By: Albedosreqium / Soyna

Disclaimer
All related Final Fantasy names and characters are copyrighted by the almighty Square Enix©.


LOYALTIES


Setting: After Advent and Dirge are all said and done.

Warnings and Genre:
Rating is Teen.
Random from cues that I asked for to get out of my writer's slump.

Summary:
Keywords used in this story: Rufus, Galian Beast(from Dirge), Phone, Frisbee

Rufus doesn't like being helpless.


Rufus was frozen in place as he looked at the large, purplish-blue demon towering over him. He didn't have any of the Turks around to protect him, and he was a little startled that it was Vincent that had come back to protect him … at least, he hoped Galian was going to.

Having to worry about a now ally ripping out his throat was not something that he thought he was going to have to worry about at the beginning of the day.

The arrangement for the small, informal conference was constructed by Reeve. The planned meeting was to have an outward and open discussion about the relationship between Shin-Ra and the WRO. Reeve had brought Vincent, as the ex-Turk was playing a rather large role in the rebuilding and transition from energy sources.

It was not something that he wanted to attend but he had conceded to the advice of Tseng, who said that it would be better for all involved to have things out in the open, and it wasn't like his existence was a secret anymore.

It meant that he would have to be out in public. He hated being stuck in the chair while everyone walked around. If they had only planned it for when he was having a good day, but today he was having a slip back in his health. He was dealing with his back aching with a heavy, dull throb and his hip joint would cease up, causing him to nearly collapse when he tried to walk with a normal gait. The combination of all his old injuries where effectively trapping him in his chair again. He no longer wrapped himself in a sheet, but sometimes he missed the covering that kept away the prying eyes from seeing the position that life placed him in.

He no longer hid, again the advice of Tseng, even though he didn't want anyone to see him in the chair if he could help it. He preferred to go out when his leg wouldn't collapse underneath him. He was feeling uncomfortable with the groups of able-bodied people walking around when he had to have the powerful Rude wheel him on the deck of the villa so that he could join the rest of the group. He protested, but really did not have a choice as he was seated by Vincent as the conversation continued for the planned prospects of growth, change and improvement.

Reeve was the one that was leading the conversation with Tseng at his shoulder for most of it. Reno was sitting on the sideline of the crowd looking bored. Most of what was being said was what had already been privately discussed.

Vincent was sitting stiffly beside him and took to fiddling with his gun as the day wore on.

Rufus was nervous when there was a lull in the conversation. He was not good with idle conversation and didn't know what to talk about until he noticed Vincent's gun. He had to admit that he always admired the large weapon. He was a little stunned but pleased when Vincent seemed to be enjoying the conversation. Rufus brought out his own gun, which was by no means the same calibre as Cerberus. He still considered himself a sharpshooter and announced so. Vincent had looked down at him with his red eyes and a crooked smile and spoke. "Prove it."

He was more than willing to show that just because he was in a chair, and that didn't make him any less of a man.

It became a scramble to figure out how to show who was the best. Vincent had said that if they had some skeets that would be the best way, as stationary targets were not enough of a challenge for a true sharpshooter. That was when Reno perked up with a quick yell and came back with a large box of multicoloured Frisbees.

"Yo, will these do?" Reno asked as he held up one from the box. Cait instantly bounced forward on to the ledge and offered to throw them for the gunmen to see who the best shooter was. Cait pulled out its megaphone and made the grand announcement before every Frisbee thrown and encouraged the small group to cheer them on.

They had been evenly matched until monsters arrived, seemingly attracted by the gunshots.

Rufus had made an effort to fight, but Tseng didn't give him a choice. He was grabbed and thrown in his chair and unceremoniously tossed inside the villa. He was hurt that they did not think he could handle the battle with the rest of them. He could handle a few odd monsters that crawled out of the ocean, just like the rest of them.

He got his chance to face some of the monsters as one found its way through the door.

He did not know what type of monster it was, but it was vicious, had large teeth and was quick. As soon as he raised his gun the strange monster opened it abnormally large mouth and suddenly he felt teeth grip him up to his elbow and pull him from his chair. His old injuries hindered him as he was pulled from his chair and dragged across the floor, as though he were nothing more than a puppet.

The monster let go of his hand and spit out his broken gun before turning to advance on him again, licking its strangely-coloured lips and looking at him as though he were a meal.

That was when for some reason Vincent –- or rather Galian - had been the one to come back to check on him instead of his trusted Turks.

The monster turned towards the demon and growled. Rufus thought for a moment that the monster looked upset that its meal was being disturbed.

Galian snarled right back and reached forward with its inhuman hands and effortlessly grabbed the monster's body and threw it out the window with a simple flick of the wrist.

Rufus wondered from the snarl on the demon's lips and how the large clawed hands twitched if it was going to finish the job that the monster started. Rufus couldn't find his voice to say anything, but frantically searched his suit for his phone to call one of his Turks to come and protect him. It made his heart drop when he felt broken pieces of plastic in the pocket where he normally kept the device.

He swallowed down the fear as Galian reached forward, and Rufus held up his bloody arm to shield himself. He had never encountered the other personas of Vincent and didn't know if it was still prone to attacking allies or not.

The demon took a lumbering step forward and that claw tried to grab him by the collar of his jacket. He was able to scurry away from the first attempt, but the demon was too quick. The second attempt got him firmly by the collar and the demon preceded to lift him so high that his feet were no longer on the ground

Galian sniffed him and growled deep in its throat.

"Vincent?" he finally got enough courage to speak, even though his voice sounded awfully weak to his own ears.

There was another screech and a monster showed its head in the broken window of the villa. Rufus was startled by the quick movements that ended up with him back in his chair and staring at the back of the demon that was protecting him from the attack.

It took a couple moments for him to gather his wits. He wrapped his injured arm and held it to his chest as the ex-Turk took care of the monster that never made it past the window frame.

He had to commend Tseng. He was right in saying that 'once a Turk, always a Turk', for even he thought that Vincent would never stand at his side, never mind the demons that his family had helped turn him into.