**** This chapter has been updated and rewritten for the sake of better immersion. No major changes, just expanding upon my former work. I hope you enjoy it. - 💙 ****
Now back to the story.
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- Shots rang out. Bullets whizzed by your body. The concrete barrier against your back feels chilling through your clothes. The smell of gunpowder and sweat coating your dry mouth and sweeping across your senses. -
You knew you fucked up when you tried to lure that guard into an alley. Having knocked one unconscious and then spotted in the act by another lurking in the shadows.
How the hell did you manage this?.. oh right...
--Flashback: 10 minutes before---
- It's around 4 pm, but you wouldn't be able to tell in the dark alley you found yourself in. The streets above cover the area and shroud it in darkness so thick, you almost needed streetlamps to see properly. The perfect conditions for a stealth mission. At least, you hoped. Why you ever decided to go ahead of the group after the briefing from Tseng just 2 hours ago CLEARLY stated not to go alone, you will never understand; but you went ahead anyway because something in you just kept telling you to go. Call it instinct. -
The guard's body drops to the ground with a soft thud. Reaching under the large man. You stare at a figure in the distance as you prepare yourself to hide the unconscious body.
"HEY, YOU! GET BACK HERE!" The distant figure yells as he reaches for his weapon, and fires a shot at you. You look up as the bullet misses you by a few feet but manages to catch the side of the dumpster (you had planned on dropping the heavy man into) making a tinging noise as the bullet ricochets off the soft metal case and pings to the ground. Turning his head back and pulling his hand to his mouth, he yells again. "WE GOT COMPANY BOYS!"
You curse to yourself under your breath. "Fuck.." you've been spotted. You drop the guard flat on his back. 'So much for a stealthy job.'
You quickly turn to face the new assailant. Pulling your 1911 from your hip with ease. You fire two panicked shots at the figure. Unsure of your own accuracy in the dark alleyway, you see the figure flinch and throw his weapon to the ground. He grabs his palm and hisses. Definitely a graze, nothing more; but at least you managed to disarm him. You turn to flee, knowing you've already blown the silent approach and knowing damn well you are not equipped for a full-frontal assault.
- You're stopped dead in your tracks when you hear footsteps pounding in your direction. -
You look up to see five more men have appeared and are now surrounding all possible escape paths. Each man stands in a brutish stance; all bearing a gold-trimmed Beretta, swaying and twitching like watchdogs preparing to take any necessary steps to stop your intrusion. You drop to a stance ready to defend yourself at any cost and scan your surroundings. 'There.' Your eyes lock on your path. You look back and smile at the group before heading for your new exit.
Turning quickly, you run into an alley to the right. Seeing as no one had protected this path; there must be an exit ahead they couldn't reach easily. "She's escaping!" you hear called out behind you. The sounds of gunfire ring out as you sprint to your escape. As you run, you can't help but notice the sounds of the townsfolk screaming and fleeing. Your heart aches, knowing you are the cause of this. If you had just stayed back instead of going alone.. 'No, can't think like that now,' you try to assure yourself that you made the right call.
- Running and dodging stray fire, you spot an opening ahead. You catch a glimpse of the sky between the brick path. Realizing it is nearing sunset now from the hues of color lapping at the horizon. The view sends a tingle down your spine. How is it you can see the sky like this in sector 7? -
You turn the corner. As you reach an opening you spot a street lined with concrete pillars and barriers. 'That will do,' you think as you dive behind a nearby barrier. You frantically reload your weapon, your trusty CQBR; cursing to yourself as you push the brass down into the clip, you think about the situation at hand. You weren't much for fleeing, but this time it was necessary. You realize now that you are panting loudly and take a few deep breaths to calm yourself. Now settled, you drop the spent magazine and finish the reload.
Peaking around the barrier you spot a large group growing closer to your location. 'They seem to be multiplying. Ten, fifteen, twenty?' You have no idea how many there could be now; judging from the current state of your positioning, you weren't going to find out without risking a rookie mistake.
'Avoid peeking from cover unless absolutely necessary' the voice of Zack echoes in your head.
-- Flashback --
- Zack is kneeling in front of you as you sit back against the training barrier grasping your left arm. Zack had asked for a low-level Soldier to help you with your reflex training. You had been grazed by one of the bullets, and your shoulder had a nice gash in it. Your head is held low as tears fall from your eyes and blood seeps through your fingers. Zack grabs your arm and wraps a bandage around it. "You know. It'll help a lot if you avoid peeking from cover unless absolutely necessary, and don't lean so far out. You need to be sure before you look or things like this happen." he says to you in a soft and friendly tone as he wraps the bandage tightly; Paying more attention to your arm than your face. You look at him and force a smile. "Yeah.. I'll try to remember that for next time." Zack grips your opposite shoulder and smiles. Caressing your face as he wipes your tears away. "Alright then. Let's continue," he says with a smile as he stands and extends a hand to you. "Right!" you say as you raise a fist showing off your bandage. You grab his hand and he pulls you up. -
-- End Flashback --
A single tear falls from your eye. "Right," you say quietly to yourself. You look to your arm where the bandage once was, and a scar now paints your skin. You wouldn't see it through the armband around your armor, but you know it's there. You wipe the tear and sigh to yourself. Clearing your head, you come to the conclusion that for once in a long time...
There were too many and you needed backup.
---Back to the present---
- A now growing army of thugs outfitted to the teeth were chasing you down. You peak out over your cover in an attempt to locate any targets. Just as you do, a bullet whizzes by just four inches from your head. -
"Fuck!" You return to cover cursing. Knowing you just made that rookie mistake anyway. "Gotta get out of here quick. Their accuracy is getting better". Your eyes wander your surroundings as your back grates against the chilling concrete behind you. Now scanning the area for any new route of escape.
You knew being an Ex-Soldier and now a Turk was going to attract some attention but damn if this job wasn't getting out of hand! Maybe if you hadn't worn your uniform you could have blended in better.
- Suddenly, your earpiece crackles through; breaking you from your thoughts. -
"Hey (Y/N)! You good down there?!" You hear Rude's voice through your earpiece. From the sound of it, he must be flying in with backup. 'Glad they decided to join. I was getting a bit worried' you think to yourself, as a small smile forms on your face from hearing the sounds of helicopter blades in the distance.
Reaching for the button on your earpiece you slouch closer to the ground to respond. "Just fucking peachy! What's the ETA? I'm taking heavy fire here!" You practically scream over the noise as you rush to get to a better position; taking more fire along the way. You start to hear the pings of grenades thrown haphazardly in all directions; Some exploding too close for comfort. You flinch as one throws shrapnel over the barrier upon reaching the new spot. Your eyes dart about, trying again to find an exit.
Your earpiece crackles through again. "Calm down Dove. I'm 5 minutes out. Think you can hold em' until I get there?" The sultry coated voice you knew all too well; the fiery pilot, stating your call sign in a flirtatious manner (as always). You roll your eyes knowing damn well, Reno's with him and he probably has that damn smile plastered on his face. You'll never admit that you enjoyed the little nickname he recommended when choosing a call sign for you, but right now it was just good to hear a familiar voice.
Rushing to another pillar across from your cover you hear a beeping growing louder. "Fuck!..." you yell as you roll out of the way just in time. Grabbing your earpiece to respond. "Yeah.." you pant as you regain your composure. "I guess the cavalry comes in late as usual" you state in a condescending tone. You peek around the corner and fire at a few men on a rooftop; returning quickly to cover as bullets fly by you. "See you in... Oh, fuck!"
Your eyes widen as you peek back to see the flaming tail of a rocket hurtling towards your cover. You brace yourself for the impact, knowing the concrete will mostly hold up so you don't need to move, just need to hold your ground. That doesn't mean this won't still sting a bit...
You barely manage to dodge the blast of the incoming rocket; peeking out again, It looks like that was fired from the building adjacent to your hiding spot. Rolling out of the way, you take cover behind another pillar across the street. Just as you reach your hiding spot, you stop. Realizing your body felt the impact through the pillar; more than you thought as your back and shoulders now pound from the blast. You stumble a bit, still feeling the shock of the hit and seeing the rubble scatter about; you reach for your earpiece in a heavy frustration. "Hurry the hell up Reno! They've got fucking rockets now! Bastards! Get ready!"
--- Jump to Reno's POV ---
- The view pans to the inside of the helicopter. Reno and Rude sit across from each other holding the controls. -
"Well! Find some better fucking cover then (Y/n)!" Reno says with agitation in his voice. Starting to feel annoyed already with the battle ahead. "Already on it!" You hear her respond. You grit your teeth in frustration; knowing you need to hurry, you tilt the blades slightly forward to fly a bit faster.
Not having the same luxury button as (Y/n), you cover the mic with your hand so no one can hear you for a second. "Fuck!" You sigh in an annoyed tone. Squeezing the bridge of your nose between two fingers, you squint and look down. "We've gotta get on it."
Looking up, you stare at your partner. "Rude? You ready?" Rude looks at you and nods. "Ready." He adjusts his glasses as he prepares to drop in. "Elena. Get ready." Rude speaks over his shoulder to the smaller woman strapped in the back. Elena nods and starts loading weapons, ammo, and medical supplies into a bag.
'Be there soon (y/n). Just stay alive' Reno thinks to himself.
- The view pans out the window and follows the helicopter as it pans outward. The sounds of the blades slicing through the air are prevalent as the sky darkens with each passing minute. -
--- Back to Your POV ---
- You pant heavily as you rush to another spot for cover. Feeling like this will never end, You grab your earpiece and retort to the pilot. Feeling fatigue slowly beginning to take you over -
"Well, find some better fucking cover then (Y/n)!" Reno states in an annoyed tone. "Already on it!" you pant out as you dodge more incoming fire. Peering backward from cover; you return fire at some grunts on the ground and rooftops. "Take that, you bastards!" You grit through your teeth as you taunt the group. You can feel the frustration in you building. You need a better solution.
Reaching to your hip you grab a smoke grenade. "This ought to do it" you state quietly to yourself as you pull the pin from the clasp. Tossing the canister a good distance from you, but just enough to conceal your movements; you hide back behind the pillar waiting for the cloud to build. Once satisfied with the size, you flip around and use the plume to your advantage; this would also help in alerting your team to your general location from above. 'Hopefully, they will find a good spot to land out of sight, and I can finally get away from this mess.' you think as you quickly make your escape. You sigh out. 'Everything according to plan so far' you smile in a pained fashion; jesting to yourself of how off-track this mission has become.
"Hey, (Y/N)." You stop and grab your earpiece to listen clearer. "Yeah?" You respond. "There's a present for you on the roof to your left. Should help until we can land. Rude had a runner drop it off. Enjoy." You hear Elena's voice through your earpiece. "Sweet! Thanks. I'll go pick it up now." you respond with a smirk, curious as to what this present could be.
- Rushing the nearest alleyway you breathe in deep and feel your body warm with renewed stamina. Jumping up, you bounce between the two close buildings to a caged fire escape ladder. Grasping the metal bars you pull yourself upward as you reach the top of the building. Finally reaching the top and pulling yourself over the edge, you spot a black gun case hidden behind a car. You crouch low and make your way towards it. Upon reaching the case you unlock the clasps and pull the top back. -
"Exactly what I needed." you smile at your AWM perfectly clean and encased in front of you, along with enough ammo to pick off a good amount of targets. "API rounds huh?" you say as you examine the fresh box. You notice there's also an assortment of other types of ammo, and a brand new scope included; you assume this is to replace the one that was shattered in the last mission. "Thank you Rude." You say with a mischievous smile as you examine your updated weapon. Now settled, you reach for your earpiece. "Package received.. I'll send coordinates. Now hurry up!" You quietly yell at the redheaded pilot; waiting for a response but only receiving silence. 'Figures..'
- With no further response from coms, you assemble your rifle. Attaching the strap and pulling it over your head, you make your way down a level. Upon reaching the new area you spot a few cars parked in the center and no one in sight. -
"Good. A carport. Better cover this way" you state to yourself as you observe your surroundings. You duck behind the low wall making your way to the center as you frantically swap your gear. 'Time for a better shot at whoever the fuck is behind that rocket launcher' you think as you pull your AWM from the spot on your back. You unfold the buttstock and load up some API rounds. 'The bitch is probably outfitted with some protective gear. Let's give these a shot. Can't be too careful, right?'
You check over your settings for your scope and double-check the integrity of each part; Now setting up a temporary camp, you find a spot for a good shot. 'Good thing I hadn't been spotted on my way up here. I hope this thing is still accurate.' You move closer to a structural pillar in the center and crouch to prone on the roof of a small sedan. "Where are you, you bastard?" You question yourself as you search for your target. "There ya' are.." You spot the target stomping around on the roof of the adjacent building. Scanning the area through your scope, you mentally comment to yourself. 'Yup. He was armored. Full plate at that. Glad I had the proper rounds.'
- You reach for your earpiece again to update your team. -
"Guys. They got armor. Full plate. Be careful." Calming your breathing, you line up the shot. Taking into account the wind and bullet drop at this range (which should be pretty damn minute seeing as you are only 800 yards out, but you're sketchy about a new scope right now). You line up your shot, breathing in and out to calm yourself as your scope sways in rhythm with your breathing. You exhale slowly and fire in-between breaths. BANG! The shot rings out.
You know this will most likely alert the enemy to your possible location, but you have to confirm a hit before moving on. You scan the area through your scope and catch a glimpse of what you were looking for. "Got 'em!" You calmly celebrate to yourself. A heart shot through and through, you confirm. The surrounding goons look splattered like Carry on prom night from the spray. You watch as the targeted body goes limp and topples forward off the rooftop. 'Alright. Gotta move' you state to yourself knowing your job here is done and you can't loiter any longer.
- Moving quickly to remove the evidence from the scene and backing off the vehicle; you move for the escape down the back of the building where another fire escape is found. While opening the gate to the top, you reach for your earpiece. -
"Brutes down. No more fireworks. I'm moving out. ETA?" You say as you climb down the fire escape.
---Jump to Reno's POV---
- The view pans to the helicopter as it turns towards the LZ. Groups of men are seen scattered along the ground and rooftops. The destruction of the city is seen clearly, even from up here. Chunks of concrete are strewn about. There are large scorch marks on some walls. A few vehicles are on fire here and there, but the most prevalent sight is the large plume of white smoke filling the area near an alleyway. -
"Shit! You see those guys up there Rude!? Gotta be at least 50!" Reno says in an agitated fashion.
"Yes. Looks like (Y/N) left us a signal too." Rude states as he points out the growing tower of smoke in the distance.
"Right. Looks like we'll be there shortly then." Reno says as he observes the smoke.
'This is going to be a long night..' Reno thinks to himself.
---Back to (Y/N)'s POV---
- As you continue your descent, you hear the sound of helicopter blades growing louder, as the team lands on the rooftop adjacent to your location. You're filled with relief at the sight of finally receiving backup -
"Landing now. See ya soon Dove! Now.. don't go running off on me again! I expect gratitude; Especially for coming in this late." Reno chuckles at his own words as he lands on the rooftop; Staying slightly hidden behind the carport you escaped from. "Yeah, yeah. I got it." you retort in jest, mocking the request.
- Finally reaching the bottom of the ladder, you drop down and turn to watch the helicopter as it lands. As the blades whine down and come to a stop, you hear the sounds of vehicles drawing closer. -
"The cavalry has arrived!" You hear a deep voice shout from the alleyway. You turn to face the noise, shocked at the sight before you. Barret, Tifa, Cloud, Yufie, and Vincent all appear. Barret drives the Humvee while toting Yuffie and Cid, as Tifa and Cloud pull up on his motorcycle and Vincent damn near drops out of nowhere next to them. 'I guess they heard all the commotion somehow.' you think to yourself. You watch as everyone leaves their respective vehicles and start to gather together.
"Ey! Don't forget about us!" You look up to see your favorite redhead kneeling with his hand resting on top of his knee and peaking out from the rooftop LZ. Your eyes meet his as he gives a 2 fingered salute and winks at you, making you blush a bit. Rude is seen behind him adjusting his glasses before he takes a tall stance, crossing his arms as he stands behind Reno. Elena walks up and lightly waves to you from behind them. She looks to be carrying supplies. You smile up at them, then look back down the alley.
You spot the Avalanche group making their way into the alley from the corner of your eye. You turn to face them and walk towards the group. "What's up (Y/N)!" Tifa says as she jumps off the back of the motorcycle and greets you with open arms. "Hey, Tif! Long time no see." you close your greeting with a hug. You realize Cloud still hasn't moved other than to drop the kickstand and sit back on his bike; He's even still wearing his sunglasses.
"Hey stranger," you say to Cloud. He seems to have been daydreaming as a "Huh?" is heard in response. "Oh, hey (Y/n)." he finally says then quickly returns to his stoic stance. Changing the subject, you continue your conversation with Tifa. "What the hell are you guys doing here?" you question. "Heard there was a big commotion in sector 7 so we figured we should check it out. Was half expecting you to be the cause from the reports we heard." Tifa giggles and knuckles your shoulder playfully. "Well, wouldn't be worth the trip otherwise, now would it?" you giggle back and put your hands on your hips in a playful manner. "Wouldn't expect anything less from you kid." you heard Barret say as he walks up to you, placing a hand on your shoulder and giving it a few pats before continuing his stride. "You know it." you laugh at his comment.
"Yo!" Reno says breaking your reunion. You and the group look up to spot the Turks above. "Looks like the party's started without me! Here I am missing all the lovely greetings." He waves a hand and shrugs. "Yeah! Well, come on down then! I overhead their backup is on the way!" Tifa yells to the redhead on the roof.
- Taking the fire escape, the Turks climb down to meet with the group as everyone continues the meet and greet; just in time to overhear the screech of tires and commotion of the enemy backup arriving. With greetings now out of the way and the Turks assembled to the group, everyone starts to check their gear and ready themselves for the brief. -
- Time skip a few minutes -
- After assigning the teams and going over the plan, Elena passes out communication devices to the group and explains how to use them. Everyone grabs the necessary supplies and restocks from the extra Elena brought. Now ready, the team syncs coms before departure -
"Alright then. Everybody got coms synced?" You ask the group as you check your gear. "Roger!" Barret says. "All set on our end" Tifa states. "Yup!" Yufie gleams. Vincent looks in your direction to clarify he's ready. Elena and Rude nod in unison. "Gotta hear that pretty voice now don't I..'' Reno flirtatiously states while giving you an eyebrow-raised smirk. "Alright then. Let's crack some heads!" You motion your closed fist meeting with your palm and roll your shoulders while everyone is preparing themselves and their weapons of choice. "Sounds like a party!" Barret yells as he adjusts his arm. Cloud stands behind Tifa remaining silent but nods anyway. Tifa nods with her fists at the ready "Alright! Let's go".
Yufie and Vincent leap off towards the new assailants on the rooftops. Tifa and Cloud split to the left of them towards a back alley. Barret goes straight down the front, guns blazing as he heads for the main entrance. Rude jumps into action with Elena in tow, taking cover along the way, in an attempt to get closer to the straggling members, while still giving covering fire to Barret. Which now leaves you and Reno to partner up; As you always prefer it, feeling the most comfort in your current partner's ability not to get in your way.
Now alone with the pilot, he speaks. "Wanna kick this popsicle stand?" Reno says. "Not now Reno, we have a job to do... I'm not opposed to some dinner later though." You state with a small smile. "It's a date then." Reno smugly replies as he grabs your shoulder. You giggle to yourself lightly. "HEY LOVEBIRDS! TIME TO MOVE!" You hear Yufie over coms breaking your moment up. You cough lightly into your hand and back away. "Alright. Enough small talk. Let's join the others." You say as Reno readies himself with a few stretches and shoulder rolls. He then takes out his baton, flicking his wrist as it springs open; Giving the button a few test pulses to make sure everything is in the proper order as you check the settings on your weapons and the security of your gear. Both satisfied with your loadouts, you look to each other and prepare to move out. "Let's move." He states as you nod in agreement.