Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Alliance ❯ Chapter 2

“Alliance”

Chapter 2

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(Warning: Possible spoilers for all FF7 game/movie titles)

*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.*

~***********************************************~

 

When Cloud came into the bar with Rufus Shinra, Tifa knew something was up. The urgent expression on her friend's face confirmed it as he hurried to the serving bar and motioned her over to him. She finished mixing a drink and gave it to the waiting customer before closing the distance to Cloud.

 

“What's wrong?” She murmured in a low voice as she leaned over the surface of the bar.

 

“Are Denzel and Marlene home from school yet?” Cloud asked.

 

She nodded, alarm bleeding into her expression. “They have been for a good fifteen minutes, at least. Cloud; tell me what's going on. They just announced on the news that a building collapsed on the other side of the city! Did you have anything to do with that?”

 

Cloud glanced up at the television suspended from the ceiling and he saw the news broadcast she was talking about. He looked at it briefly before giving her his attention. “Actually, yeah. I did it to shake off our pursuers. We've got to get the kids and get out of Edge. Rufus has a helicopter waiting outside town to take us to Junon.”

 

Her dark eyes widened and went from Cloud to Rufus and back again. She knew better than to slow things down with a lot of questions, having come to respect her friend's judgment in crisis situations. “You'd better explain all of this when we get on board,” she hissed before turning around to get the attention of one of the barmaid she'd hired. The young woman hurried over and Tifa whispered something to her. Sandra frowned at what she said but she nodded and patted Tifa on the arm. The brunette came back to where Cloud and Rufus waited and she ducked under the divider and took her apron off.

 

“Okay, Sandra's going to finish up the night for me and close. Let's go upstairs to the house.” Tifa said. She'd had the other women under her employment for more than a year now and she knew she could trust her.

 

~**********************************~

 

Rufus again surprised Cloud by helping them hastily pack a few things. Being used to calamities by now, neither of the kids argued with Tifa and Cloud when they told them to select some clothes and a reasonable amount of other things they'd like to take with. Marlene went a little overboard with her dolls and she was visibly upset when Tifa told her she could only take two of them, but she didn't fuss about it. Once again, the president showed unexpected consideration.

 

“There's enough room for more,” he assured Tifa and Marlene as he looked around at the doll collection. “She can bring as many as she can pack in five minutes.”

 

Marlene looked absolutely thrilled and she thanked him with charming sincerity. Rufus cracked a smile at the girl and continued helping Tifa to pack her clothes. Cloud stared at the man for a moment before leaving the room to toss some of his own clothes into a bag.

 

~He's actually nice to kids! What the hell…oh, wait a minute. I think I get it. I know he never got along with his father and I never saw or heard anything about his mother.~

 

It hit Cloud for the first time. Part of the reason Rufus Shinra was so cold and detached was because he had attachment issues from childhood. He'd heard about the condition before from news reports and various specials on television. Tifa was always watching stuff like that, having a weird fascination with the human psyche.

 

~No wonder she's so good at lecturing. She should think about taking a course on psychology sometime. Heck, she might even make a good shrink.~

 

He remembered to call Barret and let him know he was taking Marlene to Junon. The big man was due to finish his latest job in a couple of weeks and he'd want to visit with his daughter. As he packed, Cloud dialed the number and waited, hoping he wasn't catching him out on the field.

 

“Hey, Spiky!” Barret said as he answered the cell. “Wasn't gonna answer it `till I saw it was you. How's Marlene?”

 

“She's fine,” Cloud assured him with a smile, unsurprised that the first thing his friend asked about was his daughter. “I just called to tell you that Tifa and I are taking the kids to Junon for a while. Something's come up and I don't have time to explain but Rufus is going to fly us—”

 

“Whoa, hold it,” Barret interrupted gruffly, “Did you just says `Rufus'? My daughter ain't going anywhere with that piece of shit!”

 

Cloud sighed and tossed a couple of sweaters and t-shirts into his bag. “Listen, I don't have a choice. Believe it or not, the safest place in the world for her to be right now is under ShinRa protection. I know you don't like it but sooner or later everyone's going to have to put aside their personal feelings and work together, okay?”

 

“No, it's not `okay',” Barret said stubbornly. “That sonofabitch almost got Tifa killed and I would have been next! I don't trust him, especially with Marlene!”

 

“Tifa's put that in the past,” Cloud argued with annoyance, “you should move on too. I haven't forgotten what Rufus did but I'm telling you, he'd never hurt a kid. What's more important to you, Barret; your grudge or your daughter's safety?”

 

Barret grumbled something rude under his breath before answering. “Fine, but I'm heading over there as soon as I finish this job and if anything happens to Marlene—”

 

“I'll personally bend over so you can kick my ass into next week,” Cloud finished for him. “At least trust Tifa, would you? You know she'd die before she let anything happen to her. I'll call you back later and tell you what's going on, okay?”

 

“Grrr…okay. It better be something damn important.”

 

“It is,” Cloud confirmed. “I'll talk to you later, Barret.”

 

~*****************************************~

 

Fifteen minutes later they piled everything into Tifa's car and left. Rufus rode on the back of Fenrir with Cloud…more out of courtesy for Tifa than lack of room for him in the car. The president was aware that Lockheart still wasn't comfortable around him and he didn't want to deal with the awkward silence that would have ensued on the drive to the waiting helicopter. They loaded Fenrir into the cargo compartment first and then put the luggage in before boarding the aircraft.

 

Denzel was excited about flying for the first time but Marlene was petrified. The little girl sat between Tifa and Denzel and she hugged one of her dolls as Cloud buckled her into her seat and he noticed her fearful expression.

 

“Don't worry Marlene. President Shinra won't let us crash, okay? It's only a short flight to Junon and Tifa and Denzel are right beside you.” He smiled softly at her and squeezed her shoulder as he finished securing her seatbelt.

 

“Okay Cloud,” she said in as brave a tone as she could muster.

 

Cloud got into the co-pilot seat in the cockpit and looked over at Rufus as the president finished securing his seatbelt and eyed the console. The frown of concentration on Rufus's face wasn't encouraging.

 

“You know what you're doing, right?” Cloud asked.

 

“I made it here, didn't I?” Rufus answered absently. He pushed a button and Tifa and the kids gave a start as the cabin door slid open. Rufus grimaced and pushed the button again, closing the door. “No…it's…this one,” he muttered as he selected a different one. This time there was a hiss of air as the compression mechanism kicked in to help regulate the air pressure within the craft.

 

Rufus sighed a little in relief before pushing the ignition button. As the rotaries started up, he noticed Cloud studying him warily and he looked at the other blonde with annoyance. “What?” Rufus snapped. “If you believe you could do a better job, feel free to change places with me. I don't have Reno's flying skills but I'll get us off the ground and to Junon safely, Strife.”

 

“I didn't say anything,” Cloud answered with a shrug. He covered his mouth and coughed to hide a smile, knowing Rufus's pride and having the sense not to wound it. He was a bit nervous about the president's ability to get them safely in the air—let alone back down again without crashing—but he figured that if the man could get himself here without help he could get them all back, too.

 

“Just…make sure your seatbelt is secure,” Rufus muttered as he placed his earphones on his head.

 

Cloud did the same, keeping a straight face with difficulty. He knew it was totally inappropriate but there was something…cute…about the way Rufus was acting. The man was trying his best to cover up his uncertainty and it just made it funnier to Cloud—perhaps because he wasn't used to seeing Rufus Shinra anything less than completely confident.

 

The helicopter lurched off the ground and began to ascend. Rufus held the stick in a white-knuckled hand, his lips pressed together with grim determination. For a moment, the chopper tilted alarmingly to the left and everyone grabbed onto their seats with terror. Tifa threw an arm around Marlene protectively and Denzel forgot his manners.

 

“Whoa, shit!” the young teen swore.

 

“Hey!” Cloud and Tifa both snapped in conjunction. Cloud turned around in his seat to shoot a warning look at the boy and Tifa was frowning at him severely.

 

“Sorry,” Denzel muttered, cringing. “Even though I hear you two say that word every day,” he finished under his breath.

 

Rufus smirked a little as he steadied the chopper. Denzel didn't realize how lucky he was to have two parent figures that cared enough to teach him proper manners…even if they weren't biologically related to him.

 

~***************************************~

 

As soon as they landed at the Junon airport, Reno came jogging up to the helicopter. “Yo, what's this all about, boss?” the redhead demanded as soon as Rufus opened the pilot side door and stepped down. “I've been worried out of my goddamned mind! Ya should have left me a voice message or something and I would have come right here to fly you! All I knew was I came back to report to ya and they said you took off in one of the choppers! Reeve called and said something about a package…”

 

Rufus crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows, waiting for Reno's tirade to finish. The Turk seemed to realize how horribly disrespectful and over reactive he was being and he stammered into silence, clearing his throat.

 

“I mean is there anything I can help ya with, Sir?” Reno finished demurely.

 

Cloud climbed out of the aircraft next and Reno's eyes lit up when he spotted him. Tifa and the kids exited and the redhead's elation turned to confusion. “What's goin' on?” he asked, looking from the assembled group to his employer with narrowed eyes.

 

“I'll explain everything once we have our guests settled in,” answered the president. “Help them with their luggage while I arrange a board meeting, will you?”

 

Reno shrugged and walked around to the cargo hold. He reached out and gave Cloud's arm a squeeze of greeting, wanting to do something much more intimate but having enough sense not to do it right in front of Tifa and the children.

 

“Hi Mr. Reno,” Marlene said to him as he opened the door. “I'm glad you're feeling better.”

 

He gave the little girl a grin and ruffled her hair. “Me too, kiddo. Thanks.”

 

Denzel climbed in and started handing out bags. The kid was growing fast and Reno predicted that he was going to be pretty tall by the time he got through his teen years. Judging by the amount of luggage they had brought, they were prepared to stay in Junon for a long time—which suited Reno just fine. It had only been a couple of days since he'd last visited his golden-haired lover but knowing that Cloud would be more easily accessible for a while gave him a thrill.

 

After all of the luggage was loaded onto a trolley, Reno separated from them to take the package to the research department and finish up some paperwork before the meeting. Rufus guided them into the Headquarter building to get them settled in and discuss arrangements during their stay.

 

~**********************************~

 

“I could arrange for the four of you to stay at a good hotel or a rental home while you're here,” Rufus explained as Cloud's group followed him to the elevator, “but honestly, I'd prefer that you stay here in the company suites until we can determine that it's safe to do otherwise. I've already arranged rooms for you, in fact. Cloud, yours is right beside Reeve's personal suite and Tifa's is on the other side. The children can stay together in a suite right across the hallway. Each one has a kitchenette, so you can either make your own meals or order room service. The services are complimentary, of course. What do you think?”

 

Cloud and Tifa stared at the president, overwhelmed by his hospitality and quick organization. They looked at each other and shrugged. “I think it sounds reasonable,” Tifa said slowly. “It's very…considerate of you, President Shinra.”

 

“Considering that it's largely my fault that you're in this situation, it's only fair,” Rufus answered casually. The elevator doors opened and he held them, gesturing for Tifa and the kids to go in first while Cloud pushed the luggage trolley behind them. Once they were all inside he selected the floor he wanted and continued to explain.

 

“We have a Laundromat, as you may remember, Cloud.” He glanced at Marlene and Denzel and frowned a bit. “I'm afraid we don't have much in the way of entertainment for children, but there's a racket-ball court in the gym, plenty of exercise machines and a swimming pool. There's an arcade across the street next to the materia shop, but I wouldn't recommend going there without an escort until we're certain there are no Deepground forces in Junon.”

 

Marlene and Denzel both nodded, their eyes wide in their young faces. Cloud almost chuckled at them. Rufus Shinra was a man who commanded respect, even when he was being unfailingly polite. There would be no backtalk from either of them.

 

“Now, as for schooling,” Rufus began. The children groaned and he raised an eyebrow at them. “Ignorance isn't `cool', and you aren't on vacation.” The kids stifled their dread and Rufus smiled a bit and looked to Cloud and Tifa. “I'm sure you'll want their education to continue during your stay. There's an excellent private school on Macy Street…”

 

Cloud and Tifa both made a face and Rufus chuckled. “…but I can see that you'd prefer something a bit more liberal. Very well, the public school in this district is very good too. I can arrange for an escort to take the kids to and from classes each day, if you'd like.”

 

“That's really generous of you,” Cloud said uncomfortably. “I don't want us to be any trouble.”

 

“All it takes is a phone call and some paperwork,” Rufus assured, “It's really no trouble and I'm quite used to filling out paperwork, by now.”

 

Marlene and Denzel shared a look. Both of them had fantasized about having a rich uncle but Mr. Shinra wasn't exactly what they'd had in mind. They'd always pictured a jolly man that showered them with gifts and let them do whatever they wanted. The president was forcing them to go to school and it wouldn't surprise either if them if he had someone check on their homework every night, too. Marlene thought the man was very strict and responsible and she wondered if he had kids of his own.

 

“Mister Shinra, do you have any kids?” the little girl asked with innocent candor.

 

Cloud's stifled a chuckle and Tifa coughed, while Rufus looked a bit surprised by the question. He gathered his wits and shook his head. “I'm afraid not, Marlene. I suppose if I did, I wouldn't be such a joy-killer. I'm sure you and Denzel can think of at least a dozen other things you'd rather be doing than schoolwork, after all.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” she answered plainly, grinning up at him. “But Cloud and Tifa make us go to school too, so I guess all grown-ups are `joy-killers'.”

 

Rufus gave her a rare, genuine smile of amusement. “I suppose we are.”

 

~************************************~

 

After they got settled in, Cloud and Tifa allowed the kids to go swimming while they got ready for the meeting Rufus had organized.

 

Cloud had just finished having a shower and was changing into a clean set of clothes when there was a knock on his door.

 

“Just a minute,” he called as he shrugged into a button-up, white shirt. He'd almost thrown on a t-shirt to go with the denim jeans but since there was going to be a meeting, he'd decided to go with the dressier shirt. He began buttoning it as he crossed the room and opened the door. Reeve stood there, with Vincent at his side.

 

“We heard that you and Tifa were staying here with the kids but I wasn't sure I believed it,” the engineer said with a smile. “I never would have thought Tifa would have allowed it.”

 

“Well, there's more important stuff happening right now than her grudge,” Cloud shrugged as he stepped aside to let his friends in. “When did you two get here?”

 

“About twenty minutes ago,” answered Vincent, his crimson eyes studying Cloud with interest. “You look…different. Is this your regular attire now?”

 

Cloud laughed and shook his head. “No, I just wouldn't feel right being in a room full of suits in a t-shirt and sneakers. I've got to at least try to look a little professional.”

 

“Did you get all of my messages?” Reeve asked as he closed the door behind him. “I sent five of them, trying to warn you about the package once I found out it wasn't exactly a typical delivery.”

 

Cloud winced. He'd forgotten all about turning his phone back on and checking his in-box. “No, but Rufus came and got me before any harm was done. We had a little scuffle with some Deepground guys I didn't even know were still around but nobody was hurt…except maybe one of the bad guys.”

 

“Yes, I saw the building collapse on the news report,” Reeve said dryly. “I suppose one of your infamous sword techniques was responsible for that?”

 

Cloud flushed a little. “You know me…I overdo it sometimes.”

 

“A crude but effective method of combat,” Vincent observed. “I was most impressed.”

 

Cloud grinned at that. Vincent hid it well but he had an appreciation for destruction that would surprise many people. “Uh, thanks. So do you have any idea what was in those documents, yet?”

 

“We've had people working on it since you arrived,” Reeve explained. “So far they've confirmed that it has to do with the `G-project' that professor Hollander was working on before his demise. Do you remember Hollander and Genesis, Cloud?”

 

Cloud nodded and frowned. “A little. I didn't know a lot about them but I remember Tseng and I getting our asses handed to us by Angeal when we tried to capture Hollander, and Zack showing up to protect us. Genesis is a little fuzzy in my memories…did he have a thing for poetry?”

 

“Yes, he was obsessed with `Loveless', in fact,” Reeve confirmed. “Well, as you may have guessed, he was the primary achievement in Hollander's experiments, while Sephiroth was Hojo's crowning glory. There were flaws, however. Anyone infused with G cells eventually began to deteriorate, as Genesis did. If my people are right, Deepground may have found a way to stop that.”

 

“So you think Deepground might be trying to recreate Genesis?” Cloud reasoned, feeling a chill go down his spine. If they could do that, odds were they could do the same with Sephiroth and he'd had quite enough of that to last a lifetime.

 

“Or they could be experimenting on themselves with the research,” Reeve answered with a shrug. “It remains to be seen. I'm confident that President Shinra will make the right call as far as what's to be done about this. The research could be used as a bridge for other medical research, in the right hands. However, it could just as easily be too dangerous to leave in existence. We'll have to wait and see.”

 

Reeve's cellphone rang before Cloud could respond to that and the WRO director retrieved it from an inner pocket of his long jacket and answered it. Cloud and Vincent listened in silence as he spoke with someone on the other line for a few moments before hanging up.

 

“That was Tseng,” Reeve informed them, “The meeting is going to start soon, so I suggest we make our way to the board room now.”

 

Cloud finished buttoning up his shirt and straightened it out before walking out with his two companions. “I suppose Tifa's invited?” he asked uncertainly. He thought it was important for her to be included in the meeting but he wasn't sure whether the company wanted her involved or not.

 

“Of course,” Reeve answered lightly. “She's involved in this too and she should know what's happening and have the opportunity to add her own input.”

 

They stopped by her suite and by the look on her face when she answered the door and they told her what was happening, Tifa wasn't very thrilled. “What is there to discuss?” she asked plainly, “If this research is dangerous, they should just get rid of it.”

 

“But it could also prove beneficial in the fight against disease,” Vincent reminded her softly. “You should come to the meeting and voice your concerns, at any rate.”

 

She sighed. “Okay, give me a minute to run a brush through my hair and I'll come along. I'll leave a note on Denzel's door telling him where we've gone.”

 

~***********************************~

 

All of the highest-ranking Turks were there, some of whom Cloud didn't recognize. The Turk woman that had given him the package to deliver was there too, as was her scientist companion. There were several executive types as well, all of them wearing WRO badges. Rufus waited until everyone had gotten their refreshments and sat down before he began. Cloud sat down next to Reno and Tifa took a seat on his other side. Rude and Tseng were sitting directly across from them and they exchanged friendly nods with Cloud as the meeting began.

 

“I called this meeting because during an investigation of what we assumed to be the abandoned former Deepground facilities, the team we sent came across important research documents pertaining to the `G-project' that Professor Hollander had been working on. As most of you know, my father started Deepground behind my back. Professor Hojo, Scarlet and Heidegger were all in on it. The goal was to create an elite battle unit of soldiers that were subjected to higher levels of Mako conditioning than average. We didn't learn of this project until the Omega incident occurred, unfortunately.”

 

He paused, thinking of other things he hadn't discovered until years later.

 

“You all know what happened when Deepground made itself known to the world and I'm sure we'd all prefer not to think about those dark times,” Rufus continued. “Moving along to the present, we've lost people that were on the investigative team. Only two made it out with the documents, which are now being thoroughly examined by our research team.” He didn't mention that he'd rushed to pick up the documents himself…doing so would only open the can of worms that was his unexpected feelings for Cloud Strife, and he really didn't wish to discuss that here.

 

“The research has the potential to provide medical breakthroughs,” he went on. “But we must assess the risk versus the rewards, first. While it would be a wonderful thing to invent new treatments for debilitating illnesses, we can't overlook the possibility that this research may prove more dangerous than beneficial. I'm leaving that up to our science department to determine.”

 

“So what are we doing until then, Sir?” Reno asked, speaking the question that was on everyone's mind.

 

“We're going to try and put a stop to Deepground's operation before history can repeat itself,” Rufus answered. “We don't know how many operatives remain but we can't allow them to build their forces up again. I want strike teams assembled and sent in to clean their base of operations up…preferably without drawing a lot of media attention. We don't need an international panic on our hands. Members of the militia, the Turks and the WRO will be chosen to commence with the operation in two days' time. Anyone else wishing to volunteer will be welcome to join in the effort.” He looked at Cloud and Vincent as he spoke the last sentence and both men nodded.

 

“I'm in too,” Tifa insisted. “I don't want to give those people a chance to rise up again.”

 

Rufus nodded. “Excellent. The teams will be assembled and transported to old Midgar on Friday morning. I want the entrances to the old city to be blocked off from civilians and should anyone ask, we're there to check for toxins and do a simple clean up of the old sectors for public safety. We must do our best to keep this incident out of the public, despite the incident that happened earlier today. It's getting late, so everyone should try to get some rest and take care of any unfinished affairs before Friday. The meeting is adjourned.”

 

People began to file out and Rufus asked for Cloud to stay behind and talk to him. The fighter shrugged at Tifa and did so. “What's the matter?” he asked the president once they were alone in the boardroom.

 

“I thought I should tell you that one of the names listed on the research documents was Zackary Fair,” Rufus said without sugar-coating it. “Since the two of you were so close, I wanted you to know before the strike. Your name also came up.”

 

Cloud paled a bit and swallowed. Of course, he'd known that Zack had been subjected to experiments during the time they were both prisoners in Hojo's secret lab, but what Rufus was saying suggested that Hollander had a bit of fun with he and his old friend, too. He had very foggy memories of Professor Hollander trying to get his hands on him when he was helpless with Mako poisoning. Zack stopped him but it didn't mean he hadn't already done something to them before. “What do you think we're going to find in that place, Rufus?”

 

“I wish I knew,” the president answered. “I only wanted you to hear it from me first, and I didn't want to inform you in front of everyone else. You may find more information concerning what was done to both of you in the time you were experimented on, so be prepared.”

 

Cloud nodded and his blue eyes were full of dread that he couldn't disguise. Rufus surprised himself by reaching out and squeezing the other blonde's shoulder. “Are you still up for this, Cloud? You don't have to participate, you know.”

 

Cloud was just as surprised by the comforting gesture as Rufus. He glanced down at the hand squeezing his shoulder before nodded and pressing his lips together with determination. “I'm up for it. I can't let this information spook me out of doing what's right. You guys are going to need me if things get ugly.” He wasn't bragging about his skills—merely stating a fact.

 

Rufus nodded slowly. “You certainly are heroic, Strife. I don't know that I could press on with this if I were you.” He was captivated by the fighter's unfailing bravery and before he knew what he was doing, he slid his hand up to cup the back of his head and he guided Cloud's mouth to his for a kiss.

 

Cloud didn't move at first and Rufus wondered if he'd made an error of judgment. He was about to pull away when the other blonde returned the pressure of his mouth and kissed him back. There was no urgency in the exchange. It was an unhurried expression of feeling on both sides and it lasted for a couple of moments before they broke away and stared at one another.

 

“Now look what you've done,” Rufus said dryly, his voice slightly breathless. “I've turned into a sap.”

 

Cloud smiled before he could help himself. “Well, I've gotten more ruthless, so we've both influenced each other some.”

 

“Hmmm, a ruthless Strife is probably the sort we need right now,” Rufus said seriously. “Don't hesitate to use it to your advantage when the time comes.”

 

“The more these things happen, the harder it is for me to hold back,” Cloud sighed.

 

“That isn't such a bad thing, considering that our opposition isn't likely to hold back at all,” Rufus insisted.

 

“Yeah, I guess so,” agreed Cloud reluctantly. “I just hate stooping to their level.”

 

Rufus considered inviting Cloud to his office to spend the night with him, but considering the high amount of stress he sensed within the young man, he thought better of it. There would be plenty of time to invest in some intimate time with the fighter later, after the raid on the Deepground facilities was finished. He truly didn't know what the strike teams might find in there and he knew that there was probably still a lot his father had kept from him that he hadn't discovered yet.

 

Instead of making advances on him, Rufus patted his shoulder again and advised him to get some rest. “Frankly, I'm exhausted after today,” the president said, “and though you've got SOLDIER enhancements, I'm sure you're at least a little tired yourself. If anything more of significance is discovered by the research team between now and Friday, I'll be sure and let you know.”

 

Cloud nodded, gazing at Rufus with thoughtful eyes. “You really have changed.”

 

“Oh, not so much, I imagine,” the president said with a smile.

 

~*********************************~

 

Cloud spent the next two days dividing his attention between the kids, Reno and training. Tifa sparred with him and so did Reno and Tseng. To their surprise, Rude was assigned as Denzel and Marlene's escort to and from school. Cloud felt a little bad because he didn't think the bald man was thrilled at being a babysitter. He apologized to him the night before the raid was scheduled.

 

“I'm sorry about that, Rude. Everything's been happening so fast I didn't even think to tell Rufus that he didn't need to assign anyone to escort the kids. Tifa and I could have done that.”

 

The bald man shrugged. “The president thinks anyone interested in trying anything with the kids would think twice with me there. I guess he doesn't think you and Tifa have the right look to scare anyone off.”

 

Tifa coughed into the can of soda she was drinking and excused herself, fighting giggles. Cloud grinned up at the big Turk and he was forced to agree that Rude's intimidating, sharp appearance would probably deter potential kidnappers before they even tried to act. “Are you sure you don't mind? `Cause I can talk to him…I know you've got better things to do as a Turk.”

 

Rude looked stoic, as always. “I'm serving the interests of the company and to tell you the truth, this is almost like a vacation for me. Once we get through the Deepground raid we can see what happens. Besides, they're good kids. I don't mind, man.”

 

Cloud was a little surprised. He didn't think Rude cared one way or the other but then, the man wasn't exactly an open book. “Thanks. I'm sure Denzel's going to love showing up with you, anyhow. He thinks your cool.”

 

“He does?” Rude asked, a faint smile cracking his cool mask.

 

Cloud nodded. “Yeah. You've got the whole `secret agent' vibe working for you. Don't let it go to your head, okay?”

 

Rude cleared his throat but Cloud could tell he was very pleased.

 

~**************************************~

 

The big day came around and Cloud and Tifa rode in the helicopter with Tseng's team, while Vincent and Reeve took a different one. Everyone was hyped up with adrenaline, ready and willing to kick ass. Those who had been involved in the previous skirmishes with Deepground were especially thirsty for action, having seen for themselves what the organization could do if given half the chance.

 

By the time they landed in old Midgar, the barricades were already in place to keep the citizens of Edge out of the old sectors. Rufus was already there and speaking with the media, explaining that there was no need for alarm and that the WRO was only doing a sweep of the old sectors to check for pollutants and clean it up should they find any.

 

“I don't think you should go in with us,” Vincent said to Reeve as their team prepared to enter the Deepground compound.

 

Reeve looked at him with a knowing smirk. “I can handle myself. True, I don't have your fighting skills but you'll need me to help analyze whatever we find in there. I've also got certain diplomatic skills that could prove useful if we capture any prisoners and I have the schematics of this place memorized.”

 

Vincent's ruby gaze was uncertain and worried. “Then you should wait safely out here for us to bring them to you. There's no need for you to get in the middle of a firefight.”

 

“Are we really going to argue about this now?” Reeve sighed, pointedly looking over Vincent's shoulder at the other members of their team, who were heading in.

 

“Of course,” Vincent shrugged, flashing a brief, quiet smile at the engineer. “You wouldn't budge last night so I'm trying again before it begins. Did you really expect me to do otherwise?”

 

Reeve chuckled and covertly squeezed the gunman's human hand. “My answer hasn't changed, Vincent. You're stuck with me. I promise I'll stay behind the line of fire but having me there will work to everyone's advantage.”

 

Vincent gave up with a shrug. “So be it. You realize of course that most of my energy is going to be expended on keeping you safe, correct?”

 

“When all else fails, try guilt,” Reeve laughed. “It won't change my mind, though.”

 

Reno jogged up, with Tseng, Cloud, Tifa and the rest of their team following close behind. “What the hell are ya waiting for, guys? We're moving in!”

 

Cloud stopped beside the two arguing lovers, guessing what the problem was. “We're going to be watching each others' backs while we do this,” he assured Vincent. “The fighters are going to be protecting the science teams, so don't worry.”

 

Tifa looked up at the sky visible through the broken plates above, wondering if they could expect rain soon. There were heavy clouds moving in and she almost hoped it would storm like crazy. Bad weather would keep people indoors and deter them from trying to sneak into the old city to see what was happening. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted a figure on top of one of the abandoned buildings in the distance. She peered at the figure, tilting her head with puzzlement. It looked like a man in a trench coat, but the morning sunlight broke through the cloud cover at that moment and backlit the figure, obscuring details. She gasped as something that looked suspiciously like a wing spread out from the figure's back.

 

“What's wrong, Tifa?” Tseng asked when he noticed her exclamation.

 

She looked at him and opened her mouth, struggling to find words for what she thought she'd seen. She was sure he'd think she was crazy if she told him she saw a one-winged man standing on top of the building, so she simply pointed instead. Tseng followed the gesture with his eyes and frowned.

 

“What am I supposed to be looking at?” the Wutaian asked calmly.

 

“Th-the man,” Tifa said uncertainly, looking at the spot again. The figure was gone. There was no sign that anyone had been standing there, let alone a man with one wing. The cloud cover again choked the sunlight back and a chill wind swept through the ruins of Midgar, making her shiver.

 

“Perhaps you haven't had enough rest,” Tseng offered politely. “Lack of sleep can play tricks on the eyes.”

 

At once, she felt like a frightened child that needed her parents to confirm there weren't any monsters hiding under her bed or in her closet. She sighed with defeat, her eyes scanning the rooftops anxiously as Tseng led her toward the compound entrance with the others. She'd witnessed Sephiroth manifesting a single wing like that, both during the final battle to stop Meteor and the fight between he and Cloud. The profile she'd briefly seen didn't match Sephiroth's though. She hadn't recognized it as anyone she knew.

 

“Maybe you're right,” Tifa agreed, choosing not to press the issue and risk getting kicked off the strike team. “I'm sure I'll feel better when this is over with.”

 

Tseng nodded and stopped beside Reno and Cloud to look at Reeve. “Are we ready to proceed?” the Turk director asked.

 

“Yes, we are,” Reeve answered, though Vincent looked reluctant. They fell in with the others and moved in toward the entrance, readying weapons, scopes and flashlights. Cloud led the way with Tifa, Reno and Elena close behind. Rude stayed near Tseng and Vincent, ready to defend Reeve if any attacks were made against him.

 

“Why didn't he just have Cait Sith or that Monkeyshines gadget of his come in his place?” Elena whispered to Reno as they followed their teammates into the Deepground entrance.

 

“I think he just wanted to see everything with his own eyes,” Reno guessed. “He probably should have brought one of `em for extra protection, though.”

 

“Silence in the ranks,” Tseng ordered, shooting a reprimanding look over his shoulder at the two whispering Turks. Elena and Reno subsided into silence, wincing at the impatient tone of his voice.

 

The converging teams were swallowed up in the blackness of the ruins as they made their way in and those who waited outside in charge of communications looked at one another nervously.

 

~*********************************~

 

“Yo Reeve, you're the man now. Where the hell do we go?” Reno asked. He shone his flashlight on the engineer and motioned for the other teams to stop. It was eerily quiet inside of the Deepground compound and their voices echoed off the walls.

 

“There should be an elevator up ahead and stairs to the right of that,” Reeve answered. “The team that came in here before said that they made it to the fifth level underground before they encountered anyone.”

 

“Right,” the redhead said with a nod. Tseng motioned for everyone to continue on and Reno got out his EMR and readied it, just in case. He glanced over at Cloud and he noticed that the blonde's eyes kept roving over him. Reno smirked with amusement. Because of the nature of this assignment, the Turks were wearing form-fitting combat gear rather than their usual tailored uniforms. Poor Cloud seemed distracted by the sight of Reno in it and while he was obviously doing his best to keep his mind on business, that bright gaze of his just kept slipping.

 

“You okay there, Blondie?” Reno whispered as he fell into step beside him.

 

“Fine,” Cloud said shortly, trying to keep his eyes off of Reno's appealingly outlined ass. He searched their surroundings, memorizing details as they moved further in so that he could find his way back easily when they were finished. “Is it just me, or does this place feel…empty?” he asked.

 

“It's not just you,” Rude confirmed softly from just behind them.

 

“It's like a sewer,” Vincent agreed. “I don't sense any human life nearby…only decay.”

 

“What if the Deepground members are so altered they just aren't human anymore at all?” Elena whispered, hugging herself as a chill went through her.

 

“I guess we'll find out if we run into any of them,” Cloud said.

 

“If we run into any of them,” Tifa whispered with a frown. “I'm starting to wonder if they moved after the first team found them.”

 

“We've got plenty of levels to go through before we can draw any conclusions,” Reeve reminded them.

 

They found the stairs and went down them slowly, the foremost teams scouting ahead before waving at the others to follow. They searched each floor as they gradually made their way down, finding only broken machinery, glass and moldy sleeping cots. There was no sign that anyone still lived there. When they made it to the level that the original investigation team had found the research notes on, they found it empty.

 

“It wasn't like this when we came here,” the WRO scientist that had been on the investigative team informed them. “There were computer equipment and storage lockers. It looks like it's all been cleared out.”

 

Tseng sighed and used his cellphone to relay the information to the communications team. “We're going in further,” he informed them. “We'll report if we find anything significant.”

 

“Yo, I think Tifa may be right,” Reno muttered out the corner of his mouth to Cloud as they continued on down the stairs. “I was looking forward to a little ass-kicking, too. I missed out the last time.”

 

“Believe me, there wasn't anything fun about it,” Cloud said.

 

They went down several more floors, searching each one for any clues or hidden passageways. By the time they reached the bottom, everyone was tired, frustrated and a little disappointed. The disappointment didn't last for very long, however. They spotted a blue glow coming from a room in the back of the bottom floor and the first team moved to check it out.

 

“Uh, I think you need to get in here, Sirs,” one of the Turks said as he poked his head back around the door. His eyes were wide and he looked from Tseng to Reeve anxiously. “They left something behind after all…or should I say, someone.”

 

Reeve and Tseng exchanged looks and they hurried forward with the others close at their heels. Inside the room was a huge capsule filled with liquid. It was lit up from inside and a familiar woman floated within it. When he saw the shocked recognition on Reeve's face, Tseng lifted an eyebrow.

 

“You know her?” the Wutaian guessed. The woman in the capsule had long, light brown hair that floated around her eerily. She appeared to have a prosthetic arm and her body bore many scars.

 

Vincent came up beside Reeve and he wore the same expression of recognition on his marble features. “Shalua,” the gunman said softly, his eyes roving over the capsule. “We were trying to transport her to WRO headquarters during the last Deepground fiasco, but the Shera took a hit and her capsule fell to Midgar.”

 

“We didn't think there was any chance she could have survived the drop,” Reeve added. His expression was strained with guilt.

 

“I hate to say it Sir, but you weren't wrong,” one of the scientists confirmed as he examined the control panel at the bottom of the capsule. “This woman is dead. Perfectly preserved, but dead nonetheless.”

 

Reeve peered at the monitors on the control panel and swore heavily. “Why? Why did they keep her here?”

 

“I think I have the answer to that here, Sir,” another WRO scientist said as he approached with a folder he'd found. “The documentation here says that they injected her with the G cells before using live specimens. It also indicates that they intended to use her for spare parts…along with another specimen.” He frowned and looked around the chamber. “I don't see another capsule…maybe they already used up the other specimen.”

 

Cloud felt nauseated. “'Spare parts'?” He repeated. “For what?”

 

“In case any live recipients started decomposing, the way all of the former G project subjects did,” Reeve guessed with a heavy sigh. “What else do the reports say?”

 

“I could be mistaken, but it looks as though they perfected the transition. These state that they managed to create one `perfect' specimen,” answered the scientist. He flipped through the pages until he reached the end of them. “I think we interrupted them before they could duplicate the process, Mr. Tuesti. The question is, where is this `perfect specimen' at?”

 

Some of the other organization members were checking along the walls and they found a panel. Another door slid open and they hastily readied weapons.

 

“My guess?” Reno said with a nod, “It'll be behind that door, yo.”

 

“There's another one back here,” one of them confirmed. “A young man! He's in a capsule like hers but he's got life readings.”

 

Tifa grabbed Cloud by the arm and started forward, but the blonde didn't budge. She looked at him with a frown. “Come on, let's go have a look. Cloud? Are you okay?” He looked a little green.

 

“I'm not sure I want to,” Cloud muttered, remembering the president's warning that his name had come up in the files. “Uh, what does the guy in the capsule look like?” he called out, licking dry lips.

 

“Dark hair, medium athletic build…I've never seen him before,” one of the Turks said with a shrug.

 

Cloud relaxed and nodded, following Tifa with a little less trepidation. He'd had the unreasonable fear that he'd find a clone of himself floating inside the new capsule. When they stepped through the doors and looked up at the discovery, he found it was much, much worse than a copy of himself. Cloud thought his eyes were going to roll right out of his skull and Tifa seemed to lose all strength in her legs.

 

“No,” Tifa gasped, “Oh god…Cloud…do you see? Is it really…”

 

“What's wrong with you two?” Reno asked as he followed them in. The redhead looked up and saw the stasis specimen and he yelped. “What the flying fuck?? Hey, that's…that's Fair!”

 

Tseng barreled in at surprising speed and shoved people aside. He stared at the encapsulated young man and his face drained of color. Unlike the woman in the other room, this specimen had an oxygen mask strapped over his face but even with the mask obscuring his mouth and nose, there was no doubt that it was Zackary Fair…or at least an exact clone of him.

 

The Wutaian's own shock at the sight of the dead Soldier was replaced with concern for Cloud and Tifa. Lockheart had fallen to her knees and she was retching loudly. Cloud was at her side, doing his best to hold her hair back but looking terribly pale and shocked himself.

 

“It's not him,” Cloud was murmuring, shaking his head in denial. “It's can't be.”

 

“Shit,” Reno said thickly, averting his eyes. “I can't look…did they cut anything off him? Did the fuckers use him for `spare parts'?”

 

Rude's jaw was tightly clenched as he examined the floating young man. “Looks like he's all here, partner. I don't see any scars at all on him, in fact.”

 

Reeve came in with Vincent and they both studied the specimen while shooting pitying looks at Cloud and Tifa. “It must be a copy,” Reeve stated. “We all know what happened to the real Zack Fair. I wonder how long Deepground has had this fellow?”

 

“Kill it,” Cloud said roughly, staggering to his feet. He wouldn't look at the specimen. “It's not him…kill it!”

 

“Hey Cloud…do ya hear what you're saying?” Reno asked with wide eyes. “He was your best bud! You really wanna kill him, even if this guy's not the real deal?”

 

“I…I can't…no more!” Cloud dropped his sword and put shaking hands to his head. Tifa was still heaving and gasping and Elena was at the brunette's side, trying to calm her down.

 

“Get `em outta here,” Reno growled, nodding toward the fighter and the barmaid. “Hell, I can barely handle this myself…they're both losing it!”

 

Tseng nodded stiffly in confirmation and several of the Turks helped Tifa to her feet and surrounded Cloud. The blonde fighter was yelling for them to kill the abomination before it woke up and Reeve caught hold of one of his scientists by the arm and told him to sedate the blonde as soon as he got the chance. The man nodded and followed behind the Turks, who were having a difficult time dragging Cloud Strife out of the chamber.

 

“I doubt that he means what he's saying,” Vincent murmured as he listened to his friend's tortured, hysterical shouts. “He's reacting in shock.”

 

“We're not going to `kill it',” Reeve said firmly. “Clone or not, this young man could provide answers and I'm not about to murder a helpless human being.” He pulled out his cellphone and contacted the communications team to arrange for the capsule containing Zack's likeness to be transported back to Headquarters.

 

Reno took a few deep breaths and paced, trying to calm his racing heart and get his thoughts straightened out. After a moment he paused and cocked his head to one side. “Yo, does anyone hear something beeping? Is that someone's phone or something?”

 

Everyone went silent and listened.

 

“I hear it too,” Elena said with puzzlement. “It sounds like it's coming from that little door over there. What is that, a supply closet?”

 

Reno walked over to the door, trying to keep his eyes away from the spectacle of Zack floating in a tube of liquid. “Ya know,” he said aloud, “it's kind of funny that they'd take off and leave this stuff for us to find. Maybe they didn't have the equipment to move the tubes but wouldn't they have taken the files with `em, at least?” He pulled open the door and his eyes widened as he saw the answer to his own question.

 

“Ooohhhh, fuuuuck,” the redhead groaned long and loud. The digital red numbers on the bomb he discovered were steadily counting down, with less than four minutes to go until detonation. “We're boned, people.”

 

~***********************************~

 

-To be continued