The Last of an Elite

Chapter Seventeen: Love's a Funny Thing

By InterfaceLeader

-~-~-~-

Hojo raised the hypodermic needle and examined the clear amber liquid within. Unable to see any flaw in the colour he lowered the point and pumped it into the large wolf-like dog lying unconscious on the table.

"What number is he in the series Hojo?" Tseng's voice came from behind him.

Hojo frowned and removed the needle. "She is number 13b as a matter of fact. Since you let the last number 13 escape."

"We did." Tseng agreed mildly. "Although we were somewhat busy cleaning up the mess one of your other experiments left behind at the time."

Hojo placed the needle down on a nearby cloth and turned to face the Turk. For a second the two men studied each other. Hojo saw the shadowy man who he had always thought of as the President's personal bodyguard. He had never thought much about him, except to wonder why he had never undergone the basic Mako infusion all military Shinra personnel had.

Tseng saw the man he had privately blamed for everything in Shinra that was evil and purposeless. Tseng understood why sometimes certain things had to happen for the benefit of the majority, but he had long ago decided Hojo's experiments had no real use.

"Why are you here?" Hojo broke the silence, tapping the surface of the table impatiently. On it, the dog stirred and whined softly.

Tseng smiled slightly. "That line of numbers designate a different series than the Septhiroth clones I assume?"

Hojo raised his face. The light reflected off his glasses, hiding his eyes and making him look rather like an insect. "The clones project was stopped" He spat bitterly. "The President believed it was dangerous."

"I remember." Tseng moved from his spot, strolling round the laboratory and examining the various pieces of apparatus. "What number did it get up to?"

Hojo turned, his eyes following the Turk around the lab. "It reached 5. With two pilot studies. I don't see why you can't get this information from the files, I'm extremely busy."

"Busy hmm? Well, you're in luck there." Tseng picked up one of the surgical knives and held it up to the light, watching the way the light gleamed off the edge. Hojo waited for him to expand, and then, when it was clear he wasn't going to, said; "Indeed. I suppose the new President is going to stop another of my projects."

"You're paranoid Hojo. Someone might think you were hiding something." Tseng looked sideways at the scientist. "Say... another 30 or so clones. Minimum."

Hojo turned away, unable to stop the sudden twitch in his sallow skin. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Clones that are leaving Midgar in droves. Clones seemingly immune to pain, or indeed anything except getting out. Seems even being run over doesn't stop them."

"Now you're paranoid." Hojo spat, examining the dog. "The President banned all experiments on humans. All I have used as subjects are animals and the Ancient."

Thunk! The knife landed in the surface of the table, a hair-width away from Hojo's hand. The scientist froze, looking at the knife.

"President Rufus believes you should take a holiday." Tseng said calmly. "He thinks you've been working too hard. And whilst you're on holiday he's going to get some people to sort out all your paperwork, tidy up the laboratory, that kind of thing. And if they happen to find some traces of human experimentation – say more in the clone series – well, we'll just have to have another chat, yes?"

Hojo said nothing, still looking at the knife. Then he nodded silently and looked back at Tseng. "Very well. I understand completely."

-~-~-~-

Joanna sat in the office, feeling completely bewildered. Her plan to "rescue" Rude had stirred up a nest of confusion.

Firstly he no longer seemed quite the same as when he had left her. There was an underlying hardness to him, and a sense of detachment from his surroundings. As though he had seen things that left him dried out.

Secondly they had knocked down one of the strangest men she had seen. She kept seeing him dragging himself along the pavement with his arms, his leg strung out behind him and pooling blood.

Thirdly she had been brought high-up into the Shinra Inc building. She knew, as everyone did, that after the 60th floor things got pretty serious. She hadn't seen what number Rude had pressed but she had a nasty feeling in her gut that it had been over 60.

I thought he was a Shinra Guard... What has he been up to?

I can't stand this waiting. What if he leaves me here forever?

The door opened suddenly, as though to mock her thoughts. Rude entered the room silently and looked at her.

"Rude! What's going on?"

He continued to look at her. His silence frustrated her, the way it always had. Answering a question isn't hard!

"Answer me for Holy's sake!"

"......you shouldn't have tried to kidnap me."

"You shouldn't have left me!"

"Joanna, that's in the past. Perhaps I shouldn't have left you........But there's lot's of things I shouldn't have done that are worse than that."

"Hah! Betrayal is pretty far up the list as far as bad things go Rude! You devastated my life, you do know that don't you?"

".........." Rude shook his head. "This is pointless. Talking doesn't solve anything."

"Why did you leave me?"

"..........."

"Why Rude!? Why did you?"

"Because I wanted to."

Joanna blinked. "That's not an answer! Why did you want to leave?"

Rude shook his head again. "Because I didn't want to stay with you."

"Why not?"

".........."

"Rude....."

"......Because I didn't love you."

"Why?" Joanna was getting angry. He keeps giving me answers that aren't answers!

"Because I didn't. We can't control who we fall in love with. Or who we fall out of love with." Rude stopped. He didn't like explaining things, he never managed to convey what he really meant.

"Was there someone else?" Joanna asked, already suspecting that the answer would be yes.

"Not then. Not since." Rude decided Tifa didn't count since he was unlikely to ever develop a relationship with the terrorist.

"You're lying. Nobody just 'falls out of love!'"

Rude sighed. "Fine....."

Joanna crossed her arms, determined to get the full story from him. She wasn't expecting what happened next.

Rude pulled the gun out from his jacket and pointed it straight at her face. Joanna's eyes went wide with shock and she started to stand up before an abrupt movement from the man sent her back down again. She stared at him, her mind a sudden knife-edge of fear.

"......Leave me alone." Rude said "Forget everything that happened today. Go home, and pretend none of this happened."

Joanna stayed where she was, shaking.

"Otherwise......." There was a sudden click from the gun. Joanna closed her eyes, feeling a sob force it's way out from her.

"Go home. Now."

She stood up and near ran from the room.

-~-~-~-

Elena quickly moved round the corner as the woman came running out, her mind buzzing with the new information she had overheard.

I really should stop doing this, she thought, Tseng wouldn't be happy if he knew I was...I guess spying.... on the other Turks. But it's not my fault I was passing by at the time right?

Poor Joanna. I think she does still love him. But I guess Rude couldn't help leaving...

Why do relationships have to be so complicated anyway?

Elena found her thoughts drifting round to Tseng, a certain puzzlement coming over her.

None of the three guys seem to have relationships. They're either not interested, or in Reno's case only interested in one part of it. Is it because they're Turks? I guess the hours and things doesn't really help. I mean being called up in the middle of the night could get old fast...

But if that's all that's holding them back I guess another Turk would be perfect for a relationship! Elena smiled, happy that her thoughts had generated a positive conclusion. Her good mood continued even after her PHS buzzed and Tseng ordered her to get prepared and meet him and Rude outside Mithril Mines.

"We're going after Septhiroth." He explained, "Hopefully intercepting him at Junon. We're taking the long way round because Rufus wants us to find out if these clones Rude discovered know anything we don't. Be careful crossing the marshes." He ended the call without waiting for a reply. Elena sighed.

Back to work I guess...

-~-~-~-

A/N: Two chapters in one update. Aren't you lucky? Hope you're keeping track of the separate plot lines ^_^ I'm moving the emphasis off romance for the next chapter. The story is evolving slightly differently to how I expected, that old saying about the characters going off and doing their own thing really is true!

Next up: Midgar Zolom, Reno recovers and Tseng clicks.