Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 1: Arrival

TWENTY-SIX

They was still busy connectin' the cars when we got onto the train, so I knew we'd have at least a few minutes before we finally got movin'. Jus' enough time to go over the plan again. We all knew what we had to do an' when, but I wasn't takin' any chances.

While Cloud an' Tifa waited with me at the far end of the train car, Jessie, Biggs, an' Wedge went an' sat down. Place was damn well packed today, full as I'd ever seen. Not the place to have a private meetin'. That in mind, I walked over to my team, decidin' to send 'em on ahead. We'd have to act fast once the train started movin', so it'd be best if they went ahead an' got themselves into position.

"Better split up, guys," I said. "Too many ears here."

Jessie got up first. "Right! We'll head on down the line, Barret. And we'll be ready. See ya!"

After the boys joined her, all three of 'em gave me a thumbs up, an' I shot 'em one in return, flashin' 'em a grin as I did. They did the same, then went through the door to the next car. Jessie stopped for just a sec on the way, smilin' over her shoulder at Cloud an' adjustin' her glasses. He nodded back at her, the corners of his mouth jus' barely turnin' up, an' watched her disappear into the next car.

I was jus' about to rejoin him an' Tifa when I heard someone sittin' behind me mutterin' to himself. Wouldn't have cared, but what he said got my attention 'cause it was 'bout me. I scowled soon as I heard him. A dark-haired guy in a red business suit an' a black tie with a briefcase. He grimaced, not knowin' yet that I'd heard him.

"Just my luck," he complained. "This creep again."

"Got somethin' to say?" I headed toward him an' asked. He'd heard me, of course. I didn't doubt that. He jus' didn't wanna 'fess up to what he'd said. So I tried again. "You say somethin'?"

When I did, most of the other folks in here got up an' went into the next car, none of 'em darin' to look me in the eye. Probably afraid I was gonna cause trouble. I could feel 'em all starin' at me as they hurried on past. It was the gun-arm. Tended to scare people sometimes, and while it would've been nice to be able to go places without 'em bein' afraid of me for once, it was a small price to pay to be able to fight Shinra. Them bastards took my arm an' a whole lot more.

That guy in the dark red suit still kept his trap shut. So I went over an' stood right in front of him. "Well, how 'bout that? Place cleared out real quick. What's the deal?"

Now he looked up. "Damn! It... it's all... it's all because of... g-guys like you. Thugs p-pushing everyone around..."

"Say that again!" I slammed the seat next to him.

"Don't you watch the news? Avalanche is gonna attack again! More bombings. And on such a dangerous day, only a loyal Shinra employee like me would even think of going to work."

I raised my gun-arm. "You work for Shinra?"

"Barret!" Tifa dashed in between us, arms out to either side an' her eyes blazin' as she stared me down. "Enough!"

That little Shinra manager cowered in his seat, hands on his head. I snorted an' lowered my arm, then Tifa brought both of hers down, too. The guy glanced up at me after that, meetin' my eyes for the first time. Well, he would've if I'd taken my sunglasses off. He quit shakin' and sat up again, bolder now with Tifa coverin' his ass.

"I won't give in to violence," he told me. "And you're not getting my seat, either. Go sit somewhere else."

"Hmph! Lucky son of a bitch," I muttered.

I followed Tifa to the back of the train car, where Cloud was waitin' for us. But before the merc could even open his mouth to let out some smart remark about what had happened with the Shinra manager, Tifa whirled on me, still pissed, hands flyin' to her hips as she stood with us an' glared at me. Her gaze was like knives.