"Hello, I'd like to get in touch with a senior official," Cloud said with a faint smile.
"Oh? I'm sorry, but that's impossible. To meet with a senior official, you'd need to book an appointment—and the waiting list is extremely long," the receptionist replied, shaking her head apologetically.
Cloud's smile didn't waver. "I'm sure they'll want to see us. Tell them Cloud Strife and Avalanche are here to talk."
For a moment the woman just blinked at him, trying to process the name. Then her face drained of color. "A-A-A-Avalanche!?"
Her scream echoed through the reception hall. The noise snapped the rest of the staff out of their routines—panic spread like wildfire.
"Avalanche!" Shinra employees shrieked as they scrambled to flee, scattering papers and bags as they ran like frightened animals.
"Heh. Guess we're more famous than you," Barret said proudly, folding his arms as chaos erupted around them.
"Stop right there!" A middle-class SOLDIER burst into the hall, followed by a squad of lower-ranked troops. "Cloud Strife—by order of the President, you're under arrest!"
Barret's grin faltered when he noticed the SOLDIERs didn't even glance his way. Their eyes were locked on Cloud.
"You might be more famous with the public," Cloud said evenly, gripping the haft of his spear, "but to the people who matter, I'm the bigger threat. As for your order… I have a better one. Drop your weapons and get out of this building if you want to live through what's coming."
A heavy silence hung over the squad. The leader's assault rifle shook in his hands as he stared into Cloud's glowing eyes.
"Well?" Cloud said, his body beginning to pulse with a deep blue-green aura, the faint shimmer of mako energy rippling across his skin. "I don't have all day."
The leader swallowed hard, fear carving deep lines into his face. "Drop your weapons," he muttered at last. "If we fight, we'll just be throwing our lives away for nothing."
The others hesitated, then slowly obeyed, setting their rifles on the floor before bolting for the exit.
Cloud lowered his weapon slightly. "If you're smart, you'll stay hidden—or better yet, escape Midgar altogether. I doubt I'll be able to take out every executive, but I won't stop until I've tried."
The SOLDIERs nodded quickly and vanished, relief plain on their faces.
"Hmm. You're more human than I gave you credit for," Barret said, shaking his head. "Anyway, we'd better keep moving. With all the noise we just caused, it's possible that—"
"Say no more. There are cameras everywhere," Cloud cut in, his tone flat.
"Oh… right. Sorry," Barret muttered as the two hurried up the stairs to the second floor.
* * * * *
In a darkened lab, the glow of monitors painted the walls a sickly green.
"My, my… what a surprise," a man in a white lab coat murmured, his round glasses reflecting the screen. "I didn't think I'd be meeting my finest creation so soon."
The monitor showed two men storming Shinra's halls: a blond youth with sharp eyes and a burly, dark-skinned man at his side.
"Professor Hojo," one of the assistants said, bowing slightly. "Subject Red-XIII is secured in his capsule and ready for experimentation."
"Ah, yes… the beast from Cosmo Canyon," Hojo said, stroking his chin in thought. "And our little guest?"
"She hasn't moved in her capsule. There is, however, a problem—she refuses to eat," the assistant reported nervously.
Hojo clicked his tongue, feigning disappointment. "No, no, that won't do. We can't let the last of her kind waste away from starvation. Assign a female staffer to force-feed her. And while you're at it, extract some genetic material. I want to see if the Cetra factor can be isolated—recreated in modern times."
"Wouldn't it be more efficient to inseminate her directly?" the assistant asked cautiously.
"You're correct," Hojo said, lips curling into a grin. "But for that, we'll need a specimen strong enough to enhance her genetics. And as luck would have it, one is already here… right under our noses."
His eyes glimmered as he turned back to the monitor, watching Cloud and Barret step into an elevator.
"Prepare the experiment on Red-XIII immediately," Hojo ordered, his voice sharp.
"Hai!" the scientist barked before hurrying off to deliver the orders.
Hojo leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers, a predator's smile spreading across his face. "So… you've come, Omega. Let's see if you're still as sharp as the weapon I remember."
* * * * *
"I hate this place," Barret grumbled, scowling. "First of all, that woman seems to have nerves of steel."
"Didn't you smell it? She pissed herself," Cloud replied, his blank stare unwavering. "Not that I blame her. You shoved your gun-hand in her face and threatened to blow her head off if she didn't open the chest."
"What can I say? That bitch got on my nerves," Barret muttered, still frowning. "That aside… is it normal for there to be so many robots opening the elevator doors?"
"It's obvious they're trying to slow us down," Cloud answered, voice flat. "Remember, this is their fortress. They control every inch of it."
Barret shut his mouth, realizing that the more he talked, the dumber he sounded.
Cloud, however, was distracted. His muscles tensed unexpectedly, his body humming with an energy he didn't understand.
"You okay?" Barret asked, noticing the way Cloud's eyes had narrowed.
"It's nothing. Just… a bad feeling," Cloud muttered. He glanced down at his hands, his breath catching when he thought he saw tiny scales flicker across his skin—only to vanish like smoke.
"This can't be. My bloodline is sealed, but…" His mind reeled as the sensation of a draconic aura lingered, heavy and undeniable.
Barret frowned, silently studying his companion's troubled expression.
* * * * *
"Is this true?" Scarlet's voice lilted through the war room, honeyed yet sharp. A smile spread across her crimson lips, wide and dangerous. "Perfect…"
"I don't see what's so perfect about hostile forces storming our base," President Shinra said, eyeing her with a blank, tired look.
Scarlet crossed her arms beneath her chest, posture elegant yet commanding. "Oh, you misunderstand. I'm not celebrating the attack. I'm celebrating the return of Subject W… back where he belongs." Her tone dripped with satisfaction, though her hand briefly touched her temple as if pushing back a headache.
"Ugh…"
"Are you all right, Lady Scarlet?" Palmer asked, his beady eyes sweeping down her legs as he leaned forward with a greasy grin. He reached out with stubby fingers—only to be sent sprawling across the room by a vicious kick to the stomach.
"Don't you dare touch me," Scarlet hissed. For a split second, her striking blue eyes seemed to blaze crimson, her golden hair shimmering blue, then pink, like a living flame. The executives blinked, and she was herself again, cool and composed. Had they imagined it?
She straightened her skirt, her voice icy as glass. "Apologies. I'll be in my office." Without waiting for permission, she turned on her heel, the click of her heels echoing like a queen dismissing her court.
Palmer groaned, clutching his belly. "What the hell… I just wanted to cop a feel. It's not like I haven't before…"
"Serves you right," Heidegger muttered, clearly unimpressed. To him, Palmer was nothing but a rat who crawled at the President's feet.
President Shinra shook his head, attention shifting back to the screens that displayed Cloud in the elevator. His eyes narrowed. "Should we be worried?"
Heidegger gave a humorless chuckle. "No. Even Cloud Strife won't get far without crippling injuries. The high-class SOLDIERs may be in Wutai, but our weapons and mid-class troops are more than enough to bring him down."
"I hope you're right," the President said coldly. His laugh came out low and cruel. "Because if he reaches us, Heidegger, we'll be burning together in hell."
The two men's laughter echoed in the sterile room.
* * * * *
"I hate… fucking… stairs…" Zack wheezed, dragging himself up yet another flight. Sweat clung to his fiery hair as he leaned on the railing. "Who the hell designs fifty flights of stairs with no rest stops!? That's insane!"
He groaned, then shook his head, forcing his legs to keep moving. "Just hold on, Aerith! I'm coming! I'm almost there!"
What Zack didn't realize was the bitter irony of his struggle—because at that very moment, Cloud and Barret were about to reach the fiftieth floor as well, their own chaotic trail of destruction echoing through the Shinra building.
-
NEW WORLD - FINAL FANTASY VII ( AFTER THIS - DRAGON BALLS ]
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