Motorball had two guns mounted upon its face, if you could call it that, and fired at us as soon as it caught up. Tifa swerved the truck just in time to avoid the shots as Barret and I began our own attacks. While he responded in kind, peppering the mech with bullets, I hurled a bolt of lighting at it, the magical blast tearing into Motorball and scorching its hull. Much like the Arsenal and the Valkyrie, it was quite vulnerable to electricity due to its mechanical nature.
In the meantime, Cloud continued fighting that maniac SOLDIER. Their blades clashed again and again as they drove ahead of us, and the SOLDIER's taunts filled the air along with blasting of Motorball's guns. Then the mech suddenly tilted back onto its left three wheels, the right side of its body rising up into the air, and slammed back down onto the road. The impact shook the entire truck and jolted us hard. Although I had an easier time holding steady with my four legs, I still had to focus to do it. Barret nearly fell off his feet.
"Shit!" he swore, grabbing the top of the cab to steady himself. "We do not need that! Back off, trash heap!"
I growled. "Keep shooting!"
He took aim again. "The hell you think I'm doin', Red!?"
"Complaining," I told him.
"Hmph! Got any bright ideas?" he asked.
I nodded. "One. Cover me!"
While Barret blasted Motorball with more gunfire, driving it back, I leaped right onto it, clawing and tearing at its metal hide and hurling another lightning bolt into its body. Motorball swung at me, its clawed arm cutting through the air like a knife, but I quickly darted aside and circled around behind its broad torso to rip at its neck and waist joints. They were tough and reinforced, however, and so would not be easy to destroy. Nevertheless, I continued my assault even as Motorball pulled out ahead of the truck, taking me with it.
Cloud and the SOLDIER fought around it, separating briefly as the mech drove in between them. As it passed, Cloud slashed at the wheels while Barret's gunfire tore into it as he kept firing. And to my surprise, the SOLDIER also attacked Motorball, striking the wheels on the other side and laughing crazily the entire time.
As I ripped at Motorball's hull, it suddenly unleashed several small devices onto the road, explosives that went off a moment later directly in the truck's path and seared the road with electricity. I heard the girls shriek as they were tossed about by the impact, unable to turn away in time, but they appeared unharmed, and Tifa was able to keep the truck under control and continue past Motorball's trap. Then Barret called to me, his gun-arm raised and ready.
"Red! Get down!" he called, taking aim.
I did so, and he unleashed another of his fireball shots. It slammed into Motorball's chest, blowing off panels, and the mech staggered. But it was not finished yet. As the truck pulled up alongside it once again, I jumped off, hitting Motorball with my hind claws, and rejoined Barret in the back. Cloud and that SOLDIER had pulled ahead again, dueling ferociously while the mech resumed firing at us.
And then, Tifa abruptly slowed down, swerving aside as Motorball began spinning around like a top, streams of fire shooting out from the flame jets on its shoulders and scorching the road. She sped up again a moment later to get ahead of the danger, and soon the flames flickered and went out, at least for the time being.
But there was no telling when Motorball would use that dangerous attack again. I cast another lightning spell, blasting one of the wheels as Barret fired at another. My energy was beginning to run low, however, and I knew I only had enough left for a few more blasts of electricity. I would have to make each one count. Motorball caught up to us quickly, and I prepared to jump over again if the opportunity arose, knowing I could do more damage that way. But when I saw Cloud fighting against that SOLDIER, I had another idea.
— — — — — — —
The long-haired SOLDIER swung his blade at me, but I deflected it easily, Buster sweeping his weapon aside again as we drove up ahead of Motorball. Red and Barret were fighting it as best they could and doing plenty of damage, but the mech was as tough as it looked, spewing fire and slamming down onto the road to cause a miniature quake with the impact. I quickly returned my attention to my own battle as that insane SOLDIER on the red bike cut at me again.
"This a private party?" he grinned. "That's fine. I'll settle for a race, then. Just one. You and me!"
I frowned as I blocked his attack. "You talking to me?"
He laughed. "I most certainly am!"
"Then no!" I snapped.
"Ah, so sorry!" the SOLDIER sneered. "I'm afraid I didn't hear that. My last dance didn't satisfy, but I have a feeling that this one will! Your strength is clear, your speed undeniable! And your opponent is Roche, the legendary Speed Demon himself!"
I struck at him with Buster. "Not interested."
"Playing hard to get?" Roche chuckled. "I can go with that. Time to dance, my friend! A contest of blades and will! And we won't allow the machine to get in our way! Ha, ha!"
We kept fighting, blades clashing, neither us getting an opening at first. Despite his bravado and being a complete dumbass, he was pretty good with a sword, parrying my blows as much as I did his. The Hardy felt almost empty without Jessie behind me, where she belonged. At the thought of her, I renewed my assault, catching Roche across the arm to get first blood. It only excited him more, though.
"Yes, yes!" he cackled. "At last! This is the contest I've been waiting for! Let's push it past the redline!"
He sped on ahead of me, whipping arcs of pale green energy in my direction with his sword, but I managed to avoid them. Several of them hit Motorball, knocking it back for a moment, while others just missed the truck with Tifa and the others. Then Roche lifted his sword up and sent bolts of lightning charging down the road at us. They were harder to get away from than the energy gusts, but we managed, more or less. Although a couple of them got within inches of the truck, Tifa swerved aside just enough to evade them.
That was when Motorball started firing massive laser blasts across the road, bright orange beams capable of slicing us apart. I pulled hard on the handlebars, jerking the Hardy to the left just in time. The truck bounced a little but managed to escape the worst of it. As Roche pulled up again and we resumed our fight, I knew I had to end this fast. If my dream was right, we were running out of road and would reach the end soon. Roche and Motorball were a deadly combination, but they could be beaten. And then I knew how.
As our blades slammed into each other and our bikes roared down the road, I lured him back alongside Motorball, slowing down until he matched my speed just as I knew he would. I made sure that he was on the outside, on my right, while the mech was on my left. And then, just as I had on the way back from the Sector 4 underplate with Jessie a few days ago, I spun the Hardy completely around in a full circle, sweeping Buster in a tight arc that slashed both Roche's motorcycle and all three wheels along Motorball's right side.
"Well, well, well..." Roche said, smoke rising from the gouge in his bike. "It seems this round goes to you. Maybe next time we can keep it just between the two of us. What do you say?"
I shrugged. "Maybe."
He grinned. "Until next time, my friend!"
Then he drove away, hurling a final blast of lightning at Motorball as he did and laughing like a lunatic. The mech sparked and shook but held together. Still, I could tell we were wearing it down. Just needed a a few more hits in the right place. Barret's gunfire ripped into its body, and the wheels that I'd struck looked as if they'd come apart completely with just a bit more pressure. When I sliced into them again, Motorball lurched off balance, its guns firing wildly.
"Time to meet your maker, asshole!" Barret yelled, shooting again. "Let's finish this rollin' scrapyard off! C'mon!"
Red called to me. "Cloud!"
I nodded. "Copy! Go for the head!"
"With pleasure," he agreed.
As I pulled up near the truck, Red jumped onto the Hardy behind me. Then we moved in on Motorball. He leapt onto it again, and while I slashed those wheels a third time and Barret fed bullets into the torso, Red tore into its head with his claws and ripped it right off. Then, as he jumped away and back onto the truck, I dragged Buster in a long, deep cut along the mech's underside, hit the boosters, and raced away just as Motorball collapsed and exploded behind us.
"Nice!" Barret grinned, shooting me a thumbs up.
"We did it!" Aerith cheered.
I glanced behind us. "Looks that way. Nobody else back there."
Barret sat down. "Well, it's about goddamn time..."
"Now you can celebrate," Red told him.
"Hell, I know that," he snorted. "Smartass furball..."
We came to the abandoned toll booth a minute or so later. The end of the road was just on the other side, an exit ramp that had never been finished. I wondered if it ever would be. As we slowed down, I brought the Hardy to a stop near the edge and gazed out at the view ahead of us for a moment as the others did the same. We all got out and just stood there, our eyes on the horizon and the barren wastelands that rolled on for miles as far as we could see. It was the same view that I'd seen in my dream with Jessie. Only now I was awake.
Barret sighed. "So, after we save Jessie, what's next?"
"Sephiroth's alive," I murmured. "And he's out there now. Out there somewhere. I have to settle things."
"An' that'll save the planet?" he wondered.
I nodded. "Seems that way."
Barret pumped his fist. "Then I'm in! Bastard wants to destroy the whole planet, don't he? An enemy of hers is an enemy of Avalanche! So I'm gonna help you kick his sorry ass!"
"I'm going, too," Aerith said. "There's so much I need to know and to learn. So many things I want to find out..."
"About the Ancients?" I asked.
She gazed at the horizon. "Yeah. Among other things."
Tifa walked up alongside us. "Count me in. I guess this means we'll be leaving Midgar for a while, won't we?"
"A long while," I agreed.
"If it's to be a hunt," Red offered. "You could use a nose like mine. I will go with you on this journey as well."
I tore myself away from the view. "Thanks. We'd better get moving. Jessie's waiting for us. Lift's past the guardrail."
"How do we get past it?" Tifa asked.
"I got this," Barret said, hefting his gun-arm.
Standing in front of the guardrail while we waited nearby, he took aim and fired, blowing a large section of it apart and clearing us a path wide enough for the vehicles to fit through. Once that was done, I had Aerith join me on the Hardy while the others went back into the truck. That way we could go on ahead if we had to.
The cargo elevator was past the old construction equipment just as Jessie had said, and we drove inside one at a time through its wide gray doors. There was just enough space to fit both vehicles. As the elevator began to descend toward the slums, I glanced behind me at Aerith. Her green eyes were calm and determined, knowing what was on my mind before I'd even asked. Or rather, who.
She bowed her head for a moment, then looked up again. "Twenty minutes, more or less. It's gonna be close."
"We'll make it," I swore.
The rest of the ride down was quiet, all of us knowing what we had to do and what was at stake. There was no doubt, no hesitation. Aerith had been saved, and now it was Jessie's turn. As soon as the elevator hit the ground and the doors slid open, we sped outside. The wall, a thick barrier that enclosed the perimeter of the slums all around Midgar, was in front of us, and nearby stood a closed gate with a scanner next to it. Without getting off the Hardy, I used Marissa's keycard to open up the gate, and we quickly drove inside.
The road was narrow and winding, so we had to drive single file as we made our way into the slums. Aerith and I went first, and the others followed us in the truck. Before long, I saw the old church on our right and took some comfort in it, remembering the luck that had saved me when I had fallen from the plate and first met Aerith. Jessie had it now, and I knew it would do the same for her. I pressed on, driving as fast as I safely could down the dirt trails as the first hints of dawn touched the bits of sky behind us under the plate.
It took ten minutes to reach the outskirts, and then we were racing past the train station. A small crowd was there, probably hoping Shinra would get the trains running again, but we ignored them and sped into town. We had to slow down as soon as we got there, though, because of everyone milling about even at this early hour.
I was just looking for a side street to take to try and get past all the clusters of people going back and forth and clogging up the road when I suddenly noticed a kid on our right hurrying over to meet us. I hadn't seen him before, but I figured he must've been one of Oates' bunch. He was about ten or so, with military-style fatigues, boots, and shades. He came to a stop alongside the Hardy.
"Cloud, Aerith! You're back!" he said. "Oates told us to keep watch for you. Name's Trevor, by the way."
I nodded. "We've gotta get to her house, fast."
"Don't worry, guys! We got this!" Trevor saluted, then he switched on the walkie-talkie he was holding. "Home One, this Eagle Eye! Come in! Flora and Spike are back! Over!"
Oates' voice came on a second later. "Copy, Eagle Eye! Bring them in now! Wounded Butterfly's fading fast. Clear the road! Repeat! Clear the road! Tell the others! Over!"
"Copy, Home One!" Trevor answered. Then he flicked a switch on the walkie-talkie. "Eagle Eye to all units! Begin Operation Straight Shot immediately! Clear the road! Sarah, Moggie, Ben, you all know what to do! Just like we rehearsed! Go, go, go!"
As soon as the other kids acknowledge his orders, Trevor switched off the walkie-talkie and rushed ahead of us, shooing people out of the way and urging us to follow. I did, driving along behind him, and as we made our way through town, the other kids quickly showed up to help, clearing us a path in no time and running alongside us. I was surprised at how effective the little guys were.
Before long, the Leaf House was ahead of us, and as we sped past it onto the road leading to Aerith's house, Trevor and the other kids came to a stop behind us and waved. I nodded back to them as Aerith smiled and gave them a thumbs up. Then we drove on, following the dirt road up the hill until we finally made it to the house. Maddy and Oates had the front door open before we'd even finished parking.
"Guys, you're here!" Maddy exclaimed.
I killed the engine and got off, Aerith right behind me. "Thanks for the help. We'll take care of the rest."
Aerith led us inside. "Mom! I'm back!"
"So I heard," Elmyra quickly wrapped her arms around her. "I'm so glad you're alright, baby. I've been worried."
She held her tight. "I'm okay. Cloud saved me."
Elmyra let go of her and looked at me, Tifa, and the others. "Thank you, Cloud. All of you. I mean it."
"Happy to help," Tifa assured her.
"Aerith!" Marlene flew into her arms. "I knew you'd come back! All the other kids said you would. Daddy and Tifa and Cloud all promised to save you. Are you gonna help Jessie now?"
Aerith hugged her back. "That's right, sweetie."
"She's upstairs, in the guest room," Elmyra told her as she stood up. "Marissa's with her. She hasn't left her side all day."
"Can you save her?" Wedge asked.
Aerith took his shoulder. "You bet. Cloud, come with me. The rest of you wait down here. This shouldn't take long."
"Good luck," Lena said.
She looked a little better, and I could tell the color had returned to her face, but she still wasn't on her feet. She sat at the table, her hand in Wedge's as he stood nearby, her short, dark hair hanging below her ears as she and Wedge gazed hopefully at Aerith. But before I went upstairs, there was something I had to tell her.
"We got your medicine," I said, patting my pocket.
Lena smiled. "Thanks so much, Cloud. But don't worry about that right now. Go save Jessie. I can wait."
While Barret scooped up Marlene in his arms and Tifa and Red sat down and greeted the others, Aerith and I hurried up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Although I believed in her abilities and in what she could do, I couldn't help feeling a little nervous as we went into Jessie's room. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my skin tingled. Aerith gave me a reassuring nod as we went in.
"There you are!" Marissa sighed in relief. "Jessie's... slipping away. I was just about to call a couple of her old friends from the plate to tell them to hurry down here when I heard you were back. She could go at any moment. If you can help, it has to be now."
"We aren't saying goodbye to her today," Aerith swore. "Now go on downstairs. I'll take care of this."
Marissa made a few last adjustments to Jessie's IV, tapped a control on the unit nearby, and left. There were two chairs, one one either side of the bad—someone must've brought a second one in here while we'd been away—and Aerith and I quickly sat down. As I gazed at Jessie, my hand went out almost on its own to cover hers. Whatever happened, I'd be here with her. I'd see it through.
The beeping of her heart monitor was agonizingly slow, an eternity of silence between them, and each one felt as if it might be the last. As I sat there, I looked at Aerith. She had laid one hand on Jessie's shoulder and was resting the other over her heart. Then she bowed her head and closed her eyes as if in prayer. To the planet, maybe? It didn't matter to me as long as it helped Jessie. Her breath, already shallow, was coming in smaller and smaller gasps, farther and farther apart, and I knew she was at the edge. It wouldn't be long now.
"What are you gonna do, Aerith?" I wondered.
She answered without looking up. "Something I've only done once before. For her, funnily enough. When I found her after that hell house nearly killed her. This was how I brought her back, Cloud. A gift from the planet. You might call it... a pulse of life."
"You sure it'll work?" I asked.
"It will," Aerith promised. Then she whispered softly to Jessie. "It's okay. I'm here now. Try to remember..."
Whether she could or not, I didn't know. And it looked like I never would. Jessie took another soft, shallow breath, her chest rising slightly. After she let out it, her head rolled limply to one side and the sound of the heart monitor abruptly changed from a slow, steady beep to a long, unbroken tone that cut through my chest like a knife. I stared in horror at the screen as the few peaks on the display dropped into an unending flat line. My blood ran cold and I gently squeezed her hand, hoping she would breathe again. But she didn't.
"Jessie!" I leaned in close. "No! Don't you die on me!"
Aerith didn't budge. "Hush! There's still a chance, Cloud. Her spirit hasn't fully withdrawn yet. I only have a few seconds, but if I can catch her in time... ah, there you are! Gotcha!"
As I watched, my breath caught in my throat, light spread out from Aerith's hands, a pale bluish-white glow that swept over Jessie's body in a soft rush and dove into her. For a moment, she looked almost like an angel as the light shone through her and around her. Even at the brink of death, Jessie was beautiful. Aerith didn't let up but instead leaned in closer, her eyes shut tight in concentration.
Then my heart skipped a beat when Jessie suddenly gasped, taking in a fuller, deeper breath than I'd heard ever since we'd found her in the ruins of Sector 7. The heart monitor's single chilling tone switched to a strong, regular beep as the flat line on the display jumped back into the peaks and valleys that showed she was alive.
I watched in awe and wonder as Jessie's lesser injuries all closed up, healed by Aerith's power. The more serious wounds faded some as well, but not entirely. Even the light had its limits, it seemed. We could work with that, though. What mattered most was that Jessie had been saved. As I kept holding her hand and watching her, the light slowly began to fade away, and by the time that Aerith let go of her and sat back, it was gone. All that was left now was to wait.
It didn't take long, though I'd have waited there for days if I had to. Jessie stirred just a few moments later, and when she finally opened her eyes and saw me, her mouth twisting into that familiar coy grin I knew so well, I thought I'd never seen anything so wonderful in my life. And although her hand and arm were still weak and wrapped in a sling, she gently squeezed my fingers as best she could.
"Hey there, handsome," Jessie teased. "Miss me?"
I couldn't deny it. "Yeah. I... I did."
She chuckled. "Better have, SOLDIER boy. You still owe me a date, you know. And I intend to collect."
"You will," I promised, flashing her a faint smirk.
Then Jessie saw I wasn't alone. "Aerith...?"
She smiled, tired but relieved. "I'm here, Jessie. And you're lucky to be here, too. I let you outta my sight for a little while and just look at all the trouble you get into. Such a handful!"
"Like always," Jessie laughed. "It's good to see you again."
Aerith nodded. "You too. How do you feel?"
Jessie grinned. "Alive, Aerith. I just... I feel so alive."
"Well, I'd better let the others know you're alright," Aerith said. She stood up slowly and patted Jessie's arm. "You'll still need lots of rest for a while, so don't push yourself too hard."
"Everyone's here?" Jessie couldn't hide her excitement.
I adjusted her blankets for her. "Yeah. Barret, Tifa... everybody. All except Biggs. But only because he's still banged up himself. He'd be here too if he wasn't. You know that."
Aerith paused by door. "I'll have Maddy and Oates get word to him as soon as I can. Something tells me you're gonna be having quite a few visitors coming to see you before long."
"You got the kids to help, too?" Jessie gaped.
"Actually, it was his idea," Aerith giggled, pointing at me.
Jessie chuckled. "Wow! Really?"
"Uh, yeah..." I said. "Sort of. Wasn't expecting them to go as far as they did, but... they did get us here in time."
She laughed. "Now I really know you care for me..."
I blinked. "Huh?"
"Fighting Shinra soldiers and swooping in to save me is one thing, but talking to kids must've really been outta your comfort zone, Cloud. I gotta say, I'm touched. Thanks!"
"Well, uh... sure," I said. "They did pretty good."
Aerith smirked. "I'll be sure to tell them you said that. They'll get a real kick out of it. See you soon, guys!"
She was just opening the door when she stumbled a little as a wave of fatigue suddenly swept over her. I started to stand up to help her, but she shook her head and brushed me off. She leaned against the wall for a moment to steady herself, then swung the door open.
"You okay?" I asked.
Aerith nodded. "I'll be alright. Just worn out. Doing what I did... it takes a lot outta me. I'll need to rest for a while."
I sat back down. "You sure?"
"I'm fine, Cloud," she insisted. "So don't worry about me. I'll make sure you two can have at least a few minutes alone before the others all come storming up here. Enjoy it while it lasts!"
"Oh, we will," Jessie winked.
Then Aerith left, heading into the hall and closing the door behind her. Jessie and I were alone, and for a moment, we just sat together, not saying a word. Although it had only been just over a day since the plate collapse, it felt a lot longer than that. So much had happened, and it felt as if we'd been apart for weeks, maybe months. I guess it was her brush with death and how I'd nearly lost her.
"So," Jessie scooted closer to me. "Gil for your thoughts?"
I gazed at her. "Just... glad we pulled it off. I was afraid we'd be too late. Didn't want the others to know, though. So I just kept us all going as fast as we could so I wouldn't have time to worry about it. And when I saw that flat line, I... I thought I'd lost you."
"Came pretty close, didn't I?" Jessie murmured.
"Too close," I said. "I'm glad Aerith brought you back."
She reached up with her good hand and touched my face. "Me too, merc. I knew you'd come through for me."
"I'm your hero," I told her.
"Damn right you are," Jessie grinned.
Then she gently pulled me toward her until our lips met. Her good arm slid around my shoulder as the kiss deepened, and I carefully held her against me, savoring the taste of Jessie's mouth and the smell of her hair as my blood turned to magma and current fried my brain. I hadn't realized just how much I'd missed her until now. And although I knew I'd have to leave eventually to go after Sephiroth, I decided I could wait a few days, maybe a week. No rush.
Jessie and I had some catching up to do.