We set out early the next morning after a quick breakfast. Since I'd been feeling so much better after I'd started taking the medicine Cloud and the others had brought back for me, I'd decided to spend the night at home. It wasn't very far from Aerith and Elmyra's house, and I didn't wanna impose on them now that I was in better shape. I appreciated all they'd done for me since I'd been sick.
Of course, I hadn't been by myself. I'd taken Wedge home with me, wanting to be with him as much as I could after all that had happened lately and how I'd come so close to losing him. Biggs had limped along with us as far as the Leaf House, where he'd wished us goodnight. Then he had gone inside, waving to us and flashing us a crooked little grin. I was so glad he was alright, too. It would've been a terrible blow to have lost both my brother and my boyfriend.
But I hadn't, and I was gonna make damn sure I never did. Wedge and I had gotten home not long after that, and as soon as my door had closed behind us and we were alone, I'd pulled him to me and kept him close all night long, taking him straight to bed with me and showering him with love and passion. We hadn't done this often—it had taken me a while to feel comfortable with the thought of that kind of thing again after what I'd gone through at the hands of the Vice gang a few months ago—but last night, I'd wanted it, and him.
Anyway, we met the others at Aerith's house, all of us geared up for our respective missions today. I'd brought my gun with me—it was the same one Jessie had modded for me when we'd first met years ago. Just a sleek little handgun, but it sure packed a punch. Aside from my dark blue top, black denim capris, and matching leather boots, I also wore a pair of fingerless black and gray gloves and matching elbow pads. I had a brown belt and pouch on my waist as well.
"Ready to go, Lena?" Tifa asked.
I nodded, checking my gun as I stood with her outside by the front porch. "Whenever you guys are, Tifa."
Barret finished loading his gun-arm. "Then let's get movin'. We got a lotta walkin' to do to get to Sector 3. You an' Red go on ahead an' lead the way to that storehouse, Lena. Me an' Tifa'll follow jus' behind ya an' watch our backs. Never know what's out there, 'specially if Shinra really is settin' monsters loose into the slums."
"Will do, Barret," I promised. "And I also picked up some grenades from the weapon shop on the way here. Not as powerful as Jessie's, but they'll still get the job done, don't worry."
"Good thinkin'!" he grinned.
Just then, the front door opened, and the others joined us outside. First was Biggs, who'd gotten here before me and Wedge. He stepped to one side and held the door open, his movements more sure than they'd been yesterday. Lots of rest and medicine had helped him out a lot, and now he was just about good as new.
I couldn't say that yet about Jessie, though. She was still really hurt, but she wasn't letting that stop her, and I admired her for it. She was on her feet as she made her way slowly outside, but she had to lean heavily on Cloud to do it. He had his arm securely around her, holding her up and supporting her by the waist as she moved. As tough as she was, she didn't have enough strength to stand on her own. Not yet, anyway. But I was sure she'd recover, just like Biggs.
Aerith followed behind them, her bladed staff securely on her back in a loop of fabric sewn into her red jacket. Not that I expected her and the others to see much action, but it never hurt to be prepared. I had a few extra clips of ammo in my belt pouch myself. Cloud had that huge sword of his on his back, and Biggs and Wedge had their guns—unlike Jessie, they'd managed to hold onto them.
Behind Aerith was Marissa, who closed the door as we got ready to move out. She'd mentioned, after coming downstairs last night not long before Wedge and I had left, that she was heading back plateside today. I hoped she'd be back soon, though. Although I didn't know her as well as Jessie did, we were still friends. And Wedge and I were both eager to see Kunsel again after all he'd done for us.
Cloud, Jessie, and the others were gonna ride the two bikes over to Evergreen Park while we went on foot to Sector 3. Handing Jessie over Biggs for a moment, Cloud slid onto the Hardy, then took her back and carefully helped her sit in front of him, wrapping an arm firmly around her waist again to keep her safely in place.
Marissa had decided to let us keep using the Gust—she was gonna take the train back to the plate since they'd started running again—and so, after telling her goodbye and giving her a hug, Aerith got on behind Wedge. That just left Biggs. There wasn't room on the bikes themselves for him, but Barret had found an old sidecar in town the other day and had picked it up in case we might need it. Now it was connected to the Gust, and he settled into it, waving to me and the rest of us as he did. I returned the favor and grinned.
"Odd man out again, eh?" I teased.
He chuckled. "Same as always, sis. You be careful out there, alright? Be sure to get back here in one piece."
I smirked. "You too, Biggs."
"Good luck, guys!" Jessie called, lifting her good hand.
"Likewise!" Tifa said, doing the same.
Then Cloud, after nodding slightly to her and the rest of us, started the Hardy, and it roared to life, the engine awesomely loud in the early morning air. Wedge started the Gust a moment later, and though it had a good roar itself, it was still nothing compared to the Hardy. I hurried over to him for a minute, my heart racing.
"Bye, Wedge," I murmured, pulling him in for a quick kiss. "I'll see ya later. Take care of yourself, okay?"
He eagerly returned it. "You bet, Lena. Love ya!"
"Love you, too," I smiled.
Then I quickly backed up and watched as he and Cloud sped away down the narrow, winding road leading to town. Cloud went first, and Wedge followed just behind him. Jessie let out an excited holler, surely enjoying the ride, as they drove out of sight.
Once they were gone, the rest of us got started. Red and I went first as Barret had said, while he and Tifa followed behind us. Marissa went too since we'd be passing by the train station on our way out of town. It didn't take very long to get there after making our way up the road and through the bustling streets of Sector 5.
"Well, I guess this is it," Marissa said. "I'll be back in a few days, but it won't be until after you guys have left."
Tifa embraced her. "Thank you, Marissa. For everything."
She nodded. "It was my pleasure, Tifa."
"You ever need anythin', we here for ya," Barret added, taking Tifa's place. "Jessie wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you. Aerith mighta healed her, but you made it possible by keepin' her goin' for all that time. An' I ain't never gonna forget that. Not ever."
"Thanks, Barret," Marissa said. "I'm so glad I could help her. We've been friends for a long time, and she's been there for me when I was in need. So I was happy to do the same for her."
I went next, hugging her tight. "See ya when you get back, Marissa. Tell Kunsel that Wedge and I say hi."
"Definitely!" she agreed.
Then, after waving to Red, she hurried onto the crowded platform. The train was just pulling in as we moved on, and soon the station was behind us as we made our way into the outskirts east of town. Rows of old, abandoned shacks and piles of junk and scrap metal lined the trail, and when it forked, we stayed to the left. Going right would've led us to Aerith's church. Anyway, we continued on down the road, eyes alert for trouble as we made our way toward Sector 3.
— — — — — — —
As we sped on into the empty regions west of Sector 5, I held onto Cloud with my good hand—I was able to move my other arm around a little more now, but I still didn't have my full range of motion back. So it hung at my side as we rode along, the Hardy's engine purring sweetly in our ears. Cloud had a firm grip on me, his arm over my middle, and I rested my hand over his while he used his other one to drive. It felt so good to be out and about like this, a breeze tossing my hair, after being cooped up mostly in bed for the past few days.
I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and savoring the moment and all the little sensations around me—the light touch of my cheek brushing against Cloud's, the revving of the engine, the warmth of his body behind me. Even the smell of mako hanging in the air. I felt happy to be out here with him, riding together again. And I felt a little stronger today than I had since I'd first woken up from the coma I'd been in. But mostly, I felt alive.
"How are you holding up, Jessie?" Cloud asked.
I grinned. "Never better!"
He nodded. "Good. Promised you a ride."
"And a date," I reminded him, giggling. "I haven't forgotten. You let me worry about that part, though. A nice, quiet dinner, just the two of us, before you leave. Tomorrow night?"
"Yeah," Cloud said.
I sighed contentedly. "Okay, then! Just leave it to me! Might not be the Midgar Special, but I'll make ya somethin' good."
"Sure you can do it?" he wondered.
"Of course!" I assured him. "I admit, I'll need a little help since I'm not a hundred percent yet, but I'm sure I can talk Aerith into giving me a hand. So don't worry! It'll be great!"
Cloud kept his eyes fixed on the road, but I could feel him squeeze my good hand ever so gently. "Oughta be."
I smiled, my mind whirling with possibilities as we drove. We took the long way into Sector 6, bypassing the collapsed expressway and the dangers it held, and as we got closer to Evergreen Park, my good mood began to evaporate. I swallowed, not wanting to see, but slowly, I gazed up toward where the Sector 7 plate should've been. Only it wasn't there anymore. It was gone, fallen to the slums.
When we finally came to a stop in Evergreen Park, I shivered at the sight of the mountains of rubble piled behind the gate and the shadow they cast over the ruined playground. People were here, milling about, a lot of them wounded. Others did what they could to help, providing food, blankets, bandages, and more, and I saw a few familiar faces here and there in the crowd as Cloud parked the Hardy near the little dome by the gate. A small, open doorway led down into a tunnel, and people would go in or out of it from time to time.
As soon as Wedge had pulled up beside us and turned off the Gust, Biggs hopped out of the sidecar and helped me off the Hardy. I moved as carefully as I could, still hurting in a lot of places, and held onto him until Cloud joined us and took Biggs' place. He slid his arm around my waist while I draped my good one around his shoulder and did my best to stand even though my legs felt like jelly.
I didn't like being so dependent on him and the others, but I didn't have much of a choice, at least for now. My body had gone through hell and back, and that wasn't something you could just get over like it was nothing. I was just glad to be alive, so I swallowed my pride and leaned on Cloud as the others gathered around us. We were just heading over to the tunnel when a familiar voice called to us.
"Hey, guys!" It was Wymer, his green eyes shining beneath his dark blue cap when he saw us. "Good to see you here! Wait, is that... Jessie? I heard you'd been found, but... I was afraid it was too late. Never been more happy to be proven wrong, though!"
I grinned. "Glad to see you're okay, too. Got a little banged up, but I'll recover. Is Johnny still in there?"
He scratched his beard. "Yeah, oughta be. Him and that girl he met in Wall Market. Thought he'd be stuck on Tifa forever, but it looks like she cured him of that. Need anything?"
"Have you seen Lydia?" Aerith wondered.
"Sent her back home to Wall Market yesterday to get some rest," he answered. "She must've been on her feet for eighteen hours giving away those blankets and doing whatever else she could to help out. Would've probably kept at it if I hadn't made her quit."
I blinked. "Who's Lydia?"
"A friend of ours," Aerith winked. "And an admirer of yours."
"A what?" I stared at her.
She just laughed. "Oh, that's right, you don't know yet, do you? Me and Tifa'll explain it all later—we wanted to tell you together. For now, though, let's just say that you made quite an impression in Wall Market when you went there a few years ago."
Cloud nodded. "To put it mildly."
"Really?" I marveled. "Well, I guess I should've known after all that commotion I caused. Pissed off Corneo for sure. At least he's outta the picture now, from what you've told me."
"Yeah, he's history," Cloud said. "Anyway, ready to go?"
I sighed. "I don't think I ever will be, but... let's do it, Cloud. I need to see what's in there. And help if I can."
He held me a little closer to him. "I know..."
"Biggs," Wymer greeted him, extending his hand. "Good to see you back on your feet as well, buddy."
Biggs shook it. "Thanks, Wymer. Katie in there? She helped me get out, so I'd like to stop by and thank her if I can. Between her, Tifa, and the others, I wouldn't have made it."
He looked away for a moment, then back at Biggs. "She is. Headed back here right after dropping you off at the Leaf House that night. Still searching for her husband, as far as I know."
"Tom!?" I gasped at the news. "He's missing!?"
"Him and too many others," Wymer answered. "He was fighting in the pillar, same as you. They're still pulling people outta all that rubble, but... most of them are already gone."
Cloud glanced at me. "He ran the inn, right?"
"Him and his kid brother," I said. "Tom's an old friend, not just one of my customers. I actually helped him and Katie get together and was in their wedding about three months ago. Cloud, can we look for him? You and the others came back here to do that for me, to save me, so I... I just wanna give him the same chance."
"We'll find him," he promised.
I smiled. "Damn, but I love you, merc. Thanks."
We hurried into the tunnel, Cloud supporting me as I limped next to him. Aerith was next, then Biggs. Wedge brought up the rear. It was a narrow passageway with rock walls and a steel grating over the floor. I'd never known this was down here, and I wondered what other things might've been hidden right under our feet.
— — — — — — —
It took the better part of an hour for us to get to the storehouse. As I'd suspected, it was tucked quietly away behind the junk piles and well back from the road. The intel my source from Shinra had given me was good, though, and we found it without much trouble. It wasn't as big as I'd expected, just a small bunker surrounded by mounds of scrap. I hid behind one of them with Tifa and the others.
"Looks like this is the place, Lena," she whispered.
I gazed at it. "Sure is. What's the plan?"
Barret eyed a pair of guards standing on either side of the bunker's main entrance. "We take them two bastards out nice an' quiet like, then sneak inside an' see what they hidin'."
"There's also a group of them patrolling the area," Red pointed out. "I spotted their tracks in the dirt. It would be prudent to take them out as well, or they may discover that their allies are missing and follow us inside. We wouldn't get very far if they did."
"Good idea," Tifa agreed. "You and Barret should pay them a visit. Lena and I can handle these two."
Red nodded. "It'll be our pleasure, Tifa."
Barret hefted his gun-arm. "Awright! Lead the way, Red."
"As you wish," he said. "Follow me."
Then they hurried off, creeping silently from junk pile to junk pile and staying behind cover as much as they could until they disappeared from sight around the corner. In the meantime, Tifa and I watched the guards for a bit longer. They were typical Shinra soldiers, each of them armed with a standard-issue rifle, and the sensors built into their metal helmets let them see even in the dark.
I sighed quietly. "Oh, what I wouldn't give for one of Jessie's smoke bombs right about now..."
"That would make it easier," Tifa agreed.
"At least there's only two of 'em," I said. "Good odds."
She flexed her fists. "Yeah. We'll rush them, take them by surprise. Don't use your gun, though, Lena. Not here. That might alert someone inside. Fists and feet, like Biggs taught you."
I tugged on my gloves. "Got it. I'll take the one on the right."
"Left's mine, then," she said. "Ready?"
My body was a coiled spring. "Just say the word."
Tifa motioned to me. "Now!"
We raced out into the open, charging straight at the guards, and we fell upon them almost before they even realized we were there. Amidst their startled shouts, Tifa and I hammered them with a flurry of quick punches and short, sharp kicks that easily disarmed them and knocked them out cold in only a few seconds.
"So far, so good," I said when it was over.
Tifa nodded. "Yeah. One of them should have a keycard—there's a scanner over there to unlock the door."
I checked the nearest guard's belt. "Found it!"
After knocking playfully on his helmet, I went with Tifa over to the door and slid the card into the slot. A light above it turned from red to green, and the door opened with a soft hiss. We were just gazing inside when we suddenly heard footsteps behind us and whirled around, fists raised, but it was only Barret and Red.
"Whoa, whoa, easy now," Barret said. "It's jus' us."
I let out a sigh of relief and relaxed. "Lucky for you. Nearly jumped outta my skin when you walked up like that."
He chuckled. "Sorry 'bout that."
"No harm done," Tifa smirked. "Did you get the patrol?"
"Easily," Red answered.
She gave him and Barret a quick thumbs up. "Good job! Then let's hurry on inside and see what's what."
We set out like before, Red and I leading the way as Barret and Tifa followed behind us. I drew my gun as we went into the bunker. A short hall led from the door into a large storage area full of metal shelves. On them were stacked all kinds of different parts from different machines. Valves, gears, pipes, and more, spares for the mako reactors. They were all neatly arranged for easy access.
But there were also a lot of guns and components for the mechs as well. And just past the shelves, a row of deactivated sweepers and moth slashers lined either wall along with a few cutters—modified sweepers with chainsaw blades on their arms instead of guns. As we crossed the room toward what looked like an elevator on the far side, one of those cutters suddenly whirred to life and surged toward us, its blades sharp and deadly as it quickly bore down on us.
I skidded to a halt. "Heads up!"
Barret and I opened fire as Tifa and Red rushed ahead to meet the cutter, battering it with fists and claws. It fell back for a moment under our combined assault, but then swerved around and struck at us again. I ducked and dove aside just as one of its bladed arms slashed at where I'd been, and I could feel the whoosh of air overhead as it barely missed slicing me open. I answered with a volley of bullets from my gun while Red shocked it with lightning from his materia.
As Tifa attacked it from behind with a pair of diving kicks that she followed up with a blinding shower of punches, Barret helped me back to my feet and then unloaded a concentrated stream of gunfire into the cutter. I added my own, and between us, Tifa, and Red, the mech soon crumpled and exploded, fire and thunder filling our ears as we quickly scattered and took cover as best we could.
Once the dust had settled, we regrouped and looked for a moment at the burning remains of the cutter. Now I knew why we hadn't found any soldiers inside this place, at least not yet—they'd probably activated the mech and had set it to attack any intruders, figuring it would likely be a good enough line of defense should anyone have managed to find a way past the guards outside. But they hadn't expected anyone like us. And now their shiny little toy was toast.
"Well, there goes the welcomin' committee," Barret said.
Red led us carefully past the wreckage. "Indeed. However, this may only be part of their defense. Be on your guard."
I nodded. "What do you think they've got downstairs?"
"Secrets," Tifa answered.
Barret pressed the button to call the lift. "No shit, ladies. We'd best find out what them Shinra assholes are hidin' down there. An' then do somethin' 'bout it if we can. Let's move."
A moment later, there was a beep, and the elevator doors opened. I followed the others inside, then slapped a fresh clip into my gun while Tifa hit another button to take us down. Once the doors slid closed, we began to descend, and I wondered what we'd find so far underground. I hadn't expected anything like this. But if we were right and Shinra was breeding monsters and releasing them into the slums, we'd sure as hell find out. And then we'd put a stop to it.
— — — — — — —
When I finally climbed out of the tunnel with Cloud's help and saw what was left of Sector 7—of my home—all I could do was stand there and gaze at the devastation. People were trying to rebuild where they could, moving debris, passing out food, and taking care of the injured. But the scars of what had happened were everywhere. Whole swaths of town buried under massive chunks of metal, concrete, and the remains of the city that had once been above us.
Too many buildings had been flattened or burnt, and even the dirt was scorched and blackened in a lot of places. Although the larger fires had mostly gone out by now, smaller ones still burned here and there. I leaned against Cloud and took it all in, and as I did, I felt my blood boil and I clenched my right hand into a fist. It hurt and took some effort to do it since my arm was still weak, but I welcomed the pain. It was more bearable than the ache in my heart.
"Shit..." Biggs muttered. "Worse than I thought."
Wedge sighed. "Yeah..."
Aerith nodded. "I'm so sorry, guys."
"Thanks," I told her. "Losing homes... is something I've gotten too familiar with over the years. I hate it. But it's not just about me, or us. A lot of people died that night. Too many. Shinra's got a lot to answer for. And my father. If I hadn't been here..."
"He still would've done it," Cloud reminded me.
I looked gratefully at him. "You're right, Cloud. Thanks. I just wish I'd been able to stop him. Almost did, but..."
"What happened here isn't your fault, Jessie," Aerith insisted. "You risked your life and did everything you could to save everyone. There's no way you could've known what he'd do."
I gazed up at the open sky, steel in my voice. "Maybe. But I swear, I won't let him do anything like this again. Not again. The bastard's gone too far this time. Way too damn far."
We moved on, heading down the blasted road. When we came to a familiar intersection, I glanced over at Cloud, and he nodded, knowing what I wanted without a word. We turned down the side street that led to my house. Or rather, where it used to be. Now it was just a shattered, burnt wreck. Somehow, it hadn't gotten crushed by the chunks of metal and concrete that had fallen nearby, but the fires that had swept across town had scorched the place to cinders.
I sighed, so many memories filling my mind as I gazed at the ruin. The day Biggs and Wedge had first helped me move in. We'd broken in my new kitchen with their first taste of my famous Midgar Special. The night Cloud and I had first met, when I'd brought him here and bound up his wound before we'd shared a glass of wine together. All the times he'd walked me home, and our first night together when he'd forgotten his key to the bar. I had let him sleep on the floor by the bed, knowing I was safe and excited to have him there.
How I'd heard him admit his feelings that night when he'd thought I was asleep—I'd never heard anything so wonderful, and his quiet vow to save me from the fate he'd seen in his dream had made my heart skip more than a beat. And then, our real first night together, full of passion and promise, when we'd made love for the first time. Laying there with him in bed, wrapped in his arms and my body warm with pleasure, I'd never been so content since leaving the plate.
I didn't need to look at Cloud to know he was thinking about a lot of the same things. Then, as I kept gazing at the wreckage of my home, I let go of him and sank to my knees, moving forward as best I could to search through the debris. I hoped it was still here, that the fire hadn't burned it away. I'd lost so much, but this...
"What are you looking for?" Cloud asked quietly.
"My mom's picture," I murmured. "It's all I have left of her. When I first left the plate, Reeve gave me a backpack with clothes and supplies, even a little money. To help me start over, you see. And he put a photo of my mom in there for me, too."
He nodded. "It was on the dresser, right?"
"In a frame, yeah," I said.
I saw the dresser ahead of me, blackened and overturned, and with all the drawers broken. Cloud and the others got started, helping me to look for the picture. As I searched carefully through the rubble, he and Biggs picked up the dresser and moved it aside. And there, amidst bits of broken glass, was my mom's picture.
"There she is..." Aerith said, handing it to me.
I gazed at it, too full of emotion to say anything at first. The frame was blackened, and the glass was cracked, but the photo itself was fine. Being trapped under the dresser must've protected it from the worst of the fire. I held it against me and closed my eyes for a moment, so glad I hadn't lost it. I still missed her, every day.
"Thanks so much, guys," I said, looking at the others.
"Of course," Aerith smiled.
When Cloud helped me back to my feet, he held me for a moment, not saying a word. And he didn't need to. I understood all too well. He must've been thinking of his own mom. So I squeezed him gently as we stood there together in the ruins of my little house, comforting him as much as he comforted me. And he knew.
We got going again, heading further down the road until we came to where Seventh Heaven should've been. But, like so much else, it had burnt down. And even though there were people starting to work on it, seeing it like that still cut straight to my heart. It had been a home away from home, where I'd first met Tifa, Barret, and Cloud. I'd had so many good times with them, Lena, and the guys. Biggs stood by me as I held onto Cloud, as sad and dismayed as I was.
"We're gonna rebuild it," Cloud promised. "All of us."
I knew we would. "Count on it."
Biggs gave me a thumbs up. "Damn straight!"
From there, we made our way through the remains of town toward the outskirts, weaving past mountains of rubble and debris on our way to where the pillar had once stood. After passing the broken remains of a crashed Shinra chopper that had been pushed aside, we finally got to the ruins of the pillar complex. A high hill of broken columns, chunks of concrete, twisted sections of stairs, and more filled the area, and as I gazed at it, I felt a chill sweep down my spine.
"This must've been where you guys found me..." I murmured. "It's almost like... looking at my grave."
Biggs shivered. "I know what you mean."
Wedge gulped. "We almost..."
"We did," I said. "Every time this happened before, we died here... all three of us. It was always our fate."
Cloud looked firmly at us. "Not anymore."
I smiled, holding more tightly to him as Biggs and Wedge grinned and nodded, our spirits lifted by Cloud's friendship and resolve. Death wasn't gonna take us so easily this time. All our fates had been changed for the better, and none of us were gonna look back. But as I stood with Cloud and the guys, everything stopped for just a moment, and I heard a soft, sinister voice whispering in my mind.
And so the wheel turns, my dear... my agent of chaos.
Then I winced, gasping as a bolt of pain shot through my head as if it were slowly being crushed in a vise. I squeezed my eyes shut, gritting my teeth and tightening my grip on Cloud, and then, seconds later, the pain was gone, vanishing as quickly and strangely as it had appeared. I blinked, not sure what had just happened.
"You okay, Jessie?" Biggs asked.
"I think so," I nodded. "Just a weird headache..."
Cloud glanced sharply at me then, his eyes widening, but didn't say anything. Then I remembered the similar fits and headaches he'd been having. Could this be the same? But why would it be happening to me? And that voice... who was that? What had he meant? I didn't like what it had implied, that there was more going on with my survival than any of us knew. It scared the hell outta me.
Before we could talk about it any more, I saw Katie not far from us, sifting desperately through the rubble as others did the same. Her hair, usually so neat and tidy in the short ponytail she often kept it in, was a loose, tangled mess now, and her face, arms, and clothes were coated in dust and soot from all the debris she must've been turning over to find Tom. She looked so different from the energetic girl who'd always been calling out monster kill counts for the watch.
With her were Johnny and that girl Wymer had mentioned. Sandra was her name, I remembered. They were helping Katie in her search as much as they could, and all three stopped and hurried toward us when they saw us coming, relief on their faces.
"Jessie!?" Katie gasped. "You're alright! Johnny told me he'd helped find you, but... I was afraid it was too late."
I let go of Cloud so she could hug me. "It almost was."
Katie squeezed me tight. "Damn, girl! Don't ever scare me like that again! I couldn't bear losing another friend."
"I'm here, Katie," I reminded her. "Biggs and Wedge, too."
Johnny pumped his fist. "So glad you're okay!"
I smiled. "I hear you were the first one to find me. Thanks, Johnny. You too, Sandra. I owe you guys one."
"Aw, it was nothin'," Johnny said. "Just helpin' a friend."
Biggs glanced at Katie. "And thanks for givin' me a hand. Wouldn't have made it outta here without your help."
She hugged him. "Of course, Biggs. Anytime."
"We heard about Tom," I told her. "And we're here to help. So don't worry, alright? We'll find him, I promise."
Katie nodded. "Thanks, all of ya. I love him so much, and I dunno what I'd do if... he were gone. He was fighting in the pillar that night, I know. Most everyone who did... died. But if you guys could survive it, then maybe Tom did, too. He's gotta be here."
Cloud looked at us. "Let's move. He can't have much time."
"Copy that!" Biggs and Wedge agreed.
Then they started scrambling across the ruins, Johnny and Sandra following behind them, and started searching for Tom. After easing me carefully down to the ground, Cloud and Aerith joined them. I wanted more than anything to help find my missing friend, but I was still hurt myself and could barely stand, let alone move aside those big pieces of metal and concrete. So I just sat and watched Cloud, Katie, and the rest as they looked tirelessly through the rubble.
They worked systematically, making their way steadily around the blasted hill of wreckage and debris. When I heard Wedge calling out, I straightened, hoping they'd found Tom. But as it turned out, that wasn't quite it. After the others joined him where he'd been searching near the back right corner, he pointed toward the ground. I couldn't see what it was he'd found, so I used my good arm to start dragging myself closer to where they were to get a better look.
I sighed and shook my head as Cloud hurried over and helped me stand up again. "Damn, but I hate being helpless..."
"You'll be strong again," he assured me.
"Thanks, merc," I said. "So what'd you guys find?"
He pointed. "See for yourself."
As I leaned heavily against Cloud, I followed his gaze and saw right away what he was talking about. The ground around here had caved in from the weight of all the debris, leaving a large, gaping hole in the dirt where a corner of the pillar had once stood. A huge broken section of it lay nearby, the metal girders scorched. And in the dimness of the hole, I could just make out part of a tunnel.
"What do you suppose it is?" Wedge wondered.
I frowned. "Not the sewers, that's for sure. I'd know if it was. Those walls are different than what I remember."
Katie glanced at us. "Could Tom be down there?"
"Only one way to find out," Cloud said. "It might be dangerous, so you, Johnny, and Sandra better stay up here with Jessie. The rest of us'll search underground for Tom. He shouldn't be too far down the tunnel if he's in there. I doubt this'll take long."
"We're ready, Cloud," Aerith said, staff in hand.
Katie nodded. "Good luck, guys."
While Biggs, Wedge, and Aerith started making their way into the hole, I took the opportunity to give Cloud a quick kiss before he could put me down. He blinked in surprise but didn't resist, and a soft flutter swept through my stomach when he returned it. Then, when he finally pulled away, I smirked playfully at him.
"Watch your back down there, merc," I told him.
Cloud smiled faintly. "I intend to."