CHAPTER 2
Cloud had fallen back asleep, and when he had awakened, Barret and Reno had returned.
Vincent sat in Tifa's old bed. And there were six other people there now. He sat up, feeling very well rested.
"Good morning," Rude said to his left.
"Hey Rude," Cloud greeted.
Cloud rubbed his head, and asked Rude if there was a bathroom anywhere near.
Rude laughed, and then led him to the outside of the cave.
"Right over there behind those bushes," Rude pointed.
Cloud walked over there, expecting to see a porter potty or something, but there was nothing. Just the bush.
Cloud laughed and turned to look at Rude, but Rude had gone back inside.
Vincent had just woken up too. Barret was sleeping but he saw Rude walking back in.
"Your friend just got up too," Rude said.
"Great," Vincent replied, sitting up and grabbing his pistol.
Before Vincent could get it though, Rude grabbed it away.
"Did Reno let you keep this?" he asked Vincent.
Vincent shrugged and said, "He never commented on have any sort of permission."
The other Turks started to wake up too. Rude introduced Cloud and Vincent to them, and told them about their first mission.
"Where's Reno?" Jes asked.
"Reno and Elena left early to go get Cid," Rude replied. "Okay. Tomorrow afternoon, at approximately three o'clock, we're going into Costa Del Sol to rob the rich family in the President's old summer house."
He looked over the members, and then said, "We don't need all of you. Cloud, Vincent, and I are definitely going. Reno and Elena are a maybe, and I will choose"
Rude paused for a second.
"Jes, Parker, and Katrina will go too," he finished.
"What about us?" Dina asked.
"Dina, David, and Don, you three will stay here with either Reno or Elena," Rude replied.
"What do we have for weapons?" Parker asked.
"Don't you have your own?" Rude asked, answering a question with a question.
"Reno took them from us," Jes added.
"Well, what were you all equipped with?" Rude asked.
Parker had a long sword, Katrina had a dagger, Jes had a shotgun, Dina had a bow and arrow, David had an axe, and Don fought with his fists, like Rude.
"Those seem good enough for a mission. Here Vincent," Rude said, tossing Vincent his pistol.
"Can we leave this cave?" Cloud asked.
"Not until Reno and Elena come back with Cid," Rude replied.
Rude, Cloud, and Vincent were outside. Barret was still asleep. The three of them sat down on the grassy hillside that the cavern overlooked. Rude's baldhead reflected the sunlight, Cloud could only help but let out a slight chuckle.
Rude was about twenty-eight years old, but he always shaved his head and wore a pair of sunglasses.
"Rude, where are we going to center ourselves? We can't very well manage the entire Turk Empire from this tiny cavern you know," Cloud asked.
"That's our mission a little while from now. Reno and I were discussing the possibilities of you, Vincent here, and Barret to command a good portion of the Turks. We will eventually take over Nibelheim and center ourselves there. We'll have the barracks in the town, and the headquarters where the old Mako Reactor used to be," Rude replied.
Out from the cave, Barret came stumbling out.
"Where is Reno and Elena?" He grumbled.
"Out getting Cid," Vincent replied.
"When will they be back?" Barret asked.
"Why do you care?" Cloud said.
"Why the hell do you want to know? I think I know where Tifa is. That's why, and I think there is a nasty surprise waiting for Reno and Elena," Barret replied.
"Why do you say that?" Rude asked. "Tifa had no clue where we were, there is no way she could get to Rocket Town this fast."
"Rude. I know where we are. I recognize this place. This is the cavern of the sleeping man, on the eastern continent. Tifa has been out there for about two days now, and she could most definitely be at Nibelheim by now," Barret said.
Rude was surprised Barret knew where they were.
"Well, should we wait till they get back?" Cloud asked.
Reno and Elena walked into Rocket Town. There was a line of armed guards there.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we cannot let you in," one said.
"They hell you can. Do you know who I am?" Reno threatened.
"They don't, but I do," Tifa said walking from behind the guards.
Reno and Elena were shocked that Tifa had survived and made it there. But she was there when Cloud had sold Cid and Vincent out.
"You cannot enter," Tifa told them.
"Step aside," Elena threatened.
"Come on. You think you can take me?" Tifa challenged.
"What's going on here?" A man shouted from behind the guards.
"Cid! Stay back!" Tifa yelled.
"Oh, so I get it. I bet you've already told Cid our little plan," Reno smiled.
"Yes, and I know where you people are located. There are more of these guards over to this cavern right at this second," Tifa replied.
Reno whipped his rod out and smacked Tifa across the face. There was a crack, probably Tifa's nose bone, and blood leaked everywhere.
"No!" Cid yelled.
He parted the guards and knelt down next to Tifa.
"Cid. Cloud, Barret, and Vincent are already part of the Turks. Why don't you just join us?" Reno asked.
"Because what you guys do is just so @#^#^@ wrong!" Cid shouted.
"Calm down. You don't have to yell," Elena said.
"Now come, or they will die over on the continent," Reno smirked.
Reno wouldn't kill them, that was just his way of getting Cid to join the party.
"You wouldn't want anything to happen to them would you?" Reno asked.
Cid shook his head and looked down at Tifa.
"Tifa, why fight this. Just go along with them," Cid said.
Tifa's face was all disarranged. "Fine," she mumbled.
"She's lying, she'll just kill us when she has the chance," Elena spoke.
"Tifa, look into my eyes," Cid started, "and tell me that you won't kill these people."
She looked strait at him and said it.
"She won't kill you Turks. She wouldn't lie like this," Cid told them.
"Good, come along you two," Reno smiled, turning and started to walk out of town.
Elena followed, and Cid picked Tifa up, and ran after the two leaders.
Rude, Barret, Cloud, and Vincent were still outside.
"Hey Rude. Where are all the other Turks' weapons? And my Buster Sword," Cloud asked.
"Oh, they're inside, under a panel in the floor," Rude answered.
"Good, I'll go get them," Cloud added.
"Why? Barret asked.
"Look down there, by the river, and tell me what you see," Cloud replied.
Everybody looked down, and jumping off of some motorboats, were the Peacekeepers that Tifa had told Reno about.
"Hurry," Barret said, looking at Cloud.
Cloud handed out all of the weapons.
Rude strapped his brass knuckles to his hands, Vincent held his gun firmly, Cloud gripped the huge Buster sword, and Barret already had his gun that was attached to his hand.
The soldiers ran up the hill, all of them holding short swords.
"Okay guys, make sure that you don't die. Or this will be the end of the Turks as we know it," Rude said.
"Don't worry. It won't," Jes said coming out of the cave with all of the new recruits.
The soldiers were right there now.
Cloud jumped up and swung his sword around. It clanged off one of the soldier's blades. There must have been fifty soldiers there. He came down hard and swiped at his opponent's feet.
Don ran out to the field, but quickly being cut in half by a soldier.
Katrina had stood right behind him, watching him die. She rushed forward, driving her dagger into the soldier's face. Blood leaked down to the ground and covered her entire arm.
She swung around and caught another attacking guard in the face.
Parker fought beside Cloud. He thrusted forward and drove the sword through one soldier's neck, and then quickly bringing it out and cutting another soldier in half.
Dina loaded an arrow into her bow and fired it. It pierced the side of a soldier's head, blood splattering everywhere. But while she reloaded, a soldier swiftly cut her head off.
David swung his axe in a circle. It had sliced through three soldiers, and then another two. He nimbly jumped aside from one attack, and put his axe into the soldier's back. But while he was turned, another soldier got David himself in the back.
The only recruits now alive were Parker, Jes, and Katrina.
Jes stood at the top, firing away at his shotgun. Blood flew everywhere, creating a huge mess.
Vincent also fired next to Jes. Headshot after headshot, Vincent took the soldiers down. Rude stayed behind Cloud, finishing all the injured soldiers off.
Barret was knocked backwards though. He landed on his gun hand, making himself unable to fire. The soldier lifted his sword high, and in one second it would all be over.
But in that split second the soldier was down on the ground.
Cloud looked over at Barret. On top of the soldier had been the four- legged creature he'd seen in the sunset the previous night.
Red XIII.
Red XIII bit down into the soldier's neck, saving Barret.
"Nanaki!" Cloud yelled in happiness.
Nanaki was Red XIII's real name.
The soldiers were almost gone. Only about five left.
Vincent finished two off, and Cloud swiped the rest in half.
"Nanaki! Where were you all this time?" Cloud asked, walking over to his friend.
Cloud was covered in blood, and his clothing was stained.
"I had wandered in the desert for a little while, you see, I had gotten lost looking for Midgard. Then, I saw all these men coming here, and I ran to see what all of the commotion was," Nanaki replied.
Nanaki looked like a lion, without the mane and a mohawk instead. The creature was amazingly smart though, and he could talk.
"Great, we have another member of the Turks!" Rude exclaimed.
"Rude!?" Nanaki said in surprise. "What are you guys doing with him?"
"Nanaki, you see," Cloud started, "Vincent, Barret, and I are part of the Turks now. We have a few new recruits, and Reno and Elena are in Rocket Town getting Cid right now. You have the option to join us."
"There are only two options though," Rude added. "Join us or Die."
Rude was usually a fun person, trustworthy, nice, honest, not one to be evil or threaten somebody, but every so often, his job called for it.
"You guys joined the Turks?" Nanaki questioned.
"Yes. Please Nanaki, don't fight this," Vincent put in.
"Fine. I'll join you all," Nanaki replied.
"Great," Rude said, a smile on his face. "One question though. Do you have any clue where the other party members are?"
"Yuffie and Cait Sith are on this island," Nanaki replied.
Rude's face widened with a smile.
"They are living in the forest North-west of Fort Condor," Nanaki replied.
"We'll wait for Reno and Elena to come back," Rude instructed.
"No," Jes responded.
Rude spun to look at the new Turk.
"What did you say?" Rude snapped.
"Send us on a mission. This is the perfect opportunity," Jes told him.
"I would be happy to go on the mission," Parker put in.
"That's not a bad idea actually Jes. I like the ambition in you," Cloud replied.
Rude glanced at Cloud.
"Cloud, do you want to be the one to give orders?" Rude snapped to Cloud.
"It would greatly benefit the Turks if he did," Barret blurted.
Vincent and Nanaki nodded in agreement.
"Fine. What do you recommend?" Rude asked.
"Send Red XIII, Jes, Katrina, and Parker to find the other two. Test out their skills, you know," Cloud replied.
Rude nodded in agreement. "If you're ready to go on, you may leave now."
The small group nodded, and the recruits and Nanaki left, leaving Rude and the rest there to dispose of the all the bodies till Reno and Elena returned.
Cloud had fallen back asleep, and when he had awakened, Barret and Reno had returned.
Vincent sat in Tifa's old bed. And there were six other people there now. He sat up, feeling very well rested.
"Good morning," Rude said to his left.
"Hey Rude," Cloud greeted.
Cloud rubbed his head, and asked Rude if there was a bathroom anywhere near.
Rude laughed, and then led him to the outside of the cave.
"Right over there behind those bushes," Rude pointed.
Cloud walked over there, expecting to see a porter potty or something, but there was nothing. Just the bush.
Cloud laughed and turned to look at Rude, but Rude had gone back inside.
Vincent had just woken up too. Barret was sleeping but he saw Rude walking back in.
"Your friend just got up too," Rude said.
"Great," Vincent replied, sitting up and grabbing his pistol.
Before Vincent could get it though, Rude grabbed it away.
"Did Reno let you keep this?" he asked Vincent.
Vincent shrugged and said, "He never commented on have any sort of permission."
The other Turks started to wake up too. Rude introduced Cloud and Vincent to them, and told them about their first mission.
"Where's Reno?" Jes asked.
"Reno and Elena left early to go get Cid," Rude replied. "Okay. Tomorrow afternoon, at approximately three o'clock, we're going into Costa Del Sol to rob the rich family in the President's old summer house."
He looked over the members, and then said, "We don't need all of you. Cloud, Vincent, and I are definitely going. Reno and Elena are a maybe, and I will choose"
Rude paused for a second.
"Jes, Parker, and Katrina will go too," he finished.
"What about us?" Dina asked.
"Dina, David, and Don, you three will stay here with either Reno or Elena," Rude replied.
"What do we have for weapons?" Parker asked.
"Don't you have your own?" Rude asked, answering a question with a question.
"Reno took them from us," Jes added.
"Well, what were you all equipped with?" Rude asked.
Parker had a long sword, Katrina had a dagger, Jes had a shotgun, Dina had a bow and arrow, David had an axe, and Don fought with his fists, like Rude.
"Those seem good enough for a mission. Here Vincent," Rude said, tossing Vincent his pistol.
"Can we leave this cave?" Cloud asked.
"Not until Reno and Elena come back with Cid," Rude replied.
Rude, Cloud, and Vincent were outside. Barret was still asleep. The three of them sat down on the grassy hillside that the cavern overlooked. Rude's baldhead reflected the sunlight, Cloud could only help but let out a slight chuckle.
Rude was about twenty-eight years old, but he always shaved his head and wore a pair of sunglasses.
"Rude, where are we going to center ourselves? We can't very well manage the entire Turk Empire from this tiny cavern you know," Cloud asked.
"That's our mission a little while from now. Reno and I were discussing the possibilities of you, Vincent here, and Barret to command a good portion of the Turks. We will eventually take over Nibelheim and center ourselves there. We'll have the barracks in the town, and the headquarters where the old Mako Reactor used to be," Rude replied.
Out from the cave, Barret came stumbling out.
"Where is Reno and Elena?" He grumbled.
"Out getting Cid," Vincent replied.
"When will they be back?" Barret asked.
"Why do you care?" Cloud said.
"Why the hell do you want to know? I think I know where Tifa is. That's why, and I think there is a nasty surprise waiting for Reno and Elena," Barret replied.
"Why do you say that?" Rude asked. "Tifa had no clue where we were, there is no way she could get to Rocket Town this fast."
"Rude. I know where we are. I recognize this place. This is the cavern of the sleeping man, on the eastern continent. Tifa has been out there for about two days now, and she could most definitely be at Nibelheim by now," Barret said.
Rude was surprised Barret knew where they were.
"Well, should we wait till they get back?" Cloud asked.
Reno and Elena walked into Rocket Town. There was a line of armed guards there.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we cannot let you in," one said.
"They hell you can. Do you know who I am?" Reno threatened.
"They don't, but I do," Tifa said walking from behind the guards.
Reno and Elena were shocked that Tifa had survived and made it there. But she was there when Cloud had sold Cid and Vincent out.
"You cannot enter," Tifa told them.
"Step aside," Elena threatened.
"Come on. You think you can take me?" Tifa challenged.
"What's going on here?" A man shouted from behind the guards.
"Cid! Stay back!" Tifa yelled.
"Oh, so I get it. I bet you've already told Cid our little plan," Reno smiled.
"Yes, and I know where you people are located. There are more of these guards over to this cavern right at this second," Tifa replied.
Reno whipped his rod out and smacked Tifa across the face. There was a crack, probably Tifa's nose bone, and blood leaked everywhere.
"No!" Cid yelled.
He parted the guards and knelt down next to Tifa.
"Cid. Cloud, Barret, and Vincent are already part of the Turks. Why don't you just join us?" Reno asked.
"Because what you guys do is just so @#^#^@ wrong!" Cid shouted.
"Calm down. You don't have to yell," Elena said.
"Now come, or they will die over on the continent," Reno smirked.
Reno wouldn't kill them, that was just his way of getting Cid to join the party.
"You wouldn't want anything to happen to them would you?" Reno asked.
Cid shook his head and looked down at Tifa.
"Tifa, why fight this. Just go along with them," Cid said.
Tifa's face was all disarranged. "Fine," she mumbled.
"She's lying, she'll just kill us when she has the chance," Elena spoke.
"Tifa, look into my eyes," Cid started, "and tell me that you won't kill these people."
She looked strait at him and said it.
"She won't kill you Turks. She wouldn't lie like this," Cid told them.
"Good, come along you two," Reno smiled, turning and started to walk out of town.
Elena followed, and Cid picked Tifa up, and ran after the two leaders.
Rude, Barret, Cloud, and Vincent were still outside.
"Hey Rude. Where are all the other Turks' weapons? And my Buster Sword," Cloud asked.
"Oh, they're inside, under a panel in the floor," Rude answered.
"Good, I'll go get them," Cloud added.
"Why? Barret asked.
"Look down there, by the river, and tell me what you see," Cloud replied.
Everybody looked down, and jumping off of some motorboats, were the Peacekeepers that Tifa had told Reno about.
"Hurry," Barret said, looking at Cloud.
Cloud handed out all of the weapons.
Rude strapped his brass knuckles to his hands, Vincent held his gun firmly, Cloud gripped the huge Buster sword, and Barret already had his gun that was attached to his hand.
The soldiers ran up the hill, all of them holding short swords.
"Okay guys, make sure that you don't die. Or this will be the end of the Turks as we know it," Rude said.
"Don't worry. It won't," Jes said coming out of the cave with all of the new recruits.
The soldiers were right there now.
Cloud jumped up and swung his sword around. It clanged off one of the soldier's blades. There must have been fifty soldiers there. He came down hard and swiped at his opponent's feet.
Don ran out to the field, but quickly being cut in half by a soldier.
Katrina had stood right behind him, watching him die. She rushed forward, driving her dagger into the soldier's face. Blood leaked down to the ground and covered her entire arm.
She swung around and caught another attacking guard in the face.
Parker fought beside Cloud. He thrusted forward and drove the sword through one soldier's neck, and then quickly bringing it out and cutting another soldier in half.
Dina loaded an arrow into her bow and fired it. It pierced the side of a soldier's head, blood splattering everywhere. But while she reloaded, a soldier swiftly cut her head off.
David swung his axe in a circle. It had sliced through three soldiers, and then another two. He nimbly jumped aside from one attack, and put his axe into the soldier's back. But while he was turned, another soldier got David himself in the back.
The only recruits now alive were Parker, Jes, and Katrina.
Jes stood at the top, firing away at his shotgun. Blood flew everywhere, creating a huge mess.
Vincent also fired next to Jes. Headshot after headshot, Vincent took the soldiers down. Rude stayed behind Cloud, finishing all the injured soldiers off.
Barret was knocked backwards though. He landed on his gun hand, making himself unable to fire. The soldier lifted his sword high, and in one second it would all be over.
But in that split second the soldier was down on the ground.
Cloud looked over at Barret. On top of the soldier had been the four- legged creature he'd seen in the sunset the previous night.
Red XIII.
Red XIII bit down into the soldier's neck, saving Barret.
"Nanaki!" Cloud yelled in happiness.
Nanaki was Red XIII's real name.
The soldiers were almost gone. Only about five left.
Vincent finished two off, and Cloud swiped the rest in half.
"Nanaki! Where were you all this time?" Cloud asked, walking over to his friend.
Cloud was covered in blood, and his clothing was stained.
"I had wandered in the desert for a little while, you see, I had gotten lost looking for Midgard. Then, I saw all these men coming here, and I ran to see what all of the commotion was," Nanaki replied.
Nanaki looked like a lion, without the mane and a mohawk instead. The creature was amazingly smart though, and he could talk.
"Great, we have another member of the Turks!" Rude exclaimed.
"Rude!?" Nanaki said in surprise. "What are you guys doing with him?"
"Nanaki, you see," Cloud started, "Vincent, Barret, and I are part of the Turks now. We have a few new recruits, and Reno and Elena are in Rocket Town getting Cid right now. You have the option to join us."
"There are only two options though," Rude added. "Join us or Die."
Rude was usually a fun person, trustworthy, nice, honest, not one to be evil or threaten somebody, but every so often, his job called for it.
"You guys joined the Turks?" Nanaki questioned.
"Yes. Please Nanaki, don't fight this," Vincent put in.
"Fine. I'll join you all," Nanaki replied.
"Great," Rude said, a smile on his face. "One question though. Do you have any clue where the other party members are?"
"Yuffie and Cait Sith are on this island," Nanaki replied.
Rude's face widened with a smile.
"They are living in the forest North-west of Fort Condor," Nanaki replied.
"We'll wait for Reno and Elena to come back," Rude instructed.
"No," Jes responded.
Rude spun to look at the new Turk.
"What did you say?" Rude snapped.
"Send us on a mission. This is the perfect opportunity," Jes told him.
"I would be happy to go on the mission," Parker put in.
"That's not a bad idea actually Jes. I like the ambition in you," Cloud replied.
Rude glanced at Cloud.
"Cloud, do you want to be the one to give orders?" Rude snapped to Cloud.
"It would greatly benefit the Turks if he did," Barret blurted.
Vincent and Nanaki nodded in agreement.
"Fine. What do you recommend?" Rude asked.
"Send Red XIII, Jes, Katrina, and Parker to find the other two. Test out their skills, you know," Cloud replied.
Rude nodded in agreement. "If you're ready to go on, you may leave now."
The small group nodded, and the recruits and Nanaki left, leaving Rude and the rest there to dispose of the all the bodies till Reno and Elena returned.