Disclaimer: The Rescue Rangers are copyright Disney, used without permission.
Final Fantasy 7 is copyright Squaresoft, also used without permission.
NOTE: You do *not* have to have any prior knowledge of
Final Fantasy 7 to enjoy this fanfic. Nor should the title
"Ranger Fantasy 7" disturb you. The games themselves have
no series-wide connection and are all self-contained. This
fanfic is no different.
I only have a few things to say this time. This fanfic,
Ranger Fantasy 7, is a cross-casting [That is, a fanfic where
characters from one universe take over the roles of characters
from another] between our favorite rodent-sized heroes and
the best-selling Video Game, Final Fantasy 7. I am writing
this forward because of this, to avoid confusion. You can
skip this for now, but please come back and read this before
posting comments. Thank you.
First, if the characters occasionally seem a little off, it is
probably due to them having to adjust to their roles in Final
Fantasy 7's storyline. For the first six or so chapters, I'm
going to try to follow the game in order to get the story off
the ground, but from there anything goes. Some chapters will
be all mine, others will follow the game to the letter. This
does not mean I'll be totally disrespectful to the personalities
of the Rescue Rangers. Their normal natures will take dominance,
simply with minor adjustments. The same goes for the FF7
characters they substitute, for example Tifa was never a mechanic
in the game, but since Gadget is substituting for her, that has
to change. All in all, the adjustments made should even out.
Secondly, this is a warning, depending on how closely I end up
following the game, this fanfic may or may not have a lot of
angst. However, if I follow the game very closely, most of the
angst will be on the part of Cloud/Chip, not Gadget.
And finally, the idea of the magical rocks known as Materia
ARE NOT MINE, those are in the game. That may seem like a
silly thing to point out, but I just KNOW that if I don't,
someone who knows Final Fantasy only through that movie
(which didn't have magic) would jump in and think it was my
idea. It isn't. In fact, I'm not going to do a whole lot of
throwing my own inventions into the mix, outside of my three
original characters, as long as something consistent with
either the FF7 gameworld or the Rangerverse would handle
the plot just fine.
Now that I'm done boring you, we can proceed.
[Okay, I'm going to break from tradition and, for once,
make up false companies to go with false credits.]
Roundhard Presents...
A SquareStar Production...
Of an 8-Bit Star Fanfic...
Someday, somewhere, a train was rolling. By our standards,
this train was pretty futuristic. It ran solely on magnetic power,
and it ran fast. Never stopping, never ceasing, never even slowing
down, until...
RANGER FANTASY 7
FEATURING...
MONTEREY JACK as "Barret."
Near a seemingly desolate station, just before a tunnel,
the train stopped. Three shaggy-looking figures dressed in torn
street-clothing jumped from atop the train down to the adjescent
sidewalk, followed by a big, burly mouse. The men couldn't help
but watch the mouse, who landed with a BOOM, and stare at the
space that his right arm used to occupy. Years ago this mouse
had suffered an accident during a mission similar to the one they
were about to undertake at that very moment. After that, he had
went to see a friend of his, who shall we say made the best of
things. Now, this mouse, who's real name is Monterey Jack, but
who on missions goes under the code-name "Barret," had a mean-
looking gun in place of his missing arm.
Immediately the group was beset by a pair of guards, but
the men handled both of them quite easily.
"Barret" turned to face his men. "Crikey, lads! Don't just
stand there, get movin' before more Shinra security spots us!"
"Right!" The men unanimously agreed, quickly rounding a
corner.
Monty turned back to the train. "You comin', 'Cloud'?"
CHIP MAPLEWOOD as "Cloud."
"Just a second, 'Barret'!" Came an incredibly high voice.
"Barret" knew the lad was trying his best, but he tensed up with
annoyance and fear every time the man spoke, for his voice sounded
like a cartoon chipmunk, and Monty imagined that no matter how
silently he spoke, he could be heard miles away because his voice
was so high-pitched.
Within moments, the lad himself jumped off the train. Though
Monty was a giant compared to him, the kid looked tough in that
blue armor, and with that impossibly huge sword, so Monty figured
that he must be very strong. Strong he was. An excellent fighter,
and ethical, but with only one problem...
"... I'm still getting 1,000 Gil for this, aren't I?"
DALE OAKMONT as "Cid."
"Crikey lad, didn't I tell ya to keep your yap shut?"
Chip, under the code-name "Cloud," almost apologized, but
then thought better of it. Instead he indicated with his thumb.
"Yes, let's move out. Follow me."
Chip followed without another word.
GADGET HACKWRENCH as "Tifa."
Just around the corner, Chip spotted more trouble. Right
there he was ambushed by more Shinra security, with the other
members of the team already having a decent lead. They turned
back to watch, anticipation clear in their eyes.
Chip was not frightened, even though these men had machine
guns. Even when he was hit by them, it hurt very little due to
his armor. Quickly he whipped out his humongous sword, holding
it aloft as if it weighed nothing at all.
ZIPPER as "Red XIII"
The men watched as "Cloud" made quick work of the two Shinra
guards, leaving their corpses on the street where they soon dissolved
into spiritual matter, going back to the planetary life force that
had allowed them life. Chip was soon caught up.
"Wow," said Mole, code-named "Biggs", "You used to be in SOLDIER
all right, it shows!"
"SOLDIER?" Mepps, code-named "Jesse" questioned, "Aren't they
the enemy? Why is he with us in AVALANCHE?"
"Umm, well, he USED to be in SOLDIER. He quit them and joined
us! Can't ya see that?"
Suddenly Snout, code-named "Wedge", asked "Hey, what was this
newcomer's name again?"
"Real or code?" "Jesse" pondered.
"Both."
"Chip something-Wood."
"Maplewood," Chip corrected as silently as possible. "And my
code-name is 'Cloud'."
DUMB FROG as "Vincent."
Suddenly, "Barret" came back from down an alley.
"Crikey lads, didn't I tell ya never to huddle together like
this? Yer just makin' yerself easier to spot! And 'Cloud' please
stop talking!"
Chip nodded.
"Okay, meet me on the bridge in front of the North Mako Reactor."
At that moment, "Jesse" a professional hacker, had just got
done tinkering with a Shinra security gate, which slid open with a
grind and a clank. The three moved in. "Barret" followed, but then
turned to "Cloud."
PENNYWINKEL as "Aeris."
"What's this I 'ear about you bein' an ex-SOLDIER?"
"I though you looked at my file before you hired me."
"Your file said nothin' about this! Anyway, just to let ya know,
I don't trust SOLDIERs, ex or otherwise. Now follow me."
And Monty ran up the alley. At this moment, "Cloud" took a look
upward, towards the building where the group was to meet. From this
point, he could only see the top, which resembled the head of some
stainless steel god, watching over his dominion...
Chip broke out of his reverie and followed the leader.
MADEMANNA as "Yuffie."
And immediately he lost him again, but he did spot the one known
as "Jesse." Apparently he had been waiting, for when their eyes met,
Mepps ran, and Chip followed on through a security sensor gate,
whereupon Chip was beset by another machine-gun man and a dog.
"Cloud" spared no time with either before following Jesse right into
the building he had been staring at only a second ago.
FAT CAT as "Cait Sith."
Immediately inside was a walkway, and Chip could see far below.
In the center, this walkway branched off to the right, forming an
upside-down T form. Right across from him, Chip saw "Wedge" at another
door. "Cloud" followed his mission parameters and went up the branch,
which led into a structure-within-the-structure, the main part of the
factory, where he found Monty waiting.
And DEMON MASTER MIND as "Sephiroth."
"This yer first time in a Reactor, lad? I couldn't help but
notice you seemed a little lost."
Chip thought. For some reason, entering a Mako Reactor had
seemed like a new experience for him, but that obviously could not
be true, for he had once been a member of SOLDIER, Shinra's private
little army. His shaking head said as much.
"Do ya know WHY we're doing this, lad?"
In fact, he didn't. All he knew was that he was getting payed
to help out.
"Well, let me tell ya. These reactors are like power plants.
These are what allow people like us to 'ave electricity in our 'omes.
But do ya know what this privelage is costing us?"
"Hightened taxes?"
"No! It's costing us the life of our planet! Mako Energy that
these things process is the life blood of our planet, and Shinra is
suckin' it out with these strange machines!"
"Look, I'm not interested in your motives. Can we just hurry?"
RAT CAPONE as "Rufus Capone Shinra."
"Strike me starkas, you little... Never mind that, I'm not
lettin' YOU out of my sight!"
Just then, "Biggs" whispered "Code deciphered." and a security
door opened. The four ran through, only to be confronted with a
square-shaped room and another security door. This time it was
"Jesse's" turn.
"Think of how many people risked their lives, just for this
code..." "Biggs" said, somewhat to himself.
Suddenly, "Jesse" stated "Code deciphered, let's move!" Again
a security door opened, and they moved.
WITH ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS PLAYED BY:
Professor Norton Nimnul
Spunky
And the remaining RR cast
And now they were in. "Jesse" waited near a door at the far
side of the room. When "Cloud" finally made it, he pressed a button,
and opened the door. Inside was what looked like a space-age elevator.
"Push that putton over there," Mepps indicated.
Chip figured he meant the "Down" button.
As the elevator went down, Monterey began talking some more.
"Ya know lad, it'll be slow, sure, but one day these Mako Reactors
WILL drain out all the life of the planet. Where will we be then,
'Cloud'?"
"Not my problem."
"WHAT?! What part of 'the planet's dyin' don't ya understand?"
"What part of 'let's just get this over with' do YOU not
understand?"
That comment made Monty want to punch him, but he managed to
control himself as the elevator came to a halt.
"Maybe one day, you'll realize that this IS your problem. It's
everybody's problem, wether they like it or not."
They left the elevator, following "Jesse" who crossed a large
level area and went down a flight of steps. Chip and Monty followed,
though due to "Barret's" burly build, they were spotted by the patrols,
small gun platforms controlled by security stations elsewhere in the
buildings, as well as floating round things that seemed to have leaves
hanging from them. The smaller things were the primary sensors that
told the machine gun things where the intruders were, so Monty thought
it prudent to take those out first.
It was here that Chip admired, but wasn't very impressed with,
the fast work done by "Barret's" Gun-arm as he took out two of the
ball things and a few gun platforms. Chip began to think him and
Monty might've made a good team, had their goals not been so
different...
Stil following Mepps, they went into a small shaft with
stairs and ladders, jumped a break in the platform, climbed a ladder,
went down some stairs, and climbed another ladder that ended atop a
pipe, apparently this particular entry was used for engineers and
repairman who keep the reactor in perfect working order (though they
don't do a very good job with floors, by the looks of it). Following
the pipes they came to another ladder, which took them to a walkway
leading to their destination--the Reactor Core.
On the path Chip noticed a glowing rock, and picked it up. Then
they continued to their destination.
"When this place blows, it ain't gonna be nothin but junk. Too
bad really, such a fine buildin'. I don't really like havin' to do
this."
"Then why do you?"
"I have no choice, lad! Someone has to stop these vampires!
It's like I was sayin', lad, they're suckin the life-blood of the
planet! Do you know what happens if the planet dies? Here's a hint:
WE die. Trees die, birds die, everything dies!"
"Whatever, that--"
"Not your problem? You tryin to say that your LIFE is not your
problem? Get a grip, lad! Never mind, I can see that someone with
your background ain't ever gonna see reason. You're just like the
rest of them, all you want is money-money-money. Well then, EARN
it! Place the bomb!"
"But--"
"You're the mercenary, you LIKE killin', don't ya? Go ahead,
set it. Get your thrills AND your money!"
The two gave mean glances at each other, but then Chip sighed,
and began to place the bomb. "The truth is," he started, "I guess
I'm like you in a way. I don't like death and violence either, but
like you, I have to do it, just to live. I don't have any more
marketable skills. Sometimes... sometimes I wish I did. You ever
hear about how soldiers in war start going crazy because of the
guilt over all the people they've killed?--"
Suddenly, Chip heard what sounded like a high-pitched squeal
going off in his head, and a voice told him "Watch out! This isn't
just a reactor!"
"Something wrong, 'Cloud'?"
Chip came to momentarily. "... Huh? Oh, yea, I'm fine!
There, the bomb is... drat!"
The security alarm went off. A compartment on the reactor
opened up, and out jumped what seemed like a big, mechanical scorpion.
But the two revolutionaries were already running. The metal
menace's sensors soon picked them up, and began following. But it
could not follow them up the ladder, which Monterey was already
scurrying up, Chip close behind.
"BARRET! Take out the sensor! On his forehead!" Chip
called. Just then Monty turned his arm-gun towards the scorpion
thing, and unleashed a flying fury of flaming bullets onto it.
Though some hit the shell and bounced harmlessly off, soon, one of
Monty's barrage bullets managed to pierce the sensor acting as the
device's eye.
"Whew! Good thing you got that. Those things can shoot
lasers from their tails, and that was aiming it's right at us!"
"Hey lad, how long did you set the bomb for?"
"Five minutes."
"Then I suggest we START SCRAMBLING!"
Chip liked that suggestion, and they went back up the pipes, the
ladders, the stairs (though Chip had to help "Jesse" who had gotten
his leg stuck) the square rooms... They had to decipher the codes all
over again (Shinra must have VERY strict security) which was no fun
under pressure.
It was when they got back to the T-shaped walkway that Chip
finally realized why Biggs had been left standing where he was. He
had, the whole time, been trying to crack the code to a quad-enforced
anti-explosion safe room! And suddenly Chip saw that this was a
good idea, for when he got upstairs they only had moments left, there
was no way they could get far enough away in time to be unharmed by
their own bomb.
Quickly, the group made it into the saferoom, throwing out any
Shinra officials who had called dibs first.
Then a boom was heard, and felt, and one of the eight sectors
of the domed city of Midgar was forced to go without power.
CHAPTER ONE
On the other side of the same room was an emergency exit door,
but it, unfortunately, was covered with rubble. Chip's sensitive ears
picked up the tinkering sounds of Mepps rigging another, smaller
explosive to circumvent this unfortunate circumstance.
Monty sighed. "Okay, now that the mission is over, we can drop
the code-names for now. And you're allowed to talk, Chip. But if
ya wanna ask about your money, save it for when we get to the hideout."
"That oughtta keep the planet going a little longer," Mole
commented.
"Okay, everyone stand back!" Mepps stated. He joined them at
the other side of the room, which was rocked by an explosion. The
doorway was surrounded by flames, but all were willing to jump through
them, and all came out unharmed (Though Mole almost got cinged). They
had done this before, and they were skilled.
"Okay, everyone split up and meet at the Sector 8 Station!"
Monty commanded. Immediately everyone "Yes, sir!"ed and dispersed in
any random direction they could, including Chip, who went up a nearby
set of stairs.
And immediately he bumped into a girl.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, helping her up. She was small, seemed
like a kid. She had long brown hair.
She was also silent, except for the POUND of the elbow that hit
Chip's stomach.
"All's forgiven," she said, standing up. "Assuming you're not
a pickpocket, of course."
Chip, pretending to be struggling for breath, stated "No, I'm
not." Eyeing her basket of flowers, he said "I wouldn't want to steal
from a girl selling flowers anyway."
"You think I'm poor, don't you?"
Chip stood quickly, and ignored her question. "Okay, I think
I'm all right now. Umm... would it sound strange if I asked how much
the flowers were?"
"Only one Gil each."
"I'll take one then." He handed her a single Gil coin, which
had been left after the bodies of the guards he killed had dissolved,
and she gave him a flower in return. "Thank you."
"Welcome... do you smell smoke?"
"Ummm... it's not safe around here. I was just heading out
myself."
"Good idea. Well, see ya."
Then the man and girl parted ways.
Chip wandered off into the Sector 8 Plaza, and grudgingly
admired the fruits of his own dirty work. Above he saw the last
light in the city struggling to get power out, and failing. Besides
that, no electricity could be seen. The sure sign that his job was
a success. But he did not need a sure sign.
"Hey bub, look at this." A man pointed out a billboard to
Chip. The billboard had originally had a Shinra advertisement on it,
but the billboard had been painted over. It now said:
"Do not trust Shinra!
Mako energy is the life of the planet!
Mako Reactors kill the planet!
Shinra builds planet-killing Mako-Reactors!
Defenders of the planet: AVALANCHE!"
"Ha," Chip thought, "I bet Captain Planet and the Planeteers
would have a field day with this world, and with that group of
extremists."
"You don't trust Avalanche, boy?" Said an old man. "No, of
course not. I can see your eyes, the glowing green of someone who's
been around Mako energy most of their lives. And that's SOLDIER
armor yer wearing."
"Yea, I quit SOLDIER years ago, after the war."
"I figured as much. The Shinra brainwashing is still strong in
yer head. Those who've never been affiliated with Shinra will tell
ya that they're nothing but cruel, greedy power-mongers. They don't
care who they hurt or what they destroy in the name of their own
personal gain."
"Not my problem," Chip shrugged, and quickly walked off before
the old man said the next inevitable line:
"It IS your problem! It's EVERYBODY'S problem!"
Why did everything have to sound so familiar?
He walked towards the next street, which had a bridge over a
set of train tracks. Looking up the tracks, he saw that they were
the Sector 8 Train tracks. He was sure the train came this way,
and that he was standing above the tunnel it would eventually come
out of. But the actual station was far behind him.
Suddenly a voice behind him said "You there. We want to ask
you some questions."
Chip turned, and saw some Machine Gun guys in SOLDIER uniforms
approaching. But the train was leaving soon and Chip had no time
to toy with them, but how to get away?
Chip tried to round a corner, but there were more Shinra troops
there, facing him. Then, Chip realized that they KNEW he had been
involved in the explosion. How they knew he couldn't be sure, for
Shinra has never revealed all it's secrets, but they knew. He ran
again, going exactly away from where he had originally meant, but
again there were more Shinra guards! Chip was surrounded on all
sides, and he knew he had no option but to fight... unless...
Yes! He heard it, the Toot-toot of the Chu-Chu train! This
was his chance! Just as the Shinra troops began babbling orders
and ganging up, Cloud nudged himself near the track. Then he saw
the blurring metal streak, and made a jump for it!
"Do you think Chip's dead?" Mole asked.
"Could be, he never arrived," Snout answered.
"Ha! No way in Cheese Heaven that boy could be a goner! He
probably just missed the train."
"Maybe he's been captured, then," Mepps suggested. "I wonder...
If he had warmed up to our cause, would he fight to the end for us?"
"Ahh, I doubt it, mate. The way he was actin', he's pure
mercenary. He'll fight only as long as 'e gets compensated for it."
"That's too bad..."
Then there was something surprising. They seemed to be hearing
a rythmic pounding sound on the roof of the train... suddenly, the
door slid open, and in swung Chip!
"Ta-da!"
"Chip!" Everyone exclaimed.
"Sorry I missed the train. Did everybody make it?"
"Strike me starkas, lad! We all thought you were a goner!"
"I... see."
"'Kay lads, one more thing we gotta do, then we can get rest
and prepare for our next mission. Come on!"
With that, Monty went to the front of the train car they were
in (an almost-empty cargo car) opened the door, and made his way to
the next car up.
"Chip... that was great!" Mole commented before following
Monty.
"Yea, with you on our side, we can't lose!" Snout added before
he, too, followed Monty.
Mepps took time to shut the door Chip had carelessly left open.
"Thanks for helping me... at the Reactor. I would've died if not..."
"Save it. I had to. My old field commander had a motto.
He used to say, 'We all go home, or nobody goes home'."
"I see."
Then Mepps, too, followed Monty. Chip followed Mepps.
But the five only went as far as to get in the next train car,
an actual passenger car. Then Monty sat down in an empty seat, saying
"Yep, now we can relax, mates! Least until we get to the security
checkpoint."
Chip couldn't sit down, his legs were too tense. So he went
near the front of the car, where Mepps and Biggs were looking at a
computer terminal. On the terminal was a complete model of Midgar
city in 3D Wireframing. The city seemed to be build inside a giant
wheel, with one Mako Reactor every couple of miles apart, evenly
distanced, and a large building in the center, dominating the
megalopolis.
"See, Midgar," Mepps was explaining, before he saw Chip, "Hey,
I was just explaining to Mole that Midgar here is a two-story city.
See, the top part, where good homes and business occurs, is on a
series of large plates, held 50 meters off the ground by a series of
strong support sectors, with one main one for the entire top plate,
and an individual extra support for each city sector. Below the
plates though... well, that's where the slums are. The Reactor
we blew up, the Number 1 Reactor (called that because it's near
Sector 1, though as you saw the destruction affected a minimal area
of Sector 8 as well because it was so close)."
"This is depressing," Snout cut in. "Do you remember when the
Eight Sectors were actually different towns? With names?"
"Yea. And then Shinra comes in, strips us of our lives,
businesses, history... all for their own greed."
"Yeayea, Shinra is greedy, I've heard."
Mepps, Snout, and Mole looked at Chip, and Mole asked "You
really DON'T care, do you? Life as a mercenary made you that hard,
that cold?"
Suddenly, red lights pervaded, a strobe flashed, and a beeping
was heard.
"Don't panic!" Mepps stated. "This is simply a security
checkpoint zone. This is routine, it always happens when the train
spirals around the main support structure. Anyway, our fake ID's
will get us through this one."
"Okay."
Soon enough, the light stopped. There was a moment of silence.
Then Monty said "Blimey, look at that. That blasted plate blocks
out the sky. We don't have no day or night, no beautiful stars to
look at, no rain or snow to look forward to."
"Yea, the idea that there's a whole other city overhead is
a disturbing thought." Chip agreed.
"Well blow me down, our little mercenary actually has feelings!"
Chip sat at the window, and looked up, disturbed more and more
every minute.
"Besides that," Mepps pointed out, "All the polluted air up
there filters down to the slum areas, and usually doesn't get back
out. It is very unhealthy down there. That's why you see so many
sickly people in the slums."
"But why doesn't everybody just move onto the plate?" Chip
wondered.
"Well lad, many of us just can't afford to. And others just
love their land, no matter how bad it gets."
Chip sighed, "I know... nobody lives in the slums because
they want to. Like this train, it can only follow it's rails,
it has no other choice..."
The train soon came to a stop in a railroaded area known as the
"Train Graveyard" called so becausee the scrapheaps of old trains
still remained here. At the station, the group got off.
Off to the side, a train usher was thinking, and began mumbling
to himself. Chip couldn't help but listen.
"When you've been a train man as long as I have, you see a lot
of people, and a lot of lives. People meeting, parting, joy, sadness...
after awhile, it doesn't even get to you anymore."
"Okay mates, gather 'round!"
They did.
"Now, I hope ya know not all our missions are gonna be this
easy. After all the stunts we've pulled so far, Shinra's bound to
start beefing up security, just to catch us. Our missions are gonna
get harder and harder, so I hope ya'll are prepared. Now, back to
the hideout."
Chip followed, but took the time out in one of the nicer-looking
Slum areas to check out a large pillar with a circular staircase all
around it.
"That's the support pillar." A boy commented. "Man, if that
thing were to come down... we'd all be pancakes!"
"I see."
"Awestruck, I see. I understand. This place... I dunno, but
just lookin' at that thing gives me a special feeling inside."
Chip looked. "I'm sorry, but I'm not picking up any special
feelings."
"That's okay, it'll happen. This is my special place, but
you're welcome to come here any time. Oh, my mom's callin', see
ya!"
Chip waved weakly as he continued staring up at the pillar.
In his mind, he was beginning to understand what Monty had meant
about people who love their land.
"Crikey lad, ya comin' or what?" Monty impatiently barked.
Chip was hesitant in coming, but soon, sparing only a few last
glances back, he came.
CHAPTER TWO
Gadget was serving drinks at a bar called Tifa's, "Tifa"
being the name Gadget went by when questioned by Shinra troops, for
no way was she going to ever tell them who she really was (at which
point they could trace her and eventually discover the secret lair
of Avalanche).
One of the dregs of humanity sauntered up to the bar, and said
"I'd like a hard one on the rocks... and, heh, you gonna be free for
some, aheh, 'music-making' Saturday night?"
Gadget went to look at the drinks. "Actually no, I'm pretty
tied up this Saturday. And anyway, I'm lousy at making music. My
dad gave me violin lessons when I was little, but stopped when the
costs of broken mirrors began to add up."
She walked back to him, and said "By the way, we don't happen
to have anything hard on a rock. Would you like a drink instead?"
He grabbed the collar of her shirt, and pulled her almost over
the bar. "Don't get wise with me, bimbo!"
Then he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, and himself was
picked up by the collar of his shirt, and thrown right out the door.
Mepps, Mole, and Snout dodged to the side. Chip managed to duck just
in time, then he entered the bar, asking "What was that?"
"Just one of the lowlife scum of the slums," Snout answered.
"All right!" Mepps threatened, "All you lowlives clear out of
here!"
The two remaining lowlives did just that, one of them mumbling
"Cripes, what the heck is with these guys?"
After Chip watched the last of the dreg leave, he asked Monty
"What was THAT about?"
"Mepps, make sure the door is locked..."
"CHIP!" Gadget suddenly exclaimed. She jumped over the bar
quick as a flash, and embraced the chipmunk in her loving arms.
"Oh Chip, I never thought I'd see you again!"
"Gadget! What are YOU doing HERE?!... don't tell me YOU joined
Avalanche, too!"
She stopped hugging him, and said "Well, yea, but all I do is
keep watch at the hideout... Oh, is that flower for me?!"
"Huh?" Chip then suddenly remembered the flower he had bought
from the mysterious flower girl. In truth he had bought it simply as
a way of apologizing for bumping into her, and to show that there were
no hard feelings. That excuse seemed practically dull in his mind now,
so he held it aloft and said "Why, yes! For you, my dear," he said
with an intentional accent.
"Well shiver me timbers! I didn't know the two of ya knew
each other!"
"We're childhood friends, Monty." Chip answered.
"Yea, we used to run off and have adventures and play, until that
day I hit my head and lost my memories, Chip blamed himself for that,
which is why he joined the war ya see, be he was nice enough to provide
all the missing details about my past and who I was and stuff before
he left."
"Well, lad and lassie, that's great!" He meant that. Monty
liked seeing friends reunite under positive circumstances. He also
suddenly saw hope that Chip might quit the mercenary business and
decide to fight for the cause because it's the right thing to do,
rather than for money. "As I was saying though, everyone gather
around this here pinball machine!"
They did so, with only Chip wondering "Why?"
Soon he saw. Around the Pinball machine, Monty pressed the
paddle buttons in a certain rythm, then pulled the ball launch in
and out three times in a row. Suddenly the floor below began to
lower like an elevator. "Whoa," Chip said. "I was wondering why
I didn't see Gadget when I was here earlier."
"So Chip, what have you been doing with yourself lately?"
"Me? Well... uhhh... I'm..."
Monty grabbed his chance. "Oh, Chip 'ere's a mercenary now!"
Gadget looked at him with a mix of surprise and disdain.
"A mercenary? You?!"
"Yep, sells 'is skills to the 'ighest bidder, 'e does!"
The elevator got done lowering here. They all stepped off, and
back up it went. There was a button on the wall with which they could
summon it again if need be.
"Well," Chip began explaining, "You see..."
"Chip! I thought you were going to go off and become a great
hero, like the legendary Sephiroth!" She said, her eyes almost
pleading for him to say everything was a lie, that he wasn't a mere
mercenary, that this was a big joke and he had in fact become the
hero he had promised to become.
"Well..."
"Oh lass, ya can't really blame him," Monty said, realizing that
the situation threatened to go a disastrous course other than what he
had hoped. "He joined SOLDIER, ya know. And you know how anything
run by Shinra is."
"Oh, of course!" Gadget said, clapping her hands, "So you quit
the evil Shinra and became a mercenary in order to build up money to
fund your quest to become that hero you had always promised you'd be!"
She hugged him again. Chip shrugged, seeing the confused glances
that everyone was giving him. Monty put a hand on his head, realizing
his plan had backfired.
"Hey," Mepps said, "Look at the TV!"
They all looked as the TV droned on.
"This is Stan Blather reporting. Less than an hour ago, the
Number One Mako Reactor exploded, levelling the structure, some of
the surrounding living space,"--Monty winced at that--"and cutting
off all power to Midgar's Sector One. This seems to be a terrorist
attack, Shinra officials state that minutes after the bombing, a
husky-voiced male placed a phone call to Shinra offices, claiming
to be a member of a group called Avalanche, who he said were
responsible for the bombing. Judging by mysterious grafitti made by
a person or persons going under the same moniker, the attack seems to
be environmentally-motivated--"
Then the TV was switched off.
"That's all I needed," Mepps stated. "It's always nice to know
our progress is being acknowledged."
"Yea, and one more thing, mates. Notice that he pointed out
our motives. That blighter doesn't know it, but 'e may have just
given us support from the populace!"
"How?" Chip wondered.
"Oh, well, everyone knows Shinra is bad news, Chip-me-lad, but
they never fought back 'cuz they were afraid to! Rumor has it that
Shinra will arrest ya and use ya as fodder in their experiments for
little more than simply not likin' the awful food they produce at
their burger joints!"
"Riiiight..."
"But, now that they see others fighting back, they have to stop,
and think, and wonder. Finally they'll realize that yes, they CAN
make a difference! With the support of the whole city, we can make
Shinra nothin' but a forgotten memory!"
Chip scratched his head nervously. "Uhhh... yea!"
"Say, where's Mandy, Gadget-luv?"
"Oh, she's hiding. See a couple of Shinra troops stepped in
earlier and..."
"WHAT?! SOLDIER lackeys got anywhere NEAR my little girl?!
Why those bloomin' blighters! I'll wash the earth with the blood of
every one of..."
"Relax Monty! She was down here the whole time and never came
up. She's right in that closet over there. HEY MANDY, DADDY'S HOME!"
Slowly, cautiously, a little girl peered out of a closet. Then
she smiled, came running, saying "DADDY!!"
"Ummm..." Chip wondered, about to ask a question, but deciding
to forego it in the presence of the child and "father" who were in
their own loving embrace.
"Daddy, I was so worried!"
"So was I, lass..."
"So, how did it go? Did you blow up a factory? Did you beat
the bad guys? Are the forces of evil driven from the land for all
time?" Suddenly a cat jumped on the girl's shoulders, stood, and
began licking Monty's face. The girl giggled. "Spunky missed you,
too!"
"Awwww." He put her down. "Well lass, the forces of evil
aren't gone just yet, but we DID blow up a factory! And beat some
bad guys! Hello Spunky. You been takin' care of me little girl?
Yea, I knew I could count on ya."
The cat finished licking his face, and jumped down.
Meanwhile...
"Did you get a look at his mug?" A very large rat with a very
clear 1920s Chicago Ganster accent asked, sitting on his comfy chair,
in a dark room, with only the barest of light from the moon and an
activated computer monitor.
"Yes, sir," a man in a SOLDIER uniform said. "Chipmunk, about
ye high."
"And you're SURE he was wearing a war-model SOLDIER outfit?"
"Yes."
"Did you get his serial number?"
"I tried, but he either covered it or tore it off his suit.
Nothing but a blank space there now."
"Sir, I've got something!"
The chair turned towards the monitor, and the uniformed man,
still standing, looked at the computer and the nameless technician
operating it. On the screen was displayed a pair of chipmunk heads.
One was for a red-nosed, rather happy looking furry fellow. The
other was a perfect mugshot of Chip.
"This one with the red nose is a former would-be astronaut from
back when we still had a space program, who aborted his flight due to
the presence of a stowaway. He's officially logged under the name
'Cid Highwind' but we have long assumed that to be an alias."
"Cut the jazz and tell me, were either of these suckers in
SOLDIER during the war?"
"This one, with the black nose, was." He turned, and held up
three fingers, which he then spread out and slowly layed on his knee.
The man in the chair saw this gesture, and told the uniformed
officer "I think we found your man. Your presence is no longer
required."
"That's definately him, sir." The officer said, looking at
the monitor.
"I SAID your presence is no longer required!"
"Oh, right, sorry sir." And with an about-face, the soldier
marched out of the room. The door slid shut behind him, and Shinra's
head honcho, Rufus Capone Shinra, turned towards the man at the
terminal. The hand gesture was a secret code among higher-level
Shinra Employees and those involved in secret projects. Anyone who
knew the code was sworn to absolute secrecy.
"All right, what is it?"
"Sir, the man he identified is..."
"Yes?"
"... Number 001997."
That message was a complete shock to Capone. "Can't be..."
"I agree it seems unlikely, but he and 'Cid' are the only
chipmunks who were in our organization during the war."
Capone thought. After a moment of silence he admitted "A wise
old geezer once squeaked that once ya eradicate the impossible,
whatever you haven't shot up, no matter how unthinkable, must be
the dirty rat who squealed on you. But if he IS alive, that's not
the real problem."
"Problem, sir? Surely we could simply send an assasin after
him..."
"Didn't I just say he isn't the problem?" The computer guy
stopped in mid-sentence. "The problem is that if this one is alive,
then the other one probably is, too. THAT one will be our problem."
"I see, sir."
"But this one... I think we named him Chip, as in 'Cash in your
Chip when the time comes', is that right?"
"Yessir. Chip Maplewood."
"The mere fact that he is still breathing the same air as me
greatly arouses my curiosity. I want him captured and detained,
alive, at any cost."
"Certainly sir. Who should I give the order to?"
"I'll give the order. Send in... the Turks."
CHAPTER THREE
Those who have lived there most their lives find it hard to
believe that the Sector 7 Slums used to be a rural school area,
yet the evidence was there. Not more than a few feet from Tifa's
bar was a small dome-ish play fortress with a slide. It was here
now that Chip was sitting silently, by himself.
His conversation with Gadget had set off many thoughts in
his mind, thoughts he would rather have forgotten, pretending they
had never existed.
"If I had known she was here, I would never have come to this
town," Chip said to himself. "Sure thing Gadget got the wrong idea.
That blasted Monty."
Back to the stories