The Last of an Elite
Chapter Six: Ancient Flowers
By InterfaceLeader
-~-~-~-
"Very well. Let us review.... Reeve?"
The head of the City Planning and Development section looked up. Tiredness and worry had put lines into his face and streaked bags under his eyes. Despite the exhaustion in his face however, he still retained a clearness and innocence in his eyes that seemed oddly out of place in the Shin-Ra board room.
"The reactor was completely destroyed. There's no chance we can repair it – our only option is to tear it down and rebuild it from scratch."
"Heidegger?"
"Gya-Ha-Ha! The terrorist group AVALANCHE is claiming responsibility. We have no idea who they are, or where they are."
"Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to deal with this threat?" President Shin-Ra looked around at his assembled staff. There was Heidegger and Scarlet to his right, both paying close attention to him. Also on that side was Palmer, who was making "bub bub" noises under his breath and nodding his head vaguely.
To his left sat Reeve, who had his head bowed and was flipping through paper nervously. His nervousness may have been caused by the fact he was sat next to Hojo, who was staring at the President blankly, his eyes hidden by a sharp reflection on his glasses.
"Kya-ha-ha-ha! I have a suggestion President!" Scarlet leaned forward across the desk, her low cut dress causing Reeve to blush and turn his eyes towards the ceiling. "They have struck once – they will strike again. And when they do... we set the newly developed "Airbuster" techno-soldiers on them. It will be an excellent way of testing their ability. And we have enough to cover every reactor, Kya-ha-ha!"
Palmer suddenly looked up, eyes wide "They're going to strike again??"
Scarlet turned to him impatiently "Almost certainly. They will believe they know our security measures and so forth – and they will assume we will not know where they'll strike next. They have a choice of seven reactors, how could we hope to increase the security on all of them?" Scarlet smiled "But the "Airbuster" will be all the increased defence we will need. Kya-ha-ha!"
"A sound plan. Does anyone have anything to add?" President Shin-Ra looked round the group. When no-one answered him he spoke again. "I intend to meet with this so-called "Avalanche". Do not destroy them until I have had that chance. And put extra guards on each reactor as well, we can always spare men after all."
"Gya-ha ha-ha-ha! Certainly sir!" Heidegger saluted.
"Good. Dismissed."
-~-~-~-
Thunk!
The dart hit the board dead-centre. It's tail-end stuck out, quivering slightly. It was surrounded by little holes. There were notably less holes outside of the centre circle.
The board was not hung in a pub. Rather it had been placed on the back of a pastel blue door, in a pale and spacious blue room. It was a tidy room, if you ignored the stuffed animals that covered the bed, and the punch bag that hung in one corner of the rectangular space. A hunting rifle leant against the wall on one side of the punch bag, and a vanity-table sat on the other. The vanity table had ordered rows of make-up, mostly of the frosted pink type.
Thunk!
Another dart joined its partner in the centre of the board.
Thunk!
And a third.
Having come to the end of her supply of darts, Elena fell back on to the bed and stared at the pale blue ceiling.
'It's not fair....' she thought. 'How did she make it into the army and not me? I know I'm a better fighter! I could beat her with my eyes shut!'
Elena simply couldn't understand. She was strong, regular workouts at both the exclusive gym she had joined and in her own room and given a wiry frame stronger than many men she knew. She was fast, able to run a mile in under four minutes according to the electronic running machine at the gym. She could fight, having been formally trained in several schools of martial arts since her youth. She could shoot, constant practising at a nearby firing range had developed her natural skill.
'Why the hell won't they let me in!?'
She closed her eyes, recalling the reason she had trained so long and so hard to get into the Shinra Guards.
It had been at one of President Shin-Ra's speeches, given upon the completion of the eighth reactor. She had attended, out of a vague feeling of patriotism. President Shin-Ra had stood up above everyone else, on a metal stage. He had held Elena's attention for almost fifteen minutes before his flat droning about accomplishment and the dawn of new eras had driven her eyes elsewhere, wandering around the stage until they noted a sombre looking man in a blue suit standing at the rear of the stage. Even at that distance she had felt something inside her melt, everything else around her fading into a haze.
When the President had left the stage she had run round to the back, desperate for a closer look at the stranger. Finding herself hemmed in by reporters and photographers she had resorted to violence, punching her way through the crowd. She reached the front just as they emerged, and the stranger passed her no more than a foot from her face. His easy, silent movement, his sophisticated look, his clear grey eyes that seemed aware of everything around him... Elena knew instantly that this was love.
Unfortunately, he hadn't seen her. And although she had taken to haunting every Shin-Ra speech and event since then, she hadn't seen him again either. She had searched the Shin-Ra files, but found no record of any employee that matched the mans description.
So she had decided to join the army, or the peace preservation forces as they were known now. She had applied feeling absolutely certain she would get in.
She hadn't. The Guard who had looked her over said she didn't have the strength.
She tried a second time, after some of the most intense body building exercises she had found. This Guard told her she didn't have the balance.
Elena was certain she could walk a high-wire without a problem.
She tried a third time. She was refused due to having coughed whilst filling out her application form.
Her best friend, a woman five years older, applied and got in first time. Elena had applied at the same time. She had been turned down. No reason was given.
Elena was not happy.
-~-~-~-
Reno regarded the slum buildings around him with distaste. For some unknown reason coming below the plate always made him feel slightly nauseous. He knew it wasn't due to the poverty that existed down here, going to similar places in Junon and so forth didn't affect him in the slightest. He had spent a week in North Corel, one of the poorest places in the world, and had felt fine. He suspected it had something to with having lived here, although he had only the haziest memories of his life pre-Turks. Whenever he tried to think about it a shadow came down on his mind. 'Must have been bad' he thought.
He was accompanied by three Shinra Guards, moving after him in step with each other.
Above him he heard a sudden explosion, and looking up he saw through the gaps in the plate a great fountain of fire and smoke shoot out of the number five reactor.
The guards behind him looked up as well, and made varying noises of suprise. They hadn't been informed of the trap President Shin-Ra had set. Reno guessed the terrorists were toast by now.
"aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Reno blinked as a figure suddenly fell from the skies and crashed through the roof of the building in front of him.
"Okay. Someone decided to get suicidal." He regarded the building, shaking his head. It was the sector five church, the building he had come down to investigate, looking for the Ancient. It now sported a brand new hole in the roof, but since it was pretty dilapidated already it didn't affect it's appearance much.
"Stay out here." he told the three guards. "I need to see if she's in there. No point scaring her off with all of us going in."
He strolled through the ornate open door and looked down the church. Two figures stood next to a large flower bed. One was clearly the Ancient, she matched Tseng's description exactly, from the clunky boots to the long plaited brown hair. She was talking to a man with immensely spiky blond hair and a massive sword.
'Someone has self-esteem problems' Reno thought, smirking as he looked at the huge sword and gravity-defying spikes. He moved closer to hear what they were talking about. He didn't see any sign of the figure who fell through the roof, although the hole was obvious.
'Tell me it wasn't him.... No-one could fall from that height and survive!'
"....We don't know each other's names do we? My name is – I'm Aeris, the flower girl. Nice to meet you." The Ancient smiled at the spiky haired guy.
"The names Cloud. Me.....? I do a little bit of everything."
'Like fall great heights and survive... ya know, the usual.' Reno filled in silently.
"Oh... A jack of all trades."
"Yeah, I do whatever's needed"
'But do you fix roofs?' Reno wondered.
The Ancient laughed, and Reno wondered if her thoughts were running along similar lines as his.
"What's so funny? What are you laughing at?" The guy sounded both confused and annoyed. 'She's laughing at you, moron. Who wouldn't?'
"Sorry... I just.... "
Suddenly they both noticed him, and Reno noted with amusement the sudden flush of embarrassment on the blonde's face.
The Ancient turned to the guy. "Sorry.... bad timing on my part." He ignored her, moving towards Reno instead, who watched the guy – Cloud – approach, keeping his expression carefully neutral.
The Ancient called after him "Cloud! Don't let it get to you!". Cloud turned back to her. Reno debated calling in the guards and ending the conversation, but curiosity kept him there.
"Say Cloud... have you ever been a bodyguard?" The Ancient gave a half glance towards Reno as she said that, and Reno wondered if she suspected anything. "You DO do everything right?"
"Yeah, that's right." Cloud passed a hand across his hair.
'Not sounding too cocky here, are we?' Reno shook his head at the transparent insecurity of the man.
"Then, get me out of here. Take me home." The Ancient smiled at the blonde.
"OK, I'll do it.... but it'll cost ya."
"Well then, let's see.... How about if I go out with you once?"
'Hello! I'm desperate!' Reno decided they were both hopeless.
Cloud nodded. If he thought the Ancient's tactic's were too forward he made no mention of it, instead he turned back to Reno, who couldn't help but give him a sardonic look.
Then their eyes met. Reno blinked at the sheer intensity of the mans gaze. Sharp blue eyes stared at him.
"I don't know who you are, but......" The man stopped, and Reno saw the sharpness cloud over slightly "You don't know me......?......... I know you...."
'Huh?' Reno thought intelligently.
"Oh yeah... I know you." The man's eyes suddenly regained their sharpness. "That uniform...."
Reno heard three sets of running footsteps and realised the guards had joined him. 'oh well.... this guy probably ain't important anyway'.
"Hey, sis, this one's a little weird." He heard one Shinra Guard say to another. In front of him the man suddenly jerked back, one hand clenched.
"Shut up! You Shinra spy!"
"Reno! Want him taken out?" The same guard leaned forward eagerly. Reno looked back at Cloud's eyes. For some reason a feeling of recognition nagged at him.
"I haven't decided yet."
"Don't fight here! You'll ruin the flowers!" The Ancient ran towards the rear of the room, where a small door waited. "The exit's back here!"
The guy nodded briefly and turned from Reno. They both headed through the door, and Reno strolled after them, barely noticing the flowers beneath his feet, trying to work out why those eyes were recognisable.
"They were.... Mako eyes." He said out loud. 'He must have been exposed to a hell of a lot....A SOLDIER maybe?' He shook his head, driving the thoughts away. "Yeah, all right. Back to work." He passed through the door, but then a sudden thought struck him and he turned back to the Shinra Guards.
"And don't step on the flowers..."
The guards all stared at him. "Hey Reno, you just stepped on them!" "They're all ruined!" "You're going to catch holy hell!" They chorused in unison. Reno sighed. Sometimes people just didn't seem to realise being a Turk meant you could walk over any damn flower bed you pleased.
-~-~-~-
A/N: Ended it there since it was getting way too long. It's amazingly hard to work around pre-written dialogue. I can't decide if this chapter needs a rethink or not. Tell me if you like it and I'll start on the next one. If it sucks though I'll re-do it from a different angle. ^_~
Oh yeah, if you noticed the foreshadowing for Elena in previous chapters, good on ya ^_^
Chapter Six: Ancient Flowers
By InterfaceLeader
-~-~-~-
"Very well. Let us review.... Reeve?"
The head of the City Planning and Development section looked up. Tiredness and worry had put lines into his face and streaked bags under his eyes. Despite the exhaustion in his face however, he still retained a clearness and innocence in his eyes that seemed oddly out of place in the Shin-Ra board room.
"The reactor was completely destroyed. There's no chance we can repair it – our only option is to tear it down and rebuild it from scratch."
"Heidegger?"
"Gya-Ha-Ha! The terrorist group AVALANCHE is claiming responsibility. We have no idea who they are, or where they are."
"Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to deal with this threat?" President Shin-Ra looked around at his assembled staff. There was Heidegger and Scarlet to his right, both paying close attention to him. Also on that side was Palmer, who was making "bub bub" noises under his breath and nodding his head vaguely.
To his left sat Reeve, who had his head bowed and was flipping through paper nervously. His nervousness may have been caused by the fact he was sat next to Hojo, who was staring at the President blankly, his eyes hidden by a sharp reflection on his glasses.
"Kya-ha-ha-ha! I have a suggestion President!" Scarlet leaned forward across the desk, her low cut dress causing Reeve to blush and turn his eyes towards the ceiling. "They have struck once – they will strike again. And when they do... we set the newly developed "Airbuster" techno-soldiers on them. It will be an excellent way of testing their ability. And we have enough to cover every reactor, Kya-ha-ha!"
Palmer suddenly looked up, eyes wide "They're going to strike again??"
Scarlet turned to him impatiently "Almost certainly. They will believe they know our security measures and so forth – and they will assume we will not know where they'll strike next. They have a choice of seven reactors, how could we hope to increase the security on all of them?" Scarlet smiled "But the "Airbuster" will be all the increased defence we will need. Kya-ha-ha!"
"A sound plan. Does anyone have anything to add?" President Shin-Ra looked round the group. When no-one answered him he spoke again. "I intend to meet with this so-called "Avalanche". Do not destroy them until I have had that chance. And put extra guards on each reactor as well, we can always spare men after all."
"Gya-ha ha-ha-ha! Certainly sir!" Heidegger saluted.
"Good. Dismissed."
-~-~-~-
Thunk!
The dart hit the board dead-centre. It's tail-end stuck out, quivering slightly. It was surrounded by little holes. There were notably less holes outside of the centre circle.
The board was not hung in a pub. Rather it had been placed on the back of a pastel blue door, in a pale and spacious blue room. It was a tidy room, if you ignored the stuffed animals that covered the bed, and the punch bag that hung in one corner of the rectangular space. A hunting rifle leant against the wall on one side of the punch bag, and a vanity-table sat on the other. The vanity table had ordered rows of make-up, mostly of the frosted pink type.
Thunk!
Another dart joined its partner in the centre of the board.
Thunk!
And a third.
Having come to the end of her supply of darts, Elena fell back on to the bed and stared at the pale blue ceiling.
'It's not fair....' she thought. 'How did she make it into the army and not me? I know I'm a better fighter! I could beat her with my eyes shut!'
Elena simply couldn't understand. She was strong, regular workouts at both the exclusive gym she had joined and in her own room and given a wiry frame stronger than many men she knew. She was fast, able to run a mile in under four minutes according to the electronic running machine at the gym. She could fight, having been formally trained in several schools of martial arts since her youth. She could shoot, constant practising at a nearby firing range had developed her natural skill.
'Why the hell won't they let me in!?'
She closed her eyes, recalling the reason she had trained so long and so hard to get into the Shinra Guards.
It had been at one of President Shin-Ra's speeches, given upon the completion of the eighth reactor. She had attended, out of a vague feeling of patriotism. President Shin-Ra had stood up above everyone else, on a metal stage. He had held Elena's attention for almost fifteen minutes before his flat droning about accomplishment and the dawn of new eras had driven her eyes elsewhere, wandering around the stage until they noted a sombre looking man in a blue suit standing at the rear of the stage. Even at that distance she had felt something inside her melt, everything else around her fading into a haze.
When the President had left the stage she had run round to the back, desperate for a closer look at the stranger. Finding herself hemmed in by reporters and photographers she had resorted to violence, punching her way through the crowd. She reached the front just as they emerged, and the stranger passed her no more than a foot from her face. His easy, silent movement, his sophisticated look, his clear grey eyes that seemed aware of everything around him... Elena knew instantly that this was love.
Unfortunately, he hadn't seen her. And although she had taken to haunting every Shin-Ra speech and event since then, she hadn't seen him again either. She had searched the Shin-Ra files, but found no record of any employee that matched the mans description.
So she had decided to join the army, or the peace preservation forces as they were known now. She had applied feeling absolutely certain she would get in.
She hadn't. The Guard who had looked her over said she didn't have the strength.
She tried a second time, after some of the most intense body building exercises she had found. This Guard told her she didn't have the balance.
Elena was certain she could walk a high-wire without a problem.
She tried a third time. She was refused due to having coughed whilst filling out her application form.
Her best friend, a woman five years older, applied and got in first time. Elena had applied at the same time. She had been turned down. No reason was given.
Elena was not happy.
-~-~-~-
Reno regarded the slum buildings around him with distaste. For some unknown reason coming below the plate always made him feel slightly nauseous. He knew it wasn't due to the poverty that existed down here, going to similar places in Junon and so forth didn't affect him in the slightest. He had spent a week in North Corel, one of the poorest places in the world, and had felt fine. He suspected it had something to with having lived here, although he had only the haziest memories of his life pre-Turks. Whenever he tried to think about it a shadow came down on his mind. 'Must have been bad' he thought.
He was accompanied by three Shinra Guards, moving after him in step with each other.
Above him he heard a sudden explosion, and looking up he saw through the gaps in the plate a great fountain of fire and smoke shoot out of the number five reactor.
The guards behind him looked up as well, and made varying noises of suprise. They hadn't been informed of the trap President Shin-Ra had set. Reno guessed the terrorists were toast by now.
"aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Reno blinked as a figure suddenly fell from the skies and crashed through the roof of the building in front of him.
"Okay. Someone decided to get suicidal." He regarded the building, shaking his head. It was the sector five church, the building he had come down to investigate, looking for the Ancient. It now sported a brand new hole in the roof, but since it was pretty dilapidated already it didn't affect it's appearance much.
"Stay out here." he told the three guards. "I need to see if she's in there. No point scaring her off with all of us going in."
He strolled through the ornate open door and looked down the church. Two figures stood next to a large flower bed. One was clearly the Ancient, she matched Tseng's description exactly, from the clunky boots to the long plaited brown hair. She was talking to a man with immensely spiky blond hair and a massive sword.
'Someone has self-esteem problems' Reno thought, smirking as he looked at the huge sword and gravity-defying spikes. He moved closer to hear what they were talking about. He didn't see any sign of the figure who fell through the roof, although the hole was obvious.
'Tell me it wasn't him.... No-one could fall from that height and survive!'
"....We don't know each other's names do we? My name is – I'm Aeris, the flower girl. Nice to meet you." The Ancient smiled at the spiky haired guy.
"The names Cloud. Me.....? I do a little bit of everything."
'Like fall great heights and survive... ya know, the usual.' Reno filled in silently.
"Oh... A jack of all trades."
"Yeah, I do whatever's needed"
'But do you fix roofs?' Reno wondered.
The Ancient laughed, and Reno wondered if her thoughts were running along similar lines as his.
"What's so funny? What are you laughing at?" The guy sounded both confused and annoyed. 'She's laughing at you, moron. Who wouldn't?'
"Sorry... I just.... "
Suddenly they both noticed him, and Reno noted with amusement the sudden flush of embarrassment on the blonde's face.
The Ancient turned to the guy. "Sorry.... bad timing on my part." He ignored her, moving towards Reno instead, who watched the guy – Cloud – approach, keeping his expression carefully neutral.
The Ancient called after him "Cloud! Don't let it get to you!". Cloud turned back to her. Reno debated calling in the guards and ending the conversation, but curiosity kept him there.
"Say Cloud... have you ever been a bodyguard?" The Ancient gave a half glance towards Reno as she said that, and Reno wondered if she suspected anything. "You DO do everything right?"
"Yeah, that's right." Cloud passed a hand across his hair.
'Not sounding too cocky here, are we?' Reno shook his head at the transparent insecurity of the man.
"Then, get me out of here. Take me home." The Ancient smiled at the blonde.
"OK, I'll do it.... but it'll cost ya."
"Well then, let's see.... How about if I go out with you once?"
'Hello! I'm desperate!' Reno decided they were both hopeless.
Cloud nodded. If he thought the Ancient's tactic's were too forward he made no mention of it, instead he turned back to Reno, who couldn't help but give him a sardonic look.
Then their eyes met. Reno blinked at the sheer intensity of the mans gaze. Sharp blue eyes stared at him.
"I don't know who you are, but......" The man stopped, and Reno saw the sharpness cloud over slightly "You don't know me......?......... I know you...."
'Huh?' Reno thought intelligently.
"Oh yeah... I know you." The man's eyes suddenly regained their sharpness. "That uniform...."
Reno heard three sets of running footsteps and realised the guards had joined him. 'oh well.... this guy probably ain't important anyway'.
"Hey, sis, this one's a little weird." He heard one Shinra Guard say to another. In front of him the man suddenly jerked back, one hand clenched.
"Shut up! You Shinra spy!"
"Reno! Want him taken out?" The same guard leaned forward eagerly. Reno looked back at Cloud's eyes. For some reason a feeling of recognition nagged at him.
"I haven't decided yet."
"Don't fight here! You'll ruin the flowers!" The Ancient ran towards the rear of the room, where a small door waited. "The exit's back here!"
The guy nodded briefly and turned from Reno. They both headed through the door, and Reno strolled after them, barely noticing the flowers beneath his feet, trying to work out why those eyes were recognisable.
"They were.... Mako eyes." He said out loud. 'He must have been exposed to a hell of a lot....A SOLDIER maybe?' He shook his head, driving the thoughts away. "Yeah, all right. Back to work." He passed through the door, but then a sudden thought struck him and he turned back to the Shinra Guards.
"And don't step on the flowers..."
The guards all stared at him. "Hey Reno, you just stepped on them!" "They're all ruined!" "You're going to catch holy hell!" They chorused in unison. Reno sighed. Sometimes people just didn't seem to realise being a Turk meant you could walk over any damn flower bed you pleased.
-~-~-~-
A/N: Ended it there since it was getting way too long. It's amazingly hard to work around pre-written dialogue. I can't decide if this chapter needs a rethink or not. Tell me if you like it and I'll start on the next one. If it sucks though I'll re-do it from a different angle. ^_~
Oh yeah, if you noticed the foreshadowing for Elena in previous chapters, good on ya ^_^