The Next Crisis: Chapter One:
The Catwalk Sniper

by Rufus Shinra
Edited by S. Park


Carrying a guitar case, a man dressed in a navy blue suit slowly moved above Cloud on a catwalk. He slowly raised a weapon from the guitar case and took out a magazine for it.

A guard standing to the left of the stage were Cloud was speaking looked up when he heard a soft click during a pause in Cloud's speach.

"Look!" yelled the guard as he pointed at the sniper.

"Shit," the blue suited man whispered.

The whole crowd in the auditorium broke into a panic. Everybody headed for the doors except the guards, Tifa, Cloud, and Barret.

The entire auditorium was quiet now. To the guards' surprise, the blue suited man disappeared.

"Get the president and those people out!" shouted the leader of the guards as he quickly loaded his gun.

"No! I'm gonna help you find that guy," said Cloud.

"Then I'm staying, too!" Tifa said.

"(sigh... why does she always do this?) No, Tifa, you'll get hurt...," Cloud replied.

"But...," Tifa paused and looked down, "I'm worried about you!"

"(blah, blah, blah... that's nice to know...)"

"Did you say something?"

"Ah... no~..."

"..."

"Hey, you guys! Get out of here! You may be hurt!" yelled the leader of the guards.

"We're gonna help you find that person!" Cloud replied as he stepped up.

"That's dangerous! Get out!"

A blast sounded from above and one of the guards dropped to the floor; blood coming from his head.

"See?! Don't be stupid! Get out!" yelled the leader.

Cloud quickly ran towards the dead guard and took his gun.

"I'm gonna help you no matter what!" Cloud said.

Another blast rang and another guard fell. Now, the guards were in panic and were running to safe areas.

"Do what you want!" said the leader as he ran behind a large pole.

Another blast.

"Ah!" Cloud screamed.

A bullet skinned Cloud in his right arm. The wound wasn't serious, but a small amount of blood was trickling out.

"Cloud! Are you all right?" Tifa said as she tried to tend Cloud's wound.

"Don't worry, I'm all right," he replied.

"Follow me," Cloud whispered to Tifa.

The two quickly ran to the nearest exit. Cloud spotted a staircase to the catwalks and began running up it.

"Cloud! Don't! He can kill you!"

"(she's getting on my nerves...) Just stay here, and get help, OK?" Cloud said.

Tifa was about to reply, but Cloud was already gone. After a brief momment of hesitation, Tifa ran to get help.

Cloud reached the top of the staircase and quickly crouched down and look around to see a man wearing a blue suit. He heard footsteps approaching from the left. Cloud quickly loaded his gun and pointed it in front of him.

The man, not knowing what was behind that doorway, walked towards it.

"Stop," said Cloud.

The man quickly stopped and slowly turned around.

"(wow. he's a lot taller than i expected)," thought Cloud.

"Lower your rifle and kick it to me," Cloud said.

The man was wearing sunglasses that were pitch dark. Cloud couldn't see whose eyes lay behind those dark shades. He grinned and slowly bent down to lower his gun.

"Put your hands in the air and kick the riffle to me," Cloud said.

The man put his hands in the air and slowly lifted his feet back.

"Good," Cloud said.

All of a sudden, the man high-kicked Cloud's hands. Cloud's hands slammed into his face and his gun fired into the ceiling. The recoil shoved his hands even more into his face.

Cloud was kneeling on the floor, rubbing his face to wear of the pain. Blood was coming from his nose.

"Heh, heh, heh," laughed the man.

The man took Cloud's gun and pointed it at Cloud's head. He took off his sunglasses to show Cloud who he really was.

Cloud looked up and gasped.

"Rude!," Cloud said.

"Heh, heh, heh... That's right, spikey. It's been a long time," Rude said as he tightened his grip on the gun's trigger. "Too bad you have to die now."

"Stop!!!"

Running, Tifa jumped into the air from behind Rude and kicked him in the back.

"Ack!"

Rude dropped the gun and flew into the air, above Cloud, behind Cloud, and then slamming into the staircase's wall.

"Tifa! Thank God...," Cloud said as he slowly stood up.

"You're bleeding!" said Tifa as she looked at Cloud painfully.

"It's all right. Did you get help?"

"Yeah. The guards are behind. They couldn't catch up with me. ^.^"

Behind them, an injured Rude slowly recovered and put his two hands on the staircase's floor. He swirved around and kicked Cloud with both his legs.

Cloud, who was both surprised by the attack and weakened by the pain from his shins, fell off the right side of the staircase and cased onto the stairs 10 feet below.

"Cloud!" Tifa screamed.

Rude quickly got up, purposely fell back, rose his feet, kicked Tifa in the stomach, and balanced hhimself back up (Jackie Rude! 1st Strike! ^.^;;). Tifa was pushed back onto the catwalk. The guards came from far behind on the other side of the catwalk and began shooting at Rude. Rude ducked, took Cloud's gun, and ran down the stairs. On his way, he purposely jumped on Cloud's chest and ran down the stairs and then ran towards the backstage exit.

All of a sudden, Barrett, who was now dressed in casual-day clothes, appeared from a hallway that intersected with the one Rude was running in. Rude halted and saw that Barrett had his "original" right hand back on, the machine gun. With a gulp, Rude ran back the other way. Barrett was purposely missing Rude just to scare him. Barrett knew that the guards were coming the other way. Cloud slowly walked up the staircase and recovered as well. As Rude began to run Cloud raised his left arm and stiff armed him and Rude fell face down, and Wallace walked walked away from it.

"Who sent you here?" Cloud asked.

"Not gonna tell.." Rude said.

Cloud began to jerk Rude back and forth to persuade him to tell. Cloud’s teeth grinned, but Rude never answered. Both of their suits were soaked with small amounts of blood. His bleeding face became red.

"That doesn’t look good, man! Alright- Alright-! I’ll give you a clue." said Rude.

"Tell me!" Cloud screamed Rude.

"Yes." Tifa said.

"Ok, this was a diversion........" the former Turk said.

"For what?" Cloud asked.

"You know the lab here. Well the Ru- I ment the person who hired us wants to get something from there. Some trianglur object. He would’ve paid me a lot of gil if I capped Mister President. Well, I think Reno are- are-." Rude stopped.

"What?!" Cloud asked.

Rude stood up slowly and walked away. Cloud looked at the staircase.

He looked back at Tifa. Cloud walked to Tifa down the ciruclar staircase. The stairs were a long way down and the two went to the street exit. Strife’s clothes were shereded covered with blood. Tifa looked at him as Cloud took a breather.

"The lab. I gotta tell Barett right now." Cloud said.

"Yes, but look at you." Tifa said.

"I will... Just don’t worry, Tifa." he said.

Cloud pulled out his black PHS out of his right pocket. He dialed up the Main Governing Complex which is in the center of town. He looked up at the starry sky. Tifa turned back and put her head down.

"This is Cloud. Barett someones-" Cloud said, but was suddenly interuppted.

"I know someone busted in the lab and the artifact called the Sokushi. Well, it’s made of some kinda’ old unknwon matereia. The doctor working on it, Professor Arron ran some test on that thing." Barett said.

"Well, Me and Tifa are gonna go home." Strife said.

"Alight’, I know what u’ talking about." Barett said.

"It’s not that! Stop that." Cloud said as he pulled Out a blue hankercheif to wipe the blood from his left cheek. The blood dried a bit and his face was a little dyed in blood. Cloud was about to turn off the PHS, but-

"Jus’ joking with you, Cloud." he said happily.

"Well then, good bye I have to go now." Cloud said. "I gotta to fix this wound."

"From what?" Barett asked. "It was Rude." Cloud said.

"Rude?! The Turks. How can?" Barett said and he was shocked.

"Well, I’ll tell you when I come back next week. I think you shouldn’t make any speeches any soon." Clou said.

"You think I am an idiot. Well, hope that fight didn’t startle yo’ spiky butt. Well, bye." said Wallace.

"Bye." said Strife.

Cloud put his PHS away as he tried to wipe the blood from his face. Tifa turned back to Cloud and said: "So we going home."

"Yeah, it’s probably not safe for Barett and us." Cloud said.

"Anyways-" Cloud paused.

"What?" Tifa asked.

"No- Nothing." Cloud said fererishly.

"Just tell me." Tifa said.

"It’s fine." he replied.

"Let’s go home." Cloud said.

"No, you need to do something about that wound." Tifa said

"I know. I’ll just wait." Strife said in a serious tone.


It was 3:00 am in the morning in Costa del Sol. Outside the villa was the towns square empty of any people the warm cobblestones were now cooled. The beach was empty as the moon shone over the clear crystal-like shore. Inside the yellowish villa was Cloud in his bed and on the other bed on the left was Tifa. Cloud’s head was turning violently. The sweat on his head beaded down on his small blue pillow. He tossed and turned constantly. The bandage on his left cheek was covered in sweat Cloud's teeth churrned as he wobbled back and forth.. A green flash went to his eyes:

"What the?!" Cloud said as he gazed at a circular green ring went around him.

"Don’t worry." said the familiar voice.

"Is this a dream? Is it you?" Cloud asked.

"Yes, it’s me." Aeris said.

Is this a hallucination? Guilty feelings? What is it? Cloud thought.

"This is me. This is the only way. The only way we can communicate." Aeris said sadly.

"So why now?" Cloud said.

"Seems..." Aeris paused as she closed her eyes and looked up.

"A new crisis will face this planet." Aeris said.

Cloud stared into her eyes and looked a bit dazed in the green aura while he was sleeping. He looked dazed and confused a bit and turned in his boxers.

"Crisis?!" Cloud said.

"Well, the sprits who guard this planet sense that a new evil is upon us. We don’t know who or were it’s coming from." Aeris said sadly.

"So you mean-" Cloud stopped as he turned away.

"I need your help. The planet needs it once more." Aeris said.

Cloud looked down and his mood changed from happiness to depression. He covered his face over with his right hand. His ‘Mako’ eyes closed and then he took a breath. Then Cloud quickly turned back.

"No, but if I- I might see somebody get killed. I don’t want to go through that again! ... Like you Aeris." Cloud said painfully.

"Well it’s your choice. You should think about it." Aeris said.

Cloud then nodded with disbelief. He turned back as Aeris faded away and then looked up

"Aeris?!" Cloud asked.

"I don’t know what to do." he said to himself.

The sun rose up on the clear skies of the beach town. Cloud was wide-awake with both his hands on his neck, thinking. His hair was messed up and was all over his face. Strife looked at the nearby be bed were Tifa was sleeping and she was gone. The blanket and pillow stacked. He then turned at the digital clock that read: 9:01 Am. Then he stood up in the window. His face was full with grief. Outside was the coastline half full of people. Running up and down the clean and sandy beach. The sea gulls flew over the land while the sun gleamed brightly towards Cloud’s window.

"If this thing happens?! Fighting? Death? I can’t see it here. I can’t- It feel so- Maybe that dream was nothing. If this is true? I have to go back to fighting-"

"Too much turmoil. I can’t endure that anymore-." Cloud said to himself. He looked around. Then Strife slowly walked down the small staircase. He was now at the living room. The wooden walls were brightened by the morning sun. The green door was opening. Clouds eyes looked. His eyebrows rose up a the door screeched. It was Tifa and she looked at Cloud and said cheerfully: "Good morning." He closed his eyes and turned back to the couch.

"Yeah." said Cloud.

" What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

"You could say that, again." Cloud thought.

"Ok, I’ll tell you- .........Ok." Cloud started to shrivel in his voice. He then sat on the green sofa and he closed his eyes and closed his mouth.

"Alright, uhm I’ve been having dreams, flashback whatever . Aeris contacted me. Hallucination- .... I don’t know. She said something about a second crisis. Like the one that- that- kill- Aer" Cloud started to stutter and stop.

"This sounds bad. Tell me more. Nothing going to happen to you, tell me it all. We are freinds aren’t we?" Tifa said calmly as he held Cloud’s warm and sweaty hand. He still looked down in a state of depression he looked down at the floor, and his eyes closed.

"A second crisis on this planet." Cloud said.

Cloud stopped and walked outside the villa. He closed his eyes as he walked on the limestone floor towards the bridge next to the beach. Tifa walked out of the door to follow him.

"Wait!" she yelled.

Cloud didn’t reply and continued hastily walking toward the beachhead. A few minutes later Cloud stopped at the beach sitting down on a rusty green bench in front of the crystal blue sea. He looked at the blue sky. Foot steps tapped far on the wooden pier. Tap-Tap-Tap, the pier sounded. Strife looked down at the ocean. His spiky hair waved because of the wind. Tifa was right behind Cloud.

"This soon. I think I-I- No......" Cloud said.

" Cloud!" Tifa yelled into his right ear.

"Well, I smell something bad about what’s happening right now. It’s like I can never live in peace-" Cloud stopped.

"I know." her face looked down.

Cloud covered his face with his hands. He closed his eyes and looked down with Tifa.

"Well, I think we should talk to the doc’ who had Sokushi." Cloud said.

"I think it’s the thing that The Turks stole....." Cloud said.

"You mean last night, right?" Tifa said slowly.

"I think- but why would they want an old thing like that?" Cloud asked.

"Sad... You forget about everything that happened and crawls slowly back at me..... " Cloud said.

Tifa stood and said nothing.

"Something bad is gonna happen." Cloud said sadly.

The two started looking at the sun. The giant fiery ball that gave life to this planet. The rays beat down on the land. Cloud’s hand moved to the rusted green bench. Then he leaned fowards Tifa's hand. Tomorrow might be the day they would know. Know of the rising of the new crisis.

Next

Back to Fan Fics