Last Exit for the Lost Chapter 3
The Fall
By Damodred
She woke up from a dream of her mother. She could remember very little, but
what she remembered was all bittersweet, tinged with the finality of death.
She sighed, remembering her adopted mother...a victim of ShinRa's casual
brutality and relentless pursuit of money and power. Stepping into the shower,
letting the cool water run over her body, she dismissed the clinging remnants
of the dream and prepared for the day's work. She knew that today could be
the day she's been waiting for. She corrected herself; the day they'd been
waiting for. Perhaps, after all these years..she didn't let herself get carried
away by foolish hopes. Time will tell. She smiled. Yes, time would tell.
Cid stalked through ShinRa tower feeling exceptionally pissed off. Not only
has he taken a liking to the kid, he also recently found out about the plan
to drop the plate. He was partially hoping that Avalanche could stop ShinRa
but officially, he had to prevent them. This problem has been gnawing at
him all night and he didn't get any sleep. His scowl turned fiercer by the
minute and his cigarette glowed a brighter red as he took a drag. A lesser
ShinRa lackey was about to point out the "No Smoking" sign to him, but realized
who he was looking at, turned pale and quickly walked the opposite direction.
Cid didn't even notice. He dropped his cigarette on the floor, ground it
out on the spotless marble, and pushed open the door to ShinRa's office.
ShinRa spoke in a rumbling voice, without looking up from his papers "Ah,
Cid. I wanted to talk to you, have a seat." Without checking to see if he
was obeyed, ShinRa continued "As you know, I am planning to eradicate the
terrorist group Avalanche once and for all. They cannot possibly get away
this time, and if they do, we will blame them for the ah, " he hesitated
momentarily, "incident. So, you will make sure they don't leave sector 7
alive." He finally looked up from his desk and fixed Cid with a steely gaze
"Am I understood?" Cid answered immediately "Of course, sir." ShinRa looked
at him for a few more seconds then looked back down at his desk "Dismissed."
Cid turned around and walked out of the office, feeling somewhat shaken,
yet somewhat reprieved. He had a feeling that ShinRa, like a tiger, could
smell fear. He wondered about disloyalty. Shaking his head, Cid walked down
the hall and out to the hangar, where Tseng and Elena were already awaiting
him.
Barret was getting winded from running so much around town. He knew he wasn't
in great shape, but ever since he stopped drinking, he's been working out,
and improving his aim. He was a pretty good shot by now, and not to shabby
in the muscle department, either. But the years of slumming and boozing have
taken their toll, and he was getting a serious stitch in his side. With a
perverse satisfaction he noted that the rest of Avalanche weren't doing so
great either, with the exception of their statuesque leader. They all slowed
and Tifa said, her chest heaving from exertion "It's not much farther...it
should be right behind this..." she trailed off as they rounded the corner
and the support pillar was revealed. Her sharp eyes spied the form of a
helicopter, approaching from the center of Midgar and her doubt evaporated.
She cried out sharply "They're coming!" and ran on towards the pillar. Barret
and the rest hurried after. Tifa ran through the gate before the half-asleep
guard realized what was happening. "Hey, you can't go in there!" the guard
shouted, leaping from his chair and reaching for his gun. Barret ran up behind
the guard and swung his flesh arm. The guard dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Barret spared a second to congratulate himself and ran on. He stopped at
the bottom of the pillar and gave it a cool look of appraisal. He turned
around as Jessie, Biggs and Wedge skidded to a stop beside him. "Listen up!
I'm going up with Tifa. The three of you provide cover fire for us, 'cuz
those dudes up there got the advantage. They can just pick us off as we go
up. So don't screw up! All of sector 7 is riding on this, ya dig?" Vicks
opened his mouth to protest, realized there was no time to argue, and just
nodded. Barret grunted, satisfied, and ran off to catch up to Tifa. Behind
him he heard Jessie yell out crisp orders to set up three positions and grinned.
He knew those kids could do the job. His grin turned sour when he realized
they damn better, or they were all dead.
Barret caught up to Tifa just as she reached the top. He felt some bullets
fly by him, but he did not worry about it. If one got him, then he'd worry.
He didn't expect Tifa to feel the same way though. She must really care about
this place, he thought. Well that, and a chance to find out where Cloud is,
he amended. He joined her at the platform. "Looks like the gang's all here,"
he commented grimly. Elena and Tseng looked up from the console in surprise.
"Well, well, well," Elena put her hands on her hips "if it isn't the slut
and the one-armed fatman. We took care of your friends downstairs," she added
with a twisted smile. Tifa went pale, but refused to be distracted. She knew
that if she lost her concentration, the Turks would not hesitate to take
advantage of it. She took a step forward "Where is Cloud?" Tseng answered,
in a deep voice, "Safe." Elena blinked, ignored Tseng's sudden comment and
sneered "You're too late, we already set it off. You can't stop the countdown
unless you're a ShinRa top-exec!" She exulted. Tseng frowned and took a step
away from the console. "It's time to go," he said. Elena pouted briefly,
but went along with Tseng. Tifa and Barret watched with horror as the two
leaped off the platform.
The helicopter's blades minced the air as it rose from below the platform
with a roar, Tseng and Elena riding on the side rail. Elena threw a mocking
salute as the heavy machine began to rise. "No!" yelled Barret and raised
his gun arm. Tifa moved towards the console as Barret's machine gun spat
out bullet after bullet towards the helicopter. They watched helplessly as
sparks flew from the armoured surface of the ascending chopper. Tifa turned
to Barret and yelled "That's enough! They're gone, and that thing is too
well armoured. Help me with this thing! We only have a few minutes." Barret
ground his teeth in helpless rage, but lowered his arm and walked towards
the console. He gave it a cursory glance and said "No go. Not only is this
thing protected by passwords, it's also rigged to blow if anyone even starts
to punch in the wrong code." He noticed Tifa's look and raised his hands
in defense "Sorry darlin'. I didn't make the friggin' thing!" He continued,
"I wasn't a drunk all those years, you know...and when yer a miner, you learn
about explosives, even fancy ones like this monster. In any case, I think
it's time for us to leave." Tifa tensed, then relaxed, "You're right...I
only wish we could have warned more people. As it is...this Sector is doomed.
ShinRa is responsible for a lot of deaths." Barret nodded "You got it. And
if we're to stop them, we better get the hell outta here." He pointed, "this
cable oughta do it." Tifa followed him, puzzled. "What do you mean to..."
She broke off as a barely perceptible tremor rocked the pillar. "Shit," she
breathed. "We have less time than I thought. Barret, whatever you were thinking,
now's the time." Barret nodded tersely and said "I was thinking of a piggy
back ride, so hop on." Tifa climbed on Barret's broad back and held on. Barret
stepped up to the railing, took hold of a gantry cable swinging from the
plate, aimed at the Sector boundary, closed his eyes and leapt off the platform
as the pillar disintegrated behind them.
Teala looked up from the baby's carriage. She noticed the power went out
again as a strange rumble shook the city. She shrugged and went back to feeding
the baby. She only had a few seconds to realize that the shock was not a
thunderstorm as the first fragments of the plate demolished the house right
outside her window.
Deir got up from in front of the TV to get himself another beer. He'd be
damned if he'd do any housework. After all, he brought in all the money,
measly as it was. He shrugged and went back to the TV, cursing it and ShinRa
as the power went out. He pounded it a couple of times but to no avail. Through
his haze of anger, he felt a rumbling and looked outside. His mouth opened
and the beer can fell out of his hand as he took in the sight outside. His
last thought was of his wife.
Nyrta chewed her gum, wondering if she'd be able to get any clients tonite.
What with the destruction of Reactor 1 and all, she figured a lot of people
would actually stay home tonight. She shrugged and decided to head home as
well. She needed the rest. She blew a bubble and froze. She caught a motion
out of the corner of her eye and glanced quickly in that direction. She dropped
her purse, her mouth opening in terror as she witnessed the destruction of
the support pillar and the beginning of the fall of the plate. As the plate
dropped, she was glad she wouldn't have to see Don Corneo ever again.
The bald-headed man stared open-mouthedly from the window of the Honey Bee
Inn at the falling Sector 7 plate. He understood now why Tseng called him
tonight sounding somewhat frazzled and suggested that he stay somewhere other
than Sector 7. He frowned, not liking the implications of this. The destruction
of Sector 7 he could accept. People die. But that it was planned, especially
by someone he...well...if not exactly trusted, at least respected...he shook
his head. He had to get to the bottom of this, his cover be damned. Suddenly
decisive, he dropped a 200 gil note on the table and left.
The destruction of Sector 7 was absolute and merciless. The several mile
long, thousands of tons of metal and concrete transformed the slums below
into a nightmarish portrait of destruction. Precious few people got away,
some visiting friends in neighbouring sectors, some late night shopping or
enjoying other, less legal activities at The Wall Market. Those that survived
counted their blessings and thanked Avalanche for spreading the word early.
Most blamed Avalanche for setting the bomb off in the first place. Midgar
was all astir as, within a few hours, the whole city was awake and aware
of the tragedy. President ShinRa made a televised appearance, looking as
presidential as ever, making a short, moving speech and laying the blame
neatly at Avalanche's feet. Cid Highwind, head of the Turks, also appeared,
urging lawful citizens to be aware of their surroundings, and watch out for
suspected Avalanche members. Photographs of Tifa Lockhart and Barret Wallace
were distributed throughout the city. If Cid appeared slightly less enthusiastic
about his speech, people attributed it to the late hour. In her apartment
by the ShinRa tower, the delicate, beautiful woman wept silently for the
thousands killed, and for the innocents still living under the shadow of
ShinRa's omnipresence. When her lover appeared in a gentle flash of light,
she threw herself into his arms and cried. He sat with her, holding her in
his arms through the long, fiery night, murmuring meaningless, comforting
words which served their purpose. She finally slept, exhausted, towards the
dawn. He maintained vigil at her side.
.