Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Who's John ShinRa? ❯ Waking Hour of Hope ( Chapter 11 )

Note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.

Chapter 11: Waking Hour of Hope

 

The sun was rising over Midgar, illuminating the vast bundle of twisted metal. A small group of men were waking up along the edge of the city with their shovels and tools. They were ready to help clear out any rubble in their way to find any survivors in the massive heap of metal that was Midgar. Last night they had only cleared a tiny part of the large city. Logistically, it would take months of constant work for such a small crew to even sort through a quarter of the city. But these men have never been daunted by logistics and ran on the faith that they could save at least one life.

 

Underneath the city, many people were still asleep, unaware of the time of day because of the constant darkness. Soldiers were quietly patrolling the area and the mess hall was starting its preparations for breakfast. The citizens of Midgar were shrouded in the dark depths of uncertainty, praying that they would eventually be able to see the sunlight. Their hope for success lay in the hands of three aides who slept peacefully on the floor of the new president of ShinRa's temporary office.

 

Reeve's eyes fluttered open as he rubbed them and sluggishly stood up. His neck was sore from sleeping on the table and his body yearned for a nice hot shower. He blinked a few times trying to let his eyes adjust to the poorly lit room. Reeve noticed three people sleeping on the floor in the room and smiled as he recognized the forms of Thomas, Chris and Eric.

 

He ran his fingers through his hair while looking down at the table to see if his PHS had any battery life in it. To his surprise, he found a white phone with a built-in intercom sitting next to his PHS and the blueprints of Old Midgar scattered about along with various notes. He tilted his head this way and that so he could decipher all the various notes that were written to the side of the blueprint.

 

Reeve's eyes widened and the corners of his lips broadened as he read the notes written on the upper left corner of the blueprint. Quickly grabbing the large paper, he held it up to his face to make sure what he was reading was correct. Frantic, Reeve ran to the newly acquired white phone, nearly knocking it over as the receiver fell off with a sharp ring. The loud noise woke the three interns who bolted upright.

 

Chris banged his head on the bottom of the table while Eric and Thomas scrambled to their feet.

 

“Shit,” Chris spat as he rubbed his forehead and slowly got up.

 

“Oh, I didn't mean to wake you all, but now that you're awake, maybe you can confirm what I'm reading here,” Reeve said in one breath.

 

“Huh? Wha--” Eric yawned.

 

“Oh, Reeve! You're awake! There's something important we want to show you,” Thomas said as he scrambled to his feet.

 

“Is it this right here?” Reeve asked excitedly as he pointed to the blueprint.

 

“Yes, it is. We think we've finally figured out how to get everyone out of Old Midgar. It'll take a few days of work, but I think it's the best solution we have,” Thomas said as he stood next to Reeve pointing to the area of interest.

 

“Yeah, we compared these blueprints with the ones of Kalm's mines and figured that it would be easier to dig ourselves out,” Chris added.

 

“And while you were asleep, we installed a working phone in your office. It might not be much, but at least we're heading in the right direction,” Eric added while putting on his glasses.

 

Reeve flipped between the two blueprints and his wide smile only broadened more as he realized that the three interns had found their exit. He knew that a hole had to be dug in the Kalm Mines, but that was something he was sure Barret and Cid could handle. Reeve nodded his head in approval and reached for the phone, anxious to let his fellow AVALANCHE members know of their plan.

 

The excited President quickly punched a few numbers and then pushed the button to activate the speaker. He wanted his interns to hear the praise he was about to give them.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Tifa, it's Reeve.”

 

“Reeve! How are things holding up on your end?”

 

“They're fine, but they're going to get much better. Are Cid and Barret awake yet?”

 

“Barret is, let me get him for you.”

 

There was a slight pause as the four men listened to Tifa call for Barret. They could hear the rustle over the intercom as the phone was handed to the man and the gruff voice of Barret Wallace echoed over the intercom.

 

“Barret here. What you want?”

 

“Barret, it's Reeve. I have good news.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yes, my brilliant aides have found a way to get everyone out of Old Midgar,” Reeve said winking at his three aides who were flushed with embarrassment at his compliment.

 

“You don't need mah manpower to dig ya out no more?”

 

“No, no. We'll still need your manpower, but you're going to have to dig us out from the Kalm Mines. Do you think you can do that?”

 

“Mines? Why you want me to dig in da mines?”

 

“My interns have found a place in Old Midgar that is very close to one of the walls along the Kalm Mines. The wall separating the two is only a few meters wide. Now I don't know much about mining, but do you think you can knock out those few meters for us?”

 

“A few meters. Hell, that's child's play. Me n' Cid will find a crew an' get ta work.”

 

“Good! I'm going to send one of my aides over to give you the blueprints so you know where to dig. Where should he meet you?”

 

“Elmyra's house.”

 

“Ok, that sounds good. I'll send one of them over there and I'll give them your PHS number. He should be there by nightfall if all goes well. Can I speak to Tifa again?”

 

“Sure, she's right here.”

 

“Tifa?”

 

“Yes, it's me. I heard everything.”

 

“Good. I feel like things are finally looking up. But I wanted to ask how you were planning on handling Chaos, do you need me to send any reinforcements to assist you?”

 

“Unless you have a way of tracking Chaos, I don't think there is much you can do to help. I don't think a whole brigade would be able to sneak up on him. But don't worry because Yuffie, John and I will go out and search for Chaos. You can probably alert all your troops about him and see if you can capture him, if at all possible. We're still not sure if Vincent can return to his human form. Oh, before I forget, John wanted to ask that you stop all the mako-reactors as soon as possible.”

 

“I was going to address that once Midgar's citizens were safe. I'll need to find an alternative energy supply. But Tifa, the guy you mentioned, John, would his last name happen to be ShinRa?” Reeve asked curiously.

 

“No, it's Woolfe. I've never heard of a John ShinRa. Who's he?”

 

“Well, it's kind of complicated. But just know that he's important to us and we need to find him alive. If you find him, please let me know.”

 

“Um, President Anderson?” Thomas nervously asked.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Well, about John ShinRa. Last night we all heard an announcement over the radio from some other organization asking for the death of John ShinRa.”

 

“What?” Reeve shouted.

 

“Yeah, apparently an organization called the ShinRa-King Organization is offering a one million dollar reward for his death. Chris already called the new head of the ShinRa Bank requesting that they not issue any money to them, but we have no leads or any idea where these people came from and the Turks aren't here to help us investigate,” Eric added.

 

“Damnit! I thought I was going to start this day off on a good note too,” Reeve said as he slumped down in his chair.

 

“Reeve, did you just curse?”

 

“Tifa? You heard all that?” Reeve stammered.

 

“Yes. But don't worry. If we see anyone from the ShinRa-King Organization, we'll take care of them. We'll also be on the lookout for John ShinRa. Does he look anything like Rufus ShinRa?”

 

“Yeah. He should look exactly like Rufus. In fact, Tifa, he might be Rufus ShinRa.”

 

“But I thought he was killed!” Tifa barely whispered.

 

“I thought so too, but the body we recovered wasn't Rufus's. It was his body-double's.”

 

“So, he might still be alive out there?”

 

“Yes, but we don't want too many people to know. It would cause pandemonium if word were to get out. Tell as few people as necessary, in fact, make sure you don't tell Yuffie or Barret. I know they have good intentions, but I'm afraid that their loud mouths might get carried away.”

 

“I understand.”

 

Reeve could hear Tifa's voice hide her shock and anger. He knew that everyone thought Rufus ShinRa was dead along with the rest of ShinRa, Inc. Reeve wasn't sure if she held a personal grudge against the young President, but it wouldn't surprise him if she did. ShinRa had displaced many families and hurt many innocent victims that there was hardly anyone that Reeve knew who hadn't been affected by the company's ambitions.

 

“Tifa, I know it will be hard, but please make sure that if you do find him he stays alive. There are a lot of things that only he can do to straighten up the mess we're in now. I just want you to trust me on this.”

 

“I will. Don't worry. You have my word that I will protect him and bring him to you safely. I may not like it, but I'll do it.”

 

“Thank you Tifa. That does make my day a bit better.”

 

“Well, want me to tell you something that will make it even better?”

 

“What's that?” Reeve asked curiously at what news Tifa might have that would relieve his stress.

 

“Marlene drew a picture of you dressed as Cait Sith. It's actually really cute. You'll need to see it.”

 

Reeve's lips curled up in a smile as he thought of the vivacious five-year old holding up the picture. He could actually imagine the picture as the crude lines done with crayon vividly reflected Cait Sith's personality. He needed to recreate the lovable robot. He also needed to see his daughter Sara again. He promised to see her soon and he didn't want to break that promise.

 

“Thanks Tifa. That really did help brighten up my day.”

 

“I'm glad. Just try not to get too stressed. We're all behind you one-hundred percent.”

 

“That's good to hear. But be careful out there and if you do decide to take-up my offer of having reinforcements, don't hesitate to call.”

 

“I will. Take care of yourself Reeve.”

 

“Same to you Tifa,” Reeve said compassionately before pushing the button to end the call.

 

Reeve sighed heavily as he refocused his attention to the three aides.

 

“So who wants to get some fresh air?”

 

The three men all looked at each other uncertain of what to say. Eric shook his head while Chris looked down at his feet. Thomas looked from Eric to Chris and then sighed, as he knew that he was the only one who could read both blueprints.

 

“I'll do it President Anderson,” Thomas said as he turned to face Reeve.

 

“Good. I'll brief you in a bit on where to go and make sure that you have an escort in case there are still monsters roaming the fields of Kalm.”

 

“Mo-monsters, sir?”

 

“Yeah, monsters.”

 

Thomas swallowed the hard lump in his throat and wished he had never woken up today. Chris put a comforting hand on his back and kept his eyes on his shoes.

 

“President Anderson? I have one piece of news that I think you'll be interested in,” Eric said to break the uncomfortable air.

 

“Yes, what is it?”

 

“I finally heard from the fifth infantry division. They made it to Junon and are getting supplies as we speak.”

 

“That's a relief,” Reeve said with a smile.

 

“Also, speaking of Junon, I suggest that after we've gotten everyone out of Midgar that we relocate you there,” Chris finally looked up. “I've already spoken to the new head of the ShinRa Bank and they're willing to cooperate with us to the best of their abilities.”

 

“I'll take that into consideration. Go ahead and make whatever arrangements that need to be made and we'll act on it after the Midgar crisis is over.”

 

Chris nodded and he and Eric began to exit the room to resume their day's work.

 

“Oh, Chris, Eric?” Reeve interrupted.

 

The two men turned their heads to face Reeve as they waited for what he was about to say.

 

“Good job, all of you. I really couldn't do this without your help,” Reeve smiled as he consciously made eye contact with the three aides.

 

Thomas, Chris and Eric all looked at each other and smiled, as they knew that all their hard work was slowly paying off. There was still going to be much more work that needed to get done, but at least they knew that what they did was not in vain.

 

* * *

 

Tifa slowly started to wake-up the members of AVALANCHE who were still asleep. Cid was mumbling something about Shera making him some tea and Tifa giggled before nudging the pilot's side.

 

“Shera, you got me the tea?” Cid said as he sat up in the chair he slept on.

 

“No, I didn't, but Elmyra fixed you some.”

 

“Huh! Wha--. Shit Tifa! Don't scare me like that! You'll send me to my grave by a fucking heart-attack,” Cid nearly jumped out of the chair as he finally opened his eyes and noticed his surroundings.

 

“So what was that about Shera?” Tifa asked with peaked interest.

 

“None of your god-damned business that's what,” Cid cursed while fumbling for a cigarette.

 

“That's ok. But did you ever give her a call like I ask you to?”

 

“Um . . . well, yeah. Sort of,” Cid mumbled.

 

“And what did she say?”

 

“Quiet down woman! Can't you let a man smoke his morning smoke before you bombard him with a hundred questions?”

 

“I'll let you go this time Cid Highwind, but I expect to hear a full report later, ok?” Tifa said in a motherly voice.

 

“Yeah, yeah, just hold your horses,” Cid grumbled before stepping outside.

 

Tifa sighed as she watched through the window of Elmyra's house. There the pilot was leisurely lighting a cigarette and watching the morning crowds of Kalm's citizens. She knew that he probably would never change, but she hoped that she could get him to finally admit his feelings to Shera even if it was the last thing she did.

 

Tifa's eyes traveled down to see Yuffie sitting up against the wall under the window with a blanket draped over her shoulders. Marlene had her head resting comfortably in the ninja's lap, as the pair appeared to be the perfection of innocence and tranquility. Tifa knew much better than to associate Yuffie Kisaragi with tranquility, especially when the girl was wide-awake.

 

The fighter didn't want to wake Marlene or Yuffie up so early so decided to find the next member that needed to be woken up. Barret was already awake and helping Elmyra cook breakfast, which was an odd chore to witness as the large burly man helped pour perfect circles of batter onto the grill for pancakes. Tifa laughed to herself as she turned to the fireplace where Nanaki was starting to stretch his back and arms.

 

“Morning Nanaki!”

 

“Good morning Tifa. I hope you slept well,” Nanaki said as he walked over to Tifa.

 

“Yes, I did thank you. I just got a call from Reeve and they finally have a way to dig people out of Midgar. I'll let everyone know the plans over breakfast,” Tifa said while she scratched his favorite spot behind the ears.

 

“That is good to know. I'm glad that we'll be able to do something for them. Have we heard from the Highwind yet?”

 

“No, I didn't get a chance to ask Cid about that, but I'm sure we'll hear from them soon,” Tifa said as she pointed out to the window where they could see Cid smoking and talking on his PHS.

 

“I'm sure that his men will get here in time. I wish we could do more for the people out there.”

 

“I know what you mean Nanaki,” Tifa said as she finished scratching his ear.

 

Tifa watched Nanaki walk outside to join Cid and smiled as the pilot reached down to scratch the same spot on Nanaki she had just touched earlier. She turned her attention back to the floor where the newest member of AVALANCHE slept peacefully. The man she knew as John Woolfe was resting on his side with a small blanket covering his tall body.

 

Tifa was about to wake John up when she remembered what Reeve asked her. Her eyes scanned his sleeping face and watched as he breathed easily with his head turned towards her. He looked so peaceful and serene. He was also quite handsome; something Tifa had never noticed before until now. None of those traits were things she equated with Rufus ShinRa. The sleeping man looked nothing like the one who interrogated her when she was about to be executed in Junon. She didn't think that it was possible that John could be the man Reeve was looking for, but she still had to be cautious on the off-chance she was wrong.

 

Tifa knelt down and then gently nudged him on the side. She watched him as he started to stir.

 

“John, it's time to get up,” Tifa said softly.

 

Tifa watched him as he started to rub his eyes and then open them with a confused look on his face.

 

“Huh? Where?” Rufus said as he tried to focus his eyes on the woman who woke him up.

 

“It's morning. Breakfast is almost ready and you need to get-up,” Tifa said still kneeling down beside him.

 

“Oh, Tifa! Morning! Did I sleep in late?” Rufus said as he sat-up, finally remembering where he was.

 

“No, you didn't I still need to wake Yuffie and Marlene up so don't worry. But go ahead and get a shower and some breakfast, we're going to start out to find Chaos as soon as I've told everyone what Reeve told me.”

 

“Sounds like we have a big day ahead of us,” Rufus said thoughtfully. “I'll get ready as soon as I can.”

 

“Don't treat my request as an order. I'm sure you can tell our group isn't a military faction. Just consider it a request from a friend,” Tifa said with a smile.

 

Rufus stared at Tifa blankly uncertain of what to say. He never thought that he would ever join a terrorist organization and that they would be calling him their friend. Of course, there were many things that he didn't think would happen such as Meteor falling down or his half-brother trying to betray him. He also still had to worry about the ShinRa-King Organization, which was out to claim his life. If there was anyone that he knew he could trust right now it was AVALANCHE; ironically, they were the last people he would have wanted to meet a few days ago.

 

“Ok, sorry about that Tifa. I'll try to be less formal.”

 

Tifa shook her head playfully as she watched him stand-up. His stiff attitude and speech almost reminded her of how Cloud acted when she found him at the train yard. Thinking about her lost friend erased the smiled that was on her face as her eyes absent-mindedly followed John as he greeted Elmyra and headed for the stairs to the bathroom. The way that John spoke was exactly the way Cloud did after he left SOLIDER.

 

Tifa didn't have any proof yet, but she was certain that John used to work for ShinRa's Army. She guessed that he probably was never exposed to mako like Cloud or Vincent since his eyes didn't have that eerie glow. John was definitely one of the lucky ones. Tifa knew how mako had almost completely destroyed Cloud. She still wasn't certain what killed him, but she suspected that mako had something to do with it.

 

It still bothered Tifa that she didn't know the reason behind Cloud's death or Vincent's transformation. She knew that it had something to do with Jenova since they were both infected with her cells, but Nanaki hadn't had any strange symptoms and she knew that her friend had also been infected with the cells. There were so many questions she needed to have answered. Unfortunately, the Midgar and Chaos crisis needed to be dealt with first and all her questions would have to remain unanswered for the time being.

 

“Tifa, Tifa!” the excited voice of Yuffie echoed through the room waking Tifa from her reveries.

 

“Um, yes Yuffie?”

 

Tifa walked over to the young ninja who was still lying underneath the window with Marlene tucked snuggly in her arms.

 

“You'll never guess who I overheard talking on the phone about Shera?” Yuffie said slyly.

 

Tifa looked up at the window and giggled as she heard the faint noises of Cid and Nanaki talking.

 

“He did?” Tifa said as she pointed to the back of the pilot.

 

“Uh-huh! Heard it with my own ears,” Yuffie said proudly.

 

“And all this time I thought you were still asleep. But what did he say?”

 

“Nothing juicy, he just asked those two guys in the Highwind about her and if she was safe. Nothing I can use against him to blackmail for some materia,” Yuffie sighed.

 

“Yuffie!”

 

“I was just joking. Besides, I don't need to blackmail him to get all the good stuff,” the ninja grinned mischievously.

 

“Well, before you go off stealing Cid's materia, I suggest you get up and get ready for the day. I heard from Reeve and I was going to brief everyone over breakfast.”

 

“I'll be ready lickidy-split!” the teenager said quickly.

 

Tifa picked Marlene up from Yuffie's lap and carried the child over to Barret and Elmyra. The movement woke the child and Marlene yawned as she rubbed her eyes.

 

“Papa, I want some pancakes,” the girl said groggily.

 

“Daddy's making some for ya right now sweetie,” Barret said as he flipped a few pancakes onto a plate.

 

The breakfast preparations were coming to a close as Tifa, Barret and Elmyra helped set the table for everyone in the house. The smell of freshly cooked bacon and pancakes filled the house drawing everyone to the table. Cid and Nanaki even smelled the delicious breakfast from outside and came in without having to be called. Everyone sat down and helped themselves to the scrumptious meal.

 

Tifa stood up after noticing that everyone had a hearty helping of food and were almost finished eating. She repeated the news that she heard through Reeve about digging out Midgar's citizens through the Kalm mines and his plan to send one of his aides to help. Tifa could see the excitement in everyone's eyes as they listened to the good news. She continued her speech but made sure to leave out the information about Rufus ShinRa.

 

“I want Barret's team to go out and recruit some miners from Kalm until Reeve's aide arrives at Elmyra's house. My team will start gathering equipment and leave to go and search for Chaos after we know that the Highwind has landed.”

 

“Tifa, when do you plan on coming back after searching for Chaos?” Elmyra asked.

 

“I don't know. I guess until we find him. But this may be our last meal together for a while. Well, at least we have our PHS so we can communicate whenever we want, right?” Tifa said cheerfully.

 

Everyone nodded at her comment and tried not to think about the dangers of searching for Chaos. No one at the table wanted to think about losing another member of AVALANCHE, not with Cloud's death and Vincent's transformation so fresh in their memories. They wanted this day to be hopeful and retain the confidence that their missions would successfully.

 

Tifa smiled content that she had said everything she needed to say to the group. Everyone started to get up and walk around after the meal. Tifa rose from her seat and walked over to Nanaki who walking towards the fireplace.

 

“Nanaki, I need to speak to you in private about something important.”

 

“Go ahead Tifa.”

 

Nanaki's ears perked up as Tifa began whispering to him the very words that were spoken to her earlier. She could feel his muscles tense as the thought of Rufus ShinRa being alive shocked him. The threat of a new unknown organization also didn't help his nerves.

 

“Are you certain of this?” Nanaki asked.

 

“It came from Reeve himself and I know he wouldn't be mistaken.”

 

“Then we must be on our highest guard. I'll let you know if I ever see him and will also abide by Reeve's wishes.”

 

“Thanks Nanaki.”

 

“Oh, Tifa? Please be careful. I don't know if John capable of protecting you and Yuffie, . . . well I think you actually need to keep an eye on her. So be careful.”

 

“Nanaki, don't worry. I can take care of myself,” Tifa smiled. “But there is one thing I'd like to ask you.”

 

“What's on your mind?”

 

“What do you think killed Cloud and caused Vincent to transform?”

 

“I'm really not certain. I'm sure you've already thought that the Jenova cells may have played a role.”

 

Tifa nodded. “I did, but I wasn't sure. I know you were injected with those same cells, but you're not having any problems.”

 

“Yes, indeed. I also thought about that and was afraid that something horrible would eventually happen to me. Though after thinking about it, I was probably the lucky one because I'm not a human. I don't think the Jenova cells had as much influence in my body as it did Cloud's and Vincent's.”

 

“I see. It helps make it a bit clearer what might have happened. I'm not completely satisfied and want to know more, but thanks for clearing one thing up,” Tifa said dejectedly.

 

“Don't worry, Tifa. I'm sure you will find your answer soon. After this ordeal is over, I'll make sure to devote my time to finding it if you don't find it yourself,” Nanaki said as he nuzzled his nose against her legs.

 

“Thanks. You truly are a great friend,” Tifa said as she stroked his mane.

 

“What's our ETA until Kalm?”

 

“Not more than ten minutes,” Johnson said with a yawn.

 

“I can't believe the Captain made us fly all night. I hope he doesn't send us on another mission without getting some sleep.”

 

“I know what you mean Burns, everyone is asleep except us. But what did the Captain say when he called earlier?”

 

“Nothing much, just asked if we got the supplies and picked-up Shera.”

 

“Did you say that the Captain called earlier?” a woman's voice echoed behind the two men.

 

“Uh, yes he did Shera. Sorry we had to bring you over here on such short notice,” Burns said groggily.

 

“Oh no, I don't mind. I was hoping to see him so I could show him some plans that I drew up. But what did the Captain say earlier?”

 

“He just asked when we were getting to Kalm and if we got everything ok,” Burns answered.

 

“Oh, that's it?” Shera asked disappointed.

 

“Yeah, and he also said that he wanted to talk to you after we landed,” Burns added after sensing her disappointment.

 

“Ah, I see. Well, I better get my things ready since we're going to land soon. Thanks,” Shera said with a slight flush as she left the deck.

 

“Did he really say that?” Johnson whispered over to Burns.

 

“Um, not really, but he did ask about her and how she was doing.”

 

“What? You know how the Captain doesn't like to show his feelings.”

 

“Yeah, I know he doesn't. It surprised me as well. Maybe he's having a change of heart?” Burns said with a grin.

 

“Maybe,” Johnson smiled.

 

The two pilots gazed out the window of the Highwind to see a crowd of people gathering around to watch the airship land. They had all been waiting in anticipation for the rations AVALANCHE promised last night. Many people in the crowd didn't think that the airship would return in the morning, but the loud whir of the Highwind's fans was a rude awakening they were grateful to receive.

 

“It looks like we made it just in time, right Burns?”

 

“Yeah. I can't believe the number of people who need help. It was amazing that we were able to get as many supplies as we did in Rocket Town. I just hope it's enough.”

 

“Even if it's not, it at least gives them some hope. And besides, we could always fly out to Wutai or Cosmo Canyon for some more,” Johnson chuckled.

 

“I don't know about you, but even the Captain couldn't order me to fly out again today. I'm not even going to think about flying until I've gotten some sleep.”

 

“We'll just have to take that up with the Captain. But you have to admit, it really feels good knowing that we're helping out.”

 

“Yeah, makes you feel like a hero or something. I can hear it now: Johnson and Burns, pilots of the great Highwind, bringer of all the food!” Burns said energetically.

 

“And the reasons for children's smiles and mother's joyful tears. You're right Burns, it does make you feel like a hero,” Johnson said as he landed the Highwind to the cheers and applause of the people who almost lost all hope.

 

(continued…)