The ground trembled one last time as the Sector 5 Mako Reactor's upper levels finally crumbled. A massive cloud of smoke billowed into the night sky, illuminated by the distant city lights of Midgar.
For a moment, the only sound was the distant wail of Shinra sirens, growing fainter as they raced towards the disaster. Then, a cheer erupted from Barret.
"YEAH! That's how you do it! Take that, Shinra!" Barret pumped his gun-arm into the air, his face split by a wide, triumphant grin. He was covered in soot and grime, but his eyes sparkled with victory.
Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge, who had managed to find their way to their rendezvous point, ran towards them, yelling with excitement. Jessie jumped up and hugged Barret tightly. "We did it, Barret! We actually did it!"
"Barely!" Barret chuckled, patting her back. "But we did it!"
Biggs and Wedge exchanged high-fives, their faces beaming with relief and pride. They looked at Arthur, their expressions full of gratitude. "You saved us, Arthur," Biggs said simply, his voice sincere. "No doubt about it."
Wedge nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Those Shinra guys just stopped fighting! It was super weird, but super awesome!"
Arthur just gave them a small, tired smile. "Teamwork," he said, keeping it simple.
Cloudia stood a little apart from the joyful group, her usual stoic expression softened by a hint of something unreadable.
Her piercing blue eyes, however, were fixed on Arthur. She hadn't cheered or celebrated with the others. Instead, she watched Arthur intently, as if trying to solve a puzzle.
Arthur met her gaze. He knew she was processing everything: his impossible speed, the way he disarmed her with ease, the way he single-handedly dismantled the Shinra mech's weapons, and the strange way he made an entire squad of soldiers simply... stop.
Her mind, trained in the strict logic of SOLDIER, was probably struggling to make sense of his powers. He could practically see the gears turning in her head.
He offered her a slight, acknowledging nod. Cloudia blinked slowly, then gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod back. It wasn't warm, not yet, but it was no longer suspicious.
It was closer to grudging respect, mixed with a heavy dose of curiosity. For Cloudia, that was a huge step.
Tifa walked over to Arthur, her usual calm demeanor replaced by a bubbling excitement she rarely showed. "Arthur," she began, her voice low so only he could hear. "Seriously. What are you? I've never seen anyone fight like that. Or... do what you did to those guards."
Arthur knew he couldn't tell her the full truth – about being from another reality, about Dragon Gods' partner or Low Tier Godling.
"I've… been through some unusual training," he said, choosing his words carefully. "And I've encountered very powerful enemies before. It taught me things."
Tifa's eyebrows arched.
"Unusual training? You're being modest. You just defeat a Shinra elite squad without even touching them. And that mech... you broke its weapons with a glare!"
She paused, then a small, playful smirk touched her lips. "I bet Cloudia's never seen anything like it either."
Arthur chuckled softly. "Probably not."
"It's good, though," Tifa continued, her expression becoming more serious. "Having you here... it makes a difference. A huge difference. We actually managed to save everyone." She looked towards Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge, a genuine warmth in her eyes. "Thank you, Arthur. Truly." Her gratitude was profound, touching Arthur's own Dragon's Heart.
Aerith, meanwhile, didn't need explanations or questions. Her trust in Arthur was absolute, pure, and uncomplicated. She simply held his hand tightly as they walked away from the burning reactor, her bright smile a constant source of warmth.
"The Planet feels a little better now, Arthur," she whispered, her eyes shining as she looked at the smoke column. "Not all the way, but a little bit. It's like it can breathe for a moment."
Arthur squeezed her hand. "That's why we're doing this, Aerith." He felt a faint, comforting hum from the Lifestream through their connected hands, a small thank you from the world itself.
As they began their long walk back to the hideout in Sector 7, the mood was light, despite the danger and the lingering exhaustion. The victory was sweet, and the fact that all of them, every single member of Avalanche, had survived, made it even sweeter.
The walk back through the dark underbelly of Midgar was a long one, but the victorious atmosphere among the Avalanche members kept their spirits high. They avoided the main roads, sticking to the shadowy alleys and forgotten pathways, always listening for the sound of Shinra patrols.
Barret, now fully recovered from the adrenaline rush, started planning their next steps. "Alright, we hit 'em hard! Shinra's gonna be madder than a starved Behemoth! We gotta lay low for a bit, but then we hit 'em again! Maybe the Sector 1 Reactor next!"
Jessie, despite her fatigue, was already buzzing with ideas. "We need more, bigger bombs for Sector 1, Barret! And maybe some better disguises for infiltration!"
Biggs and Wedge, though tired, chimed in with their own suggestions, their voices full of renewed purpose. The success of the mission, and their own survival, had clearly energized them.
Cloudia walked mostly in silence, still observing, but Arthur noticed she occasionally glanced at him, then at her Buster Sword, then back at him.
He could almost hear the questions forming in her mind, the logical inconsistencies she was trying to reconcile. He knew that for someone like Cloudia, who had been trained to understand power within a strict framework, his abilities were a complete anomaly.
It would take time, and perhaps more direct demonstrations, for her to truly accept what she had witnessed.
Tifa, walking beside Arthur, leaned in slightly. "You know, Barret's going to want to know more about those 'tricks' of yours," she whispered, a hint of amusement in her voice. "He's not usually one to be speechless, but you nearly managed it."
Arthur chuckled. "I'll tell him what he needs to know. For now, let's just enjoy the quiet."
"Quiet?" Tifa scoffed softly, gesturing to the distant wails of Shinra sirens. "In Midgar? Never." But she smiled, a genuine, relaxed smile that reached her eyes. She clearly felt safer, more confident, with Arthur around.
Aerith, still holding his hand, looked up at him. "Arthur, when we get back, can you tell me more about your power? The way you talk about it… it's like you really understand the planet's feelings, too."
Arthur looked down at her. "I'll tell you what I can, Aerith," he promised.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the familiar, unassuming entrance of Seventh Heaven. The small bar was dark, the 'OPEN' sign turned off, a silent sentinel in the sleeping slum.
Barret pushed the door open, a wide grin on his face. "We're home, Avalanche! And we won!"
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