The Last of an Elite
Chapter Thirty-Four: Meteor
By InterfaceLeader
-~-~-~-
The airship flew through the sky, the propellers spinning smoothly and the inside glowing with the persistent green tinge that existed wherever mako lights were used. The lighter-than-air craft swept north, the landscape below flashing past with phenomenal speed.
Rude stood next to Hojo at the far end of the bridge, wishing he could see more of the outside. He had never been on anything that travelled at this rate and he was rather enjoying himself, though his naturally serious expression never changed.
As the icy mountains of the Great Glacier came into view a tense silence fell over the group. Scarlet chewed her lip thoughtfully as she stared out the window. She was both surprised and dismayed to find Rufus on the verge of succeeding at - something. Who knew what lay past the icy barrier?
Heidegger was stood almost to attention, memories of past glories resounding through his head. There had been a time when Shin-ra had been a glorious thing, a group at the cutting edge of technology, loved for it's improvements in peoples lives, and respected for it's military superiority over Wutai. Much as he denied it to himself Heidegger missed those days, and the thought that something that could restore them lay just over the horizon made him feel twenty years younger.
At the very head of the airship, regarding the speeding landscape with arrogance, Rufus reflected on this; his first true act of leadership not already dictated to him by his late Father's plans and policies. He hoped it would turn out a success, something he could use against those people who insulted and railed against Shinra. Rufus could live with being hated, but he couldn't live with being belittled.
At the back of the bridge, near the exit, Hojo contemplated the Turk guarding him with narrow eyes. Unbeknownst to any of his contemporaries Hojo had changed in the brief period he had left the company. Jenova cells surged throughout his body, making their marks on everything from his muscle structure to the play of electrons through his brain. He felt vaguely sick, but considered that a small price to pay for the benefits he was sure would result. The scientist was through with feeling threatened by tall men in blue suits.
The mountains disappeared beneath them.
They were flying across a great open space, an enormous circular rocky plain surrounded on all sides by mountains. In the very centre a green whirlwind flowed, mako pumping out of the ground and spinning into a maelstrom, a screaming, barely controlled, outpouring of energy. The Planet was still healing, still bleeding, and the result was a staggering display of power.
"So, I finally found you." Rufus's voice broke across the awed silence. It was a release. Scarlet started laughing unrestrainedly.
"Kyaa haa hah!" she turned to Heidegger, attempting to bring her laughter back under control. "haa.............hah. This is incredible......"
"This is the Promised Land the President has been searching for!!" Heidegger laughed too.
"But, I'll be the one who gets it." Rufus studied the mako surge, and smirked. "Sorry, old man."
"Heh heh heh….." Hojo's choked laugh was markedly different from those of Heidegger and Scarlet "That land is no one's."
Rude's hand clenched as the scientist turned a dangerous eye towards Rufus. The President was regarding the man with disdain, and a hint of puzzlement.
"It's where the Reunion will take place...... They will all gather here...…" Hojo paused, well aware that he had just thrown the top ranking officials of Shinra into confusion. "I wonder if I will see...... Sephiroth?"
"Sephiroth… That would be interesting." Rufus said. "Unless you can warn us of anything dangerous, we shall land. At the centre."
-~-~-~-
"Tell me you love me"
"I love ya baby"
They kissed long, deep and passionately. Reno's hand slid up her back and found the tie at the top of her dress. Deft fingers started to tease it undone, but she pulled away from him, looking into his face with wide shining eyes.
"Do you really?"
"I really do" he assured her with just the barest trace of impatience.
"Then…. maybe we could… talk?"
-~-~-~-
The airship battled the screaming maelstrom of energy, dipping and weaving through it's currents with consummate skill. Rude watched the green waves smash around them with a certain amount of nervousness. The undisguised rage and power of the storm made him almost believe in the primitive beliefs in the Planet as a living thing, giving - and taking - life at whim. But science had explained all that away hadn't it? Rude turned his head and looked at the representative of science stood next to him and shuddered inwardly.
And then the Highwind broke free, sailing into clear skies. Below them was a spiky outcropping of twisted rock, and the airship glided gently downwards, circled round and landed softly amongst the misshapen landscape.
"Scarlet, Hojo, come with me." Rufus rapped out his orders quickly. "Heidegger, Rude, you remain here with the guards."
"Kya ha ha!" Scarlet laughed and strode toward the door, high clicks ringing sharply against the metal floor. Rufus frowned, and moved after her. Hojo gave Rude a look and smiled faintly.
"Interesting place …. " he said before shuffling after them.
-~-~-~-
"Talk?"
"I… It's just that…" The woman turned her head, a few dark blonde strands falling across her cheek. "You only ever come to see me once in a blue moon… and when you do all we ever do is… you know."
"I'm a busy guy Krys. I see you as often as I can." Reno watched his evening's plans disappear into nothing.
"I know, I know. I just want to know more about you. What do you do that keeps you so busy? Where do you live? What do you like to read? What kind of movies do you like? We've been seeing each other for nearly a year and you've never told me these things!"
"Krys… Can't we talk another time?"
"When? In two months when you find time enough to drop by again? You say you love me but - "
-~-~-~-
Rude stood by the main window of the Highwind and stared at the entrance to the cave that Rufus, Scarlet and Hojo had entered. It was a stunted, ugly thing; misshapen, bruised looking rock twisted into shapes that hurt the eye.
"Gya ha ha ha! I wonder what they found?" Heidegger stared at the same stretch of land, drumming his fingers against the window edge.
"…."
"I'll take it from here. Give me the... Black Materia."
"Are you all right, Cloud? …. Then... here you go. I was a little apprehensive holding this thing."
"You know Rude… You're a trustworthy person. Gya ha ha!"
"…….?"
"Unlike some slimy skunks - stirring up thoughts of mutiny, incensing the guards. You know who I'm talking about? Gya ha ha!"
"Everyone, thanks for everything. And... I'm sorry."
"……."
"Scarlet! She thinks I don't know. Haven't noticed the way she starts little rumours going. Leaks classified information. The army's a ticking time bomb. Gyaa ha ha ha ha"
"……. Does Rufus know?"
"No proof."
"….."
"Sephiroth? Sephiroth? I'm here. And I have brought you the Black Materia."
"Rude… keep a bit of an eye on her. Gya ha ha. Try and find something we can use against her. Understand?"
"….. yes… sir."
-~-~-~-
Spinning, falling inexorably upwards. Approaching the final destination, holding a small round black orb that was the end of everything.
-~-~-~-
"Why do we need to know everything about each other anyway? Frankly I prefer having a - a - a mysterious passion. Yeah." Reno gestured angrily. "Everyone wants facts and figures, wants to keep tabs, wants to know everything, wants to judge and compare and suspect! What about mystery? What about romance? What about passion?"
"Reno…"
-~-~-~-
Holding out his hand, clasped tightly around his gift.
-~-~-~-
Rufus marched swiftly back towards the Highwind, followed by Hojo and Avalanche. Barret was pulling Tifa along, trying to stop her from running back to Cloud. For once hatred was swept away by their joint fear of what was about to happen.
-~-~-~-
The Black Materia floating free of his grasp, sliding gently through the mako towards the one who could wield it.
A crackle of energy, shooting straight up, through the cave, past the swirling maelstrom of the Planet's energy. Punching it's way through the atmosphere and into space. It called.
They came; debris, star dust, tiny threads of matter that had wandered through space for aeons. They turned aside from their paths, defied the pull of distant planets and followed the call of the Black Materia. At the top of the beam a rock began to form, became larger, heavier, denser.
Meteor was coming.
And the planet screamed.
-~-~-~-
The materia cave was the first casualty, falling downwards into the northern crater, a millennia of the Planet's healing powers vanished in a flash. Released from their bondage, the parts of Weapon clawed their way free, massive monsters whose only goal was to start replenishing the Planet with mako.
The Highwind was the second to be hit, caught in an energy beam from Weapon that tore into it's hull and sent it flying wildly off course. As the pilots battled to pull away from the scene of carnage Tifa collapsed to the deck of the ship.
The ripples of the Planet's rage spread onwards. The ground twisted and churned, torn into strange shapes by the fury. Avalanches roared down mountains, smashing through the peaks. Gales howled, whipping the seas into massive storms that shrieked and sobbed.
The Planet screamed.
-~-~-~-
"AHHHHHHHH!" Reno yelled as everything collapsed around him. "What the fuck's happening!?"
"Help!" screamed Krys as she was thrown bodily across the room by an uprising floor and the plaster fell from the ceiling.
"Everything's falling down!" Reno clutched hold of the door frame as the floor tilted crazily. "Is it an earthquake!?"
"I knew I should never have moved here! I knew I should have stayed in the slums! Ahhh!" The windows shattered around the woman as she fell against them and she disappeared screaming from Reno's sight.
"Shit!"
-~-~-~-
Rude forced his way onto the deck of the Highwind, battling against the winds and the panicking guards, and dropped down next to Tifa where she was sprawled ungainly against the deck. Barret was on the other side and as the ship pitched wildly across the sky they both grabbed hold of her to stop her sliding away.
"@^%$&!!" Cid shouted "I'll get the damn thing back on course!" He ran for the exit, whacking the guards that tried to intercept him out of the way with the butt of his spear.
"Is she alive!?" Rude yelled across the sound of the wind screaming past.
"What's it to you Turk!?" Barret yelled back.
"Answer me!"
"She's alive, no thanks to you foo's!"
"Thank Odin!"
"What!?"
-~-~-~-
Reeve had already been under the table when the wave hit Midgar. After he was certain it had passed he crawled out from under the table and stared at the wreckage of his models, his architectural plans, his circuits and his computers. He found himself feeling strangely liberated.
"Sir!" The guard that came running in had lost his helmet and was wide eyed with shock. "Are you alright sir!?"
"Yes… yes…"
"What happened? Everything's collapsed!"
"Surface damage only." Reeve looked at the ceiling, admiring the new holes that had appeared in it. "If it had been anything more the pillars would have gone and we'd all be dead."
"Uh… be thankful for small mercies you mean sir?"
"Something like that perhaps…"
-~-~-~-
"Bloody hell" Reno groaned from the doorway as he surveyed the wreck of the apartment. The shattered windows were the thing that drew his eyes, the jagged shards outlining the hole through which Krys had fell.
"I hate apartment blocks. I hate high apartment blocks." Moving carefully across the floor he looked through the hole, down towards the ground and flinched. "Ouch…."
Then he became aware of a deep red light that suffused everything, combating with the shallow green mako lights across the city. He looked up.
"Oh…. Damn"
-~-~-~-
As Cid wrestled the Highwind back on course, Rude stood up, feeling strangely foolish. Barret was glowering at him with suspicion, and Rufus had shot him a strange glance before hurrying back into the main ship to take command. As Rude looked down at Tifa's prone body he shook his head.
I shouldn't care.
I mustn't care.
I have to walk away.
I need to walk away.
-~-~-~-
A/N: Fun chapter ^_^ Hope you liked it.
Next up: Tseng heads up to Elmyra's and Rude tries to deal with his feelings about Tifa, with Barret's "help".