"Hey! Are you going to get that, or what?" My eyes snapped open and I looked around at the small office I was sitting in. The phone in front of me was ringing, and a woman with short blond hair was standing in front of me, tapping her toe on the floor impatiently.
"Oh! Of course. I'm sorry I interrupted your meeting with Mr. Shinra." She shot me a look, prepared to say something else when another voice came from the office behind me.
"Don't be rude, Elena. Kemuri's my personal assistant. She's as important as you are. And I don't believe we were done..." Elena sighed and trudged back into the office, shutting the door behind her, and I picked up the phone.
"Good afternoon, Shinra electric power company, how can I help you?"
"Who is this?" A low voice came from the other end.
"Uhh... this is Mr. Shinra's assistant. Who's this?"
"An assistant, huh? Rude, boss got himself a secretary, yo! Can you believe this?" The conversation continued between the two on the other end, and I slowly stopped paying attention until the man shouted through to me.
"Hey! Are you paying attention?"
"Shit..." I muttered under my breath. "I'm sorry, what can I do for you?"
"Put me through to the boss, honey."
"I- I'm sorry, Mr. Shinra's in a meeting right now. Can I take a message for you?" The voice chuckled cooly, then drawled,
"No need, we'll be there in a few." The line went dead and I put the receiver back, slumping down in my chair and resting my chin on my hand. I stared at the blank screen of my computer, opening and closing the files I had access to. I perked up when suddenly a new screen came up, the screen going black and asking for a password in bright green letters. After a few halfhearted attempts, I guessed the password, shaking my head at its simplicity.
"Who makes the city they live in the password to their program?" A new screen came up, asking for search parameters, but I was interrupted when the door flew open and Elena stormed out again, followed by Mr. Shinra in his wheelchair.
"I can't believe you're sending us back to the damned crater! After what happened there?!"
"Elena, We need to retrieve it before Kadaj and his gang do. Besides, you have no choice, this is an order." She sighed, and I sat at my desk, trying to act as if I wasn't there.
"Yes, Mr. President."
"I'm glad you understand, Elena. You are free to go, there will be nothing else until we're ready for this mission." Elena turned and left, pouting, and he turned to me. "Kemuri, you can go as well. I'm closing the office for a few days and going up to Healin." I stood and asked confusedly,
"Healin sir? Didn't we just go last week?"
"Yes, but this time it's not a pleasure trip. As you may have heard, a few of my other employees are going up north for a small job. Healin will be the headquarters for the duration it."
"Should I pack a bag then, Mr. Shinra?"
"It won't be necessary for you to accompany me this time, and as I said the office here will be closed. You'll be on paid vacation until we return. Now go home, Kemuri, you'll get a call from Elena when we return." I nodded and left the gloomy office, climbing onto my small scooter and puttering quietly down the dusty road back toward Edge. A pair of motorcycles passed me heading back toward the Shinra building, but I paid them no attention. But then I realized I'd left my purse under my desk, and turned back, cursing under my breath.
There was more shouting coming from the building when I pulled back into the deserted parking lot. I waited just outside the door until the shouting died down a little, sounding as if it had retreated into Mr. Shinra's office, then silently slipped inside and ducked behind my desk. My purse was waiting there for me, and I picked it up, straightening back up to find that I'd left my computer on., the search prompt still beckoning me. Sitting forward in my chair, I typed in 'Northern crater'.
The results listed one previous incident there, most of the explanation for which I didn't understand, but had something to do with the state of the Shinra company and Midgar now. At the end of the listing there were related topics for reference, few of which interested me. They were mostly just names of people mentioned in the northern crater listing, Jenova, Sephiroth, Cloud Strife, and on and on, but the last on the list seemed not to fit the rest. Project red tide. I was about to select it when suddenly the same voice as before spoke from nearby me, startling me back to awareness of the outside world.
"You the one that answered the phone?" My eyes flicked up and my jaw almost dropped when they met the brilliant green eyes staring half-lidded at me from a handsome and vaguely familiar face. I struggled to keep my composure, as his sudden appearance had startled me, and answered in a level voice.
"Yes."
"Hmm," he smirked, giving me a look that must've been used to reduce countless women to quivering masses of lust before. "What's a beauty like you doing answering phones for the boss here?" I glanced back at the screen, shutting down the program and the computer before I was caught doing something I shouldn't.
"I need the money, and this is a paying job." I stood from my spot and crossed the room, grasping the door handle and pulling it open to leave. But before it was open enough for me to slip out, A slender, long-fingered hand pushed it back shut.
"Pretty girl like you wouldn't have trouble finding someone to pay her way." I turned back to face him, forcing myself to meet his gaze, but only able to hold it for a few seconds before dropping it to the ground.
"I don't like to depend on something so narcissistic as that when I'm perfectly capable of making my own way." I sidestepped him, prepared to go around and get away from him, but his other arm shot out, pinning me against the wall.
"Beautiful and determined.... How about you let me take you out for a few drinks when I get back from the north with the boss?"
"Reno, can't you be in the same room as a woman for ten seconds without trying to take her home with you?" Mr. Shinra's voice rang out sarcastically. "Get off of her." He sighed and backed up, and I stepped around him. "I thought I dismissed you Kemuri, what are you doing here?"
"I- I forgot my bag, Mr. Shinra. I'm sorry I caused a disruption. I'm leaving right now."
"You don't have to apologize," he sighed, his voice tired and strained. Mr. Shinra had always been prone to certain angry moods for as long as I'd known him, but the times I was most put on edge were when he sounded so exhausted, like this.
"Of course, Mr. Shinra." I bowed my head a little as a goodbye, then said softly, "Mr. Shinra?"
"Yes, Kemuri?"
"Maybe you should take it easy, while you're up north. You shouldn't strain yourself... in your condition."
"Of course. Now go on. Like I said, Elena will call you when we return." I turned and passed by the one called Reno and his partner, getting a little nod from the taller bald man.
"I'll see you, Kemuri," Reno said cockily, "don't forget about that drink I promised you." A few minutes later, back on the road, I muttered under my breath,
"Cocky bastard."
A/N: there's the first (real) chapter! hope you liked it! will continue soon wiz moore, please review?