Dirge of Cerberus – Revisited

Rating: G
Category:
Pairing(s): The usual group of suspects.
Warnings: Never show the mentos and diet coke trick to your new
girlfriend's mother in her recently renovated living room.
Summary: Zack and Cloud are pinned down behind enemy lines.

Zack and Cloud dove behind a wall, rolling to come up in a ready position, freezing in place and listening. Someone ran by in the darkness, vanishing down along the darkened passageway and into the distance. Zack waited for the footsteps to fade, then activated his walkie-talkie and whispered into it.

"Bravo Team come in."

There was a hiss of the communicator being activated. Cid's whispered voice could be heard. "Bravo team."

"Casualties?"

Pause. "Cloud I'm sorry, he got Reno."

Cloud clenched his fist and struck the cold concrete beneath him, his head falling back. Zack reached out and took his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Who's left?" asked Zack.

"I'm not sure," said Cid. "There's me, Tseng…"

Somewhere in the darkness, there was a loud `POP!', and a wailing scream.

"Yuffie's gone," said Cid.

"Fuck!" hissed Zack. "Fuck fuck fuck. All right, Cid I need you to…"

There came a second `POP!', and the radio fell silent.

Cloud felt his guts clench, and he peered cautiously into the gloom outside their hiding place. Seeing nothing, he glanced at Zack, who nodded. They had no choice but to go on the offensive. At Zack's signal, they darted into the hall.

Cloud felt the impact. The world went red, and he fell to the ground. A moment later, Zack fell as well.

***---***

The light was bright. It almost burned Cloud's eyes, and within it he could see the hazy forms of his friends, awaiting him as he travelled down the long, dark corridor. Cloud stepped into the light, and looked the group over.

What a bloody mess.

Tifa, Barret and Aeris had been the first to go. Standing side by side, one could follow the spray of gunfire from left to right, starting at Tifa's shoulder and going straight across Barret to Aeris. All bore a huge explosion of red in the middle of their foreheads for good measure. Cait Sith and Nanaki had been the next to fall; the great hound marked also with an explosion of red in the middle of his head. Cait Sith had been hit so many times it was hard to tell where the strikes began and ended, indicating a certain amount of hostility towards the annoying little git. Reno and Yuffie were next, Reno with a strike on his head, one on each knee, and a cluster of three strikes over his heart, Yuffie with a crude happy
face emblazoned on her torso. Tseng and Cid each had a shot to the heart, head, and, in Cid's case, an added strike to the butt. Cloud and Zack had been the last to fall. Each were branded with a strike to the forehead, as well as a large `V' on their chests.

The group of friends stood in silence, staring at each other. Cloud blinked, and decided it might be wise to edge a little closer to Zack as he sensed a growing hostility. Then a final figure emerged from the darkness, walking slowly and silently, tangled wild hair and
tattered crimson cloak blowing behind him, his slender, almost fragile, body moving with an easy grace. He was utterly untouched and unmarked.

"You were right," said Vincent as he passed Cloud. "Paintball is a lot of fun."