By the time everyone woke up the next morning, Chain was walking through the door with some breakfast. Stale doughnuts, but at least there was coffee. More like nasty black sludge. While Chain was taking a shower, the team decided to catch up on the local news. Of course, it was still them, but one could only hope.

“The terrorist that have eluded authorities struck again last night, killing several local youths, including 17 and 16 year olds Timothy Ramirez and Michael Gray. Their families have tearily demanded justice, calling them ‘ruthless thugs and murderers’. A survivor of the attack, Ronald Dorchester, has made a statement and given police detailed descriptions of several of the group’s unknown members. This escalating of the group’s activities has prompted the SRMP to increase the bounty to 100,000 gil”

They killed kids. Things just kept getting better and better.

While they were watching the news, several of the team noticed that the shower wasn’t running and hadn’t been running for some time, which was suspicious. Juvi didn’t understand what the problem was and told them the hygienic habits of her lady friend was none of their business, so they dropped the issue. When she was done, Chain gave them some fake train passes she acquired earlier this morning from a contact that “owed her one”. Once everyone was ready, they headed to the Sector 5 station.

For the most part, the team went unnoticed. People tended to keep to themselves, which worked in their favor. The station, however, was guarded by a couple of officers. Juvi and Chain distracted them while the rest of the group went through and the there train appeared moments later. They decided not to sit together, as not to draw any unwanted attention to themselves. A few minutes later, a couple of officers entered their car holding photos of Ichi and Aki. The girls started flirting with one of the officers, which was enough to distract the officers so they ignored Rag and Mal.

As they got near Aki and Ichi, the officers immediately recognized them. Ichi tried the lost tourist routine, but they weren’t biting. Just as the officers were about to grab them, a passenger bumped hard into him, knocking the officer down. Aki noticed the man earlier, who wore expensive glasses and a finely tailored black suit. At first she didn’t pay too much attention to him, as he looked like any other person doing their morning commute to work, but something was off about him—he wore black leather biker gloves. The pistol he had concealed was something as well.

The collision was enough of a distraction to allow the team to exit the train unhindered as they arrived at their stop. Just as Aki stepped out of the doors, the man called to her and warned her to be careful next time. It was clear now that he bumped into the cop on purpose, but as to who he was and why he would help them remained a mystery. It was a mystery that would have to wait for now. They exited the station and found themselves in Sector 6, more specifically, Wall Market.

Chain needed to make some preparations, so the team had time to look around for a bit. Aki went to the nearest salon to get a touch up and had a meal at the diner. After Rag finished his meal, he went to a gathering place called the “Men’s Hall”. It appeared to be a gym of some sort, complete with wrestling ring and exercise equipment. After a quick workout, Rag finally noticed that the patrons of this establishment were all either gay or cross-dressers. He discreetly made a beeline for the exit. Good thing he noticed before he hit the showers. He met up with Mal at the “Item Shop”.

While he was in the shop, Mal noticed what looked like a summon materia inside of a claw machine, and enlisted Rag’s help in trying to claim the price. After many tries between the two of them, Rag’s luck paid off and the materia, which was a Choco/Mog summon, was in their possession. This almost made up for the earlier misunderstanding at the hall, which he didn’t mention to Mal. Unfortunately, Mal could tell where Rag was by the smell. Soon enough, it was time for everyone to meet up with Chain.

She led them to Corneo Mansion, headquarters of the notorious mob boss Don Corneo, who runs Sector 6. Rag and Mal hadn’t been in the city in a long time, so they didn’t know that the Don had control over the area, which did not sit well with them at all. Last time he checked, Mal’s dad still lived in the area. There was nothing they could do about it, so they went along with Chain. According to her, the Don was going to help get them out of the city, which would come at a cost no doubt. At the door, they were stopped by some mooks, but let them in as soon as Chain reminded them who she was.

The Don had a thing for Wutai aesthetic, which was obvious by the décor. Too bad his style was gaudy and all over the place; Aki and Ichibu noticed Corneo didn’t quite understand Wutai language syntax. A mook directed the team to the Don’s “office”, which turned out to be his bedroom, and one look made it obvious this guy was a true creep. He sat in the middle of a round bed, cover with satin, and the door to his “playroom” was ajar. Some of those devices hadn’t been used by civilized people in centuries. The Don welcomed them to his “office”.

Of course, the Don’s assistance was going to cost them. More specifically, he was looking to have some “alone time” with Aki. When she refused, the Don decided he’d take the bounty instead and the team was surrounded. Just before things started to heat up, Chain pulled a gun on them. She was in on it the whole time and Juvi wanted an explanation, which Chain responded with an impassioned plea.

“Come on Juvi, think about it. You don’t own these guys anything. We could split my share of the money and get the hell out of this city, like we always talked about. Just you and me, like it’s always been; anything to survive. We wouldn’t have to live in this shithole, no more going through what I’ve been through—what we’ve been through—anymore.”

As tears welled up in her eyes, she made one finally plea.

“Juvi… I want to see the sky.”

Before Juvi could answer, the Don revealed his true intentions. His men disarmed Chain and shoved her into Juvi. He was going to claim the bounty for himself and it didn’t matter to him whether they were dead or alive. After some choice words from Chain, the floor was dropped from under them and the team fell into darkness. When they came to, the team realized they were in the sewers again. Most of them were fine, albeit a little beat up, but Aki noticed Chain wasn’t moving. Upon further inspection, she had a broken leg as well, but she would live. As the team was getting a bearing on their surroundings, Chain came to and was not happy. Once she realized where they were, she knew they had to leave immediately.

The team didn’t have time to argue and got set to get the hell out of there, but they weren’t fast enough. From the darkness came a large, hideous creature, Chain identified as Corneo’s pet, known as Aps. In their condition, the team knew they couldn’t defeat such a monstrosity, so they opted for a speedy escape, which was easier said than done. Chain’s leg didn’t help much either. After several massive attacks, including the beast’s sewer tsunami which left Aki unconscious, they managed to flee the creature’s grasp, thanks in part by the fact it was chained to the floor.

The exit to the surface led to the Train Graveyard, near the entrance to Sector 7. As Aki regained consciousness, Rag’s luck paid off once again as he discovered that attached to him was a Phoenix Down, something that would definitely come in handy. They made their way through the debris as quickly as they could and arrived in the sector only to find the area crawling with SRMP. While the team attempted to come up with a course of action, a door in the alley opened behind them and a woman offered them refuge. Without any other option, they accepted, entering the door which led to a kitchen, which in turn led to a small bar. The long, raven-haired woman, who was wearing a white tank top, black shorts, and suspenders was looking out the closed blinds of the front windows. As soon as she felt they were safe, the woman turned around and introduced herself as Tifa Lockhart.

Items

• 360 AP
• Phoenix Down
• Summon materia, Choco/Mog
  
  

Thanks to Juvi, the group easily found a way into the sewers. It was getting late and they had to move fast, so with flashlights at the ready, they began their journey down the damp, fetid tunnels. Despite there being little light coming from above, the group were able to keep a decent pace, which would usually mean they’d make it to Sector 5 within a reasonable amount time, but that would be too easy. They stop dead in their tracks when they heard chittering coming from the passage beyond and it was getting closer by the second. Soon enough, they were bombarded by swarms of a type of beetle known as a Ceasar. Juvi had heard of them before and what she heard wasn’t good. Individually they weren’t a problem—one good stomp and goodnight—but a swarm, that was a different story. Their pincer-like jaws could bite through metal, nevermind flesh.

So far, the group seemed to luck out. As hundreds of Ceasar crawled and flew past them, they didn’t seem to care about sinking their teeth in, but that luck soon ran out. The Ceaser seemed to be getting bigger, until they were faced with several human sized specimens. These decided not to ignore the fine meal in front of them. They were blocking the tunnel and the group had no choice but to cut through them. Easier said than done. Ichi made the first move, raining down a hail of bullets. Each one hit their mark, but there was a problem—the Ceasar’s hard elytra protected it from the gun fire. The bullets bounced around the tunnel like an old pinball machine and there was no high score. That ruled out one option.

Rag followed with a powerful cut to the front line. As he sliced through the beetle, he managed to chip off a piece, but it wasn’t enough to penetrate through its tough carapace. It was going to take a few more slices before they’d go down, which Rag was perfectly fine with. Aki, with her naivete of actual combat, ran right into the fray and was immediately set upon by the swarm. With fewer and fewer options, this was going to be a major problem, and the group had to think fast. At that moment, Juvi remembered that insects are cold-blooded and she had just the thing. She activated her ice materia, which worked like a charm, turning the Ceasar into popsicles. They didn’t know what hit them. It took some time, but in the end they were able to crush the opposition under foot—quite literally. They were only halfway to their destination and had to keep moving, after some healing from Aki of course.

Another couple of hours later, they could see the large pipe that would finally lead them to the exit. The pipe wasn’t too high off the ground, but was spewing run off from above which, collected into a large basin. Fortunately, it wasn’t much water so walking to the pipe wasn’t going to be a problem. Unfortunately, the team could see humanoid shadows move around near the end and that was definitely a problem. At first, they were afraid that ShinRa had gotten ahead of them and was waiting for an ambush, but Ichi knew better. The shadows didn’t move like ShinRa, so he was sure that an ambush was unlikely. The group was sure they weren’t noticed, but they could see them either, so Juvi quietly went to scout ahead.

As she hugged the wall, Juvi slowly proceeded forward and discovered one of the creatures waiting in the pipe as a lookout. She had never seen anything like them before in the sewers. They were, essentially, humanoid fish complete with gills and wielding menacing looking spears. When she returned, both Rag and Mal had an idea of what they were—the Sahuagin. They had never dealt with them personally, but the fish-men had a reputation for being ruthless raiders of nearby fishing villages. They’d never heard accounts of them going into Midgar or any other large city, however, and that didn’t bode well, putting everyone on edge.

They didn’t have the time nor the strength to take them out, so they came up with a plan to stealthily take down the one in the pipe, since that’s where they needed to go anyway. Juvi tried her best, but just as she neared the pipe, she slipped into the water, altering the lookout—and he alerted the others. They were coming in fast, but the group was faster and were able to knockout the lookout, making a break for the exit. Finally, the less stagnant air of the slums washed over their faces again. Over a little more walking, they could see the Sector 5 church ahead and waiting for them was the person Juvi was talking to on the phone.

It was a little past 1 am and it was cold. The woman had her back turned to the group and they could see her rubbing her arms and checking her watch. Perfect timing. Juvi thought it would be assuming to give her a little scare, but her scent gave away her position. The woman turned around and upon seeing Juvi, embraced her, giving her a passionate kiss. It was short-lived, however, as the smell overtook her senses. They all needed a shower and a shower they would get. The woman, introducing herself as Faye Gunn (but they could her “Chain”), was tall and athletic, had wild hair, and was covered in tattoos and piercings. She lead them to her apartment building, which was closer to the Sector 5 & 6 border.

After climbing several flights stair, and passing by a wino, they arrived at their temporary safe-house. The place was relatively neat and organized, but Aki couldn’t imagine people living like this and Ichi had only seen places like this during raids. Rag and Mal had a slightly different perspective—this was one of the nicest places they had ever seen in the slums and well furnished too. There was a stained couch, beat-up recliner, and even a television. Chain gave them the grand tour—kitchen, living area, bathroom—everything they needed. A cursory look in her refrigerator would reveal nothing but a six-pack and a prayer.

Chain retrieved a bottle of whisky from a kitchen cabinet and encouraged everyone to start talking, as she poured herself glass. Aki politely gave an account of what happened, as much as she was willing to reveal. Chain wasn’t impressed. She told them to hit the showers and get some sleep for tomorrow’s events. Ichi took the couch, which had an excellent view of the door, rifle at his side. That left Aki with the recliner and the boys with the floor. They were used to it, so no biggie. Juvi stayed with Chain in the bedroom. What a surprise. As everyone drifted to sleep, they all had the feeling it was going to get a lot worse before it got any better.

Items

• 50 AP
• 10 Gil
  

The fire exit led out into an ally. Ichi and Aki cautiously peered out around d the corner only to see a wave of cop cars blocking possible escape routes, making the only way out the other side of the alley. When they turned back, Rag and Mal were waiting for them. Ichi was ready for another fight, but they assured him that they were on the same side and to trust them to help get everyone to safety. What choice did two fugitives have?

Moments after leaving the alley, the group spots an SRMP helicopter equipped with a searchlight and an officer manning a machine gun, so they run like hell out of its range. Unfortunately, the group didn’t bother to pay attention to where they were going and ran into Juvia, a street savvy criminal who was celebrating a recently successful theft. That momentary delay was enough for the helicopter to catch up and put them right in the spotlight. Juvi tried to run, but that cop had his finger on the trigger and put the kibosh on that plan. Knowing that they needed a stealthy escape, Ichi fired once and it was lights out. Good thing he’s a crack shot.

They were able to get away, Juvi in tow, and hide an abandoned warehouse. After some introductions, they concluded the best thing to do was to lay low for a bit until they came up with a plan. Juvi looked around and was able to fight a battery-operated radio that still worked. She turned it on, only to hear that the news was reporting she was involved with this terrorist group and had given her description. This wasn’t going to do. She quickly got out her burner cell and made a call, which Aki tried to eavesdrop on to no avail.

Juvi called a “friend” of hers who could help them get out of town, but they to meet her in a few hours in Sector 5. Since traveling by train was impossible at this point, there were only two ways to get there: the sewers or through Sector 0, right through ShinRa HQ. Juvi was adamant that the latter wasn’t going to happen, so they effectively had one choice. As they were about to leave, they were surround by a bunch of punks who claimed the group was on their turf. Their attire suggested they were from a notorious street gang, calling themselves the “Diabolos”. Juvi attempted to use her feminine wiles to persuade the leader they weren’t a threat, which would have worked if he hadn’t grabbed her ass. Juvi didn’t like that very much, which was obvious by the gun in his face. So much for that idea.

The subordinates were all talk, as the group quickly took them down, but the leader was a another story. He opened fire at Aki and Ichi, which Aki was deftly able to dodge. Ichi did too, but by the skin of his teeth, as he’s not used to being in direct gun fire. The leader went down, but Aki stopped the other from killing him. She took an oath as a physician, after all and patched him up as best she could, then called the cops with his cell. They would be there soon, so the group left quickly towards an entrance to the sewers.

Items

• 40 AP
• 450 gil
• Automatic pistol (2d6 ballistic) x4 (slotless)
• Baseball bat covered in chains (1d6 bludgeoning; slotless) x4
• Bullets x57
• Leather jacket (slotless) x5 one taken
• Loose chain that can be wrapped around hand (cestus, 1d4 bludgeoning; slotless)
• Sub-machine gun (2d6 ballistic, burst fire; slotless)

Part 1

It was a relatively quiet evening in the city slums; rain coming down hard from the upper plate. At some Sector 1 dive bar, Ragnarok and Kahmal were having a drink. After some years since they last worked together in AVALANCHE, they both ended up in the same place—Midagr, the “technological pizza”. Rotten pizza was more accurate. Fortunately, this was the kind of place that didn’t ask questions when two armored gents wielding bladed weapons walk in. Just your average adventurers.

The joint was pretty scummy—dark and filthy, rows of half-empty booze lining the back counter under a dusty mirror and a fat slovenly bartender cleaning glass cups with a dirty rag. The waitress was picking up after a piss drunk salary man who passed out in the back. Two MPs were on the front side of the bar, recently off-duty, based on their conversation. While Rag and Mal were shooting the shit, talking about what they’ve been up to since then and the situation in Sector 6, the screen from the small CRT television, in the upper right corner of the bar counter, flashed a report from the ShinRa News Network that caught Ragnarok’s attention.

“A UFO has been spotted over the Costa del Sol region. Authorities have warned residents to stay calm, as the military have been sent to investigate.”

This wasn’t the first time Ragnarok has heard about mysterious creatures stalking the land, but it was another thing entirely when those mysterious creatures get near his hometown. After a moment, another report flashed onto the screen:

“The manhunt for two suspected terrorist, in connection with an explosion that occurred at ShinRa Headquarters a few days ago, continues. The explosion, which happened Tuesday evening, caused the deaths of several ShinRa employees and wounded many others. The suspects, identified as Aki Mameha Kudoh and Ichibu Yukimura-Fox, were last seen heading towards Sector 1 and are to be considered armed and dangerous. The ShinRa Metropolitan Police are offering a 100,000 Gil reward for any information leading to the capture and prosecution of these suspects. Both are from the nation of Wutai”

During the report, they showed pictures of the suspects, obviously from their ID badges. Looks like they tried to take them down from the inside, the thought of which amused the two former members of AVALANCHE. Rag’s eyes focused of the male suspect’s picture. Something was off about him, but he couldn’t tell because the shitty television screen. Damn scan lines and white noise.

Some time later, the dull chime of the rusty bell over the door could be heard, as two people walked in the bar. They were wearing old ponchos, presumably to protect themselves from the rain, so their faces weren’t clear. By their stance and the parts of their bodies that were exposed, Rag and Mal could tell the shorter one was a woman and the taller one a man. The two hesitated briefly as they spotted the MPs and non-nonchalantly walked towards a table near the front door.

The woman, who took a seat facing the wall, nervously called over the waitress. As she took their drink order, one of the MPs looked over suspiciously at the two hooded patrons, which didn’t go unnoticed. The MP slowly nudged his partner, who grabbed the waitress as she was returning the the table with drinks, and began to slowly go for his gun. In an instant the MPs and the hooded man drew pistols on each other. The MPs were shouting for them to get on the ground, but that wasn’t going to happen. The woman grabbed a chair for protection and the bartender put on an old World War II helmet, ducking under the counter. He seemed used to this.

At this point, both their faces were clearly visible, as well as the rifle the man had hidden underneath his poncho. Rag and Mal could see them passed the MPs and saw that they were the two fugitives he just heard about. Rag also figured out what was off about the guy—Mako eyes—a sure as shit sign he was from SOLDIER. This shit just got more interesting.

Within minutes of calling for backup, what felt like, the entire SRMP began surrounding the location. Ichibu knew they couldn’t escape through the front door anymore, so he had to think fast. He saw there was a fire exit leading to an alley and when he noticed a sprinkler system in the bar, a plan came together. He quickly blasted the sprinkler head, which hit one of the MPs, and water came pouring down on them. It was enough of a distraction, that they were able to push through the MPs and exit the bar. No sooner than they did, Rag and Mal knocked out the MPs, or at least attempted to in Mal’s case. They immediately ran towards the fire exit after the two fugitives.

Part 2