3rd POV:
''What took you so long?,'' Tifa asked,'' Where is Nox?''
The two of them decided to wait a little on the other end of the tunnel.
''He has to take care of something else. He will join us shortly. Let us go,'' Aerith told them and began running.
Only to get stopped as corrupted Arbiters of Fate blocked their path and pushed them back.
''What the?,'' Cloud asked and landed on his feet. He quickly prevented Tifa from falling down and looked at Aerith who also landed on her feet, just not as smoothly as him.
'You need to give them the ability to see the Whispers,' 'Aerith' told her while they were running.
'How do I do that?,' she asked.
'Just touch them. I will do the rest,' 'Aerith' told her. It was kind of similar to how she spread that ability the first time. Only then her own Planet did it for her and this time she was doing it for her variant.
'Wait. Whispers?,' Aerith asked.
'It's kind of what we started calling the corrupted Arbiters of Fate to distinguish between Sephiroths and the Planets Arbiters of Fate,' 'Aerith' explained.
''Aerith?,'' Cloud asked her when she made her way over to them and touched them.
''What the fuck?,'' he exclaimed again.
''Look there is not time to explain everything. These things are called Whispers and they are here to stop us from stopping the plate from falling. We have to defeat them,'' Aerith explained and then touched Tifa as well.
''They are everywhere,'' Tifa pointed out and looked around them. Many more where in the air circling around them.
'Myself? Nothing makes sense. What is happening?!,' Aerith asked her variant.
'We are here too early. Sephiroth is trying to stop our interference,' 'Aerith' replied.
'He wants the plate to fall?,' Aerith asked her.
'Yes,' 'Aerith' replied defeated making Aerith grip her staff in affront.
'Aerith' knew why.
Sephiroth was cruel. But she knew why he was bothering with all this. He could have just gotten possession of the Black Materia and then summoned Meteor. He was probably still trying to do that, but these small acts of his were calculated wounds to break Cloud.
It was sheer pettiness.
Make him feel hopeless, powerless, shatter his sense of self. He did these things, because he wanted to break Cloud. Cruel as it was, that is why Cloud was important aside from her not having the heart to get him killed even if it was not her 'Cloud'. Sephiroth would always seek him out to torment him. There was an element of control that they could control and predict him with.
That is one of the reasons Sephiroth didn't use his power over the S Positive Cells to take over Cloud's mind too much. It would be too easy and he wanted to break Cloud in a genuine way.
It was of course a source of strength, since he knew what Cloud knew. Eventually there would come a time where they would need or make plans without Cloud knowing about them.
But 'Aerith' also saw a weakness and so did the Planets.
And exploit. The problem was that he saw himself as a God and had the power to back it up. It would hard to exploit this weakness. But it was one of the many things they could use.
''They are not really attacking us,'' Cloud pointed out after he slayed one, only for another to take his place.
''We will have to try to force our way through,'' Aerith told them.
The way she saw it. It could go three ways.
They either fail.
They do make it through, but it will take a while. Any ground they do make has to be earned... and maybe that would be pointless if the 'right' time passed. Aka, they all should be there at the pillar when they should have been there 'originally'. In that case it would have been just a waste of energy and effort to fight in the first place, if they don't make enough ground that is.
Or Nox pulls through with his plan.
'Do you think he knew the Whispers would be here? Or did he think Shinra would have been just that powerful for us to stop by conventional means,' Aerith asked her variant.
'I doubt it,' 'Aerith' decided to do Nox a solid and cover for him.
''I told you Nox is a rather unique existence in the multiverse. It doesn't surprise me that you made it here earlier then you should,' she continued.
'Yes. And there is also that person that controls time. You think he is in Midgar or outside? You think with them and Nox-'
'And ourselves and all the Planets backing us,' 'Aerith' added not liking in the direction her variants mind was going.
'Yes. You think it is enough?,' Aerith asked her.
'It will have to be. If not? What else do we have?,' 'Aerith' asked her.
Aertith thought about it for a few moments, a memory coming to the surface. The first time she met Nox.
Slowly she gripped her staff tighter and entered her combat stance.
'Hope. Hope is what makes us strong. It is why we are here. It is what we fight with, when all else is lost,' Aerith replied with conviction.
'Yes! Yes!!,' 'Aerith' agreed with satisfaction.
Aerith could feel a hand settle over her own.
'I will lend you my strength, but soon you will have to do that with your own powers. Well then, shall we cut a path forward?,'' 'Aerith' asked her.
Aerith nodded firmly.
''Aerith?,'' Tifa asked her. She didn't have too much time to wonder as a mass of people came down the path they were trying to walk through.
Aerith spun her staff and then slammed the tip down on the ground. Mako particles exploded forming into a dome around them and gathering the attention of the people.
''No time to explain. Not now. After me!,'' Aerith said and began running with the dome around her, with her in the center. The Whispers tried to push forward, but were repelled.
''Tifa?,'' asked an elderly woman, unaware what was going on and just seeing a green dome around the three of them.
''No time. EVACUATE. EVERYONE EVACUATE,'' she called out as the were running past them.
''What do you think we've been doing? It's all AVALANCHES fault I say. You hear me!?,'' yelled one person after them startling Tifa. Cloud grabbed her hand and dragged her after them, not letting her waste her time on these idiots.
Some people agreed, but others shot them dirty looks.
---
''Yo, Tseng? Aerith is doing weird Ancient things for no reason,'' Reno told him, the moment Tseng picked up the phone.
''What do you mean?,'' Tseng asked him and stopped shy of entering the chopper. Everything ready to be deployed.
''Well, I've been following her around. Not really able to approach her since Nox was always around her and he only recently parted to... somewhere. Then she, Tifa and Cloud fought something invisible and now there is, what I can only assume to be Mako since it is green energy, forming around them like a dome... or shield to protect them from something. Maybe something invisible.
Sooooooo, what should I do?,'' Reno asked him.
''Have you forgotten your mission?,'' Tseng asked him,'' Now it is more important then ever to get her out of there. This is exactly the last place she needs to be in.''
''I know my mission! I just thought with recent developments the mission might change too,'' Reno asked him.
''No,'' Tseng told him finally and patiently.
''Gotcha, boss. Kidnapping Aerith should be a breeze now, with Nox out of the picture so I will report back soon,'' Reno told him and hang up.
''Boss?,'' Cissnei asked from the co-pilots seat as he seated himself in.
Rude began lifting the chopper.
''Yes, Cissnei?,'' Tseng asked her and put on his headphones to be able to communicate with them despite the noise.
''You think we will find Zack at the pillars?,'' she asked him.
''...I hope not,'' Tseng replied. Zack would think badly of them for what they were trying to do.
But the were Turks and Turks followed orders.
Sure he dragged his feet where he could, and fulfilled some missions through technicalities, but this one was a direct order.
It was out of his hands.
Hm?
He pulled out his PHS and read a report.
What?
Mako Reactor 2 went dark? But AVALANCHE should all be in Sector 7.
...
...
...
Tseng remembered what Reno said. Nox? He was the only one not accounted for. What was he doing there?
No. No matter. Right now, this mission takes precedence. He would deal with him after that. Somehow.
In a way Tseng was glad that something forced Nox away from Sector 7 and Aerith. Their chances of success have now significantly improved.
Turks had very minor physical enhancements. But there was no way they could engage with Nox in a conventional battle.
...Better not tempt fate though. Who knows when Nox would be done. With his speed it probably won't take too long. Whatever it was that he was doing.
''Start moving quicker. Relay that order to all the different troops,'' Tseng ordered them the moment he realized it was now a race against time.
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Zero landed some way away from Mako Reactor 2 and scowled.
Corrupted Arbiters of Fate. Dozens of them. All around the reactor in a dome.
'Jenova, I can SMELL your desperation,' Zero thought to himself.
''Turn this place into a dead spot,'' Zero ordered Shelked through the earpiece.
''Gotcha, boss. Give me a brief moment... aaaaand there you go,'' Shelke told him.
...
''Huh?,'' the Infantry Trooper at the gate looked around in confusion as the lights around them went out.
''A blackout?,'' he asked confused.
''No. The Mako Reactor is still running. An attack,'' the older Trooper corrected and tried to raise the alarm.
''Shit. Communication's dead,'' the older one cursed.
''Uhhh. Sir? Look,'' the younger one looked into distance and pointed,'' Are you also seeing a faint figure in the dark?''
It was night and without the lights, beyond the light from the Mako Reactor, from the Mako to be more specific, they couldn't see much. And that light was faint.
The older one hastily opened his flashlight and pointed at a black dressed figure with a mask.
''Halt,'' he called out and pointed his gun at him,'' Turn away now or we will be forced to open fire.''
''Oh, that is not good,'' the younger commented and pointed his own gun at the figure as he began slowly running up to them.
''Halt! Final warning. Turn away or we will open fire,'' the older repeated, feeling his body tense.
''Oh, that is so not good. Come on!,'' the younger whined when he saw the black figure summon a green blade in a vortex of energy and green small tendrils extended from his back.
He also sprinted towards them now. Did he forget to mention that? It was unnatural how fast he was now approaching them.
The older immediately began opening fire, the younger following after him.
Zero just parried the bullets with his sword or tendrils and soon enough, in seconds, the two troopers head flew off when he passed them.
The rest of the Troopers here would probably be alarmed from the gun fire, but there was no way he would be able to sneak past these Arbiters of Fate and fight them without making noise.
So guns blazing it is.
He jumped up to engage the first corrupted Arbiter of Fate.
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''You three!,'' Barret commented the moment he saw them and...
''What the hell is this thing?,'' Barret asked seeing the green dome around them.
''Is this... you know?,'' Zack asked Aerith specifically.
''Look there is no time to explain. You all give me your hands,'' Aerith instructed them.
Zack went first, no questions asked and entered the dome since he would be too far away from being able to touch her hand otherwise.
''What the hell is going on? When did the world stop making sense?,'' Zack complained now being able to see the Whispers.
Barret grumbled, but entered the dome too. A little more carefully, since the dome freaked him out.
He quickly pointed his gun at the Whispers, but he slowly lowered it when they were repelled by the dome.
''Aerith?,'' Barret asked her.
''These things are called Whispers. For some reason they are trying to ensure the plate falls,'' Cloud explained to them quickly.
''WHAT? You mean these things are Shinra?,'' Barret pointed his gun at them again.
''No. Look, I can't explain everything right now. But I will eventually. The two of you can step out and will be fine. It's just us who they are trying to prevent from being here,'' Aerith explained.
''How are evacuations going?,'' Tifa asked them.
''We had to give them a reason. I told them Shinra is coming for us because we are AVALANCHE,'' Barret revealed and turned his head shamefully.
''They demanded to know why Shinra was trying to make the plate fall,'' Zack elaborated. That WAAAAAAS the truth... technically.
''They didn't flee the moment you told them Shinra was trying to get the plate to fall?,'' Cloud asked them with disbelief.
''The people down here are different from the top. They are survivors and hardened by their circumstances,'' Barret explained.
Cloud blinked. He found that hard to believe. People hear the plate will fall? THEY NOPE THE FUCK OUT!
''You felt guilty and explained the moment they asked why Shinra was trying to make the plate fall,'' Cloud guessed and crossed his arms.
Barret turned his head.
''Yeah,'' Zack rubbed his head. Barret was honorable and felt he owed people an explanation for their homes possibly getting destroyed. But there was no defending that when it was said out loud. Barret had a good heart. Clearly. But man, he was in disbelief when he essentially folded under zero pressure and came clean to the masses.
Did he not learn ANYTHING about subtlety to keep his organisation hidden?
(Sure Shinra already learned they were AVALANCHE so it was already too late in a way. But at the very least he should not advertise it to everyone.)
''I can see that. I remember needing to stop you from trying to argue to hard with Shinra employees about what they are doing wrong,'' Cloud commented making Barret grunt. Back when they came back from Mako Reactor 1.
''Nevermind that. What is done is done. Where are Biggs, Wedge and Jessie?,'' Tifa jumped in, before things could escalate.
''They are evacuating people together with the Neighborhood Watch in different parts of the slum down here. Zack and I and a few others are waiting and reinforcing the pillars defenses. The others will join us after evacuation efforts are done.,'' Barret pointed up at the stairs.
Although, he could now see why they asked that question. It was hard to see too far past these Whispers.
''And Marlene?,'' Tifa asked him.
''I didn't find the time for someone to get her out of here. She is still in the bar. Could one of you...?,'' Barret asked them.
Aerith was about to answer until they heard an explosion and the Whispers dispersed and they saw hundreds of helicopters rushing at the pillar and attacking it. The people defending the pillar already opening and returning fire.
''They really plan on doing it. I can't believe it,'' Barret scowled.
''One of you get Marlene, the rest come help defend against Shinra,'' Barret ordered and bolted up the stairs, firing back while doing so. Zack after him.
''You two go help. I will go after Marlene,'' Aerith told them and dropped her dome. They nodded and then went after Barret and Zack.
'Sephiroth really tried to stop us from getting here for this? We would have made it just in time,' Aerith replied back in disbelief.
'No. Something's changed. There are too many Shinra troops and they are much more aggressive, it would have taken much longer till the Whispers should have dispersed,' 'Aerith' replied back.
'A trap?,' Aerith asked back.
'Maybe. I don't know. Let's get Marlene out,' 'Aerith' said.
'Yes. Let's,' Aerith agreed and picked up her pace.
---
''No!,'' Barret yelled seeing one person get shot in the face. He opened fire with renewed vigor at the enemies.
He was forced to duck behind cover quickly. As they focused their fire on him.
''We are stuck here. There is no cover on the highest floor,'' a Neighborhood Watchmen told them. He cursed as another person was shot.
''Cloud. Zack. Do you think you can do something?,'' Barret asked them. The two of them alongside Tifa were casting whatever spells they could at them.
More explosions could be heard.
Zack and Cloud turned towards him and nodded confidently.
''Leave it to us! Bullets are nothing to a First Class SOLDIER,'' Zack assured him and gave him a thumbs up and a confident grin.
Weeeeeell, that was not entirely true. It just took an INSANE amount to bring them down.
Which...was certainly a possibility with everything that Shinra threw at them, but he couldn't call himself a hero if he just stood aside doing nothing.
And Cloud...was in over his head and too confident for his own good. But he did have a First Class SOLDIER physique.
''We will try to take out as many choppers as we can to provide you aid,'' Barret told them.
''You know what, merc? You're not as bad as I thought you to be,'' Barret muttered under his breath while firing back, after Cloud and Zack ran up the stairs and began parrying bullets. They did hide from rockets.
It did not escape Barret how Cloud didn't ask for money. Shame it took these circumstances to finally see Tifa's claim.
---
Cloud and Zack jumped up to escape an explosion and both cut through a rocket, each, before they could hit the pillar.
''Now what?,'' Cloud asked him. He had no plan and chose to trust in Zacks lead, since he was the one to first charge forward.
''First part of the plan. Get to the highest floor,'' zack jumped aside and cast bolt, downing a chopper.
''And the second part?,'' Cloud asked him while he he cast a fireball at two choppers.
''I didn't think we'd make it this far,'' Zack admitted sheepishly.
''You KIDDING me?!,'' Cloud asked with disbelief.
''Part two of the plan, defend the pillar till Nox comes,'' Zack said. They could take the choppers out, but they started realizing their mistake and began distancing themselves and spreading out.
Meaning it would take more effort on their part to hit them accurately and defend the pillar from the rockets since they now came from every direction around the pillar.
''He roped you in too in his mysterious plan?,'' Cloud asked him.
''Yes. My task was to be here. What was yours?,'' Zack asked.
''Dude. Client-merc-confidentiality. Never heard of it?,'' Cloud evaded the question. After all he wasn't allowed to talk about the camera. Only Nox was.
''Oh, right. Sorry,'' Zack chuckled.
''It would be NICE if he hurried up!,'' Cloud said after a while and jumped up to cut redirect another rocket trying to get it to hit a chopper and conserve some mana.
(Last 'round' the rockets were much less of a problem since Nox was here and he stopped them all with his Mako Strands. The Whispers were much more of a problem last time. Still are, really. Just somewhere else.)
---
Zero landed on his back and rolled a few times before slamming his blade down and coming to a halt.
''Now this is just annoying,'' he muttered and reengaged the corrupted Arbiters of Fate.
It wasn't hard killing them. But it was like fighting the sea. Why did Jenova even try this hard to make the plate fall as opposed to getting Zack killed in that ambush? Why even stop trying to kill Zack after that ambush?
Wait!
It was as if a light bulb lit up above his head.
It was like fighting the sea! Of course!
He discarded his sword and gathered all the Mako Strands he had. It wouldn't be as many as he would have if he took a dip in Mako, but he should still have enough to easily do what he has planned.
While he began focusing he evaded any attempt on him by the corrupted Arbiters of Fate.
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''Marlene! Marlene!,'' Aerith yelled out and burst through the doors to the bar.
She began looking around till she finally moved to look behind the counter and found Marlene crouching in a corner under the counter.
''Marlene,'' Aerith said with relief.
Marlene was terrified, but dared to peek from her fetal position to see who it was.
''Aunty Aerith!,'' she joyfully exclaimed and ran to her.
Aerith threw herself at her knees and embraced the little girl in comfort.
''Marlene, I'm glad you are safe, but we have to hurry and get you out of here. Ok?,'' Aerith told her gently after they departed from their hug.
Marlene nodded shyly and was picked up Aerith who began making her way out.
Or at least that was the plan.
She quickly dropped Marlene off, but still trying to be as gently as she could with her and moved her behind her legs while she brought out her staff.
She did so the moment she saw the doors open and by them time she finished her movement she tensed even further as she saw who it was.
''Reno,'' she greeted and watched as a few Infantry Troopers poured in. Reno rested his electric baton against his shoulder.
If she was frank, she could take them all on. She was confident in that. She was just worried about Marlene.
''Yo, time's up Aerith. You had your fun and your freedom, but you knew this day would come. Now,'' Reno he patted his baton against his shoulder a little, almost playfully.
''We can do this the hard way or the easy way,'' he told her confidently.
Aerith raised her eyebrow and looked at the other people.
''Am I too much for you? Or you can't handle me by yourself?,'' Aerith mocked him.
''Yeah, Yeah. Attack my pride, will you? Again. Will it be the hard way or the easy way?,'' Reno asked her dismissively.
Aerith wanted to scream in frustration. Why did this shit always work for Nox, but not for her? Mindgames that is. It was not fair.
'Go with them,' 'Aerith' said.
'What?,' she asked her with disbelief.
'Nanaki is an important party member. Right now he is held captive inside Shinra. You need to get him, so might as well grab the opportunity,' 'Aerith' explained.
Aerith blinked a few times and then looked at Marlene.
She sighed.
She could take them all on, but it didn't sit right with her putting Marlene at any risk, just for what was essentially her pride.
She knew Nox would come help her ... or she could break out herself, long before they ever harmed her.
The only real gripe she had was that she couldn't discuss it with Nox beforehand. She hoped he would understand and forgive her.
''Let us make a deal and I will comply completely,'' Aerith told Reno with determination.
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A chopper began making it's way to the pillar and firing stopped. At least towards the highest floor. They did begin to focus their fire on the lower floors.
Zack and Cloud readied themselves.
The chopper lowered and Rude and Cissnei stepped out. Tseng having moved to take over the controls.
''Cissnei? Rude? What the hell do you think you guys are doing? Think about the people!,'' Zack yelled at them.
''You know how the Turks operate, Zack. We have our orders,'' Cissnei told him. She was happy to see him again. That he was alive too, now having it confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt.
''Screw any orders given by them! If they are evil, just walk away. Like I did,'' Zack yelled back.
''Or me,'' Cloud added.
Cissnei and Rude looked at him briefly and then ignored him.
''I know you guys are good people. Does your consciousness REALLY feel nothing at what you are about to do?,'' Zack shot back,'' It doesn't even make any sense. What about the people up top? They have even less to do with AVALANCHE then the people down here!''
Cissnei balled her fists by her side giving Zack some hope.
''I'm sorry, Zack. But I hope you understand one day why I must do this and you will forgive me,'' Cissnei replied to him a little ashamed.
Yeah, he will totally think less of her after this. There goes any hope of the two of them getting together. Guess, she should have known her crush would lead nowhere.
But he wouldn't understand. Shinra would always find someone to do the dirty work for them. Of course she didn't want to fulfill the orders. No one really wanted. But the alternative was that someone else does the job and worse, as in even more people will die.
She slowly raised her fist and brought out her boomerang with the other. Turks were more meant to be assassins and spies, but she just needed to buy Rude a few seconds so he could input the code. And with all the other advantages around them, she could do that much at least.
''Cloud, you stop Rude!,'' Zack engaged Cissnei so he could move freely. He parried the boomerang away from him, when Cissnei threw it at Cloud and drew her attention on him. She rolled under his swing barely just in time and picked up her weapon to block a swing at her throat. She was pushed back and Zack leapt after her.
Cloud meanwhile sprinted towards Rude, who ran towards the console, but he was forced to dodge out of the way as Tseng opened fire by firing rockets at him.
He tried again with the same result. And finally he fired a Bolt at the chopper and was able to run a few meters, before he was forced to roll again.
There would be no way, he could catch up to Rude under these circumstances. He tried firing a fireball at Rude in that case.
Rude was forced to dodge, but that was the end of Cloud's advantages as two new chopper came up to join Tsengs chopper and he was forced under a constant barrage of shrapnel making him spend all his time dodging and blocking.
''NO!!!,'' Zack yelled and punched Cissnei in the face as he saw Rude punch in the code and push the button.
''Unauthorized Access Prohibited,'' came the robotic voice of from the console.
Only the sounds of the motor blades from the helicopters and the firing of guns could be heard as the four stared at the console's screen with a stupid expression.
...
...
...
...
...
...
Huh?
Rude pushed the button again.
''Unauthorized Access Prohibited.''
Rude quickly punched in the code again and then pushed the button.
''Unauthorized Access Prohib-''
''Unauthorized Ac-'
''Unauthorize-''
''Unauth-''
''Unau-''
''Un-''
''U-''
''U-''
Rude pressed the button quicker and quicker each time the console wouldn't respond. It was the correct code!
Finally, with everyone not understanding what went wrong... or right, Cloud took the opportunity to deliver Rude a powerful punch to the side of his head, destroying his glassed and giving him a massive headache. He launched away a few meters and laid still on the floor.
Cloud immediately kicked himself for not using his sword to cut of his head as he dodged bullets, the fight between the four resuming.
Well not really. Tsengs chopper lowered himself to the floor and Cissnei threw a smoke bomb down. Zack immediately delivered a wild swipe trying to get her in time.
But she made her way to Rude and picked him up, before the two boarded the chopper just in time to escape Zack and Cloud.
''Sir?,'' asked one of the pilots through the comms.
''Proceed with Plan B. All Shinra personnel focus fire on the pillar and ignore the terrorists,'' Tseng ordered them.
Damaging the pillar was less reliable then disengaging the support pillar, but it will have to do.
And hey, if some of them died then that was a sacrifice he was willing to make.
He KNEW what he was doing was wrong. But better them then someone worse. At least the Turks do the job cleanly.
But... what Zack said touched something deep in his soul and he was suddenly very angry. Zack was right. Any one of them could just ... NOT fulfill the orders. The fact that so many also just went so blatantly with the narrative that the ones down there were the terrorist and not THEM was frankly ridiculous.
So they could die like good little robots, if they chose to behave like good little robots.
(Unlike some of the Turks who were taken in by Shinra, when they were young and raised by them, almost everyone else doesn't even have the excuse of indoctrination. So who was more 'wrong' in the head for following this order. Normal people would say equally both since indoctrination is not an excuse, but AT LEAST it is an explanation.)
That didn't make him a better person or morally right. But it did make him feel less shittier about what Zack said.
''Yo, Tseng. I got her. Had to strike and fulfill a deal with her first, but she is fully cooperating. Come pick us up in that open area near her house. You know the one? The one behind the school?,'' Reno began talking the moment Tseng took a call from Reno.
''Yes. Expect us shortly,'' Tseng moved the chopper away from the others. One less chopper firing wouldn't make too much of a difference. He took a brief glance to the back of the chopper and saw Cissnei tending to Rude, who was still out from the punch.
Zack and Cloud watched hopelessly as the choppers fired. There was simply too much bombardment from them to stop all the rockets.
But they did begin to attack any chopper and try to destroy as many they could in the hopes that they could stop the pillars destruction.
Barret and Tifa, and a handful of other people came up to them and began aiding them.
''Take them out! Take all of them out!!!,'' Barret desperately ordered them.
''What do you think we are doing?,'' Cloud replied frustrated casting as much magic as he could. But he didn't have that much mana to begin with. He always preferred swords.
''Now is not the time for your dick measuring contest!,'' Zack chastised them harshly.
Something gave and the pillar exploded and then metal groaned.
''No! NOOOO!,'' Tifa fell to her knees.
''Damn it,'' Barret renewed his attack on the choppers with a yell of frustration. But the choppers began departing trying to get away no that their objective was fulfilled.
''Do you think we bought enough time for everyone else to evacuate the others?,'' another member asked hopeful. If he died now, let it at least be a death of some worth. Dying while helping others, he didn't mind. He just hoped his son would one day understand. His wife would probably struggle to raise him alone...maybe she would get help. That would suck. He hoped she would tell him of him.
''Do you think them not being able to access the console was Nox' doing,'' Cloud asked Zack.
''Maybe. I hope not,'' Zack said with some apprehension. That was probably why he had to go somewhere else and was not here. If that was the case, then it sucked since his efforts would have been for nothing. He hoped he wouldn't blame himself in that case.
''GODSDAMNED SHINRA! We need to get away from here,'' Barret said as the pillar groaned again to the point the could see the plate shift a little a loud bang echoing across Midgar causing their ears to ring and probably deafening the ones up there who were much closer.
''HOW?! We are in the middle of the Sector 7 slums. No matter if we go left or right, we won't make it in time to the other Sectors,'' one elderly member of the Neighborhood Watch said.
''Look around, damn it. We're wasting time!,'' Barret ordered them. He would fight till the last breath and try everything. Marlene probably made it, so his biggest worry was gone. He just hoped that Aerith, Jessie, Biggs and Wedge didn't attempt to make it back to the pillar.
Cloud pulled Tifa up and began to do as Barret instructed.
''Hey, guys! What about this?,'' one younger member of the Neighborhood Watch pointed at a metal cable that loosened from all the movement and barely hanging on. Just a little more movement and it would fall away from the pillar.
''Great thinking!,'' Barret complimented. With how long it looked they would probably be able to swing to the next Sector. He looked around.
''Are there others like this?,'' he asked them. They all looked around.
''Doesn't seem that way,'' one Watcher sighed.
Barret frowned. They wouldn't be able to all cling to the cable. Sure, someone could climb up a little and then hang on there, but in doing so they risked the cable disconnecting. No, they all needed to climb on at once and quickly.
''I say the youngest ones go,'' Barret pointed at Zack, Cloud, Tifa and two members of the Neighborhood Watch.
''I concur.''
''Live your lives in our stead. And live them well.''
''I have no regrets. It is the duty of the elders to ensure those who come after us prosper.''
''...Yeah, I guess.''
''Guys...,'' Tifa was moved by their sacrifice and was about to say more.
''Uhh, guys? You seeing what I'm seeing?,'' Zack pointed in the distance making them look despite the urgency.
---
''I'm glad you chose to cooperate with us. Please, after you,'' Tseng gestured politely for her to enter the chopper. Aerith sighed and stepped forward after giving a nod towards her mother and Marlene who watched them off. Her mother was silently crying and Marlene was burying her face in her leg.
''Let's go,'' Aerith replied while she entered. Tseng and Reno entering after her. The Troopers would have to walk back to Shinra.
''Yo, who did this to my partner?,'' Reno complained the moment he saw Rude... and the massive bump on the side of his head.
''Cloud Strife,'' Cissnei replied as they lifted off and she watched them all strap themselves to the seats.
''Well, then I owe him a letter of complaint or something. You happened to stumble upon Zack too?,'' Reno scowled, but then asked. He already knew the answer, it was just his way of opening the next subject.
''Yes,'' Tseng replied.
''Will we tell Shinra?,'' Reno asked.
Tseng closed his eyes for a few moments.
''If the President asks,'' he replied.
Reno scoffed amused.
He looked briefly at Aerith who stared defiantly ahead. He did feel a little sad for her, but orders were orders.
He leaned into his seat a little more relaxed and stared outside the open door to see the slums below.
He bolted forward in his eat.
''Eeeeeh. Tseng, yo, you seeing that shit too or am I tripping?,'' he asked him.
Tseng moved a little to lean forward from behind the wall and stare through the open door too.
...
He turned to Aerith.
''By any chance, would that happen to be your boyfriends doing?,'' Tseng asked her.
Aerith continued to stare defiantly ahead. Keeping her expression neutral. But her aura was smug, Tseng could tell. It was all in the eyes.
''We are fucked aren't we?,'' Cissnei asked after she took the chance to look to where they were looking.
''I doubt Nox could take on all of Shinra by himself,'' Tseng replied.
Reno tilted his head incredulously at him and then tilted it back at where they were all looking. He blinked and then massive thing was suddenly gone. He had as suspicion so he moved to open the other door.
Like lightning and thunder it finally took a while, but it arrived surely.
''Persistent little pests. Give it up.''
''No Cissnei, we aren't fucked. We are TOTALLY fucked,'' Reno commented lightly seeing the creature now under the Sector 7 plate.
He turned to see what Tseng had to say.
''...''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zero burst through another layer of corrupted Arbiters of Fate's, having made some progress by now.
Drills were the answer. He could fly without necessarily needing wings. It was just much harder. Still he wan't doing as much progress as he wanted. He pushed the corrupted Arbiters aside, but not by much and they were not killed or destroyed as he hoped they would. Which meant they could move back quickly to push back against his Mako Drill construct.
Come on! Think!!!
Maybe he wasn't spinning fast enough? He wasn't doing that because he did need to have a sense of directions, but... it seemed he would have to and take that risk.
Wait.
...
...
...
...
Friction. Heat. At enough speeds. He remembered something about it in science. Never his strongest subject but he did pick up a few things before he dropped out of High School.
Hell yeah, yeah science.
It's a shame he never got around to becoming a biologist.
Instead of continuing to push forward, he instead chose to move backwards. And backwards. And backwards. Till he was almost touching the belly of the upper plate. Some ghosts followed him, but only a few.
Good it seems his plan is not yet uncovered.
Spin, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin.
Faster!
FASTER!
MORE!
Maybe the ghosts knew what he hoped to do. Maybe not. But they did move to reinforce the area around the place where his path would be.
Straight down.
Spin more!
The world seemed to blur into a single picture.
More!
The air around him slowly began heating up from all the friction. The metal above him slowly turning orange. Hopefully that damage would not harm the integrity of the plate too much and cause it to fall down.
MORE!
MORE!
MORE!
---
!!!
---
The ghost began moving upwards, abandoning it's attempts to try and fortify the reactor like a castle during a siege and instead moved tightly together upwards into a pillar.
Finally Zero let himself go.
And Zero the Drill shot down towards the earth. He knew that if he took it too far he could cause an explosion that would wipe Midgar off the face of Gaia. He knew that he would probably need to run some calculations normally to avoid doing that.
But he was never that good at math.
So he would have to wing it and hope that he doesn't take it too far.
But hey, worst case scenario he does it all again.
Hahahahahahahahahaha.
Yeah, no. He didn't want that.
Still, the ghosts did begin slowing his descent slowly down.
Even more friction and speed then.
Zero moved his hands to cast fire as propulsion behind him.
That seemed to solve it as he just shot down like a bullet into the ground. In the end, the ghosts began to drill in the opposite direction to try and stop him, but by then it was already too late and he crashed through all the metal and earth as if it wasn't even there....
(The only reason Zero wasn't turned to mush by his own attack was because the drill also functioned as protection. And by stabilizing his body from exploding from all that centrifugal forces, as the Mako Stands inside of him were not enough. Of course any damage he did sustain, minor as they, were thanks to all the circumstances were instantly healed once he entered the Mako.)
The Sector 2 slums were thankfully just a waste deposit. But still, despite Zero's effort to push forward while also minimizing destruction...
Suffice to say, there was a massive explosion destroying everything in it's path. He knew that there were some consequences to what he did. Maybe he killed the wandering adventurer by mistake. Or a metal flew into the distance from the explosion and hit someone in the head. Or he killed a worker down here, few as they were, the kid that were not Shinra fanatics.
He was willing to live with those consequences, so long as he didn't cause TOO much destruction in his opinion.
(Thankfully no one was harmed by his attack, not directly, but it would make recycling everything that much harder since everything metal was molten together. And it was also a waste since now the metal could no longer be repurposed. At least not all of it. And of course the plastic melting and releasing toxic gases and seeping into the ground. Not as if the ground wasn't already barren and toxic already. Mostly.
But hey. Ignorance is bliss. No?
In the grand scheme of things, the damage he spread was small, but it was still contributing to all the worlds damage to the planet overall.
Oh, but every worker and Trooper that was still alive in the Reactor was now absolutely dead.)
And finally, sweet contact with the Mako as he slammed into it like an asteroid, Mako kicking up everywhere. Thankfully, due to it's magical nature, it did not behave like other liquids and did not vaporize instantly adding another explosion on top of the other.
(Mako was pretty resilient and was only destroyed through the process that Shinra was using to generate electricity so far.)
For a few moments nothing happened. Long enough for the Mako to go completely still.
*Rumble*
He needed a lot of Mako.
*Rumble*
Like...a lot.
*Rumble*
He would just borrow it for a few hours like last time. Before, as Aerith confirmed, it left him to join the Lifestream after a few hours.
*Rumble*
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like a serpent (or a long green blob or slime) the Mako exploded from the Reactor and rose up into the sky. He didn't care too much for the Reactor and was not at all careful when he exited. Whatever morsel of proof still existed that there used to be a Reactor here was now completely gone and behind was only a crater where the earth collapsed to block the open hole into the earth and access to the rest of the Lifestream.
(Now if only that would happen to the rest of the Reactors, someone thought to herself.)
When he was high enough in the air, wings unfurled all across it's serpentine body and he began flying towards the opposite side of Midgar, towards Sector 7. The body stretching across several Sectors.
''Persistent little pests. Give it up,'' Zero scoffed, unaware that this body amplified his voice to the world.
Before him, in his path, corrupted Arbiters of Fate moved to engage him.
He was done bothering with them he he flapped his wings kicking up wind. He barely moved slow enough to not destroy the world around him, but still fast enough to disappear from the eyesight of normal people.
(Zack and Cloud could barely track him, when he did that.)
As he had hoped, his investment proved true and he carved thought them like a hot knife through butter. Any attempt to stop him ended in failure. Even if they weren't destroyed anymore, before Zero was like a small rock and they water. Now he was like a meteor and no amount of force could slow him down, even if this body moved slower then his drill like construct.
They simply. Weren't. There.
Like they were NOTHING.
So, they gave up eventually and disappeared.
---
''Persistent little pests. Give it up.''
They all heard it after they saw it. Zack and Cloud reacted less exaggerated and delayed then the others, but they all tensed. The wind nearly knocking them over.
Because of course they did.
THERE WAS A MASSIVE SERPENTINE CREATURE IN FRONT OF THEM.
HELLO?
EVEN ZACK AND CLOUD COULD BE EXCUSED FOR BEING FUCKING TERRIFIED.
And none were entirely sure if it was Nox and if not, if it was friendly or foe.
But the slowly began to relax as the serpent ... untangled itself and moved like hundred, thousand of pillars up and down.
''No way,'' Zack commented with disbelief as realization kicked in.
(Last time Nox was not prepared. This time he was. The only reason he was doing it so slowly was because he didn't want to crush every building under him. He had to awkwardly move the massive Mako Strands in between the streets. And not all of them were big. Unfortunately some houses did get crushed.)
The plate groaned again and Zero just cast a Stop on the entire plate. So long as it was still hanging on to the pillars it wouldn't move any more. Only the plate. For a time. Vastly preferable over him trying to stop it while it was already in free fall. Unfortunately Stop would no longer work then.
No, for that he will use his Mako Strands.
Due to it's size it would probably take at least a few hours to move it safely to the ground. If they were smart some people would use the time to leave the plate. But he doubted that all could even if they wanted or tried their best. So he will have to be mindful of how he moved the plate, for the sake of the top siders.
Finally Stop ended and he was ready. The plate fell on him and he could feel it push against his Mako Strands. He could hold it, but... maybe he gets to it as quickly as possible.
He did catch a few people who fell down the side of the plates. They continued to fall for a bit more, since he couldn't stop their fall abruptly.
After all, it was not the ground that killed people. Just the sudden stop.
''Yes!,'' Barret celebrated when he saw the plate get transported. It took a while to see it since all the green pillars obstructed most of the view. But after a while some pillars pulled back and disappeared and Barret guessed that they moved somewhere else to support the plate in the direction it was moved. He could see the plate slowly depart being moved outside Midgar. Slowly. Painfully slowly. He still was a little afraid that it would suddenly drop, but only a little.
''YES!!!,'' Barret yelled again and pumped his fist up, despite his small fear still lingering. The others joined him eagerly. Tifa hugged Cloud from feeling too emotional. She made a sound of embarrassment and tried to step away. Cloud hugged her back after a while, before she could depart.
Still, the both of them were shy and departed anyway after a while.
Zack patted his shoulder and then laid rested his arm on Cloud's shoulder while they looked at the plate moving.
Despite them feeling a little somber at having lost some people while they defended the pillar, friends, brothers, sisters, wife, husband, son and daughter.
Their sacrifice was not in vain.
And no victory was without cost.
They were all instrumental in buying enough time, stopping the pillar from falling long enough, that Zero could arrive and provided the final push for their total victory.
''Guys? What the hell is that thing?,'' they heard and turned around.
''Jessie! Biggs! Wedge! Where were you?,'' Barret asked them happily. Granted a few more came as well, but he cared for them first and foremost.
''Evacuating everyone, like you told us too. Everyone made it out safely,'' Biggs gave him a thumbs up.
''You guys still didn't answer me. What is that?,'' Wedge asked them.
''Hells if we know, but damn are we glad it came just in time,'' Barret said making the others nod.
Barret stepped forward and grabbed Wedge's shoulder in comfort and Tifa stepped forward to hug Jessie as well.
Cloud looked at Zack, both sharing a look.
''You think...,'' Cloud asked him quietly while the others were still celebrating.
''Maybe... Can't be 100% sure,'' Zack replied back.
''What if he turns? Like Sephiroth,'' Cloud asked him and shuddered a bit.
Zack scoffed.
''It's Nox. That will never happen,'' Zack reassured him making Cloud relax. Zack pulled Cloud forward to join the others in their celebration.
''Wait!,'' Tifa said suddenly.
''Where is Aerith?,'' she asked them all.
''She said she will be the one to bring Marlene to safety,'' Zack reminded her.
''No. That is not what I meant. I wrote her. She didn't answer and normally she answers pretty quickly. Her last message was that she brought Marlene to her home, but that was like an hour ago,'' Tifa explained to them and showed them her PHS. Then she immediately pulled it back, before they could read anything.
Right. She forgot that she wanted to keep her conversations with her private. Some of them were...embarrassing. And the one immediately above the last message was just that.
''Sorry. Private, I forgot,'' Tifa explained making them nod.
''Alright everyone. Enough celebrating. We need to rebuild and find any other survivors that are in need and helped by staying behind,'' Barret told them.
...
After giving a few more instructions and making the survivors depart Barret turned to them.
''You think she tried making her way back after dropping Marlene off at her home? Think she got hurt on her way back?,'' Barret asked them.
''And where is Nox?,'' Jessie asked looking around.
''We can ask him when we see him. We have more important stuff to do. Come, I know where her home is. We could find her on the path between here and her home,'' Cloud lead the way and covered for Nox. They dragged him to her home when they three of them were together in the Sector 5 Slums so they could have a grab of bite.
Most of them followed after him. But Jessie, Biggs and Wedge stayed behind to clean up and start rebuilding, as well as start preparing the dead for burials. As a form of to repent, since they didn't feel they contributed enough.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
President Shinra stared with disbelief as what he saw from his office.
''President Shinra, I must report that the Turks...failed. We failed to make the plate fall and kill AVALANCHE. We did recover the Ancient however,'' Tseng reported from where he was.
''That is splendid. It is. Really. But in case you failed to notice, there is a plate, an entire plate of several tens and tens of thousands of tons being moved by some sort of Mako being. I THINK that is FAR more important then any failure or success or anything else, really, that you have to report to me.
You're not dumb Tseng. You KNOW what this means. This...is an unmitigated disaster for us and the company. Do we know who this is?,'' President Shinra asked hopefully.
''No. Sir... I even doubt it is a person,'' Tseng lied easily. For once, his fear of what Nox would do to him triumphed whatever loyalty or nobility he had. And the guy probably already hated him enough for kidnapping his partner and putting his friends at risk.
''No,'' Shinra echoed his voice distant. And he already suspected the other part himself.
''And Hojo?,'' Shinra asked next.
''He is raving mad, more so then usual. We already had to stop 13 attempts of him trying something. Both to the Ancient and him trying to capture that serpent. In the past 1 hour and 12 minutes,'' Tseng said after he checked his watch.
''Of course. Remove the Ancient from his possession and make it clear he has to stop any further attempts to antagonize that ... thing down there. It is currently peaceful, but I'd rather not push my luck. Kill him if he tries anything again. I can always find another mad scientist, but I doubt I can rebuild my company after that thing is done with us. No, for that we need to develop new weapons since the ones we currently have are surely not enough.
And I'd rather not find out if the Ancient summoned it or if the Planet sent it to protect her. One I can negotiate with, the other hates my guts. Ask her, but GENTLY. Which means NO. TORTURE. Physical OR psychological,'' Shirna made himself very clear.
Just in case.
Tseng nodded, not surprised at seeing Shinra so shaken more so then ever before.
''You say it burst out of Mako Reactor 2?,'' Shinra sked him then.
''Yes,'' Tseng lied again.
Shinra was silent for a bit.
''Prepare the media outlets. I can spin this in a good way for us,'' Shinra ordered him and finally turned around to take a seat at his table.
Tseng bowed and then left.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zero was in a somewhat good mood as he finally dropped the plate on the ground outside of Midgar. His body burned in a good way. The way it does after an exercise. Thankfully the end was the easiest part as he just had to lower the plate to the ground in a straight line vertically, instead of needing to move it horizontally and reposition his Mako Strands.
Because he was in a good mood, he created ramps for the people to climb down from the plate.
Zero, his construct as a serpent disappeared under the plate, making people think it sunk into the earth and was a sort of guardian sent to protect them by the planet. He actually slipped through the cracks in the metal and appeared on the streets of the plate as Nox by exiting through a man hole cover.
Although there was still some confusion about who the serpent addressed when it spoke.
''That was...something,'' Shelke commented the moment he picked up when she called.
''You called to glaze me? Please, get to the point,'' Nox ordered her. He already had a guess why she called.
''Right. In that case, Shinra kidnapped Aerith,'' Shelke got down to her point quickly.
Yeah, Nox had a suspicion. He never found out why she left with them last time. Was it a plan? Was she coerced? He doubted it, since she should be able to defeat Turks easily. Were SOLDIER's sent together with the Turks. Not that was more logical, if she was TRULY taken.
And if it was a plan, then what was the goal? Kill Hojo? Did she see an opportunity to get her revenge and took it? She could have just expressed her wish or been a little patient for him to explain more of his plan since he couldn't last time, because they were pressed for time.
Either way, he was hurt by her actions.
''Nox?,'' Shelke in concern.
''Let's proceed with the next part of the plan,'' he told her.
''You plant to make some small changes to your plan and add rescuing her to the list?,'' Shelked asked him.
''Yup. Aerith's probably waiting for me, so I better hurry,'' Nox told her.
''I'll scour Shinra for where she is, while you go do your thing,'' Shelke agreed in that case.
Nox hummed and then hang up.
Still...it sucked. He wanted her by his side when the Black Knights make their entrance on the world stage.
He sighed. Welp, better get to it then.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
''Marlene!,'' Barret exclaimed and sprinted towards her.
''Daddy!,'' she yelled back. She made some distance in trying to run, but she was too short. Barret arrived to her much quicker and her picked her up with his good arm and let her rest on his biceps.
''Where is Aerith?,'' Cloud asked Elmyra, getting straight to the point, noticing how her eyes were red. They also didn't find her on the route to her home.
''Shinra took her,'' Nox replied and entered through the doors into the living room and grabbed their attention.
''Where were you?,'' Elmyra immediately confronted him.
''Doing important stuff,'' Nox told her.
''More important then being by Aerith's side or keeping her safe,'' Elmyra accused him.
Nox turned a little to look at her.
''What do you THINK I have been doing? You know what? You're distraught because Aerith was kidnapped. And rightfully so. But I'm not getting into an argument with you now,'' Nox shot her down.
Elmyra scrunched her face in anger at him and then she looked devastated and collapsed on the chair her face in her hands.
''You're right, I'm sorry. It's just...,'' Elmyra sounded horrible over what she has done. It was no excuse for her to do so, even if it may be justified.
''I get it...Well, not really. I don't have children after all. But I understand. She may not be your daughter by blood, but she is your daughter all the same. Your only daughter and you lover her,'' Nox calmed her down kindly.
Barret nodded and cast a look at Marlene. She looked back and her gave her a comforting smile.
Elmyra sniffed and nodded, wiping her tears from her eyes.
''What do you mean? Why was Aerith kidnapped by Shinra? How were you protecting her?,'' Barret asked him then.
Nox looked thoughtful for a moment his eyes moving across space, perceiving something.
''You plan on storming Shinra,'' Cloud guessed, making them all turn to him and then back to Nox.
He smiled after a while and closed his eyes.
''I don't take slights kindly. And Shinra has long been testing my patience. So no, Cloud. I plan to do oh so much more then storming them,'' Nox chuckled and rested his hand on his face as he looked up.
''You always asked why I didn't join AVALANCHE? Tell me Barret what would you have done, had the plate ACTUALLY fallen?,'' Nox asked him face still hidden behind his hand.
''...I would have wanted to stop them even more,'' Barret said. He still wanted to, but that was a sort of fading adrenaline feeling. So the intensity of that desire lessened over time.
''And how?,'' Nox immediately asked.
''...Bombing... I guess,'' Barret replied in a small voice.
''Do you think you are the only one whose resolve hardens when they see their friends get bombed and die in front of them?,'' Nox asked him next.
''No,'' Barret said after a while. FINALLY comprehending the answer.
''It is a perpetual and continuing cycle,'' Nox told him.
''Then how DO we stop them?,'' Zack asked him.
''Bombing itself isn't necessarily wrong to go about things. But if you DO bomb something, make sure it counts. Sure you could go after infrastructure, industrial complexes or military outposts. All valid targets so long as it is ultimately not a civilian hot spot and it is something hard to repair or does not have the supply chain to quickly undo any harm you cause to said places,'' Nox began and then slowly stretched his hand out into the sky.
''I, on the other hand, prefer first and foremost going after ideas.
'A man may come and go, nations may rise and fall. But ideas? Ideas are bullet proof.' A man once said that.
I disagree. Ideas are bulletproof from other ideas. They are not bulletproof from the inverse of the same idea. So if the world thinks Shinra is the strongest?,'' Nox asked them and clenched his hand into a fist.
''You prove them wrong,'' Zack said simply.
''If the world thinks of them as protectors and providers?,'' Nox asked Cloud and extended his hand towards him, almost like an offer to lift him up.
''You prove them wrong,'' Cloud replied and pulled the camera from the belt putting it in Nox' hand.
''Camera,'' Nox explained when they saw the tiny object.
''You beautiful bastard!,'' Barret exclaimed with joy making Tifa nod in agreement. They could get justice with that.
''Daddy, you said a bad word!,'' Marlene pointed out immediately.
''I'm sorry, sweety. Daddy did wrong, please don't take after him,'' Barret quickly fumbled for an apology.
She giggled making the other's smile a little. No matter what, a child's joy could be infectious.
''And if Shinra presents themselves as the ones in control?,'' Nox asked them. Which was a little different from power. This one was more about perception then the immediate ability to back up that control. But power and control do often go close hand in hand.
''You prove them wrong!,'' Marlene exclaimed enthusiastically.
''On my travels, I saw blind men, men without legs, without arms, most of them had prosthetic's. But there is NOTHING like the sight of an amputated spirit. There is no prosthetic for that.
I want to take the people's ideas about Shinra and bomb them to dust. I want it for the people to be anathema to support Shinra in the future. And I want Shinra so throughoutly crushed that they will never dare be uttered with fondness. And then I want to improve the world, far better then they ever could just to spite them.
So THAT is how you destroy Shinra, Barret.
But of course, it is also important to build momentum for your cause, provide an alternative and keep that inertia going till it's natural conclusion...
And I already did that by stopping the plate from falling as a 'provider','' Nox disappeared in a green cocoon and then presented himself to them as Zero after a few seconds.
''What?,'' Tifa asked in suprise.
''You were that green thing? Then why not just go and kill Shinra now, if you have that power?,'' Barret asked him.
''Politics,'' Zack replied.
''Yup. If I go tear Shinra down, while the people still think fondly of them, I will have AVALANCHE as an issue, Only that terror group will have a different name and fight for a different cause. They all have their times and place, every action. Do something at the wrong time and the whole thing untangles itself in front of you,'' Zero told them.
Also, he first needed to be sure that Jenova was the Big Bad. He doubted it, but there was a small chance that he was wrong. Until then he needed someone to run things. Unfortunately since Shinra ruled the world he didn't have an alternative. And setting Wutai up as an alternative would take too long.
And no way would he keep them strong so that they could heckle him from the back.
''So...what then?,'' Barret asked.
''I provided them with an alternative provider that is clearly strong, even if I didn't yet display my strength aside from carrying several thousands of tons. Now we just need to push them into my hands,'' Zero told them.
''How? Wait! The camera, of course,'' Tifa nodded in understanding.
''Yup. And the best part? People don't know I and the serpent are the same thing. I can play two roles. Do you understand?,'' Zero asked them.
''...You plan on attacking Shinra and bringing them desolation and making them look weak-''
''And justifying my actions as a sort of punishment for failing to be both strong and providers. In fact the exact opposite of providers,'' Zero interrupted Cloud.
''...You plan on attacking from several angles at once,'' Cloud understood.
''Yup. This is part of keeping up the momentum for our cause,'' Zero told them.
''Our? Aren't you getting ahead of yourself a little?,'' Barret joked.
''I wasn't talking about you,'' Zero told them.
''No,'' Elmyra replied faintly.
''That is right. Aerith knows about what I'm doing. She is also a member of the Black Knights and does her own part. She even accompanies me very often in battles,'' Zero replied.
''No.''
''Like I said. I don't get it, since I don't have children, but I understand. You are the parent, she is the child. You will always see her as that small kid that you could carry easily on your back.
But Aerith is a woman grown. She can make her own choices and fight her own battles, alone or otherwise. She wasn't exactly 'kidnapped' anyway,'' Zero told them, coping a little.
''You put my daughter in danger for your schemes?,'' Elmyra accused.
''She put herself in danger for our schemes,'' Zero corrected her.
''Ok. So, you really weren't kidding about attacking Shinra from several angles at once. Hard. And quickly too. I'm guessing your planning on meeting up with Aerith during your rampage.
But...two things you haven't explained to us. Or I guess three.
How could you do that? Why did Shinra want Aerith in the first place for, even if she did go with them of her own free will? And why tell us all that?,'' Cloud asked him.
''Aerith's secret is hers to tell. And I guess... I was born this way. I could always do this and I have no name that I can call myself.
As for you? I am formally extending an invitation to all of you to join the Black Knights. It would help if we had a few more members for our cause,'' Zero offered them his open hand.
''Will we have to wear ridiculous get up?,'' Barret asked a little jokingly.
''It would help. Certainly it stops one from advertising their...allegiances to certain groups to absolutely every corner of the map,'' Zero told him.
Barret cleared his throat a little.
''I'm game,'' Zack agreed. It sounded certainly better then just bombing things and hoping they get better. At least Nox' movement sounded more thought out. Even if he did make it sound as if he would bomb some things too, at least it wouldn't be as frequent as AVALANCHE.
He guessed...that was alright. Can't make an omelette without breaking an egg, after all.
''Oh, here is your money,'' Zero handed Cloud a stack of cash. He didn't take it.
Cloud turned his body away to hide his face. He pretended to look at the flowers through the window.
''Keep the cash. Are there certain membership benefits if I join?,'' Cloud asked him.
''Mmmm, I could come up with some things,'' Nox said.
''I'm game too,'' Cloud replied.
''I'll join too,'' Tifa agreed.
''I'm guessing I need to break of all ties between AVALANCHE and myself?,'' Barret asked.
''Yes. Obviously. And before you ask. Jessie, Biggs and Wedge will also receive an offer later on, from me, so keep your mouth shut until then. But since they are not strong enough, they will work as spies and fulfill other duties, until they reach the necessary strength. You yourself barely fulfill that requirement, but it can only improve from here on out.
If, however, you can't follow orders, then I will retract my offer,'' Zero explained to him firmly.
''I can. I can. Probably for the better, since I f- messed it all up,'' Barret agreed,'' I would like to join too.''
''For what it is worth, your heart is in the right place and I would gladly call you an ally. You're just not leader material,'' zero told him.
''Thanks,'' Barret deadpanned bluntly.
''Wait! Maybe you shouldn't go after Aerith? She is invaluable to Shinra, so I doubt she will ever be harmed. After she is done answering their questions, I'm sure they will let her go. There is no reason to put her in danger with your plans and your rescue attempts,'' Elmyra reasoned.
''No. You're paralyzed by fear, I get it. But my spy already reported to me that Shinra called all the media outlets to spin recent events in his favor. We can not let him regain momentum and I respect Aerith too much to waste the risks and sacrifices she took,'' Zero shot her down quickly.
''Of course he would try to do that. There is not depths to his shame,'' Barret scoffed.
''So? What is the plan then, leader?,'' Zack teased him a bit and crossed his arms.
Nox removed his helmet and gave them a smile.
''The plan may sound simple, but it is easier said then done. And yet sometimes simple is best, since it leaves lots of room for improvisation on the spot. So, it goes a little bit like this... ,'' he began.
(A.N.: 11427 words. Hope you enjoyed reading. Cheers and stay safe out there.)