3 YEARS AFTER METEOR
Another not so bright and humid day in Midgar, the air heavy with pollution and whatever else managed to suspend itself in the warm air.
Not far from the ShinRa building, an apartment complex looms over the upper plate. It was just another day for Rude, a Turk.
"Zzzz", the alarm clock made its final plea as it swiftly flew through the air to meet its mark on the bedroom wall. If you pulled back the old rugs left nailed over the walls only then would you know the alarm had met its mark there several times in the past. Rude put his hands to his bare head, as if he were running his hands through his hair.
"Wemmblemerder..." he mumbled to, his morning version of telling himself it was time to get up and make the damn coffee.
Eyes still closed, he shuffled his feet around until he caught the fuzzy ear of one of the pink bunny slippers his friend had gotten him for his birthday not too long before. Reno, such a joker. He sighed and finally put his weight on his feet, stumbling to the window. He winced as he pulled the dirty sheet to the side.
"Too damn bright," he mumbled to himself. He closed them and began to search for his clothing.
Of course, nothing is ever where it is supposed to be after a night you hardly can remember… Rude founds bits and pieces of his uniform in the bathroom. From the smell of the battered fabric he'd swear they were going to get up and walk itself out of there on their own. His expensive white button up shirt was lying carelessly in the sink doused in water.
"Aaaaahhhh…. Shit." Rude rolled his eyes at the prospect of the ol' roll your shirt up in the window while you drive and hope to holy hell it's dry when you get wherever you're going trick. After staring at the shirt for a moment, Rude recalled the events of the past evening.
******
I remember…
Reno, Tseng, Rufus and myself had gone out in celebration of the Turks 5th anniversary. Although there were several other bars or clubs in the area, the 7th Heaven set itself apart from the others by being more personal and relaxed with its customers. There is no bouncer just waiting to stomp your face in on the first wrong move. Of course, none of us would admit that the well busted bar tender had any influence in the decision to celebrate there either. Tifa.
Ohhh, Tifa. I can't help but smirk when I think about her. She's beautiful but not fake. It's just the way she looks at you, her attitude. Although, as hard as it is to admit… she probably makes every man feel that way. It's so easy to look and let your imagination run and create little fantasies and visions of grandeur. Luckily, I have my wonderful friends to keep my emotions in check.
There is always Reno, the most humbling of them all! Reno, that little shit… everytime Tifa looks over and causes that half hearted broken smile to creep up on my face, Reno is there to take the glory.
"Hey… Rude. You see that? She was undressing me with her eyes." He'd look over and nudge me with the sharp part of his elbow. Of course, the more we drank on, the harder the nudges got, and the less felt they were on the recieving end.
THAT'S RIGHT! It was in the middle of a deep, more then likely politically incorrect conversation of which I can't recall, that three young men came in throwing guns around. Both Reno and myself jumped up first. Instinct I think. The third man swung a gun around at me and fired, but it was too late, I had drawn my gun faster that the man would have ever predicted. The shot caught the man right between the eyes.
The first man, a blond youngster obviously had no business being there from the wild frightened look in his eye. Poor kid… probably dragged along with his older friends for the "thrill". With his knife out he slashed wildly with his eyes half closed just hoping and praying he'd hit something, anything! Reno stepped back just enough to avoid the kid. Only a small slice across the shoulder sent a stream of blood onto the floor. Rufus quickly fired a shot to render the scared boy harmless.
The last man standing spun on his heels and ran out of the door drawing his gun. I bolted out of the door after the bastard- then he disappeared into the endless mounds of rubble around the slum. I lowered my gun and turned around to see the 7th Heaven in flames. That ass hole must have lit the place on fire on his way out.
Everyone in the bar was moved out and into safety, even the ones that could barely walk found a spot in the dirt not far away to enjoy the warmth of the flame.
I had turned around and walked toward everyone. Tseng started to shout… something? God, I can't remember. He was pointing and shouting at something? POP. I remember. That son of a bitch…
************
Rude came out of his trance and turned his attention back to the shirt. He lifted it with one finger, noticing the large slit in the side and the brown stain.
"That was a brand new shirt…" He reached to his side to feel for the injury. As he felt around he could feel the cracking and pulling of the already dried blood on his skin.
"Urgh," he winced and drew his hand slowly from his side and stared at the pale, puss like substance on his fingers. The wound wasn't huge, someone must have cast cure on him at least once.
He went into the other room in search of his weapon, a small glock 26. Rude's personal, under the pillow- home protection device. He didn't have to look long for the cure material he kept locked into the grip of the gun. He'd often joke that the cure material was more for whomever was dumb enough to break into his apartment since he'd shoot them, cure them and shoot them again as a lesson.
The tingly sensation swirled around his side and up his back giving him the chills. He snickered to himself as the wound closed into a tight scar. Rude checked his watch on his wrist and frowned at the time, 9:10, he was supposed to be at work by nine.
************
Reno sat carelessly at his desk waiting patiently for his friend and partner, Rude. He knew Rude would be drawing a blank from last night and would be demanding explanation this morning. Reno would often expect the same service from his friend on the mornings he too would wake somewhere unknown with someone he'd swear he'd never met in his life. But just remember… nothing happened man, he'd say no matter what anyone said.
Tracing the new scar extending from the base of his neck to just above his clavicle, Reno looked at the clock just in time to catch it jumping off the wall.
"AhhhHHH", the secretary yelped as she picked herself off the ground.
"I'm so so sorry, I really didn't mean to do that, ya see my office is just down the hall and...", Rude tried to apologize; he kneeled down and tried to help with the scattered sheets.
Reno peeked his head out of the door and laughed at the half dressed mess of a Turk.
"Wow, if you were any less dressed I'd take you to HR for soliciting." Reno was trying to make the best of the situation. Rude looked up and did his best not to smile as any encouragement to the red head could only mean disaster. Rude picked himself up off of the ground and gave the woman one last apologetic smile and made his way over to Reno," so tell me, what exactly happend last night?"
"Well", Reno started," we went out to celebra..".
Rude interjected, "Ya, I now all that shit for brains. What I mean is, what happened after I got hit? What happened to you, with the fire, with ev…"
Reno took this as his opportunity to cut him off, "Well, slow down there little buddy," he patted Rude on the shoulder like a kid, "You passed out from the blow you took. I cast cure on you and myself. Tseng stared with that typical management technique called if I stand here long enough things will take care of themselves and I will take credit for it attitude. Rufus bragged about what a good shot it was, ya know when he hit that dude like 4 feet away from him? And I think that's about it." Reno finished. He lifted his eye brows a few times egging Rude on to ask more questions as he knew he wanted to.
Rude went quiet. "What about Tifa?" Reno smirked and turned toward the hall." Follow me".
************
Tifa sat quietly in her cot. After her whole ordeal all she could do was just sit and wait for the clock to turn it's ugly hand. She had found herself in enemy quarters, ShinRa.
It had been years since the rivalry between herself as an Avalanche member and the government had put their differences to rest. Not that Tifa wanted to give up the fight, but most of the crew had a reckoning when meteor nearly wiped everyone out. Everyone just kind of realized that they can only do so much in this one life and it is better lived with the ones you love.
Barret and his daughter Marlene moved to the town of Wutai where he teaches Mako Energy awareness, the next best thing to blowing up reactors.
Vincent disappeared nearly all together. Some believe he went back to his cave to rest eternally, and others believe he went looking for answers to the loss of his love Lucrecia.
Yuffie retired her old ways of stealing materia and later opened a shop of her own, buying and selling the precious stones. A therapy for her, if you will.
Red, or Nanaki went back to his hometown of Cosmo Canyon to research new energies and last anyone had heard, he had found himself a beautiful partner and were working on little Nanakis.
Cid and his potty mouth got him back into the space program despite his friends' advice. Shera is still around last we'd all heard, but their relationship was still a little rough and only time could continue to heal their wounds.
Cloud and Tifa spent nearly a year together in Midgar working on the 7th Heaven and piecing their lives together. Things were ok, but still hard. Tifa would always find Cloud distant in thought, about what she assumed was Aeris. The pain and jealousy of the deceased girl had long since subsided and Tifa let her feelings go. She too missed the pretty girl that captured their hearts so long ago. Cloud eventually gathered his belongings and too moved on to better places and things. He tried, like everyone else to start anew. It had been almost 2 years since she'd seen his spiky blond hair and Mako eyes.
Then, Tifa. Alone in Midgar with her bar that is now gone.
She had nothing anymore, nowhere to go, and no one to see. Her bar wasn't the nicest place in the world, and no "7th Heaven" at that but it was still her safe place and her home.
Tifa blinked hard and stared at the ceiling, doing all she could to avoid just breaking down and crying. Crying could wait for reality to set in. Crying can wait for that first step into the streets when she realizes there is no one there with that can take her in their arms and say, "It'll be ok."
"No." That was the last thought Tifa just couldn't handle, she sobbed quietly in the cold room hoping no one would hear her. She cried until the tears stopped and only the throbbing skull and tired shoulders remained.
************
Rude followed Reno for what seemed like forever. Reno would frequently stop to talk to the good looking receptionists in the hallways, as well as dragging Rude the long route to avoid the not so good-looking ones he'd affiliated with in the past until they made it to the medical dorm.
From outside the small infirmary room, Rude watched Tifa. Her back was to the door but her shoulders rocked noticeably against the white of the sheets. He could almost feel his chest knot up at the sight of her. Training to be a Turk was an experience that would break a man down and build them back up to be what ShinRa wanted them to be. Feeling pain or emotion was not part of the training. Although, every now and then you can't help but see someone hurting, and associate it with something you too had experienced and share their pain for that brief moment.
"Pull it together man, now's your time to talk to her and she actually can't get away! Ha." Reno taunted, he must have noticed his partner slightly distant in thought for the moment.
"You're such a- . Never mind." Rude sometimes wanted to just backhand Reno just to see the surprised look he might throw his way.
"Alright, now. What is she doing here, where is she going?" Rude was more curious then concerned.
"As you know, and I know. Tifa is a very naughty little girl." Reno winked at Rude, " and for that, she will probably be spending some time in lockup after she has been debriefed."
Tifa had been the co-head of AVALANCHE, or so it was believed. AVALANCHE is the only rebel group to challenge ShinRa and their search for Mako energy. Mako is the life energy of the planet, the fossil fuel of modern day life. Little or no concern is driving the people of Midgar and other cities to use this energy in excess, slowly killing our planet. The attitude of, "won't be gone in MY lifetime" had enveloped the public and there is no thought of their future generations struggling, if existing at all due to their lack of concern.
"Did you ever think she might be a superior ally?" Rude looked to the side at Tifa, "I mean she is on the inside of the rebel group we've been dealing with for so long. She has nothing now. If they were all that concerned for her safety they would probably be making a rescue attempt for her by now, don't ya think? She has to have thought of that by now too." He cleaned under his nails with his pocketknife, waiting for any kind of feedback from Reno.
"Well…" Reno processed the idea of having a female, a potentially lethal female in their or any other ShinRa faction.
"I can't see it." He shook his head, forcing him to push back the fallen strands of red hair that had fallen into his face.
" I can take her as an apprentice, I can teach her to be a Turk." Rude laughed, throwing the joke out there and half-heartedly hoping Reno would jump up and down like a girl and love the idea.
" Yes Master Rude, Obi One Rude, Darth Rude." He backed up slowly and bowed up and down making has way to the door. This would have earned Reno a well-deserved laugh or smile at least for the effort but having backed into his manager all it got him was a swift kick in the ass.
"Ah! What the fu-!" He spun on his heels to face Tseng.
"Oh, Tseng Sir. I'm sorry," he blushed slightly having been caught, " I was just heading out of here." Reno threw his head toward Rude, " I mean WE were heading out of here."
Rude made his way to the door, respectably saluting his superior.
"I want to talk to you." Tseng stopped him, placing his hand out with that silent halt gesture.
"Sounds like you've got ideas here." He motioned to the brunette, "upstairs they're talking about using her as bait for the rest of the crew." Tseng turned and motioned Rude to follow him outside for a smoke…
**********
Tifa had been dozing in and out of consciousness for hours. Finally, she slept and she dreamt of better times and places.
"Hon, wake up. I brought you coffee." The heavyset nurse shook Tifa with her free hand. Tifa could hear her, and feel the rocking but refused to allow her eyes to open just yet. She felt as though she had just started to get some much needed rest. She rolled ever and cracked her eyes open to meet with the nurse's. She looked at her and nodded a thank you, her way of saying, yes… I'm up now go away.
"I thought you could use these clothes," the nurse, Eva L. as her now visible name tag revealed, set a cotton shirt and navy blue pants down, " you've got a big, big day ahead of you!" She smiled ear to ear.
"Big – big?" Tifa cocked her head, reaching for the coffee on the swivel tray near by.
"Yes, yes Missy! Big big!" Eva hustled back and forth in the room gathering sheets and clothing items that were on the floor from Tifa's brief stay. "Get dressed please, shower if needed but please meet me at your door when you are ready." She paused to make sure her guest heard her. Her brow glistened with a bit of sweat under the fluorescent lighting in the room. One must wonder, if she worked like that all the time why she would be as heavy as she was.
"Well, Miss Lockheart, any day someone gets to meet the President is a BIG day in my opinion!" She beamed at Tifa, assuming she'd be jumping out of bed with joy. Tifa closed her eyes and flopped back into the pillow.
"Oh hon, don't worry! Everyone is nervous!" She smiled, "Oh, and from the smell of these clothes I suggest you shower up!"
Eva left Tifa with that, and a nervous, bottomless pit in her stomach.
The exhausted rebel left her coffee to chill in the morning air and gathered herself enough to take a shower and start anew.
************
"Bills, bills, and more bills." Cloud muttered, it would be much easier being a criminal these days.
"Now what the heck did I do with that stupid check book?" Cloud talked to himself, dumping out the top two drawers of his desk. Pushing through the paperwork he found a letter with no date on it from an old friend. A letter that he had read several times, and it has always ended up in the same place amongst everything else that smacked reality into Cloud's face. He held it in his hands, rubbing the corners together for a moment before opening and reading the letter for the one-hundredth time.
"Dear Cloud,
As much as I wish I could travel to visit you, nights are long and times are tuff here at the bar. I am thinking of selling and moving on. I have been offered a job on the upper plate with ShinRa. I know what you're thinking, and please don't! It's been an interesting process and there is something here they're working on that I think you would take a deep interest in.
Cloud. They can bring her back.
I will let you go, as I'd rather you get on the road to see me then sit and read this letter!
I really miss you, as I miss the whole crew. Please don't be a stranger.
Your Loving Friend
Tifa Lockheart"
Cloud shook his head, "Tifa, Damn you." He knew that she would do anything to make him happy. Even if that meant bringing back… her.
"It won't be too long Tifa, not too long." Cloud folded the letter and placed it back from where he had retrieved it. Above his desk, a picture of he and Tifa as children smiled back at him.
"We'll do plenty of catching up soon my friend." He smiled, "I promise."
************
Rude closed the door behind him as quietly as he could.
"So?" Reno was there waiting for him, like clockwork.
"So, what?" Rude avoided.
Reno rolled his eyes and knocked his head against the side of the wall a couple times to hint what a pain his partner was being,
" Oh, come on. You're KILLING me."
Rude pushed past him and made his way down the hall, "He said it'll be an interesting thing to go and talk to her about. She's got nothing anymore." He snickered to himself, "Actually, it was Rufus's idea."
Reno shook his head, " No, no. Wait." He grabbed Rude and stopped him in his tracks, "Rufus brought this up?" Reno scratched his neck in thought, " Something is up. That man can't even decide what underwear he's wearing tomorrow. Someone else is whispering in his ears"
"You know, you might be right," Rude pushed past Reno, "but it doesn't really matter if she says no."
"After all, Rufus ShinRa's inability to have a mind of his own is what qualifies him to be the President, remember?" Rude's undeniable logic strikes at the perfect time yet again.
************
"Did you talk to him?" Rufus combed his platinum blond hair back, staring into the mirror at Tseng.
"I did sir. He is heading to the infirmary now to see if she's interested." Tseng reached out cautiously to pat Rufus's large cat on the head. He didn't care for cats in the least bit, and especially not for Rufus's mean looking beast of an animal but felt it necessary to be respectful.
"I don't think there will be a problem sir. No one seems to notice or care that she is here anyhow."
"True, true." He finished and turned to face Tseng, "I'm extremely surprised no one else got hurt last night." Rufus shook his head, "No one saw you set the fire, correct?"
Tseng thought for a second, " No, I don't believe so."
"Those men you paid to break into the bar, they were supposed to all be killed. Did you find the one that ran away?" Rufus pressed his fingertips together, leaning back into his chair. His bright blue mako eyes stared at the Turk. "Did you?"
"No. There was a large amount of money offered to them to do the job anyhow. He may resurface at some point to claim his money." Tseng looked at the ground, "That boy you shot in the leg. He burned to death in that fire."
"Yes, I know. This needed to look real, remember?" Rufus stood back up and patted his leg to summon the black beast to his side, "Tseng, you've been good to me. When this is all over, you'll be well taken care of and this will all be nothing but a distant memory."
"Thank you sir." Tseng nodded, "Tifa will be up here shortly. I advised Rude to be formal and give her options. I suppose we should all be on our best behavior."
"indeed," Rufus flashed his famous smile and dismissed himself to the balcony.
* ***********
Tifa sat at the corner of the small bed. She'd been ready for a while now, however the exhaustion both physically and mentally threw her into an almost trance like state. She was told to come out when she was ready, but nothing in this world could make her ready to face Rufus again.
"Knock, knock!" Eva cracked the door, "Hon, are you dressed? I've got someone here to see you!"
"I'm dressed." Tifa didn't bother to stand or right herself in any way.
The large framed man stepped through the door; shaved head with a single earring and a goatee. He was a bit intimidating but familiar. "Excuse me." He stepped past Eva.
Rude pushed his way through the door to see Tifa for the first time face to face as a potential ally. He closed the door right behind him despite knowing Reno was there too wanting to be in there for the first meeting.
"Tifa," Rude reached his hand to her, introducing himself formally. "Rude."
"Yes, I remember." She hesitated for a moment then she too reached out and grasped his hand. "This is all very hard for me." Tifa blinked hard and looked away, "It's difficult to just let everything go."
"I understand. It's the same from both angles. We're all trying to turn over a new leaf." Rude tried to put things in the most non-threatening way he could.
"May I sit?" he reached toward the only chair in the room.
"Unless I bumped my head, I believe this is more your place then mine." Tifa remained on the bed, she locked her elbows and leaned back.
Now sitting, Rude pulled the sunglasses from the top of his head and sat it on the table next to him, "Tifa, I know things are very different, and very hard for you. I know that my struggles are with my job and with my way of living." He paused, "All in my control. Your struggles are with your life itself." He paused again to stare at her, "I can't tell you that it'll all be ok, but I've been in your shoes; having to start from nothing again an-" he was interrupted.
"Don't pretend to know what I'm going through," Tifa's unblinking stare still yet to leave the wall ahead of her, "because I don't think you do."
Rude rubbed his eyes with both hands, "Ok. I'm trying to make you feel a little better here, ok?" He went back to staring at her, "I'm trying to tell you that you have a chance to start from nothing and still be a someone. Many people wish they had that chance."
"What's left? I don't even have any want to be a something again." Tifa finally drew her tired gaze from the wall to rest her eyes on Rude.
"I know you don't want to be a part of our team. And you don't have to…" He trailed off.
"OK, join ShinRa, or what? Go to jail?" Tifa questioned.
"No…" he pointed at the door. "You are free to go whenever you want."
Tifa's gaze lolled to the front again. Go where, to whom? She wondered silently.
"When do you have to know?"
Rude looked to his watch, "you can think about it. Rest on it if you'd like. I'll be back later on this evening."
"Please." She nodded and slid into the pillows again.
"Tifa, think about it. This might be your best chance at a normal life again." With that, Rude put his sunglasses back on his head and stood back up.
"I'll talk to you about it later on." He flipped the light switch off at the door and closed it quietly behind him.
Tifa stared at the ceiling for a few minutes in thought before closing her eyes again. She thought it funny that only a couple years earlier she would have been lying in that bed in cuffs and a cold sweat. Now, she lays there content. New chance… at a new life…
************"You don't even know if she's game?" Reno held up a white blouse and examined it.
Rude nodded, raising his eyebrows in agreement.
The partners had made their way into the ShinRa office building TEAM shop. Yes, even you can sport a ShinRa t-shirt or shot glass. Although the racks are full of memorabilia, they were sure those shirts and caps had been there untouched for years. The shop gained most of its revenue from the ShinRa employees who needed their uniforms. As much money as the company made every day they refused to pay for their employees' uniforms. Rufus's father had instilled in the company that anything given and not earned was likely to be uncared for or used irresponsibly. He must have had a small bit of sense left before he passed away, as you'll rarely see a ShinRa employee unkempt or being silly outside of the office in uniform. At least the company would be visually clean if not ethically.
"She might not be, but if she is - I'd rather be prepared," Rude held up a navy blue skirt unconsciously to his waste, "no?"
Reno perked up, "Ya know…" he eyeballed Rude and winked, " you look good in drag."
Rude winked back, "Sssstop it!" he joked back. He folded the skirt neatly back up and placed it on the pile of clothing they had already gathered.
As he paid for the items, he couldn't help bit feel slightly excited. It was almost like the excitement of getting a new puppy, but you have to wait all day to go home and play with them. Tifa felt like just that to Rude in a strange way.
************