Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Legend of the Final Materia ❯ Chapter 51

Chapter 51

The group climbed the cables and junk left from the first plate that was dropped. Most of it had been rebuilt, but debris from the dropped plate was still lying around. They climbed up to the top of the large metal structure called "Midgar" and took their positions.

Barett and his group waited around the front of the building, not to far from the entrance. They were to storm the entrance and take them by surprise. Everyone checked their materia and weapons as they waited for the signal to move.

Barett looked at his group, "All we have to do is wait for the flare, then we move in and kill these bastards just like we did when they had Aerith."

Selphie took her group towards the rear of the building and waited. She glanced at Irvine and gave him a reassuring smile. She grasped his hand and squeezed it gently. "I know…you won't let anything happen to me."

Irvine nodded and smiled, "You got that right!"

She looked at him and smiled, kissed his cheek and double-checked her Guardien Forces. Everyone in Selphie's group gave her thumbs up signal to let her know they were ready.

Cloud led his group underground until they got to the second level. Once inside, Elena left the group and punched out a window. From the window, she launched a flare, the signal for the others to move in.

Barett's group rushed the entrance and attacked the waiting guards fiercely. Cid slashed at everything he came across that was living. Barett opened fire and blasted the door to the entrance, shattering the glass instantly. Nanaki struck at Shin Ra troops that began filling out towards the entrance as they entered into the lobby. Tifa delivered punches and kicks to anything that got too close to Barett, protecting Aerith from the attackers. Cid spun his lance and knocked out three guards who were going after Barett.

Selphie's group burst into the back entrance of the building and began attacking the guards. Irvine fired his shotgun at them, picking them off one by one. Selphie knocked who ever came close to her out with her numchuks. Yuffie slashed through the air with her 4-Pointed Shrunken and caught a couple of guards across the face. Zell followed behind her punching who ever she missed with her attacks. They were met with resistance, but the group kept pushing forward until they reached the stairs.

Barett met Selphie's group at the stairs and shouted, "So predictable!!!"

Irvine shouted, "Yeah, I know. They knew we were coming to rescue Rinoa and Shukera!!"

Barett and Selphie looked up at the two sets of stairs and nodded. Selphie pointed to the left set, "I'll take my group up those and go out that way."

Barett nodded, "Gotcha, I will take the right. Cloud and his group should be hitting the next level if everything went alright."

Barett spun to the right as another wave of guards attacked. He pointed to the stairs and began climbing them quickly. Nanaki and the others followed along behind him, attacking guards as they advanced on the group.

Selphie knocked a guy out with her numchuks and ran towards the stairs. Zell and Yuffie took up the middle and Irvine took rear, blasting everything behind them with his gun.

Cloud's group reached an open area that was covered by a steel floor with metal ladders scattered about. They climbed the largest ladder that would lead them into the main building. After climbing up and moving through a couple of corridors, they entered one of the reactor areas. He noted the number, 1, and moved on.

A ruckus was heard outside the area and was moving closer rather quickly. Elena pointed everyone to a door in the ceiling, the entrance to the ductwork of the building. "Hey, up there!! Let's go!!"

They followed Elena into the ductwork and Cloud shut the door just before Rude burst into the area cursing about having to do everything.

He looked around the room for anything suspicious, thinking they might still be there. After his unyielding search, he shouted, "Cloud!! I know you are in here!!" Of course there was no answer.

Quickly Rude dialed a number. "Cloud's gang was reported to be here somewhere in the basement around the number 1 reactor but they are no where to be found!!"

The voice on the phone sounded alarmed, "Then that means the others are probably here as well!! Where the hell is Reno with Seifer, Rinoa and that Fujin girl??"

Rude continued to look around as he replied casually, "I don't know." That was Reno's problem, not his and he was not about to get involved in it. "Take it up with Reno, I'm not his damned baby sitter!!"

Meanwhile, Cloud's group made their way through the ductwork towards an elevator. They slipped out the ductwork and raced for the elevator. The elevator took them up to the middle of the building, the cafeteria area. They quickly and silently moved through the area to the opposite side of the huge room.

Vincent suddenly stopped and looked around. "This doesn't feel right, it's too quiet."

Elena shivered as if she caught a chill. T-seng felt as if they were being watched. "Be on your guard, something tells me we are not alone."

Vincent scanned the area, feeling like he was being watched. He charged a Thunder spell and pointed, "THUNDER!!"

From out of nowhere came a bolt of lightening that struck the surrounding area. Shouts and curses were heard and a couple of guards ran. Elena spun around as they began coming out of their hiding places, storming them. "THEY HAVE US SURROUNDED!!"

The guards began to encircle them and the group began attacking the guards in different directions. The circle of guards moved in and ambushed the group. Cloud and his friends fought against the guards, but as soon as one was killed off, another would take their place.

Cloud shouted, "Vincent, you take Bethany and make a break for the elevator!!! We can hold these guys off!!! Protect her Vincent; don't let anything happen to her!!!" He fought against the guards with all he had.

Vincent bolted for the elevator. The doors closed and he held his weapon ready for anything that might be at the other side of the doors when they opened. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. Vincent stepped out the elevator and held his gun in front of him. The hallway was completely deserted and quiet, but not for long. Gunfire erupted and broke the silence.

Suddenly Barett appeared in the hallway and ran towards him as he shouted over his shoulder, "We have this area covered!!! Go after Scarlett, she's in President Shin Ra's office now!!!"

Vincent stepped off the elevator and joined them as he shouted, "Cloud is below fighting guards as we speak. We have to protect Aerith."

The elevator doors closed and moments later opened again. Cloud's team stepped off the elevator but stopped as a huge explosion erupted in the lower level and shook the building. A rush of flames shot up from the floor between them. Its force threw Cloud against Elena and T-seng, knocking all three of them back towards the elevator. When the smoke cleared, they found the floor had given away. Barett and Vincent were nowhere to be found.

Cloud screamed, "VINCENT!! BARETT!!" he jumped to his feet and tried to rush after them, "I have to go back down!!!"

T-seng and Elena grabbed him and held him there with them. "You can't!!! We have to hope that they're still alive…"

Cloud surged with rage unlike anything he had ever felt before. A blinding, burning rage mirrored in his eyes. He stood up and clutched his sword in his hand, his face twisted in a snarl. "I'm going to kill that bitch!!! Shin Ra has taken the last thing from me!!! NO MORE!!!!" Cloud, oblivious to everything else, began thrashing wildly as he ran down the hallway.

Elena's eyes grew wide as she watched Cloud freak out. "This can't be good!! Come on, we have to follow him!!" She helped T-seng to his feet and followed after Cloud.

Selphie and Irvine were fighting in the staircase when they were soon hit by a group of charging and shouting guards. The guards were throwing down their weapons and racing down the stairs as quickly as they could.

Selphie and Irvine traded a glance as Irvine replied, "What the fuck????" Zell grabbed one of the passing guys and asked him, "What the hell's going on??"

The guy pulled away from him, "Somebody is up there killing everyone!!! We're getting the hell out of here!! Shin Ra can have this place, WE QUIT!!!" He raced down after the other guards.

After the rush of guards passed, the area fell silent once again. Selphie and Irvine froze as they looked at each other. Before either of them could do anything, the door burst open and T-seng and Elena ran by quickly.

Zell grabbed Elena and shouted, "Whoa, whoa!!! Where are you guys racing off to??"

Elena pointed at the stairwell, "Cloud's freaking out!! He's up there killing everyone and destroying everything!!"

T-seng, out of breath, replied, "Yeah!! He's out of her mind right now!!"

Irvine looked at them both and asked, "Where's the others that were with you??"

T-seng shrugged, "There was the explosion…and we were separated from them. We have no idea what happened to them."

Selphie thought for a moment, "So now we have a maniac loose killing everyone." She looked at Irvine, "That must have been what rocked the building a moment ago."

Finally they arrived to the level right below the President's office. There, Cloud met Elena and T-seng. Selphie, Irvine, and Raijin came up the second set of stairs and met Cloud's group. She faced them but didn't like the look on their faces.

Cloud ran his hand through his spiky hair and sighed, "Nanaki, Vincent, Cid, Tifa and Barett are missing…along with Aerith and her daughter." He became emotional and had to draw in a deep breath to remain in control. "Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and Yuffie I want you guys to go back and try to find them ok?? I will take Elena and T-seng with me to deal with Scarlet. Raijin, you go and try to find Shukera."

Raijin nodded and the four of them raced back down the stairs to search for their friends.

Cloud opened and closed his fist as he faced the door that would lead to the president's office. "They have taken everything away from me. Aerith…she was given a second chance and they stole that from her. We could have been…" He shook his head. "NO!!! I won't let them do this!!!"

T-seng looked at Cloud, "I don't think Aerith is dead. She's a strong girl; you of all people should know that." He brushed his chestnut brown hair from his eyes and spat, "You don't deserve her really. You don't have faith in her or believe in her." He turned his back to Cloud and began walking away. "Let's see how strong your feelings for the girl are."

Elena drew her gun and shrugged, "We need to get inside that office and stop what ever is going on in there!!" She paused, "I never thought I would be fighting against Shin Ra, you know." With that she followed T-seng.

Cloud rushed behind them with his sword in his hand. The three of them stormed the office, attacking the guards outside before they smashed the door down.