The room was silent, save for the buzz of the dim fluorescent lighting and the soft hiss of the mako as it rapidly dried and evaporated into a fluorescent green gas. This wasn't the first time that he'd just suddenly found himself somewhere else. In fact, if he really stopped to think about it, this had been happening with disturbing regularity recently. But, if there was one thing that he'd learned from his "dream" with Aerith, wherever the hell she was, it was best to just play these things out to the end. Treat it like it was real until proven otherwise.
With that in mind, Cloud's mako enhanced gaze shifted from Zack's as he scanned the room once again. Bookcases stuffed with old research notes and covered in a fine layer of dust. A stainless steel surgical table at the center of the room; his nose wrinkled slightly as took note of the leather straps for restraining a patient. A set of heavy steel double doors, corroded slightly but almost certainly locked if the card reader affixed to one wall was anything to go by. A security camera in one corner, silently focused on him. Man, he was really beginning to regret that Sonic Boom earlier. And, of course, Zack suspended in a tube full of Mako.
The stare of that camera was beginning to burn a hole in his back as he made his way over to the tank that held Zack. He didn't try speaking, Zack probably wouldn't have been able to hear him anyway even with a SOLDIER's enhanced senses. He gave a "move back" gesture, as if Zack had anywhere to go, before half-handing his sword in a very pointed way that hopefully gave Zack some idea of what was about to happen. The materia in the weapon's hilt ignited with a flash of amethyst, strength surged through his arms, and with a single hammer-like swing, Cloud smashed the pommel of his sword through the glass of the tank.
Mako began to spill out rapidly, re-soaking his boots and trousers and causing his eyes to water as neon-green fumes once again filled the air. Another swing. This time he took the door fully off its hinges and had to quickly plant his sword in the stonework to catch Zack as he tumbled out of the pod.
"You alright?" Cloud asked nonchalantly as his eyes drifted back to the door. For a pair of SOLDIERs it wouldn't be a problem. However, the sound of footsteps racing above them, that might be an issue.
"Been better." Zack managed to eventually choke out as he too purged the mako from his lungs in a series of sputtering coughs. He steadied himself and gave Cloud an appreciative clap on the shoulder before standing on his own two feet. "Any idea what's going on?"
"Nope." Cloud deadpanned as he made his way over to the double doors. He once again planted his blade in the stonework, a feat of physical strength that caused Zack to raise an eyebrow. He adjusted his stance as he anchored himself in place. "Close your eyes."
Zack was about to ask 'why' when a familiar glint of amber in the hilt of Cloud's sword answered the question for him. Another thunderous blast of wind erupted from Cloud's hand, causing the doors to buckle and groan before peeling outward entirely to reveal a hallway leading deeper into the facility. Debris showered the pair from the blowback, and their ears were ringing slightly, but that was a price they were both willing to pay for a small modicum of freedom.
"Think you could wait until we're outside before you do that again?"
Cloud's lip twitched upward in an expression that could almost be called a smile. "No promises."
Zack was about to say something before he was cut off.
"Security Breach! It's the professor's samples!" The statement was followed by a hollow clink as a flashbang struck the ground in front of them.
Zack was fast. Inhumanly so. All SOLDIERs were, but it was easy to forget just how much of a gap there was between Second and First-Class. No sooner had the grenade landed that Zack was dead on top of it, kicking it back into the group of troopers with enough force and accuracy to fully knock out the guard who was unlucky enough to be struck by it. The others fared little better as after a few seconds the flashbang detonated with a series of percussive bangs punctuated by blinding flashes.
Another roar of wind, this time directed into the laboratory they had just come out of. Zack winced and idly wondered if the ringing in his ears would ever go away.
Riding the blowback from his spell, Cloud shot into the group of troopers like a rocket. As his foot touched down, he could begin to feel the leather heating up from the friction. He planted his other leg, letting the momentum transfer through his body, and adding to it as he mowed down three men in a single vicious swing.
His clothes were once again soaked, this time with hot gore. It was unsettling how little the carnage affected him. How common this had become. Three men dead in an instant, three souls that would never see their loved ones again. But after the dozens, no, hundreds, of Shinra troopers that he'd cut down, he felt little more than the impact of his blade as he neatly cleaved their bodies in half.
Cloud didn't have time to wax philosophical as a hail of gunfire erupted from the next room over. Shit. They were completely exposed here. If they didn't move fast, they were going to get boxed in. They may have been up against grunts, but a bullet to the head would kill them just as quickly as it would anyone else. And with enough lead in the air, one of those troopers was bound to get a lucky shot off and that would be it.
"Zack!" Cloud yelled as he kicked a pair of rifles that had fallen to the floor back to the other SOLDIER. "Suppressing fire! Get these fuckers off of me!" He swept the flat of the blade in front of him, batting aside the bullets that he couldn't evade entirely, all the while rushing forward erratically, trying to make it as hard as possible for the troopers to draw a bead on him.
Zack dropped to a knee as he took hold of both rifles. Though he wouldn't be winning any marksmen competitions firing a pair of assault rifles from the hip, he could substitute accuracy with enthusiasm. It was a target-rich environment. If he mag dumped the hallway, he'd hit something.
"Down!" Zack called.
Cloud dropped to a low stance, still not breaking his charge as he more or less clawed himself forward, using his free arm to stabilize himself as he dragged the greatsword behind him.
The rapid snap of automatic fire erupted from Zack's position, the report of the shots thudding dully through his chest, his arms shaking only slightly as he fought the recoil of the rifles with his SOLDIER-enhanced strength.
The troopers, thinking that their targets were unarmed, hadn't bothered with any form of cover. The first man was riddled with bullets, crimson blossoming from multiple wounds as he tumbled backwards, most likely dead before he hit the floor. The second was clipped in the leg, howling in pain as he fell through the stream of fire and hit the ground. A few froze when they realized that the test subjects were returning fire, it was a mistake that cost them their lives. The last of the group threw themselves back into cover on either side of the hallway.
Just in time for Cloud to round the corner on them.
His blade skipped across the ground, leaving a trail of sparks as he beheaded the man that Zack had left wounded on the ground. Then he pivoted, transitioning into a lethal arc that scythed down a pair of troopers with such ferocity that their bisected remains were flung across the hallway toward their comrades who were still taking cover from Zack's barrage. Screams of fear. A burst of gunfire. Useless. He swatted the bullets out of the air with the same swing that dropped another trooper. Only three left. Clustered together nice and neat. The Sonic Boom went off again. All things considered it was probably the cleanest way to die. All the damage was internal, save for the blood now pouring from their ears and mouths - a shockwave strong enough to break bones, and pulp organs. Their bodies slammed into the opposing wall, marking the end of the brief skirmish with a wet thud.
"Clear!" Cloud shouted around the corner. At the same time, he knelt down and began to divest the lower half of a trooper of the wooden baton they all carried. The soft hum of machinery drew his attention. An elevator. There was no indication of what floor it was currently on, but he could hazard a guess as to where it was headed.
Zack skidded to a stop, seeing what Cloud was doing, and mimicked his actions, kicking up another assault rifle into his hands. He held up a free hand. Cloud tossed him the baton. That standard issue truncheon was far from his melee weapon of choice, but it was better than his fists, if only marginally. "Sit rep."
"Elevator." Cloud clipped back. "Need to get outta here before the 3-Cs show up." Shinra standard operating procedure: delay with sheer volume until the SOLDIERS rolled in. And while he and Zack could probably cut down a few dozen 3-Cs or a handful of 2-Cs, again, it only took one lucky shot. When the materia came out, and the battlefield began to get hammered with great swaths of flame or bolts of lightning, the skill gap between a First-Class and the rest got equalized pretty quickly.
Speaking of, Cloud took a moment to de-socket the Fire and Ice materia from his blade before tossing it to Zack as well. At this point, anything that increased his options for attack was a good thing.
The elevator arrived. The doors weren't even fully open before Zack began to hose it down with automatic fire. There were a few screams of surprise. A few errant shots as the troopers blindly returned fire, not even fully aware of their attacker's position before they were riddled with bullets and crumpled to the ground dead or dying.
It was a short fight. Quick and bloody, just how Cloud liked it. As he made his way into the elevator he was forced to whip to one side as a trooper who wasn't quite dead unloaded a burst into him. At that range, even he didn't have the reflexes to block it, and could only barely dodge a lethal shot. He roared, a feral sound that was a mixture of pain and fury as the first bullet caught him in the ribs and the second hammered through his shoulder. The worst part about being shot wasn't even the bullet wound really. The through and through of his shoulder hurt substantially less than the searing piece of lead that was currently embedded in his torso. He flipped his sword to his off-hand and rammed the blade through the trooper's head, striking the man hard enough that the weapon came out the other side and lodged in the wall of the elevator. Cloud didn't really have time to think. He grabbed a rifle from the ground with his one usable arm and began the grim task of double tapping bodies in an attempt to avoid a repeat of what just happened.
Zack rushed to his side, sparing a glance at the spreading crimson that was beginning to leak through Cloud's sweater as well as the chunk that had been taken out of his shoulder. "You ok?"
Cloud tossed the spent rifle to the ground and wrenched his sword free from the wall with a grunt. "Had worse. Bullet's still inside though. Gonna have to dig it out later." His grip tightened on the weapon and he hissed as the golden light of the Chakra materia once again went to work, rapidly mending his damaged flesh.
Zack let out a dry laugh. "Since when did you become such a badass?"
Cloud just smirked back at him. "Always have been."
That drew a more genuine laugh out of Zack as he hit the button for the top floor. Neither of them knew exactly where it would spit them out, but anywhere was better than here.
"They're gonna be waiting for us."
Cloud nodded, eyes drifting upward to the service hatch in the roof of the elevator. "Follow my lead, I have an idea."
The air of the lobby was filled with the rhythmic metallic clack of charging handles being drawn back and safeties being clicked off as troopers went weapons free. Their focus was singular. No fewer than fifty barrels, an entire company's worth of firepower, was directed at the elevator doors. Behind them were a trio of 2-Cs. Two of them were preparing to cast spells. The flames danced blue-white in the palms of their hands, the temperature so hot that the escapees would be little more than ash and charcoal when fires finally died out. The last stood at the ready with a massive singled-edged broadsword. The same sword, in fact, used to belong to one of the escapees.
"Steady." He ordered the others. "The second the elevator arrives, open fire, don't wait for the doors to open."
"Yes sir!" One of the troopers shouted back.
"As soon as you get a shot, light these fuckers up."
The other SOLDIERs nodded. They had the numbers advantage, but even they were smart enough to be wary of a 1-C.
The commander held up a hand. "Hold. Hold." His heightened senses told him the moment that the elevator had arrived. "Fire!"
The troopers didn't hesitate. The chattering bark of automatic fire filled the air as the elevator doors slowly rolled open. Bullets hammered through the steel and the corpses as the guards emptied their magazines into the narrow space.
As soon as the doors were open wide enough, a pair of fireballs launched into the opening, detonating with an intense blast of heat and a howling roar of flame that echoed through the whole manor.
Slowly the gunfire petered out as the troopers were forced to reload.
For a moment, everything as silent.
Now.
The still glowing access hatch in the elevator's ceiling was cut loose, revealing half melted ice on the opposing side that Zack and Cloud had used as a buffer between them and the intense heat of the flames.
A flash of white from the dark space above the access hatch. A crude structure of ice came into existence. Cloud slid down the makeshift ramp, taking care not to contact the still red-hot surfaces of the elevator.
"Shit! Fire at will!"
The soldiers scrambled to reload their weapons.
Cloud touched down in the lobby.
The 2-Cs rushed forward to intercept him.
Zack tumbled out after him, a ball of blue white flame coalesced in his hand.
"Get down!" Somebody screamed. The troopers broke ranks in panic as Zack flung the glowing orb into the room.
There wasn't an explosion. Fire materia didn't work like that. The spell detonated with very little pressure at all. However, the heat that it produced was several orders of magnitude higher than that of a conventional explosive device. The moment the bead of flame touched the ground it was like a camera flash went off. Everything that the light touched, burned. The snapshot of the retreating group of troopers lingered in Zack's mind. At one moment, they were men. The next, they were charred skeletons and ash in the wind.
The 2-Cs fared little better. The ones who had been charging Cloud were far enough away that they hadn't immediately perished. No, they only wished that they were dead. Great burns marred their flesh almost fusing their digits in some places, melting their bodies as if they were candle wax. Just existing at this point was agony, to say nothing of trying to stand and continue fighting.
The last of them, the commander, had been able to take some amount of cover behind the wide blade of his sword, but now he was outnumbered and outmatched as both Cloud and Zack descended on him.
Cloud slammed his blade against the buster sword with a thunderous crash, causing the 2-C to stagger off balance. Zack slid into his blindspot and brought the truncheon down against his ribs, breaking both it and the man's rib cage in a single blow. A choking gasp of pain. It was cut short by a vicious pommel strike from Cloud, cracking the man's jaw. A right hook from Zack to the injured ribs. A snap kick to the inside of his knee from Cloud. A left cross from Zack. The 2-C crumpled to the ground under the onslaught. His sword, Zack's sword, was wrenched free from his hand by its former owner. The tip of Cloud's blade neatly clipped his neck in a shower of blood.
It was over.
The whole exchange took less than a couple of seconds to play out. Zack couldn't help the satisfied smirk that crossed his face as his old blade was finally back in his hands. The familiar weight was comforting, and though they didn't really have the time to spare, he held the blade in a familiar salute, willing his heart rate to return to normal.
Cloud considered chastising him, but thought better of it. They could afford the small distraction as a token of their victory. He quickly began to search through the SOLIDER's personal effects. Fire materia. Mastered. High quality stuff. One for Zack and one to sell. They'd need money if they were going to travel. A pair of swords that were more or less slag at this point. A bit of gil; pocket change really, and also melted beyond recognition. Field rations. The tins they were in were lightly charred, but the contents might have been good enough to keep them going for a little while. The remnants of some mega potions, but the heat of the blast had shattered them. Any luck for a boot knife or some kind of sidearm?
The SOLDIER began to struggle as Cloud rifled through the gear on his person.
"Your shit or your life. Choose."
The man stopped moving and allowed Cloud to continue his looting.
A small knife strapped to the man's thigh. There we go. He grimaced at the thought of using the weapon to dig the bullet out of his chest later on, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
"Cloud. We gotta move."
Cloud nodded, tossing him one of the orbs of Fire materia in exchange for his loaned Fire and Ice which he neatly socketed into the hilt of his saber. "Follow me. I know the area. We can lose 'em in the mountains."
Zack raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"I would've just stolen a bike and been done with it."
Cloud shook his head. "They'd catch us too quick. One Shinra bike is just as fast as any other. Anyone else with a bike could catch up to us. A pair of 1-Cs running cross-country though? No chance."
Zack's brow furrowed at that. A pair of 1-C's? What the hell was Cloud talking about?
More shouting from outside the manor. Another wave was coming. No time to press the issue now.
"Alright. I'm with you." He slotted the Fire materia into his sword before clipping the buster to his back. "We fighting or…?"
"Close your eyes." Cloud said as he planted his sword and held out a hand toward the far wall.
"Oh c'mon, I just got my hearing ba-"
The Sonic Boom went off, punching a hole clean through the wall in a shower of plaster and dry timber.
Zack glowered at Cloud.
"Not sorry." Cloud deadpanned, though he was fighting against the shit eating grin that threatened to split his face.
"Alright Mr. First-Class. Lead the way."
And with that, the pair vaulted the wrought iron fence surrounding the manor and were lost in the wilds of Mt. Nibel.