A/n: Hey guys, here again with yet another chapter. I think I'm actually
almost halfway through this fic now! Yay! Oh, by the way, if you are a
fan of either Beyblade or Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, my 'lil sis,
Darkfire Guardian, has a hilarious take on the play. She has adapted it
from the Compleat Wrks of Willm Shkspr. Yes, it's meant to be spelled like
that. Anywhoo, please read and review! Luv ya all!
Disclaimer: None of it is mine, *sigh*. Well, I can claim the storyline...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A dark grin spread across his face. "Finally, I'm out of this hell-hole." He said, the thought making him shiver. He waved the messenger out of his office. He couldn't believe it. The tall man looked out of the window overlooking the ocean and the sunset. The same sunset that, to him, signified his father's reign ending.
He laughed cruelly to himself. "The bastard is finally dead. Sephiroth, I owe you one, even if you are a crazy lunatic." He pressed the intercom and told the secretary to prepare the helicopter. He had to see this for himself. Supposedly, there was a massacre. The room dimmed darker as clouds floated over the setting sun. The icy blue eyes, colder than they'd ever been, glowed in the faint light.
"President Rufus," the secretary tactfully said, cleverly expecting a raise for being the first to acknowledge him as president. "Your chopper is ready."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tifa opened her eyes, hearing Cloud shift in the darkness. Somehow she got the impression that he was feeling sorry for Aerith, who was in the cell right next to theirs. She sighed and rolled over onto her back and crossed one leg over the other. She was glad he was back, but he was different.
He had major migraines. Sometimes he'd have episodes where he'd talk to someone who wasn't there. Worst of all, he'd brought this girl, Aerith, with him when he came back from falling off of Mako Reactor 6. Tifa had been so worried that he'd died, and he came back, healthy as ever, with this girl following him around like a lost puppy, calling him her bodyguard. Ok, she was a tinge jealous.
Not that she had anything *against* Aerith, she was actually very nice, good gossip companion.
Tifa closed her eyes again and tried to sleep. Thirty minutes later, though, Cloud shook her awake.
"Tifa, there's something wrong. The door's unlocked."
The two went outside the cell, a trail of dark blood leading from the door to a dead guard. Cloud handed the key to Tifa. "Let Barret and Red XIII out, I'll get Aerith."
"Figures." She thought. She freed the two; Red XIII was a new addition.
He was a creature from Hojo's lab that looked like a lion crossed with a wolf; his fur dark red and his tail had a flame that lit his cell. He talked as well; he was quite intelligent.
"Hey guys, wake up, the doors are unlocked. We're free."
Barret woke up; Red XIII took and shook himself awake. They followed her outside, to the dead body.
"Holy $%!#! What the hell happened here?" Barret questioned.
"Shh!" Cloud shook his head. "We're gonna split up, we need to look around. I'm curious to see where this trail of blood'll lead us."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The helicopter neared the city; Midgar loomed in the distance. All the lights lit up the polluted darkness like diamonds in soot.
Another grin spread across his face. No more paperwork, this was a chance to prove himself as a leader. The programming the department had brainwashed him with was quickly taking over. This was the moment all that 'training' had prepared him for.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A familiar sight flashed in Tifa's memory. President ShinRa was lying facedown on his desk, that all-too-familiar sword sticking through him almost to the hilt. Her own father's death was similar. The same murderer. Sephiroth. Tifa was too overwhelmed to hear Barret and Cloud question Palmer.
The sound of a nearing chopper distracted Cloud and Barret long enough to let Palmer free.
"What the $*@^?! I forgot about him!" Barret said, clapping his real hand to his face.
"Who?" Red XIII questioned.
"The damned president's son! He's been hiding out in Junon for the past ten years, staying out of the limelight."
Aerith shrugged. "I heard no one's ever seen him bleed or cry."
Tifa smiled to herself. She had. Or at least seen his eyes water, showing some emotion. She let her mind wander, thinking out loud. "I wonder what kind of person he is..." she said, trailing off after catching herself. "...now?" She finished, mentally.
They all went out onto the balcony where a young man jumped from the helicopter that hovered nearby.
When he stood up straight, he neared 6'2", and was lean but muscular. He wore a pristine white suit, black turtleneck, and heavy brown boots. His eyes still shone icy blue, glowing in the dim light, yet now one could feel the chill in his stare, sending shivers down one's spine. The silky soft blonde hair that used to move with the breeze was now gelled back, only a few strands were allowed to fall into his face, and even those were constantly flipped back behind an ear.
Tifa was the last to file through the door, but when she saw him, she took in a quick, sharp breath. He barely looked the same way he did three years ago
He hadn't seen her yet; he was looking through the huge windows, seeing his father's corpse with Sephiroth's Masamune jutting out of his large back. Rufus laughed coldly. "So it *is* true. He finally kicked the bucket." He thought. His eyes turned to Cloud, who was glaring at him. "Well, well. Since my old man's gone, I guess I'll let you hear my acceptance speech." He ran a hand through his hair, his eye finally catching Tifa. Surprise shook him, but he couldn't stop the speech.
He casually walked toward Tifa first, speaking loudly that he would run the city; that it cost too much to run the city like his old man. He stopped in front of her and took a short break from his speech. He whispered to her. "Long time no see. Why don't you stay a while after this?"
He continued his speech, stopping in front of other AVALANCHE members, sizing them up, pretending they were no different from Tifa.
When Rufus had quit talking for more than thirty seconds, Cloud told everyone to get out of the building. Rufus merely smirked as the rest of the rebel group left. He whistled sharply, and out of the helicopter jumped a large dark creature.
If it stood on it's hindquarters, it'd been taller than Rufus. It resembled a cat, and it's emerald green eyes flashed against glossy black fur.
"Let's get this over with." Rufus muttered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Downstairs, Tifa rushed everyone through the doors and told them to go on.
Aerith rushed back to her. "Are you staying here?"
Tifa nodded. "I have to make sure he's all right."
Aerith nodded, assuming 'he' meant Cloud. She ran to the elevators to join Red XIII and Barret.
Which 'he' was the hard part. Rooting for neither one, she listened for the battle upstairs and held her breath.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dark Nations wasted no time casting a magic barrier and a shell on herself and her master. She growled at her opponent, baring her teeth at Cloud. To her, this was a routine battle.
The enemy only glared back, waiting in a battle stance.
Rufus smirked. "It's sad that we won't become friends." He said, eyes fixed on his target. He aimed his shotgun with one arm and pulled the trigger, the recoil rocked him back on his heels, but didn't faze him in the least.
Cloud winced, feeling the full effect of the bullet's shrapnel. He went after the cat thing first, it seemed to be the cure/barrier caster.
Dark Nations readied herself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tifa heard gunshots from both upstairs *and* the elevators. "What the hell is going on? Maybe I should have gone with them..." Now she rooted for both the blondes, wishing the fight never began.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hm, he's a bit tougher than I expected. I better get Dark Nations out of here." He thought, eyeing his pet who was nearing KO. When she finally did collapse, Rufus took a few more shots at Cloud and decided that the battle was pointless. "I'll let him go so we can spar, for real next time." He thought. "Time to go. I'll see you later." He grabbed Dark Nations in one arm and grabbed the landing gear of the helicopter with the other.
Cloud tried to follow but to no avail. He turned to join his group of friends, muttering to himself. He found Tifa downstairs, looking pale.
"What happened? Who won?"
Cloud grimaced. "No one did, the kid chickened out and left in the middle of the battle."
Tifa gave a sigh of relief. "Good."
"What?"
"Nothing, I'll be right back. Stay here, I forgot something upstairs." She said, beginning to sprint to the stairs.
"Hey! Tifa?! You want me to come with you?" Cloud said, re-sheathing his sword.
"Nah, I'll be ok." She called over her shoulder.
"All right, but be on the lookout for that Rufus guy. He could be lurking around her anywhere. I'll look out for him down here for you. Be careful."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rufus stared at his father, laying face down on the desk, Masamune still buried deep in his back. The new president laughed cruelly to himself. "It's my turn, dad."
"Rufus?" A voice startled him.
A rejuvenated Dark Nations sprang into attack position, but relaxed when she saw the human was female.
Tifa's eyes went wide at the sight of the large feline that had bared its teeth at her.
"Don't worry, she doesn't bite unless I tell her to." Rufus said, barely comforting Tifa with his words.
An awkward silence filled the room, Tifa felt sure she barely knew this man. His presence didn't quite feel the same. His warm comforting blue eyes seemed to now send icy shards through her. But even through the tough exterior, she could tell that deep down, *way* deep down, the Rufus she knew was in there, somewhere.
She looked out the window, out past the balcony and saw that there was large group of soldiers forming outside the front of the building. The elevators carrying Aerith, Barrett, and Red XIII would soon be arriving in the lobby right in front of the mob of soldiers. She pulled together some courage. "Rufus... please help us do something to get out of here. My friend will never make it with all those soldiers down there..."
His clear blue eyes stopped examining her. "Hmm, now why would I want to do that? Your friends *did* bust in here and try to fight me. I haven't done anything wrong. I don't think your boyfriend likes me very much."
Tifa rolled her eyes. "He's not my boyfriend. He's a childhood friend from Nibelheim."
Rufus smirked. "Which is why you looked so worried when he came back after our little scuffle, eh?"
"I was worried about *both* of you." She said, scowling now.
"No need to get angry, Miss Lockheart, your friends will get out. I'll even help you get vehicles." He held up two keys. "One is for the motorcycle on the second floor, that spiky-haired country boy should have fun with that, the other is for the vehicles on display in the foyer on the first floor. Last time I checked there was an old pickup that should hold the rest of you."
Tifa's face softened. "Well, he didn't have to be such a jerk when I walked in." She thought.
"Do you want them or not?" He asked, a grin playing on his face.
She looked at him warily. "What's the catch?" She asked, eyes searching him for lies.
"No catch, Miss Lockheart. I'm just doing this for an old friend. Just don't expect any opportunities like this to pop up again." The only change in his frigid voice was used for his comment about an old friend. It had taken on the warm and gentle quality of three years ago. He walked over to her and pressed the keys into her hand. "We *will* meet again, Tifa, but I can't hold off the Mako forever. Don't trust me so much in the future. I'm sorry in advance." He said, turning away.
Tifa looked down at the keys and then back up at Rufus' back, very confused.
His fists clenched, Dark Nations looked up from her corner. "NOW GET OUT OF HERE!" He yelled, making both Dark Nations and Tifa jump.
"Thank you Rufus..." She whispered, and then ran from the room, down the stairs, nearly colliding with Cloud.
"There you are! I was just about to come up there to check on you. You took a while. The others are close to ground level. What's this?" He asked when Tifa tossed him a key.
"Go to the 2nd floor, get the motorcycle. Use that key."
Cloud blinked. "Uh, how'd you get this?"
"Later Cloud! Get down there, a mass of soldiers is waiting for the others at the entrance."
Cloud, surprised by Tifa's sudden domineering orders, ran to the nearest elevator marked for emergencies. It was used for quick exits in case of fires; the whole elevator and elevator shaft had been fire proofed. The elevator moved extremely fast.
The elevator soon stopped at the 2nd floor. "Go, hurry and get that thing started. I'll get the others." Tifa ran downstairs where Aerith, Barrett, and Red XIII were about to charge the mob of soldiers. "Guys! This way!"
"Where's Cloud?" An anxious Aerith asked.
"He's coming." She said, hearing the engine fire-up up stairs. Tifa jumped into the pick-up that Rufus had mentioned. It looked like they'd all fit. "Get in guys!" She yelled as Cloud came down the stairs on his motorcycle. Tifa revved the engine, making sure everyone was in as she followed Cloud out of the building.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rufus stood in his office looking out the window at the chase scene unfolding before him. He watched the two vehicles race down the highway and out of sight, heading toward the city walls. The soldiers had sent their tank robot after them, but Rufus knew it wouldn't be enough to stop them. A voice behind him made him turn around.
"Uh, sir? They got away."
"Duh." Rufus thought. "Never mind them. Get someone to track down Sephiroth, and have Scarlet look into giant materia. And Reeve, send a spy- bot into the AVALANCHE group. I'd like to keep and eye on them."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/n: Ok guys, I hope you know (and appreciate) that I did this 7, almost eight, page chapter in one night. This chapter is my baby and I just couldn't quit typing, no matter how bad the cramps in my ribs and shoulders are. Please tell me what you think about my interpretation of the ShinRa Headquarters part of the game. That is what I think went on behind the scenes, why Rufus went up to Tifa first, and why they were able to start up that truck and motorcycle so fast that they couldn't possibly have hotwired them in short that amount of time. Ok, now I'm rambling. Sorry guys. Please review; I'll have the next chapter up soon, hopefully! Luv ya!
Disclaimer: None of it is mine, *sigh*. Well, I can claim the storyline...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A dark grin spread across his face. "Finally, I'm out of this hell-hole." He said, the thought making him shiver. He waved the messenger out of his office. He couldn't believe it. The tall man looked out of the window overlooking the ocean and the sunset. The same sunset that, to him, signified his father's reign ending.
He laughed cruelly to himself. "The bastard is finally dead. Sephiroth, I owe you one, even if you are a crazy lunatic." He pressed the intercom and told the secretary to prepare the helicopter. He had to see this for himself. Supposedly, there was a massacre. The room dimmed darker as clouds floated over the setting sun. The icy blue eyes, colder than they'd ever been, glowed in the faint light.
"President Rufus," the secretary tactfully said, cleverly expecting a raise for being the first to acknowledge him as president. "Your chopper is ready."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tifa opened her eyes, hearing Cloud shift in the darkness. Somehow she got the impression that he was feeling sorry for Aerith, who was in the cell right next to theirs. She sighed and rolled over onto her back and crossed one leg over the other. She was glad he was back, but he was different.
He had major migraines. Sometimes he'd have episodes where he'd talk to someone who wasn't there. Worst of all, he'd brought this girl, Aerith, with him when he came back from falling off of Mako Reactor 6. Tifa had been so worried that he'd died, and he came back, healthy as ever, with this girl following him around like a lost puppy, calling him her bodyguard. Ok, she was a tinge jealous.
Not that she had anything *against* Aerith, she was actually very nice, good gossip companion.
Tifa closed her eyes again and tried to sleep. Thirty minutes later, though, Cloud shook her awake.
"Tifa, there's something wrong. The door's unlocked."
The two went outside the cell, a trail of dark blood leading from the door to a dead guard. Cloud handed the key to Tifa. "Let Barret and Red XIII out, I'll get Aerith."
"Figures." She thought. She freed the two; Red XIII was a new addition.
He was a creature from Hojo's lab that looked like a lion crossed with a wolf; his fur dark red and his tail had a flame that lit his cell. He talked as well; he was quite intelligent.
"Hey guys, wake up, the doors are unlocked. We're free."
Barret woke up; Red XIII took and shook himself awake. They followed her outside, to the dead body.
"Holy $%!#! What the hell happened here?" Barret questioned.
"Shh!" Cloud shook his head. "We're gonna split up, we need to look around. I'm curious to see where this trail of blood'll lead us."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The helicopter neared the city; Midgar loomed in the distance. All the lights lit up the polluted darkness like diamonds in soot.
Another grin spread across his face. No more paperwork, this was a chance to prove himself as a leader. The programming the department had brainwashed him with was quickly taking over. This was the moment all that 'training' had prepared him for.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A familiar sight flashed in Tifa's memory. President ShinRa was lying facedown on his desk, that all-too-familiar sword sticking through him almost to the hilt. Her own father's death was similar. The same murderer. Sephiroth. Tifa was too overwhelmed to hear Barret and Cloud question Palmer.
The sound of a nearing chopper distracted Cloud and Barret long enough to let Palmer free.
"What the $*@^?! I forgot about him!" Barret said, clapping his real hand to his face.
"Who?" Red XIII questioned.
"The damned president's son! He's been hiding out in Junon for the past ten years, staying out of the limelight."
Aerith shrugged. "I heard no one's ever seen him bleed or cry."
Tifa smiled to herself. She had. Or at least seen his eyes water, showing some emotion. She let her mind wander, thinking out loud. "I wonder what kind of person he is..." she said, trailing off after catching herself. "...now?" She finished, mentally.
They all went out onto the balcony where a young man jumped from the helicopter that hovered nearby.
When he stood up straight, he neared 6'2", and was lean but muscular. He wore a pristine white suit, black turtleneck, and heavy brown boots. His eyes still shone icy blue, glowing in the dim light, yet now one could feel the chill in his stare, sending shivers down one's spine. The silky soft blonde hair that used to move with the breeze was now gelled back, only a few strands were allowed to fall into his face, and even those were constantly flipped back behind an ear.
Tifa was the last to file through the door, but when she saw him, she took in a quick, sharp breath. He barely looked the same way he did three years ago
He hadn't seen her yet; he was looking through the huge windows, seeing his father's corpse with Sephiroth's Masamune jutting out of his large back. Rufus laughed coldly. "So it *is* true. He finally kicked the bucket." He thought. His eyes turned to Cloud, who was glaring at him. "Well, well. Since my old man's gone, I guess I'll let you hear my acceptance speech." He ran a hand through his hair, his eye finally catching Tifa. Surprise shook him, but he couldn't stop the speech.
He casually walked toward Tifa first, speaking loudly that he would run the city; that it cost too much to run the city like his old man. He stopped in front of her and took a short break from his speech. He whispered to her. "Long time no see. Why don't you stay a while after this?"
He continued his speech, stopping in front of other AVALANCHE members, sizing them up, pretending they were no different from Tifa.
When Rufus had quit talking for more than thirty seconds, Cloud told everyone to get out of the building. Rufus merely smirked as the rest of the rebel group left. He whistled sharply, and out of the helicopter jumped a large dark creature.
If it stood on it's hindquarters, it'd been taller than Rufus. It resembled a cat, and it's emerald green eyes flashed against glossy black fur.
"Let's get this over with." Rufus muttered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Downstairs, Tifa rushed everyone through the doors and told them to go on.
Aerith rushed back to her. "Are you staying here?"
Tifa nodded. "I have to make sure he's all right."
Aerith nodded, assuming 'he' meant Cloud. She ran to the elevators to join Red XIII and Barret.
Which 'he' was the hard part. Rooting for neither one, she listened for the battle upstairs and held her breath.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dark Nations wasted no time casting a magic barrier and a shell on herself and her master. She growled at her opponent, baring her teeth at Cloud. To her, this was a routine battle.
The enemy only glared back, waiting in a battle stance.
Rufus smirked. "It's sad that we won't become friends." He said, eyes fixed on his target. He aimed his shotgun with one arm and pulled the trigger, the recoil rocked him back on his heels, but didn't faze him in the least.
Cloud winced, feeling the full effect of the bullet's shrapnel. He went after the cat thing first, it seemed to be the cure/barrier caster.
Dark Nations readied herself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tifa heard gunshots from both upstairs *and* the elevators. "What the hell is going on? Maybe I should have gone with them..." Now she rooted for both the blondes, wishing the fight never began.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hm, he's a bit tougher than I expected. I better get Dark Nations out of here." He thought, eyeing his pet who was nearing KO. When she finally did collapse, Rufus took a few more shots at Cloud and decided that the battle was pointless. "I'll let him go so we can spar, for real next time." He thought. "Time to go. I'll see you later." He grabbed Dark Nations in one arm and grabbed the landing gear of the helicopter with the other.
Cloud tried to follow but to no avail. He turned to join his group of friends, muttering to himself. He found Tifa downstairs, looking pale.
"What happened? Who won?"
Cloud grimaced. "No one did, the kid chickened out and left in the middle of the battle."
Tifa gave a sigh of relief. "Good."
"What?"
"Nothing, I'll be right back. Stay here, I forgot something upstairs." She said, beginning to sprint to the stairs.
"Hey! Tifa?! You want me to come with you?" Cloud said, re-sheathing his sword.
"Nah, I'll be ok." She called over her shoulder.
"All right, but be on the lookout for that Rufus guy. He could be lurking around her anywhere. I'll look out for him down here for you. Be careful."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rufus stared at his father, laying face down on the desk, Masamune still buried deep in his back. The new president laughed cruelly to himself. "It's my turn, dad."
"Rufus?" A voice startled him.
A rejuvenated Dark Nations sprang into attack position, but relaxed when she saw the human was female.
Tifa's eyes went wide at the sight of the large feline that had bared its teeth at her.
"Don't worry, she doesn't bite unless I tell her to." Rufus said, barely comforting Tifa with his words.
An awkward silence filled the room, Tifa felt sure she barely knew this man. His presence didn't quite feel the same. His warm comforting blue eyes seemed to now send icy shards through her. But even through the tough exterior, she could tell that deep down, *way* deep down, the Rufus she knew was in there, somewhere.
She looked out the window, out past the balcony and saw that there was large group of soldiers forming outside the front of the building. The elevators carrying Aerith, Barrett, and Red XIII would soon be arriving in the lobby right in front of the mob of soldiers. She pulled together some courage. "Rufus... please help us do something to get out of here. My friend will never make it with all those soldiers down there..."
His clear blue eyes stopped examining her. "Hmm, now why would I want to do that? Your friends *did* bust in here and try to fight me. I haven't done anything wrong. I don't think your boyfriend likes me very much."
Tifa rolled her eyes. "He's not my boyfriend. He's a childhood friend from Nibelheim."
Rufus smirked. "Which is why you looked so worried when he came back after our little scuffle, eh?"
"I was worried about *both* of you." She said, scowling now.
"No need to get angry, Miss Lockheart, your friends will get out. I'll even help you get vehicles." He held up two keys. "One is for the motorcycle on the second floor, that spiky-haired country boy should have fun with that, the other is for the vehicles on display in the foyer on the first floor. Last time I checked there was an old pickup that should hold the rest of you."
Tifa's face softened. "Well, he didn't have to be such a jerk when I walked in." She thought.
"Do you want them or not?" He asked, a grin playing on his face.
She looked at him warily. "What's the catch?" She asked, eyes searching him for lies.
"No catch, Miss Lockheart. I'm just doing this for an old friend. Just don't expect any opportunities like this to pop up again." The only change in his frigid voice was used for his comment about an old friend. It had taken on the warm and gentle quality of three years ago. He walked over to her and pressed the keys into her hand. "We *will* meet again, Tifa, but I can't hold off the Mako forever. Don't trust me so much in the future. I'm sorry in advance." He said, turning away.
Tifa looked down at the keys and then back up at Rufus' back, very confused.
His fists clenched, Dark Nations looked up from her corner. "NOW GET OUT OF HERE!" He yelled, making both Dark Nations and Tifa jump.
"Thank you Rufus..." She whispered, and then ran from the room, down the stairs, nearly colliding with Cloud.
"There you are! I was just about to come up there to check on you. You took a while. The others are close to ground level. What's this?" He asked when Tifa tossed him a key.
"Go to the 2nd floor, get the motorcycle. Use that key."
Cloud blinked. "Uh, how'd you get this?"
"Later Cloud! Get down there, a mass of soldiers is waiting for the others at the entrance."
Cloud, surprised by Tifa's sudden domineering orders, ran to the nearest elevator marked for emergencies. It was used for quick exits in case of fires; the whole elevator and elevator shaft had been fire proofed. The elevator moved extremely fast.
The elevator soon stopped at the 2nd floor. "Go, hurry and get that thing started. I'll get the others." Tifa ran downstairs where Aerith, Barrett, and Red XIII were about to charge the mob of soldiers. "Guys! This way!"
"Where's Cloud?" An anxious Aerith asked.
"He's coming." She said, hearing the engine fire-up up stairs. Tifa jumped into the pick-up that Rufus had mentioned. It looked like they'd all fit. "Get in guys!" She yelled as Cloud came down the stairs on his motorcycle. Tifa revved the engine, making sure everyone was in as she followed Cloud out of the building.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Rufus stood in his office looking out the window at the chase scene unfolding before him. He watched the two vehicles race down the highway and out of sight, heading toward the city walls. The soldiers had sent their tank robot after them, but Rufus knew it wouldn't be enough to stop them. A voice behind him made him turn around.
"Uh, sir? They got away."
"Duh." Rufus thought. "Never mind them. Get someone to track down Sephiroth, and have Scarlet look into giant materia. And Reeve, send a spy- bot into the AVALANCHE group. I'd like to keep and eye on them."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/n: Ok guys, I hope you know (and appreciate) that I did this 7, almost eight, page chapter in one night. This chapter is my baby and I just couldn't quit typing, no matter how bad the cramps in my ribs and shoulders are. Please tell me what you think about my interpretation of the ShinRa Headquarters part of the game. That is what I think went on behind the scenes, why Rufus went up to Tifa first, and why they were able to start up that truck and motorcycle so fast that they couldn't possibly have hotwired them in short that amount of time. Ok, now I'm rambling. Sorry guys. Please review; I'll have the next chapter up soon, hopefully! Luv ya!