01.19.02 / 01.29.04
"Random Fight" Club
By Josh Miller

Cloud and Zack are in a room high atop Shinra Headquarters. There are windows all 
around and Mako reactors can be seen at regular intervals surrounding them.

Narrator(voice over): *People always ask me if I know Cloud Strife.*

Cloud: "Soon our master plan will be realized. Are you enjoying the view?"

Narrator(VO): *For a second I forget about the explosives wired to every Mako reactor 
on the planet and try to remember how it all started...*

***
IN THE PAST...
***

Narrator(VO): *How I cam to live with Cloud isn't to complicated. We had both been 
research subjects under the Shinra scientist Hojo, after escaping from the lab we 
returned to Midgar, apparently it was Squall's hometown or something, he couldn't 
remember much. We had stopped off in this joint called Seventh Heaven in the lower 
slums of Midgar.*

Cloud: "So I guess you'll be headed back to Gongaga or where ever it is you said 
you'd come from."

Narrator: "Yeah, I suppose so, I kind of miss my parents. I haven't seen them in a 
while being part of Soldier and all."

Cloud: "Yeah Soldier, good times..."

Narrator: "I may be around for a while, I'll need to get some cash to make the trip 
to Junon, then over seas."

(VO)*We got up to leave.*

Cloud: "So...?"

Narrator: "What?"

Cloud: "Look, I know you need someplace to stay, stay at my place."

Narrator: "Uh.. ok, sure, as long as it's no trouble."

(VO)*We were interrupted for a short bit by a couple coming out of the bar. This woman 
all dressed in pink and some guy who was so drunk he could hardly stand.*

Man: "Dahmm Aerish, whayd we have tuh leave so shoon?"

Aeris: "Oh don't worry Ciddy, I have some better plans for you. I know this really 
secluded church where you can show me all about your 'rocket'."

Man(Cid): "Ohh bahby.. you're gonna love thish 'rocket'."

(VO)*They stumbled off into the night.*

Cloud: "Uh... anyway... I just have one favor. I want you to attack me as hard as you 
can."

Narrator: "What? No way, what if I kill you?"

Cloud: "That's what Pheonix downs are for. Come on, how much can you know about 
yourself if you've never been in a fight?"

Narrator: "But you're in Soldier, you've been in lots of fights. Hell you walk around 
outside and get attacked at random for no reason."

Cloud: "But tho...fuck.. you're right... Wait... why should we be subject to all these 
random fights, while these schmucks here in the city get to loaf around without even 
carrying weapons?"

Narrator: "I suppose you're right, It's not fair I guess."

Cloud: "Damn right, come on."

(VO)*He pulls me behind some rubbish*

Narrator: "What are we doing down here?"

Cloud: "Shhh.. someone's coming, just follow my lead..."

(VO)*A man was approaching from the nearby train station. Just as the man passed our 
hiding spot, Cloud leapt out with his Buster Sword drawn.*

Cloud: "UNEXPECTED ATTACK!"

Man on Street: "WHAT THE FUCK!?"

(VO)*Before the man knew what was going on he had already been impaled on Cloud's 
blade.*

Cloud: "Maybe you need to train harder..."

Narrator (coming from hiding): "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! You can't just attack people in the 
middle of the city!"

Cloud: "Hey these are random encounters, just like we face. Come on, you're doing the 
next one."

(VO)*Soon we were once again hidden behind a pile of garbage. I wasn't sure what Cloud 
was thinking by doing all this. Personally it was kind of psychotic.*

Cloud: "Here comes one, get ready."

Narrator: "I don't know, this feels wrong

Cloud: "Just get going."

(VO)*The next thing I know, Cloud had pushed me out towards the approaching victim. I 
accidentally trip and impale the person on my sword.*

Narrator: "Uh... whoa... uh.. sorry..."

Cloud: "Good job, how's it feel?"

Narrator: "I think I'm going to be sick."

Cloud: "No really."

Narrator: "Not bad actually."

Cloud: "Good, I get the next one."

(VO)*After several hours of this, we has left a trail of bodies all over the slums of 
Midgar and have made our way to the surface plate above. We gaze over the sprawling 
city.*

Cloud: "Look at these people, so rich, so above us. Thy think they are so great. Just 
because they have nice homes, an food, and power. Hmm power..."

Narrator: "Maybe we should turn back, we can't just kill people up here like down below, 
there is more law enforcement from Shinra."

Cloud: "Fuck Shinra, fuck them all."

VOICE(from behind): "THERE HE IS! Get him!"

(VO)*There is a whole troupe of Shinra soldiers running up after us. I turn to ward 
Cloud*

Shinra Leader: "He's been killing people all night, he has to be stopped!"

Narrator: "Cloud, they've found us, we're dead, we have to get out of..."

(VO)*But Cloud was already gone. Before I realized what was going on, I was lying on 
the ground after a smack tot he head.

Shinra Leader: "Cloud Strife, you are under arrest for the murder of 47 innocent 
civilians."

(VO)*After a second blow I pass out.*

**slightly later**

(VO)*I wake up in a jail cell on the 67th floor of Shinra headquarters. Why there are 
jail cells on one of the highest floors of the building I don't know. I guess if you 
want to keep people from escaping you put them where there is a lot of security. I guess 
this is where it ends. I'll spend the rest fo my days rotting away in some 10 by 10 
room eating rats. Well except that the door has just opened and Cloud is now in the 
doorway.*

Cloud: "Come on, we have to finish our work."

Narrator: "Wait... they think I'm you I told them I wasn't but they wouldn't believe me."

Cloud: "Of course they think you're me. You are me."

Narrator: "What? That can't be, how can..."

(VO)*I can't finish before he knocks me out with a sleep spell.*

**Slightly later again, Cloud and Zack are in a room high atop Shinra Headquarters. 
There are windows all around and Mako reactors can be seen at regular intervals 
surrounding them.**

Narrator(voice over): *People always ask me if I know Cloud Strife.*

Cloud: "Soon our master plan will be realized. Are you enjoying the view?"

Cloud walks over and looks out the window.

Cloud: "Soon we will all be on the same playing field. No more Mako energy, no more 
power for anyone, no more members of Soldier, no more protection from the monsters of 
the outside world. We'll all have to fight the same battles."

(VO) *You see Cloud's plan is to destroy the power supply of the world by starting a 
chain reaction that will rip through the planet wiping out all of the Mako reactors. 
He feels that this will cause monsters to surge into towns forcing people to have to 
fight the way he has to.*

Narrator: "You're crazy. You'll set the world back to the dark ages, when they all 
used swords and had to buy magic at shops instead of using Materia."

Cloud: "Won't it be great? It'll be just like it was when our ancestors would go on 
quests. With no real explanation, just repeated combat just to get stronger, after 
this in a few years, it will all be the same as it was."

*I get up, I have o stop him somehow.*

Narrator: "I can't let you do this. I'll have to make this your final fantasy."

Cloud: "You don't seem to realize how we are related here."

*I take a swing at Cloud, but my blade just passes right through him.*

Cloud: "You see, you can't hurt me!"

(VO)*Cloud takes a swing at me, unfortunately unlike my blow it makes contact, I go 
flying back into the nearby elevator. He is coming closer, in a panic I mange to get 
the elevator close and start it's decent. Unfortunately at the bottom Cloud is waiting. 
That's the thing about creating something with your mind, if you think that something 
will be there waiting, chances are it will be. before I can react he grabs me and 
throws me from the elevator.*

Narrator: "I can't get away, why can't I get away from you?"

(VO) *I take off as fast as I can from the Shinra building. Cloud just stand there next 
to the elevator laughing. I only look back once, only to find Cloud is already ahead of 
me again when I turn back around.*

Cloud: "There is nothing you can do, why can't you just enjoy what we are about to 
accomplish?"

Narrator: "No, it's terrible, innocent people will be hurt."

Cloud: "No one is innocent, we all have our dark side. Look at me."

Narrator: "No!"

(VO) *I lunch at him again, only to miss again and fall though an open manhole leading 
to the underground rail system. Just as a train is passing by. Somehow instinct tells 
me to hold on. Why are these things so fast? Where is it taking me anyway? Is Cloud 
still following?*

*The Train is going down, I can see all around the slums beneath the upper plate of 
Midgar as the train circles the central pillar in it's decent.*

Cloud(From behind): "Forgetting someone?"

*It's cloud again, I can only think of one way to be free of him. I manage to stand up 
on top of the train, which seems to be slowing.*

Narrator: "I am Zack's Limit Break..."

*It takes more will power than I expected to actually drive the sword into my own 
stomach. As I fall over I can no longer keep myself on top of the train, which has 
already stopped anyway. Probably a good thing or I may have ended up being pulled 
under. Cloud's face is one of puzzled shock, as he falls over and vanishes. I am free 
at last... but at what cost.*

**LATER**

Still somehow I survive, Lying there near the Sector 7 train station, someone is 
helping me... someone I know... Tifa...

TEH EDN