The room was a
dead end. "What do we do now?" asked Aeris. "There's only one
thing." Cloud replied casually. He climbed up a fallen beam, jumped
across a large gap, and headed towards the roof. Aeris followed for
a moment, but hesitated at the gap. Shaking her head, she asked,
"Isn't there another way?"
Suddenly, the soldiers broke through the door.
"There she is!" yelled one. "Get her!" Machine gun fire erupted
in the room as they aimed at Aeris. The weak wood under her collapsed
and she fell to the floor screaming. "Aeris!!" yelled Cloud.
Getting up, Aeris asked franticly, "What do I do, Cloud?" "Just hold
on!" Cloud replied, spotting a barrel on one of the beams. "If I
could just push this over..." Cloud thought. Bullseye!! "Urrrgghhhh!"
grunted the guard, squashed under the barrel. "Whew! That was
a close one," breathed Aeris. Another guard advanced toward her.
"Stay right there!" called Cloud. Reaching another barrel, he heaved
it off the beam. "Arrrghhhh!!" yelled the guard right before the
heavy barrel collided into him. Aeris was about to thank Cloud when
the third soldier started pursuing her. "Hold on!" he repeated and
promptly dropped the barrel onto the last unsuspecting guard. "Thanks,
Cloud," Aeris said gratefully. "We can get out through the hole in
the roof," informed Cloud. "Follow me." "Oh, okay," replied
Aeris, gathering up her courage and jumping across the gap.
Out on the dilapidated roof, Aeris said, "I've gotten
away again, but they'll be back."
"You mean this isn't the first time they've been
after you?!" exclaimed Cloud.
Aeris shook her head.
"That guy was one of the Turks. They recruit
new members for SOLDIER."
"Looks more like they were trying to kill me!" Aeris
retorted.
"Yeah...they do Shinra's dirty work, too...assassination,
stuff like that. But why would they want you?"
"I guess they think I have what it takes to join
SOLDIER."
"Yeah...you wouldn't be too bad," Cloud said thoughtfully,
then started to make his way down the roof.
Quickly making his way around the debris on the
roof, Cloud suddenly heard Aeris shouting. "Hey, Cloud!! Wait
for me!!" she yelled. Cloud stopped and waited until she caught up
with him.
"I can't...keep up...with you..." she said, panting.
"Hahaha, I thought you were going to join SOLDIER!"
Cloud joked.
"Oh...you're so mean..."
Cloud laughed some more, then added thoughtfully,
"Why don't you join, anyway?"
"Well, I don't want to be enlisted like THAT!"
"Hmmm...I guess you're right."
"My house is near the Sector 5 slums, close to the
church," Aeris said, regaining her breath. "Come on, bodyguard!"
she commanded.
Cloud gladly led the way
