Cloud and the party entered the entrance to the Mythiral Mine, they had just gotten past the Midgar Zolom outside. What greeted them was a dead one impaled through a tree.

"What the hell…" said Barret, stunned at what he was looking at.

"Who or what could've caused this?" He asked

"Sephiroth." Cloud said, almost unfazed at what he was looking at.

"He killed this creature."

"Any reason why? It's not like a creature like this is a threat to him." said Areith

"It's a warning, he knows we're coming after him and this was to show us his strength." Cloud replied

"Guess we have our work cut out for us then." said Tifa

"We better get moving, we can't let him get to far."

"There seems to be a way further in over here." said Red XIII, motioning towards a passage way deeper into the mine.

"Right" Cloud said, "Let's get moving, Sephiroth can't be far-"

Before Cloud could say another word, what sounded like rustling was coming from behind him, followed up by groaning.

Everyone turned to the source of the noise in battle stances ready to face whatever was making that noise.

But as Cloud looked around he noticed something on the ground, it was orange and black, and it looked………human?

Cloud put up his arm to signal the rest to stand down, as he did the figure in question slowly began to rise, groaning still.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck. I'm hurt in real life." The figure said, back turned to Cloud and the party, rubbing the back of his head.

Cloud and the party were then able to take the figure in at full, at least from the back side. He was wearing orange and black armor, he had short brown hair and a gatling gun on his right arm, similar to Barret's.

"Fucking shit I can't believe I fell down like that." He said

"Alright I'm awake now at least. Better get moving."

But when Gordon turned around, what greeted him was a collection of people.

One had blond hair and a large sword, one was muscular and had a gatling gun on his arm similar to his, one had long black hair along with combat gloves and boots, one had light brown hair, a red jacket, and carried a staff, and one looked like what could be best described as a big red wolf.

Gordon stood their perplexed at what he was looking at.

'Fuck, I'm in front of the main cast, what do I say' Gordon thought, would they be as respective as the gang of scientists and Benrey were? Only one way to find out.

"Uhhhhhhhh, hi." Gordon said, awkwardly waving at them, he noticed that he was waving with his gatling gun arm and quickly switched to his left arm.

"Uh it's a uh good to uhhhhh-"

"Who are you?" Cloud asked bluntly.

"Oh uh, m-my names Gordon, Gordon Freeman." Gordon replied.

"A-And you are?"

"Cloud." Cloud said, "Cloud Strife."

The rest of the party seemed inclined to introduce themselves but they figured it would be best if Cloud did the talking for now, and they were also curious as to who this guy is.

"How did you survive?" Cloud asked

"Survive what?" said Gordon.

Right now Gordon was somewhat thankful that Cloud and the rest of the party seemed to be responding to him, for now it seemed like the AI here was similar to what it was in Half Life 1, but to what extent he did not know yet.

"That." Cloud said, pointing to the giant snake.

"I assume you weren't the one who killed it."

"No that wasn't me." Gordon said.

"Did you see who did it?" Cloud asked

"Yeah it was Sephiroth." Gordon replied, "He killed it right in front of me."

"You saw Sephiroth kill this thing?" Barret asked, looking over Cloud's shoulder at Gordon.

"Then how were you able to walk away?" Cloud asked, eyeballing Gordon suspiciously.

"To be honest I don't know myself." said Gordon.

"He was about to kill me but then someone stopped him." Gordon continued, "But I don't….. wait." Gordon stopped, it took him a few moments but the memory of what happened before he passed out came back, and who was with Sephiroth.

"Benrey."

"Huh?" Cloud said

"Fucking Benrey was with him." Gordon said.

"That motherfucker- He's probably in league with Sephiroth now! Fuck of course he would decide to team up with Sephiroth! He's always been nothing but trouble since I first met him!"

"Woah woah woah slow down." Cloud said, trying to get a grasp of what was going on.

"What's going on? Who's Benrey?"

"This asshole that's been making my life a living hell!" Gordon responded, pacing back and forth.

"Ever since I started my shift that day he's just been on my ass constantly and no matter what I do I can't get rid of him. My life has just been problem after problem since he entered it, hell-"

Gordon then stopped mid rant and held up and pointed at the arm that had the gatling gun on it.

"He's the fucking reason I have this! He had me lured into a room and my fucking arm got sliced off by soldiers!"

"And you think he's teaming up with Sephiroth?" Aerith asked.

"That would be a good assumption." Gordon said, "The shithead just loves to start trouble wherever he goes!"

"Is he a potential threat working with Sephiroth?" Tifa asked.

The last thing Cloud and the party needed was someone collaborating with Sephiroth, and worse someone just as strong as him.

"Potential? He won't fucking die!" Gordon said, "No matter what I do I can't kill him, he just keeps coming back and-" Gordon then stopped mid sentence and turned to face Cloud.

"But wait-" He said, pointing at Cloud.

"You, you were in SOLDIER! You probably have greater power than any of us! You could probably kill Benrey once and for all!"

Cloud narrowed his eyes at this statement.

"Right." Cloud said, folding his arms, "So this Benrey guy, what does he want teaming up with Sephiroth?"

"I………really don't know." Gordon replied, "He's so random and…..I really don't know."

Gordon's head then sank when he said that.

"I have no idea what he wants, but-" Gordon's head then rose back up.

"He might want whatever Sephiroth is after, that's the only explanation I can come up with."

"How do we know you're not with them?" Cloud asked.

"What?" Gordon asked, unable to believe what he just heard.

"Did you not just hear my rant-" he held up his gatling arm again.

"He's the reason I have-" It was then that Gordon noticed their were 3 holes next to each other horizontally on his gatling gun.

"Wait, what is this?" He pondered, further examining the holes in his gatling gun.

"What's what?" Cloud asked, walking over to Gordon.

"Their are 3 holes in my gatling gun, they weren't here before." Gordon said

"You just noticed this?" Cloud asked

"They weren't here when I first got this." Gordon replied

"Lemme see." Tifa said, going over to where Cloud and Gordon were.

Gordon then showed her where the holes were on his gun.

"Huh, these look like they could hold Materia in them." Tifa said

"Really?" Gordon said, "You think they could fit?"

"Only one way to find out." Tifa said, pulling out a small green orb.

"Tifa, is it really a good idea giving someone we just met our Materia?" Cloud said, slightly irritated.

"Relax, it's just a low level fire one, and besides I doubt he's dumb enough to attack us as soon as he gets it." Tifa said, turning to face Gordon, "May I?"

"Yeah sure why not?" Gordon said, holding out his gatling gun, "YOLO am I right?"

Tifa then inserted the green orb in the hole closest to the front, it fit perfectly.

"Fits perfectly, I'm surprised." Gordon said, "Don't suppose you know how to use it?"

"It kinda comes natural." Tifa said, "You just have to focus your energy."

"Alright, focus my energy. Let me see if I can get it to work." said Gordon.

He turned his attention to the dead snake.

"You can be the test dummy."

Gordon then balled his right hand into a fist, or at least that was the sensation that he felt when firing the gun, the bullets (or fingernails as it's known) came out as regular.

"Dammit" said Gordon, "Must be doing something wrong."

He looked at his gatling gun again and noticed number where the holes were. From the front was the number 1, the number 2 was in the middle, and the number 3 was all in the back.

And idea popped into Gordon's head.

He aimed at the snake again and balled his hand into a fist, only this time keeping his index finger out.

An aura formed around Gordon and what looked like a fire ball was forming in front of his gatling gun. The fire ball was shot from the gun with Gordon feeling the effects of the recoil. The fire ball then hit the snake right in the head, slightly moving it.

"Hell yeah let's go!" Gordon shouted in excitement, raising his left fist into the air, "First time Materia user and I'm already nailing it!"

He lowered his fist and turned to Tifa.

"Uh thanks uhhhh-"

"Tifa." She said, "Tifa Lockhart, and no problem." She turned to Cloud, "I think this guy's good."

"Alright." Cloud said, turning to face Gordon, "I guess you're fine for now, and we could use all the help we can stopping Sephiroth, and whoever this Benrey is."

"Wait-" Gordon said, "Are you asking me to join you?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Cloud responded, "And you know more about Benrey than we do, so will you join us?"

"Of course!" Gordon responded, "I want to nail those bastards just as much as you do!"

"That's good, but before we go I just have one thing to ask." Cloud said, "How did you know I was in SOLDIER? I never brought that up to you."

"Oh uhhhh-" Gordon stammered

'Shit, can't give away how I know pretty much everything about them and all the events that are gonna play out, gotta play it cool for now' Gordon thought.

"I heard about your exploits from the Shinra News Network! And all the missions you had with Sephiroth before he went rogue!" Gordon said.

"Right." Cloud said "Then let's get moving, the both of them can't be far."

While Tifa was appearing friendly to Gordon on the outside, inside she was highly suspicious of him.

'How does he know about Cloud's past with SOLDIER? Not even the rest actually know the truth.' She thought, whatever the reason was, she couldn't fully trust Gordon, and would have to keep a close eye on him.

"Wait, before we go can I ask you something?" said Gordon.

"Sure what is it?" Cloud asked

"Did you see any scientist looking guys on the way here?" asked Gordon, "All in white labcoats, one has a propeller hat on, one has a mustache and a funky looking haircut along with a machine gun, and one has glasses and is balding, any of those guys ring a bell?"

"No uh-" Cloud said, a little perplexed at the descriptions, "But who are they to you?"

"Friends of mine." Gordon replied, "Figured they would have been around but……Ah we might run into them."

Gordon figured that if Benrey was here then Coomer, Tommy, and Bubby were probably here too. Only question was where.

"Right." Cloud said, "Then let's get moving."

Cloud, Gordon, and the rest of the party then toke the passageway that Red XIII pointed out further into the mines.

'I have no freaking idea how any of this is happening, but this is already shaping up to be one hell of an adventure.' Gordon thought to himself.