Author's Note: I want to start by issuing my gratitude to wasdasdf2000 for your review and that little nudge I needed to push me forward and start writing on this again. I know I've needed to write another chapter for quite a while but just could not bring myself to do it. I honestly thought this had become a forgotten fic and no one cared about it anymore. I hate to admit this, but I regretted not pulling off an author's dirty trick by killing off my OC when I had the opportunity and ending the story. So glad I didn't do that.
I know this is a ridiculously short chapter but I wanted to add something to the story to show I do intend to continue this fic. I was so excited to hear there is going to be a third season of the anime! (Thank you again for that tidbit wasdasdf2000).
I've been finding it difficult to damn near impossible to find the creative spark (seriously, no pun intended) I need to continue several of my ongoing fics. I will admit I felt kind of cornered, trapped and not knowing where to go with this particular story. After work today I watched a few episodes of FF and ""Voila!" So here we go...
"What happened?" Gureo Haijima demanded, punching buttons with his thumbs on the gaming device held in his hands.
Playing the video game relaxed him. He definitely needed to relax after receiving such horrible news. The peons had been able to hide their failure for several weeks. Did they really think he would not want to see her for himself at some point? He had to give them credit for their creativity and ingenuity on the cover up. When he requested to see Experiment Twelve, they could not produce her and had to confess to their incredible screw up. Heads would roll, possibly literally, for this fiasco, and they knew it.
The terrified men took a collective gulp. None of them wanted to explain why they did not have the important asset of Experiment Twelve in their labs as promised by Viktor Licht. The company President would not yell or berate them. His vengeance for this epic mishap would take the form of death. Their deaths.
"What happened?" President Haijima repeated.
The video game made a burbling winding down sound followed by a splat sound effect signaling the demise of his character. Putting down the device, he calmly gazed at each one of the men in turn. They sat quiet and still as statues while he waited patiently for someone to answer the question he had already asked twice. If he had to ask again, it would not end well for any of them.
"Sir, the Knights of the Ashen Flame intercepted our men and killed them before they reached the Eighth to take possession of Experiment 12," the man said, his voice quavering with fear.
"Phoenix," Gureo said flatly.
"What, Sir?" questioned another tremulous voice.
"Experiment Twelve has a name. Her name is Phoenix," he stated again tonelessly.
The President sighed loudly in exasperation, the only sign of his anger. He leaned forward in his chair, lacing his fingers together to form one big fist. Tapping the pads of his thumbs together, he contemplated his next words.
"This is an unforeseen and most unpleasant complication. Those zealots have forgotten their place and are getting in our way. The job of the Holy Sol Church is to keep the public anesthetized and distracted with their supposed god," he said, pushing up his glasses with his middle finger.
"They believe Experi- ," the second man to speak quickly cut off the word to correct himself, "I mean, Phoenix, is their Avenging Angel, the one who will set their Second Cataclysm in motion by gathering the Eight Pillars when the appointed time comes."
"I am not interested in a religious lesson meant for children. Bring Viktor Licht to me," President Haijima ordered no one in particular but expected compliance nonetheless.
All four men straightened their backs, sitting taller despite wanting to curl into the fetal position in abject fear. Nervous sweat beaded across their pale foreheads. Not one man moved to swipe it away.
"Viktor Licht is in the Chinese Peninsula investigating with Fire Soldiers from Companies Two, Four, and Eight, Sir. He informed us he will deliver a report of his findings as soon as he returns," the third man promised.
"Hmmm...I did not issue him orders to do that. His investigative efforts are supposed to be directed toward the Eighth only. How convenient for him that he is unreachable at the moment," he murmured. "Do we have any idea where Phoenix has been taken?"
"We believe the Knights have taken her to the Nether and are hiding her there, Sir," the fourth man spoke up emboldened by his companions. He was the only one who had not spoken so far.
"The Nether, huh?" Gureo Haijima mumbled thoughtfully, sitting back in his chair with his index fingers steepled under his chin as he considered how to remedy this inconvenient situation. "Bring Kurono to me. I have an important assignment for him. Seek and ye shall find."
Definitely to be continued...
