The streets are sure active, thought Nick Lockhart, Shin-Ra's Mako Knight, as he walked through the slums of Midgar, on his one day off of the month. Absent-mindedly he walked forward, knocking someone over. He quickly helped her up.
"Sorry about that," he said to her, "are you all right?"
"Yes Thank you." she replied. Nick noticed something in the basket she was carrying.
"Now there's a rarity in Midgar if I've seen one." Nick said, looking at the flowers.
"Would you like one? They're only a Gil each."
"Oh, What the hell. Give me ten please." Nick told her, handing the girl a Ten Gil note.
"Thank you." She replied, and handed Nick the flowers. She began to walk off, but Nick cut her off.
"Excuse me but..." He started.
"Yes?"
"What's your name."
"Oh... I'm Aeris Gainsborough. Who are you?" She inquired.
"I'm Nick Lockhart." Nick replied. "Hey, Aeris, could you help me out."
"Sure." Said Aeris, "How?"
"This is my first time in the slums, could you take me to the 7th Heaven?"
"JUST JUMP ALREADY!" Barret was yelling at Tifa.
"All right!" Tifa said and, somewhat reluctantly, jumped off the moving train.
"You too, Spike!" Barret yelled.
"How would you like it if I said 'Shove It', Barret?" Inquired Cloud. Barret growled at him.
"In that case, Shove it Barret!" Yelled Cloud and jumped off.
"Typical," said Nick, "she had to be out today. Just typical of her." The 7th Heaven was, as he had hoped, open. But Tifa wasn't there. The bar was being run by a 4 year old girl. "Oh well." Nick said.
"Can I help you?" said the girl behind the bar.
"Could you take a message?" Nick said.
"Yes. What is it?"
"If Tifa comes back, could you tell her to meet me by Sector 5 church."
"Who are you?"
"I'm her brother, Nick Lockhart."
"PULL YOURSELF F*****G TOGETHER AND PLACE THE GODDAMN BOMB!"
"Again I say, SHOVE IT BARRET!"
"Oh, I give up." said Tifa, and placed the bomb herself. "If you two don't mind," said Tifa, motioning to the bomb, "I suggest getting out of here." And then walked off.
Nick walked with Aeris out of Sector 7.
"Do you need to go anywhere, Aeris?" Nick asked her.
"Just to my home and the Church." Aeris replied.
"Mind if I join you?"
"I don't mind at all."
"Then, where first?"
Cloud looked at the Ex-Air Buster. It was crackling with energy.
"Uhh, Cloud, I think it's going to blow up." said Tifa. The next few seconds proved her right.
"Oh S**T!" Cloud yelled as he fell.
As Nick and Aeris approached the church they heard a loud crashing sound from inside. Aeris rushed inside, closely followed by Nick.
Aeris look shocked at the body on the floor.
"Is he still alive?" Aeris said. Nick knelt down over the body.
"He's still breathing," Nick said, "barely."
Back then you could get by with just skinned knees
"What do you mean by back then?"
"How bad is his condition?"
"Not good."
What about now? Can you get up?
"I... think so."
If I was talking to you about this in the future I'd be saying "Back then you could get by with 36 broken bones and massive internal bleeding"
"WHAT!?!"
Never mind. Just get up!
"So you're awake." Cloud heard a male voice say. He saw two people in front of him.
"Who are you?" Cloud asked.
"I'm Nick Lockhart, and this is Aeris Gainsborough." The man said. Cloud got up.
"I'm Cloud Strife." Cloud said. Cloud kept feeling something nagging at the back of his mind, but ignored it. A man in black entered the church. Nick sensed it immediately.
"Get out of here now," Nick whispered to Aeris and Cloud, "that's Rude of the Turks. I'll hold him as long as I can." He elbowed Cloud. "Do you need more subtle hint?"
Aeris pulled Cloud toward the back exit while Nick walked toward Rude.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the good ol' 5- times winner of the Shin-Ra 'I'm a booze hound and I'm proud.' competition."
"Out of the way Lockhart." Rude snorted.
"Oh, is there a precious bottle of Tequila back there? I'm sorry Mr. Drunk Bastard." Nick said. At that point, the weak twig that held back Rude's temper snapped.
"F*****G ASSHOLE!" Rude leapt at him with the Nightstick, once belonging to Reno, one of Nick's most trusted Friends while they were in SOLDIER. It was about five seconds before Rude noticed that he was still in mid-air, a good half metre from Nick, with his legs frozen in a blue crystal like substance. About that time, Rude also noticed that the three guards that had come with him were already frozen. He managed to say "MAKO-FREAK!" before he too was crystallized. Nick pulled out a four barreled shotgun, and took a potshot at Rude, hitting his shoulder. Just for a little fun, he also put a 6- pack of beer in front of him.
"That should hold ya long enough." Nick said, and ran off after Cloud and Aeris.
Aeris was hoping against hope, that Nick was okay. She had heard the explosion of the four guns as she had run out of the main part of the church. She looked at Cloud. Aeris knew he was being troubled because of the look on his face. But by what she couldn't figure out.
No time to figure it out now, Aeris thought. But she couldn't get the thought out of her head. Infact she was so enveloped in thought that she didn't hear Cloud's yell until it was too late.
"FIRE!" yelled a soldier. And they did.
"Help!" Aeris cried out, as she got hit in the leg. She fell. At that exact second Nick ran in.
"Aeris!"