Hey everyone!
Sorry for the delayed update. I always promised myself I wouldn't be a fanfiction writer who goes on hiatus for months/years/decades. I hate that.
Anywhooo, I've been working on a few other side projects including but not limited to: Beauty and The Beast, KristAnna Frozen goodtimes, some Loki/Darcy aka TaserTricks(?) drabbles, and maybe just maybe some AeriSeph. Who KNOWS?! Not me. But maybe me? You got me, it's me. I'm tired.
Again, this is a short chapter. Gotta move things along. We're getting there, we're getting there.
FFVII and its characters belong to Square/Enix, no money is being made on my behalf, yadda, yadda, yadda...
Enjoy!
"We will have no more outbursts today, Ms. Lockhart. Our equipment here is delicate and you've ruined quite enough of it for the time being."
Tifa grit her teeth. She shifted slightly in the leather straps that held her firmly to the chair in which she was currently seated. The Shinra doctor who had been scolding her had administered a heavy sedative, a muscle relaxer of sorts, the moment she woke up again. Her senses were dulled. She tried her best to remain as alert as possible, given her current predicament. This time Reno's phantom voice wasn't taunting her from a loudspeaker making any more false promises. This time, a stoic man in a white lab coat hovered over her, ready to jab her with another needle to moment she got out of hand again. This doctor wasn't as menacing as Professor Hojo, but he had the same acrid mannerisms that most of the medical employees of Shinra exhibited.
Tifa felt loopy, but still aware of her surroundings. She awoke to her recurring nightmare come to life: Confined to an execution chamber. Again. The majority of this rescue mission was spent re-visiting the past, it seemed. How did she end up in this place again? She swore she would never go back to Junon after the last time -after she nearly died a horrible death at the hands of Rufus Shinra and his cronies.
"Oh hoo hoo!" came a sharp female laugh from behind her. "It looks like I get to finish what she couldn't!"
'What?' Tifa was really confused now. It couldn't be. The person that laugh belonged to, she was long dead.
All too suddenly, Vayda appeared in front of Tifa, inches from her face, her cold hands over the fighter's disengaged fists as she leaned forward in a taunting fashion.
"I'm so lucky! What a lucky girl I am!" she laughed maniacally.
Tifa continued to stare at the malicious female Turk in confusion, her lips pursed. What was this crazy woman going on about?
Tifa felt a sharp sting against her left cheek. And then another against her right. Everything was whirling. Things happened quickly, but time slowed down. The drugs in her system weren't like anything she ever felt before, and she had her fair share of poisoning, concussions, and so forth. Shinra didn't fuck around.
This was all too familiar -This woman who was now smacking her across the face: Vayda. She always reminded Tifa of someone, but she could never quite put a finger on it: Her love of weaponry. Her annoying laugh. Her ruthless tactics and unwavering loyalty to Shinra. Her bright blonde hair and perfectly manicured appearance.
"You're just like Scarlet," Tifa slurred.
"I suppose," Vayda stood up and checked her nails for any chips. "But I'm not dead, and I don't plan on dying anytime soon. So don't worry about that," she leaned forward again, "You'll see her soon enough." She leaned in to whisper into Tifa's ear, "Your stupid ass will belly-up in the lifestream soon. If you bump into my sister you can tell her how I killed you."
Tifa's head slumped forward as Vayda exited the chamber with the doctor in tow, bolting the door shut behind them. She couldn't help herself when a name slipped past her lips in a soft plea, the name she always called upon whenever she needed to be rescued:
"Cloud..."
The tropical storm had passed but the generators were still working overtime to get the city back up to speed. A series of power surges and rolling brown-outs complicated the timing of The President's speech, but everything seemed to be up and running at the moment. Rufus's appearance was planned for Noon from the safety of the Shinra press room, preceded by Marlene's open plea for Barret to turn himself in. Elena and Tseng coached her on what to say to ensure that Tifa would remain safe; that no harm would come to her.
Marlene sat nervously at the front of the aisle. Reporters, camera men, photographers, and all sorts of other media workers scrambled for seats. It seemed as though every single one of them was either talking or texting on their PHS since cell service had been restored that morning. Elena sat with Marlene, keeping a close eye on her. Marlene didn't exactly dislike Elena. She had been nothing but kind to her. She disliked - no, hated the evil company that she worked for. Marlene also felt that Tseng had been kind to her in honor of Aeris. Anyone with eyes could see how much Tseng had adored Aeris. If he ever hurt Marlene, Aeris would make sure he'd have holy hell to pay.
A high-ranking official made his way to the podium to greet the press and introduce Marlene as a "young ally in Shinra's peace efforts".
Marlene felt like a puppet in some sort of surreal play. If she didn't comply, Tifa would be executed. If she did comply, Tifa would probably be executed anyway, and her daddy would probably be captured. And executed. It was all so sick.
Elena prompted Marlene by nudging her shoulder, escorting her to the stage while cameras clicked and flashed. Applause echoed throughout the hall. A step-ladder had been provided to help Marlene reach the podium. How cute. The young girl visibly shook as she adjusted the microphone. The hot spotlights were blinding and she could barely see anyone in front of her. Elena cleared her throat from behind her, indicating that Marlene was taking too long.
Taking a deep breath, Marlene began speaking in a small, sweet voice, "Good morning. I am speaking to you today on behalf of the Shinra Electric Power Company and its affiliates. Recently, a series of terrorist attacks were committed against Shinra's newly-acquired energy production sites. We need your help to identify and convict six dangerous suspects who are currently on the loose."
Marlene took another deep breath. She had to go through with it.
"Shinra has reason to believe that one of these individuals may currently be here in Junon. The man they are pursuing is to be considered armed and dangerous. The individual in question is, in fact, my father, and I am personally urging him to turn himself in. His name is..."
Her breath hitched.
"His name is..."
She froze.
The crowd murmured as the timid little girl paused in anxiety. She turned her head and was met with a glare from Elena. She turned her head again and glimpsed the movement of orange toward the back of the room. Marlene squinted her eyes in an attempt to get a better look at what it was: Red XIII!
Marlene gasped with joy and smiled from ear to ear, causing the crowd to murmur with greater confusion.
"Marlene!" Elena whispered loudly.
Marlene wasn't going to finish her scripted lines, no way no how. Not when someone was clearly there to rescue her.
The power went out and the emergency lights came on. A collective groan could be heard throughout the hall. The tired, cranky media workers were fed up with power outages at this point.
Elena's PHS rang. She answered it roughly as she ushered Marlene from the stage to another holding area. "What do you mean? Is it the Sierra?" Elena barked to the individual on the other line. "Get the President to the Sub Pad then. We'll regroup when its taken care of." Elena snapped the PHS shut and rubbed the bridge of her nose before dragging Marlene down another random hallway.
Tifa's head bobbed up at the sound of the iron door being pried open. Two people were bickering as they entered the chamber.
"The FUCK I CAN'T! She shouldn't have even been put in here in the first place!"
It was Reno. Her heart fluttered slightly as she heard him enter.
Tifa's drugged state was wearing off slightly as he strode in and knelt down in front of her, shining a small light in her face, checking her pupils. "Lemme guess who put you in here," he smirked.
"Ass..." Tifa smiled back lazily. "She's gonna kill me," she laughed softly. "She really wants me dead, Reno," she continued, slurring a bit, smiling like a drunken fool. "She's gonna kill me..." she retorted.
"Not today," he said lightheartedly as he balanced a cigarette on his lips while un-doing the straps that were held her down. "You know I like you all tied up like this. Maybe we can have fun with it sometime." He hoisted her up and carried her from the chamber as a Shinra medical worker followed them out.
"Such an ass," she muffled into his chest.
Rude was stationed on the other side of the door. He reported to Reno as they walked back into the medical lab, "Rufus was moved to the sub-level. Tseng and Katana are with him. Elena has the girl. And AVALANCHE is here."
"Greeaat," Reno replied as he placed Tifa in a chair nearby. This gas chamber had been somewhere in the medical lab, which was much different from last time. She guessed that her death wasn't to be televised, but rather strictly for Vayda's own amusement.
"What the HELL are you doing?!" came Vayda's screeching voice from the hallway. She rushed in and kicked Reno in the shin.
"The FUCK?!" he bellowed as he grabbed his leg in annoyance. He whipped to face her, towering over her in anger.
"Rufus specifically stated that she was to be executed if the brat didn't comply!" she hollered.
"So he told you to put her in the goddamn Lung Douser? I don't recall that in this morning's debriefing," he fired back. "The kid was gonna do it. AVALANCHE probably just cut the power."
"I'm just doing whatever gets the job done, Reno! You're letting your feelings get in the way," she placed her hands on her hips.
"Oh, and you're not?! You better watch it, rookie," he pointed a finger directly in her face. "Remember your place."
"Oh I'D better watch it?" she placed a hand on her chest for emphasis. "How about you, Reno? Once Rufus finds out about this disloyal shit you've been up to, you're done." She turned a heel and stomped out.
Tifa waved "bye-bye" comically, not really in control of her behavior as the blonde stormed down the hall, .
Reno continued to puff on his cigarette.
Rude uncharacteristically broke the silence. "She's right", he stated simply as he ducked out of the room after Vayda.
"Bye Ruuuude," Tifa said softly, fading her voice as she waved goodbye to him, too.
She and Reno were left alone in the electric buzz of the lab. Most of the lights were out, except for a few fluorescent bulbs inside the refrigeration units -which were powered by backup generators.
"We're a couple of fuck-ups," Tifa giggled, unable to help herself. The situation was ludicrous and she was still fairly doped up, slumped back in the chair with her legs bent to the side.
Reno sighed and knelt in front of her again. "I'm sorry, babe," he hung his head, and then looked up at her with hopeful eyes. He scratched the back of his head and then pinched the bridge of his nose, "We really are fuck-ups, everything is fucked up. All of it."
"Yeahhh we are... and yeahhh it is" she patted him on the shoulder. Reno looked at her hand on his shoulder and smiled to himself. She was a mess.
"She's Scarlet's sister," Tifa rolled her head to the side and laughed. "What a couple of nasty ho's."
Reno laughed too, mostly at how unfiltered Tifa was on Shinra's medicinal cocktail. She was being abrasive and honest and he loved every second of it.
"She slapped me 'round like Scarlet did. Those bishes like ta slap, huh?" she slurred and reached a hand out, mimicking a slapping motion, followed by attempting to clap her hands, but failing miserably in her attempt to make them connect. "A big 'ol slap-happy family, huh?"
This really got Reno going, as he held his stomach in laughter.
He leaned forward on his knees, bringing his face inches from hers, "Okay, loopy. It's about time I get you outta here. I'll get you back to your friends before my ass is skinned by Tseng."
She cocked her head, "What about Marlene?" Her silly demeanor changed to a mood of confusion and panic in an instant.
"She's fine," he took Tifa's limp arm and hoisted her up, "You'll see her really soon."
And with that they were off and running.
Well, Reno was running.
Tifa was just along for the ride.
To be continued...