You all made into the sewers with only minor complications. You were worn out, but you didn't want to complain, as to not get Barret peeved. You already had somehow, you just didn't want to make it worse. The mercenary was sassy too, and you didn't wanna argue with him.

"You doing okay over there?" Wedge asked as you trailed behind him and Biggs. You nodded in response.

"Just a bit tired," you replied. "No big deal."

"I just wanna take a shower ASAP," Biggs groaned. He wouldn't stop complaining about how awful he smelled after that mission. You smirked a little.

"You do know I get to shower first, right?" You asked.

"Huh?" Biggs looked over at you. "Oh, the hell you do," he replied jokingly.

"Smalls is right. Ladies first, dude," Jessie said from the front of the group. As much as you didn't like her sometimes, you complied when she was on your side.

"Yeah, my hygiene is more important," you added smugly. Biggs scoffed.

"You hardly broke a sweat out there," he said. You raised a brow and wiped some sweat from the back of your neck and brushed your hand across the back of his shirt. He shivered and looked over his shoulder at you. "Was that sweat?"

"You said I didn't break any?"

"You..."

"That's enough flirting for one day," Cloud interrupted. "We still have work to do." He walked past the both of you, arms crossed and all with a bored look.

"We're not flirting, pretty boy," you shot back. Cloud just nodded and ignored you. You scoffed and looked over at Biggs, sniffing the air.

"Man, you do stink," you said, covering your nose.

"Rude!"

*
*
*

You all eventually made it out of the sewers. The city was burning and speakers around the sector were issuing warnings to the evacuating citizens.

"No..." Jessie said. "No way..." You looked over at Jessie. Nothing but guilt could be found in her expression.

You murmured as you stood alongside the others; "The bomb shouldn't have..."

Biggs and Wedge seemed remorseful too.

"This couldn't have been us... Could it?" Biggs asked, pacing slowly and looking at the destruction. 

"But what if it was...?" Wedge queried.

You decided to stay quiet as they all made efforts to brighten the mood or excuse the group's actions.

"What's done is done," Cloud finally said, interrupting their clamoring. Barret hesitantly nodded at him.

"Merc's right..." Barret said.
"It ain't pretty, but we can't stop now. This was just the first reactor. And the planet won't be safe until we get the rest."

"Yeah," Biggs replied. "We always knew this was gonna get messy." His guilt-filled face glinted off the fire as he stared at the ground. You could feel your eyes burning. You didn't know if it was the smoke, or actual scruples.

"And this is only the beginning," Wedge added. You hated how they were egging each other on, acting like they didn't feel even a little remorse.

You thought taking away from ShinRa would be more satisfying than this. You wiped some oncoming tears away, staying behind everyone

"Y'all gotta look at the bigger picture here. Nothing worth fighting for was ever won without sacrifice," Barret preached. "Though you may not be crying out, I know you're in pain— just like the planet. But it's okay, 'cause I'm here for ya. To help take the load off your shoulders!"

You couldn't decide how to feel about his passionate preaching. You had a feeling that he didn't actually care, though. Which pissed you off. "Your fears... Your worries... Your concerns..." He turned to Cloud, "And yes, your fees." Cloud scoffed and looked away.

Barret, unfazed, turned around and kept talking. "Whatever your problem, I got you."

You saw Biggs smile and nod out of the corner of your eye. "So, what's our next move, boss?" You scoffed quietly, looking away from him. Biggs went to say something to you, but Barret interrupted him.

"That's easy enough. We get our asses home!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, their spirits heightened, and ran off. You gathered yourself and followed them as they made off into the burning city.

Biggs hung back with you. "Everything okay?" He asked. "You looked a little peeved back there."

"I'm fine," you said. "I'm just tense, I guess."

He looked into the distance at the crowds of people and ShinRa security evacuating them. Of course, they were keeping an eye out for potential suspects. You could tell he was worried again. He turned back toward you, going to say something.

"Let's split up," you cut him off as he was getting ready to speak.

"But--"

"We'll talk when we get home," you insisted before running off. He went to run after you.

"Leave her be," Barret told him. "It's best we don't stick together until we're on the train." Biggs looked in the direction you ran and shook his head.

"Sorry, I can't do that," he said and took off sprinting after you. He knew Barret didn't mean anything by it, but couldn't help but worry anyway.

You found yourself heading down an alley. For the amount of time you lived plateside, you had no idea where you were going. You had a hand over your mouth and nose, trying not to inhale the smoke. It was getting in your eyes though, causing them to water and burn.

A silhouette appeared in the distance, surrounded in rubble from a ruined building, which you assumed was a citizen. They did not scream or call for help however, and walked towards you as you climbed over the ruin.

"Are you all right?" you called over the cackling of embers and the sounds of other clamoring civilians in the distance. "Do you need any help--" you shrieked as you tripped at the bottom of the pile. Your bad leg got caught under a stone, causing you to cry out as you fell into the stranger's arms. Their touch was familiar.

You winced and made a quick recovery, looking up at the person. Your eyes widened in fear as mako infested eyes glanced down at you. Silver hair flew in the wind behind the familiar face.

"I'm quite all right," he said with a smirk.

"A SOLDIER... No... Sephiroth..." You speculated. His smirk didn't disappear. You tried to pull away, but he held firmly onto your forearms.

"You're in the way, [Y/N]," Sephiroth said.

"'In the way'...?" You pondered that clause, staring fearfully as he wouldn't let you go. You could hardly make out his features anymore as your vision blurred from the smoke. What you could speculate was that he was drawing his sword.

"[F/N]!!" You heard a voice in the distance. It was Biggs looking for you. You whirled around, causing Sephiroth to barely hit you as he thrust his blade at your side. Your breathing hitched as you felt it pierce. It didn't do as much damage as he would have liked since you moved, but it was enough.

"Of Destiny," Sephiroth finally replied.

He pulled the blade out of your side and sheathed it before turning away. A singular black feathered wing emerged from his back and he took off into the night.

You clutched your wound coughing as you fell to your knees, keeling over to the point your head was in the dirt and debris on the ground.

Eventually, you thought you had gathered the strength to make a few strides to find help.

You stood up and staggered over to a wall for leverage, limping direly.
As you began climbing back over the rubble, something picked you up and carried you back into the ring of flames. Or multiple things, rather. You thrashed violently in the air.

The force finally threw you face first on the ground again. You sobbed from the pain, holding your side and coughing uncontrollably. Blood began dripping from your mouth. Dirt was all over your face as you finally looked up, your vision flattening. You could still hear Biggs in the distance as you were overcome by numbness. You could no longer feel the stickiness of drying blood on your skin or the throbbing pain in your calf, just the stinging and stabbing in your side.

Another shadow revealed itself in the light of the flames, running towards you. You couldn't hear much anymore. You went to speak, but succumbed to the wounds. Your eyes felt heavy and finally closed as your head hit the ground. The only sound left was a vexing ringing in your ears. The rumbling in the ground from falling debris and quick approaching footsteps disappeared.

~~~~~~~~~~
I was 59 words short, but who cares, am I right or am I right?