Now with Yuffie's mind clear, the team was fully ready to face any challenge together. "Hey! Check it out!" Barret waved over the party as he looked out of the window and down to the city of Midgar. "Damn fools.
"Ones who come here at night to take in the view. So pretty and marvelous and beautiful! But every little light burning bright runs off her blood. And bit by bit they bleed her, never stopping to think how it'll end for them." "Yeah." Tifa agreed. "Terrible, but beautiful all the same."
The party approached the reception desk where Cloud scanned the card. A hologram receptionist appeared before them. "You must be here for our grand tour. Visitors gave access to floors 60, 61, 62, as well as floor 63. You will proceed in that order. By the exit of each floor, you will find a device that will allow you to update the keycard in your possession. Thereby allowing you to access the next floor. And now begins your grand tour. Please enjoy the Shinra Experience!" "Why's this whole thing gotta be such a pain in the ass?" Barret asked with a sigh. "I don't know about you, but this is kinda weird." Tifa commented. "You think everything's going too well?" Cloud asked. "Yeah, I do. Think it's a trap?" "If it is, we'll be ready." Y/n assured.
The tour began with the party entering the 60th floor: The Memorial Museum. Before them stood a statue of President Shinra made up entirely of gold.
"Welcome to the Shinra Building, our humble home!" Greeted an automated guide. "Oh, hell no!" Barret spat. "Here in the Memorial Museum you can learn all about our president. As well as the various divisions that make up the company. And of course, the city of Midgar and the miracle of Mako energy. Whatever takes your fancy, you're sure to learn something new!" "Yeah, yeah. Shut up." As party passed through the exhibits, Tifa and Barret looked on in disdain. "I think I just threw up a little." Said Tifa. "Man thinks highly of himself." Barret scoffed. "Got anything like this in your palace, Y/n?" Cloud asked. "A musuem? No. But we do have a public study for those curious about our lineage and past rulers." Y/n then sighed. "Then again, we do hold parades in their honor."
The party exited the room and were met with a screen flashing lights. "Hey, everybody! How's the grand tour?" Began the automated guide voice. "I hope you're all enjoying yourselves! Wasn't it fun to learn about Shinra and our esteemed president? And to get a peek at the president's mementos. That was super cool!" The screen began to display board directors, some of which the team had already met or seen. "Now, moving along! The next exhibit will teach you the important work we do here by giving you a closer look at each of our divisions! I hope you're ready to be amazed, because you simply won't believe all the exciting adventures we have here!" The screen turned off and the pattern entered a different room.
"These all look familiar." Tifa said as they looked on to the collection of machines before them. "Cause we've destroyed a bunch of em already." Said Barret. "No way you guys took down a Sweeper." Yuffie remarked. Barret smirked. "Course we did!" "The Advanced Weaponry exhibit is currently undergoing maintenance." Informed the guide. "We apologize for the inconvenience." As the party passed through the room, Barret glared at the board directors with hate and anger in his eyes.
The group exited the exhibit room and followed the path leading them into another. "The next exhibit will teach you all about the miracle of Mako energy and our reactors. As well as the city of Midgar itself. So come on!" As they entered the room, they stumbled upon a scaled model of Midgar.
"This is Midgar. Our home. Recreated in 1/10000 scale. As you can see here, the eight Mako reactors form a ring around the center of our city and keep Midgar running day and night. The Mako which flows beneath our feet is a truly limitless resource. At Shinra, we have developed technologies to extract it and transform it into the fuel and electricity that powers everything we do. Thanks to the miracle of Mako energy, our lives are richer and better than every before." Tifa put her hands on her waist and scoffed as the guide continued. "Mako keeps our lights on at night, and made Midgar into the city that never sleeps. A triumph of technology and testament to man's potential."
"Nothing but a buncha lies!" Barret exclaimed. "Except that Mako has made people's lives better." Cloud reluctantly admitted. "It's made people blind. Blind to the cold hard truth. Even I used to buy into their bullshit." He looked down to his gattling gun arm. "Remembering that... makes me even madder."
Cloud scanned the keycard, allowing them to pass to the next floor. "Welcome to the Visual Entertainment Hall." Began the guide. "Here, we showcase Shinra's cutting edge technology through an immersive visual and audio experience. Please relax and enjoy the show!" The team entered a room named the Cosmos Theater where a strange beam scanned them. The room completely shifted, giving them the sensation of floating through space before entering the earth. "In the distant past, our planet was home to a people we call the Ancients." The earth landscape began to display a village with many children running around an a woman performing magic. "Many millennia before we discovered Mako, these precursors were already pioneering its use. They were blessed by the Astrals themselves. Gifted to perform such miracles. The fruits of their labors have survived to this very day in the form of certain kinds of Materia. Their scripture too has endured. We who are born of the planet, with her we speak. Her flesh we shape. Unto her promised land shall we one day return. By her loving grace and providence may we take our place in paradise. Alas, the Ancients themselves are long gone. Two thousand years ago, a meteor brought an end to their civilization. But before their fiery end, did the Ancients find their promised land? Even now, we have only to wonder. Times have changed and the Shinra Electric Power Company is committed to changing and evolving with them. Like the Ancients, we have harnessed the power of Mako. Are they out there watching us? Waiting for us to join them in some blessed corner of the world, a green and verdant land, where boundless Mako energy will provide for our every need? Shinra is working for you to fulfill the hope of the Ancients and lead us to that promised land." The landscape shifted once more, only this time changing into a futuristic utopia where Shinra was the face of it all. "We shall not rest until our dream is realized." With that the show came to an end. "That it?" Asked Barret, only for the theater to glitch and show them within a city. The sky was red and towards the sky came a sun like orb with a hooded man standing before it. The screen glitched once more and crowds of people passed through them, running in fear. The party soon realized that the sun like orb was a meteor that began to destroy the city around them. Cloud suddenly clutched his head and he turned to Tifa. Behind her was a long silver haired man with a long blade. "No!" He shouted as the man impaled Tifa. Cloud turned to Barrer who laid on the ground with Yuffie laying beside him. Cloud then turned to Y/n who sat in what appeared to be a throne, however he looked much older and his body was limp with a dozen of weapons piercing his chest. Cloud tried to turn away, but the long haired man appeared behind him. Cloud froze with fear. All he could muster up was one word. The man's name. "Sephiroth."
Within the 69th floor of the Shinra Building walked a executive board member. "Oh dear. Oh dear." Chuckled a short and stocky man as he blew the heat from his tea cup. Palmer.
"A man of my refined tastes running out of butter! Shorn of its proper accompaniment, this tea might as well be boild pond water!" The man looked ahead and his eyes widened. His shaking hands dropped the pottery causing it to shatter. Palmer whimpered and backed against the wall as the man passed him by. "No, i-it couldn't possibly have been."
"Crazy ass thing made me wanna puke." Barret said in a sigh as the simulation came to an end. "And nit just cause of the presentation, but the content too." Yuffie crossed her arms. "Right? No wonder Shinra has these dumb people of Midgar believing their bull." Barret raised a brow causing the girl to sweat drop. "Not you guys of course." She chuckled nervously.
"You guys saw that too, right?" Y/n asked with a serious tone. "Yeah." Tifa nodded. "The huge meteor? What was that about?" Cloud remained silent as his stare remained fixated on the ground. "Cloud?" Y/n called. "Cloud." Nothing. "CLOUD!" The blonde then looked up and towards his friends. "What?" "Are you okay, Cloud?" Tifa asked. "Y-Yeah. Let's keep moving."
Cloud moved towards the console to swipe the keycard. "Congratulations!" Began the guide. "You can call yourself a proud Shinra expert! Your mission is to go out and tell everyone about the wonders of Shinra! Next, you'll be visiting the repository for Shinra's expertise and know-how. Please make your way to the 62nd floor, the Corporate Ar-" The voice began to glitch before being cut off.
The door to the theater opened and an older man entered.
"Greetings and welcome." He began. "Avalanche, I presume? My name is Hart and it's a pleasure to meet you. I've come to escort you to Mayor Domino, per his request." "The mayor of Midgar?" Barret questioned. "The empty suit that's just a mouthpiece for Shinra?" "Yes. The Mayor of our dear Midgar, the most magnificent city ever built. That Mayor Domino. The Visual Entertainment Hall has been experiencing technical difficulties of late and he suspected that these difficulties might impede your progress." "So what does the Mayor want with us?" Asked Cloud. "I'm afraid you will have to ask him that yourself." Hart turned and began to walk off. "Doesn't this seem suspicious to anyone else?" Tifa asked the others. "Let's just hear him out." Cloud responded as they began to follow.
Hart lead Avalanche to the 62nd floor which was the designated Corporate Archives floor. Within the room was a library filled with thousands upon thousands of books.
"Look at this place!" Barret gasped. "So what, you telling me the mayor's some kind of crazy bookworm?" Barret questioned Hart. Hart responded by gesturing that the party should follow. Hart stopped beside a bookshelf and pushed a book in causing the bookshelf beside it to slide, revealing a hidden staircase. Following Hart up the stairs, he lead them to a to a door. "Through here." "If this is a trap, you're a dead man, y'hear?" Barret threatened.
Cloud turned the doorknob and entered with the others following behind. Inside the room was an array of monitors displaying camera feeds. "This can't be right." Barret said. "Wonderful! You finally made it!" The chair beside the desk turned, revealing a bald man with a pointy mustache and beard.
"I am the mayor of the great metropolis of Mako. Domino, at your service. Hehe. I must say, you five haven't exactly been discreet." He pressed a key on the keyboard and the monitors displayed footage of their journey through the building. Domino began to approach the team. "I wonder who's been cleaning up all your messes." "What the hell's going on?" Questioned Cloud. "Come on. Think about it. You've been caught by security several times. Walked in front of every other camera. And scared an accountant half to death. Do you hear the alarm? No? You're welcome. I can only assume your cell wasn't looped in. I am Avalanche's man on the inside." "Say what?" Barret gasped. "Is it really that surprising to you? You've seen where they put me. The mayor of the greatest city in the whole wide world; tucked away in a secret broom closet in the damned archives! The nerve. Those stupid Shinra pricks thought I'd just shut up and accept their treatment, but they were wrong! Dead wrong!" "Heh. Well, this oughta make things easier." Barret said in relief.
"We need to break into Professor Hojo's lab." Said Tifa. "What? Why?" Asked Hart. "You mean you're not here to give President Shinra his comeuppance?" "I am!" Yuffie exclaimed. "We're here to save a friend who was taken." Said Cloud "But the president's gonna get his too." Barret assured Hart and Yuffie. "If I have anything to say about it." "Well, I don't particularly care what you end up doing, so long as it hurts Shinra." "Great!" "I can get you as far as the 64th floor." "Hold up. You telling me that that's the best you can do?" "That is indeed the best I can do." "But your the mayor." Cloud argued. "But you're the mayor!?" Hart repeated in frustration. "Does this look like the office of a mayor? I'm a glorified librarian, nothing more! They don't even invite me to their meetings! Sorting records and reports, that's all I do! My hands and fingers have more paper cuts than skin! No one knows my pain, my daily torment! They made me a pathetic shell of a man." "Okay." Barret tried to console the man. "They did you wrong, like us. But we'll make it right. So just calm down. Deep breathes man, deep breathes." "Hmph. Let me see that keycard of yours." Hart directed at Cloud who handed over the card. Hart placed the card on a console, allowing the card for a higher access into the building. "Here you are." He handed back the card to Cloud. "You can now use it to access the Recreational Facility on the 63rd floor." "I thought you said you'd give us access to the 64th floor?" Yuffie questioned. "On the 63rd floor, you will look for a fellow Avalanche collaborator. Identify yourselves and he'll give you a keycard to the 64th. The counter sign is... the mayor is the best! Midgar's mayor is nothing less! Everyone says he's cooler than the rest!" The Avalanche members all shared glances of confusion with one another. "Just say mayor to the guy, and if he goes the best with gusto, then you've found your man. You got it?"
After exiting the secret room, the party made their way over to the next floor. "I still can't believe the mayor is working with Avalanche." Said Tifa. "Would've been nice to know." Barret scoffed. "Idiots at HQ shoulda kept us in the loop." "He's a bit of an unorthodox kinda guy." Y/n commented. "Think I would be too of I was stuck in this library most of the time." Responded Tifa.
Within the 66th floor of the Shinra Building, a man stood before a woman. "So. About this precious promised land of yours..." Began a man wearing round glasses and a lab coat. Hojo.
Before him was a cell containing none other than Aerith, who remained silent. "Come now, Aerith. You misunderstand my intentions. I wish only to satisfy their material greed so I can be left to pursue my great work. Our great work, my dear. Hmmm. You're the spitting image of her now. I regret it to this day. If he had only trusted me instead of trying to run, it could have played out quite differently. What a terrible tragedy, to lose one of the last of pure-blooded Ancients. There, of course, is the oracle, but laying so much as a finger on her would mean war with the Empire. Oh, silly me. Would you like to see your mother? Albeit through the lens of my microscopes." Hojo smirked and slammed his arms on the glass of the cell. "Did you really think we'd leave such a precious specimen to rot in the gutter? We collected and cataloged every last bit of her. Hair, skin, organs, every fragment of every bone. As breathtaking in death as in life! As you, my dear! Ifalna was elegance, right down to her cellular structure." Aerith could only glare, but her entire mind, soul, and body was filled with hatred and anger against Hojo.
"Haha. And there it is. That same elegance." A computer began to beep from behind Hojo. "Oh, yes. Time for yet another meeting. Sit tight. I won't be long." As Hojo took his leave, Aerith dropped her glare and gasped. She tried her hardest to fight back her tears, but she ultimately gave in.
"Here's the 63rd floor, where loyal Shinra employees relax and recharge!" Barret said in a scoff as they arrived at the Recreational Facility. "It's pretty late, but I bet people are still here dealing with the aftermath of Sector 7." Said Tifa. "It's their own damn fault." "Stay focused." Cloud drew their attention. "We need to find this guy." Cloud scanned the card and the doors opened to hallway. "They look busy." Commented Tifa as they looked at the offices filled with working employees. "Plate did just fall." Cloud reminded.
"Seeing them like this somehow makes me feel a little bit better." "Think they'd be better feeling a bit of the pain that those people felt." Y/n said with anger. "Not seeing any security around." Said Barret. "One less thing to worry about."
"Where should we find our guy?" Yuffie asked as they entered a lounge area. "I think we should just start talking to people who look the part." Tifa suggested. Cloud walked over to the cafe area. "Hello, what can I get for you today?" Asked the server. "The mayor." He answered. "Mayo? Sorry, we don't have any here." Y/n chuckled and moved Cloud aside. "Excuse my friend here. I'll take a double shot expresso cappuccino." He looked at the other who looked back in confusion. "What? We're gonna be in for a long night, aren't we?" "Good point." Yuffie agreed. "I'll take a-" "She'll have an orange juice." "Hey! That's not what I wanted." "The last thing you need is caffeine." Yuffie pouted. "What about you guys?" "I'm good. Shinra ain't getting a cent outta me." Barret answered. "Cloud?" "No thanks." "Tifa?" "I'll have what you're having." "Okay." The server began to ring up the order. "Two double shot expresso cappuccinos and an orange juice. That'll be 840 gil." "Right." Y/n handed over the money. "I'll have that order ready for you in a jiffy, sir.
A few minutes later, Y/n received his order and handed Tifa and Yuffie their drinks. The ninja reluctantly accepted her beverage, trying ever so hard to hide her enjoyment of the taste, however. Y/n placed his palm below the cup of coffee and used a bit of a Blizzard spell to cool it down. "What are you doing, Y/n?" Asked Tifa as she blew on her coffee. "Cooling it down. I don't like hot beverages." He responded, taking a drink. "Then why not ask for ice?" Barret asked. "Because they typically charge more." "Royal cheapskate, huh?" "Just because I'm royalty, doesn't mean I have to senselessly spend my fortune." "Can we focus?" Cloud pleaded. "Sorry."
The party stopped before a screen showing a TV programing. "Today we welcome a special guest: Shinra's Director of Public Security, who has an important message to share with us." Heidegger cleared his throat. "Everyone here at Shinra us deeply saddened by this unconscionable act of terrorism. But at the same time, we will not be cowed by threats or violence. To the people of Midgar, I make this vow: we will find the villains responsible and bring them to justice. Are you listening, Avalanche? You cowardly dogs!? Run all you like. Shinra is coming." The transmission came to an end. Barret growled. "Come and get me you bastard!" Many Shinra employees turned towards the group. Yuffie jumped and pulled Barret's ear. "Try not to draw attention to us!" She scolded. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"
The party moved towards a man sitting down by himself, enjoying dinner. "Hm? Are you military? Cool, cool. I guess things have been keeping you pretty busy around here. Have you found who did this yet?" "The mayor." Said Cloud. "Huh? Uh... what about the mayor?" "Nevermind." The party tried a few more employees until the came across an employee wearing a plaid suit. "You work here? I don't recognize you." He stopped them. "Can I help you with something?" "The mayor." Cloud said. "Is the best! I was told to expect you. Need to access our upper floors right?" "That's right." Barret nodded. "Before I trust you with thus keycard, I need to see what you can actually do." "Say what?" "Do you know what would happen if you got caught? We're putting our lives on the line here. Prove you're worth it." The collaborator lead them towards a room on the second floor of the Recreational Facility. "We have a state of the art combat simulator. It can provide a real challenge, let me tell you. If you beat the sim, then the keycard is all yours." "Guess we should get this over with." Y/n said with a sigh before downing his cup of coffee.
The party entered the room which was constructed in similar fashion to the Comsos Theater. However, the room soon shifted into a battlefield where two Cutter units appeared. "Back me up Y/n!" Cloud instructed as he rushed forward. Y/n warped in front of Cloud and used Ziedrich to shield the blonde from the buzzsaw arms of the Cutter. Cloud lept over Y/n and used his Buster sword to imaple the machine's engine. "Slow em down, girl!" Barret instructed Yuffie who casted Aero to pull back the other Cutter. "Let's knock em down, Tifa." Tifa nodded and the two began to charge a powerful Lightning spell which caused the Cutter to explode. "That does it!" Yuffie cheered. "Was there ever any doubt?" Y/n questioned rhetorically.
The party exited the room where the collaborator watched in shock as they stepped out. "That was nuts! You guys destroyed them in less than a minute." "Haha! You don't mess with us!" Barrer exclaimed. "Here. This keycard will grant you access to the 64th floor." He handed the card to Cloud. "You can use the elevator to get there. Once you're up there, just what is it you plan on doing?" "We came to get one of our friends." Cloud answered. "She's being held in a research lab somewhere." "A lab? Then she must he with Professor Hojo. It won't be easy to get to her. Access to R&D is limited to authorized personnel only." "We'll find a way in. Know where we can find Hojo?" "A board meeting is scheduled to start soon. It's being held in the main conference room. President Shinra, Professor Hojo, and the other directors will be in attendance." "Sounds like a party begging to be crashed." Yuffie said with a grin. "You know it!" Barret added. "Try and security will be on your assess in seconds." The collaborator warned. "We need to find out what they're planning." Said Cloud. "So you want to spy on their meeting? Hmm, I have an idea. Head to the men's restroom. You can climb into the airducts there. They go all the way to the conference room." "Thanks for the tip."
The party headed towards the men's restroom, however, on their way, two Shinra officers took notice of the group. "Cloud?" Called one of the officers. "You're Cloud, right? Holy shit!" He turned to his partner. "It's cool, bro. We went through training together. Damn! So you're still alive and kicking, huh? Some of the guys heard you got smoked, but I told em it was all bullshit!" Cloud groaned and grabbed onto his head. "Hey, sit tight man! Imma go get Kunsel. I'll be right back." The two officers took off. "Old buddy?" Barret asked. Cloud groaned more as his teeth grinded against each other in pain. "You okay?" Tifa asked as she looked down at the blonde. "Yeah." "But you were just-" "I'm good. Let's keep moving." Barret and Yuffie followed behind Cloud. "In his own time, remember?" Said Y/n. Tifa recalled what she had said to Y/n. "Yeah."
The party returned to the staircase where they saw a group of Shinra officers, as well as Heidegger and President Shinra himself.
"I trust the narrative is intact?" Shinra asked Heidegger. "Rock solid. The people have embraced the Wutai-Avalanche conspiracy wholeheartedly. I've almost come to believe it myself." "Wutai's response?" "So far, noting. And if those cowards do react, all the better for us and our story." Yuffie gritted her teeth in anger and moved her hand to her shuriken, but Y/n stopped her by placing his hand on her shoulder and shaking his head. "Very well. Then we shall stay the course." "If I may sir, there was one other matter." "Oh?" "A message from our man Palmer." Before the party could hear Heidegger could continue, the elevator arrived and the Shinra company entered, leaving Avalanche curious about the message.
The party entered the 64th floor where the saw the last glimpse of Shinra and Heidegger enter a room. "Do you think that's where Hojo is?" Asked Tifa. "Where he should be." Said Cloud. "So what now?" Yuffie asked. "Little bit of recon." Began Cloud. "Need to find a way to infiltrate that room." "You hear the words coming out of your mouth?" Questioned Barret. "We just gotta find that bathroom so we can get into the air duct. Ask anyone here. They can point us in the right direction." "No thanks. We can find it on our own."
After stumbling around the floor, they managed to find the restroom. "Alright, we'll wait out here." Said Tifa, referring to herself and Yuffie. "Huh? You can't hang out here." Barret argued. "It'd be much safer if you guys waited inside." Y/n suggested. "Maybe, but this is... oh, never mind. You're right." Yuffie gasped. "I'm not going in there! That's where boys go to do there businesses!" "Suck it up Yuffie." Cloud remarked.
The party entered the empty restroom. "Oh, thank gods no one is here." Tifa sighed. "Love to show em what the ones below look like." Barret smirked. "Come on, let's just find that duct." Y/n peered into a stall and found it. "Over here." He called, stepping onto the toilet to removed the vent cover. "Don't think I'll be fitting in there." Barret said, examining the small space. "Can I go with you?" Tifa pleaded. "Don't wanna stay here any longer than I have to." "Sure." Y/n nodded. "What about me?" "Sorry Yuffie, but you'll have to keep Barret company." Y/n responded as he boosted Cloud and Tifa into the vent. Y/n tossed a dagger inside and warped behind Tifa.
The trio crawled through the tight space as carefully as they could. "I'm telling you, I saw him!" They heard Palmer's panicked voice from below. "With my own eyes! Sauntering down the corridor!" "We don't have time for this nonsense!" Heidegger exclaimed. "Gah! He was as close to me as you are now! The shock of it made me spill my tea!" "Enough already!" Heidegger slammed his massive hand down onto the table, causing Palmer to jump. "If there are intruders in the building, my men will deal with them." "But Mister President, sir, I swear to you-" Shinra lifted his hand, signaling the man to stop. "Reeve." He called upon a younger man with a black suit.
"Sir. I have the damage assessment for Sector 7, and I'm afraid the figures are catastrophic-" "Save us the doom and gloom. Was there anything else?" "Well sir, I've also drafted a reconstruction plan-" "That will not be needed. Not with the Ancient in our custody once more." "With all due respect sir, I don't see-" "Two words, Reeve." Interupted Scarlet. "Neo Midgar." "In their promised land we will build a new Mako powered metropolis." "Mister President!" Reeve slammed his hands on the table and rose to his feet. "We still don't know for sure that the promised land even-" Shinra lifted his hand, stopping him from speaking further. Reeve sighed and returned to his seat. "Professor Hojo." "The test results were within expectations. The specimen is somewhat lacking compared to her pure-blood mother, but for our purposes she should be more than suffice." "So, she can lead us to the promised land?" "Well, Mister President, that remains to be seen. I would like your permission to secure her cooperation through more forceful means. Forceful yet gentle. She is a precious resource and must be handled with care." "Personally, I've never had a problem with torture." Scarlet said with a hint of pleasure in her tone. "My armory is at your disposal, should you require anything." Heidegger offered. "I... had something more... psychological in mind. Better to scar the psyche than mar the flesh. Palmer began to giggle away. Shinra took a heavy puff from his cigar and exhaled the smoke. "Proceed as you see fit. However, you will not make the same mistake twice, am I clear?" "If I may, Mister President, I have an idea how we might mitigate the risks. Simply put, we could have the Ancient reproduce, as we had planned initially." The three eavesdroppers' blood boiled witg rage at the mere thought of the suggestion. "In the absence of a second specimen, we would need to identify an alternative mate. I would start with candidates from SOLDIER, seeing as our original plan to have Prince Noctis as a mate had long gone up in smoke. So, what, say you all?" The directors remained silent. Having heard enough, the trio made their way back to the restroom.
Y/n was first to exit, followed by Tifa and Cloud. "Anything?" Barret asked Y/n who ignored him and began to wipe his face with water near the sink. "The man in the lab coat." Began Cloud as they was watched Y/n rapidly wash himself. "We follow him." "Okay, then we kill the son of a bitch." "Not until he's led us to Aerith. That's the plan."
Tifa approached Y/n and placed her hands on his back. "Are you okay?" She asked Y/n turned off the sink, his head slumped on his shoulders. "That's why I was taken." He began. "What do you mean?" Y/n started to piece together the puzzle. "When I was still a baby, the kingdom was attacked by the Empire and I was taken. Shinra and the Empire must be in cahoots, which would explain why we found the Magitek Core at Reactor 5. I must've been part of an exchange or something." He looked at Cloud. "I was supposed to be Aerith's mate." Then he grew a face of disgust. "Maybe even her mother's." "But Y/n, Hojo said Prince Noctis." Cloud said. "That was the name I was given at birth, but the name Y/n was given to me at the orphanage and I decided to keep that name." "Gods." Tifa said in disgust. Barret balled his fists with anger as Yuffie shook with rage. Cloud seered with fury as his eyes remained on Y/n who conjured his Engine Blade, whose engine roared to life. "I'll kill that bastard."