Chapter 7
President Shinra stood near his desk in the Shinra tower. He walked around with his hands behind his back. He looked out the window just to gaze at his empire. He seemed to have a rather stressed almost looking afraid. He turned to his desk and he grabbed his phone. "Betty, please send up the executives to my office… tell them to stop what they are doing immediately and come asap." After a few minutes the of looking out the window a bit more, his executives walked into the room in a single file line. First was Tseng followed by Reeve, Scarlet, and Heidegger. They all stood in a horizontal line facing the President.
"I assume you have all read the reports I have sent to you about the missing specimens and the attack on Junon." The President said in a very angry tone. "WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELVES!!!!??"
"Sir we have the army is tracking down the two escaped SOLDIERs. They are currently waiting for a boat to arrive in Cosa Del Sol. They should arrive in Junon in four days." Heidegger had said with a bit of fear in his voice. "Hahahahahah! You're joking. Four day!!!! Fair and Strife will be long gone by the time they fucking land in… WHATS LEFT OF JUNON!!! You dumb shit… " The President yelled with a head that looked like he might explode.
"Tseng… tell me some good news please." The President covered his face as he talked. "Sir, there isn't much good news in all this. Our western army reserve had been totally destroyed. . . We lost most of you top SOLDIERs sir. As of now sir the cleanup of Cosa Del Sol is underway." The President was quiet for a minute. "Thank you Tseng. Continue on the clean up and come to me directly if you find anything farther."
"Mr. President I have good news sir!" Scarlet chimed in a kiss ass way. "The papers and magazines are due to hit stands tomorrow sir. We have Fair's picture on the cover of Shinra Times. We claimed that he is responsible for the slaying of the people in the Cosmo Canyon. We also have photos of the fire. We have also just finished the article about Mr. Fair's slaughtering of Shinra troops in Cosa Del Sol. Tomorrow we will have you interviewed. I have prepared the questions for the news to ask you, and along with your answers. Please look them over sir."
"Very, very good Scarlet, Fair will be a good tool to turn this crisis into a rally around Shinra." The President said as he walked past Scarlet. "Reeve, why are you so silent? Nothing new to report?" Reeve took a deep breath, and straightened his tie. "Sir what should we do about the rescue effort in Junon?"
"Rescue! HAHAHAHHA!!! You must be joking!!! I don't give a shit about those people!? They are worth more to me dead than alive!! The media we are going to get as being heroes is worth more than you are Reeve!"
"Sir those people!! There has to be survivors under the city!!! Sir we have to try…"
"Reeve that is enough. Tseng, your top priority is to track down and capture Fair and his allies."
"Yes sir," Tseng said as he turned away to continue his work. Reeve stood clearly irritated about the lack of the Presidents care for taking action. "You are all dismissed. Please update me if there is anything news on Fair."
"Yes sir" they all said in unison.
---------
Aerith had been on her way to walking to her church from her house. Today she had walked rather leisurely for some reason. It wasn't like her. She stopped and looked around at all the shops. She had stopped at a stand that was selling some items; she wanted her favorite candy bar to share with the Angeal clone. As she was paying she looked to the left. She saw Zack's face, she walked closer to see it clearer.
"Shinra Times"
SOLDIER outcast turns on Shinra
He is assumed to be armed and dangerous
Read more inside
Aerith grabbed a copy of the magazine; she needed to know what happened to Zack. Was this the reason he was been gone all this time. Had he really turned his back on Shinra? Was he really the murderer they had said he was? She knew in her heart, that Zack could not have done this, there must be a reason. "I'll take this too please" she smiled as she handed over the Gil to the man at the stand. Aerith hugged the magazine and hurried to the church.
Aerith burst through the doors and ran to her flower bed where the Angeal clone had been laying. She ran to him to show him. "Look Angie!! Zack is alive!! I told you he was!! I knew it!! Nobody can hurt my big strong SOLDIER!!" as she put her arms on her hips as Zack did when he bragged to her about how strong he was. She broke into a giggle as she was mocking her love. Her smile quickly faded, she had been thinking of him a lot lately. She had been feeling him more and more lately. She could feel that he was alive , but she could barely feel him at all. She smiled at Angie. "Zack will be home soon! Don't you worry! Hehehe, just wait till he finds out I named you Angie! He won't be happy that I made you a girl and put a lovely bow on you head!!! HEHEHE…" Her fun had been ruined by someone walking through the door.
"Aerith I need to speak with you. It's about Zack…" the man had said. He was not quite visible yet because of the sun that was coming through the hole in the roof.
"Who's there? Show you self please." The Angeal clone had jumped out in front of Aerith ready to protect her. The man had took a few steps closer, It was Tseng. "Tseng you could have just told me it was you! How have you been Tseng?"
"I've been good Aerith, very busy. I don't have much time so I need to hurry. I need to tell you something…"
"What that Zack's alive!!! How could you let me worry for all these years Tseng?"
"Aerith I could not tell you, I was under orders to make him disappear. But he is why I am here today. Zack… had been… severely hurt 4 years ago. On his mission, things went very wrong but those details are not important right now. But Shinra did not want us to save Zack, or his friends. They wanted to cover up everything that had happened there. But one of Shinra's scientists had decided he wanted to use Zack for some experiment. "
"Is he… alright…" she asked with tears in her eyes fearing the worst.
"He is fine Aerith. He had escaped not too long ago. But what I came down here to tell you is that the papers are a lie. He was not responsible for the killings a Cosmo Canyon. My sources tell me that he had been long gone from the Canyon at the time of the killings… He has done some of those things the papers claim. My only theory is that he had been forced into a confrontation at Cosa Del Sol. All those who were killed were collateral damage. As for Junon… I have to say he was a hero. Junon has kept the western world under Shinra's control. He has freed those parts of the world. You should be proud of him Aerith."
"I am Tseng, Zack always did put others first. Thank you Tseng for telling me, it really means a lot."
"It was my pleasure Aerith. Remember to ignore what those papers say, they are not true."
Tseng turned to leave, but he was stopped by one last question. "Tseng… why are you telling me this… Are you going to help Zack?"
Without turning around, Tseng said" I let him down once Aerith, I won't let that happen again… to… my friend."
____
Zack had heard the noise from above. He put his hand on his sword ready for whatever it may be. Behind him was a man in red leather…
