A/n: Here's another chapter for your entertainment. I think I *am* getting
these up faster, and I'm trying hard to do so. But before I begin, I'd
like to clear up an error I made in the second chapter when Rufus tells
Tifa his past. I know some of you might think that it was waaaaaaaaaay
early in the story to give such a detailed description of a horrible memory
like that to an almost complete stranger. But I also mentioned that Tifa
has an air of total trustworthiness (is that a word?) and that Rufus really
needed to get it out of his system. He felt like he could tell her
anything, and he wasn't really going to tell all of it, but really, once
you start a story like that, can you really stop to think of a nicer way to
tell it? I apologize for the mix-up, and I thank you all for the
constructive criticism. And thanks for not yelling at me! I luv ya for
it!
Disclaimer: Um, I don't own a scrap of FF7, but once my plan to take over the world commences, that will be the first thing I go after!! Mwahahaha!! Not. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So, Rufus what have you been up to these past four years?"
Rufus shrugged. "Not much, mostly paper work from everything my father does in Midgar. My training for presiding over ShinRa starts next month. They say I have to learn the 'Basics of leadership', or so father says. I'm so sick of him."
Tifa nodded. "Yeah, no offence, but your dad's company is starting to scare me. It used to be just an electric company. I think they're starting to assume more power. Now they built a plate over the slums of Midgar, like they're separating the upper class from the lower class or something. That city is having enough trouble seeing the stars due to the smog from the reactors." She replied. "I hope you change all that. You will, won't you?" Rufus nodded. She stared at him. "Promise?"
"Sure, I promise." He smiled at her persistence.
"Hey, Rufus?" Reno ventured. "I don't suppose you could give me a job at ShinRa, could you?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "See, money's kind of tight, Dad's gone and Mom's looking for another part-time job. No one here wants to hire me cause they think I'm lazy. Could ya help me out?"
His friend shrugged. "Whatever, no problem. We could use some more guards." He eyed Tifa's sudden pale face at the word 'guards'. "You know, good ones. I've seen them; they feed and pay them very well. If that doesn't suit you, I think SOLDIER is still looking for a few good men." He couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at Tifa's paleness take a turn for the worse. She actually looked like she would strangle someone.
Reno ignored Tifa's reaction and jumped for joy. "Sweet! Thanks, Ruf, you rock!"
"Ruf? Anyway, so Tifa what have *you* been doing for the last four years?" Rufus queried.
She shrugged off her sudden pensiveness and the color returned to her cheeks. "Actually, I've taken up martial arts."
Reno nodded and poked Rufus. "Yeah, it's getting to where she can almost kick *my* ass." He whispered to Rufus, who cracked a smile.
"What do you mean 'almost', Reno?" She playfully glared at him.
He answered her with a smirk, followed by sticking his tongue out at her.
"Are you gonna tell is your story or not?" Rufus directed at Reno.
The latter sighed, unusually depressed looking. "Well, lessee, when I turned 14, my dad decided I was man enough to hold over his position as head of the household and ran off to join ShinRa so we could be 'rich'. Apparently he never made it, 'cause we haven't seen hide or hair of him for the last 3 years. Mom thinks that he was embarrassed that he didn't make it. I say that ShinRa's Hojo got a hold of him. See, dad was obsessed with Mako. It's more than just a power source: it can enhance human ability. Hojo realized that, but President ShinRa never gave him the budget for the research. Dad had a lot of the research done. I think Hojo got him; stole the research and either killed him or used him as a lab rat." Reno paused, recalling everything.
"3 years ago, about 4 months after dad disappeared from sight, I saw an article in the paper saying Hojo had a new break through and that they were starting up a new regiment for ShinRa: 'SOLDIER'. These men are enhanced with Mako. Just enough is awesome for a man. Too much can turn you into a mindless shell. I guessing dad was the first experimental 'trainee'. Hojo must've gotten a huge bonus after finally proving to President ShinRa that Mako is good for more than one cause. Not to mention more power for ShinRa. Boys from all over the place are running to join SOLDIER." He finished, shaking his head.
Tifa involuntarily sighed, Rufus' expression dropped to a scowl. "Hojo never was my favorite employee of dad's. Maybe when you come and work in Junon we'll pay Hojo a visit and question him about that, sound good?"
Reno grinned. "Great minds think alike." He said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tifa was furious when she found out that they had come to see if Nibelheim was good enough for a reactor. "We don't need a reactor, we have plenty of power from the mountain reactor as it is! Besides, what if it blows up? Then what good would it do us??"
"Tifa, calm down! We probably won't even build one. OK? Dad sent me over here to *survey*. 'Make sure the place is rich enough in Mako to build one.' Is what he said. I signed on for the team because I was tired of paperwork, not to mention I wanted to see if you still lived here." Rufus said truthfully.
Tifa went from red-mad to red-embarrassed. A smile curved the corner of her mouth.
"Nice save. I think she was about to bring out her gloves." Reno whispered and gave a sigh of relief when he realized she didn't hear him.
"I didn't even think you remembered me. I had to find out if you did, and apologize for the soldier who dropped you. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything about it back then. If it were now, it would have never happened." He looked at her with sad blue eyes.
She smiled at him. "Oh don't worry about that. But I didn't think you remembered me either. You've managed to stay out of public sight lately."
"Yeah, dad doesn't think I'm ready to be publicized yet."
Tifa suddenly looked at the clock. "Crap! I totally forgot I have lessons today!! Uh, Rufus, get my number from Reno, and call me around 5. Talk to ya later!" She ran from the room, leaving Rufus and Reno openmouthed.
"Bye to you too, Teef." Reno laughed. "She gets up and goes pretty quick. You have to catch her if you can."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/n: Yes I know, it is a short chapter, but I'm working on it! Trust me, there will be plenty more! I'm going to bring in a hated character!! Any questions? Please feel free to ask me in a review, and you just might get to be featured in a author's answer before the next chapter gets started! Alrighty people, I'm outta here for right now, please read and review!
Disclaimer: Um, I don't own a scrap of FF7, but once my plan to take over the world commences, that will be the first thing I go after!! Mwahahaha!! Not. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So, Rufus what have you been up to these past four years?"
Rufus shrugged. "Not much, mostly paper work from everything my father does in Midgar. My training for presiding over ShinRa starts next month. They say I have to learn the 'Basics of leadership', or so father says. I'm so sick of him."
Tifa nodded. "Yeah, no offence, but your dad's company is starting to scare me. It used to be just an electric company. I think they're starting to assume more power. Now they built a plate over the slums of Midgar, like they're separating the upper class from the lower class or something. That city is having enough trouble seeing the stars due to the smog from the reactors." She replied. "I hope you change all that. You will, won't you?" Rufus nodded. She stared at him. "Promise?"
"Sure, I promise." He smiled at her persistence.
"Hey, Rufus?" Reno ventured. "I don't suppose you could give me a job at ShinRa, could you?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "See, money's kind of tight, Dad's gone and Mom's looking for another part-time job. No one here wants to hire me cause they think I'm lazy. Could ya help me out?"
His friend shrugged. "Whatever, no problem. We could use some more guards." He eyed Tifa's sudden pale face at the word 'guards'. "You know, good ones. I've seen them; they feed and pay them very well. If that doesn't suit you, I think SOLDIER is still looking for a few good men." He couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at Tifa's paleness take a turn for the worse. She actually looked like she would strangle someone.
Reno ignored Tifa's reaction and jumped for joy. "Sweet! Thanks, Ruf, you rock!"
"Ruf? Anyway, so Tifa what have *you* been doing for the last four years?" Rufus queried.
She shrugged off her sudden pensiveness and the color returned to her cheeks. "Actually, I've taken up martial arts."
Reno nodded and poked Rufus. "Yeah, it's getting to where she can almost kick *my* ass." He whispered to Rufus, who cracked a smile.
"What do you mean 'almost', Reno?" She playfully glared at him.
He answered her with a smirk, followed by sticking his tongue out at her.
"Are you gonna tell is your story or not?" Rufus directed at Reno.
The latter sighed, unusually depressed looking. "Well, lessee, when I turned 14, my dad decided I was man enough to hold over his position as head of the household and ran off to join ShinRa so we could be 'rich'. Apparently he never made it, 'cause we haven't seen hide or hair of him for the last 3 years. Mom thinks that he was embarrassed that he didn't make it. I say that ShinRa's Hojo got a hold of him. See, dad was obsessed with Mako. It's more than just a power source: it can enhance human ability. Hojo realized that, but President ShinRa never gave him the budget for the research. Dad had a lot of the research done. I think Hojo got him; stole the research and either killed him or used him as a lab rat." Reno paused, recalling everything.
"3 years ago, about 4 months after dad disappeared from sight, I saw an article in the paper saying Hojo had a new break through and that they were starting up a new regiment for ShinRa: 'SOLDIER'. These men are enhanced with Mako. Just enough is awesome for a man. Too much can turn you into a mindless shell. I guessing dad was the first experimental 'trainee'. Hojo must've gotten a huge bonus after finally proving to President ShinRa that Mako is good for more than one cause. Not to mention more power for ShinRa. Boys from all over the place are running to join SOLDIER." He finished, shaking his head.
Tifa involuntarily sighed, Rufus' expression dropped to a scowl. "Hojo never was my favorite employee of dad's. Maybe when you come and work in Junon we'll pay Hojo a visit and question him about that, sound good?"
Reno grinned. "Great minds think alike." He said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tifa was furious when she found out that they had come to see if Nibelheim was good enough for a reactor. "We don't need a reactor, we have plenty of power from the mountain reactor as it is! Besides, what if it blows up? Then what good would it do us??"
"Tifa, calm down! We probably won't even build one. OK? Dad sent me over here to *survey*. 'Make sure the place is rich enough in Mako to build one.' Is what he said. I signed on for the team because I was tired of paperwork, not to mention I wanted to see if you still lived here." Rufus said truthfully.
Tifa went from red-mad to red-embarrassed. A smile curved the corner of her mouth.
"Nice save. I think she was about to bring out her gloves." Reno whispered and gave a sigh of relief when he realized she didn't hear him.
"I didn't even think you remembered me. I had to find out if you did, and apologize for the soldier who dropped you. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything about it back then. If it were now, it would have never happened." He looked at her with sad blue eyes.
She smiled at him. "Oh don't worry about that. But I didn't think you remembered me either. You've managed to stay out of public sight lately."
"Yeah, dad doesn't think I'm ready to be publicized yet."
Tifa suddenly looked at the clock. "Crap! I totally forgot I have lessons today!! Uh, Rufus, get my number from Reno, and call me around 5. Talk to ya later!" She ran from the room, leaving Rufus and Reno openmouthed.
"Bye to you too, Teef." Reno laughed. "She gets up and goes pretty quick. You have to catch her if you can."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/n: Yes I know, it is a short chapter, but I'm working on it! Trust me, there will be plenty more! I'm going to bring in a hated character!! Any questions? Please feel free to ask me in a review, and you just might get to be featured in a author's answer before the next chapter gets started! Alrighty people, I'm outta here for right now, please read and review!