Oh gosh, what a week. I am up late tonight for a plethora of reasons, and since it is now officially Sunday on the East Coast, I am posting the chapter on the most technically-on-time I will ever managed to be. :P I have barely gotten any writing done this week, still dealing with the last lingering remnants of the cold that would not die. Seriously, I would give real money for anyone to develop a vaccine for this crap, I don't ever want it again. But, yeah, I'm mostly better now, and hopefully the words will flow better now that I'm not hacking up a lung every hour.
Comments!
setokayba2n: Funny you should mention that... as mentioned in-story, there is currently a planned set of omake chapters, to be referred to as Ranma's Fun Time Story Hour. These will be little snippets, probably posted mid-week between main chapters as they become ready. Keep an eye out. :)
doraemax: The Prez does most of his big-baddery pre-story and behind the scenes. He is definitely a capable villain, a dangerous and cunning mind, and a ruthless and terrifying corporate ruler. However, all that doesn't necessarily equate to martial strength. He's not going to be engaging in an epic struggle with Reeve Tuesti, much less Sephiroth. This isn't to diminish him in the least, but the story is in many ways more action-oriented than this. Rufus, however, will have a... somewhat more involved role as the tale progresses. Keep watching :)
Just as an update, there will probably be a bit of a slowdown in updates after about the first week of April. FF7 Remake aside, I have at least one convention I plan to attend in the coming months and there will be some prepwork needed for it. I will most likely be slowing to a bi-weekly update schedule around that point, omake stuff aside. Anyway, please enjoy!
Chapter Twenty
For Better Or Worse
[ ν ] - εγλ 0007, December 12
The creature that appeared was hideous by any standard; only vaguely humanoid, but mutated beyond even what Ranma had grown used to from the monsters occupying the darker sections of the slums in the last few weeks. Standing almost three meters tall, the top and front of its head was smooth, polished bone, exposing the muscles holding the jaw in place. The creature was covered in loose leather patches, draped across its body like armor, but didn't seem to be well secured to anything. The body had swollen oddly, even as the arms remained clearly human, though the lower arms were spindly and almost devoid of any visible muscle. The hands ended in long claws, and seemed further out of proportion, as if the hands had been stretched more than the other parts of the body. A number of green materia spheres appeared to have been planted inside its body, its arms, and legs. The legs looked like a bodybuilder had gone off the deep end and never stopped doing squats, ever. All of these details paled slightly in comparison to the long, blood-stained slab of barely-beveled metal dragging against the ground behind it, sparking slightly along the ground as it strode forward, its pace steady and determined.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Ranma grumbled. "Okay, everyone, let's…"
Ranma didn't get a chance to finish. The creature raised the willow-thin arm holding the metal slab and swung hard, the overhead strike impacting against the ground so hard that the shockwave knocked everyone to the ground. Immediately afterwards, the specimen unleashed an unearthly howling, a scream of pure, incomprehensible pain, which caused most of them to reel in agony until the sound faded.
Barret returned to his feet first, joined shortly by Cloud. "The hell is that thing?" Barret shouted.
"Looks like some kind of SOLDIER experiment," Cloud answered, drawing his blade.
Barret glanced at the creature inside the observation tank, and then back at Cloud. "That thing is a SOLDIER?" he asked incredulously.
"No time!" Tifa interrupted, as the other regained their feet as well, noting that the creature seemed to square its stance in preparation for them. "Bitch about it later, we gotta take that thing out!"
Cloud turned to the others and gave a nod. "Everyone, get in, do what you can. Keep an eye on that sword arm." And with that, he dashed into combat, followed by the others.
The specimen seemed even larger up close. Cloud ignored the size advantage and stayed in front, slashing at targets of opportunity, but mostly keeping his weapon ready to parry or defend the others against the enormous weapon it carried. Red followed closely behind, savagely tearing at the creature's legs and lower body with its powerful lupine fangs and claws, occasionally retreating to range to fling Fire at the creature. Barret took up a position near the perimeter, firing high at the upper body of the monstrous specimen, keeping its attention divided, and taking care to cease fire when the others attempted anything acrobatic. Aerith came in, spinning her newly-recovered staff around, letting it build up momentum before smashing the weighted tips of the staff into the creature's joints and any open wounds left by the others. Tifa and Ranma strode in side-by-side, circling each other as they moved in nearly flawless concert, a spinning blur of leaping airborne limbs and rapid blows that struck the specimen over and over again.
Roaring in pain and confusion, the specimen hissed out a dark, misty cloud that seemed to hang in the air. "Don't breathe it, it's poison!" Red called out, but it had been a moment too late for some of them. Ranma felt her stomach churn, and her vision seemed to dim at the edges. Looking around, she could see that Red had been affected as well, despite his warning. Barret returned his aim on the monstrosity, unleashing a torrent of ammunition into the creation's body as Aerith flung Fire across the chamber.
Ranma charged in, determined to do what she could before the poison ran its course. She delivered a series of kicks to the creature's midsection, before leaping backward, narrowly avoiding a slow but heavy blow from the clawed right hand. Her breathing already becoming ragged, she eschewed any chi techniques and opted for full force, her blows landing as hard as possible against the best targets as they became available to her range. Unfortunately, the dimmed vision cost her, as she took a hard backhanded swing from the reedy left limb, sending her tumbling to the side.
Aerith watched her sensei fall to the ground, and growled in defiance, stepping forward and leaping up, swinging her staff overhead like a hammer, and dropping the weighted tip sharply down on one of the specimen's enormous, misshapen toes. The sound of bone breaking immediately greeted the ears of those around, and the specimen howled in rage. Aerith turned rapidly and leaped again, smashing another toe on the opposite foot. The specimen swiped at her with its free hand, but Aerith darted between its legs, spinning her staff again to smash hard at the knee from behind, causing the creature to drop low as it tried to chase after her.
"Cloud!" Tifa yelled, grabbing the former SOLDIER's attention. "Fastball!"
Cloud turned his head to meet Tifa's eyes, nodded, and hopped backwards out of the creature's range. He spun his Buster Sword in his hands once, the spine of the sword facing outward as Tifa leaped into the air overhead. Rotating in a graceful somersault, she turned herself to point her feet just past Cloud's shoulders, as Cloud began a deliberately aimed swing of the massive blade. The blunt edge met Tifa's boots, and she curled into a crouch. Cloud's swing continued, launching Tifa forward across the distance separating her from their foe. Barret's gun was briefly silenced, as Tifa uncurled her body mid-flight and struck a crushing blow, an overhead spinning heel kick at an appreciable fraction of the speed of sound, causing the skull to crack audibly. Cloud rushed in with barely a blink and swung the sword's blunt side upward, meeting Tifa's kick in the middle, sending splinters of chipped bone cascading around the floor. Before the specimen could react, Cloud turned the blade sharply to one side and swung upwards hard, carving through the creature's lower left arm, dropping it to the ground in front of them.
The creature screamed an inarticulate cry of rage, and swung its enormous slab of steel at Cloud, who was unable to get the Buster Sword between himself and the blow before it landed. Cloud was sent flying straight through the doorway, and skidded to a halt on the grating. "Cloud!" Tifa screamed as she landed, turning to duck beneath a clumsy swipe of the left stump arm, running out of the field of battle and frantically pouring her mana into a Cure spell.
Ranma staggered to her feet, still woozy and unbalanced, her vision blurred from the poison wracking her body, every step bringing a fresh dose of pain. She stumbled forward, and saw the 'specimen' lining up for another blow, this time on Red. Despite the fresh surge of agony, she darted forward and pulled him bodily out of the way of the blow, which crashed down into the ground a moment later, denting the metal plates of the specimen tank floor. The effort was significant for her, as she coughed and felt bile rising in her throat.
Tifa charged back in, followed by Cloud. She stepped forward and for a brief moment her fists glowed, unleashing her Beat Rush on the creature, followed by a Somersault kick that connected hard with the creature's chin. Cloud slid underneath Tifa's leap as she retreated and struck with a three-piece Cross Slash, opening the creature's lower torso as it released what looked less like blood and more like toxic sludge from the wound. Staggering forward, it tried again to swing at the assembled targets, determined to take someone with it.
At that moment, Red charged around the room, weaving between the others as he built up speed, the air bending around him as he accelerated. His Sled Fang fully charged, he leaped forward, colliding with the creature and smashing through its torso, leaving a gaping hole in the chest. The specimen finally toppled backwards, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.
Red limped out from behind the corpse of the monster, whose body had already begun to visibly decompose. Tifa immediately ran to Red's side, uncorking an Antidote and holding it out for him. He tilted his head back and allowed her to pour it into her mouth. "Thank you," he said, "but the girl needs greater help than I."
All eyes suddenly turned to Ranma, curled up on the ground and shivering. "Oh Goddess," Aerith whispered, looking at the girl's pale skin. She stepped forward and took a deep breath, turning her staff in a circle and holding it across her body as she exhaled. As she blew out her breath, it seemed to magnify the surrounding air currents, sending a Healing Wind across the gathered party. Cloud pulled out another Antidote and crouched down, curling one arm underneath Ranma's head, holding her steady as he poured the liquid down her throat.
Red stepped to Ranma's other side, and placed a heavy paw in the center of her chest. "She's still breathing," he said. "She ought to make it."
In response, Ranma's eyes fluttered open. She glanced around and saw everyone's eyes on her, expressions ranging from concerned to upset. "Somethin' happen?" she croaked out.
"Oh, Ranma!" Aerith cried out, slipping to her knees and embracing the redhead fondly. "Thought we'd lost you."
"Jeez, shrimp," Barret grumbled, "try not cutting it so close next time."
Ranma thought back to the battle. "Oh… yeah, I heard something about poison?" she said quietly.
"Yeah, how do you feel now?" Cloud asked her.
She chuckled weakly. "Like I went twelve rounds with my pops and only tied somehow."
"Can you walk?" Aerith prompted.
"I'll damn well walk out of here," she answered, slowly pulling herself to her feet. "Just don't ask me to fight any more… whatever the hell that thing is… was…" Ranma stumbled, dropping to one knee. She slowly pushed herself up from the ground, overbalanced, and ended up landing hard on her rear. "Better yet, don't ask me to fight any small yappy dogs, how about that?"
"I sincerely hope that last comment was not directed at me," Red said, a tone of mock indignation surrounding his words, but he gave a canine smile afterwards anyway.
"I'll carry the girl," Barret declared, reaching out with his good hand to help Ranma to her feet again. He then turned to Red. "So, what are you, anyway?"
Red looked thoughtful, sitting up straight. "An informed question, to be sure," he said calmly. "But a difficult one to answer. I am what you see, and nothing more."
"Great, another philosopher," he muttered to himself, as he hoisted Ranma effortlessly over his left shoulder.
Red ignored the comment, and stepped forward to Aerith. "My apologies for my behavior when we first met," he said politely, looking up at her. "I acted in order to take Hojo off his guard. It appeared to have worked, until he summoned that monstrosity. I assure you, no harm was intended to you." He bowed his head.
Aerith smiled, and patted his head gently. "Accepted."
"Right, great, lovely. Now that's all done," Barret called out to everyone, lifting Ranma over one shoulder, "we ain't got no more reason to be here no more. Let's get the hell out!"
"Not gonna... torch the place... on the way out?" Ranma asked weakly.
"Aerith's safe, and you're wounded," Tifa answered, shaking her head. "We got in once, and we've proved we're stronger than their defenses. We'll retreat for now, lay low in the slums, make a plan, then come back when we're in top shape and we'll topple this place with our bare hands."
"Right," Cloud agreed. "Hojo came from this direction, there must be a stairwell. We can get down to sixty-six and take the express elevator down to fifty-nine. From there, we can get out the main entrance and make our way from there."
"What about Shinra's security?" Red inquired. "Many eyes lie between here and there."
Tifa shook her head again. "Not anymore they don't," she said, grinning. "Cloud and I fried the security lines about fifteen minutes ago and locked them all inside. We should have a clean getaway."
"All right, then, enough chatter," Barret declared. "Let's roll!"
Floor 66
"There," Cloud said, pointing to the executive elevators on the outer wall of the building. "Almost out."
Despite her injury, Ranma felt a twinge in her senses, a discordant note, something difficult to articulate. Regardless, she had a feeling that something was out of place. "No," she whispered, unheard. She glanced around from her awkward vantage point, slung over Barret's left shoulder. Nothing.
"Get inside!" Barret shouted, gesturing to the others. He stood, turned his back to the hallway, and gestured for the others to cram into the elevator.
"No…" Ranma croaked, seeing Red pad into the elevator, followed by Tifa. She tried to shift her arms or do something to alert Barret, but he didn't notice…
Rude.
Stepping into the elevator behind Barret.
"Would you press up, please?" Rude said politely, pulling out a gleaming chrome-plated pistol. Barret turned around, and saw the gun. "If you move your right arm, there will be a mess," he warned, raising the gun to Barret's chest.
The elevator door opened again, and Tseng stepped inside the already crowded elevator. "A merry chase, to be sure," he said, drawing his own pistol from his coat, and pointing it squarely at Tifa. "Did you enjoy the thrill while it lasted?"
"Fuck you," Barret spat, but did not move. "Do what you came here to do, ya damn killers."
"Fortunately for you," Tseng said, reaching out with his free hand to press the button for floor 69, "coating the inside of this elevator with your blood is only 'what we came here to do' if you make a scene. Otherwise, plans will proceed differently." The ride upward passed in tense silence, until the elevator made a cheerful 'ding', and the doors opened.
"Everybody out, yo," a familiar voice called. The crackle of electricity accompanied the words. "Oh, and if it isn't Miss I'm-Better-Than-You. Not lookin' better right now, are ya?"
"Only cuz…" Ranma coughed and spat on the ground. "Only cuz I fought against somethin' tough for once, Reno," she answered, grinning despite herself. "You went to all this effort, just to ask me your stupid questions? Coulda just come by the church and got your hat handed to ya again." In response, Reno collapsed the baton, squeezed the grip firmly, and punched Ranma hard across the face. Ranma spat to clear the blood from her lips. "And that was the first time you landed a blow against me... I'm actually embarassed for ya. It took somethin' else kickin' my ass nearly to unconsciousness for ya to actually score a hit yourself. You're pathetic." Another punch, harder, the sound of the meaty strike echoing oddly through the small antechamber in the office building. "Reno, take it from someone who knows," she continued, giggling despite herself, "you hit like a girl."
Reno cracked a cruel looking smile, leaning down to pull Ranma's hair sharply, holding up her head at an awkward angle. "Gotta admit, girly, you are one tough cookie." He glanced up at the nearest trooper. "Cuff 'em."
-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-=x=-
The assembled crew were led at gunpoint up the stairs to the 70th floor. The walls were sparse and minimalist, mostly supportive structures for the roof, allowing the majority of the floor to be covered in windows, allowing an unparalleled view of the city below. A few pieces of art and diagrams of the city adorned the walls. An enormous table occupied fully half of the space between the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the back wall.
Sitting at the desk was Rupert Shinra, president of the Shinra Electric Power Corporation, and de facto ruler of most of the known world, even if he declined publicly to refer to himself as such. "Ah, guests," he welcomed them with a magnanimous tone. "You'll forgive me if I don't offer you drinks."
Ranma, still woozy from the aftermath of the toxin she had inhaled, and the disruption of her balance from the heavy duty cuffs she had been thrust into, grinned weakly. "I'll take a water, if someone can get me a straw," she said quietly.
"Where'd you take Aerith?" Cloud demanded. Ranma glanced around; indeed, Aerith was not standing with them.
"She's safe," Shinra declared, standing from his desk and pacing towards them as he spoke. "Safer here, perhaps, than anywhere else on Gaia. I'm sure you already know the girl is an Ancient. As far as we can tell, the last Ancient."
Red's ears perked up, and he padded forward. "The girl is of the Cetra tribe?" he asked, genuinely interested.
Shinra looked at Red. "Ah, a fellow scholar," he beamed.
Red glared at the man, his one yellow eye burning with an odd fury. "Your approval fills me with shame."
Shinra frowned, and turned away from the canid. "Yes, they called themselves Cetra. Thousands of years ago they shared this world with humans. And over time, they died out. It is said in their history that they will lead us all to the Promised Land, a place of fertile soil, teeming with life."
"That's not just a myth?" Red inquired, cocking his head to one side.
The president shrugged, reaching into his pocket to remove a small cigar case. "Might be," he admitted, popping the case open and pulling out a cigar. "But the idea of such a place, somewhere in the world, it's simply... far too appealing... not to pursue to some conclusion. After all, if the land is so fertile…"
"Mako," Barret spat out. "It's all about mako for you, isn't it?"
"Quite," Shinra agreed, lighting his cigar. "With our reactors in place, the mako will flow like water. And so too shall profits. That is where Neo-Midgar will be built. A land of endless profit and power, mine for the taking."
"You're dreamin', asshole!" Barret yelled, struggling with the restraints even as Rude held him in place.
"Haven't you figured it out?" Shinra stepped forward, face to face with Barret, and exhaled the cigar smoke into his face. "Midgar is the place where anyone can pursue their dreams. All it takes to realize one's dreams is money, power, and the will to make it all happen. I happen to possess all three. And this is the last time that AVALANCHE will interfere in my goals." He took another drag on his cigar, and then flicked it sharply into Barret's face, the ash and sparks singing his forehead. "That's all for the meeting. Please speak to my secretary if you have any questions."
"Hold it, you little shit," Barret demanded, as Rude pulled hard on the restraints, leading him out despite his struggle to advance on the president. "I got some things to say to you!"
Tseng and Rude drew their weapons, and Elena stepped forward as well. "President Shinra is being kind enough to provide you a place to stay for the evening," Elena said, pressing the barrel to his temple. "Or we could take you and your friends out to the balcony and show you the way out of the building. Your call, big boy."
Barret gritted his teeth in frustration, but allowed himself to be led away. The others followed suit, led away at gunpoint by the Turks, as President Shinra paced back to his desk.
A/N: Looks like the gang is in a pickle!
The original boss fight is with a creature called Sample:H0512. I swear to gods I hate that name. It's boring, it's unimaginative, it does nothing to convey anything about the enemy. About the only thing that could be said in its favor is that it's name is no more exciting than the bossfight it is appelated to. But regardless, I was not writing out that boring a name every time I wanted to refer to this thing. I also kind of thought that the fight itself was... not thematically appropriate.
This fight is against a failed attempt to create a better SOLDIER formula. It's worth mentioning that the only major point at which it failed is in keeping the subject in a 'human' base form. All of the other parameters of SOLDIER are present (theoretically capable of obeying orders, absurd power and durability, and broadly capable of rational and tactical thought). The design is based on a combination of a Cloud-like entity with... well... Nemesis, from Resident Evil. Read into that what you will. I had actually written a basic framework for a fight between Sample H and the party, which was the original version of this chapter up until about the turn of the year, when I realized I was unsatisfied with it. So... I took some time and rewrote the first half of the chapter.
A note regarding the mechanics behind the Cure spell and other restoratives. For the purposes of my story, Cure magic heals wounds, closes cuts and punctures, and knits bone (assuming they're at least properly set). What it does not do is replace lost blood, remove infections suffered from untreated wounds, regrow limbs (Barret), restore missing chunks of the body (Vincent), or anything regarding the secondary effects of such wounds. If you bled out during a fight and were Cured afterward, you will still be dealing with symptoms of blood loss until your body can replenish your fluids. If you are poisoned and then given an Antidote, Cure undoes the damage, but does nothing for the fatigue or muscular pains or whatever else the toxins might have afflicted. In short, Cure is not a 'cure-all', but it can be used to treat minor to moderate injuries, and it can be used to sustain one's life in an emergency situation until proper medical treatment can be brought to bear. Hence, Ranma is still dealing with the echoes of the Poison status he had been hit with here and is not in a position to be fighting, in his words, 'even a small yappy dog'. This is also why the Turks were back on their feet so soon after having Ranma sicced on them; since Ranma held back, the long-term damage to the Turks was minimal, though enough at the time to incapacitate them.
Also, on a strictly personal point, I had so much fun writing the exchange between Reno and Rude here.
Hope you like it! Comments and feedback welcome!