The Last of an Elite
Chapter Twenty Six: Like Frightened Chocobo's
By InterfaceLeader
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The pilot landed the helicopter for the third time on his journey, this time by the ruined reactor at Gongaga. Tseng followed Scarlet out and scanned the area swiftly. The cracked and broken ground was bare of any vegetation, even after the three years since the reactor had exploded grass and flowers refused to grow near it. The reactor itself was a rusty heap of spiked metal debris.
Scarlet walked up to the rubble of the reactor, and started looking over it. Tseng waited, unsure of what the 'huge materia' looked like.
".....Hmph! This isn't any good either. You only get junky materia from junky reactors." Scarlet came away from the rubble, wiping her hands clean on the skirt of her dress. "This reactor's a failure. What I'm looking for is big, large, huge materia. You seen any?" She was frowning, clearly already annoyed with having to search through the many reactors that dotted the planet.
"No, I haven't seen it." Tseng paused, studying her mood and then added. "I'll get on it right away."
"Please. We could make the ultimate weapon if we only had some." Scarlet repeated her point from the board meeting, and again failed to say who she was going to use it against. She was waiting for his reaction with more attention that she would normally, her head half on one side.
"I just can't wait." Tseng was no fool, he knew exactly what she was really asking, and for the moment he would make it seem as though he was prepared to go along with her plan.
"With Hojo gone, the Weapon Development's been getting a bigger budget." Scarlet said, tapping her nails against her cheek.
"I envy them."
"But, even if we make the perfect weapon, could that stupid Heidegger ever use it?" She smiled at him, her face revealing nothing.
"....." Tseng studied her. Could she be planning to dispose of Heidegger as well? Or was this a test to see if he was loyal to his boss and thus to the army? The silence lengthened.
"Oh... sorry! I forgot Heidegger was your boss! Kya-ha-ha-ha!" Scarlet laughed, giving Tseng little help in deciding which answer to give. He took a leaf from Rude's book and remained silent.
"....."
"Let's go!" Scarlet said sharply, a little annoyed she hadn't succeeded in drawing an answer from the Turk leader. She wanted the assassins on her side if it did come to a full-scale war between her and Rufus.
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Elena waited for Rude and Reno or Tseng and Scarlet to return to the plain near Gongaga. When the former pair came into sight she smiled silently to herself.
"Is Tseng here yet?" Reno said impatiently, looking round the empty plain.
"Not yet. He and Scarlet went to look at the reactor," Elena continued to smile brightly, and Reno gave her a suspicious look. Before he could question her, the helicopter swept past overhead, twisting round and settling to the ground nearby. Tseng jumped out, and gave a cursory glance towards the two male Turks.
"Did you get them?" he asked.
Reno looked angry. "The bastards sprang a smoke grenade on us and ran away!"
"....." Rude looked at the ground. Behind them, Elena's smile widened.
"They escaped?" Tseng frowned.
"Yeah, they fled like chocobo's! Cowards!" Reno was clearly outraged.
"Too late to recover the situation now," Tseng said with a sigh. "I do have a back-up plan thankfully. Get in, we're returning to Midgar."
"Yes sir," Reno replied smartly. Tseng nodded and climbed back into the helicopter. Reno started after him but Elena grabbed hold of his sleeve, yanking him back. He turned, ready to yell at her but she got in first.
"Are you sure about the smoke grenade Reno? Only from where I was standing it looked rather like it was you who took to your heels. If you don't mind me saying so," her eyes were wide and innocent, but her grin was wide enough to nearly split her face in two.
"Uh..." Reno floundered for a moment. "You were watching?"
"I got back from reporting to Tseng in time to see the end of the battle," she said cheerfully. "I was going to help, but I got there just in time to see you run away. Like a scared little chocobo."
"..... sort it out later ...." Rude walked away from the two, and climbed onto the helicopter. Elena nodded.
"Yes... we'll sort this out later," she said. Then, whistling cheerfully to herself, she strolled over to the helicopter and scrambled inside. Reno considered everything for a second, swore profoundly and hurried after them.
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The Shinra Guard was outside the equipment store and scanning a clipboard irritably. Supplies of materia had been deteriorating recently, and potions, ethers, tents and accessories were all being used too much too often. He swung his keys around his finger, frowning.
"Ahem!" Someone coughed, attracting his attention. Looking up, he saw another Shinra Guard, who saluted him.
"Yes?" he saluted back.
"Commander Rimes wants to see you," the Guard said.
"What? But I'm on duty here, what if someone needs supplies?"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Best not to keep ol' Rimes waiting eh?"
"Yeah, you're right." The Guard snapped the pen back in the clipboard's holder and handed it and the keys over to the second Guard. "Thanks. I'll be back soon, I hope."
"Good luck." The Guard waited for the other to disappear round the corner of the corridor, then hastily sorted through the keys and unlocked the door that led into the equipment storage area.
The first area simply held ranks of machine guns, of the ill-made and badly kept kind that was issued to each Shinra Guard. He unlocked the door that led into the next area and found himself amongst the sharp swords given to beginner and low class Soldier's. Another key and he moved through into the third area, where basic materia and an assortment of different weaponry lay. This was a miscellaneous weapon store for 1st class Soldier and their like. A final click and he moved into the area reserved for the heads of department, particularly Scarlet and Heidegger, as well as being the second place Turks turned to for weapons after they had exhausted their private collection.
Rare and mastered materia glittered in multicoloured ranks. Polished weapons gleamed on the walls, each a well honed instrument of death. The Guard swallowed nervously, and looked around him. Certain nobody else was in the room, he began sorting through the materia, slipping a few away into the folds and pockets of his uniform. Weapons came next, he picked only the smallest and easily concealed ones. Once he had squirreled away enough weaponry he carefully slipped back out, locking the doors behind him as he went.
Outside, he picked up the clipboard and quickly crossed off the weapons and materia he had taken, listing the people who had supposedly collected it. He was adding Heidegger's name to the final item when he heard footsteps and he quickly snapped the pen back in its place and waited. The first Guard rounded the corner and came up to him.
"Thanks," he sounded cross. "Apparently someone's been spreading rumours that I've been stealing stuff from the store! Rimes had a right go at me, but I managed to convince him it was people after my job," he shook his head.
"Yeah, coveted position this. But you do great," the Guard handed back the clipboard and keys and started walking away.
"Hey! Thanks for helping out!"
"Sure, no problem," the Guard disappeared round the corner, feeling sweat running down his face. Hoping against hope he wouldn't be stopped by anybody, and feeling as though the lumps in his uniform were visible for miles, he hurried to the stairs and down them, eventually making it onto a nearly deserted floor. The Shinra building didn't have a basement and had been forced to designate this floor for the purpose. Abandoned machinery and broken chairs lay in heaps in the corners and a dusty table stood in the middle. A pilot was stood by the table.
"You got them?" he sounded nearly as scared as the Guard.
"Yeah," the Guard emptied his uniform, the small but powerful weapons in one pile and the bright materia orbs in another.
"Great..." the Pilot picked up one handgun, a tiny weapon barely 6 inches long. He touched the safety and it unlocked without a sound.
"We'll hide them here for now. We still need to wait for him to return."
The Guard nodded, and together the two men started hiding the equipment around the room.
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Marlene was examining an earthworm, squatting on the ground beside Elmyra. The older woman was looking over the plants distractedly, clipping off the occasional dying flower head or trimming back flourishing leaves. Marlene carefully picked the earthworm off the path and placed it back in the mud, watching it burrow down out of sight.
"I think this rose bush has had it," Elmyra announced suddenly, standing upright with a sigh. "Aeris could probably have brought it back, but I don't think I can. That girl had a way with flowers and no mistake."
"Aeris is the flower girl," Marlene said seriously.
"She was." Elmyra studied the bush, frowning. "Wait here while I go and fill the watering can."
Marlene nodded, poking the ground where the earthworm had disappeared. Elmyra went into the house.
Marlene waited, but the worm didn't reappear and she grew bored. Standing up, she started hop-scotching down the path, doubling back on herself when she reached the end and counting the number of hops she made.
"28 – 29 – 30!" she did the last hop and landed with her feet apart.
"Impressive," a voice said flatly. Marlene looked up with a squeak of fright. The tall dark man who had taken the flower girl was back, looking at her with much the same expression he had worn then.
"You're the evil man!" she promptly turned and ran towards the house, filling her lungs with air, ready to scream.
One hand clamped over her mouth, and the second hooked round her feet and caught hold of her wrists. She struggled against the hold, trying to bite, punch, kick, whatever it took to escape. But the grip was firm, and her efforts were in vain.
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Elmyra came out of the house, holding a small green watering-can. She had only filled it part way, she was hoping she could teach Marlene some basics about looking after plants and flowers. She looked around the garden, wondering where the girl had gotten to.
"Marlene?"
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Reeve dropped the screwdriver onto the desk, and stretched. He'd finally fixed his radio. Flipping the on switch, he caught the last strains of some classical piece he couldn't recognise, before a steady beep told him the 9.00 news was coming up.
Standing up, he cleared away the remains of his work and threw the odd empty plastic coffee cup into the bin. The smooth tones of the Shinra presenter filled the room.
"...And finally we are sorry to report the death of Palmer, Head of the Space Program at Shinra. His demise has been linked to the terrorist group Avalanche, who have yet to be apprehended after fleeing the city directly after their involvement in the destruction of Sector Seven. Thank you and good night."
"What?" Reeve looked at the radio in shock. He hadn't particularly liked Palmer, but nor had he particularly disliked him. He certainly preferred him to some of the other Head's of Departments. But it wasn't solely the idea of Palmer's death that had shocked him, rather it was the idea that a Head of Department had been killed.
The last time an actual Shinra employee was killed must have been... right back during the war with Wutai! Not counting the President. Reeve switched off the radio. Shinra is in a worse position that it looks. I wonder if... He shook his head, trying to avoid his negative thoughts. No. Shinra aren't going to fall apart now. We're still too strong. Still, we've let things go too far when Department Head's are being killed.
He looked at the clock, debating whether to take over Cait Sith briefly and find out the true story behind the death. But it was late, and he needed to get home to feed the cats. So he left instead.
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A/N: Keep going ^_~