I don't own Final Fantasy VII or the characters.
Chapter 1: I don't want to die!
„HELLO?"
No answer.
He was calling the 100th time now in the last 3 hours.
Nobody came to look for him.
"Would anybody be so kind and friendly to give me a hand?"
No answer came.
There he was lying now. Once he was the most powerful man of the world. He signed. His legs and arms burned like hell. He could see his shotgun a few metres away. If he could only reach the weapon he could use the healing materia in it.
He tried to move his body. The aches in his limbs advised him not to try.
"C'mon Rufus… it is only a few metres! Better get a move on" he told himself.
He looked at the desk, which was lying on him and protected him from the attack of diamond weapon. There was not much left of his office.
"You really screwed it up this time!" he could hear the words of his father in his mind.
"Shut up old man," he said.
"Look at you! You're lying on the floor. Under a lot of junk! I always knew you would end like that!" the image in Rufus head flamed.
"I said to shut the fuck up!" he spat out loud.
"And what do you want to do now? Crying for help? You were always a cry-baby!" it rang in his mind.
Rufus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He collected all his strength.
"Just shut up! Look! I am standing up. Ok?" he said. He lifted his arms and pressed his hands against the desk ignoring the pain. He took another deep breath and tried to lift the desk. It only moved a few centimetres. The pain was unbelievable. Tears ran down his face. He screamed and his breaths became short.
"Told you! There is no use. You will die here. Like me!" the image of his father sneered.
"You are already dead! I am not! I am alive!" Rufus screamed.
When the pain started to ease a bit he decided to make another try.
Again he lifted his arms and pressed them against the desk.
"There is no use cry-baby! Just accept the fact and die!" his father said and laughed.
The laughter rang through the head of the young shin-ra as so often. Anger dwelled up. The grip on the desk tightened. His head became empty as the fury took over.
"I SAID TO SHUT UP DAMMIT!" he screamed and pushed all the strength he had into his arms.
"I WILL NOT DIE HERE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE HERE! I WILL NOT DIE HERE! I WILL NOT DIE! DO YOU HEAR ME?" he screamed and the desk moved. He ignored the pain and pushed on. The image of his father was still laughing. His anger enlarged and so his strength. The desk moved more and Rufus' torso was free.
He felt back and now it was his time to laugh.
"See old man? Now ya watching, huh?" he breathed as the pain came back rushing through his limbs.
His father was away again. He was dead as he was supposed to be.
He turned around and faced the shotgun. Suddenly it seemed to be more far away than about 10 metres. Now it seems more like 10 kilometres. The pain in his torso was even heavier than in his arms. The desk had probably broken a few rips but his legs seemed to be ok. He tried to stand up but for that he had not enough strength. He moved his aching limbs slowly to crouch.
"I will show you," he said. 8 metres left.
"You'll see!" 6 metres.
"I am not a looser" 4 metres.
"Jerk!" 2 metres
"Only a bit more!"
He grape the shotgun and held it up in triumph.
Rufus laid on his back again took out the healing materia and looked at it. Only healing2. He sighed but it was better than nothing. He concentrated and cast its power. The pain eased and he felt the strength rushing through his body.
He arched up. He wiped off the tears that were still lingering on his face with his sleeve and watched at the blood on it.
"Never cried or bleed… my ass!" he said with a sly smile.
Rufus stood up grabed the shotgun and placed the materia back into the slot.
His body still ached especially in his left leg. According to the blood on his pants he was bleeding very much at his left tight. He did not need a mirror to see that he wasn't a good shape at the moment. His normally white suit wasn't white anymore. It was full of rubbish, ashes and blood. He stood up and limped to the whole in the wall where a few hours ago were a window. The wind blew through it and cooled is sweaty forehead. He flipped his hair out of his face. The city didn't look good either. The sectors 5 and 6 were nearly completely destroyed. And the other sectors he could see were still burning. He never liked this dirty city but it was his city now.
"That's what I am now. A president of rubbish and ashes" he thought silently and sighed.
"Maybe you were right old man… I really screwed it up this time" he said. "But next time. I will make it better."
He turned around and limped in direction of the lifts. He pushed the button but nothing happened.
"Great. Just great" he thought and looked into the direction of the stairs and then at his leg.
"70 floors.. Good luck Rufus" he said and began to limp again.
His leg was still bleeding and he left a trace of blood.
Rufus grabed the handrail and started to move carefully down the stairs.
It was dark and nobody seemed to be in the building anymore. For the first time as long as he could think back he saw nobody in this building.
"I seems that SEC is really dead" Rufus thought.
Blood from a cut on his forehead ran into his left eye.
Suddenly he felt something next to his right leg. He looked down and so Dark Nation his black panther. He smiled and caressed the animal at the head.
"Hey buddy. At least one light spot on the horizon" he said.
The animal licked his hand as if it wanted to tell him to go on.
"Yeah… you're right," the man said. "It is a long way down there"
Slowly he stepped down the first 20 floors. Exhausted he sat down on the stairs.
Sweat dropped down his face and he breathed hard. Dark Nation licked his face.
"Yeah girl.. only a little break, ok?" he comforted her.
But the animal pulled his leg.
"Ok ok … " he said and stood up again.
He grabed the handrail again and lifted himself up and began to limp down again.
One hour later he reached the first floor. He could hear the angry mob outside. They were trying to come in. Rufus froze. He would not like them to lay their hands on him. He looked into the lobby. They punched with clenched fists against the glass doors.
It was only a question of time until they would make it in. He limped ducked through the lobby as fast as he could into a store for clothes and grabed a cap and a trench coat. He limbed back to Dark Nation who was waiting at the stairs. He put on the cap and the trench coat and looked at the backdoor. He pulled the cap down on his face and opened carefully the door. The air seemed to be clean. It was already night. Rufus gave Dark Nation a sign and she ran outside sat down on the street and looked around. Then she meowed and gave Rufus a sign that there was no danger. He glanced outside and limped after the cat into the night.
He did not know how long he limped through the streets. He was relieved to see that all were too busy to extinguish fire or to look at the houses burning. It seemed that the company was still working because the fire department was at work. Blue uniformed guards were calming down the people.
"Where am I?" he asked one of the guards.
"Between Sector 6 and 7 sir. Please go home and stay calm" he answered.
"Well.. unfortunately I have no home anymore … do you know a place where I can spend the night?" Rufus asked and put the cap a bit deeper into his face.
"Well.. Tifa's Seventh Heaven is still standing. It was one of a few buildings, which survived the disaster then. Go there. Maybe there are still some rooms," meant the blue uniformed man and pointed into direction behind his back.
"Thanks. You are really doing a great job here." complimented Rufus the guard and proceeded his way.
A few minutes later he was standing in front of the bar.
"Tifa's Seventh Heaven" he read loud and looked down to Dark Nation. "Looks like our new home for the next few weeks huh?"
The cat looked at the bar and seemed to be sceptical.
"Yeah.. I know but we cannot be picky at the moment." Rufus said and shrugged with his shoulders.
He limped up the stairs into the bar. It was empty. Only a woman was standing at the bar.
"Hi!" he greeted and limped to the bar.
"Hello! Rough night huh? Especially for you company guys," she said.
"Pardon? He said.
She pointed at his cap and he looked up. He rolled with the eyes. Did he grab in the rush a cap with the company logo?
"Yes… a hard night and I lost my house too.. Is here a room to rent?" he asked.
"Yeah. How long do you want to stay?" she asked him.
" I don't know. But I will prepay the rent for 1 month. I that ok?" Rufus asked.
"Yes. Of course" the woman answered.
"You don't take credit cards right" asked and took out his wallet.
She looked at the expensive leather of it and shook her head when he looked up at her again.
"350 Gil" she said.
He reached her a few money notes.
"Thank you" said the woman.
The room began to spin around and Rufus sat down on a chair. Dark Nation looked up to him and laid her head on his lap.
"Only a little break ok?" he said to the animal.
"Do you want something to drink?" the bartender asked.
"Yes.. Something hard please." Rufus answered. Maybe that would let him forget at least for some minutes the pain in left his leg.
She turned around and filled a glass with whiskey. When she turned around again the man had lowered his head down on the bar.
"Here is your drink," she said.
He did not answer.
"Mister?" she asked. She touched his shoulder but there was no response.
When she looked to the door from where he came she saw a dark red trace of blood leading to the chair he was now sitting on.
She gasped in shock. Was the man dead?
When she ran around the bar Dark Nation hissed and defended her master.
"Easy kitty… I am only trying to help" the bartender said.
After looking up to Rufus the cat moved aside so that the woman could reach the wounded man. The white trousers were dark red on the left side. She could see that he was bleeding heavily. The reached under his arms to pulled him off the chair. There was no way she could bring him to one of the rooms upstairs. When he was lying on the floor she wondered what to do. Dark Nation pulled with the nose against the shotgun that Rufus dropped next to the chair.
"What do you want me to do? Shoot him?" she asked the cat.
The cat pointed with the nose against the materia slots.
"Ahh.. now I get it.. so let us see what is in it" she said and reached for the weapon.
She found the healing2 materia and cast its power. It took effect immediately and Rufus began to take deep breaths again. He opened his eyes and watched up at the woman.
"What happened?" he asked. "Where am I?"
"You are in a bar. In sector 7" she said. "Don't you remember?"
"Yes… the bar.." the man said tired.
"Wait a moment!" the woman said ran to the door to lock it and ran back.
"Can you stand up? I will bring you to a room where you can rest" she said and took his arms around her shoulder in order to help him up.
"I guess so… I made it here didn't I?" he asked.
She supported him and he made it back to his feet. Slowly she dragged him up the stairs. The bartender could clearly see the pain in his face with every move of his left leg.
"Only a little more ok?" she said.
He breathed heavily when they reached the last step and she had problems to support him. His weight was getting heavier when he seemed to faint again.
"Hey boy.. I need your help here ok?" she said. "This is not the time for a nap".
Dark Nation came up the stair and pulled with her had against Rufus back.
The support helped a bit and they began to walk again.
After a few steps they reached the door of the room and she dragged him to the bed. She dropped him there and he felt asleep immediately.
The woman took of his heavy combat boots and opened his belt to undress him. She wanted to take a closer look at his wound. Slowly she pulled it down.
"White silky boxers… " She said giggling.
There was a splinter of wood deep in his left tight. She knew that if she would pull it out that it would bleed really heavy.
She ran downstairs again reached under the bar for the first aid kit ran back.
The woman took out bandages and made a tight compress above the wound.
"Ok.. That will hurt now a bit" she said asking herself if he could hear her.
She reached for the splinter and pulled it out with one jerk.
Rufus opened his eyes and stared at her in shock. He reached for the wound and screamed in pain. The blood floated heavily. She could see that he was already pale from the loss of blood.
"Hey!" she said. "We have the worst part already behind us!" now let me bandage it!"
He wasn't even listening to her and only cried in agony and held his wound.
"Hey! Pull yourself together!" she screamed and slapped his face.
Rufus was shocked. Nobody ever dared to slap him except his father. He held his left cheek and looked at her. She quickly began to bandage his tight and when she looked back into his face she could only grin about his dumbfounded face.
"Ok. That's it for the moment" she said and took off his cap.
"You look somehow familiar to me," she said.
He did not answer and was still holding his cheek.
"Doesn't matter anyway" she said and shrugged with her shoulders.
He did not object when she started to take off the rest of his clothes and left him only in his boxers still looking at her.
"Now stop looking at me and get some sleep," she said pushed him into the pillows and covered him with a fresh blanket.
Dark Nation yawned and rolled herself into a ball in front of the bed.
"Good night" said the women when she went through the door and switched off the light. Then she was gone. A few seconds later Rufus felt asleep.
The bartender grinned when she thought of his dumbfounded face.
"What a brat" she thought. How old could he be anyway? He looked like 18.
She looked at the bar where his wallet was still laying. He took it and felt with her fingers over the smooth leather. It looked expensive.
"Let's look who you are.." she said loud and opened it.
She lifted an eyebrow when she saw a fat bundle of money in it.
"Whoever he is … he doesn't seem to be poor," she said to herself.
She turned it over and looked at the cards. Golden Credit card.. Platinum Cards… Membership of the National Golfer Club… and a Shin-Ra Electric Power Company ID card. Now it was her time to look dumfounded.
Rufus Shin-Ra
President of
Shin-Ra
ElectronicPower
Company
Access Level: 70th Floor
She turned it around. I looked authentic. Red and white. There was a golden chip on it and on the backside a magnetic tape.
A shudder ran down her back by the thought that somebody could find out that Rufus Shin-Ra was here. She imagined hundreds of people with torches and dunk-folks demanding his head. She decided to keep it secret until Tifa would come back. Then it would be her problem. As much as she hated that company she felt pity for that boy upstairs who was defenceless at the moment.