LYDIA DEETZ AND FINAL FANTASY 7
Capítulo 19: The end of first love
There was little time to save the city of Midgar and to make matters worse, they had to go to two very different places: the first, the mako reactor controllers in the basements of Shinra barracks; and the second, Hojo's laboratory at the top of the building.
“Well, we'll split into two groups," Wedge said. “Jesse, Biggs, Barrett, Dyne and Cid are going to stop the reactor overload. Tifa, Cloud, Vincent, Nanaki and I will go to Hojo and stop him.”
The other members of the group protested but Wedge told them to shut up.
“Aerith, Yuffie, Cait Sith and Percy will go to the cells to free Reeve. You Lydia stay at the Highwind and I won't take a no for an answer. If you see that the reactor is about to explode, you're off with the Aerith team," Wedge ordered.
“Aerith," Wedge suddenly said, "I know you have unfinished business with Hojo about Zack and your real parents, but I need you to rescue Reeve because he knows where Marlene and your mother are. Barrett, I know you want to go with Aerith because of Marlene, but you and your group have some knowledge of machinery. The rest of us will go settle up with Hojo.”
“But you have no accounts to settle with Hojo," said Cloud.
“You are mistaken, Hojo, he is responsible for creating Sephiroth, because of him Sephiroth eventually went mad and took away the most precious things from Tifa, Hojo is the real one responsible for making Tifa cry... I will never forgive him for that," said Wedge with an expression that implied to everyone that he would not accept criticism or replies.
“Wedge, thank you, I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. Because of me you got hurt,” Tifa apologized looking at Wedge.
“What are you talking about? If it was your strength that made me reach to Mideel and then get safe out of surgery. In fact, I apologize to you.”
“Why should you apologize?” Tifa asked him with a strange surprise.
“For never having been your knight defender, all I can hope to do is to be your knight avenger," Wedge said, looking Tifa straight in the eyes and then there was a pause.
“Ass.... You turned out to be a good leader! Didn't you say we didn't have time? Mor...” Cid shook his head.
“You're right, captain, well, let's get going, let's get the parachutes and go into Midgar," said Wedge and everyone got ready to jump.
“Promise me you'll take care of yourself Percy," Lydia begged and cuddled him.
“Don't worry, our group's mission is simple compared to Jesse or Tifa's group," Percy reassured her and then kissed Lydia with passion.
“You too, promise you'll take care of yourself," Aerith said to Cloud and then kissed him.
Cloud was surprised and smiled at the girl, nodding his head like a child.
The entire group parachuted into their respective missions.
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Aerith, Yuffie and Cait Sith landed softly, but a soldier of Shinra was already on them.
Yuffie who was the group's warrior enlisted to fight, however, it was not necessary as Percy fell on the soldier.
“I don't need a parachute," said Percy.
“Is he dead?” Aerith asked.
“I needed something to fall on," said Percy loose.
“You like this very much. right, Percy?” Yuffie said smiling with her eyes closed and shaking her head. “Well, so do I.”
“It would be best if we listened to Lydia and didn't kill anyone," said Aerith.
“We have no time to lose, follow me," said Cait Sith suddenly and the group went to the cell area.
The group following Cait Sith was already very close to the cells, when they suddenly met the Turks.
“This time we won't let you pass, especially you, kitten," said the Turks, who apparently decided to gather all their members for this fight.
“This doesn't look good, we're far outnumbered," Aerith said.
“Take it easy Aerith," Percy told her, "remember that Yuffie is a ninja and I'm worth a whole army, and Cait Sith is a robot so he doesn't know the fear or pain factor. You just take care of the healing and everything will be fine.”
The battle began and was fierce, it seemed the Turks had learned the tactics of Lydia and Percy and this made things difficult for the group. However, as Percy said, everything was going well, but when the battle was already over...
“KYIAAA!” Percy shouted loudly in his panther's form, as one of the Turks pierced him with a spear that was apparently poisoned.
“Damn it.... that suit girl was beautiful, with long black hair and ponytails, and it had black eyes, it reminded me of Lydia... It was a second of distraction...” said Percy transformed into cat boy.
“Lean on my idiot," Yuffie said, "and cover yourself for God's sake.”
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Far away from them, Jesse's group was near the valves that controlled the flow of mako energy to the city's reactors.
“I can't believe it, all men are idiots!” Jesse screamed out of her mind as they went towards their goal.
“It's no big deal Jesse,” Biggs tried to calm her down.
“It's no big deal, going into the rough, the beast, isn't it enough?” She said indignantly. “All of Shinra's soldiers heard us for miles around!”
“Look on the bright side," said Barrett.
“What positive side?!” shouted Jesse.
“He means that with all the racket, we set off the alarms and all the guards are here for sure," said Cid, who was upset because he couldn't light his cigar with all the running, "so the other two groups didn't meet up with Shinra's soldiers.
“By the way, that's a very good aim, Dyne'' said Biggs, to change the subject since Jesse was snorting with anger.
“It's true, Dyne, you hit all the guards, without killing them," Barrett said proudly of his friend.
“I promised Lydia I wouldn't kill anyone else," said Dyne, who smiled again to the surprise of others.
The group was approaching the control valves, when they suddenly felt the steps of something large and heavy approaching them.
It was Heidegger and Scarlet who apparently had a new toy.
“What the... is that?” Cid spat out looking at a robotic mass that was intimidating.
Shinra's two executives came out of the robot's control pods and challenged them to defeat them.
“Damn it.... it was you who destroyed Corel," shouted Barrett.
“And the one who caused me to lose my arm," said Dyne.
“Let's get it over with these ass..." said Cid, who had already finished lighting his cigar.
Heidegger and Scarlet, they got into the robot and the fight started.
“Biggs, Jesse!” Cid shouted, "You children stabilize the pressure of the valves, let the adults take care of these valves...”
The two young men went to the valves and began their work, the robot charged them for a moment but the other three giants pissed off the Shinra with their attacks and decided to put an end to those three annoying first.
“Heidegger, Scarlet! In the name of Miss Lydia, in the name of justice, surrender! To be brought before a judge and pay for your crimes," Dyne shouted to them with authority.
The two defeated Shinra after the combat, responded with the robot's self-destruct mechanism, planning to kill their opponents.
“Guys, get out of there!” Jesse yelled at them.
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Unbeknownst to the explosion that was happening in the basements, Tifa's group was approaching Hojo's laboratory. Due to the distraction of Jesse's team, they did not face any guards, but had to destroy a multitude of surveillance robots.
“My sense of smell tells me that Hojo is in front of that door," said Nanaki.
Friends exchanged glances and entered Hojo's lab with determination.
“What do we have here? If it's just the faults," Hojo grumbled, looking at the guys with disgust.
“We're no failures," Cloud replied with hatred.
“Especially you, you don't even have a number," said Hojo without flinching.
“Damn you, you'll pay for Lucrezia's murder," hissed Vincent.
“And for capturing me mad scientist," Nanaki growled.
“Crazy? I'm not a madman! But a father concerned about the survival of his son... my son Sephiroth.”
“Are you Sephiroth's father?” Tifa asked in amazement.
“My son, he doesn't know I'm his father... always despising me. I wonder how he will react when he learns the truth... but it doesn't matter now, the only thing that matters is that I give him the mako energy of the city, so that the barrier that protects him will regenerate...” Said Hojo, but he was silenced by the discharge of Vincent's gun, which pierced his chest.
Hojo put his hands to his chest, incredulous at the thought of being wounded, but then he began to move with spasms and then his body mutated into a monstrous form.
“I think Hojo injected himself with Jenova's genes," Wedge said.
Hojo became a huge abomination and attacked the five comrades.
Vincent became his animal form and the rest of the companions also attacked using his special attacks, in the end, the monster was shot down.
“Tifa, are you hurt?” Wedge asked when he noticed that her friend had a cut on her leg.
“Don't worry, Wedge, I'm fine," replied Tifa but in that moment was pushed by Wedge when he noticed how the monster had mutated and rushed towards Tifa.
“WEDGE, NOOO!”
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At the Highwind, Lydia was nervous about the wait.
“They should be here by now, what's taking them so long!”
“Don't worry, Miss Lydia, they'll be here any minute," one of the crew members reassured her.
The man was right as some members of the group were approaching.
“That's Jesse's group!” Lydia informed the crew and the men brought the ship to the building's helipad.
The three oldest members were injured and helped by Jesse and Biggs.
“The damned Heidegger and Scarlet detonated the self-destruct mechanism of their fuse and almost killed these three," Biggs explained to Lydia, referring to Barrett, Dyne and Cid.
“Miss Lydia, the Wedge group has just arrived at the helipad," one of the crew members told her.
The five friends entered the ship, but Cloud and Vincent had been carrying Wedge who had an ugly wound on the left side of his torso.
“It was my fault, Wedge protected me with his body when Hojo, transformed into a monster, tried to kill me.”
“Don't say that, Tifa," Nanaki told her to comfort her, and then they took Wedge to the infirmary with the other wounded.
Lydia went to the ship's bridge but still no word from Aerith's group.
“Still no word from Aerith?” Cloud asked her nervously and Lydia only shook her head as tears began to show in her eyes.
When Cloud was on his way out of the ship's bridge to look for Aerith, the missing friends entered the building's helipad.
Apparently Percy had been wounded because Cait Sith's cat-golem was carrying him.
“Don't worry Lydia, he was wounded with a poisoned gun, but it's nothing that can't be fixed,” Yuffie reassured her and then they took Percy to the infirmary.
As Cid was in the infirmary, it was Jesse who took the ship away from Shinra's building.
“You rescued Reeve?” Biggs asked.
“Yes, not only to him, but also to the burgomaster of the city," Nanaki told him.
“And where are they?” Biggs asked.
“Reeve went to try to calm the situation in Shinra and with the Turks," Nanaki replied, "I suppose now that Rufus and Shinra's top executives are dead he will take over.”
The mayor of Midgar went to the city to try to control the panic of the people because of the presence of Weapon and the firing of the giant cannon," Aerith told them, "don't worry, Marlene and my mother are safe in Kalm.
“I guess this is the end of Shinra," said Yuffie.
“The evil influence of Shinra will not end until Sephiroth is defeated, but now that the northern crater barrier is gone we can face him," said Cait Sith suddenly to them.
“First we have to wait for our friends to recover," Cloud told them.
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The healing potions healed the friends and they decided to go to the northern crater to see if it was true that the barrier that protected the place had disappeared.
“We have to hurry, the meteor is getting closer and closer," said Tifa and everyone looked up to the sky, the meteor was already three times bigger than the moon and getting closer and closer to the planet.
“I'd like to go to Midgar first and meet Marlene," Barrett told them.
“I'd like to go to the city and meet my daughter too," said Dyne.
“Guys, I'm going to Midgar too, to check on my mother," continued Aerith.
“I understand, anyone who has something to do first can do it," Wedge said sympathetically.
“I want to go see my grandfather and say goodbye to my father," said Nanaki.
“Percy and I are going to see my father and my stepmother," said Lydia, a little frightened, and the cat boy took her by the hand to cheer her up.
“I want to go to Wutai and see my dad," asked Yuffie.
“I'm going to see Lucrezia's grave," said Vincent.
“Well, I'll take you on my ship and after a week I'll return to this point with you inside or not," Cid said to them, "I'd like to go to Cosmo Canyon and say goodbye to that hard-headed Shera as well.”
Cloud approached Tifa and took her aside so that no one would hear him.
“Tifa, I... I'd like to go with Aerith.”
“I know, Cloud, ever since you met her in the church garden, I knew this moment would come.”
“Thank you, Tifa, if it had not been for you I would never have left the lifestream, I would never have accepted the truth of "my memories".”
“It is Aerith who you have to thank, now I know that your meeting was not accidental, in the end she called you from the vital current and you came to her call.”
“Tifa, I will never be able to pay you for taking care of me from the first day we met in Midgar, thank you for everything, thank you for putting up with me," Cloud said and then went to the ship to meet Aerith.
The Highwind was taking off and Tifa began to cry, but at the same time she had enough courage to bid her friends farewell with her arm outstretched and moving it happily.
Apart from Tifa, also Jesse, Biggs, Wedge and Cait Sith stayed. The friends set up a camp and set out to spend the week in the company of their deepest thoughts.
CONTINUARÁ...
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