Hel & Back Chapter 10
Under Siege
By Dino Pollard
“I’m not too sure about this…” Reeve stated.
“Please, you need this,” Domino insisted. “The executive staff
can handle everything.”
“Are you sure?” Reeve asked. “I mean…”
“Are there any world-threatening disasters?”
“No…”
“Are there any pressing matters with the government?”
“No…”
“Are things the most peaceful they’ve been in awhile?”
“I suppose so…”
“Then now’s the perfect time for you to take a vacation!!”
Domino exclaimed. “You’ve been planning this trip for weeks, and
now you’re going to call it off?”
“Of course not,” Reeve replied. “It’s just… I’ll
have my PHS with me, call me if you need anythi—“
Domino picked up Reeve’s phone, and dropped it in the desk drawer.
“No,” he said. “You need a vacation. Which means away from
all distractions like work.”
“Lemme at least give you the number of the hotel I’ll be staying
at…”
“Already taken care of,” Domino continued. “Now come on. The
limo’s waiting downstairs to take you to the airport.”
“…All right.”
Reeve entered the elevator and pressed the button for the First Floor.
“Are you su—“
“Goodbye, Mr. President!” Domino stated a final time just as the
doors closed.
He walked over to the window and watched the limo. After about ten minutes,
Reeve exited the building and climbed into the limo, just before it pulled
away. It was at this time that Domino took out his own PHS.
{{ Yes? }}
“It’s Domino, sir,” he stated. “Reeve has just left the
building.”
{{ What about…? }}
“Everything is already prepared for your arrival, sir.”
{{ And the rest of Avalanche? }}
“The MP has just been sent warrants for their arrest,” Domino replied.
“And I was just about to call in SOLDIER.”
{{ Good work, Domino. You’ll be promoted for this. }}
“Thank you, sir.”
*****
The Next Day.
Aeris Gainsborough sighed as she began the walk from Wall Market to her home.
Shopping like this was beginning to become too much of a chore. She always
seemed to have a tendency to wait until the last minute before she went
out.
“I should probably try that home shopping Mom’s always raving
about…” she muttered. “Listen to yourself, Aeris. It’s
not like a little exercise ever hurt anyone.”
“Excuse me, ma’am.”
Aeris looked behind her to see an MP standing there. The masks they wore
still freaked her out. It was nylon, which obscured their facial features.
“Something wrong?” Aerisasked.
“Do you need any help with those bags?”
“No, thank you, I’m fine,” she replied.
“Are you sure? They look pretty heavy.”
“I’m fine, my apartment isn’t that far from here.”
“I insist,” he stated, blocking her path.
“Okay… what’s going on here?” Aeris asked.
“My partner’s just too nice to say it,” a second MP stated,
taking out a gun. “Aeris Gainsborough, you’re under
arrest.”
“What?!” Aeris exclaimed.
There was a crack heard as a bullwhip wrapped around the MP’s pistol.
“What’s the charge, mate?”
Aeris looked to see a man with spiked, blond hair standing there. He was
dressed in a navy-blue suit, and a smug look on his face. He cracked his
whip once more to warn the MPs to stay back. She recognized him as Reyke,
one of the latest additions to the Turks.
“Don’t just stand there,rookie!!” the MP exclaimed. “Get
him!!”
“Wouldn’t do that, pal,” Reyke stated. “You don’t
wanna mess with a Turk.”
“D-Did he just say Turk?”
“He’s bluffing!! There are only three Turks, and he’s not
one of them!!”
“Wanna try me?” Reyke asked, cracking his whip once more. He twirled
it around his head, and snapped it, snagging the other MP’s gun from
its holster.
“Oh shit…”
“We can take him!! It’s two on one!”
“Y’know what? FUCK the warrant!!” the rookie exclaimed.
“I’m outta here!!”
He took off in the opposite direction, making a run for it.
“Dammit!!” his partner exclaimed, following.
Reyke began to roll up his bullwhip as Aeris slowly approached.
“You all right?” he asked.
“I—yeah,” she replied. “Aside from some confusion, I’m
fine. I’m trying to figure out why I’m wanted by the MP, and why
you, a Turk of all people, would come to my rescue.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about us,” Reyke stated.
“We’ve got some connections on the inside. This isn’t a secure
area, so I can’t talk long. Someone’s got it in for you guys. A
mutual enemy. The Turks are trying our best to see that it doesn’t happen,
but there’s only so much we can do from the shadows. The rest is up
to you.”
*****
{{ Sir, there are some MPs here to see you. }}
“MPs?” Barret asked, pressing the intercom button. “Awright,
send ‘em in.”
The door opened, and two men dressed in uniforms entered.
“Somethin’ I can help ya with?” Barret asked.
“Actually, there is,” one of the MPs replied. “Barret Wallace,
you’re under arrest.
“HA!!!” Barret laughed,slapping his knee. “That’s
a good one fellas!! What’s next? I’m an enemy of th’ state?
Tell Reeve it was a nice joke.”
“We’re serious.”
“What?”
“You heard us. You’re under arrest.”
“An’ th’ charge would be…?”
“Conspiracy,” the MP replied.
“Y’gotta be kiddin’ me..” Barret muttered, standing.
He really wished that he kept the Missing Score with him more often.
“I never kid about my job, Mr. Wallace.”
“Well, seein’ as how I’m under arrest, there’s no harm
in me doin’…. THIS!!”
Gripping his desk, he toppled it over, shocking the two officers. Then, he
leapt over it and delivered apunch to one of them with his bionic hand. The
other got an elbow in the face.
“Me an’ Reeve are gonna have words,” Barret grunted. “But
first, time t’ take out th’ trash.”
He threw them both out of the second-story window into the dumpster below,
one after the other. Then, he went over to the fallen intercom and pressed
the button as he slid on his coat.
“Sally, Marlene an’ I are goin’ away f’r a few days,”
he said. “Cancel all my appointments.”
{{ Yes sir. }}
*****
Sephiroth brought his sword up, then swung down, chopping into the tree.
He brought it up once more, and delivered another strike. And another.
Slowly, the tree began to topple. Once it crashed to the ground, the former
General sliced through it several times, fragmenting it into many different
logs.
He looked around the abandoned town. It was a bright, sunny day, yet the
Nibel Reactor and the Shin-Ra Mansion seemed to block out the sun. It was
almost as if Hojo’s sins had completely corrupted the town, preventing
it from ever seeing sunlight again.
And yet, here he was. The nightmares had passed, yet he was still drawn to
this place. He led a simple life, which consisted of light labor, hunting,
meditation, and practice. And at night, once he had finished his dinner,
he would sit by the fire and read oneof the many books left in the Mansion
or the town library.
He heard something behind, yet didn’t turn. Instead, he knelt beside
his sword, his hand slowly wrapping around the hilt.
*****
{{ Target in range. }}
{{ Wait for my mark. }}
{{ Damn, it’s really him, isn’t it? }}
{{ Yeah, that’s him alright.}}
{{ Bigger than he looks in pictures… }}
{{ And that sword… I heard it was long, but I didn’t know it was
THAT long!! }}
{{ Will you idiots pipe down? We’ve got a job to do. }}
{{ Sorry sir. }}
{{ First operatives, get ready. }}
*****
One of the officers leapt from the bushes, holding a jousting sword in his
hands. Sephiroth spun around in an instant and brought the Masamune up.
The officer speared himself on it, and slowly slid down. Sephiroth recognized
the uniform he wore. It was that of SOLDIER.
“ATTACK!!”
A squadron of SOLDIERs leapt from hiding, charging at Sephiroth. He dispatched
many of them with ease.
Then, he heard the sounds of guns cocking. Several MP attack squads surrounded
the area, their weapons trained on him. One man walked past them. The marks
on his uniform indicated he was a General.
“Sephiroth, you’re under arrest for crimes against
humanity.”
Sephiroth’s eyes darted around. If he wanted to, he could probably summon
the energy to eradicate them. But if he did that, he would give up this tactical
advantage to learn more about his enemy.
He dropped his sword to the ground, and slowly raised his arms.
After all, no prison could hold the Great Sephiroth.
*****
Shen Long drove the Eternal Blade into an oncoming MP, then shot it
upwards.
“Are you people insane?!” he shouted. “I’ve done nothing
wrong!!”
“If you won’t come quietly, then you’ll be taken!!”
“Then I’ll be taken!!” Shen exclaimed, cleaving through another
MP. “Someone needs to teach you people a lesson!!”
He moved quickly, dodging bullets and cutting down his opponents. Gunshots
rang out, and the MPs fell.
“Vincent…?” Shen asked, turning. Instead, he found a woman
with short, blond hair and a navy blue suit. “Elena?!”
“Been awhile, Shen,” Elena replied.
“Wanted to upstage your old teacher?” Shen asked.
“Is that the thanks I get for saving your life?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Watching your back,” she replied. “Other people would be
more grateful.”
“I’m not other people.”
Elena pointed her gun at him.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
*BANG*
She haid said nothing, just fired, the bullet whizzing just above his shoulder.
He heard a cry of pain, and the sound of a body falling. Sword at the ready,
he ran over to check the body.
“That’s why I was watching your back,” she said. “I
can’t talk long. There might be more spies around here. All I can say
is that you and your friends had better get moving. You never know what might
happen.”
Then, she left. Shen examined the body, and the pieces began to fall into
place. The uniform that the spy wore, it had no clear markings on it, but
Shen recognized the symbol.
It identified the spy as a Seido operative.
*****
Tifa Lockheart-Strife looked out the large, glass wall. The restaurant was
made almost completely out of glass, allowing a view of the sky and the beautiful
beach. It was one of the famous hot spots on the island paradise of Baru.
She looked across the table to see Cloud Strife, her husband, concentrating
on his food. Tifa Lockheart-Strife… she never thought she’d get
that name. But now, here she was. Married to the man of her dreams, the man
she loved more than anything. It almost seemed too good to be true.
“Cloud…” she began.
“Mmm?” Cloud asked, barely looking up.
“Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened had things turned out
differently?”
“What do you mean?” Cloud asked.
“Well, say Sephiroth had never joined us… do you think we’d
still be sitting here right now?”
“Of course,” Cloud replied. “You know we would’ve stopped
him. He wouldn’t have been much more of a threat than Seraph had
been.”
“I didn’t mean if we didn’t defeat him…” Tifa
replied.
“Oh…” Cloud stated, grasping the situation.
As Cloud began to speak, Tifa looked up at the skylight. There seemed to
be some sort of shape on the moon. And it was getting larger.
“Cloud…” she began.
“Tifa, you should know that I wouldn’t be happy with
anyone—“
*CRASH*
“…else…”
The glass window shattered, fragments flying everywhere. A man with long,
black hair and a red cape fell on one of the tables. His left hand was replaced
with a golden claw. In his right, he held a large gun.
“VINCENT!!” Cloud exclaimed.
Vincent Valentine slowly got to his feet, his eyes blood red as armed men
advanced on him.
“Target located,” one of them said into his headset. “We’ve
also located Targets Strife and Lockheart.”
“Good for you…” Cloud stated, reaching for the knife on the
table. The knife left his fingers with uncanny speed, but it missed its mark
completely.
“Dammit…” he muttered. “I’m better at fighting with
blades, not throwing them…”
”Cloud, those uniforms…” Tifa stated.
“SOLDIER,” Vincent replied.
“Why the hell is SOLDIER after you?!” Cloud asked.
“I wish I knew,” Vincent stated. “I was tracking down Hojo
when they ambushed me.”
“That transformation would come in really handy right about
now…” Tifa muttered as she attempted to fight them off in her
dress.
“If I could transform, I would,” Vincent replied.
“Shit…” Cloud muttered.
*****
[[ In President Reeve’s unexpected absence, Mayor Domino has taken over
the Presidential duties. We now go live to a press conference with the Mayor
of Midgar. ]]
[[ “I patiently await the return of our noble President. Unfortunately,
in his absence, some shocking information has been uncovered. There is a
plot to overthrow the government. Some of those involved in the plot are
also part of SEC’s executive staff. They are Jonah Strife, Knolan, Cid
Highwind, and Professor Albert Gast. Strife, Knolan, and Gast have all been
arrested. Highwind, however, has evaded capture. Also involved in this plot
are the following names, which I will now read aloud. Cloud Strife. Tifa
Lockheart-Strife. Barret Wallace. Aeris Gainsborough. Red XIII. Yuffie Kisaragi.
Vincent Valentine. Sephiroth. Shen Long. Zack Trimmer. These fugitives must
be brought to justice by any means necessary. I’ve already dispatched
SOLDIER to begin the hunt. If you have any information regarding these rebels,
please report it to your local police station. Thank you.” ]]
[[ The fugitives have fled every town they were seen in. The airship known
as the Highwind II is also missing. Again, if you have any—this just
in. SOLDIER has just announced the capture of Sephiroth. For those who
don’t recall, Sephiroth was the former General of SOLDIER, and after
assisting Avalanche in the battle against Meteor, declined the position once
again. His whereabouts were unknown, until SOLDIER located him in the ghost
town of Nibelheim. With Sephiroth now in custody, the Mayor hopes that t—
]]
*BOOM*
“Barret!” Red exclaimed.
“It was pissin’ me off!” Barret replied. “I can’t
believe dis bullshit!! They think WE’RE tryin’ t’overthrow
th’ government?!”
“I’d like to know where the hell Reeve is anyway,” Zack stated.
“And why haven’t we called Cloud and Tifa yet?”
“If you can find a way to contact them, be my guest,” Red replied.
“As of right now, this is all we have.”
He looked around the room. Aeris, Cid, Barret, Yuffie, Shen, and Zack.
“So it’s just seven against the world, eh?” Cid asked. “My
kinda odds.”