Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Who's John ShinRa? ❯ Into the Great Wide Open ( Chapter 5 )

Note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.

Chapter 5: Into the Great Wide Open

 

Rufus patiently waited until he heard the night guard make his way to the door to relieve the current guard. He heard muffled voices as the two guards chatted for a few minutes, but Rufus wasn't interested in their conversations.

 

A light knock on the door broke his concentration as he stared at the wooden door slightly baffled. They had never disturbed him at this late an hour before. Could it be that I'm too late? Rufus feared the worst as he cautiously opened the door and waited for the guards to state their business.

 

"It looks like you're out of a job," the night guard said with a lopsided smile.

 

Out of a job? Was that some new code to let prisoners know they were to be executed? "What do you mean I'm out of a job?" Rufus asked with a hint of trepidation in his voice.

 

"You haven't heard? A Weapon attacked Midgar today. President ShinRa's dead!" the guard said a bit too enthusiastically.

 

"De . . . dead?" Rufus said in disbelief.

 

"Yeah! Some Weapon came out of the ocean and iced the ShinRa Tower with the President in it. There's no way anyone could've survived that," the guard said while leisurely slinging his rifle over his shoulder.

 

"Who's running ShinRa right now?"

 

"Scarlet and Heidegger. Weird pairing I tell ya. But their orders were to let you go since there's no need to keep you around," the solider shrugged.

 

Rufus couldn't believe that the two most arrogant of his executives were running his corporation. He couldn't picture them running a marathon without their egos tripping them over. He also couldn't believe that John was dead. Now he'd never be able to know what his half-brother had been planning. He looked at the guards and hoped that they had some answers to his questions.

 

"Hey, do you know why President ShinRa was holding me here?"

 

"Sorry pal. I've got no clue. Do you?" the night guard turned to his comrade looking for any answers.

 

"Nope. I was just told to keep you here until we were given further orders. Guess you were supposed to be out of the way so the President could face the problem of Sephiroth and Meteor on his own," the guard answered.

 

"Yeah, I guess," Rufus said slightly disappointed.

 

"But I wouldn't worry about it buddy. You're a free man now and you can blow this joint if you want to. If I were you, I'd high tail it outta here," the night guard said boisterously.

 

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Rufus forced a chuckle.

 

"No problem man. Me and my buddy here are going to go drink since he's off his shift and I don't have one anymore. If you want, you can come and join us," the night guard said while patting the other guard strongly on his back.

 

"Thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll follow your advice and leave Junon."

 

"Ok, you take care of yourself," the guard said as he left with his comrade towards the bar.

 

Rufus watched as the guards sauntered off. It was the first time since he arrived in John's apartment that there had not been a guard posted in front of his door. This was his first taste of freedom.

 

* * *

 

"Nicholas, have you heard the news?"

 

"Yes, I have mother. President Rufus ShinRa is dead," the man said with a smirk.

 

"Yes indeed he finally is. This is a big day for you my son. This is the day we've been waiting for," the middle-aged woman said with a sneer.

 

"I hope you have that proof that will show that I'm one of the late President Augustus ShinRa's bastard children," Nicholas scoffed.

 

"Don't you dare call yourself a bastard," the woman shouted as she slapped her son. "You were born before my dear Auggie even touched his so called wife, Isabel. You were born before Rufus ShinRa was even a thought in anyone's minds. Do remember that."

 

"I will mother. Just do remember that if and when I take over the ShinRa Corporation, you will have nothing to do with the decisions I make or how I decide to run the company. Is that understood?" Nicholas seethed while grabbing his mother's wrist in a vice-like grip.

 

"As you wish my boy. I just want you in your rightful place behind the desk of the President. That's my only goal," the woman said as she glared back at her son. "You know, even though you never met your father, you sound more and more like him everyday."

 

"Except I'll do better at keeping my pants on and my corporation as a world power. Everyone will know my name when I become President," Nicholas said as he released his mother's wrist. "Everyone."

 

* * *

 

Rufus checked his bags to make sure that he had everything he needed. He had packed some clothes, food and various maps of the world to help him. He made sure that he dressed simply so he wouldn't arouse any suspicion about his background as Rufus ShinRa.

 

He knew that the world thought Rufus ShinRa was dead and proclaiming himself as the real Rufus would only cause Scarlet and Heidegger to order his capture or worse, his assassination. He knew how those two worked while in power. They were like children with candy, once they get a taste they don't want to give it up.

 

He ran his hair through his brown hair and frowned. He wished he could dye his hair back to its normal color. He'd have to wait until he can talk to the Turks and hope that they would recognize him as the real Rufus ShinRa. If he had the backing of the Turks, then Scarlet and Heidegger could do nothing to him. Right now, he needed to pose as an everyman so he can get to Midgar safely.

 

Quickly slinging the bag of supplies over his shoulder, Rufus left John's apartment and walked towards the elevator that would take him to Lower Junon. It felt odd for him to walk around without an escort of one of his executives blabbing on about ShinRa business.

 

The people around him didn't pay him any mind and no one seemed to even notice him as he made his way towards the elevator. For the second time in his life, he was simply a normal human being. The first time he had this feeling had been long ago when he was ten years old.

 

He remembered how he had snuck out of his room late at night and walked out into the town. He was able to walk around the town freely without his father hovering over him and scrutinizing him. There were no Turks to escort him around and no tutors to enrich him with mindless ramblings about history or mathematics. He was free to do whatever he pleased.

 

There were so many things that Rufus envisioned doing that night of his excursion: simple things like catching fireflies or climbing a tree. But he only did one thing that night and it was something he hadn't planned. That night Rufus was lured by the beautiful sound of the piano resonating from under the window of a girl's room. He had also learned how to play the piano, but not with the feeling and passion that this girl had. Somehow the soft melody she played enchanted him and he spent his one-night of freedom relishing in the simple pleasures of music. The girl even noticed Rufus and talked to him.

 

He remembered every detail about the girl, how her hair flowed along her body like water. She looked his age, but she had a smile that radiated the good life she was living. They didn't talk about anything in particular and Rufus didn't care. He simply loved carrying an honest conversation with her about things that ten year-olds only cared about. Rufus blushed slightly as he recalled that he never asked for her name. His memory could clearly recall the white dress she wore, her vibrant dark eyes and the beautiful melody she played note for note. That girl was the only childhood friend he ever had, even if it was only for one night.

 

Rufus never forgot that night nor did he regret losing his one chance to do some of the other things he had dreamed of doing. He wished that he could return to that night and hear her play the piano once more or even ask for her name. His father never gave him the chance as the next day he was transferred to Junon to begin his training. He had always treasured that memory because he thought that he wouldn't ever be able to taste freedom ever again.

 

He finally reached the elevator and shut his eyes as he felt the lift descending. He opened them as the doors to the elevator were parting, clearing the way to his new life. Rufus took one deep breath before taking his first few steps out into the world. He was able to blend in with the people around him. He felt so normal, but he didn't resent it. In fact, he relished it.

 

Rufus walked out into the open fields outside of Junon and marveled at the beauty of the green grass and the blue sky. Towering metal, material comforts and advanced technology paled in comparison to Nature's beauty. His eyes then landed on the giant Meteor in the sky and his brow furrowed in disgust. Meteor tainted the sky's ethereal blue. He hated his father for playing a role in the events leading up to Meteor's casting. Rufus started to ball his fists up, but relaxed when he also realized that he was also to blame for Meteor because he didn't do anything to change the way his father ran things.

 

The feeling of guilt washed over Rufus like a tidal wave that would have sent him to his knees were it not for his resolve. Rufus was only in office for a short time. It was enough time to establish his name and start implementing plans to make the corporation better, but not enough to change the effects of longs years of corruption. He knew how to correct his father's mistakes and his mistakes. He only needed to be given the opportunity.

 

He pulled out one of John's maps to see how to get to Midgar. After studying the map for a few minutes, Rufus realized that it would take him weeks to get to Midgar by foot. He knew that he would be too late when he finally reached Midgar. He needed to find a faster route or a means of transportation, but wasn't sure where to start. He had never needed to find any other outside means of transport since he had been taken anyplace he wanted, courtesy of ShinRa, Inc. He had learned how to drive, but never given any opportunity to practice. He wasn't even sure if he could move a vehicle ten feet without crashing.

 

He was about to give up hope when an old jalopy pulled out of Junon and drove steadily up to Rufus. An old man with a pair of thick wire-rimmed glasses poked his head out of the driver's side window.

 

"You lost there boy?" the old man shouted.

 

Rufus stood and gawked at the sight of the aging man with the full-beard. He blinked a few times to make sure that his eyes weren't deceiving him, but they weren't as the image of a wrinkled face hidden behind a gray beard and thick glasses stared back at him.

 

"What's wrong boy? Cat caught yer tongue?"

 

"Oh, uh . . . no sir! Sorry about that. I didn't mean to be so rude," Rufus quickly responded.

 

"Oh, yer one of them proper city folk," the old man laughed with a slight wheeze. "You sure don't look like one of 'em, but ya sound like one."

 

Rufus blushed a bit at the old man's teasing. At least he knew that his outfit worked perfectly, he just needed to work on his speech.

 

"Yeah, I sort of come from the city," Rufus said while trying to talk as normally as possible. "And I am a bit lost. I'm trying to get to Midgar."

 

"Midgar? You're probably the only fool who wants to go there. Well, I guess that doesn't matter. How 'bout I take ya as far as Kalm?" the old man asked.

 

"Oh, that would be splen . . . er, uh . . . great!" Rufus said pleased.

 

"Well, hop in then boy!" the old man said as he opened the passenger side door.

 

Rufus's eyes brightened as he shoved his map back in the bag and hopped into the man's vehicle.

 

"Thank you Mr., um . . . er," Rufus said as she extended his hand.

 

"Jones. Casanova Jones. You can call me Casey though, everyone else does," Casey said as he took Rufus's hand and gave it a nice hard shake.

 

"Thanks Casey. You don't know how much easier you just made my life."

 

"Nothing no man with a heart wouldn't do, but what's yer name boy?"

 

"Uh, John," Rufus said quickly.

 

"Just plain John, huh?"

 

"Yeah, just plain John," Rufus repeated solemnly remembering his late half-brother. He wasn't sure if he should mourn for John's death or be angry for his betrayal. Rufus felt foolish for using John's name as his own, but he had gotten so used to it while in Junon that his half-brother's name as a reflex.

 

"Good strong name ya got there," Casey said as he put the jalopy in gear and started driving along the dusty road. "But what business do ya have in Midgar?"

 

"Oh, I'm looking for someone."

 

"Well, I sure hope that the person yer looking for is smart and evacuating to Kalm. They say that that there rock in the sky is heading straight for Midgar," Casey said cautiously.

 

"Yeah, I've heard," Rufus said recounting the last briefing with his executives when the issue was brought to his attention.

 

"But I hope ya find 'em. If ya can't, I'll be in Kalm helping any stragglers that come out of Midgar. That is if we all survive this thing."

 

"What are you doing in Kalm?"

 

"Ya see those boxes back there?"

 

Rufus turned around and saw the boxes Casey was referring to. There were numerous crates and boxes all stacked on top of each other filling the entire back of the jalopy.

 

"Yeah, I see them."

 

"Those are all food and medical supplies that I'm bringing to Kalm in case Midgar falls to the big rock."

 

"How can you be so certain that Midgar's going to fall? What if ShinRa finds a way to stop Meteor?"

 

"John, I'm taking these to Kalm 'cause ShinRa asked me to. One of ShinRa's execs has a good head on his shoulders. Good thinking man I'd say."

 

"Which executive is that?"

 

"Reeve. They say that he's in jail for treason of some sorts. Damn shame I'd say. He knows what to do and doesn't sit on his high horse like everyone else in ShinRa."

 

"If he's in jail, how is he able to give out any orders?" Rufus asked slightly confused.

 

"No, no, no Sonny! Ya misheard me. I never said he ordered me to do this. He just asked me, that's all."

 

Rufus sat back in disbelief how a man like Casey was transporting medical supplies and provisions to Kalm because Reeve had asked him to.

 

"Are you being compensated in anyway?"

 

"Compensated? Ya mean paid?"

 

"Yeah, paid."

 

"Nah, don't need it," Casey said proudly. "There ain't nothing money can't buy if half the world's dead ya know."

 

Rufus sat bewildered and amazed how this man could sacrifice his time and energy to help others without any reward or compensation. He was also amazed that Reeve didn't order anyone to supply provisions, but asked. It didn't surprise him that Reeve would consider Midgar's destruction. Rufus knew that Reeve was the most knowledgeable about Midgar's structure and probably deduced that the city wouldn't survive Meteor's impact. Rufus only hoped that Scarlet and Heidegger didn't execute him.

 

* * *

 

Reeve leaned back against the cold hard metal walls that made up his cell. It had almost been a week since the Weapon had attacked Midgar and killed President ShinRa. Almost a week since he was arrested for treason and locked in this detention block until Scarlet and Heidegger can decide his fate.

 

He toyed with the control device to Cait Sith that he had kept safe in his vest pocket. Right now it was his only means of communication with the outside world. Through Cait Sith, he had been able to ask for a few volunteers to meet up in Kalm with necessary supplies in case Meteor falls on Midgar.

 

Reeve knew that AVALANCHE was working diligently to stop Sephiroth so Holy could be unleashed, but he also had a fear that they wouldn't make it in time or that Holy wouldn't work. The pessimistic side of him was convinced that Midgar was going to be destroyed. He knew that even without Meteor's help it was on the path towards destruction.

 

The building of the city was everything that he had ever dreamed of in the hopes that he could be part of the building project that changed mankind. He did get what he wished, but not in the way that he had dreamed. President ShinRa had turned the city into a wasteland for greed and deception. He even sacrificed one entire sector of Midgar's citizens to catch one small terrorist group.

 

Reeve hoped that the President would rebuild the part of Midgar that he had destroyed, but he couldn't convince the President to repair what had been broken. Though Reeve knew that Meteor was still a few days away, to him the city was already falling. He only prayed that if it fell, he could be buried underneath all the metal and concrete so no one could find the body of the man who designed the monstrosity named Midgar.

 

Cait Sith's control device beeped a few times and Reeve quickly pulled it out of his vest pocket to see what the alarm was. Reeve pushed a few buttons and the small LCD screen glowed with an iridescent green that made the executive's face appear almost alien in quality. He studied the screen and smiled as he learned that Cait Sith was inside Midgar along with the rest of AVALANCHE.

 

He knew that they needed to be guided along the sewers to get to the Sister Ray. He quickly took control of his robot-friend and led the main AVALANCHE members inside the sewers.

 

When he first heard of AVALANCHE, he was under the impression that they were a savage terrorist group that bombed mako reactors mainly to cause death and destruction. ShinRa had spun their images so grotesquely, that Reeve was convinced they were mere heartless terrorists. It wasn't until he finally met them in the Gold Saucer that he learned their true nature.

 

Heartless terrorists wouldn't disregard their own safety and well being to fight the greatest adversity known to mankind, Sephiroth. They also wouldn't fight solely for the sake of the planet without even asking about a salary or reward. AVALANCHE were not cold blooded-killers, they were the final hope that this planet had for survival.

 

(continued…)