Disclaimer: Not mine.

Author's notes: Well, this fic is going to be hell of a lot longer than what I have planned. I just hope that I will have the time to write it all. Don't worry though! I will finish it no matter how long it takes.

Thanks for the reviews!


Midgar had not seen an attack like this on Shinra since AVALANCHE stormed into the building many years ago.

The rumours had already started; Sephiroth coming back from the dead to destroy the world…again, AVALANCHE wanting revenge and many more absurd theories.

The reporters and news station were having a field day at the scene. They were accompanied by countless fire engines and helicopters. The civilians gathered around in masses, all wanting a piece of the action.

Reno and Elena had to push their way through the crowd (Reno threatened a few people with his EMR) to get to Rude who was standing stoically in the entrance of Shinra's building.

"Where is Reeve?" Elena asked the moment she got to him.

Rude did not answer and Elena was tempted to start throttling him for answers like a madwoman.

"Here."

The familiar voice killed her urge, however.

"Boss!" Reno greeted fondly at Reeve who seemed to be non-pulsed at the building on fire, "How did you get out?"

"I didn't," answered Reeve, "I wasn't in the office. I had a meeting in Corel and just flew in when I heard about the explosion."

Reno gave his boss several hearty pats on the back. "Excellent timing as always, boss."

Reeve stared hauntingly into the blazing flames and answered, voice gone slightly shaky, "Yeah. Excellent timing."


The Turks stood steadfastly (eavesdropping) at Reeve's side as he listened to the status report from the emergency response teams.

It turns out that the point of origin of the explosion was undetermined but they think that there are several explosive devices in floors sixty seven and sixty eight. Witnesses swore they heard a few distinct explosions when they went off.

Thirty people were killed, all of them working in the two floors and countless were injured. There was a slight droop in Reeve's stiff posture when he found that his secretary was one of the casualties in the explosion.

He was quite fond of the enthusiastic red-head; so full of life.

Even the Turks, who were used to deaths and bombings (they have done a few in their service to Shinra), are sombre in the face of this tragedy.

The building burned steadily into the night.

Reno's next words summed the thought that were in all his teammates' mind. "Yup, someone is definitely out to get us."


"Thanks for putting up with us," Reeve greeted Tifa and Cloud cordially as he made himself comfortable on the bar stool.

"Wait… this is the safe places and friends that you were talking about?" Reno gestured angrily at a smirking Cloud.

"Yes, Reno. Now settle down," Reeve ordered. Reno crossed his arms and sulked like a petulant child.

Reno pointed at Cloud again, displeased at their current arrangement. Reeve had assigned all of them to stay in Tifa's bar until the situation with Shinra had calmed down.

"This guy?!"

"You can keep saying that but it won't stop being true," Cloud said cockily.

Reno stood up abruptly, knocking over the chair that he had been sitting on. He pulled out his EMR and waved it threateningly at Cloud, hoping to intimidate the shorter, blond man.

"Reno…" Reeve called out in a warning tone, "Be nice."

Although he was hot headed, Reno listened to orders (most of the time). He grunted angrily and tucked the EMR back into his slacks. Then, he stormed out of the bar.

"He'll cool off," Elena said to Cloud.

With a clap of her hand, Tifa said as cheerily as she could, "So, shall I fix everyone here a stiff drink? I think we will need it."

"Uh…everyone except me," said Elena in a small voice.

She shuddered when she remembered the last time she had Tifa's 'special drink'.


When they have all settled on one of the tables (with the exception of Reno who was still missing), Reeve voiced out his thoughts, "Well, to state the obvious, we think someone is after Shinra…again."

Elena couldn't help glaring pointedly at Cloud and Tifa. It was almost instinctive that she had put the blame on AVALANCHE even after all these years.

Reeve sensed the tension brewing and tried to dampen it by saying to Tifa, "And we know it's not you."

"We've retired from the whole terrorist thing years ago," Tifa added defensively, looking right at Elena.

"Okay," mused Elena, "If it's not you, who else would it be?"

"You're kidding right?" Cloud said with a wry smile, "Do you know how many people you've pissed off since Shinra was established? Everybody practically wanted to kill you back then."

"Yes," interrupted Reno from the bar entrance, "But we always get to them first."


Reeve watched with amusement as Shinra's most deadly operatives pour over a piece of paper, muttering and arguing like a group of children.

"What about the Silvermans?"

"Who are the Silvermans?"

"The guys that owned the small arms business that was supplying to other rebel groups."

"Oh…they are not a problem. We got them… and the groups that received their arms. President Shinra was very thorough with his orders."

After discussion about numerous organisations and individuals that have suffered under old Shinra and had the power and resources to start a rebellion, they decided that the best course of action is to list it all on a piece of paper.

Even Reeve, as a former Turk, was surprised at the large hit list that the Turks had. Tifa who was peeking over Reeve's shoulders couldn't hide the look of disgust on her face. It did not go unnoticed.

"Don't you dare judge us," Reno hissed angrily at her, "When you took down the reactors, you killed our men too. Men with families."

Tifa knew that he had hit a nail in the head and did not reply. Reno took a step forward towards her and stared her down, his blue eyes glinted dangerously. "So, don't you judge us."

"Someone is still missing from the list," a small voice interrupted. Reno turned his attention to Elena who was gripping the list with white knuckles.

"Who? I thought we agreed that this was it?"

Elena stood silently, staring at the crumpled piece of paper as if in a trance. Finally, she looked up at Reno, her eyes clouded over with memories. "There is the rebel group that rose after AVALANCHE left Midgar…the HAWKS."

"HAWKS? Who the hell were they?" Reno questioned harshly, temper still affected by the argument that he had with Tifa.

Upon hearing the name, Rude's jaw tensed up; he recognised the group very well.

"After AVALANCHE left Midgar, President Shinra received news that the HAWKS wanted to destroy the remaining reactors. We were told to eliminate them before they could attempt anything," Elena answered mechanically like she was reading off a mission file.

"Well, actually," she said with an ironic smile, "I was told to eliminate them."

Realisation finally dawned on Reno. The dangerous glint that he had in his eyes when talking to Tifa softened as he remembered.

Noticing that Cloud and Tifa were still at lost as to what was going on, Elena added in a shaky voice, "It was my first mission."

Rude placed a hand on her shoulders as a comforting gesture. Elena looked up at him gratefully.

"I thought that you got them all?" Reno pressed on. He was never one to go for subtle words.

"Just the leader," Elena explained and after a moment of hesitation, "…and his family."

She was interrupted by Tifa's soft gasp.

"President Shinra thought that if we eliminated the leader, it would serve as a good enough warning to the rest of the group," Elena continued, looking down at her feet. "And it did work because we never heard from them again,"

"I guess we have our first suspects," Reno said tentatively, eyes not leaving Elena's.


That night, Elena could not sleep. The images that she had suppressed in her memories came back to haunt her. She sat on the steps of Tifa's bar and stared blankly at the empty streets.

She closed her eyes and the images came flooding back. Elena remembered every sight and scent from the mission.

A warm, deep voice interrupted her thoughts. "And I thought Turks didn't have feelings."

Smiling despite the very crude joke, she greeted her companion cordially. "Strife, isn't it past your bedtime?"

He shook his head and took the empty space next to her. "Couldn't sleep," she stated simply.

"Yeah, me too."

They sat in comfortable silence. Cloud started polishing is sword and Elena entertained herself with her thoughts.

"Hey Strife," she asked, turning to look at the blonde beside her.

"Yeah?" he answered, not looking up from his task.

"You were SOLDIER First Class, right?"

This time, the hands moving along the sword stopped briefly. "Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"It's complicated," he finally shrugged, not wanting to go into details about Zack and Sephiroth, "But yes, I was in SOLDIER."

"So was I, you know?" Elena said with a grin.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes. That's how he…Tseng…found me. I thought being a SOLDIER would prepare me for the Turks, but on my first mission…", she said. Her words died off as she closed her eyes to remember the first time Tseng approached her, the euphoria she felt when she received her first solo mission.

Polishing now completely forgotten, Cloud paid rapt attention to the woman next to him.

"And?" he coaxed.

"It was Christmas," she continued, eyes still closed as if trying to picture the events that transpired, "There were eight in all. Two adults, three teenagers and two children."

Cloud did the quick math in his head. "You said there were eight?"

"And a dog," she added. "They were having their Christmas dinner with turkey, ham, fruitcakes…the lot."

Even after all the years had gone, she can still clearly remember the smell of roast turkey and freshly baked cake. "And there I was, with my 45mm sidearm," she said, voice drifting off.

Cloud didn't need for her to tell him about what happened next.

"You know the first thing Tseng said to me after I came back?"

…covered with the blood of seven people, she added silently to her self; Strife did not need to know that detail.

"He said 'good job and welcome to the Turks'".

"Let me guess? And then, he followed that with the words 'it will be get easier'?"

Her eyes flew open at Cloud's frank statement. "Yes. How did you know?"

"Because General Sephiroth said the same thing to me and you know what?"

"What?"

He smiled grimly, "But the truth is, I don't think it ever does."