Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Who's John ShinRa? ❯ The Politics of Persuasion ( Chapter 28 )

Chapter 28: The Politics of Persuasion

 

He had been wandering for hours not really certain of where to go or what to do. He knew going back to the hotel was not an option considering what had happened. Dark memories caused his fingers to twitch as if longing to wrap themselves around something fragile. Tightening his hands into fists, he walked forward, ignoring the sights of the many homeless wandering the streets. Swarms of people stood begging for some food or water holding makeshift signs. Some held signs looking for money or a job. Their faces were painted with the horrors they had seen and their eyes were haunted with images that would stay with them for eternity. One man walked up and down the street with two large poster boards tied to his body. Bold handwritten letters with the foreboding message `The End is Nigh' screamed at everyone he passed.

 

Nick felt uneasy as the man with the sign walked up the street in his direction. The blaring letters of uncertain doom stripped him of his confidence. He was naked to the world and that realization made him shiver unconsciously. He clutched a tote bag tightly to his chest for comfort, grasping to make sure his clothes and the precious gift his mother gave him were still there. He didn't even want to think of why the sadistic bastard enjoyed walking up and down the street unnerving people with his prophetic message of death. More people probably dropped money in his cup because they didn't want to think that the message was directed at them. It was like a payment to the devil; any little bit helped if you thought you were saving your soul. If Nick weren't so scared out of his wits, he would have considered it a brilliant marketing strategy.

 

Walking mindlessly through the streets, he hadn't noticed when the number of civilians had thinned out as more and more military officials were walking about. Nick suddenly found himself in the center of the Junon army base. A drill sergeant was shouting out profanities at a group of soldiers urging them to run faster while carrying a gun and a large backpack. He could see a line of civilians in front of an office waiting patiently for their turn to do a hundred jumping jacks while singing the ShinRa national anthem. Those who could do the exercise without passing out were the only ones admitted through the double doors. He shook his head as the pile of potential recruits who had failed the test. Those were some of the sights he saw as he wandered further and further into the military block of the city.

 

The whistling sounds of a harmonica drew him towards one of the barracks. He knew he was risking everything coming here, after all, it wouldn't take long before someone found his mother's body at the small hotel they were staying at. But if there was anything that his mother taught him, it was that he couldn't get anywhere without taking a few risks. No one seemed to pay him any mind as he walked into the musky barracks. The smell of sweat and unwashed socks assaulted his senses causing him to nearly gag. The men in the barracks didn't seem to mind the smell as they smoked cigarettes and played cards while the harmonica droned in the background.

 

In the corner on top of some boxes was a teenage boy with platinum blonde hair writing something down in a journal. Four men were sitting at the table smoking and playing cards. The first was a large balding man who didn't look like he fit the physical requirements for the army. Next to him was a tall thin man with spiked up brown hair. The fat man and the thin one looked like they were joking about something that Nick couldn't hear from where he was standing. A man with sharp Wutanese features sat nearby concentrating on his cards as a cigarette dangled from his lips. The last man looked like the leader of the group as he casually smiled at the good hand he had. He appeared to be a bit older than Nick was, probably in his thirties or forties. That man certainly wasn't the oldest in the group as Nick looked at the graying old man with the wrinkled face, blowing on his harmonica with withered hands. The small group looked like a reject camp for unwanted soldiers and Nick had no use for people like that.

 

He was about to leave when the man with the harmonica finally stopped the nameless tune he was playing and began to play Rufus ShinRa's inauguration theme. Several of the men started cursing as they threw their cards down or spit out their cigarettes.

 

“Damnit Crass, do you always have to play that stupid song?” The leader of the group flicked his cigarette at Crass, almost hitting him.

 

“What else do you want me to play? The music can't die.”

 

“Do Freebird!” The fat man shouted.

 

“Shut-up Weggs,” said the thin man.

 

“Make me Bidge!”

 

The two men started to bicker and rant while everyone stared waiting for them to quiet down. The Wutanian looking man stood-up in his seat as he threw a knife down on the table between the pair, effectively silencing them. They stared at the knife and then at the man, holding each other in fear.

 

“You've got to teach me that sometime Hwang.” The teenage boy said putting his hands behind his head with a smile.

 

“Maybe later Sol.” Hwang smirked as he pulled the knife out of the table.

 

“Well that's just fine and dandy that you whipper-snappers are all having fun. Y'all think you don't need no education, but yer wrong. I'm going back to playing my ole' harmonica.”

 

“So long as you play anything but that damn song.” The leader again declared.

 

“Why do ya hate it Knarls? Don't you believe the children are our future?”

 

“Cause I hate that song. It's hard enough being in the damn ShinRa army. I don't have to be reminded of everything ShinRa ya know.”

 

“Isn't that a little hypocritical?” Sol said with a shrug.

 

Knarls mumbled something inaudible as he glared at Sol. The glare slowly turned into a smirk as he laughed. “Damn kid. You've got balls. That's why I like ya, Sol. You're too damned smart to be wasting your time serving ShinRa scum.”

 

“Psst. Knarls,” Hwang elbowed the man. “You might want to be careful what you say in front of company.”

 

Hwang pointed to the entrance of the barracks where Nick stood staring at the small band of men. Everyone turned their attention to Nick who stood paralyzed at everyone's disapproving gaze.

 

“Okay, how long has he been standing there?” Knarls shouted.

 

“Around five to ten minutes. More like ten,” Sol answered.

 

“Don't worry, he's harmless.” Hwang said as he kept his steely brown eyes on Nick.

 

“You aren't some pro-ShinRa sissy, are you?” Knarls asked cautiously.

 

Nick straightened his back as he shook his head firmly. “You're looking at 100% pure-blooded ShinRa hater. I'd like nothing better than to bring the company down.”

 

Weggs and Bidge looked at each other with smiles on their faces before they turned to Nick and ran up to him with open arms. “Brother!”

 

Nick had a look of utter horror as he watched the two men making their way towards him.

 

“Weggs! Bidge! Behave!” Knarls shouted.

 

The two men backed off looking a little down as they turned to each other, shrugged and then hugged.

 

“Sorry if those two numbskulls scared you back there. So what's your name?” Knarls asked.

 

“Nicholas. Nicholas King.” Nick extended his hand to Knarls who shook it firmly. He felt comfortable around this man, as if they both knew they shared a common goal that had yet to be named.

 

“Good to meet you Nick. I'm Knarls. The man next to me here is Hwang. The two fags over there are Weggs and Bidge. The kid is Sol and gramps here is Crass.” Everyone waved to Nick or nodded politely. “We're all the survivors of different battalions who had to go against those shitheads AVALANCHE or that fuck-face Sephiroth. ShinRa didn't think they needed to reassign us to a new battalion, so we're here stuck in the barracks just killing time.”

 

“It's us poor old folks like me that ShinRa forgets. We ain't nothing but dust in the wind we is,” Crass said before playing his harmonica.

 

“So you all hate ShinRa?” Nick asked with a hint of hope.

 

“Hate isn't a strong enough word to describe most of our sentiments,” Hwang said in a low growl.

 

“Oh Hwang. You know that we love you. Even if your battalion didn't,” Weggs opened his arms to hug the man.

 

Hwang flicked his wrist and held a knife against Weggs's protruding belly as he shot him a glare that would have made most men wet their pants.

 

“Okay, okay! I get it! Why doesn't anyone want a hug today?”

 

“I'll hug ya man!” Bidge opened his arms to Weggs.

 

Everyone stared at the two warily as they embraced. Knarls shook his head in disbelief as Hwang and Sol sat uncomfortably around them.

 

“Ah, young love.” Crass said before playing a sensual tune about a young couple making love.

 

“Ah! Get it out, get it out! My eyes!” Sol shouted as he tried to stop the homoerotic images of Weggs and Bidge together: naked.

 

Hwang visibly shuddered looking a little pale. Everyone chose wisely to ignore the two men hugging to their hearts content.

 

“Maybe I should leave,” Nick said.

 

“Nah, it's okay buddy. Just sit. We'll play a game of cards and ignore the two lovebirds over there,” Knarls pulled a chair out for Nick.

 

“Ah Knarls, you know we're just fucking with you all. We're not really gay,” Bidge laughed. He looked at Weggs with mirth in his eyes. They both started spouting confessions of love to each other as they embraced, yet again.

 

“Damnit! If you two don't stop hugging each other, I'm going to put a fucking bullet in your head.” Knarls fumed as he pointed a gun at the both of them.

 

Weggs and Bidge slowly back away from each other as they smiled sheepishly.

 

“There. That's more like it.” Knarls sat down next to Nick as he breathed deeply. “So tell me buddy. Do you know how to play poker?”

 

“A bit.” Nick shrugged as everyone gathered around the table for a game except Sol who sat on top of some boxes writing in his journal and Crass who sat off to the side playing his harmonica.

 

Bidge counted out a number of blue and red chips before handing them to Nick. Weggs greedily handled his chips as he rolled one around on his knuckles, trying his best to look intimidating. Hwang lit a new cigarette before shuffling the deck of cards with a confident smirk.

 

“Okay, here's the deal folks. Jokers wild, red chip to enter the game and blue chips to ante up. The bigger the pot, the better.”

 

Nick watched everyone throw in a red chip in the center of the table and he did the same as Hwang started to pass out the cards. He silently watched the mismatched group of men as they played cards. Knarls easily stared down the rest of the group with his menacing presence as occasionally he would finger the gun in his holster as a reassurance. Hwang had phenomenal skills with his hands throwing out cards to everyone with expert precision. Weggs had found a way to steal a few of Bidge's chips without him noticing and Bidge had found a way to peak at Wegg's cards without him noticing. Even Sol was adept at observing the game as he shook his head whenever Weggs would sneak one of Bidge's chips or if someone made a wrong move. So far, the only skill that Nick knew that Crass had was he could play the harmonica. As Nick assessed everyone's strengths and weaknesses, he slowly formulated a plan in his head that could help him. It might cost him, but he had nothing left to lose.

 

“So, you guys play cards often?” Nick asked.

 

“Everyday. We don't have anything else better to do in our spare times,” Bidge sighed.

 

“If you could join another battalion, would you do it?”

 

“I swore to myself that I would never join another group of nameless faces who mean nothing to me.” Hwang said as he folded two cards and grabbed new ones.

 

“I'd only be in a battalion if Bidge was in it,” Weggs said.

 

“What if you were all in a battalion together? You all seem to get along really well,” Nick slyly suggested.

 

“Ha. That would be the day. As much as I'd love to work with these guy, I doubt anyone in ShinRa has half a brain to think about that,” Knarls snorted. “I fold.”

 

“Yeah, ShinRa should put us all into a battalion! That's a fantastic idea! Maybe they'll send us some new recruits too and we'll have Knarls lead us.” Weggs said excitedly.

 

“That's all we'd need, another group of green ShinRa-loving kids to potty-train,” Hwang folded his cards in disgust. “I think I'd rather get a hug from Weggs than deal with that.”

 

Weggs's face lit up as he gazed at Hwang with an expectant look in his eyes.

 

“Don't even think about it,” Hwang threatened.

 

Nick paused for a moment as he looked at his cards and threw a blue chip in the pile. “Yeah, it would be difficult to find anti-ShinRa sympathizers among new recruits. But that doesn't mean there aren't any out there. Why, I bet if there was an organization that openly opposed ShinRa which needed some soldiers, you all could join that group?”

 

“Now that you mention it, wasn't there some stint on the radio a week or two ago where some company or group was looking for Rufus ShinRa?” Bidge asked. “They were ShinRa-something or another. I forgot, but they didn't sound pro-ShinRa to me. Just give me a minute and I'll think of their name.”

 

“Are you sure that they even exist? Coulda been something you just imagined up. Like all those pink elephants sipping lemonade I saw dancing on Weggs's bald head,” Crass asked.

 

Weggs frowned while he rubbed his head. Knarls and Hwang snickered as they imagined Crass's age-induced hallucination working its magic on Weggs's head.

 

“Not positive, but relatively sure. I know that ShinRa wasn't too happy about that and they've been secretly looking for the head of the organization.” Bidge said looking his cards. “I fold.”

 

“Well I for one would love to see an anti-ShinRa organization. Heck, I'd join them in a heartbeat if there was one.” Hwang said leaning back in his chair.

 

“You and me both brother. You and me both,” Knarls laughed as he gave Hwang a high-five.

 

“I guess I'd join too if everyone else is doing it. Don't want to be left behind, right Weggs?” Bidge nudged his friend who nodded absent-mindedly as he studied his cards. “Crass, Sol, you two gonna join too if we ever find this supposed organization?”

 

“Ain't got nuthing better to do,” Crass sighed. “Ran out of peanut butter at home anyways. And my dog crashed the truck last week. Damn dog.”

 

“Does Crass have a dog?” Weggs whispered to Bidge.

 

Bidge shook his head. “Not that I can think of, but you never know with him.”

 

“So Sol, gonna join us too?” Weggs asked as he flashed him two thumbs up.

 

Sol shrugged as he looked up from behind his journal. “I guess so.”

 

“Hey Nick, maybe you could join too! You hate ShinRa after all,” Bidge suggested.

 

Nick smiled as he answered, “Sure.”

 

Weggs he threw in a blue chip while eyeing his cards with a grin. “Oh baby, come to Papa!”

 

“Looks like it's just you and the new guy now. Think you can beat him?” Bidge smirked.

 

“Come on, with cards like this!” Weggs showed Bidge his hand proudly. Bidge nodded his head in approval, though he already knew what type of hand Weggs had. “I raise you one,” Weggs threw in another blue chip.

 

Nick didn't bat an eye as he matched Weggs's bet. “Let's see what hand you have.”

 

Weggs threw his cards down triumphantly as he stared Nick down. “Two pair sucker, Queens and Nines! Beat that one blondie!”

 

Nick threw down his cards with a confident look on his face. “Good hand, but not good enough. Full House.”

 

Everyone gaped at the hand that Nick had. On the table were a pair of Aces, a pair of Eights and a Joker smiling mirthfully back at them. Beginner's luck was never so sweet.

 

“Well I'll be damned. Clowns to the left of me and a joker on the right.” Crass mumbled.

 

“Good job Nick. Up for another round?” Hwang asked as he started to collect the cards.

 

“Maybe.” Nick said as he eyed his tote bag. “Go ahead and deal me in. I'm going to get something else to put on the table for the pot.”

 

Hwang dealt the cards as the clang of red chips hitting the table clinked in the air. Nick riffled through his tote bag until he found the carefully folded up piece of paper that had his destiny written on it. Making sure that the document was folded neatly so no one could read it, he tossed it into the pot.

 

“Okay boys, here's a little something for whoever wins this hand.”

 

“What's that? A deed to a nice little estate in Midgar or something?” Weggs asked.

 

“Yeah, like any good that'll do ya now,” Bidge said.

 

“It's not a deed. And don't worry. It still has some value.” Nick reassured everyone.

 

Knarls stared curiously at the neatly folded piece of paper. “So, what is it?”

 

Nick glanced over at everyone seeing the curiosity peeking out from their eyes. He hoped that he was playing his cards right and seeing the document would clench their trust. It was a gamble, but it wasn't worth playing the game it you weren't going to risk it all. “It's just one of the reasons why I hate ShinRa so much. I'm sure you'll find it valuable once you find out what it is. But I'll talk about that after the game.”

 

“Being a bit of an enigma now, aren't we?” Hwang said with a puff of his cigarette.

 

“For now, yes. But that's what we all are, aren't we? Enigmas.” Nick answered cryptically.

 

“I don't think I can play any of their songs on my harmonica.” Crass muttered before he dozed off in the corner.

 

The group played on ignoring Crass. A few blue chips were thrown into the pot as the game continued on. Nick waited for a few minutes as he watched his cards before he spoke again. “So how many other anti-ShinRa folks do you think are out there?”

 

“In the army, or just in general?” Bidge asked.

 

“Either.”

 

“Well, I'd say a there's a handful of anti-ShinRa folks in the military, but in general, there are probably a lot more. Though that doesn't even cover the number of deserters.”

 

“Hmm,” Nick thought. “I wonder how hard it would be to form an army of anti-ShinRa soldiers.”

 

“What, you thinking of starting some rebellion or something?” Knarls asked.

 

Nick looked straight into Knarls's dark eyes and smiled as he saw a faint sparkle of hope in them. “Maybe.”

 

Knarls lips curled upward to an awkward grin. “Well, you let me know when you get that rebellion up and running.”

 

“Don't worry, I will.”

 

The game carried on with some idle talk as Weggs and Bidge folded their cards. Hwang's eyes scanned the room in an almost predatory way as he watched Nick and Knarls. All three men carried themselves as if they held the winning hand in the game, but only one could be declared the winner.

 

“Gentlemen, I think it's about time we show our hands,” Hwang smirked.

 

“Only if you show yours first,” Knarls replied.

 

Hwang sighed as he put his hand down with a smile. “If you insist. Read `em and weap. Straight flush.”

 

Nick and Knarls folded their cards in defeat as Hwang pulled the chips and mysterious slip of paper closer to him.

 

“So are you going to share what that piece of paper says?” Weggs asked.

 

“I don't see why not. As long as it isn't anything worth keeping to myself.” Hwang joked as he unfolded the paper. His eyes scanned the document casually. Everyone watched his face scrunch up in confusion as he flipped the document back and forth, reading it over and over. Hwang stared at Nick scrutinizing the mysterious newcomer. There was an uncanny similarity to Augustus ShinRa in Nick's fair complexion and regal blue eyes. Based on his appearances alone, Hwang could almost believe that the birth certificate was authentic. But he had to be cautious, he hated traitors and worse of all, those that were trying to deceive him. “You're not trying to fuck with us, are you?”

 

Nick shook his head and kept his composure in front of everyone who scrambled to try and read the document. “That document is the genuine article. I am who I am.”

 

“Who is he Hwang? What does the document say?” Weggs asked.

 

Sol had stood up on top of the crates and read the document over Hwang's shoulder. His eyes widened as he pointed at Nick. “You're a rich bastard!”

 

“What! Let me look at that!” Knarls snatched the paper up while everyone else gazed at Nick with a greedy look in their eyes. He quickly scanned the document and then looked at Nick pointedly. “Your father was Augustus ShinRa? How the hell? And why does it say that your last name is King if your Dad was a ShinRa?”

 

“That's the name! It was the ShinRa-King Corporation! That was the anti-ShinRa group who pulled that radio stunt.” Bidge interrupted, glad he finally remembered the name that had been nagging him for a while.

 

Everyone looked at each other quickly before all eyes settled on Nick who looked calm, despite how sweaty his palms were or the fact that his stomach was twisting itself into knots. This was the moment of truth for Nick to decide whether he would get his chance to shine or be beaten to death by a man with a gun, a man with a knife, an old man who had fallen asleep in the corner, a teenager and two men who were very comfortable with their homosexuality.

 

“To answer all your questions. Yes, I am the illegitimate son of Augustus ShinRa and I'm also the head of the ShinRa-King Corporation. Now you're probably wondering how it is that a son of ShinRa would want to bring down his father's company?” Nick watched everyone nod their head. “Well, you all know that that brat Rufus took over ShinRa after Augustus died? If you look carefully on the birth certificate, you'll notice that I'm actually older than Rufus. Technically, I should have inherited the company, but they've done everything they can to make sure I don't see a cent of the ShinRa fortune.

 

“But it's not just about the money they're withholding that makes me bitter at them. I'm bitter at them for many other reasons. ShinRa has done everything in their power to make sure that nobody knows about their weaknesses. One of which is me, the living proof that Augustus ShinRa was an unfaithful man who didn't know how to keep his pants up. The company is incompetent and they've lost touch with what the people on this planet really want. I'm bitter that I see all their faults and possess the power to change it, but because of their laws, can't even step into the ShinRa offices, despite my blood relation. I want to change things, which is why I started an anti-ShinRa organization. I'm hoping that if I make my birth certificate public knowledge, it'll start a movement that will bring ShinRa to its knees.”

 

Nick watched as everyone ate up all his words. He was feeding them a sugar-coated truth about his situation and snippets of what he thought they wanted to hear. He needed to throw them a few little white lies about his true intentions here and there in order to get them to support him. Politicians lied all the time so it didn't hurt to start practicing. Pandering to his constituents couldn't really be considered lying if it was heartfelt. And Nick truly did feel he wanted to change ShinRa for them, if only because they would help him get his power. It was a dog eat dog world and he wasn't about to be eaten.

 

“So this is for real, isn't it?” Knarls said.

 

Nick nodded. “And if what you all were talking about was true, then you all should join me and fight against ShinRa. That is, if you don't fear starting a rebellion.”

 

The group looked at each other expectantly. Their expressions were mixed with a bit of excitement, trepidation and uncertainty. They all looked to Knarls who had guided them since they were put in the reject camp of lost soldiers. If he agreed to join Nick, then they would gladly follow. It also didn't hurt to know that if Nick were to gain control of ShinRa, then they would be able to get a piece of the ShinRa pie.

 

“We're going to need more people than just the seven of us. I think we'll have to do some recruiting if we're going to form an army for your little rebellion. What do you think guys?” Knarls asked.

 

Weggs smiled as he answered. “I can talk to the people on the streets and see if they're interested in joining and I'm sure Bidge will check with our buddies in other battalions and divisions.”

 

“I can train any new recruits we have in hand-to-hand combat and I'll even train the kid, since he's been bugging me to teach him for a while.” Hwang smiled as he nodded to Sol.

 

“About damn time. But what about gramps, what's he gonna do?” Sol asked as he pointed to the sleeping man in the corner who was starting to snore.

 

“Ah, just let him sleep. We'll worry about that when he wakes,” Knarls said.

 

Sol nodded his head as he nervously twirled a pen around in his hands. “Okay, cool. Hey, I know someone who might be able to help us out. I'll go call `im really quick.”

 

“Sure kid. The more the merrier.” Knarls said before turning to Nick. “Well Nick. It looks like you've got yourself an army.”

 

“I'll never forget the good things you all are doing for me. Things are going to be different from now on and I'll make sure that you get to reap in the benefits.” Nick answered with a look of satisfaction.

 

Knarls grinned as he held his hand out. “That's why I like ya Nick. You're a good man.”

 

The two shook hands as the sounds of a brewing rebellion thundered in the distance.

 

* * *

 

Autumn let her fingers glide over the keyboard as she typed on her laptop. She had found a comfortable position on some rocks where she could work and be near the dig site. A smile graced her lips as she thought of the brown-haired man with emerald eyes who had a dimple in his right cheek whenever he laughed. It was usually her job to notice things like that, but her job description never required her to notice that he had a very toned body under his dress shirt and a cute butt: things she was leaving out of her article. Yes, Autumn was smitten with the young executive from ShinRa. It also helped that he had a noticeable attraction to her as well. After all, it takes two to tango.

 

The startling buzz of her cell phone broke through her reveries of Thomas. She quickly picked up the phone hoping that it wasn't her boss.

 

“Autumn Noval here.” Autumn's eyes lit up as she heard the voice on the other end. “What are you doing bro? Are you still up to no good?”

 

Her joyful expression soured as she listened to what her brother was telling her. He was getting himself involved in something dangerous and he didn't seem to care. But she patiently listened as she heard everything he had to say as well as his plans for how she could help.

 

“What if you get caught? I know that you really want to help me out here, but I don't want you to get hurt because of the risks you're taking.” Autumn paused as she listened to him talk. “You say you're smart, but I don't call you an idiot brother for nothing you know.”

 

Autumn was sure that she could talk him out of his little scheme, but four words kept her from completely chewing him out over the phone. Four words that he knew were his sister's weakness: scoop of the century. She had to hand it to him, her brother was a perceptive little bastard.

 

“You win this time. But call me with updates only when it's safe and don't give away any hint to them of what you're doing. I'll make sure that no one and I mean no one gets wind of this information, not even anyone in ShinRa. Also, you'll let me know when you think there's enough information for me to print this story and once I do, you get the hell out of there, you understand? Don't give me that crap. I'm being serious here. Sol, be careful out there.”

 

The low-drone of the dial tone buzzed in Autumn's ear as she closed her eyes. She honestly worried about her brother. Autumn knew that she and her sister June weren't in a danger-free lifestyle. Being an investigative reporter didn't exempt you from thieves, rapists or any other unsavory characters that roamed the city streets. But that's what the bottle of mace in her purse was for. Her sister June didn't exactly live a quiet life either; though setting off bombs and calculating the vibrations to find treasure wasn't exactly Autumn's idea of a good time. But Sol had to be different. He had to dive head first into danger and join the ShinRa army. Now he was putting his scrawny neck on the line by playing covert operative and bringing her into his little scheme. Autumn sighed looking back at the computer screen with her article still waiting to be completed. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the mood for writing anymore. Saving the document, she muttered a silent prayer wishing for her brother's safety.

 

God. Please keep my idiot brother safe. He's a good kid and tries really hard. Just watch over him and make sure he gets back in one piece so I can wring his neck when I see him again. Also, please watch over June in Bone Village. Thank you.

 

“I never thought of you as the religious type,” a familiar voice said as Autumn finished her prayer.

 

Autumn turned to find Thomas staring back at her with a warm smile. “Tom! You startled me.”

 

“Sorry about that. I just came over for our usual updates and saw you praying.”

 

“Yeah, I was praying to God so he could help me finish this article. I've got to email it to my boss by the end of the day,” she laughed nervously.

 

“Oh, need any help with it?”

 

Autumn smiled as she heard his offer. Briefly, she considered telling him about Sol. With the position Thomas had in ShinRa, he could help her brother. But she had promised Sol that she wouldn't tell anyone and that even meant keeping this information from June and her boss. “No, I think I can handle this. This is my job. But you could help by giving me that update of yours.”

 

Thomas sat down on a nearby rock and grinned mischievously. “I'll give you my report only after you answer one of my questions first.”

 

“Since when did this become an interrogation?” Autumn cocked one of her brows.

 

“Tit for tat Ms. Noval. I think you were the one who taught me that one.” Thomas said, fidgeting with a pen in his hands.

 

“So the pupil has now become the master,” Autumn faked a bow.

 

“I learned from the best. But my question is,” Thomas paused as he swallowed hard. “Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

 

Autumn stopped breathing for a moment as she heard Thomas ask her on a date. He looked so adorable sitting nervously beside her while he waited for her answer. All worries over her brother had disappeared after hearing Thomas's question and for one of the few moments in her life, Autumn had lost her cool composure. “I'd . . . I'd love to!”

 

The rest of the day all Autumn could think about was her date with Thomas. She briefly thought of the article she had to finish, but only due to the fact that the sooner she completed it, the longer she had to get ready for her date. Nothing could bring her down from the high she was on. Not even the thought that hundreds of miles away, her brother was talking with a group of men who would forever change the course of history, be it for better or for worse.

 

* * *

 

The air in Gold Saucer was typically light and carefree. However, today there was a group of angry people who were far from enjoying the amusement park's happy atmosphere. This group was AVALANCHE and they were ready to speak their mind to the owner of Gold Saucer. Ace was leading them to Dio's office near the back of the chocobo betting arena. His normally aloof stature was tense as he feared the look of pure determination and rage behind Tifa's eyes. He tried to find some solace in Yuffie, but the young girl was equally perturbed as Tifa was. The last thing he wanted was to piss off two deadly women. Even Rufus was wise enough to keep his distance. Tseng had once told him that you should never incur the wraith of an angry woman, and Rufus was never one to stray from Tseng's sagely advice. They finally reached the door and Ace barely had time to move out of the way as Tifa kicked the door open.

 

“Dio, I need to see you now!”

 

Dio turned from where he was examining his muscles in the mirror and looked at the small band of people in his office. He saw his son Ace standing with the group and walked up to the boy pulling him into a ferocious bear hug. “Son! You've come to see your Pops? Good, good. I see you've been working out. Soon you'll be like me.” Dio grinned as he flexed his muscles.

 

Ace smiled as he flexed his muscles along with his father before he heard Tifa clearing her throat. “Oh, uh, Dad. I brought someone here to see you.”

 

Dio turned to Tifa who looked like she was about to pummel Dio if he didn't listen to what she had to say. “Ah, it's the pretty lady. What can I do for you today Ms. Lockheart?”

 

“What do you think you're doing having Chaos fly inside Gold Saucer and feeding him reject chocobos? Do you have any idea how dangerous Chaos is? You have to put a stop to this right away or someone could get hurt,” Tifa fumed.

 

Dio was taken aback by Tifa's anger and stood dumbly for a while before responding. “I didn't know it had a name. Chaos, what a great name for a demon. I know you're mad, but he's generating great revenue and entertainment value for our customers. Ever since Chaos came crashing into the race track during one of the races and snatched up the trailing chocobo, the crowds have been demanding to see more. People haven't been this excited since you and the Boy fought in the Battle Arena. Speaking of which, where is that Boy?” Dio asked, looking around for the distinguishing blonde-spiky hair.

 

Tifa winced as all her anger melted away to reveal the sadness hidden underneath. She found herself struggling with the words as her emotions were running through a gauntlet of confusion. “Cloud's gone. He died shortly after we defeated Sephiroth.”

 

“Oh, I'm sorry. Cloud was a good kid. He really was,” Dio said sadly.

 

He tried to offer a consoling hand to Tifa, but she shook her head at the kind gesture. So Dio did the next best thing and gave her a tissue. Tifa took it and quietly wiped away the tears on her face.

 

Rufus knew that Tifa had lost her momentum to talk to Dio. She was in no condition to argue with the businessman, but Rufus was and he had been trained to do this from birth. “Dio, I know you say that Chaos is generating a huge revenue for you, but you need to stop letting him eat chocobos.”

 

“Who are you Boy? Have I met you before?” Dio asked.

 

“I'm John Woolfe. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I believe this is the first time we've met.” Rufus said as he extended his hand out.

 

“Nice to meet you John, the name's Dio.” Dio firmly gripped Rufus's hand. “I know you think that Chaos is going to be a danger, but we've taken steps to make sure that he doesn't get into Gold Saucer until its time for the `Weakest Chocobo' program. We don't even have any jockeys riding the chocobos for safety reasons. This has also been a great source of income for chocobo owners who need to get rid of their old and slower chocobos. They used to only get a few gil for selling them to the slaughter, but now they get a cut of the winnings if their chocobo is taken by Chaos. I've also been trying to make some revenue so I can donate some more money to ShinRa. Ever since the Meteor incident, they've been asking for donations to help with refugees from Midgar. So you can't say that all the money isn't going to a good cause. It's an honest business.”

 

Rufus was impressed that Dio had such a good argument for keeping the program. He didn't have high expectations for him based solely on knowing Ace. But Rufus also had a quick wit and was not about to be out-done by a body-building businessman. “Hmm, you do have a point there. But I don't believe you know the extent of Chaos's power and thirst for blood. Let me give you a hypothetical situation. What if Chaos, in coming on his usual food run to Gold Saucer, decided that he was bored of eating chocobos? What if in his flying around Gold Saucer, he found a way into the actual amusement park and thought that one of the park guests made a tastier snack than eating chocobo meat everyday? Now if that situation were to arise, do you have a back-up plan or trained professionals who could somehow overpower Chaos and a good enough insurance premium to cover the number of lawsuits that might arise because of this incident? I'm not saying that a situation like that should happen, but just wondering if you're prepared in case it did happen.”

 

Dio stood speechless as he listened to Rufus. He had never thought about the possible ramifications of Chaos getting loose out into the park. It also would be disastrous to Gold Saucer if any of his guests were to be killed in an accident like that. The park would go under and reputation would be sunk. Dio paced around the room as he tried to think of any way to prevent Chaos from getting into the park, but expenses for hired muscle would probably exceed the income being brought in from the races. He sighed in resignation.

 

“I think I see your point there. Chaos is a potential threat to the guests here. But I still don't know what I should do about the money the `Weakest Chocobo' makes to give as donations to ShinRa. Admission tickets cover our operating expenses, but not much else. That's still one of my concerns.”

 

“That's simple. You advertise that a percentage of the income on purchases and ticket sales will go toward helping the refugees of Meteor. Give your guests an outlet to show their sympathy and support for the people who've been misplaced. I guarantee you'll see more guests coming to your park.”

 

“That's not a bad idea. But it might upset a lot of guests if we take away the hottest game we have in the park so soon after starting it. There hasn't been any large ticket sales for special events here since we featured a fight between Cloud and a behemoth.”

 

Rufus brainstormed a few ideas that might replace the `Weakest Chocobo' program. “I take it that Cloud has probably built himself a name in the Battle Arena. Well, you could host a tournament in his honor with entry fees and ticket sales going to ShinRa as relief money. Advertise using Cloud's name and list all his achievements to show how much of a hero Cloud was. That way you will have his old fans interested and gain some new ones as well.”

 

Dio's eyes lit up as he heard the idea. He sincerely wanted to help ShinRa without compromising his business, but hadn't thought of a good way to do so. He also felt that Cloud deserved a hero's recognition for what he had done. “I like that Boy. I think I might use your ideas. A lot of people here love Cloud and if they hear about what he did to save the planet, I'm sure they'll be emptying their purses here to help the cause.”

 

Tifa stood and stared at the two men discussing how to use Cloud's name for marketing purposes. She knew Cloud better than any of them and Cloud was far too modest to let his name be used like that.

 

Rufus had noticed the pained expression on her face. He knew that anything regarding Cloud was going to be a highly sensitive topic for her. For a brief moment, he questioned whether he should have suggested the tournament in the first place. He wanted to talk to Tifa to see how she was doing, but Dio was still droning on and on about endless possible money-making ideas that were suddenly popping into his head. Salvation came in the rare form of a mildly irate Yuffie barging in on Dio's ramblings.

 

“Hey! Meathead! What are you gonna do about Chaos now? What's all this talk about making money when we need to talk about how we're gonna kick some demon butt!” Yuffie said.

 

“Yuffie, do you want to work with Dio on a plan to get rid of Chaos?” Rufus asked the ninja, hoping that she would take the bait.

 

“Oh hell yeah! I can come up with a great plan to trap Chaos! Ace, you can help too.” Yuffie said as she dragged Ace and Dio to a desk to draw out some plans.

 

Getting the distraction he needed, Rufus turned to Tifa. “You okay?”

 

Tifa stared up at him with pain in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but shut it promptly as she shook her head.

 

“What's wrong?”

 

Tifa hesitated for a minute before she finally spoke. “I don't think Cloud would want to have his name used like that. It'd be embarrassing to him and I don't want everyone to think that he wanted fame or fortune, because he didn't.”

 

Rufus winced as he heard the hurt in Tifa's voice as she spoke about Cloud. He should have considered Tifa's feelings before mentioning his ideas to Dio. Right now, he felt like an ass. “Gosh, Tifa. I probably spoke too soon. I wasn't really thinking about that. I was just thinking about how to help Dio raise money for those refugees and all. His name would draw in a large enough crowd to increase the amount of money he donated.”

 

Tifa's heart ached as she heard about the refugees. “I know you were only trying to help, but . . . I don't know if I'm completely comfortable with that. What if Dio abuses his name or does something that Cloud wouldn't want? What if . . . I don't know . . . I'm just not sure about this.” Her voice faltered. She didn't want to sound selfish, but she was. As much as helping raise money for Midgar was important, preserving Cloud's name was everything to her.

 

After a long pause, Rufus gently placed his hand on Tifa's shoulder as he spoke to her in a soothing voice. “We won't do anything you're not going to be comfortable with. You know Cloud the best so you know exactly what he would want and what he would do. If you want me to make sure Dio doesn't misuse Cloud's name, I'll do that. If you don't trust Dio to run things, we'll stop it. Whatever you want Tifa. I may not have known Cloud very well, but I think he would have done anything he could have to help out those refugees. Maybe even this. Just tell me what you want.”

 

Tifa bit her lip in frustration as she tried to tackle the decision she had to make. Would Cloud have minded having his name used like that? She thought back to all the heroic things Cloud had done. He had helped saved her when she fell off a bridge in Nibelheim. He was the one who rescued Priscilla from drowning and destroyed the sea monster threatening Junon. He was the one who killed Sephiroth and saved the planet from Meteor. The list went on and on. All of this he did without hesitation. He even swallowed his pride and dressed as a woman to help save her. Yes, Cloud would let Dio use his name like that. He had always been a hero his entire life and deep down Tifa knew that. But it was time that everyone learned how much of a man Cloud Strife was and how much he meant to her.

 

“You're right. He would do anything to help out.” Tifa said as she stared straight into crystal blue eyes. Eyes which reminded her so much of the man she held dear to her heart. “Please make sure that Dio doesn't do anything to harm Cloud's name.”

 

Rufus smiled hearing Tifa's words. He admired how strong she was, physically and mentally. He had no doubt that it would take a long, long time before she ever got over Cloud's death, but he was more than willing to stand by her side. He had told her that if she ever needed a shoulder to cry on he would be there and he always kept his word.

 

* * *

 

It was not a good day for Reno. He had been spending the better part of the morning convincing the police he was a Turk and he had authority to help in the investigation. It took him much longer than he would have liked to actually get them to consider Nicholas King as the prime suspect in his mother's murder. After that, the police took their time to issue a bulletin asking the public for information leading to his arrest. But now came the hard part: finding the murderer.

 

Reno couldn't rely on Junon's police force: they already tried to prove themselves and failed miserably. Checking his watch, Reno cursed as he noticed how late it had gotten. He had an hour before dusk and no leads. There were few options open to him right now, but it was better than nothing at all. He just hoped that he remembered the number correctly as Reno punched in a few keys and sent a message through his PHS. He didn't know how long it would take to get a reply, but that didn't matter to him. The only thing on Reno's mind was a nice warm bed. The fact that a dead woman was recently there didn't bother him either; he was too tired to care anymore.

(continued…)