Chapter Two
"Are you sure you don't want the Turks to take care of this, sir?"
"For the last time, Reno, put your injured pride aside and look at the bigger picture. Our goal is The Promised Land, right? Now, what is the only real threat standing in our way? Sephiroth. I need Rude, Elena and you to take care of him."
"With all due respect, President Rufus, don't you consider Avalanche a threat?"
"Of course! Doesn't a dog consider a flea a threat? They are a mere irritation to us. If we just scratch the right way, then we'll be ride of them, and these scum bounty hunters are the ticket. Now, go get Rude and Elena. Tseng is waiting for you three down in Junon. He said something about the Temple of Ancients," the blonde haired president ordered, turning to his desk to call in the bounty hunters.
Running a hand through his blood red hair, Reno stalked from the room. Muttering under his breath, "Unless you scratch the wrong way. Then the irritation causes you to gnaw off your leg." And with that, he picked up the pace to find his bald companion and their blonde sidekick.
"So," Rufus sighed, leaning back in the plush chair he had been sitting in for the last fifteen minutes, "You see why I need them out of the way."
Always the diplomatic one, Jet answered, "Of course. But our question to you is where can we find them? We have all the back round information we need. Now, we just need to find them and apprehend them."
"Apprehend them?" inquired Rufus, raising an eyebrow.
"Um, yeah," answered Jet, "that's the only way to collect the bounty, s Mr. Shin-Ra. We can't kill them or the bounty is moot."
Is this man serious? He thinks I want them captured? These bounty hunters are all cowardly scum. Willing to capture and never finish the job. Maybe Reno was right. I should have let the Turks handle this. Maybe I'll just drop the bounty. Unless…
"Right. Of course. What was I thinking? I need them captured. They are more valuable to me alive then dead," Rufus glanced at his watch, "Right, well, I have some meeting to attend to. So," he said, rising, "I'll leave you to your work."
"Thank you, Mr. Shin-Ra. I promise you won't regret putting this bounty out on them. They are as good as got," spoke Jet.
"Good," replied Rufus, a sneer forming on his lips, "I expect nothing less."
"We'll see you in a few days," Spike said. It was the first thing he had uttered since he introduced himself.
Excusing themselves, the cowboys left, deep in thought. When they were half way out of Midgar, Spike finally spoke.
"I don't trust that man," he stated as he lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply.
"Why?"
"I don't know. I just get bad karma from him. He's not right."
"Don't say a damn thing about karma. You'll end up sounding like that damn Indian fortune teller that I met."
"Well, I always trust my feelings and he is not a straight arrow," sulked Spike. "Don't worry about it. In a day or two, we'll be back offa this planet. Just sit back and be ready to collect the reward."
Apparently ignoring Jet's last remark, Spike uttered something almost inaudible,
"Ya know, if I didn't know better, I'd say Rufus would rather them dead than alive."
Meanwhile, farther west, in an amusement park high in the sky…
"How the hell you s'pect to find the Keystone here?"
"Dammit, Barret," seethed the spike-haired warrior, "Will you shut up? The weapon seller we met told us he sold it to Dio. That's why we're here. Now, one more goddamned word out of you and…"
"Hey," shouted a nearby brunette, "HEY! You two calm down, alright?"
"Yeah," shouted another woman with a weird stone in her hair ribbon, "We are all in an amusement park. How about we enjoy the few hours that we're here and take in some of the sights? Then, we'll go talk to Dio about the Keystone, ok?"
"Yeah, yeah, fine!" shouted Barret Wallace, waving the gum-grafted arm in the air, "Forget that we are out here to save the @#*^$! planet!"
"Barret," the taller woman started.
"Tifa, leave him," interrupted Aeris, "If he wants to come, he will. If not, then…oh well."
"But what about last time?" spoke the huge mog, known as Cait.
"Last time was Dyne," spoke up Barret, to everyone's surprise, "But he aint here now. Look, I'd feel a lot better if we just went to Dio now, and then just left, ok?"
"Why do you want to leave so bad," asked the grizzled pilot, who, until now, had been silent.
"Last time I was here, my best friend ended up dyin'. Is that a good enough reason, Captain?!" shouted Barret.
"Calm down, big guy," soothed Cloud, "Look, you and I will go find Dio. The rest of you, you have an hour. Then, meet us here at the Ropeway Station. Let's mosey!"
"Dammit, Cloud," sighed Cid, "You say it like a wimp. Can't you say it better, like 'move out' or something?"
Shrugging, Cloud ordered, "Move out!"
An hour later, the whole group was assembled at the station. As they approached the ropeway car, a sign blocked their path…
Ropeway under repairs. Will be functional in the moring.
"Well," remarked the red beast who spoke what was on the other's minds, "This puts a dent in our plans."
"It doesn't matter." Stated Cloud, "We have the Keystone and a day won't mean ruin. The question is, what do we do about tonight?"
"I have a plan," spoke Cait, "I know the owners of the inn in the here in the Golden Saucer. He'll put us up for the night."
The others looked doubtful and no one spoke.
"Ah," Cloud concluded finally, "What's the worst that can happen?"