Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Ice Redux ❯ Escape ( Chapter 11 )

Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 

Chapter Eleven: Escape

 

“Psst! Nanaki!”

 

The lion-wolf perked his ears as he dozed on the floor of his cell. He could have sworn that he had heard his own name, but perhaps he had just been locked up alone for too long. He huffed silently, trying to drift back into sleep as his tail swished lazily behind him. There was little else to do.

 

“Yo, fire-mutt, you awake?”

 

There was the voice again. Convinced he wasn't dreaming, Nanaki opened his eyes and looked around, finding the room as empty as before. He slowly rose to his feet, stretching in a cat-like fashion.

 

“Up here, you dolt!”

 

His eyes trailed upwards, discovering a pair of brown eyes gleaming from behind the air duct in the ceiling. He blinked as he instantly recognized that mischievousness.

 

“Yuffie?” he asked quietly, keeping his voice low just in case there were guards outside his door.

 

The grate rattled slightly. “Yup. You ready to get out of here?” she questioned. He could hear the giggling, teasing sound in her voice already.

 

Nanaki scoffed, glancing once at his paws, which were essentially useless for climbing on his own. “And how am I supposed to do that?”

 

“Easy,” she said, laughing softly. Reaching her thin hand through the bars of the grate, she undid the screws and pulled the grate to the side. Yuffie slipped deftly through the opening and landed quietly beside him on the ground.

 

“Now what?” Nanaki asked.

 

Yuffie grinned and pointed up at the air duct. “It's pretty small, you can fit. We have to hurry though. They are planning on killing Barret and Reeve!”

 

Nanaki frowned. “I know. I heard. Where are they?”

 

Yuffie shrugged, her face falling. “I don't know. You were the first I came across.” She grinned, perking up as a sudden thought occurred to her. She brandished her Hawkeye, pulling it from seemingly nowhere.

 

“But I did find our weapons.”

 

“Do you have my Adaman Clip?” Nanaki asked hopefully, eager to have the return of his weapon and rid himself of the unsettling feeling of being both useless and undefended.

 

Yuffie beamed as she pulled out a small clip from her pocket, attaching it to his headband. A surge of strength rippled through his body, igniting a rush of energy that nearly made his eyes glow brightly. He growled low in his throat as he stretched his muscles, bathing in the flow of vigor for a moment.

 

“So whaddya say? You with me in breaking out this joint?” Yuffie inquired with a sly grin as her eyes sparkled. Thieving and sneaking around were what she did best. She couldn't have been happier. Not to mention that if she rescued everyone, they would owe her a debt. She would gladly accept recompense in the form of materia. Yep, that was her master plan.

 

Nanaki nodded as he crouched on the floor before leaping high into the air. He managed to catch himself on the edge of the air duct and pulled himself inside with a great effort. If it hadn't been for the extra strength provided by the clip, he might not have made it. Yuffie leapt up after him, carefully replacing the grating with a screeching squeal.

 

Golden eyes scanned the duct, finding it as dark and bleak as he expected an air passage to be. He wondered how Yuffie even knew her way around the small, compact space. His nose twitched at the amount of dust gathered, and he fought to keep from sneezing.

 

“Which way?” he asked.

 

She moved off to the right, shrugging her shoulders. “This is the way I was heading.” Nanaki hoped that her reasoning was sound as he crept along after her.

 

It was quiet and cramped quarters. Occasionally, they would pass over another grating where they would peer carefully and silently into the room it revealed. In one, several ShinRa employees were having a little fun on the clock in the break room, putting an interesting dent into the puke green lockers.

 

Shaking their heads and stifling giggles, the two moved on. They crawled for several minutes, passing by multiple empty rooms, before they finally came upon another occupied one. Yuffie leaned forward and to the side, peeking around the edge. On the other side of the grate, Nanaki did the same.

 

Inside, they saw a man with vivid red hair and aquamarine eyes. It was Reno!

 

He was polishing his Electro Rod in what appeared to be personal quarters. He was mumbling softly to himself and flexing his hands nervously. After eyeing him for a moment, Yuffie belatedly noticed that the mighty Turk was trembling ever-so-slightly, apparently fighting the action. Curious as to his behavior and dying to know what he was saying, the two inched closer to the grate. Finally, the Turks quiet mutterings reached their ears.

 

“They're actually going to execute him! Him, Reeve, a member of the board. They're going to kill him!” Reno unexpectedly jumped to his feet and started pacing, his nightstick still in hand. “They're going to kill him, but I won't let that happen!” he said with unexpected passion. “I'm going to save him, yo!” he finished triumphantly, eyes shining. “Then, we escape through the vents.” His eyes twitched upwards, but the spying pair had already moved away.

 

Yuffie and Nanaki exchanged a startled glance, shocked by Reno's words and suddenly reminded of their mission. Slowly, they back away from the grate, continuing on their way. They continued past several more rooms, but none of them contained prisoners. It appeared that there was no order to the way that the cells were arranged.

 

Another grate and this time they found themselves above a hallway that contained two guards standing in front of a door. There was writing on it, but the men's bodies were in the way. So instead, Yuffie and Nanaki decided to eavesdrop.

 

One man, a pale redhead shuddered as he paced in front of the room. “I would hate to be in there now.”

 

The other, a brunette with rather long hair, nodded. “Yeah, that man has always given me the creeps. Always mumbling under his breath and smiling evilly.” He shuddered visibly, clutching tighter to the ShinRa issued shotgun in his hands.

 

“I hear he's real excited now. Whatever went down at the crater, and plus, he got his favorite toy back,” the redhead commented. “The man's a freaking psycho.”

 

Yuffie and Nanaki exchanged glances. Were they talking about Hojo?

 

The knob on the door behind them turned, and both guards snapped to attention, scrambling to stand on either side of the door. It opened as a young brunette female walked out, a smug smile on her face. She let the door slam shut as she ignored the two soldiers, calmly continuing on her way, her hips attempting to way seductively.

 

Yuffie had to stifle an angry gasp and cut down on the urge to leap out of the air duct and pummel the brunette into the ground. Man, she hated that bitch's guts. Tifa deserved to die. The girl had already visited Yuffie twice since they were held by ShinRa, each time bringing along two guards so that the ninja was forced to suffer her abuse. She was just itching for some payback.

 

But that also gave them the opportunity to see what was written on the door.

 

Laboratory 05.

 

The two friends exchanged another glance, this one filled with worry. Even if no one was in there, it was worth a look.

 

Redhead shook his head in disgust. “And that cold bitch pretended to be friends with that poor guy, too.”

 

“You hate her, eh?” his fellow guard questioned.

 

“Yeah. I mean, fuck, who needs enemies when you got allies like that?” he shot back heatedly. “I may be in ShinRa, but I got values, ya know?”

 

His friend nodded sympathetically. “So how's the search for a better job going?”

 

“Not so good. There ain't much better than being a soldier, despite the rotten pay and hours.”

 

The doorknob turned again, and the men were forced to be silent. The door opened, and a dark-haired man with a ponytail and glasses came creeping out, looking every bit the mad scientist. He took out a small silver key and locked the door, not to mention taking the time to input a code into the electrical system.

 

Hojo tittered, “No one enters or leaves unless it is I. Understood?” He leered at them, gazing at each of them intently. He had a bandage on one of his cheeks, blood appearing to seep through the white strips. Something had gotten a hold of him, most likely one of his experiments. It wouldn't have been the first time.

 

“Yes, sir!” the two soldiers exclaimed, saluting quickly. If one listened carefully, he or she would hear the slight treble of fear in their voices.

 

The mad scientist laughed, pushing up his glasses with the tip of one finger. “Good. After all, I am looking for more human subjects. Don't fail.” He turned on his heels and headed down the hall in the opposite direction of Tifa.

 

“Let's go. We must see what Hojo is hiding in his laboratory,” Nanaki said quietly.

 

Yuffie nodded. “I agree. Come on.”

 

She moved past him, heading for one of the smaller side ducts that she hoped led to the room. It sloped gradually downwards allowing her to slide to the bottom. Once there, it split into two directions, seemingly forming a box. Yuffie took one, while Nanaki took the other, silently creeping along. At the first grating, she could see nothing but an empty lab table and some lab equipment. The room was stark and metallic and completely quiet, every bit the kind of place she pictured for someone like Hojo.

 

Meanwhile, Nanaki was having a bit more luck. The first grate he came upon, he saw what Hojo had been hiding. His face instantly saddened, but at least, they had found another of their friends.

 

Vincent was lying unconscious on one of the tables, blood dribbling from his lips. His hair was disheveled across his face, the headband and cloak in a crumpled pile on the floor. His chest rose and fell slowly, but his face appeared to be shadowed, as if he had been struck several times and the bruises were already fading. On closer examination, Nanaki noticed that he had been chained down. The fire-wolf didn't even want to consider what had been going on in the lab.

 

“Psst, Nanaki, you find anything?” Yuffie questioned, creeping up behind him.

 

He did not answer, only sadly looking down at their broken friend. Yuffie moved past him, following his gaze.

 

“Fuckin' Hojo,” the little ninja swore. “I'm going to kick his ass!”

 

“Another time,” Nanaki cut in. “We must get him out of there.”

 

“Right.” Yuffie nodded. She quickly started unscrewing the grate, moving it to the side when she was finished. Quietly, she dropped down into the lab, Nanaki landing silently beside her.

 

It was deserted. Apparently, Hojo preferred to work alone.

 

Yuffie quickly got to work on the metal cuffs around Vincent's wrists and ankles, pulling a tiny pin out of one of her pockets. Nanaki roamed around, trying to gather more information. His nose twitched at the antiseptic odor and the distinct underlying scent of blood… lots of it. His stomach twisted queasily.

 

“Hey, Vinny, wake up,” Yuffie said softly, trying not to make too much noise. She didn't want the guards to hear and come investigate, if they even could with all the other alarm systems Hojo had prepared.

 

The dark-haired gunman groaned and moved his head restlessly but did not open his eyes.

 

“Come on, Vin, wake up,” she urged again.

 

“My name… is Vincent,” the gunman muttered, his voice raw and gravelly. He opened his eyes, crimson meeting brown. She smiled at him as she worked on the two wrist chains, having already defeated the leg chains.

 

“Where… What… “ Vincent furrowed his brow in confusion. The last thing he remembered was being taken to a cell after President Rufus had “rescued” them from the crater.

 

Yuffie shook her head, concentrating only on the arm cuffs. “I guess that answers the question if you remember anything,” she responded softly. “You're in a laboratory in Junon.” She looked up then, the metal links falling to the ground as the former Turk sat up, running a gloved hand through his hair. He felt inexplicably dizzy, and there was a foul taste in his mouth.

 

“That is probably for the best,” Nanaki intoned, padding up beside Yuffie. He placed Vincent's cloak and headband in the man's lap with one rather agile clawed foot. “Hojo isn't worth recalling.

 

Crimson eyes flashed with an unholy fire as his hands immediately balled into fists. “Hojo?” he hissed, leaping up off the lab table with his usual grace. “That bastard was near me?”

 

Nanaki and Yuffie exchanged somewhat alarmed looks at the fire brewing behind Vincent's eyes. The fire-lion opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by the sound of a commotion outside the door. There was the noise of conversation and then the sound of feet walking away. Yuffie reacted quickly, hefting up her shuriken and plastering a determined expression on her face as she stood to the side of the entrance.

Vincent automatically reached for his gun but sighed when he realized that he didn't have it. He flexed the golden claws of his left hand then; it would be enough to cause some serious damage. He set his sights on the door, praying with everything inside of him that it was Hojo and that he could wreak his revenge. He hated the blank slate within his mind. Just because he couldn't remember what had happened didn't make it right.

 

The three waited in silence, fully prepared to do battle.

 

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a ShinRa officer stepped inside. Yuffie moved to attack the lone officer, but he noticed her movement and froze her in her tracks with a Stop spell. Kicking the door shut behind him, the officer held forth his easily recognized weapon as he pulled off his helmet, discarding it to the side with a loud clatter.

 

“Cid!” Nanaki and Vincent exclaimed at the same moment. Yuffie would have done the same had she been able to move.

 

The pilot grinned, looking towards Yuffie apologetically as he tugged at the high ShinRa collar with one calloused finger. “Sorry, but I didn't want to get bashed over the head.”

 

“You escaped, too?” Nanaki questioned. “Yuffie was the one who rescued me.”

 

“Yeah,” Cid answered, scratching his head before he reached for a cigarette and promptly inserted it between his lips, lighting up with flair. “I overpowered this guard and stole his clothes. I had heard that they took Vince here and came to get him. They gonna kill Barret and Reeve.”

 

Nanaki nodded. “We know. Do you know where they took them?”

 

“Reeve is to be gassed. Um, I think Barret gets something different. They are both on the lower floors, but the execution is to take place on the floor above us.”

 

The gunman stepped forward. “We need an escape plan,” Vincent intoned from behind his cloak. He had managed to reattach it and put his hair in its proper position. But his eyes still burned with furious wrath.

 

“Oh, here ya go Vince,” the pilot said, tossing the gunman his Lariat. Vincent caught it easily, checking for ammunition before slipping it into holster. “I want my damn airship back, so I'm planning on stealing it. We can use it to get away.”

 

The lion-wolf hmm'ed in thought. “And what of Barret and Reeve?”

 

“I can get Reeve!” Yuffie exclaimed excitedly, performing a little bob and bounce as the Stop spell finally wore off. “He is small enough to fit in the vents,” she added, recalling what Reno had mentioned earlier. That was something she planned on teasing Reeve about mercilessly later.

 

Vincent sighed aloud. “I suppose that I still know enough of stealth to infiltrate. I can find the dumb lout and rescue him.” Honestly, he had contemplated just leaving the man to his doom, payback for all the vampy comments. Then again, he didn't need any more sins on his head nor for them to find a reason to distrust him further. He had yet to find Hojo in a suitable place for killing. The crater would not have had the effect he desired.

 

“Then, it's settled.” Cid nodded, scooping the discarded helmet off the floor and replacing it back on his head, though he couldn't help the disproving scowl. It reeked of the previous soldier's sweat. “Nanaki, you follow me in the vents, and we'll go rescue the fuckin' Highwind. Yuffie, you take the vents to find Reeve, and, Vincent…” He paused, waving a hand of dismissal. “You have your ways.”

 

Yuffie frowned, forehead pinching. “Where should I look?”

 

Glancing at his watch, Cid contemplated. “They should be starting Reeve's execution around now. The air vents lead to the gas chamber. Go back to the main one and follow it to the right. It will eventually start to climb. At the top, it should split four ways, take the third. You can find Reeve there.”

 

Yuffie nodded before eyeing him skeptically. “How do you know so much about the air ducts in this place anyway?” she asked as she pulled up a chair and stood on it, reaching up to remove the grate from the air duct.

 

A disgusted expression crossed the pilot's face, but it wasn't directed at Yuffie. “Fuckin' ShinRa made my work on `em back when I did maintenance.” He mumbled something else underneath his breath, but no one could quite catch it.

 

“Oh.” And with that, Yuffie hopped up into the vents, Nanaki following closely behind.

 

The two men helped to reattach the grate once they were inside, and after they were gone, the blond turned to Vincent. He saw relief and gratitude in the gunman's face, even though Cid hadn't exactly done anything.

 

“Barret is more than likely still in lock down. He should be in his cell,” the pilot said, looking into the blank face of the gunman. “Think you can do it?”

 

Vincent sighed. “Gift or curse, I cannot say, but the shadows will be my allies. The only problem will be getting the dolt back out. He isn't exactly well known for his tact and stealth skills.”

 

Cid laughed softly. “True enough.” His face darkened then, taking on a more solemn approach. Sky blue eyes raked over the laboratory before settling on his new friend once more. “Are you all right?”

 

The gunman grimaced. “I honestly can't say,” he responded, golden and clawed fingers flexing at his side. He shook his head, changing the subject. “We haven't much time; we need to get going.”

 

Cid searched his face before nodding, and the two headed for the door. The pilot reached for his spear as he left first, Vincent placing a cautionary hand on his gun. The door to Laboratory 05 opened, and the pair stepped out into a mostly empty hallway, save for the two sleeping guards.

 

It was here that they parted ways, Cid to the right and Vincent to the left. If they listened closely, they could hear the sounds of their friends scrambling in the air ducts above them.

 

- - - - - -

 

“Alright, traitor. It's time.” The gruff voice of his guard woke the ex-executive from his short nap. He looked around blearily, noticing that three ShinRa soldiers stood in front of his tiny metal cot.

 

“Huh?” he muttered, struggling to sit up as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. His entire body ached from the hardy cot, and he had a crick in his neck. No one had given him any information on what was going on, despite Archer's attempts to get through.

 

The soldier in the middle, obviously the one in charge with the bright red uniform laughed mockingly. “Doncha remember? Today's your execution.”

 

Reeve sat up straight, completely awake. He felt his breath still in his throat. Execution? When had they decided he was to be executed? What about his friends; were they to be executed as well?

 

They gave him no more time to ponder on this, however, quickly grabbing his arms and roughly pulling him off the bed, shoving his arms behind his back. As the cuffs clinked shut, Reeve's brain snapped into action.

 

“Wait. I don't remember anything about an execution.”

 

The man in the middle sneered. “New orders from the President. ShinRa don't take kindly to traitors. Now get going!” He harshly shoved Reeve in the back, pushing him towards the open door.

 

The ex-executive stumbled forward and out the door. He could hear the three soldiers behind him. Outside, another two soldiers were waiting, his escort to the execution. He paused out in the hallway, wondering if there was anyway he could escape from the five guards.

 

There was another violent shove in the back, and Reeve shook his head in disgust. Not a chance. Without his knives, he may as well have been helpless. He followed the two soldiers in front of him, grimly accepting his fate. A single thought ran through his mind as they led him to his death.

 

`Reno…'

 

- - -

 

Barret paced back and forth in his cell, unable to do much else. He was really starting to get pissed off. Seven days of this lonely monotony. He had not heard anything about his other friends, Tifa had betrayed them, and Cloud could either be dead or alive; no one really knew. He hadn't had any company for the past few days except for the damned mocking guards, and now, he was hearing vague rumors through the door that he did not even want to contemplate.

 

“Damn!” he cursed angrily, throwing himself down on the bed, not that he could sleep anymore. He had had enough of that. “I can't take this shit anymore.” His stomach grumbled hungrily, agreeing with him.

 

After a moment, he shoved up from the bed, feeling incredible restless. “Hey!” he yelled, beating his fist on the door to the cell. “Where's my fuckin' meal?”

 

A small panel slid open, and a pair of eyes looked at him from behind a familiar ShinRa helmet. “Stop griping. You are a prisoner in case you've forgotten,” the officer answered, the one that stood guard over his cell.

 

“I'm @#$% hungry!” Barret insisted.

 

The guard laughed. “That won't be much of a problem soon. Once they are finished with the other, it's your turn.” He slid the panel shut, but Barret could still hear the laughter through the door.

 

“Hey! What the &*!@#$ hell do you mean?” Barret demanded, pounding on the door again.

 

All he could hear was more laughter. It pissed him off. He struck the door angrily with his fist, not even making a dent as he stomped over to his bed and plopped down. The thick mattress creaked angrily in protest beneath him.

 

“Fuckin' assholes,” he muttered as he tried to understand the soldier's vague words.

 

Tch! Cloud was the strategist, not him. What in the hell was he to do?

 

“You just wait till I get my ammo back! You'll see what's &*!@#$% funny then!” the gun-armed man vowed loudly, bellowing at the door.

 

The sound of upraised laughter was the only response he got. Barret shook his head in disgust, but then, there came the sound of a silenced pistol followed by two heavy thumps. His eyes widened.

 

What the hell was going on?

 

He climbed to his feet quickly and listened intently at the door, but he couldn't hear anything. Suddenly, there was the scratching of a key in the lock. He stood on the opposite of the door, ready to strike at whatever was coming in, determined to get the fuck out of this place if it killed him.

 

The door swayed open quickly, and a man stepped inside. Barret growled as he swung, but the man was too quick. There was a flash of red as the intruder ducked and rolled away, avoiding his wild strike.

 

“Idiot!” Vincent yelled as he rolled to his feet, cloak swirling around him. “Maybe I ought to leave you to rot!”

 

Barret looked at him with a stupid expression on his face, unable to process what was happening. “Vampy?”

 

Scarlet eyes narrowed as the former Turk growled, tossing the other man the energy packet for his Microlaser. “Don't call me that,” he snarled coolly, inwardly irritated that he had to be the one to rescue the idiot.

 

“Whatever.” Barret snorted, waving a hand of dismissal as he caught the packet easily. “How the hell did you get out?”

 

“Long story,” Vincent muttered, heading for the door. He peeked out, trying to determine if there was anyone coming, but the corridors were empty. “We have to get out of here and meet Cid at the airstrip.”

 

Barret grunted wordlessly, still somewhat miffed that it had been Vampy to rescue him. He would have preferred to save himself.

 

“What about the others?” he questioned, hurriedly fixing his weapon. He grinned when he felt the surge of power run through his Microlaser and flexed his muscles.

 

Vincent sighed and rolled his eyes, though the motion was hidden behind the high collar of his cloak. “Nanaki and Cid have gone to find the airship. Yuffie is on her way to retrieve Reeve. I still know nothing of Cloud.”

 

“And Tifa?”

 

“Who the hell cares about her?” the gunman snapped, red eyes flashing. He reloaded and cocked his gun, preparing to go back out into the hallway. “Are you coming or not?” he asked impatiently.

 

Barret sniffed. “Yeah, I'm fuckin' coming. Never woulda guessed that it would be you saving me though.”

 

“Believe me. It wasn't my choice,” Vincent muttered in response. He peeked out the door again as Barret dragged the bodies of the two soldiers inside the cell, making a horrible racket. Apparently, no one had noticed the commotion.

 

They slipped out of the cell that had once held Barret and locked it behind them. Vincent took the lead, knowing the way out. He hoped that he could get the AVALANCHE leader to the others without any problems.

 

However, his hope disappeared a few moments later. There was the piercing whine of an alarm accompanied by flashing red and orange lights. It made his stomach flip flop.

 

Junon was going on full alert.

 

“What the hell?” Barret demanded.

Vincent shook his head. “Either they have discovered we are missing…” His eyes narrowed menacingly. “…Or something else is happening. Regardless, we have to get out of here.”

 

- - -

 

Yuffie crawled tiredly through the ducts, her elbows and knees threatening to give out on her. It wasn't easy to climb straight uphill along the smooth surfaces of the ducts, but the little ninja had managed. Luckily, she had found a room filled with weapons earlier. She had decided then that she had best get Reeve something and had found a whole stock of throwing knives; they were perfect for the ex-executive. She had pocketed them before climbing back up in the ducts.

 

Now, she was looking down into the small room that served as the viewing area. A strong metal door was against the far wall, the entrance to the gas chamber. There were few people in the room: Scarlet, Tifa, a news crew, and three or four ShinRa soldiers. She couldn't see Reeve anywhere, but the light was on over the gas chamber door.

 

Damn! They had started early. They weren't supposed to gas him for another twenty minutes according to one of the guards the she had overheard. The Wutaiian groaned, hoping that she still wasn't too late.

 

Kicking viciously at the grate covering the air duct, Yuffie worked to get out, readying her Hawkeye. The grating fell with a loud clatter as she nimbly dropped down. A group of surprised people stared at her, and she quickly threw the Hawkeye, knocking out the ShinRa soldiers in seconds.

”How the hell did you escape your room,” Scarlet screamed as she and Tifa advanced on the ninja. Her pale face flushed red with fury.

”Where is Reeve?” Yuffie countered as she quickly caught the Hawkeye on its return flight.

 

“You are too late.” Tifa smirked. “Even now, he is slowly choking to death on poisonous gas.” She shifted smoothly into her fighting position, brown eyes mocking Yuffie as her hip cocked to the side.

 

Yuffie raised her Hawkeye threateningly, narrowing her own eyes in fury. “Let him out! Or I'll take great pleasure in hurting you.”

 

Scarlet opened her mouth to respond but was startled by the sound of alarms going off. There was a whirl of bright orange and red lights.

 

“Weapon is attacking,” she breathed, rather horrified, glancing up at the flashing alarms. That was her first and last mistake as the ninja used the opportunity to strike, hitting the blonde across the face and knocking her unconscious.

 

“Stupid bitch!” Tifa screamed as she attacked. Yuffie ducked and rolled, avoiding the girl's powerful fists.

 

Yuffie quickly performed a move that Tifa could not have been prepared for. Within moments, the traitor had joined Scarlet on the floor, now unconscious.

 

`Hehe! Wutai sleep gas sure worked wonders,' the little ninja thought to herself as she quickly stepped on Tifa and ran towards the gas chamber, jumping up to catch onto the ledge that would allow her to see inside. She could see Reeve, and he was all right. Somehow, he had gotten free of his bonds and turned off the gas. He was now looking around, completely confused, and she beat on the glass to grab his attention.

 

“Get me out of here!” he yelled, coming up to the window. A few coughs accompanied the shout. It seemed that he had inhaled some of the gas.

 

Yuffie nodded and jumped down, reaching for the handle. It didn't want to budge.

 

“I can't move it,” she announced sorrowfully.

“Look for a latch or something,” Reeve responded, his voice muffled from his thick sleeve.

 

She nodded again, chewing on her bottom lip in frustration. “It may be controlled from another room. I'll be right back.”

 

“Hurry.” The word was followed by several more coughs, all dry and hacking.

 

Yuffie rushed across the room, heading straight for the exit. It burst open, and she dashed outside. However, she paused, wondering which direction to head, and the door suddenly slammed shut behind her with a defining click.

 

“What?” the ninja turned and reached for the knob, finding it locked tight.

 

Tifa cackled loudly from the other side, having fought off the effects of the sleeping gas. Yuffie groaned, realizing she had probably used too light of a dose.

 

“You're too late!”

 

Yuffie growled and stomped her feet. She would have to find another way into the room. Glancing up, she spotted another air duct and smiled. It was a tried and true method at least.

 

- - -

Reeve hoped that Yuffie would be able to find a way to get him out. His head was still light-headed from the little bit of gas that he had breathed in. Thank goodness the clumsy guard had dropped the key to his bonds nearby when he had left the room. Otherwise, Reeve would be dead by now.

 

He coughed as his eyes searched the room again. Perhaps there was a lever on the inside?

 

Suddenly, something struck the gas chamber, sending it into such a violent tremble that he fell to the ground, unable to stand on shaky limbs. He closed his eyes as he covered his head until the shuddering ceased. Bright light shone on his eyelids, and he felt and scented a breath of fresh air. Reeve opened his amber eyes and saw that a large portion of the outer wall was now missing, a very large portion. He dared one last look out the window of the door but didn't see Yuffie anywhere. He would take his chances with the gaping hole.

 

Reeve grasped hold of the walls as he climbed out, wishing that he had his knives at the moment. He felt unprotected without a weapon of any sort. Still, he shook off the feeling, scaling down the front of the building with the wind threatening to tear him from the walls. Above him, he heard the startled shouts of Tifa and the guards. He briefly wondered what had happened to that bitch Scarlet, but at the moment, he didn't particularly care. They started climbing down after him, forcing him to go faster.

 

His breath rattled through his lungs, burning as it went.

 

He reached for the next handhold and suddenly lost his grip. Reeve slid down, landing with gracelessly on the enormous gun ShinRa had attached to the front of Junon, the Sister Ray. There was nowhere to go but out as Tifa and the soldiers followed in his footsteps, so he pushed himself up and clambered to his feet, running along the length of the gun, seeing no other options.

 

“Stop right there!” Tifa ordered, but there was no way in hell he was going to listen.

 

Reeve put on a burst of speed, expensive shoes slapping against the metal of the gun and threatening to lose traction. He could still hear the alarms going off all around Junon and briefly wondered what had caused the hole in the wall of the gas chamber. Yet, all the while, his lungs felt as though they were on fire. Even that little bit of gas seemed to be far too much.

 

“Shit!” Reeve cursed aloud as he skidded to a stop, gasping for air. He had run out of cannon. He whirled around to face Tifa as she halted behind him, smirking at his plight.

 

“You can run, but you can't ever escape ShinRa,” she taunted, balling up her fist. “You should have realized that the first time you tried to get away from us.”

 

Reeve shook his head in disgust, frowning at the brunette. The wind whipped fiercely around them, the smell of salt on the air from the ocean and the dark smoke of fires following in its wake.

 

“How could you… do that… to your friends, Tifa?” he wheezed out between haggard breaths. “Those that… trusted you? Even I… never sank as low as that… to attempt to murder them.” He clutched a hand to his aching chest.

 

Tifa's eyes sparkled with mirth as she cracked her knuckles. “Cloud always was such a naïve little thing, wasn't he? He believed you, after all.”

 

Reeve's gaze danced around wildly. He needed a way out. Tifa had her metal gloves and materia, while he not only had nothing to fight with but was unable to breathe. She was powerful. and there was no way he could beat her with the available resources. But wait… he saw something behind the brunette.

Smiling sardonically, the ex-executive tried to stall for time. “But Cloud… he cared for you.”

 

Tifa snarled. “Don't give me that bullshit. He'd been in love with that prissy flower-girl from day one. Besides, I am after power, and Rufus can supply that. Cloud was a weakling ex-SOLDIER, one who would never amount to anything.”

 

“You speak… as if you know… he is dead.”

 

Tifa shrugged, her eyes flashing. “Who really cares, after all? No one can save you now,” she hissed as she leapt at Reeve, intending to beat the pulp out of him.

 

He twisted his body desperately, trying to avoid her Haste-enhanced attacks. She managed to strike him in the shoulder, and he heard something crack.

 

“Damn!” he cursed aloud, grabbing his arm and then his chest once more. It felt like he had been struck with a heavy iron or something equally painful.

 

Tifa smirked again as she dropped to her knees and swept out with her feet, kicking his own out from under him. He toppled to the ground, landing hard on his injured shoulder. Lights danced in front of his eyes from the pain, and all the air he had managed to acquire was forced from his damaged lungs. It now felt as though hot knives were stabbing him in the chest.

 

Tifa towered over him and kicked him viciously in the ribs, only making it that much harder to find air. He curled up in a ball to protect himself. Blinking bleary eyes, Reeve couldn't help but smile. No one could save him now, eh?

 

“What are you smiling about?” Tifa demanded, glaring down at him.

 

Reeve coughed, hearing what sounded like blood in his lungs. “You… really should… learn to… duck,” he muttered.

She looked at him in confusion, cocking her head to the side. “What?”

 

Seconds later, she was pummeled as a young ninja tackled her from behind. They crashed down, kicking, punching, and pulling hair. Tifa screamed as she was scratched across the face with Yuffie's incredibly sharp nails. The ninja was yelling obscenities at the brunette, among other things.

Reeve struggled to his feet, only making it to his knees before his vision blackened and pain lanced through his chest. He started to fall forward but managed to catch himself with an outstretched hand. He glanced upward, gazing at the fight carefully. Luckily, it appeared that Yuffie was winning.

 

The wind around them kicked up even more violently when he heard the sound of an airship or helicopter. Turning on his knees, Reeve found the Highwind hovering just a few feet away from the end of the cannon. Barret and Nanaki were on the deck.

 

“Grab the rope!” Barret hollered as he tossed the twisted coil over the side.

 

Reeve staggered to his feet, managing to ignore most of the pain in his body as he ran towards Yuffie, who was sitting on top of Tifa's stomach. He viciously punched the traitor in the face and yanked on the ninja's arms, dragging her towards the end of the cannon.

 

“We'll… have to… jump it,” he yelled in her ear, over the sound of the airship.

 

“No problem.” Yuffie grinned. She took a few steps back then ran forward, leaping grandly for the flailing rope. She caught it easily as she began to climb.

 

Reeve dared a look behind them and saw a bloody but still very much conscious Tifa rising to her feet. She angrily wiped blood from her chin.

 

Not wanting to see what else she would do, Reeve decided to make a jump for it as well. He got a running start, moving as quickly as his battered lungs would allow and leaping high when he reached the edge of the cannon. His shoulder burned as he reached for the rope, narrowly catching it. His injured joint screamed with the agony, but he forced himself to hold on. There was no way he was going to be able to climb it.

 

The ex-executive looked down at a furious Tifa as the airship moved slowly away.

 

They had escaped from ShinRa's clutches.

 

But what the hell had happened to Cloud?

 

- - - - -

 

Review, please. Thanks for reading.