Every sexual fantasy could be fulfilled. If there was a market for it you could find it down here.

Suckers. There were guys like them in here every day lookin' for some kinda favour. Corneo had spent a lifetime dealing with 'em, long enough to be able to tell that whatever these kids wanted wasn't somethin' all together legal. He rubbed his chubby hands together eagerly. Just how he liked it. "Alright, gentlemen. Normally I wouldn't see folks like you today but as it happens a space has appeared in my very busy schedule, so what can I do you for this fine mornin'?"

The fat one looked the most nervous, the sweat dripping off him. "We, uh, that is I heard that we could, maybe-"

"Spit it out, kid, I ain't got all day!"

His partner, clearly the muscle, spoke up angrily. "We need IDs to get topside."

Corneo sneered. "Go see the transport office then."

"We don't necessarily want to be… Recognised."

"Ah. I see." He smiled inwardly. There it was. He gazed at his nails, feigning innocence. "Seems like that's the kind of service that could get me and you into a lotta trouble if it got out. Why should I provide you with such supplies when I don't even know what kind of people I'm working with?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look at it this way, boys. For all I know you two are a pair of security force tricksters out to trip me up. What's gonna stop you selling me out the second I give you what you want?"

The tough one gritted his teeth. He'd clearly been expecting something like this. "Alright… What do you want?"

Corneo smiled. This was his always his favourite part. "Just a little bit of leverage. I'll give you your fake IDs, top quality too… But only if you tell me what you want 'em for. That way neither one of us is gonna be getting it in our heads to run squawking to any undesirables."

"We can't do that!"

"Then I guess it looks like I'm fresh out of what you want," he shrugged. "Good luck with whatever you needed 'em for. Whatever that mysterious task may be."

"Why you-"

Fatso jumped forward, blocking off tough guy. "Wait, wait, wait! We'll tell you." Corneo nodded. At least one of 'em had some brains.

Tough guy looked shocked. "Wedge, what the Hell?"

"We're not going home empty handed, Biggs. You heard Tifa, this is the only way!"

"Damn it…" Corneo couldn't help but grin. Come on. Here we go. Just give it up, tough guy. The muscle raised his fist, clenched so hard the knuckles glowed in the low light. "I swear, if you sell us out I'll kill you myself!"

Corneo raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. This kid had nothing on some of the heavies he'd done business with. "I'm quaking in my boots. Now. What exactly do you two crazy kids have planned?"

It had been quite a story. Taking out the Mako reactors one by one… Crazy. Still, a deal had been a deal. Corneo had given 'em what they wanted and they'd left, out the back way of course. Didn't do to have new partners leave where they might be spotted. He'd made sure the prints wouldn't be traced back to him of course, used a few contacts and a few marks on the prints to leave a trail off to a rival just for insurance. Who knew who'd come sniffing once they'd been caught? And if by some ridiculous move they actually pulled it off they'd be useful people to have on his side.

Suddenly there was a voice at the door. "Knock knock."

Corneo's smile dropped. It had been a while since he'd heard that voice. He flung open the door to his office, face twisting into snarl. "How'd you get in here?!"

"Evening, slick." A thin, crimson-haired figure in a dark suit slunk into the room. He hefted the metal baton resting on his shoulder. "I saw myself in. Pretty rude of you, not introducing me to your little friends. Who were those two?"

"Go to Hell, kid, I'm no rat."

"Sure coulda fooled me."

"Shove it up your ass, smart guy. I've done giving up crap to you."

Reno blinked slowly, doing his best to ignore the headache that was starting to burn in his head. He hated coming down here these days. Too many memories of better times in the bar round the corner, the whole gang working their way through endless rounds… He blinked again, fingers tightening on his baton. Times changed. People went. That's what this job was like. And right now he had a job to do. He let his face drop into his customary sneer. No point showing this low-life he was hurting. "C'mon, Corneo, you know how this works. You give me somethin' and I don't shut down the two-bit operation you're running down here. Or maybe I should turn in a report to my bosses, see what they think about hooker rings, illegal gambling and whatever the Hell else you pulling?"

"You don't scare me, Turk! Word on the street lately is you people are finished."

Reno's sneer dropped away, leaving a hollow smile that stretched across his face like an opened scar. "Guess I didn't get that memo."

Corneo shivered. This kid almost used to be fun. Looked like those days were done.

Reno spoke again, seeming to recover a little. "Far as I'm concerned you may be the big fish round here, but you're still in Shinra's pond. And that means I'm a friggin' tiger shark. So give me what I want or I will end you. Clear enough?"

"You little punk, you think you can come into my place of business and threaten me-"

"Yeah. I do." Electricity hummed as the dark-suited man slowly spun an extended metal baton through the air. Corneo couldn't help but notice the sparkling glow of a materia stone set in the handle. Damn Mako energy. If he could just get his hands on a few stones of his own Corneo would be showing this little piece of crap just who was boss around here. Still, no point getting into fights he couldn't win right now… He sighed. So he was a sell-out. Who wasn't these days?

"Alright, tough guy. It's like this…"