Chapter Text
You run along the steel platform after Tifa and Barret while Cloud trails behind you. You have just raided a Shinra medical research facility, but unfortunately, an unexpected roadblock in the mission led to Barret completely giving away your position.
A group of four or five security guards chase after you, the bullets from their weapons whizzing through the air and ricocheting off the metal floor and walls. Your eyes widen in surprise as you turn the corner, realizing that Tifa and Barret have come to a dead end in front of you. In a way, you're almost relieved because you're not sure how much longer you could have run for, but of course this means a head to head fight with the guards who are close behind you.
"Shit," Cloud mutters as he comes to a stop. He immediately turns around and pulls his sword from his back, ready to face the oncoming guards. Meanwhile, Tifa is looking around in a panic.
"Biggs said there was a way out here!" She says desperately as she spins in a circle, eyes darting from floor to ceiling, searching for an exit.
"I guess Biggs ain't always right." Barret growls, stepping up next to Cloud, his arm raised.
You begin to look around for this supposed escape route along with Tifa - you'd known Biggs for years, there was no way he would mess something like this up, he was too conscientious, "There's gotta be something we're missing."
"We've got them cornered!" You hear a man shout behind you. The guards finally close in on the four of you, but luckily Cloud and Barret are prepared, and they instantly leap into action.
While the two men keep the guards at bay, you continue searching for something, ANYTHING, to indicate that there's a way out of this stupid dead end. You notice that Tifa has frozen in panic next to you, her eyes glazed over, mouth pressed into a firm line. Seeing the fear plastered on her face forces you to push down all of your own - you guys need a way out of here. Barret and Cloud can't fight forever, and Shinra has endless reinforcements to send, so you continue looking around, scanning the smooth metal walls for something, anything to indicate an exit of some kind.
The sound of combat roars behind you when suddenly, something catches your eye. You direct your attention back to the spot, noticing now how the light reflects slightly differently on a small, rectangular section of metal. Intuition tells you push on it, so you do, causing it to depress back into the wall like a button. The whirring sound of a motor begins to hum, and an instant later, the section of floor below you gives way. A yelp leaves your body while a gasp of shock leaves Tifa's as the two of you begin to plummet downwards. You don't even have a chance to process what has just happened before you land with a soft thud into a pile of sheets, towels, and pillowcases.
While the large collection of laundry has broken the worst of the fall, your ass still throbs as you stand up. Once you're back on your feet, you offer a hand to Tifa who gladly accepts your help in getting up.
"Where the hell are we?" You wonder aloud, looking around the dimly lit room. It was impossible to tell how far down you've fallen, and you've never seen a place like this before. A number of grey carts filled with more white towels and sheets are lined up against the wall to your left. In front of you is a long hallway with a singular door at the very end, and another to the right.
Tifa shakes her head with a short laugh, "I think we just got tossed down Shinra's laundry chute."
Realization washes over you. You were in a medical research facility, of course there would be patients staying here, and all of them would need to have their bedding and towels changed. You almost feel stupid for being surprised, but to be fair, you never really considered that Shinra might actually be helping people. Whenever you hear the words "Shinra" and "research" together, you immediately think of the sick, twisted experiments going on in Hojo's lab.
"Biggs should have been a little bit more specific about how to get down here, I'm lucky I even noticed where to press." You say with a sigh, still gingerly rubbing your right hip.
Tifa nods in agreement before rationalizing, "It must be a safety feature to have it hidden so that innocent unassuming people don't accidentally fall down here." She offers you a smile.
"Problem is, I don't know if Cloud or Barret would have seen where I pressed. It all happened really-"
You're interrupted by the sound of Barret's exaggerated yelling followed by three thuds, one significantly loud than the other two.
"What the hell!" Barret shouts as he sits up out of the sheets to shove Cloud.
"What's your problem?" The mercenary asks flatly, brushing himself off as he gets to his feet.
"My problem?" Barret asks incredulously, "My problem is that your stupid ass sword coulda landed on either of our heads on the way down here, and you didn't even warn me we were comin' down here in the first place!"
Cloud snorts as he picks his buster sword up out of the linen, sliding it reflexively onto his back, "Well it didn't land on either of us, did it? And besides, you should be thanking me. If I hadn't noticed where [y/n] found the button, we'd still be up there."
Barret opens his mouth to reply but Tifa quickly shushes him, "Stop the bickering, you two. We need to get out of here, they know where we are and they're going to be sealing off our exits."
Everyone shares a short nod of agreement before you all take off down the hallway - you could argue once you were home safe. Tifa leads you through the door on the right, warning you to watch your step. As you follow her, you're met with a dark flight of stairs that seem endless. You do your best to keep up with her, but she soon disappears into the darkness below. Trying not to slow Barret and Cloud down behind you, you continue to keep up your pace, despite the protest of your lungs.
'Maybe I should get a gym membership,' You think to yourself annoyedly as you struggle to keep your breathing in check.
Finally, you reach a landing at the bottom which is lit up by a single, flickering light. Tifa holds open an old looking door, "Make a right, and then just keep going straight." She instructs you.
Stepping out the door, you realize that you're now in an alley behind the building. You look up for a moment to see the dark night sky above you before turning to the right and continuing to run for as long as you can. After what feels like an eternity, it seems you've made your way back to a main street. Luckily, given that it's well past midnight, there's nobody around. Cloud, Barret, and Tifa come to a stop beside you on the sidewalk.
"Glad that's over." Barret chuckles, "Nice job finding that button, [y/n]."
"Well, we're not done quite yet." Tifa looks around, checking to see if anybody could have trailed you, but it seems that for now, you're safe. "[y/n], you know where Jessie left those parachutes, right?"
You nod, "That place near the employee housing district. I'm pretty sure Cloud has been there before too?" You look over at the blonde haired mercenary who's standing next to Barret, expressionless, with his arms folded across his chest.
You'd known Tifa, Barret, Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge for years having worked with them a ton before they split off from the rest of Avalanche. At the time that they left, you weren't sure where you stood on the matter, so you'd opted to stay with the main group and work for Avalanche HQ. As time went by though, you grew more and more fed up with the lack change being achieved by the main Avalanche cells. They were all talk, and no results. So five months ago, you found yourself at Seventh Heaven, asking Barrett to join their cell.
Everyone had been incredibly excited and welcoming when you joined, except for Cloud. You didn't know much about him except that he joined shortly before you did, he was ex-SOLDIER, and that he always made you nervous. Tifa, Jessie, and Aerith (whom you met after joining) told you that his attitude was just a facade and he was really a good guy on the inside, but you couldn't see it. As far as you could tell, he was constantly looking for a way to judge you or pick you apart.
"This way." Cloud starts off down the sidewalk, leading you all down the street in the direction of the parachutes and your way home to safety.