The Trap is Sprung

They met briefly with Biggs, picking up grappling guns to aid in an escape. What struck Cloud, though, was how easy the infil was this time. No guards. No sweepers. Just quiet, easy ingress. Barret was too cocky to even notice, taking a deep whiff as they entered the cavernous core.

"That's it. That's the smell. This place reeks of mako," he said, exultant. Tifa stared at him like he was a sex god, her eyes still dilated.

"Yeah ... we made it Daddy," she said dreamily.

Cloud paused when he saw the first sign of a defense system. And what a defense system it would be if it was real. It was a hologram of a giant, menacing robot. Cloud stared at it in wonderment. He didn't even recognize a prototype of anything like this from his SOLDIER days.

"Hey! Check it out. They sic this big boy on us, we'd be screwed six ways from Sunday," Barret said, clearing his throat a little. It was rare that the man was intimidated.

"Mechanized units like these were designed to take out giant monsters. Probably a new prototype. If they do decide to deploy it, then our best bet would be to run like hell," Cloud said.

"Where is everybody?" Tifa said. Her eyes looked clearer. Maybe she wasn't always in bimbo mode, Cloud thought.

"You mean Shinra? Got spooked and cleared out, is my guess," Barret said, the bravado returning.

They reached the bottom of the core, quickly, and as he set the bomb, a vision came sharply to mind. Five years ago. That day, that horrible day. Tifa, younger, less busty, wearing a cowboy hat, on her knees, over her dead father.

"Sephiroth ... SOLDIERS ... Mako ... Shinra ... I'm sick of this! I'm sick of all of this!" she shouted, in a mournful rage, as she picked up a long, wicked katana, and started to stride up the stairs of the Mako reactor ...

"Hey! SOLDIER boy!" Barret yelled, cracking his hand against Cloud's shoulder.

Cloud looked at Tifa, confused. "Tifa --"

"What is it Cloud?"

"...Nothing."

This bomb was armed with a remote detonator, to avoid the problem that had occurred with the first reactor. Now they just had to exfil --

Suddenly, several flying drones entered the room. They weren't weaponized however, instead forming a holographic image of Heidegger.

"Greetings, my dear sewer rats! As architect of our populace engagement campaign I, Heidegger, head of Public Security… bid you welcome," his belly shook with laughter.

"The chief warmonger," Barret said, disgusted.

"You should be flattered. Right now, you command the undivided attention of every soul in Midgar," Heidegger said, satisfied, the result of having more information than his enemy.

"What?" Tifa asked, alarmed. A holographic television suddenly appeared, showing the regime news program.

"Breaking news from Mako Reactor 5. Shinra has confirmed the reactor to be the target of the bomb threat issued by the terrorist group AVALANCHE. Members of the group were observed entering the facility, and security is currently sweeping it for explosive devices. We now go live to the scene…"

"I'm here in the Sector 5 undercity," the field reporter said. "Having confirmed the terrorists' target… the Shinra Emergency Operations Center has issued an evacuation advisory. Residents are outraged that the tragedy of Mako Reactor 1 was only the first attack… in a campaign of ****."

"President Shinra has issued a statement providing assurances that the terrorists will soon be brought to justice," the announcer concluded.

"And so, to a people beset by chaos and uncertainty, we will offer the finest comfort: bread and circus!" Heidegger exclaimed. "The airbuster!" The real thing was lifted by another set of drones, whisked out of sight. That at least gave them time to prepare, Cloud thought.

"Engineering on the line. Currently, the airbuster is only sixty percent operational. The estimates were optimistic… Performance could be degraded if ..."

"You fool!" Heidegger cried. "I'm on air! Bullshit! I swear, if you fail me, I'll throw you off the plate myself! So get it done already!"