"Ahhh so this is your work? A neon eyesore on the planet you stole."
       The grasses whipped up against his boots. About a mile outside of the city of Midgar, a figure stood transfixed by the lights of the metropolis. The wind rushed through his hair, slapping it against his brow. The stars were out in force but would dodge in and out of sight, as though dancing through the clouds that raced across the sky. A storm was coming.
       "Well, let's see what you have done with your time", Dravven said as he began to walk toward the city. There is no need to attract attention to myself, he thought. I'm sure that will happen soon enough.
       Small raindrops began to fall as he approached. With each step the grass grew a little grayer and a little more barren until all that remained was a stretch of mud that served as the pathway. The drops fell into mud puddles, causing them to spill from their crusted embankments. His boots would send waves throughout each. The city was only a hundred yards away. Small trash fires could be seen in the distance. He was to enter in the slums.
       The rain now began to fall in full force, but it didn't matter because he was now only a few yards away from what appeared to be a gate. Looking through the gate Dravven wondered what its purpose was. Was it to keep people out, or to keep them in? Either way it was a hollow threat to him.
       Metal tore away from the locks and the door rumbled open. A few derelicts looked at the rain-drenched figure. Some of them cowered in fear. The others simply stared with blank looks. Children were running around, rummaging through garbage, looking for things to sell, or to eat. The figure continued into the slums. He had entered Midgar.

*****

       "As you can see from these printouts, the reactor had a stability rate of 93%-- five percent above average-- at the time of the explosion. Our investigations show no evidence of explosives or electrical tampering, nor were there any reports of intruders prior to the incident. Equipment failure is a possibility, but this reactor passed the routine inspection only a month prior--"
       "So in other words, you don't know what caused the explosion."
       "Well sir, I…", the field commander stammered. Reeve ignored him, and continued down the makeshift catwalk, occasionally glancing down at the ruins below.
       He was touring the remains of Reactor #1, to see the damage for himself, and hopefully, to learn what caused it. Large pieces of steel jutted into the sky, forming a ring around a massive hole in the ground, where the Mako well lay. The catwalk crawled around the inner perimeter of this ring, then continued inward toward the remains of the core. It was here, in the center of the former reactor, that Reeve was headed.
       Once he'd reached the end of the path, he stopped and stared down into the melted core. Here, the Mako glowed the brightest, and as he gazed into the deep well, he realized that sounds were coming up from it. They seemed to be howling sounds of different pitches, volumes, and speeds. Reeve shut out all of the outside sounds of the workers and listened to the Mako. He imagined for a moment that these sounds each had a distinct personality, then shook this idle thought out of his head. He glanced at his watch before starting back down the catwalk. There was plenty more that had to be done today.

*****

       It's funny, he thought to himself. These were supposed to be the new owners of the planet; the great humans. Yet all Dravven saw were vermin scurrying thought the shadows. They bobbed and weaved about the city streets. Shady dealings and interactions were ignored as if some unspoken code existed. To pay attention to them would bring the wrath of the vermin down upon ones head. Dravven smiled inwardly. They would die easily.
       He walked on, passing a weapon store and a bar. The sign above the bar read "7th Heaven". Peering in, he heard a deep voice yelling about how the Shinra was evil and had to be stopped. Along with that voice came a softer female one telling the other to calm down.
       Before Dravven had noticed he had actually stepped up to the door. He was interested in what these humans thought of their own Shinra. Inside he saw a large black man with a gun where his hand should be. Next to him was a young lady, dressed in black and white.
       "Calm down Barret, your disturbing the customers. "
       "Huh? Oh sorry Tifa, but I can't help it. I hate those Shinra sons of bitches!"
       "I know Barr, I know" The girl looked up and saw the newcomer at the door. "Oh I'm sorry, can I get you anything?"
       Dravven turned and walked out of the bar. He was captivated. The humans had factions. Not everyone stood behind Shinra. This could be used for his advantage. To turn them against themselves would make things much easier. He continued his journey through the slums. Every so often his thoughts would go back to the large man with the gun-arm. He might prove useful later on.
       Dravven's mind was racing as he walked on. Looking up he noticed a bright sign:

WALL MARKET

       He entered into the market. All around he saw people bustling about. Some dealing were legit, many were not. Booths and shacks sold everything from weapons to Materia, to drugs.
       He peered down a narrow alleyway and saw a man and a woman enter into it. She was dressed in a tight red sequin dress. The man wore brown slacks and a white shirt. His tie hung loosely around his neck. She playfully pulled him into the ally way as the man reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small leather billfold. She turned toward him took the money, smiled then ducked into the side of the alley, out of view.
      Dravven watched the whole scene. He smiled to himself. Such a pitiful race. He began to step toward the alley. His fingers slipping down to the old scimitar that hung at his side.

*****

       "Can't you hear it? The cry of the Planet?"
       Shaking his head, Reno continued walking toward the flowerbed in the middle of the dilapidated church, located at the edge of the Sector Five slums, as his target continued picking daisies. He was back on the mission he loved and hated the most, playing cat and mouse with this girl Aeris. He snapped his nightstick against one of the pews; electric bolts danced from its tip.
       "I don't hear anything. What I want to hear is that you'll come with me." He knocked his weapon against the pew even harder. Aeris jumped, tightly gripping the handle of her wicker basket.
       The Turk intoned, "And you will come with me, flower girl."
       She shook her head and began backing toward the stairs, pulling out a long staff as she did so.
       "Who sent you this time? President Shinra? Hojo?"
       "I sent him."
       The voice came from the back of the church. Aeris immediately turned around and saw a bearded man in a blue suit with hands in his trouser pockets and a staid expression on his face. "Who are you?" she called out.
       "You've never met me before, but I've been watching you for awhile… I'm Reeve, head of Urban Development."
       Aeris understood the situation immediately. "You want the Promised Land…"
       Reeve replied, "Yes. Moreso than the President, if that's even possible."
       Aeris held her staff out in front of her, and closed her eyes.
       "One day, and I hope it's soon, you will come to know what the Promised Land is, and realize why it is you can never build there…"
       In a ripple of light, she vanished. Reno sank into a pew and muttered, "Exit Materia. Should've known…"
       Reeve walked over to the Turk. "So where exactly did she go?"
       "Not too far… those Exits don't have a wide range. Still, it's far enough to get away from me before I can catch up to her. Sorry I botched the job."
       "No, no, it's all right. I hear she's a slippery one." Reeve looked down at his watch. "It's getting late. I should head back to Shinra Tower."
       "What, you have a meeting or something?"
       "Unfortunately. I have to present a report on the Reactor #1 meltdown. My one saving grace is that Rufus won't be there."
       Reno stood up and started for the church's front doors. "Heh. Well, have fun."
       Reeve followed the Turk outside. "I'll try to."

*****

       The blood dripped onto his boots. He looked at the twisted scimitar that was in his hands. The bone and sinew had given enough resistance to fold the blade in on itself. Dravven wondered how anyone could defend themselves with such a poorly made weapon. In the end however it dispatched the couple in the alley well enough. Dravven closed his eyes and listened to the faint breathing. The girl was still alive. A deep hole was in her chest. A lung was pierced and soon she would be dead. She gulped hopelessly for air, only to have it escape from the hole in her chest.
       The scimitar was dropped upon the bodies and Dravven left the alley. He traveled through Wall Market with very little else happening. Eventually he came upon a train station. People moved quickly as the train loaded and unloaded. As the last passengers boarded, Dravven stepped on. It was time to enter the top plates.
       The train spun around the support columns and hummed with mako energy. Dravven closed his eyes. His head hurt. His father was talking to him.
       "Shinrashinrashinrashinrashinrashinrashinra"
       "I know father. Shinra. I shall deal with Shinra."
       Suddenly a red light began to flash, and an alarm claxon wailed.
       "Attention there is an unauthorized passenger aboard the train. Please remain calm until Shinra security personnel resolve the situation." The train came to a halt and the doors were kicked open from outside. Guards rushed in and looked around. Woman and children looked with bulging eyes, hypnotized by the muzzles of the machine guns. The back of the train was in shadow and the guards approached slowly. They peered into the inky blackness, weapons on high alert.
       "…Shiva…"
       They were not fast enough. The train was quickly encased in ice, leaving twenty-seven dead. Some more people ran inside with chisels and hoses, making a vain attempt to get rid of the ice. Unnoticed, Dravven left the train and walked slowly toward the center of the plate, staring at the large tower.
       "Excuse me." A girl stood in front of him. She was dressed in pink and carried a large basket with her. A silken bow held her hair in a braid.
       "Would you like to buy a--" She stopped mid-sentence. Her jaw froze in place and her eyes stared in fright.
       Dravven himself felt his eyes fix on her. He felt strange. His head hurt even more. Suddenly it clicked.
       Cetra
       The girl turned and ran away. Dravven stood dumbstruck till she was out of sight. They were still here; the Cetra. His mind fought to grasp what he should do. In the end he decided that there already was a task at hand. He didn't doubt that he would meet that Cetra again. His father would make sure of that.
       He looked back up to the tower. It was now only a block away.

---

Completed August 2002 | Copyright 2002, Dravven and Reeve.

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