CH 5
Previously...
"Come on, some one wants to see you." He tugged again and she had to oblige. They both stepped of the helicopter, only to run into Aeris worst fear. A hunched man with glasses and a lab coat snickering to himself at the entrance.
Hojo!...
He walked up and immediately grab Aeris wrist, poking and prodding it with is meek fingers.
"The specimen hasn't been deprived of nutrients, in fact it has grown quiet well, perfect for testing." Aeris stole her hand back and started walking behind Hojo through the rooftop door and into an elevator.
"Tell me Ancient, do you remember me?" Hojo mused as he pressed the button for the 66th floor.
"Yes...very." Aeris tried to keep calm. She was in the presence of the man who had ultimately caused the death of her mother, it was hard not to yell at him in spite. But she knew if she did, the experiments would only get worse.
"Good, then we don't need to get acquainted, much less time wasted, now I need you to hold still." He spun with a syringe and before Aeris could react stuck it into her arm and slowly drew blood.
"AAHHH" She pulled away and held the spot, slowly healing but still dripping from the now full needle. "This will do for now."
The elevator stopped and at the door was an assistant ready to take the blood sample. "Don't alter it! We need it as pure as it is. We have much work to be done!" The assistant scurried off while Aeris was taken to higher levels in the science wing. Inside was a large glass container and on the other side an observation deck. She was guided to the chamber where Hojo pressed a button and it opened.
"Inside." She was shoved inside and the glass closed behind her. "Now lets see, we will need more samples, as well as some tests to see how you react to certain toxins, after all your not entirely like you mother, which will be troublesome, so we will have to take full physicals and a multitude of other tests." Aeris eyes widened in fear at the idea of pain all of these were going to inflict on her, she knew Hojo never cared for the well being of his experiments, as long as he got results.
"Umm...Profesor Hojo?" The madman looked back sharply at the newly appeared assistant.
"Is there any reason you are interrupting me? I have to much to get done to do anything frivolous, go away.? He waved him off and continued pondering how to properly experiment Aeris, his muttering about scalpels and tissue samples made her shudder.
"But sir...its about the energy readings you wanted reexamined." Aeris saw Hojo's eyes widen and he nearly tore the paper away from the assistant and started reading with a mad look in his eye. After about a minute he started his laughter again, only this time it it was darker...more sinister than she had ever remembered he sounded.
"Just as I predicted..." He his smile grew wider at the statement. "Sir? Do you think it was possibly an abnormality...some new form of energy?" the underling asked.
"Don't be such a simpleton!" He snapped. "I know exactly what this is." He was snickering even more. "The fact the energy condensed in such a spot, not to mention antimatter, in such a high amount wasn't because of something being destroyed on a molecular level or making anything...It was to transport something." The room grew colder at his words. Aeris was getting nervous.
It couldn't be...but then could it be the same thing?..
"Sir but how did it transport something." Hojo turned and gave back the data."There is no other conclusion that could possibly prove how the energy was used, it transported something then it would show it came from a long enough distance that this travel method was preferred, perhaps a powerful materia spell." The assistant looked puzzled.
"But then professor...what did it transport?" Hojo was in thought before he answered."A whole new being."
The assistant an Aeris both flinched at the conclusion. "Nothing was there, so it had to have moved, therefore its something alive and not of this world." He was passing around with a perma-smile on his face.
"We need to send MPs out to investigate the area, if we are lucky then a promising new specimen will appear." He took a gaze at Aeris. "Would you enjoy the company?"
Aeris was truly scared now. Her intuition was right, that guy...that stranger that had that feeling...the planet was wary.
And now she knew why.
Nathan wasn't an ordinary man. He was completely different from this world...
"Why the hell are we here?" I groaned, we spent a good hour or so in Wall Market and I was getting impatient, honestly this is the part of the game where I really started rushing to get to the tower so I could start the real part of the journey. And yet we have been wandering around asking all the wrong people for directions to the tower.
"We have to find out where we can get to the tower, and the only place we can possibly get useful information is here." Damn it Cloud why can't you stop thinking linearly! Think like me...like you know what the hell your doing when you run around aimlessly.
"Nathan has a point, we haven't got any leads." Thank you Barret.
"Well where should we go then?"
"I say we head to the weapons shop, get better equipment and ask for some info." I might as well get this going along.
"Fine lets get going." Soon enough we were at the huge hunk a junk weapons store and filed in. and older looking mail looked through the fence window at us and sat up.
"What can I get for you guys?" Cloud was musing over the weapons, he looked depressed though. I would be two if the only way I could get good weapons at the start of an adventure was through monsters.
"Tifa, don't you need some better gloves?" She looked at her hands and frowned. "They do seem a bit worn...I would like a metal knuckle." The owner got a pair and put it out front.
"Anything else?"
"Hey Cloud what kind of bangles does everyone have?" I asked and he turned. "Iron, why?"
"I think we need an upgrade, can't just carry our materia in our pockets willy nilly. Get a few mythril armlets." We paid the man and browsed over to the other working in the back.
"Sir, do you know of a way besides the train to get to the plate?" The man stood up and looked over.
"Going up to the plate huh? You better have a battery." We looked over to the car battery he was working on. "Your going to sell me something you just found?"
Actually I would agree with him. The thing had wires all around it and seemed to have rust and crud all over it. You know that's a safety hazard.
"Hey you knew? But I repaired it so its alright."
"Why do I need a battery to climb the plate."
"You'll find out when you get there, that will be 100 gil a piece."
Cloud seemed to get a little angry at the price but eventually caved. You know I never got how the game creators thought up the prices for stuff. I always took it as yen and added a dot after the back two numbers, but that seems to only work every now and again. Keep this kind of system and Gaia's gunna have serious recession problems.
"So what now?" We all exited the shop and stood around.
"Lets check around a little more, maybe someone around don's place has some info." Everyone nodded their head and we went upwards. When we got close to the entrance to the northern most part when we noticed some children huddling around themselves.
"Wanna see somethin awesome? Follow me." Seeing them run off I started towards them. Alright get to the rope, stop thinking about heights and we'll be up in no time. "Nathan what are you doing?"
I look back and see a very confused Tifa, as well as Cloud and Barret. Just standing there... "What?"
"We don't have time to be following kids we need to get to Aeris." Cloud said.
Seriously? God dangit you are not the opportunist I took you for...then again looking back what the hell passes through Clouds mind to follow the kids in the game. And at that note he barges in at everyone's door in the game too...man that makes no sense.
"Come on it could be a lead." They all looked at me skeptically.
"Come on...bet you fifty gil this will help somehow." "We don't have time for games, I'll take your fifty so we can get to Aeris faster." Cloud lead the group again and we ended up going through a few alleyways to end up at the huge wall with a wire. We all approached the loan little girl and she turned.
"Everyone climbed up this wire. Looks scary...brrr."
"Can we climb it." Tifa said hopefully.
"Yeah it leads to the upper world." Cloud smiled before he frowned. He ground and handed me my money.
"One thing you should know about me Cloud, I only bet on sure things." Barret smiled and pumped his fist...or gun. "Alright, we'll climb this wire!"
"there's no way we can do this, you know how far it goes up?"
"There IS a way, look! Whats that look like"
"Just a normal wire."
"Oh yeah, well to me it looks like a golden shiny wire of hope!" I busted out at that, that was one of my favorite lines. Everyone else just looked at Barret like he was crazy.
"Your right, this is the only way to get to Aeris."
"Okay, that was a bad analogy, but, Barret I understand how you feel" Cloud looked at each one of us and nodded his head.
"Lets go!" The first one up was Barret, and if that gun handicaps him I can't tell, like seriously he is ninja-ing up the thing. Next was Cloud who went up a little better. Then me, I decided next since I didn't want to hold up the group for too long, I mean I'm good with climbing a rope like I did in gym...but Tifa is wearing a skirt...sooooo...yeah I don't want a dolphin kick to the face for being a perv. And you know it really wasn't such a bad climb, as long as I thought about the debris breaking my fall and the worst for me being a broken arm, leg, and quite possibly collar bone I was fine with the situation. Yeah I could totally survive that...maybe...probably.
"Nathan if you keep looking down your not going to get to the wire." Tifa snapped at me.
"I get I have to jump down and grab the pipe, what I don't get is why your all cool about this."
"We'll leave you and get Aeris ourselves." Cloud said.
"Okay...okay..." When the swing came to me near the middle I slipped off the metal junk I was on and caught the pipe. Right when it got close to the other pipe and train I tried to use the momentum to throw me to the ledge. Only I didn't have the amazing jumping skills like the other three and got caught on the gut clawing at the edge of the thing.
"Shit, Nathan you good?" Barret ran up and offered me a hand up. "Hurt more than your pansy ass punch from earlier."
"He's good. Lets go." We all climbed up the pipe and came to the plate, turns out we arrived on the outer edge. We ran through the streets for a few minutes until the area started to look familiar to me. We eventually came up on the tower, just as big an ominous as it was the last time I was here.
"Hey you should know this building well." Barret looked at Cloud expectantly.
"...not really, now that I think about it, this is the first time I've been to the headquarters" Okay that doesn't make sense, If you have Zack's memories and in CC he clearly walked around and conversed on the SOLDIER quarters how in the hell do you not think those are yours?
"You sure? I though almost all SOLDIERS are stationed in Shinra tower at some point?" Cloud tried to think, the reply I got was an agitated look and him hold his head for a few seconds.
"I...can't think that far..."
"You know I heard about this place before. Every level above the sixtieth is special and not easy to get into, even for employees. So it must be where they took Aeris." He cocked his gun arm.
"Awright, lets go."
"Wait a second! Your not thinking of just going right through the main entrance, are you?" Barret stopped in his tracks and turned.
"Well what else does it look like! I'm gunna kick some Shinra butt and..."
"That's not going to work. We've got to find another way..." Tifa looked around and eyeballed the side entrance. "Ain't gunna be no other way! If we keep wasting time like this Aeris'll..."
"I know but if we get caught here...hey Cloud what should we do?" He had a thoughtful expression on his face before he turned to me. "Nathan I need everyone opinion, what do you think we should do?"
Alright lets see, Security means grenade troopers, the alternate is running up sixty flights of stairs. Lets see exercise or blown to smithereens...exercise or blown to smithereens...s'plosins or just losing my breath.
"Nathan?"
"I'm still thinking give me a minute, its a tough choice...let me scout ahead, I'm a new member so if AVALANCHE is up on the wanted boards I might not be in it."
"If you say so, but be careful." I waved off Cloud and walked into the building like I had a purpose.
"Excuse me sir you need an appointment to...oh its you!" I looked and saw the same receptionist from a few days earlier. "Did you find you way around Midgar?"
"Yes I did, thanks by the way."
"What do you need at this time of night?" Oh yeah its like...late o'clock, damn I wish I had a watch. "I was taking a stroll..actually is it possible I could apply for employment here?" Just need a reason to stay inside and look around.
"Right now?"
"I'm very forgetful so If I don't do it now it'll get out of my head, and I'd also like to purchase a few potions and I see you have a mini shop."
"Well...okay...here are a few forms and you can take a seat over there, the shop is just down the hall." I took the forms and when to the farthest seat, looking around I actually saw quite a few grenade guards keeping posts...damn the game made it seem so easy. I walked around and close to the shop. I noticed a few more by the elevators.
Okay this might be to dangerous for me...I guess we should take the stairs.
I started to walk of when the bill board caught my eye, I looked and saw another Turtles Paradise flier, I took a stub and pocketed it. I quickly gave the forms back and left. I left my name and checked a few random boxes not to be suspicous. "So, we gunna bust in?"
"No way dude, the place is crawling with guards, the security will cause to big a commotion."
"I guess that settles it, we're going to find a way around." Everyone but Barret seemed to agree, Tifa led us through the left corridor and we went through a tunnel, eventually we came up on a door, when we entered we saw the stairs.
The fat mans worst enemy. "Yo...we really gunna take these stairs all the way up?"
"We've got to get to Aeris somehow."
"Talk about out of the way." Everyone started running up. "I don't have time to argue with you, I'm going" Tifa sprinted towards the top...well she's gunna be tired first. "Yo Tifa, don't go off alone!" Barret and Cloud soon followed with me going up the steps solid snake style! I need to pace myself or I'm gunna be burnt as fuck out before we get to the top.
(5 minutes in.)
Okay everyone's going good, we all have a bit of sweat but we're holding on...this ain't so bad, granted I hate running but we can get there at a reasonable pace. I've kept up with Barret who is worse than the rest of us.
"Don't know...why...the hell...we gotta...climb" Cloud came up from behind and went about a flight ahead of us. "Because we don't want to start a commotion until we've saved Aeris."He slowed down a bit.
"I doubt that's possible though..."
"Cloud seriously you gotta have more confidence, you fell through a church and lived. If that were me I'd brag up a storm about how I could do whatever the fuck I want and shit not happen to me." Barret started to smile.
" heh...heh...heh"
"Knock it off, your giving me the creeps." Sweet, were at the next section. Time for more stairs!
(10 minutes in)
Aww shit I'm already running out of breath, I got speed, not the stamina of a bull, I didn't even jog this long at school! God its hot in here. "So even you'll fight for someone else. I had you figured wrong I guess." Barret said in between breaths, I can hear him starting to wheeze now, man I guess all that muscles for show. He stopped and started taking breaths while I kept running.
"Who cares what you figured!" Cloud yelled from up ahead. "I'm jus sayin mebbe I waz wrong..." Aww man I can hear him slowing down.
"Heh heh heh..." Oh god Tifa's going now.
"Whats that supposed to mean Tifa?"
"Cloud you and me are the only sane ones left, we have to keep it up...for Aeris!"
(15 minutes in)
God no more...I ….. I can...my breath...need...rest.
"How much farther do these stairs go?" Barret was limp running now, I'd be laughing if it wouldn't cause me to lose what precious air I had left.
"Why don't you ask them?" Tifa was only a half flight ahead, fatigue getting to her as well.
"Its not one of them endless stairways or somethin, dya think?" Oh god I would so murder everyone in this building if it became the Mario 64 stairway.
"Of course not!"
"Right...couldn't be that." Barret sounded less than convinced.
(20 minutes in)
Damn...all...piss...hell...
"Are we there yet?" You read my...head...thing Barret.
"Not yet."
…...
"There yet?"
"I said not yet!"
…..
"Yo"
"Look, don't even ask! We're way way way way far away from being there, ok?"
...
"Hey Tifa."
"What Nathan?"
"...You see the top yet?"
"SHUT UP!"
(25 minutes in)
…..kill...me...
We got to the next flight exchange and we decided to wait up for Cloud who fell behind even though he always got ahead somehow. If he's not tired I am gunna be pissed.
"Damn man! I've had it! I'm going back."
|"And take just as long going down as you did coming up" Tifa was sitting on one of the boxes in the corner. I heard footsteps approaching and Cloud came up from behind, well at least he was sweating and breathing harder...god damn Mako enhancments.
"Come on Barret pull it together."
"Yeah, well all I know is that I'm jus flesh and blood...cept this arm of mine...don't treat me like some ex-member of SOLDIER or somethin."
"What about me? I'm human too." All I'm hearing right now is "bitch bitch bitch" just hurry up, my legs are burning, lets get it over with.
"Oh do what you want, I'm going on." I walked behind her before she stopped short. "Yeah Nathan...you go first."
"Awww fuck that!"
"Man Tifa, don't pick on Nate He's had the stairs tough too."
"You go ahead to Cloud." He shook his head and followed me.
Well shit...
(30 minutes in)
God my sides are burning, my legs are running on automatic now, guess the adrenaline finally kicked in...at least I have that. "Yo, what floor is this?"
"I gave up counting."
"Why they gotta make these buildings so dang tall?"
"Just think Barret" He looked up "...maybe...the prison cells (pant..pant) are made of chocolate...heh.." HAHAH YES GREAT JOKE ahahahaha...I miss video games...
"Nathan don't go dumb now, you were good till a sec ago."
"Maybe we're close." Tifa mumbled.
(35 minutes in)
"Huff man...I'm beat...Marlene...daddy wanted to see your face one more time."
"Would you stop acting like a retard and climb!" Tifa snapped.
"Hey guys...I see a light...Its bright and shiny...and Its at the top of the stairs...I see it."
"That's good Nathan, go to the light!" Barret was laughing again.
"I will hit both of you if you don't shut up NOW! Its just a bit more" Thank god I hope were at the top now
"...Maybe."
GOD DANGIT!
(40 minutes in)
"Finally...made...it." Barret blurts out.
"Never wanna see no more stairs, for the rest of my life."
"Huff...puff...That really takes it out of you. But this is it we better get ready." Cloud looked at me right next to the door.
"You ready Nathan, or do you need a little more rest, what do you want to do?"
"lets make biscuits! LETS MAKE BISCUITS!..."
"...I'll take that you need to rest." A good few minutes later and I was sane again!...mostly. We exited the stairway only to run into three heavy mech guards.
Fuck...forgot about them...
"Destroy the intruders!"
"Barret, give me some nades!" He tossed me two that he collected and I pulled the pin on them both, I lobbed them right at the mechs feet, The resulting explosion caused them to take a knee. They started breaking down their armor, thank god, grunts need one nade and they turn into their speed...suit...things.
"Quick while their down!" Cloud led the rest of the group, each one took down a different guard, Cloud basically smashing the back into his armor, Tifa grappling with one till she snapped his arm and threw him on the ground, and Barret just spraying the last one.
"Nice thinking Nate."
"I just want to get this over with now." We searched the body's, we came out with some gil but that was it.
"Hey guys, I found a key card." Cloud went up to the elevator and it came in a few seconds, we stepped in and I found it was actually as roomy as it is in the game. Cloud pressed the button and we started moving up.
"This is the real deal, don't let your guard down." Barret was leaning against the glass.
"I hope Aeris is alright." Tifa thought out loud.
"You think security knows where here?" I asked. I'm still surprised at that scene where the guard is sleeping...then again it would explain why they random encounters were really...well random encounters in the tower. Eventually we exited and we got to the bug room with roaming guards, we sneaked to the side and entered a room looking at the guards change positions in a sporadic manor.
"look at that, all them guards is runnin around, Cloud you go on ahead and signal us when its safe to move." Cloud ran out and hid behind the statues as the guards moved around, eventually we all repeated what he did and got past the guards.
"Okay, we gunna rock!"
"Remember we're here to save Aeris."
"Hell I know that!" Barret whisper shouted. We all ran up the steps and out the room, we found ourselves in the employee lounge I guess. It was bland and had a few plants spread around with the tables. I see some kind of spread out lunch off on one corner...it looks bland...like sauerkraut and boiled goose.
….I wish my IPod was a boombox.
"So how are we going to get to the next floor?" Tifa asked.
"Search around, ask a few questions, maybe we can get a card." Cloud ordered.
The group separated and we started asking around. Okay now where is that one dude... He is supposed to be near the door! That's it. Soon enough I came upon a man with a pressed suit wandering about.
"The hell are you? What are you doing here?"
"Ummm, I'm supposed to take a look around the building."
"Oh, I see. So you must be that watcha call it... Shinra inc. Repair division." You know this guy must be blind, I'm in dirty tripps and he thinks I repair the building.
"You know this building is starting to fall apart, this door was just pushed open." He was pointing at the entrance, you know that is a legitimate concern, we only have a level 60 card and we just barged in.
"You ought to fix this right away, oh yeah and take a look on the other floors too, I'll give you this." He handed me a level 62 key card and walked off. Cloud and the rest of the gang came over.
"I didn't find anything, one of the receptionists told me how the security works though, its going to be impossible to get thru this place without a card."
"We're lucky I got this then." I pulled out the card. Tifa turned to me, confused.
"Where did you get that?"
"An employee gave it to me, by the way, if anyone asks we are from the repair division." They looked at me funny but we went up to the next floor. Looking around we saw it wasn't as lit up as the last floor. Walking around we eventually stumbled into a room with and older looking man.
"hmm? Oh who might you be?"
"None of your business." Barret barked.
"Oh you must be...ahem." He coughed nervously.
"Well who are you?" Cloud asked.
"Me? I'm Domino, The mayor of Midgar."
"Mayor? So you have control over over what happens around here." Cloud noted.
"Actually , I'm mayor in name only. The city and everything in it is run by Shinra inc."
"Its a sad world we live in if politics is over run by business." I said out loud.
"Indeed, my only real job is watching over Shinra's documents, ME, the mayor, a librarian! Ohhh..." He looked depressed.
"Listen we don't have time to chat, we have to keep going." Cloud said.
"You want to get upstairs? I'll tell you what, if you can guess the pass word, I'll give you my key card."
"...That's it?"
"Yes, that's it, Guess the password and I'll give you my key card, get it on the first try and I'll throw in a special item.
"We don't have time for this!"
"Cloud just guess, its probably something simple too, a four letter word like BOMB or something." I never liked this minigame, it was always tedious.
"BOMB!"
We looked over at the ecstatic looking old man. "God I love the sound of that, BOMB! I'm so angry, I'm like a walking time bomb waiting to explode!" He pulled out a card. "Here, and since you got it on the first try." He handed me a blue materia. Looking at It it seemed like nothing special. The inside just glowed.
"An elemental materia, interesting." I noted. "Well it don't look like It do much."Barret said outloud.
"Actually it adds the element of another materia to your armor or weapon, useful when an enemy is weak against something. I put it in the link slot with my fire, looking closely I saw the blue orb get the same element as the fire on the inside. "Cool."
"This doesn't make much sense, why help us?" Tifa asked.
"Why would I do something like this? To mess with them of course! Shinra's been torturing me forever, that's why I was a little rough on you all. Now go up there and make them suffer. This ought to make us even." So now we got the mayors support...like it matters. We all left and went upstairs again, we entered and found nobody around, inspecting further we found a computer room.
"What does this thing do?" We approached it. "Cloud, put the key card in, see whats up." He slide the card through and the thing started operating.
"….Verifying key card...Level B employee: verified, you are permitted to open doors on this floor up to three times."
"What does this thing do?" Barret asked.
"I guess there is stuff on this floor and only certain employees can access certain things...maybe if we do this right we can get some good stuff."
"That's good Nathan but we don't have time to be opening doors randomly."
"Cloud let me try by myself, I can get around faster."
"...You have five minutes, then we leave." I nodded and ran out.
Okay now if I remember its this door, and then this one, okay there's a door over there.
I walked inside and found a slip of paper marked with some serial numbers. I looked around the ceiling and found the air duct, Using a few boxes I climbed inside. And its roomy enough in here just to crawl on my knees.
...That is a major design flaw, these guys need to get the repair division in here to look at this.
(meanwhile)
"How do you think Aeris is holding up?" Barret was pacing, its only been two minutes.
"I think she's still okay, but we have to hurry, the longer we're here bigger the chance we get caught
"...Hey Cloud."
"Yeah Barret."
"You ever heard of a portable music player?" He raised an eyebrow.
"You mean one of those carry around CD players? Barret this isn't the time to listen to music."
"No No, I mean like a little square thing, its smaller than a PHS."
"Barret where did this come from?"
"When I was with Marlene she asked if Nathan could play and sing something from his device, I was confused by what she meant too."
"Nathan has something that plays music with CD's or cassettes?...where would he get something like that."
"Marlene said he made it." Everyone stopped when they heard shuffling noise. They looked around until something fell from the air vent. "owwwwwwww."
"what the...Nathan"
"I think I have whiplash..."
"You just hit the wall Nathan, your neck is fine."
"I meant ass whiplash...ow." I got up and pulled out the coupons.
"Use these, maybe we can get some cool stuff." Cloud took the slips and put them in the computer. We got an all materia, four slots, and star pendant. "Everybody take one and we move on." I nabbed the star pendant. Tifa added her all to a restore materia, and Barret switched out his armlet for the four slots. "Lets get moving." We moved thru the stairs again, level 64 was some gym, I'd get Cait Siths ultimate weapon...but why give Reeve power early in the game? He could nab our asses before he turns into a good guy. Level 65 sucked a lot, we kept running into security drones and had to put a scale model of Midgar back together, and even I couldn't remember the exact order the chests opened up so we doubled back every now and again, after ten minutes we finally solved the puzzle and got the level 66 card.
"You know the big wigs are having a meeting right now." While sneaking we overheard a conversation coming from one of the rooms.
"Really? Must be something serious if all of them will be there."
"A meeting huh...we should see what its about." Barret whispered.
"But how, we can't just bust in."
"Guys I think I have an idea." They looked at me.
"On the 63rd floor the air ducts were pretty spacious, maybe we can find a vent and crawl till we find the meeting room."
"That's not a half bad idea Nate." We all searched around, eventually Cloud said he found a duct in the bathroom. Climbing in we moved around. We eventually got over the meeting.
"Geez, that's a lotta suits."
"We have the damage estimates for sector seven." Reeve said.
"Considering those factories we already set up and all the investments, the damage is estimated at approximately 10 billion gil...the estimated cost to rebuild is..." "We're not rebuilding."
"What?"
"We're leaving sector seven as it is, and restarting the Neo-Midgar plan."
"...than the Ancients?" he president leaned forward.
"The promised land will be ours. I want you to raise Mako rates, 15% in every area."
"Rate hike! Rate hike! And does that include our space program in the budget?" Palmer was bouncy up and down...I'm surprised he can even jump, let alone that high out of his chair.
"Reeve and Scarlet will divide the extra income from the rate increase." Shinra said coldly.
"Aww man."
"But sir. If you raise the rates, the people will lose confidence..." Reeve protested.
"It'll be alright. The ignorant citizens won't lose confidence, they'll trust Shinra inc. even more" Off to the right Heidegger was laughing his ass off.
"After all, we're the ones who saved sector seven from avalanche!
"That's a good claim if there weren't so many holes." Reeve stated. Heidegger stopped laughing and looked angry.
"And what do you mean by that?"
"I read the reports, and many people claimed that AVALANCHE had evacuated a few hundred before the plate collapsed." Reeve smiled.
"A few claims won't cause alarm." Shinra waved it off. We heard some slamming from the doors and then came everybody's favorite scientist.
"Hojo. hows the girl?"
"As a specimen, she is inferior to her mother. I'm still in the process of comparing her to her mother, Ifalna, but for now the difference is 18%"
"How long will the research take?"
"...probably 120 years. Its probably impossible to finish in our lifetime. Or in the lifetime of the specimen too for that matter." He started pacing around, mumbling to himself.
"That's why were looking into breeding her. Then we could create one that could withstand our research for a long time."
"What about the promised land? Will it hinder our plans?"
"...That's what I need to plan. The mother is strong...and yet has her weaknesses."
"Then that concludes our meeting." Everyone started filing out, with scarlet making the stinks comment, we were silent till we were sure everyone had left.
"They were talking about Aeris...right?"
"I really hope not with how that scientist described stuff." I say.
"Probably though."
"lets follow'em." After exiting out the vents we wandered around the hallway, Cloud made us stop short from turning a corner though. Peering over we saw Hojo at the door.
"Hojo...huh.." We start following the scientist. Eventually stopping at the 67th floor door.
"I remember him...that Hojo guy. He's in charge of Shinra's Science Department. Cloud, don't you know him?" The blond shook his head.
"This is the first time I've actually seen him. So...that's what he looks like." Great, he has the memories of two people and partial amnesia. Our protagonist everyone. We started wandering again, we came up on a huge mechanical room, and in front of us was Hojo staring at a glass dome. Inside was what could be described as a large red lion, but from where we were standing you could see some canine features as well, I noted the tail which was on fire at one end. My thoughts were cut off however by the sound of echoing steps, everyone decided the nearby stack of boxes would make adequate cover.
"Is this today's specimen?"
"Yes, we're starting right away. Raise it to the upper level." The man walked out and Hojo moved closer to the glass case.
"My precious specimen." His voice was cold, yet filled with infatuation...something that made my stomach knot at the sound. He eventually left and the rest of us came out to look around. Tifa went right up to the dome and started staring at Nanaki.
"Precious specimen...? Is it going to be used for a biological experiment?" I walked up and looked inside.
Nanaki looked over at me with is good eye and held my gaze for about a minute. I smiled. He looked away, lost interest I guess. "Jenova."
I looked over and saw Cloud shivering while he was looking at the nearby glass door, He held his head started to thrash around,mumbling. I ran up and tried to calm him down.
"Dude, pull it together!" I shook him till finally he calmed down. Tifa soon came over and helped lift him a little.
"Jenova...Sephiroth's...so...they've brought it here." Him still staring at the glass panel. "Cloud, be strong!"
"Did you see it?"
"See what?" Barret said, oblivious to the monster not six feet from him.
"Its moving...still alive?" Barret walked over and took a look for himself, when he turned he actually looked pale.
"Where's its fucking head? This whole things stupid, lets get going." We all followed, I didn't look in the tank, I knew from the game it was creepy. Try to look at it in real life...I could guarantee I would go insane.
"Hey, what are you doing on this floor?" We all looked over and saw SOLDIER 3rd class with his buster style sword drawn.
"...Were Shinra repair division." I quickly said. Hoping we could avoid a fight.
"The repair division has no access to the science department, your intruders!" From behind him came to machines, large bird faced things seemingly levitating on spinning blades.
I hate moth slashers. "Guys we need to shut him up!"
I started launching fireballs, in the enclosed space I did decent damage to the very badly dodging machines. However, an agile 3rd was able to weave through. "You will be killed, surrender now trespasser!" Cloud popped up and clashed with his sword, it being bigger he had the weight advantage and was able to knock him back, the two kept clashing with Cloud getting in the occasional slice. Tifa and Barret started working on their own slasher while I kept my focus on another. It kept moving around until it got close and started to point its blades at me. It caught me off guard and got a good rotation on my stomach, I jumped back and fired another shot, only seeming to morph the metal around it.
"Damn it." It came at me again so I kept my hand on Fusion, I drew and actually slashed a few of the blades coming at me off. The machine tried to hit me with its arms, but being like T-Rex arms I could dodge easily. I looked over and saw the slasher Tifa and Barret had was already a hunk of junk, while Cloud was still fighting off the third. That is until Tifa came in, I saw the 3rd try to get a slash at Cloud but she snatched the sword right out of his hands. The third didn't even get to process the though before he was cleaved clear in half by the buster sword.
"You think security knows were here?" Tifa said after setting the sword down.
"Doubt it, we weren't loud, and he only had machines with him and I don't hear an alarm." I explained. Cloud holstered the buster sword and inspected the one Tifa took. I guess she used steal materia, she was too fast to be able to pull a move off like that. Interesting ability.
"I could use this." Cloud took the blade and swung it around. He placed it down and started to pull apart some stuff, looking closer I saw he was stripping the materia holders and adding them to the Buster sword.
"Your not just gunna take it?"
"I've had this for a long time, I don't want to part with it, so I'll just use what I can from other swords to make it better." ...Interesting. Looks like Cloud can't hall around two huge swords. Then how does that work in the game?...forget it, its to much to think about this now.
"I also snagged this." She pulled out a bangle, Cloud looked it over and handed it back. "Carbon bangle, it can be useful."
I went back to my slasher and started taking it apart, on one of the arms I found what I was looking for, another Carbon bangle. I knew physics made a little more sense now, after all how can you only steal an item and if you search the body and it not be there?
"Alright lets go. I got a feeling we're close." After I nabbed the poison materia next to the door we entered the specimen delivery elevator, in a few seconds we were on the next floor, we bust out and see the large glass case with Aeris inside, and the madman next to it.
"Aeris!" Hojo just seem to brush off our sudden entrance.
"Aeris? Oh. Is that her name? What do you want?"
"We're taking Aeris back!" He pulled out Hard-edge in a threatening manor.
"Outsiders..." Hojo mumbled.
"Shoulda noticed it earlier, you."
"There are so many frivolous things in this world." He spoke out loud, not even directed at us. Hell he's acted like we don't really exist all that much. Everyone started to get closer, we all were in ready positions.
"Are you going to kill me? I don't think you should. The equipment here is very delicate. Without me, who could operate them?" Cloud groaned.
"That's right. I recommend you think things out logically before you make any rash moves." That's it I'm calling your bluff.
"I guess your assistant up there is for show then?" The scientist looks at me with an irritated look, I snickered. "Bring in the specimen now!"
Soon everyone started to hear a rising sound, and Nanaki rose inside the same glass case as Aeris and started in his threatening pose, with a very convinced Aeris running around. "Cloud help!"
"What do you think your doing?"
"Lending a helping hand to an endangered species...both of them are on the brink of extinction... if I don't help both animals will disappear."
"Animals? That's terrible! Aeris is a human being!" Tifa pleaded.
"Your gunna pay."
"Barret can't you do anything?" Said man ran up and aimed his gun at the glass.
"Alright! Stand back!"
"Stop!" Barret less loose a whole shower of bullets on the glass, most of it held up but there were large cracks, eventually it lit up with a large yellow light.
"Wh...what are you...My precious specimens!" He frantically pressed buttons until the door opened, when the light died down Nanaki was right in his face and pounced on him, everyone steered clear while he was trying to maul the scientist. Cloud took the opportunity.
"Now's our chance to get Aeris!" He ran inside and picked her up, from my view she was actually unharmed. "Thanks Cloud." She ran off, but before Cloud exited there was a mechanical sound. He looked down the hole in the container and backed away.
"Cloud...whats wrong?" Tifa said, worried.
"The elevator is moving." Hojo kept Nanaki off long enough to talk about his creation. "This is no ordinary specimen. This is a very veracious specimen!"
He sounded almost happy at that. "He's rather strong, I'll help you out."
Everyone's eyes seem to bug out out at the voice coming from Nanaki. I was even put back by the sound of his voice. It was calm, almost sage like. "It talked?"
"All talk as much as you want later miss." I busted a gut, the seriousness to the joke was just to much. Barret looked at me funny. I ran up with Cloud to the crimson mutt.
"We'll take care of that monster. Somebody take Aeris safe somewhere..."
"I'm fine, I just need to get my barrings." She said, Cloud was about to disapprove but I butted in.
"If she says she's okay, then she's okay, I'll give her a materia or two and she can help." Cloud after a minute reluctantly nodded and turned back to Nanaki.
"Whats your name?"
"Hojo has named me Red XIII, a name with no meaning what so ever to me. Call me whatever you wish." Cloud shook his head and stood back up.
"That will do, come on!" The elevator reached our floor, inside was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen.
HO512 looked like Frankensteins leftover brother. The shoulder with the mouth actually looked like it was trying to breath, the tentacles it had on its face moved around independently and just when I wasn't crept out enough out from its back sprouts its supporting enemies.
"Ignore them, get the main monster and the underlings will die off." Red said before he ran passed the poison sprout things and jumped to bite the huge mess of a monster. The thing screamed and tried to slash at him before he jumped out the way.
"Nathan, go give Aeris something." I ran over and gave her my left over bangle with the elemental poison combination in it. "Sorry I can't give you more, get Tifa to give you a restore." She ran off while I started to hack at the sprouts. They were tough, Fusion could only get small slices in.
"Nathan! Focus on the main monster." Cloud said reading his sword while Barret pelted the experiment with bullets, which were doing very little damage.
"Fine." I wanted to get rid of the little creeps for a short time so we could focus on the big guy. I tried to jumped and slash at the boss, only to have my arm caught and through against the container while the thing focused on Barret and his bullets. It got a good gash on him when Cloud slashed its back wide open. Only for it to close right back up and it turn around to spew poison right in Clouds face. He stumbled back until Tifa came up to help him up and give him antidote.
"It regenerates? How the hell are we supposed to kill that thing?" I came up and snatched the all materia from Clouds bangle. "Red, go for another bite!" I yelled and he complied, he did another lounge and the creature fell when the dog took a good chunk of his leg.
"Okay! Fire!" I called out the spell, the all materia lit up and cause the fireballs to hit everyone of the enemies. The little sprouts burnt while the leg of 512 stopped healing.
"Slash and burn, every hit cauterize the wound so it can't grow back." Cloud got up and nodded, Tifa kept her distance though, only getting a hit in behind the creatures back, or defending when it would make more minions. Aeris would provide healing for everyone and Barret supporting fire. It was mostly Cloud and Red doing the most damage while I stunted its healing factor.
"We need a better strategy, if we wait security will be here any minute." Cloud pointed out. I thought about how the monster was, 512 was getting sluggish so its attacks would get uncoordinated...
"Cloud I need you to do something."
"What?"
"I need you to get a good slash in so I can get in close while it regenerates, then when I attack, start hacking away, and Barret is your big shot ready?"
"I need a little time, but I can't shoot while charging."
"Good enough."
"Nathan what are you planning?"
"You'll see, I just need everyone to wail on it when I start attacking."
"If you keep casting you'll over exert yourself!" Cloud protested.
"I'm totally fine, I haven't gotten spotty vision or light headed. Just trust me." He was looking at me quizzically before he slowly nodded his head. Cloud ran forward and made a powerful horizontal slash on the experiment. It roared as it fell on its weak legs, I saw the flesh start to bubble and grow. I ran in and took deep breaths. The thing defended itself and tried to poison me, the star pendant put up a small barrier and kept the smog out my face.
"Now! Dragon fire!" I took my largest breath and put a flame near my mouth.I blew a steady stream and started spraying the monster with flames. Not a second later Cloud came up and hacked of an arm, the flesh was burnt before it could grow and the creature roared, I looked and saw Barret take aim, the energy pooling into his weapon.
"Get out the way!" I ran off from the flaming abomination. Barret fired his big shot, that's when it got messy.
The thing didn't stand a chance with its flesh in a very vulnerable state, it was blown apart, small chunks still flaming while others were to damaged to grow back. What was left of the body slumped. Everyone relaxed when it didn't try to get back up.
"Aeris, you alright?"
"She seems alright...in many ways." Tifa said looking away from Red. He walked up to the group.
"I have a right to choose too, I don't like two legged things."
"What are you?" Barret came up with his gun cooling down."
"An informed question. But difficult to answer. I am what you see." ...Actually is Red XIII considered a furry? I mean he has the brain and voice of a person
"You must have many questions, but first, lets get out of here. I'll lead the way."
"Cloud, so did you come for me?" Aeris came forward but when Red jumped over the railing bars she stepped back.
"I apologize for what happened back there, I was merely acting to throw Hojo off guard..." Speaking of the lunatic I couldn't see him, I guess he slipped out when we were killing one of his products.
"Now we've saved Aeris, we ain't got no need to be in this building so lets get out of here."
"If all of us go together, we'll get noticed. Lets break into two groups...Tifa, take Nathan and Aeris with you."
"Okay, we'll see you on the 66th floor elevator." We ran off leaving the rest of the team to explore the rest of the lab. We went back down the specimen elevator and started towards the stairs.
"Aeris are you really okay? Did Hojo do anything to you?" Tifa was really concerned, I agreed though, I hoped Aeris wasn't injected with anything bad.
"No, the most he did was get blood samples. I was lucky." She looked down.
"I'm guessing you won the lottery on experimentation with Hojo?" I asked, knowing full well how most of his experiments were treated. "You could say that." We ran down the stairs and were near the elevator before we went inside.
"Okay now we wait."
"Okay." we waited for a while, it wasn't all that bad really, nice, quiet...really peacful all of a sudden. I was getting bored.
"Hey Tifa, do you have that enemy skill materia?"
"The what?"
"...The enemy skill materia...you know from the experiment monster."
"There was a materia?"...oh god don't tell me.
"No one picked up the materia?"
"Didn't you say you saw it?" Aeris asked.
"Well yes but I thought everyone else did too, it was right in the middle of the container."
"I didn't notice." Oh my god am I the only person that loots dead body's for the good stuff? That's just idiotic. "I'll be back." Tifa held out her hand in a stop fashion. "Hold It, I told Cloud we would wait here."
"Its good now, I can run up, nab it and come back."
"Why do you want that materia?"
"Aeris, we need as much fire power as we can get when we are running from Shinra."
"Your not going and that's final." Tifa was still in front of the doorway...Oh wait.
I went right up to Tifa, took the level 67 card, and picked her up before tossed her to the side and ran out the door. The one perk about short people is that their lighter.
"Nathan!"
"I'll be right back don't worry! Nothings gunna happen." I sneaked back through the corridors. Careful to avoid any employees around. In about a minute I was back up in the science lab. Right next to the old body of HO512 was a bright yellow materia and and old looking coin thing, most likely a talisman. I pocketed both and ran back the way I came. I was close to the elevator before I heard talking, I peered around the corner. Tseng was right at the elevator door, talking to Cloud and everyone who were cornered by Rude.
"It must have been a real thrill for you...Did you enjoy it?" I heard a grunt, it was Cloud, irritated he was caught in the trap. I almost feel stupid though, I was more concerned about a currently useless materia.
"hmm? Where is Nathan?" I perked at my name being mentioned. "Reno has been very unruly about seeing him again."
"He's gone...He took a different way." Barret said I think. Its really hard to hear from this far. Tseng groaned before the elevator door closed. Everyone was captured, save me. And in less than an hour or so Sephiroth is going to kill every employee on the next few levels.
Fuck my life.