Summary: Cloud meets Aerith and is impressed. (And maybe a little jealous.) They fight monsters.

Chapter 7: Ganging Up

Cloud wished he could blame Shinra for his inability to sleep in. They were responsible for a lot of his other problems, after all.

Truth was his ma used to get him up even earlier than the drill sergeants in basic. There was always lots to do when you weren't hooked up to mako power and there weren't a dozen stores and restaurants down the block. When he was big enough (which in Nibelheim, meant around four) he'd started his mornings bringing in wood for the stove and gathering eggs from the chickens. As he got older, it was finding the wood, and hunting up breakfast. A decade later and a continent away, he'd still woken up when morning was barely a twinkle in the Odin's eye. But in Shinra, when his fellow recruits were whining at reveille, Cloud had lain on his bed and enjoyed the luxury of just lying there.

He still enjoyed lying in bed having nothing to do, but he could only do it for so long before he wanted to be up and moving. Despite Andy's exquisite sheets and lovely body, Cloud had just about reached his limit.

Cloud showered and dressed, not bothering to sneak around, but Andy barely stirred. Leaning over the dancer, Cloud gave him a kiss. Andy sighed groggily but didn't wake.

Andrea Rhodea looked years younger asleep. Almost innocent though from what Cloud knew of their childhood, neither of the Rhodea kids had had that. Part of Cloud wished things could be different, but after so many years, he accepted that it was what it was and no more.

His boots and his sword he put on once he reached the couches downstairs. Nesime was the day receptionist. Burlier than Luka, she could handle customers who didn't want to leave, or wanted a discount, or any of the other stupid things that came with morning-after regrets.

Cloud nodded at her. He'd actually recommended her for the position after watching her in the ring at Jules' gym.

As he was bent over, doing up his boots, Director Palmer, a Shinra director of… something, edged past the reception desk heading for the back door. As if everybody and their cats didn't know Palmer spent half his paycheque at the Inn. A lonely old man with some pretty harmless kinks – why bother sneaking out?

Cloud left by the front door. One of the joys of being an under-the-plate nobody was that he could live life the way he wanted. No rules, no regulations, and if a person disapproved, Cloud could just walk away.

He nodded at the garbage pickers, out collecting anything of value that last night's revelers might have dropped - and sometimes what they hadn't dropped but were too drunk to defend. They wouldn't kill anyone, would actually make sure the drunks were on their sides and breathing. Don Corneo had a rule about killing the tourists, and it was 'don't'. Probably about the only thing on which Cloud would ever agree with him.

The restaurants were also open. Even the dumpling place had a version of greasy breakfast that the desperately hung-over could queasily devour.

Cloud went to the hole-in-the-wall next to the laundry shop. There was actually a door between the two shops since they were run by two brothers-in-law. Cloud appreciated the convenience. He also appreciated that it was less busy than the places on the main thoroughfare.

"You find anything interesting out in the wastes?" Mong, the brother-in-law in charge asked.

Cloud smiled. He sure as hell had.

As he made his way to Sam's stables, it occurred to Cloud how weird it was to be making plans with a guy he'd only known for a day. Maybe Fair would want to stay with his girl, and Cloud would be interrupting. Maybe Fair would forget. Why the hells would Fair want to hang around with him?

Goat balls, Cloud thought, running his fingers through Deza's crest and making sure the lock on his travel chest hadn't been tampered with.

Well, he'd promised, so he'd show up and see if Zack showed up too.

Decided, Cloud swung up onto Deza's back and set the green to climb the wall of debris around Sam's yard. Deza, warking happily, ascended the steep slope as easily as if it were level ground. Cloud laughed with him. It was nice to just run full out – do what your body was made for.

The top of the expressway probably wasn't the safest place to go full speed, but Cloud let Deza run. They ran past the boundfats and the gorgers, and they leapt over chasms and ravines, and they reached Sector 5's outskirts in half the time it would've taken them on the road. Three quick hops and they were on the road with its mud and metal plates, and its people. Sector 5 was much livelier than Wall Market. Probably because the residents hadn't been drunk off their asses the night before.

Reluctantly, Cloud dismounted and led Deza along the main thoroughfare.

"Heya Cloud!" It was Oates, leading a horde of children. "Is that your chocobo?"

That led to Cloud giving a bunch of kids an impromptu lesson on chocobo care. He had Deza kneel and the kids groomed (petted) his neck and crest. They were actually decent with the bird, so Cloud let them sit in the saddle and explained how to hold the reins, and how to use their legs to steer.

"Oh! There's Ms Folia!" shouted one of the kids. That led to a general panic about being late, but of course, they still called her over "to pet the chocobo".

He recognized her. She recognized him. They politely let the kids introduce them anyway. She cooed and praised, and then shooed them all back to Leaf House. They ran off, happy with the unusual start to the day.

"You won't tell them, will you?"

"You're a good dancer," he said in response. "Since all you do is dance, why be ashamed?"

"I do love it," she said. "But nobody will believe that I only dance."

Cloud snorted, half in exasperation. "Sex work is just another job," he said. "That's what my ma always said."

She looked at him curiously. "That's… not an attitude most people have."

Cloud shrugged. "You know I grew up in a small town, yah?" She nodded. "Was only me and my ma long's I can remember, and she was young when she had me." Ms Folia nodded again, paying attention. "She said guys in the village would come around offering food 'n' stuff in exchange for sex. Like, since she'd had a kid but no husband, she must be available. She kept saying no. Some decided she wanted marriage first and offered that." He looked at her. "If she'd said yes to any of them, how would it've been different from an exchange of gil?"

Ms Folia frowned, hopefully in thought, but in the end did it matter? He wasn't the morals police.

"Got no reason to tell anyone here about anything." he said.

She grabbed his hand. "Thank you! And thank you for clearing out the monsters in the kid's 'secret club'."

Cloud shrugged again. He'd gotten paid for that job. The little moogle kid had a helluva market and Cloud had picked up a scarf that would be good when travelling outside Midgar. Always colder away from the plates and mako reactors.

After she'd left, Cloud went to the corner where Chadley had set up yesterday. The kid wasn't there today, but Cloud wasn't worried. Chadley'd turn up somewhere.

He ground tied Deza and went in search of coffee. He'd spotted a decent looking place yesterday, so that's where he went. There was a small line up of chatty people. By the time he got back to his chocobo, Zack and his girl were there.

Cloud hid the huge relief he felt by taking a sip of his coffee. It was too hot. He burned his tongue, and frantically puffed air in an attempt to miraculously reverse time or something, so he wouldn't feel like an idiot when he reached them.

Zack was still wearing the hideous T-shirt and shirt combination from yesterday, but he'd acquired the drab grey-green work pants just about every guy under the plate wore. They made the T-shirt look even brighter. The girl – young woman (Tifa would smack him for defaulting to 'girl') – wore a simple blue dress decorated with ribbons and flowers. She carried a hefty staff, and Cloud could see the glint of green and gold materia in the sockets.

She looked at Fair as if her dreams had fallen from the heavens –also like she wanted to get him naked immediately.

Zack looked like he'd float if gravity wasn't a thing. Also looked a helluva lot more relaxed than he had yesterday.

Cloud said. "Hava good night?" The two of them looked at each other, then away, then they both blushed redder than Bombs. "Guess the reunion went okay," Cloud said dryly.

The woman – Aerith – broke out in giggles. Zack rubbed a hand over his hair. It looked like he'd slept on it wet.

"So whadya wanna do today?" Cloud asked once formal introductions were completed.

"I thought we could go get that drake hide," Zack said.

Cloud cut a look at Aerith. She didn't look like much of a fighter, but then, most people didn't think Cloud looked like much of one either. He was a head taller than his mother, which still didn't make him tall.

"Odd thing to do for a date," is all he said though.

"Well…" Aerith said with a sweet smile that raised all sorts of alarms. "If someone comes after my boyfriend, I need to know how to protect him, right?"

She was smaller than Cloud, and Zack topped him by a head. "Riiiight."

"Plus I promised Mr Karr that my big, strong boyfriend would clear out the cemetery, so he could get in to visit his wife, and it turns out the place the drakes always go to isn't much past that.

"Uh huh." Cloud turned to Zack brow raised.

"Well, you said mercenary work." Zack looked sheepish.

"Mercenaries get paid," Cloud pointed out.

Zack shot a look at his girlfriend who smiled even sweeter. "Uh, chickens and potions sometimes, right? I'm good with that."

"Right." Cloud had said that. "Let me stable Deza. He's a good bird, but not battle trained."

"We'll grab some supplies!" Zack grinned.

"Actually, you're gonna come with me," Cloud said. "The chocobo stand should be deserted and I've got some extra materia that could be useful."

"Really?" Aerith said. "How many do you have?"

Cloud looked around at the growing crowd. "Enough." He started walking back to the S5-6 Road, and the two love birds followed, holding hands and practically skipping.

"I borrowed Mom's Ice materia. It belonged to her husband, and I found this other one a year ago," she announced to the world. "I'm not sure I'm using it right, though."

"I said she could practice on us," Zack added.

Cloud resisted the urge to sigh. He jerked his chin at her staff. "Know what kind it is?"

"Uhh, healing?"

Both Cloud and Zack were shaking their heads. "Healing materia is green," Zack said. "Unless that's changed since… Since I left SOLDIER."

"Still green," Cloud confirmed. He held out a hand. "May I?"

Aerith looked to Zack who nodded. She popped out the gold materia and handed it to Cloud. He stopped for a moment, closing his eyes and feeling for the materia's purpose. When he realized what it was, his eyebrows popped up.

"That's Prayer," he said.

"That's good, is it?" Zack asked.

"Yah. Heals everybody around you," Cloud said. "Pretty weak still, but it'll be powerful once leveled."

"So I wasn't wrong that it was a healing materia," Aerith pointed out. She gave Cloud a cheeky grin.

"Good instincts," is all he said in reply.

At the chocobo stand, Cloud unlocked his saddlebags and opened his materia holder. He didn't have a tonne, but they were good battle materia. He took out Barrier.

"Each person has an affinity to magic. Some people are better with healing and support and they can feel those kinds of materia better. Not scientific, but it works." He held out the green materia. "Try this."

Aerith gave her staff to Zack and held the materia in both hands. She frowned at it. Rolled it around on her palms. She looked up. "It's protection, right?"

Cloud nodded. "Barrier. Right now, only protects against physical attacks, but soon it should protect against magic attacks some."

"How do you know that?" Zack looked fascinated.

"Experience," Cloud laughed. "Natural materia's not like that stuff Shinra made. It… Not learns, but something like it. Gets better? More practiced? Just easier to use so you can do more with it."

"Doesn't all materia do that?" Aerith asked.

While Cloud had them go through his materia, checking for the ones that fit them best, Zack explained how Shinra had used a machine to transform liquid mako into pre-determined materia using an artificial 'seed', and how they'd worked out ways to force two materias to combine to create new ones, or more powerful versions of old ones. All the while, Aerith's nose stayed wrinkled, as if she smelled something bad.

"I used to have the coolest materia," Zack said wistfully. "I had one, Aerial Plus. I'd jump up, come down like a grenade - deal damage and gain health at the same time. I had it equipped when I went to Nibelheim. Wasn't in my sword when I got out, though."

"Last I heard, mosta that manufactured materia broke down. Evaporated or exploded. Poof." Cloud smiled. "For a while after that, could sell any piece of shit materia to Shinra for just about anything I asked."

Zack perked up. "Yeah? What did you sell 'em?" he asked knowingly.

"Steal, and an item thing I never did figure out how to use." Cloud said with a smile. "More picky now, course. Got their own people out looking, too."

In the end, Cloud loaned Aerith his Steadfast Block and Barrier materias to go with her Ice and Prayer. Zack got First Strike, Counterattack and HP Up. Cloud kept Fire, Comet, Healing, and Magic Up. Those weren't the best combinations, but considering Zack gave his HP Absorption to his girlfriend, Cloud figured his job would be to protect Aerith while Zack went full SOLDIER on anything that threatened her.

Their trip back through the village was filled with greetings to Aerith, which he'd expected.

There were also quite a few to Zack, which he hadn't. Most were along the lines of "Where you been?" and "I thought you'd deserted us for life on the beach at Costa Del Sol!" Or, once, "It's about time you came back. You nearly broke that girl's heart!"

Cloud gave Zack a sideways look. "You didn't tell me you were famous."

Aerith giggled and leaned into Zack's side. "He used to come down here all the time to clean out monsters and help around town."

"Probably trying to impress you," Cloud said.

"Hey. It was fun!" Zack protested. "Being impressive was just a bonus." He smiled down at his girlfriend and she gave him a small kiss. There was a look between them that confirmed Cloud's suspicion that they'd had some intimate fun times last night.

Good for them.

Once outside the sector, Aerith led them to the right off the S4-5 Road. The path through the garbage and debris was well-worn. It had obviously been here a long time. Unlike the main road, however, nobody was loitering on it.

"There's usually gorgers and other things along here," Aerith said, swinging Zack's left – non‑fighting – hand "And sometimes old Shinra mechanical units activate and start attacking passerbys. But that doesn't happen too often.

"You know Shinra is full of assholes who don't care about the planet when they leave equipment using thousands of gil of resources lying around forgotten," Cloud muttered in disgust, looking at a rusty bulldozer.

Maybe Barrett Wallace was rubbing off on him a little.

"If we could get any of it running, could we sell it?" Zack asked, jumping up to look in the cockpit.

"Hmmm." It was a good question, but not one that Cloud had ever asked. He didn't feel bad though. He didn't have much to do with machines, so it wouldn't have occurred to him.

Aerith looked up as Zack sat in the driver's seat. "Who would buy it?"

Zack shrugged. "Anybody down here who's building stuff or clearing stuff out?"

At first, all Cloud could think of was that development beside Corneo's mansion that the gang boss had killed. But there was Sector 8, which had a few small factories, or even Sector 7 – less salvage, but in need of more room again.

"Maybe," he said. "Could be a couple places."

"Could they afford it?" Aerith asked.

Cloud shrugged. "Not like we'd be paying anything for it."

Zack laughed and jumped down. "So it wouldn't matter what we charged. I like it!" Aerith gave him another kiss for that.

"Shinra might object though," Cloud warned the ex-SOLDIER.

Zack's smile turned sour. "Well, since Shinra took my old life, seems only fair they fund my new one."

Cloud smirked back. He understood that motive completely.

"It would be nice if we could expand the town," Aerith piped up. "Give people a bit more room to live."

Cloud saw Zack's face as the SOLDIER looked down at her, and figured if Zack managed to get one running, the first thing he'd do is whatever Aerith wanted. She must've seen it too because she suddenly wanted another kiss or three. Or more.

Cloud gave them two paces distance and kept his eyes out for anything that felt like jumping out at the couple and spoiling their reunion.

Once they were moving again it didn't take them long to reach their first destination. There was something like a covered bridge and then Aerith turned to the right. "The cemetery is up here."

The cemetery was more of an open field with memorials lining the edges. Huddled in one corner in the shade were three… They looked like gorgers but bigger. And with wicked long talons, like a praying mantis.

"Know what these are?" Cloud asked.

"Uhh, ugly?" Zack answered.

Before Cloud could even roll his eyes, they were spotted. The three creatures split up and slithered towards them faster than mutated centipedes should.

"Aerith! Barrier!" Cloud commanded, pulling Iron Blade in front of him. He felt the magic in the air around him harden.

Zack charged forward, taking the one in the middle. He swung, staggering the creature – an impressive hit. Then the one on the left quivered and Cloud just knew it was going to jump. "Move!" he shouted at Aerith.

He rolled forward and used the momentum to slash at it. Its skin was harder than Cloud had hoped, and Iron Blade mostly bounced off it. "Balls," he muttered, and cast Fira. The creature flinched but not for long.

In of the corner of his eye, he saw Zack doing some high-momentum swings that ended with the buster sword slamming into his target. The thing was definitely hurt after that, but still not out.

A stream of cold air flashed past him – Aerith casting Blizzard. The bug-thing in front of him gained an instant coat of ice, and when the ice shattered it pulled chunks of flesh with it. The creature shrieked – in pain or fury, Cloud didn't care.

"It's weak to Ice!" he shouted. He heard Aerith's acknowledgement.

Cloud did his own fancy swinging. With each hit he felt his power building. He got stronger and stronger until he felt like he would burst with it.

"One down!" Zack yelled.

He did his own version of Zack's power attack, thrusting straight ahead, trying to find a chink in the creatures hide.

Find it he did. Iron Blade slide in and the thing wavered.

It opened its mouth, but it didn't shriek like Cloud had expected. Instead it spewed out a milky mist that surrounded Cloud.

All his energy, all his power, seeped away.

He was so tired…

"Hey, hey! None of that." Cloud heard Zack's voice but couldn't respond.

He didn't see the monster move, but he felt it. It felt like he'd been hit in the chest with a boulder. He could feel his body flying, falling, tumbling, but he could do nothing.

Cloud felt another blast of cold air shoot past him. It was the cold that snapped Cloud out of whatever funk he'd been in.

"Good one, Aerith!" Zack shouted.

Just in time too. One of the things – the last one, he noted – had flipped up its tail and was shooting… Cloud dove out of the way. Where he'd been standing was a pile of webbing.

Zack came at it from the side, angling his huge blade to hit the back of its head rather than the armoured front or shoulder. Cloud, out of melee range, cast another Fira. Aerith followed with another Blizzard and really hurt it.

Recognizing where the real threat lay, the monster turned on Aerith. It quivered, getting ready to leap…

Zack lifted the buster sword to his shoulder and straight up punched it. Cloud could practically see the stars circling its tiny head.

Cloud was already swinging his sword. It impacted with the ground and a shock wave shot toward the creature. This time its belly split, and it toppled over. One last weak spasm before it stilled completely. Moments later, its body dissolved into the Lifestream.

"Oh yeah!" Zack punched the air with his fist.

"Well, that was exciting," Aerith said, moving up to stand beside Cloud.

"Too bad we didn't get any scales," Cloud said. "Woulda made good armour."

The warm tingles of a healing spell infused him. It felt different than a Cura though. He looked at Zack and the spell sparkles were gold.

"Woah! Was that Prayer?" Zack asked, bounding over to his girlfriend to pick her up and twirl her a couple time. Aerith's answering smile was buoyant with pride and adrenaline.

Cloud stretched out his neck and torso. Everything felt fully healed. "Nice materia."

Once they'd settled down some, Zack stared at the web-covered cliffs, hands on hips.

When the guy stood like that, Cloud didn't see the neon T-shirt, or the drab-green worker's pants. He saw the SOLDIER uniform. He saw the hero. SOLDIER First Class, Zackary Fair, leader of men, fighter of evil.

Would a guy like that, one who'd had dreams like that, be content taking on low-level monsters under the plate?

"We should make sure they didn't leave any egg sacs or anything," Zack said.

"That's a good idea," Aerith agreed. "How do we get up there?"

Zack grinned at her. "Easy!" and then he jumped.

They watched Zack swing at the patches of webbing. "Are you impressed yet?" Cloud asked her.

"Mm-hmm." He could hear the smile, and the lust – and a hint of fond mockery. "Are you?"

Cloud looked at her, wondering if she'd guessed that Cloud was admiring more than Zack's swordplay. "I already knew what SOLDIERs could do."

Aerith turned to look at him. "But Zack isn't just another SOLDIER, is he." She walked over to one of the webbed patches nearer the ground and poked at it. Cloud tensed, but a horde of baby monsters didn't crawl out and attack her.

Still, he moved closer. "Let me poke," he said. "You be ready with Blizzard."

They went round the edge, poking the clumps of webbing until the end of Cloud's sword was sticky white. Only one pile had an egg sac, but the contents weren't anywhere near viable. Cloud cut it open and Aerith blasted it with Blizzard. Cloud followed with Fira, just to be sure.

In the middle of the wall was a deeper recess. Cloud could see the memorial stones stacked one in front of the other.

"Do you want to say a prayer?" Aerith asked, hands clasped in front of her.

Cloud, trying to burn the web off his sword, shook his head. "No thanks. Looks like you got it covered."

Zack joined them for the second half of the webbed lower half. He was twice as flashy as they'd been. He'd do short hops then little spin and slash combos. "I used to have this move, Assault Twister," he said while he regained his balance. "I should be able to do it again, right? Even without the materia?"

Cloud shrugged – hell if he knew – but Aerith piped up with some encouraging words and Zack went back to hopping and twirling like a madman. The former-SOLDIER got a little enthusiastic and stumbled over his own feet.

"Less impressed now," Cloud whispered to Aerith. She burst out laughing.

On the way to the next target, in between Zack and Aerith's kissing, they swapped around the materia. He gave Aerith the Fire and Magic Up, and he took back the Healing and Barrier. "I can't jump six metres into the air to fight a drake, and my magic power is only decent," he said in explanation.

Zack talked tactics, and Aerith poked gentle fun, and Cloud watched them both while keeping an eye out for anything of interest. There was so much stuff here; more than he'd realized. He'd never be able to salvage it, but Niam in Sector 7 had a large crew and contacts in Sector 8...

"Anybody got salvage claim on this area?" he asked, breaking up their latest cooing session.

"Claim?" Aerith asked. Zack was sniffing her hair. She didn't seem to mind.

"Yah. Anybody got a crew combing through this, or is it casual?" Cloud said. "Lotta good stuff here. All this metal? Could be melted down, turned into something useful."

"We don't have anything like that," Aerith finally said.

Cloud nodded. "Know a guy who does salvage. Could maybe run a crew – local hires so the gil stays here. Won't suggest it if people in the sector'll get upset though.

"Hmmm." She frowned as she thought. "I know who to talk to, but I don't know what they'll say."

Cloud shrugged. "All you can do is ask."

Zack was smiling. "Is your 'guy' one of the people who hire you to take out monsters?"

"Yah," Cloud said. "Animals are always moving into scrap yards and abandoned factories. And around Midgar, they're always aggressive."

"Huh," they both said. Aerith frowned at him. "Why is that?"

"Gotta friend who says it's the reactors," Cloud replied. "Pulling all the mako out of the ground. Makes it unhealthy. Changes the behaviour."

"Mutates them," Zack murmured.

"Yah," Cloud nodded.

"Do you believe it?" Zack asked.

Cloud jerked his chin towards the east, towards Kalm and the fertile plains that filled the rest of the continent. "Out there, even large rats'll run when humans approach."

"Here they attack," Aerith said softly.

"Hmm," Cloud nodded. "Same at Nibelheim. Mountain rats attacking wolves and people."

"I didn't notice anything at Gongaga, but…" Zack shook his head. "I wouldn't have thought it weird. It was just the way it was, you know?"

"Everyone in Midgar thinks this is the way it is, the way it'll always be," Cloud said.

"They don't have the same kind of monster problems above the plate," Zack said. "Or at least they didn't four year ago."

"I've never seen any," Aerith said. "Do you think they know what might be happening?"

Zack gave a bitter laugh. "Better questions is would they care even if they did know? Shinra's rotten," he said. "Attacking Wutai… At the time I didn't question it, but now? All Wutai did was refuse to let Shinra build a mako reactor. With what they did to me, to all the creatures in Hojo's labs, they're probably evil, too. I was part of that." He crossed his arms, rubbing at the exposed skin as if he were cold.

Aerith snuggled right in, lifting one of Zack's arms to drape over her shoulder, offering silent comfort. Cloud limited himself to a firm clasp on the taller man's shoulder.

By the time they reached the clearing drakes liked to commandeer, the ex-SOLDIER had shaken off the bleakness. He went over the tactics with them again, repeating what they'd already decided at the cemetery. He was nervous. A drake, even a young one, wasn't a fight to take lightly, and his inexperienced, untrained, girlfriend was along for the fight, so Cloud forgave him the fussing.

The area they'd been told to look for drakes was large, scattered about with rusting machinery. A river ran through the right-hand side, and tough grasses grew through the concrete. The sides of the man-made valley were shored up with thick corrugated-metal sheets, probably ten metres high. It was the perfect place to fight a small dragon.

They all looked up, but the sky was empty.

"Damn it," Zack muttered. He strode out towards the centre of the field, past a pile of machinery.

As if he were a magnet, the machinery shook. Belching out black smoke it roared to life. Cloud recognized it: a smogger. Same thing he'd fought yesterday in the kids' hideout.

"Ah hells," Zack groaned. He pulled his sword from his back. "Time to get casting, peoples!"

Obediently, Cloud cast Barrier on them all, starting with Zack who was already rushing at the machine. This time, however, the First's powerful attack didn't seem to faze their target.

"Watch out for its smoke," Cloud shouted. "Poisonous."

Aerith cast the magic built into her staff. It didn't seem to do anything either. They needed Lightning materia for these things, but they didn't have it, so they'd have to make do.

Zack was attacking from the front, so Cloud darted in and attacked from behind. He couldn't match the sheer strength of the SOLDIER's attacks, so he targeted joints, exposed wires, anything that could be a weak spot.

Cloud could still see Zack, though. The guy was quick, wielding the huge blade with a graceful finesse built on years of familiarity. It was like watching Andy dance – mesmerizing. It also was a reminder of Cloud's childhood dream to become a SOLDIER. A reminder he didn't need.

Cold air blasted the machine – once, twice. Faster than should be possible.

Cloud risked a glance at Aerith. The ground around her glowed with swirling colours. "Huh." That went beyond a simple 'affinity' to magic.

The smogger made a grinding coughing sound. "Careful!" Cloud shouted, shifted so he was firmly behind the exhaust pipe.

Zack wasn't so well placed.

He came down from his fancy jump move just at the machine coughed out a flume of purple‑black smoke. It clung to Zack's exposed skin. It clung to the ground and sparked when Zack touched, leeching blood from him.

Zack stumbled.

Sensing weakness, the machine rumbled forward, one arm raised to strike.

Cloud redoubled his attack, focusing on the legs. There had to be some vulnerability!

It swung, knocking Zack back and into more of the noxious gas. The ex-SOLDIER coughed, shook his head, and lifted his sword as if to attack.

The blade wavered and wobbled. Zack coughed again.

"Zack. Move!" he yelled, and Zack wobbled off to the side, glittering with Aerith's healing Prayer.

Cloud let out a breath, focusing inward. He didn't use this materia much. It took a lot out of him and he rarely took on anything that needed its power. He'd make an exception to save a friend, though. He yelled, "Incoming!" and cast Comet.

Out of nothing, a giant, super-heated rock formed in the sky above them. It got bigger as it fell, gaining mass and speed. Cloud ran to Zack, pulling the guy farther out of the way. "What the hells?" Zack blinked at Comet's brightness.

It landed on top of the smogger, and the machine lost arms, and huge chunks of its torso. The exhaust pipe tumbled to the ground and sparks flew everywhere.

"Need to smash the processor, else it'll rebuild," Cloud said. He cast a quick Cure on his new friend before heading back towards the crippled machine.

It was still standing, but its torso had been sheered on a diagonal. The weight of its one remaining arm pulled it to the side, so it stepped-staggered in small circles, popping and hissing as it moved.

Cloud shoved Iron Blade into the shoulder joint. Sparks flew.

Zack was right behind him. He raised the buster over his head and used his whole body to bring it down on what was left of the machine. The rusted metal parted as if it were paper.

The smogger stopped trying to walk and started vibrating in place. There was a sound – high pitched and getting higher.

"Shit," Cloud shouted. "Self-destruct!"

Again, he pulled Zack away from the machine. This time he dragged the SOLDIER toward Aerith. They all ran towards a shallow dip in the wall and huddled together behind the corner. Zack had his buster up, shielding the exposed side with the wide surface. Cloud cast Barrier on Aerith but didn't have time to cast it on anyone else before the smogger's central unit blew.

Bits of jagged metal, large and small shot out, embedding themselves into the wall with brutal force. Cloud heard the ting of metal hitting the buster sword. He heard Zack exhale sharply and figured a piece had gotten past the blade.

Eventually, the shrapnel stopped falling.

Cloud let Aerith go and they uncurled from their defensive crouches.

"Where did you get hit?" Aerith demanded of Zack.

Zack grimaced. "Uh, yeah. Sorry about your dad's pants." He turned to lean against the wall, and showed them a sheet of metal, maybe a hand-span in size, half buried in his calf. "Also, 'ow'?"

"Pull it out?" Cloud asked.

"Yes please."

Cloud handed Aerith his Healing materia. "Cast Cure as soon as the metal's cleared the skin."

She looked pale but determined. She hadn't wavered once during either battle. Zack had lucked out it so many ways.

"On three?" Cloud looked up at Zack who nodded.

Zack leaned his head back, breathing in controlled pants. "Ready."

"One– Two–"

Cloud pulled out the shrapnel. Immediately, Zack calf was surrounded by the green sparkles of a cast Cure. They sank into the wound. The blood stopped and the skin sealed, leaving only a pinkish-white line. It was almost as if nothing had happened.

"Motherfuck-" Zack ground out. "You would be that kind of asshole."

Cloud smiled and shrugged. It worked.

Zack shook his leg a little. "I'm going to walk this off a little," and he hop-walked in a small circle not unlike the way the smogger had done earlier.

Cloud left him to Aerith and went back to the machine. Its guts, what was left of them, were smoking. He looked for the central core, but it was impossible to identify. He started stomping on every fragment he could see, just in case.

"No dragon today, huh." Zack gave a larger shard a sharp kick. It went skittering across the broken pavement.

"Can try in Sector 7," Cloud suggested. "They like this old factory just north of the residential area."

"We'll see," Zack said. "I should probably get Aerith back to her place. This was a little too dangerous for her."

"Hey!" she protested. "I helped!"

"She did," Cloud agreed, stomping on another bit.

"Thank you!" she said to Cloud. She turned to Zack. "I would very much like to go to Sector 7, and if you won't take me, I'm sure Cloud will."

It was amusing to watch the big SOLDIER backpedal and stammer.

"Sam's got a stop there," Cloud pointed out. "Limited runs, because of the gate."

Zack's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine," he said. He pointed his finger at Aerith. "But you have to tell your mother it was your idea."

Cloud had to hand it to Aerith: she was sweet even in total victory.

AN: Canon goes back and forth about the wall between Sector 7 and Wall Market. "It's impassable!" Yet there's a gate that opens to let Tifa through in Sam's wagon, so which is it? I'm choosing it opens a few times a day. (This also explains where all the revellers come from, since Sector 5 is small and poor.) Let me know if you have any alternate theories!