Rufus
"We need to find him, exhaust every material until we find him. Tseng, Elena! Start the hunt for Amaia. We need to find her before they do. Get to it everyone!" Turks of all ages march past after hearing my orders. "Where do we take her if"
"When!" Elena cuts Tseng off. "When we find her?" Tseng corrects himself. "You bring her back here to me and if Reno has not been found at that point you will join the search for Reno. Just make sure you get to her before they do." The two nod and make their way out to their armoured car. Good luck Tseng and Elena, the lifestream knows you need it. I avert my eyes to gaze at the sky. A deep silver moon gazes back at me. "Please let them find Reno and Amaia, let them be safe." The door to the Shinra mansion shuts with a thundering bang. I lightly run my fingertips over the portrait of the Turks I command, their faces grin at me. "Tseng, Elena, Reno, Amaia and Rude, my finest Turks." Seeing her face my mind wanders...
--
"Amaia, would you join me in my office please." Her blue eyes glisten as she agrees. "Rufus," she asks, "How long 'til the Shinra Ball?" A smile creeps up on my face. "Not long now. 1 week and 3 days if my counting is right. Are you excited?" I turn back to look at her. "I can't wait." She beams.
"There is something I need to talk to you about Amaia. Something very important that I really shouldn't have kept from you this long."
"Um, ok." She carefully places herself on the edge of the chair and brushes her chocolate hair behind her ear. "If it weren't for Elena I wouldn't be telling you this, but we have decided it's time you knew what happened to your mother." Her facial expression soon changes. "I know you never really got to know your mother and I know you hardly got to see her but she loved you. Did you love her?" An obeying nod responds. "Good, well, do you know who your father is?" She shakes her head in disappointment, "You know who he is, don't you Rufus."
"Indeed I do Amaia, however this isn't easy for me to say and I know it won't be easy for you to hear."
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"Your mother was... she was raped." She throws herself up onto her feet. "By who?!"
"She couldn't bear to give up a child so you were born."
"Who is my father Rufus?! Tell me!"
"Sephiroth." I utter under my breath.
"Who?"
"Your father is Sephiroth." She falls back onto the chair, "That monster is my father?"
"Listen to me Amaia; there are people who will come looking for you. They will hunt you down until they find you and when they get to you, you won't be able to resist. Stay strong Amaia or you'll never make it through." She nods with a determined look on her face.
"One of them called me the fourth remnant. What does it mean?"
"Those are some of the people I told you about, now they know what you look like it's going to be harder for you to hide from them." Her tag and gun hit my desk with not so much as a tap. "I've loved serving under you Rufus. I'm sad it has to end here."
"You do what you think is best."
"Give this to Reno for me, would you?"
"I'd be honoured to."
"Reno!" He sits alone, sobbing, under the tree they shared. "Yeah boss." He wipes away the tears and tries to make himself look presentable. "Amaia wanted me to give this to you." As I hand him the letter tears start to glide down his face. "Sorry boss." He utters, wiping them away. "It's ok Reno, really. I know this is hard for you and you are very brave for facing it like this. Elena hasn't left her room since she returned there after the meeting, not even to have lunch with Tseng. Crying often helps, though as men we try to deny it." He pulls himself off the ground and falls into my arms. "There there Reno, everything will be ok."
--
"Boss!" I snap out of my extended day dream. "We've got a whereabouts for Reno but scans of the building are showing us that he's being held there by three men." The remnants of Sephiroth?
"Get men in there and get Reno out!"
"Right away boss!" I pull out my phone and speed dial Tseng. "Tseng, report."
"We're just leaving her last known residence and they have a few ideas of where she might be so we're going to go and check them out."
"Alright, be swift about it." I clap my phone shut. "Boss, they've got Reno out, safe and sound and it seems one of the three men couldn't get away fast enough."
"Good work, great work. Bring him home boys!"
"Yes Boss!" Having a remnant here could be very interesting. "Prepare the hold for a captive!" I order as I throw the doors open to here the convoy of armoured vans and cars roll up the driveway. The van in front screeches and slides, on its side, to a hault right in front of me. Rude should never be allowed to drive one of them. The door flies open and Reno hits me, almost knocking me to the ground. "What did I tell you about running hugs Reno?"
"Don't do them." I nod and he smiles. "Let me go! My brothers will get you for this!" Rude and Xavier restrain the silver haired young man. "Take him downstairs, I have some things to ask him." My phone sends chilling vibrations up my body. I flick it open, hoping for good news. "Boss, we've checked out 3 places and still haven't found her yet. There's only a couple more on the list to go. We're not giving up until you say to boss."
"I would never tell you to do that. Keep looking, we need to find her." I clap my phone shut once again and turn to Reno, a hopeful expression colours his face. "Not yet Reno, I'm sorry."
"Soon though?"
"Hopefully, Reno, hopefully." He wanders off to his room. I casually march down to the hold. "My brothers will come for me, just you wait. Nothing can stop us."
"Good to know you're talking remnant."
"My name is Yazoo, thank-you very much head Turk Rufus. And don't bother asking why we are seeking out your friend, you already know why, and there is no point in me telling you something you already know." He rattles the chains around his wrists that bind him to the wall. His feet also chained in place. "Strip him; you never know what he might be hiding." His tight leather clothing falls to the floor as its cut off his body, exposing his skin for all to see. "Is this really appropriate boss?"
"If you don't like my methods then you may as well leave the room now." Men march out behind me. "Looks like it's just you and me."
"Congratulations on your foolish observation." I look him up and down, his naked body littered with scars and scratches, decorated by little rings of purple colouration. "Like what you see?" He smirks.
"It looks like you take beatings often, care to share the story?"
"Actually that's a secret between myself and my brothers, if you don't mind."
"I do mind, indeed."
"Well that's just too bad."
"There are some things I want to know about you and your brothers, are you going to co-operate?"
"Depends on the question I guess."
"Well let's get started then."
"Let's."
"How long have you and your brothers been this way?"
"Remnants of Sephiroth you mean? All our lives that I can remember."
"Ahh, I see. And how long have you ventured to fulfil your mothers destiny?"
"Mother. You know where she is? We've been searching for her, but Kadaj said that if we find the fourth remnant we might not need mother. No doubt we'll still end up searching for her anyway."
"Interesting." He shivers reluctantly. "Getting cold Yazoo?"
"What's it to you?"
"Alright then, I won't get you a blanket. Xavier! Come down and watch Yazoo!"
"Alright Boss! Coming down!"
"You know, when you find her, and bring her back here, if I am still here, my brothers will come and get us both. Two birds with one stone? Is that how it goes?"
"Indeed it does Yazoo, unlucky for you, if you are still here; there is no way you will be getting out so I would give up the macho act if I were you." I march up the stairs as Xavier marches down. The words of the remnant ringing out in my head. Let the battle begin.
Finish.
