President Shinra's office was huge, with more of them black marble floors an' columns along with another buncha potted plants. The walls 'round his huge black desk was lined with floor to ceilin' windows that looked out across Midgar an' his own private helipad. The door leadin' outside was on our right, but I didn't see a chopper out there as we was all led in here by Rude an' them soldiers.
The president himself was sittin' casually behind his desk, polishin' a gold handgun. My blood went hot soon as I saw him, an' it took 'bout all I had to not to try an' break off my cuffs an' shoot the son of a bitch with my gun-arm. All I could see was Sector 7, gone. All'a them people dead. Biggs an' Wedge banged up an' bruised. Lena sick an' in pain. An' Jessie... dyin' in bed, struck down by this asshole an' her old man. The sky was dark outside, jus' like my mood.
"So... the vaunted Avalanche," President Shinra said. "Hmph. Less than impressive, to say the least."
I snorted. "Like we give a shit what you think!"
Cloud frowned. "Where's Aerith?"
"In a safe place," the president answered. "That girl is the last of the Cetra, what we call the Ancients. They lived and flourished thousands of years ago, but now they are merely history."
Red blinked. "So, Hojo was correct. She is an Ancient."
President Shinra nodded. "Indeed. And through her, the Ancients will lead us to the promised land. She may be only a half-breed, but she still has their powers. I'm expecting much of her."
"The promised land is merely a legend," Red argued.
"Perhaps," the president shrugged. "However, it's too tempting not to pursue. The fabled promised land holds great potential and is said to be full of life and extremely fertile. And if it is..."
"Then it's gotta have mako!" I spat.
He put his gun down an' picked up a cigar. "Exactly. We won't even need the mako reactors anymore. The endless energy will simply pour out on its own. This is where we will build Neo-Midgar. The new glory of Shinra in the heart of the promised land..."
I growled. "Bullshit! Ain't gonna happen! Avalanche'll stop ya! We ain't Wutai or anybody's puppet! We fight for the people, the planet! To hold you assholes accountable for your crimes! Everyone'll know it was you who destroyed Sector 7 an' killed all those people, not us! We'll see to it! So to hell with your dreams an' glory!"
"Is that all you want?" the president sneered. "To have your names cleared? That is what matters most to you? Hmph. More than shutting down the reactors? Than the planet's future?"
I blinked. "Huh? Damn..."
He laughed softly. "You're lying to yourself even now. Truth, honor, justice, freedom... vain indulgences, every one. Picture it, a world with no Shinra. A world without mako energy. A stagnant, impotent world. In the wake of a natural disaster, who would help the people to recover and rebuild? You? With their old world in ruins, would they thank you for the new? Consider what your principles are truly worth. But time is of the essence. This is your last opportunity."
"An' what 'bout you, Mr. President?" I said. "What the hell are your vaunted principles? Greed? Power?"
He scoffed. "What principles? Did you understand a single word of what I told you? I know what I want, and I take it. I take full advantage of whatever I can and discard that which I cannot. I have neither room nor the desire for sentiment, guilt, or remorse."
"You son of a bitch!" I yelled.
"Oh, didn't you know? Money and power are all you need to make your dreams come true these days."
I snorted. "They ain't gonna save ya, asshole!"
"We shall see," President Shinra shrugged. "In any event, that is all for our meeting. Speak with my secretary if you need anything else. I'm afraid I'll be rather busy for the time being."
Rude started pushin' me back, but I struggled against him as them soldiers shoved the others out. "Now hold up! I ain't finished with you yet, asshole! Still got a lot I wanna say!"
"Move," Rude insisted.
I grimaced an' let him haul me out, wantin' to tell the president off some more but knowin' it wouldn't do no good. We was caught tightly in the net now, an' I didn't know how we was gonna get out. Clock was tickin', too. Jessie's time was runnin' out. I was worried 'bout her, afraid we'd be too late, an' that was what finally got me to calm down, though I didn't stop glarin' at Rude the whole time.
He an' the soldiers took us back to the elevators, an' we rode in jus' one this time, all together, the troops still with their guns trained on us. When Rude pressed the button for the 67th floor, I knew where we was goin'. So did Cloud an' the others, judgin' from the looks on their faces. Security an' them cells we'd passed earlier. Made sense, really. We'd jus' hafta find a way to break outta there, get Aerith back again, escape this goddamn place, an' hurry back to Jessie.
— — — — — — —
"Avalanche is in custody," Rude said.
He didn't say another word as he came in, just went over and sat at the conference table with Tseng, but then again, he'd never been much of a talker. Probably why he was such a good partner. Always got to the point. Yeah, you probably didn't expect to hear from us, did ya? Well, I ain't one for goin' on about the past—I'd rather just drink—but with all the shit that went down back then, I guess it don't hurt to get a bit of it off my chest. Stick around and maybe you'll learn a thing or two. That's the whole point of this little history project, right?
Anyway, I was layin' on a long sofa near the table, still bruised and feelin' like shit after that fight in the pillar. Didn't really know why, but I couldn't get that actress chick's words outta my mind. Jessie Jae. She'd been this big star once upon a time. Lady LOVELESS herself. Rude had dragged me to see the show once, and while I hadn't really been into it, that girl had been pretty hot. Hell of a surprise when the boss had told us she was really his runaway daughter.
How long had it been since that night? Two years? Sounded about right. Her old man had sent us to bring her in but hadn't told us why. It had been just another job—at least at first. What the boss did and why wasn't our problem or our business. The girl hadn't been alone though. She'd had that SOLDIER boyfriend of hers with her. They had put up a pretty good fight and had managed to get away from us. But not before tellin' us what her old man had in store for her. That he'd been plannin' to have her killed. His own damn daughter.
Me and Rude had gotten ahead of them while they'd been tryin' to make it to the expressway, so we'd been waitin' by the alley by the time they'd finally shown up. Between us in front and Shinra troops on their way to catch up from behind, we'd had them cornered. But... wouldn't ya know it, my damn conscience just had to act up again. Dunno why, but I just didn't wanna be part of killin' a cute girl like her. Neither did Rude. So... we let her go. Moved outta the way so she could make it to safety with her boyfriend and escape.
"You could use some R & R," Tseng told me.
I shook my head. "Nah, I'm good."
He frowned. "That wasn't a suggestion, Reno. Consider it an order. You're suspended until further notice."
"Whatever," I sighed. "Those orders were bullshit."
Bringin' someone in or takin' on those Avalanche assholes was one thing, but droppin' a whole city onto the slums and killin' thousands of people was just... wrong. And that girl had known it, had gotten me to see what I'd already started to wonder about. And that's why I'd backed off. I didn't care about bein' sidelined. I'd be back on duty soon enough. I just couldn't follow shitty orders like that.
Tseng folded his arms in front of him. "Whether they were or not, you disobeyed orders. That has a cost."
"Yeah, yeah..." I muttered.
"What are we going to do about Sector 7?" Rude asked.
Tseng looked at him. "Nothing."
"Been thinking," Rude said. "Was all that necessary? Destroying an entire city? Ending all those lives?"
"Think of them as a sacrifice," Tseng answered.
I blinked. "Say what?"
"To balance the scales," he went on. "After all that we've taken from the planet over the years, we were due to give something back. Perhaps that will help ease your conscience."
"Yeah... nope," I grimaced. "Not a chance."
Tseng shrugged. "As you wish. In the meantime, we're shorthanded thanks to your injuries and, shall we say, questionable decisions. So we need to find someone to fill in for you."
"What about Elena?" Rude suggested.
Tseng glanced at him. "Gina's sister? Perhaps. She's young but quite skilled. Hmm... very well. I'll look into it."
I sat up. "She's a bartender in Wall Market, ain't she?"
"At Drunkard's," Rude confirmed.
Just then, Tseng's phone rang. Rude and I both looked at him as he answered. He didn't say anything for a long moment, but from the way his face suddenly went all dark and serious, I knew somethin' was goin' down. After a minute or two, he gave a quick reply and hung up. Then he turned back to us and leaned forward.
"The VP needs us," he said. "He'll be here soon."
I stared at him. "Yo... you serious?"
Tseng stood up. "He's already on his way. He'll be here tonight. But you are to stay here, Reno. Rude, you're with me."
"Understood," Rude said.
"Have fun, partner," I waved to him.
He gave me one of his rare little smiles. "Will do."
Then he and Tseng left to get ready for the VP's arrival. We had all known this was gonna happen sooner or later. It was just kinda strange that it finally was. Things were about to change around here a lot, and I hoped it'd be for the better. New blood and all that. But no matter what happened, Shinra wasn't gonna be the same.
— — — — — — —
"Damn!" I swore.
I pushed again on the door, but it wouldn't budge. Not that it was a surprise, of course, but I had to try, and it was as good an outlet for my frustration as any. Tifa and I had been locked together in this little cell about fifteen minutes ago while Barret and Red were in the one next to us. I didn't know where Aerith was, though. But I intended to save her. We just had to find a way to escape.
"Try to stay calm, Cloud," Tifa urged me.
I turned to look at her. She was sitting on the lone cot in our cell, a place clearly intended for one prisoner, not two. There was also a small toilet, sink, and mirror in the back. Tifa had made use of them not too long after we'd been put in here, a small, embarrassed smile on her face as she had asked me to turn around. I'd done it, of course. It was about as much privacy as we could get in here.
I sighed. "Yeah, I know, Tif. And I will. It's just..."
"You're worried about Aerith and Jessie," she finished for me.
"That's right," I admitted.
She leaned forward. "Think we can get out?"
"Leave it to me," I smirked, relaxing a little. "I'll find us a way. Can't keep a SOLDIER locked up for long."
Tifa winked. "That's more like it. Don't give up!"
"Not happening," I assured her.
"Good," she nodded. "That's the brave Cloud I know. Say... do you think we can talk to Barret and Red?"
I went over to the door. "I think so. There's a window there. It's got bars and it's small, but it should work. Better keep quiet, though. Don't want the guard to overhear us."
"Right," Tifa agreed. "Give it a try."
I stood in front of the door and looked out into the hall and to the right. "Barret? Can you hear me?"
"That you, merc?" he came back a moment later.
"Yeah. Happy to hear me?" I quipped.
He snorted. "Wouldn't go that far. So, anyway... lemme see if I got all this straight. Aerith's an Ancient, right? An' they was also known as the Cetra. They know all 'bout the promised land, an' that's why Shinra took Aerith. They after the promised land 'cause they believe it's rich in mako—mako they ain't got a right to claim. But they gonna try an' take it anyway. Greedy bastards'll never stop. They'll jus' keep suckin' out all the mako 'till it's gone an' the land dies."
"That's the short of it," I said.
Just then, I heard another voice. "Guys! Are you there?"
"Aerith?" I blinked. "You okay?"
Her soft laughter came from the cell on our left. "Yeah, I'm alright. Never doubted you come to save me."
"Of course. I'm your bodyguard, remember?" I said.
"Yep!" she answered. "Jessie's too."
I sighed as I thought of her. "Aerith... is she... is she still alive? You said you can sense her, right?"
Tifa got up and joined me. "Don't let it be too late..."
"It's not, Tifa," Aerith assured her. "Glad you're here, too. I can feel Jessie's spirit, and although it's very weak right now, she hasn't returned to the planet yet. We can still save her."
Although I was relieved at what she'd said, I couldn't help worrying about Jessie. "How is it you know all this?"
"It's not something that works with just anyone," Aerith explained. "I have to know the person pretty well. Jessie's an old friend, very close. We met when she was still acting on the plate. So I can sense her spirit if I concentrate. It was the same way with Mom's husband. Although I'd never met him, she had talked about him so often with me and we had grown so close that I could feel him, too."
Tifa nodded. "That makes sense. But there's something I wanted to ask you. Is the promised land real, Aerith? Shinra believes it is and that you can lead them there. Can you?"
"I don't know if it's real," she answered. "But even if it is, I can't take them there. It's not like that, Tifa."
Barret spoke up then. "'We who are born of the planet, with her we speak and her flesh we shape. And unto her promised land she will one day return. By her providence, love, and grace will we take our place in paradise and be with her forever.'"
"You know it!" Aerith replied, astonished.
"Yeah, well... thought that last bit was jus' a fairy tale," he said. "At least I used to. Not so sure anymore, though."
She went on. "Shinra's been searching for it a long time. All I really know is that the Cetra were born from the planet, speak with it, and at the right time, unlock it. And then... they return to the promised land, a place of perfect joy and happiness."
"What does that mean?" Tifa wondered.
"More than words..." Aerith murmured. "I don't know."
I wasn't sure I understood it myself. "Speak with the planet? What's it say, Aerith? Can you tell us?"
"It's so noisy, all those people everywhere," she answered. "So most of the time it's hard for me to make out what it's saying. And that's also why I can't sense someone I don't know. With all the voices out there, I need an anchor to guide me to a specific person. Friendship, love, that sort of thing. My past with Jessie, how close we were, is what allows me to sense her spirit. I can feel her even now, fighting to hold on. But she won't be able to resist the planet's call forever."
"How long?" I asked.
Aerith swallowed. "Two hours, maybe a little more. If I can't get to her by then... there won't be anything I can do."
I sighed. "Understood. So, about the planet... you can hear it now? Even locked up in this place?"
"Not so much here," she said. "Mostly in the old church back in the slums. Mother told me Midgar wasn't safe for me anymore. I mean, my real mother. Someday I'll leave this city, speak with the planet, and find the promised land in me. But now? Not even if I wanted to. I thought I would stop hearing her voice as I grew up, but... I didn't. It's both nice and sad. I still miss her, you know."
Barret thumped his fist against his door. "Awright. New plan, guys. Y'all take Aerith an' get outta here. Get her home so she can save Jessie. Me, I'm gonna go bust some Shinra heads."
"Barret, wait!" Aerith argued. "You can't do that!"
"You an' Jessie need savin', an' I'm gonna make sure it happens," he told her. "Y'all are parta Avalanche, too. Means it's my responsibility to look out for you guys. You, Cloud, Tifa... what about you, Red? You in on bein' the newest member of Avalanche?"
Red just yawned. "Grandpa..."
Barret laughed along with the girls. "Grandpa? Seriously?"
"What's so funny?" Red wondered.
"Nothing, Red," Aerith giggled. "Thanks for lightening things up a bit, though. I think it really helped."
Red's voice was faintly amused. "You're welcome."
"Say, Cloud..." Tifa looked at me. "You remember back when you, me, and Aerith were in the sewers and we were talking about how all of this seems to have happened before? I was just thinking, could this be a part of it, too? Our being here, that is."
I thought for a moment. "I don't know, but maybe. Based on those dreams I had about Jessie and what happened in the pillar, we changed her fate. Maybe we did for Biggs and Wedge, too. I don't know that any of them made it out alive before this."
"The hell you guys talkin' 'bout?" Barret sputtered.
It was Red that answered. "Destiny. The flow of the great river that is the planet, from inception to oblivion. But it is by no means unique. The planet has a will of its own, a record of the lives and events within it. However, like any tale, it shifts and changes with each retelling. And it may be possible to affect it from within."
"Like changing things so that Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge survived the plate collapse when they didn't before," Tifa said.
"Exactly," Red replied.
Barret huffed. "Wait jus' a damn minute! Ain't you jus' some kinda lab rat dog... thing? How the hell can you know any of that stuff? Ain't makin' no sense. Although... if that's why Jessie an' the guys are alive, I guess I can't really complain 'bout it."
Red went on. "As for how I know, where I come from, we study the planet in great detail. My grandfather knows much about it. And it was he and the elders who instructed me."
"In any case, we're not gonna split up," I decided. "We're all getting outta here together. That includes you, Barret."
He chuckled. "I'm touched, merc."
"Don't let it go to your head," I told him.
"We should get a little rest first," Aerith suggested. "I have a feeling we'll need it for what's ahead of us."
I glanced back in her direction. "Do we have time?"
"Just enough," she said. "Don't worry."
"Alright. Fifteen minutes, people. Then we bust outta here, head to the first floor, find our rides, and get to the expressway. That elevator's still there at the end of Sector 5 from what Marissa told us, remember? Same one Jessie used a few years ago."
Aerith answered right away. "I know the one, Cloud. It'll take us by the outer wall right near the old church."
"Yeah," I nodded. "I've got Marissa's keycard so we can get back in. Go on and rest up now, everyone."
Aerith, Barret, and Red murmured their agreement and drifted off to catch a short nap, and as Tifa and I moved away from the door to do the same, I set the alarm on my phone so I would wake up on time. As we approached the cot, I pointed to it. There was a plain sheet, blanket, and pillow on it. Basic, but it would do.
"Take it," I told her.
She smiled. "Are you sure, Cloud?"
I sat down across from the narrow bed with my back to the wall. "I am. Go ahead, Tif. I'll be fine. I've slept in worse."
"I don't doubt it," she laughed. "Goodnight, Cloud."
"Night, Tifa," I answered.
As she laid down on the cot and stretched out, I folded my arms in front me and closed my eyes. At first, I couldn't sleep. Something didn't feel right about this whole situation, but I couldn't figure out why. And worry for Jessie gnawed at me. I didn't like the delay, but I knew Aerith was right. After all the sneaking and fighting that we'd done to make it this far, we needed to rest before we'd be ready to make our final escape from the Shinra Building and race to the slums.
Just a few minutes later, sleep finally overtook me.
— — — — — — —
The holographic display was hovering in front of me, projected by the sophisticated headset I was wearing. It was the same one I had used to speak with Jessica just prior to the plate collapse. I tried, not entirely successfully, not to think about her as I concentrated on the task before me. Worry for her gnawed relentlessly at me, but I reminded myself to focus on the mission. Her life depended on it.
Jessica's friends in Avalanche had been captured and placed within the prison cells on the 67th floor. Through Cait Sith, I had witnessed a great deal of their rescue operation, much more than they realized, and had aided them as much as possible. Still, I should've known the Turks would've had a trap ready. They were as clever as they were dangerous. My mistake had cost Cloud and his friends their freedom, but I meant to correct that oversight as quickly as possible.
Cait was almost back to the security office now. The display before me showed multiple images to help me in my efforts. On the first one, I had brought up a detailed schematic of the Shinra Building's interior, where Cait's position was displayed as a flashing yellow dot amidst the network of air ducts in between the 67th and 68th floors. A video feed next to it allowed me to see through his eyes, and another set of images below it showed me his power levels and current status. If he were ever damaged, I would know it immediately.
I was in my office, sitting at my desk as I monitored Cait's progress. The jammer sat nearby, active and blinking regularly as it continued to mask the signals his controls generated, and the door was locked. I had also sent Janice home for the night to keep her safe. Usually, she would stay after hours for a while to do a little extra work and prepare for the next day, but tonight I had insisted she leave on time.
Janice had kept many secrets for me over the years, but what I was doing—infiltrating the security area to break Cloud and the others out of their confinement—was simply too dangerous for her to be involved in. She would have stayed to help if I'd asked, but I hadn't wanted to do that. If the Turks or Heidegger somehow found out what I was up to, it would be over for me. Janice didn't need that trouble, however, and so I had done what I could to keep it from her.
I was already in enough trouble as it was. President Shinra finding out about the Sector 7 evacuation wasn't entirely a surprise to me, but I had still hoped he wouldn't. I hadn't really made much of a secret of it, however, so I suppose it couldn't be helped. In any case, it didn't matter to me at the moment. I had far more important things to worry about. My goddaughter desperately needed my help.
Cait was inside one of the air vents, closing in on the security area. If all went well, he would cause a little disruption to distract the guards and steal the keycard, then unlock the cells and free Jessica's friends so they could escape from here and save her.
"Can you get into the security net, Cait?" I asked. "We should be in range. It's encrypted, but I think we can bypass it."
He replied at once. "Aye, just a moment and I'll be in."
Just as I had thought. I could hear his voice through the headset. It reminded me of my father's, which brought a little smile to my face. He had always had a rather strong accent, as did my mother. That was why I had originally given it to Cait, I suppose.
I brought my thoughts back to the mission. "Alright. There are ten cells in the detention area, and we need to find out exactly which ones Cloud and the others are being held in."
"Let's see..." he said. "They're in A3, A4, and A5. Three in a row on the bottom half. I'll show ye in a jiffy."
"Understood," I replied.
Seconds later, another image appeared on the holographic display. It was a diagram showing the layout of the detention area, and the cells Cait had specified flashed white. Three in a row, just as he'd said. They were toward the back, with a number of empty cells between them and the exit. Another line of them stood across the way on other other side of the prison block. Now we knew where to go.
I gazed intently at the displays. "How many guards?"
"Two," Cait replied. "One in the office ahn one in the hall. Nothing I cannae handle. Shall I go ahead?"
"Move in when rea—just a moment," I said.
I looked up at once when I suddenly heard the lock turn. Quickly, I moved to start turning off the controls, but when the door opened, it was only Janice. She quickly closed and locked the door behind her as I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
"Janice!" I stared at her. "You shouldn't be here. It's late."
She walked up to my desk. "I know, sir. But if you're going to break Jessica's friends out of prison, you may need help."
"How did you—" I began.
Janice flashed me a small smile. "Sir, the day something happens in here that I don't know about, worry."
I couldn't resist a wry grin myself. "Thank you."
"Of course," she said. "Are you in?"
"Almost. I was just about to have Cait Sith get underway when you arrived," I explained, returning to the controls.
She knew about him, of course. So did the president and the other directors. However, they didn't know what I truly used him for. Neither were they aware of his connection to Jessica. That was a secret only he, Janice, and I knew. Sometimes, Janice would assist me with performing routine maintenance on him, and while she wasn't as familiar with the advanced technology in his design and operation as I was, she was still quite capable and very intelligent.
Janice walked around the desk and looked at the displays with me. "Hmm... I see. What's the diversion?"
"Power outage," I said. "Cait can steal the keycard in the confusion and unlock the cells before the guards know what's happening. At least, that's the plan. Any suggestions?"
She leaned closer to get a better look, and when she did, I caught a whiff of her perfume. It was a nice, floral scent, and my gazed lingered on her for a moment as I waited for her to answer. Janice had worn her favorite gray suit and white collared blouse to the office today, and her brown hair was, as always, tied in a short ponytail as she gazed intently at all the different readouts and at Cait's visual feed. Her eyes were soft, dark green, and not at all unattractive.
"You should have him disable the alarms as well," Janice pointed to the diagram of the security office. "That should give Cloud and the rest of Jessica's friends time to escape or at least be well on their way. What's your plan once you've broken them out?"
"I'll have Cait do what he can to delay security without being seen himself until Cloud and the others are safely away from the building," I answered. "I think that's about all I—"
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and the air grew noticeably colder, as if a chill breeze had suddenly swept through the entire building. All of Cait's controls went haywire, the displays shifting and distorting as his power levels and activity immediately dropped to zero. Then there was only static as his visual feed cut off, but just before it did, I saw the duct he was hiding in grow ominously dark.
"Cait! Cait!" I called, even knowing it was futile. "What's going on? Answer me! Cait! Say something!"
But there was no answer. Just silence and static. He was was intact, from what I could make out in the garbled displays, but that was about all I knew. Something wasn't right here, and my instincts told me Cait's strange malfunction and outage were more a byproduct than the target of the phenomenon gripping the building.
Janice shivered. "Sir... what's going on?"
"I wish I knew..." I sighed.
As we both gazed up toward the ceiling and our hopes far above it, the cold deepened around us. In the midst of my worry about Cait and Jessica and my unease about what was happening, I felt a soft flutter in my stomach as I suddenly realized that Janice had taken my hand. She blushed rather deeply and immediately let go when she saw it, as if she hadn't even been aware of what she had done. Her touch had felt good, but... I didn't know how to tell her.
Instead, I swallowed and turned my attention back to the controls. "Let's see if we can get Cait back online..."
"Y-Yes, sir," Janice agreed.
We got right to work, neither of us speaking of what had happened between us, but it lingered in the back of my mind nonetheless. Gazing at the displays helped focus my attention, however. It would take some time for us to get Cait reactivated, but from what I could tell, he didn't appear to be permanently damaged. The lights came back on steadily a moment later, but the icy chill in the air remained. And I couldn't help but feel a terrible foreboding about what lay ahead and what might still be happening somewhere upstairs.