A/N: Don't own the characters of FF7, never will. Spoilers for AC.

Falling

"Isn't this fun sir? Any requests for the next act?" He spoke with a wide grin on his face. I was originally shocked to have found out that Avalanche's materia had fallen into the possession of Kadaj and his gang- talk about careless. I had to quickly reassess our options after that blow; they were already some the most dangerous people I had encountered- except for Sephiroth. We never fought face to face- it was more a battle of wills. In that battle Sephiroth brought the world, and much to my displeasure, Shin-Ra to its knees.

This is why I know the remnant has the power to do as he claimed. He had Sephiroth's will- and his almost blind determination. His expression showed no remorse for the destruction the Bahamut was causing. Another summon would easily overwhelm Avalanche, I couldn't risk that. Each second that I wait is wasting time and Kadaj will eventually find out the truth.

That I have Jenova's head hidden with me at this very moment.

Each search I sent him on was fruitless and each time he came back more furious. Kadaj was gullible but I can't stall him for much longer. Elena and Tseng suffered at the hands of these sadists and what they wanted was to bring the world more suffering.

For the first time in my life I wanted real peace and not just for myself.

So I slowly got up from my wheelchair. Despite the protests of pain coming from my rarely used legs and faced Kadaj whose expression quickly flickered from pleased to shock as his eyes homed in on the box held in my hand. I can't rely on anyone, not for this moment. Reno and Rude aren't here- not that they stopped Kadaj before. There's no turning back now. Kadaj won't have his way. It's as simple as that, I'll make sure of it. The planet or the people living on it don't deserve to be plagued again with Sephiroth. Sephiroth will not come back. I must see to it. Though there is little I can do. …I don't have the strength I previously had. My own life may be forfeit if matters go horribly wrong but I have nothing to lose. Geostigma condemns me to death anyway, what does it matter if I meet my end before my time? I would rather die having made a difference, something that would allow my name to live on as I returned to the lifestream. Be the one who tried to stop Sephiroth the nightmare from coming back. Not to be known as the youthful, unready heir to the Shin-Ra throne that destroyed everything.

The truth is that the very nature of the Shin-Ra Corporation is what defeated it. Taking from the lifesteam was the idea of a fool. It was a product of a restless age, ignorant of all consequences -and our generation had paid harshly for those mistakes.

"A good son would have known." I say summoning up all my determination, facing down the remnant with a smirk. Kadaj had to be stopped. My power had been rotting away for some time as my body failed me and my influence left me; I had to seize the moment before it was gone. Otherwise I would meet a disgraceful end as a coward. I, Rufus Shin-Ra would never be a coward. There's only one way I can get this box away from Kadaj…

Without hesitation I throw Jenova's head out the building.

The moment he sees me do it he lets out a cry of anguish before charging up for a powerful attack. I stared at him defiantly. Let the kid take his tantrum. I'll be ready for it. The blue glow on his arm grows more energetic and violent and I find myself unwillingly staring at it. I wouldn't be in its path when it was released. Unless I wanted to be as fragmented as Jenova is but dead. Suddenly he thrusts his palm out in my direction and orbs of blue energy zoom towards me. The only exit from this onslaught… is the way Jenova left.

So I let myself fall. The bandages floated away, attached to my face no longer… but I didn't care. Jumping confirmed my death sentence, I knew. However I wasn't going to go without a fight, Kadaj be damned. I drew my only form of self defence; the pistol from my inner pocket and fire a few shots in Kadaj's direction. A smug grin plastered over my face as I realised, though I didn't have the strength to use my shotgun anymore, I could still fire with deadly accuracy.

My shots missed however. Not that I expected them to hit, I was just hoping to distract the man. Kadaj only seemed mildly bothered the shots while seeming undecided on what he should do. I'm sure the explosion occurring to the right of him helped him make the decision to jump off the building. As he utters the word "Mother" I realise that I'm not his target anymore. He shifts his body to make the quickest decent possible and I find myself taking the same position as the floor we were previously on erupted in flames.

Flames… flames that seem horribly familiar. The intensity, the heat, the feeling of singed hair and burning clothes, the raw pain, the complete isolation- all coming from my mind. From the memory of a time just over two years ago. When the Diamond Weapon attacked… I had found myself closer to death than I would have liked…

I shook the feeling away and focused on my target. Kadaj reaching for the box, much closer than I would have liked. I fire shot after shot, trying desperately to find a way to stop him. It unnerved me how much I had lost control of the situation, I didn't think he would have jumped. A major miscalculation on my part indeed. Frustrated I fired another shot aggressively in the direction of Kadaj's hand. I thought it might have stopped him from grabbing it, or at least cause him to flinch. The shot rushed past his hand- and hit the container right through the side. I couldn't see how much damage I had caused the container -the wind was blowing furiously into my eyes and it made the task of aiming much harder than it was previously.

This was it. The rush of air around me deafened me to the events around me, I doubt I could have heard Bahamut if I tried. The ground was closing in fast; Kadaj was too close to grabbing Jenova. I had failed and it aggravated me to no end. This is it? I die for nothing? Bitter thoughts resounded through my head easily. I closed my eyes waiting for the inevitable…

…Until I collided with something far earlier than I expected. A groan escaped my lips from the harsh collision. My limbs ached in protest from the abrupt landing. Whatever I had come in contact with it wasn't the cold, hard, unforgiving concrete. The roar of motorcycles deafens me for a moment until they quickly die away. I blearily open my eyes to see the net that saved me from my expected fate. Reno and Rude are below me, running towards the building. No doubt coming to see me. Heh. I glance in the direction where the nets came from to see Elena and Tseng.

Relief was the strongest emotion swirling around inside me. I thought those two were dead; though their presence tells me otherwise. The Turks and I seem to share a unique trait in avoiding almost certain death. My hands coil around the netting as I try to lever myself up. I owe my life to them- though what little I have left. Their loyalty baffles me. Though as Reno hoists me up from the net and let myself smile for a short moment.

Sometimes I wish events could be changed… like on the day of the weapon attack. I wish that they could have been there… as foolish as that sounds.