Once Cid had returned, the group again gathered to discuss what they had learned. Wedge, Biggs, and Jessie had immediately followed Barret's directions, going straight to enlist in the Avalanche Volunteer Army. The others met Cid in Reeve's office. All agreed that the ShinRa base must be investigated further, but most had difficulty believing Cid's estimations of its size.
"It was huge! Twice as big as Midgar, I'd say. Weaponry everywhere, choppers buzzing around like flies on a dead dragon. I haven't seen that many damn ShinRa logos in my life!" Cid cried.
"Hell no! ShinRa can't be back! Who the hell's gonna lead it? Prissy-boy Rufus got flame-broiled by a WEAPON, Daddy ShinRa got skewered by Sephiroth, Fat Boy and the Tramp got blown to bits in their robot…heck, Reeve, you're the only ShinRa head left!" Barret roared.
Reeve grimaced. "Actually, Palmer's out of intensive care, but he doesn't count."
Cloud shook his head. "Are you certain-"
"Naw, I made it all up!"
Red growled. "We need to get more precise information. Inside information."
"Yeah, well, who can we send? I sure as hell ain't going!" Cid sulked.
"I ain't traipsin' into a whole nest of ShinRa!"
"I'll pass."
"Since I'm the head of the competition, I doubt they'd give me a warm welcome that didn't involve flamethrowers."
"I'm a thief, not an idiot."
"Same thing," Cid pointed out.
"Shove it, Cid," Yuffie glared.
Cloud shook his head. "My face is too well known."
"Cloud's right."
The group looked at the one person who hadn't spoken. Vincent eyed them coldly, then said, "You don't expect me to go alone?"
Reeve smiled. "Of course not. However, I'm glad it's you going. Others…might not like the company."
Suddenly, the door chimed. Reeve looked at Barret, then stopped. "Just remember…you have to hear the whole story before you can jump to any conclusions."
He hit the button, and the door slid open. In walked three people, all dressed in blue suits. The suits were all neatly pressed, with no wrinkles and perfect creases. The three walked with measured steps, and their faces held the same cold expression. It was obvious the three meant business. However, those three always meant business; they were the Turks.
The first was obviously the leader. His dark red hair jutted upward in spikes, and his emotionless eyes swept over the group from his angled face. A sneer/scowl dominated his face. In his right hand was an electro-pole, which was perched jauntily on his shoulder.
The second was a young woman. Her hair was short and blonde, and her face was rounded. Her blue eyes widened with shock as she recognized the others, and she took a step backward.
The third was a man, taller than the others. He was bald, and his eyes were covered by impenetrable sunglasses. His face betrayed no surprise at seeing the others, but all knew that he almost never showed any emotion at all. However, his hands clenched into fists.
The effect the three had on the others was much more profound. Cloud drew his sword, Red growled threateningly, Cid had his spear at ready, and Tifa shifted into a fighting pose. The only one that didn't show aggression was Reeve, who stood between the two groups, arms spread to separate them. However, as Barret took aim, he realized he didn't want be caught in the crossfire, and dove to the side. The two groups stood ready, weapons at hand, and waited.
"Long time, no see, Cloud," said the leader of the other group.
"Not long enough!" growled Barret.
"So, Reeve, is this how you wanted to get rid of us? I didn't think you had the heart," sneered the leader.
"No, Reno! I didn't plan on them assassinating you, I need your help-"
"Forget it!" Barret yelled, his gun pointing right at Reno's head.
"Like we would help you anyways!" cried the young woman, concealing her favorite weapon in her hand. Seeing this, Reeve grimaced. The janitors would definitely complain about having to clean up grenade blasts. Of course, if it went off, he wouldn't be around to hear the complaints.
"Shut up, Elena," Tifa said quietly, ready to pounce.
"We should have known better than to trust you, Reeve. You were a traitor to ShinRa all along! I never would have thought you would talk us into coming down here, to your office, just so you could have your buddies try to knock us off! Well, we won't give you the chance! We are the Turks! We don't just die that easily! It will take more than you seven, eight to kill ShinRa's elite! You will rue the day you challenged the Turks! You will-"
"Elena?" Reno interrupted.
"Yes sir?"
"You talk too much."
Elena sighed, dejected.
"Reeve, why did you call them here?" Cloud questioned, his eyes never leaving the three before him.
Reeve leaned against the wall behind him, and lowered his head. "You all know, we need help. As our conversation before they came in proved, there are not many of us that can infiltrate that base. So, we need help, and there aren't many that are up to that job. So…" he paused, smiling ironically, "I called in the best."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Reeve," Reno sneered. "But money will get you everywhere. What's our job, and how much?"
Reeve looked the other in the eye. "There's a report of a ShinRa base on the Northern continent. Reports say it is huge, and has enough weaponry to take out any city on this planet. We need a small team to infiltrate the base and report back to us on its military strength, as well as ShinRa's plans, and who is leading them. You will be working with one of our men on this job, as well."
"We work alone," Reno snarled. "And, it'll take a lot of cash to convince us to take on something that big."
Reeve's eyes glittered coldly. "It is in your best interest to find out about ShinRa, anyway. After all, they will view you as traitors. You'll be right below us on their hit list. But, since we'll be number one, we will pay you quite a bit for this. Say…a couple million Gil?"
Elena's eyes widened. Reno smiled. The third Turk, Rude, who had yet to say anything, nodded appreciatively. "Who will we be babysitting?" Reno asked sarcastically.
Vincent stepped forward. "I will be going with you on this mission."
Elena smirked. "The vampire?"
The rest, which were already hostile toward the Turks, prepared to lash out. 'Vampire' had been a common label for Vincent, due to his pale skin, and the fact he had been asleep in a coffin for many years thanks to the cruel experiments of a ShinRa scientist, Hojo. However, the others viewed it as an insult to their friend.
Vincent, however, almost smiled. "Insults and snide comments, common weapons of the weak." His smile became cold. "Don't be weak. You are a Turk."
Elena clenched her fists. "And what would you know about being a Turk, demon?"
Vincent chuckled eerily. "I once was a Turk, dear. Trust me on that."
Reno looked him over. "I don't recall you from the files."
"My files were classified."
"No Turk files have been classified for twenty years!"
Vincent didn't say a word. He had been in the coffin for at least thirty.
Reno glared at Vincent, then nodded. "You can tag along. Just don't get in the way."
"Who the hell said we were letting you three out of this office?" Barret threatened.
"Wait until our job is over, pal, and then we'll finish this old score," Reno promised.
"Yeah, we still owe you for some of those times you humiliated us in front of the boss!" Elena proclaimed.
"I haven't forgotten Rocket Town," growled Rude. His voice was deep and gravelly.
"Neither have I, Mr. Clean," chuckled Cid.
Rude took a step forward, fists ready to cave in Cid's head. However, Reno blocked his path with the electro-pole.
"Wait till after the job," warned Reno. He turned back to Reeve. "You will supply us with transportation to the Northern continent, as close as you can get. We'll need other supplies, which we'll help ourselves to. We'll be ready within in an hour."
Reeve nodded, and Vincent stepped forward, coming beside the Turks. Elena eyed him nervously, but the other two paid him no mind. "Oh, and Vincent…I have something for you. I thought you might be the one to go, so I had it specially made…its sitting on a box in the supply room," Reeve said, smiling broadly.
Vincent nodded, and the four were gone before the others could say a word. Reeve sighed in relief, but gasped as a big hand grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air. His face slowly changed to the color of the Turk's suits as Barret shook him violently.
"What the hell has gotten into you, Reeve! Have do you know they ain't gonna go runnin' back to their old jobs? They could knock off Vincent any second!"
Reeve choked, motioning frantically to his throat. Barret ignored the gestures. "And why did you call them without talkin' to us, first? We're on the same side, now, pal, and don't forget it."
"Put him down, Barret," Cloud ordered, authority in his voice.
"Listen, Cloud-" the big man started.
"I said, put him down." Cloud's voice was sure, and there was no mistaking the command in it.
Barret sighed, dropping the asphyxiating Reeve. "He shouldn't have done it," Barret said, looking reproachful.
Cloud nodded to Reeve. "Now, tell us, why you called them in without speaking to us first."
Reeve panted, catching his breath, before answering. "We need…(wheeze)…them. They are the only ones able to get into that base undetected-"
"We understand that," said Red, "but why didn't you tell us?"
Reeve jerked his head toward Barret, scowling darkly. "I figured I would get shot for suggesting it."
Barret looked away sulkily. Cloud shook his head. Tifa was next to speak. "I suppose what you did was understandable…but, next time, consult us first."
Reeve nodded. Cloud looked to the others, and motioned to the door. "Reeve, I believe you said you had rooms for us? It seems we're going to need all the rest we can get."
"Erm…yes, we have rooms. Just ask the guards, they'll take you to them." Reeve said. Once the others had left, he let out another sigh of relief. 'One problem down,' he thought, 'one million to go…'
He looked around his office, and then out the window. 'Looks like Cait Sith will be going into battle soon. Hope I'm able to help," he thought, and then walked away from the window, heading to his quarters. The world shined behind him.
******
Reno resisted the urge to whistle under his breath. He had expected a large supply room, but not this. He walked toward the center of the warehouse, looking around. To either side were crates of Potions and Phoenix Downs, Ethers and Elixirs, Hypers and Hero Drinks. He allowed himself a brief smile, nothing more than the slight incline of one side of his lips, and moved toward a crate, tossing supplies in.
The other three started doing the same. Within minutes, the four had more supplies than they would probably ever need. Reeve would throw a fit, thought Vincent. But, he did offer it to us…his mistake, rationalized the man. With an imperceptible shrug, he walked away.
Just before he walked out the door, he noticed something that looked out of place sitting on a crate. He turned towards it, remembering what Reeve had told him. A small smile of amusement appeared on his face as he lifted the blue form, inspecting it. He could hear the other Turks chuckle. He turned towards them, holding it before him. "This could come in handy."
The four walked away, Vincent carrying a blue Turk's uniform.
******
Cloud yawned as he fell back onto the cushy mattress in the room Reeve had provided him with. He had extinguished the bright lights, and the room was completely dark. Too tired to even pull the covers down, he laid on the bed, eyes closed, and let sleep take him.
At least, he would have, if there hadn't been a knock at his door. With a groan, he climbed out of his bed and stumbled towards the door, cursing under his breath as his foot found the protruding leg of a chair. He finally found the door, and pulled it open, squinting at the sudden intrusion of light.
Standing behind the door was Tifa. She was wearing her nightgown, and it was obvious she had been trying to sleep. She smiled up at Cloud, meeting his eyes. Then, her expression turned to one of regret. "Oh, Cloud, I'm sorry! I couldn't sleep, and I thought you'd be awake…"
Cloud gave her a weary smile. "Don't worry. I wasn't even asleep yet."
Her smile returned. "Good!" She didn't say another word, merely looking at him.
It took Cloud a moment to realize she was waiting for an invitation. He chuckled weakly, then stepped out of the way, holding the door open for her. "Come in, if you'd like to."
She did. He fumbled for a light switch as she moved over to the bed, feeling her way as she went, careful not to trip. By the time he found the light switch, she was already sitting on the bed. He crossed the room, sitting beside her.
"So…" he started, searching for something to say.
"It's started all over again, hasn't it?" Tifa asked suddenly.
Cloud looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
She sighed. "The battles with ShinRa…the traveling around the world…the fighting…" She looked at him. "I have to admit, I missed some of it…but…"
Cloud nodded. "Adventure has always been in my blood…but there's always a chance that it will spill my blood."
She nodded, a look of worry on her face. "Yeah, I know what you mean. But, at least we don't have to worry about…"
"Sephiroth." Cloud's voice was cold.
Tifa nodded, looking down. "Cloud…"
He looked at her. 'What is it, Tifa?"
She shook her head. 'N…Nothing."
He smiled softly at her. "You can tell me anything, Tifa. You know that."
She smiled slightly. "Thanks…Cloud." She fell back, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "But sometimes…I just wish things could be quiet for us, you know?"
The hero nodded. "Well, I'm glad things aren't too quiet. I mean, life would get boring, and what would be the fun of that? Well, it wasn't that bad in Costa Del Sol, but I missed the traveling, the fighting. I even missed Cid and Barret and the rest! Still…I can understand your point of view. The life we had for the past year is gone, thanks to ShinRa Inc. And we still don't know anything about them. Why are they at the Northern Crater? Who's leading them? And why haven't they attacked yet? Knowing ShinRa, they are planning something big. And why such a huge base in a remote place? I just hope Vincent and the Turks make it back O.K., don't you, Tifa?"
His only reply was a soft snore. Tifa had passed out on his bed. He chuckled quietly, pulling a pillow down, gently lifting her head, and placing the pillow underneath. She smiled sweetly in her sleep, not waking. Cloud moved over to a cushioned chair and plopped down, asleep within moments.
******
"It's cold."
That understatement had been Rude's only comment during the whole journey to Icicle Village. Reno had sneered at that, but had said nothing, sparing his long-time partner's ego. The helicopter that had brought them to the Northern continent had dropped them quite a distance away, fearful of being detected by ShinRa surveillance equipment before they could let the Turks off. Afterwards, the copter had flown away, towards the base, hoping to get a few aerial pictures before they returned to Avalanche HQ.
Elena rubbed her arms, trying in vain to warm herself. "So, how do we get down the hill?"
'Hill' was an understatement in this case. The incline was so steep it would be almost impossible to climb up, and going down would be hazardous to one's health. However, at the bottom were snowy plains, and past them were the almost purely vertical Gaea's Cliffs, the last obstacle before the Northern Crater.
Reno looked around the tiny town. Few people were out, and those who were were bundled tightly in coats and scarves. A few children scurried about, building snowmen and hurling snow at each other, but other than that the place was nearly deserted. The sun would be down soon, Reno knew, and they would be best to be at the base by then, or as close as they could be. The cold was enough to knock out any person during the day, but at night, it was even more brutal.
A slow smile came across Elena's face. Motioning to the others, she stepped into the store. Reno shook his head tiredly, instantly knowing what Elena had planned. Vincent eyed the closed door carefully, and Rude said nothing, as was expected. Reno sighed, and then walked to the door, pulling it open, the silent Turks following.
Several minutes passed, and then the group emerged from the store, with quite a bit less Gil. They now wore much warmer clothing, and were carrying the items that would get them down the hill with more ease. Reno, Vincent, and Elena carried skis and ski poles, Reno holding his poles over his shoulder like he carried his electro-pole. Rude hadn't been as fortunate, as he had narrowly lost the last pair of skis to Vincent, and he carried a snowboard.
The group walked off, toward the hill. Vincent hung back, watching the others, listening to his conflicting emotions. It had been so long ago, when these three were still mere children, when he had been a Turk. He had served ShinRa with pride, at first. Then, love for another had tied him to ShinRa and the Turks. ShinRa was dead now, but the Turks lived on. Now, he had no ties, no one to answer to, no one to serve, no one to live for. He had lost his only reasons to live.
Now, however…Now, he had friends. Now, he had a purpose. He smiled grimly. And perhaps he could serve that purpose best…by once again wearing the blue suit of the Turks. Chuckling to himself, Vincent set off, following in the footsteps of the few he had always thought that he had left behind.