Chapter Six
The Ancient Factor
by Kal"Holy #$$&%!"
Cid couldn´t be surprised easily. A life as a fighter pilot made him to be prepared to anything life threw in his way. An when he fought Sephiroth in the inside of the Northern Crater, he thought nothing could surprise him anymore.
When he took the mask off the body in front of him, and saw it was Jacob Marley, the very same man who days before had offered him funds to build his rocket, he had to admit that life could still surprise him.
"Marley!?"
Cloud, Vincent and Cid said his name at the same time. They looked at each other puzzled, and by the time Rocket Town´s police arrived to Cid´s house, they all knew everything about Jacob and his offers to each of them.
Three patrols parked in front of Cid´s house. A fat, bald man, dressed in a cheap suit got out of one of them. The tired look in his eyes showed he had been working too much, the coffee mug he was drinking from, trying not to burn himself as he did, hinted he hadn´t slept recently, the uncared mustache completing the picture. The officers got out of the patrols and began to look around Cid´s backyard.
"Highwind! What happened here!?"
"Good day, Sipowicz."
"There´s nothing good in this day so far, Highwind! And what is this!? We received calls from around here that all hell was breaking loose in your backyard, and some people said they even saw helicopters around here. So I want answers and I want them now!"
"Officer..." Vincent began to talk.
"DETECTIVE Sipowicz! And who are you? Was I talking to you, halloween boy!? Shut up, or I´ll see you all end up in a cell for public disorder!"
"Detective, I´m sure that if you allow us to talk, we´ll explain everything to you." Cloud said, in a conciling voice.
"Well, then start talking."
A uncomfortable silence came from Cid, Shera, Cloud and Vincent. Where to start? What to say? 17 men, all in full combat outfit layed death in Cid´s backyard. They were there to capture them, but they didn´t know why. Jacob Marley, the one who obviously was in charge, had presented them all with job offers. That was all they knew. None of them knew what to say, until Shera broke the silence.
"Detective, the truth is, we don´t know who those men are. We know as little as you. They attacked us, and we had to defend ourselves. Some of them got away, but we didn´t saw which direction they took. That´s all the story."
"It´s that true?" Sipowicz said looking at Cid, Cloud and Vincent.
They nodded in silence. Sipowicz looked like he knew Shera´s story was a goddamn lie, but he was smart enough to know he couldn´t get more info from them.
"All right you all, listen to me! I know you´re hiding something, and God help you if I find out what it is, because I´ll charge you all with obstruction of justice, and throw you in a cell, do you understand!?"
He signaled the officers to go back to the patrols. One of them was already calling for ambulances to traslade the corpses. Cid, Shera, Vincent and Cloud entered the house. Shera began to prepare some tea, as the others sat at the kitchen´s table.
"Shera, I didn´t knew you could lie so well" Cid said proudly.
"You know well that if I had said we all know Jacob, he would have taken all of us to the station and would never let us go. I did the best thing, right captain?"
"Hell yeah! Damn Sipowicz would have threw us all in the jammer and swallow the key, along with two double cheese burgers."
"Doy you know him?" Vincent asked.
"He and I know from years back, when I used to run at high speed in my car at the outskirts of the town. He was a patroler back then, and always tried to grab me. Unfortunately for him, I knew the roads better. He started to really hate my guts when I made him fall in a swamp with his patrol car."
Cid then started to laugh when he remembered that episode of his life. Shera then served all a cup of tea.
"So, what do we do know?" Cloud asked them all.
"I say we stick with our original plan. Go to Junon to see Reeve. And we´ll also investigate Jacob and see if he really was working for them Rexcon guys."
"It works for me. We´ll part this night, after I fix the bullet holes in the Tiny Bronco. And you´ll come with us, Shera."
"What? " Shera said.
"Hell yeah! I don´t want to leave you here alone knowing someone out there has something against me, something big enough to send all those guys after me. So you better start packing! " Cid finished.
"Yes, Captain!"
As Shera went to her room, Vincent looked to Cid. Cid turned to see Vincent giving him a "I knew you would do something like that" smile.
"That´s a very intelligent thing to do Cid. If someone is after you, is logical that they would also be after the ones you care about." Vincent said.
"I don´t care what the hell happens to that woman! I just don´t want to end up rescuing her, damn! I have enough troubles already. And I would have to pay a maid to do what she does for free."
"Right..." Cloud said as he drank his tea. Why Cid couldn´t admit he loved Shera? It was so obvious. In the other hand, he and Tifa...
"Holy god!" Cloud said as he got up with a jump.
"What the hell happens to you, kid? You seem like you remembered you forgot to close your house before coming here."
"I need a phone!"
The day had started well. As always, Tifa entered the bar, and started to get it ready to open. It was a tough job, and she had placed an ad for help. She hoped someone would come today to apply. Without Cloud, it was harder for her to cook and serve the food. By noon, she was so busy tending the tables, she didn´t noticed a brown haired girl, dressed in a brown sweater and jeans, standing at the bar.
"Hi, welcome. What are you going to order?"
"Hello. My name´s Alysia, and I came to apply for the job."
"Great! As you can see, I need all the help I can get. If you don´t fear to work hard, you have the job. You´ll work Monday to Saturday, from 6 am to 9 pm, but I pay well and you get a lot of tips."
"Thanks! When do I start?"
"Right now!" Tifa said as she hand her a tray with food. Now, finally, everything would be great.
At that moment, five armed men entered the bar. They pointed their guns at all directions. One of them started to yell.
"We are looking for Tifa Lockhart? Where is she?"
"Here I am." Tifa said defiantly from behind the counter.
"You´re coming with us! Now!"
"This is MY bar, sir. You can´t come in here and start barking orders."
As she said that, she grabbed a tray and hurled it to the leader´s head. It impacted in his face, and as he fell, the others began to shoot to where Tifa was. With blinding speed she took cover behind the bar. Bottles broke, spilling their content as they were shattered b the bullets. Then, the four that were still conscious halted firing. One of them bent over the bar to see what was left of Tifa. As he inclined, a hand grabbed him by the neck, and quickly threw him against a nearby table. The last three pointed Tifa with their guns.
"Give it up! We are three and we are armed. You´re one and you don´t have any weapons."
Tifa just smiled.
Thirty seconds later, a flying body went through the big window of Tifa´s bar, shattering it. Tifa just stepped outside, soon enough to see how a man in a car quickly started it and ran away. Tifa entered back into the bar, the customers clapping and cheering. Alysia was in a corner speechless.
"I forgot to tell you another thing. You will never get bored in this work. Now help me to clean it all."
A phone rang in the counter. Tifa grabbed the receiver in her right hand. The leader of the group was lying next to her, and was starting to wake up.
"Hi, "Tifa´s Heaven on Earth". Cloud! How are you? I´m fine too. Aha. Aha. Really? Is everyone OK? Great! Yes, everything here is normal. Thanks for calling me."
The leader was starting to get up, when Tifa stomped his head. He moaned, and then dismayed again.
"What was that?" Cloud asked.
"Nothing, I just squashed a bug. I´ll be cautious, don´t worry."
"...well, be careful. I don´t want you to take any risks, OK? I... I... I love you. Bye."
"I love you too."
Poor Cloud, Tifa thought. Even after all those years, he was still unable to express his feelings. Maybe she should do something to help him when he got back.
"Alright, Alysia, grab a broom, while I call the police to come and pick up this garbage, OK?"
"Sir, Beta team failed. Just one man got away. What should we do?"
"Nothing. They failed, they deserve to stay in prison for a while. And, lieutenant, execute the one who ran away, as an example. No one should abandon his teammates, understood?"
"Yes, sir. I´ll carry the order immediately."
General Powers just reclined in his chair. It was though to find good men in these days, altough, considering where he got them, he shouldn´t expect too much. But, finally, he had in his hands the last piece he needed to carry on his plans, with the added bonus of Sephiroth. The professor said that soon he would awaken. He had to make some arrangements to ensure the success of the procedure.
Joshua was ecstatic. That night had been his best ever. Three thousand people had assisted, some coming from places as far as Wutai, just to hear him, and his message. The ones who were still skeptical about him gave in, when he cured all those people of their ailments. The best moment was when that blind woman suddenly raised her arms to heaven, yelling she could see again. Truly, it had been his best moment.
He excused with his helpers, saying he was very tired, and wanted to sleep. They abandoned the part of the church that served him as his quarters. When he was sure he was alone, he opened a closet, and took out an object wrapped in cloth. He put it in a table, and took the cloth off as he kneeled before it.
Jenova stared at the nothingness with her yellow eyes, her purple lips opening to speak. Altough she was clearly alien, her face had an strange beauty that made difficult for Joshua to stare at the floor.
"Mother, everything is happening as you told. I await your advice now."
"You have done well, my child. You are truly my son, one who relies more on subterfuge and seduction, more than brute force and power. If your brother had been more like you, we would have conquered this world a long time ago."
"Forget about him, Mother. He is nothing but a memory now. And my power over the masses grows with each day. When we will make use of that power?"
"Soon, my child, soon. He who rushes, runs to his own grave. I will tell you when the time comes. Until then, keep seducing the masses with your powers, and use them to spread our words."
"I will do as you said, Mother."
Isaiah was tired. He had been exploring the region for three days and everything he had found was some of those rabbits that club you with a carrot. What he wanted was wolfs. And lots of them. As a hunter, he needed their hides to sell them and get money, so he could buy Inga the ring she wanted, and then they could marry. At this pace, he thought, the hell would freeze before he saved enough money. And to think no one comes near here; all because of some silly superstition. From what he had seen thus far, there was nothing to be afraid of. He was inmersed in his thoughts, when a growl brought him back to the real world.
A pack of six wolves were in front of him. They clearly had smelled the dead rabbits Isaiah was carrying. He suddenly remembered what his grandma always told him "Be careful with what you wish". He suddenly dropped the rabbits and began to run. A couple of wolves began to eat the dead rabits, but the other four chased him. Isaiah ran as fast as he could, until he came to a dead end. He tried to climb, but the ice made it difficult to scale. The wolves then circled him. He knew there was no escape.
"Inga, I love you."
He closed his eyes, and when the wolves were about to attack, a roar made them stop in their tracks. Isaiah opened his eyes, thinking he was delusional. In the cliff above him, a white lion let out another roar. The wolves began to retreat. Then, fire formed from the thin air, burning the wolves. They ran away. Isaiah thought his eyes were cheating on him. At the top of the cliff, were a white lion, and at his side, a blonde haired man, covered in wolves hides. His eyes had an strange glow, like nothing Isaiah had seen before. The scene reminded him of the legends is grandma told him, about a lost race of men with glowing eyes, who were always accompanied by white lions, who lived in those mountains. He had dismissed them as nothing more than old wives tales, but now...
The man smiled to Isaiah, and he waved back as a fool, thinking it was all a dream. They disappeared from above the cliff. Isaiah felt his head heavy, as if something had filled it. He sat for a moment to recover, then ran back to his camp, packed his things, and descended the mountain as fast as he could. When he got back to Icicle Village, he was so tired he dismayed upon entering his house. He slept for three days, and when he woke up and told his story, everybody thought it had been a feverish dream. But he knew it wasn´t a dream. The only thing that prevented him from going up again to investigate, was Inga´s decision of marrying him, ring or no ring. But he promised himself, that, as soon as he could, he would go up to find that man.
Ahh, the sixth chapter! So, now we get to see Tifa in action! To all you Tifa fans, she will have a more prominent role in coming chapters.
And now we know what happened to Jenova´s head. But how come Jacob has it? We´ll see in coming chapters. When I created Jacob, I thought "what would be the opposite of Jesus Christ?". Jesus did not make miracles to impress people, but to help the ones who needed it. And he always tried to make his message more important than the miracles themselves. If it wasn´t necessary, he tried to avoid doing miracles in very public places. On the other hand, Joshua does his miracles in front of lot of people, to impress, and as a way to proof his message is real. And unlike Jesus, he wants power over the masses. We will see how he uses this power to cause problems to our heroes.
"What about Marlene?... I mean, Barret?" We´ll see them in the next chapter, and try to explain why everybody leads fairly normal lives, when they actually saved the world. Let´s say not everybody sees them as heroes, but frauds. I better stop before spoiling next chapter to you all.