Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 7

Cloud followed the trio as they raced off, tearing through the streets of Edge. Eventually they reached a long stretch of highway, blocked off by a “Do not Enter” sign. Kadaj paid it no heed and and crashed through the barrier.

Loz and Yazoo hung back to tackle Cloud in a no holds barred motorcycle free for all. Yazoo and Cloud locked blades as Kadaj raced off away from the action, holding tight to the box containing Jenova’s head. The two men forced Cloud into a tunnel, where the battle intensified. Loz raced his bike up and around the curved wall of the tunnel, and attacked Cloud from above, landing on the front of Cloud’s bike. He was quickly thrown off, but landed with ease aboard his own vehicle, as Yazoo moved in for an assault, gun blazing. Cloud deflected the shots even at close range as the motorcycles he and Yazoo were riding spun in wild circles along the road. In a last ditch effort, Loz dug his clawed weapon into the pavement, swinging his entire bike into the air and hurling it at Cloud and Yazoo. Time seemed to slow as Yazoo slipped away and dodged the incoming motorcycle. Cloud had only moments to react.

He leapt into the air, sword ready, and sliced the bike cleanly in two. But Loz was waiting for him, and attacked. What remained of his motorcycle burst into flames as Loz went after Cloud. For a moment, he seemed to have the upper hand, especially after Yazoo, too, joined in to double-team the blond man. But Cloud surprised them both, throwing them to the ground and destroying their weapons. Loz had mere moments to toss his aside before it exploded in a shower of sparks. Cloud sped off as the two silver-haired men reclaimed the remaining bike. Yazoo tossed his ruined weapon to the ground, and accelerated after their target with Loz riding behind him.

*~*~*~*~*

Kadaj sped along an overpass, passing next to the tunnel’s exit without a glance. In front of the tunnel, on the road at the mouth of the tunnel sat a helicopter, emblazoned with the logo a Shinra Electric Power Company… and positioned in front of that helicopter were Reno and Rude, waiting.

“Yo… Partner,” Reno said casually, glancing toward Rude, “This thing got any bite to it?”

He held up what could only be a bomb… a very home-made looking one, at that.

“Shinra technology at it’s finest,” Rude answered.

“You made this shit?”

“If nothing else, it’s… flashy,” Rude replied.

“Oh-hoh good…”

“You love it, I know.”

“Looks like today we’re clockin’ out early,” Reno said with a slight smirk.

The two Turks stood calmly as Cloud roared past them. Yazoo and Loz emerged from the tunnel seconds later, as the timer on the bombs counted down. Yazoo sow, too late, what awaited him, and Reno grinned.

*~*~*~*~*

Behind him, the blast from the Turks’ bombs was so powerful is sent Cloud spinning for a moment, but he didn’t look back to see what their fate may have been. He was determined to catch up to Kadaj.

Kadaj, on the other hand, did look back… just in time to see Cloud’s motorcycle make a flying leap over the guardrail, landing nearly on top of him. Cloud’s sword was poised to attack, and Kadaj drew his own blade to deflect the incoming blow. Cloud drove him forward toward the unfinished end of the road, a steep drop into the remains of Midgar’s Sector 5 slums. They careened down the incline, still locked in battle, until finally Kadaj scored a direct hit on Cloud’s arm. Cloud pulled to a stop as Kadaj disappeared around a bend.

Cloud tore away the remains of his sleeve, torn in the fight, to reveal his arm, heavily infected with Geostigma. The action also revealed that he, too, wore a pink ribbon in honor of Aeris. He revved the motorcycle and charged off in the direction Kadaj had taken.

*~*~*~*~*

Kadaj skidded to a stop inside the Sector 5 church.

“Mother!” he cried, peering into the damaged container he’d been so desperate to protect. His face fell as he saw it’s contents and how much had been lost.

“Mother… Mother!” he sobbed, clutching the box to his chest. And agonized cry escaped from him. The sound of an engine outside brought him back to reality. Holding the box protectively, he looked up. At the entrance to the church was Cloud ready to resume the fight.

Cloud’s bike charged toward Kadaj, and the silver-haired man took off, the wheels of his own bike squealing on the floor of the church. With a violent motion, and thanks to his recently stolen materia, he fired a bolt of magical energy at one of the pillars that lined the building. The pillar toppled, narrowly missing Cloud as he skidded beneath it, and came to rest wedged like a ramp leading to the roof. Kadaj maneuvered his bike onto it and began to ascend. Cloud came to a stop some distance away. He looked up just in time to see Kadaj aim a second blast at him. The energy sent Cloud’s bike flying end over end.

Kadaj laughed maniacally, surveying the damage he’d done, as Cloud staggered to his feet. He gripped his Geostigma-infected arm, coughing in the dust and debris, and turned his gaze up at Kadaj again. The silver-haired man already had a third spell ready for him. He continued to laugh as the glow of the materia’s magic encircled his raised hand.

But below, water slowly welled up from the site where Kadaj’s last spell had decimated the floor. When Kadaj say it, he paused, uncertain as to what was happening. Cloud, too, looked on in astonishment as the water came up, spilling across the floor. From the center of the pool rose as crystal-clear pillar of water that arched out as it reached the crumbling ceiling. The water began to fall like rain.

Kadaj hissed in pain as the water came into contact with him, and tried unsuccessfully to fend it off. Cloud gasped as it hit his arm. The Geostigma in his left arm took on a green glow and began to disintegrate, rising away from his body and dissipating into the air. Kadaj realized that he couldn’t stay any longer. He revved the engine of his bike and retreated, disappearing into the ruins of Midgar.

Cloud stood silently beneath the falling rain. He was cured. Somehow, miraculously, cured. The church’s floor had become a great pool, and slowly the rain began to subside, the last few drops striking the surface of the water.

“Go, Cloud…” a voice seemed to say.

*~*~*~*~*

Moments later, Cloud was on his bike, following in the wake of Kadaj. Eventually his trail led him to what was left of the Shinra Building. He removed his swords from the bike. Kadaj waited atop a pile of debris.

“Brother! I’m with her at last!” he shouted down to Cloud.

“So what’s gonna happen now?” Cloud asked, locking his gaze on his opponent. Kadaj laughed.

“Mother’s going to tell me…”

“I guess a remnant wouldn’t really know,” said Cloud.

“So what if I’m a puppet?” Kadaj asked, glaring at him, gathering materia-powered energy in his hand once more, “Once upon a time… you were, too!”

He let loose the magical energy. Cloud leapt to avoid it, sword at the ready. Kadaj, too, drew his sword, ready for one last battle with his ‘Brother’. Their fight ranged from one pile of debris to the next, neither man letting up, swords moving nearly as fast as they themselves were.

The Sierra swooped in from above the clouds, and Kadaj spared a moment to look up at it, as if gaging how much trouble it might cause him.

*~*~*~*~*

On board the Sierra, Cloud’s allies had assembled.

“Cloud! I brought you materia!” Yuffie shouted, her arms laden with shining, translucent spheres. The airship makes a sharp turn, nearly causing her to lose her footing, “Whoa! Hey watch it!”

“Yo, Cid! Park this heap!” Barret yelled.

“Shut up! You want off, then jump. Get off my back” Cid groused.

“He can handle this alone,” Vincent said matter-of-factly.

“Huh?” Yuffie gasped, turning to look back at Vincent. Below, the two men were still locked in battle.

“Kadaj is a remnant of Sephiroth,” he explained, “Think of him as a sort of larval form.”

“Larva,” Yuffie cried, disgusted, “You mean he’s some kind of insect?”

“Lassie… shut up!” Cait Sith intoned from his seat on Nanaki’s back.

“So the punk’s gonna become Sephiroth?” Cid queried, steering the airship in a wide arc around the battle site.

“Vincent… Does Cloud know? About Kadaj?” Tifa asked.

“One would think…” the brooding man replied.

“Then… You’re right,” Tifa said, “It’s his fight now.”

“What? I don’t get it,” Yuffie whined, “Why can’t we help out?”

“This is man talk,” Cid stated from the helm.

“Sexist!” the young ninja shouted, nearly dropping her materia, “Sexist!”

“Can’t you just shut yer mouth?!” Cait Sith yelled at her, sick of the bickering.

“The men don’t get it either,” Barret added, hoping to appease her a bit. He turned back to watch the action on the ground below.

“Two years ago… Think of the strength we all had when fought that last battle. It’s only been a few years, but already that feeling is gone,” said Tifa, never taking her eyes off of Cloud, “But Cloud… I think he’s found it again.”

“He’s got ten minutes,” Barret snorted.

“That Cloud a royal pain in the ass… Like always,” said Yuffie.

“Cloud is Cloud,” Tifa replied.

The Sierra backed off from the battleground leaving Cloud to handle things.

*~*~*~*~*

Cloud landed on a rooftop, only to immediately send himself airborne again as Kadaj struck. A sword in each hand, he fended Kadaj off, sometimes gaining ground, sometimes losing it. He no longer knew how long this had been going on. He only knew that he had to beat Kadaj.

The two men pulled apart, each retreating some distance as they planned their next moves. Kadaj was the first to charge, racing toward him across the rooftop, sword ready. But Cloud was ready for him. Kadaj leapt into the air, planning to strike from above, but one great swing of Cloud’s sword sent him flying. Kadaj’s sword was knocked from his grasp, and he fell, catching himself with one hand on a narrow ledge. His other hand still held tightly to the box that contained Jenova’s remains. He turned his head and watched as his sword tumbled to the ground far below.

Cloud stood on the ledge above him, looking down at Kadaj. Kadaj narrow his eyes, and flung the box into the air at him. Reflexively, Cloud turned his sword on it, slicing it neatly in two.

Kadaj saw his chance now. He pushed himself off hard from the side of the building, sailing back several feet and allowing himself to fall, catching the newly opened container as he did so. He reached inside, pulling out it’s contents. Cloud watched in shock as realization dawned on him.

“My Reunion,” Kadaj said simply, holding the contents of the box tight against his chest, as he fell, “Bet you’re dying to watch…”

Cloud leapt after him, but it was too late. Kadaj’s body was already absorbing Jenova’s cells. Kadaj moaned as the cells infiltrated his body, and landed gracefully on the rubble below. Cloud was not far behind, his sword poised for a killing blow.

But it was not to be, for Kadaj’s transformation was complete. Cloud’s sword was blocked by Kadaj’s… only it was no longer Kadaj. Before him, now stood his nightmare… Sephiroth. Kadaj’s sword transformed itself into the legendary Masamune.

“Good to see you… Cloud,” Sephiroth said smoothly, as he raised his eyes to look directly into Cloud’s.

Cloud’s eyes widened as Sephiroth threw him back. He sailed upwards, landing on the rooftop once more. Sephiroth followed him up, launching himself into the air, and easily coming to a rest in front of his opponent.

“Your Geostigma is gone,” he stated, “That’s too bad.”

“Sephiroth,” Cloud finally spoke, “What do you want?”

Sephiroth smiled cruelly.

“The last thoughts of Geostigma’s dead. Those remnants will join the Lifestream and girdle the planet, choking it, corroding it. What I want, Cloud, is to sail the darkness of the cosmos with his planet as my vessel. Just as my mother did long ago.”

He raised his hand aloft, and the sky darkened, foreboding clouds blocking out the sunlight.

“Then one day, we’ll find a new planet,” he continued, “And on it’s soil, we’ll create a shining future.”

“What about this planet?” Cloud demanded.

“Well,” Sephiroth replied, baring his teeth in challenge, “That’s up to you, Cloud.”

Lightning flashed in the sky as the two men flew toward each other.