Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Second Life ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

Cloud, Barret, Vincent, Cid and Nanaki ran down the emtpy hallways, ready to dart into a hiding place if any guards popped out any one of the many doors to both left and right of them. So far, there was no one around, and that made Cloud and Vincent very uncomfortable. Cloud paused, and motioned for Cid and Nanaki to go scouting for guards, and they nodded, running off in the opposite direction. Vincent stopped running and looked around. Something was waiting for them... Like if that something knew that they'd come.

"I don't think you should be in here..." A voice said with bitter humor.

The man walked out of the doorway and in the light filled hallway, smirking as he looked from one person to the other. Barret growled loudly, almost unable to control the tepmtation to scatter this small man all over the walls with a couple rounds of bullets. The man, sensing this, laughed to try ad urge Barret on. Barret aimed his gun forward, cursing and swearing at the guy as he sprayed several rounds from his gun-arm. Cloud and the others tried to stop him, but it was like trying to stop a bull on rampage.

"Bastard!" He yelled as he fired. "DIE!!" Barret stopped firing, staring into the doorway, waiting for the dust to clear. He couldn't wait to see the bloody corpse of that asshole.

Cloud shook his head. ""Barret! What the hell was that for?! I thought you---"

Vincent stepped out of the shadows, and started to speak, cutting Cloud off. "Cloud, I was ready to fire myself... That man... Cloud, we're too late..."

Cloud stared at Vincent for a moment. "Too late? What to you mean? The guy said that the opperation would take---"

Vincent raised his hand, silencing Cloud. "Cloud... They must've started early... We should get out of here before..."

Footsteps came pounding down the hall. One of a human, other of a four-legged thing. "GUARDS!" Two voiced yelled as a little flame came into sight bouncing down a dark hall, along with a strange, but small, glowing orb. The closer the footsteps, the clearer it got. The flame belonged on the end of Nanaki's tail, the glowy orb was the lit end of Cid's ciggerette. "GUARDS!!!!" They yelled again, in unison. And, as if on cue, several guards came crashing into the hallway from an intersection that the two just passed through.

"Shit! Nanaki... You do have something useful, don't you?!" Cid begged as they ran with all their might.

Nanaki stopped, skidding a full 360 circle and faced the guards. "Keep running... I think I have something!" Cid kept running like he was told, then the whole hallway lit up from a casting of Fire, then the piercing noise of people screaming as the caught fire. Nanaki turned, grinning a doggish grin and ran off. That should hold them for now...

Cloud heard footsteps behind him. More guards... this wasn't going to turn out well... Barret came in closer, facing another direction. Guards coming from that direction, too. Vincent backed in as well, all three of them were back to back. They were surrounded by Shin-Ra guards, no where to run... They were outnumbered... well outnumbered... Cid and Nanaki came over to them, making a circle, all defending each other's backs as guards came running, firing thier guns, or coming close and swinging swords at them.

"Look out!!" Cloud yelled, swinging his heavy sword at a charging guard, charging right for Cid while he was fending off other one of the many Shin-Ra slaves. Nanaki casted another Fire, and another, feeling his magic growing weaker... This was getting bad... Barret and Vincent fired into the crowd of pawns, knocking down some, making room fore more. Where did they all come from?

"Cloud! There's no end to 'em!" Barret's voice boomed loudly.

"Just die you Shin-Ra loser!" Cid cried, shoving the end of his spear into the man's stomach.

"Get off of me!!" Nanaki snarled, bucking a guard around as he tried to pounce on Nanaki.

"Cloud.... They expected us!" Vincent yelled, reloading his gun.

"JUST KEEP FOCUSED!!!" Cloud commanded, trying to concentrate on the guards in front of them. They were going to make it... they were going to make it....

Seconds felt like minutes... minutes like hours. The number of the guards were going down, but so were the numbers of AVALANCHE's members. Three were down, and only two to defend all of them against what felt to be an army. It was growing hopeless... Cloud tried to raise his sword, but his arms ached, his shoulder felt out of place, and his leg was fractured... The sword hardly lifted off the ground... Vincent, the other one that was still fighting, wacked the guards with the butt of his gun, and slashed out at them with his claws. He had ran out of ammo very quickly, a little too quickly.

Cloud looked down at his useless sword, then back up to see a guard lunge at him, sword in the air, ready to slice him in half. Cloud stood there, almost welcoming it... wanting it. He closed his eyes and waited for that final blow, but it never came. Only a battle-like cry from Vincent, and a agonizing yelp from a guard. Cloud opened his eyes and saw Vincent trying to fend off all the guards by himself, but was losing the battle, and very quickly. Cloud charged forward with all his might, tackling some of the guards, pushing them away from Vincent.

"Men! Cease this nonsense!" !A SOLDIER said from down the hall. Cloud looked up. Where did he come from? "What have we taught you fools!"The guards stopped, and glaring at their enemies. "The best way to attack... is with group force..." The SOLDIER grinned. "Guns ready!" He commanded, "Aim!" The guards raised their guns to their targets: Cloud and Vincent. "FIRE!" He shouted. The guards gleefully obayed. Guns were fired, bullets peirced skin, both men cried out as the attack came with full force from all sides... no escape...