Ch 8 A/N with some requests I will now be making a sign when I transition to third person, I usually separated perceptions by a line but hey what can ya do? That's all really...so how your guys life? Oh yeah and sorry about the messed up weekend upload, i had to many assignment that i had to write this over the weekend.
After the sunset sunset scene, and much to my dismay, we had to climb down the crane next to the road. And after much force from everyone I finally flopped down onto solid ground. Dusting myself off I saw the sector seven gate in the distance.
"So...what now?"
"We can either go now or we can rest here for a bit." Cloud said.
"I vote now while I still have the adrenaline to make the trip." I said. I'm about a few hours away from the biggest crash in my life.
"Hold up, we need a group leader for our journey. Course only me could be leader." I smiled, he was really setting himself up for major failure.
"You think so.." Tifa was smiling too.
"It would have to be Cloud." Aeris immediately burst Barret's bubble.
"Defiantly Cloud." Tifa added.
"I'm with Cloud too." I laughed since he had the most depressed face I had ever scene on him. It quickly turned to irritation though.
"Shit...Alright, go northeast to a town called Kalm, if something happens we'll meet up there. 'sides, we cant have six people strolling down the fields, its to dangerous, split us into two groups." Cloud looked around the group for a minute.
"Aeris...and Barret. Everyone else go forward while we stay for a short time."
"Alright, we''ll head out now." Tifa, Red, and my grouped up. We waved and started walking.
"Do you think its a good idea that we split up?" She asked out loud after around half an hour of walking.
"We're still too close to Midgar, a few people is harder to spot that a large group, after Kalm I say we can stay together."
"Wouldn't we still stick out?" Nanaki mentioned.
"They can't send the entire army after us, and a helicopter would take to much time to comb through the fields." I tried to sound smart. I wasn't entirely sure of what I was saying, but in the game Rufus didn't have that big an interest in the group until we started to follow Sephiroth past the caverns.
"Interesting thought...Have you been here before" Red said, I saw out of my peripherals he was eyeballing me.
"I had to pass Kalm to get to Midgar, nice town...very blue." We kept walking, I felt my fatigue start to get me, my eyes started to ache and my legs had a small burning feeling, we kept walking though, only a small structure in the distance kept my attitude up.
"Nathan...are you okay?" Tifa stopped and turned. An expression of worry on her face.
"I'm fine, I can make it to the town. Then I can take a nap and eat."
"Not that I mean..." I caught on to her tone.
"I know, its not something I can just put behind me you know. But there are things bigger than me, so I'm okay. Don't worry." True. Sephiroths confrontation and Jenovas words were etched into my mind. I knew I should have died there, and yet Jenova had shown mercy...and that's what scared me the most.
"As long as you say your okay." We started traveling again. Only to hear large mechanical noises over the next hill.
"Get down." Tifa ducked first and started to crouch walk to see over the hill, me ducking with Nanaki just staying in his normal position, ready for a fight.
"Its only one sweeper, but its not going away, maybe we could sneak around" Considering random encounter physics I highly doubt that.
"Its probably programed to charge anything deemed hostel, and considering the party we had at their headquarters, they are probably investigating travelers too."
"So we can't avoid it." Red got closer to the top.
"We can use the element of surprise then." Tifa moved to the top.
"Use Bolt, then attack as fast as you can." I nodded, already charging my spell. "Okay in three...two...one...go!" We all jumped out. I casted, making the machine sputter for a second, Tifa went up and to my surprise had been able to punch one of the torso sections and cracking it. Nanaki came up and had ripped one of the main machine guns of its arms. We all jumped back when it started spraying bullets with its left over gun.
"Good, we actually have a chance." Tifa said out loud, I already felt something bad was going to happen. Suddenly there was a short spray of bullets from behind us. Each of us getting a few scratches rolling out the way. Another custom sweeper appeared.
"Why now!"
"Maybe we should keep comments about our success to ourselves cuz from what I've seen Tifa the Planet really hates it when something good comes our way." I casted a bolt at the weaker sweeper.
"Less talk, we need to get rid of them before MP's show up." Nanaki barked. Tifa went back to the weak sweeper while Nanaki and me kept casting at the stronger behind us. Its patterns were easy since we kept a good distance away. It mostly tried to shoot at us, but the aiming functions on those machines are terrible. Tifa was making decent work on the other sweeper. The sweeper we had tried to charge but the distance allowed us to jump and keep attacking, it started to show ware and glitches in its operations over time. However our sweeper decided to stop. Only to open up some compartment on its back. I immediately remembered what it was.
"Its gunna use Matra magic! Move!" The missiles launched and had spread across most of the field, Nanaki gout out of the blast area, Tifa was behind the now functionless old sweeper, and me being near the blast radius and getting hit by heat and shrapnel shards.
"Nathan are you okay!"
"I'm fine...just scratches." I lied, I felt a very large chip in my shoulder. I also felt a foreign sensation in my bangle, looking I saw my enemy skill materia glowing. I smiled.
"How about a taste of your own medicine!" I held out my hand and concentrated, the result was different from elemental spells. I felt the pressure from the missiles fire from the materia and impact on the sweeper. The resulting explosions finally finished off the machine. Tifa and Nan came up.
"Nathan that was good thinking!" She cheered. She pat me on my bad shoulder and I winced.
"Huh..Nathan your hurt! Red help him out." Tifa took the chip out of my shoulder and Nanaki healed me up.
"Okay, we should probably go."
"Hold on." They both looked at me wandering over to one of the sweepers.
"Nathan what are you doing?"
"I know a little on how these machines work, and if I am correct..." I looked at the large cartridge of a machine gun. The badly damaged outside showing me a bent side plate. Using Fusion I pried it open and found what I wanted inside. I pulled out the Atomic Scissors and walked back to a baffled Tifa.
"How did you know that was in there..what would we even use it for?"
"Basic weapons design, Sweepers have guns yes, but they eventually run out of bullets, its a secondary fighting weapon, plus I know the junction is almost exactly the same as Barret's gun attachments." I said . Both looked at me incredulously before they decided to start walking. I took the time to grab the second scissors from the other one before I caught back up. We kept eyes on the horizon through the rest of the walk though, making sure there weren't anymore surprises. After another thirty minutes or so we finally arrived outside Kalm. It was much bigger than I thought it was, having more farms on the outside of the town square which is where the game made its focus. And just like the game it had that abnormal amount of blue a town should have.
"You were right calling it blue." Red noted.
"Lets check into the inn." Tifa went inside followed by me and Red.
"Welcome!" Said a very enthusiastic inn keeper. "Hello, we'd like a room with five beds."
"Sorry, the most I have is the top floor with three." She looked depressed.
"Tifa not all of us need a bed, just get that room and we can wait for everyone else." Tifa paid the man and we went to the top of the building, inside the highest floor was the three beds and some furniture spread out.
"We just need to wait for everyone else now." She decided to sit on one of the beds while Nanaki ran to the nearest wall and just laid down. I set down one of the Atomic Scissors near the entrance and started down the stairs.
"Where are you going?" I looked and saw the dogs one good eye staring at me from across the room.
"I'm going to sell this, we need money for traveling and this will go for a decent price."
"Just be careful, Shinra might be around." Tifa added.
"Don't worry so much, we're fine, Shinra probably has other problems to worry about too."
ATE
Tseng was riding the elevator to the top floor, a large folder filled with different files in his hand. The company was short handed since the "incident" as it was refereed to. Luckily there wasn't much fallout with the help of a few placed explosives and false witness accounts. AVALANCHE was now Midgar's biggest enemy, both publicly and privately. Allowing the new president to focus on other matters. The bell dinged and he started walking through the office , now filled with a couple new secretary's, and up the stairs. Seeing in the the seat Rufus who seemed to be...Listening to music? He shook his head, Rufus was smart, almost a prodigy much like Reeve. He could relax and work when he wished.
"Tseng, it is good to see you again."
"Mr. President. Its nice to see you in good spirits, considering the circumstances." Rufus laughed.
"I never exactly had a strong bond with my father, it doesn't matter now though." He waved his hand.
"Tell me, did you get the information that I wanted?"
"Yes." Tseng handed Rufus the folder, the blond had started to separate the different files based on the files name.
"This is what you have for the entire group?"
"Yes sir...Its seems AVALANCHE has more ties to Shinra than we expected." Rufus opened up one of the files, the picture out front being that of a large dark male. "Barret Wallace. Originally from Corel, however due to a reactor explosion and Scarlet saying a rebel faction was in the town, he lost his hand and had his home destroyed. He is the leader of AVALANCHE." Rufus opened another folder, this time being a girl with dark long hair.
"Tifa Lockhart, born in Nibelheim along with one of the other members, Cloud Strife. She was a victim of Sephiroths break down which had destroyed the whole town. Somehow she was able to escape and come here to Midgar." Rufus looked at a few other folders.
"I see there is some missing information on a few of the members."
"Yes sir, a couple of them were involved in the science department, accessing the information is hard when you don't have certain clearance, and Hojo is the only one who has the passwords."
"And where is he?"
"Currently recovering from an attack from the specimen you see in one of the folders."
"When he is done tell him that I want access to the science departments files." The wutaian nodded.
"I also see we only have five files here, yet I clearly remember the group having six."
"Yes, that was something I wished to mention, the one Reno says his name was Nathan. He was a new member that was away when we sent Corneo to find out where the group hides out. He doesn't have any connection to Shinra from what we know, and Reno says he came from Medeel." Tseng took the one paper he had in his hand and gave it to Rufus.
"Since we can't investigate the island now this is all we have on him at the moment." The president looked at the paper and almost scoffed.
"This is an employment application..."
"Yes, I had found that he had visited the building twice from what one of the receptionist from the front desk said." Tseng said smoothly.
"...Interesting...Tseng did you see what departments he applied for?" Tseng raised an eyebrow.
" Is there something that you noticed?"
"He had applied to Urban Development and Weapons manufacturing." Tseng noticed the small smile on the presidents face. He knew something.
"Does this have anything to do with the fight you had with him as well as Strife?"
"Partially...tell me Tseng, what do you make of this?" Rufus had held out a PHS. But on closer inspection he noticed massive differences between this model an the one he had now. He took it and opened the phone. Its was sleeker, a wider array of tools inside the phone, and could flip sideways to create a full keyboard to text.
"Who ever made this is smart, its better than the model we Turks use, and they're the best on the market." The president nodded his head.
"May I ask where you got this from sir?"
"Its from this Nathan River." His eyes widened a little. The young adult had a phone model that surpassed Turks. A matter worth investigating.
"...Sir, could I take this to Tuesti. I want to verify that there is no other version of this out."
"Go ahead, I was going to ask you to do the same thing. Oh and take this too." The president pulled out his head phones and handed Tseng another device, only this time it had a complete glass screen.
"I'm sure Reeve will be pleasantly surprised. Bring it back though, I was enjoying something." Tseng took the other device and left. Going back through the offices and to the elevator again. Pushing a button for one of the forty levels. Taking the time to look at the new device. It was slightly bigger than the phone, but not as bulky. He pressed the power button and was surprised to see the screen light up. Looking it said to slide the bar to unlock, but there wasn't any button on the sides or front that he could see. Before he could investigate further the elevator dinged and he briskly walked out. Going past a few hallways and offices he arrived at the main door.
"Mr. Tuesti, I'm here to give you something from the president."
"Tseng! Come in." He walked in. Seeing the well organized office of Urban Developments executive, with the man himself tinkering with what looked like...a cat?It seems many of Shinra executives have hobby's.
"Please take a seat, I'm just working on a side project." Tseng nodded and sat down in front of Reeve who had place the cat away.
"So what brings the Turks to my office?"
"The president would like you to examine a few choice items he had taken from a member of AVALANCHE. Considering you have the best knowledge on machines outside of military use."
"Well lets see it then." Tseng handed Reeve both items, Reeve immediately took notice to the PHS first. Taking it he examined the main screen and started going around the menus. He looked happy.
"Tseng you said this was from an AVALANCHE member?"
"Yes, its a model the president and myself are unfamiliar with. We hoped you could shed some light on this." The UD executive chuckled. "This model doesn't exist." Tseng made a questioning glance. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." He reached into his drawer and pulled out a small tool set and started to take off the back and examine the contents.
"The battery is roughly the same size, however the phone seems to have a battery that lasts a few days longer than even the best of models." He took apart some more of the device and pulled out "The phone has a different signal wavelength. It can call from rapidly moving vehicles without trouble, unlike our PHS. It also has a built in video camera." Tseng was taken back by that.
"Tseng, I should tell you this phone is easily five years ahead of our time, are you sure the president got this from a member of AVALANCHE?" Reeve didn't hide his growing curiosity.
"Yes, a Nathan River...It would make sense on some of the information we had on him though."
"What do you mean?"
"The only document that connected him to Shinra was an employment application he had turned in at an unknown date. He had signed up to be in UD and weapons development."
"And now he is a part of an Eco-terrorist group going against the company he applied to? to bad, i would have liked to meet the man." That was what Tseng was thinking, for someone to have this kind of technology and then go against Shinra.
"And this other device." Reeve held up the glass screen now with multiple options on it.
"Its a portable music player, however it is touch screen." He started choosing options by pressing his finger on the screen. Now Tseng was intrigued.
"I haven't heard of that product either."
"Tseng that AVALANCHE member had a music player that had all of his songs stored digitally onto a device. This is easily ten if not fifteen years ahead of the product line." Tseng contemplated over the information.
"Reeve, I want you to examine these further, but be sure to be able to put the music player back together."
"Any reason why the music player?"
"The president seems to have taken a liking to the device." Reeve laughed. Tseng got up and started to exit the office.
"What are you going to do about this AVALANCHE member?"
"We will need to keep a close eye on the entire team. Having a SOLDIER, Cetra, and a kid with technical knowledge that almost matches yours. The president will have to have a way to keep tabs on them,"
(1stpv)
"I can go 700 gil, no more."
"Okay seriously this is in good condition. You know how hard it is to find one of these out there?" The weapons shop owner was giving me a hard time. I was trying to sell the extra weapon, but I tried to get 1000 instead of the 700 the game gave.
"Its not a common weapon, but 1000 is to much."
"And 700 is to low!"
"Tell you what, I'll make it 1150 if you throw in that sword of yours." I saw the mischievous glint in his eye. The guy was going to try to swindle me no matter what I did. "You know I could just threaten you."
"And what good will that do you?"
"Well no ones around, and I have my sword in my hand, no matter how fast you draw a gun I can get your neck...or your stomach...or your arm, I'm still debating." I narrowed my eyes and smiled at the guy. His glint now replaced with fear.
"y y You can't do that! You'll be caught by someone!"
"Not if I make it so you can't scream." I leaned on the counter, seeing the mans hands fidget to under the counter. "Did you know an expert swordsman can draw his sword faster than a bullet can be shot...few do." He raised his hands above the counter, then he sighed.
"I can do 950 gil, but that's my final offer."
"Deal." I was handed a small stack of bills and a few coins before I left. I wandered over to another shop and went inside, I found inside a multitude of colors and fabrics.
"Hello welcome!" I was immediately greeted by a very peppy clerk. "How can I help you."
"ummm...Hi. I need some new clothes, mine are a little...gritty." That was an understatement. I had been in the same pair of clothing for the last four days or so and I knew I must have had a very unpleasant smell. "Yes I can see...hmmm...how about this?" He had picked a cotton long sleeved plaid shirt.
"Do you have anything more from the city, preferably white black or blue?" He thought for a moment before going into the back of the store. He came back with an ocean shirt and a pair of black baggy pants with red lines running down the sides of the legs.
"Lucky for you we have what I believe is your size, but the shirt might hug on you."
"I'll take it."
"that will be 150 gil then." I paid and left the shop, I was hungry but I knew by now everyone must have arrived so I went back to the inn. I waved to the owner and went up the steps to the top floor.
"Nathan, your late!" I heard Barret's booming voice as I came up.
"I was in town, I had stuff to do." Looking I saw everyone was inside the room. Cloud standing in the middle, Aeris on one of the beds, and Barret off to the side with his new weapon. With Tifa and Red in relatively unmoved places.
"Guess everyone's here now." Said Aeris.
"So lets hear your story, you know, bout the one with Sephiroth and the crisis facing the planet." Cloud took a breath. I leaned back onto the wall by the stairs, This was going to take a while.
He told us his story, about how he wanted to be like Sephiroth, and how that when he reached First Class he worked with Sephiroth and eventually became his friend. He told us how five years ago they were sent on a mission to investigate an old reactor in Nibelheim. How the first fight they had with a dragon got everyone's attention.
"He got rid of it that easily?" Tifa asked.
"Sephiroths strength is unreal. He is far stronger in reality than any story you might have heard about him."
"So where do you come in?"
"Me? I was mesmerized by the way he fought." Aeris looked a little disappointed that Cloud didn't do anything during the battle. I looked over and saw Tifa shift uncomfortably, knowing the story was about to be skewed. He talked about how he entered Nibelheim and that Sephiroth had told Cloud that all he knew about his parents were that his mother was named Jenova. When the entered the village they...
"Yo hold up." Everyone looked at Barret.
"Isn't the name of Sephiroths mother...yeah it was that damn headless spook livin in Shinra headquarters!" Everyone sweat dropped at Barret's obvious outburst. "That's right." Cloud said, looking a little irritated his story was interrupted.
"Barret would you please let us hear what Cloud has to say? You can ask questions later." I noted the slight irritation in Tifa's voice too.
"Tifa I was only..." She ignored him and looked back at Cloud
"Okay Cloud, continue."
"Its a reunion of childhood pals." Aeris said happily, trying to lighten up the mood.
"I was really surprised with Tifa, everyone was quiet, staying in their houses. Afraid to come out because of the monsters...or because of us." Cloud looked thoughtfully before continuing his story. He told everyone how he had visited Tifa and his mothers. Everyone paying attention to every detail. I noticed the holes though. I remembered that Zack had never visited so this was a memory of his, but somehow he omitted the parts where he was an MP.
"The next day we were going to leave for the reactor, Tifa was our guide." She shuffled a little out from the corner of my eye.
"You see a Mako reactor was built on Mt. Nibel...The cold air of the mountains of Nibel, it was no different." He had a far off look on his face before he continued. After the bridge incident was described and the lecture from Sephiroth on how materia was formed, He talked about the reactor.
"Inside we found out that there was a broken valve, Sephiroth investigated why it had broken. Inside the Mako tanks were humans."
"Wait, you mean real people?" Aeris asked. He nodded.
"Hojo was apparently testing Mako concentration on human bodies. It was then Sephiroth started to lose himself."
"What do you mean?"
"He was told he was created differently, he thought that he was made like those things in the tanks."
"Damn Shinra the more I here, the more I hate them!"
"Who would have ever thought a Mako reactor held that kind of secret."
"That would seem to explain the increase in monsters lately." Red noted. I guess the planet wasn't always infested heavily though the lands.
"I think we should listen carefully to Cloud, don't you think Barret?"
"Tifa you were waiting outside then?" The brunette nodded. "...Yes."
"We returned to Nibelheim Sephiroth confined himself at the inn. He didn't even try to talk to me."
"Then all of a sudden he disappeared, right?" Tifa asked.
"We found him in the biggest building in Nibelheim."
"The villagers used to call it the Shinra mansion."
"Long ago people from Shinra used to live in that mansion...It was abandoned after some time though."
"And then what?" I was starting to get in the story, despite having heard it multiple times.
"I found him in a hidden library in the basement. He had found some documents that disturbed him, he told me to leave after that...Sephiroth didn't come out the Shinra mansion...He continued to read as if a man possessed. He was down there for days before I went to get called me a traitor, he said that Jenova was an Ancient and that our ancestors had betrayed the Cetra. He found out he was produced."
"Sephiroth...a Cetra..." Aeris thought out loud.
"Then what happened?" Barret asked.
"...He burned Nibelheim to the ground." Everyone had a look of shock on their face.
"The whole village was up in flames. Most of the people were already dead by the time I was there."
"That's horrible!" Aeris shouted.
"He must have gone insane with the revelation." I said, Cloud nodded.
"I went to the reactor, I found Tifa injured. I went inside the reactor core and found Sephiroth with Jenova. He said he was told to take back the planet. I couldn't let him continue...And that's the end of my story." Awww man let down of the century...at least I know the ending.
"Wait a damn minute! Isn't there more?" Barret yelled.
"I don't remember."
"What happened to Sephiroth?" Aeris asked.
"In terms of skill I couldn't have killed him."
"Official records state Sephiroth is dead. I read it in the newspaper." Tifa said.
"Shinra owns the paper, we can't rely on that information."
"Then why would they hide Sephiroth for five years only to have him steal back his mother and kill their president. It doesn't add up." I asked.
"...I want to know the truth, I want to know what happened then. I challenge Sephiroth and won. Why didn't he kill me." Cloud said.
"I'm alive too." Tifa a portion of her stomach.
"Seems like a lot of this doesn't make sense. What about Jenova? It was in the Shinra building wasn't it." Me and Cloud nodded.
"The shipped it from Nibelheim to Midgar."
"Did someone else carry it after that. It was missing in the Shinra building..." Aeris looked over at me.
"Nathan...I know this might be hard but..."
"It walked." I interrupted Tifa.
I saw everyone's confused glance.
"What do you mean?" Asked Aeris.
"I mean that Sephiroth slashed open the container...and it walked out."
"It didn't have a head."
"I am very much aware of that Barret."
"Damn it none of this makes sense. I'm goin goin goin goin gone! I'm leaving the thinkin to you guys." He ran towards the steps.
"Come on Cloud lets go!"
"Alright." Barret rushed down stairs. "Oh brother." I saw Tifa walk up to Cloud.
"Cloud...How bad was I when Sephiroth cut me?"
"I thought you were a goner...I was really sad." She looked like she wanted to ask more questions. But Aeris broke the small silence.
"The Ancients...Cetra...Jenova...Sephiroth and myself."
"Lets go, Barret's waiting." Everyone besides me and Nanaki started heading for the stairs.
"Guys wait up, I need to clean up."
"Alright Nathan we need to leave soon though." The went down stairs. I started prepping when Nanaki finally spoke up.
"What a fascinating story." I chuckled.
"Lots of holes, unanswered questions, and a mystery ending." He looked over. "Were you telling the truth...about Jenova walking?"
"Its stuck inside here now." I pointed to my head. "I'm surprised I didn't die of fear."
"You are remarkably strong willed."
"I'm lucky I didn't get cut in half." I went into the bathroom. I need to get this blood off. Hopefully nothing bad will come from this. I was still questioning though. Why let me live?..Screw it. I need some sleep after this.