The first step in penetrating the holy of holies of Shinra turned out to be the simplest: it was only necessary to find two suitable trucks in order to pass themselves off as an ordinary group of loaders delivering yet another shipment of goods straight to the headquarters. Such heavy trucks were managed to be obtained without particular problems: the Shinra leadership had transferred practically all their forces to the main building, being sacredly certain that no one would have the audacity and madness to rob their logistics warehouses at such a tense moment.
However, before proceeding to the second step of this adventurous plan, it was required to find working coveralls of the loaders in order to finally pass for service personnel and not arouse absolutely any suspicions during the upcoming check at the checkpoint.
Such a uniform was managed to be found without particular difficulty—exclusively thanks to Yuffie, who by virtue of her irrepressible curiosity decided to glance into the nearest service rooms in order to check what could be obtained there and what to swipe.
The most difficult in this entire venture turned out to be selecting a coverall of a suitable size for Barret, who with his impressive dimensions more resembled a two-meter wardrobe with gigantic arms. Changing into the working uniform in the company of Dean and Biggs, Alex with sincere amusement observed how Barret with all his might tried to shove his enormous arms into the sleeves, sincerely trying not to tear them.
But even the coverall of the most gigantic size that they only managed to dig up in the staff room turned out to be catastrophically small for Barret. The moment he only tried to squeeze his arm into the sleeve, the dense fabric with a crack split exactly along the seam. After this failure Barret decided no longer to bother: he from annoyance simply tore the sleeves off entirely and with enormous difficulty squeezed into what remained of the coverall, not ceasing at that to heavily grumble under his breath.
Coming out of the changing room, Alex double-checked all the equipment and handed the bag with his everyday clothes to Tifa so that it would be possible without problems to change back after completing the penetration onto the underground parking. Now that the entire preparation for the second stage of the operation was completed, the squad was fully ready to begin.
Approaching the hood of the truck, Alex perfectly understood: his plan of inconspicuous penetration had been developed mainly in order to avoid senseless victims among ordinary rank-and-file Troopers. After all, these guys were simply doing their job for a salary and were by no means some inveterate monsters or psychopaths experiencing sadistic pleasure from killings.
Climbing into the cabin of the heavy truck, Alex with a habitual motion sat down in the driver's seat and inserted the keys into the ignition lock. Waiting until Barret with grunting climbed onto the passenger seat, Alex with the help of a button opened the rear body so that the remaining part of the group could calmly climb inside. Looking out of the cabin window and making certain that every single one had successfully jumped into the trailer, Alex pressed the button again, tightly closing the heavy doors of the body.
"Well, why have we frozen? Start that engine of yours already and let's go! Before this damned coverall finally splits along the seams right on me!" Barret snorted, heavily leaning back against the back of the passenger seat and demonstratively crossing his enormous arms on his chest.
"No one is at all to blame that a size for your dimensions simply wasn't in the wardrobe. You, by the way, could have easily swapped places with the same Claudia or Jessie… And in general, before we finally move, we vitally need the right music," Alex answered with a predatory smirk, with a habitual motion connecting his phone to the onboard radio.
"What the hell music?!" Barret loudly barked, but his dissatisfied voice was immediately cut off by a cheerful melody that unexpectedly thundered from the speakers.
"Darling, I can show you where my love hides. It's a heartbeat… On a hard drive," rhythmic lines of the song sounded from the speakers, instantly overlapping Barret's irritated muttering.
"Yeah, I'm dancing with your soul in my sight. It's a showdown… In the spotlight," Alex cheerfully sang along, slightly swaying his shoulders in time with the fiery motif, completely not paying attention to Barret's face filling with righteous anger and simultaneously turning the key in the ignition lock, from which the powerful engine of the truck responded with a bass roar.
Casting a short glance at Alex, who was cheerfully dancing to the music right behind the wheel, Barret once more irritably snorted, leaned out of the window, and waved a hand to Dean, who was sitting in the second truck together with Biggs. Having given the guys the signal that it was time to set out, Barret again leaned back against the passenger seat and crossed his enormous arms on his chest, with his entire appearance showing that such lighthearted music was absolutely not to his taste. However, not even a couple of seconds passed before Barret was already fully tapping a finger on his knee exactly in time with the song sounding from the radio.
By this moment Alex had finished with all the last checks, including intercepting and obtaining a forged electronic permission for the delivery of cargo for both heavy trucks. Extending his hand out of the window, Alex raised a thumb upward, letting Dean know that everything was ready with them. Seeing this sign, Dean snorted and resolutely pressed the gas pedal, first driving out of the parking of the logistics warehouse. Waiting until Dean's machine drove a bit forward, Alex smoothly pressed the gas and drove after, along the way tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and slightly nodding his head in time with the music.
Now they had to drive through the entire city to the very center of the Plate, where the monumental Shinra headquarters towered. There, according to Alex's memories, one of the most key turns of fate was supposed to occur, as well as the first open appearance of Sephira, who this time was not going to hide in the shadows at all and would clearly make use of the first of the found fragments of Jenova's body.
Every time, thinking about this ancient cosmic being, Alex clearly felt that he was missing some critically important detail connected with Jenova. Tapping his fingers on the leather covering of the steering wheel, Alex slightly narrowed his eyes and leaned his torso forward, examining the dominating 70-story Shinra building growing in the distance.
And the closer their truck approached this giant, the more distinctly Alex understood: Lucifer had by no means simply chosen precisely this specific universe for the sake of his so-called "fun"—in order to comfortably observe the salvation of the world from the front rows.
Knowing too well the character of his older brother, Alex was sacredly certain: Lucifer, maybe, does not lie directly, but he for sure conceals a pile of the most important nuances if this plays into his hands. Feeling that Lucifer had deliberately arranged some unpleasant surprise, Alex grimaced and squeezed the steering wheel until his knuckles whitened. He was frankly pissed off by the fact that introductory data was being hidden from him, hindering him from building clear plans for the salvation of this world.
After all, if Jenova on verification turned out to be completely not what they were accustomed to considering it, Alex would have to on the go adjust all actions to an absolutely different, far more dangerous reality. And the closer they approached the Shinra headquarters, the more distinct this lousy thought became: he had been cruelly screwed over, simply not explaining half the rules of the game.
Sitting next to him, Barret for some time calmly nodded his head in time with the music until he accidentally noticed how Alex's facial expression from relaxed instantly changed to such as if the guy had just been forced to eat an entire box of lemons without sugar. Leaning a bit forward, Barret also peered into the visible Shinra headquarters and sympathetically grimaced.
"I understand you perfectly, kid. While these greedy bastards systematically destroy our planet, they calmly sit in their luxurious offices, loungingly sprawled in leather chairs, and rejoice at every new thousand Gil in their accounts. And not a single bitch of them even thinks about the fact that there, below, in the Slums, ordinary people are simply choking from Mako waste and barely making ends meet!" Barret said with deep disgust on his face, with all his might slamming a fist on the dashboard.
"Actually I was thinking about something completely different… Well, okay. And why did you suddenly start up your habitual agitational tirade again?" Alex began speaking, shaking his head. He made the music in the radio a bit quieter and cast a short glance at his companion.
"Hah, tirade?! I'm simply telling the truth as it is! If it were fully my will, I'd to the hellish dogs demolish this entire fucking building, and then with pleasure piss on what remains of it. And if possible do it right on the head of the main bastard—President Shinra!" Barret answered, slightly laughing. He again folded his arms on his chest and carelessly rested his knee against the dashboard.
"Well, it's quite possible that in the future you'll still have such a luxurious opportunity. But definitely not right now. First we save the orphans, and only then everything else. And it seems I've told you more than once: it's not enough simply to take and destroy Shinra. In order to really make this world better, it's not enough simply to break everything around. People necessarily must have someone who will lead them after himself in order to build a normal new future," Alex explained in a calm, reasonable tone, slightly opening the side window in order to light up.
"Yes-yes. You've already told me this lecture a dozen times! And if people so need a leader… then why am I, in your opinion, worse for this role?" Barret grumbled, rolling his eyes, and extended his elbow out of the window, rhythmically tapping on the door.
"You? For God's sake, Barret, are you even familiar with such a word as shame? You're such a leader… as President Shinra is a holy altruist!" Alex sincerely laughed. Holding the steering wheel with only one knee, he struck the lighter and lit a thin cigar.
"Hey, don't you dare compare me with that bastard! And in general, why am I worse?! Well come on, kid, explain to me by the facts: what's so bad in me because of which I can't lead people after myself?!" Barret began speaking, picking up an irritated tone, and tangibly poked Alex with a fist in the shoulder.
"Oh, easily! Here's literally all of you: 'Uuuu, stick big, stick hit hard! Stick hit Shinra, stick—this is good!'" Alex began speaking in a foolish, exaggeratedly primitive voice, simultaneously making exaggeratedly savage gestures with his free hand.
"You… Fuck!" Barret forced through his teeth, from the unexpectedness of such a bold parody merely poking at Alex with a threatening finger.
Seeing the sincere anger on Barret's face, Alex cheerfully laughed and casually exhaled a stream of cigarette smoke into the slightly open window. In reality he absolutely had nothing against Barret as a combat leader of a desperate cell of eco-terrorists.
But for the role of a global leader who must lead millions of people after himself and build a new future on the ruins of the old world, Barret was completely unsuitable—especially because of his deeply rooted habit of solving absolutely any arising question exclusively by force and extremely radical methods.
Casting a quick glance at the sincerely laughing Alex, Barret merely slightly snorted and turned away, habitually resting his shoulder against the door in order to look out of the side window. In the depths of his soul he himself perfectly understood that the role of a great leader of the people completely did not suit him. And, honestly speaking, Barret himself had never aspired to such a burden.
All that truly worried him in this life was that his close friends remained alive, and his little angel Marlene grew and lived in a normal world that does not fade before one's eyes because of the stupid and greedy decisions of idiots thinking only about how to more tightly stuff their own pockets.
Looking into the side rearview mirror, Barret sweepingly waved a hand to Dean and Biggs, who were driving in the second truck right behind them, making it clear that they had already practically reached the place. Noticing this conventional sign, Dean briefly flashed the headlights, showing that he had accepted and understood everything.
Literally a couple of minutes of the path later Alex and Barret began to distinguish ahead the monumental outlines of the main entrance to the Shinra headquarters. The entire adjacent territory was solidly packed with massive barricades, heavy military equipment, and blinding searchlights that brightly illuminated every meter of space before the facade. Narrowing his eyes, Alex discerned an entire army of Infantrymen who with a dense cordon guarded the entrance and meticulously inspected every truck arriving for the delivery of heavy armament and equipment.
Having stared at this preemptive cordon, Alex suddenly heard behind his back a demanding signal of a car horn and immediately cast a glance into the rearview mirror. Right behind them a column of heavy military trucks had lined up, transporting fresh groups of Shinra Troopers.
With a double flash of the rear headlights Alex smoothly turned the steering wheel to the right, freeing the lane and letting the convoy pass forward. Having given the column the chance to drive past, Alex and Barret silently observed the Troopers sitting in the open bodies—most of these guys had such dull and doomed faces as if they themselves least of all in the world wanted to find themselves in this mess.
"Just look at these lackeys… They behave as if they're doing some incredibly noble deed! And in reality they simply mindlessly throw themselves at anyone their rotten master points a finger at," Barret said with deep disgust on his face, squeamishly nodding with his chin toward the departing convoy.
"And how do you think, how many of them ended up here by a banal conscription? They're exactly the same ordinary residents of Midgar as all of us with you. These guys are simply trying to earn an honest piece of bread in order somehow to feed their families," Alex began speaking in a calm, reasonable tone, smoothly turning the steering wheel in order to drive onto the steep lane leading to the underground parking.
"A good person consciously working for the corporation of Evil also isn't without sin! They're obliged finally to understand and accept their direct complicity in this entire nightmare. To find in themselves the elementary courage to look the truth in the eyes… To understand that their fucking leadership profits from the sufferings of the entire Planet and ordinary poor fellows! Only this way will they be able somehow to atone for their guilt," Barret began speaking in a gloomy, unyielding voice, again crossing his arms on his chest and heavily narrowing his eyes at the towering bulk of Shinra.
"Then go and say all this right to Elmyra's face… Her husband was just the same forcibly conscripted to the war, not even leaving the man an elementary choice. She in the end couldn't even see him for the very last time. And believe me, Elmyra is far from the only one like that. The real culprits are only those who sit at the top and give these bloody orders. And ordinary people always remain simply people. They simply have neither the power nor the strength to refuse or challenge the order of the higher leadership," Alex began speaking in a slow tone, bestowing upon Barret a heavy but absolutely calm gaze.
"Damn! How I hate it when in such situations you turn out to be damnably right!" Barret irritably spat out and instantly turned away to the side window, not wishing to continue this difficult argument any longer.
Looking at Barret, Alex again sincerely smiled and, casting a last glance at the main facade of the Shinra headquarters that had disappeared behind the heavy concrete crossbars of the overpass, shifted his gaze to the road, smoothly pressing the gas pedal. To the underground parking it remained only to pass this single straight lane—and their group would find itself exactly where needed.
Slightly reducing speed, Alex ringingly tapped a fist on the rear wall of the driver's cabin, giving a conventional signal to the girls hiding in the body that they were approaching the goal. A moment later from that side rang out a single light knock, making it clear: everything with them was in complete order.
Having received confirmation, Alex slightly increased the gas and twice flashed the rear headlights to Dean and Biggs, indicating that the finish line was quite close. Having received in response a short, barely audible honk, Alex composed a maximally calm and innocent facial expression and turned off the cheerful music in the radio so that at the checkpoint everything would look strictly according to the regulations.
Once more turning right and driving onto the steep descent to the underground parking, Alex for a second turned his head to Barret, in a low voice instructing him exactly how to behave during the upcoming check. Hearing the briefing, Barret merely impatiently waved a hand, making it clear that he himself understood everything perfectly and would be silent as a fish.
Nodding, Alex clicked the lock of the glove compartment and took from there a tablet on which an electronic transport invoice hastily concocted by him was displayed. Tossing the tablet onto the dashboard, Alex began smoothly braking, driving under the vaults of the semi-dark tunnel. Descending ever lower onto the underground parking, Alex carefreely tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and quietly hummed a leisurely melody, absolutely not worrying that in the process some unforeseen hitch might occur.
Finally passing the prolonged turn, Alex saw ahead a heavy barrier near which three elite Troopers in bright-red assault uniform were on duty. Noticing the approaching heavy truck, one of the red guards sweepingly waved a hand, giving the order to stop immediately.
Pressing the brake pedal, Alex froze right before the barrier and with a habitual motion lowered the side glass. When the heavy truck finally stopped, the elite Trooper lowered his hand and made a short sign to his colleagues so that they would proceed to the inspection of the transport vehicle.
"Good evening, officer. Here's your invoice… Listen, and what's even going on with you here? Yesterday everything seemed quiet and peaceful, and today right before the entrance they've arranged a whole military performance," Alex began speaking, depicting on his face sincerely innocent curiosity, extending the tablet with the invoice right into the hands of the elite Trooper.
"Nothing unusual, citizen. On the territory of the object a planned training deployment is being conducted in case of the emergence of an emergency situation," the elite Infantryman answered in an absolutely calm, set voice, taking the tablet and meticulously reading into the lines of the electronic invoice.
"Yeah, of course… 'Training' they have," Barret quietly muttered, turning away to the window and tensely watching the two remaining red guards through the rearview mirror.
"Hmm… According to the documents everything here is in complete order. And now be so kind as to open the body for inspection," the elite Trooper said, returning the tablet back to Alex, who continued carefreely and openly to smile.
Hearing these words, Alex barely restrained himself from aloud cursing this elite Trooper who had decided meticulously to check precisely their trucks. Mentally complaining about his "amazing" luck, Alex narrowed his eyes, for a fraction of a second thinking about simply leaping out and in one blow knocking out this executive idiot.
Sitting on the passenger seat, Barret had already clenched his cyber-arm into a fist until it cracked, ready at any moment to transform it into a deadly machine gun. Located in the body, Claudia distinctly heard the entire conversation through the thin partition; she quietly crept up to the rear doors, intending to instantly deal with the two other guards if they still decided to open the trailer.
Dean and Biggs, sitting in the second truck, also perfectly understood that a mess was about to begin, and frantically reached for their weapons. Carefully observing Alex's face reflected in the side mirror, Dean waited only for one single sign in order to open fire to kill.
Noticing the arising pause, the elite Trooper more tightly squeezed his heavy shotgun and with a distinct, dry click demonstratively took it off the safety. As soon as this metal sound rang out, Barret fiercely frowned and already intended to shoot first, but right over his cocked cyber-arm soft palm of Alex lay, restraining the big guy and not allowing him to make a single movement.
"With the cargo everything is in complete order. Drive further," Alex smoothly began speaking, unhurriedly waving two fingers right before the helmet of the elite Trooper.
"With the cargo… everything is in complete order. Drive… further," the elite Infantryman repeated in a completely monotonous, glassy voice and, as if in a dream, waved a hand to his partners, giving the command to cease the inspection and raise the barrier.
Looking at the fooled elite Trooper, Alex slyly smiled and returned his hand back to the steering wheel. Starting the engine, he calmly waited until the heavy barrier fully rose, freeing the passage onto the inner territory of the object.
And while Alex carefreely tapped his fingers on the leather covering of the steering wheel, sitting next to him Barret surprisingly shifted his sunglasses onto his forehead, sincerely not understanding what had just happened before his eyes. All that he managed to discern was how Alex slightly waved his fingers before the Trooper's helmet, after which they without extra questions were let inside.
Flashing the rear headlights in order to give a conventional signal to Dean, Alex smoothly pressed the gas pedal and unhurriedly drove onto the underground parking. Driving into the very depths of the underground complex, Alex and Barret now and then noticed entire patrols of elite stormtroopers and even several third-class SOLDIERs vigilantly guarding every section.
From the sight of such a quantity of elite forces of Shinra Barret gloomily narrowed his eyes, perfectly understanding: if they decided to fight their way through the underground parking by force, they would have to sweat until bloody sweat. Parking closer to the service entrance into the main building, Alex first carefully looked out of the window in order to make certain that there were no extraneous eyes nearby, and only after that finally switched off the engine. Slightly stretching in the chair, Alex several times ringingly tapped on the metal wall of the cabin, giving the girls the signal that everything had gone smoothly and they could come out.
"Hey, kid… What the hell was that just now?" Barret began speaking, intently and puzzledly observing Alex, who had already opened his door.
"What exactly?" Alex asked in response, innocently turning his head to Barret.
"Well that crap! These strange little tricks of yours… A wave of the hand before the face of that elite bastard, after which they simply took and let us through!" Barret began speaking, emotionally gesticulating with his powerful hand, frantically trying to pick the right words for the seen magic.
"Ah, that. An ordinary small trick with suggestion. I simply carefully forced him to think that everything with us is in complete order," Alex answered in an everyday tone, taking a thin cigar out of the inner pocket of the coverall.
"Did you take and from a distance wash his brains? Or what is this entire mystical crap even called?" Barret asked with clear doubt and suspicion in his voice, raising one eyebrow and with bewilderment staring at Alex.
"I already told you: I simply forced him to believe that everything is normal… In general, don't clutter your head, this is no mind control and no brainwashing. This is just one of the ancient tricks of the Cetra," Alex said lightheartedly, indefinitely waving the hand in which he already held a lighter.
"What other trick?" Aerith ringingly asked, unexpectedly jumping right up to the open driver's cabin with a bag of their things in her hands.
Hearing Aerith's ringing voice, Alex turned to her and briefly explained exactly what trick with suggestion he had just pulled before the noses of the guards. Raising a thoughtful gaze to him, Aerith for a second applied her index finger to her lips. In her memory unexpectedly surfaced vague images from distant childhood: it seemed to her that she had already seen something similar in the past when together with her mother Ifalna she had escaped from this very building.
True, then little Aerith had not even thought about the nature of this phenomenon, and only now, thanks to Alex's words, recalled that episode. Cutely narrowing her eyes, Aerith handed the bag with things to Alex so that he together with Dean, Biggs, and Barret could finally throw off these absurd working coveralls and change into normal clothes.
Observing this story, Barret merely discontentedly grumbled under his breath, muttering about the fact that he understood absolutely fuck-all in all these high-flown tricks of the Ancients. Climbing out of the driver's cabin, Alex exchanged a short glance with Dean and Biggs, raising the bag and making it clear that it was time for them to change for the further dash.
Leaving the girls and Wedge on guard near the trucks, Alex, Dean, Barret, and Biggs quickly slipped into the nearest janitor's closet. Changing into their habitual equipment, Dean simply could not restrain himself from a funny little joke about Jedi, impressed by how easily Alex hypnotizes stormtroopers.
Merely rolling his eyes in response to this dig, Alex quickly changed the uniform for habitual clothes, threw on his thin black coat, and deftly secured the Saw Cleaver behind his back. Having finished with the changing first, Alex came out of the closet and approached the girls, who had already fully equipped themselves and were ready to move further.
"And what's our next step?" Tifa asked as soon as Alex approached the group.
"Step number three: we rise to the main reception and hack the central terminal in order to precisely find out where the children are being held. We find a direct passage leading to the very upper tier…" Alex began speaking, with a habitual motion adjusting the straps of the holsters with pistols on his shoulders.
"Does it seem to me alone that all this will be far from as simple as you just described?" Jessie asked with a light doubt in her voice, casting a skeptical glance at Alex and carelessly resting her back against the side of the truck.
"We're located in the very heart of Shinra, so it's quite natural that along the way certain difficulties may arise. The main thing is that none of them even suspects that we're already inside," Claudia calmly said, affirmatively nodding and crossing her arms on her chest.
"Simply let's be maximally careful and not make noise without extreme necessity. If we act covertly and carefully, no one will notice us," Tifa added in a quiet, cautioning voice, casting a warning glance over all those present.
"That's it, we're fully ready! Let's go, gang! Let's beat these bastards up to the very tomatoes!" Barret unexpectedly barked throughout the entire parking, tumbling out of the closet already changed into his habitual combat uniform.
"Yeah, completely quiet and absolutely unnoticed… Stealth is right Barret's specialty," Claudia said with deep sarcasm, bestowing upon Barret an absolutely empty gaze while he once again successfully forgot what it means to behave quietly.
The entire group jointly glanced sideways at Barret after his sudden, loud cry—the big guy once again completely forgot where exactly they were located right now. Wedge carefully looked out from behind the side of the truck in order personally to make certain that none of the elite patrolmen or SOLDIERs was heading in their direction. Having made certain that this yell remained unnoticed, Wedge with relief wiped drops of sweat from his forehead, turned to the others, and raised a thumb upward.
Heavily sighing, Alex for a second ignited with an unbearable desire to with feeling kick Barret for his uncontrolled voice, but still decided not to do this in order not to waste precious time. Heading toward the automatic electronic doors, Barret still did not understand why absolutely everyone was looking at him with such expressive gazes as if he had just severely screwed up.
Approaching the control panel, Alex took out Tseng's key card, applied it to the reader, and first entered inside the complex. Using the silent escalator in order to rise a tier higher, Alex passed a small intermediate hall while the others followed him step by step, warily looking around.
Coming out into the enormous main hall at the central entrance, Dean slightly whistled from amazement, examining how pathos and monumental everything was arranged in this place: high ceilings going into darkness, walls in deep dark tones illuminated by soft cold neon, and gigantic flags with the Shinra emblem majestically hanging from the supporting columns.
Finding himself in such a place, Alex first of all caught himself on a persistent déjà vu—it seemed to him for a moment that he had again transferred to the cyclopean building of Arasaka in the very center of Night City.
While the others dispersed around the hall in search of the main information terminal, their eyes fell on a closed reception booth tightly surrounded by a humming protective field. Approaching closer in order to examine the device, Aerith barely managed in time to pull Yuffie by the collar back before she touched the wall of the energy field.
While all the others began concernedly racking their brains over how to shut down this force field, Yuffie had already invented her own way to find herself on the other side of the barrier. Slightly narrowing her eyes, Yuffie stepped back several steps in order to gain a good run. Moving her fingers and finally tuning in, she sharply rushed forward.
Having gained excellent speed, Yuffie deftly jumped upward, stepped with a soft boot right onto Alex's shoulder, and, using him as a springboard, pushed off even more strongly, soaring right onto the roof of the reception booth. Yuffie with catlike grace jumped onto the roof of the reception booth and instantly slipped into the open ventilation hatch on top.
"Ta-da! I'm inside!" Yuffie announced with a victorious smirk, looking out of the booth and showing the entire group a peace sign with two fingers.
"Well done, noisy little one! And now let's quickly shut off this tricky thing so that we finally get normal access to the terminal," Barret said with a smirk, raising a thumb upward.
"One second… Ooh, and what's this still lying here? Wow, another key card! So, it'll clearly come in handy for us… And in these drawers what's interesting…" Yuffie immediately began with excitement rummaging through all the corners, loudly commenting on everything that fell into her eyes.
"Yuffie, the terminal!" Alex hurried her with a sigh, observing this restless lover of pocketing absolutely everything that lies poorly.
"Well alriiiiight… So, and what exactly to press here?.. Ah, and who cares! I'll just poke all the buttons in a row—something of this will definitely work!" Yuffie responded in a lazy, drawn-out tone, turning to the keyboard of the central terminal and beginning disorderly to pound on all the keys without distinction.
Looking at Yuffie, who with an absolutely carefree appearance continued to thrash all the buttons on the keyboard, Alex did not even begin to voice aloud the obvious thought: by such a "barbarian" method the removal of the protective field was clearly not in the cards for them. The remaining members of the group fully shared Alex's skepticism, with unconcealed doubt observing Yuffie, who, cheerfully humming under her breath some uncomplicated melody, continued inspiredly to pick at the terminal.
Biggs even tried to accessibly and normally explain to her exactly where to press and exactly what combination of keys needed to be used for resetting the protection. However, all that he received in response was an extremely puzzled gaze of Yuffie as if he had just spewed some unheard-of nonsense in an ancient language.
Understanding that this circus performance could drag on for a long time, Dean slightly patted Alex on the shoulder and proposed that he himself vault over the roof and normally shut off the protective barrier. Shrugging his shoulders, Alex already intended to jump when the saturated blue protective field suddenly and silently dissolved in the air—and not only around the reception booth but also in other sectors of the enormous main hall.
Noticing this long-awaited miracle, Yuffie proudly stuck out her chest and victoriously raised her chin as if she had just clearly proven to all those present that from the very beginning she had done everything absolutely correctly.
The sincerely satisfied and proud appearance of Yuffie simply did not allow Alex to destroy her triumph and say aloud that the force field had been shut off not by her at all but by a completely different person. Raising his gaze a bit higher, Alex looked right into the objective of one of the numerous surveillance cameras fixed under the ceiling and slightly smirked.
After all, he perfectly knew that behind this "magical" shutdown of the barrier stood the puppet mayor Domino, who had decided in advance to render them his inconspicuous help in exchange for one small service in the future.
Deciding no longer to bother over this situation, Alex entered inside the reception booth and carefully nudged the shining from pride Yuffie aside in order to obtain direct access to the main terminal. Quickly calling up on the screen the interactive map of this cyclopean building, Alex began refreshing in his memory the needed routes in order clearly to realize at once several of his own plans.
To be continued...
(Phew, I've finally reached the point where I can really pick up the pace and skip all that aimless wandering required to access certain areas of the Shinra Building. I don't think this counts as a spoiler, but to pull this off, I'll have to separate Alex from the rest of the group. As for *why* that happens—well, that's a story for the next episode. Fortunately, we don't have to wait a whole week for the next one. Alex will definitely visit some key locations within Shinra before reuniting with the others. And now, as you know, it's time to eat. Peace, love, and don't press the button if you don't know what it does.)