The Last of an Elite

Chapter Twenty Three: Star Light, Star Bright

By InterfaceLeader

-~-~-~-

Reeve studied the defence slot, set into the armour and currently spilling coppery wires everywhere. The intricate circuits created a medley of information in his mind, and he was on the verge of recreating Scarlet's modifications.

The door behind him opened, thumping into the wall and breaking his concentration. His visualisation vanished, leaving him staring at the mess of wires with frustration.

"Reeve." Tseng spoke from behind him "I need your help."

His frustration turned immediately into apprehension. When a Turk requested help it could mean anything.

"What with?"

"Scarlet tells me you've built a robotic spy. A cat."

"Yes." Reeve shifted uncomfortably on his seat. "It's at the Gold Saucer."

"So she said. We have a problem, Avalanche hasn't been captured yet, they succeeded in passing through Junon without being noticed. We're rapidly losing track of them – they keep turning up in unexpected places. We still don't know what their final destination is. So we need your cat to join up with them at Gold Saucer."

"You want Cait to join with Avalanche?"

"As a spy, yes."

"Why would they want a fortune telling cat to join with them?"

Tseng shrugged. "Make them want it."

"But – "

"Reeve, you don't have a choice. I need to know what they're up to and where they're going. Period."

Reeve looked down at the circuits spilled across his desk. He didn't want to be caught up in intrigue and double dealing but he wanted even less to be on the wrong side of the Turks. He nodded slowly.

"Good. Let me know when you've succeeded." Tseng left the room, shutting the door behind him with a click.

"I will...." Reeve said to the air. Pushing the chair back he scooped the defence slot, lightening materia, and collection of circuitry into a drawer and found the Cait Sith control device.

-~-~-~-

"This is Joanna Gramercy." The Captain spoke smartly, acutely conscious of the threatening expression on the face of the Turk who had just entered. "She witnessed both Sephiroth and the terrorist group Avalanche aboard the Junon vessel."

Reno pushed his way round Rude, wondering why his friend had stopped in the doorway. Upon seeing the white faced woman he understood and a glint came into his eyes.

"I think we've already met."

"You're the man from the bar." Joanna said, blankly.

The Captain looked from Joanna to the red-haired Turk and tried to work out why the temperature in the room had dropped drastically.

"Er... well I was told you'd want to talk with her. About Sephiroth. And Avalanche." He said, feeling unsure.

"Yeah. We do." Reno glanced at the Captain. "We talk better without an audience."

The Captain saluted and glanced towards the door where the large Turk was still stood, glowering. "Er..."

"Rude! Shift yourself!" Reno snapped at his partner.

Rude moved out of the doorway, eyes still fixed on Joanna. The initial shock had died, he understood what must have happened, and he resolved to simply get the information from her and leave. He didn't want a scene.

Elena scurried through the now open doorway and looked round the room, her glance stopping on Joanna and her eyes widening.

"Rude! It's your ex!"

"Whose she?" Joanna shrieked, instantly suspecting the worst.

"How the hell did you know that Elena?" Reno turned to the blonde in suprise.

"........" Rude also turned and looked at Elena.

"Um... ah... " Elena turned pink, a nervous smile spreading across her face.

-~-~-~-

The five Shinra Guards and the pilot stood in the dark office, one by the door listening intently and the others grouped round a table, attention focused on the pilot who spoke in a whisper.

"So it's decided then?"

The four Guards round the table nodded, blank masks covering their expressions.

The pilot took a deep breath. "It will be difficult – you know that. If anyone wants to leave we won't hold it against you, as long as you promise not to report what we're doing."

The Guards stood still, waiting to see if any of their comrades would leave. When none did the Guard to the far right of the group spoke, in a deep voice, hollow with sorrow.

"Lucy and the kids 'd be hanging over me forever if I didn't. They need to be revenged."

The other Guards nodded silent agreement, all coping with their own losses of friends and family, killed in the dropping of the sector seven plate.

"We'll get revenge." The pilot spoke harshly. "We'll get revenge on the one who did this and then we'll join Avalanche and get rid of Shinra for once and for all. What they did was .... was .... "

"Wrong." The first Guard spoke again, voice tight and controlled. "How are we going to kill him?"

-~-~-~-

"You eavesdropped on Rude and Joanna?" Reno said furiously. "You listened in on my best friend's private conversation? Do you have any idea what I'm going to do to you for that?"

"I didn't do it on purpose" Elena said, upset. "I was just passing by at the time and – "

"And you thought it sounded interesting! So you decided to hang around and listen! You goddamn sneak!"

"I'm not!" Elena turned to Rude, desperate for some sign of friendship or support. "I didn't mean to listen in!"

"........." Rude looked at her expressionless. Elena stared at him for a second, and then realised he had shut her out, that he did blame her.

Rude's silence hurt her more than Reno's accusations. She recalled how he had helped her after Reno had insulted her whilst in hospital and shame and misery flooded through her. She clenched her jaw, determined not to cry, and turned back to Reno.

"If they hadn't wanted to be overheard maybe they shouldn't have had a shouted argument in a public building!" With that she spun on her heel and walked out of the room.

Reno watched her leave, glad that Rude would now be on his side. He'd drive her to resign yet.

".....Reno..... Do you think the terrorists are in Costa del Sol now?" Rude asked, wanting to change the subject.

Reno thought for a moment and then responded in the negative. "Nah. If you're a terrorist and you've just hitched a ride on the President's boat what do you when you get off the other side? You go into hiding right? You don't wander down to the beach or compare house prices that's for sure. They're probably on their way to North Corel right now."

Rude nodded. "....ok."

-~-~-~-

Elena wandered along the beach, struggling to hold back tears, watching the swimmers splashing each other whilst the tourists lay spread out on beach towels and deckchairs.

"Turk?" The voice, quiet and sibilant, spoke from one of the deckchairs. She looked over at it and saw a thin man in a lab coat, lank dark hair hanging loosely over his pallid face before being scraped into a ponytail. His eyes were hidden by thick lenses that caught the bright sunlight and flashed it back at her.

"Um..." She remembered what Tseng had told her about not advertising the fact she was a Turk. She stared at the man, trying to think of a response.

"How is Denli doing?" The man laughed, as though what he had said was a joke. Elena pulled back a few steps, the choked throaty laugh somehow scaring her.

"He's fine. Why?"

The glasses flashed again, reflecting her own image. "He was a most interesting subject... in a number of ways. Ask him how his mother is won't you?" He laughed again.

"Umm... Ok...." Elena started walking backwards, away from this strange man.

He gave a thin-lipped smile, watching her leave. She felt strangely as though he was studying her, as though she was an insect under a microscope. Hastily she sped down the beach, away from his gaze.

-~-~-~-

Night fell, releasing Costa del Sol from the sticky heat and burning light that normally plagued it. There were no clouds, and the stars shone cold and silvery against the dark sky. The moon bathed the streets in a bleached white light that created strange shadows and stranger highlights. The streets emptied. On the beach someone lit a bonfire and drank beer, whilst the bar lost it's friendly tourist crowd and gained the night time clientele of drinkers who wished only to be left in silence to drown their sorrows in strong spirits.

Reno found himself at a loss. After the questioning the Captain had returned and taken Joanna, intending to return her to Midgar along with some Guards. Rude had disappeared shortly after, to Reno's dismay. Elena had turned up briefly to tell him she was sleeping on the beach, and then left, leaving him alone to either wander the empty streets or return to an empty room.

He finally opted for the latter, pausing only briefly at the bar. Silent drinkers depressed him, especially when he was alone.

Back at the Inn he leaned on the window sill, studying the sky. It was a clear night, though not cold. Costa del Sol was never cold.

He missed Midgar acutely, where the night time was little different to the day. He missed the noise and bustle and night life. Silence left him with nothing but his own thoughts, and his thoughts had been confused and worrying lately. Shadows played at his mind, nebulous emotions filled him, emotions he made no pretence to understand.

Into his head came an image of the file he had taken from Hojo's lab. It was still nestled securely in his luggage, unopened. His courage had failed him before, but the shadows were insistent and the silence unyielding. Without really thinking about it he crossed the room and picked up his bag, fumbling with the zip and spilling its contents out across the floor. The file slid out into his hand, he dropped the bag and returned to the window with it, deriving some comfort from the balmy air and watchful stars.

Again he lit a cigarette, the smoke creating soft gentle patterns about the room. Again he slid his fingers under the cover, fear and anticipation trilling through him. This time though, instead of stopping there and returning the file to his bag he shut his eyes and pulled the thick cardboard front up, prepared for whatever bizarre truth he would find nestled within.

The file was empty.

-~-~-~-

A/N: Plot! Plot! Plot! Is getting rather tangled ^_^ I hope you're following it all. I don't think it's that confusing – but then I wrote it. It all comes together at the end. I've actually written the last chapter, more or less, so now I know exactly where it's headed.

For those of you who dislike Joanna – stay put. She's got her part to play in all this.