Chapter 3: Uncertainty Rising

Vincent leaned back in his chair, frowning to himself. The computer screen continued to flicker and change, showing reports and images from the wreckage of Vandalee. A day later some of the fires were still burning in the southern section, where the attack had most likely originated from. He stopped the cycle when his eye caught something: a mound of flesh twenty feet in length, covered in fur and feathers. A Griffin. Not the same Griffins that had existed before the Fallout, though. After Meteor the planet had quickly managed to rebuild itself, and several new species of monsters had emerged. The New Griffins were nearly as vicious as the Dragons, now.

"Thought so," Cid muttered over his shoulder, his expression grim. "The entire damn Clan from the south. They must have migrated. But it would have taken them weeks to travel that distance, there’s so damn many of them."

"The city wasn’t supposed to be fully functional yet. There was no reason for them to start a migration weeks ago."

"Shit." He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and searched for a lighter. "That means they were just passing through. Either Cassandra hasn’t been telling us something or they’ve got something else in mind. If they have minds."

Vincent typed in several commands, bringing up a map of the western continent. "The New Griffin nesting grounds are here," he said, pointing to a section of forest to the far south. "They pass by Cosmo Canyon every year. They should have been heading in that direction this time of year. Instead they’re heading north." He traced a path with his claw across the Continental Strait, and tapped the position where Vandalee had once been on the coast. "If they go through the mountains following the same path...." He trailed off as his claw passed over Rocket City.

Cid ground his teeth, attempting keep himself from sprouting several particularly vulgar curses. "How long?" he asked in a low tone, as if suddenly they were being watched.

"A month, I think." He entered several more commands, the computer creating its own estimated path. "Looks like five weeks. Six if they bypass the mountains." His voice was quickly becoming grim. "Not much time."

"But there’s no way to tell if they’re really after us or not."

"Not yet."

"Shit. Fucking shit." Cid began to pace, remembering the images displayed by Vincent’s computer only minutes before. We’ll have to tell President Matthews. But I don’t think we should evacuate just yet."

"We have no place to go."

Time had stopped. Collin could only stare at the man who stood just outside, his insides trembling. The intense blue eye bore into his skin, as if burning it layer by layer, until there would be nothing left. He was only barely aware of Tess, her own expression one of wonder. For on the other side of the glass stood a legend, a man who had once been a hero. It was Cloud Strife; even if years of isolation and insanity had driven the boyish arrogance and hopeful optimism from that blue-eyed stare, nothing could steal from him the absolute power and strength from his aura. To be near him, to feel his eyes, could cause any man to tremble.

The air grew cold. Cloud’s blank expression never changed, but his fists tightened, and the glass began to vibrate. Collin started, somehow able to sense the rising of power within the man. He snatched Tess by the wrist and pulled her quickly away from the window.

As he’d expected, the glass shattered suddenly—there was no explosion, and the only noise was the cracking and snapping of delicate shards, as if the window had simply fallen apart on command. The cafe was quickly silenced as everyone turned to see what had happened. The owner entered from the back room, about to demand an explanation. He stopped when he saw Cloud.

"That’s him, isn’t it?" Tess whispered, staring in awe as Cloud glanced about the cafe critically. "That’s really him."

Collin couldn’t answer. He didn’t have to; everyone in the restaurant must have realized by now, as their eyes were wide and mouths agape. A faint murmur began to spread through the customers in the back, containing notes of amazement and suspicion. Collin ignored them. His throat constricted when he swallowed, reminding him of the fear he’d felt from this man the night before. It had returned in full. Though he wanted nothing more than to leave, or at least close his eyes so that he wouldn’t have to watch, he was frozen.

Cloud reached through the broken window, his movements slow and hesitant. His fingers curled around the picture Collin had been studying. He stared at it, emotionless, soaking in the image through his twin azure orbs silently.

Tess pulled away from her friend, and before he had a chance to stop her she had approached the man. "That’s yours, isn’t it?"

Cloud’s head snapped up, is if startled by having been addressed. He regarded the girl with careful scrutiny. Then he returned his gaze to the picture without a reply.

"You can take it," Tess continued bravely. "It’s yours, isn’t it? My Dad fixed it." She paused. "You…are him, aren’t you?"

Collin held his breath. He was shaking, fearful of what might happen, but to his relief Cloud only set the photograph down once more. When the man spoke, his voice was hollow. "I was."

She nearly squealed with delight; somehow, she managed to hold in her enthusiasm. "My name’s Tess Raven," she introduced, as if she’d forgotten how he’d shattered the window moments before without effort. "My Dad’s name is Todd—Todd Marks. You knew him, didn’t you? On the airship?"

Cloud stared at her. He squinted, looked her over, and nodded. "Yes," was all he answered.

Collin couldn’t take it anymore. He stepped forward and took Tess by the arm, standing by her side as if to protect her. He couldn’t explain the sudden feeling, but in recalling what Vincent had told him that morning, he knew this man couldn’t be trusted. If he could unintentionally harm his friends, than what was he capable of doing to a stranger?

Cloud regarded this new boy carefully, and his eyes narrowed into vibrant blue slits. The boy found himself responding to this in kind; his own eyes narrowed defiantly. They stood that way for a moment, just staring, as if considering a challenge. A last Cloud merely snorted. He turned and began to walk away. For a moment the cafe owner considered following. But that was only for a moment.

"That was him!" Tess exploded all at once, turning to face her classmate. "You were right—the real Cloud Strife! Can you believe it? It’s amazing! I’ve got to go after him." She quickly began gathering her things, shoving the scrapbook into her bag.

"What?" Collin blinked, as if waking from a trance. When he realized her intentions he was filled with panic. "Tess, you can’t. Just leave him alone."

"You expect me to just let him walk away?" She shouldered her bag and carefully climbed out through the broken store window. Cloud was at the end of the street—he was easy to spot, as the people on the sidewalks all gave him a wide berth. "I’m going to talk to him."

Collin quickly followed. "Don’t be crazy. He’s insane—he’ll kill you!"

"Kill? You’re the one being crazy." Tess grinned, her jubilation unfathomable. "Collin, you’re a sweet guy, and thanks for being concerned, but this is my entire life. I can’t let him just walk away! Besides, my dad would kill me." She started after the man. "I’ll see you tomorrow!"

"Wait!" He gave chase. I can’t just let her go, he reasoned. Even if Vincent was wrong, I don’t trust him. It…just doesn’t feel right. "I’ll come too!"

Tess didn’t slow down, but he was still able to catch up to her. They followed Cloud down the street, keeping several feet behind as he turned corners and made his way across the town. Collin’s instincts told him that they should turn back—certainly as the leader of Avalanche could tell that they were following him—but abandoning Tess was not an option. Even if it frightened him, he had to keep going.

Cloud finally entered a motel at the far edge of town. Tess was thrilled to see two chocobos asleep just outside in the grass: one was a female, brilliant gold in color. The second was also female, a deep, royal purple—a color of bird neither had seen before. It was larger than the other, and around its thick beak was a crude metal muzzle. A rope around its neck kept it tied securely to a metal hook in the ground.

"That’s weird," Tess remarked. "I don’t know much about chocobos, but they’re usually friendly, aren’t they? Especially with people. Why would he tie it up?"

"I don’t know," her companion admitted. "But it doesn’t look very friendly from here. Let’s go, Tess. You got to see him."

But Tess kept going anyway. She crept stealthily across the front lawn, past the slumbering birds, her sights set on the door Cloud had entered. Collin unwittingly followed. He stood back, however, behind a group of tall bushes as she knocked, so that he was out of sight. He didn’t want to have to meet those blue eyes again.

There was no reply. Tess knocked again, harder, and a moment later the door opened suddenly. She didn’t falter under the sharp gaze of the man. "What is it?" he asked, his voice a bit less harsh than before.

"I was hoping I could talk to you a bit," Tess replied without any discomfort or hesitation. She was completely collected and sure of herself. "You have no idea how pleased I am to finally meet you."

"You’re interested in Avalanche."

"Yes. Very much so." Collin silently prayed from the side. "My father told me a lot about the Fallout and before that, and I’ve been retelling the stories to everyone who’ll listen." He could almost imagine the smile she must have had. "In fact, I’m having a performance on Saturday. At North Webber High School, around noon."

Collin mentally cursed. Tess, what are you doing? You can’t invite him! He’ll—he’ll—

"You’re inviting me?" Cloud asked, sounding uninterested.

"Yes. There’s no admission price, and if you come a little late you can stay in the back where no one will see you."

"...All right. I may come."

"Great. Thanks, Mr. Strife. I hope you approve." She turned away from the door and started off. "See you Saturday!"

Collin was about to follow, but realized then that the door was still open, and Cloud still there; if he left, he would be spotted. He waited a bit awkwardly, feeling ridiculous. If Tess wasn’t afraid, why should he be?

I know you’re there.

The boy started. He glanced about but saw nothing. Slowly, he came out of hiding.

Cloud was still in the door, watching the young teen with cold eyes. He didn’t speak, but somehow the man’s voice still reached him, like the whisper of a ghost.

Collin turned and retreated after his friend.

Cassandra Matthews stared out of the window of her tenth floor office. At such a height she was granted only a partial view of the city she governed, a maze of buildings and suburbs, parks and industries. The streets below were small but ran efficiently, as there were few cars allowed inside the city. No building was over ten stories tall. Every factory was designed to put out as little pollution as possible. Trees, flowers, even weeds were allowed to grow wherever they pleased. They had come a long way from the small, unorganized village that was the old Rocket Town. They had progressed in a different direction than that taken by the old Midgar. Though Cassandra’s window view would never match the impressive panorama that Rufus had been treated to during his reign, she favored it. She had made a good, clean, peaceful city.

She sighed, turning to face her two visitors once more. She’d heard their findings and their theories, each of which now rested heavily in her mind. "When will we be able to tell?" she asked in a quiet, reserved voice.

"I don’t know that we will," Vincent replied with similar calm. "But the New Griffins have never come this far north. We should assume that they are targeting this city."

"After everything…" Cassandra breathed slowly and deeply. "I’ll call a counsel meeting for tonight," she decided, placing her fingertips on her desk. "You have until then to prepare any more information." She raised her eyes to them. Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine, two of the remaining members of Avalanche. Through her mind paraded the stories from her youth: the battles, the courage, and the cleverness. On the other side of her desk were two heroes, and yet they looked even less hopeful than she felt. Or maybe it was simply their realism. "Can you offer me anything?" she asked. "In all honesty. What are our options?"

"Not many," Cid admitted bluntly, as was his custom. He ticked them off on his fingers. "We stay and hope they leave us alone; we evacuate the city and try someplace else; we stand and fight."

"They won’t pass us by," rejoined Vincent. "There is no place for us to go, and we cannot fight. We have no weapons large enough to defend against a New Griffin Clan." His voice dropped. "Vandalee was a mistake. We both said that from the start. It went ahead anyway, and now it’s too late. We don’t have any options, Cassandra."

Cassandra didn’t like how Vincent always called her by her first name. Though it was flattering to be considered a friend of a former Avalanche member, he used no discretion, and it gave the counsel members an appearance she didn’t want. "There are always options, Mr. Valentine. We simply have to find some." She met his gaze with a bit of defiance. Even if he was one of the old heroes and he had experience, she didn’t want pessimism. She wanted answers. "You have until eight tonight. Please don’t disappoint me."

"One more thing," Vincent said before she could dismiss them. He met her gaze directly, unnerving her a bit. "The Planet has only moved against those cities that were a threat to it—Midgar, Nibelheim, Junon, and North Corel all had Mako Reactors. New Midgar and Mandrel were both destroyed—they had both been experimenting with Midgar’s technology."

"It’s bad luck to say their names," the President murmured.

"It’s got nothing to do with luck. The only reason the planet does anything is in defense of itself." His voice dropped. "Was Vandalee experimenting with a reactor? How could it provoke an attack if it wasn’t even supposed to be operational?"

Cassandra glared at him, shocked by what he was implying. "Are you insane?" she snapped, insulted by his proposal. "I’m not like that fool Scarlet—I know that the Reactors have always been the problem, and so does everyone else. Besides, that technology’s been lost for years. No one knows how to make a reactor anymore." She lifted her chin. "Don’t think me a fool, Mr. Valentine. I’ve worked hard for this city and these people—I’d never make such an obvious mistake. You can be sure of that."

Vincent stared the President down for a moment, until he was satisfied of her convictions. He nodded sharply and headed for the door. Somewhat baffled, Cid followed a moment later. He didn’t question until they were outside. "What the hell was that? You think Vandalee was building a reactor?"

"It’s the only explanation," Vincent replied, keeping his voice somewhat low. He stared straight ahead. "The Planet may not appreciate humans anymore, but no Clan has ever attacked a city without being provoked in some way. Remember Mandrel?"

"Of course." Mandrel had been the fourth settlement created after the Fallout. It had been located in the Southern Islands around Mideel, perhaps the area richest in Mako. It had been successful until Scarlet had reemerged—somehow she’d managed to excavate many of Shin-ra’s old documents from the ruined Midgar, and attempted to create a reactor near the city. A week after construction began the entire city had been attacked and consumed by a Clan of mutated Hippogriffs. Since then no attempt had been made to create another Mako Reactor.

"There is something else," Vincent added reluctantly. His expression deepened in severity. "Cloud is now in the city. He was staying in Cosmo Canyon until he received Marlene’s letter—he told me so. If he traveled by chocobo the entire way it would have taken him a long time to reach here."

Cid caught on quickly. "And he must have gone through Vandalee. And now he’s here, and the New Griffins are headed our way. Shit." His hand ached for a cigarette, even knowing that he’d smoked his last hours ago.

"I don’t want to assume things like that. I don’t want to think that…it could be his fault in any way." Vincent sighed. "There was once when I could empathize with what he’s going through. Laying another burden on his shoulders…."

"He’s not the one I’m worried about," his companion muttered. "He always manages to come out alive."

The dark-haired man glanced at Cid briefly out the corner of his eye. He didn’t like the way Cid talked about Cloud, as if somehow everything had been his fault. Vincent thought the man a hypocrite. After all, was it not the former captain who had accepted him, a demon, into his home after nearly three years of isolation? Vincent knew that his past crimes were unforgivable, and yet he’d been able to overcome his remorse and live a happy, peaceful life with this family.

But Cloud would never be given that chance. He had been cast out by everyone who had once cared for him, for something he could not help. And yet, even knowing that, Vincent could think of no way to help him. Their old leader was beyond their reach now, so much so that attempting to help him would not only be futile, but dangerous. Hell for him seemed to be the only choice.

Vincent closed his eyes only briefly, then continued with Cid silently.

Collin lay awake in bed. All the events of that day rested heavily in his mind, churning and repeating, allowing him no moment of rest. He wanted nothing more to sleep and forget, but his curious mind obviously had no such intention.

Speaking to Tess and seeing her pictures had been the start. The photograph which so clearly displayed the images and personalities of Avalanche was now a frequent visitor to his sight. All that evening he’d tried to work up the courage to ask his dad and Vincent about it, in vain. They were too caught up in their own worries.

Actually meeting Cloud had been the second disturbance. Facing that visage again had nearly terrified him, for what reason he did not know. It was this uncertainty that bothered him most of all. After that the day had passed in a blur of increasingly ill tidings: the Griffin Clan was on its way toward the city. His dad and Vincent both agreed that evacuation seemed to be the only possibility for saving Rocket City’s population. Naturally they hadn’t informed the public yet, as starting a riot in the city would do no good. They would wait, and plan in secret. But Collin knew. He shouldn’t have overheard his parents speaking before Cid left for the counsel meeting, but he had. Keeping the news secret would not be easy for him.

And yet, despite all the things that had happened to him today, what stuck in his thoughts the most was what Cloud had said—or rather, thought—to him.

Since he was a kid Collin had suspected that he was not truly Cid Highwind’s son. His first clue was the lack of pictures there were of him as a child. Though Daryl, Samantha, and Elly each had dozens—as all parents seemed to have a fascination with photographs—he had only a few from before he was four years old. More than that, he resembled neither of his parents as much as his sisters. All of their hair was darker than his white-blond, and his green eyes matched neither Cid’s nor Shera’s. He didn’t like the same foods as his siblings, or the same anything, for that matter. He should have shared at least shared some of their interests. But Cid and Shera liked machines, Daryl liked sports, Samantha and Elly liked books--he didn't especially like any of those things.

More than that, it felt wrong. Though his parents treated him no different, and his sisters loved him just as much as did Vincent and Marlene, somehow he knew. He’d never asked—if he had another set of parents, somewhere, it didn’t matter. This was his family and his home. It didn’t bother him much, even if he sometimes wondered idly ‘who’ he was. If Collin Highwind was really his name.

‘What’ he was, was totally different. That wasn’t a question he’d ever asked himself before. But he was asking it now, in whispers from his brain. He wanted to know what it was that Cloud Strife knew. It had something to do with the reason why he feared Cloud—why they seemed to fear each other. What could he be, other than human?

Collin shuddered. His thoughts suddenly sprang to Vincent, and a conversation he’d overheard once between him and the President of Phoenix Lattice.

"What is there besides being human?" Collin wondered aloud, gazing at the ceiling. His eyes drifted, taking in the room and the furniture in it. His sports trophies. His math awards. He was successful, unusually so, just as Vincent was. Were they more alike than they seemed? And if Vincent wasn’t completely human, did that mean that neither was he?

"You’re going to drive yourself insane. Go to sleep." Collin sighed, pulling the sheets about him even as it was still over sixty degrees in his room. "Not human? Yeah, right. You’re not that special." He laughed a bit at his own idiotic ideas and closed his eyes.’

***************

It was the same dream.

Collin watched. He saw the brown-haired woman, bleeding and dying, and the man that carried her. He saw the figure that watched without care, and the blade hanging in his grip. He was filled with pain, rage, and satisfaction all at once. But then the dream shifted, and he was seeing something else.

Across the horizon stretched a barren, metal-twisted landscape: the old Midgar. It was painted red, as if the entire city were wounded and bleeding. The source was a ball of fire that hung over it, suspended, slowly devouring the iron and concrete through its tendrils. Collin watched, fascinated by its consumption of life.

And then the light came. It stretched beneath the Hell rock, attempting to halt its progress unsuccessfully. The sphere only grew in strength, falling faster. In the back of his mind the spectator could hear whispers.

A new light came, shining green like a flood of emerald stars, washing over the deadened and forsaken earth. It rose in waves, aiding the first light in its battle. The feel of its power nearly shook Collin from the dream. He felt triumph, anguish, elation, and despair as the Lifestream surrounded and penetrated the mass of fire and stone, shattering it in an explosion of light. The Earth was liberated.

The Earth had been saved. Collin realized what he was seeing: it was the Descent of Meteor. But it was also only the middle of the Fallout.

Meteor had not been the sum of Midgar’s problems. Present experts speculated that, after the Weapons had been destroyed, the planet had managed to assemble another line of defense: a clan a dragons from all over the planet. They were stronger, smarter, and more powerful than normal dragons; so much so that the name "dragon" didn’t seem to apply. They circled the city, waiting until Lifestream had dissipated back into the Earth. And then they attacked.

The outcome was obvious. Eight fighters had no chance against the hundreds of beasts. The dragons moved quickly and efficiently, those with wings destroying the buildings and plate while those without ravaged the slums, killing anyone that attempted to halt their force. Cloud led his friends into the struggle. They fought bravely—uselessly. In the end it was all they could do to save their own lives. When the slaughter had ended only one fifth of the once massive population had survived.

From his far off, strange vantage, Collin could only watch the scene. It was eerie, witnessing the events that had begun the largest catastrophe known to his planet. In an instant in the dream weeks had passed, and Fort Condor was destroyed. Then Junon, and North Corel, and Nibelheim, and...

When the images became too strong he closed his eyes.

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