After Tifa left, Rufus began to wonder about her other two companions. One of them was a first class SOLDIER named Cloud, how did he end up with these people? The other man had a gun for an arm and seemed to be the most blood thirsty. "Quite the interesting lot," Rufus thought. And then there was that woman. She was so unlike the other two, besides the fact that she was a female. She seemed to care about his well-being as a person, which was more to say than others had treated him in this situation.
He recalled the time over ten years ago, when he was barely thirteen. He was in Costa del Sol on one of his father's many 'appearance trips.' When Rufus pulled himself away from the crowds and the media, all trying to get a piece of the president's son, by way of disappearing down an alleyway, he was snatched by three people and stuffed in their summer home, wanting to hold him for ransom. They were far less accommodating than these AVALANCE members.
Terrified and alone, the three kidnappers slapped him when he asked for food, dunked cold water on him when he said he was thirsty and threatened to kill him if he screamed for help. Rufus' father wasted no time in having his missing son found. When the Turks found him, Rufus willed himself not to cry, an easy feat as he was taught early on that tears meant weakness and that they would not be tolerated while his father was alive. The entire ordeal only lasted a half a day, and the kidnappers were executed by sundown.
Then there was the time he was kidnapped by the Turks just five years ago. They too handled him roughly in hopes he could be exchanged for their leader. Despite this, Rufus came out of that ordeal with only bruised ribs and even spared the Turks for their betrayal. Now those people worked directly for him. From that day on, he kept a firearm in his coat should he need to use it. But unsurprisingly, his abductors took it from him while he was passed out. He could only hope now that the Turks were hot on his trail.
Rufus was dumbfounded when he realized he had not yet been rescued. It didn't take them long in Costa del Sol, what exactly was the hold up now? Did the security cameras really not find anything? Was his prolonged absence from the party not noticed for a while? Rufus sighed and instead turned his thoughts to how he would deal with these people. He didn't want to talk, and he truthfully had nothing to say. His father wasn't exactly forthcoming when it came to the inner workings of the company since Rufus was exposed as the chief financer for the first incarnation of AVALANCE. Still, he couldn't very well reveal such a fact to these people. They either wouldn't believe him, or they would oust him to the rest of the public, neither of which would improve the situation.
Rufus rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, listening to the gentle hum of the light bulb above his head. His stomach no longer growled and his wrists were no longer behind his back. Tifa definitely improved his situation drastically. His head also no longer hurt from the fateful injury that started this mess. He lightly touched the bandage Tifa had placed on his cheek. The dull pain still throbbed under the skin, but the cut was covered and didn't sting. But the cold from, what he presumed to be the night due to the changing temperature, slowly crept in through his coat. He was grateful he was allowed to keep that at least. But slowly and surely, the cold seeped into his clothing and he tried to remain perfectly still, lest he move and feel a new jolt of icy air pierce his body. Rufus sighed and closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
A few hours later, he was roughly awoken by the spikey-haired blond violently kicking the door open. "Wakey wakey, sunshine," he said. "Time for breakfast." Rufus was propped up by the black man and had a bowl of questionable contents shoved in his lap. Rufus steadied it with his hands. Cloud's eyes furrowed. "Who untied you?" His gaze moved to the chains. "Ah, I see Tifa took the liberty of keeping you in place." His gaze drifted to his bandaged face. "And cleaning you up."
Rufus tried to read his tone; he couldn't tell if this man was relieved or annoyed. He looked down at the bowl in his hands and to the spikey-haired blond before him. He held Rufus in his gaze as he waited for him to eat it. The runny cream colored substance that filled his bowl looked horrid. He didn't think he would ever be hungry enough to eat it. Still, Tifa specifically told him not to let the others know she fed him, and if he didn't eat now, they might get suspicious. "Best not to do wrong by the people on your side." Rufus reluctantly put a spoonful in his mouth and felt the bland, slimy contents slip down his throat. It was revolting.
"Nice to see you have the strength to eat," he said. "Now let's try this again." He kicked the chair near him and sat in front of the vice president's cot. "What's Shinra's next move?"
Rufus remained silent for a moment. When he saw the other man rise from his chair with his hand ready to strike, Rufus finally spoke, "I don't know." His response didn't save him from the blow that came to his temple. Rufus fell over and saw stars while the contents of his bowl spilled out on the floor beneath him.
He was then grabbed roughly by the collar as Cloud forced his face close to his. "What do you mean you don't know?" Cloud demanded.
Rufus looked right at him defiantly. "I mean I don't know." That was the truth. The terrorist could take it or leave it.
Cloud shoved him back onto the cot, the force causing Rufus to hit his head on the wall behind him. The familiar pain came back, and Rufus was surprised he hadn't gotten brain damage yet. "Do you even care what is happening to the world? Your father is steering this planet toward total destruction. Pretty soon there will be no world left for your precious company to rule."
Rufus was getting fed up with trying to be calm and polite. "Well I'll let you know how much I care when my old man croaks. But until then, I don't have any information for you, you bastard" Rufus spat out.
A swift punch to his abdomen had Rufus doubling over in pain. "Not the right attitude. I wonder how much daddy will be willing to give up for such a poorly mannered brat." Rufus' breathing became painful, but he tried to maintain his composure. Cloud smirked when he saw the spilled contents of the food he was given on the floor. "Enjoy breakfast." Cloud left and swiftly shut the door behind him.
Rufus could hear Barrett bellow at him from the outside, "That's it? Yer letting 'im get off that easy? He definitely knows more than he's lettin' on. Lemme at him, I'll make him talk." Rufus heard a scuffle behind the door. He could hear Cloud speak lowly to him but couldn't make out what he was saying. Whatever he said, he could hear the black man recede and heard their footsteps walk away. In the distant, he could hear more light steps coming down from far away stairs.
The distinct feminine voice could be heard on the other side of the door. How Rufus wished he could hear what she was saying. Maybe she would talk them into going easier on him. He didn't want to be turned into a punching bag. His hopes of Tifa convincing them were short lived when he heard a sharp rise in Cloud's voice. "And you helped him!" Rufus heard him say. Rufus could feel the tension from the other side of the door. The outside room had become eerily silent. The female did not respond. "There is a monster spawn in that room that holds the key to our mission, he doesn't deserve such treatment!"
"God, Tifa, stand up for yourself!" Rufus' inner thoughts shouted. He heard Tifa speak up, but again couldn't make out the words. At least she wasn't taking this lecture lying down. He heard a hard fist slam down on a table. The sudden loud sound made even Rufus jolt. For a split second he thought that Cloud struck her. "No! Not while Rufus is in the house!" a faint woman's voice echoed in his mind at the thought. In a blinding moment of anger, he wanted to smash the SOLDIER's head into a wall for even so much as thinking of harming a woman. When he heard wood splintering he was relieved that it was probably some piece of furniture.
"That's not the point! Barrett try and talk some sense into her, I'll try and get a radio signal."
Rufus then heard an exchange between Tifa and Barrett for a few moments, but their conversation was cut short when the volume of the radio increased and released a scratchy broadcast throughout the cottage. Rufus could make out the words clearly. "Continued developments today on the missing persons report of the Vice President of the Shinra Electric Power Company, Rufus Shinra. Rufus Shinra was last seen three days ago at a the Shinra building in Midgar around eleven thirty p.m. Since then, several leads have been pursued by authorities but the missing son of the President has not yet been located. Several reports have indicated that the eco terrorist group, AVALANCE, is responsible but no confirmation has been made yet. So far, the head of the company has not indicated if there have been any calls for ransom. If you have any information, please contact-" the radio went silent after that.
Rufus was at least pleased to know that people were looking for him. His kidnappers had not apparently made any attempt to contact his father to ransom him off. Rufus had a sinking feeling that his captors were not interested in just Gil anymore.
Tifa watched Cloud as he switched off the radio. "Let them sweat it out. We don't need to send terms their way just yet," he said.
"And jes how long do you think it'll be til they find us here?" Barrett retorted.
"They won't find us here. We haven't had any direct contact with anyone at the company yet. There's no way they could trace us." Cloud pointed to the radio. "Of course the media will point to us whether we're guilty or not. Shinra owns the media!"
Tifa pursed her lips. She didn't know what to say. After the verbal lashing she got from Cloud, she didn't want to set him off again. Of course he would never strike her but when Cloud was in one of his moods, she didn't want to tempt fate nor expend the energy talking to a brick wall.
Cloud sighed. "I'm going to try and contact Aerith and get a grip on the situation in Midgar. When the time is right, we'll deliver the terms to the company. Until then," Cloud turned to face Tifa directly. "Don't go near him, Tifa. He's probably a master manipulator, and the second you show him a sign of weakness, he'll use you to tear us apart from the inside."
Tifa nodded. Cloud was probably right. Still, Rufus never said anything rude to her, even while she lightly pushed his buttons. He even let her bandage his face. Tifa heard the rumors, that no one has ever seen him bleed or cry. But she saw him bleed when Cloud struck him. He wasn't some enigmatic tyrant, he was a person too. Although she hated Shinra and everything they stood for, she knew Rufus couldn't be held fully accountable for what they did. She tried to push that thought from her mind.
Cloud went upstairs to try and get a signal that would reach Aerith back in the slums. Tifa had a feeling that he wasn't going to talk about just business. She sighed. Barrett walked over to her and placed a palm on her should. "Everything's goin' to be fine," he said assuredly. "Listen to what he says, don't let that monster get inside your head."
Tifa placed her hand over her friends and patted it affectionately. "I won't."She looked at the door, knowing that he was on the other side, probably in pain. What good would Rufus serve if he was too damaged to even move? Tifa could hear the ever so faint giggle from Cloud upstairs as he spoke with the flower girl. "Barrett, why don't you go get some more firewood?"
"Yeah, we could probably use some more," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Tifa nodded and fixed a quick lunch for the two of them. They ate quickly and Barrett left Tifa to do the dishes. "Okay, I'll be back in a few." Barrett donned his outdoor clothing and shut the door behind him. It was a beautiful, clear afternoon now on the mountain and Tifa wanted some peace to enjoy it in the safety of the cottage. As soon as she hard Barrett's buggy drive off, she went to the room where Rufus lay.
She opened the door slowly and saw him laying on the cot with his knees drawn up to his chest, a look of grimace on his face. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Your friend….is pretty rough," Rufus managed to choke out. Tifa went to his side inspected his face. She saw the new mark Cloud left on his temple, marring his perfect features.
"I'll be right back," she said and she rushed out the door and returned shortly after with the first aid it. She eased him back to an upright position, paying careful attention to his hurt abdomen. "Did he punch you in the stomach too?" Rufus nodded. "I'm so sorry. I'll see if I can get him to ease up." Tifa put her hand under his chin and tilted his head away from her, exposing the new wound on his face. She opened up the first aid kit and began to clean the fresh cut.
"That guy…Cloud," Rufus said, gaze transfixed on the slightly open door and not the delicate female next to him. "Why did he yell at you? Does he always talk to you like that?"
"Of course not. Cloud's just stressed out," Tifa was not entirely convinced herself of what she just said. Was Rufus worried about her? "The second you show him a sign of weakness, he'll use you to tear us apart from the inside." Cloud's words echoed in her mind. Maybe this man was trying to manipulate her. She had to be careful with what she said around him, and not take anything he said to heart.
"No man should ever speak to his woman that way," Rufus said, agitated.
"I'm not his woman!" Tifa said sharply. She breathed in slowly, almost embarrassed at how quickly she responded to Rufus statement. She finished dressing the wound and stepped back to make sure the bandage was secure. The moments spent looking at it gave Rufus the opportunity to look at this woman once again. Perhaps it was the angle at which she was slightly bent, but he was treated to a lovely view of her bosom as the difference in height at that moment had her towering over him.
"I see…." Rufus breathed.
Tifa didn't seem to hear him. When she stepped back she noticed the contents of his breakfast had spilled over the edge of the bed. "You dodged a bullet. I wouldn't feed this grub to a dog," she chuckled. Tifa took a piece of cloth, went to the floor and cleaned up the food.
"What is it?" Rufus asked, curious.
"Chocobo feed," she replied, focusing on the task at hand. When she crawled over to get the last bits on the farther side of the tiny room, she reached ever so slightly for the small pile. Rufus found himself leaning over ever so slightly to the side and caught the faintest glimpse of white panties under her skirt. Rufus felt something stir inside him and felt a heat rise to his cheeks.
When Tifa arose Rufus snapped back to his original upright position, luckily her back was still to him. Now maybe she wouldn't see the color change in his face. He hesitated slightly before he spoke. "Tifa…" she turned to face him. "Thank you."
All he got in response was a faint smile and a slight nod. Rufus felt a bit wounded. He didn't say those words often and genuinely mean them as he did now. Perhaps he felt Tifa should have given him more. In a rare instance, he decided not to push the issue. Despite all that had happened, he did enjoy the company. When alone with his thoughts, all he could think about the state of his company and the futile attempts of escape. If he could keep some measure of human interaction, he would much prefer it to be with her and not the two brutes.
Tifa left the room and with the spilled food and first aid kit. She returned to empty the chamber pot and came back, not showing the slightest hint of hesitation. Rufus was slightly embarrassed that she took it upon herself to take care of such a vile thing. Tifa returned soon after, looking shy. "Are you hungry?" she asked.
The food that she had given him last night had kept him full enough to not eat the sludge that was offered by the other man. But he could feel the onset of a second wave of hunger begin to creep up on him. "I will be, here soon," he answered truthfully.
"Would you like another one of my gourmet peanut butter sandwiches?" Tifa asked with pouting lips.
"Are you mocking me?" Rufus asked with a raised brow. He was used to petty insults that stemmed from his privileged upbringing from others, especially from his enemies. But he wasn't so sure with this woman. In all actuality, he liked the peanut butter sandwiches she gave him. They held a strange sense of familiarity he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Of course I am!" she giggled. "There's nothing show worthy I can give you out here. Unless you're curious about the chocobo feed. You can pretend its exotic soup from Wutai." She smiled.
Rufus suppressed a laugh himself, but was unable to contain his smile. For a brief moment he didn't feel the chains or the stale air in the room. He only felt a sense of calm as he looked at the busty woman, eyes wide and shining with her own glint of laughter. Rufus looked down at his chained arms and was pulled slowly back to the reality of the situation. "I would like that."
Tifa noticed a small spark leave his eyes. She felt guilty for being partly responsible for his situation. If only Rufus' father had been the one to enter his office, Rufus would have been spared. True, there was no telling what Rufus would do if his father was kidnapped instead, but there was no sense in thinking about it now. "I'll bring you some later, after they go to bed…." there was a slight pause. There had to be something more she could do for him. "Are you cold? Do you need a blanket?"
Rufus had been stuffed into this room with a barren cot, with only his coat to keep him warm. It did little to help him in the chilling nights. "Yes…." He paused and remembered what she had said to him the night before. "…Please," he said barely above a whisper.
A grin spread across Tifa's face as she raised her eyebrows. She hadn't been expecting that. Indeed Rufus felt as if a ray of sunshine entered the room when she smiled. Tifa answered his request with a nod and he saw her practically skip out of the room. She seemed so joyful over something so little. Were her two comrades beating her down so much? Especially that brash SOLDIER? His forceful lecture he gave to Tifa made Rufus uneasy. He felt angry, but why? After all, this woman was part of the group that took him away from his work and his home. He wracked his brain trying to figure out why he felt such concern for this woman.
Tifa greeted Barrett as he came in from the outside cold three hours later. "Buggy's full of firewood. Should last a few days," Barrett shed his outer coat. "How're ya holdin' up?"
"Just fine. Cloud hasn't come downstairs. I think he's taking a nap," Tifa respond as she walked through the kitchen to prepare dinner.
"Any peep out of our 'lil friend?" His chin poked up to the door.
Tifa shook her head. "We'll need to talk to Cloud about our plans with him. We can't keep him here forever."
Barrett scoffed. "The hell we can't. Let the dude suffer, it's no skin off my nose." Tifa shrugged. Why fight him? He didn't have the final word on what the new plan would be, Cloud did. "I'm gonna wake Spike up and see if I can get a hold of Marlene."
Tifa nodded and began to prepare dinner. She made a simple, large batch of chili, perfect for the cold weather. Soon Cloud and Barrett came thumping downstairs and Tifa served them each a bowl. "Aerith says there are posters of the missing Shinra all over town," Cloud announced. "She says rewards for any information leading to him are going for as high as two hundred thousand Gil."
"Wow," was all Tifa had to say. That was more money than she could ever hope to make in a ten years. She sat at the table and switched the smaller on to a local station, hoping to listen to some music while Cloud and Barrett spoke of Marlene and Aerith's well being. Tifa was happy they were doing well back in Midgar. When the last bits of their bowls were emptied out, Tifa took Cloud and Barrett's bowls and served them seconds. She hadn't made it back to the table before the quiet, easy listening music was interrupted by an emergency broadcast. "Breaking news from Midgar, President Shinra of the Shinra Electric Power Company has been found dead in his office. I repeat, President Shinra of the long-standing Shinra Electric Power Company has been found dead."
Tifa could feel her heart sink as she almost dropped the bowls in her hand onto the floor.