Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy VII: Reverie ❯ A Visit To The Honey Bee Inn ( Chapter 6 )

“It itches.”

“Get over it, honey bunny.” Jody scratched his neck beneath his helmet. “I have to keep this uniform on until you’re safely inside.”

“If I get over this I’ll be naked.” Leira began to reach inside her bra to flick at a grain of sand the wind had carried.

“Please…please-don’t do that.”

She looked at her partner. “It’s just dirt-it’s aggravating to look at it.”

“I’m going to turn around, then, while you wipe it off.”

“What?! That’s absurd. It’s just a tiny-”

“Look, I’m a married man-and I’ve got kids. I promised my wife, I wouldn’t look at another woman while I was on duty.”

“I’ll do one better.” Leira turned around and furiously wiped at her bosom before finally turning back around to face him. “That better?”

Jody swallowed and nodded slightly. He had never cheated on his family before and never wanted to find out what the punishment for that type of crime would be.

“So what am I supposed to do, now?”

“Well, you’re job is to find out anything you can about Don Corneo and where all his information is coming from. My job is to watch you and judge you. You’re a new Elite. It’s my duty to not let Norelliies down. She’s counting on you-we all are.”

“Great, that’s just great.” Leira muttered under her breath.

Wallmarket was a center for everything. You could stop at a pub and get sloshed and get a cure for what ails you at the nearest pharmacy. Tourists from all over the world came to visit this place not just to shop. Below the surface of the bustling district beat it’s true heart. At the center of everything was a tale of sex, drugs, murder, and mob rule.

Just to the left of the town gates was the Honey Bee Inn where a wealthy gentleman could find company in a young woman for as long as he wanted; provided the money was right.

Leira sighed as she thought about the mystery Turk that had helped her back at the elevator in Junon. He had managed to upset Sephiroth and Reeve in a big way. What was his name? “Was it Reno?”

“What’s that?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking about some new Turk named Reno.”

Mymians stopped walking and turned around. “You don’t want anything to do with him. He’s bad news. I heard he runs around with a bunch of Wutties, too.”

“Well, geez, Jode. Tseng is from Wutai. You can’t help but run with them when you’re a Turk.”

“Whatever, kid. Tseng’s different. Watch your step, when it comes to Reno. That’s all I’m saying.” He waggled a finger at her and went back to his stride with her in tow. Neither Shinra operative looked at the bustling shoppers. They were both too busy planning out their stay with Don Corneo. Backup plans weren’t easy to come by, when perfection was demanded.

The tall heels of Leira’s white thigh-high boots drew in a lot of attention as they neared Corneo’s villa. She could not figure out how so many of the Don’s women could wear them day in and day out.

“The end will come one day!! Be prepared!! It rests on the shoulders of one man in black!! Believe in aliens, they ARE real!!” a man dressed in nothing more than a white toga shouted as the two pressed on.

The Elite in training paused for a second to consider the man’s shouts. “A man in black, huh? What was that about aliens?” Leira asked mildly intrigued.

“Can you believe these doom-sayers, nowadays? The end of the world-it’ll never happen-at least not the way they think. What do you-?” Jody turned around as he noticed that his comrade had vanished. “Leira, get back here!”

The man in the toga hurriedly looked her up and down. “You’re one of them! You’re one of the ones that will bring ruin!”

“They say a lot about Shinra. I’ve heard everything the publics had to say. What’s new?”

“I’m not talkin’ Shinra, missy!” The man was clearly shaken and fumbled for something tucked away in his garb.

“Thompson, he’s going for a gun!!” Jody dashed over to her as fast as his tall thin legs could carry him. The clinking of his body armor kept a straight beat as his arms pumped and grabbed for air.

A metal flask appeared and the doomsayer’s fingers hurriedly popped the top off. “You’re not real. You’re not real! You’re not real!” he mumbled almost incoherently.

In a flash, Jody was on the scene. He may not have been allowed to carry a weapon on this outing but his hands, feet, and fighting skills were more than enough to protect them both. Since he had been a part of the SOLDIER program before signing on with the Elites something else would ensure his success as well. It didn’t matter that he had only made it to Second Class; he still received the chemical inoculations containing Mako.

“Jody, it’s okay-it’s just booze!!” Her words were ignored as the Elite lashed out with a black-gloved fist. She was helpless as the punch connected and sent the little man backwards into an alleyway.

“I’ll be back in a sec.” Mymians called to her as he disappeared.

“No, Jode…it’s okay.” Leira huffed and darted in after him. When she was able to catch up, more punches had been set loose and the sayer was on the ground bleeding from the mouth.

“This’ll teach you to mess with a gift to the Don.” Mymians barked as he methodically raised his foot for a powerful kick. “You should have thought twice before raising your weapon. Especially since she’s a gift from Shinra!”

“Weapon? What weapon?” Leira flew in between them and launched a kick at Jody’s throat. She looked over the boot’s pointed toe while her fists curled in a defensive posture to guard her side and hips. “He’s just a drunk, man!”

“Yeah…yeah! Just a drunk! Just like she said!” The man said as he grabbed his half empty flask from the ground and tried for an escape.

The Elite shook his head and calmed down. He dropped his fists to his side as Leira put her leg down. “Sorry. I was just looking for a fight. I didn’t want to sign on for this mission in the first place. It’s just too easy.”

She smiled and swept at a couple of black strands that had fallen from her wig and regarded him with interest. “Well, if it’s that easy…you could always just put these boots on and give me your flats and your uniform and let Shinra pimp your undercover ass.”

Jody offered a low chuckle and stepped into his partner. “Don’t tell anyone I told you this-if my wife found…” his helmet swept around the blackness of the alleyway. Why had he not noticed the looks of this place? As it was, he remembered very little of how he had come to arrive at his present destination.

“Jody?”

“Huh?” Newspapers blew around in the dankness and old Honey Bee Inn posters hung from the brown slimy bricks.

Leira watched the Elite as he tried to find himself.

“Wha?”

“You were saying?” She pressed.

“Oh…if I were five years younger and not married with children-” he put his right thumb and forefinger to her chin. “I would have had you by now.” He turned from her and left the alleyway.

Leira tugged at the bottom of her bra and coughed. She thought back to how very little she knew of this man. In his tone, at that moment, she realized that he was only half joking. An attempt to swallow back uneasiness was made before she ended up lagging after him.

She had never seen her companion’s face before, despite the fact that they were in the same unit.

As she exited she viewed a thick wire that seemed to climb up from the ground. It looked as if it were able to stretch all the way up to the top plate where Shinra headquarters Midgar was located.

“Hey, you comin’, or what?” she heard Jody call out to her.

“I’m comin’! I’m comin’!”

Jody spoke after she had appeared by his side. “Incidentally, I tell you now that I wouldn’t look that great wearing what you are. That’s why you’re the bait and I’m acting the part of the pimp.”

The trainee blushed at his comments as soon as she noticed the silver face of his helmet turn away. Little did she know she had caused him to blush as well.

Jody’s arms swayed back and forth as he walked. Leira could tell that he was not a big man as far as sheer girth went. Both his legs and arms had a muscular appearance beneath the body-concealing SOLDIER uniform. As it was, he was taller than her by a few inches. She could tell that just by him standing so close to her.

A large wooden archway lie beyond them, it was much fancier than the simple gateway to the town. Decorated flags and flower trolleys lined the white painted construction. Behind the fencing was an incredible pagoda with exquisitely carved double doors and more flags with red, white and green patterns stenciled into them. Strange shapes made up a couple of the patterns. They seemed to bare a likeness to the writings of the Wutai country.

“We’re to Corneo’s gate now. You remember the spiel…correct?”

“I got it.” She answered hastily. “You’re going to come back after I’m in-right?”

Jody noticed a man walk out from the Don’s villa and glanced behind just in time to see another man tailing them. He continued with his briefing but switched the language he was using. “They’re acting on us now,” he said in the Wutai tongue, alerting Leira to Corneo’s henchmen.

She coughed at him. The word “hypocrite” came to mind when it came to people that hated the citizens of Wutai but would still use their language. It wasn’t her companion’s fault; almost all of the Shinra army was the same way. “You’re going to ditch the SOLDIER togs and hang out at the inn. Why is everyone so sure that Corneo won’t want to keep me as one of his brides?”

“It would be great if he did-then we could get a better handling on who is giving him all his info. Your use of the Wuttie language is rather good, by the by.”

“Thanks…”

“Anyway, my guest pass is good for a week. The higher ups and Norry are confident that Corneo will pick one of the other two wenches and put you in with the rest of the whores who were rejected-he loves the servitude thing. He won’t marry ya but he’ll let the others get a go.”

Leira tugged at the silk mint colored top she donned to hide her undergarments.

“Since you’re a present from Shinra, you’ll be handling Corneo’s personal lackeys as well any Shinra men that visit.” The officer stopped his lecture as he noticed the men draw nearer. “Sorry about this!” He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her against the length of his body.

“What are you apologizing…FOR?!” she shrieked her final words as she felt a hand travel up her hips and into her cleavage.

“Hey! Hey, Yuse!! Watch da muichandize!!” one of the pursuers bellowed.

Mymians put his head against hers and whispered in her ear. “Again, I’m sorry. The paper’s got my room number…Wutties don’t have words for basic letters and numbers.” he grunted. He focused his attention back to the men. “Sorry. It was windy back where we came from and she got dirt stuck down between her…uh-tits…” The last word she could tell was forced to ensure believability.

“Yeah. Good man. Wouldn’t want da Don ta gets doity.” said the man behind them.

“’Doity?’” Leira poked and was promptly elbowed by her superior.

“Uh-uh…watch it here,” he warned.

“Gotta keep dem dames in line, I always say. Well, come on. Da boss is a waitin’.”

The Turk Elite was just about to follow Leira but was grabbed by the man behind him. “Hey, from dis point on it’s just da dames, da rest of duh fellas, and da Don.”

“I got it.” Jody nodded.

“Yuse can always check out the club on duh uddah side of town.”

“Nah, that’s fine. I’ve got to get back to work. Take care of the President’s gift.” He turned back the way he came and left through the gateway.

When everyone was out of sight, he ran through the rest of the town and ducked into the nearest pub.

In his line of sight he could see several other Shinra officers eating and carrying on conversations. On the off chance he was tailed he would blend right in with the others. “Norry.” he said half to himself. “She thought of everything.”

He walked up to the counter and leaned in over the top. “Say,” he spoke as he grabbed a bartender by the arm and reeled him in. “Where’s the men’s room here, friend.”

“Can’t you see? It’s down in back to the left of the big screen.” Came the bartender’s snide reply.

“Thanks, buddy.” Jody patted the man on the shoulder and went for the restroom.

It was indeed located next to a big television monitor. An old movie was playing on it that seemed to be made in Wutai. Six men with long hair and white and orange robes were flying through the air and fighting huge green monsters. “Only in Wutai.” he murmured and turned the handle to the bathroom door.

“There’s someone in here.” came a voice from inside.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance and folded his arms as he leaned against the wall beside the door. Leira should be meeting the Don about now. His timing had to be perfect. To the best of his recollection Don Corneo would only spend a couple minutes to decide who his wife would be for that evening.

As a family man, Jody was never able to understand how one man could make a shamble of something as sacred as marriage; children or no.

As soon as the door to the restroom opened, Mymians made sure he was in before anyone else could capitalize on it. Once inside he locked the door behind him and removed his helmet. He undid the safety to it and looked at his image in the wall mirror.

His shoulder length sandy brown hair was tied back in a small ponytail to prevent it from getting caught in the neckline of his bulky SOLDIER uniform. He wished he could do the same with his dog tags. The chrome chain was scratchy at best since he was allergic to certain varieties of metal. As he pulled off his gloves, he rubbed at the sides of his face when his hands were free. It was a habit for him to do that even after her was told the variety of Mako he was injected with would not allow for facial hair growth.

“No five o’clock shadow.” he mused and began to unzip the top layer of his body armor. The outer portion was always the heaviest and mainly used as protection instead of storage. It could stop anything from nine millimeter to forty-five caliber shells. Smaller assault rifle rounds could be stopped from a point blank attack.

Once the top was removed he pulled the sleeveless SOLDIER turtleneck over his head. “Dammit!” he hacked as the tags got caught up in the neck of his shirt and threatened to choke him. After he worked himself free he noticed something gold flashing in the mirror image across from him. His locket also hung around his neck.

Mymians smiled as he opened it and gazed at the small color picture it contained. A beautiful woman smiled back at him. Her short hair was a quiet strawberry blonde and her skin was almost snow white in tone. Six children stood behind her in a half circle. Two girls and four boys, ranging from ages four to ten, gazed back at him.

The Elite remembered the struggle his wife put forth in order to birth all three sets of twins. The Shinra doctors had told him that the Mako in his bloodstream was unpredictable when it came to sexual relations and reproduction. He couldn’t help but laugh when he thought back to the weeks that passed for each pregnancy. Cheris, his wife, would always blame him for her predicament. Even the labor pains she endured were humorous to witness…from afar. The cursing, punching and grabbing-even the threats of bodily harm she made would-

“Hey, bud, ya done yet?! Some people’s gotta piss here.”

Jody’s blue eyes snapped up toward the door as the person on the other side began to bang and shout obscenities. The man’s tone reminded him of the men back at Corneo’s mini-palace. Could they have truly sorted him out from the rest of the Shinra in the next room?

“…no…impossible.” he whispered and ran some water to rinse off the sweat that had formed on his handsome face.

Quickly, he shut off the water and removed his Shinra issue boots than shucked down the bulky navy blue pants of his uniform.

A couple more bangs sounded so Jody decided to dress a little faster. He reached inside the top part of his armor and pulled out his new wardrobe. He lifted out a wheat colored tank top and put it on followed by a pair of tight fitting denim jeans.

The man on the other side of the door had recruited some help as the disturbance intensified.

“Good Christ.” the Elite cursed and shook his head.

He tugged at his tight fitting clothes than withdrew a simple pair of black sandals and put them on his feet.

“Come on, dare’s more waitin’ out here!!”

Jody looked in the direction of the door once more and smiled. He had a lovely escape plan all worked out. As fast as he could he removed his locket and dog tags and stuffed them in one of his pant’s pockets. The plan he had concocted would ensure his leave as well as take care of the question of what to do with his discarded SOLDIER uniform. Since he was no longer a SOLDIER Second Class he had no need of it. No one from the Wallmarket district would recognize it either since this was the first mission that required him to wear any type of uniform. In fact, the only item that he adorned, that resembled anything Shinra, was the bracelet containing his materia.

“I’m coming. For Shinra’s sake, I wouldn’t want you to wet yourself!!” Jody shouted to the gathering outside. Calmly, he made one last withdrawal from his armor and took out a pack of cigarettes and a pair of dark tinted shades.

He turned the doorknob slowly and set the glasses over his eyes while he whispered a spell that would activate his fire materia. The incantation was a little jumbled due to the fact that even Jody himself had to laugh about what was going to take place. The correct god would still be able to identify his request so he was far from worried about whether his plan would be effective or not.

All it took was a slight crack to trigger the attention of the men and women outside. This was the deciding moment for him. He would finally be able to determine if one of Corneo’s men had indeed tailed him to the bar.

A frenzied hand wrenched the door out of his grasp while another tugged at his arm.

“Easy, fellas. It’s vacant now and it doesn’t have that septic like odor the slums have.” he set back to reciting his summons just as someone brushed passed him in an attempt to enter the vacant bathroom.

“EYAHHHH!! COME TO ME, NOW!!!” Jody shouted as the prayer ended and bent his right elbow so his clenched fist was before his face.

A huge fireball erupted inside the tiny room and engulfed his abandoned uniform as it grew. Flames climbed up the walls and the bar patrons ran outside like frightened dogs with their tails tucked between their legs; only Jody walked out disinterested and collected, with hands in his pockets and a lit cigarette between his lips.

A couple Shinra agents pushed through the distressed crowd and began to recite ice and water prayers; anything they could think of to stop the flame from spreading.

When he was sure that no one was paying attention to him, Jody put up two fingers in a “V” formation and stuck out his tongue.

His next destination was his room at the Honey Bee Inn. In his mind he did his best to think of a way to plead for the forgiveness of his wife and children. As faithful and devoted as he was; he could hardly be able to tell about what horrors lay beyond the large green double doors and circus type advertisements that plastered the outer walls. What would happen if he were to give in to it’s temptations? He would be there for a full week.

His familial future looked bleaker as he recalled the words that he spoke to Reeve’s gorgeous niece upon their arrival at the Don’s mansion. It was hard for him to suppress certain thoughts; especially with her dressed the way she was…so much exposed skin, so little clothing. Parts of his body began to warm just thinking about her attire or lack thereof.