By the time Cain and Tifa returned to Seventh Heaven, dawn was already breaking.
The bar was a mess, tables and chairs knocked askew, clearly having gone through a commotion of its own.
“Marlene!” Tifa called anxiously the moment she stepped through the door.
“I’m here, Tifa!” a clear child’s voice came from behind the counter.
Marlene poked out her little head, and when she saw the two of them return, she immediately ran over and threw herself into Tifa’s arms.
“Thank goodness.
You’re safe.” Tifa hugged her tightly, and the heart that had been hanging in her chest finally settled.
“Where’s Barret?” Cain looked around, but he did not see that burly figure.
“Dad… hasn’t come back yet.” Marlene’s voice carried a hint of tears.
“A lot of bad people rushed in earlier.
Wedge and Biggs stopped them and let everyone escape through the back door.” Just then, the back door of the bar was pushed open, and Wedge and Biggs came in supporting the injured Jessie.
Jessie’s leg was wrapped in bandages, and her face was pale, but she still seemed to be in decent spirits.
“You’re back!” When the three of them saw Cain and Tifa, they all let out a breath of relief.
“Jessie!
How are you?” Tifa hurried forward to check her injury.
“It’s just a little wound.
It won’t kill me.” Jessie forced a smile, but soon grimaced when the movement pulled at her injury.
Her gaze fell on Cain, and a trace of lingering fear and relief flashed in her eyes.
“I’m glad you’re both okay.
The explosion at Reactor 1… was way stronger than we expected.” “Where’s Barret?
Didn’t he go draw the pursuers away?” Cain asked.
“We don’t know either.” Biggs shook his head, his face filled with worry.
“We lost contact with him.
Shinra’s serious this time.
All of Sector 7 has been locked down.” Everyone’s hearts sank.
Barret was strong, but against Shinra’s army, his chances were grim.
“Dad… Dad will come back, right?” Marlene tugged at the hem of Tifa’s shirt, her large eyes full of tears.
“He will.
He’ll definitely come back.” Tifa comforted her, though her own voice trembled slightly.
The entire bar sank into heavy silence.
Only the clock on the wall ticked away, as if counting down for their missing leader.
Cain silently walked to the window and looked out at the chaotic street.
He clenched his fists, his heart full of self-blame.
If he had been stronger, if he had taken down the Scorpion Sentinel faster, perhaps Barret would not have needed to risk himself drawing away the pursuers.
He thought of Zack.
Once again, he had watched helplessly as a companion fell into danger in order to protect him.
That feeling of powerlessness gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.
No… I won’t let that happen again.
He swore it to himself.
Time passed second by second, and every second was torment.
Just as everyone was about to fall into despair, the bar’s front door was suddenly slammed open with tremendous force.
A burly figure appeared in the doorway, standing against the morning sunlight.
His whole body was covered in wounds, and his metal gun-arm was full of scratches and bullet holes, but he still stood straight, like a mountain that would never collapse.
It was Barret.
“Dad!” Marlene was the first to react.
She rushed over in tears and hugged his leg tightly.
“I’m back, Marlene.” Barret lowered his head and gently stroked his daughter’s hair with his good hand.
A rare tenderness appeared on the iron man’s face.
“Barret!” “Boss!” Everyone surrounded him, too excited to speak.
“Hah, you really thought I’d go down that easy?” Barret grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth, though his smile looked somewhat exhausted.
“I ran circles around Sector 7 three times and had those Shinra lapdogs chasing their own tails!” Although he said it lightly, everyone could see the shocking wounds on his body.
“All right, stop crowding me.” Barret waved his hand.
His gaze swept over everyone present before finally landing on Cain.
He walked up to Cain and used his huge metal gun-arm to give Cain’s chest a heavy thump.
The force would have made an ordinary person stumble back several steps, but Cain did not move an inch.
“Kid,” Barret said, looking at him.
There was no longer any wariness or suspicion in his eyes, only pure recognition and trust.
“You did good.
You saved all of us.” Cain looked at him, then at Tifa, Jessie, Wedge, Biggs, and Marlene, who was still hugging Barret’s leg.
At that moment, he felt that he was no longer a lonely monster, no longer a fugitive chased by fate.
He had companions now.
Or rather, he had a new “home.” This home was noisy and shabby, and its members all had problems of their own.
But here, there was unconditional trust.
There were partners he could entrust his back to.
There were smiling faces he needed to protect.
“I…” Cain opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he only nodded.
“All right!
Stop getting sentimental!” Barret laughed loudly and threw an arm around his shoulders.
“We’re heroes!
Heroes who beat Shinra’s newest weapon and blew up Mako Reactor 1!
Tonight, no, right now, we’re celebrating!
Tifa, bring out the best booze in the cellar!” “But your wounds…” “What’s a few scratches?
Drinking is the best medicine!” The heavy atmosphere was swept away, and the bar once again filled with the laughter and cheer of people who had survived disaster.
Jessie forgot about the wound on her leg and excitedly described to everyone how Cain had torn apart all the enemies in the simulator with one hand.
Wedge and Biggs, meanwhile, vividly told the story of how they had cleverly evaded Shinra’s pursuit.
Tifa watched the scene before her, and a sincere smile appeared on her face.
She walked to the bar and began preparing drinks for everyone’s celebration.
Cain was pulled into a corner by Marlene.
The little girl placed her most treasured chocobo plush into his hands.
“This is for you,” Marlene said seriously, looking up at him.
“Dad said you’re a hero, and heroes should get presents.” Cain looked at the yellow, fluffy plush in his hand, then at Marlene’s pure, flawless eyes.
The softest part of his heart was touched.
He thought of the yellow bird-of-paradise still in his hand, of Aerith, and of Zack.
He clumsily reached out and gently patted Marlene’s head.
“Thank you, Marlene.” It was the first time since arriving at Seventh Heaven that he showed a true smile from the heart, one without any stiffness at all.
Sunlight shone through the bar’s windows, falling on him and Marlene, and on the smiling faces of every member of Avalanche.
The explosion at Mako Reactor 1 had not only lit the beacon of resistance against Shinra, it had also made this “family,” made up of people from all kinds of backgrounds, become even closer and more unbreakable after being tempered by flames and smoke.
And Cain had finally found a temporary place to belong in this noisy yet warm home.
He knew the road ahead would still be full of thorns and danger, but he was no longer fighting alone.