Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 1: Arrival

FORTY-SIX

"I'm right here with you, Tifa," Lena swore, drawing her gun. "Let's show these Shinra motherfuckers what happens when they try to mess with our town and the people we love."

"Took the words right outta my mouth," I agreed.

There were eight of the drug-crazed shock troopers altogether, and they sprang at us at once. I knocked one away with a high roundhouse kick while Lena filled another with lead. That left six, and while two of them went for us, the rest sprang at the crowd.

I took a scrape to the shoulder as I rushed to intercept them, Lena at my side. There were all manner of innocent people in their path, and it was all Wedge and Biggs could do to keep them from scattering. Fists flying, I darted in between two of the grunts and the young family they were lunging toward. I beat them back with a series of jabs, hooks, and kicks mixed in with the occasional blast of ice from my materia while I dodged their swiping claws and blue energy bolts.

Lena shot down one of the stronger grunts, pumping it with bullets before it could tear apart an old man, but it managed to graze her with a blast from its energy beam before it went down. She grimaced in pain but stayed on her feet, shifting her aim to another grunt and blasting it just as it got close, leaving a burning hole in its chest. Before she could catch a breath, though, another one pounced on her, bearing her to the ground as she shouted in surprise.

"Lena!" I yelled, backhanding the grunt behind me.

She was still holding her gun, and before I could get to her, she was already fighting back, ducking her head from side to side and shooting the grunt again and again as it slashed at her with its claws. It slumped to the dirt a moment later, still twitching but very dead. As I caught up to her, I pulled the grunt off her.

"You okay?" I asked, helping her to her feet.

Lena winced. "I'll be alright, Tifa. Just a few scratches."

I handed her a potion. "More than a few, by the looks of it. So take this, it'll help take the edge off the pain."

"Thanks," she said. "I think that's the last of those guys."

Biggs limped over with Wedge's help. "Lena! You almost gave me a heart attack back there!"

Wedge nodded. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Wedge," she told him, drinking the potion. "Now let's see about getting these people to safety."

He kissed her. "Right. Just don't scare me like that again."

"No promises," she winked.

After using the Restore materia to see to the few minor injuries I'd gotten and help Lena a little more with hers, I knew it was time to go. I had to get to Cloud and the others. Knowing Lena and the guys would see to things down here reassured me and gave me hope that we might just beat this thing. I smiled at them.

"Wish me luck, guys," I said. "I'm going back in."

Lena nodded. "Give 'em hell, Tifa!"

I pumped my fist as Biggs waved and Wedge shot me a thumbs up. Then I ran for the pillar, taking the stairs two at a time as soon as I got there. I had a lot of ground to make up, but I moved fast. I just hoped I would catch up to the others in time.

— — — — — — —

I cut through one grunt while Aerith torched another with a blast of fire from her materia, but there were still more everywhere. A whole lot more, jumping and shooting at anything and everything. The town ahead of us was in flames as we raced through the outskirts and fought any of Shinra's drug-crazy troopers we came across.