My cellphone rang. That was inconvenient, though I doubted anybody could hear it from where I was. Note to self: turn ringer off next time I attempt stealth. I brought the binoculars away from my eyes and pulled my cell from my trenchcoat, flipping it open and answering it before it could make too much noise.
"Tifa," I hissed. "Why are you calling me?"
"How did you know it would be me?" she asked, surprised.
"I saw you talking to the Turks, then you went upstairs where I know you have a phone. Seemed like a safe assumption to make."
"Where are you right now?"
"Somewhere close enough." I looked through the binoculars at the bar from a nearby skyscraper several stories up. "I don't have time for this, what do you want?"
"The Turks wanted to know where you are," Tifa said.
"Would you tell them if I told you?"
"No."
I ground my teeth. "Why not?"
"Look, I just wanted you to know they're looking for you."
"I know that already, I don't need you to tell me that. Actually, it is a good thing you called."
"Why?"
"Reno looks ready to head to the bar. I think they want to make a move."
"What do you know?"
"Reno and Rude are fairly safe; they don't actually want to hurt you. Elena, however, isn't. She's desperate to impress the boss. She broke in and placed some explosives in the basement of your bar earlier this evening. The idea is they're going to threaten to blow up Seventh Heaven if you don't co-operate."
I heard a sharp intake of breath from Tifa. "What should I do?"
"Call their bluff. Make them flip the switch."
"What?"
"I already moved the explosives. Elena's waiting nearby blow them up, but she's going to be very surprised when something else goes up instead."
"Where did you-"
"I don't have time for this, and neither do you. Reno's headed for the counter."
"Thanks-"
"Save it." I hung up.
I listened to the sounds of the night as I watched the events unfold in the bar, stretching out on the concrete ledge I was perched on letting one foot swing freely out the window twenty-three stories up. Several minutes later, there was a brief series of loud explosions that had the abandoned building collapse across the street from Tifa's bar. It fell straight down in on itself. Now Edge could remove the rubble of that decrepit waste of space and build yet another convenience store or parking lot. Reno and Rude ran outside in surprise and Elena came out from where she was hiding next door. I snickered as I watched the events unfold.
"You would make an excellent Turk, you know."
I groaned. "Tseng, I'm not playing with you tonight. Go away," I waved at him dismissively.
Tseng emerged from the shadows where he'd been watching me all along. "Rufus feels you've betrayed him. He's not going to stop trying to find you," he stated openly.
"So why aren't you reporting me like a good little soldier?" I mocked, giving him a lazy salute.
"Why didn't you just let Elena destroy the bar?"
"More fun this way," I grinned mischeviously. "Hey, question. Was it really necessary to burn down my apartment building? I had some pretty sweet wallscrolls from Wutai in there."
"Rufus wanted to send a message and try to get to you. It was the first place we knew you might return to."
"I suppose." I yawned.
"He might ask us to go after your father next."
"See, that's a line you can't cross safely, Tseng," I said at the end of a stretch, then waved my finger, smiling. "If you or anyone goes after Dad then I'm just going to have to kill all of you. I'm sure you understand." I said playfully. I sat up and groaned. "Tseng, why are you here? Are you making the mistake of trying to help me?" I demanded.
"I'm sure you can take care of yourself. So, what does the infamous mercenary do with herself now?"
"Same old life, I suppose."
"I'm not kidding about the Turks. You would be an excellent addition to my team."
I laughed off my disgust. "I think it's been pretty well established that I don't follow orders well. Last time I'll ask; Why are you here?"
Tseng approached the open window, and I got to my feet and dusted off my trenchcoat to stand beside him as he looked out into the night. "Nostalgia, perhaps," he said after too long of a silence. "Over three years ago I would look out at Midgar's night skyline with Aeris."
"Ugh. Not this again. For the last time, I'm not her."
"Obviously. I was just-"
Tseng's radio beeped and Reno's voice crackled through. "Tseng. We've failed to get anything out of Tifa about the target."
"Abort mission. Return to base," Tseng calmly ordered.
"Boss, uhmm," Reno continued. "Is she with you right now?" he asked awkwardly.
Tseng grinned. He turned slightly to me. "Maybe you're not her, but it feels like old times nonetheless." He pressed the call button on his radio. "Affirmative. Ancient is secure." He put the radio away. "This is the part where you start running," he whispered, leaning slightly towards me.
I smiled and grasped the hilt of my sword, the slotted red Materia glowing as I summoned Bahamut Zero. Bahamut's obsidian form exploded out of the sky over Edge and hovered outside the window. I jumped out onto his back and took off into the night.
"Cancel that. Seria has escaped. Return to base for new orders." Tseng let go of the call button and turned to the stairs out.
