My Side
Viteros
viteros@hotmail.com
"Rufus!"
"Yes, father."
"What are you doing!"
"I am…I am practicing…"
"You nearly killed me, idiot!"
"Sorry, father."
"Rufus, you need to be more careful!"
"I know, I know, you don't have to remind me."
"That was 15 years ago. I was eight then."
Tseng, looking out the window of the helicopter, looked back at his employer, Rufus Shinra, heir to the massive Shinra Empire, the mega-company that controlled the entire planet. "What exactly were you practicing?"
Rufus grinned tightly and flicked back some loose blond hairs from his face. "My shotgun. Aiming."
Tseng looked back out the window. "I was wondering how long you'd had that."
"My father gave it to me. He thought I might need it someday."
"Have you needed it before?"
Rufus looked upwards and thought for a little while. After a few minutes Tseng thought he had gone to sleep when he suddenly said, "Yes. Once."
"Rufus! What are you doing in here?"
"Sorry, father, I was just curious…"
"What are you talking about? This is very dangerous!"
"I heard Sephiroth was here…"
"Yes, he is. So what?"
"I wanted to see him."
"Fine. Sephiroth, come here, please. I'd like you to meet my son, Rufus."
"Hello, Rufus. It is good to meet you."
"His voice chilled me to the bone. That smile, that gray hair…he was just creepy."
Tseng checked his watch quickly and the bullets in his pistol. "It's a real shame he went crazy that time ago. He was one of the best."
"Indeed, he was." Rufus slouched a bit and put his chin on his chest. "He was the best of the SOLDIER…the very, very best. He was a strange acquisition, too. Rumor is that my father met him while traveling."
"Details of any kind, sir?"
Rufus shook his head. "No such luck. All I know is that they met."
"Not very specific, though, is it?"
"No…not really. Like you said, a real shame."
Scarlet walked in, relaxed and, well, sluttish, as Rufus would have to put it. As usual.
"Do you need anything, sir?" She stood by Rufus and bent over instead of look down at him. So much respect, but the fact that she bent over could be kind of condescending in itself. Sometimes it bothered Rufus, how everyone treated him different from everyone else, but that was all right. He was the son of Shinra, after all.
"No, nothing." Rufus waved his hand idly. It was the gesture that meant 'leave', but probably, from the way he used it, more akin to 'shoo'. But then, no one argued with him.
Suddenly, Tseng leapt up from his chair. "What the hell!?"
Rufus got up, alert. "What is it, Tseng?"
"Look down in the window!" he half-shouted, courtesy forgotten in his shock.
Rufus, cool as ever, walked to the window across from his seat and looked downwards toward the Shinra building. Through the window he could see his father's huge office, and slumped over his desk, his red suit stained with blood, impaled with an all-too familiar blade, was his father. Presumably dead, of course. No one could survive a wound like that.
Strangely, the first thoughts in Rufus' head were "Sephiroth."
Then, more logically, he thought, "Now I'm the head of Shinra Corporation."
He turned to the pilot and said, "We need to investigate. Prepare to land. Scarlet, get Dark Nation's cage and let him out." Rufus turned back to the window. "I think we might get into some trouble here. Rude, the PHS!"
The bald Turk handed his boss the cellular phone, and Rufus quickly dialed. "Hojo? This is Rufus. What's going on?"
The oily voice of head scientist Hojo came back over the phone, "I'm not…not exactly…sure, sir."
"Is something wrong? You sound winded."
"I…I was…I was attacked. I'm not…not sure what exactly…happened…a specimen escaped, and attack…attacked me. I've only just got…away."
"Where are you now?"
"I'm…I'm at the…the bottom floor. I'm going to leave the facility."
"Why?"
Hojo started to get his breath back, and was talking better. "There's a group of…bandits here. They're-actually, I'm not sure what they want, but they did get the Cet…Cetra. Also, Sephiroth was…here."
"Sephiroth?"
Tseng, overhearing Rufus' words, muttered, "Sephiroth? What's he doing here?"
"Whatever it is, get out of there safely, understand? See you later."
"Yes…sir."
Rufus shut the PHS and handed it to Scarlet. He looked down at Dark Nation beside him, and the creature let out a low growl. "I know," he said almost subconsciously, "I feel it too…there's something very wrong."
But when Tseng looked in his face he saw anger mixing with elation, not fear. Rufus could control his voice, but not his eyes.
Suddenly, Reno spoke up from his window seat. "Who are they?" His voice was slightly muffled by the casts he wore. Before, a group had beaten him up pretty bad when they attacked him at the Sector 7 Pillar. He wore a cast on his arm, around his neck, a leg, and some bandages were wrapped around his head. It was pathetic that the elite bodyguards of Shinra could be beaten so easily.
Rufus looked out the window again and said, "That one's got a Shinra SOLDIER issue Buster Sword. And…who's that one? The black one?"
"That is a man named Barret Wallace, according to our files," said someone, Rufus couldn't hear whom, "He was one of the only survivors of the Shinra attack on Corel village. And we've heard he's a resistance fighter as well."
"Oh…him. Well, the mere presence of these people, and that…that dog thing, I'm guessing that's Hojo's…their presence up here implies a serious problem." Rufus hefted his shotgun. "I'll take care of this myself."
When the helicopter got near enough to the building, Dark Nation leapt out of the door and Rufus climbed down the rope ladder leisurely, after all, no one could ever rush him. When he landed he looked at the motley group before him. The two that caught his eye before, the Cetra, the specimen, and a woman. No matter, though.
He smiled slightly, beneficially. "I am Rufus Shinra," he said, "With my father…unfortunately dead, I am the president of Shinra Corporation. What are your names? And what are you doing here?"
The blond one with the Buster Sword said, "I'm Cloud Strife."
Barret introduced himself as well. The Cetra gave her name too, but he didn't need it, of course. An important person like Aeris Gainsborough was already imprinted into Rufus' memory. The other woman, called herself Tifa Lockhart, and the specimen introduced himself as Red XIII, the name Hojo had given him. Was he nameless then? No matter, keep your thoughts on the task at hand.
Rufus looked over the group again, cool, calculating, with a gaze that clearly said that they were his inferiors. Which, after all, they were.
"I see Sephiroth was here. But you still haven't answered my question. Why are you here?" asked Rufus, with much more patience than he thought they deserved.
"We're here because you abducted Aeris!" Strife stepped forward and made a violent gesture with his arm. "We're taking her back!"
Rufus shrugged. "Try, if you want.
"But, I can tell you, in the end all of your efforts are futile. Sorry, but that's what will happen…and I assure you I will not rule like my father did, not at all. He said that work hard, the Shinra Company will take care of you, of your family, and if there are problems the Shinra SOLDIERS will protect you. It looked perfect…on the outside.
"But I will work very differently. Fear will control the commoners quite nicely. No need to waste good money on the ignorant masses."
Tifa whispered, or thought she whispered, "He likes to make speeches, like his father."
Rufus turned to look out over Midgar. Even if they tried to attack him, Rude and Tseng were in the helicopter nearby. They would shoot whoever made a move at him at the moment. And such a bold move would make them afraid, wonder what he was planning.
If he had learned anything from his father, it was tactics.
"Father, I'm sorry…"
"Rufus. Don't bow your head."
"Father?"
"You must bow to me, of course, but never to anyone else. It shows weakness, Rufus."
"But…bowing as a greeting…"
"Yes, that of course, but you must understand that you are, as far as anyone knows, better than anyone else, but will show courtesy to your father. When you bow as a greeting, make the slightest inclination of your head. Merely acknowledge their presence, not submit!"
"Yes father."
"Instill fear in your enemies, Rufus. Fear elicits respect."
Rufus lowered his head slightly and said under his breath with a twisted smile, "But now you're dead, Dad. And nothing, nothing, not even you can stop me now. I'll do everything my way, and everyone will see my side of things."
Suddenly, he was jolted back to reality. He realized that Strife had been speaking to him for a little while, something defiant. Rufus didn't know what he said, but pretended he did.
"Well," he said, turning slowly, but at just the right speed for his spotless white trench coat to swirl slightly in the breeze, pulling out his shotgun, "It seems we won't be allies. Most unfortunate."
He noticed that the others were gone. No matter. The Hundred Gunner and Heli-Gunner security systems would soon take care of them.
Dark Nation appeared and Rufus' face was impassive as the customary magical barrier appeared before him. He had fought before, and Dark Nation had helped him before. However, Rufus did indeed encounter a move he didn't expect, as suddenly, at a gesture of the bright green Materia in Strife's hand, he felt suddenly and terribly sick. Not a normal offensive magic, one very unique. A masterful move.
Although paler, Rufus grinned defiantly. "Nice try, but you're going to have to be better." He quickly took aim and fired, hitting the man's armor. Then he lurched ever so slightly as he coughed up blood and quickly swallowed it before it came to his lips.
Dark Nation cast a magical barrier on Rufus now; he would be defended against any more magic his opponent chose to cast against him. Suddenly, a red light blazed, and Strife jumped impossibly high in the air and landed, with the blade cutting right through Dark Nation, slaying the beast in an instant.
Rufus was substantially surprised. Who was this? Who could wield such power?
Paying no attention to the terrible nausea threatening to overtake him, he fired again, scoring hard hits, and glad to see that the blood spurted and soaked and darkened Strife's garments.
Strife charged then, shouting and apparently ready to give a terrible blow. Rufus dodged to the side, helped by the magical barrier that parried Strife's attack. He smacked the man in the back of the head with the butt and was just about to fire at point-blank range into his head, shattering the skull and ripping the brain, when suddenly, Strife swiftly kicked backwards, forcing the air from Rufus' lungs, and, as an aftereffect of the magic poisons now coursing through his system, blood. Some blood fell onto Strife's face and into his eyes. The man blinked frantically, trying to get his vision back while swinging wildly. Rufus tried to dodge to the side but fell, sickened and in pain. One of the wild sword strikes made contact and cut across his chest. He shouted in pain.
Quickly the helicopter flew by and he grabbed onto one of its legs. Strife finally wiped the blood from his face and watched in anger as Rufus flew away; looking down with carefully made condescending disgust and carelessly flicked his hair.
Inside the helicopter, though, it was a different story. He was healed by drinking a few terrible-tasting medicines and had his chest bandaged. They were flying away to meet with a new potential employee.
After the helicopter landed at Kalm, Rufus was quick in locating the new one. She was a SOLDIER, special division, part of hit-and-run attacks and assassinations.
He walked over and smiled. "Elena," he said, "It is good to meet you."
She looked timidly up at his face. She was comely, he had to admit, but Rufus wasn't there for pleasantries. And, from the look of her, she definitely wasn't Turk material. But, then again, that could all be part of her assassin training-to deceive everyone she met.
She bowed low and saluted, her cheeks red. "Uh…sir! Elena reporting in for duty!"
She didn't say her last name, and, as far as anyone knew, she didn't have one. The Turks were the utmost soldiers, and needed no background, no identity. They were who they were, and nothing else.
Rufus didn't move, and didn't change his cold, calculating gaze. He merely looked at her with frigid blue eyes as she held her salute and trembled. She was dressed as a Turk should be, but the uniform was perhaps a little too large for her. Rufus smiled inwardly, but no sign of that smile showed on his face. He had learned to hide his emotions. The mental smile came from realizing, once again, the incredible powers he possessed-through strenuous training and experience, of course. He noticed the smallest detail, and that was no disadvantage.
Finally, he spoke. "Elena. Do you know why you have been chosen for this work?"
"N-no, sir."
"I'll tell you." Rufus gestured to Tseng, who stepped forward. "Do you know who this is?"
"Tseng, leader of the Turks, sir."
"Do you know why he is a Turk, or the leader of the Turks?"
"No, sir."
"Do you have any idea of what he is?"
Elena seemed to be very worried now. She thought this was some kind of test. "He is…the best?"
"Exactly. He is the best of the best. The cream of the crop. You don't get any soldiers better than him. And…now, Elena…you are going to be one of his very near…direct…subordinates. Do you realize how great of an honor that is?"
Elena straightened up a bit, but colored a bit more. "Yes sir."
Rufus was amused at her obvious discomfort. Perhaps it was somewhat sadistic of him, but he took pleasure in it, nonetheless. "Elena. You are going to be one of the best. Do well."
Without any other words, he turned and walked back to the waiting helicopter. While he got near to the door Rude and Reno jumped out in perfect concert and walked over to Tseng slowly, easily. Rufus noted with displeasure that Reno had a few crumbs on his pants. He glared to let the Turk know that he knew. Being so injured was bad enough, but to look that bad, as well…
When he got to the door he said, "Tseng. Rude. Reno. I expect you will treat her well, understand? She's one of you now, and she's one of the best."
Of course, everyone knew that the real reason Elena was elected to be a Turk was because of the simple lack of special bodyguards among the Shinra Company. Everyone knew, that is, but Elena. She thought it was a great honor, while everyone else knew that it was just a formality to have four Turks. But, thought Rufus, better let her keep thinking that. It helps with the motivation.
A few minutes later Rufus was back at the massive headquarters for the Shinra Company. He sat in a new desk, in his father's old office, spotlessly clean and with the most trusted SOLDIERS around him at all times, guns at the ready. And, of course, his shotgun was with him, hidden under the desk.
An assistant came in carrying stacks of papers. Probably some more trash about the damage done to Midgar, who would fix it, what would happen to the people outside…more and more of these came in every day. It was getting so, so utterly bothersome, and boring as well. Rufus could think of nothing stupider that a group of people.
"I'll deal with this one personally," he said to the secretary, "send out a newsletter for everyone to meet at Sector 8 Pillar."
A day later Rufus found himself once again on his helicopter, this time being taken to the Sector 8 Pillar, where a huge throng had gathered. He landed within the fenced off area and climbed the pillar a ways. Then he looked down on the crowd and gestured with his hands for silence. As the massive horde slowly quieted down, he thought it wasn't fast enough.
He gestured to a group of SOLDIERS who were around the crowd. They had thought of this beforehand.
Without hesitation the SOLDIERS fired into the air with their machine guns, filling everyone's ears with the sound of bullets. The crowd immediately was quiet.
Rufus stepped forward to the edge of the Pillar and shouted to the crowd.
"People of Midgar!" he yelled, arms spread wide, "I am Rufus Shinra, your new master. Why have you gathered here today?"
"Because you asked us to!" screamed some idiots from the crowd.
But some of the more intelligent in the throng shouted back at him, "The destruction of Sector 7 Pillar! Why'd you do that!"
Rufus cocked his head and narrowed his eyes a little bit. "What are you talking about? Do you not recall the news broadcasts saying that it was the group of terrorists that committed that terrible act of wanton destruction?"
It seemed the crowd had a few spokesmen now. The spokesmen shouted, "Don't think we didn't see the Shinra copter fly away from the Pillar just before it exploded!"
Rufus replied, "That was a special squad trying to defeat the terrorists. Even Shinra-"
But now the crowd was screaming again. After a while of trying to quiet it down Rufus yelled to the crowd, "Fine, then. Send your spokesmen up here to talk with me personally."
The men, urged on by the screaming and shoving crowd, went up the stairs, proud and confident.
Rufus smiled when he saw them come up and thought back on his own words. Fear will control the common people.
He walked over to them and said with an amiable smile, "Gentlemen! Please come this way to the edge. Here, we can talk with all of the good people of Midgar hearing us."
They walked over self-importantly, Rufus thought. They were altogether too confident. Little did they know the real reason he had called them up here…
At a sign from his hand, a group of SOLDIERS quickly grabbed the men before they got in view of the throngs below and held them hard. Rufus gripped a random one roughly by the shirt and walked over to the edge and his whirled his shotgun in his hand. Wordlessly he held the man in front of him, and smashed him over the head. While he was dazed and stunned by the blow Rufus effortlessly aimed and shot him in the chest, spraying blood over the crowd, followed by the body.
Rufus took another one and shot him in the shoulders, then the shins, and finally put the barrel against his head and fired, the sheer momentum of such a close shot easily propelling the corpse into the crowds below.
Rufus walked over to the edge, holding his still-smoking shotgun. He shouted down at the now silent crowd, "I am Rufus Shinra! My father is dead! He was your master, your friend, but I tell you I am no friend of yours! You are mine to command, mine to control! Whoever wishes to cross me will suffer dearly…come forth now!"
Some in the crowd started to riot again. Rufus took a grenade from a soldier and tossed it in.
After the explosion, nothing was heard but the tortured screams of the ones ripped apart in the explosion.
After that meeting, Rufus knew that his complete, fear-based control of the people of Midgar was assured. And people everywhere would hear about this, and then all would truly be under his command.
Rufus journeyed to Junon then, where he knew that everyone would be celebrating his new, higher rank. So much the better, they would love him but also hold an undercurrent of fear.
So much the better.
At Junon he was paraded through the streets in a car, made by Shinra Corporation, and he smiled as he waved at the crowd. He was fully aware that while fear controlled the populace, they should love him as well. Making such a balance was difficult, but he had been taught by the best.
"Father…I'm not sure I understand…"
"No, Rufus, you see, everyone has to think you're the best person in the world."
"But they must also fear me."
"As the way they fear me."
"But…but Father, everyone loves you!"
"Yes, that's right Rufus, but everyone also is afraid. Afraid that I will pull away my support, that I will destroy them with the SOLDIER."
"But…why this way?"
"Because, simply Rufus, it's the best way."
Rufus therefore smiled amiably, waved, accepted the flowers and other things thrown at him, bowed, and seemed to be glad to meet them. Little did they know of the complete disgust he held in his heart.
At the take-off ceremony, a small group of SOLDIERS came and did a little display. They lifted their guns and did well, but one of them messed up twice. Strange indeed, but they did well, and it was a good performance. Rufus gestured to his second, Heidegger, and said, "That one. The one who screwed up. He did well in the others, get him something very good."
Heidegger presented the young man with a Force Stealer sword, and the man bowed, thanked him, and with a strange glance towards the cargo hold walked away.
Rufus leaned towards Heidegger and whispered, "Keep an eye on him. He looks…different. No one makes that many errors."
The fat vice-president of Shinra nodded and burst out laughing, as the idiot was prone to do. "Yes, sir. Gya, ha, ha!"
Rufus looked at him with obvious distaste, wrinkling his nose. "Stop that stupid horse laugh and get to work."
"Yes, sir. Gya, ha…"
Rufus walked over and punched him in the face, cutting the man's lip. "Get out of my sight."
A minute later Rufus was on the bridge of the Shinra ship Tokugawa and was well on his way to Costa Del Sol. As soon as he got there he could maybe spend some time by himself, somewhere where he could relax and not have to bother with these idiots.
He sat in a chair looking out the front window, thinking. When he did this he did not move, and did his best to breathe quietly, and not blink. People would fear him more if they found him eccentric, and eccentricity was easy, especially creepy eccentricity. Rufus was, after all, trained by the best.
Heidegger walked in again, and Rufus groaned inwardly. It was so annoying to deal with that fool. He was an overconfident, pompous baboon, who would probably do better as a mere motivational speaker for the troops rather than the vice-president. Rufus knew that the only reason such an incompetent fool was the vice was that he was a good friend of his father. Yet another sad mistake of the unfortunately late Mr. Shinra.
"What is it," he said, standing completely still and glaring at the man. It was more of an angry statement than a question.
Heidegger seemed completely unfazed. He merely smiled through his long beard and said, "Mister Shinra, we are experiencing unfortunate problems in Midgar."
Rufus nodded and rewarded Heidegger's information with a withering glare. "Of course. Thousands are dead now, after all."
"The repercussions are…incredible."
Rufus stood up and walked to the window and looked out towards the sea and the tiny dot of land in the distance. "Heidegger…I know that there are repercussions. My father knew about those repercussions. It is quite obvious what will happen…of course, the ones that are shouting against Shinra Company are a small percentage, are they not?"
Heidegger nodded and smiled through his thick beard. "Yes. The rest blame the rebels."
Rufus rested his forehead in one gloved hand. "Those rebels…so utterly tiresome. Wait…Heidegger…"
The fat man had been inspecting the instruments; he turned to his president and said "Sir?" but he soon saw what was going on.
A sailor, a very burly one at that, was peeking in through the window. As soon as he saw that Heidegger saw him as well he ducked out of sight. A few seconds later they saw him busy, pretending to be sweeping the deck.
Heidegger seemed to read Rufus' mind. "A rebel?"
"Of course. Send a squad after him."
Heidegger walked over to a console and pulled off a small talkie. He spoke into it quickly, and he was answered by a static-ridden voice that one could only understand with vast experience with such equipment. Rufus would have to get someone to either fix the thing or build a new one. He made a mental note and logged it away.
"There are rebels on board, sergeant."
"Sir? Rebels?"
"That's right, fool. You need to capture them immediately."
"Ah…"
Heidegger listened impatiently as they both heard the man yelling at some unfortunate SOLDIER, and then came back to the microphone.
"Um…sir, I think Squad B8 can take care of that."
"Then send them, you idiot!"
Heidegger fairly smashed the radio putting it back on its hook, and Rufus smiled thinly. The man's emotions were much too wild, his happiness and rage were always so apparent. The irony…the vice-president of Shinra, transparent as glass.
Heidegger turned back to Rufus and said, "Hopefully, the situation has now been taken care of."
"Good," responded the president, now watching the 'sailor' as he frantically brushed the ground, curiously doing it one-handed. "Heidegger…back to our original subject. So a few hecklers are angry with us? The mass is with us…"
"Yes indeed. But they might try to…put a more direct approach into changing the situation."
Rufus laughed and moved back a stray wisp of his shiny blond hair and said, "Heidegger, our massive SOLDIER force is more than enough to take care of a few rebels…after all, I think…"
He stopped his sentence and worry furrowed his brow. He felt a sudden cold…his heart hurt. Rufus coughed a few times and turned to the vice- president, who was wearing an expression similar to his, looking around. No one could have missed the sudden feeling of cold that had just permeated the room, the anger and hate and pain, culminating into the air so much that one could just reach out and touch it…
Rufus suddenly had a thought in his mind, strange and intrusive…Sephiroth is on board!
He shook his head. "Heidegger. What's happening?"
Heidegger was already heading to the speaker again, and quickly asked the SOLDIER commander what was happening. Static took its toll in the conversation, cutting in, chopping the words up.
"Sir! Someone's on board…don't think…white…str-…very powerful! Mass…ord! Dangerous! I'm not…aaargh!"
A scream punctuated the end of the sentence and then static took over.
Rufus looked at Heidegger, and they both knew exactly what to do. Heidegger quickly took the speaker again and changed the frequency, calling the emergency helicopters up above. From the steady thwok thwok thwok of the wind, Rufus knew that the helicopter crews, thinking quickly, were already prepping their escape.
Unconsciously he pulled his shotgun from the depths of his spotless white trench coat and loaded a fresh clip into it, discarding the old one, and putting off the safety. If Sephiroth, or whoever the intruder was, decided to put on an appearance on deck or at the helicopter he'd be ready. He could see that Heidegger was thinking along the same vein, pulling out a revolver from some pocket obscured by his dense beard.
After a few minutes of waiting, and hearing some grisly screams from outside, the two stood there, but still controlled. The both were wary still, with Rufus continuously scanning the entire room, and Heidegger pointing his gun at the door but still watching out the windows. When a roof plate was removed, they both aimed automatically up at the roof, trigger fingers tight.
A helmeted head came down into the opening throwing down a rope ladder. He had to shout loudly over the sound of the helicopter blades. "Sirs! It's time to go! Please come up!"
Rufus climbed first, quickly. He was still lithe after all, supple and fast. Heidegger on the other hand, took a while, and for a few seconds Rufus was afraid the massive man would actually get stuck in the small opening, but no such bad luck befell them, and they climbed into the helicopter, buckling themselves in. But while still in the act of evacuating Rufus glanced out the window and saw a group of dead SOLDIER, and a discarded uniform. Suddenly, he saw him.
Sephiroth, walking leisurely across the deck, bloodstained sword in hand. His long white hair fluttered in the wind like a tattered flag, and his cold green eyes were dead, taking in the sights of the bodies with no reaction at all.
He turned and stared up at the helicopter with those baleful, dead eyes, and Rufus found himself shivering from the bone-freezing stare.
1 Soulless…no heart…evil…dark…
"You've got no heart, Rufus. You've got no soul."
"And according to you, Mother, I have no future! I will be the head of Shinra Corporation, I'll be the best, everyone will serve me, what do you care about souls!"
"You need a soul, Rufus."
"Mother…I have no need of such."
"You worthless boy! What is wrong with you, you…aah!"
"Don't try to hurt me again."
"Don't you dare threaten your mother!"
"What? What, you fear me? What if I just put a bit more pressure…more…"
"Aaah!"
"Heh. And then if I turn just like this, it throws…"
"Ugh! You worthless trash, apologize! How dare you!"
"How dare I? How dare I? Simple! And now…"
"Wait…what are you doing Rufus…what are you doing!"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"The shotgun, Rufus! What are you doing!"
"You are worthless to me, you are a pathetic waste of food and air. Think of it this way…economically. You serve no purpose. Goodbye, mother. Say hello to the devil for me."
"You…where did I go wrong, Rufus? You're soulless…"
"One…"
"No, Rufus! I'm your mother!"
"Two…"
"Rufus! That's not right! Where's your heart, where's your soul!"
"Three…"
2 "Rufus!"
"Mister Rufus…Mister Rufus…sir!"
Rufus awoke with a start. "What?"
"Sir, we've arrived at Costa Del Sol."
"Oh…we're there. Where is Heidegger?"
"He's outside, talking to the commander."
"I see. When he returns, tell him that I've gone for a quick stroll."
The helicopter pilot saluted and walked away, presumably to talk to Heidegger. Rufus walked out of the helicopter leisurely, and started to relax, walking calmly along the beaches. He'd heard monsters infested these areas, but he was more than a match for any mere beast that tried to eat him.
He thought back to that memory he had had on the helicopter. He had been lost in thought, right after seeing Sephiroth…
Rufus looked upwards at the blue sky. He had killed her, of course. A point-blank shotgun blast to the head. Those were for ceremonial kills, and a matricide would be a very ceremonial one…
He would have probably later committed a patricide, come to think of it. Shot his father. The man was a good businessman, Rufus had to give him that, but the late Shinra was definitely not the most efficient. Instead of being a king, when he could easily be one, he was a politician, buying the people's favor. That was foolish, and he should have also seen that his son was very dangerous. Rufus would have, exactly when he decided he had learned enough, maneuver his father into a secluded shot and get rid of him.
Rufus smiled. The bold win, after all, as a wise man had once said…who was he…Michavelli. Rufus had read all of his works, and agreed wholeheartedly about everything. The man was a genius, the strong survive, the weak serve the strong. Such was the way of life, such as it is, and such shall it be. Forever.
A few days later, Rufus found himself back in Midgar. The new fear policy was having some problems, but those were to be expected, after all. A few would always oppose such a policy, but having to deal with a small group was well worth it for the long-range financial benefits, as well as the improvements in life in general.
Rufus relaxed in his office, his eyes dead and staring at the far wall. The Turks stood around him, ready to react quickly to any crisis that may come up. He heard steps on the stairs, steps that slowed as they got nearer to the massive office. He then saw a terrified-looking young secretary come up clutching papers…always the little minions feared their masters, but her mental state was no concern of his.
Rufus rewarded her promptness with a cool look and said shortly, "Yes?"
"Ah, Mr. Shinra, sir," she said, dropping papers, trying to pick them up, smooth her hair, look at Rufus, and fix her shirt all at the same time, "Sir, these, these uh, these papers came in for you this morning, and…"
Rufus didn't say anything, just sat and watched her. As much of a waste of time as this was, he would be lying if he said he didn't get some small degree of sadistic pleasure from watching employees panic. Everyone's got a dark side, and Rufus was going to indulge his.
Finally, after watching a few minutes of her stammering and terrified misery, he said, "Fine. Very well. Give them to me."
She gratefully dumped the stack on his desk, where they scattered everywhere. Annoyed, Rufus said "All right then. Get back to work."
Quickly, as if nothing could be better, the secretary scurried out of the office.
Rufus sat there for a while, looking at the papers that had been delivered. There were a few complaints about the recent budget cuts and the gradual funneling of Shinra money into the weapons department, but those were irrelevant. There were some questions from the commoners about what was happening. There were some diagrams of the new Proud Clod model being developed by Scarlet and her team…
Rufus pushed a button on his desk and he heard a voice at the other end, "Sir?"
"Get someone up here and to take some things to the Mayor," he said into the speaker. "Hurry it up."
Incredibly, the one to come up was Tseng himself.
Rufus stood up and walked over, holding some of the papers. "Tseng? Why are you here?"
"Sir," he said, bowing, "I'm here to get those final orders."
"Final orders?"
"Final orders for the Cetra Temple operation. Sir."
"Oh that…you can get final orders from Heidegger."
Tseng stood there, staring past Rufus for a little while. When the Shinra president got worried he said cautiously, "Tseng?"
"Oh, nothing sir," said Tseng, shaking his head. "I'll…I'll just go."
"Yes. Get out of here, and don't screw up this time. I don't want to hear more reports about rogue ex-SOLDIER, do you understand?"
Three days later Rufus was in the target range, firing his shotgun, when suddenly a SOLDIER ran up to him and saluted. He seemed out of breath.
Rufus turned coolly. "What is it?"
The SOLDIER gave a quick salute and then said in a shocked voice,
"Sir…Tseng is dead."
Days after that the casket arrived. It was a plain one, but of good make, made of strong wood and well painted in a rich, shiny black. The casket was taken to the main building, where it was put in a place of honor, where it was saluted by the employees, and, through the television broadcasts, the people of Midgar, and presumably the entire planet.
Rufus stood there on that windy day, staring down at the casket as men slowly shoved dirt on top of it. The leaves were starting to brown and fall; many leaves would get buried back down with Tseng. It was strange to stand there, looking down at the coffin, the plain wooden box that held the body of the one who had, just days ago, been one of his specialty troops, one of the best, elite, one of those constants that everyone could always know that it would always be there.
Rufus would also have to work out the details of Tseng's will as well, and that would be quite tiresome. After that he would have to do the sympathetic letters to friends and family, the announcements to the rest of the company…as he looked down at the casket, Rufus thought that, despite being so useful in life, Tseng really was a bother in death.
But, thought Rufus Shinra, President of the world, he did regret that the last words Tseng ever heard from him were orders.
Despite sadness about Tseng's regrettable death, Rufus still didn't have any time to mourn himself. He had sent the other Turks out on various missions, and the most important was that Elena was out on intercept course with the ex-SOLDIER Cloud Strife at Icicle Inn. A strange name for a city, but then, what did it matter? She was supposed to defeat Strife with her contingent of soldiers under her command and continue to follow Sephiroth. Such an easy mission; no one could possibly screw it up.
Rufus' mood was already bad, and it was steadily getting worse. Not only had Elena failed the entire mission but had also failed to successfully track down Sephiroth, who had succeeded in murdering dozens of people. He had also heard that the escaped Jenova creature had been steadily 'evolving', feeding off the genetic material it harvested from corpses and victims. Soon enough it would be a great threat.
However, the good news was that they had successfully captured Strife's companions, Wallace and Lockhart. The deaths of these 'terrorists' would hearten the company and the populace, while their terrible gas-induced deaths would also inhibit attacks against him. A masterful stroke.
Rufus stood there looking down through a window, lost in his thoughts. Life, like war, had contained many strange and unexpected twists and turns. Rufus had to admit that many of these events were completely unexpected, but then again, they weren't bad necessarily. Like his old personal trainer, Dorian used to say…
"Aah! My leg!"
"What happened?"
"My ankle…I've…I've hurt it!"
"Here, let me feel it…does it hurt when I touch here?"
"No…"
"Here?"
"Yes!"
"It'll be okay, Rufus. You just take a break for a minute, and then we'll keep training. It's kind of good that this happened, actually."
"What? How can this be a good thing? This is terrible!"
"Not necessarily. Rufus, do you remember what I said about broken bones?"
"When they heal, the broken part is stronger."
"That's right. And that rule applies to almost everything."
"What do you mean?"
"There's a saying, and it goes 'If it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger'. That's the same here. As you suffer more and more pain, you become hardened and used to it, so it doesn't hurt as much next time. Over time, as you accumulate injuries, someday you won't care about pain anymore."
"One day…"
"That's long enough for resting, son. Back to the obstacles."
"One day…"
Rufus knew that Dorian had been right. As he suffered more, he cared less. That went for his emotional pain too, as time went on of seeing tragedies and being hurt himself, now he thought nothing of torturing a man to death or watching a close friend killed, skewered on the edge of a sword…
Granted, there was some pain. No point in deluding oneself. But Rufus was glad that he didn't take a while mourning for Tseng. He was still waiting for that one day.
Then he heard a far more grating noise. "President? The preparations for the execution are complete." Heidegger.
"Fine," said Rufus. "Kill them one by one. Kill the woman first."
"Yes, sir."
Heidegger waddled out, presumably to rejoin his now-partner, Scarlet of Weapons Department. They had been spending a lot of time together lately, working on some big fat project. Rufus hadn't been kept totally in the dark about it, but he still wished that they would concentrate more on the company…they had begun sending SOLDIER squadrons out to collect Huge Materia, they had taken the Nibelheim one and were already on the move to other locations. To Rufus, it was just like an extravagant training exercise.
Rufus went down to his Junon office and relaxed, watching the small television that he had there. He would watch their executions in total comfort. First, he watched the woman, Lockhart, being slowly dragged to the gas chamber and strapped into the chair that would be her carrier into death. First she would start to feel lightheaded, then her eyes would begin to slip in and out of focus. After that she would find that her intelligence was steadily dropping, within a few minutes the mental regression would equal her mind with that of a small child. A few moments after, she would be dead.
And those were just the mental effects; to say nothing of the excruciating muscular pain she would suffer…
Lost in his thoughts, Rufus suddenly noticed something strange. Strange and disturbing.
Outside, through the window that looked outwards toward the vast sea, he saw a shape in the water, a massive, dark wave flowing quickly towards him. It rushed with great speed and was too contained to be a mere wave…
Quickly taking the phone, Rufus called down to the SOLDIER office. "Have any of you noticed the wave outside?"
"Yes, sir. We've dispatched a boat, but it hasn't come back yet. We're preparing the weapons right now."
Rufus hung up. He was still troubled by that wave, though. He had heard rumors lately about the mysterious WEAPON creatures that they had encountered back on the Great Glacier, the supposed 'Lifestream Guardians of the Planet'. He had, of course, read up on the WEAPON legends, but they were ludicrous. The supposed WEAPON were great mechanical monsters, each of which corresponded to a certain element. Whatever the problem, though, Rufus was certain that his troops would be more than a match for some legendary beast.
The massive monster rose from the water and screamed, shattering glass and bending metal from the sheer power of just its voice. He saw the soldiers open fire, and the hidden guns rise from the ground and buildings to fire on the creature. Still it came, and was just about to attack the city proper when the Junon Cannon finally finished its powering sequence.
The WEAPON, right in front of the Cannon, had no chance to dodge as the massive blast from the barrel engulfed it, and when the smoke cleared it was evident the head had been completely ripped off or disintegrated. The headless beast fell into the water.
Still, the attack had done damage. A few SOLDIER were dead, and a part of the city was ripped apart…the gas chamber.
Rufus watched indecrulously as Lockhart climbed from the chamber and slowly climbed down the wall. Soldiers followed, but the incompetent fools slipped and fell, and others were too afraid to climb down…Rufus raged in his heart, but gave no outward sign. After she got down to the bottom, she was attacked by Scarlet. Rufus was completely enraged now, that idiot Scarlet hadn't even brought a gun, she just slapped her! A slap fight? Ludicrous! And yet it was happening before his eyes! And to make it even worse, Scarlet lost.
And then, as if the situation could get any more terrible and pathetic, he saw the airship Highwind flying up and picking up Lockhart!
Rufus screamed aloud.
As the days passed, the situation went from bad to terrible to disgusting. The bandits successfully attacked a Shinra train at North Corel village and stole the Huge Materia there, and then attacked the underwater reactor at Junon and defeated the soldiers there, stole a submarine, and took the Huge Materia! Finally, they even hijacked the rocket launched to attack the Meteor, and took the Huge Materia from there! Without the Huge Materia inside the rocket, the attack on Meteor was a complete and total failure. The demonic object simply pieced itself back together…
And even worse, the military ship Gelnika was attacked and sunk by the very WEAPON beheaded by the Junon cannon, and so priceless weaponry and supplies were lost. Reno and Rude went down to retrieve the things, but then, once again, that Strife defeated them! They were completely ruining everything!
Rufus paced in his office, angry, too angry to care about anything besides defeating those bandits. And, considering the current disastrous state of events, what was more important?
Suddenly, Rufus felt a chill. A chill worse than what he had felt when he met eyes with Sephiroth…
A mindless, dead force, a psuedo-mind only concerned with destruction, guided by instinct, giving nothing to thought. A pure destructive mind, totally geared toward annihilation of everything that threatened what it guarded. The Planet.
Rufus rushed to the window and gasped involuntarily.
Another WEAPON emerged from the sea.
As he watched the massive, white, pearly mechanical beast lumber towards Midgar, he thought that he would destroy this creature, and all of its kind, once and for all. And yet, that feeling it gave him, like falling into the abyss of a massive monster…
Quickly grabbing the intra-building phone, Rufus called the SOLDIERs below. "Another WEAPON is headed towards Midgar!"
"We saw it sir! We're getting ready to fight back!"
Rufus remembered the Junon Cannon, which they had transferred to Midgar just barely, courtesy of Scarlet. "The upgraded Midgar Cannon! Is it…is it…"
"No chance, sir! It's strong, but not charged!"
Rufus threw down the phone. "But then…what will we do?" It had come to him that everyone would die inside of Midgar, then, including him. Nothing but the Cannon could stand up to a WEAPON…
Suddenly, he saw it. The Highwind.
The airship flew quickly threw the air and rammed its sharp point hard into the WEAPON's side, but bounced off the electric field that seemed to protect the creature. The ship attacked and rammed again and again, and then finally gave up and flew towards Midgar. Landing by the coast, Rufus saw that the bandits hurriedly got off, weapons out, doing fast checks on their Materia. They were going to fight that thing!
Rufus had to admit he did feel some admiration. After all, to sacrifice themselves just for a city…but, a city full of living, thinking, feeling people…
Rufus dialed down to the SOLDIERs. "Hurry! The rebels are attacking! Strife and his party! Quickly, we must take the time to…"
"Yes, sir!" After a few minutes, though, the harried SOLDIER called back saying, "Sir! No one here is qualified to operate the Midgar Cannon!"
Rufus nodded. "Yes…the upgrade…"
"What should we do now, sir?"
Rufus thought quickly, hurrying. "I'll call you back," he said, hanging up. He dialed Heidegger. The man didn't answer. He called Scarlet. The phone rang…and rang…and rang…perspiration broke out on Rufus' forehead from the combination of anger and fear, and his grip on the cell phone tightened. What were those two idiots doing?
Suddenly, she answered. "Mr. Shinra?" said Scarlet silkily.
"Where the hell are you, you-"
"Sorry sir, but Heidegger and I are hard at work," she said in the same silky voice.
"There's no time, fools! The WEAPON is coming to Midgar!"
"We know," she said calmly. "Heidegger and I are preparing the final defensive weapon. It should be ready in-"
"You mean the experimental weapon? The Proud Clod? This is not the time for a weapons test!"
"Sir," she said firmly, "We have every reason to believe that it will work very well against the rebels…"
"It's not the rebels that are the problem! WEAPON is attacking!"
"Sir, we-" Rufus hung up. He stood there for a few seconds, which seemed like agonizing hours, when he suddenly knew.
"Hojo!" he shouted into the phone, "you know what is happening?"
"Yes, sir…I assume you already have a SOLDIER up operating the Midgar Cannon…" came Hojo's oily voice.
"Sadly, we can't get anyone with the technical skill," replied Rufus. "Do you…?"
"Of course," said Hojo, and Rufus could hear the sounds of movement, "I'm on my way right now."
"Good," said Rufus, and hung up. He went to the window again and looked out at the fighting below. It was pitiful. Strife would run up and slash hard, and he would do little more than scratch the WEAPON's armor. It was a failed fight, unless, of course, the Shinra Company fired.
Rufus remembered, a long time ago, when he was younger, when he thought he was invincible, when he thought his father was the greatest man on the Planet. When he thought that, as long as his father were around, he would protect his son.
"Well, Dad," he said with a grim smile, "It looks like I was wrong. You were far from invincible, and you've failed everyone. You couldn't protect mother, the people, me, or even yourself, and now you're dead. The strongest win out always. And that's why you're dead.
"But me, but I, I am strong! I know what it takes. I know what I must do, and I know what everyone needs. You worried about the people, but I saw what was really important, I still do, and I will forever. I am the president of the world, and no one can stop me. No one can stop me, nothing can hurt me! I am invincible! I am Rufus Shinra, and I will win through, no matter the cost."
Rufus grinned down at the group fighting WEAPON. "You too are just pawns in the grand game. No one, none of you, has what it takes. Everyone but me."
A call came. "Yes?"
"Sir, the Cannon is ready to fire," came Hojo's voice. "We will shoot at your command."
"Wait…until it gets closer…"
Suddenly the monster's massive shoulders opened, to reveal a group of large guns. It's chest opened to reveal a glowing orb of energy. The monster charged, and Rufus knew what was coming…
Just as the WEAPON fired dozens of bolts of destructive energy, Rufus shouted into the phone, "Fire!"
The Mako Cannon charged, activating the eight Mako generators around the city, culling the life force of hundreds of victims to give it power. Then, with a massive shudder and kickback, the enormous gun shot out a huge blue energy ray.
The ray and WEAPON's energy bolts intersected in the air and passed, flying towards their targets. Rufus watched as the first parts of the WEAPON's salvo hit Midgar, tearing into buildings and destroying them, reducing hard metal into twisted heaps. Flames tore through the city, and destruction and chaos reigned the streets…
Rufus took binoculars and watched with satisfaction as the Mako ray hit the great beast hard, directly in the stomach and tore right through and straight on, passing away, while the sheer force of it hitting threw the monster backwards, landing on its back. Rufus grinned. The WEAPON was dead.
Suddenly, a sudden, bright flash of light roared past the windows and Rufus whirled. The monster was aiming at the main building!
Rufus stared ahead and saw bolt by bolt tear past the windows of his office, and he felt the heat and smelled the burning odor of the very oxygen in the air igniting.
And, with a sudden jolt of his heart, he knew-
He knew that he was as good as dead.
Rufus looked straight forwards and saw it, the harbringer of his doom. The huge energy shot that had come from the WEAPON's chest. Headed straight for him. And the memories flooded his mind…
"I'll kill everyone in Sector Seven…"
"Get those rebels, I don't care what you have to do!"
"They deserve a fitting punishment. Take their leader and rip him apart."
"Incompetent fools!"
"Father…if Sephiroth hadn't killed you, I would have…"
"Tseng, you just weren't strong enough to survive…so you die."
"Mother…you were worthless, and so now you die."
"Dorian. You've served your purpose. Die."
"Die."
"Die."
"Die."
"Die."
"Die!"
"Die!"
Rufus smiled ironically. A life overshadowed by death would indeed end unnaturally. It was rather flattering that it took a WEAPON to kill him.
And then, Rufus Shinra, President of the Shinra Corporation and leader of the world remembered,
The strong survive, the weak serve the strong. Such was the way of life, such as it is, and such shall it be. Forever.
Forever.
Viteros
viteros@hotmail.com
"Rufus!"
"Yes, father."
"What are you doing!"
"I am…I am practicing…"
"You nearly killed me, idiot!"
"Sorry, father."
"Rufus, you need to be more careful!"
"I know, I know, you don't have to remind me."
"That was 15 years ago. I was eight then."
Tseng, looking out the window of the helicopter, looked back at his employer, Rufus Shinra, heir to the massive Shinra Empire, the mega-company that controlled the entire planet. "What exactly were you practicing?"
Rufus grinned tightly and flicked back some loose blond hairs from his face. "My shotgun. Aiming."
Tseng looked back out the window. "I was wondering how long you'd had that."
"My father gave it to me. He thought I might need it someday."
"Have you needed it before?"
Rufus looked upwards and thought for a little while. After a few minutes Tseng thought he had gone to sleep when he suddenly said, "Yes. Once."
"Rufus! What are you doing in here?"
"Sorry, father, I was just curious…"
"What are you talking about? This is very dangerous!"
"I heard Sephiroth was here…"
"Yes, he is. So what?"
"I wanted to see him."
"Fine. Sephiroth, come here, please. I'd like you to meet my son, Rufus."
"Hello, Rufus. It is good to meet you."
"His voice chilled me to the bone. That smile, that gray hair…he was just creepy."
Tseng checked his watch quickly and the bullets in his pistol. "It's a real shame he went crazy that time ago. He was one of the best."
"Indeed, he was." Rufus slouched a bit and put his chin on his chest. "He was the best of the SOLDIER…the very, very best. He was a strange acquisition, too. Rumor is that my father met him while traveling."
"Details of any kind, sir?"
Rufus shook his head. "No such luck. All I know is that they met."
"Not very specific, though, is it?"
"No…not really. Like you said, a real shame."
Scarlet walked in, relaxed and, well, sluttish, as Rufus would have to put it. As usual.
"Do you need anything, sir?" She stood by Rufus and bent over instead of look down at him. So much respect, but the fact that she bent over could be kind of condescending in itself. Sometimes it bothered Rufus, how everyone treated him different from everyone else, but that was all right. He was the son of Shinra, after all.
"No, nothing." Rufus waved his hand idly. It was the gesture that meant 'leave', but probably, from the way he used it, more akin to 'shoo'. But then, no one argued with him.
Suddenly, Tseng leapt up from his chair. "What the hell!?"
Rufus got up, alert. "What is it, Tseng?"
"Look down in the window!" he half-shouted, courtesy forgotten in his shock.
Rufus, cool as ever, walked to the window across from his seat and looked downwards toward the Shinra building. Through the window he could see his father's huge office, and slumped over his desk, his red suit stained with blood, impaled with an all-too familiar blade, was his father. Presumably dead, of course. No one could survive a wound like that.
Strangely, the first thoughts in Rufus' head were "Sephiroth."
Then, more logically, he thought, "Now I'm the head of Shinra Corporation."
He turned to the pilot and said, "We need to investigate. Prepare to land. Scarlet, get Dark Nation's cage and let him out." Rufus turned back to the window. "I think we might get into some trouble here. Rude, the PHS!"
The bald Turk handed his boss the cellular phone, and Rufus quickly dialed. "Hojo? This is Rufus. What's going on?"
The oily voice of head scientist Hojo came back over the phone, "I'm not…not exactly…sure, sir."
"Is something wrong? You sound winded."
"I…I was…I was attacked. I'm not…not sure what exactly…happened…a specimen escaped, and attack…attacked me. I've only just got…away."
"Where are you now?"
"I'm…I'm at the…the bottom floor. I'm going to leave the facility."
"Why?"
Hojo started to get his breath back, and was talking better. "There's a group of…bandits here. They're-actually, I'm not sure what they want, but they did get the Cet…Cetra. Also, Sephiroth was…here."
"Sephiroth?"
Tseng, overhearing Rufus' words, muttered, "Sephiroth? What's he doing here?"
"Whatever it is, get out of there safely, understand? See you later."
"Yes…sir."
Rufus shut the PHS and handed it to Scarlet. He looked down at Dark Nation beside him, and the creature let out a low growl. "I know," he said almost subconsciously, "I feel it too…there's something very wrong."
But when Tseng looked in his face he saw anger mixing with elation, not fear. Rufus could control his voice, but not his eyes.
Suddenly, Reno spoke up from his window seat. "Who are they?" His voice was slightly muffled by the casts he wore. Before, a group had beaten him up pretty bad when they attacked him at the Sector 7 Pillar. He wore a cast on his arm, around his neck, a leg, and some bandages were wrapped around his head. It was pathetic that the elite bodyguards of Shinra could be beaten so easily.
Rufus looked out the window again and said, "That one's got a Shinra SOLDIER issue Buster Sword. And…who's that one? The black one?"
"That is a man named Barret Wallace, according to our files," said someone, Rufus couldn't hear whom, "He was one of the only survivors of the Shinra attack on Corel village. And we've heard he's a resistance fighter as well."
"Oh…him. Well, the mere presence of these people, and that…that dog thing, I'm guessing that's Hojo's…their presence up here implies a serious problem." Rufus hefted his shotgun. "I'll take care of this myself."
When the helicopter got near enough to the building, Dark Nation leapt out of the door and Rufus climbed down the rope ladder leisurely, after all, no one could ever rush him. When he landed he looked at the motley group before him. The two that caught his eye before, the Cetra, the specimen, and a woman. No matter, though.
He smiled slightly, beneficially. "I am Rufus Shinra," he said, "With my father…unfortunately dead, I am the president of Shinra Corporation. What are your names? And what are you doing here?"
The blond one with the Buster Sword said, "I'm Cloud Strife."
Barret introduced himself as well. The Cetra gave her name too, but he didn't need it, of course. An important person like Aeris Gainsborough was already imprinted into Rufus' memory. The other woman, called herself Tifa Lockhart, and the specimen introduced himself as Red XIII, the name Hojo had given him. Was he nameless then? No matter, keep your thoughts on the task at hand.
Rufus looked over the group again, cool, calculating, with a gaze that clearly said that they were his inferiors. Which, after all, they were.
"I see Sephiroth was here. But you still haven't answered my question. Why are you here?" asked Rufus, with much more patience than he thought they deserved.
"We're here because you abducted Aeris!" Strife stepped forward and made a violent gesture with his arm. "We're taking her back!"
Rufus shrugged. "Try, if you want.
"But, I can tell you, in the end all of your efforts are futile. Sorry, but that's what will happen…and I assure you I will not rule like my father did, not at all. He said that work hard, the Shinra Company will take care of you, of your family, and if there are problems the Shinra SOLDIERS will protect you. It looked perfect…on the outside.
"But I will work very differently. Fear will control the commoners quite nicely. No need to waste good money on the ignorant masses."
Tifa whispered, or thought she whispered, "He likes to make speeches, like his father."
Rufus turned to look out over Midgar. Even if they tried to attack him, Rude and Tseng were in the helicopter nearby. They would shoot whoever made a move at him at the moment. And such a bold move would make them afraid, wonder what he was planning.
If he had learned anything from his father, it was tactics.
"Father, I'm sorry…"
"Rufus. Don't bow your head."
"Father?"
"You must bow to me, of course, but never to anyone else. It shows weakness, Rufus."
"But…bowing as a greeting…"
"Yes, that of course, but you must understand that you are, as far as anyone knows, better than anyone else, but will show courtesy to your father. When you bow as a greeting, make the slightest inclination of your head. Merely acknowledge their presence, not submit!"
"Yes father."
"Instill fear in your enemies, Rufus. Fear elicits respect."
Rufus lowered his head slightly and said under his breath with a twisted smile, "But now you're dead, Dad. And nothing, nothing, not even you can stop me now. I'll do everything my way, and everyone will see my side of things."
Suddenly, he was jolted back to reality. He realized that Strife had been speaking to him for a little while, something defiant. Rufus didn't know what he said, but pretended he did.
"Well," he said, turning slowly, but at just the right speed for his spotless white trench coat to swirl slightly in the breeze, pulling out his shotgun, "It seems we won't be allies. Most unfortunate."
He noticed that the others were gone. No matter. The Hundred Gunner and Heli-Gunner security systems would soon take care of them.
Dark Nation appeared and Rufus' face was impassive as the customary magical barrier appeared before him. He had fought before, and Dark Nation had helped him before. However, Rufus did indeed encounter a move he didn't expect, as suddenly, at a gesture of the bright green Materia in Strife's hand, he felt suddenly and terribly sick. Not a normal offensive magic, one very unique. A masterful move.
Although paler, Rufus grinned defiantly. "Nice try, but you're going to have to be better." He quickly took aim and fired, hitting the man's armor. Then he lurched ever so slightly as he coughed up blood and quickly swallowed it before it came to his lips.
Dark Nation cast a magical barrier on Rufus now; he would be defended against any more magic his opponent chose to cast against him. Suddenly, a red light blazed, and Strife jumped impossibly high in the air and landed, with the blade cutting right through Dark Nation, slaying the beast in an instant.
Rufus was substantially surprised. Who was this? Who could wield such power?
Paying no attention to the terrible nausea threatening to overtake him, he fired again, scoring hard hits, and glad to see that the blood spurted and soaked and darkened Strife's garments.
Strife charged then, shouting and apparently ready to give a terrible blow. Rufus dodged to the side, helped by the magical barrier that parried Strife's attack. He smacked the man in the back of the head with the butt and was just about to fire at point-blank range into his head, shattering the skull and ripping the brain, when suddenly, Strife swiftly kicked backwards, forcing the air from Rufus' lungs, and, as an aftereffect of the magic poisons now coursing through his system, blood. Some blood fell onto Strife's face and into his eyes. The man blinked frantically, trying to get his vision back while swinging wildly. Rufus tried to dodge to the side but fell, sickened and in pain. One of the wild sword strikes made contact and cut across his chest. He shouted in pain.
Quickly the helicopter flew by and he grabbed onto one of its legs. Strife finally wiped the blood from his face and watched in anger as Rufus flew away; looking down with carefully made condescending disgust and carelessly flicked his hair.
Inside the helicopter, though, it was a different story. He was healed by drinking a few terrible-tasting medicines and had his chest bandaged. They were flying away to meet with a new potential employee.
After the helicopter landed at Kalm, Rufus was quick in locating the new one. She was a SOLDIER, special division, part of hit-and-run attacks and assassinations.
He walked over and smiled. "Elena," he said, "It is good to meet you."
She looked timidly up at his face. She was comely, he had to admit, but Rufus wasn't there for pleasantries. And, from the look of her, she definitely wasn't Turk material. But, then again, that could all be part of her assassin training-to deceive everyone she met.
She bowed low and saluted, her cheeks red. "Uh…sir! Elena reporting in for duty!"
She didn't say her last name, and, as far as anyone knew, she didn't have one. The Turks were the utmost soldiers, and needed no background, no identity. They were who they were, and nothing else.
Rufus didn't move, and didn't change his cold, calculating gaze. He merely looked at her with frigid blue eyes as she held her salute and trembled. She was dressed as a Turk should be, but the uniform was perhaps a little too large for her. Rufus smiled inwardly, but no sign of that smile showed on his face. He had learned to hide his emotions. The mental smile came from realizing, once again, the incredible powers he possessed-through strenuous training and experience, of course. He noticed the smallest detail, and that was no disadvantage.
Finally, he spoke. "Elena. Do you know why you have been chosen for this work?"
"N-no, sir."
"I'll tell you." Rufus gestured to Tseng, who stepped forward. "Do you know who this is?"
"Tseng, leader of the Turks, sir."
"Do you know why he is a Turk, or the leader of the Turks?"
"No, sir."
"Do you have any idea of what he is?"
Elena seemed to be very worried now. She thought this was some kind of test. "He is…the best?"
"Exactly. He is the best of the best. The cream of the crop. You don't get any soldiers better than him. And…now, Elena…you are going to be one of his very near…direct…subordinates. Do you realize how great of an honor that is?"
Elena straightened up a bit, but colored a bit more. "Yes sir."
Rufus was amused at her obvious discomfort. Perhaps it was somewhat sadistic of him, but he took pleasure in it, nonetheless. "Elena. You are going to be one of the best. Do well."
Without any other words, he turned and walked back to the waiting helicopter. While he got near to the door Rude and Reno jumped out in perfect concert and walked over to Tseng slowly, easily. Rufus noted with displeasure that Reno had a few crumbs on his pants. He glared to let the Turk know that he knew. Being so injured was bad enough, but to look that bad, as well…
When he got to the door he said, "Tseng. Rude. Reno. I expect you will treat her well, understand? She's one of you now, and she's one of the best."
Of course, everyone knew that the real reason Elena was elected to be a Turk was because of the simple lack of special bodyguards among the Shinra Company. Everyone knew, that is, but Elena. She thought it was a great honor, while everyone else knew that it was just a formality to have four Turks. But, thought Rufus, better let her keep thinking that. It helps with the motivation.
A few minutes later Rufus was back at the massive headquarters for the Shinra Company. He sat in a new desk, in his father's old office, spotlessly clean and with the most trusted SOLDIERS around him at all times, guns at the ready. And, of course, his shotgun was with him, hidden under the desk.
An assistant came in carrying stacks of papers. Probably some more trash about the damage done to Midgar, who would fix it, what would happen to the people outside…more and more of these came in every day. It was getting so, so utterly bothersome, and boring as well. Rufus could think of nothing stupider that a group of people.
"I'll deal with this one personally," he said to the secretary, "send out a newsletter for everyone to meet at Sector 8 Pillar."
A day later Rufus found himself once again on his helicopter, this time being taken to the Sector 8 Pillar, where a huge throng had gathered. He landed within the fenced off area and climbed the pillar a ways. Then he looked down on the crowd and gestured with his hands for silence. As the massive horde slowly quieted down, he thought it wasn't fast enough.
He gestured to a group of SOLDIERS who were around the crowd. They had thought of this beforehand.
Without hesitation the SOLDIERS fired into the air with their machine guns, filling everyone's ears with the sound of bullets. The crowd immediately was quiet.
Rufus stepped forward to the edge of the Pillar and shouted to the crowd.
"People of Midgar!" he yelled, arms spread wide, "I am Rufus Shinra, your new master. Why have you gathered here today?"
"Because you asked us to!" screamed some idiots from the crowd.
But some of the more intelligent in the throng shouted back at him, "The destruction of Sector 7 Pillar! Why'd you do that!"
Rufus cocked his head and narrowed his eyes a little bit. "What are you talking about? Do you not recall the news broadcasts saying that it was the group of terrorists that committed that terrible act of wanton destruction?"
It seemed the crowd had a few spokesmen now. The spokesmen shouted, "Don't think we didn't see the Shinra copter fly away from the Pillar just before it exploded!"
Rufus replied, "That was a special squad trying to defeat the terrorists. Even Shinra-"
But now the crowd was screaming again. After a while of trying to quiet it down Rufus yelled to the crowd, "Fine, then. Send your spokesmen up here to talk with me personally."
The men, urged on by the screaming and shoving crowd, went up the stairs, proud and confident.
Rufus smiled when he saw them come up and thought back on his own words. Fear will control the common people.
He walked over to them and said with an amiable smile, "Gentlemen! Please come this way to the edge. Here, we can talk with all of the good people of Midgar hearing us."
They walked over self-importantly, Rufus thought. They were altogether too confident. Little did they know the real reason he had called them up here…
At a sign from his hand, a group of SOLDIERS quickly grabbed the men before they got in view of the throngs below and held them hard. Rufus gripped a random one roughly by the shirt and walked over to the edge and his whirled his shotgun in his hand. Wordlessly he held the man in front of him, and smashed him over the head. While he was dazed and stunned by the blow Rufus effortlessly aimed and shot him in the chest, spraying blood over the crowd, followed by the body.
Rufus took another one and shot him in the shoulders, then the shins, and finally put the barrel against his head and fired, the sheer momentum of such a close shot easily propelling the corpse into the crowds below.
Rufus walked over to the edge, holding his still-smoking shotgun. He shouted down at the now silent crowd, "I am Rufus Shinra! My father is dead! He was your master, your friend, but I tell you I am no friend of yours! You are mine to command, mine to control! Whoever wishes to cross me will suffer dearly…come forth now!"
Some in the crowd started to riot again. Rufus took a grenade from a soldier and tossed it in.
After the explosion, nothing was heard but the tortured screams of the ones ripped apart in the explosion.
After that meeting, Rufus knew that his complete, fear-based control of the people of Midgar was assured. And people everywhere would hear about this, and then all would truly be under his command.
Rufus journeyed to Junon then, where he knew that everyone would be celebrating his new, higher rank. So much the better, they would love him but also hold an undercurrent of fear.
So much the better.
At Junon he was paraded through the streets in a car, made by Shinra Corporation, and he smiled as he waved at the crowd. He was fully aware that while fear controlled the populace, they should love him as well. Making such a balance was difficult, but he had been taught by the best.
"Father…I'm not sure I understand…"
"No, Rufus, you see, everyone has to think you're the best person in the world."
"But they must also fear me."
"As the way they fear me."
"But…but Father, everyone loves you!"
"Yes, that's right Rufus, but everyone also is afraid. Afraid that I will pull away my support, that I will destroy them with the SOLDIER."
"But…why this way?"
"Because, simply Rufus, it's the best way."
Rufus therefore smiled amiably, waved, accepted the flowers and other things thrown at him, bowed, and seemed to be glad to meet them. Little did they know of the complete disgust he held in his heart.
At the take-off ceremony, a small group of SOLDIERS came and did a little display. They lifted their guns and did well, but one of them messed up twice. Strange indeed, but they did well, and it was a good performance. Rufus gestured to his second, Heidegger, and said, "That one. The one who screwed up. He did well in the others, get him something very good."
Heidegger presented the young man with a Force Stealer sword, and the man bowed, thanked him, and with a strange glance towards the cargo hold walked away.
Rufus leaned towards Heidegger and whispered, "Keep an eye on him. He looks…different. No one makes that many errors."
The fat vice-president of Shinra nodded and burst out laughing, as the idiot was prone to do. "Yes, sir. Gya, ha, ha!"
Rufus looked at him with obvious distaste, wrinkling his nose. "Stop that stupid horse laugh and get to work."
"Yes, sir. Gya, ha…"
Rufus walked over and punched him in the face, cutting the man's lip. "Get out of my sight."
A minute later Rufus was on the bridge of the Shinra ship Tokugawa and was well on his way to Costa Del Sol. As soon as he got there he could maybe spend some time by himself, somewhere where he could relax and not have to bother with these idiots.
He sat in a chair looking out the front window, thinking. When he did this he did not move, and did his best to breathe quietly, and not blink. People would fear him more if they found him eccentric, and eccentricity was easy, especially creepy eccentricity. Rufus was, after all, trained by the best.
Heidegger walked in again, and Rufus groaned inwardly. It was so annoying to deal with that fool. He was an overconfident, pompous baboon, who would probably do better as a mere motivational speaker for the troops rather than the vice-president. Rufus knew that the only reason such an incompetent fool was the vice was that he was a good friend of his father. Yet another sad mistake of the unfortunately late Mr. Shinra.
"What is it," he said, standing completely still and glaring at the man. It was more of an angry statement than a question.
Heidegger seemed completely unfazed. He merely smiled through his long beard and said, "Mister Shinra, we are experiencing unfortunate problems in Midgar."
Rufus nodded and rewarded Heidegger's information with a withering glare. "Of course. Thousands are dead now, after all."
"The repercussions are…incredible."
Rufus stood up and walked to the window and looked out towards the sea and the tiny dot of land in the distance. "Heidegger…I know that there are repercussions. My father knew about those repercussions. It is quite obvious what will happen…of course, the ones that are shouting against Shinra Company are a small percentage, are they not?"
Heidegger nodded and smiled through his thick beard. "Yes. The rest blame the rebels."
Rufus rested his forehead in one gloved hand. "Those rebels…so utterly tiresome. Wait…Heidegger…"
The fat man had been inspecting the instruments; he turned to his president and said "Sir?" but he soon saw what was going on.
A sailor, a very burly one at that, was peeking in through the window. As soon as he saw that Heidegger saw him as well he ducked out of sight. A few seconds later they saw him busy, pretending to be sweeping the deck.
Heidegger seemed to read Rufus' mind. "A rebel?"
"Of course. Send a squad after him."
Heidegger walked over to a console and pulled off a small talkie. He spoke into it quickly, and he was answered by a static-ridden voice that one could only understand with vast experience with such equipment. Rufus would have to get someone to either fix the thing or build a new one. He made a mental note and logged it away.
"There are rebels on board, sergeant."
"Sir? Rebels?"
"That's right, fool. You need to capture them immediately."
"Ah…"
Heidegger listened impatiently as they both heard the man yelling at some unfortunate SOLDIER, and then came back to the microphone.
"Um…sir, I think Squad B8 can take care of that."
"Then send them, you idiot!"
Heidegger fairly smashed the radio putting it back on its hook, and Rufus smiled thinly. The man's emotions were much too wild, his happiness and rage were always so apparent. The irony…the vice-president of Shinra, transparent as glass.
Heidegger turned back to Rufus and said, "Hopefully, the situation has now been taken care of."
"Good," responded the president, now watching the 'sailor' as he frantically brushed the ground, curiously doing it one-handed. "Heidegger…back to our original subject. So a few hecklers are angry with us? The mass is with us…"
"Yes indeed. But they might try to…put a more direct approach into changing the situation."
Rufus laughed and moved back a stray wisp of his shiny blond hair and said, "Heidegger, our massive SOLDIER force is more than enough to take care of a few rebels…after all, I think…"
He stopped his sentence and worry furrowed his brow. He felt a sudden cold…his heart hurt. Rufus coughed a few times and turned to the vice- president, who was wearing an expression similar to his, looking around. No one could have missed the sudden feeling of cold that had just permeated the room, the anger and hate and pain, culminating into the air so much that one could just reach out and touch it…
Rufus suddenly had a thought in his mind, strange and intrusive…Sephiroth is on board!
He shook his head. "Heidegger. What's happening?"
Heidegger was already heading to the speaker again, and quickly asked the SOLDIER commander what was happening. Static took its toll in the conversation, cutting in, chopping the words up.
"Sir! Someone's on board…don't think…white…str-…very powerful! Mass…ord! Dangerous! I'm not…aaargh!"
A scream punctuated the end of the sentence and then static took over.
Rufus looked at Heidegger, and they both knew exactly what to do. Heidegger quickly took the speaker again and changed the frequency, calling the emergency helicopters up above. From the steady thwok thwok thwok of the wind, Rufus knew that the helicopter crews, thinking quickly, were already prepping their escape.
Unconsciously he pulled his shotgun from the depths of his spotless white trench coat and loaded a fresh clip into it, discarding the old one, and putting off the safety. If Sephiroth, or whoever the intruder was, decided to put on an appearance on deck or at the helicopter he'd be ready. He could see that Heidegger was thinking along the same vein, pulling out a revolver from some pocket obscured by his dense beard.
After a few minutes of waiting, and hearing some grisly screams from outside, the two stood there, but still controlled. The both were wary still, with Rufus continuously scanning the entire room, and Heidegger pointing his gun at the door but still watching out the windows. When a roof plate was removed, they both aimed automatically up at the roof, trigger fingers tight.
A helmeted head came down into the opening throwing down a rope ladder. He had to shout loudly over the sound of the helicopter blades. "Sirs! It's time to go! Please come up!"
Rufus climbed first, quickly. He was still lithe after all, supple and fast. Heidegger on the other hand, took a while, and for a few seconds Rufus was afraid the massive man would actually get stuck in the small opening, but no such bad luck befell them, and they climbed into the helicopter, buckling themselves in. But while still in the act of evacuating Rufus glanced out the window and saw a group of dead SOLDIER, and a discarded uniform. Suddenly, he saw him.
Sephiroth, walking leisurely across the deck, bloodstained sword in hand. His long white hair fluttered in the wind like a tattered flag, and his cold green eyes were dead, taking in the sights of the bodies with no reaction at all.
He turned and stared up at the helicopter with those baleful, dead eyes, and Rufus found himself shivering from the bone-freezing stare.
1 Soulless…no heart…evil…dark…
"You've got no heart, Rufus. You've got no soul."
"And according to you, Mother, I have no future! I will be the head of Shinra Corporation, I'll be the best, everyone will serve me, what do you care about souls!"
"You need a soul, Rufus."
"Mother…I have no need of such."
"You worthless boy! What is wrong with you, you…aah!"
"Don't try to hurt me again."
"Don't you dare threaten your mother!"
"What? What, you fear me? What if I just put a bit more pressure…more…"
"Aaah!"
"Heh. And then if I turn just like this, it throws…"
"Ugh! You worthless trash, apologize! How dare you!"
"How dare I? How dare I? Simple! And now…"
"Wait…what are you doing Rufus…what are you doing!"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"The shotgun, Rufus! What are you doing!"
"You are worthless to me, you are a pathetic waste of food and air. Think of it this way…economically. You serve no purpose. Goodbye, mother. Say hello to the devil for me."
"You…where did I go wrong, Rufus? You're soulless…"
"One…"
"No, Rufus! I'm your mother!"
"Two…"
"Rufus! That's not right! Where's your heart, where's your soul!"
"Three…"
2 "Rufus!"
"Mister Rufus…Mister Rufus…sir!"
Rufus awoke with a start. "What?"
"Sir, we've arrived at Costa Del Sol."
"Oh…we're there. Where is Heidegger?"
"He's outside, talking to the commander."
"I see. When he returns, tell him that I've gone for a quick stroll."
The helicopter pilot saluted and walked away, presumably to talk to Heidegger. Rufus walked out of the helicopter leisurely, and started to relax, walking calmly along the beaches. He'd heard monsters infested these areas, but he was more than a match for any mere beast that tried to eat him.
He thought back to that memory he had had on the helicopter. He had been lost in thought, right after seeing Sephiroth…
Rufus looked upwards at the blue sky. He had killed her, of course. A point-blank shotgun blast to the head. Those were for ceremonial kills, and a matricide would be a very ceremonial one…
He would have probably later committed a patricide, come to think of it. Shot his father. The man was a good businessman, Rufus had to give him that, but the late Shinra was definitely not the most efficient. Instead of being a king, when he could easily be one, he was a politician, buying the people's favor. That was foolish, and he should have also seen that his son was very dangerous. Rufus would have, exactly when he decided he had learned enough, maneuver his father into a secluded shot and get rid of him.
Rufus smiled. The bold win, after all, as a wise man had once said…who was he…Michavelli. Rufus had read all of his works, and agreed wholeheartedly about everything. The man was a genius, the strong survive, the weak serve the strong. Such was the way of life, such as it is, and such shall it be. Forever.
A few days later, Rufus found himself back in Midgar. The new fear policy was having some problems, but those were to be expected, after all. A few would always oppose such a policy, but having to deal with a small group was well worth it for the long-range financial benefits, as well as the improvements in life in general.
Rufus relaxed in his office, his eyes dead and staring at the far wall. The Turks stood around him, ready to react quickly to any crisis that may come up. He heard steps on the stairs, steps that slowed as they got nearer to the massive office. He then saw a terrified-looking young secretary come up clutching papers…always the little minions feared their masters, but her mental state was no concern of his.
Rufus rewarded her promptness with a cool look and said shortly, "Yes?"
"Ah, Mr. Shinra, sir," she said, dropping papers, trying to pick them up, smooth her hair, look at Rufus, and fix her shirt all at the same time, "Sir, these, these uh, these papers came in for you this morning, and…"
Rufus didn't say anything, just sat and watched her. As much of a waste of time as this was, he would be lying if he said he didn't get some small degree of sadistic pleasure from watching employees panic. Everyone's got a dark side, and Rufus was going to indulge his.
Finally, after watching a few minutes of her stammering and terrified misery, he said, "Fine. Very well. Give them to me."
She gratefully dumped the stack on his desk, where they scattered everywhere. Annoyed, Rufus said "All right then. Get back to work."
Quickly, as if nothing could be better, the secretary scurried out of the office.
Rufus sat there for a while, looking at the papers that had been delivered. There were a few complaints about the recent budget cuts and the gradual funneling of Shinra money into the weapons department, but those were irrelevant. There were some questions from the commoners about what was happening. There were some diagrams of the new Proud Clod model being developed by Scarlet and her team…
Rufus pushed a button on his desk and he heard a voice at the other end, "Sir?"
"Get someone up here and to take some things to the Mayor," he said into the speaker. "Hurry it up."
Incredibly, the one to come up was Tseng himself.
Rufus stood up and walked over, holding some of the papers. "Tseng? Why are you here?"
"Sir," he said, bowing, "I'm here to get those final orders."
"Final orders?"
"Final orders for the Cetra Temple operation. Sir."
"Oh that…you can get final orders from Heidegger."
Tseng stood there, staring past Rufus for a little while. When the Shinra president got worried he said cautiously, "Tseng?"
"Oh, nothing sir," said Tseng, shaking his head. "I'll…I'll just go."
"Yes. Get out of here, and don't screw up this time. I don't want to hear more reports about rogue ex-SOLDIER, do you understand?"
Three days later Rufus was in the target range, firing his shotgun, when suddenly a SOLDIER ran up to him and saluted. He seemed out of breath.
Rufus turned coolly. "What is it?"
The SOLDIER gave a quick salute and then said in a shocked voice,
"Sir…Tseng is dead."
Days after that the casket arrived. It was a plain one, but of good make, made of strong wood and well painted in a rich, shiny black. The casket was taken to the main building, where it was put in a place of honor, where it was saluted by the employees, and, through the television broadcasts, the people of Midgar, and presumably the entire planet.
Rufus stood there on that windy day, staring down at the casket as men slowly shoved dirt on top of it. The leaves were starting to brown and fall; many leaves would get buried back down with Tseng. It was strange to stand there, looking down at the coffin, the plain wooden box that held the body of the one who had, just days ago, been one of his specialty troops, one of the best, elite, one of those constants that everyone could always know that it would always be there.
Rufus would also have to work out the details of Tseng's will as well, and that would be quite tiresome. After that he would have to do the sympathetic letters to friends and family, the announcements to the rest of the company…as he looked down at the casket, Rufus thought that, despite being so useful in life, Tseng really was a bother in death.
But, thought Rufus Shinra, President of the world, he did regret that the last words Tseng ever heard from him were orders.
Despite sadness about Tseng's regrettable death, Rufus still didn't have any time to mourn himself. He had sent the other Turks out on various missions, and the most important was that Elena was out on intercept course with the ex-SOLDIER Cloud Strife at Icicle Inn. A strange name for a city, but then, what did it matter? She was supposed to defeat Strife with her contingent of soldiers under her command and continue to follow Sephiroth. Such an easy mission; no one could possibly screw it up.
Rufus' mood was already bad, and it was steadily getting worse. Not only had Elena failed the entire mission but had also failed to successfully track down Sephiroth, who had succeeded in murdering dozens of people. He had also heard that the escaped Jenova creature had been steadily 'evolving', feeding off the genetic material it harvested from corpses and victims. Soon enough it would be a great threat.
However, the good news was that they had successfully captured Strife's companions, Wallace and Lockhart. The deaths of these 'terrorists' would hearten the company and the populace, while their terrible gas-induced deaths would also inhibit attacks against him. A masterful stroke.
Rufus stood there looking down through a window, lost in his thoughts. Life, like war, had contained many strange and unexpected twists and turns. Rufus had to admit that many of these events were completely unexpected, but then again, they weren't bad necessarily. Like his old personal trainer, Dorian used to say…
"Aah! My leg!"
"What happened?"
"My ankle…I've…I've hurt it!"
"Here, let me feel it…does it hurt when I touch here?"
"No…"
"Here?"
"Yes!"
"It'll be okay, Rufus. You just take a break for a minute, and then we'll keep training. It's kind of good that this happened, actually."
"What? How can this be a good thing? This is terrible!"
"Not necessarily. Rufus, do you remember what I said about broken bones?"
"When they heal, the broken part is stronger."
"That's right. And that rule applies to almost everything."
"What do you mean?"
"There's a saying, and it goes 'If it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger'. That's the same here. As you suffer more and more pain, you become hardened and used to it, so it doesn't hurt as much next time. Over time, as you accumulate injuries, someday you won't care about pain anymore."
"One day…"
"That's long enough for resting, son. Back to the obstacles."
"One day…"
Rufus knew that Dorian had been right. As he suffered more, he cared less. That went for his emotional pain too, as time went on of seeing tragedies and being hurt himself, now he thought nothing of torturing a man to death or watching a close friend killed, skewered on the edge of a sword…
Granted, there was some pain. No point in deluding oneself. But Rufus was glad that he didn't take a while mourning for Tseng. He was still waiting for that one day.
Then he heard a far more grating noise. "President? The preparations for the execution are complete." Heidegger.
"Fine," said Rufus. "Kill them one by one. Kill the woman first."
"Yes, sir."
Heidegger waddled out, presumably to rejoin his now-partner, Scarlet of Weapons Department. They had been spending a lot of time together lately, working on some big fat project. Rufus hadn't been kept totally in the dark about it, but he still wished that they would concentrate more on the company…they had begun sending SOLDIER squadrons out to collect Huge Materia, they had taken the Nibelheim one and were already on the move to other locations. To Rufus, it was just like an extravagant training exercise.
Rufus went down to his Junon office and relaxed, watching the small television that he had there. He would watch their executions in total comfort. First, he watched the woman, Lockhart, being slowly dragged to the gas chamber and strapped into the chair that would be her carrier into death. First she would start to feel lightheaded, then her eyes would begin to slip in and out of focus. After that she would find that her intelligence was steadily dropping, within a few minutes the mental regression would equal her mind with that of a small child. A few moments after, she would be dead.
And those were just the mental effects; to say nothing of the excruciating muscular pain she would suffer…
Lost in his thoughts, Rufus suddenly noticed something strange. Strange and disturbing.
Outside, through the window that looked outwards toward the vast sea, he saw a shape in the water, a massive, dark wave flowing quickly towards him. It rushed with great speed and was too contained to be a mere wave…
Quickly taking the phone, Rufus called down to the SOLDIER office. "Have any of you noticed the wave outside?"
"Yes, sir. We've dispatched a boat, but it hasn't come back yet. We're preparing the weapons right now."
Rufus hung up. He was still troubled by that wave, though. He had heard rumors lately about the mysterious WEAPON creatures that they had encountered back on the Great Glacier, the supposed 'Lifestream Guardians of the Planet'. He had, of course, read up on the WEAPON legends, but they were ludicrous. The supposed WEAPON were great mechanical monsters, each of which corresponded to a certain element. Whatever the problem, though, Rufus was certain that his troops would be more than a match for some legendary beast.
The massive monster rose from the water and screamed, shattering glass and bending metal from the sheer power of just its voice. He saw the soldiers open fire, and the hidden guns rise from the ground and buildings to fire on the creature. Still it came, and was just about to attack the city proper when the Junon Cannon finally finished its powering sequence.
The WEAPON, right in front of the Cannon, had no chance to dodge as the massive blast from the barrel engulfed it, and when the smoke cleared it was evident the head had been completely ripped off or disintegrated. The headless beast fell into the water.
Still, the attack had done damage. A few SOLDIER were dead, and a part of the city was ripped apart…the gas chamber.
Rufus watched indecrulously as Lockhart climbed from the chamber and slowly climbed down the wall. Soldiers followed, but the incompetent fools slipped and fell, and others were too afraid to climb down…Rufus raged in his heart, but gave no outward sign. After she got down to the bottom, she was attacked by Scarlet. Rufus was completely enraged now, that idiot Scarlet hadn't even brought a gun, she just slapped her! A slap fight? Ludicrous! And yet it was happening before his eyes! And to make it even worse, Scarlet lost.
And then, as if the situation could get any more terrible and pathetic, he saw the airship Highwind flying up and picking up Lockhart!
Rufus screamed aloud.
As the days passed, the situation went from bad to terrible to disgusting. The bandits successfully attacked a Shinra train at North Corel village and stole the Huge Materia there, and then attacked the underwater reactor at Junon and defeated the soldiers there, stole a submarine, and took the Huge Materia! Finally, they even hijacked the rocket launched to attack the Meteor, and took the Huge Materia from there! Without the Huge Materia inside the rocket, the attack on Meteor was a complete and total failure. The demonic object simply pieced itself back together…
And even worse, the military ship Gelnika was attacked and sunk by the very WEAPON beheaded by the Junon cannon, and so priceless weaponry and supplies were lost. Reno and Rude went down to retrieve the things, but then, once again, that Strife defeated them! They were completely ruining everything!
Rufus paced in his office, angry, too angry to care about anything besides defeating those bandits. And, considering the current disastrous state of events, what was more important?
Suddenly, Rufus felt a chill. A chill worse than what he had felt when he met eyes with Sephiroth…
A mindless, dead force, a psuedo-mind only concerned with destruction, guided by instinct, giving nothing to thought. A pure destructive mind, totally geared toward annihilation of everything that threatened what it guarded. The Planet.
Rufus rushed to the window and gasped involuntarily.
Another WEAPON emerged from the sea.
As he watched the massive, white, pearly mechanical beast lumber towards Midgar, he thought that he would destroy this creature, and all of its kind, once and for all. And yet, that feeling it gave him, like falling into the abyss of a massive monster…
Quickly grabbing the intra-building phone, Rufus called the SOLDIERs below. "Another WEAPON is headed towards Midgar!"
"We saw it sir! We're getting ready to fight back!"
Rufus remembered the Junon Cannon, which they had transferred to Midgar just barely, courtesy of Scarlet. "The upgraded Midgar Cannon! Is it…is it…"
"No chance, sir! It's strong, but not charged!"
Rufus threw down the phone. "But then…what will we do?" It had come to him that everyone would die inside of Midgar, then, including him. Nothing but the Cannon could stand up to a WEAPON…
Suddenly, he saw it. The Highwind.
The airship flew quickly threw the air and rammed its sharp point hard into the WEAPON's side, but bounced off the electric field that seemed to protect the creature. The ship attacked and rammed again and again, and then finally gave up and flew towards Midgar. Landing by the coast, Rufus saw that the bandits hurriedly got off, weapons out, doing fast checks on their Materia. They were going to fight that thing!
Rufus had to admit he did feel some admiration. After all, to sacrifice themselves just for a city…but, a city full of living, thinking, feeling people…
Rufus dialed down to the SOLDIERs. "Hurry! The rebels are attacking! Strife and his party! Quickly, we must take the time to…"
"Yes, sir!" After a few minutes, though, the harried SOLDIER called back saying, "Sir! No one here is qualified to operate the Midgar Cannon!"
Rufus nodded. "Yes…the upgrade…"
"What should we do now, sir?"
Rufus thought quickly, hurrying. "I'll call you back," he said, hanging up. He dialed Heidegger. The man didn't answer. He called Scarlet. The phone rang…and rang…and rang…perspiration broke out on Rufus' forehead from the combination of anger and fear, and his grip on the cell phone tightened. What were those two idiots doing?
Suddenly, she answered. "Mr. Shinra?" said Scarlet silkily.
"Where the hell are you, you-"
"Sorry sir, but Heidegger and I are hard at work," she said in the same silky voice.
"There's no time, fools! The WEAPON is coming to Midgar!"
"We know," she said calmly. "Heidegger and I are preparing the final defensive weapon. It should be ready in-"
"You mean the experimental weapon? The Proud Clod? This is not the time for a weapons test!"
"Sir," she said firmly, "We have every reason to believe that it will work very well against the rebels…"
"It's not the rebels that are the problem! WEAPON is attacking!"
"Sir, we-" Rufus hung up. He stood there for a few seconds, which seemed like agonizing hours, when he suddenly knew.
"Hojo!" he shouted into the phone, "you know what is happening?"
"Yes, sir…I assume you already have a SOLDIER up operating the Midgar Cannon…" came Hojo's oily voice.
"Sadly, we can't get anyone with the technical skill," replied Rufus. "Do you…?"
"Of course," said Hojo, and Rufus could hear the sounds of movement, "I'm on my way right now."
"Good," said Rufus, and hung up. He went to the window again and looked out at the fighting below. It was pitiful. Strife would run up and slash hard, and he would do little more than scratch the WEAPON's armor. It was a failed fight, unless, of course, the Shinra Company fired.
Rufus remembered, a long time ago, when he was younger, when he thought he was invincible, when he thought his father was the greatest man on the Planet. When he thought that, as long as his father were around, he would protect his son.
"Well, Dad," he said with a grim smile, "It looks like I was wrong. You were far from invincible, and you've failed everyone. You couldn't protect mother, the people, me, or even yourself, and now you're dead. The strongest win out always. And that's why you're dead.
"But me, but I, I am strong! I know what it takes. I know what I must do, and I know what everyone needs. You worried about the people, but I saw what was really important, I still do, and I will forever. I am the president of the world, and no one can stop me. No one can stop me, nothing can hurt me! I am invincible! I am Rufus Shinra, and I will win through, no matter the cost."
Rufus grinned down at the group fighting WEAPON. "You too are just pawns in the grand game. No one, none of you, has what it takes. Everyone but me."
A call came. "Yes?"
"Sir, the Cannon is ready to fire," came Hojo's voice. "We will shoot at your command."
"Wait…until it gets closer…"
Suddenly the monster's massive shoulders opened, to reveal a group of large guns. It's chest opened to reveal a glowing orb of energy. The monster charged, and Rufus knew what was coming…
Just as the WEAPON fired dozens of bolts of destructive energy, Rufus shouted into the phone, "Fire!"
The Mako Cannon charged, activating the eight Mako generators around the city, culling the life force of hundreds of victims to give it power. Then, with a massive shudder and kickback, the enormous gun shot out a huge blue energy ray.
The ray and WEAPON's energy bolts intersected in the air and passed, flying towards their targets. Rufus watched as the first parts of the WEAPON's salvo hit Midgar, tearing into buildings and destroying them, reducing hard metal into twisted heaps. Flames tore through the city, and destruction and chaos reigned the streets…
Rufus took binoculars and watched with satisfaction as the Mako ray hit the great beast hard, directly in the stomach and tore right through and straight on, passing away, while the sheer force of it hitting threw the monster backwards, landing on its back. Rufus grinned. The WEAPON was dead.
Suddenly, a sudden, bright flash of light roared past the windows and Rufus whirled. The monster was aiming at the main building!
Rufus stared ahead and saw bolt by bolt tear past the windows of his office, and he felt the heat and smelled the burning odor of the very oxygen in the air igniting.
And, with a sudden jolt of his heart, he knew-
He knew that he was as good as dead.
Rufus looked straight forwards and saw it, the harbringer of his doom. The huge energy shot that had come from the WEAPON's chest. Headed straight for him. And the memories flooded his mind…
"I'll kill everyone in Sector Seven…"
"Get those rebels, I don't care what you have to do!"
"They deserve a fitting punishment. Take their leader and rip him apart."
"Incompetent fools!"
"Father…if Sephiroth hadn't killed you, I would have…"
"Tseng, you just weren't strong enough to survive…so you die."
"Mother…you were worthless, and so now you die."
"Dorian. You've served your purpose. Die."
"Die."
"Die."
"Die."
"Die."
"Die!"
"Die!"
Rufus smiled ironically. A life overshadowed by death would indeed end unnaturally. It was rather flattering that it took a WEAPON to kill him.
And then, Rufus Shinra, President of the Shinra Corporation and leader of the world remembered,
The strong survive, the weak serve the strong. Such was the way of life, such as it is, and such shall it be. Forever.
Forever.