Chapter Two - Shadows of the Shinra Headquarters
The helicopter descended down towards the top of the plate that spanned the entire upper perameters of the ruined Midgar. After more than two years of abandonment due to the destruction that Weapon's assault and Meteorfall had wrought, the place seemed like a dark, shadowed spot of earth left to decay over time.
When the helicopter had landed at the entrance plaza of the former Shinra Headquarters, Reno unlatched the helicopter door and stepped down into what was once his former workplace. Now, the marble tile that led to the glass entrance doors of the Shinra Headquarters was cluttered with gnarled metal and broken glass, the electricity had been powered down and a thick layer of dust seemed to form over the surface of everything.
"Couldn't afford to keep a janitor on payroll, could the ol' president," Reno remarked sarcastically, as he stepped out of the helicopter.
"You haven't heard?" Elena turned to Reno, an eyebrow raised.
"Heard what?"
She glanced over her shoulder and leaned towards her comrade, "Well, just between you and me, Rufus ain't doing too well nowadays. With the Company figuratively and literally falling apart, Rufus is trying to hold on to anything that would still benefit him, but the people have turned against Shinra like never before, going out of their way to not use Mako energy or rely on the company for anything. He's really taken a beating."
"Heh, looks like his daddy's old money can't buy him out of this one," Reno smirked. Truth be told, the redhead never had much love for any senior Shinra executive anyway. "Thought I'd never see the day one of the Shinra's get to lose all their power."
"It seems like it's happening though and quickly. With the company ruined, people actively against them and the amount of Gil the company lost over these last few years, Rufus certainly isn't content by any means...not until Shinra can establish some of its' former power like in its' glory days."
"Well, the people see the true face of the Shinra Company now, so I doubt that would be happening any time soon," Reno said. "Where'd you hear all of this anyway?"
"Tseng," Elena shrugged. "Rufus tells him a lot and trusts him. Now, does Tseng trust Rufus? I doubt it, but the less the ex-president knows, the better."
Reno smirked," Hmph, you and Tseng seem close."
"Shut up," Elena scoffed.
Reno, Rude and Elena carefully made their way through the wreckage and debris that cluttered the base of the headquarters. The trio approached Tseng, who was checking his wrist watch, tapping his foot impatiently.
"What took the three of you so long," Tseng asked.
Elena answered first, "Sorry, sir. It took a while to track these two down. Reno was...uncooperative, to say the least."
Reno rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. "Let's just get this party over with, shall we? Rufus sent us here to get our hands dirty, so we might as well give the boss what he wants..."
Elena cut him off, "Right, so let's at least get inside this god-forsaken place and see what's causing all the trouble. We'd better make sure that we're ready for whatever might be causing this 'unusual' activity."
"Do take caution," Tseng warned. "Whatever had managed to break into the science laboratories had left destruction in its wake. It's best to go in prepared."
The Turks had stepped up to the main doors of the former headquarters and pushed them open. Once inside, the group walked into the lobby. The lights had been burnt out and destroyed, leaving the team to make their way around the debris that cluttered the lobby in total darkness. There was an eerie silence. Even though not a noise was heard, the distinct quietness actually caused an uneasy heaviness that was spread throughout the lobby. The group snuck across the floor, careful not to make any noises, as not to disturb anything that could be waiting deeper inside of the building.
They made their way up the lobby stairs that led to the main access elevator at the back end of the lobby.
Reno asked in a hushed whisper, "Rufus doesn't expect us to check EVERY floor of the damn place, does he?"
"We were given direct orders from the boss. We can only assume that he would want them done as quickly as possible," said Tseng.
"Besides, if there is something dangerous inside here, it shouldn't be too long to find it," Elena said.
"Then, let's split up. Doubling up will get us through this place faster. If you need back-up, just phone us in."
Elena replied, "Right. Tseng and I will take the lower half of the building. You and Rude can start your way at the top and work your way down to us. We'll meet in the middle and work our way out from there."
Reno went to the elevator, pushing the button, almost surprised that it stil functioned after all this time. "Roger. If you run into trouble, well, make it easier on us and take care of it yourself."
"Typical", Elena said, before she and Tseng made their way towards the main staircase that made it's way up the floors of the building of the tower. When the elevator had arrived, the doors pushed open and Reno and Rude stepped inside. "You really sure we can trust this thing?" Rude replied, raising an eyebrow at Reno. It seemed to be the first thing the man had said all day.
"Eh, a little uncertainty is always good to liven things up," Reno replied, taking out the floor access card that he had kept from years ago, giving them access to all of the floors of the building.
It was common knowledge that any of the upper floors of the Shinra Headquarters were essentially impassable to any commoner. There was a special access card that was needed to navigate through any of the higher floors of the building. This is when Reno appreciated his work as a Turk, they had privileges exclusive to them. Reno inserted his access card and pushed the button for the highest floor.
"Going up."
Elena and Tseng made their way up the staircase that led upbthe first few floors of the building, making a stop at each floor to do a quick search. What they found was nothing out of the ordinary. It mostly looked exactly as it hand done a few years ago, but there was a sense of frenzied abandonment throughout those initial floors. Things were left in a bit of disarray, assuming from the Shinra workers, who had fled the building during Weapon's attack or Meteorfall.
While arriving at the eleventh floor, Elena started to pant. "I think we have our work cut out for us. I must have forgotten how big this place was...or maybe I'm just not used to taking these damn stairs."
"Tired already? Hmph," Tseng replied. "We still have a long way to go. Besides, if what we're looking for is really as dangerous as it sounds, we'll need our strength to fight it."
"Do we even know what we're searching for?" Elena inquired, entering into the doorway that led to the next floor. "We didn't exactly get a good idea with Reno being his elusive self as usual."
"Rufus was concerned when he first caught word of the activity inside the building. That was reason enough to start the investigation, I suppose," Tseng replied. "He may have let the security forces go, but I think...the surveillance cameras might have caught something. They might give us a lead in what made its way inside the building. We should head there first."
"Hopefully the security room is still powered up," Elena said. "It's not like those security cameras were any good when they were functional. Cloud and his friends still managed to break in to rescue the flower girl even with our security forces at their highest."
"Yes, Cloud was successful, but our recent intruder won't be. We'll use the cameras to find out where they were heading and why they were doing in here," said Tseng.
"Let's get to the control tower and see what we can find," instructed Elena.
The two made their way up to the next staircase that led further up the building. The eerie silence continued with every foot step they took. It was discomforting to say the least.
"I wonder how Reno and Rude are doing," Elena thought out loud. "Do you suppose they found anything?"
"Possibly, but just be concerned about yourself right now," said Tseng. "You won't be able to watch your own back if you're too concerned about them."
Elena huffed up as she ascended the stairs, "You know, you're not doing a very good job at making me feel better about this little break-in situation of ours. Just how dangerous is this opponent of ours? What do you know that you're not telling me?"
Tseng stopped at the top of the stairwell and turned back to Elena. "Rufus was the one to find the damange left behind by our intruder. He found a body. It was...torn apart."
Reno and Rude stood at the top floor of the Shinra Headquarters, the former President Shinra's office. The space had a large wall of glass windows behind the president's desk that overlooked the rest of the plate above Midgar. Of course, the grandeur of the office space was much different now with the panel of glass windows shattered, dust covering the desk and the electricity surged out. There was an unusual musky scent in the air, almost as if the office space was like some attic lost over the years.
Reno and Rude turned from the shattered glass windows and walked across the office. As they stepped, they noticed the footprints they left behind in the dust that covered the ground. Reno smirked, "Seems like we're the first ones up here in a long time."
"Hmph," Rude grunted in reply.
Reno crouched down and looked at the footprints they left on the ground. He brought his gloved hand forward and dragged a sole finger across the surface of the floor, clearing away a single line of dust. He looked up at Rude with an eyebrow raised, "You thinkin' what I'm thinking?"
Rude remained silent as he repositioned his glasses to get a better view through the tinted frames.
"If the rest of this building is just as rundown and forgotten as this office is, we should be able to find footprints that'll lead us right up to the intruder," Reno said, rising to his feet. "Then we can nab 'em and force 'em to tell us what the hell they're doin' in a place like this."
"Hm," Rude nodded and began to make his way down towards the exit stairwell that led to the lower floors beneath the office.
"Let's get a move on then. We got some footprints to look for, an intruder to find and an ass to kick," Reno said, digging into his blazer pocket for his phone. "I'll give Elena and Tseng a call and see if they've come across anything unusual."
At that same moment, Tseng didn't notice the vibrating phone in his pocket, as he and Elena briskly walked up the winding staircases that zig-zagged up the dozens of levels of floors in the company building. They reached a landing, where Elena walked to the door frame and peered inside.
Elena pointed forward, "This should be the floor, right? If I remember correctly, the security office should be right across the way."
"Right," Tseng nodded, leading the way. Walking past a set of half a dozen marble pillars, he caught sight of the security office that was tucked away in the far corner of the room.
Elena turned to him, "So, what Rufus told you is really true? He found a body that was...mutilated beyond recognition?"
Tseng nodded, "Hm. He saw it with his own eyes and it wasn't a pretty sight to say the least."
"Who did the body belong to," she asked him.
He could only shrug and shake his head, "Who knows? Nobody's claimed any missing person report and from what Rufus has told me, it'd be nearly impossible to determine the victim's identity based on the aftermath. It was certainly a man, probably some drifter that was making his way through a bad part of Midgar, but that's all we know. Your guess is as good as mine."
Elena placed a finger on her chin, "Hm. Strange..."
"I have a feeling that if we're going to find any answers, this'll be the place to start," Tseng said, reaching for the door of the security office and pushing it open.
The two stepped inside the small square room. There was a chair that was placed in front of a control panel with numerous buttons that operated the several dozen security surveillance cameras. Above the console were about a dozen small monitor screens that would usually capture surveillance footage of several floors of the building, but now they stood dark.
"The monitors aren't working," said Elena.
"It's not that they aren't working. They just aren't powered on," Tseng said, before sitting down in the chair and wheeling over to the console. He pressed a button in on the large hardware beneath the desk and watched as it blinked a few times, as if actually registering that it was being used after years of dormancy.
One by one, the surveillance monitors began to blink on, showing a static and fuzzy black and white image. Pixelated and distorted, they could slowly start to make out certain areas of the building, but with how bad the image quality was, they couldn't really make out anything clearly just yet.
"It'll take a moment for them to focus," Tseng assured.
The surveillance cameras captured a dozen rooms and angles at a certain time before they would switch to a new angle, showing various vantage points for optimum security. As Tseng had guaranteed, the images on the console monitors soon began to sharpen and become clearer.
"Let's see what we have here," Tseng said, wheeling himself closer to the console and taking hold of a few buttons. He pressed in a button and switched one of the cameras over to the lobby of the building. He quickly pressed in a few buttons, switching a few of the monitors over to various different rooms. He zoomed in and out on a few of the different camera angles, as he acquainted himself better with the control panel. He continued quickly flipping through a few of the camera vantage points to uncover anything quicker.
"There!" Elena cried from behind him and pointed to one of the monitor screens.
"What is it? What do you see," asked Tseng, leaning forward in his seat to get a better view.
"Here, zoom in closer. I saw a shadow make its' way across this room right here," Elena said, pointing to one of the monitor screens. "I'm sure I saw something..."
"Let's take a closer look," Tseng said, before taking control of a few more buttons and angling the camera better and zooming in. When the picture focused and cleared, what they saw was...
"Ugh, what a total letdown," Elena groaned, as a slightly pixelated image of Reno and Rude came into frame. "I should have known it would be those two jackasses."
Tseng quietly smirked to himself, a small smile on his lips. "It looks like they're making their way down to Hojo's science laboratories."
"You think they found something?" Elena asked.
"I don't know," Tseng squinted, trying to get a better view on the small monitor screen. "They seem to be closely inspecting something, like they're following a trail..."
"Looks like the intruder might have just led us right to them," Elena clutched her fist in victory.
"Let me see if I can switch one of the cameras over to get a view of the labs," Tseng said, before quickly pressing in a few buttons on the console. "This...should be it. We should get a view of our intruder here, if that's where they headed."
Tseng and Elena leaned closer, examining the small pixelated screen. The image captured a view of Hojo's laboratory. Even from the screen, it seemed to send an icy, coldness through Tseng and Elena. The lab looked lonely and cold, filled with incubators, containment pods, tables and bookshelves filled with knowledge and half-completed experiments of a mad-man with wicked ideas and insane intentions.
"This is where it was reported that something broke in, right?" Elena asked, glancing again at the screen. "They should be here, but...there's nothing."
"Hm, but there is...something strange," Tseng said, pointing up to one of the screens. "One of those incubators, it's turned on. It seems to be functioning as if it was recently used...or is being used. It shouldn't be."
"Huh? Where is it?" Elena said, leaning forward to get a better view, just as the camera's angle quickly switched to the entrance of the laboratory.
Tseng cursed, "Wait til the camera goes back around to it."
Tseng and Elena waited in anxious silence for the monitor to go back to the main part of the lab, and when it did, they both jolted back.
Sephiroth.
The evil man, the merciless demon with long white hair and a black cape, stood in the center of the laboratory, looking directly up towards the security camera, as if staring directly into Elena and Tseng's eyes. An evil smirk formed across his face, as if he knew that the two were spying on him.
An icy cold chill raced up Elena's spine, "It's...it's r-really-"
"Sephiroth," Tseng breathed out. "He's here...but how?"
From the monitor, the two watched in unspoken horror as the caped man turned away from the camera and made his way towards the functioning incubator. He turned back to face them once more and with a sickening smile on his face, lifted a sole finger up to his lips, as if to silence them.
Tseng and Elena knew then...Sephiroth was more than aware of their presence and were now uncertain; who was really spying on who?
Sephiroth turned from them and stepped inside the incubator, the light from within blinding the surveillance camera from spotting his form. Soon, it didn't matter, as the entire camera's focus soon began to blur and distort, before blinking out and shutting off altogether.
The two remained in silence, before it was broken by the blonde.
"What the hell was that?" Elena said, repeating louder. "What the hell was that?!"
"You know what it was. Sephiroth," Tseng replied back.
"I know, but how?" Elena crossed her arms, pacing back and forth. "Cloud and his group of annoying friends defeated him. Multiple times! This doesn't make any sense..."
"I'm sure there's something going on here that we don't understand..." Tseng said, placing a finger on his chin. "Something isn't right here."
"Obviously! Something's very, VERY wrong!" Elena placed her hands on her hips, "And, please tell me, how the hell are you staying so calm right now? We are in a building with a madman who's probably going to try and kill us all...Oh, no..."
"What?" Tseng looked back at her in concern.
She looked down at him, fear in her eyes. "Reno and Rude...they're heading towards the science floor. They're heading right to Sephiroth!"
"&%$#" Tseng cursed again in realization. He quickly got up from his seat, "We have to go! We've got to get to them before it's too late!"
Reno and Rude made their way down the staircase that led towards the Science Department floor. While navigating down the many floors of the building, they came across a set of peculiar footprints, just like Reno was hoping for. Now, he only hoped that this clue trail would lead him right up to the intruder and that they'd be quick work to take care of. The two men quickly followed after the trail of footprints.
While stepping out into the open space of the laboratory floor, the two men caught wind of a particularly rancid smell.
"Phew! What the hell is that?" Reno questioned, trying to cover his nose and breathe out through his mouth.
The smell was truly something horrific, like rotting flesh and blood strewn about a street gutter. It made one's stomach twist with the threat of choking on the breath in their very lungs. Reno tried to continue forward, but the stench was almost so overpowering that he couldn't focus.
"Ughm I've smelled better piles of trash in the dirtiest slums before." He repeated again, "Seriously, what the hell is that?"
"It reminds me of death," said Rude.
"So comforting," Reno replied.
The two men made their way through the laboratory grounds, each checking the indivdual office rooms that led towards the main core of the floor where Hojo had done most of his work. Reno reached for one of the office doors, his hand nervously trembling as he did so. When he grasped the knob, he turned it and heard a slight 'click', before slowly pushing the door open. He stepped inside, only to discover that the only thing that took up space in the room was a cluttered desk and a bookshelf.
'Is that really all that's in here?' Reno let out a sigh, before he heard a noise come from behind him. He heard the movement, something coming closer, approaching the door, about to enter the room. Reno could feel his bottom lip quivering, as he tried to mask his fear and keep his composure. 'Kill...or be killed.'
Reno lunged for the open doorway and punched Rude in the face.
Rude was taken aback, clutching his now sore nose. Although a hard hit, he seemed utterly unfazed. "Seriously, what the hell."
Reno grimaced, showing off an expression that was a mixture of shock, relief and amusement. "Sorry, man. I thought you were something else..." He let out a nervous laugh, as all Rude did was adjust his now crooked glasses.
"Come on," Rude cocked his head at his friend, pointing in the direction that led towards the main lab.
As they made their way to the lab, the stomach-churning stench grew ever stronger, like they were moving through a haze of it. A single, dismal blue flickering plank of fluorescent light was the only source that illuminated the cold level of the building.
The two men continued down the corridor that looped around to the specimen containment bay, where incubators and containment pods lined the floor in a haphazard display of Hojo's insane thirst for psychotic discoveries. Reno and Rude heard something just up ahead, something that called all of their attention.
"What is that..." Reno asked.
Rude took a moment to listen carefully, "It sounds like something...exhaling."
As they approached the sound, they noticed that their shoes had stuck to the cold, metal ground of the laboratory floor. It was only a second later before Reno found himself slipping, catching himself when his hands hit the ground.
"What the hell?" Reno regrouped and stood, but to his horror, saw the red blood that had now stained his hands. He looked down and at his and Rude's feet looked like what was a pile of rotten flesh in a pool of blood.
"I think I'm gonna be sick..." Reno said, almost covering his mouth with his hands, but immediately pulling them away when he remembered the dark blood that covered them.
"We don't have time for that. Look alive," Rude called out to Reno, pointing in the direction of one of the incubators at the far end of the lab.
The incubator shook and sputtered. The blue light from within flickered and pulsed, as something moved about within it, basked in the energy that encircled around the being.
"What's that?" Reno asked.
"I believe that...is our target."
The accelerating sound of buzzing came from within the incubator, as the energy within grew stronger. The figure within moved about, offering Reno and Rude a quick glance in-between the passing rays of energy.
Reno's eyes widened, "Sephiroth...?"
Just as soon as the redhead spotted the man, the black-caped man's head turned towards him, offering an evil grin. In a flash, Sephiroth was gone and in his place was an entirely different being. The creature was much larger, to the point where its' flesh pressed up against the incubator glass, cracking it open. The creature had skin that was so pale it almost looked blue, strange otherworldly growths growing from its' appendages, claws where it's hands should be and red veins that trickled down within the surface of its' skin. It had bizarrely womanly qualities, accentuated by the curves of its' body and the long wispy hair that floated around it. The creature opened her eyes, an eerie yellow glowing within them.
To some, she might have been considered a beautiful goddess, a benevolent deity, but that was the farthest thing from the truth. This was an extraterrestrial demon that was set on destroying the planet and all the life on it.
"That's...that's..." Reno sputtered, his eyes growing wider, "...Jenova."
The creature let out a wail, as the glass tubing of the containment pod exploded out, sending shards of glass flying across the room. The pod sparked and fizzled as the otherworldly creature emerged from the tube, almost slithering forth like some caecilian creature.
Reno and Rude slowly backed away from the lab as the being approached. The bald man glanced towards his friend, "Think we can take it?"
Reno rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Yeah right, this looks like a job for Strife. What the freakin' luck I'm having today, am I right?"
Jenova caught sight of the two men and let out a feminine giggle, which, coming from this creature, seemed all the more eerie, spine-crawling and unnatural. It was the first encounter Reno and Rude had ever had with Jenova and from the that one laugh, they were already wanting to forget this confrontation.
"Well, if this thing is looking for a fight, better give it what it wants," Reno said, before charging towards Jenova, a closed fist leading towards the being's face. Jenova cast out one of her arms and caught Reno in midair. With a simple flick of her wrist, Reno was sent flying into the hard wall.
Reno lifted his head, as if the weight of the world had suddenly fallen on top of him.
'Damn, tomorrow's hangover's gonna be a bitch.'
Reno tried to lift his body from the cold metal floor, but the move that Jenova had given him seemed to knock the wind right out of him. Jenova had let out another eerie laugh, seeing the two opponents as no match for her. Reno slowly crept to his feet, wincing in pain from the spasms that occurred from the movements of his sore muscles. He brought his hand to his lips, wiping away the blood that he could taste coming fromthe corner of his mouth.
'This thing doesn't know when to quit, does she?' Reno thought to himself.
When Rude had seen his accomplice charge towards the creature, only to end up blasted into a wall, he knew much better than to try and take this powerful being on directly. Still, Rude prepared himself in a stance, raising his fists to his chest, his only form of defense in case Jenova was to attack again.
Jenova simply let out a childish giggle, seeing a mere human think that they would be able to defeat her.
When Reno had successfully gotten back onto his feet, he carefully limped his way over to where Rude was standing.
"How many times has Strife kicked your ass already? You need it from us, too?" Reno snarled.
Jenova menacingly approached the two men, a dark glare descending down on the two men. When Reno had stared into the eyes of Jenova, he could feel a cold, heartlessness. He looked into the creature's eyes and beyond the yellow glow, saw only darkness - something very telling of what existed within her being.
"You really think you are a match for me," Jenova finally spoke, almost hissing out at them as she taunted. "I've spent hundreds of years destroying the likes of your kind and no one has been able to kill me...and it certainly won't be either of you."
Reno gritted through his teeth, "How the hell did you come back!? I thought Cloud and the others destroyed you?"
"Hmph, how foolish of you to think so," Jenova laughed. "They've destroyed many parts of me, but they didn't finish the job. A small part of me still survived and took shelter deep within the crater in the north. To my luck, a wandering traveler found his way into my home and, while he made the most dreadful end, he made the perfect vessel to sustain me. I entered into his pitiful, disgusting human form and took hold of him..."
"Yeah, that's disgusting," Reno said.
Jenova continued, "His body lasted me long enough to travel all the way from the crater to this building, where I knew that fool Hojo had some powerful enough equipment to help me regain myself fully. So, I clawed my way out of that weak, useless man's body and found myself here..." She laughed, placing one of her hands down on the shattered incubator. "It seems humans do have some use, they make perfect vessels and are so easily controlled."
Reno shook his head, "You're a lunatic. You're the one that was responsible for that body the president found. You...you broke in here to use Hojo's equipment to make you...more powerful?"
Jenova glanced down at her fully regained form, "Yes, and it worked wonderfully. I can feel my powers returning, coursing through my veins. Why, if it hadn't been for Hojo and Shinra investing in these experiments that greatly increase a being's abilities, none of this would have been possible."
Reno grunted out.
Jenova smiled darkly, taking a step closer to the two men. "Now, with myself fully intact once more, I can resume what I had planned when I came to this planet over two-thousand years ago..."
Rude decided to make a quick dash towards the creature, which he had ultimately regretted mere moments later, when he had found himself being lifted and tossed back into one of the wooden crates in the corner of the room.
Just as Rude was tossed away, Reno saw the opportunity to try and attack Jenova. He moved forward to the creature, but was instantly incapacitated when Jenova thrust her hand out, gripping the man tightly around the throat. She lifted him up off the ground with ease, her giggle echoing as Reno kicked and struggled to break free.
Reno tossed himself back and forth, struggling to breathe. He choked out, "Why? Why are...you doing this!? What...do you want?!"
Jenova laughed, darkly. "I found myself falling to this pitiful realm hundreds of years ago and since then, since discovering how horrible and useless humans could be, I've wanted nothing more than to wipe mankind from existence and this entire Planet with it. I was an outsider...and the world spat me back out. I disguised myself to befriend the Cetra, the very 'protectors' of the Planet, and when the time was right, I took out nearly all of them."
Reno kicked and struggled further.
"I destroyed nearly all the Cetra, but it wasn't enough...soon mankind took over, they multiplied and expanded and explored. And yet again, I was an outsider left to see mankind thanklessly ruin their own planet. I will never rest until I've cleansed this world of all mankind."
"Why!?" Reno struggled, losing his breath. "What did the Cetra do to you?! What did humans do!?"
Jenova paused, an unusual glare in her eye. Her lip trembled and she squeezed Reno's throat tighter, "They destroyed me."
Jenova's hand squeezed tighter, ready to snap Reno's neck. He felt his air running out, his gasps for breath shortening, as he tried to punch and kick his way out of the tight grasp. She smiled wickedly down at him, "Now, I'm going to return their punishment and destroy them all...starting with you."
Rude emerged from behind the crate and carefully tried to make his way over to Jenova, but found that almost every one of his actions would have ended with him face-down on the floor.
Although he was losing breath, Reno laughed, "You can kill me, but you'll still have Cloud the others to deal with."
Jenova only tightened her grip, laughing menacingly, "Which reminds me, after I'm finished with you, I suppose he'll have to be next..."
"He won't be!"
A shot was heard, as a splatter of dark blood protruded from the arm that went to Reno's neck. Jenova writhed in pain, her eyes widening as she loosened her grip on Reno.
Reno fell to the floor, struggling to regain his breath. When he looked to the side, just behind Rude, he saw Elena and Tseng standing there. Tseng pointed a gun towards the creature., a successful smirk on his face.
Reno brought out his iron rod and gave Jenova a swift hit directly across the jaw. Rude seized the opportunity to ambush Jenova, aiming one of his fists directly at her chest, following his opposing fist directly towards the creature's head.
Jenova reeled back from the combo hit that she had just received from Rude. "And here I thought I was going to be merciful and kill you all quickly..."
Just as Reno and Rude had planned to initiate an attack together, one of Jenova's hands shot forth, sending the two men flying backwards, colliding with Tseng and Elena,sending all four of the Turks to the floor. Jenova approached the four, almost eerily gliding along the cold floor towards them.
When Jenova went to attack them, she found her hands tembling, shaking violently as her powers failed her. She tried again, but nothing. She let out a frustrated growl.
Reno smirked, "Seems like you need more time to get yourself together. Your powers are still half-assed." He stood to his feet, the other Turks standing behind him, getting into a battle stance to fight the creature. "And with your power still not entirely on your side, that means we can kick your ass right here and now."
Jenova sneered, her face twisting in anger. She snarled like an animal, "This isn't over. Your day of reckoning will be upon you and I'll kill all of you...I'll kill everyone with the destruction of this planet!"
With a laugh, Jenova waved her hand and a powerful impulse shot forth. The four Turks felt a great force almost physically pass through them, sending them to the ground and wiping them of their energy. When the four looked up, Jenova was gone.
There was a moment of complete silence, as the four Turks slowly recuperated, getting back on their feet.
"Thanks for coming to the rescue," Reno turned to Elena and Tseng. "I don't think I would have made it out of there alive."
Elena nodded, "Don't mention it. We were watching from the surveillance cameras. We knew the two of you would run into some trouble when we saw Sephiroth appear."
Reno nodded, "Yeah, we saw Sephiroth for a brief moment, too, but he was never here at all. It was all Jenova the whole time. She was playing with our minds, toying with us. From what I hear, she tends to do that."
"Bitch," Elena sneered.
"Yeah, well, just wait til I tell you everything Jenova had to do to regenerate herself," Reno smirked. 'I think 'bitch' will be an understatement for her."
Tseng thought for a long moment before speaking, "How serious do you think Jenova is this time? She's been around for hundreds of years and hasn't been successful. What makes this time different?"
Reno shook his head, "I don't know, but whatever it is she's up to, I don't like it. If it's not the world she's trying to destroy, then it's peoples' lives instead. I think she's absolutely serious at wanting to destroy the world and everyone in it. She's a problem and she needs to be taken care of."
Elena chimed in, "What do you think Rufus is going to say? Do you think he'll take it out on us that Jenova got away?"
Tseng shook his head, "No. I don't think so. Rufus knew that what we were up against was dangerous, but not something as threatening as Jenova. If anything, I think he deserves to have an accurate report of the he learns of Jenova's resurgence, he'll know what next steps to take."
Reno placed a finger on his chin, unable to shake the uneasy feeling within him. "This isn't good..."
"What is it?" Elena asked.
"There's just something about Jenova's threat. It feels unmistakably dangerous this time, like no amount of Holy or white magic is enough to fight her," Reno thought out loud.
"And with all the Cetra gone, is there anyone even powerful enough to stop her now?" Tseng asked.
"I don't know," Reno shook his head. "But whatever Jenova has in store for the planet, it won't be good...for anyone."
It had been a few hours since Cloud and Denzel had returned from the church and it was already late into the evening, so late it was practically the earliest hours of the morning.
Cloud sat at the desk in his room, signing and filing a pile of delivery paperwork that he had put off doing. Throwing himself into his work at least made his days seem to go by and make life seem a little less burdened, even if it meant late nights and constant traveling, neither of which Cloud really seemed to mind.
The low, yellow warmth from the desk lamp caused a tired yawn to emerge from the blonde, as he ran a hand through his spiky hair. He stared at the piles of paperwork on his desk, already feeling the circles that were going to appear under his eyes come the morning. It were small moments like this where, even if it was just a small part of him, he longed to be traveling the planet again on some journey - to take on some brute force alongside Barret and Tifa, to face fiends on the road with Nanaki, Cid and Vincent, to even chase after Yuffie who'd take all their Materia.
But mostly, to travel the world alongside Aerith again. To see her smile and to hear her laugh, to be there to see her excitement, her concerns and her love for the planet she adored as she traveled wherever they'd go. To see her reaction to new places, new foods, new sights and sounds, new everything. Seeing the world the way she saw it for the first time, it was like he was seeing it for the first time all over again, too.
He stared down at the new flower he kept at his desk, the one he found right outside of Aerith's church - the very flower he had purchased from her on the winter night years ago.
Cloud shook his head and snapped himself out of his longing fantasy. Things couldn't go back to the way that they were. He could only keep moving forward.
He lightly slapped himself on the cheek in a feeble attempt to wake himself up and continue his paperwork. He heard the wooden door to his room quietly creak up and looked to the side to see Barret peering in.
"Yo Spike, you good?"
Cloud gave Barret a reassuring nod. "Yeah. How was everything around here tonight?"
"Quiet. Marlene was bein' real funny about you and Denzel goin' off on your bike, but like hell I'd let you take her on that thing," Barret smirked.
"Sorry," Cloud's lips lightly formed into a smile. "Denzel and I, we...just understand one another. I think it's good that we have each other to talk to."
"Man, don't got to apologize for that," Barret smiled and looked down at the various yellow and white carnations that were scattered around Cloud's desk. "You take another trip out to the flower fields today?"
Cloud nodded, looking over to the flowers, "I did. I've been going there every day in-between my deliveries."
Barret nodded, "You feel her there, doncha?"
"Yeah," he said, looking back up at him. "I can. It's like an entirely different world there. It's a part of this world, but it's not. It's like a fantasy, but still very real. I...I can't describe it, she can say it much better than I can..."
"I don't doubt it," Barret laughed. "Well, you tell Aer I'm missin' her, too. I'd like a visit from her every now and then, too."
"Will do," Cloud nodded. "I'll be going back tomorrow. I want to see her everyday...if I can."
"You don't got to explain it to me, Spike,' Barret placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "If I had a place in this world where I could see my Eleanor every day, I'm bettin' that place would be my whole damn world. Marlene's, too."
To Barret, his daughter was his happiness and his entire world. While she was not his own daughter, he had watched her ever since she was a baby and adopted her, raising her as if she was his own. Barret felt as though Marlene would always be his little girl, regardless of blood.
Barret felt sympathy for Cloud. He understood how Cloud had felt that he had let people down and was not able to protect the ones that meant the most to him. He knew the feeling of convincing himself that he was a failure at one point in his life and that, if he knew what he had known now; he would have done things entirely different.
At the beginning, when Cloud and Barret first started working in AVALANCHE together, the two were never really close, nor did they happen to get along often. Deep beneath Barret's burly stature, there was actually a man who cared about the planet and its' people. There was a softness deep within the rough exterior.
Barret opposed Cloud's views on life, often criticizing the soldier on how he could be so cold and unaffected by the problems of the world, only caring about the money he would make from his missions.
But as the two continued to learn more about each other over the next few years, they had learned to respect one another. Two different people, once very opposing towards their own views on the world, brought closer because of the pain and loss that they had both experienced. They had developed an understanding for one another. While Barret may have criticized Cloud at any chance that he got, Cloud knew that there was still a lot of respect between them.
Barret continued, "Well, I'm glad to see you doin' better, Spike. I wouldn't want to have to kick your dumbass again!" And in an instant, the Barret that Cloud recognized was back again.
"Again? You've never kicked my ass at all." Cloud replied with a serious expression on his face that grew into a small smile
"And let's keep it that way." Barret gave Cloud a hard pat on the back, before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
Cloud sat at his desk for a moment, before turning back to his pile of delivery paperwork. The steady ticking of the clock on his desk caught his attention. It was nearly one in the morning and, while he had every intention of completing his delivery files that night, sleep sounded significantly better right then. He arranged all of the papers in a small pile on his desk, promising himself that he would catch up with all of his work by tomorrow.
He lifted himself out of his chair and flipped the desk light off. Cloud grabbed the rim of his dark blue vest and lifted it above his head, before he went to climb into bed. He pulled the covers up over himself and his body sank into the slightly uncomfortable, flimsy mattress beneath him. Cloud started to enjoy the feeling of sinking into sleep, until...
Cloud's phone started to go off on his desk.
"Ugh...dammit..."
Cloud was barely able to lift his head up, blindly reaching through the darkness for his vibrating phone. Once he had obtained the item, Cloud flipped it open and lifted it to his ear.
"Yeah?" he said, a bit more agitated than he had intended to sound.
"Hey Cloud, it's Reno."
"Reno, what do you want? Do you know how late it is?"
"Cloud, listen, we got bigger problems than you not getting your beauty rest, like say, some terrifying extraterrestrial being that's deadest on destroying the planet."
Cloud quickly realized that Reno was talking about Jenova, but at this late hour of the night, he was not entirely sure if Reno was kidding or not. He could never really determine when Reno was being sarcastic or not, which was especially difficult when Reno practically bled sarcasm.
"Are you joking? You're not funny. Goodnight."
"Strife! I'm not kidding! Me and the others just got our asses whooped by that thing!"
"Okay...so what do you want me to do about this now?" Cloud sat up in bed.
"Well, uhhh...the others are about to tell Rufus what happened, but I thought that we could use some re-enforcement if we're going up against that thing. You did beat that thing like...ten times already, right?"
Cloud sighed, "Where are you now?"
"At the base of Shinra Headquarters, planning on heading down towards Wallmarket."
"Seriously?" At this hour, the idea of driving out of Edge, back to Midgar and going to a run-down, abandoned Wallmarket made Cloud want to hang up the phone, crash back into his bed and say to hell with whatever threat Jenova was posing.
But Cloud knew that he couldn't exactly do that. Not if a threat as serious as Jenova was real.
Cloud sighed and scratched a hand through his hair, "Fine. I'll head out now. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Good. I'll explain the rest when you get here. There's a lot to say. I'll be waiting in Wallmarket."
Cloud flipped his phone shutand lifted himself off of the bed. "So much for sleep."
He grabbed his vest and threw it back on. He quickly gathered a few pieces of armor that were scattered about his room and finally, grabbed his Buster Sword.
Cloud thought about telling Barret and Tifa what he had just heard from Reno about the potential of a new threat, but he hesitated.
He stared at the new, blossomed flower on his desk. 'There's too much to lose. I already lost you..'
He didn't want Barret and Tifa to get involved with his burdens yet again. They had children to look after, there was a bar to run, they had their own lives to protect. Could he really lay down another burden on their shoulders when there was more that could be lost against such a serious opponent? This was his fight and he was going to face it alone.
Or with Reno. But he preferred it being alone if that was the case.
Cloud quietly crept out of his room, sword and armor in tow and proceeded down the stairs. He left the bar and went to his motorbike, where he attached the sword into the weapon rack of the vehicle and got onto the seat. He powered up the engine and sped off down the street, heading towards the ruins of Midgar in the dead of night.
Tseng, Elena and Rude were outside the entrance of the Shinra Headquarters, filling their former president, Rufus, on the confrontation that happened with Jenova shortly beforehand.
"So, Jenova was the one responsible for the death of that man?" Rufus questioned. "That explains the body I found."
"Yes, sir," Tseng replied.
"It's amazing how that...creature...went to such lengths to restore herself," said Elena.
"She'd spent some time in the science facility those few years ago," Rufus acknowledged. "Surely she would have known that the Shinra had the necessary equipment to accomplish such a feat."
"It won't be easy to take her out if she's as powerful as she claims herself to be," said Tseng.
"Oh, she's certainly powerful," Rufus said. "Had I known the threat was as serious as Jenova, I would have called for more serious re-enforcements. The former president examined the bruises that had formed on Rude's face after the altercation.
"If she can even be stopped at all..." Elena sighed.
Rufus smirked and shook his head, "We'll stop her. She might be stronger than a mere human could be, but the Shinra still have resources far greater that could be used to fight her. If it's a fight she wants, we're not going to let her win so easily."
Elena turned to him, an eyebrow raised, "So, does this mean we're with the good guys this time?"
Rufus stalled for a moment, before closing his eyes, "We...are aligned with them at best. They've faced Jenova before, surely they wouldn't mind helping out once more. Besides, I have my own reasons for wanting to be rid of that creature. If that means playing as the good guys for a little while, then that's what we'll have to do."
Elena, Tseng and Rude all nodded in silent response.
Rufus looked around the group, his brow furrowing, "Where's Reno?"
"He's made his way off to Wallmarket," Rude replied.
Tseng continued, "Apparently, he's trying to track down Jenova. After she escaped, he said he caught word of a lead that brought him all the way down to Wallmarket. He's been trying to get a hold of her ever since, but, if he does find her, I don't know if he'll be lucky enough to survive this encounter."
Elena continued, "Yeah. He told me that he was going to try and get Cloud to join him and fight, too. Whether or not that spiky idiot actually shows up to help Reno is an entirely different story."
Rufus pondered the situation with a smirk, "We'll wait and see what becomes of Reno. We'll take care of Jenova before she can do any real damage."
Elena, Tseng and Rude gave Rufus a puzzled, questioning look. "You sound so confident."
"I should be," laughed Rufus. "I have a special weapon in store for Jenova that'll do far more than just destroy her. In a short time, this world is going to be changed yet again. I'd say it's time to get started."
It was already late into the night when Cloud, although reluctantly, found himself on his motorcycle, speeding down the main highway that led away from Edge and went to the ruins of Midgar. As the only traveler on the road at this hour, it made the journey quick and effortless. He'd spend many days and nights traveling on his own and was used to the loneliness of it all, not that it always necessarily bothered him. He'd usually take this same trip to return to Midgar, but only to visit Aerith's church routinely. Tonight was a different story.
He was a wandering man, a traveler that seemed so deadest on where he was going that it was though he could disappear from sight in an instant.
It wasn't long before the long road in front of Cloud stretched to the eternally open gates of Midgar. As he passed by, a sole electrical bulb flickered across the 'Midgar' sign that was placed just aside the sliding metal gate. The only thing that really seemed to populate this place nowadays was the usual set of fiends that would prowl through, but they'd be easy work for the blonde fighter if a battle was to ensue.
For the second time that night, Cloud drove past the church, which seemed untouched and just as sacred even when the rest of Midgar looked as if it had fallen to hell. The sight of the ancient sanctum always brought a warmth to his heart, as it reminded him of the first time he and Aerith had become acquainted with one another. While it wasn't the first time they had 'met', it was in that sacred place where they first took the steps to knowing each other and Cloud held those memories engraved in his heart.
He felt his lips tug upwards when he felt as if Aerith had just embraced him, her gentle warmth wrapping around his waist, as if to tell him that she remembered those moments fondly, too. It was small moments like this that always happened, where he felt her there traveling alongside him wherever he went, as if she was sharing her memories with him and they reflected in his heart.
Cloud continued past the church and made his way through the sectors, passing by the old slums of where Aerith and her adoptive mother, Elmyra, used to live and made his way into the next sector which seemed to be a massive construction zone left for a project that seemed abandoned over a decade ago.
It wasn't long before he made his way through the construction site and drove through the gates to Green Park, an old playground on the edge of that sector, consisting of a few swingsets and a moogle slide. It was the only place where the children of Midgar to go play, even though it wasn't the safest by any means. Cloud rolled to a stop and hopped off his motorcycle.
"I can't believe it's still here," Cloud mumbled to himself, stepping closer into the park.
The park seemed a bit of a mess even before the destruction of the plate that crushed Sector Seven, but even now after Meteorfall, Cloud was surprised how well the playground held up. It was cluttered with debris and tangled heaps of metal, but there was a fondness about this place that brought him back to the time he and Aerith had a quick date there, where they talked and rested for just a short while, before being thrust into a Wallmarket adventure Cloud would have much rather forgotten about.
He looked up at the moogle slide, remembering when he and Aerith sat there, shoulder to shoulder, his hand just faintly resting right against hers as they began to build a world together. He smiled fondly to himself for a moment, before it disappeared when he heard the sound of Reno's voice.
"Took you long enough," said Reno.
"Sorry I didn't jump at the opportunity to help the likes of you this early in the morning," Cloud shot back.
Reno waved him off and turned his back to the playground, making his way towards Wallmarket.
Cloud shook his head in annoyance as he quickly trailed after the redhead. "Can we just cut to the chase? You called me down here to help, right? Do you know where Jenova is? How did she come back in the first place?"
"Well, for starters, I don't think she was ever fully gone..." Reno started, as he began to tell Cloud all about his encounter with the otherworldly creature in the Shinra Headquarters.
Cloud listened as Reno told him everything he dreaded was true. He didn't feel cut out to go against an enemy of this power. While he missed the adventures and journey alongside his friends, the idea of going up against an enemy that could control and manipulate him, one that played a part in taking away someone so precious to him, it made his blood boil and his heart twist. If her reappearance was true, he didn't know how he could face Jenova again without killing her on the spot.
"And that's the gist of it, more or less," Reno concluded. "She's not playin' around this time, either. Whatever she's got cooking up, it's a recipe for wiping out all of humankind on this planet."
"Well, I'm not going to let it get to that," said Cloud. "We fought her once, we can take her again."
Reno smirked, "Yeah, well, just make sure you finish the job this time and kill that bitch. So, you really think you can kill her this time?"
"I don't know, but if she's really out there, I'll at least try to put a stop to her," he said.
"Easier said than done. That thing lived without her head attached to her body," Reno sneered in disgust. "I think it'll take a little bit more than a bullet to the head to get rid of her."
"Well, what's the solution then?" Cloud asked, turning back to him. "Anything can be destroyed. There has to be someway to get rid of her for good. I'm going to find it, whatever it is."
With his sword strapped against his back, Cloud walked into Wallmarket alongside Reno. Unlike before, the bustling street marketplace was met with an uneasy silence and lonesomeness. Like the rest of Midgar, the place was left abandoned, nothing but a place lost to time. Carts were overturned, the market stores were permanently closed, even the deceased Don Corneo's mansion at the back of the marketplace was practically torn down now.
Cloud searched the area, "You said you got a lead that placed Jenova down here?"
"Mhm," Reno nodded, "Some Shinra surveillance footage I played back when Tseng got the damn thing working again. Turns out the Headquarters building wasn't the only thing Shinra was keeping en eye on. They had surveillance camers secretly placed all over the sectors..."
Cloud raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, "I don't find that too surprising, honestly."
"Yeah, well, guess we had some good use for 'em, cuz I found some footage of a shot that showed Jenova heading down this way. Why she'd want to come to Wallmarket, though? I have no idea..."
"Well, we'll worry about questions later. Right now, let's just try and find her before she does anything else," said Cloud.
"Then, let's get this show on the road and find ourselves an alien!"
The two men continued their search through the empty, ram-shackled streets of the fallen market. As Reno made his way over to the Honeybee Inn, he inspected the building where even the most unsavory of people went to be entertained in the most unsavory ways. "Nope, don't think she came down this way."
Cloud sighed and rolled his eyes, mumbling to himself, "You'll find many scary things in that place, but an alien creature is not one of them."
Reno turned to Cloud, "Hey, isn't this one of the places where you went to get decked out?"
The blonde turned back with a questioning eyebrow, "I...I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, sure you do," smiled Reno. "Isn't this where they decked you out in all that make-up, so you'd be more convincing as a woma-"
"Shut up," Cloud cut Reno of. "I'd like to see you try and do better. Seriously."
Reno smirked and crossed his arms, "Well, you got balls for doin' it, that's for damn sure."
"Exactly, so let's just drop it, okay?" Cloud said, trying to block the memories of him dressing up as a woman or seducing Don Corneo out of his head, as they were easily the most awkward memories he'd ever recalled. Somehow, Aerith had managed to convince him to go along with her idea and he followed through so easily. If it hadn't been for her, the two of them probably never would have went after Tifa in the Don's mansion as successfully as they did.
Cloud could only chalk it up to Aerith doing what she did best - bringing him out of his shell, making him strike forth and take risks and being the one to give him the gentle push of certainty he always needed. 'Honestly, as embarrassing as it was and will always be, I guess...a little part of me had fun doing the whole thing. I know Aerith definitely had fun...at my expense,' Cloud thought to himself, with a devilish smirk.
The two men continued to make their way through the market. Cloud walked past the old diner that was at the heart of Wallmarket. He peeked his head inside the open door and peered in. Nothing out of the ordinary there, but the place hadn't been opened in years. The kitchen at the back was dark and there were numerous bar stools lined up at the diner counter that were already collecting years of dust.
Cloud recalled with a smile that time when he and Aerith sat at those bar stools on their trip here. They split a 'Korean BBQ Plate', as the menu had called it, and as they enjoyed their food, the two of them spent a long while just simply talking to one another in content, their bond deepening. He recalled the sort of sparkle in her eyes when she spoke to him and the way it made his heart soar. He couldn't really even understand it all at the time when so much was happening back then, but he understood fully now.
He was taken out of his thoughts again by Reno. "Found it!"
Cloud turned around to see Reno heading towards the old items and libations store at the far end of the market. "Reno, did you find something?"
"Hell yeah, Strife," Reno leaned down and picked up an unopened, fully contained bottle of liquor that was left discarded outside of the shop.
Cloud rolled his eyes, "Okay, now is not the time to have a drink. Besides, I still think your working through the drinks you had earlier."
"Why the hell not?" Reno popped open the bottle, "If we're gonna be facing Jenova and probably get our asses kicked, I'm not going to do it sober. Especially not for a second ass-kicking on one night."
Cloud grabbed the bottle from Reno and tossed it over his shoulder. "I really don't care. We are supposed to be here to look for Jenova, not having drinks."
"Aw, come on, Strife! It won't do anything bad for us. It'll make us more aggressive when we fight her! Or...maybe. it'll make it less painful when she kill us..." Reno shrugged and gave a half-hearted smile.
Cloud crossed his arms and tried to understand the man's train of thought, but was lost in the process. He waved Rneo off and began to turn from him.
Reno sighed, "Ah, come on, Cloud. Don't be such a buzzkill, it's just one drink. Besides, a little liquor never hurt-"
A huge fiery blast erupted from the items shop and sent the two of them back. The two hit the ground hard, as they watched the shop erupt into a fiery inferno. Coming from within the smoke and flames, Cloud recognized Jenova's form instantly. She'd materialized through the fire and it brought back the terrible images of Sephiroth as his hometown of Nibelheim was destroyed, burnt up in flames. From beyond the immense heat and the imminent danger of the flames, Cloud could see the small flicker of an evil smile on Jenova's face.
The two men slowly stumbled to their feet, backing up a few steps from Jenova in case she was to attack again.
"You," Cloud grunted out, reaching for the hilt of his sword, a dangerous, hateful glare at the being before him, the one that was partly responsible for so much of his pain.
"I've been waiting for this day, Cloud Strife," Jenova hissed. "The day we were destined to meet yet again."
"Nothing about who or what you are was ever meant to interfere with my destiny," Cloud shot back.
"Ooh, how frightening," Jenova said in mock terror. "I see you've grown stronger since our last encounter, but how strong are you really?"
Cloud's eyes grew wide, as he saw Jenova send out her hand. Her fingertips danced around each other, as if she was maneuvering a marionette puppet, an evil grin spreading on her face. Cloud felt a sharp jolt of pain in his forehead, as if he'd been struck there by lightning. A cry erupted out of him then, sharp and shrill, as both of his hands rose to clutch the pounding that wracked his brain.
He felt his mind split in half, just like it had the previous times Jenova tried to control him, as if his being was getting torn to shreds and his thoughts and actions were being sent to eternal damnation. Every move he thought he could make was locked, he was beyond his own control and wasn't himself anymore.
Reno watched as Cloud's eyes glazed over, the ocean blue in them becoming hazy and dull. "What the hell are you doing to him!?"
Jenova laughed, "He's still so weak, even after all this time. My cells implanted within him still work to my advantage, even though he's grown stronger. He's still a puppet to me, just like he always was..."
"A...p-puppet," Reno muttered.
"Exactly, and because of his weakness, he'll do exactly as I command," Jenova laughed. "I tried to get him to hurt the one who held his heart so dearly and I was almost successful. Just imagine what I could get him to do to you."
Reno took a few steps back in fear.
Jenova smirked and turned to Cloud, "Kill him."
Without a word, Cloud turned to Reno, his face emotionless and still, as if he truly was a puppet. He menacingly began to advance towards Reno, his hand slowly starting to reach up for the hilt of his sword.
"Cloud! Snap out of it!" Reno begged, "This isn't you! You know you aren't a puppet."
"Kill him," Jenova repeated.
Cloud continued forward, each step closer putting Reno's life a little more at stake. He removed his sword and pointed it forward towards Reno.
"Cloud, come on, man!" Reno said, "Talk about a crappy day..."
"Do it now!" Jenova hissed.
Cloud went forward and pushed Reno down, the redhead falling on his back as Cloud towered over him. The blonde man raised his sword above his head, ready to strike Reno down.
"Yes, Cloud, do it..." Jenova beckoned at the back of his mind.
Cloud stalled for a moment, tightening his grip on his buster sword, but then he felt a warm glow in his heart, the same one he always felt when he thought of her. He felt a gentle reassurance, only something Aerith could give to him. It was like she was embracing him and using her light to push away the darkness that was now taking over him.
Jenova's eyes widened and she let out a gasp when she saw the Cetra's form appear for just a brief moment as she embraced Cloud, before fading away within a bright light that was far beyond her reach.
Slowly, his eyes refocused and returned to normal, his arms falling down as he lowered his sword.
Reno let out a sigh of relief, "Cloud..."
Cloud shook his head, "I...I'm sorry. She tried to control me again, but...it didn't work."
Jenova stared down at her hands, maneuvering her finger tips again as if trying to control Cloud some more, but it failed. She stared down at her hands and then back up at Cloud, "This...this is impossible."
Instead of the pain Cloud one felt, he felt the warmth in his heart grow even stronger, brighter than he'd ever felt it. It felt like it protected his entire being, like he could survive anything and face any challenge. In his heart, he heard her voice and he knew what he had to do.
Jenova gritted through her teeth, "No! You are a puppet! You feel nothing! Without me, you would be nothing!"
"I'm not nothing. I was never nothing," Cloud said through trembling lips as he approached the evil creature before him. He thought about his closest friends, about his mother, Zack, Denzel, but more than anything, Aerith, as all the feelings within him swirled and mounted to the surface. "It looks like I'm not your puppet after all. I never was and I never will be. I feel more for what I cherish than you ever could!
"You are so certain," Jenova laughed.
"Whatever you're planning, I won't let you destroy any more lives," Cloud tightened his grip around his buster sword. "If it's a fight you want, I'll give it to you."
"Oh, now would I want that. That would interfere with what I have planned," Jenova said, extending her hand out as a small brown bottle materialized within.
"And what the hell is that and why the hell should we be interested in it," Reno asked.
"Oh, you shouldn't be. Not today anyway," Jenova scoffed and tossed her head back to the burning shop behind her. "I retrieved this special potion from the old shop there. I heard that this market was quite the place to find even the most uncommon items, but I'd never expect to come across something so powerful."
She opened the lit to the bottle, smoke materializing within, almost taking the form of slithering snakes as the wisps disappeared into the air. "Gorgon tears - a powerful serum that can halt anything, turning it to stone."
Reno shrugged and looked at Cloud, "So what? You're going to turn us into stone? Why the hell should we care about your stupid potion?"
Jenova waved her hand over the opened bottle, a small orb of liquid appearing from within, as it floated in the air above her palm. "Not just a potion, it's a part of a spell, one that no one has ever been able to accomplish. But I will."
"A spell?" Cloud sternly asked. "What kind of spell?"
"And why the hell do you think you'll finally be able to cast it if no one's ever done it before," Reno asked.
Jenova laughed, "Fools. I've learned a lesson since the last time I faced all of you and this time, I'm creating a spell with the very thing that could stop me finally out of the picture - a Cetra."
With a flick of her hand, the orb of liquid expanded and shot forth towards Cloud and Reno. The two men instantly froze in place, as a hazy aura formed over the two of them. Even though it was like they'd been turned to stone, they could still see and hear everything that was happening outside their bodies. They watched as Jenova approached them.
"This potion will work quite well it seems," Jenova smiled. "I could kill you right here and now, but where would the fun be in that? Once my plan is enacted, you'll all face a fate far worse than death."
Cloud stared Jenova in the eyes, coldly, with mounting hate.
Jenova sneered, "There's a problem coming to your Planet, one that only a Cetra can stop..." She laughed to herself and turned from them. She tossed a glance back to them, "Too bad there isn't one."
Within a moment, Jenova was gone from the Wallmarket. A short moment later, the stone serum had finally worn off and Cloud and Reno could finally feel the motion return to their body. They both dropped to their knees, feeling as though they'd just been holding their breath for minutes on end.
Cloud turned to Reno, his lips thin and an unusual look of sincerity towards the redhead. "Hey, sorry about before."
"Don't worry about it. You were able to stop yourself before anything bad happened anyway," Reno shrugged it off. "Besides, I think we have more things to worry about right now. What the hell was Jenova talking about? What spell is she trying to do?"
"I don't know, but if we don't do something about it, I feel like we'll find out what she's up to sooner or later," said Cloud as he scratched a hand through his hair.
"Guess this means another adventure is starting up then, huh?" asked Reno.
"Maybe. But I don't think our work is finished for tonight just yet," said Cloud.
"Ugh, seriously? I almost died twice and you want to go back for a third round?" Reno scoffed, "Yeah, I might sit this one out."
"Look, Jenova couldn't have gotten very far at all and we're going to have to try and find out what she's planning on doing. I say let's get a jump on things and try to go after her while she's near. When we find out what she's really after, it'll make it all the more easier to stop her."
Reno raised an eyebrow at the blonde, "So, you got a plan then?"
Cloud gave him a quick nod and went towards the entrance of Wallmarket without saying a word.
"Uh, Cloud? Hello?" Reno called out, "Hey, man, wait up! What's the plan?"
"Follow me," Cloud said quickly, leading Reno to his motorcycle.
"You really think we can get this thing going fast enough to catch up with that thing," asked Reno.
"Watch me," Cloud smirked.
"And I suppose you'll just be strapping me to the bumper then, huh?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"Why the hell did I even have to ask?"
Reno rolled his eyes as he sat on the seat of Cloud's motorcycle, holding onto the soldier's waist as they sped out of Wallmarket.
Cloud shot a look at over his shoulder, "Make sure you hold on tight, little guy. Could be a bumpy ride."
Reno squinted his eyes, "I'm going to kill you if we make it out of this alive."
Cloud sped the motorcycle down the streets of the sectors, quickly trailing Jenova and scanning anywhere the creature could have trailed off to. Just further up ahead, they could make out the silhouette of the creature in the distant ruins of the fallen sector. Cloud stepped on the gas and slowly began to close in on her. His grip on the handle of the motorcycle only tightened as the space between the two decreased.
At this moment, Jenova let out a loud snarl and sent out a fiery inferno out behind her. Cloud saw the fiery explosion coming straight ahead and steered the vehicle clear of the blast that exploded only a mere couple of feet behind them. It was a close call, but they escaped with their skins in tact.
"Damn! Watch it, man! I would like not to get turner into a burnt piece of toast today," Reno shouted.
At this point, Cloud was too focused on catching up to Jenova and stopping her. He continued to trail after her, as the creature let out another blast of power and magic. Cloud's ability to evade the blasts became increasingly more difficult as the creature's magical abilities became stronger and more frequent. Cloud tried to as skillfully evade and deflect the fiery infernos that propelled towards the motorcycle.
Jenova led the two towards the train tracks on the outskirts of the sector, the point where the highways and the train tracks intersected along the central pillar support system. The chase continued, as Cloud steered down the tracks, Reno continuously shouting at Cloud to watch where he was going. There was numerous cracks and small fires left in the wake of Jenova's destruction.
Jenova headed into one of the dark tunnels that the trains passed through and left Cloud to follow. As he had done so, the sound of Jenova's sickeningly sweet laugh filled the tunnel.
Not waiting another moment to spare, Cloud raced down the darkness of the passage, barely able to make out what was right in front of him. Suddenly, a faint light could be seen just a few dozens of feet up ahead. Several small flames flickering in the darkness. As Cloud and Reno sped down the passage approaching the sources of light, they noticed that the light were actually fragments of fiery orbs being sent their way from Jenova.
"$&&%," Reno cursed. "There's no escaping those blasts now! They're coming right towards us!"
"Damn," Cloud muttered. It was too late to slow down or turn back now. It was either get through this tunnel now or die trying.
The motorcylce sped past each of the fiery orbs as it raced against the tracks of the tunnel. As the two passed each orb, it let out a fiery explosion that continued to build and build. With each explosion, pillars and the sound structure of the tunnel began to collapse and break away, as the tunnel filled with fire and smoke. The heat was searing. The explosions shook and rattled the tunnel, but Cloud charged onward. Just up ahead,
Cloud could see the exit of the tunnel and a dim light from the highway lights on the other side. Cloud stepped his foot down on the gas. If he was a moment too late, he and Reno could have been dead. They broke free from the tunnel, just as the fiery orbs exploded, causing the entire maze of train tunnels to explode, collapsing to the ground below.
The two exited the tunnel and ended up on a train track adjacent right next to a highway bridge, Jenova standing right before them. The night sky was contrasted against the fiery embers that burned all around them. Reno almost felt like he had the opportunity to get off the motorcycle and run like hell, but he knew that Cloud would take action before he was ever even able to have the chance.
"Hold on tight. We're not letting her get away! We're putting an end to this," Cloud shouted, as the two charged directly at Jenova.
Cloud unsheathed his sword.
The two reached Jenova, who let out a fiery blast across the bridge. The force of the fiery eruptions forced Cloud, Reno and the motorcycle up into the air. They were sent flying down off the highway and plunging down deeper...deeper...and deeper until they would meet their fate hundreds of feet below.
Cloud expected to meet the ground with a hard impact, where he'd break every bone in his body, but instead, everything dissolved into white.
Brightness. The white light that surrounded him filled him with peace and content. Eternal happiness.
He found himself slipping further and further down and let himself do so. It wasn't long before he felt his back rest on something. It felt soft, almost like his body was drifting through this white space on a billowing cloud that carried him along the way.
His eyes remained shut as the feeling of unending peace finally came to him.
"Am I...am I dead?" He heard himself ask without even having to speak.
Something came from within the light before him, then. He saw a woman's hand stretch out towards him then. It reminded him of the hand that had offered him a flower on that night so long ago. Cloud smiled then, knowing exactly who it had belonged to.
Not even a moment later, the rest of Aerith's form came into view, as her eyes sparkled down at him, a beautiful smile on her face. Her hand outstretched towards him, as he lifted his own up to hers.
From around them, a beautiful field of flowers grew from within the whiteness and stretched out in vast field around them.
"I...I can finally be here with you, Aerith." He smiled up at her, "I've found you here...in my Promised Land."
Cloud stretched his hand up to meet hers and join her in this peaceful tranquility forevermore, where he'd enjoy eternal happiness with her always at his side.
Just as Cloud felt the warmth of her fingers interlace with his own, he...woke up.
Cloud groggily opened his eyes. His head was heavy and his body was covered in scars and bruises. He could barely keep his eyes open, but at the same time, couldn't fall asleep when he remembered what had last happened during the confrontation with Jenova that ended with him and Reno falling hundreds of feet of a highway.
When he finally took in his surroundings, he realized he was in a hospital room. It must have been in the early morning as the rest of the hospital seemed fairly quiet. Across the room from him, Reno was in the opposite bed, his own wound a being seen to.
'I should be dead. Why aren't I dead,' he thought to himself.
Cloud sighed, wincing at the pain of having every muscle and bone in his body ache, but settled into whatever comfort the hospital bed could offer him. He knew that, soon, he would have a lot of explaining to his friends and he wasn't quite sure he was ready for all of it.
For Jenova. For another adventure. For protecting the planet once more. He wasn't sure if he was ready for any of it.
But then, he felt her presence again stir within him, a feeling of content and reassurance washing over him, as if letting him know everything would be okay and that he would just need some rest for right now.
Cloud smiled and breathed out her name, "Aerith..."
He didn't know how, but he knew that she saved him one again that morning and the very least he could do for her was protect the planet she cherished once more. Even if it meant facing Jenova. He would do anything for her after all she'd done for everyone.
Slowly closing his eyes, the smile remained on his face as he slowly drifted back into the peaceful world of sleep.
"You really are a guardian angel."