I-The Noble Terrorists Midgar.  A floating, super-urban metropolis.  The home base of the most powerful company in the world, and home of eight Mako Reactors, devices that sucked the earth’s internal energy and transformed it into electricity.  The exploitation of Mako was what had made Shinra rich, rich beyond all belief.  The company provided power to the entire world, usually by finding a Mako rich area and building a reactor there.  After becoming a superpower in the realm of business, Shinra Inc. became much more than an electric company.  They created armies, fought wars, mounted defenses everywhere, even infused their top fighters with enough Mako energy to make them superpowers themselves, creating an elite group of soldiers, accurately titled SOLDIER.  However, with power inevitably comes corruption.  President Shinra soon became the universal dictator.  Unchallenged, he ruled with a less than iron hand, but for the simple purpose of winning the trust of the people, while secretly manipulating them behind their backs.  Even more rich, Shinra Inc. began exploring other possible sources of income...and power. Mako Energy, however, was not as free as it seemed.  It was the very life of the planet, and as with all lives, it could not be restored.  The Shinra were slowly killing the planet, but knowingly went along with their deeds.  The Mako Reactors were a sign of prosperity and convenience to the ill informed, but a sign of upcoming doom to the wise. I am among the wise, Barret Wallace thought to himself as he sat quietly in his seat on the speedy train taking him to the zone called Sector 8.  Below the large plate that made up upper Midgar, there were eight sectors of slums.  Trashy, vile areas that reeked of crime and neglect, they were also home to the eight Mako Reactors of Midgar, one in each sector to provide it and the sector above the plate, the sector that could still see the sun and moon, with power.  I am informed; therefore I must act!  Barret repeated this to himself many times as the train sped on.  It justified what he was about to do, the tyranny he’d create.  It was for the good of the planet. The rail bound vessel slowed to a halt at the Sector 8 station.  Barret looked across at his four comrades and they all shared a quick, reassuring grin.  Well, almost all of them.  The fourth, a spiky haired blonde kid merely glanced at him, and then stood to exit.  The guards at the station were always on somewhat heightened alert.  The station was very near the Mako Reactor, and troublemakers were not exactly welcome.  Not many people were getting off this time, they realized.  A few couples, a scrappy looking fellow, and an elderly man.  After they all had passed, the guards moved to seal the train’s exit door. “Move!” Barret barked, gun-arm firing into the guard’s chest.  The bulky, dark skinned man leaped over the guard’s corpse, followed by three of his comrades.  The blonde took his time, leaping out with his gargantuan Buster Sword poised to strike.  Barret, however, had handled most potential threats with the large gatling gun replacing his right hand.  The other three terrorists had creamed all other enemies. AVALANCHE.  That’s what they called themselves.  The toppling of an empire was their goal, and it would start by cutting off their source of profit: the Mako Reactors. Barret raced through the nearest exit, troops following closely.  They halted at the sound of a sickening thud and turned to see the blonde kid’s sword come out of a hidden soldier’s corpse.  Barret raised his eyebrows, but didn’t waste his breath on a complement.  AVALANCHE split up here, each hunting for the entrance to the reactor.  Buster Sword ever ready, Cloud Strife scanned for more danger than anything.  He stayed somewhat close to Biggs, a tough member of Barret’s little group of revolutionaries.  The 21 year old mercenary hadn’t been crazy about this job in the first place, but as they proceeded, he was a bit surprised at how carelessly Shinra guarded their reactors.  That’ll soon change! he thought with a small grin.  From the side, a guard hound leaped out, startling the swordsman.  Claws left burning scratches in Cloud’s arm, jolting the warrior into action.  He slammed the broadside of his wide sword into the dog’s skull, certainly fracturing it.  Without waiting to find out, Cloud raced off to where AVALANCHE had congregated.  They appeared to have found an entrance. “Shinra’s a bit lazy tonight, eh?” Biggs greeted him.  Skilled in hand-to-hand combat, Biggs almost had Cloud’s respect.  Almost.  “I’m sure an ex-SOLDIER like you has seen much better in enemies.” True, Cloud thought.  He had fought very powerful enemies.  He also had been in SOLDIER, Shinra’s elite group of fighters.  His eyes held the glow of a man showered in Mako as proof.  He had even retained the sapphire blue armor issued to the top SOLDIERs, minus one silver epaulet.  His face was hardened, though his eyes were full of emotion.  His limbs were much thinner than Barret’s, though they were still muscular.  That came from wielding his big sword.  It was because of SOLDIER that Cloud had a good deal of experience in weaponry.  It was also because of SOLDIER that Barret trusted Cloud about as much as he could trust a loaded shotgun that was already cocked and aimed at his head.  Cloud’s cockiness didn’t help much, either. Working on the gate to the industrial masterpiece was Jessie, a brunette with a good deal of skill in the mechanical department.  She herself had constructed the bomb that would be-well, should be-the end of this reactor.  She was also skilled in martial arts, making her useful all around.  “Got it!” she exclaimed suddenly.  The gate opened wide.  “Ready for action?” a stodgy fellow named Wedge asked Cloud. “Uh, what was your name again...?” “Cloud,” he replied tiredly.  “Great, nice to have an ex-SOLDIER on the team!  Give the Shinra a taste of their own medicine!  My name’s-” “I’m not interested in your name,” Cloud cut him off somewhat coldly, “All I care about is finishing this job and getting my pay.  Then, I’m gone.” Wedge looked ready to reply, but Barret’s great voice beat him to it. “The hell you fools doin’?  I thought I told you never to travel in a group!  Move out!”  Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie didn’t need to be told twice.  They were gone before Barret strode up to Cloud and looked rather disapprovingly at him.  “Ex-SOLDIER, huh?  Don’t trust ya!” Cloud took that as an “after you” offer and moved wordlessly through the gate.  Barret followed, picking up speed as they entered the reactor.  Barret himself was a big, powerful man.  He wore a brown jacket around his body that lacked sleeves and didn’t quite make it around, showing off his chest.  A thick metal band surrounded his waist to provide defense.  Wedge covered their exit path while the others moved on to a security gate room. Three more gates remained to be passed.  Biggs was working on the first one.  Barret took the opportunity to make conversation with his spiky-headed minion. “Bet this place is familiar to ya.” “Hardly,” Cloud offered. “Come on!  Ya mean to tell me Shinra don’t give you SOLDIERS no guided tours?” “I guess,” Cloud replied, growing impatient with the man. “These damn reactors are suckin the very life from the planet...” Barret said to seemingly no one in particular.  Cloud gambled it was aimed at him. “I don’t care.  As long as it gets me my pay, more power to it.”  He instantly regretted that. Barret spun on him, glaring.  “The planet’s dyin’, Cloud!  Don’t tell me you don’t give a care ‘bout that!” “It doesn’t concern me,” he protested, looking for a way out.  It came in the form of Biggs’ success at breaking the security code.  The gate opened and AVALANCHE filed through.  Jesse punched in the code this time, a code that was thankfully predetermined.  “Think how many people risked their lives, just for this code...” Biggs whispered loud enough for Cloud to hear.  The door whooshed open and all but Biggs remained to guard the area and, if needed, aid Wedge in securing the exit. Jessie started the elevator’s decent.  Barret stood silently, not so much as looking at Cloud.  It put the younger man on edge.  The doors opened to reveal the greenish glow the reactor produced.  Jessie raced down the long flight of stairs, but Barret was slower, taking in the scenery. “This thing sucks up tons of power every day...” “Yeah, well, that’s what we’re here to stop, aren’t we?” Cloud said before Barret could begin another of his speeches and bolted down the stairs.  Barret thundered after him, all the way down to the door that led to the pit of the reactor.  Cloud took a step forward. “Hold yer skinny white ass up, SOLDIER boy!” Barret barked, “Yer comin’ with ME from now on!” Cloud was about to complain when three guard hounds appeared from the shadows.  Finally, Shinra defenses were showing themselves. “Heh, OK Bright-Eyes!  Les’ see how a SOLDIER fights!” Grumbling, Cloud raced into the rather evil looking hound huddle, bringing his massive sword left to right, hoping to slaughter all three at once.  They scattered, however, before the blade could touch home.  Just as fast, they were back on Cloud.  Scratched again, Cloud jumped back in time to see a hound that had taken an interest in his throat dive at him.  It was pumped full of lead in midair by Barret’s gatling gun-arm.  “Heh heh!  Need a babysitter, do ya?”  In response, Cloud brought his sword down at the head of another hound.  This time, it didn’t miss.  Barret’s stream of fire picked off the third, but also succeeded in hitting something metallic in the shadows.  A thin laser beam flew out and struck Barret in the abdomen, seating him rather unceremoniously.  “Whoa-” Cloud leaped back, dodging another beam.  Barret got up, the thick metal band around his lower chest having absorbed most of the damage.  He opened fire again, this time only succeeding in prompting a steady stream of laser fire. “Argh!” Barret moved for the door.  “Forget ‘em!” Cloud would not.  He made out the outline of a 1st Ray, the most common of Shinra laser cannons.  He concentrated on thunder, blanking out all other thoughts but the flashes of lightning that were contained in his Lightning Materia.  Materia were stones of crystallized Mako energy that contained exceptional powers.  Skilled people could harness the powers within and use them for their own purposes, in Cloud’s case, battle.  As Barret watched with some awe, a curtain of greenish energies surrounded Cloud and he pointed at the cannon, which Barret still could not see.  A bolt of lightning struck it dead on, shorting the thing out.  Cloud waltzed towards Barret, a grin on his face.  “Magic” was a talent every member of SOLDIER had experience in.  It drained you a little, but Bolt was a weak enough spell that it didn’t call for much concentration to cast, and didn’t leave you very drained, though overuse would do that.  Even Barret could do it, Cloud thought with a wry smile. Barret harrumphed and moved into the large inner core of the reactor.  He hopped onto a ladder, Cloud in pursuit, and made his way down to the wire frame pathway.  Jessie was already there, looking out.  Cloud went ahead, hopping onto the ladder that led downward to some pipes.  This would be somewhat dangerous, he thought, since there was no railing and below them was a sea of water, most certainly guaranteed to have enough Mako to poison anyone who took a swim.  Cloud made his way calmly and carefully across, while the giant Barret lumbered clumsily behind. Jessie looked around, ready to alert the others if necessary.  Looking up by the exit path, the one leading to the large flight of stairs, she spied two mechanical men.  “Grunts!” she breathed.  She had done her homework on the Shinra’s machines.  Grunts were combat drones, equipped with beam-spread cannons.  They showed a particular interest in Cloud and Barret....  “Look out!” she called; reminding herself she needed a long-range weapon. “Damn!” Cloud and Barret spat in unison.  “Go!” Barret barked, shooting at the distant threat.  Cloud leaped onto a ladder that led down to a path that would take him to the core of the reactor.  He heard Barret curse and looked up in time to see a barrage of little lasers swarm him.  Losing his footing almost immediately, Barret plummeted down, down...onto the narrow path Cloud had started on. “Barret Wallace,” Cloud said with no small degree of awe, “You are a lucky, lucky man!” “Yeah, well,” Barret got up, a bit pale, and flicked off the grunts, “Let’s go...”  Cloud followed the burly man, hiding a snicker. The walkway ended at an engine type device that sent the majority of Mako up through the rest of the reactor.  This was the core, the place where their bomb would have the most effect. Barret frowned at him.  “You set it.” “Wha...you’re the leader of this outfit, you do it!” “Nuh uh, I gotta make sure you don’t pull nutin’.” “Stubborn bastard...” Cloud muttered under his breath. “...You say sumthin’, SOLDIER Boy?” “No, I-” Cloud halted in mid-sentence.  The room was getting blurry...why?  What was happening?  The only response to his unspoken questions was a throbbing pain in his head.  Cloud crumpled up, clutching his skull, and heard a slightly disembodied voice mutter in his brain...  Watch out!!!  This isn’t just a reactor!!! As suddenly as it had come, the pain and disorientation died.  Cloud lurched to his feet, checking to make sure he hadn’t dropped the bomb, while Barret gaped at him. “Man…I thought you were dyin’ there for a sec!  Get a hold of yourself, will ya, an’ don’t scare me like that!” Cloud merely nodded and reluctantly approached the engine.  He strapped the bomb onto it and entered the code Jessie had helpfully written on a decal and placed on the bomb’s side.  Jessie had been thankful when the Grunts had ignored her throughout their rampage, but none the less vigilant.  From out of nowhere, it seemed, a giant mechanized scorpion dropped onto the wide area at the base of the ladder Cloud had descended, creating a rumble that shook Jessie to the ground, wedging her foot in the wire frame.  “Shit...” she gasped as the arachnid mech started hovering and shot down the route to Barret and Cloud.  “A Guard Scorpion...Shinra’s security brute....  INCOMING!!!!!” She screamed as loud as she could, hoping her allies would hear her. A rumble from behind him jolted Cloud from the bomb and into the engine, triggering an alarm system.  Sirens blared instantly. “Shi’,” Barret cursed as he speedily slapped a few more magazines into his gatling gun, looking around, “The Roboguards are gonna be out in full force now!  How’d ya screw this one up?!  Betrayin’ me, are ya?!” “No!” Cloud protested, sword out, “It was an accident-whoa....” Barret looked where Cloud had plastered his eyes in time to see a scorpion mech touch down on the wide platform the engine was located on. “Hoooooo boy...” He breathed. “Come on!” Cloud rushed the machine and cut into it with his Buster Sword, inflicting some slight damage against the creature’s heavy armor.  Barret snarled and hoped his bullets would have better effect.  He blasted some holes into the machine happily, but most of his shots were deflected.  The Guard Scorpion didn’t like this much and sent out a beam of light that locked onto Barret.  A targeting beam.  “Barret, look out!”  Too late.  The scorpion aimed its rifles at Barret and opened fire.  A short stream of bullets flew into and off of Barret’s armored midsection.  The man thanked his senses again for telling him to wear the belt on the mission.  Cloud ran up and did some more slashing.  They were making some progress, but not much.  The scorpion’s tail lashed down out of nowhere, sending Cloud flying backwards.  Winded, he stood. Guard Scorpion spun around so its rear faced the two and began to strike with its tail.  Cloud tried a few more times to get close.  Each time he was smashed with the tail.  Barret opened fire, but the tail lashed around, actually deflecting some bullets back.  That wasn’t working, either.  Cloud inhaled and concentrated on electricity once more, the Lightning Materia in the slot on his Buster Sword glowing slightly.  Bolt hit the Guard Scorpion in the head, sending electricity coursing through it. “Again, man!” Barret coached. It’s not that easy! Cloud wanted to say, but again tried to concentrate.  This time, the Scorpion’s search beam fell on him.  Snapping out of it, he dodged the machine’s next salvo of bullets and lay down flat, concentrating and hoping the machine would buy the play dead routine. Barret worked on getting its attention.  The machine took offense to Barret’s gunfire and returned it.  It gave Cloud enough time to leap up and send another bolt of lightning at the mechanical arachnid.  This one hurt it good.  It spun around and doubled back, getting both of them in its sights.  Barret aimed at the tail, which was beginning to raise.  A steady stream of fire found it, but this only seemed to make it even madder. “Barret, no!” Cloud called out, “Don’t attack while it’s tail is up!” “Like hell!  I found his weakness!” “It’s gonna counterattack with its laser!” Cloud warned, too late.  A thick laser beam erupted from the tip of its tail striking Barret dead on and swerving into Cloud.  Both combatants collapsed and their enemy moved in for the kill, choosing Barret first. Cloud gasped for breath.  Another bolt might do the job, but he was feeling quite drained of power, and he doubted he’d muster the concentration necessary for it.  Instead, he felt some power coursing through his limbs.  Thank god! he thought, slowly rising. Most every fighter had some talent that required great strength to do right, and great strength usually came from blind rage.  Cloud felt pushed, somewhat beyond his limit.  He glared at the scorpion and raised his sword... Barret kicked at the machine and it kicked back, stabbing with its tail.  Weakening yet angering, Barret finally managed to press his gun-arm to the belly of the beast and open fire at point blank.  The creature reeled back and aimed its rifles at Barret, locking on.  Cloud raced at the Guard Scorpion and leaped high into the air, coming down with his sword in a magnificent smash that cut deep into the machine, destroying crucial programs.  It lurched towards Cloud, sparking.  Cloud, however, was exhausted.  His “limit break”, a term an old friend had used for this kind of angry strike, had left him a bit powerless. Barret felt power through anger, too.  Getting up, he aimed his gatling gun at the creature and focused his anger onto the gun.  Drawing power into a massive fireball, he let it loose.  The big shot tore through Guard Scorpion, finishing the job Cloud’s slash had started.  The one time threat collapsed in a heap. Cloud, aware now of the continuing sirens, raced to the bomb and entered the final digit, a “We got 10 minutes, Barret!  Let’s move!” “Hold up!” he protested, ripping a part off the scorpion’s remains, “I bet I can use this thing...” “Right, well, whatever.  Let’s get out of here!” Both raced down the path to the ladder, scrambling up.  By now, any cannons and Grunts in the area were aware of intruders.  The pipe walk was untroubled, thankfully, but when Cloud went up, he found a few hounds pestering Jessie. “Down!” he commanded, getting its attention so it could see its destroyer.  After dispatching it, he looked down at a thankful Jessie. “My leg got stuck,” she explained, silently begging for help.  Cloud silently agreed, twisting her foot out of the small hole.  “Thanks,” she said quickly and took off. “Hrmph,” Barret was amused, “Caring for someone other than yerself?” “Amused?  Not a fitting emotion for someone who has less than 10 minutes to live.”  Cloud dashed to the ladder and climbed upward once more.  Kid has a point... Barret thought as he made haste. When both had arrived at the staircase, they found themselves the target of five Grunts.  Laser beams flew everywhere. “Ignore ‘em!” Cloud cried unnecessarily.  The stairs were longer than Cloud remembered, and halfway through they were ambushed by a squad of hounds.  “I’ll cover, go!” Cloud ordered.  Barret grumbled something and kept going.  Cloud made quick work of the creatures, slashing up one and catching another by sticking his sword up in the dog’s flight path.  The other two he caught in a wide range slash. Barret frowned down from the top of the stairwell.  Kid thinks he’s the best thing to hit the battlefield since Sephiroth... he thought grimly before continuing on.  Cloud caught up soon.  Biggs and Jessie were waiting.  AVALANCHE congregated and went down to meet Wedge at the exit. Lasers cut into them from behind.  “This we don’t need!” Barret spat, racing on.  Cloud tensed and concentrated on the cold, putting to use the other Materia in his possession.  The Grunt roboman took aim, but Cloud hit him with a column of ice that seemed to fuse right to it.  The Grunt’s joints stiffened.  Cloud raced down to the others, hoping he’d get there before the Grunt loosened up.  Ice was a dangerous spell to be hit with, especially when pressed for time.  Wedge had the door open for Cloud, and closed it to prevent the following inferno from catching them. Seconds later, the Mako Reactor in Sector 8 transformed into a pillar of flames, producing a giant mushroom cloud that was sure to get President Shinra’s attention. Barret smiled in satisfaction.  There were those who would not understand his actions, but for those with any sense, this was a great day, and the start of what hopefully would be a career of success for AVALANCHE.