The train pulled into the station releasing white steam as its engine settled. Cloud and Tifa quickly set off to the locomotive ready to begin the assault on Mako Reactor No.1.
“Did you have a good sleep?” Tifa asked.
“Next to you, who wouldn’t,” Cloud replied with a smirk.
She was puzzled by his remark, “What’s that supposed mean?”
“Hey, Tifa over here,” a voice yelled.
Jessie was standing on the steps leading to an entrance of the train car. She waved her hands to get the couples attention.
“What took you?” Jessie asked as the two approached, “Everybody has already boarded.”
“Sorry,” Tifa apologized, “It was a long night.”
Jessie dispensed her a plastic card, “This is your ID card.”
“But I’m not going,” Tifa replied.
Jessie’s face twisted in shock, “What,” she blurred out, “We’ve been planning this job for months, and now--”
Tifa cut off her frantic cohort, “Didn’t Barret tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“Cloud will be going in my place”
“Who’s he?”
Tifa introduced Jessie to Cloud.
“But why?” Jessie asked, “It’s such short notice.”
“He’s a good friend, and formerly in SOLDIER. He’ll be a great asset to our team,” she explained.
“SOLDIER?” Jessie responded, “Aren’t they the enemy.”
“He’s an ex-SOLDIER,” she said, “We can trust him.”
Jessie threw her hands in the air, “Okay, whatever,” she seized the ID card from Tifa and presented it to Cloud, “C’mon let’s board. The train’s about to depart to Sector 1.”
Before he entered the train car Tifa held Cloud back, “Here take these Materia’s,” she said supplying him with two green orbs. “They’re Ice and Lightening. I’m sure your magic skills will come in handy. One can’t rely on brute strength all the time.”
“Thanks,” Cloud said expressing his gratitude, “I appreciate it.”
“I also wanted to get a Cure Materia, but it was too expensive,” she said.
With a cocky smile, Cloud replied, “I’m sure I wouldn’t have needed it, anyway.”
Tifa admired his confidence, and couldn’t help but to warmly smile back as the train left the station with him aboard. For some reason, she wasn’t fretful for Cloud safety.
“You’ve grown strong,” she said to herself, “Just come back to me.” Folding her slender hands together and shutting her glimmering amber eyes, she sighed, “Just don’t leave me again.”
“Excuse me,” Jessie said as she plowed through the masses of people aboard the moving passenger train. She explained to Cloud that the rest of their party had positioned themselves in the engine room.
More commuters were on hand than she previously expected. Jessie had become restless as their many eyes seemed to scrutinize her as she passed by them. With so many witnesses, Jessie feared they would get suspicious of them. She hung her head low, swaying it from left to right so the strangers before her would not be able to make a positive picture of her face. Jessie realized that she might have been a tad paranoid. She wondered how Cloud was holding up. He, on the other hand, was cool and collective. With his eyes focused onward, never adjusting, as he assertively followed Jessie.
A steel door before them read: Authorized Personnel Only Beyond This Point.
Without an effort, she nudged the door open that had already been ajar. They entered the dark room with hands outstretched as they felt their way through the darkness.
“The train should be entering the security checkpoint right now,” Jessie said
Cloud turned as he heard something stir in the dimness.
“Who’s there?” Cloud austerely asked as his eyes scanned the darkened car.
“Keep it down, ga’dammit,” a voice bluntly said from among the shadows.
Barret emerged from behind a crate
“Barret,” Jessie said, “Where are the others?”
“They’re on the second deck above us,” Barret answered.
Red lights suddenly flashed the interior, and a blaring noise filled the room as the three of them turned in bewilderment.
“Okay everybody,” Jessie yelled over the clatter, “It’s just the checkpoint.”
They remained motionless as their ID’s were scanned. The sirens ceased as well as the red lights.
“We’re clear,” Barret said relieved, “Awright, Lets get set. We’re almost there.”
He climbed a ladder leading up to a shaft.
Smiling to Cloud, she said, “I’m so happy the ID cards I made worked so great.”
She was very pleased of herself. Jessie took her efforts seriously, and put a great amount of passion into her task. If it hadn’t been for her, the current mission would not have taken place. Jessie was an expert computer hacker. She had stumbled into Shinra’s central database on one of her hacking runs. On the database she learned the deciphering codes for the security locks in Mako Reactor No.1. She notified AVALANCHE on her findings, and soon a plan was developed to level the reactor.
Jessie had been jittery about the effectiveness of her fake ID’s. No one had successfully replicated security ID cards, and she feared hers would also fail. But when the checkpoint had come and gone she was elated. A heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders immediately replaced with pride.
Cloud followed her as she trailed Barret up the ladder. It was cramped in the second deck. Cargo boxes littered the room as they all tried to squeeze into the enclosed area.
“Where are Biggs and Wedge,” Jessie asked noticing the two were not in attendance.
“They’re out on top of the engine,” Barret said, “Where we should be if you two weren’t takin’ yer damn time.”
There was an open hatch above them, which lead to the surface of the train. Barret climbed through it first shortly joined by Cloud and Jessie. They held tight to the beams that ran down the roof of the locomotive. The train trembled violently as the strong gust of wind pounded their bodies.
“This is so dangerous,” Jessie commented, “Y’know, riding on top of this train like some kind of bronco.”
Cloud’s eyes began to tear as the smoke from the engine stack stabbed his face.
“What’s the point of doing this?” he yelled over the suffocating racket of the engine.
“The last stop of this train, every passenger is ordered off,” Jessie explained loudly, “The reactor is much further than that. We’ll ride this puppy all the way to the refueling station to avoid any confrontations. The Mako Reactor isn’t too far from the refueling depot.”
The train made it to its last public destination, and, as expected, the passengers were all removed from cars. Again the train was in motion with AVALANCHE riding atop preparing for its attack against Shinra. For them, it felt like an eternity to reach the refueling station. The tension was high amongst them, as adrenaline coursed their bodies’ kindling the eagerness to topple the Shinra Corporation.
In the distance they saw a barricade. This was their signal that the train had reached its final destination. Steam ejected from the engine as the train finally came to a halt. There were two guards dressed in crimson uniforms surveying the area. The fanatics were prepared to take on the security personnel. Biggs nodded to everyone indicating he was going to make a move on those below them. He jumped down in plain sight alerting the two officers.
“Stop right there!” one man said rushing to the intruder. Biggs quickly subdued the officer with a heel kick to the abdomen. The remaining guard drew his assault rifle on him, but was unable to fire a shot as Jessie came crashing down from above. She wrestled the weapon away swiftly whipping him unconscious with the butt of the rifle. The guards were easily taken care of.
Wedge used the ladder to dismount the train. He wasn’t much for jumping from heights. Barret tossed himself to the ground landing on his feet. Cloud followed suit.
The others ran ahead leaving the two behind.
Barret turned to Cloud and ordered, “C’mon newcomer. Follow me.”
He soon ran to regroup with the others, but Cloud didn’t follow right away. He fastened his gaze upward to a towering structure. His jade eyes gleamed bright and intense realizing it was the Mako Reactor that stood before him. He began to open and close his fist to get blood rushing to them.
“There!” a voice yelled, “There’s the intruder.”
Two Shinra Troopers darted towards Cloud. His face was composed and firm as the men rushed in his direction. Cloud drew the Buster Sword on his opponents. The weapon emitted a powerful radiance as he poised himself ready to strike. His muscles were tense as he contracted them tightly. The troopers discontinued their advancement as he swung the massive blade. A red haze flashed instantaneously, and was soon gone. Cloud proceeded to join the rest of his party not bothering to look back at the severed bodies of his victims.
But the mission was far from over. No one knew it yet, but there was more to come. More difficulties than any of them could have anticipated.
