Chapter 1
Wutai's Finest
Standing on a rooftop overlooking the undercity slums of Sector 7, in the City of Midgar, Heart of the Shinra Electric Power Company, a young girl in a Moogle costume peered through her telescope as she hummed a tune about herself.
"Well, guys… Your girl finally made it to Midgar," Yuffie Kisaragi said to herself.
She then focused on the central pillar that kept Midgar's upper city secure, until a flock of pigeons appeared and began making her flinch and flail about. She then stumbled about, and began falling down onto another roof, but upon remembering her training, she landed on top of it without much trouble, until she suddenly fell and landed inside the building she nearly crash landed onto. Dust and grit flew everywhere, even as she stepped out and looked around, as well as sniffed the air. She nearly recoiled in disgust, but shook off the feelings as best as she could.
"You got this, Yuffie," she told herself, then slowly stepped forward.
Yuffie cleared her throat as she did.
"My name is Yuffie, materia hunter and elite special forces operative for the new Wutai government. I have orders to infiltrate Shinra headquarters and steal their ultimate materia. To prove to our common enemy that Wutai is not to be trifled with. Members of Avalanche… with your full support… we got this!" announced Yuffie.
But she saw no signs of the people she was looking for.
"So, members of Avalanche… Where are you!? Come get me already!" she called.
A slight groan meant that she was truly annoyed.
"Okay, if I was a man in a moogle hat… Oh! Wait, does this mean what I think it does? Interesting… So, I gotta come to you, do I? You got some nerve," she smirked, pointing at the moogle poster.
Then off she set down the path before her to the Sector 7 slums of Midgar. But then Yuffie came into contact with some toxirats, who were lying in wait for her.
"Hmph! Guess you're never far from a rat in Midgar! Let's see what you got!" she said, and immediately took them down without much fuss.
They were quickly dispatched by her ninjutsu techniques, thanks to the intense training she endured in her childhood, just before Shinra attacked her hometown and turned it into a place where Materia was considered as illegal to them by the company. More creatures lay in wait for her, but she took them down with little effort, although sometimes they would latch onto her and begin pinning her arms to her side. However, Yuffie was much more crafty and cunning, as she quickly took care of the gorgers, vicious insects that prayed on weak and innocent people and lesser creatures.
"Well, that was easy! And my search for the elusive moogle continues," grinned Wutai's White Rose, as she pressed on.
She did find time to destroy some crates along the way to the slums, even as she crossed the bridge to the other side of a deep ravine below. Yuffie even managed to swing across a cable to reach the other part of the ravine. A lesser drake suddenly appeared near her and swooped down, followed by two toxirats, but Yuffie was prepared and quickly managed to defeat them all. However, the flying creature was more of a challenge, forcing her to change tactics for a short while. At last, they were all defeated, although the poor kunoichi did suffer some minor scrapes that she'd take care of with a few healing potions. She found another poster, and went under the door it was posted on. But then she noticed a man in a black hooded robe that looked all tattered and torn. On his arm was the number 11, leading to the kunoichi turning away in disappointment.
"No pom…" she said.
However, the cloaked man was looking at the central pillar, and Yuffie looked as well.
"You okay? Anybody home?" Yuffie asked the man.
"Re…un…ion…" croaked the man.
But Yuffie decided not to investigate further, and remained on the real task at hand.
"Well, guess I won't be going anywhere until I get that elevator moving," she said, then cast her shuriken at the switch.
It did activate the lift, which lowered down to reveal another moogle poster.
"Ah, I never cease to amaze myself," snickered Yuffie.
She clambered aboard and rode it up after pushing a button to make it move. However, she engaged the gorgers with a quick preemptive strike, catching one of them off guard, which in turn made the other angry. It slashed at her, leaving a few small scratches on her abdomen, but Yuffie retaliated without so much as a second thought. Of course the materia she saw did pique her interest, and so she went to it after climbing down a ladder and boarding the second lift after pressing the switch with her shuriken. Upon collecting it, she saw that it was a special kind of materia that would give her health a little boost, thus making her somewhat harder to take down. After doing so, and grafting the materia into a slot on her shuriken, she continued onwards to find her client with the moogle hat by following the posters.
"Yeesh, this town's a total dump. I thought Midgar was supposed to be 'the marvel of the modern world.' Talk about false advertising. 'City of Mako'? 'City of Garbage,' more like," she scoffed.
She still continued on, but also made sure to find some useful items to help her out on the way to the slums, where her cell of Avalanche was residing. Suddenly, she saw another man being harassed by some dangerous creatures. This one was also dressed in the same black hooded robe.
"I gotta do something!" she gasped.
Thinking fast, she clambered up the ladders, until she saw some steel girders on a crane.
"You'll do the trick," said Yuffie, and with a fling of her shuriken, she created a makeshift bridge for her to cross to the other side.
"Sweet! Now to save the day!" grinned Godo's daughter.
Without further hassle, she hurried over to help the man on the other side.
"Have no fear! Yuffie's here!" she announced, and quickly took care of the wayward wolves that were harassing him.
She was also able to make sure that they didn't pin her to the ground and start chomping on her neck, which would be very unpleasant for her, but the two wolves were slain despite putting up a fierce fight. The man grunted and groaned.
"Uh, so… not even a thank you?" she asked him.
This one had the number 20 tattooed on his arm, but of course, Yuffie still had to go on. She still knew that there was some more treasure for her to find, and would put to use later, such as the materia that contained the element of wind, enabling her to blow her enemies back. Yuffie continued to follow the posters that had the moogle on them, but although more monsters would try to slow her down, she was quick to take care of them, despite the minor setbacks. However, she came upon another man in yet another black robe, just as she was reaching the gate into Scrap Boulevard, located on the outskirts of the Sector 7 slums, and slowly opened it.
"Je…no…va…" he said.
"This is too weird…" murmured Yuffie, as she continued onwards.
Thankfully, she mentally prepared herself.
"Okay…! You got this!' she firmly assured herself, and martialled on into Scrap Boulevard itself.
But even as she did, she smelled something different.
"Huh, okay… That rotten egg smell's gone. Must've gotten used to it. Way things are goin', I'll be workin' for Shinra next. Nice try, Midgar," she mused.
But as she continued, she shook her head.
"I'm talkin' to myself. City's getting to me!" complained Yuffie.
She was able to destroy more cates to find some more items to help her out even further, until she spotted more posters of the moogle on it. This meant that she was indeed going in the right direction. She even went into a tunnel and found a materia that would increase her magical proficiency, then went through the gate that led into the slums themselves.
"W-wait, did you just come from…!? Any monster troubles or…?" asked a member of the Neighborhood Watch.
"Nope," remarked Yuffie, and she still continued onwards.
However, she soon spotted a television that was broadcasting a news report about the destruction of Mako Reactor 5, courtesy of another branch of Avalanche.
"Mako Reactor 5 has been temporarily shut down, and all fires have been successfully extinguished. The situation is under control, and the people of our fair city need not worry about any additional complications. We are in the process of conducting a full forensic investigation. But we suspect the device used was similar to that employed in the attack on Mako Reactor 1," Scarlet explained to the news reporters.
"Oh, oh, oh! Whadda we have here!? Man, that's gotta be Avalanche! Not bad. Not bad at all… But I can do better!" Yuffie grinned ecstatically.
"Yuffie?" asked a voice.
The man was Zhije, and he had the moogle hat that Yuffie was indeed looking for.
"There's our pom!" she said happily.
She asked if he was Avalanche, but Zhije motioned for her to follow him, much to Yuffie's bewilderment.
"So, Zhije, why didn't you come meet me before?" Yuffie asked.
"I figured an elite W agent could find their own way," replied Zhije.
"I may be elite, but it's not like I've ever been to Midgar. …And what exactly is a 'W' anyway?" she said.
"Anyone who lives where you just came from. Think of it as a codename," he explained.
Uh-huh…" mused the kunoichi.
"Still can't believe they sent a kid to do this job…" sighed her ally.
"This kid could kick your ass!" snapped Yuffie.
"Sayin' your a fresh face is all," assured Zhije.
"Oh, don't worry. I know exactly what you're saying!" she grinned.
"Gimmie a break, wiill ya?" sighed her friend.
"And let you walk all over me?" remarked the White Rose of Wutai.
"Well, here we are. Ladies first," ushered Zhije.
However, Yuffie couldn't help but overhear something from three other people nearby. They were of course, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie Rasberry. They were part of the splinter cell that the real Avalanche decided to view as an extremist faction.
"I don't get it… the mission was a success. So why aren't they back now? Man, just my luck. Dumb game's sold out everywhere," grumbled Jessie.
"Well, judging from the news, they didn't get caught. They'll turn up," assured Biggs.
"And when they do, we're gonna treat 'em to a feast! I can almost taste your pizza now, Jessie!" cheered Wedge.
"Shame, since you won't be getting any," she remarked.
The chubbier man was distraught, right as Cody, Asuka and Yumi arrived.
"Well, don't worry. Me, Yui, Asuka, and Yumi made sure to look after Marlene for a bit, as well as made sure that your injuries were taken care of, Jessie," assured the Son of Xehanort.
"Thanks, Cody," replied the third member of the trio, right as Yuffie walked inside.
"But, we're gonna go and talk to that other girl, but we promise not to tell them we're part of this group. We'll just let them know that we decided to join forces with her group, after 'splitting off' from yours," said the ponytailed kunoichi of Hanzo Academy.
"Also, could you also make sure to let Kirito and Asuna know that we asked you to take care of both Yui and Marlene?" asked Yumi.
"Sure thing, Yumi. We don't mind," replied Wedge.
"I don't think so, Wedge. How about you let me take care of this?" interjected his friend.
Confused, but a bit surprised, Yuffie still walked into the clinic, and went down the stairs to meet three more people who were part of her cell. But she also picked up a boomerang that would be included in her arsenal of weaponry. Zhije stepped up to his three colleagues.
"These two are Billy Bob and Polk. ANd that's Nayo," he introduced her to them.
"Hi. My name is Yuffie, materia hunter and elite special forces operative for the new Wutai Government. I have orders to infiltrate Shinra JQ and steal their ultimate materia. To prove to our common enemy that Wutai is not to be trifled with. Members of Avalanche, with your full support… We got this!" she said to the three members of her cell, after practicing her speech multiple times.
"Ready to rumble, huh?" asked Billy Bob.
"You better believe it! So, did you guys meet Sonon yet? He was supposed to be her," replied Yuffie.
"Yeah, he got in three days ago," said Polk.
"He's out on the town as we speak. Really seems to be enjoying it here," added Nayo.
"Oh, he does, does he!?" questioned Yuffie.
"You, uh…got any bags?" asked her other ally.
"As if. Ninjas always travel light. It's like a rule," she remarked.
"I agree," Asuka's voice said from above.
"Same here," agreed Yumi, who came down the stairs.
"I may not be much of a ninja, but I did study about them during my school days. But, I guess it's nice to meet another ninja who's pretty cute and feisty, much like Ruby is. Still, the three of us talked things out with another cell of Avalanche that was a little too… overzealous in their actions, so we decided to talk things out and meet up with you guys, and they agreed to give us a bit of time off," added Cody, who joined them.
Yuffie was surprised, but then her cheeks turned red when she saw the Son of Xehanort.
"Whoa… what a cutie," she cooed.
"Thanks, I guess. Also, both of these girls are Asuka and Yumi. They're my friends, but their hearts belong to someone else. Don't worry, we'll introduce you guys to him later, and I'm Cody, Cody Xehanort," he replied.
"I'm Yuffie. Nice to meet you, guys," smiled Yuffie, taking their hands and shaking them.
"My name's Zhije," added Zhije.
"I'm Billy Bob," said Billy Bob.
"My name's Polk," grinned Polk.
"And I'm Nayo. It's nice to meet you as well," finished Nayo.
"Oh, I did bring these—Wutai's famous Da-Chao beans. Eat up," grinned Yuffie.
She handed a bean to them, but when they all tried to bite on them, something made their teeth hurt, as if they were hard as rocks.
"And you… eat these things?" Cody and Polk asked together.
Yuffie showed them the correct way to eat the Da-chao beans.
"Guess you do," he said.
"Sheesh. You ninjas are insane," sighed Nayo.
"Actually, ninjas are trained professionals, ever since the earlier days. The kunoichi, that's what me, Asuka and Yuffie are, would sometimes utilize our charms to get what we want, but sometimes we'd have to be careful not to be entangled in the affairs of other people, unless we met someone who truly loved us, and we'd make sure to protect them with our lives," explained Yumi.
"Do me a favor, you guys, and wait here for Sonon. I gotta head out. Your IDs should be ready for pickup by now," said Zhije, as he prepared to walk out.
"Then why don't we join ya!?" asked Yuffie.
"Naw, I got this. Beside, you reek of trouble," he argued firmly.
"I don't know, Zhije. But, I think after Yuffie takes a shower, she might smell fresh like a sunflower in summer time," replied Cody.
"Aw… how sweet of you, Cody," she cooed, as she hugged him.
"You must be tired from your trip. Why don't you get some rest?" suggested Nayo.
"With all the noise in this city? Im-freakin'-possible," said Yuffie.
"Actually, I was wondering, Nayo. Do you think you can tell us exactly where in Shinra's main headquarters they're keeping that materia we couldn't help but overhear Yuffie mention? We'd like to know as well, just as Yuffie does," added Yumi.
"Actually… I kind of don't. At least, not an exact location. All I know is that Shinra—for most purposes—treats materia as a weapon. Whihc means the advanced Weaponry Division probably deals with it. And since that's in the basement…" she replied.
"I guess I'm kind of curious about it too, Nayo. And if Shinra's keeping top secret materia in the basement of their main headquarters, then we'll need to find out for ourselves," said Cody.
Yuffie chuckled and snickered.
"You won't have to wait much longer, my precious… I promise," she said quietly.
"We'll watch your back, Yuffie. You can count on that," assured Asuka.
"I agree with Asuka on this one. Oh yeah, you should introduce yourselves to Billy Bob. He knows a thing or two about the Shinra Building," replied Nayo.
"My teeth…" groaned Billy Bob.
"Sorry about that. But, can you tell us about the materia Yuffie might be looking for in Shinra Headquarters, Billy Bob?" asked Yumi, the negotiator of Team SKYYYLAARC.
"You are a very strange woman, Yumi. But in a good way. Of course, you probably knew this already, but there's a whole other city built on the plate above us. Shinra Building's right in the middle. You can't miss it," he explained.
"We saw it, alright, just before the splinter cell attacked the Sector 1 reactor, which became a major success, until we decided to take some time to reevaluate our actions, but we promised it's leader we'd look after his child for a bit while he'd head off," replied Asuka.
"Got any more leads, Billy Bob?" asked Cody.
"Now, if you wanna get topside, ya first gotta get outta the slums. And for help with that, you should talk to Polk," answered Billy Bob.
The four of them nodded, and went up to Polk.
"You look kinda nervous," he said.
"I just wanna make sure we have the plan down pat. You know, like how to get up top and all that," replied Yuffie.
"Huh, well… If you had IDs, you'd normally just take the train up there. But with all the commotion going on, that's not really an option. Security's on high alert. If you ask me, your best bet is to sit tight and wait for things to settle down some," explained Polk.
"Polk's right, Yuffie. You can't just simply go up top without losing your life in the process. We need to be patient, otherwise what I said will indeed come to pass, but I don't believe in the whole 'the future is set in stone' crap like the others don't," added Cody.
Yuffie nodded quietly, then stood down, but then they turned to Nayo.
"Still no word on Sonon yet," sighed Asuka, as she leaned against the wall.
"Sonon's still not back? Must be in Wall market then," she replied.
"What's Wall Market?" asked Yuffie.
"Let's just say it's a place for people with 'mature tastes,'" she explained.
"I think I get what you mean. It's sort of like an entertainment district for the most powerful and wealthy, but I don't think Asuka and I would fit in with the bad crowd," said Yumi.
"There's lots of different establishments. It's… kinda hard to explain," continued Nayo.
"Yikes. Most certainly don't want to go there, unless there was a place that had a lot of girls who'd think of fawning over me with some very inappropriate looks in their eyes. And I most definitely don't wanna visit any of the bars and restaurants that have really bad food and drinks. I prefer good food and drinks, rather than that kind of garbage," groaned Cody.
"Actually, in Wutai, there's a place that's a lot better than Wall Market. It's called the 'Happy Turtle,' said Yuffie.
"Interesting. There's a Happy Turtle in Midgar as well. I don't know where exactly, because I've never actually been, but I do see their flyers from time to time," replied Nayo.
"Good to know, Nayo. We should see if we can find those flyers, and then read them carefully," said Asuka.
"Come to think of it… There's a man who goes around putting up flyers for the bar. People call him 'Old Snapper.' And he doesn't dress like your average Midgar male. Might be from Wutai," she informed them.
"We oughta find him! Man deserves some Da-chao beans," grinned Yuffie.
"You know about the VR combat simulation module, right?" asked Billy Bob.
"Oh, we know. A friend of ours tried it out, and he actually got some interesting items from it, which surprised us a lot. Kind of like those nervegear devices that put some of my friends into a virtual death trap, and all those players who were in the Game of Life or Death had to play to win, or face their demise in the two worlds. The real world, and the datascape," answered Cody.
"Bingo. I had a feeling you'd understand what I was asking, Cody, but how do you know about it?" he wondered.
"Some friends of ours, who have experienced life in the virtual world, created from the games they played, until one turned into a living nightmare," replied Asuka.
"There's a portable version of it. Guy around the corner has one," continued their ally.
Yuffie became curious.
"You know, maybe this could actually be a good chance to try it out, Yuffie. Why don't you give it a try?" suggested Yumi.
"Okay, why not, Yumi. I guess I'll take it for a spin," replied Yuffie.
"The guy's name is Chadley. He's over by the neighborhood watch. If you ever feel like some virtual training, I'm sure he'd be happy to help," said Billy Bob.
Of course, the last person Yuffie turned to was Polk, who saw that the party was about to die of boredom, and asked if one of them could play a game of Fort Condor.
"I don't think any of us have played Fort Condor, Polk. But, maybe you can teach us how to play the game," said Asuka.
Everyone nodded, and Polk explained the rules to the four allies, even though they had to wait a bit for Sonon. The first was Cody, who did have some trouble, because he only played Duel Monsters with his friends, family, and allies, as well as watched some other players. But eventually he was able to get the hang of it. Then, Asuka, Yumi, and Yuffie did the same, and they too scored some victories, as well as suffered some defeats. The rewards were Condor Coins, which could be exchanged with Old Snapper, who would happily trade them in, as well as got the Turtle Flyers.
"Damn, guys! How'd you do that? You totally kicked my ass!" Polk said in surprise.
"In my experience, when you face a defeat, the trick is to learn from your failures, and then you'll improve and get better in the next round," replied Yumi.
"Well, if you're looking for a challenge, the undercity's got no shortage of serious players," he explained.
"We've kinda got better things to do," remarked Yuffie.
"I don't know, Yuffie. Maybe there might be a grandmaster if you beat the other players, and you might win some money, as well as a new materia you can put to good use," said Cody.
"Materia!?" she asked in surprise.
"That's right. But you should know the hard core competitors won't give you the time of day till you've proven yourself," answered Polk.
"We should take 'em on, Yuffie," suggested Asuka.
Oh, I like your style, Asuka," grinned Yuffie.
"In the meantime, we should probably go and do a little scouting around, Yuffie. Maybe it'll give you a chance to clear your head before we hit Shinra Headquarters," replied the blonde Keyblade Apprentice.
She nodded, while Nayo and the others would hold down the fort for a while. Their first stop was Chadley, who asked them to participate in his research of creating new materia in the portable combat simulator. It was a bit of a struggle, but with the right amount of teamwork and cooperation, they managed to get the materia, which turned out to be a summoning materia for Ramuh, the Lord of Levin. They even managed to find the flyers for the Happy Turtle and gave them to Old Snapper, who was so grateful that he gave them a prize, the Magnify Materia. Then they played Fort Condor with the other players, although Cody told them that with each loss, they could still learn and figure out a better way to get a winning strategy, which in turn made Jessie a little happier, and managed to defeat the Grand Champion, who graciously gave them some prize money, and even a new Materia that Yuffie could use. Of course, they did use it to buy some more items and materia to use later on, although Cody would have to use his Keyblade magic to give them a boost. When they had finished scouting out the slums of Midgar, they all reunited with their allies in their base. As they did, Sonon arrived.
"I'm back," he said.
"Ah, there you are. Someone's been expecting you," replied Nayo.
"What took you!?" complained Yuffie.
"Yuffie, please, try to be more polite," hissed Asuka.
"Sorry 'bout that," apologized Sonon.
But when he mentioned that his friend was nothing like Godo, her father, it only served to make the kunoichi more annoyed.
"Anyway, it's nice to meet you. I'm Sonon Kusakube," he said to them.
"My name's Cody," replied Cody.
"Hi, I'm Asuka," added Asuka.
"My name's Yumi. It's a pleasure,' smiled Yumi.
"Also, between the both of us, Yuffie has a bit of a personal history with her father, much like I do. Also, there are some other people who have some issues with their fathers," whispered the Son of Xehanort.
"Guys, could we please not talk about my dad?" asked Yuffie, who was growing more annoyed.
"Yuffie, please," hissed the kunoichi of the toad.
"I believe it's time we got to business. How have things been with you, Sonon?" asked Yumi.
"Oh, they've gone fairly well, Yumi. But, you don't need to worry about me. Godo was the best teacher I ever had, even before Shinra stormed Wutai several years back. But I can assure you, Yuffie's adamant on trying to help it get its former glory back. And I don't believe I ever heard of her 'Operation Down-in-One' plan. AT any rate, I'm looking forward to working with my boss, Yuffie," he explained.
"Wow, that's a pretty big responsibility," murmured Cody.
"Well, I've got a few years on her, I'll admit—but out of the five of us, you've done this longer," continued Sonon.
"You can thank mine and Yumi's grandfathers for that, Sonon. And yeah, Yuffie is pretty much the expert of our group," replied Asuka.
"'Boss,' huh? Could get used to that. Beats being stuck on the button rung, that's for sure," snickered Yuffie.
"After we get that materia, we can celebrate your promotion at the Happy Turtle," smiled her new ally.
Yuffie agreed, but then a white pigeon, called a dove, flew past her. She was annoyed at first, until Polk informed them that it was a message from their info broker. It was about the merchandise that was needed to infiltrate Shinra HQ. Nayo nodded towards them.
"Hey, you guys. You mind coming along?" she asked.
"Not at all! Need to scope out the city anyway. Really get to know the enemy," replied Yuffie.
"We'll be passing through a rough part of town, so you'll wanna go prepared. I'll leave you to get ready. Hit me up outside when you're done, okay?" Nayo warned them, as she walked out of the clinic.
"Well, time to roll out, guys," said Cody.
"Also, Yuffie, you should take the lead, but Cody can help out too, even though we have a real leader named Sora. He's the leader of Team SKYYYLAARC, and we'd gladly follow him anywhere, but for now, we'll look to Cody for guidance," added Yumi.
"Okay, Yumi. Let's roll," she replied, and they followed Nayo out.
"We're ready to roll, Nayo, and we did manage to get ourselves fully stocked up before we got ready to roll," he said to her.
"Okay. Streets are kind of a maze, so stay close," she replied, and led them along the road.
"So, Nayo, where're we headed?" asked Sonon.
To pick up your IDs. There's no way to get topside without 'em," explained the other girl.
"But I thought Zhije was getting our High-D's. What happened with that?" wondered Yuffie.
"He is, but those are different. It takes more than one ID–or even two–to survive in this town. Don't forget, Midgar was built by Shinra, for Shinra," continued Nayo.
"I know what you mean, Nayo. They really are cruel and heartless, even though we're all at war with them, despite being part of a rebel faction," sighed Cody.
"You got that right, Cody. But make sure you don't let Yuffie lose herself to vengeance," hissed Sonon.
"I'm not the vengeful type, okay, Sonon?" grumbled Yuffie.
"Be more respectful," whispered Yumi.
"So, Yuffie, what do you think of the undercity?" asked Nayo.
"Way too crowded. I can't stand it. Ugh, and the stench! How can anyone live here?" complained the moogle-clad kunoichi.
"Gotta agree with you about the smell, but you get used to it quick enough," replied her ally.
"Let's not forget that I have to keep a low profile in crowds, Sonon. Believe me, I'd rather not do something that would blow our cover. It's all part of some extremely sensitive rules and regulations that don't need to be tampered with or broken," said Hanzo's granddaughter.
"But Midgar isn't the enemy—Shinra is. I know Ws don't really see the distinction, but…we do," replied Nayo.
And it looks like the news we saw about the Sector 5 Reactor going supernova was true, even as we remained behind with a few friends who were tending to someone who received an injury, while they went off to deal with some important business," said Yumi.
Yuffie was about to say something in protest, but she remembered Nayo telling her not to get too noisy, thanks to her belief in the "Walls having ears". Then they saw the members of the Splinter Cell returning from their mission, along with two familiar faces that Cody, Asuka, and Yumi knew. Nayo explained that they left after a dispute of policy between one of the members, and its main leader. Biggs stood on the steps that led into Seventh Heaven.
"Well, look who it is. Lovin' your work! So how many reactors is that now? Wait… Where's Cloud?" he asked them.
"We lost him," grunted Barret.
"And we saw Sora, Leafa, Ruby and Yang dive after him. But they'll be okay. They're a lot stronger than you know," added Kirito.
"Yeah, Kirito's right, Tifa. A little fall ain't gonna stop good people like them," agreed the gunner.
"And when they come back, Team SKYYYLAARC will be back together again, because our hearts are always connected to them. You can trust that," added Asuna.
"Yeah, I guess they will," replied Tifa.
"Now can we talk about President Shithead? Spoutin' all that crap about us!? That lyin' son of a bitch!" scowled the leader of the Splinter Cell.
"Barret, please! You know that if you start ranting and raving, everyone will grow suspicious. And the worst thing that Shinra would do is come marching in with an order to have us put behind bars for what you'd call a good cause. And you know that Marlene would be devastated if you died in front of her," interjected the Lightning Flash.
"Asuna's correct," agreed the brunette brawler.
"Speakin' of sons of bitches… I heard that Wall Market's very own Don Corneo has his stooges out lookin' for ya," said the tech genius.
"You're right. And I have a pretty strange feeling that they're probably on the hunt for someone who can be his bride, but he might actually be a very sick and disgusting pervert that Sora would easily hate to no end. And even though we might have little time for kingpins like him, there's still the fact that Shinra's put that crime lord under their payroll," replied Kirito.
"Still. We all know that this is far from over. Right? MIght as well get some rest–-while we still can," murmured Barret.
"Right," sighed Tifa, but she was actually thinking of how to get some info from Don Corneo.
She watched as Barret and Biggs went inside, just as Yui stepped out, and hugged her parents.
"You know what? I think I am gonna look into this," she decided.
"We'll go with you, Tifa. Both Mommy and Daddy will also make sure to watch your back, thanks to your complicated relationship with Cloud, but I'm going too, even though I'm still just a little girl, but I really wanna find Big Brother and stay with him," replied the little girl.
"What do you think, Asuna?" asked the Dark Knight.
"We'd better do what Yui suggested, Kirito," replied his lover.
Tifa hurried away, but the family from Aincrad saw Cody nearby, even as Biggs wished her luck.
"They're the ones who blew up the reactors," Nayo confirmed with her companions.
"Yeah, but you can't fault some of them. Kirito, Asuna and Yui are innocent, even though there are times when they might get themselves mixed up in things that are beyond their control," replied Cody.
But even still, Asuna gently walked up to Cody and hugged him, with Kirito exchanging a fist bump with him.
"We heard about Sora, Leafa, Ruby, and Yang, guys. They did go after Cloud, but we know that they're still alive," said Asuka.
"I know what you mean, but Asuna, Yui and I are worried about Tifa," replied Kirito.
"She said that she's gonna look into Corneo's work, and probably find out if he has some useful information that could prove useful to us," added the redhead.
"But we fully understand Yui's desire to meet up with her brother, even though they're not related by blood," assured Yumi.
"Thank you, Yumi, and to be honest, we've all decided that Barret and his friends will look after Marlene, after Jessie and Wedge praised us for a job well done," smiled the little girl.
"Aw, she is just so cute," cooed Yuffie, when she got a good look at Kirito and Asuna's daughter.
Yui couldn't help but giggle at Yuffie, until she saw Cody with him.
"Um… I hope you don't judge me too harshly, but are you Cody's girlfriend?' she asked curiously.
"Well, not exactly, kid. We're just friends at the moment. But, you can tell your brother that he's got some very good people with him," replied the dark-haired kunoichi.
"But, you should go with Kirito and Asuna, Yui. Then you'll be reunited with Sora, as well as lessen the fact that Shinra's onto you guys," added Yumi.
Yui nodded, and both she and her parents raced after Tifa, by tracing their link to her heart with their own, as well as following her footsteps. Once they were gone, Cody and his friends followed after Nayo, who explained that the splinter cell had no reason to care about the collateral damage, but only if they took down Shinra, which was a goal they did have in common with each other, despite their differences. Yuffie was still wanting to help them, but her friend said otherwise. Destroying Midgar wasn't the right course of action. Only stopping the Mako-controlling empire itself, while the people were nothing but innocent bystanders, as well as witnesses who still believed in what Barret called lies and deceptions. But the White Rose was still adamant on taking revenge for what happened to her home, even though her ties to Godo were growing more fragile than before.
"Yuffie, you can't just go and take down Shinra, just for the sake of vengeance, okay?" sighed Yumi.
"We're just doing what we think is necessary… to build a brighter future. That's all there is to it," added Nayo.
"In other words, you're working with us so we don't work with your old buddies—knowing what would happen if we did," finished Sonon.
"They're right about one thing, Yuffie. But I think it's better if we drop the matter completely. We've got other concerns to take care of," agreed Cody.
But he did chuckle a bit.
"Wow, I can't believe I sounded like Master Yen Sid," he said.
Asuka and Yumi giggled a little, until it was time for them to move out and prepare for the next phase of the operation.
"So…what exactly does this 'ultimate materia' do? I'm guessing you have big plans for it?" wondered Nayo.
"Like after we steal it? Well, the more materia you have, the stronger you are, right?" replied Yuffie.
"Maybe, but materia's like a double edged sword. Until we find it and nab it from Shinra, we may be a lot stronger, but there are parts of us that will be weakened. Still, I guess it'd be an interesting expedition to find out what Shinra does with the creation of new materia, but only if we can get inside," said Cody.
"And not just that. By sneaking into Shinra HQ and snatching their most prized possession from under their noses… Not only will we deal them a massive blow to them… but we'll prove to them that while Wutai might be down, we're not out," added Sonon.
"That's good to know, Sonon. Now then, shall we proceed?" replied Yumi.
"Of course, Yumi," smirked the moogle clad kunoichi.
"Alright then, let's go," said Asuka, motioning to Nayo.
But as they passed through the gate where Cloud and Tifa saved Johnny from the Shinra police force, they saw three henchmen under the employ of Corneo.
"See those three?" one asked.
"Well hello there, ladies… How'd you like a shot at the big time?" the second greeted the three more mature girls.
At first, Yuffie believed they were greeting her, but her mood suddenly started to change a little.
"With those looks, I guarantee you're golden. So whaddaya say? Do any of you want to be queen of the undercity?" the third asked Nayo, Asuka and Yumi.
"Hey! What am I? Chopped liver!?" snapped Yuffie.
"Yuffie, don't…" hissed Cody.
"The kid should listen to her boyfriend," grinned the man who was learning at the three more developed young women.
"If I were you, I'd follow his advice, okay?" the second said to Yuffie.
"You'd be living and working in the most luxurious residence in all of Wall Ma-" the other man was about to say.
"You want us to be one of Corneo's brides, is that it? Which makes you a 'person of influence,' right?" questioned Nayo.
"Oh, I see you know your stuff. But I'd say I'm more of a 'helping hand'," replied the thug.
"And you want us to help you, is that it?" asked Asuka, who was growing annoyed.
"Yeah, that's exactly the point, sweetheart," he grinned.
The other thug was about to grab Nayo's hand, but Yumi slapped it away from her.
"You will not lay a finger on my friend!" she snapped.
Sonon could tell that this kunoichi was not to be trifled with, so he decided to help her out by tripping the other goon. Even Yuffie had the same idea.
"Oh boy…" sighed Cody, readying his Keyblade.
"Know any kids who can do that?" she asked.
"Yeah, so take a hike, you jerks! Two of these four girls love someone else, and if you even think of taking them away, you might make a certain spiky-haired friend of mine really pissed off. And no, Yuffie is not my girlfriend! Well, at least not yet anyway, but that doesn't give you the right to treat women like objects, thanks to what Sora told me from his personal experiences with someone who tried to go after a certain Sailor Guardian called Sailor Venus, even after Sailor Moon continued to refuse his offer to be his puppet," he added sharply.
"Okay, then I guess we'll have lots of fun gutting you, stupid prick," remarked the thug who watched what was going on as he drew his knife.
"You're gonna regret calling me that, you bastard," growled the Son of Xehanort.
"Okay, then if you wanna get a quick and painless death from us…be my guest," he smirked, and an all out brawl began, right after Asuka and Yumi unleashed their Shinobi Transformation.
"Gonna get fully wrecked at the Happy Turtle!
Wanna get blind drunk at the Happy Turtle!
Get inside, find a seat and order something strong!
Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!
Don't matter who you are; like we even care!
Chug! Chug! Chug on!
Drinkin' till the sun comes up, drinkin' tiill your brain goes numb!
Let yourself slip under and then give in to the riptide.
Pound it, down it, pound it, down it
Hawksbill!
Pound it, down it, pound it, down it
Slider!
Turtle's here to rampage!
Keeps a flipper on the bottle!
Turtle's here to run riot!
Keepin' it crazy, he'll never stop!
So come on, so come on, so come on, so come out of your shell.
And party, and party, and party, and party all night.
So come on, come on, come on, come out of your shell. Yeah!
And party, and party, and party, and party all night.
Gonna get fully wrecked at the Happy Turtle!
Wanna get blind drunk at the Happy Turtle!"
"Go, Twilight Toad!" cried Cody, and both he and Asuka launched an attack on their enemies.
One of the thugs was sent flying back from the attack.
"Frozen Flower!" yelled Yuffie, and both she and Yumi initiated their combo, even though they hadn't practiced it yet.
That brought the second thug down. However, the third was a lot stronger, until one look at Asuka's undergarments led to him getting a black eye.
"Why you little…!" he snapped, but Yumi swatted him back with one of her fans.
Then Cody decided to double the punishment even further when he channeled a tiny bit of Berserker within him.
"Gonna get fully wrecked at the Happy Turtle!
Wanna get blind drunk at the Happy Turtle!
Get inside, find a seat and order something strong!
Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!
Don't matter who you are; like we even care!
Chug! Chug! Chug on!
Drinkin' till the sun comes up, drinkin' tiill your brain goes numb!
Let yourself slip under and then give in to the riptide.
Pound it, down it, pound it, down it
Hawksbill!
Pound it, down it, pound it, down it
Slider!
Turtle's here to rampage!
Keeps a flipper on the bottle!
Turtle's here to run riot!
Keepin' it crazy, he'll never stop!
So come on, so come on, so come on, so come out of your shell.
And party, and party, and party, and party all night.
So come on, come on, come on, come out of your shell. Yeah!
And party, and party, and party, and party all night.
Gonna get fully wrecked at the Happy Turtle!
Wanna get blind drunk at the Happy Turtle!
All night!"
All three thugs were downed at once, but despite their injuries they were slowly able to recover.
"Hey, at least you tried," smirked Sonon.
"You're gonna eat those words, you smug piece of shit," remarked the knife fighter.
"Boss! Boss! You're not gonna believe this! The hottie of the century just fell right into our laps!" called the fourth who arrived, as he was lucky not to be entangled in the fight.
"She did?" asked his superior.
"Goods under the hood, junk in the trunk, and down for a bumpy ride!" he assured him.
The goons were pleased, even after the thrashing they had been given.
"Sorry, ladies, but after careful consideration, we've decided to go with a more 'qualified' applicant," he said to his foes, then he darted away with his friends following after him.
They did, of course, bid Yuffie, Nayo, Asuka and Yumi farewell, but Cody was most disgusted.
"Those jerks. They're even worse than the ones who still choose to treat women like objects, unlike me, Sora, and Kirito," he muttered.
Yuffie was surprised, and a little confused, but Sonon motioned for them to follow after him and Nayo.
"So, who were those creeps anyway?" she asked as they walked off.
"Don Corneo's talent scouts. They'll say and do just about anything to get unsuspecting girls back to the don's mansion," replied her friend.
"I thought it looked seedy. Guess' you'd have to be a scumbag to build a place like that," sighed Sonon.
"Yeah, perverts are the worst, even that Corneo guy they mentioned," said Asuka.
"But I get the feeling that they were talking about Tifa, who's part of the splinter cell. I can't help but worry about her," added Yumi.
"And let me guess, Sonon. You saw it while you were performing your rounds throughout the city?" asked Cody.
"Yeah, you bet your ass I did, Cody," he answered with a small hint of disgust.
"Well, we're here. Now we just have to wait," she said to her charges.
"Wait for who?" wondered the moogle-cloaked kunoichi.
"Not sure. We used to have someone who could make fake IDs in-house, but…they went off with the splinter cell. We've never dealt with this particular vendor before," explained Nayo.
"Wait, there's someone in a black cloak over there," called Cody.
"Oh yeah… what's up with that guy?" wondered Yuffie.
"Mako poisoning. That's what happens if you don't make the grade as a SOLDIER…or when the military's done using you," replied their friend.
"Just another one of Shinra's victims," murmured Sonon.
"Those poor souls. But even though Shinra has to pay, you do know that vengeance can't solve all of our problems," sighed Yumi.
"If it's Shinra you've got beef with… You'll be needing these. Can't access the plate without 'em," the counterfeiter said, holding two identification cards that were indeed fabricated, very much so like the ones that Jessie would make.
Yuffie took the cards and looked at them.
"They're gonna scan for those things on the train, so make sure you keep 'em on you," he warned them.
"Thank you," said Nayo, as she watched him depart.
But of course, Wutai's White Rose tossed him a Da-chao bean, and told him to taste it. He did so, but like the others, his teeth started hurting when they touched the hard shell.
"Foreigners and their weak jaws…" she snickered.
"We should probably head back and wait for Zhije," Nayo informed them.
"Good idea, Nayo. But, I'm starting to feel a little uneasy about this infiltration plan of Yuffie's," replied Cody.
"Hey, don't worry, Cody. As long as you're around, we can do anything," assured Yuffie.
"She's right. And with the way things are now, we just can't go and walk up to the front door of Shinra's main base and say hello to them," said Asuka.
"We're gonna need Avalanche to help us bypass security before we can do anything," added the staff fighter.
They soon walked back towards the main part of the undercity, while also making a little shortcut through a wall that was badly cracked. Of course, they did find time to buy some items from a vending machine so that they'd keep their strength up, but Nayo wanted to ask the two kunoichi who had transformed a question about their outfits.
"I'm just curious, Asuka and Yumi. Do you…actually love Sora?" she asked.
"Yes. Asuka told me about him even before we became friends, which of course was during our little feud on what justice really is," she replied.
"And even after Kurokage passed away, Yumi decided that she'd work hard at being not just a better ninja, but a better person. Even I decided to become a better person after meeting him, although Ikaruga did notice that I have a bit of his spirit within him. Also, don't worry. If you did meet Sora, then you should know that no matter how many girlfriends he has with him, he's not the perviest of perverts. He treats everyone like family, including those who are still children, like Chibiusa, his goddaughter from a thousand years in the future. Of course, time travel is a lot more complicated and confusing, so all it'd probably do is give you a very bad headache," added the ponytailed kunoichi.
"How about you, Cody? What do you think of Yuffie?" wondered the other ninja.
"Well, I guess she's kind of an oddball, but she can be funny at times, in a good way. But she's got a lot of spirit, as well as spunk, so I kind of like her," he said.
When they got back, a pigeon landed on her head, which was covered by the moogle hat. She was confused but Nayo noticed that there was another message on its leg, and upon reading it, saw that it was a change of plans. They had to go to the pillar, where Zhije would explain things to them in further detail.
"Wait, why do we have to go to the Sector 7 pillar? Isn't that restricted to Shinra personnel?" questioned Cody.
"It's also known as 'The Roof of the Slums.' Follow me, guys," replied Nayo.
"Why's he need us to hurry? I don't like the sound of this," said Sonon.
"Well, if you ask me, it's high time things picked up around here. You like living in the fast lane, huh. Yeah, I'm not your garden-variety Wutain. I'm a rare bloom!" replied Yuffie, as they followed after their ally.
"More like a mutant," he observed.
"Ooh, I'm so gonna use that!" she smirked.
"Well, every rose does have its thorns, much like some of the other girls do, which of course includes Weiss Schnee, the fencing princess of Atlas," said Cody.
At last they found Zhije, accosted by some Shinra security officers who wanted information from him. But the other man distracted them long enough to make his big escape, forcing them to go on a wild chase through the slums to the pillar.
"We gotta help," whispered the martial-artist.
"You guys go after Zhije. I'll head back and tell the others what happened," Nayo said, and she darted off.
Even so, Sonon felt it was best to make sure they had plenty of supplies before leaving to follow their charge. After getting what they wanted, they followed their tracks through the dirt road beneath their feet.
"Do you have any idea what Zhije actually did?" asked Yuffie.
"Whatever it was, he probably did it for us," replied Sonon.
"Still, we better follow after them, guys. I think they may have gone towards the train station," said Cody.
They ran and reached it, only to discover that the gate to the pillar was open. Of course, Yuffie did find another staff for Sonon to use, until they spotted Zhije with the grunts again.
"Got nowhere to run," he said, training his assault rifle on him.
"Tell us what you know. Now," added the other grunt.
They saw him raise his hands over his head, as if he were surrendering to them.
"How about later? I'm not stupid," he remarked, then darted off after pulling the elite aside.
This got them even more rattled, and they charged after him.
"Wow, he's actually good. I can't believe he managed to outfox those grunts," grinned Asuka.
"Talk about fast. Is he one of us?" asked Yuffie.
"We don't have time for that, guys. You can ask him yourselves once he's safe. Come on," interjected Sonon.
They followed them, until they were now in a shipping facility.
"You got grit. I'll give you that," Zhije taunted the two grunts.
"Piece of shit. He's toying with us," grumbled the officer.
"This some kind of factory or something? It reminds me of a place I passed through when I got here. And if it's anything like that, it'll be crawlin' with monsters," observed Yuffie, as the chase continued.
They were able to hop across some crates, and even managed to take out some cripshays that tried to stall them. After which, they hurried along, but not before shutting down a conveyor belt that Yuffie tossed her shuriken at a switch to power it down so they could cross it to the other side. They spotted more cripshays ahead, and decided to take them down as well, even though Sonon was skeptical about his friend's penchant for getting into trouble a lot. However, they still followed after Zhije, who managed to slip away from the first group of soldiers.
"Sorry!" he called, saluting them as he fled.
The troops were about to alert the other squads, when Yuffie and her friends caught them by surprise, and took them down. However, they saw yet another conveyor belt with crates on it.
"Ah, I know how this goes. If we wanna get to Zhije, we gotta shut that down," she smirked.
"Yuffie, over here! I found a switch," called Yumi.
Nodding towards her, the White Rose of Wutai raced to her location, then timing her throw carefully, she shut it down with a careful fling of her shuriken. However, they saw some lesser drakes and Heartless nearby, and immediately sprung into action before they could cause any further trouble, by taking them out one by one.
"C'mon, we gotta follow Zhije," said Asuka.
Everyone nodded and raced after him across the deactivated conveyor belt, until they saw Zhije yet again, dropping down a pole, which they also rode down. Then they came to what looked like a little lift that would take them slowly over another conveyor belt, after pressing a button to make it go.
"Hey, do you think Nayo's alright?" Yuffie asked her friends as she destroyed some crates to get more supplies.
"She's a local, remember? She'll be fine," assured Sonon.
"I agree. And she's also a good friend, even after I stopped Corneo's goons from taking us away, which was the perfect chance to give them a good thrashing," added Yumi.
"Still, people are what they choose to be, Yuffie. And being part of Avalanche was what gave them a sense of purpose, even though Barret's team has destroyed two of the reactors, until they all decide to make their next move. But, they'll be okay. They may have split off after a couple of disagreements, but I'd choose to trust them, just like Sora would," said Asuka.
"And the sad thing is that a lot has changed since that little split up. Even I'm worried about them, just like Sora is," replied Cody.
But then they saw another squad of troopers armed with grenade launchers. They followed after them, but Zhije, after reaching the other side, began pulling the lever to start the conveyor belt.
"You guys just don't know when to quit," he said.
That was a mistake. It caused Yuffie to stumble and trip, and she began to fall.
Yuffie!" cried Cody, and he jumped down after her.
He whooshed past her, and as time and space slowed to a crawl, Godo's daughter landed in his arms.
"My hero…" she cooed.
"Good save, Cody," praised Asuka and Yumi, who landed beside them.
"Yeah, very well done," agreed Sonon.
"Thanks, but, we still need to go after Zhije, then he can apologize to us after he nearly got Yuffie killed by accident. Also, I hope she doesn't think of cutting out his throat with her shuriken," replied Cody.
"Look, I know I can be pretty out there, but I'm not that crazy to spill blood for no good reason," sighed Yuffie, after she was gently set down.
Even as they hurried along, they were suddenly accosted by a horned cripshay that lay in wait for trespassers. Without wasting a moment, they quickly fought it with all they had, but its offspring appeared and tried to tear them apart, only to be cut down without warning. All of the creatures were soundly defeated, cut to ribbons by their weapons. After climbing and jumping about, they raced across the grate to the other side, where they found the Shinra grunts with the grenade launchers.
"Ten-four. Be there as soon as we can," he said.
Yuffie listened in as they hid.
"Unit 3 says they've got the suspect detained near pillar maintenance. We'd better not keep them waiting," the grenadier told the gunner.
"What? Pillar Maintenance? How'd they let him get that far?" wondered his squadmate.
"Hell if I know. C'mon," replied the commander, and they raced off.
"We'd better take them out discreetly," whispered Cody.
Yumi nodded, then jumped out from behind the crate.
"Hello there," she greeted them.
"Freeze!" cried the troops.
"No, you freeze," remarked the snow kunoichi, and she took them down after assuming her Ice Queen state.
"Whoa," gasped Yuffie, as she saw the two soldiers get flung off into the darkness below.
"Not too shabby, Yumi. I'm actually a bit surprised that someone like you would play it smart, rather than foolishly," smiled Sonon.
"Well, we should continue our search for Zhije. He's probably up ahead, but first we need to shut this machine down," replied Asuka.
Yuffie nodded, and after shutting down another conveyor belt, they hurried on to reach their ally in the maintenance area. They had managed to reach the storage depot, and began climbing their way up to get to their informant.
"Alright, see that massive structure up ahead? That's the pillar those troopers were talking about. Assuming the maintenance facility's near there, we should probably head toward it. Sound good?" suggested Sonon.
"Yeah, works for me," replied Yuffie.
They did have to solve some very difficult puzzles to reach the other side of the depot, but they were able to solve it, thanks to Yumi's experience of helping Kirito and his family out with Team SKYYYLAARC, while also staying alert on dealing with the monsters that tried to stall them, and even fought against a Wraith hound that proved to be very challenging like the one Cloud and Tifa fought during the mercenary work they did for the neighborhood watch. They defeated it, then pressed on, while also finding other ways to solve the puzzles that would prove to be very challenging for them way later on, but they also did find some more healing items that would give them a slight edge.
"Hey, about what you said earlier," said Sonon, after they defeated some wayward wolves.
"Which was…?" wondered Yuffie.
"About Avalanche—how it's changed," he informed her.
"Oh, that," she replied.
"These people are too soft," explained the staff fighter.
"I guess, but you didn't know that we are part of the splinter cell. Both me, Asuka, and Yumi. And we're really sorry that we didn't tell you that sooner. You see, Sora asked us to take care of Marlene, who's the daughter of the group's leader, Barret Wallace. And it's a good thing Sora told us to watch over her and the two members of that cell of Avalanche that's been labeled as too extreme. But, the people of Midgar are innocent, and not the bad guys. They're actually Shinra's puppets of their propaganda, even though they don't want to die by our hands. Sora believes that killing is wrong, unless someone who refuses to accept defeat gives us little choice but to kill them," replied Cody.
"That's right. Both Yumi and I nearly got each other killed, but Kurokage was able to stop us, and he said that our friends and family are the most important treasures of all before he passed away, so that his heart could rest peacefully within Kingdom Hearts," added Asuka.
"But when Fubuki and I fought each other in that final battle, after she nearly lost herself to darkness, she and I nearly killed each other, until Sora jumped between us, and took the killing blows we directed at each other. That got our sibling rivalry to stop, and we soon learned a valuable lesson. A fight to the death only causes nothing but pain and suffering for all of us. And Sonon, if you don't mind my saying so, if something does indeed happen to you. Something so terrible that it causes us pain and heartache, then we'll promise to make sure that Cody will take care of Yuffie. That's our word we're giving to you," added Yumi.
"Wait, what?" questioned Yuffie.
"Hmm… You know what? I guess it's a fair understanding, Yumi. But, I'll still follow Yuffie to the ends of the earth and beyond if need be," replied Sonon.
They martialled on, until they entered the waste disposal plant of the Sector 7 plate. But then they came to a large bird that had some sharp fangs in its beak.
"Hey, Boss… Wanna try treading a little lighter this time? No point fighting if we don't have to," he whispered.
"Yeah, yeah, I know… Gotta be quiet… Very quiet… As quiet as a mouse…" hissed Yuffie.
Unfortunately, a small mouse's squeak made her jump back, and her squeal woke the bird called a levrikon from its sleep, which in turn made it glare at her.
"Uh… good morning!" she said to the creature.
"Why me?" groaned Sonon.
The angry levrikon charged at them, but Cody and the others were prepared as they had dealt with monsters before in their previous adventures. Thankfully, Yumi's ice ninjitsu proved to be the ticket they needed to give them an advantage, so Yuffie decided to do the same after she flung her shuriken at the creature, then used the same techniques she did, with Sonon backing her up.
"Asuka! With me!" cried Cody.
"I'm right behind you, Cody!" she replied, and the two allies brought the mutant bird to its knees.
"You had to awaken the beast!" scowled Yuffie, and she too cut it down in a blood-crazed frenzy.
The levrikon fell, then disappeared in a shower of green particles.
"Alright, it can't be far now. Let's get our rears in gear! Big 'g', little 'o', go, go, go!" she grinned.
And off they went, to find Zhije once more. However, they soon discovered a note that told them about the containers that had some very nifty items that could help them out, although Yuffie was a skilled ninja after the intense training she endured. As they rode the lift they were on, Yuffie made sure to destroy the crates carefully, although there were some obstructions that would get in the way of her weapon, which she needed to bypass. She did destroy as many of them as she could, and even scored some new items that would help them out like turbo ethers, elixirs, megalixirs, and several other items that would keep them going. Then they hurried along another conveyor belt that had some boxes on it, but it was deactivated, which gave them the advantage they needed.
"Up ahead, that building just screams 'important,'" said Yuffie.
"Pillar maintenance. It has to be," replied Sonon.
"Right. Let's double time it, guys," agreed Cody.
They soon reached a room that had a lot of security inside.
"Bleh, why'd there have to be so many guards?" she complained.
"I think you know exactly why. Gotta say, they might call this place a maintenance facility…but it looks more like an arms factory to me,' replied her companion.
"He's right. We don't want to alert them to our presence, otherwise Zhije will be killed, and our chances of reaching the main headquarters are nothing but dust blowing in the wind," added Asuka.
They had to tread carefully though, or else risk being spotted, leading to another battle they'd have little chance of winning. At last, they found Zhije, accosted by the Shinra soldiers below, but they had to stay quiet as they watched from their perch.
"Now, spill it! Who gave you that information!?" demanded the soldier.
"Oh, his name was something like…Heidegger?" replied Zhije.
But the soldier behind hit him with the butt of his weapon.
"Wrong answer!" he barked.
"I'm gonna ask you again!" his ally said.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. It was Rufus," the informant lied again.
"You don't say…" he scoffed, and the grunt behind him struck again.
"...Or was it Hojo?" asked Zhije.
"Stupid inbred liar! EXECUTE HIM, NOW!" shouted Hyena Razor Droid, who was commanding the two soldiers.
"Huh. Nice goin', Zhije," whispered Yuffie.
"We gotta stop them," said Yumi.
"Ready to do this, Boss?" asked Sonon.
"Born ready!" she replied.
"Okay, Yuffie and I will create a diversion. That way, you, Asuka and Yumi can give Zhije a chance to escape, Sonon," explained Cody.
"Good to know. Now, let's get this party started," grinned the kunoichi, then she darted away.
"In case things don't go our way, we gotta improvise a little. A little splinter cell tactic that might prove very useful to you," assured Asuka.
"Hey, you! Evildoers! Over here!" Yuffie called from above.
The troops turned and faced her, even as she started laughing.
"Here we go," whispered the kunoichi of ice.
"That's exactly what I was hoping you'd ask! And… ACTION!" she smirked, and produced a smoke bomb, even as Cody stood with his Keyblade at the ready.
But he did see that she was performing what was called a Gilgamesh-style kind of introduction.
"Some know me as a beguiling ninja! Others as the world's greatest materia hunter. But! Who am I truly? Well, excited onlookers, wonder no more! Before you stands a rare bloom: the single white rose of Wutai… the one-and-only Yuffie!" she announced, tossing aside her moogle disguise.
However, she started coughing and spluttering, much to the soldiers' amusement. But Cody noticed that she wore a sleeveless green turtleneck jumper that bore her midriff, a pair of tan shorts that had no belt, and were both unbuttoned and unzipped. Over her left arm was a protective gauntlet with a single pauldron over her shoulder, which could be treated like a shield. It was held in place vya strap tied across her chest and around her back. Ninja-mail mesh covered parts of her right arm and left leg, and an additional piece of armor covered most of her thigh. She even had a similar wrist covering gauntlet on her right arm, orange fingerless gloves, and orange sneakers with white leg warmers. The most noticeable feature was that she wore a white headband that was sometimes with another black band that was tied over it. One careful look at her fully revealed face made him see that she did look very cheery indeed, even though
"Never mind, it's just some kid," he said.
His partner nodded as they turned to terminate Zhije.
"Hey, who're you callin' a kid!?" snapped Yuffie, but she suddenly slipped and fell once more.
However, she was prepared, and landed on her feet, even as Cody jumped after her and landed beside her. But it was enough for Sonon to take advantage of the situation, and free Zhije from the grunts' grasp.
"Award winning performance, Boss," he said, earning a slight giggle from her.
Even Asuka and Yumi giggled as well, until the grunts demanded who they were. However, they were prepared, and down from above came a large fighting machine, called the Gigantipede.
"No freakin' way!" she moaned, as it landed before them.
"Don't let fear stop you, guys! Let's give it all we got!" Cody said, taking charge of the attack.
"Centipede model, huh?" murmured Sonon.
"Couldn't they have made it less gross?" Yuffie asked.
"Now's not the time for that, Yuffie! We have to destroy this machine," interjected Yumi.
"Yumi's right, everyone! Remember, if it's a machine, you must not hold back!" agreed Asuka.
Sonon attacked the head with all he had, and Yuffie made sure to stay far back enough to avoid its tail. However, she knew that she had to strike it head on as well, even with the others backing her up. Suddenly, the gigantipede fired a volley of missiles at them.
"What in the–" she gasped.
"It's a containment laser,' said her partner.
"Don't let up, you guys! We can't let this machine crush us into dust!" called the Son of Xehanort, as he swung his Keyblade at the machine with all his strength.
They continued to strike at it with all they had, until it was severely crippled, and dropped down onto the ground, unable to move. Then they attacked it more furiously than before, as well as used the team combos that would give them the edge. But it soon recovered and started to slowly lumber away.
"Look, there it goes," Yumi said quickly.
"Oho… Running away, are we?" Yuffie asked slyly.
But then her mood slowly began to change.
"Or maybe it's doing one of those…'tactical retreats?" she wondered.
"Looks like it, but be careful," warned Cody.
"Guys, look there!" cried Asuka, pointing to the grating.
The Gigantipede was now crawling about on the grates, much like a centipede would on a wall, but the main difference was that it was larger and more durable, due to the heavy armor. Suddenly, the heard what sounded like small discharges from it's missile pods.
"It's spitting little critters!" said Yuffie.
"Drones? What does it need them for?" asked Sonon.
"I don't know, but be careful, as well as prepared," replied the Son of Xehanort.
"They've got lasers too! And where there's lasers…" she gasped.
"There's missiles," finished her partner.
"Let's crank it into overdrive!" called Asuka, and they took out the tracking drones.
"How are we supposed to stop those things!?" she asked.
"By not letting it launch them!" remarked Sonon.
But the mech soon swung down and landed near them again.
"So now you come crawling down," smirked Yuffie, and both she and Sonon combined their strengths again.
"Alright, now let's hit harder and make it count!" cried Cody, and they all attacked it while also avoiding its defensive weaponry.
However, as they fought, Cody remembered something that he helped Yuffie get.
"That materia Chadley created with your help! Use it to call Ramuh!" he called.
Yuffie nodded, and called forth the Lord of Levin to her side to help them. This gave them an even greater edge, until the machine was now close to its final leg.
"Boss!" called Sonon.
Yuffie nodded, and raced back to her comrade. She was launched up towards the machine, with Cody and Asuka following after her.
"You will not escape! Secret Ninja Art: BLACK ICE!" cried Yumi.
"GET WRECKED!" her three friends cried out, and struck at it with their own weapons, right after Yumi's attack stalled it.
But even as they struck it, they all saw that the head contained a drill within, after it was destroyed.
"Wait, what!?" she gasped.
Yuffie dodged out of the way, with Cody and Asuka jumping in separate directions.
"More drones are coming! Take them out, quick!" she called to her allies.
"Looks like it wants to get serious," murmured the quarter-staff fighter.
"Oh, we'll make it serious, alright—dead serious," remarked Yuffie.
"My thoughts exactly, Yuffie!" agreed Cody.
But then she saw that without its armor protecting the head, the Gigantipede was now vulnerable to electricity, which meant that this was the perfect chance to give her an advantage, while also taking care of the drones that were using their lasers to track them.
"So, are we doin' good, or are we doin' good?" she asked.
"Just don't let up!' warned Sonon.
"Right! Asuka, with me! Let's see if we can surpass our limits, just as Sora taught us!" called Yumi.
Asuka nodded, and together, they unleashed both their Ice Queen and Deep Shadow forms to give the a massive power boost, while also being cautious not to drain themselves of their strength. They sacrificed way too much to give up now, and they would not let it come to pass. Yuffie led the charge, with Sonon at her side, and even Cody swung his Keyblade furiously, deflecting the cannonfire, as well as cutting through the missiles as if they were nothing more than blades of grass. It was all or nothing now. Then Ramuh, whom Yuffie summoned, landed appeared near her, and the rocks covered her up as it formed what looked like a mountain to shield her and the others from the blast. The Lord of Levin appeared on it, and with his staff in hand, sent a large burst of violet lightning down on the machine, destroying its power core. Explosions buffeted the Gigantipede, even as it staggered back to withdraw and reevaluate its strategy, but it was too late. The machine fell and was now nothing more than spare parts to be taken to a scrap yard, forcing Hyena to retreat.
"This isn't over! I'll be back, if you are able to escape Sector 7's final moments in time," he said, and vanished into the dark corridors.
"You see that?" Yuffie grinned, and she and Sonon exchanged a fist bump with each other.
"We did it!" cheered Asuka, despite her outfit being in tatters.
"That's how ninjas do it," replied Sonon.
"I agree," added Yumi, who's kimono also suffered some wear and tear.
"Nice work! You saved my ass," sighed Zhije who returned after his escape.
"It's the least we could do, Zhije, but you shouldn't have thrown that switch. You nearly got Yuffie killed when you did that," said Cody.
"Yeah, I know, but I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to try and get you guys killed," he explained.
But on the brighter side, Cody actually became my hero when he saved me from getting hurt, although I don't like playing the damsel in distress, Zhije," said Godo's daughter.
"And, it did earn you these," said the blonde informant, holding some special ID cards that he had made.
Yuffie was surprised, as she was given the special cards.
"Employee ID cards. They'll get you into the Shinra Building, and pretty much any floor—basement included. That's where Advanced Weaponry got their lab set up…and where they conduct their materia research. IF what you're looking for's anywhere in that place, it's gonna be there," Zhije told them.
"Got it," Cody and Yuffie replied.
"You should probably get movin'. Word is, Shinra's got something big lined up for us. Nothing less than the destruction of Sector 7," he warned them.
"They can try, but Sora and the others will do their best to get the people out of there, and make sure they get to the other sectors, like Sector 6. You can trust him on that, but we'll be long gone before it happens," assured Asuka.
"Asuka's right, Zhije. In the meantime, can you tell the others about what you've told us, and can you alert Barret's group about it as well? We want them to be prepared for Shinra's attack as well, while we also make sure that the people are taken care of and evacuated to safety," added Yumi.
Zhije nodded, and after the deal was made, with Sonon promising to drink for the promises of ensuring that Wutai was still going strong, they would share a toast in the Happy Turtle in Yuffie's hometown. That was until Yuffie noticed that Cody was looking at her in a rather perplexed manner.
"What?" she asked.
"Oh, it's just… I had no idea that you looked cute, Yuffie," he said quickly.
"Aw, you're sweet, Cody. You know that? Still, I'm just glad that Sora and his friends are doing okay, and I hope to meet up with them later," smiled Yuffie.
"Anyway, I think it's time we got going. We'll leave as soon as we're ready," added Sonon.
She nodded towards him, and hurried on ahead, although deep down the other man was feeling something that was eating away at his heart, every time he saw her. He couldn't explain it, but Cody was starting to sense it as well, thanks to his intense training with Sora and the other Keyblade Wielders.
"What's going on?" Yuffe asked, when they all returned to the slums of Sector 7.
They all saw that the Shinra Security Officers were guarding the entrance to the clinic that served as another headquarters for her cell of Avalanche. All of the undercity residents were disgusted by where Avalanche was located, and where they'd always plot their attacks from beneath their own noses, and Yuffie listened in on what they were saying.
"Prob'ly best if we don't stick around," whispered Sonon.
"Sonon's right. We should go before we get found out, and head to the train station," agreed Asuka.
'Kay," replied Yuffie.
They quickly darted away, but also made sure not to let themselves be caught by Shinra's police force, SOLDIER. However, Cody stopped, and looked back at Seventh Heaven.
"Cloud, Sora, guys, please get here soon. I don't wanna know what would happen if Barret's daughter was killed in the destruction of Sector 7," he murmured.
"She'll be alright, Cody. And believe me, there's no way they'll let Marlene die that easily," assured Asuka.
"Yeah, Asuka's right, Cody. You don't need to worry about her 24/7. Besides, even though she's a kid, there's no way that someone like her will die at all, okay?" agreed Yuffie, gently resting her hand on his shoulder.
"And besides, even if the people do manage to escape, Marlene will most certainly be among them, including the survivors. We must always be ready to make a difference, just like Sora did for Weiss," added Yumi.
The blonde Keyblade Wielder nodded, and hurried away to the station.
"So… you think Nayo and the others got away?" asked the bowl-cut kunoichi.
"We can worry about that once we have, Boss," replied Sonon, as they continued down the dirt road.
At last, they reached the station.
"Guys, I don't think we'll be back here anytime soon, so make sure you're ready for anything, okay?" he warned them.
"I think we're good here. Let's roll," replied Yuffie.
But they were feeling unsure about the crowd of people on the train.
"What's with all these people?" she asked.
"Due to the recent incident at Mako Reactor 5, only a limited number of trains are currently in service. Please note that the Sector 5 Undercity Station is closed until further notice. Thank you,," said a train attendant, right as Nayo took Yuffie's hand and turned her around.
She shushed her quietly.
"Splinter cell's done its best to make things hard for ya. Miss this train and there's no telling when the next'll be," said Polk, who was with her.
Then the train arrived at the station, where the people hoped to get aboard and evacuate early.
"Looks like it's now or never, guys," said Billy Bob, as he also got aboard after the doors opened.
"Sorry we couldn't give you a proper send-off. Just know that we're rooting for you, okay?" added Nayo.
"Thank you, Nayo, and please be safe," replied Cody.
But the other girl slowly stepped up and gently kissed his forehead.
"We will, Cody. I promise," she assured him, and she too boarded the train in another car.
The five friends nodded towards each other.
"All aboard!" announced Yuffie, and they all got onto the train with the other passengers.
Sometime later, after leaving the station, Yuffie leaned on the wall, moaning and groaning.
"Oh boy…" she said.
"What is it?" asked Yumi.
"Gonna be sick?" Sonon asked as well.
Yuffie grabbed her mouth, so that she wouldn't throw up all over the floor of the car, which would make everyone recoil in disgust.
"I'll be fine… As long as I'm standing up…" she groaned.
"Don't worry. We'll make sure you'll get a doctor who can help you take care of your ailment," assured Asuka.
"Thanks, Asuka," replied Yuffie.
But Sonon couldn't help but chuckle.
"Don't laugh," she croaked.
"Melphie always got motion sick. Chocobos, boats… Sure trains would've done it too," he said.
"Who's Melphie?" the four friends asked.
"My sister," replied Sonon.
This made them curious.
"She trained under your father at the same time as me. And she had such promise…" he said.
"'Had'?" inquired Yuffie.
"What happened to her?" asked Cody.
"The war was ending… But a Shinra mech went haywire near a crowd, and… she had to do something. They deserve what's comin' to 'em," he explained.
"I'm so sorry, Sonon," sighed the silver-haired kunoichi.
"Yeah. They do. But I'm not your sister," added Yuffie.
However, as she tried to walk away, the train turned a corner, and Yuffie collapsed into Cody's arms, but he pulled out a barf bag for her to throw up in, so that the horrible sight of her dinner would not splatter everywhere.
"Thanks, Cody," she sighed.