Chapter 41: The Fight for the Central Complex

Vincent, Lucrecia, and DiStefano soon found themselves inside a large storage room. After exchanging fire with (and dispatching) Deepground soldiers, the three climbed the only ladder in the room, which led to a long, narrow tunnel.

When they got there, they encountered what appeared to be floating robots.

"Shit," DiStefano muttered. "Aerial mines."

"Is that bad?" Lucrecia asked.

"They explode on contact," DiStefano replied.

"That's bad," Lucrecia declared.

Vincent aimed his gun.

"No, don't!" DiStefano warned. "If one explodes, it will trigger the rest of them!"

The three of them stared at the shaft with the floating mines, humming ominously as a warning to anyone who approached them.

"So how do we get around those things, anyway?" Lucrecia asked.

"One at a time," Vincent replied as he put his gun away. "I'll go first."

Vincent stepped forward, successfully dodging the aerial mines as the two women looked on nervously. Fortunately, he made it.

"I'll go next," Lucrecia volunteered.

She stepped forward and carefully dodged the mines as well.

"I guess I'm next," DiStefano said to herself.

She carefully made her way to safety through the mines.

"That was close," she said to herself.

The three of them then ascended two sets of stairs before reaching another hallway, where they took care of four more Deepground soldiers.

As they turned a corner, they saw a giant robot walker charging their way.

"Whoa! Shit!" exclaimed DeStefano.

Vincent fired into one of the gun barrels, causing the walker to explode.

Beyond the walker, there was an elevator. They took it as far up as it would go. When they got off, there were some small walkers, which were easily defeated. They then made their way to another, grated elevator. They took that up as well, and soon found themselves in a large, open area.

Captain Mast was standing there.

"Still among the living?" she taunted. "I'm not surprised. You're not exactly….human, are you?"

"He's more human than you are, bitch!" Lucrecia began.

Captain Mast closed her eyes.

"I was human," she said. "A gentle, loving human. And then Sephiroth came along. And I became an animal. A predatory one, at that."

She opened her eyes.

Vincent, Lucrecia, and DiStephano could see that they were wet.

"One that never gives up on her prey," Captain Mast continued.

"I can see that," Vincent said. "Then you should know we don't go down easily."

"Be that as it may," Captain Mast said, "this is as far as you go."

"Of course," Lucrecia replied sarcastically. "And the next five times you say that."

"I think you've lived far too long. Both of you," Captain Mast declared as she pulled out a familiar-looking card.

Vincent and Lucrecia armed their weapons, well aware of what was about to happen.

"By the authorization vested in me by the President of the Eastern Continent," Captain Mast declared, "I hereby summon thee!"

A black portal opened on the ground. A moment later, a red, winged reptilian creature emerged from the portal, which promptly closed up.

The creature roared loudly.

Someone recognized the formerly deceased creature right away.

"The Red Dragon," Vincent said.

"You fought this thing before?!" Lucrecia exclaimed.

"At the Temple of the Ancients," he replied.

Both Vincent and Lucrecia opened fire on the Red Dragon, causing minimal damage.

Then, the creature began to inhale with its mouth.

"I think that's our cue to jump back!" Lucrecia announced.

The three of them jumped back just in time to avoid the Red Dragon's fire.

The monster then inhaled again.

Vincent and Lucrecia jumped backward.

"We can't do this forever!" Lucrecia complained. "There's a wall behind us!"

And then, the dragon's neck exploded. Its body slumped to the ground, as did the head with a smack.

Vincent and Lucrecia turned to see DiStefano standing proudly with a smoking handgun.

"I carry explosive rounds," she announced. "You really don't want to screw with me."

"Glad to have you with us," Vincent said.

"As long as I'm around," DiStefano continued, "Captain Mast won't get away with her bizarre summonings."

"Speaking of Captain Mast getting away!" Lucrecia called.

Everyone looked to see Captain Mast standing in the car of a nearby elevator.

All three fired in unison, but it was too late. The door closed, protecting the Captain from any bullets, explosive or otherwise.

"Next time she shows up," Lucrecia said, "would you mind taking those explosive rounds and shooting her in the box?"

"Tempting," DiStefano replied as she put her gun away.

MEANWHILE….

Rosso's eyes widened.

The feeling she had been having was suddenly gone. She could not explain why, but she found it odd.

The feeling had been with her subtly for three years, and had been building up significantly in the past few months. But now, it suddenly switched off without any explanation.

"You okay?" called a familiar voice.

Rosso turned around to see Cid standing there.

"What are you doing here?" she asked skeptically.

"Just came to check on you," he replied.

"Why?" she asked, unused to kindness.

"Because I felt like it, that's why," Cid replied bluntly. "So what's eatin' ya?"

"I've been having strange feelings for several years," Rosso admitted. "As if I knew what was going to happen next before it did."

"We've all been having them," Cid explained. "Some psycho chick named Bestla came back in time from 0010 to take over the role of Sephiroth or die trying. She died trying. But her time travel caused us all to have the premonitions you're feeling."

"Actually, I was having them, but not anymore," Rosso added. "They've suddenly just….stopped."

"Oh," muttered Cid, somewhat solemnly. "I see."

"What happened?" Rosso asked. "Do you know?"

Cid nodded.

"You died," he replied. "That's what happened."

"I don't believe in an afterlife," Rosso informed him. "I can't be dead."

"Well," Cid continued, "you're supposed to be. This is an alternate timeline. This must be where you died in the original."

"It's not possible," Rosso dismissed.

"Who captured you?" Cid asked.

"Vincent's squeeze," Rosso answered.

"That explains it," he said. "In the original timeline, she remained in limbo. You were thus never captured. You probably died in battle." He paused. "Maybe even Vincent killed you."

Rosso was silent. She made her best effort to hide the fact that she was troubled, but Cid was not so easily fooled.

"Look," he continued, "I know this shit is a lot to take in, but consider it a second chance. Several people I know also got a second chance. Some took good advantage of it. Some blew it. Our friend Zack died in the original timeline, but he was given a second chance and did some heroic things. Our friend Jessie also died in the original timeline. She blew it. She got drunk and freed Sephiroth. After we take care of Deepground, she's going to jail for life. Just food for thought."

Rosso was still intrigued by his kindness.

"Why are you being so kind to me?" she asked.

"I said because I felt like it," Cid repeated. "And because I can."

She realized that, despite his rough demeanor, he was indeed a kind man. She had seen it when she comforted that other girl.

"That woman who was crying in here earlier. Was she your girlfriend?" Rosso asked.

"My fiancée," Cid replied.

"You're engaged?" she asked.

Cid nodded.

"Since Christmas of 0008."

"That's a long time," Rosso observed. "When are you getting married?"

"August 13," Cid replied. "A little more than a month from now. We're having a destination wedding at Eros Nova."

"Congratulations," she said.

"Thanks," he said. "I need to get back to the bridge. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Rosso assured him.

Cid nodded and headed off, disappearing up the stairs.

"Yesli ty ne zhenish'sya na Shera," she said aloud, but to herself, "ya vyydu s toboy cherez sekundu."

And she meant it.

MEANWHILE…

As Vincent, Lucrecia, and DiStefano were approaching the Shinra Building, the former received a sudden phone call.

"Vincent Valentine," Shelke greeted. "The ground squads have not been able to penetrate the Deepground defenses. The mako reactors are still operating at full capacity."

"So it seems," Vincent replied.

"What is your location?" she asked.

"Shinra building," he replied. "Seat of the Eastern Continent's dictatorship."

"As it has been for a year," Shelke said. "And the prime Rufus Shina reigns with an iron first."

"His days are numbered," Vincent said.

"The passage to Deepground should be located within Shinra building," Shelke informed him. "Search for the president's personal enterance," she commanded.

"Alright," Vincent agreed.

Just then, a mutant dog attacked them, and Lucrecia shot it dead.

Vincent stood there silently, as if he had been expecting a different

"Is something wrong?" Shelke asked.

"Nothing," sighed Vincent. "Everything's perfectly normal."

MEANWHILE, A FEW MINUTES LATER…

"Hey! Engine room!" called Cid from the bridge of the Highwind. "What the hell's going on down there?!"

There was no response.

"Engine room!" he repeated. "Dammit!"

"What is wrong?" Shelke asked as she entered the bridge.

"Don't have a damn clue," Cid replied. "All of a sudden, engine levels began dropping like crazy. We haven't taken any direct hits, so everything should be running like clockwork."

"I will go have a look," Shelke agreed.

"Thanks," he said. "Counting on you."

Shelke nodded and ran off the bridge. She passed through the prison, exchanging a brief glare with Rosso.

When she arrived at the engine room, what she found was a sight.

There was black energy everywhere, and several engines were ablaze.

"It can't be," Shelke whispered.

"Fancy meeting you here, Shelke," called a familiar voice from behind her.

Shelke turned around.

Nero was standing there.

"You," she said.

"Quite unexpected," Nero replied.

"Why did you come here, Nero?"

"Why?" Nero taunted. "I was short a few souls, and came to collect."

"What did you do with the crew?" Shelke asked.

"Need you ask?" Nero replied. "Look around. My mission is complete."

Shelke looked around. She soon spotted a fallen Cait Sith on the grated floor.

That did it.

She produced her weapon.

"And what do we think we are doing?" Nero demanded.

"I don't really know," Shelke replied. "However, since coming here I have realized one thing. I don't want to let down anyone who's counting on me."

"Pure nonsense," Nero insisted.

"Nonsense?" Shelke said. "Perhaps."

She armed her weapon and struck at him, but he dodged each time.

Nero then jumped back, spread his wings, and opened fire, though the pullers were unable to penetrate her shield.

And then, a portal opened behind him.

MEANWHILE…..

Barret, Jessie, Red XIII, Yuffie, and Zack had made it into Midgar. They were cautiously making their way through the streets, trying to avoid detection by any Deepground soldiers.

At one intersection, a Deepground soldier ambushed them, but Yuffie quickly killed him with a shuriken. At another, four more appeared, whom Barret quickly dispatched with his gun-arm.

As they realized that more Deepground soldiers were ahead, they decided to take refuge indoors, so they entered the first building they could find.

This building turned out to be a laboratory. To be precise, it had been a Shinra-owned laboratory.

"This place has Hojo's flesh and blood everywhere," said Red XIII. "I can smell it."

Yuffie immediately became annoyed and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm right here," she sighed. "I can hear you!"

"Oh," Red XIII said sheepishly as he realized his error: "I'm sorry."

"He's my maternal grandfather," Yuffie reminded him. "Or was. I'm not proud of what happened."

She fell back to Zack and took his hand; that was something she was rather sensitive about.

"I'll never shake this," she said to him sadly.

"Every family has a bad egg," he assured her.

"There's more bad eggs than just Hojo," sighed Yuffie.

"Like who?" Zack asked. "I met your parents."

"My cousin, Miranda," Yuffie replied. "On my dad's side."

"Miranda?" Zack echoed. "I didn't know you had a cousin."

She nodded.

"Actually, I never knew you had an uncle or an aunt," Zack continued.

"I don't," Yuffie replied. "Two years before the Meteor crisis, they died in their sleep from CO poisoning. They never knew what hit them."

"I'm sorry," Zack said.

"Don't be," Yuffie insisted. "I was never close to them. Neither was my dad."

"What happened to Miranda?" Zack asked.

"You don't want to know," Yuffie sighed.

"I do, actually," Zack insisted.

"She was sent off to Bolton, and nobody's seen or heard from her since."

"That old jail?" he asked.

Yuffie nodded.

"The worst of it was, she had a terminal heart condition," she continued. "So it was basically a life sentence."

"Did you visit her?"

"They don't allow visiting," she replied. "I haven't seen her since she was sentenced. That was eleven years ago, when I was eight. She was supposed to have been released four years ago, but nobody's heard from her. My guess is she passed away sometime in between."

Zack pulled her in for a hug for support.

"But, then again, she outlived her expiration date," Yuffie added. "She wasn't even supposed to live to be ten, but she lived to be at least fourteen. So maybe she beat it. Or maybe it was a misdiagnosis. I don't know."

"So maybe she is still alive," Zack suggested.

"She probably had to change her identity," Yuffie replied. "Nobody wanted anything to do with her after what she did."

"What did she do?" asked Zack.

Yuffie told him.

"That's not much of a crime," he said. "Poor judgment, but not a crime."

"But it looked pretty bad," Yuffie said. "I did hear gossip over the years and I was able to put some things together about her life at Bolton. She had a roommate who was in there for falling in love with her cousin."

"Now that's worse than what Miranda's in for," Zack pointed out.

"This roommate was a big feminist and didn't like doing anything traditionally for girls," Yuffie continued. "Kind of sounds like someone we know, doesn't it?"

Zack nodded.

"Well, one day she forgot it was P.E. signup day, and ended up taking ballet!"

"I wonder how that played out," Zack said sarcastically."