Edge: Town Square\
Meteor Fall
had forever changed the world. In the
wake of the final battle with Sephiroth, Midgar was destroyed. The Sister Ray, along with the Holy spell,
caused reactors to erupt in a furious display of the planet’s power. The sky glowed, on that day, and the world
shook.
Survivors
from the slums and the plate alike gathered together, and they founded a new
city on the outskirts of the old. Called
Edge, it became a refuge for some, a home in time, and a fresh start for
everyone. Working together, the people
of Edge built for themselves a bright new future, and they clung to it
tightly. Since, they then, they endured
many a trial, including Sephiroth’s Remnants and return, as well as the
invasion of Deep Ground and the activities that followed.
Once a
year, to celebrate the founding of the city and its continued survival, the
populace took to the streets with floats, balloons, and fireworks. This Founding Festival, as it was called,
started as an informal gathering that quickly grew into a city-wide event. In time, it even drew the attention of nearby
cities and brought in crowds. With the
W.R.O.’s investment in the city, which it often called its throne, the festival
flourished further.
Yuffie
spent her time with Tifa and the kids at the festival. They woke early and walked the streets,
visiting sidewalk markets and enjoying food and games. By noon, they were ready for a break and took
lunch at a small, street side cafe near the town square. The sky was clear and blue, that day, and the
air warmed by unrestrained sunlight.
Leaning
back in her chair, stretching her arms overhead, Yuffie took the city in. People had flooded the streets. Streamers were hung from every building. The Edge she knew was lost in the hubbub, which
was good. Normally, the town was all
cement and steel, a testament to mankind’s ingenuity and resolve colored on in
muted greys. The festival, however, and
the people, brought it to life. That day,
the city shined.
It had been
days since she left the Lodge, calling Tifa for a ride and refusing to go
back. She had grown lazy and, in her own
eyes, soft in the time, sulking around the bar and coming out only at Tifa’s
insistence. Sometimes, Tifa liked to
send her on errands. It was just to keep
Yuffie busy and, while Yuffie complained, she was also secretly grateful. When left to herself she thought, about Reed,
about Lotus, and about Daisy.
Tifa
gathered the plates together after their meal and stacked them carefully with
the silverware on-top. “I’m glad you
could make it out with us,” she said, speaking as she always did, with a genuine,
motherly warmth. Yuffie had been sour
for days, and if Tifa minded, she certainly didn’t show it. She was as Yuffie always remembered her,
tall, strong, graceful, and always forgiving.
Even when Yuffie sulk about the bar, Tifa cleaned up after her with the
sober patience of a saint. “And it’s
been nice to have someone help me keep an eye on the kids with Cloud off
again.”
“We don’t
need an eye on us,” Denzel said, sulking in the corner. As he got older, he got taller, and he got
moodier. At times, he reminded Yuffie of
Cloud as Cloud was when they first met, solemn and laconic. It made Yuffie laugh sometimes, because the
older Marlene got, the more even-tempered the young woman became to compensate.
Yuffie
spared a glance at Denzel, flashed a grin, and rested her head in her arms,
staring across the table at Tifa. “Where
is Cloud, anyway?”
“Working,”
Tifa said, her tone soft. “He’s always
working anymore.”
“Got to pay
the bills, doesn’t he?”
“Of course,
but I’m a bit worried this time,” Tifa said.
“It’s not the usual courier work he does.”
“Then what
is it?”
“Something
for Reeve,” Tifa said, sweeping her long hair back over her shoulder. “They wouldn’t tell me the details of it.”
“Oh. One of those,” Yuffie said. She chewed her straw and blew some bubbles
into her iced tea.
From where
they were sitting, they could see a large, bulb-like object stationed in the
center of the city. A green tarp was
leashed to it and held in place by a series of thick riggings that were worked
into the asphalt. The W.R.O. emblem—a
bronze atlas showing the world they wished to regenerate—was emblazoned on the
tarp.
Yuffie sat
up to regard it. “Wonder what they’re doing
over there.”
“I think
that’s the airship Cid was talking about.”
Tifa stood from the table and bent at the waist just long enough to get
a better look. “He was talking about the
thing years ago. I have to admit, I
wasn’t sure he would ever really finish it.”
Yuffie
leaned back in her chair, holding her stomach and groaning to herself. “Ugh. I wish he hadn’t finished it.”
“Why,”
Marlene asked. She had been quiet to
this point, scooping ice cream into her mouth and pretending not to notice
whenever Denzel stole a bite. “Airships
are amazing. They make it so easy to
travel, even over long distances.
Without them, I wouldn’t be able to see papa nearly as much.”
Yuffie
grinned, and she reached across and messed Marlene’s hair. “Leave it to the book worm to think like
that.”
“She gets
motion sickness,” Denzel said, pointedly, as he continued sulking.
“Well,”
Yuffie said, standing up and leaving the table.
“Looks like they’re about done setting up now. We should head over and nab the best spots.”
“Good
idea.” Tifa stood with her and directed
the children to do the same. Everyone
gathered their trash and tossed it into the bin. Then, while Tifa took the dishes back, Yuffie
waited with the kids on the sidewalk.
When they finished, it hardly looked like they had even ate there at
all.
The stage
was completed when they arrived and the W.R.O. official took their places
around it. Reeve moved among them,
greeting people and offering smiles. He
was as tall and thin as Yuffie remembered him, but the years of hard work were
showing. His face had more lines than
she remembered and his hair more gray than before. He stayed healthy, though, and carried with
himself his characteristic vitality.
Watching him, Yuffie wondered where he got all of his energy from.
Half an
hour passed as people gathered around them.
It reminded Yuffie of the rally, though the energy was different. There was tension, but it was excitement and joy. Families were gathered with children
whispering among themselves. Everyone
was safe here, protected by the W.R.O., and they were excited to see what new
wonders would be brought to them.
In a way,
it reminded Yuffie of everything that she was fighting for.
Fifteen
minutes passed, and people continued to gather.
A few hundred were in attendance before a call was made for
silence. Among a group of W.R.O.
officials—Reeve at their center—a short, round man appeared. His hair was thinning, his face red and wet
with sweat. He held a microphone in is
pudgy little hands and, looking like a beach ball in a brown suit, took center
stage. In front of everyone, he tapped the microphone once, and the single
finger-fall echoed through the streets.
The man
winced. “My, that is loud, isn’t
it?” He teetered and laughed, rocking on
his heels uncomfortable. Yuffie knew
him: the mayor of Edge, a sort of incompetent that gave the Emerald Lotus
credence. He was jovial and friendly,
but the work he did was limited. With
the W.R.O. so close and so involved in the town’s politics, he didn’t so much
run the city as make appearances and try not to be in the way whenever Reeve
came by. Many people didn’t even know
him by his face, and those who did certainly weren’t impressed.
As he
stared out at the crowd, who stared back, his cheeks grew shiny with
sweat. He wiped it, ineffectually, with
the napkin in his pocket. “Anyhow, it is
a good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for attending. As you know, it has been many long years
since the fall of Shinra and the founding of this city, and we, the people of
Edge, that is, have really built something great, haven’t we?”
He paused
for applause. There was none.
“The, uh,
the answer to the question is, of course, yes, yes we have. We’ve faced trials! Difficult trials, and we’ve overcome them,
those trials. We certainly did.” He coughed. It, like his previous
finger-fall, echoed through the streets.
His cheeks turned a more violent red.
“But, we, erm, we didn’t survive alone.
In fact, we had help. Invaluable
help, from the W.R.O., and through those, er, trials, we built a city with
their help. And today, that is what we
celebrate. Our city. And their help.” He looked back, went wide-eyed,
stammered. “Oh, and, uh, oh yes, we have
a speaker!”
The mayor
turned, waving a short, fat arm toward the group of suits, and from them Reeve
stood. “Er, Chief Director Reeve, of the
W.R.O., when you are ready.”
Reeve
smiled and stood. A light applause
sounded when he took the microphone, and he smiled again and adjusted his
jacket before speaking. His tie-clip
shined in the afternoon light.
“Thank you,
mayor, and thank you to everyone here for your warm welcome. I’ve always been fond of Edge, and I visit as
often as I can, because the people here are of the strongest stock this world
has ever known. Survivors of Midgar,
children of the meteor, enduring attacks by Shinra and its remnants time and
time again. Some may think that Edge has
only survived with the support of the W.R.O., but I feel the opposite is
true. We of the W.R.O. can only survive
and thrive as we have because of the hard work and faith of people like you.”
Reeve’s
voice, even his very presence, filled the town square. It dwarfed the massive tarp behind him,
dwarfed whatever was beneath it. Whenever Yuffie saw Reeve, she was always
struck by how tall he was, how neat he dressed, and the precision of his every
movement. Even now, surrounded by
people, she felt outnumbered by him.
“The
foundation of this city,” he continued, “was not a miracle but providence, and
its survival was and is inevitable. When
you take people who know nothing but survival and challenge them, then they
will rise to meet that challenge, and they will overcome it. As you have, and as you will forever continue
to do.
“And you
will not do it alone. We at the W.R.O.
will be there at your sides, helping you as you have helped us since day
one. We will guide you when you are
lost, feed you when you are hungry, and heal you when you are sick. We will not shepherd you, but walk alongside
you, meeting each challenge with you and learning from your example. Overcoming it with you.
“And it is
in that spirit that we celebrate today, the day of founding for your lovely
city. I have a special treat for you, a
surprise of sorts, though I suspect many of you already know what it is.” The crowd cheered and laughed, and he gave
another smile. “Now, enough from
me.” He turned and gestured toward the rounded
tarp behind him. “Now for the real
show. Cid, take it away.”
Behind
Reeve, the enormous black straps holding the tarp down snapped off. The tarp fell away, revealing to the crowd
the sleek, shining frame of an enormous airship. It was larger than the Shera, with long,
steel wings extending from the aft.
Enormous fan blades spun, slowly, within the wings. Windows, each a story tall by themselves,
covered the front and showed the crew working the bridge. Standing at its helm was Cid, smoking as
always, and shouting orders through his cigar.
Yuffie
whistled at the reveal. “Okay, even I’m
impressed by this. I mean, I’ll never
ride in the damn thing, but I am still impressed.”
Tifa
laughed and nudged Yuffie. “Come on, not
even a short ride?”
“Tifa,
please.”
Projectors
shot images of the airship across the town, showing different angles of the
ship for everyone to see. Still on
stage, Reeve began speaking again, his voice clear until the ship’s engines
roared to life. “This is the newest
airship straight from Cid’s workshop.
Known as the Model 3 Ricard, is boasts a brand new, remodeled engine,
upgraded from the original Shera and outclassing her in speed, power, and even
fuel efficiency. Within a few months,
full production will launch on this model, which will then replace all Model 6
Highwinds and Model 2 Sheras now on the market within only a few years.” He turned his smile on the complex mechane
behind him. “And isn’t it a sight to
behold?”
The crowd
roared loudly, stomping and flailing in their praise, competing now with the
engines in noise. Even Denzel was
impressed enough to take time from his adolescent sulking to cheer alongside
everyone else. Marlene had to stop
cheering long enough to note his excitement and earned a glare from him in
return.
“And now,
if we could all wait while Cid gets it into the air, then we can show you that
very speed which I was just bragging about.”
The crowd fell
silent, watching with eager anticipation as the airship came to life. The propeller blades built into the wings
gained speed, creating a whirlwind of air and noise around them that spread
through the streets. People in the crowd
had to cover their eyes to keep watching.
Tifa tied
her hair back to keep it out of her face before leaning over to Yuffie and
whispering, “I think Reeve wants to stay and see everyone after the meeting.”
“That
sounds nice.”
“You should
talk to him about your boss.”
Yuffie
stuffed her hands into her pockets. “No,
I shouldn’t. Reeve’ll probably just take
his side.”
“Come on,
Yuffie. Reeve’s not like that. He knows you.
He trusts you.”
“And that’s
why he threw me into the Hunters, because he trusts me,” she muttered to
herself, and she felt Tifa staring. She
hated when Tifa stared. It was always
warm, always comforting, always accepting.
No matter what Yuffie did or said, Tifa was always there for her, and
what made it so bad was that, deep down, Yuffie knew Tifa was genuinely trying
to help.
“He could
help,” Tifa said, calmly.
“I don’t
need help,” Yuffie responded, not so calmly.
“Fine.” Tifa touched Yuffie’s shoulder and squeezed
her gently. “Then, I’m glad you’re
taking time off to recover.”
“Only
because they blocked my onsite password to everything.” Yuffie crossed her arms. “I’ll be back in once I figure out how to
hack it.”
“And after
you’ve recovered.”
“I’ve been
drinking Cure magic like its water for a week now. I’m fine.”
“But you
haven’t been sleeping.”
The
Airship’s roar swelled and interrupted them, much to Yuffie’s delight. It groaned and growled as it lifted into the
air. From one of the propellers, a
stream of smoke appeared and a flash of fire.
The entire thing shook as it lifted above the nearby buildings, the
engines whining so loud that it shook the windows along the street.
Everyone
covered their eyes to see it again the sun.
“Wow,”
Marlene cooed, and Tifa smiled at her.
“It’s
great, isn’t it?”
“Yup! And they’re putting them everywhere, so papa
can come back and visit whenever he wants, right?”
Tifa nodded
in response.
The airship
rose, higher and higher, clearing even the tallest buildings and finding home
in the air. The black smoke grew thicker
and darker as it ascended, and now it created a smoldering wake as the airship
shined like a shooting star.
Yuffie
squinted. She could smell fire. A series of pops, like firecrackers echoing
inside of a tin, and the left propeller erupted into flame. Shrapnel and screws came loose, littering the
streets, crushing cars and buildings beneath.
The crowd
screamed and scattered as shards of hot steel rained down from the airship. The smoke was a plum now, gushing from the
open, blazing wound. The Ricard scraped
a building, tearing glass as it descended, exposing the framework to the city.
Yuffie and
Tifa pushed their way through the crowd, dragging Marlene and Denzel with them
to the stage. Reeve met them there and
took the children into his care as the airship made a graceless descent. Another bomb went off, on the other side of
the ship, which was tilting for a nosedive.
Yuffie
looked at Tifa. “Hey, Tifa, you been
working out lately?”
“What?”
“Remember
Cloud-tossing?” Yuffie grinned and
nodded at the sinking airship.
“Yuffie,
this sounds like a bad idea.”
Yuffie
produced, from her pocket, a green sphere—like a large marble—that gleamed in
the sunlight. “Just throw me already.”
With a deep
breath, Tifa hopped from the stage and held her arms out, hands folded
together. Yuffie took a ten-foot sprint
and leaped, landing in Tifa’s hands. Tifa
dug in. The asphalt cracked beneath
Tifa, who hurled Yuffie with all of her might.
The small, Wutai woman rocketed through the air, like a bullet through
the smoke.
Yuffie met
the airship with both feet and covered her eyes as she passed through the
bridge windows. She sailed through the
bridge itself, catching herself on a handrail to keep from flying through the
other side. Her inertia pulled the rail
apart.
Cid, who
held the control tightly in a desperate effort to keep the airship aloft—cigar
still in his mouth—shouted, “Yuffie? Th’ hell you doin’?”
“Saving
your ass!”
Yuffie
squeezed the Materia tightly and closed her eyes. Green light filled the bridge
interior. A sphere of energy spread
through the helm and caught the ship in its net. The helm slowed; its descent eased. The rear, still under normal gravity, came apart
and crumpled to the ground before the rest of it landed lightly, still intact.
-Disc One-
Yuffie
winced when she opened her eyes. The
light bleeding in through the fractured glass made her head throb and her
stomach churn. She could smell smoke and
little else. Around her, the crew was
stirring, working hard to help each other to standing or to evacuate the ship.
She stood
and braced herself against the railing.
Using her gravity materia, Yuffie was able to slow the bridge’s descent,
but she could not save the ship. The
crash landing had left the floor slanted and the wind shield fractured. The street around her was littered with
debris, while the ship’s aft burned a short distance away. There were bodies there, ones Yuffie would
rather not see.
She
staggered her way to the open air and coughed for breath. Her face was black with smoke and soot. Cid walked among the surviving crew, checking
them while he chewed an unlit cigarette.
Yuffie went to him, wiping her face as best she could on the way.
“Goddamn.” That was his greeting, delivered with a
solemn breath. “The hell is goin’ on
here?”
Yuffie
struggled to stay standing. The world
continued to spin, and the fresh air was making her feel lightheaded. She braced against the ship for support and
eyed the street. There were cars in the
distance. The W.R.O. in attendance at
the ceremony were already doing what they could to help civilians. Sirens wailed.
Yuffie
coughed until it hurt and then held herself.
Cid clapped his hand against her back.
“You okay, kid?”
Yuffie
straightened herself and pushed him away.
“Are you?”
He rubbed
his nose and chewed his cigarette more. “’I’m
fine. Pissed off. What kind of $@*% is going on here? Spent
goddamn years working on this goddamn thing, and now it’s just a scrap in the
&*#@ing street!” He kicked the
airships frame. Something shifted inside
as he screamed and clutched his foot.
“But you
don’t know what happened to it?”
“I did,
would I be standin’ here?!”
Yuffie took
another deep breath and forced herself to standing under her own power. Her head was clearing slowly, but her body
continued to hurt. Cid watched her with
concern.
“You good
to be movin’?”
“I’ve got
to go. I’ve got to...” Yuffie’s phone rang. She answered. “What?”
“Yuffie
Kisaragi.”
“Shelke?” Yuffie staggered away from Cid and across the
street, finding sanctuary against an alley wall. “Shelke, what in the world is going on here?”
“Sabotage.”
“Yeah,
thanks, I couldn’t figure that out on my own.”
She covered her free ear as the siren grew closer. The W.R.O. was arriving in full now, and
people were shouting orders. “How? Why? What can you tell me?”
“I’ve
traced the Lotus broadcast.”
“The Lotus
what? How long was I out?”
“I am
uncertain,” Shelke said, “But for clarity, after the airship crashed, the
Emerald Lotus made a broadcast and took responsibility for the attack. They have set off bombs across the city and
are declaring an official war against the W.R.O.”
Yuffie
stumbled away from the wreckage, toward the far end of the alley. She looked back toward the city and saw four
pillars of smoke, evenly spread across the sky.
“Oh, no.” She rested against a
nearby storefront to keep her legs from giving out. “You said you traced it?”
“Yes. I’ve already sent the location to your
phone. Can you intercept them?”
“Of
course,” Yuffie said. “And can you keep
this between us?”
“You have
ten minutes.”
“Right.” Shelke hung up, and Yuffie checked her
phone. Afterward, she pocketed her phone
and did some light stretches. “Ten
minutes,” she said, a grin on her face.
“That’ll be more than enough time to clean up this mess.”
-Disc One-
The streets
Yuffie took were empty as she passed.
Shelke sent her a map leading across the city to an old Midgar sewage
system that was abandoned long ago. When she arrived, she found fetid water and
refuse pooled beneath a long, hollow tube of rusted steel, an unfinished relic
still struggling against time. All
around the water there were footprints left in the mud.
Yuffie
climbed the tubes and entered their depths.
She followed through winding curves, breathing shallowly of the stink of
rotten feces and stagnant water. Fungus
grew along the walls and led her even deeper in. Narrow walkways blocked her path, and she had
to shimmy across them, her body tight against the wall, trying hard to ignore
the cold, slick feeling against her back.
The deeper
she went, the stronger the smell of decay and damp became. Holes in the walls allowed faded light inside. The tubes went up, and she had to climb hand
and knee, trading her phone between her hands to follow the map inside, and her
journey came to a stop in the heart of the sewer network.
The network
itself met at a large, domed room with a circular, stone-laid floor. Water flowed around the floor, crisscrossing
under steel grates blackened by age.
Yellowed light bulbs buzzed overhead, casting a dull light. The air was stale and, at the far end of the
room, another set of tunnels, wider than the last, were exposed behind a broken
wall.
Lotus
soldiers were at work in the center, packing as Lotus himself oversaw their
activities. A tall, tan man stood beside
him, hair dark, sideburns looking like a wild mane. He was enormous, almost beast-like, and he
was the first to notice Yuffie’s approach.
The man
tapped Lotus on the shoulder, and Lotus turned to regard her. His cloak flourished with his movements. “And so, they sent a dog to sniff us
out. Congratulations.”
“THEY
didn’t send anyone,” Yuffie said. She reached
into her back pocket and produced a small switch blade. “I’m here on my own.”
“Seems
you’ve chewed through your leash, then.
Let’s hope you haven’t gone rabid.”
“The dog
thing is getting real old, pal.”
The tall
man beside Lotus laughed. It was a deep
laugh, chest-rattling. “At least he
hasn’t called you a bitch, yet.”
Yuffie
flipped the blade, held it backhand, and ignored the man. Her gaze was fixed on Lotus’ mask. “So, you decided to forego the protecting the
innocent thing.”
“I decided
to make myself known,” Lotus said, serene.
“And what about you? Shouldn’t
you be up there tending to the wounded and distraught?”
“Not my job
to clean up your mess. I’d rather kick
your ass and drag you up there to do it yourself.”
“You always
did imagine yourself to be the hero, didn’t you? But you’re not. You’re just Yuffie Kisaragi, a little girl
playing at saving the world while you hold onto the coat tails of your
betters.” He laughed and smirked behind
his mask. “You haven’t changed at all.”
Soldiers
gather around him, some carrying weapons, some baring only fists. Lotus stood straight, body obscured, hidden
behind his cloak. He appeared at ease. The man beside him towered over the group,
his big, sculpted arms folded over his chest as he watched her. Like Lotus, he was entirely at ease.
“I’ll show
you play!” Yuffie threw her knife before
charging. One of the soldiers
intercepted it, knocking it away while another stepped in with a wide stance. When in range, Yuffie leaped and knocked the
second soldier away with a kick to the head.
In the air, she spiraled, bringing her foot into the other soldier’s
chest. He fell backward, toward Lotus,
but was intercepted by the big man.
The big man
held the soldier momentarily before tossing him to the side. Lotus looked at him while Yuffie made a quick
retreat, watching them as she hopped away.
Lotus said, “Hollis?”
The tall
man, Hollis, flashed a feral grin. “Now,
now, Mr. Lotus, you’re the big man in charge here. We can’t have you dirtying your hands on
her.” Hollis flexed his big hands,
popping his knuckles. “Besides, she
didn’t find us on her own. She might be
the first one here, but she won’t be the last.
Leave me to handle this.”
“Are you
sure?”
Hollis’
grin broadened and his eyes went wide.
He looked more bestial with each passing moment. “This is what you hired me for.”
Lotus
nodded and turned away, his cloak fanning.
“Right. Everyone, back up and
follow me. Hollis,” he stopped on his
way out, “Take care.” Lotus leaped down
and disappeared into the hole in the wall.
Hollis
sauntered forward, a big man standing nearly two-feet taller than Yuffie. He could wrap his hands around her midriff
and join them, if he chose. “Sorry,” he
said in his deep, harsh voice, “But boss man is busy. I’ll be handling you myself, but don’t let
that make you sloppy. I’ve seen you in
action before and let me tell you this: this’ll be an uphill battle for you.”
Yuffie
glared up at him, hands on her hips.
“Oh, I’m going to enjoy wiping the floor with you.”
Hollis
laughed. “Name’s Hollis Ramsey. I guess you could call me an enforcer of
sorts. See, my job is when people try to
get rid of the boss, I get rid of them, first.”
He moved into a tight stance, legs close together, arms tight to his
body. Even coiled like this, he remained
enormous. “Which means, now, I got to
get rid of you.”
“Trust me,”
Yuffie said, slinking, unfolding, “I’ll take care of you, first.”
“That’s the
spirit! Finally, someone ready for a
fight for once. So, come on! Show me the strength that saw you though the
Jenova War.”
Yuffie
charged up the center, her footsteps echoing around the chamber. When close, she leapt, spun, and came at him
with a powerful kick, which he met with his big, meaty forearm. Using her
momentum, she kicked off of his arm, flipping over him, and came to a stop
behind him.
She spun
again, kicking at his leg to destabilize him, but it was like kicking a solid
wall of granite. His muscles were
unyielding, and her foot bounced off. He
turned on her with a smile and waited, which only made her angrier. She punched him in the face, as hard as she
could, repeatedly, until she felt blood, and then retreated. Both hands were wet and red with blood, but
Yuffie didn’t know whose blood it was.
Hollis
laughed and followed her retreat. “That
the best you can do?” He wiped away the
blood, revealing a swollen nose and lip.
His sideburns were bristled, giving him the appearance of a wild
animal. Lunging, he grabbed her by the
shoulders and held her in place while driving his knee forward into her gut.
It felt
like a cannon blast. All of the air left
her in a hurry, and she coughed and staggered away, struggling to remain
standing. She tried to kick at him, but
he merely seized her once more and tossed her across the room. She landed on her back and rolled once, onto
her face.
The battle
stopped, briefly, as Yuffie caught her breath.
It hurt, what he was doing to her, but it wasn’t anything she hadn’t
suffered before. Pushing herself to standing,
she steadied herself, centered herself.
The battle was nothing new to her, and it was hollow. He had strength, and she had speed, but she
would never be able to whittle him down fast enough.
Tifa came
to mind, tall, strong, swift, and Yuffie thought again of the Death Blow. It was too slow to work on Lotus, but Hollis
was different, and she was never afraid to try again. Planting her feet, she closed her eyes and
breathed through the pain until it was far from her thoughts.
She cleared
her mind, pushing away the good and bad, leaving room only for the blow, for
the air she breathed, and when she opened her eyes, she could see him
clearly. Energy suffused her body. Every ounce of her, she knew, would have to
go into her fist. Each step, each
breath, and one forceful, powerful strike.
She charged, and he met her with a humorless grin. It wasn’t bloodlust but undiluted rage that
powered him. For a moment, Yuffie
thought to retreat, but she didn’t have time.
If she didn’t end the fight, then she would never leave the sewers alive.
When she
entered range, she planted her feet, and she threw herself into the punch. All of her followed through, all of her
became a fist. She struck him, at full force, in the solar plexus, and she felt
the world move.
Hollis’
grin held. He remained firmly rooted in
place. With all of the force in her tiny
body she couldn’t move him an inch and so was moved instead. There were scuffs where her feet had been,
and her fist was bleeding.
He breathed
and then laughed. “I have to admit, that
was a pretty good punch, but I don’t think you did it right.” He said that, and then he hit her. Lotus was fast and precise, like a
bullet. Hollis was a wrecking ball. Normally, she would see it coming. Normally, she would dodge. This time, she was dug in, feet planted, hand
burning. She saw him swing, followed the
movement, but didn’t have the time to react.
With one
blow, she was knocked to her knees, bloodied.
Then, he kicked her and sent her spinning and skipping across the floor
like a stone on water. Her entire body
was numb from the pain, and she bounced into the wall before coming to a stop.
Hollis
sauntered toward her, his big body blurred and obscuring the light like a great
shadow. He towered over her, like death,
and stared down at her while she tried desperately to stand. She wasn’t sure what she looked like,
scrambling and struggling, but it seemed to amuse him. “What you did earlier, I think it goes
something like this…”
Move, she
told herself, but her body wouldn’t listen.
She had to hold the wall to keep herself standing, and she was too hurt
to escape and too weak to block. She
stared, as he braced himself, and he punched her so hard in the stomach that
she went through the wall. The brickwork
crumbled around her, and she was left limp, hanging from his enormous hand.
He dropped
her and dusted off his meaty palms. Her
world was fading, and she prepared for the ground’s cool embrace. Instead, she found strong arms, soft and
firm, that carried her away. There was a
swirl of brown hair and an encouraging whisper.
The last
thing Yuffie saw was Tifa, charging Hollis, and Hollis losing ground.
