Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, just the Cetra I made up.

The Line

Chapter One: Lone Wolf

Tifa breathed out a sigh of relief as the last customer left her bar, The Seventh Heaven. Only two years after the war with Sephiroth, a large change has occurred throughout Gaia. Midgar will become as it was when separated in villages rather than sectors. It was a very large not to mention expensive project, so most of the people are volunteers. As a result of the vast amount of people, business was booming.

As for her former comrades, things were not very different from the hustle and bustle of the busy bar.

Cloud used to live with Tifa and in fact organized the rebuilding of Midgar. Driven close to madness by the dreams of Aeris that plagued him every time he closed his eyes, he left one day. Tifa was, of course, heartbroken.

Barret is the president of the now rebuilt Corel. Since Cloud left Kalm, Barret is now the co-director of the rebuilding of Midgar along with Cid. Marlene stays with her daddy and visits Tifa every weekend.

Cid is the captain of Rocket Town and now a husband and father. He married Shera almost immediately after their adventure ended. Their twins, Cid Jr. and Sierra, turned one years old two weeks before. Shera is the head mechanic of the rebuilding of Midgar. Cid, who now leads the rebuilding, often seeks her advice for matters and never lets a building become inhabited without her A-OK.

Nanaki is the ambassador of Cosmo Canyon and is also at the building of Midgar. He designed the towns and helped with the naming. When he comes of age, he will become the Elder of Cosmo Canyon. A man named Kwanda fills in as the regent.

Yuffie did nothing short of disappear when the adventure ended. The only thing anyone knows is that she owns something of a Black Market of materia.

Vincent also disappeared, but not as completely as Cloud or Yuffie. He splits his time between helping the Turks with their missions and rebuilding. He is currently researching an organization called the Mists of Gaia.

Tifa looked at her two employees, Johnny and Melody. Those two always argue over the simplest things yet they remain good friends.

Johnny was a rather handsome man three years older than Tifa. He had long brown hair that he kept in a high ponytail and a left a few strands out that came around his face. He wore oval glasses that he would glare over at Melody when she made him angry. He was tall and had broad shoulders but a thin waist.

Melody is a very attractive girl Tifa's age. She has dark brown hair that reaches her shoulder blades. She usually keeps her hair back by putting it in a ponytail or up in some style. She has expressive light hazel eyes and is very outspoken. Tifa and she could pass as twins, and they sometimes lie about that. Melody and Tifa are in the same boat, so to speak. Both were in love with a childhood friend, but the love is unrequited. They always talk about life after the bar is closed.

Wind howled outside the bar and they heard the sound of thunder.

"Oh great, I didn't bring an umbrella," Johnny moaned. The look Melody gave him showed that she was about to start an argument. Tifa leaned against the bar and prepared to start watching one of their many humorous arguments.

"Well if you had watched or heard the news this morning maybe you would know the forecast! Oh wait, you boys can't wake up early enough to watch it."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Simple: men are lazy and must rely on women to make ends meet. But then you're allergic to us, right? You sure act like it."

"Excuse me? You're the one who's pining away for a guy that considers you just a friend. You're saying that men have to rely on women? Ha! The reason it seems like men rely on women is because that's the way you women want it. It's really the other way around. Women need men; men don't need women." Tifa saw that Melody had her feelings touched by that one.

"Oh? Is that the case? You know, I was just about to take you home using my umbrella, but I guess not." Tifa inwardly smiled. Melody decided to end the argument rather than take it to a different level.

"What? I'm sorry."

"That's what you call sucking up, Johnny," Tifa commented.

"Is not!"

"Is to now come on!" Melody went into the back and returned with a rather large umbrella. She obviously knew this would happen. They left.

Tifa started to go to the back storage room to check on the new deliveries that were made earlier that day when she heard a loud bang on the door. That was strange; Johnny lived ten minutes away at the rather slow pace he walked. She cracked the door open, which fell completely open with some sort of force and gasped.

A man leaned against the door and fell into her bar as the door opened. He was soaking wet and when she touched his arm, her hand went away with water mixed with blood.

Tifa crouched down next to the man and was about to put his right arm around her shoulders but he moaned in pain. His shoulder seemed to be dislocated. She put his left arm around her shoulders and slowly walked to the downstairs bathroom that was for private use only. She thought for a moment. She ran to the kitchen and got a pair of scissors. She cut his dark colored shirt. His chest had multiple cuts. She bit her bottom lip at her next obstacle. She turned the bathtub on and it started to fill with hot water. Tifa left to call Melody on the PHS.

"Hello?"

"Melody?"

"Tifa, what's wrong?"

"There's an injured man at my house. He is soaking, but I don't have any man's clothes."

"Do you want any of Johnny's? What do you think is wrong with him?"

"He seems to have a dislocated right shoulder and a lot of cuts. No normal person could survive what he's been through."

Melody thought about what she said. It all made sense. "Is he conscious?"

Tifa was suspicious; the amount of concern in Melody's voice changed drastically from none to a lot.

"No. Bring Johnny's loosest clothes."

"Alright. Check on him and I'll be back quickly." Melody hung up.

Tifa walked back to the bathroom and was amazed at what she saw. He had taken off his own pants and was sitting in the full bathtub. Tifa walked up to him slowly. He left his undergarments on, thank goodness.

Suddenly, he turned his head and looked at her. Tifa was shocked at the color of his eyes. They were green, like Aeris' and Sephiroth's.

"You must be my savior. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Marcus Xavier, but you should call me Marc." Marc looked at the color of the girl's eyes. She was a human.

"My name's Tifa Lockheart..." She paused.

"Is something wrong?" Marc asked.

"N-no." She was lying. "Are you still injured?"

"Yes, I know better to not to do anything to a dislocated joint." Marc looked around. "Where exactly am I?"

"You're in my bar, the Seventh Heaven, which is located in Kalm."

'Kalm, eh?' "So that makes you the martial artist that defeated the great Sephiroth, hmm?"

Tifa looked at Marc. He was looking at her as if he was analyzing her mind. "D-don't look at me like that... it's scary." Marc tossed his head back and laughed.

"I was right; it is the great Maverick," a voice said from the door. Tifa and Marc looked towards the door. Melody was standing in the doorway with a confused Johnny behind her. Tifa was also confused.

"Hello Melody. Is Miss Lockheart a friend of yours?"

"Yes. She's also my boss. So your shoulder is dislocated?" Melody walked up to the side of the tub. "Ouch. Tifa, hold his other shoulder right here while I reset this one." Tifa did as Melody said. Melody put his shoulder back in place with a disgusting pop.

Marc rubbed it. "Valeria would be proud." He leaned back and looked at Melody. "I bet you're wondering what I'm doing by myself in a place like this, right?"

"Exactly, but then I remember that you're Maverick. This sort of roguish behavior is in your nature."

"You are correct."

"Your dad's going to be angry when he finds out. You know that, don't you?"

"He already found out. As a matter of fact, he sent me."

Melody was clearly taken aback. "What?"

"I'm sure you've heard of the Mists of Gaia, have you not?"

"My friend, Vincent Valentine, is tracking them down, but I don't know why," Tifa said. Melody nodded.

"Valentine, eh? It should be easy for him, this tracking them down. My mother is the connection between the planet and us. It told her that the Mists of Gaia is trying to destroy it. I have to seek them out and find them so that they are destroyed...or at least their machines are destroyed."

"Machines? Are they like the Shinra?" Melody asked.

"Yes and no. The Mists is using a different technique. Their machines are so powerful that one of their machines could do the same amount of damage that five Shinra reactors can. They have about six of these machines."

"I'm so confused. What does that have to do with Vincent?" Tifa asked.

"Do you know what that claw of his is?"

"Is it something special?"

"It is a detector of the amount of lifeblood in the earth. He is half machine now. He has been ever since the Jenova incident."

"So he just has to see where the lifeblood is small?" Melody asked.

"Either that or he has to see where the lifeblood is gathering."

"How do you know all this?" Tifa asked. Marc looked at his hand.

"Hypnos Maximus," he said. A yellow beam hit Johnny and he collapsed. Marc snorted. "A spy..." He motioned for the girls to leave.

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"Do you know what that claw of his is?" I asked.

"Is it something special?" Tifa wondered. I looked at the man in the door. He was listening intently now. I figured I would tell them and then make him sleep.

"It is a detector of the amount of lifeblood in the earth. He is half machine now, ever since the Jenova incident." Tifa nodded. She knew about it.

"So he just has to see where the lifeblood is small?" Melody asked. I shook my head.

"Either that or he has to see where the lifeblood is gathering."

"How do you know all this?" Tifa inquired. I looked at my hand. The man was about to escape.

'Either now or never.' "Hypnos Maximus," I said. The yellow beam struck him and he collapsed. I snorted at the stupidity of the man. "A spy..." I motioned for the girls to leave.

I opened the pocket that was concealed in my shirt. I was surprised Tifa didn't notice it. I took out the small communiqué device. I typed in my father's code and waited.

"A development already?" he asked as his image appeared. I'm the spitting image of him with dark brown hair and green eyes.

"Three, actually. I've told Melody and Tifa Lockheart what's going on."

"Tifa Lockheart...that name sounds familiar."

"Of course. She was the lady who dispatched Sephiroth with Cloud Strife."

"Ah yes, continue."

"I didn't tell Tifa, and I think Melody didn't either, that we were Cetra."

"You will eventually."

"Probably. Second, Tifa revealed to my that Vincent Valentine was also searching for the Mists."

"Oh really? We may have to team up."

"My thoughts exactly. Third, I found a spy."

"Well then what are we waiting for? We'll be there immediately. Don't kill him. Anything else?"

"I found signs of a mutated Midgar Zolom in the marshes. A plant must be nearby. Also, bring some clothes." My father sighed and shook his head before logging off.

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"So you know Marc?" Tifa asked. Melody looked at Tifa.

"Of course. We grew up together. My father works for his." Melody thought for a moment. "You know, it's strange he told you to call him Marc. His mother the only one that calls him that. He doesn't like for anyone else to... he must have a thing for you." Melody winked. Tifa blushed lightly.

"W-why do you say that?"

"You think he's cute, don't cha? Don't worry, he's single. If it makes you feel better, I think he's cute too."

"So who's Valeria?" Melody smirked. Tifa was changing the subject.

"My sister. She's a doctor."

"I see..."

"You're hiding something, aren't you?" Tifa looked at Melody. She was giving Tifa a look as if she was looking inside or through her, like Marc did earlier.

"I'm wondering..." Marc entered the bar.

"Dad's coming."

"He is?" Melody asked, obviously surprised.

"Yes. I think the Council is coming with him."

"Crappity crap," Melody remarked.

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Maximus looked at the communiqué device. A spy, huh? Maximus turned around and held down a black button.

"All members of the Council, please report to the Congressional Hall. I repeat, all members of the Council to the Congressional Hall." Maximus removed his saber and scabbard from it's niche in his office. He walked to the elevator in the corner of his office. "Congressional Hall." It moved up to the eighth and last floor. The seven members of the Council arrived at the same time. They sat down at their places with Maximus at the head of the table.

"So what's this impromptu meeting about, sir?" Alfred asked.

"My son told me of some developments."

"Already?" Adrienne asked, shocked. The members of the council talked to each other.

"All of it is not, however, to our advantage." They quieted.

"What did he tell you?" Orion asked.

"First, the bad news," the Council held their breath, "he found a spy."

"A spy?" Uma asked.

"Yes, posing as an employee of Tifa Lockheart's."

"Tifa Lockheart as in the woman who defeated Sephiroth?" Cleo asked.

"Correct. Second, he told Miss Lockheart and Melody what the situation was. Miss Lockheart stated that Vincent Valentine was also on a mission to find the Mists of Gaia."

"You wish to call for an alliance?" Lena asked.

"Yes...if we could find Valentine. Third, and most important, my son found signs of a mutated Midgar Zolom. I do believe that he was attacked by it."

"Mutated? That means that a machine is nearby!" Warren exclaimed.

"Yes, but first things first. We eliminate the spy," Lena said. They all stood.

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