A/N:
Ok, this story is obviously based around the world and characters of FFVII. It will get to that in good time. I'm going to try a little character and plot development,however, before I reach that stage.
In this story, there will be OC's; none of which, I hasten to add, will be based on my good self or my friends. We're just not attractive enough for the fan fiction world.
There will, hopefully, be no "Mary Sue" characters. If you think its heading that way though, then feel free to let me know, but give me a chance for the fist few chapters.
In this story, the game world is not a game world to the earth characters. It is an alternate dimension existing alongside our own. (Wouldn't that be fun?)
I will try to keep pop culture references to a minimum, as I'm sure you have little to no interest in my personal tastes.
Oh, and as much as I do check my work, you're welcome to point out grammatical/spelling errors. Sadly, I do tend to write most of my fiction at night.
That is all. Thanks,x
Disclaimer– I own only the original characters. Nothing else. Pretty obvious really.
Chapter 1:
"Reno!" The fire-headed Turk winced visibly and stopped dead in his tracks. Turning, his eyes fell on the face of his employer, one Rufus Shinra. As usual, he had been trying to make a swift escape from the headquarters in the hope of starting drinking earlier. And, as usual, it seemed that he just wasn't going to get away with it.
"Sir." He headed back now, shuffling along the buffered white floor, staring at his feet, watching until they were a comfortable distance away from Rufus', and then he raised his almost luminous head to meet the young president's eyes.
"Trying to escape again Reno?" Rufus wasn't really annoyed. He was used to Reno's ways now. They had worked together long enough. Clearly, the Turk was inferior to him, but they were of a similar age and Rufus tired of the endless meetings spent with people old enough to be his father. Although, he had never been able to understand quite why Reno was so entertained by drinking the none–working half of his life away in seedy little bars, sleeping with God knows who, or what.
"Sorry Boss. I'm just, ya know, not in the mood." Now he twisted in his black-soled shoes, taking out his annoyance on the too-shiny floor, temporarily scarring it with the high quality rubber.
"Hmm, usually Reno I only keep you here to ensure you work your full hours, but today…" A smile played briefly on Rufus' lips "…there's a reason; a most important reason. Come. We're going to the basement. And for Gods' sake, will you stop that squeaking?" He jerked his cane in the direction of Reno's over-active feet.
As they walked, they talked. Or rather, Rufus talked and Reno half listened. It just pissed him off that Rufus could take such a high and mighty attitude all the time, especially when he was a mere twenty two; younger than the 'oh-so-immature Reno'. "You see Reno, the story goes like this. Before you began here, there was a Turk who worked in a similar position to you, but as an aide to my father. His name was Kayro. We believed him to be as loyal to my father as you Turks are to me now. However, we were wrong. Well, I wasn't wrong. I was too young to really make important decisions at that stage in the company. Anyway, it was discovered that he was aiding a rebel alliance in their efforts to overthrow the establishment; some pointless, earth loving, drug taking group. Anyway, he was caught in the act. Before we could, however, punish him; thus eliminating him as we do all traitors, he escaped."
"So what?" Their journey had come to an end now outside one of the smaller labs in the complex. "If it was when your father ran the company, then he must be long gone by now? Right?"
"One would assume so" Rufus agreed. "However, we have tracked him down, and you are to 'dispose of him as only you can." He indicated his blonde head to his employee, signalling that the conversation was, for now, over.
Opening the door to a laboratory in the basement that Rufus had stopped outside, Reno was, as usual, almost overpowered by the stench of chemicals. He hated the labs, all the negative aspects of the Shinra company always came out of these rooms. He stepped back to let his boss walk through the door that he was holding open for him, and followed suit behind. Reno was fairly surprised to find that the room was empty apart from Tseng, who appeared to have been waiting for them to arrive. In the middle of the room stood a massive silver frame, in the centre of which seemed to hang a taught black screen. The equipment, to Reno's untrained eyes, seemed to be fairly crude, but then and again, he didn't even know what it was supposed to be. He had by now, however, lost interest and could feel his liver crying out for alcohol.
"Reno!" For the second time today, Rufus' voice scolded him. "For once, will you just pay attention?"
"Yeah Reno" Tseng chipped in. "Use your brain for once."
"Tseng!" Rufus felt like a play-school teacher. "I'm the one doing the disciplining. As useful as you are, I don't actually need your help."
He looked around, from one Turk to the other, silently cautioning both of them to be aware of his authority.
"What you are looking at Reno is a portal, one of Shinra's best kept secrets. It gives us the capacity to enter the alternative Earth dimension. We have been using this medium for a long time to alternate between this world and their's…"
Reno was momentarily thrown out of his shell-shocked state long enough to ask "Who… err, who are they?" Images of moon-headed aliens or people with seven legs flashed through his head, and he snickered as his thoughts altered instead to the possibility of beautiful women with genetically perfect bodies. This all just seemed too weird though for him. Alternative dimensions? He felt like he was trapped in a low-budget science-fiction film. How could the company have kept this quiet for all this time?
Laughing heartily at Reno's horrified expression, Rufus explained "They are us basically. They carry the same characteristics as the majority of normal humans. Except, of course, they are less developed. Or, should I say their world is. From what we have discovered, they are completely unaware of how to utilise their planet's natural facilities. It does not appear to have a visible life stream. The planet is slowly destroying itself as the atmosphere collapses around it."
"So, what? Are we supposed to help them or something?" Reno very much doubted that Rufus had suddenly become socially aware, especially towards a world to which he had no real connection.
"Ha. No. We are simply on a search and destroy mission. We will find the betrayer, although we already know where he is, and we will kill him there. Then we will return. Swiftly. This is not a world with which you are to get involved. Reno, you understand me?"
"Yes, sir." Suddenly he became Reno the Turk again. Under control and focussed on the mission. "However, I have a question. If I may?"
"You may."
"Why me? Why not Rude or Elena? Turks you would class as more… professional?"
"Well…" Rufus was not one to mince his words. "The truth of the matter is, as much as I admire you, you are not as well respected throughout the community. If you open your mouth about this, you won't be believed. If Rude was to expose this, he would more likely succeed."
"Understood." Reno was no fool. He knew many people saw him as an immature thug, and it was a reputation that, in recent years, he had come to resent. Tall, lean and undeniably charismatic, his confidence served him well with women; for a while. The drill was that he would meet them, usually in some seedy bar, and seem an ideal gentleman as he poured out falsified hopes of romance and none-existent insecurities as fast as the bar-tenders could pour the drinks.
"Well, come on then. Go through it Reno. You can't be a deadly assassin from this side of the portal, can you?" Sometimes Rufus just sounded like a patronising teacher.
"Are all Shinra's born with a rod the size of Midgar wedged up their arsehole?" He thought to himself. "Sometimes I think I liked him more with Geostigma. Even though he was still a moody bastard, at least then he couldn't walk around and find me all the time. Look at him, with his stupid hair, and expensive clothes." Observing Rufus prepare to enter the portal thing, which still, incidentally, creeped Reno out with its darkness and nerdy connotations, he couldn't help but snigger as he noticed Rufus was wearing an exact copy of the white suit he'd been wearing yesterday. He looked like the ghost he was, a fragment of the success his father had been, trying desperately to play the big-man. He was dangerous though, behind the glazed eyes and placid smile; a violent toddler with the biggest toys in the playground and, of course, Reno, the biggest bully, on his side.
With a deep breath, he took the plunge and stepped into the portal, only hoping that there was a functioning escape, and that he wouldn't be stuck in this "Earth" place with only Rufus, the prematurely senile, sexless and worst of all sensible drinker for all eternity.