Train to Nowhere

Jessie, Biggs, Wedge and Barret could finally breathe a sigh of relief, as the train reached speed. But Wedge looked crestfallen.

"Guess Cloud won't be joining us after all," he said, worried.

"No need to assume the worst," Biggs replied. "I'm sure he's fine. He's an operator, a goddamn one-man army."

"Think he's a keeper?" Jessie said, clearly smitten. Just then there was a knock on the freight car door. Jessie opened it cautiously and Cloud leapt in, panting heavily. He was covered in sweat.

"Spiky-haired fool!" Barret growled. "Making everyone worry. The fuck were you?"

"Taking care of Shina Public Security for you guys," Cloud said, gasping. Barret thought. None of the others had a problem.

"Whatever, fool. Let's get up to the front."

***

In the middle was, fittingly, the Shinra Middle Manager. He and Barret got into a nasty argument about whether AVALANCHE was a terrorist group or not. But it was clear Barret especially loathed the man. It only abated when the Shinra employees fled to the back. Jessie went to a terminal at the front, staring at Cloud sassily and crooking her finger at him to come forth. Cloud sighed and walked towards her.

"Personally, I like visual aids, they make the dull stuff more bearable," she said, pulling up a video.

"How many times do I have to tell you people," Cloud said testily. "I'm not here to join --"

Jessie waved two fingers at him to hush. The same finger she'd slipped up his ass earlier. "There's such a thing as playing too hard to get. So here we've got a wireframe model of the great city of Midgar. Complete with massive steel plates suspended a thousand feet above ground level. Atop which stands a shining beacon of civilization. The whole system is sustained by the mako reactors, which feed the insatiable appetites of the public. And below that the slums. Infinite slums filled with the worst villainy. And at leasr two of the hottest pussies you'll ever find." She winked.

"This here is the train's route. As you can see, it'll take us around this main pillar. Look -- we're almost out. They've set up a checkpoint just before arrival to scan the IDs of all passengers, dates of birth, residential status, criminal history ... Public Security wouldn't have it any other way. Don't worry, our IDs are impeccable. Have a little faith."

The checkpoint scanned through the car using lasers. Then the train slowed, as they approached.

"Take a good look," Barrett said as they exited. "It's because of that great big pizza in the sky that people down here struggle to survive."

"Then they should leave," Cloud said, sniffing the air, disgusted. The middle pillar was massive, h e thought, from below.

"Folks don't here have a choice," Barret reminded him.

"Like this train," Cloud said. "Only one way it can go." And only one way he could go. Tifa.