Author's Note: I don't own FF. I used to own a Cloud Strife action figure,
but then his arm broke off because the Buster sword was too heavy for his
puny non-Mako enhanced plastic limb. So I threw him in the toilet. Bastard
clogged it. So I threw a cherry bomb in to blow him up. Well, that
destroyed my toilet, and despite having only one arm, he survived. So I
sent my Sephiroth action figure in after him. They dueled to the death, and
Sephiroth came out on top. But then Sephiroth was clogging what was left of
my toilet!
I swear, sometimes you can just never win.
Chapter Eleven
Bodyguard
Cloud looked into the hospice and frowned. All the old Highwind engineers surrounded Cid, excitedly recalling the story about how they had found the Tiny Bronco and that they were in the process of restoring it. A smile appeared on Cid's face, which immediately faded. The old arrogant look returned, and he began yelling at them all.
"Dammit, you nitwits, you wouldn't know the first thing about fixin' my ship! You'd probably just break it worse than it is. I'll be damned if I let a single one of you numbskulls touch it."
He was about to join them, but decided against it. Cid was too interwoven with his fellow engineers. Cloud felt that he would just be in the way, someone trying to involve himself in something that he knew nothing about.
He turned around, walking away from the hospice and into the main town. A dark cloud covered his mood. The engineers were now looking after Cid since Tifa had gone missing. Not only had she gone missing, but another dead body had turned up, this one belonging to the former Mayor Domo. He and Barret had looked the body over, and this one was also set up to look like a robbery. After an hour of searching, Cloud had found Red XIII and brought him to the scene of the crime. After a few careful sniffs, Rude's scent had come out quite clearly, as well as Tifa's. Not too far from the body, Rude's broken sunglasses had been found, in the middle of the street. Everyone claimed to have seen nothing. Cloud's mood had immediately blackened.
Sniffing further hadn't helped the hunt any more after that. While trying to follow Rude's scent, the strong odor of Elena's perfume had blanketed the air. Trying to follow it to its source had only led the group into a dozen directions, none of them leading to either Tifa or Rude.
A stinging sensation filled Cloud's arm, and he looked down to his fist. The purposely unhealed cut had broken open from clenching his fist, and blood seaped through his glove.
He didn't even notice the white haired old man until the man spoke to him.
"Excuse me?" he said. The man was dressed in an old lab coat, which was dirty, and torn in a few places. It was probably what he had been wearing when Meteor and Holy had struck.
Something about him looked familiar. Cloud couldn't quite place him... "Yes?"
"Are you Cloud Strife? The Soldier flunk out who became a member of Avalanche? Defied Shinra and helped bring their empire down?"
"Yeah, I am. And you are...?"
"I'm Doctor Hargun. Formerly Professor. At your service. I understand that you are associated with a Tifa Lockheart?"
Confusion covered Cloud's face. "Yeah. What of it?"
"She owes me a favor. A number of years ago she was brought to me by an old friend. She had extensive injuries, one of them being a large slash to her abdomen given to her by a sword undoubtedly forged from hardened Mako. Masamune, perhaps. It's the only sword I've heard of to be made that way."
Tifa's song came roaring back to his head, and he began humming it absently. This must be the doctor that Zagan had spoken of in the note hidden in the sheet music to the song.
"Yes!" the doctor cried. "That song! Tifa used to whistle it to herself sometimes. Remarkable tune. Very catchy. Hmmm... I guess it is true. Anyway, do you know where I can find her? I'm in dire need of her assistance."
"No, I'm sorry. She was... I believe she was taken by one of the Turks. She witnessed a murder one of them committed, and was then taken to maintain her silence."
"That's most odd. A Turk you say? Very odd. They normally kill whomever they need to be silenced."
A wistful looked tinged Cloud's expression. "Normally, yes. But this Turk has feelings for her. I don't believe he'll harm her. But I'm in the process of finding her."
"Ah yes, the handsome warrior rescues the princess. I assume you do this often?"
Images of Aeris being impaled by Masamune filled Cloud's mind. "No."
"Ah, well. I see that you have Mako eyes. I trust I didn't do that to you. I was certain you had flunked out of Soldier."
"Why do you keep saying that? Were you somehow involved in Solider?"
Hargun nodded. "Once, yes. I was involved in the initial testing of people to see if they were mentally, physically, and spiritually capable of being able to handle the Mako shower process. I also was Soldier's best doctor in my day. Now I'm just an old fool trying to escape Shinra's shadow. I fear that Turk you spoke of will come after me next. I am afraid what I ask next will be rather difficult on both myself and you. I need some protection. I had thought perhaps Tifa would know how to get in touch with Zagan, or that she herself would be able to help me, but... I need a bodyguard. I'm afraid I don't have much to pay you with, but..."
Memories of Aeris saying similar words came to Cloud. He had been so cocky then, so sure that he would be able to protect her.
"No. I'm not a bodyguard anymore. I can't protect you."
"Ah, I see. Then you will leave this old man to die. If Shinra finds me, that is what will happen. I have no way of defending myself. I... no. I won't give up. Is Tifa your friend?"
Cloud nodded, not sure what to say.
"Good. Then protect me for Tifa. I saved her life where no one else, save perhaps that maniacal Hojo, couldn't. If not for me, she would be dead. Nothing would have stopped that. Not your vaunted sword skill, or your mastery of Materia. She owes me a favor. I need someone to protect me. You can clear the debt between me and her by undertaking this task. Will you do it?"
"One condition."
"What's that?"
"I have a friend who needs your medical expertise. Give him what he needs, I'll protect you with my life."
The old doctor nodded. "Done then."
Author's Note:
Blah. Alright, I had to force myself through that chapter for the most part. Rude/Tifa next chapter. I'm aware that I skimmed over the discovery of Tifa's kidnaping. Bah! I'm lazy. So sue me.
I swear, sometimes you can just never win.
Chapter Eleven
Bodyguard
Cloud looked into the hospice and frowned. All the old Highwind engineers surrounded Cid, excitedly recalling the story about how they had found the Tiny Bronco and that they were in the process of restoring it. A smile appeared on Cid's face, which immediately faded. The old arrogant look returned, and he began yelling at them all.
"Dammit, you nitwits, you wouldn't know the first thing about fixin' my ship! You'd probably just break it worse than it is. I'll be damned if I let a single one of you numbskulls touch it."
He was about to join them, but decided against it. Cid was too interwoven with his fellow engineers. Cloud felt that he would just be in the way, someone trying to involve himself in something that he knew nothing about.
He turned around, walking away from the hospice and into the main town. A dark cloud covered his mood. The engineers were now looking after Cid since Tifa had gone missing. Not only had she gone missing, but another dead body had turned up, this one belonging to the former Mayor Domo. He and Barret had looked the body over, and this one was also set up to look like a robbery. After an hour of searching, Cloud had found Red XIII and brought him to the scene of the crime. After a few careful sniffs, Rude's scent had come out quite clearly, as well as Tifa's. Not too far from the body, Rude's broken sunglasses had been found, in the middle of the street. Everyone claimed to have seen nothing. Cloud's mood had immediately blackened.
Sniffing further hadn't helped the hunt any more after that. While trying to follow Rude's scent, the strong odor of Elena's perfume had blanketed the air. Trying to follow it to its source had only led the group into a dozen directions, none of them leading to either Tifa or Rude.
A stinging sensation filled Cloud's arm, and he looked down to his fist. The purposely unhealed cut had broken open from clenching his fist, and blood seaped through his glove.
He didn't even notice the white haired old man until the man spoke to him.
"Excuse me?" he said. The man was dressed in an old lab coat, which was dirty, and torn in a few places. It was probably what he had been wearing when Meteor and Holy had struck.
Something about him looked familiar. Cloud couldn't quite place him... "Yes?"
"Are you Cloud Strife? The Soldier flunk out who became a member of Avalanche? Defied Shinra and helped bring their empire down?"
"Yeah, I am. And you are...?"
"I'm Doctor Hargun. Formerly Professor. At your service. I understand that you are associated with a Tifa Lockheart?"
Confusion covered Cloud's face. "Yeah. What of it?"
"She owes me a favor. A number of years ago she was brought to me by an old friend. She had extensive injuries, one of them being a large slash to her abdomen given to her by a sword undoubtedly forged from hardened Mako. Masamune, perhaps. It's the only sword I've heard of to be made that way."
Tifa's song came roaring back to his head, and he began humming it absently. This must be the doctor that Zagan had spoken of in the note hidden in the sheet music to the song.
"Yes!" the doctor cried. "That song! Tifa used to whistle it to herself sometimes. Remarkable tune. Very catchy. Hmmm... I guess it is true. Anyway, do you know where I can find her? I'm in dire need of her assistance."
"No, I'm sorry. She was... I believe she was taken by one of the Turks. She witnessed a murder one of them committed, and was then taken to maintain her silence."
"That's most odd. A Turk you say? Very odd. They normally kill whomever they need to be silenced."
A wistful looked tinged Cloud's expression. "Normally, yes. But this Turk has feelings for her. I don't believe he'll harm her. But I'm in the process of finding her."
"Ah yes, the handsome warrior rescues the princess. I assume you do this often?"
Images of Aeris being impaled by Masamune filled Cloud's mind. "No."
"Ah, well. I see that you have Mako eyes. I trust I didn't do that to you. I was certain you had flunked out of Soldier."
"Why do you keep saying that? Were you somehow involved in Solider?"
Hargun nodded. "Once, yes. I was involved in the initial testing of people to see if they were mentally, physically, and spiritually capable of being able to handle the Mako shower process. I also was Soldier's best doctor in my day. Now I'm just an old fool trying to escape Shinra's shadow. I fear that Turk you spoke of will come after me next. I am afraid what I ask next will be rather difficult on both myself and you. I need some protection. I had thought perhaps Tifa would know how to get in touch with Zagan, or that she herself would be able to help me, but... I need a bodyguard. I'm afraid I don't have much to pay you with, but..."
Memories of Aeris saying similar words came to Cloud. He had been so cocky then, so sure that he would be able to protect her.
"No. I'm not a bodyguard anymore. I can't protect you."
"Ah, I see. Then you will leave this old man to die. If Shinra finds me, that is what will happen. I have no way of defending myself. I... no. I won't give up. Is Tifa your friend?"
Cloud nodded, not sure what to say.
"Good. Then protect me for Tifa. I saved her life where no one else, save perhaps that maniacal Hojo, couldn't. If not for me, she would be dead. Nothing would have stopped that. Not your vaunted sword skill, or your mastery of Materia. She owes me a favor. I need someone to protect me. You can clear the debt between me and her by undertaking this task. Will you do it?"
"One condition."
"What's that?"
"I have a friend who needs your medical expertise. Give him what he needs, I'll protect you with my life."
The old doctor nodded. "Done then."
Author's Note:
Blah. Alright, I had to force myself through that chapter for the most part. Rude/Tifa next chapter. I'm aware that I skimmed over the discovery of Tifa's kidnaping. Bah! I'm lazy. So sue me.