The Scorpion sentinel towering before them in stature, the eco terrorist group members and mercs look in surprise while one is being held hostage.
The outer shell of the machine moves as if alive with scales; everyone but both Cloud and Storm notices this and is shocked.
A pensive look passes through the brothers' features, momentarily forgetting their circumstances.
But Storm was quickly brought back by the Sentinels' tails, which tightened their grip around his waist, letting out an involuntary scream of great discomfort that was being caused to him.
The others, without thinking, quickly jump into action to save the man.
Cloud goes in, slashing at the sentinel, Barrett and Jessie shooting at the tail holding Storm captive.
The machine attacks with reckless abandon, and when the three eco team members try to attack the machine, it sometimes uses Storm as a shield to stop them in their tracks.
"Damn it, how can we attack it if it's using Storm as a shield!?"
Jessie proclaimed.
"Weaken its grip on him!"
Cloud ordered out his voice, letting out an edge of need, but held back to hold focus.
The others not noticing or plainly ignoring it. Just nodded
Cloud attacks the sentinel from the front, being the distraction, Barrett from the left, and Jessie shoots at the tail.
The scorpion sentinel, being attacked in different directions, became more violent and relentless.
Click-click-click
"Damn, I'm out! Cover me!"
Jessie ran out of bullets, Barrett went to cover her, but then.
Click-click-click
"Shit"
He too burned through the bullets he had on him.
"What's happening back there?"
Cloud calling out, simultaneously focusing on attacking.
"We've run out of bullets."
Jessie said out loud. Cloud was greatly annoyed at this, as he then quickly took out his pistol and passed it to her.
Storm, seeing them struggling, was able to free an arm from the grip, getting both of his pistols.
"Catch!" he called out to the group. Jessie caught both guns.
And without thought, she was rapid-firing at the sentinel.
But that isn't what Storm thought of, but Cloud was able to get the idea.
"Barret your arm!"
Barrett was about to use his Limit Break but halted.
"What?" confused at what the blonde was thinking, but couldn't be given the proper time to try to read what he was thinking, as another attack by the sentinel made the area shake.
"Just do it! Barret, Jessie, the two pistols bring them here now!" Cloud orders Barrett and Jessie, and she does so without a second thought, running towards the two, avoiding the sentinel's attacks.
She sprinted to them. Cloud ordered to have the pistols on Barrett's machine gun arm, they do so, and the guns begin to wrap around the arm, and something incredible and awe-inspiring happens.
"!What the- how the hell are these damn pistols!!" Barrett exclaimed, shocked at what was happening
"!!" Jessie, shocked by the armed mini gun that Barrett had, became a cannon. Then, Barrett began to feel like he was beginning to reach his limit.
[BIG BANG BARRAGE]
A storm of glowing bullets erupted from the cannon, blasting forward in a blinding torrent. The recoil shoved them backward, their boots scraping against the floor as they struggled to stay upright.
Suddenly, the pressure eased. They glanced to the right and saw Cloud bracing them with his sword.
The bullets cut through the metal tail.
causing the sentinel to drop Storm.
"oof—"
at being let go so unexpectedly. Looking at the cannon being unravelled in chaos. It's control that is little to none; Barrette and Jessie are struggling to control the weapon.
Storm instantly ran, grabbing his guns. A faint green spark danced across his fingers as the cannon was reshaping itself, seamlessly reconfiguring back into a spinning Gatling. The barrels whirl with a metallic hum, the energy coursing through the weapon. His pistols were discharging lightning energy, stinging him, while being held.
Feeling like little pricks over his skin.
Barrett and Jessie staggered back, clutching their chests.
"Damn…" Barrett wheezed.
Jessie bent over slightly, trying to catch her breath." That… took a lot out of me…"
Storm sighed, his fingers feeling numb long after the raging sparks finally subsided.
He'd been used to this by now… still, even for Cloud it was reckless.
Letting out another frustrated sigh.
Cloud went up to him, giving him a once-over, looking at his hands, with burn marks, and his eyes strained. Dismayed at the sight, took out some bandages and then wrapped his brother's hands with them.
"Thanks," Storm opened and closed his wrapped hands.
Cloud nodded without a word, and the machine was shut down as sparks shot out.
Then Cloud went to the C4.
"Im going to set up the timer, you guys should get a head start," he advised. The others nodded, running back. Storm stayed behind.
"You better not die," Storm demanded from his brother, the blonde glances over his shoulder, then walks towards the bomb. "You talk too much, get going," Cloud responded.
Storm hesitated for a moment, then relented, running. Following where the other two left.
Cloud watched his brother disappear down the corridor. A familiar weight settled in his chest.
He needed to be better.
Be more careful.
More vigilant.
He set the timer to 20 minutes.
That was enough time.
With the timer set, he sprinted, climbing ladders and fighting off what was left of security drones.
Unknown to them, the security cameras were recording them. A figure stands in front of the screen, looking at the sentinel. He takes out a pad, and after pressing buttons on the pad, the machine. The sentinels' red eyes began to blink dangerously.
With making it to the doors, the reactor began to rumble violently.
Boom
The entire building shook. The floor trembled violently, and the group ran for the exit, the metal beams falling like a stack of messy playing cards.
"Watch out," Jessie called out. The floor falls, but a large pipe falls luckily making a path.
"Come on, this way!" Storm pointed out the path; they hurried. Making it through to the next room, two sweepers arrived.
"Ugh, you've got to be kidding me!" yelled Barrett.
"damnit we don't have time for this! Cloud pistol!" Storm was ordered out. Cloud for a second hesitated, the memory of his brother being electrocuted being fresh in his mind, he pushed his back and feelings aside and threw the third pistol towards his brother.
No one noticed his hesitation, only one did, but they decided to momentarily ignore it,
He got all three weapons together, and he quickly put fire & lightning materia within it.
Then the three weapons with the materia turned into a rail gun.
"!!!"
"What the !!!?"
Blasting through the hunk of junk. Without a second to spare, the gun began to spark. Storm sprinting to the exit, the others followed.
With enemies appearing again, Storm turns his gun into a bastard sword, cutting his way through the metallic walking trucks and other sets of enemies.
Being at the crossroads, they went to the exit, and unexpectedly, the floor fell under Cloud only.
"Cloud!" Storm and Jessie called out in worry as he fell.
The spike-haired blond easily maneuvered in the air by jumping between the debris as if they were platforms.
Easily catching up to the others, they made their way to the exit, as instructed to. A ball of fire followed close, but they made it to the door, closing it as it dented the door outwards.