Final Fantasy 7: Dark Epic
Chapter 2 "Sides Reveal"
By Sephiroth Zero
 
    "I don't think he's coming." Wedge mutter to the other Avalanche member as they wait in the bunker of the train.
    "They must have got him then..." Vick mutter voice trailing off as he put his head down.
    "What a damn $%# waste." Barret swear banging his gun arm against the side of the train causing a dull thud noise.
    *Bong*
    *Bong*
    "What's that noise?" Jessie asks looking around.
    *Bong*
    "Sounds like it's coming from something on the roof." Vick mutter as he stares at the ceiling. Hesitantly Wedge walks up to the side door and pull it open. As the wind came pouring in a black thing came falling down on top of Wedge pinning in him to the ground.
    "AAAAAAAA!" Wedge scream as he struggles against the thing weight. "It got me." He whimpers as the thing refuse to budge.
    "It's Cloud!" Jessie cry recognizing the thing. "He's been hurt." She gasps as she saw the bullet holes through his chest.
    "Who did this to you?" Vick ask leaning down next to Cloud.
    "A Turk..." Cloud gasp as he clutch his chest as blood start stain his suit. Jessie quickly pulls out some tonics and quickly applies them to the wound.
    "Damn those #%*$ Shinra goons." Barret sneer as he starts to pound the wall with his fist leaving some marks on the wall. "Come on lets move Cloud to the next cart, it's to dangerous to stay here." Barret order as they help Cloud up and walk to the next cart.


    Meanwhile in Shinra HQ the particular Turk that was responsible for the wounding was off doing some more hurting. Namely grabbing the two guards that refuse his entrance into the building and sending them crashing through the revolving glass door. As the smoke clear from the debris he promptly walk in scanning the damage he just cause. As his friend gave whistle in shock, several more guards came running down the stairs before them and surround him. As the lead guy was about to signal to attack, he suddenly took a good look at the Turk before them.
    "Sergeant Cloud?" he gasps as he promptly drops his rifle. Quickly saluting to his superior officer he stutter, "I had no idea it was you, stand down."
    "I was wondering when someone will recognize me." Cloud smirk as he turns back to Reno.
    "Well you have been officially dead for the last five years." Reno retorts as he steps over one of the unconscious guard body.
    Picking up his radio, the guard ask, "Sergeant, do you want me to inform the president of your return?"
    "Sure." Cloud shrug as he walks to the elevator with Reno. Leaning against the back window on the elevator, Cloud mutter, and "It's been a long time."
    Nodding Reno reply, "How the wind of times change us all over time, so that we might not even recognize are own reflection." Staring at his reflection, he continue, "My how time has change us."
    "Yeah," Cloud respond as he stare to the ceiling above as the elevator went up, "you were never this poetic back then."
    "Look who's talking," Reno snap as took a out a drinking canister and took a sip, "so what are you going to tell them about the thing?"
    Turning to the window as he removes his sunglasses to reveal his blue eyes as they gave a soft mako glow and mutter, "I don't know." Letting out a sigh he press his head against the glass as the elevator slowly made its way up.


    On the 70th floor of Shinra HQ, President Shinra sat in his desk as he ponder the situation with the reactor crisis with Reeve, the head of Urban redevelopment and Heideggar, head of the Peace preservation force. So far for most of this meeting had been Reeve and Heideggar hurling insults at each other. Letting out a sigh, President Shinra massage his temples as he tries to ease all this stress.
    Taking a deep breath, he interrupts, "Reeve, how extensive are the damage to Sector 1 upper district and the Reactors pump line?"
    Taking a quick look at his survey, Reeve answer, "The initial explosion and shockwave from the bombing have severely weaken if not destroy the structural integrity in the surrounding building. My men have tally numerous ruptures across all the other reactor's pump lines." Looking up to the President as he finish, he reply "Taking all this damage in to account this whole incident will cost Shinra roughly 6,500,000 Gils in repair and cost."
    "President," Heideggar says as he heard the price, "Let me send out a platoon of SOLDIER against those Avalanche scum, we'll hunt them down and eradicate them." "Gya ha ha ha ha ha!" He laughs as he finishes.
    "That should be taken into consideration as later use," President Shinra announce as he stood up and turn to the back window, "we already have a spy planted in the midst of the Avalanche." "Once we learn the nest place they'll try for we can crush them in one strike." President sneer squeezing his hand into a fist. Turning back to Heideggar, Shinra ask, "By the way, how's the scientist daughter doing in her SOLDIER training I heard she got far?"
    Choking as the subject came, Heideggar pull on his collar as he stutters, "You mean Ghast's daughter, the Ancient?" "Well," he continue as sweat came down his forehead, "she kind of escape...again."
    "What?" President Shinra says as his eyebrow start to rise. The beeping from the intercom on the President quickly drop the subject as the President answer, "Yes, I'm in a very important meeting so this better be good."
    "Yes sir," the voice on the other line stammer, "I would like to inform you that Sergeant Cloud Strife and Reno have just return and are coming up to see you."
    "What?" the three gasp as they heard the noise.
    "Impossible," Heideggar mutter to himself, "Cloud died after the Jenova Massacre there is no way he could still be alive..."
    "It was never documented that he die, it was only guess." President Shinra snaps back.
    "So he returns after all this time." Reeve mutters in a trance-like sort of state.
    "Well gentlemen, it seems we may now have an ace up our sleeve now." President Shinra smirks to himself.


    Meanwhile deep down in the lower districts of Sector 7, Barret mutter, "You sure are heavy boy...."
    "Your not the one that got several holes through your chest..." Cloud retort as he bit his lip in pain as they walk to the 7th Heaven. "Next time we do a reactor run, you get yourself shoot and I'll carry you." he continues as they slowly walk up the steps.
Entering a bar full of people, Barret yell, "Get the heck out!" When no one budge, Barret let out a curse as he raise his gun arm to the sky and starts firing as he scream, "NOW!" Everyone stop still for a moment before
    "Have pity for the dead." Cloud murmur as he tries to shut off the noise.
    "There are other ways to get everyone to leave, Barret." A raven hair girl snap as she picks up some of the discarded cups on the floor.
    "Sorry Tifa." Barret apologize shrugging before he remembers whom he was carrying. "Tifa I need your help with Cloud." He shouts as he clear off the top of one of the table and drop Cloud on top.
    "Are you trying to save me or kill me?" Cloud murmur as he rubs the back of his bruise head.
    "What happen to him?" Tifa gasp as she looks at his wound.
    "Some Turk plug him good." Barret answer as he went to the door to signal for the other to come on in.
    Analyzing the wound Tifa says puzzle, "What Turk can cause this sort of wound the only one that I know that could shoot like this is Vincent."
    "So?" Barret reply impatient at Tifa observation.
    "He's been retire for the past two years I believe he's running some big business on the next continent." she continue.
    "Who cares about the Turk for now, how's Cloud going to be?" Barret demand.
    "Luckily I have some recover materia, so he should be all right, but it'll be a few days before he can do any extreme sort of activities." she says as she push a few strands of hair back. "By the way, Barret the Superiors want a report from you down stairs." she says motion to the backroom. As Barret let out a curse as he stomp off Tifa ask, "Cloud, how are you feeling?"
    "Nice despite, I have to new hole to breath with." he joke as he start to laugh, until the pain started to kill him. "Jeez, whoever said that laughter was the best medicine should be shoot." he mutter to Tifa who chuckle in response.
    "Well it's alright now, so you can catch up on some sleep." Tifa says as she closes Cloud eyes and turn off the lights.


    "It's cold." a lone ninja curse as she stood at the edge of a mighty crater in the Arctic regions of the north. She wore a provisional ninja gear with a huge razor sharp disc attach to her belt and a huge ninja star on her back. She impatiently tamps her foot as she looks around at the lengthy ice land before her.
    "I hope I haven't kept you waiting." a sly voice chuckle behind her.
    "Finally you show up, Sephiroth." she mutter as she turn to face the large SOLDIER before her with a smirk. "The Avalanche fools, are doing exactly what you have told them to do, Shinra official are to shock to do anything about it." she laugh.
    "Calm down, Yuffie." Sephiroth order, silencing the ninja's laughter. "Soon phase 2 will come into place." he grin as the icy wind lick through his long silver hair.
    "Yes, when we steal the HOLY materia form Shinra." Yuffie smirk as she then suddenly remember something. "You may find this interesting, Sephiroth." Yuffie says as she toss a photo at Sephiroth who caught them easily with two fingers.
    "Yes," Sephiroth mutter, as he looks at them, "very interesting." Letting out a laugh he toss the picture into the snows. The Arctic land slowly consume the pictures in it's icy grave as the picture display a picture of a long spike black hair SOLDIER with a patch over his left eye.


    That ends the next chapter of Dark Epic as I continue it still. As usual please send any C&C to sephirothzero@oocities.com.