"Fuck it!"
Ross Strife continued to curse foully under his breath as the heavens opened and rain poured down upon him. The spikey-haired youth quickened his pace as the first flash of lightning lit up the evening sky, closely followed by a deafening roll of thunder. He paused as he passed an electrical store; a television in its window now showing the news………he shook his head as he read the banner across the bottom of the screen;
Several WRO members charged with political treason and disturbing the peace…
"Bullshit!"
Several other people, who had also been gazing in the window of the store in an aid to keep up to date with the happenings on Gaia, all turned their heads as the swear broke the relative silence, Ross pulled his hood further over his already rain-soaked head as he turned and began walking away once more, not wanting to attract any further attention to himself; he'd been left alone this long, but just a little too much notice could lead to being charged with political treason himself………
"Wait a minute!"
Ross reluctantly turned back around as an aged woman called after him; he raised a blonde eyebrow questioningly in her direction, the old woman stared at the youth for several seconds before realization light up her eyes;
"Ross Strife; Cloud and Tifa's youngster, that's you isn't it?"
Ross shook his head as several other people immediately tuned into the conversation as the well-known surname was heard…
"Sorry; you've got the wrong person, not me………"
The aged woman shook her head adamantly and opened her mouth to protest, but then quickly shut it again as she realised the situation she had placed the teenager in; it wasn't safe for him to go around shouting his parentage…not anymore anyhow.
"Forgive me, I'm must have been mistaken…"
Ross shrugged and once again began walking away, silently relieved as he heard numerous sets of footsteps trailing away from the store window; evidently taking the woman's actions as that of a genuine mistake.
The blonde teenager walked on through several more alleys before his acute hearing, compliments of the Mako he'd inherited from his father, picked up on the echo of additional footsteps, he paused and turned around; bracing himself for the worst as the thoughts of remnants and shadow creepers shot through his young mind, but to his utter shock; the aged woman stood opposite him in the rain-drenched alley, he stayed on his guard nonetheless; in the four years that had followed Sephiroth's rise to power and his own father's death-no; murder…the youth had learned the hard way that it wasn't safe to trust anyone anymore…he'd been alone with years at this stage; having his father killed right in front of his young eyes, and then his mother and the only family he'd ever known taken away and leaving him to fend for himself on the streets; had hardened the youth's heart to an unbearable level………
"What d'you want? I'm not him, you were wrong woman!"
The old lady smiled through tears as she took several steps towards the defensive teenager,
"I'm surprised at you Ross, I certainly remember you, although I must say; you've sprouted quiet a bit since the last time I babysat you…"
Ross felt his shimmering blue eyes widen in shock as he suddenly remembered the lady, she'd been like a grandmother to him and all of the other kids; looking after them and babysitting them whilst their parents were preoccupied with matters of which did not exist anymore; the matter of fighting the good side………
"Elmyra?"
Elmyra Gainsborough nodded her head as the youth spoke, she felt her heart give a pang as the teenager lowered the hood of his hoody and took several steps forward; Ross had inherited his father's looks to a tee; the same spikey blonde hair, the same pale complexion, the same shimmering blue eyes………………But unbeknownst to both Elmyra and Ross; a third person was watching the reunion; the young looking woman smiled lightly as she tucked a few stray strands of rain-soaked chocolate hair that had fallen over her amethyst hued irises, back behind her left ear………
"Thanks…"
Ross gratefully took a mug of hot tea from Elmyra, it had taken the aged woman much persuasion to get the youth in off the lashing streets for the time being; she wanted to make sure the youngster was alright; it had been over four years since she'd seen the lad, and he'd grown up rapidly since; gone was the boyish looks and slight chubbiness of the cheeks; a strong, lean, good-looking young man now sat on her sofa in the boy's place………
Ross shot another glance to the clock on the mantelpiece; 9:30…he should have been back by now; Jared would be ringing him soon………"
"Do you know where Declan is?"
The youth tore his gaze away from the clock as he heard Elmyra's question, he was set on edge by its worried tone………
"Why, what's goin on?"
Elmyra sat down on the edge of the armchair opposite Ross, she shouldn't have known it in the first place, but she couldn't not give the teenager a heads' up…
"If my memory is correct; his birthday is next Wednesday, he'll be eighteen, making him eligible to seize control of his father's business………"
Ross shot to his feet, partially out of hope of any information on AVALANCHE and ShinRa…
"Why? Has something happened to Rufus, did Sephiroth ki-"
"Calm down a minute Ross; as far as I am aware; no, Rufus is still alive, as is your mother and the others, but Sephiroth has a scientist in employment, I am not sure of his name, but as stated earlier this week; persons convicted of political treason are to under-go treatment under this scientists name…oh, what was his darn name!?"
Elmyra scrunched her eyes slightly; fighting for the memory of the man's name, it was just on the tip of her tongue…
"Hojo, the man's name's Hojo…"
Ross needed no reminding as the name sprung from his lips; he'd heard many a tale from his father and the Turks of this man's sadistic treatments…
Elmyra nodded; that was his name alright, she carried on from what she'd been first explaining;
"Later this week; all law, if you can call it that, enforcers are being put on the look out for Declan; if he's seen he is to be reprimanded, along with any youths that stand by him, Sephiroth is starting to cop onto the fact that you five may hold grudges………"
Ross turned and headed for the door, unwilling to be dragged into fighting; he'd seen the repercussions of it…
"All I want to do is stay unnoticed Elmyra; I watched Dad fighting that day, I saw what Kadaj was doing…and I couldn't stop him………what use would I be?"
"Ross, please; I didn't mean it that way…"
Elmyra followed the youth out into the hall of her home, now painfully aware of how much the past had affected the young man, he'd watched his father's death, one could hardly expect anyone to remain the same after witnessing such a thing…but the likes of such bravery was in lack again; Sephiroth had already ordered the repair of several Mako reactors; two of such machines had been erected on the outskirts of Edge and now slowly pumped the life from the planet once more; the planet was suffering, people – innocent people were suffering, living in a hell on earth; a slowly dying planet, ruled by the biggest mistake of nature - a Nightmare, aswell as a corrupt and backwards government………AVALANCHE were needed once more.
Ross turned back to face his grandmother figure;
"What did you mean then, I'll let Declan know what you said………"
Elmyra shook her head; it didn't matter, if Sephiroth wanted the teenager, then he'd find the youngster; no questions asked about it.
"Ross, please; it won't be enough; he wants you, and he's going to come after you; all of you; Jared, Declan, Robbie and Aiveen included, he wants to finish off what he started, and there's no one left to stand in his way; no one unless you five do otherwise; your father trained you, I remember watching the two of you sparring –"
"Yeah; and he was a hundred times better a fighter than me; and look what happened, what chance would I stand?!"
Elmyra remained silent, she had no answer to the youth's statement, what could she say? The silence of the hall way split in two as Tokio Hotel's "Scream", blared into life; emanating from the teenager's pocket…
Ross withdrew his phone and answered quickly;
"Yeah?"
"Ross, everything okay, you're late, Aiveen's getting fair worked up…"
"Look, I'm fine, I'm heading back now, I just ran into someone I knew is all…"
Elmyra watched the teenager as he hung up and placed his mobile back within the confines of his jeans pockets…
"Ross I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up…"
Ross just nodded; he knew the state the planet was in; and he didn't blame her, or anyone for that matter, for wanting someone like his father; someone who'd help…but he wasn't Cloud………
"Don't sweat it, thanks for the tea Elmyra, but I've to head back; Aiveen's getting on Declan's case again………
"Here; take this…"
The youth stared at the gil the aged woman had placed in his hand; it was a lot! Way too much for her to be just giving away…
"Elmyra; I can't, it's-"
"It's not; take it…please?"
Ross grudgingly placed the gil in his back pocket and turned for the door once more, talking quietly as he pulled it shut behind him;
"Thank-you…"
"Is he okay? Why's he late? Did he get hurt? Where is he? When'll he be back? How co-"
"Slow de fuck down Aiveen! Ya talk too fast girl!"
Robbie Highwind shook his head; how in the name of Gaia could the teenager talk so fast and not realise it? It was near impossible to understand what the hyperactive young woman said at times!
Aiveen Valentine stared at the ground; feigning to be sorry as Robbie continued to shake his head…Jared Tothva simply grinned at this; having just turned nineteen; he was the eldest of the five teenagers; with Aiveen and Ross being the youngest at seventeen, Declan ShinRa was just about to hit his eighteenth, and Robbie had turned it just over a month ago now…that's pretty much all they ever did since they were kids; slag each other!!! He laughed as he began to answer Aiveen's questions; being the only one capable of deciphering the gibberish…
"Ross's fine, he said he ran into someone he knew, as far as I know he's not hurt, and he should be back any minute………"
"If it's not raining, it's fucking freezing"
Ross tucked his hands deeper into the pocket that stretched across the front of his dark navy hoody in an attempt to warm their numb fingertips; the weather was always depressing in Edge! The youth found himself thinking over what Elmyra had said; he suddenly realised that if Sephiroth and his forces did, in fact, decide to come after Declan and the rest of them; they didn't have much of a hope; yes; he was trained with a buster sword, Robbie with a lance, Aiveen was an exceptional ninja; but had always preferred gun-slinging, Declan and Jared could both handle firearms…but what use was all these when they had no resources or weapons? They were sitting ducks!
Ross froze upon catching a shadow moving across the mouth of the alley, he looked back and noticed the same thing happening with the other end…the youth's guard went up immediately,
"What's your name?"
Ross kept his hooded head low as the approached the numerous ShinRa troops, hoping that he might be able to fob them off,
"Johnny…"
"Your surname boy!"
"Shinoda…"
"I doubt that – I know your voice………Ross………"
The teenager froze dead in his tracks as a new voice echoed through the freezing night air, he knew that voice too, and hated it more than anything he had ever hated before in his life………
Kadaj watched the hooded figure with apprehension as it's breath continued to rise and freeze in the cold air of the night………
Ross looked around quickly in search of an escape root, or weakness in the troops, but found none. He shook his head as he realised he was left with no other option…the teenager lowered his hood and raised his fists, he may have been trained by his father at swordsmanship, but his mother had also been a martial arts master………
Kadaj smirked maliciously upon seeing the youth's face; he bore many similarities to the once venerable Cloud Strife…
"All grown up I see…"
Ross watched on as the remaining two remnants appeared alongside the most disturbing of the trio; he seriously didn't want to have to fight if he could avoid it…
Before the youth had time to register what was happening, his back collided forcefully with that of a brick wall of a building, the teenager crumpled to the ground as the breath was jarred from his lungs…
Loz stood smirking as he retracted his dual-hound from the spot the teenager had stood only seconds earlier, delight evident on his face as the young man struggled to his feet…
Ross staggered to his feet, clutching the right side of his ribs where the dual-hound had struck; fuck, that hurt more than I thought it would…
However much the not-so-graceful collision with the solid brick wall may have pained the youngster, it was quickly forgotten about as the sound of a gunshot resonated throughout the alleyway, and excruciating pain struck the seventeen year old in his left shoulder; the youth faltered as he grasped his wounded shoulder with his right hand………
"You appear to be as persistent as your father was…Ross."
Ross looked up as the cold, sadistic voice of the Nightmare could be heard, he found himself gazing into uncaring jade irises; a forceful kick sent the youth skidding back along the rough pavement………Ross unintentionally allowed a cry to escape his lips as a particularly vicious kick to the gut caught him off guard, closely followed by another to his back, then his head………
Sephiroth watched on in amusement as his three brothers and several on his troops repeatedly kicked the teenager as he lay on the ground; he smirked darkly as he spoke to the night sky;
"Pathetic, then again; what was I expecting; he is your son after all, Cloud."
"Enough!"
Sephiroth looked up as the shout echoed and a flash of silvery-violet caught the corner of his eye; several troops fell to the ground, defeated as all three remnants were thrown backwards at force; each one colliding with the same wall that Ross had, each one crumpling as the force of the collision sent their heads into temporary darkness…
Sephiroth swung his masamune down towards the unconscious teenager; determined to nip this youngster in the bud before he actually became a problem, but to his utter astonishment; his blade halted suddenly as the sound of clashing metal filled the cold air………
Sephiroth stared in shock over his clashing sword at that of his new adversary; he knew that chocolate coloured hair, tied up in a braid as she stood against him, he knew those amethyst eyes that shimmered with mako energy, he had gazed into them many times before………he allowed the name to fall from his thin lips without even knowing it was there;
"Rika………"